Seven Years Screwed [open]

[ODIN]

He picked up his wings for but a moment and then suddenly faltered. Wings fell to his sides, lowering slowly as he became indecisive and then finally the idea of just winging off into the azure of the vast blue sky left him. Odin settled back firmly onto his perch and sat a while, staring out as progression of darkening clouds passed him by. Perhaps it would have been a great idea to move on long ago yet now the rains were setting in and soon they would box him into this place. This place... Odin looked about himself, tilting his beak slightly as he gazed upwards at the almost fully grown in tree rising up above him, blocking out the sky above. It would be a place of refuge for him, it would be a savior to him, especially with these storms on setting. Under careful judgment within himself he chose then to stay here, for the storms would be upon himself and his destinations soon enough, best to ride it out here rather then risk it all out on the open air.

Wind swept up bitterly upon him and the white-necked raven pulled his wings tightly around himself. Though it was not cold it still brought back odd memories, of the humid nights when his enemies would make their attacks upon his homelands, mobs of swarming birds of prey seeking out dominion amongst the scavengers. Well, through his training, Odin too had learned to become a killer and it was his rough and tumble attitude that seemed to keep most birds away from him, not that he disagreed with that. Solitude was something he often held with a kind of relish, grasping it in his claws gently and holding it against himself passionately. A particularly humid blast brought the former warrior, now wanderer, out of his reverie and he gazed about himself studiously. Normally such a place would be crowded by birds, hatchlings especially yet today it was oddly bare.

No other bird sang their song, and thus Odin did not take up a protest of any kind and his own voice lay dormant inside his chest. Feeling safety finally in this seemingly neutral zone he turned his beak behind his wings and began to snooze lightly grasping the vine which wound hundreds of times around the great oak tree baring down upon him. Peace was always brief for a bird such as he, he learned to appreciate it when it came..finally.

[TOBY]

Dashing around the trees, he glanced about himself frantically. The sky was darkening and the winds were picking up. This was his least favorite time of day. Everyone was taking shelter within their homes and no one was in any mood to sit out on their perches or sing. It was terribly quiet and the silence only made the blue jay all the more restless. Making circles around a few more trees just in case, he finally swooped down toward a collection of tall rocks jutting up from the ground and landed. His good leg grasped the smooth surface precariously while the other leaned on it stiffly.

Toby stared at the opened space over the lake for only a few seconds before glancing about the trees above him again sharply. No one was here. He was all alone. There was not a single bird--or even a squirrel--that he could sneak up on or steal from or anything. Complete and impenetrable solitude... Toby ruffled his blue feathers, desperately trying to shake off the panic slowly but surely arising in his chest. He wanted to scream. He wanted to fly out calling out as loud as he could just to get some bird to at least show him that they were even still here. The forest seemed deserted with the way things were at this very moment.

With a long sigh, somehow Toby managed to calm himself just a bit. Just enough to consider his surroundings and collect his bearings, as remaining in this desolate place for much longer was unthinkable. Nearby was the remarkably thick oak tree he always loved the play his pranks at when the eggs were hatching. Parents were particularly skittish during that time and so easy to scare. They also collected a lot of interesting knickknacks to build their nests out of that he loved to steal. But he was going to have to wait a little longer for that. For now, all he could do was wait out this stormy season and try to keep his sanity in one piece.

Just as he was spreading his wings to take off and find some shelter of his own, the blue jay spotted something. Just on the other side of the vine adorned oak tree was a bird. It was just out of his sight and he hadn't noticed it until he leaned forward. This changed everything. Toby turned around carefully, hobbling on his lame legs, and took off in the other direction. He circled around the base of the tree silently, ascending slowly before clenching onto a thick vine just below the perch the bird was on. He could see from here that the bird was easily twice his size and probably some kind of crow. None of that mattered to Toby, though. All he cared about was that the stranger was sleeping and was a perfect target for his favorite prank.

Spreading out his wings for balance, he slowly climbed up higher until he was nearly at the same level as the crow. He pushed himself against the tree bark as he crawled, keeping his head low, trying to stay out of sight despite the stranger appearing to be sleeping. Once he felt he was close enough, he smile with satisfaction and bristled his feathers in anticipation. Then, he opened his mouth and gave out the loudest series of shrieking caws he could manage.

"AAAY, JAAAY-JAAYYY, AAAAY, AAAY, JAAY!!"

As fast as he could manage without looking to see the stranger's initial reaction, Toby spun around and took off to seek shelter somewhere where he could watch the crow start and laugh in safety.

