welcome to your new hell, Welcome to the Menagerie. Or as we like to call it, Dome Sweet Dome! We are an eight-year strong futuristic shapeshifter and sci-fi creature roleplay, dedicated to bringing you a world unlike any other; a world in which your character has become an experiment and must fight for survival in a domed city, cut off from the rest of the world. Choose to be any animal in your fight for survival in an artificial world built by the Keepers as they subject you to experiments beyond your control. Choose to wander the world inside the walls alone, as a Rogue, or find safety in numbers in one of the groups known as Rings. How will you survive?
60 - 65 ºF
blustery with scattered showers spotty sunshine
YEAR 2309
shift bans.
» Cougars (aka Puma, Mountain Lion, Panther)
» All Tiger Species
» All Lion Species
» All Wolf Species
» African Leopards
group bans.
none.
encouraged !
FEMALE CHARACTERS! create a RETRO or ANTHRO and get 250 CP + a free skill! read me for more info!
last updated: april 19th, 2016
Click on each Ring or Retro group image to view their ranks!
GROUP UPDATES
CARNARING
Jocelyn Edelwolfe is the new Alpha! Seija Mulviene is the new Beta, and Grey is the new Delta. Lead Hunter is now Boone Haywood, Head of Border Patrol is now Noelle Ndango!
FALLENRING
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FULSIRING
Fulsi has a standing treaty with the Nakoma, granting limited access to their fresh water.
NAKOMA TRIBE
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ANALOYA PRIDE
a while back, the Analoya suffered a suspicious poisoning of their river, luckily with few casualties; the Bellator are suspected of having taken part in it, and there are whispers that Pride leader Wanderer is talking alliance with the Nilda for access to their clean water.
BELLATOR HERD
As new leader of the Bellator, Loril has instituted some rank changes. See this thread for more information!
LAWAII FLOCK
no updates!
NILDA PACK
no updates!
CARNARING QUICK STATS
ALPHA -- Jocelyn Edelwolfe, Clouded Leopard, played by IronChild
BETA -- Seija Mulviene, Spotted Hyena, played by Seija-chan
DELTA --Grey, Mackenzie Valley Wolf, played by Kriss
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Batu let out a quiet sigh as she easily glided along the cool drafts of air. Her honey brown eyes lazily scanned the grassy valley below. The day was like every other, overcast, gloomy, grey. Cooler temperatures had started to set in, and the ever heavy clouds overhead threatened to shower the earth with another load of water. She wished the depressing weather conditions would go away, had wished it since the first week she had arrived here. While she had spent many years braving the snow, she had little tolerance for rain during the colder months, particularly here in this oversized cage. There was no where she could run to to hide from it, no where she could go to dry off and curl up in a warm blanket like she had when she had lived on the estate. Here, she could do nothing more than retreat to her rocky alcove, maybe duck into a thick-limbed pine tree if she could find one that could house her large form. Either way, she would be cold and wet.
She supposed she had been…what had been that word again? ‘…“humanized,” I think that’s what it was,’ she recalled, her mind grabbing at the memory of what one of her flock mates had said to about her during her early days with the avian group. The other Lawaii members hardly seemed affected by the fall rains out here. She wasn’t sure if they were simply used to the cage’s climate, or if it was because they were truly wild birds, and therefore saw it as just another every day thing. From what she had heard, many of them had hardly had any experience with humans before they had come to this cage they called the “Menagerie.” She had been spoiled, she supposed, never forced to live the harsh life of a true wild animal.
There was nothing for as far as she could see, well, nothing that warranted her attention anyway. She had seen a few mountain goats idly grazing, as well as a few smaller animals meandering about. ‘Not a fox for miles,’ she mused, being both satisfied yet disappointed at the same time. If there was one thing she would go out of her way to kill, it would be a fox. The tricky vermin. She had been taught early on how to overpower the furred devils, had been praised upon her ability to do so, in fact. So, it was only natural that her old teachings kicked in when she was forced off into this cage. There was not a fox to be found though, be it because they knew of her presence—and potential threat to them—now, or simply because were none in the area.
