faderift | [Closed - Warden Assignment] So Take These Broken Wings...

WHO: Bethany, Carver, Inessa, Alex, Audra, and Myr
WHAT: Summary of content
WHEN: Timing (backdated, covering a span, etc.)
WHERE: Location
NOTES: Content warnings, OOC notes, links to other relevant posts, etc.

In the Beginning of our Tale, the griffons were acting oddly.

Well, let us get more specific ... some of the griffons were acting oddly, and that was causing some distress to the other griffons. Enough that Bethany was standing outside of their nesting area, frowning with no little concern. Flea was snapping at poor Butterball and Potato. At the bottom of the stairs, Button was making a distressed noise, turning around in circles as he tried to find a way to climb up to the tower.

Not to mention that Burp and Uggie were nowhere to be seen. The Senior Mage warden put down one of the buckets of food to watch the griffons for a few moments longer, before she put out the meals in piles, all around the top of the tower. She knew others were there, and she knew they all looked as concerned as she did.

She went over to Carver, where the two started a quiet conversation as they went to check on Buttons down below. By the time they reached the base of the tower, however, it was not as quiet as it could have been...

" -- well yes I know you're worried, Carver, but it's not like we have a griffon doctor on hand." Came Bethany's voice from inside the tower, "All we can honestly say is that they are acting ... 'odd'."

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As soon as the others left, leaving the other half of the group watching Flea, Bethany finally stood up and stretched, giving Flea a considering look. She lifted her hand to push another one of the buckets over to Flea, then walked over to the edge to see what Buttons was up to.

"All right - so - if we are still working with the theory that they're breeding ... is it possible that Flea... and Buttons, are mates? I mean - she would have to go down to him but. Clearly. She's not that fond of Butterbal or Potato."

Buttons is, in a word, disconsolate, stomping back and forth around the base of the tower with his tail lashing and a high-pitched whine vibrating his throat. Life isn't fair, everything about his demeanor says. Life isn't fair and somebody two-legged, with opposable thumbs and more control over the universe than he's got needs to fix it.

For his part, Myr stays well and cautiously away from the edge, seated on bale of straw with a frown on his face as he thinks Bethany's question over. "Have they been spending much time together when she's out and about?"

"Well..." Alex hums a little.

Truthfully, she's more in awe of seeing the griffons, a bright smile quirking the corners of her mouth. She keeps a respectful distance, but she's kind of bowled over, watching them intently. "Animals can have one particular mate, but not always. I mean, if I tried to figure it out based on the animals that... that make up griffons, lions tend to have one male and a whole pride of females they breed with, but some types of eagles have just the one mate at a time, or they mate for life. And in breeding season, I mean... they'd definitely be territorial, is my guess."

She chews her cheek, and looks to Bethany. "Is it alright for me to touch 'em?" Her question is rooted in respect for the animal and wanting to approach them right, rather than any kind of fear.

Bethany hummed softly, putting her hands on her hips as she brazenly peers over the side, with no fear of her possible demise from falling over the edge. Then she leans back, glancing over to Myr, "Yes, usually. However they are usually very family orientated - everyone flies down to see Buttons."

She gave Flea a more intent look, as the griffon idled her away towards the buckets of food. Looking over at Alex, she stated simply, "You can try. Buttons might be your best option, because Flea ... Flea rather looks like she's in attack mode."

Another pause, "In fact, she hasn't been able to settle down for days."

"So--hard to guess, in that case." And from what Alex is saying griffons might go either way--if they could rely on zoological knowledge from another world entirely as a guide for a species that wasn't either of its parts. Still, it's better than anything else they have.

Myr continues to frown over it, chewing briefly on his lower lip. (Ruminating over the whole thing buys him time and space to squish a moment of strange, misplaced jealousy over Bethany suggesting the other woman might approach Buttons. Where did that come from?) "You'll want to be careful of him, though," he adds. "He's not himself, lately, but he'd a reputation before for being a bit of a bully if he could get away with it. Snapping at people, and the like--since he'd nothing else to do."

