001 - First Flower

[holyfight]

[There are little doodles in the margins of this post - robots and flowers and flying tigers and dinosaurs! It's clear that Orihime has been using her book as a sketch book in addition to its intended use]

Does this really show up to everyone else if I write in it? Can anyone else see this? If you're the owner of this book, I'm really sorry for writing in it! But I can't think of any other way to find you!

Hi! I'm Inoue Orihime! From what I can gather, I'm supposed to be a Flower-Queen's Daughter. But I don't know any queens, so I think there's been a mistake! If anyone knows who that is, please let me know! I'd like to return her book to her!

Comments

[espigeonage]

Maybe! Or kidnapped! It seems I am to live in the home of a witch, but I can fly in and out unimpeded. Altogether it's not making much sense. I suppose such is the way of fairy tales, is it not?

[holyfight]

[She only got one thing out of that]

You can fly?

[espigeonage]

But of course! I am a gentleman dove, after all.

[holyfight]

Dove? Oh! Like one of the talking animals here!

Maybe whoever kidnaps you just wants to keep you for a pet?

[espigeonage]

Quite, quite. Though I'm no native.

Perhaps! It would appear that I am supposed to become human if certain conditions are met, but things are not entirely clear.

[holyfight]

Your world is full of talking animals?! That's so cool!

Oh! I think I know how that goes! You have to kiss a princess to become a human prince, right?

...wait, you said you were a princess. Is it the other way around, then?

[espigeonage]

You could say that. Humans are also animals!

I don't have the faintest idea. Perhaps either will work, given the general confusion here. I don't suppose I could prevail upon you, o flowery one? I promise that I am more pleasant than a frog.

[holyfight]

That's true! Maybe you're just from a world where people evolved from birds instead of mammals!

[Normally, she'd say no. But he's a bird, and that's still not the same as a human boy, right?]

Okay! If it's to help, I don't see what's wrong with it!

[espigeonage]

Well, we have humans, too. I am unused to seeing so many about! They're a bit of a minority where I'm from.

A thousand thanks! There must be a place where we two could meet.

[holyfight]

Really? I always knew there were lots of doves out there, but I didn't think there were more than humans!

[Oh man, how cool! She wonders if he's human-sized!]

We could meet in the center of town, by the fountain, right?

[espigeonage]

It's also that there just aren't that many humans! There is quite a collection, here.

Sounds like a plan! You will know me for being a large white dove with a yellow tie.

[holyfight]

Maybe when humans start dying off, the birds will take over!

Okay! I'll be there! I have long brown hair and blue hairpins!

[and she will be. She'll be sitting on the fountain whenever he gets there]

[espigeonage]

Hah, perhaps so.

[He arrives at a glide, long fanned tail shifting this way and that behind him. Yuuya's spread wings are around seven feet from tip to tip, and they flare as he comes to a landing, folding neatly along his back when he's down. On foot he's something like waist-tall, big enough that he would be difficult to pick up, small enough that it's still possible. Think condor. His voice is pleasant, with a slight inhumanly resonant quality.]

Salutations! You would be the lady to whom I spoke, before? Your loveliness surpasses my imagination. It occurs to me that I quite foolishly forgot to give out my name. I am Sakazaki Yuuya, but please, call me Yuuya!

[holyfight]

[WHOA that is the biggest dove Orihime has ever seen in her life]

You're even bigger than I imagined!

[Where are her manners? Here, have a little curtsy!]

I'm Inoue Orihime! It's a pleasure to meet you, Yuuya-san! Are you from Japan, too?

[espigeonage]

Ahaha, thank you!

[He dove-bows in return, which is a little flirtatious/playful.]

So I am, Orihime-chan, and a few other places as well. Winter was beginning to turn towards spring when I, hah, arrived here - how was the time of year for you?

[holyfight]

[;skldjfsk NO, CUTE BIRDY!]

Eh heh, you're welcome!

Oh, it was the beginning of summer for us! It feels like we just got out of winter, but now we have to go back!

[espigeonage]

[A pretty human girl is here to kiss him! :D]

That must have been a shock. I hope you've managed to procure enough warm clothing. [Being a bird and almost completely naked all the time, it's not something he worries about himself.] Certainly the people here seem friendly enough.

[holyfight]

Well, I still have my sweater, but that's really all I have right now. Maybe I should find a way to get a coat...

Oh yes, everyone here is great!

[She pats the side of the fountain beside her as she sits down]

Hop up here!

[espigeonage]

Perhaps you can prevail upon someone to give you something? It's unmannerly of whoever arranged this, not to provide us with currency.

[He does, wings unfolding for a moment. Yuuya's claws click on the stone.]

Or ideas about employment! But I'm sure something can be arranged.

[holyfight]

I can bake! I could probably get a job at the baker's shop... They have those here, right?

[espigeonage]

They must, I'm sure! I have seen bread about. Baking is a wonderful skill to have.

Myself, I am not certain. [A spy can always steal, but a smart one knows when not to - and if there really somehow is a personification of Justice about, it's better to be cautious. He fluffs up a little in chagrin.] Were it not winter I might live off the forest, perhaps. Well, I will ask around and hope no one requires an elaborate resume! I've a high school diploma, but regrettably it's still at home.

[holyfight]

I'm sure you can get something here! I can't imagine they'd want our documentation since we wouldn't have it with us anyway.

Umm...

So, how do you want me to kiss you?

[espigeonage]

Ahaha, well. I wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable, Orihime-chan. [He tilts his head in a way he knows is cute.]

As we have just met and both appear to be called princesses, perhaps you might play courtier and kiss my wing?

[He unfolds one and holds it out. The long feathers are jointed somehow, prehensile, and when held this way look like quite a large and flattened hand.]

[...clothed or not clothed urgh decisions]

[holyfight]

Oh! Well, in that case!

[Orihime bends over his wing, taking it as she would a fine lady's hand. With a flourish of her other hand, she gives the tip of his wing the lightest kiss]

It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Yuuya-hime!

[espigeonage]

Your manners-

[There is a magical girl transformation sphere rushing of ephemeral white feathers obscuring him. Yuuya's silken wingtip pulls out of Orihime's grasp -

and there where he stood sits a tall, rangy young man who looks partly white. For some reason all of his hair, and his eyes, are blue. Also, he is clothed only in gold-framed glasses and a yellow tie.

Before anything else - one foot is in the frozen fountain, the other on the cobbles, and quite clumsily human-Yuuya jerks his foot up away from the ice, trying to exclaim something despite no experience with lips or a flexible tongue.]

-aaah, 'a's coad!