The day had been a rather uneventful one for her thus far. She had finished her duties to the flock hours ago, and had since had nothing better to do than simply patrol the Lawaii’s territory. She somewhat resented morning shifts for this very reason. She usually had nothing to do afterwards. There were no companions for her to share her free time with, no human toys to amuse her either. Her afternoons were boring, and, with the day’s clouded atmosphere, depressing too.
Batu dipped her head downwards, absently observing as her shadow raced across the terrain below. The mere passing sight of it was enough to send some of the smaller creatures into hiding. It had been something that had always fascinated her, and it had also given her a sense of pride in being an eagle. She played with her shadow for a few more miles before she finally had enough. The golden eagle did a slow, gradual bank down towards the earth below. Her honey brown eyes searched for a promising tree as she came down from her high altitude in the sky.
It wasn’t long before she found one that would be able to support her weight and size in its upper branches. She swung her powerful claws forward as she came to her target, an older fir tree. Its upper branches were surprisingly thick, and sparse of the evergreen needles. It was a perfect spot for her to perch on for a few hours. Her hooked talons scratched the tough bark of the tree as she alighted onto one of the upper branches. She tucked her large wings to her body as she landed, shifting from foot to foot so as to get the proper grip on the tree limb. Batu puffed up her feathers before letting out a good shake, and she was comfortable.
Her honey brown eyes gazed out across the forested territory of the Lawaii mountain side. She briefly wondered what the other birds did when they had free time. Many of them—the raptors mainly—appeared to be quite solitary, content with doing their own thing. Only that strange looking one with the stunning plumage…Kimthile if she remembered correctly, seemed to actually seek out companionship. “What do they do though?” she wondered aloud. Did they do what she did? Did they sleep off their free time? Or had they found something else to pass by the time? Batu stretched a wing and began to preen her auburn feathers as she pondered the matter.
Autumn was starting to become boring. The usual cold, dreary day had set in and already it was echoing the previous day. The whole day had been a ritual for the young retromorph. He had risen from his nest, gone on his usual scouting trip through the mountains and across to the very edge of the Lawaii border, right near the lake where the Nilda pack lived. After a solid few hours of flying it was time for him to head back to his usual perch and let the next great bird take over. It was exactly the same as it had been yesterday and the day before; except somehow it was different. The past three days had happened differently to the months before them. Each day he had woken with a piercing headache and voices ringing in his ears. He did not know whose voices they were but he knew that if they were not silenced quickly he would certainly go mad. Ever since the Keepers had taken him in and stuck needles and wires into his body life had been different. The bird did not know the word for his affliction but he yearned to discover a way to cure it. If he continued on the way he was he would one day go mad.
The clouds that crossed the sky aided in keeping Asher hidden from view. He flew slightly above them, his dark feathers camouflaging in with their menacing shadow. As soon as the thunder started he knew he would have to drop down, but until that happened he was content in remaining unseen by the rest of the world. If only it were possible to continue above the clouds, higher and higher, up through the glass dome that kept them caged in. If that were possible he would have done it years ago and he would have left that world behind. Unfortunately the humans were determined to keep his trapped in that space, that tiny world of theirs that continued to bombard them with horrible disasters. There was always war between the species and there was always hunger and sadness and pain. The humans had created a world in which no one could every truly be happy. Without freedom how could anyone truly be happy? Freedom is our way of life. The thought ran through the bird’s mind as he soared through the air.
As he flew over the mountains a sudden pain in his head almost send him tumbling from the sky. His wings managed to keep him up, however, beating naturally without thought. A voice rang in his ears, pondering the nature of birds. Asher’s lack of control over his power meant that the thought only came in jagged breaths and incomplete sentences. He managed to get the general idea that this creature was wondering what other birds did in their spare time. “What an odd thing to think.” Asher muttered as he started allowing himself to descend. The voice within his mind sounded curious and innocent, and the bird decided it would be safe to take a further look. Perhaps he could use it as an experiment for his powers.
