RP between Rigby and Rook
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Rigby — 09/07/2020
[not long after the one-shots bit, at an undetermined time relative to the current scenes. @Rook only for now, barring any reasonable additions - anyone in guard or at either house!]
Marc wasn't such a monster to leave a recently-orphaned egg. But he'd figured he'd had time. Send out feelers, trade it to someone he'd trusted to care for it; magic was for the others, magic was of the Fae and certainly not for or of the old and venerated Aiolfi - and unthinkable under their roof.
Marc's mere existence was testament to that belief.
But barely a week had gone by before a rather tiny little problem rather suddenly blossomed into a much larger one. And his father was going to kill him.
He couldn't tell him, couldn't even tell Richa this time (did she know? She'd kept giving him that Look like she'd thought she'd known something). Jacomo was out, and had Piero still been alive, Marc was certain his older brother would've just disposed of it, himself.
And that was what was brought him to Cienna's at that odd hour. He'd slipped over to the Grimani compound, meeting the employed guards (quite a few of them his) with due decorum, and doing his best to avoid people that'd tip him off to her father. Maybe she'd come across more about these things in her own books. Maybe he'd just missed her.
The bag over his shoulder chirped and wailed in confusion and alarm, muffled by its fabric.
The kids all knew their own shortcuts to each others' windows - an old Piero specialty - (though how dare people think he was doing it for anything untoward!) but Marc didn't just burst on in or yell anything like CIENNA, YOU IN THERE?; instead, he'd pulled off his gloves, balled them up, tied them with a hairtie, and pitched the ball at at her window.
Rook — 09/07/2020
Cienna had taken to her room after tidying up after dinner, though since she felt a little lethargic after, she decided not to bother with dessert. A pot of herbal tea had been brought up with her via a servant and after thanking them, she'd send a request for a bed warmer pan. Once that was set up under the covers, she'd pour herself a nice cup of tea.
Marc's 'knock' took her notice then and she'd head for the window, inwardly hoping some poor bird didn't smack their head into the glass. Not the case, much to her relief and she cracked the window up. "Oh, Marcello. One day, my dad is going to be walking around and see you." She teased gently, untying her long hair.
"I take it you want to visit." She glanced over her shoulder and stepped away, only to lock her door. "Well, come quickly. You'll have to forgive me, I'm feeling a bit under the weather tonight." As often happened, but the tea helped. "If I had known, I'd have gotten two cups.." Because that wouldn't be suspicious. If he decided to join her, Cienna would turn to face him.
"What brings you over tonight?"
Rigby — 09/09/2020
"'Course! I'll be quick! I'm still on my good streak," was his answer, just as teasing. Though what number that 'good streak' entailed when avoiding her father was rather pointedly avoided! "And any excuse to break away and visit, yeah?"
And he was quick - they'd all had their routes to each others' rooms, and his path had only become quicker and quieter with age. It was a catlike series of climbs and leaps (though he nearly wiped out on his last leg while trying to coddle the bag at the same time) that avoided attracting any guard attentions.
"Forgive you...not your fault." He frowned, looking at the tea and looking her over worriedly; while the light had returned to his own eyes, it only served to highlight how expressive the man was when it drained once more. He reached in something that could've been the start of a hug and thought better of it, flushing. "...same thing? Can I...I mean you've got tea. Need anything else?"
His bag squeaked indignantly, snapping him back to the initial reason he was here.
"-right! Right. Um. Cie, there's...I got something and I'm pretty sure Dad should never know but I don't know what to do with it." It was a rather inelegant introduction, but he'd already been a bit wrongfooted...Cienna's recurring health issues were never far from his mind even in the middle of his own illness several months back. Were they getting more frequent?
He made his way to the nearest cushion, lifted his bag, and with utmost care tipped out its contents...a tiny creature clutching a piece of a steamed bun dotted with tiny nibbles, graced with a puff of golden, red and green protofeathers. It would've been an intimidating array...had they not been standing straight up, and had the thing not been any larger than the man's fist. It might've been recognizable as a manaraptor to anyone familiar with their infant forms, but it was a rather ridiculous little thing nevertheless!
"...so I'm in trouble."
Rook — 09/10/2020
"Very good, I do enjoy your visits."
