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

[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!

Aww man, I wish I had all my icons right now!

[holyfight]

Eeek--!

[Naked man! Naked man! Orihime's too busy covering her eyes to tell him that it's winter, so the cobblestones are cold. In fact, she's so shocked that she falls right over]

I didn't expect it to actually work!

[espigeonage]

[Goosebumped and shivering, Yuuya laughs. It's a full-throated sound, not like his little social bird-laughs, and he's surprised to hear it.

A random NPC bustles over to put a hooded cloak on him, half scandalized and half amused by the "Dove Princess"'s lack of modesty, and departs. Yuuya draws it around himself and touches his fingers to his lips and face in wonder. When he speaks he's more careful to try and shape the words, but he's not that good at it.]

Waow... wow. Hah. Yeah. Youu know, hiss... kiss can mean twoo things, too birds.

[holyfight]

[Oh hay, he's clothed again! Awesome!]

What? It does?

What do you mean?