Poking through the tree branches, Asher glimpsed a solitary figure perched on a fir tree. The branch seemed to be thick enough to support more than one creature and at this discovery Asher felt a smile echo in his eyes. He was a solitary bird himself most of the time, but on the rare occasion he found it quite enjoyable to socialize with others. It took a lot to grab Asher’s attention and he only ever gave it to those he deemed interesting enough to receive it. This female bird seemed to be quite curious and it intrigued him. Why did she care what other birds did? It hardly mattered to her. It should only truly matter if what they were doing affected her. The thought puzzled Asher as he moved towards her from behind.
Claws outstretched, Asher took a good grip on the tree branch, landing in between the female and the large trunk of the fir tree. Folding his wings behind himself, he regarded the female for a few moments, remaining silent and letting the wave of thoughts tumble over him. He was unable to make out proper words, as she seemed to be contemplating a number of different things at once. Asher wondered once more what the word for his power was. He was certain he had heard a human utter it once before but it had been very foreign to him. As a born bird, human language was difficult and confusing; even more so than shifter tongue. The language of their kind was picked up easily; the language of the humans was hard to learn. If his brother had not taught him everything about the two-legged beasts, Asher would certainly have been completely lost within the Menagerie. It was ironic. His brother had both saved him and sentenced him to his death.
“I’m sorry to bother you,” Asher murmured, watching the female from the corner of his eye. “It seems you have picked the best seat in the house, as the humans might say.”
w o r d s , eighty hundred and sixty six t a g , batu m u s e , hospital flowers by owl city n o t e s , first asher post! telepathy has put him in a strange mood...
A rumble of thunder echoed overhead, putting a halt to Batu’s ever wondering thoughts as she looked up at the darkening sky. She had hoped it wouldn’t come to this, but it seemed the weather here was determined to make her everyday life difficult. The eagle stared idly at the heavy clouds, as if by staring at it, the rains would not come. She debated whether or not to find shelter somewhere. The perch she had chosen, while excellent for observing the surrounding areas, was not exactly suitable for one trying to stay out of nasty weather conditions. Only a few sparse branches hung above her, which would only slightly alleviate how drenched one became in a vertical downpour. If the precipitation came from an angle though, it’d be no better than standing out in an open field.
Her eyes studied the slow-moving clouds. Perhaps it was just a bluff, and that the clouds would shed their heavy loads elsewhere. There was that familiar hint of rain hanging about in the air though, so the outcome was inevitable. ‘Not yet,’ she thought as she went back to preening her fluffy feathers, ‘I still have some time before I’ll have to condemn myself to the alcove.’ She rather hated going back to her nest of sorts. It was so lonely there. The other birds’ nests were scattered about the Lawaii territory. Instinct had driven her to choose that large, secluded one she had found though. Some part of a distant past had called out to her when she had seen the rocky alcove in that sheer cliff. It was such a shame it had to be so far away from everyone else though.
‘I wonder where they go,’ she teased one of her long primary feathers on her wing, ‘Surely these birds must do something when the weather becomes dreary like this.’ Did they all gather some place that she wasn’t aware of? Or did they simply sit in their nests or on some perch and watch the world go by? That seemed rather boring…
She was startled out of her thoughts at the sudden arrival of another. The shuffle of folding wings and the scratching of tree bark coming into one’s grasp sounded in her ears. Her head snapped to attention, her wings pulling close to her body as she visibly flinched in surprise. Honey brown eyes instantly alighted onto whom had joined her on the lonely branch. She had never been approached by another bird before when out and about. She felt her eyes widen as she took in the sight of the stranger.
