InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "But a WOLF?!"

Iggy (blind_pyro) wrote in utr_logs,
@ 2009-01-22 13:36:00

Entry tags:

iggy, timey wimey plot, tobias

Who: Iggy and whoever (Open post here people, dogpile!)
Where: Central Park
When: Thursday afternoon
Why: Because Iggy's decided to take a chance.

Thanks to Henn and her highly scientific survey results, Iggy had decided to take a chance on the place and see what happened. He was still as nervous as anything, but he was good at putting on a brave front, that was one of the first things the Flock had learned, not to show how shaken they were.

This was a chance that he knew Max would probably kill him for, and then figure out how to bring him back from the dead just so she could kill him again. He was still mostly worried about Erasers more than any of the actual people, but the whole time he'd been here he hadn't gotten a smell, even the faintest whiff, anywhere. This made him bold.

In any case, anyone walking through Central Park, somewhere south of the middle, near the turtle pond, would probably see a dishwater blonde teenage boy, skipping stones out across the pond with an eerie accuracy for the fact that he was focused somewhere far beyond the water's edge. Aside from that, he had wings folded down against his shoulders in lieu of a coat, gold-brown feathers marking him as a raptor of some kind, though he certainly didn't look it otherwise.

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ex_birdboy908
2009-01-22 09:41 pm UTC (link)

Over the years, Tobias had gotten used to flying Central Park. He took the area for patrol whenever it came up, sure, but it was also a nice place to spend his downtime. It was the closest thing to a forest he could reach, while still being close enough to be on call for work. Most of the other birds in the area were so used to humans that the slightly-off smell of him didn't bother them, and there was always food to be scavenged, when he wasn't in the mood to morph out and pay. Not to mention, there was always something interesting to be seen.

A giant of a boy with raptor wings definately qualified as 'interesting', especially in broad daylight, so Tobias swooped around, lighting himself on a low branch of a nearby tree to watch him throw the rocks.

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blind_pyro
2009-01-22 09:50 pm UTC (link)

He had a method, scuffing up the dirt at the edge of the pond with the toe of a shoe before stooping to pick up the rocks, feeling for them really, instead of just reaching, feeling each one out and leaving the ones that wouldn't skip before dusting the favored ones off, turning each one over in his fingers before flicking it deftly across the pond, six skips, seven, sometimes as many as ten or twelve if he got a particularly good one.

It was hard to say, really, if he'd heard the rustle of wings over the almost-rhythmic splashing, but there was a good chance he had, given as how he straightened, head tilting a moment later, pausing between rocks, listening.

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ex_birdboy908
2009-01-22 09:55 pm UTC (link)

Tobias looked around, actually thinking the pause might have been about something else, before he noticed the vacant look in the boy's eyes; normal people (which was always an extremely loose term to Tobias, anyway) didn't usually hear him fly in. But if the boy was blind, on top of being genetically... different, he probably had.

He winced inwardly, unsure if it would be reassuring, or even worse, for him to thought-speak to the boy. He settled for ruffling his wings again, moving back a little, the way a bird might as it fought against its fight-or-flight instinct.

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blind_pyro
2009-01-22 10:04 pm UTC (link)

His brow was still creased just slightly, puzzled more than anything, it took him a moment to gauge the wind, finally stretching one wing, just a little, it was something Fang and Nudge had done, and that the rest of them had learned when living halfway up a mountain with a flock of Ferruginous hawks, letting the bird, that he was fairly sure was larger than the usual pigeons, catch his scent.

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ex_birdboy908
2009-01-22 10:14 pm UTC (link)

Interesting. The boy acted like a raptor, too. Tobias' head cocked to the side, a puzzled sort of reaction, before he finally decided to give in and announce himself.

<It's alright, I'm not going to attack. Most people don't hear a hawk flying around, especially in this place. You're good with those rocks,> There was a momentary pause, before Tobias realized he probably sounded even more crazy than he should have.

