[PRP][PLOT] Someone Like Me [Ruya + Erradika]

[Menelie]

It had been a few seasons since Ruya had seen the fierce and beautiful Natalia in the forest, but that never stopped her from looking. Perhaps her feathered friend didn't want to be found. All she wanted to do is curl up in her nest with her and ponder the great mysteries together. Like where they came from, and why they were so different from others on the Isle.

So it sparked a great interest in Ruya when, while inexpertly attempting to track Natalia near where she'd last seen her, she found a feather. It was far too large to belong to a bird, and it was the wrong color to be her quarry's. Intrigued, she twirled it around in her fingers. It was bright green and beautiful. Ruya looked around for any more signs of the feather's owner, but while she possessed sharp eyes, her upbringing hadn't allowed for much tracking experience. Perhaps the mystery harpy had gone down to the river. She decided to head that way, tucking the feather into her braid.

Ruya wondered who she might meet. Would the feather's owner be friendly, or ferocious? A little of both, she secretly hoped.

Fea Line

 

[Fea Line]

Erradika has just finished a hunt, the little chick fast asleep, nestled away in a knot hole with a full belly. That meant Erradika had some time to herself to just be...herself. The black and bright green harpy ventured down towards the river to catch a drink and ponder over her strange grudge of being the chick kicked out of the nest. She thought back to her mother and the place she had come from. She wondered who was the one that had kicked out her little adopted bundle of feathers and what she would say if she happened to run into them. Probably some choice words then inquiries and then probably go hunting together or something, hell if she knew.

It didn't matter now anyways, so far she was living a peaceful life all by herself, able to b***h about anything she wanted to Aracari because the little thing didn't understand much yet. Which was cool. She'd raise that girl to be one bad a** b***h.

The thought brought a smirk to the dark harpy's face as perched down next to the river's edge. She gazed about, taking in her surroundings, bringing her arms over her head to stretch when she noticed a figure in the distance slowly approaching. She flared her wings, on guard if need be. If they wanted a fight, she'd show em the sting of harpy talons.

Menelie

 

[Menelie]

Ruya froze when the other's wings flared out. She wasn't sure why. Maybe it was an instinct she didn't know about. She carefully took in every detail she could about the other harpy. Her body had tensed up when she'd noticed Ruya approach. Was that a fear reaction? Was she just startled? Or was she preparing for a fight? Considering Natalia's reaction to a newcomer in her territory, Ruya decided to prepare for the worst, but also try to de-escalate things before they even began.

"Hello..." she called softly, keeping her voice light. "I was just looking for someone and I found this..." She pulled out the feather. This was obviously its owner. "I think it's yours. Can I come closer?"

The other harpy was still a fair distance away, but Ruya could already tell that she was beautiful--statuesque and sleek. The contrast between her dark and bright feathers practically mesmerized her. If only she could be so beautiful and powerful!

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[Fea Line]

Another harpy? Erradika tilted her head, narrowing her eyes in study. She hadn't seen another harpy since she had arrived besides the young chick she just happened upon as it's egg tumbled down the mountain side. This one was full grown however, and wanting to talk. She didn't...seem...dangerous, at least her intent....and well curiosity tickled the dark and bright colored harpy a bit. Not to mention the other seemed to have one of her black and green feathers with her. Why, Erradika had no clue. Trophies? Souvenirs? Or she was just plain weird? "Yeah...sure. Just mind your talons... this is my area." she called back, letting her wings settle back onto her back. Maybe she knew who this chick belonged too. Or used too she should say. The little dear was her's now as far as Erradika was concerned.

Menelie

 

[Menelie]

"Of course, of course," said Ruya quickly, nodding and holding her hands up. She approached slowly, having learned that her kind was (apparently) easily startled and given to violence. Why wasn't she like that? At least, not toward other thinking beings--she had plenty of violence for the critters she hunted.

"I found this on the ground," she said, shrugging a little and offering the other her feather back. Not that she knew what she'd do with it...obviously the other couldn't put it back into her wings. "I...er..." Ruya scratched the back of her neck lightly. Wow, she was even more majestic up close. "I'm Ruya," she said. "I haven't really met anyone else like me...just my friend Xia, but she doesn't count, and someone else who lives somewhere around here, but she didn't really want to talk..."

This was dumb. Why was she here? From what she'd seen, harpies didn't talk to each other much. They were loners, solitary creatures. So why was she so different?

Fea Line

 

[Fea Line]

Once the other had gotten closer, Erradika gave her a good look up and down before glancing at the feather. "Ah yeah...looks like mine. I don't have any use for it though, you keep it." she shrugged, flicking her long braid back over her shoulder. So this one hadn't seen many other's like themselves either....though by the sounds of it she had seen more than Erra had. "Well you one up me then, because your the first harpy I've seen besides the chicklet." she mused, noting the girls bronzeish colors and that deep red at the tips of her feathers and hair. Ruya did she call herself? Didn't look a thing like little Aracari, that was for sure. "Oh....I'm Erradika by the way." she nodded, thrusting out her hip and resting one hand on her bright green feathers.

