Day 173 | The Beginning

[notachickenhawk]

Who: Tobias and open.
Open: Open
When: Day 173
Where: Near the entrance to the Skyway.
What: A bird arrives after the end of the world.
Format: Whatever works.
Warnings: Bird with PTSD. It's a children's series!


It was early morning when Tobias wakes up. He stretched his wings, and opens his eyes, looking out at the field.

… There was no field.

Tobias stared at the space around him in confusion. Floating… in space? Was this something the Ellimist did? It would be just like him to wake him up in a weird kind of situation like this. … But if it was, there wasn't anything he could do. So he pushed off the tree and flapped, looking down at the rough path of earth nearby. He could see something, far off - it looked like some kind of small town.

He followed the path towards it, traveling quickly. The air was warm enough to give him some nice thermals, and he coasted between them until he got to the - town? It was too small to be a town. He landed on the grass near the entrance to the place, staring.

<Where am I?>

This was pretty clearly some kind of dream, so he didn't really bother keeping his thought-speak private. Anyone in the general area could hear a confused young male voice echo in their head.

Comments

[coolerthansora]

Roxas wasn't entirely unused to the feeling of a voice in his head; that was more or less how the lesser Nobodies sounded when they spoke. But this was different, a distinct and unfamiliar voice when his Samurai was nowhere to be seen. Moreover, anyone who had already come to the Bastion wouldn't be wondering where they were. Was it someone new?

He glanced around in confusion, trying to figure out who exactly was talking. If he saw the hawk, he didn't register it. Talking birds talk out loud where he comes from.

"...hello?" He wasn't sure if this person would hear him, because maybe he wasn't even anywhere near him. Telepathy could work like that, right?

[notachickenhawk]

Someone calling out to him? Okay, sure. He'd bite. It sounded like someone his age, anyway. Who was it - that person. He looked over at Roxas, flapping his wings.

<Down here. Yes, the bird.>

[coolerthansora]

He had to look around again before he spotted the bird.

"Oh! Hi. I didn't notice you there." He smiled sheepishly, as if it were his bad for not realizing he was talking to a bird, and stepped closer. "Did- you just get here?"

[notachickenhawk]

Tobias puffed his wings up a bit. The lack of the Ellimist popping up was a problem... because if he wasn't behind this, what was going on? Covering his tracks would be a problem too...

<Yeah. Wherever 'here' is.>

[coolerthansora]

"It's called the Bastion. It's- the only real safe haven around here."

He faltered, because explaining exactly what that was all about meant delivering some serious bad news.

[eleccentric]

Jason was usually up at an ungodly hour thanks to a strict training regiment at Camp Jupiter. He also clung to the hope that maybe he could find the rest of his friends and comrades out there. It was the only thing he could do other than wallow in crushing sorrow at the thought that he'd never see them again. No, it was better and more productive that he throw himself into helping the rebuilding process.

He'd also seen some weird stuff over the years. It came with being a demigod. Monsters attacked, gods did a little meddling, Mother Earth tried to kill every living thing on the planet and overthrow the gods. None of it was going to compare to the fact that he was about to have a conversation with a red-tailed hawk. Jason had enough room for more weirdness in his life, right?

The teen looked around when he heard the voice. He could've sworn he heard it.

"...Please tell me I'm not losing my mind," Jason muttered to himself. The son of Jupiter, ex-praetor, was finally cracking. Oh boy.

[notachickenhawk]

<Nope.>

Tobias flapped his wings, rustling the grass. <I mean, I know it sounds crazy, but here we are.>

[eleccentric]

Jason glanced at the source of the noise and blinked. Yep. That was definitely a hawk. A telepathic hawk. It made him pause for a moment before replying.

"Honestly, I think I've heard and done crazier than talk to a bird," he replied, smiling ruefully. "I'm Jason, and I guess welcome to the Bastion. Has anyone told you about this place yet?"

[notachickenhawk]

<Not really. I'm Tobias. The bird thing is complicated. As is the telepathy.> Just... not a story for right now. If he determined that this place was safe, maybe he'd talk about it.

[eleccentric]

Jason just nodded at that. It was pretty clear to him that it was a touchy subject. He wasn't going to push, at least not yet.

"Well, the Bastion is the last safe place around, from what I've understood. Most of the time, people help find materials to rebuild this place. Outside is where the monsters like to roam. Be careful if you decide to explore out there. I don't know how many of them can fly, but I can tell you that there are a lot of them wandering around on land."