Once he was up there and thankfully not back on the ground after that near-slip, she'd close the window before drawing the curtains. She'd light more candles, just to deal with cutting off some of the light from outside. "The usual, yes. Can you..?" He had gone in for a hug, so she assumed that's what he meant and she'd step closer to initiate it herself. "Tea will help, a bit of rest too."
That could wait!
The bag squeaked and she looked towards it, eyebrows raised. She had settled back, holding her teacup again and she'd take a sip despite so many questions ready to be unleashed. "O-oh?" She asked when he mentioned his father couldn't know, and she followed him to the little couch in her room, where she often read. Out popped the little creature and Cienna immediately set her cup aside, gasping.
"Oh! What is this..creature? Oh goodness, I'm not sure what you should do." She would kneel, holding a hand out to the little 'raptor. "Where did you find it? Do you think we should find a secret spot in one of the gardens for it?" Or maybe hide it in his own room, despite family going back and forth. Tricky stuff..
Rigby — 09/11/2020
He flushed at the hug and finally returned it in kind once she'd completed it and tried to keep the nerves out of it even though he felt she must know how hot his face was, how worried he was at this sickness she'd never managed to shake for long.
"Yeah, rest. We've got tea..." It was somewhat absent.
But very quickly the business turned back towards his accidental pet.
"Isn't it adorable? I can't... DO anything to it, you know half the men at home would tell me to toss him in the rat traps or something." 'Him' - it had slipped out, but even if he hadn't checked before, he knew it was.
The little puff scooted forward, hooking miniscule wing-claws into the cushion to move forward, seeming to favor one side, and sniffed at her fingers. Sneezed a puff of smoke and flickering red and green ash. Blinked in confusion and tilted his head - revealing one clouded eye in addition to one bright and alert one, with the alert being on the same side his wing-arms had favored, too. Marc grimaced.
"And magic. Abso-lutely magic. Can't remember if these were outright fae but I'd read something about these as familiars..." Which ALSO seemed weird, and he let it hang in his tone grimly - Marc wasn't exactly slinging any magic around, himself! No Aiolfi had. "Your father doesn't happen to have any...magic-ish books around, does he?"
He held up a hand, then a finger in an 'example-A' sort of motion, gestured to the little creature (who was trying with hatchling-clumsy legs to creep up onto Cie's hand and tumbling over, instead) and walked across the room. The little thing watched the departing man intently, before attempting to flouder after him with stubby little wings and limbs.
Marc repeated the process a couple more times, and it was clear - this thing was dead set on being near him. He picked it up once more and deposited it into Cienna's hand should she allow it (and hold it himself if se didn't). With both big humans in proximity, the creature decided that wobbling around was quite tiring, and curled up in the hand in which he sat, and on occasion sleepily and harmlessly attempting to nibble on sleeve hems.
"Forest. Was out hunting and found a little nest. There was no mother," - eek - "a couple eggs had already broken below, and this one was left. I took it home...and he decided to hatch in my room right when I tried to get a closer look at it."
"Well I mean, you're in it now!" There was a little grin at that. Instant co-conspirator status! "Should we try the garden? I'm...not sure what he eats, maybe things in there. Aside from steamed buns and it was only 'cos he wobbled into my plate in my room..."
Rook — 09/11/2020
"It is so cute." Cienna agreed, as she tended to her tea before it got too cool to enjoy. When he sneezed that little puff of smoke, she chortled lightly and ran a finger over the back of his head if allowed. "I can imagine they'd want you to abandon it, yes."
She couldn't see that happening, now.
"Looks like he's...half blind? Poor thing." She'd finish more tea and set it aside, taking a moment to clear her throat. However, she soon stepped away a second to deal with a small coughing fit before returning. "Oh, I doubt it. More practical stuff, but we could snoop around one of the libraries.." One of them had to have something useful.
She allowed the creature to creep up, but drew her hand up when he went following after Marc and she grinned. "Well, no doubt about it now, he's yours." It was also clearly an imprint, but Cienna figured Marc should've seen that coming the moment he hatched the little 'raptor. She allowed Marc to pass him to her and she smiled. "He is precious, you're going to have to find a safe place for him in your room."