He…he was a raptor, just like herself! And a large one at that! He was a bit smaller than her though—by an inch or two at the most—and looked to be quite a bit lighter than her hefty frame. He was still large, nonetheless, just slimly built. Sooty black feathers adorned his lean body. He was pleasing to look at, though she supposed it might be simply because he had distinct eagle-like features; the distinct brow line, the long, hooked beak, the powerful, regal standing, those heavy, deadly claws. Most of the birds she had seen so far were smaller than her by a great deal. And with the exception of the uniquely built Kimthile, most her fellow flock mates seemed almost…fragile. Needless to say, she felt a bit like the oddball. So, to finally get to see another eagle after so long—
She suddenly remembered herself when his gaze came upon her, and quickly looked away in an embarrassed fashion. ‘Staring is rude, Batu,’ she could hear her father lecturing inside her head. She shuffled her wings for a moment as she shyly tried to contemplate what to do or say. She had been caught, she knew. She couldn’t just not do anything. That would also be rude…not to mention awkward.
‘But what if he isn’t…what if he’s not one of…us?’ Uncertainty gripped her at the thought. She had made that mistake countless of times before, attempting to have a conversation with another bird, only to find out they weren’t a shifter like she was. It was mortifying to come to that conclusion after a few minutes of having a very awkward one-sided conversation. Many of the smaller birds fled at the mere sight of her imposing form. The braver ones though either ignored her, didn’t seem to understand what she spoke of, or were bent on trying to drive her away from something. It was depressing how many failed attempts she had had, not to mention utterly humiliating. So, did she dare chance another possibly failed attempt?
Batu was staring a hole in the needled branches below when the stranger suddenly…spoke. Once more, her head snapped in his direction. She blinked once, twice, three times. A spark of…what was it? Joy? Hope? Gratitude? Whatever it was, it burned in her chest at this newfound discovery. ‘He spoke…to me!’ The golden eagle had visibly perked up despite the male’s murmured words and small show of interest. “N-not at all, sir!” Batu fumbled politely when she finally found her voice. She glanced out at the scenery before coming back to the stranger. “It’s not a bother at all,” she repeated in a whisper, her racing, excited mind slowly calming down.
It took her a moment to find what to say next. She shuffled her wings nervously. “Are you…” she began, only to drift off. Would it be rude to ask if he was part of the flock? Just because he spoke to her didn’t mean that he was with the Lawaii birds. For all she knew, he could be just another native to the region…he just seemed willing to talk with her. “I’m sorry if this is a bit rude,” she amended quickly, briefly looking away before returning her gaze on the black raptor, “But are you…with the Lawaii group, sir?”
There was a brief pause before she rambled uncertainly, “Not that it matters! It’s just…I…others…ah…” Her honey brown gaze fell to the bark of the branch they perched on. Well…this was embarrassing. First time she meets another eagle and she’s already made herself look like a fool. Had she been in her human form, her cheeks would have visibly shown her nervousness.
Thoughts bombarded him from every single corner of his mind. Squeezing his eyes shut, Asher willed the female to silence her mind and leave him in peace. She was thinking a jagged accumulation of things and she kept asking questions of him. Asher was not completely sure which of these were simply in her head and which were actually being asked aloud. He managed to catch the fact that she was surprised to see he too was an eagle, similar to her. There were some other things she thought it a rather scattered way that he did not completely catch. All he managed to get were a few compliments here or there about his size and overall structure. A different voice in her head told her not to stare however, and Asher wondered just whose voice it could have been. The internal mind works in very mysterious ways and Asher knew he would never truly be able to comprehend it. All he could do now was simply try his best to control his power so that it would not cause him to self-destruct in the near future.
The female’s thoughts were making Asher grin rather widely as he listened to the mixture of them, hearing them calm down somewhat until he finally managed to get them to subside. I’m getting the hang of this, he thought as he realised that he had pushed her voice away completely, allowing himself to focus on her real vocals as she replied. She seemed awfully flustered and not quite sure of her own words as he spoke, making him stifle a laugh. Asher knew it was rude to have such a reaction and he silently scolded himself for it. He decided to make an attempt to be kind to this female, as it was quite obvious that she was struggling for the correct words. Instead, he allowed his mind to open to her slightly, trying to pry into some of her thoughts as he searched for what she was trying to ask.