[findsrisks]

Nanaki was out and about, not far from the entrance to the Skyway. She had actually planned on going out to look for more supplies, and had her shorts and running shoes on. But when she heard that voice in her head, she stopped and looked around, confused.

It wasn't the same voice, but it went into her head the same way. She was sure it couldn't be him anyway, she hadn't seen him in ages, possibly not since that first time they spoke when she first arrived. But she had to check, just in case.

"Uh, blue-horse-guy?" Whoops she had forgotten his name. "Is that you?"

[notachickenhawk]

<Blue horse guy? ... Ax? I'm not Ax, but you've seen him?> Good. Ax would know what was going on. He squawked happily, flapping a bit.

[findsrisks]

Was Ax his name? Nanaki couldn't quite remember. But maybe it was, she remembered it was a normal word that wasn't ever used as a name.

"Ah, well...he WAS here, but I don't think he's around anymore. He might've gotten lost on the Skyway, that happens to a lot of people."

Way more than Nanaki would have liked to see. But if they're lost, then they're not dead, so there's that. "I bet he's out there, though. We find survivors all the time."

It also felt weird, talking to a voice in her head. She also has not yet connected the voice with the bird, she's looking around elsewhere for another blue horse-alien.

[notachickenhawk]

<Down here. The bird.> Out on the Skyway? That must have been the place he came from. The name fit, at least. <I need to find him.>

[findsrisks]

...That sure is a talking bird.

At first, Nanaki just stared down at Tobias. She really hadn't been expecting a talking bird, of all things. But then again, they had a talking dragon here, so why not?

After a moment of recovery, Nanaki finally spoke up again. "...um. It. Might not be a good idea to go out there alone. There's about twenty-dozen reasons why people keep getting lost out there."

She was not saying to not go looking for him, but rather to regroup here and find people to help him.

[wayofvoice]

There's the sound of wingbeats- but far louder than anything Tobias is capable of in his small hawk form. Even if he doesn't look back, Paarthurnax's large shadow will fall over him for a brief second before he's soaring over the Bastion. He circles about for a few moments with practiced ease before landing somewhere near the center, by the Monument.

No noise comes from the dragon, not immediately. He simply glances around, long neck twisting, before his gaze lands on Tobias and his head quirks to the side. It has been a long time since he's seen a hawk.

[notachickenhawk]

Tobias beats his wings hard, trying to overcome his hawk instincts. Huge creature, predator, not his territory! There's a brief struggle while he makes a low circle around the north side of the Bastion before he gets control of himself. Okay. Come on. That's a...

... Dragon? It's not... attacking him. Or yelling. So it's probably not Visser Three. An Andalite? Do they have dragons? That seems like something Ax would have told him by now, but maybe not. He lands in the grass near the dragon - but not too close. He hunkers down in the grass a bit.

<... Hi?>

[wayofvoice]

There's a low rumbling sound deep within his throat, but it's not an aggressive sound. More curious than anything. Ah, so that wasn't a trick of a weary mind.

"Drem yol lok. That is a fine talent you have, skar."

[notachickenhawk]

A dragon. Okay. He's talking to a dragon. Unless he's hallucinating or dreaming, but still. Dragon. Okay. Calm down, Tobias. You can handle this.

<Uh. Thanks? I don't... know what you called me.> Or what he said before. Or any of this. It's all a little overwhelming.

[wayofvoice]

"It is simply what my kind would call a 'hawk'." Paarthurnax understands that his presence is often a surprise to quite a few people here, unless your name happens to be 'Colin'. Even in Skyrim, his kind were reason for shock... and alarm as well.

"I am Paarthurnax. Welcome to the Bastion."

[dragonform]

Returning from the Skyway, Ryu feels his hunt for the day is successful. It didn't take very long either way, and scrapping regularly is keeping him sharp. The sight of the bird surprises him, however. It doesn't look like anything native to the Bastion. Certainly not a Pecker.

"Hello there. Are you lost?" He kneels, asking the bird whilst unaware of where the initial question came from. He figures if the bird can understand him, it must be something like Zorua.

[notachickenhawk]

The bird tilts his head and looks right back at him. <Something like that, yeah.>

[dragonform]

Oh. A talking bird. "You can talk?"

[notachickenhawk]

<Well, you're not hallucinating. Probably.> There's definite amusement in the 'voice', even if he isn't smiling.

[dragonform]

"I think I would know if I was hallucinating." He answers plainly. He's seen more than enough weird nonsense to be reasonably self aware.