With that said, he gets up off his impromptu seat, dusting bits of straw from his robe. "Is Flea--what's the word, uh--" He racks his memory for what little he knows of birds, which isn't...much. There'd been a woman in the alienage who'd kept chickens, though, who'd traded eggs to his father for wilted herbs and bruised fruit. But for the life of him he can't pull up what she'd said of the things (though given he'd been six at the time...). "--damn. Birds get strange when it's time to lay eggs, don't they? Can they be hostile about it, too?"

"Don't fret yourself, mate. I get along with animals better than people, most times."

Not dismissive, just... a reality. She struggles with people. Tends to think they're dicks, more often than not, but animals, they make sense. She might be difficult and rude and sometimes obtuse, with varying degrees of deliberateness, but with this she's just being honest. Maybe it shows... or maybe she just sounds cocky, because even in this she'd be better at communicating with an animal, probably.

"Broody," she says, softly, as she moves. Alex's body language is careful, and she takes care not to walk straight onwards to the griffon, in case it seems threatening, aggressive somehow. "Though that can be even when they don't have eggs to be broody over."

Her hand is held out, out of habit - let the animal sniff, see if they want you close. The eyes, a bloody brilliant gold, are a real thing to behold, but she keeps her gaze respectfully averted, unchallenging. Stopping short, rather than presuming to walk all the way over to the griffon, Alex waits to see if the griffon might approach, as she pats her pockets down for treats. She's able to produce a few pieces of jerky, which she swaps into the hand she's got extended.

"It's to do with hormonal changes. They tend to want to stick to their nesting spot. Might get a bit inclined to peckin'. Is that what's going on, mate?" (She's talking to the griffon. Beautiful perfect angel lion bird.)

"Actually, one of my best friends is like that ... Carver is too." Amusement flared over her face, before her brown eyes widened. She looked from Alex, and then moved over to Myr. Holding onto his elbow, she asked quietly, "Have you heard Buttons trying to find someplace comfortable to lie down?"

It does sound an awful lot like bravado to Myr's ears--especially given their last exchange--but this is her avocation and he'll trust someone else to that until proven otherwise. Still, he'll listen warily to her approach Flea, waiting for--and hoping not to hear--the sounds of an irate griffon disturbed. It's tension enough he nearly misses her words, soft as they are, though what he does hear he tucks away. "Broody," he echoes, to make it stick. "That'd certainly explain Flea and Burp."

He wants to follow that up with a question--but Alex is speaking to the griffon, and going on his own introduction to Buttons, now isn't the time to interrupt. Besides--here's Bethany at his elbow with a question of her own. "You mean--just now, or have I heard him do it before?" he replies to her, in an undertone.

Gently, almost reverently, Alex brings her hand to very slowly rest on the griffon's neck.

"Hey, now. How you goin', mate?"

Her hand stays still for a moment. Soothing, steadying. For all that she's terrible at talking to people, she has something of a calming effect on animals. Even so, this is a bigger, more dangerous animal that's different from anything else she's encountered. She isn't scared, just... appropriately respectful. For now, she doesn't try to keep running her hands over Flea, doesn't want to over stimulate or stress. Instead, she just stays still, allowing Flea to acclimatise to her.

"Don't worry. I'm on your side. We'll figure out what's up." Just one step at a time, no rushing. That didn't tend to be good for the patient, or the people in biting range of the patient.

And, addressing the others, "I don't think Carver'd hatch anything near as cute as this one, mind."

Bethany sucked in a breath, her hands going out then pulling back as Alex managed to touch the griffon without startling her. Her brown eyes went wide, and those hands that were clutched together suddenly put her hand to her mouth in wonder.

"....I meant, have you heard him do it before?" She finally manages to whisper to Myr, before she lets out a laugh.

"As one part of the Hawke Twins, I shall officially say, 'OI' to you, Alex. But ... is it possible?"

[Closed - Warden Assignment] So Take These Broken Wings...

B. At the Tower

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