Atleast he was small now and possibly easy to hide. "Poor thing...mother was probably attacked if her eggs were broken.." It seemed logical. "Well, he's a little reptile of...sorts. Perhaps insects? Or maybe fish? Something small he can hunt until he's a bit bigger.."
Rigby — 09/13/2020
This little marble-brained baby had registered Cienna as a Good Person, and he accepted her pets with a whirring little purr and chirping hums from deep within his tiny throat, though he didn't appear to have the coordination or presence of mind to headbutt or press his forehead to either human affectionately quite yet.
"Thought his little wing...arm...wing-arm was done for too, but he's just a little lopsided!" The blindness was what it was but his wing wasn't anything he couldn't grow out of, Marc figured! "I'll do my best. 'Til he grows out of it. Out of Rosa reach, too...Help me snoop? Library, I mean."
Once she started coughing, he clasped at her shoulders, then wrapped his arm around her, and his worry and helpless nerves were truly betrayed in that motion. There was no shyness in that hug this time.
The baby in the meantime was displaced and quite bad at 'hunting' and clumsily pecked at the remains of the bun. Only managing a tiny nibble, he swallowed and fixed his good eye on the big people, blinking curiously.
At the mention of the baby's mother being attacked, Marc tensed a bit, eyes downcast, a knot twisting somewhere in his chest. It was a reflex, yeah? She'd already been mistrustful enough to attack a human at all...probably hadn't led an easy life. She wasn't fae causing trouble...
"Sounds sensible! Turn him loose on all the bugs in the gardens, maybe - see what he goes for!"
Rook — 09/13/2020
The happy noises were certainly endearing nonetheless and she rubbed underneath his chin, turning her attention to the wing-arm mentioned. "We should keep an eye on it, just incase. Maybe help him exercise it enough that it strengthens?" She wasn't sure how it worked with the raptor, so she hoped her idea would ensure it wouldn't become lame. "Sure, I can do that. Tomorrow morning?" Even if she would've loved to go right then.
Cienna had accepted the hug he offered, but her coughing fit, thankfully, didn't shift into anything worse.
She watched the 'tiny hunter' as it nibbled at the bun, though Marc's reaction concerned her a moment. Perhaps he just felt bad for the unfortunate mother! "We should, we can check around the rose-bushes my mother planted." She wasn't sure if she wanted the little creature to go after the bees, but maybe a butterfly or two wouldn't be too bad.
Rigby — 09/16/2020
Exercising that teeny wing was an unexpectedly cute image and Marc was entirely on board! "If it's a problem, yeah - even gliding with a little wing won't get him very far."
The chin-rubs were a hit! The little creature blinked slowly, all sets of eyelids fluttering into a squint and beak open in a squeaky pant. He then whirred another trill and lifted both proto-wings, flapping them proudly, seemingly with a vague understanding of what the two big people were talking about.
"Tomorrow morning," Marc echoed, pulling Cie close into that worried hug, again - it was just her, after all; no siblings or fathers to worry about what it had meant other than what it was. His mother had had the coughing fits, too.
"Let's do it. I suppose if he's sticking with us. Me. With...us, I gotta' think of a name, too." Naming one's spoils only meant one'd get attached - look at his father and Rosa after that last visit to India!
"Need some..." theeeeere was tea. Hm. "...more tea? Anything else? I can stay..."
Rook — 09/16/2020
"Agreed, but we'll think of something. Maybe we can find a little spot he can practice and make sure he has something soft to land on." Outside on cushions, perhaps. No one would question it.
When the little raptor responded happily to the attention, she continued with a smile. "I'll bring us out something sweet to eat, perhaps some soft meat for him too." Cienna said thoughtfully, leaning into the embrace and she'd squeeze one of his wrists afterwards. "Just don't stay up all night trying to think of one." She teased, picking up the little raptor to set onto one of Marc's hands.
"I should be alright. We might risk someone showing up if I make you stay too long." Besides, they had the morning and the garden to look forward to. No one would say anything about them hanging out there!
Rigby — 09/17/2020
"I like it! Probably not too far from what he would've had if someone was showing him in the forest." He hadn't the slightest idea if these creatures stuck around to teach their young, but it was probably a safe bet. Cienna and Marcello - Raptor Parents!
