http://whoiwasmeant2be.livejournal.com/ ([identity profile] whoiwasmeant2be.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] shatterverse2008-12-12 04:43 pm
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Every so often, Tobias just needs to get out and stretch his wings. He doesn't mind sticking close to Rachel, but sometimes he just needs to fly.

So about once a week he just takes off. He doesn't say anything to Rachel. That's not really how their relationship works. Today, without saying anything to him, she's joined him.

He doesn't mind. If he had a human face he might even smile a bit.

He doesn't have a direction in mind, but soon they're flying over relatively untraveled roads, passing abandoned farms.
theresnodoor: (morph - bald eagle)

[personal profile] theresnodoor 2008-12-12 10:08 pm (UTC)(link)
Their relationship has little to do with words. Rachel doesn't think too much about it, how much they say to each other, but if it were suggested that their silence is a product of Tobias' physical body, she'd disagree in a heartbeat.

Her manner of disagreement would depend on whoever was foolish enough to make the suggestion.

It's a beautiful day. It's cold but the sun is shining and if they keep over the main road, the heat from the cracked and broken pavement creates minor thermals. Rachel doesn't have near the flying experience that Tobias does, but the mind of the bald eagle knows just how to ride even the smallest bursts of air. Tobias is a few hundred yards away and they have nowhere in particular to go.

But they're sharing the same sky. That's doing wonders for Rachel's mood.
theresnodoor: (morph - bald eagle)

[personal profile] theresnodoor 2008-12-12 11:35 pm (UTC)(link)
<Great!> Rachel laughs, voice exuberant. She's staying above him, massive eagle wings catching more of the updraft than his, so it's a bit easier to keep him in sight. <It's beautiful out here.>

No need to ask how Tobias is. It's like asking someone how they're doing with their breathing.
theresnodoor: (morph - bald eagle)

[personal profile] theresnodoor 2008-12-14 06:50 am (UTC)(link)
He makes comments, pauses like that a lot. Too often to ignore, really.

Unless Rachel tries really hard.

She tilts a few feathers and turns a hard left, catching another thermal to soar up high. She doesn't worry about losing Tobias - he can keep track of her in the sky better than she can him.

She doesn't ask questions about where he's going or what he's doing because it's entirely possible that there is no answer. But her eye is caught by some movement down below, in what would look like an abandoned town in any world but this one.
theresnodoor: (morph - bald eagle)

[personal profile] theresnodoor 2008-12-15 10:50 pm (UTC)(link)
She's already circling, automatically in action.

<Well, that can't be good.?>

'That' being the crowd of people rushing frantically out of town. They're panicked, screaming, but the reason why isn't immediately apparent.

<Let's check it out.>
theresnodoor: (morph - bald eagle)

[personal profile] theresnodoor 2008-12-16 01:05 am (UTC)(link)
<SUVs, huh?>

A bald eagle cannot smirk. Rachel makes up for it by putting all her smugness in her tone.

<Well, that's not very fair. Somebody should help them out.> When Rachel says 'somebody, she rarely ever means anyone but herself. She swoops down into a wide arc followed by a dive, using her eagle eyes to try and see through the tinted windows of the SUVs.
theresnodoor: (morph - bald eagle)

[personal profile] theresnodoor 2008-12-16 01:16 am (UTC)(link)
<Whoops!> She's almost giggling, giddy as she spreads her wings to pull sharply out of the dive, back up to the sky. <Well, at least we know they're human. Humans with guns chasing a group of humans without guns. What do you say we balance it out a little?>

It's only sort of a question. Rachel's already swinging around and behind one of the larger buildings to demorph.
theresnodoor: (morph - african elephant)

[personal profile] theresnodoor 2008-12-16 01:25 am (UTC)(link)
It's not a hard decision to make, logically. Still, Rachel is always a little disappointed when she can't justify using grizzly bear.

But there's only one morph she has that can handle SUVs, a group of determined guys, each one of them carrying guns.

It's cool, though. Once she's finished growing, stretching, and turning grey, she stomps happily around the corner to find all of the guys still chasing the crowd out of town. Not facing her.

<Let's do it!>

Which, in her current morph, translates to "HREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAA!"
theresnodoor: (morph - african elephant)

[personal profile] theresnodoor 2008-12-16 01:34 am (UTC)(link)
More or less. Once Rachel's stopped trumpeting, there's plenty of silence for the man's scream to be heard. Which distracts the others just enough for Rachel to lumber forward and grab one of them in the circle of her trunk.

The guy yells, thrashes, then lifts his gun and points it at her forehead.

<Uh-uh, I don't think so,> Rachel snaps, and with a flick of her trunk, tosses him into the remaining group of humans.
theresnodoor: (morph - african elephant)

[personal profile] theresnodoor 2008-12-16 01:55 am (UTC)(link)
<Hi there,> Rachel replies, lowering her head to the ground and tossing it to the side, watching the men leap back and away from her tusks. <I'm from the Humane Society. We've decided to expand our goals from purely animals to humans as well. I noticed that you're chasing a group of them with guns. That's not very nice.>

"What the hell is this?" one of the men shouts, panicked as the others.

Sadly, drawing attention to himself.

