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whoiwasmeant2be.livejournal.com) wrote in
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.
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.
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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.
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<How are you doing back there?> It's not like he doesn't know, and it's not like he's generally one for unnecessary words, but today's a pretty good day.
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No need to ask how Tobias is. It's like asking someone how they're doing with their breathing.
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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.
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<What do you make of that?> He's sure he doesn't need to explain what he means. This is Rachel, after all.
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<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.>
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<There,> he says suddenly. <Everyone seems to be running from those three black SUVs at the north edge of town.> They were very shiny, and moving real fast.
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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.
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Especially when the SUVs screech to a halt and a bunch of scruffy men with guns pile out.
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It's only sort of a question. Rachel's already swinging around and behind one of the larger buildings to demorph.
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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!"
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With everyone staring at the titanic animal bearing down on them, Tobias is able to get in and rake his talons across a scalp, tearing it open and letting the blood poor down into his victim's eyes, without drawing any attention.
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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.
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He screeches again before grabbing some altitude. He'll provide high cover, make sure no one sneaks up on them while Rachel goes to work.
The scruffy men are falling back, tripping over each other as their comrade lands among them. "Where did that come from?" one of them yells, utterly failing to aim his gun at the elephant.
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"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.
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"Shoot it! Shoot it!" one of the men screams in panic and swings his gun up at Rachel.
None of the other men follow suit.
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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?>
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Privately to Tobias, Rachel adds in a voice ripe with amusement, <Want to learn to drive?>
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<I...> Tobias starts to object. He'd rather fly. But... That's probably not why Rachel's really asking.
<Sure. It might come in handy some day.>
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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?"
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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.
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This should be educational.
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"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.
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...possibly because she's only going about 10mph.
"Besides, I don't think it's instincts would be much of a help either."
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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."
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"That was a rock. No one cares about running over rocks."
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It's why she scowls at him.
"You're next, birdboy."
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Yeah. Right.
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"You wish I was that nice."
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Then he sobers. The truth is, he likes Rachel the way she is.
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"All right," she sighs, after a few miles of bumpy driving. "That's good enough for me."
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Then, once they're settled in their respective seats, he morphs. It's not any prettier on him than it is on her, really, but that's a fact that everyone who morphs learns to live with.
Fortunately his human body is a bit on the tall side for thirteen, so he can see over the dash. Well... decently well, at least.
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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.