The raptor carefully hooked tiny quivering limbs into the fabric of Marc's sleeve-cuff, overlarge head bobbing rapidly with the effort, creeping claw over claw to climb his sleeve and leaving tiny dusty red and green ashy prints in its wake. The vertical lap of the ascent did prove to be a bit too much for him and he'd stopped, the constant tiny hum in his throat occasionally rising into a little arc of a confused wail, sounding properly audible every time he'd remembered to open his beak every few moments.
Marc carefully scooped him back up and held the tiny animal in a loose cradle in his hand, but the other moved to shift under her hand on his wrist, only to hold Cienna's hand properly. Gave it a little squeeze. Like the hug, it managed to contain more than his words.
"I can come over normally tomorrow. Gates and doors! Like a normal person."
Rook — 09/17/2020
"I think so too! Maybe like birds." Small lessons in and out of the nest. She watched the raptor as he climbed about, pressing a couple fingers to her lips when the poor thing started wailing. Thankfully, Marc came to his help!
"Poor little guy."
She smiled at the hand-hold, but she wouldn't let it linger too long and she'd walk over to the window to uncover it. Thankfully, the guards weren't patrolling too heavily at that hour. Nothing to worry about yet, she wagered. "Sounds good to me. I'll make sure to have food and tea ready for you."
Cienna adjusted her sleeves. "Have a safe climb down, Marc."
Rigby — 09/18/2020
"He'll get coordination down! Maybe. After that wing shapes up a little." Marc would name him after that one-wing if he wasn't careful! With great care, the baby was replaced back in his bag.
Cienna uncovered the window, and Marc peeked out anxiously as well. Getting in was one thing - getting a big twenty year old (agile he may be) back OUT the window, baby in tow, would be another feat entirely!
"And tea for you too, yeah? Just..." He pursed his lips, chewed on his cheek. Words were tough, sometimes, and sometimes not enough - at least when he'd had to really mean them and get them exactly right; no masks, no scripts. No expectations of anyone else. "...plenty of tea," he finished somewhat lamely.
A hug, sudden but heartfelt, a "...better get back in before he sends out the whole House!" and he was gone - back up and over, finding footholds and scaling back down as carefully and quickly as he could, nearly silent except for the odd confused chirps that drifted out of his bag on the way down!
[not long after the one-shots bit, at an undetermined time relative to the current scenes. @Rook only for now, barring any reasonable additions - anyone in guard or at either house!]
Marc wasn't such a monster to leave a recently-orphaned egg. But he'd figured he'd had time. Send out feelers, trade it to someone he'd trusted to care for it; magic was for the others, magic was of the Fae and certainly not for or of the old and venerated Aiolfi - and unthinkable under their roof.
Marc's mere existence was testament to that belief.
But barely a week had gone by before a rather tiny little problem rather suddenly blossomed into a much larger one. And his father was going to kill him.
He couldn't tell him, couldn't even tell Richa this time (did she know? She'd kept giving him that Look like she'd thought she'd known something). Jacomo was out, and had Piero still been alive, Marc was certain his older brother would've just disposed of it, himself.
And that was what was brought him to Cienna's at that odd hour. He'd slipped over to the Grimani compound, meeting the employed guards (quite a few of them his) with due decorum, and doing his best to avoid people that'd tip him off to her father. Maybe she'd come across more about these things in her own books. Maybe he'd just missed her.
The bag over his shoulder chirped and wailed in confusion and alarm, muffled by its fabric.
The kids all knew their own shortcuts to each others' windows - an old Piero specialty - (though how dare people think he was doing it for anything untoward!) but Marc didn't just burst on in or yell anything like CIENNA, YOU IN THERE?; instead, he'd pulled off his gloves, balled them up, tied them with a hairtie, and pitched the ball at at her window.
Rook — 09/07/2020
Cienna had taken to her room after tidying up after dinner, though since she felt a little lethargic after, she decided not to bother with dessert. A pot of herbal tea had been brought up with her via a servant and after thanking them, she'd send a request for a bed warmer pan. Once that was set up under the covers, she'd pour herself a nice cup of tea.
Marc's 'knock' took her notice then and she'd head for the window, inwardly hoping some poor bird didn't smack their head into the glass. Not the case, much to her relief and she cracked the window up. "Oh, Marcello. One day, my dad is going to be walking around and see you." She teased gently, untying her long hair.