Determining that she was wondering if he was friend or foe, Asher frowned slightly. Finally she managed to ask him and in reply he cocked his head to the side, looking at her sideways. “You doubt me?” Asher paused, gaging her reaction before moving on, not giving her much time to reply. “No it’s fine really. You can never tell. But yes. I am a Lawaii so I suppose we are both lucky in the sense that we will not have cause to leave our little perch today. Unless of course, you do not wish for my company?” Asher was curious as to how she would react to his manner. Often he was scolded for trying to charm females, and his mother had never approved of it. Still, Asher could not help his nature. In his own mind, charming females was simply a fun way to pass the time, and there was absolutely no harm in it.
A large crack of thunder rumbled through the clouds and Asher instinctively looked upwards. The lightning that followed next seemed to light up the entire dome. The rain had not yet started to fall but he knew that it would not be too long until that time came. The Keepers were determined to throw every kind of cruelty at them until they all finally cracked. Asher knew that eventually the shifters would crack, even if it was not for another million years. Until then they were all sentenced to suffer at the hands of the humans within the Menagerie, the glass dome designed to put them through hell. Asher knew the others all felt the same; there was no doubt in any of their minds that this place truly was hell on Earth. Asher would have given anything to be free.
Asher managed to catch a few more of the female’s thoughts, one of which surprised him. She seemed to think she had made herself look like a fool in front of him. Turning back to look at her, he let a small smile soften his features just slightly. Focusing on her, he willed his powers to obey him. For once he wanted this to work. So far he had been unsuccessful in that area but Asher knew if he concentrated hard enough it would work. You did not make a fool of yourself. Not at all. The thought was directed straight at the female and Asher wondered if she had heard it. Her reaction to his forced thoughts would give him an idea of whether or not he had managed to get it right that time. Usually the person he was aiming the thought at did not receive it properly. It was like a game of Chinese whispers. The words got fogged and changed as they moved through the air from his mind to his target’s mind. One day he would manage to gain full control over his powers, but for now Asher was willing to simply learn from his mistakes and figure out the kinks as he went along. This female would be his test subject that day, and he hoped she would be a willing one.
I’m Asher by the way. A Kondukteur of the Lawaii flock. And this, this power, is my curse.
w o r d s , eight hundred eighty two t a g , batu m u s e , to the sky by owl city n o t e s , sorry for suckishness... it's late
Batu blinked as the stranger quietly laughed. She couldn’t help but to wonder... Had she said her thoughts out loud? ‘I don’t…think so…’ As far as she knew, she definitely hadn’t said anything. Perhaps she had done something and hadn’t realized it then? No, no. That couldn’t be...well, she hoped it wasn’t true. Her thoughts then began to migrate. Should she be offended by the stifled laugh? She quickly shot down the inquiry, almost ashamed that she had even considered such a thing. There wasn’t anything cruel or mocking about the laugh, so it was doubtful that he could have meant any harm by it.
He frowned suddenly, though she could not think of what far. The stranger’s head cocked in an almost humorous fashion before questioning her. At his words, guilt suddenly took her. Her eyes widened. That wasn’t what she had meant at all! Her mouth opened to deny his suggestion, but her voice died in her throat. Oh, who was she kidding? She couldn’t deny it. She had doubted who he was. With how many bad run-ins she had had with trying to talk with non-shifters, who could blame her though? Her reasoning had been sound at least. The raptor continued to speak, not waiting for her to form a decent reply.
