[PRP] This Dusty Ground (Tlallo and Chio Chio)

[Geyser Eelborn]

It was midmorning, and from his perch in a tree on a shaded hill, a brown earth tom sleepily opened his eyes. Another beautiful day had dawned some hours hence, and thus the morning chorus of birdsong had passed. Ah, well. If he hadn't had so late a night the night before hunting, he might have been able to wake up early enough to hear birdsong. He was rather enjoying hearing all sorts of new birds everywhere he went was one of the many joys of being a wanderer. Someday, I'll have to learn a way to record all of my travels, to let other people know what places are like. Hm, that would be a challenge. A series of markings that could be interpreted to explain things? Twists of barks knotted in peculiar patterns? Drawings on pieces of tree bark or hide?

He was contemplating his choices when he caught a melodious sound from a distance. His ears perked up, and he listened for a while. What was that? Was it another B'alam, or a bird? His ever-present curiosity peaked, he leapt down from the tree and headed in the direction of the song.

Elzah

I have no idea which RP forum is supposed to be used when. I hope this is the right place xD

 

[Elzah]

Chio Chio had flown down to the world below especially early, when the sun was just a suggestion of light on the horizon. The dawn chorus of birds she found fascinating. Birds sang throughout the day and some into the night, but it wasn't compatible with that chorus. She'd found the noisiest place she could and had been here ever since. The winged b'alam sat on a thick tree branch, balancing with the help of wings and tail, as she carefully listened then repeated the calls of the genuine birds...

Until she joined several together into a short jaunty little song. Chio didn't think her imitations were bad but her own melodies were rudimentary so far. She just needed time, was all, and more material. And if she could think of a way to write down the notes - !

She was so absorbed with copying a sweet sounding saw-weet, saw-weet that she didn't notice she was not longer alone.

Geyser Eelborn

Hope that's okay! And funny enough, I'm wondering if Chio might end up with the nickname Dusty somehow. Not sure why but I think it suits her.

 

[Geyser Eelborn]

Unfortunately, Tlallo hadn't reached the source of the sweet song before it suddenly stopped. He growled quietly to himself in frustration. Darnit! Now how was he going to find it?! He huffed and sat down on the dusty ground, closed his eyes and listened. There was still birdsong in the air everywhere, and most of it was coming from one singular direction. He opened his eyes and oriented himself towards the source of the loud sounds--a stout tree covered in bright summer foliage. Plenty of space for birds of all kinds, and the grass around the tree would provide seed for songbirds and insects as well. He smiled and set off in that direction, eager to see what sort of bird was there.

Underneath the tree, the sound was even louder. The birds did not seem overly bothered by his presence--most animals didn't. Probably a side effect of the newness of B'alam in this world. Tlallo peered up into the branches, curious as to what sort of bird had made the sound, when he spotted a strange B'alam in the tree. At first, he'd thought it was an enormous bird--it had feathery finials coming from its face and feathered wings. But on second glance, it was definitely a lovely, pearl-white she-cat sitting on a branch, absorbed with something in her paws.

"Hello up there!" he called out. "I heard a lovely bird song, and I was wondering if you could tell me which bird it was? I'm sort of new in this area, I don't know the birds very well.

Elzah

 

[Elzah]

Chio had been focused on the far off sound of a woodpecker (now that she couldn't mimic!), with her ears straining in its direction. So she startled a little when Tlallo called, and her wings flapped as she regained her balance. She peered down through the bright leaves to the b'alam below. She hadn't really met an earth b'alam yet, and it took a few seconds for her to take in his lack of wings. It wasn't unsettling or anything, just different. The weaver had made all sorts, it seemed!

"Hello! Did it sound like a saw-weet, or a tu-tu-tu-tuu?"

She smiled, and lay down so she was a little closer, though something held her back from just jumping down. Perhaps the far off reply of the second call, from a poor confused male bird, towards which her left ear twitched. Perhaps just a touch of shyness, at meeting her first fellow b'alam down here.

"I can tell you what they look like, but I don't know if birds have....names, like us."

Geyser Eelborn

 

[Geyser Eelborn]

The wings were definitely attached to the she-cat, not just a decoration she'd had tied onto herself. She was flapping them in startlement at his call. To be fair, though, he had just shouted at her while she was absorbed in something. She had every right to be startled when a strange tom waltzed up to her and asked her for directions. So he sat down, tucked his tail around himself, and smiled politely at her. He tended to recall having heard of a type of B'alam called the Wind tribe--if he had to describe what he'd thought a wind tribe member might look like, he would have mentioned a certain birdliness. So...was she a member of the wind tribe, then?

"I think it sounded more like a chi-wah, chi-wah, chi-chi-chi-wah? Or something like that, I don't sing much." He shrugged his shoulders, ears flicking to catch a bit of distant birdcall off to his right. "I wasn't really asking for personal names," he added wryly. "Just a type, like we've got types--y'know, earth, fire, ice...wind, that kind of thing. By the way, my personal name is Tlallolini--what's yours?"

Elzah

 

[Elzah]

"Oh, that was me! I was playing, with the sounds...it was a red nutbird and a gold one, mixed."

She smiled, and the finally made the leap down to the ground, landing lightly as only a cat could. Tlallolini. It was quite musical, as names went. She could think of several ways it could be broken down, repeated, mixed perhaps with other sounds. Try as she might, that songstress inclination couldn't be tucked away, tucked underwing. Maybe because she - they all - were so new? Their natures were new and bright.

"My name is Chio Chio", and that was almost a bird call in itself, a well "but feel free to say it just the once. You said you were new to this area - did you wake up, the first time, somewhere else?"

Geyser Eelborn

 

[Geyser Eelborn]

Tlallo blinked at her explanation. It had sounded to him like the warble of a bird, not the song of a cat, but then again, maybe all wind cats sounded like that? It could just be another feature of being a bird-like creature. But if she said it was her song, he was inclined to believe her. AFter all, she should know if it was her song. She certainly seemed to know more about birds than he did, knowing their names and all.

Her ability to sing was confirmed by the way she introduced herself. It really did sound like birdsong, the way she said her name! He tried it out. "Chio Chio." He grinned ruefully. "Sounds better when you say it."

He pointed with his paw back the way he'd come. "Actually, no. I woke up in a dip in the ground a month ago. I've been traveling a lot since then following the mountains and hills." Why he'd been doing that, he wasn't sure. Part of it was wanting to know what was over the horizon, but that didn't explain the line he'd been going in. "What about you?"

Elzah