"I take it you want to visit." She glanced over her shoulder and stepped away, only to lock her door. "Well, come quickly. You'll have to forgive me, I'm feeling a bit under the weather tonight." As often happened, but the tea helped. "If I had known, I'd have gotten two cups.." Because that wouldn't be suspicious. If he decided to join her, Cienna would turn to face him.
"What brings you over tonight?"
Rigby — 09/09/2020
"'Course! I'll be quick! I'm still on my good streak," was his answer, just as teasing. Though what number that 'good streak' entailed when avoiding her father was rather pointedly avoided! "And any excuse to break away and visit, yeah?"
And he was quick - they'd all had their routes to each others' rooms, and his path had only become quicker and quieter with age. It was a catlike series of climbs and leaps (though he nearly wiped out on his last leg while trying to coddle the bag at the same time) that avoided attracting any guard attentions.
"Forgive you...not your fault." He frowned, looking at the tea and looking her over worriedly; while the light had returned to his own eyes, it only served to highlight how expressive the man was when it drained once more. He reached in something that could've been the start of a hug and thought better of it, flushing. "...same thing? Can I...I mean you've got tea. Need anything else?"
His bag squeaked indignantly, snapping him back to the initial reason he was here.
"-right! Right. Um. Cie, there's...I got something and I'm pretty sure Dad should never know but I don't know what to do with it." It was a rather inelegant introduction, but he'd already been a bit wrongfooted...Cienna's recurring health issues were never far from his mind even in the middle of his own illness several months back. Were they getting more frequent?
He made his way to the nearest cushion, lifted his bag, and with utmost care tipped out its contents...a tiny creature clutching a piece of a steamed bun dotted with tiny nibbles, graced with a puff of golden, red and green protofeathers. It would've been an intimidating array...had they not been standing straight up, and had the thing not been any larger than the man's fist. It might've been recognizable as a manaraptor to anyone familiar with their infant forms, but it was a rather ridiculous little thing nevertheless!
"...so I'm in trouble."
Rook — 09/10/2020
"Very good, I do enjoy your visits."
Once he was up there and thankfully not back on the ground after that near-slip, she'd close the window before drawing the curtains. She'd light more candles, just to deal with cutting off some of the light from outside. "The usual, yes. Can you..?" He had gone in for a hug, so she assumed that's what he meant and she'd step closer to initiate it herself. "Tea will help, a bit of rest too."
That could wait!
The bag squeaked and she looked towards it, eyebrows raised. She had settled back, holding her teacup again and she'd take a sip despite so many questions ready to be unleashed. "O-oh?" She asked when he mentioned his father couldn't know, and she followed him to the little couch in her room, where she often read. Out popped the little creature and Cienna immediately set her cup aside, gasping.
"Oh! What is this..creature? Oh goodness, I'm not sure what you should do." She would kneel, holding a hand out to the little 'raptor. "Where did you find it? Do you think we should find a secret spot in one of the gardens for it?" Or maybe hide it in his own room, despite family going back and forth. Tricky stuff..
Rigby — 09/11/2020
He flushed at the hug and finally returned it in kind once she'd completed it and tried to keep the nerves out of it even though he felt she must know how hot his face was, how worried he was at this sickness she'd never managed to shake for long.
"Yeah, rest. We've got tea..." It was somewhat absent.
But very quickly the business turned back towards his accidental pet.
"Isn't it adorable? I can't... DO anything to it, you know half the men at home would tell me to toss him in the rat traps or something." 'Him' - it had slipped out, but even if he hadn't checked before, he knew it was.
The little puff scooted forward, hooking miniscule wing-claws into the cushion to move forward, seeming to favor one side, and sniffed at her fingers. Sneezed a puff of smoke and flickering red and green ash. Blinked in confusion and tilted his head - revealing one clouded eye in addition to one bright and alert one, with the alert being on the same side his wing-arms had favored, too. Marc grimaced.
"And magic. Abso-lutely magic. Can't remember if these were outright fae but I'd read something about these as familiars..." Which ALSO seemed weird, and he let it hang in his tone grimly - Marc wasn't exactly slinging any magic around, himself! No Aiolfi had. "Your father doesn't happen to have any...magic-ish books around, does he?"
