--75

[earthen_hope]

It looks like all of the strange gadgets and things have gone away. That's too bad. I really liked the look of some of them! I bet it would have made following some of these signs more interesting if we could use a wind-up hair dryer with giant gears to get the job done, don't you think? And all the outfits were really snazzy too.

Speaking of gadgets--I've got that space heater, Above! I'm sorry it took me so long. I only remembered the other day, what with the zombies and everything.

Oh, and just so everyone knows, if you see me calling myself Cara it's because of Lix. He's from the same place as me! But he hears my name as a chocobo's kweh, so I'm going to sign my entries with my other name so he can tell it's me.

It's almost a new year. I wonder what this one will be like?

- Cara

Comments

[azhdarchidae.livejournal.com]

Oh, cool!

I'm not in the barn anymore.

[feathered-earth.livejournal.com]

You're not? Where should I bring it to, then?

[azhdarchidae.livejournal.com]

It's [pause]

I don't want just anyone to know. How about you come to the base of the tree? Bring a rope.

ql?

[feathered-earth.livejournal.com]

Sure thing! I'll be there in two shakes of a lamb's tail.

Quicklog

[azhdarchidae.livejournal.com]

If that means "pretty soon", I'm there.

[And she is. Above crouches, awkwardly bipedal, on a great root of the tree within sight of the elevator. She's using the tip of her gigantic beak to break up the clumps of falling snowflakes landing on her. It's fairly cold out, though not remarkably so. Her wing membranes are bloodlessly pale but for the purple blotching that had formed around various old injuries.]

Quicklog

[feathered-earth.livejournal.com]

[Krile arrives bundled up with a rope looped over one arm and carrying the space heater. It's still chilly enough that she wants a scarf, mittens, and earmuffs.

She recognizes Above, having seen her in the air more than once and waves.]

Hello! I'm Krile.

[It's hard for her to tell if Above is cold or not, since she's not sure how she normally looks--is that coloring healthy or not?]

So where do we have to go?

Re: Quicklog

[azhdarchidae.livejournal.com]

[They also met, handwaved, that one time when Krile hit a button in the elevator for her. Also: awww, cute icon. :3]

[Above flares a wing-finger, then shifts to all fours and clambers down the root and towards the girl.]

Hi.

[Above was just going to have the rope tied to the space heater, but Krile is small, and during the zombie invasion the pterosaur had caught various people. Yeah. Why not?]

First, to the edge. You know about how if you go too far down, you're back up high again?

Quicklog

[feathered-earth.livejournal.com]

[Oh yeah! Forgot about that.]

Yeah, everything just goes in a loop. Is that how you get to this place?

[She heads to the edge of the Access Point. Is Above going to fly her there?]

Re: Quicklog

[azhdarchidae.livejournal.com]

It's the easiest way. If it wasn't too cold for thermals - well, it would still be the easiest way.

[At the edge, she cranes her neck to look at Krile through one red eye, bright with sudden mischief.]

Think you can trust me?

Re: Quicklog

[feathered-earth.livejournal.com]

[Krile nods at that. She gained some experience with thermals while she was a wind drake, but that was more "suddenly running into one and smacking into leaves" instead of "knowing how to properly make use of them."]

I guess that makes sense. [She grins--as hard as it is to discern the mood on Above's face, she recognizes the glint in her eye.] Is there any reason for me not to?

Re: Quicklog

[azhdarchidae.livejournal.com]

All right then. You don't want to be on my back. My shoulderblades are implements of torture.

[So someone had said the other week ago; Above was rather enamored of that phrasing, and said it with a little more pleasure than was strictly necessary.]

The best way is to make the rope into a kind of sling, like for a swingset, at the base of my neck. I don't mind.

[She's already "crouching", bending her forelegs to get that neck closer to the ground.]

Re: Quicklog

[feathered-earth.livejournal.com]

Implements of torture? They don't look that bad to me.

[There's a teasing tone, though. She starts fashioning the rope into a sling, and she's surprisingly good at it--having once had a pirate friend can be beneficial in unexpected ways.