A spur of happiness coursed through her body as he confirmed that, he too, was a shifter, and of the Lawaii at that. ‘Finally!’ she thought, ‘Finally, I wasn’t wrong!’ When the stranger quickly suggested that he leave though, this happiness was ripped away. “No!” she yelled in panic before she could stop herself. Realizing her outburst, her gaze shifted away from him in an embarrassed manner. “I mean, no, sir, you’re welcome to stay,” she amended, shuffling her wings, “It’s quite lonely out here; so, I’d appreciate the company…”
There was a pause on her part as she tried to think of something to better the situation. She was making quite a fool of herself thus far. First her fumbling words, now this. It was such a shame that she loved companionship, but was horrible when it came to beginnings. He was the first eagle she had spoken to since her days with Abai and his people. Her avian mentors, the golden eagles of Abai’s fellow hunters, were the last large birds she had spoken to. It had been hard on the unusually social bird to not have a fellow raptor to talk to for so many years. On Atticus’ estate, there had been only humans. And, here, the other large birds were rather…solitary. She hoped, prayed, that her awkwardness wouldn’t scare him off. That was the last thing she wanted.
A clap of thunder startled her out of her cloud of doubt and worry. Like her companion, she too had looked towards the dark grey sky. The rains would soon come, she knew. The clouds wouldn’t be able to hold off their heavy loads for that much longer. The coming of precipitation could mean this meeting could be short. Her gaze fell to the neighboring treetops. ‘He’ll probably go his separate way,’ she thought sadly. He was friendly now, but that didn’t mean that he wouldn’t be like the others: solitary. She was foolish to have even tried.
Her head snapped to attention as a string of broken thought suddenly entered her head. From what she could make out, it sounded as if it were reassuring her for her negative thoughts over her earlier mishaps. The only problem was…it wasn’t her voice. It was…a male’s voice; only, it wasn’t anyone’s that she recognized. Not Atticus’, Abai’s, or even one of the various other men that had strolled through her life—the people of Abai’s village, Atticus’ many employees on the estate—nobody. ‘So then, who…?’ She stood up a bit taller and looked around, sincerely searching for an explanation for this sudden, foreign male voice in her head. She found no one else there. Then her eyes alighted onto the eagle that had perched next to her.
She closed her eyes and shook her head. ‘Get it together, Batu,’ she told herself, willing her brain to focus on trying to find something to say to her companion that wouldn’t lead to awkwardness on her part. She must have been hearing things. Yes, that had to be it. This stranger probably thought she was crazy now, if not a bit off in the head. No sooner had she tried to move her thoughts away from the strange ordeal, the voice had returned. Had she been in her human form, her brows would have knitted together in confusion. ‘“Asher?” Who’s…’ her honey brown eyes snuck back to her black-feathered companion. ‘Surely not…’ And then the voice spoke of a power.
A thought came to her. Batu blinked rapidly, her head slowly turning to fully look at the stranger now. ‘No,’ she momentarily doubted herself, ‘this can’t be. I’ve only heard of something like that on those strange children’s programs that played on the television sometimes. Or in that one movie with the people that had strange powers, that red-headed lady had a power like that…they were just fictional stories though…’ She shifted her wings and cautiously shuffled a bit closer to the other raptor. ‘That type of thing can’t possibly be…’ Her neck was stretched out and her head was held low in a curious, but nervous manner. She looked him over. She had thought so many things were impossible until she had come here. ‘…real?’
There was a pause before she gathered up the courage to voice her curiosity. “I…” she began, swallowing nervously before letting out an uneasy laugh, “Please don’t freak out. But…I was wondering…” He could take this one of two ways. “I-I know this sounds crazy, but did you…did you just…speak to me…” Another pause. If she was wrong, he would surely think of her as a freak. “…with your mind?”
It was the only explanation for the foreign voice in her head. Where would she have come up with things like that otherwise? She didn’t know of anyone named “Asher,” and surely she wasn’t crazy enough to make up pretend conversations with herself. She knew she probably sounded crazy though. Telepathy, communication with one’s mind, that was fictional stuff…right? Another rumble of thunder echoed in the sky.