He held up a hand, then a finger in an 'example-A' sort of motion, gestured to the little creature (who was trying with hatchling-clumsy legs to creep up onto Cie's hand and tumbling over, instead) and walked across the room. The little thing watched the departing man intently, before attempting to flouder after him with stubby little wings and limbs.
Marc repeated the process a couple more times, and it was clear - this thing was dead set on being near him. He picked it up once more and deposited it into Cienna's hand should she allow it (and hold it himself if se didn't). With both big humans in proximity, the creature decided that wobbling around was quite tiring, and curled up in the hand in which he sat, and on occasion sleepily and harmlessly attempting to nibble on sleeve hems.
"Forest. Was out hunting and found a little nest. There was no mother," - eek - "a couple eggs had already broken below, and this one was left. I took it home...and he decided to hatch in my room right when I tried to get a closer look at it."
"Well I mean, you're in it now!" There was a little grin at that. Instant co-conspirator status! "Should we try the garden? I'm...not sure what he eats, maybe things in there. Aside from steamed buns and it was only 'cos he wobbled into my plate in my room..."
Rook — 09/11/2020
"It is so cute." Cienna agreed, as she tended to her tea before it got too cool to enjoy. When he sneezed that little puff of smoke, she chortled lightly and ran a finger over the back of his head if allowed. "I can imagine they'd want you to abandon it, yes."
She couldn't see that happening, now.
"Looks like he's...half blind? Poor thing." She'd finish more tea and set it aside, taking a moment to clear her throat. However, she soon stepped away a second to deal with a small coughing fit before returning. "Oh, I doubt it. More practical stuff, but we could snoop around one of the libraries.." One of them had to have something useful.
She allowed the creature to creep up, but drew her hand up when he went following after Marc and she grinned. "Well, no doubt about it now, he's yours." It was also clearly an imprint, but Cienna figured Marc should've seen that coming the moment he hatched the little 'raptor. She allowed Marc to pass him to her and she smiled. "He is precious, you're going to have to find a safe place for him in your room."
Atleast he was small now and possibly easy to hide. "Poor thing...mother was probably attacked if her eggs were broken.." It seemed logical. "Well, he's a little reptile of...sorts. Perhaps insects? Or maybe fish? Something small he can hunt until he's a bit bigger.."
Rigby — 09/13/2020
This little marble-brained baby had registered Cienna as a Good Person, and he accepted her pets with a whirring little purr and chirping hums from deep within his tiny throat, though he didn't appear to have the coordination or presence of mind to headbutt or press his forehead to either human affectionately quite yet.
"Thought his little wing...arm...wing-arm was done for too, but he's just a little lopsided!" The blindness was what it was but his wing wasn't anything he couldn't grow out of, Marc figured! "I'll do my best. 'Til he grows out of it. Out of Rosa reach, too...Help me snoop? Library, I mean."
Once she started coughing, he clasped at her shoulders, then wrapped his arm around her, and his worry and helpless nerves were truly betrayed in that motion. There was no shyness in that hug this time.
The baby in the meantime was displaced and quite bad at 'hunting' and clumsily pecked at the remains of the bun. Only managing a tiny nibble, he swallowed and fixed his good eye on the big people, blinking curiously.
At the mention of the baby's mother being attacked, Marc tensed a bit, eyes downcast, a knot twisting somewhere in his chest. It was a reflex, yeah? She'd already been mistrustful enough to attack a human at all...probably hadn't led an easy life. She wasn't fae causing trouble...
"Sounds sensible! Turn him loose on all the bugs in the gardens, maybe - see what he goes for!"
Rook — 09/13/2020
The happy noises were certainly endearing nonetheless and she rubbed underneath his chin, turning her attention to the wing-arm mentioned. "We should keep an eye on it, just incase. Maybe help him exercise it enough that it strengthens?" She wasn't sure how it worked with the raptor, so she hoped her idea would ensure it wouldn't become lame. "Sure, I can do that. Tomorrow morning?" Even if she would've loved to go right then.
Cienna had accepted the hug he offered, but her coughing fit, thankfully, didn't shift into anything worse.
She watched the 'tiny hunter' as it nibbled at the bun, though Marc's reaction concerned her a moment. Perhaps he just felt bad for the unfortunate mother! "We should, we can check around the rose-bushes my mother planted." She wasn't sure if she wanted the little creature to go after the bees, but maybe a butterfly or two wouldn't be too bad.