<Er, I'm Tobias, by the way. Yes, the hawk. It's a... long story.>

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	blind_pyro 2009-01-22 10:39 pm UTC (link)
	He had jolted at the initial introduction, standing almost perfectly still, a ready tension down his spine, along his wings, not-quite open, but ready to make a leap for an up and away exit if he had to. He suddenly knew how Max must have felt hearing her Voice, "You... aren't from the School, are you?" He had to be sure of that at least. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	ex_birdboy908 2009-01-22 10:56 pm UTC (link)
	He knew the posture all too well, and held especially still, waiting for the next question to respond. <I don't know anything about a school. If it'd... be easier, I can be human. I didn't mean to scare you, I just... can't talk like this,> He emphasized the idea with a light squawk. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	blind_pyro 2009-01-22 11:00 pm UTC (link)
	"I know a dog that can talk." He said with a shrug, "And he can also jump fifteen feet in the air, so, maybe not the best example." He shook his head then, trying to clear it, likely looking like he had water in his ears, "If you wouldn't mind, I'd appreciate it." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ex_birdboy908
2009-01-22 11:10 pm UTC (link)

Tobias made a noise of recognition. <This is going to... sound strange, to warn you.>

He fluttered down from the tree, into a small group of bushes to keep from being seen. The change was gradual, a slow series of popping bones and pulling, stretching muscle. It lasted almost a minute, before there was a louder rustling of bushes, Tobias emerging with a little sigh.

"There. Sorry, it doesn't feel as bad as it sounds."

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	blind_pyro 2009-01-23 12:02 am UTC (link)
	He had held onto a couple of the rocks, just in case. Shuddering just once at the noise, still wary of the voice, though managing to focus on Tobias easily enough now that he knew exactly where the voice was coming from. Granted, he was focusing somewhere past the man's right ear, but he was close, "I hope not, it sounds pretty bad." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ex_birdboy908
2009-01-23 12:46 am UTC (link)

"No, nothing like that- no pain, just... stretching." He saw the rocks still in the kid's hand, but didn't comment on them; he had the right to defend himself, especially from a complete stranger.

"So, think the pond's learned its lesson, yet?" His tone was lightly joking. 'What're you doing?' sounded to much like interrogation; it was meant as a conversation starter, not an accusation.

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	blind_pyro 2009-01-23 12:55 am UTC (link)
	There was a small smile at that, shrugging one shoulder, the movement more a cocking of his wing than anything, "Might have. Doubt it though." Another one of the stones was sent out in a low arc, Iggy's brow furrowing slightly as he counted the skips, listening for each splash before the inevitable plonk, "Seven. Not bad. I'm Iggy, by the way." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ex_birdboy908
2009-01-23 01:02 am UTC (link)

He smiled in turn, bending down to pick up a few small rocks himself. "Might as well try to help. Least I can do, interrupting you and all," He was sure to make a bit of noise as he crouched down, to keep from startling Iggy. His own attempt to skip stopped short at five, making him scoff lightly. "It's nice to meet you, Iggy."

If asked, he wouldn't be able to say what compelled him to bother the kid- maybe the sight of a lanky dishwater blonde, alone, who also seemed to have a bit of bird in him just struck a chord.

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	blind_pyro 2009-01-23 01:09 am UTC (link)
	Once he'd skipped the rest of the rocks in his hand he didn't go for more, just sticking his hands in his pockets, apparently scanning the horizon, though really he was just listening, cataloging sounds, "So... how do you do that?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ex_birdboy908
2009-01-23 01:15 am UTC (link)

"Do...? Oh, change?" It was a genuine question, even if there really wasn't anything else he would have to ask about. Tobias scoffed a soft laugh, skipping another rock.

"Short version? It was a genetic gift from an alien that crash-landed on my planet, who wanted us to save Earth from invading parasitic slugs." His tone was dry, but serious. He knew it didn't sound believable, but then, neither was a psychically gifted hawk who could turn into a man. 'Believable' was relative, around there.

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blind_pyro
2009-01-23 01:19 am UTC (link)

"Hn." Was the only response from Iggy, just nodding. It was followed a moment later, however by, "I see."

This was, it should be mentioned, one of his favorite statements, mostly due to his self-proclaimed highly developed sense of irony.

There was no 'yeah, sure' disbelief in his tone however, it was more a case of accepting that this place really was as crazy as he thought it was, and moving on, "Must be a different Earth than mine."