Word Count: 1,058 OOC: Nope, it was fine :3 Sorry that Batu thinks so much xD Poor Asher -pats him- Of all the creatures he had to find, he chose the one with the most active mind xDD
The stranger’s thoughts continued to flow into Asher’s mind and he let them move freely. He needed to figure out if she could hear the thoughts that he was forcing into her mind. He would need to get a hang of his power sooner or later and he much preferred to get it done sooner. He couldn’t stand to be around large flocks which was problematic when it came time for the Lawaii to meet or gather. Instead Asher simply avoided confrontation and he hunted alone. The male was used to sleeping alone, so that didn’t bother him too much. It was more the fact that he had abandoned almost all contact with those other than himself. Asher had always been a very quiet creature, never really needing to talk to others, but he had still welcomed company. He never minded listening to others talk about their feelings or thoughts but that was when they came to him willingly. He hated their thoughts being poured over him without their knowledge. He didn’t want their secrets.
Asher couldn’t help but smile at the other bird’s elation when he revealed his Lawaii membership. It seemed as though she had been wrong before, judging by her thoughts. Her outburst almost caused the eagle to laugh but he held himself back, instead cocking his head to the side and letting her speak. He still didn’t know her name, he realised, as she had not addressed it in any of her thoughts. Then again, no one ever really thought in third person did they? It wasn’t a natural thing to do. Instead Asher simply nodded absentmindedly as she gave him permission to stay on their shared perch.
Her thoughts continued to change from those of happiness to confusion to awkwardness and Asher began to ponder the sanity of the bird beside him. He decided it would be best to allow the silence to take its natural cause, not wanting to interrupt her thoughts to early on in their meeting. If she was to be her test subject she would need to be a willing one and that would require her remaining on the branch with him. If she fled, Asher would not pursue, for it would almost certainly mean flying into other birds, something that he certainly wanted to avoid.
If Asher’s bird beak allowed him to smile much like a human’s beak, his lips would have spread widely at the female’s confusion. She thought it was her own thoughts at first, but soon realised that wasn’t so. She’ll figure it out soon enough, Asher thought, allowing himself to watch her more closely through the silence. His eyes remained open as he focused her thoughts towards himself, almost drawing them in. He was too far gone now, he wanted to know what she was thinking, he wanted to consume her thoughts. They filled the eagle with pure wonder and delight, to hear her confusion at the strange turn of events.
Batu. She used her name and Asher felt himself exhale, not realising he had been holding his breath. What a beautiful name. Asher continued to watch her, focusing on her thoughts as she tried to decipher what had happened. She had not worked it out yet, so Asher continued to sit in silence, willing her to figure it out, to follow his clues. She was smart, he could feel it, and she would come to the correct conclusion without his help, she just needed a little more thinking time. As Batu thought, Asher listening, soaking up every word her mind uttered. He wondered if she could feel him intruding on her personal thoughts, if telepathy was like a physical touch. Now that was a stupid thought. Asher concluded that no, she could not feel him. Secretly, though, he wished she could.
Asher turned, looking straight ahead of himself, not moving an inch as he felt Batu shift closer to him. Instead let her thoughts tumble quickly as though falling through the sky. She seemed nervous. Why? There was nothing to be nervous about. He was the freak. He was the one who could suck out her thoughts and replace them with his own. She was normal and sane compared to him.
When she started to speak, Asher allowed himself to turn his head towards her, moving slightly closer, trying to ease her nerves. As soon as she had finished her stuttering Asher allowed himself to smile as best as he could with his beak. They did not move as human beaks did but his eyes shone, giving the other eagle hope. “Speak with my mind eh?” Asher murmured, allowing the words to flow out loud rather than from his mind. “So you heard me then? I’m glad. It’s been a pain in the arse trying to get this power working.” Asher paused, dipping his head slightly in apology.
“I didn’t mean to scare you or anything. I’m just trying to work out how telepathy works. It’s nice to only hear one mind constantly chattering at me. It’s harder with the whole flock around, you see. I can’t exactly control it yet. I’m still trying to work out how to block out other voices.” Shuffling nervously, Asher’s head bowed further down. “I understand if you’d prefer I left. I don’t want to force you into being a test subject or anything. I just wanted to see if it’d work.”
w o r d s , nine hundred and three t a g , batu m u s e , i'm yours by the script n o t e s , lamo post. still trying to get back into this guys skin... or feathers i s'pose