[DARWIN]

Ordinarily Darwin disliked the cover of trees. The sight of so many branches looming overhead created a tension in her that was as hard to deny as it was irrational. However, all through this blustery spring, with the weather so fickle, the place where fledglings often gathered had been unusually tranquil, a fact that kept her returning despite the closeness of the trees. Today was, at first glance, no different as she winged her way across the lake. In spite of the pewter-grey clouds blocking the progress of the sun’s rays, the wavelets breaking the lake surface sent up little glimmers of reflected light, from whatever mysterious source. The large albatross managed to alight on one of the many rocks lining the lake’s edge, folding her wings neatly across her back. She simply stood there for several seconds, reveling in the quiet afforded by the absence of other birds.

The still was broached without warning by a raucous voice echoing even over the lake. The screams were incomprehensible, a mere conglomeration of meaningless sound, assaulting the sensibilities of the aging seabird. She peered closely into the canopy of the oak, trying to pinpoint the perpetrator, but whoever it was had already hidden, like a coward. Snorting, she blinked disdainfully and waddled nearer to watch the show that would surely be unfolding shortly.

[ODIN]

There was peace, so of course how could he have been expecting anything? But upon reflecting on that thought on a later date, Odin kicked himself thoroughly in the mental tail feathers for having let his comfort get the better of him. Formerly a warrior he should have been ready, one eye - no pun intended - open at all times, even during periods of rest, muscles flexed and tense and always ready. Yet...those were the old days, and perhaps now, softened and perhaps passed his prime, the raven was a little too impatient for a little quiet time that he had allowed his need to settle take over his drive to survive.

Feh, there would be hardly a need to survive this.

As he just closed his single working orb, feathers ruffling up before smoothing down across his entire body, something quite peculiar yet maybe expected happened. A loud voice, a harsh call seared through his ear slits booming as if it were right next to his ear. Immediately he started, wings flaring and legs loosening before his eye had even opened. In response his entire body went plummeting out into sheer nothingness, the comfort of the branch under his claws was no longer there and finally he opened his eyes and his mind and body snapped with an immense firing of synapses. Already he was correcting himself with a ragged and frantic fluttering and clamouring, and gosh it was far from graceful, but in times when one life is in danger, finesse is just unnecessary baggage. Odin managed to windmill himself until his vision faced not the tree-tops falling away from him but the ground coming towards him, a far more familiar and comfortable point of view for any bird.

Odin pulled out of his dive, already swooping back upwards in a sharp arc with his single eye darting and his head snapping back and forth rapidly. A little further away amongst some foliage his keen vision caught a flash of blue and white entering a young tree nearer to the main that was already thick with succulent new green leaves, towards which he winged with purpose. There was no use in calling out and yelling sharp insults, such was a petty waste, as this little prankster already knew full well that he was here. He was quiet, cold and forceful when he pelted his body into the thin whippy branches and grabbed hold of the first thing his claws could, he could hardly see to tell if it was bird or branch. Either or, the noisy little cretin would be scared witless.

[TOBY]

Quite contrary to the poor unsuspecting victim, Toby was having a blast watching the crow plummet toward the ground and just at the last minute save himself from crushing all of his bones. Toby bobbed his head up and down excitedly, expelling a soft chatter that was the best job he could do to hold back the hollering laughter that wanted to burst out of this throat. The best part was watching the crow struggle the regain control of himself in a way quite ungraceful. Not all of the birds he scared fell from their perches, but it was so much funnier when they did. Of course, they all managed to regain control before the ground could catch up to them. The thought of a bird actually falling to the ground and getting hurt never crossed the young blue jay's mind. It was far too much fun watching his victims flip out in astonishment at his antics to consider what risks he was putting them through.

Toby was just starting to make himself comfortable on a thin branch from behind a thick clutter of leaves that cast a heavy shadow over his body. He felt entirely secure that he was safe here and he wouldn't be seen. The plan was to watch the crow search for the persecutor fruitlessly and then give up and go back to sleep. If the crow stuck around, Toby would simply pull the prank again. If he decided to leave, the blue jay would follow quietly.

The small bird felt so sure of himself that he nestled down and fluffed out his feathers contentedly. He shifted his stiff leg back and forth in front of him, looking for a position that was most comfortable. Such efforts were in vain, however, as before he was even finished relaxing himself something large and black blocked out the sun. With a startled shriek, Toby tumbled back as the furious stranger charged into the foliage. He saw the claws of the crow ready to snap at any helpless victim they could catch. This was not part of Toby's plan. This was no longer fun. The blue jay was usually fast enough to hide in a place where no one would find him. He didn't know where he had gone wrong this time, but there was no time to reflect on that now.

