[Amber]

[petiteaubergine]

[The amber glows upon the face of a frustrated young man. It's turned a few degrees, then a hand slips up and messes with with tangled strands of hair. His face shifts from side to side, eyes following the outline of his face. He's fascinated with the odd little mirror. Comfortable with the outcome of his quick-fix effort, he looks up towards the hole in the ceiling.]

Now, I will surely get up there this time!

[Alla spreads his midnight-blue wings and wobbles into the air. The room around him tilts, then shrinks as he ascends. The scrunched-up lines in his face soften into a smile. He's done it!

Then, without warning, he slips from view, crashing back down onto the floor with a yelp of surprise followed by a moan.]

Oh dear... this was my best garment. Oh no...

Comments

[petiteaubergine]

If you wish to, you may call me Alla, Miss Jo.

[Heat blazes along his cheekbones. Hopefully that was not too awkward to say? His brows pucker at the term 'French,' which he is unfamiliar with, despite the twinned language he speaks. He does understand the short bit she speaks of it. Even with the accent.

The thought of people, food, more comfortable rooms draw him, yet he's a bit nervous, thinking of it. Hopefully they will accept him, even if he is strange and can't fly well yet.]

I would like to. I was taught never to give up, and...I am hungry.

[His voice trails off a bit, shyly. He's not actually hungry for their sort of food, but he must fit in. And he does like the taste. He promises himself not to eat a good deal of it, since these people really do need it to survive.]

[hairsay]

[Completely oblivious--and also a poor source of that food that he's keeping so close to his chest right now, what with the calm of the lifestream, Jo gives him a careful nod. There's a part of her that wants to show off: she could get just about anything at this point, zinging off with a powerful spring to land with only slightly softer thud against a far surface. She's managed to leap an entire floor without really putting as much flapping behind her once or twice. She's been practicing.

...That thought, however, stills her from setting off to brag. Alla's probably not sure what the hell is going on, and Jo remembers how fiercely she'd felt about that. It hadn't helped that, at the time, the sword had been missing from the center of the life stream here and the beam of light had been a chilling, horrifying blue. She didn't want to wish that on anyone.

So she gives him a wry look and then offers her arm.] Alright, you have different wings from me, but that's everyone, don't worry about it. You'll find a way that works for you. Generally, you want to pretend like... like you're lifting something heavy, like a box, maybe. Bend your knees, flap those suckers when you're pushing up. Then keep flapping. Stare at where you want to go and you'll get there.

[She points at the hole in the center of the roof, saying,] let's aim for that first, okay?

[petiteaubergine]

[Listening intently to her instructions on how to fly, Alla begins repeating the steps in his head. His knees even bend slightly for a moment when mentioned. His blue eyed gaze strikes up to that hole in the celing. Those pink eyebrows pinch together in focus as he gives a nod.]

I am ready.

[A large breath is drawn. When released, he repeats...]

Something heavy...

[His arms move around an invisible box.]

... bend the knees...

[Again, his knees bend. Once, twice, three times for good measure. His pink-fuzz lined moth wings begin to flutter wildly.]

Flap and push up...!

[Into the air he shoots, wobbling towards his goal. His wings flap even faster, trying to compensate for the imaginary heavy box, or perhaps just his own heavy weight.

Through the hole he flies!

VICTORY!



Until he keeps going... oops.

Another floor passes and his wings begin to slow, heavy with worry. Alla's gaze falls back downward, but his body doesn't move along with him. Slower and slower his wings flap as he begins to lose focus and float back down. Back and forth he looks, hoping to spot his new friend.]

[hairsay]

[Jo's been flying up with him, but as he starts to slow, and begins to lose what essentially feels like hard-earned buoyancy, she gives him a hard shove, enough that though he's had a glimpse of the hotsprings and muggy ferns on the third floor, the floor they land on is actually the one from which Jo came. That is to say, there are four doors, a hole in the wall that leads outside, and a storage shed crammed into one corner. It's a residential area.]

There you go, you did it!

[petiteaubergine]

[The lad yelps as he's pushed. His legs flail even before he lands. The young man's boots scrape the ground, leaving tearing scuffs along the well-shined black leather. Despite that, he laughs. It's quick lived, though, as an unsettled heaviness rises up between his three hearts. He knows this feeling. He knows it will end in a transformation if he doesn't stop it. Quickly, he forces calm into his actions, starting with carefully adjusting his winter long-coat. Small actions like this, ones that don't excite him, usually help alleviate the problem.]

I could not have done so without your help. Thank you.

[His attention is then pulled around the room at his new surroundings. he doesn't quite recognise the homes for what they are... at least not at first.]

Where do all of these doors lead to?

[hairsay]

[Despite it all, on the outside, Alla still looks like someone who had genuinely been having a good time, forcing himself to calm for the sake of outward appearances--and definitely not the same ones that Jo has been assuming. She gives him an elbow to the arm, raising her brows and nodding, grinning appreciation. This is more fun than she's certainly had in a while.]

There you go, you see? You'll get the hang of it. It's not too much, it just takes practice.

[She casts a glance at each door, conveniently numbered one through four. While a friendlier person might welcome the newbie into her home, Jo... hesitates.]

They're people's homes, [she hedges, instead.] Enough for three or four people, if you like to get close. Most of them are taken, don't want to go barging in. There's a big place a few floors up, though, sort of... I guess like a lodge or something. Place to kick up your heels until you get to talking to people. Basically, we're stuck here for a while. You probably want to get to know who you're planning on sleeping in the same place as.

[petiteaubergine]

[The friendly nudge to the arm takes him by surprise. It's nearly mistaken until he catches a glimpse of that grin. His quick jolt of concerns fades, especially as he listens further to the explanation about the doors. Alla glances over them once more, imagination painting their furnishings and occupants.]

Thank you for that insight. I would not wish to intrude upon anyone.

[Worry begins to show on his face, eyebrows pinching together again. He most certainly had to be careful whom he decided to live with, in the event he transforms and possibly freaks everyone out. No, it would be best to live alone. Still, he casts a wistful glance to the doors, wishing it were otherwise.]

Is it possible to live by one's self here? Outside of the lodge that is.

[hairsay]

You know what, it's probably just fine. A lot of people here, though... it's good to have a buddy system. [Jo's not sure how to allude to the idea of people going missing, but it's such a common thing that it's going to be unavoidable sooner or later. She clears her throat.]

It's a matter of knocking on doors and if you see an empty place, you might as well take it. When I moved into my room it was covered in bird shit, but me and another guy cleaned it out. Now it's like new.

[petiteaubergine]

I see.

[Yet, he doesn't. Perhaps Jo is trying to tell him to be careful whom he befriends.

His face scrunches at the description of her messy room. If birds are so big then their...well, that was a rude thought.]

I hope that we become friends as well.

[Alla feels they had made a great start but he isn't sure how Jo feels. He scans the room once more before he gives it an approving nod.]

Aside from these doors, is there anywhere else people enjoy going to?

[She did mention food earlier...]