Rachel's trunk wraps tight around his ankle and she lifts him high into the air, watches him flail and brings him close to one of her enormous eyes. <We at the Humane Society would like to ask you to put your weapons away, find a nice piece of land, start a farm, and quit being a bunch of bastards. We ask this politely and respectfully.>

This man also gets thrown into his friends.
theresnodoor: (morph - african elephant)

[personal profile] theresnodoor 2008-12-16 02:04 am (UTC)(link)
Well, so long as no one else is following him...

An African elephant can withstand more than a few shotgun shells, thanks to its thick skin. Rachel protects her face by placing her massive head against the back of one of the SUVs and pushes it.

It isn't really "running someone over" if she isn't driving it, right?

<Does anyone else want to make trouble? Or would it seem like a better idea to drop the guns, turn around, and start walking?>
theresnodoor: (morph - african elephant)

[personal profile] theresnodoor 2008-12-16 02:06 am (UTC)(link)
<Uh, no. Leave the cars with the guns. Walk away.>

Privately to Tobias, Rachel adds in a voice ripe with amusement, <Want to learn to drive?>
theresnodoor: (Tobias - girl and hawk)

[personal profile] theresnodoor 2008-12-16 03:00 am (UTC)(link)
If they learn to drive, they don't have to depend on people who can for travels longer than can be flown.

Specifically, she'd never have to get into the Impala ever again... assuming there was ever another invitation.

And yes, she is ignoring his hesitation.

Waiting until the men have all disappeared down the road, Rachel lumbers after them for a bit, and finally trumpets again. When her quilt-sized ears can't pick up any more sound, she demorphs.

In the middle of the street.

There is a sense of freedom in this world that Rachel really, really likes. She's already smirking when she finishes, and looks up to the sky as she reaches for the door handle to one of the cars. "Ride or drive?"
theresnodoor: (Examining - intent)

[personal profile] theresnodoor 2008-12-16 03:10 am (UTC)(link)
Which was only natural. He can get a better feel of the road this way, watch Rachel struggle through it first.

It makes a lot of sense.

Slipping into the driver's side, Rachel adjusts the seat and mirrors first, taking her time. She hasn't driven before, really, but both of her parents gave her basic instructions as soon as she was old enough to take care of her sisters without either of them around.

All the same, the car does a lurching start-and-stop to begin with and Rachel frowns, determined, and presses a little more lightly on the gas.
theresnodoor: (Examining - intent)

[personal profile] theresnodoor 2008-12-16 03:26 am (UTC)(link)
She's better than Marco. Not that that says much.

"A regular car probably would have been easier to work with than this tank," Rachel grumbles, looking surprised at the jostling of a pothole and glaring at the road as she straightens.
theresnodoor: (Examining - intent)

[personal profile] theresnodoor 2008-12-16 03:40 am (UTC)(link)
"Well, I'm not actually the car," Rachel agrees, still grumbling, annoyed that she doesn't just get it. Though the car is moving more smoothly and she's getting into the groove of it.

...possibly because she's only going about 10mph.

"Besides, I don't think it's instincts would be much of a help either."
theresnodoor: (smirk - danger girl!)

[personal profile] theresnodoor 2008-12-16 03:50 am (UTC)(link)
Smirking a little, Rachel shrugs - and brightens immensely when she's able to maneuver around the next pothole. "Beats me. Probably nothing interesting."

She glances at him, brows lifted, and puts her eyes back on the road soon enough to speed up a bit. "You want to try? It's not that bad."
theresnodoor: (Hmm lemme think about that one.)

[personal profile] theresnodoor 2008-12-16 04:05 am (UTC)(link)
Rachel wrinkles her nose at him, rolling her eyes. "I'm not that ba- whoops.



"That was a rock. No one cares about running over rocks."
theresnodoor: (Tobias - girl and hawk)

[personal profile] theresnodoor 2008-12-16 04:24 am (UTC)(link)
Rachel is incredibly talented at reading other emotions in fierce hawk eyes.

It's why she scowls at him.

"You're next, birdboy."
theresnodoor: (smirk - danger girl!)

[personal profile] theresnodoor 2008-12-16 04:41 am (UTC)(link)
Rachel's snort agrees with the narrative.

"You wish I was that nice."
theresnodoor: (Tobias - girl and hawk)

[personal profile] theresnodoor 2008-12-16 04:54 am (UTC)(link)
Only one that does. Which might be why Rachel finds herself smiling again soon enough.


"All right," she sighs, after a few miles of bumpy driving. "That's good enough for me."
theresnodoor: (Examining - intent)

[personal profile] theresnodoor 2008-12-16 04:58 am (UTC)(link)
There's no point in pulling over - there's no one coming down those roads. But Rachel does make sure to hold out her arms and helps him get into the driver's seat first. It'll be awkward having two humans climbing over each other, so better to do it now.
theresnodoor: (Normal's just a memory)

[personal profile] theresnodoor 2008-12-18 02:14 am (UTC)(link)
Well enough, hopefully. It'll be really hard for Rachel not to tease him if he needs a phone book.

For now, though, she leans back in the passenger seat and relaxes.

And tries not to think it's weirder to have him like this than with feathers.


Later, after they've passed the state line and are still working on the fine art of the clutch, there's some movement ahead.