Terrified, Toby reflexively spread out his wings and tried to fly away. Only one wing would flap, however, and with horror Toby realized that the crow had managed to grab his other wing in its claws. He gave a shrill screech as though he were already being torn apart and eaten and flapped his one wing frantically, accomplishing nothing but dislodging newly born leaves from their branches and showering them down to the ground.

[DARWIN]

Gleaming black eyes vacillated between the two opponents. She was unsure who she wanted to win; but on reflection, the memory of the jay’s harsh screech grated, so despite a detached admiration of his audacious move, she ultimately chose the crow’s side. Either way, it was rather amusing to watch the altercation, especially from afar. Even had she wanted to become involved, however, the environment was not such as would let her; webbed feet and perching vines were not made for one another, and the dark tangle of branches and trunks were a deterrent to her wide wingspan.

However, when the crow managed to seize hold of the guilty one’s appendage, Darwin clacked her beak in approbation. The sound was louder than she’d anticipated, ringing out above even the jay’s shrill cries and the rustle of leaves and feathers emanating from the struggle. She eyed the two far above her with trepidation, hoping they would be too caught up in their conflict to notice one grounded albatross, though she knew if they looked, they would see her. If nothing else, the beak was a dead giveaway.

[ODIN]

There was purchase, the silken, sharp-edged sensation of feathers brushing across his sensitive, scaly feet. Odin snapped down immediately, instinctively upon the appendage, seizing firmly yet not too firmly. He gave a booming caw of triumph and then with great force, heaved both his own body and the form of poor little Toby outward with a momentous flap of his wings. Immediately he felt his new payload weighing down on him, not immensely, for birds so small and hollow boned can be a surprisingly easy thing to handle. The great raven did wobble a little though, admittedly but ultimately it did not take away from the glory of his capture. Really he was astonished, he had not thought himself to be so lucky or even swift anymore. Good job, Odin old boy, you've retained a little of the past. Now flapping double speed, he suspended the troublesome jaybird in mid air, powerless with his wing caught in a vice grip, and if the great raven chose, he could have crushed that limb to pure uselessness.

A clacking from somewhere along the lake made him turn his head for just a moment, spotting the massive seabird but not really caring at the moment. What had his full attention, was the creature dangling below him. He was not furious, but a little bit ticked, and Odin was not a bird to muck around with and his temper could become quite volatile at times. Right now perhaps, he just wished to teach a lesson, and to solidify this with his captive he gave his talons a little squeeze. "You know that really wasn't very nice at all." Odin stated, his voice as immobile as stone, there was a seriousness to it, yet a cleverly hidden reprimanding edge. His single eye was now focused intensely upon Toby. "If a bird gets hurt and dies this way you know one could even call you a murderer...But I won't make insinuations. What do you have to say for yourself, eh?"

[TOBY]

The click from below was followed by a sudden silence. Toby froze even as the crow dragged him further out into the open and stared down. He felt his weight shift entirely onto the crow's talons as he ceased his crazed one-sided flapping. He saw the newcomer standing on the rock and somehow found the placidity to allow her odd appearance to befuddle him for a second. But only a second. The next second that passed had him screaming and flapping all over again; maybe even more frantic than before.

"Help! Help me!! He's gonna eat me! Help!"

The extra squeeze on his wing had him expel one last shrill cry before becoming quiet again as the crow spoke. His beak clacked restlessly and a spontaneous jay erupted from his throat here and there as the blue jay stared at the crow's one dark eye. He took in the features of the bigger and older bird; gazed at his broad beak that was just perfect for knocking out small birds like him; awed the scars on his face that told a story of excitement and bravery; marveled his aged but glossy black feathers... The little bird felt terribly unimpressive, puny, and inexperienced in comparison. It was unlike him to compare his own features to that of another and now certainly wasn't the most practical time to think of such things as ego, but he couldn't help feeling a twinge of indignation--as though he were being outclassed--especially after the stranger let known how deep and cool sounding his voice was.

Toby's expression went from utter and complete terror to defensive in a mere instant. "It was funny. I'm not gonna kill anybody! Lighten up! They usually don't fall. You're just old and mean and that's why you fell!" he cawed, trying to make his voice sound mature and only succeeding in sounding more childish.