Menelie

 

[Menelie]

Ruya tucked the feather into the leather tie holding her braid together. It made her look sophisticated, a pop of brightness in her otherwise muted colors. She wished she were bright and beautiful like Xia or Erradika. Instead she got these bland red and brown feathers. She looked like a pile of leaves, not like the majestic feathered beauty all the other harpies she'd met had looked like.

"Chicklet?" asked Ruya, yellow eyes dilating a bit with interest. "You mean, like a little one?" Obviously she'd been a chick at one point, but she'd never stopped to think about how more harpies came into existence. The idea set her mind spinning faster than she could latch onto one thought. "Is she--I mean, I assume it's a she--is she...I mean, how did she...like, where did she come from?" she asked finally.

Great, now I sound like an idiot for not knowing where babies come from. Ugh, Ruya you are the worst at talking to anyone pretty!

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[Fea Line]

Erradika watched as Ruya put the feather into her hair and smirked. It felt both strange and kind of awesome to see someone else wearing her own feather. At the jumbled questions about the chick however, the black and green harpy tilted her head. Where did she come from? Erradika bit back a laugh, going to assume this girl meant where as in who were the parents, not.....how were babies actually made.

"Yes its a she, and I don't know where she came from. I just happened to be in the right place at the wrong time to catch her egg as it tumbled down a hill. Unfortunate for her, she was the unlucky chick to be kicked out." she shrugged, looking back down towards her reflection in the water. She had been the one kicked out too, and while she hated it, she loved it at the same time. It made her stronger....or so she liked to believe. "So I decided to raise her. Teach her to be strong and show no mercy." she said, flashing a grin at Ruya.

Menelie

 

[Menelie]

Wow. Ruya wanted to be fierce and show no mercy too! She tucked a stray hair behind her ear and smiled coyly in return. Maybe Erradika would let her hang around and learn too, if she were nice enough.

The bit about being kicked out of the nest, though--that sent Ruya's mind reeling. "What do you mean, kicked out of the nest?" she asked suddenly, eyes wide. That was unlucky, but the way she'd said it made it sound like it was normal, the unlucky one. If it were a chance occurrence it'd be "she was unlucky and kicked out', right? What did that mean? Was she the unlucky one and kicked out? Was that why Mother had raised her instead of another harpy mother? Ruya coughed a bit. "Does that happen...often?"

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[Fea Line]

At these constant questions, Erradika froze in confusion. Did she know nothing of their species? Granted, it took a while for instincts to set in for her own self as she watched other's from afar back in her homeland, but still. "I'm going to guess you were the one kicked out then? Welcome to the club." she half laughed, walking over to brush some rebel strands of hair from the brown Harpies face. "Our kind....well we seemed to only have enough maternal instincts for one." she said, before turning back to view her surroundings. "That's how it was done where I came from. I assume the harpies here are no different." she said, watching the other girl closely to see how she'd react.

Menelie

 

[Menelie]

A little electricity ran down Ruya' spine at Erradika's touch. "Heh," she managed faintly, with a nervous little smile. She was so beautiful and powerful...

"So...harpy mothers abandon one of their eggs?" she asked, for clarification. That would certainly explain where Mother and Xia's mother had gotten their eggs. Ruya scrunched up her face. "Now I don't know whether to feel angry for being kicked out or grateful not to have been reared by someone who would abandon one of her eggs." She scratched the back of her neck.

"So how did you survive on your own? Did someone else adopt you like you adopted your chick?" Ruya hoped she wasn't annoying Erradika with all her questions. She just wanted to know everything she could about...well, everything.

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[Fea Line]

At the further questions, Erradika stared blankly at Ruya, the thoughts and feelings drawing back painful memories she tried to push away. "From what I was taught and what little I remember, yes. That and why else would my chicklet's egg be rolling down a hill and no one come to claim her yet?" she shrugged, wrapping her arms around her chest almost defensively, as if Ruya had opened a wound she had rather left closed. The image of the one who had raised her flashed before her, as did the memories of finding her covered in blood, eyes wide open in shock, all the life having been sucked from her still corpse.

"I had a caretaker for a while. She's the one who taught me about other's like us..... until she was killed. I took care of my own self since then....but I don't exactly like to talk about it." she said, her voice a bit more rough this time, laced with a mixture of sorrow and anger. Her fingers clenched around her own arms, nails digging into her feathers and skin at the thought. It took several deep breaths to calm herself, it was highly unlikely it Ruya's fault after all. Shaking herself lightly, she put back on a cocky smile, noting the other's now scrunched up face. "Life's a b***h ain't it? But it only makes you stronger I say. Make the most out of what life has dealt ya, let it spark a fire in your belly."

Menelie