Rigby — 09/16/2020
Exercising that teeny wing was an unexpectedly cute image and Marc was entirely on board! "If it's a problem, yeah - even gliding with a little wing won't get him very far."
The chin-rubs were a hit! The little creature blinked slowly, all sets of eyelids fluttering into a squint and beak open in a squeaky pant. He then whirred another trill and lifted both proto-wings, flapping them proudly, seemingly with a vague understanding of what the two big people were talking about.
"Tomorrow morning," Marc echoed, pulling Cie close into that worried hug, again - it was just her, after all; no siblings or fathers to worry about what it had meant other than what it was. His mother had had the coughing fits, too.
"Let's do it. I suppose if he's sticking with us. Me. With...us, I gotta' think of a name, too." Naming one's spoils only meant one'd get attached - look at his father and Rosa after that last visit to India!
"Need some..." theeeeere was tea. Hm. "...more tea? Anything else? I can stay..."
Rook — 09/16/2020
"Agreed, but we'll think of something. Maybe we can find a little spot he can practice and make sure he has something soft to land on." Outside on cushions, perhaps. No one would question it.
When the little raptor responded happily to the attention, she continued with a smile. "I'll bring us out something sweet to eat, perhaps some soft meat for him too." Cienna said thoughtfully, leaning into the embrace and she'd squeeze one of his wrists afterwards. "Just don't stay up all night trying to think of one." She teased, picking up the little raptor to set onto one of Marc's hands.
"I should be alright. We might risk someone showing up if I make you stay too long." Besides, they had the morning and the garden to look forward to. No one would say anything about them hanging out there!
Rigby — 09/17/2020
"I like it! Probably not too far from what he would've had if someone was showing him in the forest." He hadn't the slightest idea if these creatures stuck around to teach their young, but it was probably a safe bet. Cienna and Marcello - Raptor Parents!
The raptor carefully hooked tiny quivering limbs into the fabric of Marc's sleeve-cuff, overlarge head bobbing rapidly with the effort, creeping claw over claw to climb his sleeve and leaving tiny dusty red and green ashy prints in its wake. The vertical lap of the ascent did prove to be a bit too much for him and he'd stopped, the constant tiny hum in his throat occasionally rising into a little arc of a confused wail, sounding properly audible every time he'd remembered to open his beak every few moments.
Marc carefully scooped him back up and held the tiny animal in a loose cradle in his hand, but the other moved to shift under her hand on his wrist, only to hold Cienna's hand properly. Gave it a little squeeze. Like the hug, it managed to contain more than his words.
"I can come over normally tomorrow. Gates and doors! Like a normal person."
Rook — 09/17/2020
"I think so too! Maybe like birds." Small lessons in and out of the nest. She watched the raptor as he climbed about, pressing a couple fingers to her lips when the poor thing started wailing. Thankfully, Marc came to his help!
"Poor little guy."
She smiled at the hand-hold, but she wouldn't let it linger too long and she'd walk over to the window to uncover it. Thankfully, the guards weren't patrolling too heavily at that hour. Nothing to worry about yet, she wagered. "Sounds good to me. I'll make sure to have food and tea ready for you."
Cienna adjusted her sleeves. "Have a safe climb down, Marc."
Rigby — 09/18/2020
"He'll get coordination down! Maybe. After that wing shapes up a little." Marc would name him after that one-wing if he wasn't careful! With great care, the baby was replaced back in his bag.
Cienna uncovered the window, and Marc peeked out anxiously as well. Getting in was one thing - getting a big twenty year old (agile he may be) back OUT the window, baby in tow, would be another feat entirely!
"And tea for you too, yeah? Just..." He pursed his lips, chewed on his cheek. Words were tough, sometimes, and sometimes not enough - at least when he'd had to really mean them and get them exactly right; no masks, no scripts. No expectations of anyone else. "...plenty of tea," he finished somewhat lamely.
A hug, sudden but heartfelt, a "...better get back in before he sends out the whole House!" and he was gone - back up and over, finding footholds and scaling back down as carefully and quickly as he could, nearly silent except for the odd confused chirps that drifted out of his bag on the way down!