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ex_birdboy908
2009-01-23 01:26 am UTC (link)

The irony was not lost on Tobias, and smiled a little to himself. It was probably able to be heard in his voice when he spoke next, skipping the last of the rocks before dusting his hands off.

"Consider yourself lucky. They were nasty little bugs to deal with. I was glad to get away," Of course had he not gotten away, he would have been dead, or alone. But it was only recently that he saw his second chance as a truly good thing.

"You're from Earth, then?" He winced as soon as the words left his mouth; he didn't mean to ask. It was the reason he wasn't the diplomat of his group- his curiousify always got the better of him.

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blind_pyro
2009-01-23 01:30 am UTC (link)

He actually laughed at that, one quick snap of sound, it was something he was doing more often since he'd been brought here, and it was still a surprise to him every time, "Last time I checked." He said with a shrug, "Doesn't sound as exciting as yours though."

This was, perhaps, an overstatement, that or he just didn't realize how exciting, even extraordinary, his own story would seem from the outside.

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ex_birdboy908
2009-01-23 01:39 am UTC (link)

Iggy's laugh actually startled him for a second, and he had to look to his face to make sure the sound was a relatively amused one. Satisfied, he went on, "I don't know about that- it seems most of the gifted that end up here are pretty exciting." Because, in Tobias' mind, flight was a gift in any form. He had debated with turning human again, after accepting there wasn't a war in this world, but he hadn't been able to do it. His morphs were part of him, even if it cost him the ability to live as a human full-time.

It was on his tongue to ask about the wings, about the slight scent of raptor that he'd noticed, when he was the hawk, but he didn't want to make Iggy feel cornered. He'd noticed the tense posture, remembered the question about some school- he knew enough to piece together that whatever the story was, it was a touchy subject.

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blind_pyro
2009-01-23 01:47 am UTC (link)

He thought about that a moment, just going over people he'd met so far, finally nodding, "You might be on to something there." Another one of those shrugs that was mostly wing-movement, "I live with a fairy, glitter, spangly wings, the works."

A pause, "Well, she says there's glitter, I kind of take her word for it." There was, in fact, he had the faint remnants of a handprint on one shoulder from where Navi'd hugged him before he'd come down to the park.

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	ex_birdboy908 2009-01-23 01:53 am UTC (link)
	"I thought you lived with a club kid. The stuff's all over you clothes, but not you." He nodded, against, mostly for his own benefit. "It at least helped me to stop feeling like such a freak. Not having to explain to a boss why I couldn't sit at a desk for more than two hours on end, not having to pretend to be normal. It's nice. Normal's overrated," (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	blind_pyro 2009-01-23 02:08 am UTC (link)
	There was another small smile, "Guess she's not making it up then, good to know." Not that he'd doubted it, really, but outside verification was welcome. "Used to wish for normal. Until I got it." He shook his head, "Normal is overrated." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ex_birdboy908
2009-01-23 02:13 am UTC (link)

He laughed a little at that, rolling his head and stretching his shoulders. He'd been a bird for the past few days, thinking through all the emotions being in the past left him with. The weight of human arms made his neck tense up- psychosomatic, probably, but there none the less.

"Living with a fairy is normal for you?" He sounded curious, but not necessarily judgemental. The 'living as a bird' ideal sort of supressed any feelings of self-entitlement, where judgement was concerned. "Sorry, don't answer that. I'm still not great at this," If he even knew what 'this' was.

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	blind_pyro 2009-01-23 02:21 am UTC (link)
	He shook his head, that same almost-wry smile in place, "No. Had normal before I hit the storm and got dragged here. Was running the hell away from normal." It was easier to focus on the man now, there was still a distance to his gaze that tended to bother most people, but at least he had the right angle, "Wasn't trying to find this much not-normal though." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ex_birdboy908
2009-01-23 02:25 am UTC (link)

Tobias was used to being spoken to without eye contact, especially considering how much time he spent in other bodies. It was a good sign, or at least he thought, that Iggy was putting up the effort.

"Well, at least you got away from the normal? And this place isn't so bad. When it's not throwing you a decade into your past, or shutting off gravity, or inflicting awful musical talent on you." And yes, all of those were said with enough sincerity to imply firsthand experience.