She carefully loops it over Above's neck and settles it at the base like she says, stepping into it.]

Okay! That should work, I think.

Re: Quicklog

[azhdarchidae.livejournal.com]

They really don't, but my coat's not thick enough to save people from them. Get that thing secured, too.

[She means the heater. Above maneuvers her neck so it's along Krile's body. She sounds like she's grinning.]

Throw your arms around my neck. Pretend you like me! And make sure you hold on. You fall out of the rope, and I have to catch you with my beak.

[She illustrates this by snapping it. The sound is enhanced by a "recording" that telepathically "sounds" very crocodilian. Under the voluminous notfur coat, her neck is relatively thin.]

Re: Quicklog

[feathered-earth.livejournal.com]

[Krile manages to secure the space heater somehow and hugs Above's neck, laughing at that remark and the clacking noise.]

I'm sure you're very clean, but I'd rather ride on the outside.

[She adjusts herself a little to make sure she won't fall.]

So should I look up at you adoringly or just wear a silly grin on my face?

Re: Quicklog

[azhdarchidae.livejournal.com]

I can't see either way, so go wild. Just don't stick out your tongue. I don't want spit in my coat.

[She stands straight, Krile along the underside of her neck like it's a branch. This feels awkward and she's got to keep her neck rigid, but Krile's lighter than Above thought, and it's not too bad. She takes the couple steps necessary to get to the very edge, and "crouches" again.]

I hope you're ready!

[She goes over the edge. Whatever the effect is that makes things fall slowly, it seems to switch off for flyers. With the passenger she is very top heavy, and she dives, using her wings just enough to keep it a dive and not, say, an uncontrolled tumble.]

[Flying is always, always bliss, though somewhat less so when zombies are involved. She will never be tired of it. Above's bill opens and a gleeful cry erupts from it.]

Re: Quicklog

[feathered-earth.livejournal.com]

[Krile tries not to hold on too tightly for fear of hurting Above. But she's not at all afraid--she shouts a laugh as the pterosaur simply drops off the edge, beaming widely as everything goes rushing past in a blur.

The smile somehow widens at Above's own shout. Despite being upside-down and very cold, Krile can't help but enjoy any kind of flight, and this is no exception.]

Re: Quicklog

[azhdarchidae.livejournal.com]

[Access Point is, if not the lowest island, then close. It's not that long before they half-fall, half-fly into thick fog, which seems to become too thick to see one's own body before clearing.]

[Only now the view is of the branches they are amongst. Above's wings flare out, making her slow. She wobbles a little, compensating for the passenger, and since she has to concentrate she's silent now. Even so, flight is flight, and euphoria radiates out into the minds of anyone close and not guarding against it.]

[Above navigates over and through the Housing Section, eventually reaching a certain thick branch, relatively low on the Tree; it reaches up and supports a fair section of Housing, but here there is no sign of civilization. She banks, flicks out her pteroids, and comes in at the bark, slowing as much as she dares.]

Hang on. This will be a jolt.

[Well, that's one way to put it. She hits the immensely magnified bark, which is at an angle like a steep slope, with a serious lurch, clinging to the rough and convoluted surface with hands and feet. Then it's a short and cautious stretch up, and what looked like a knothole resolves into a dark, cavernous hole that's easily big enough for Above to walk into.]

As near as I can figure, it belonged to woodpeckers. There were some giant feathers and a lot of wood shavings, but no eggshells or sticks or anything.

[The hole is a short horizontal tunnel, leading to a very dark chamber which is taller than wide or long. It's kind of musty; with her nearly useless sense of smell, Above can't tell.]

Re: Quicklog

[feathered-earth.livejournal.com]

[Krile shuts her eyes when they hit the fog. Even though she flew down into it herself when she was a dragon, the experience is still rather disorienting. She opens them again when Above halts her dive and looks down at a lot of branches. It isn't a part of the Tree that she recognizes right off the bat until she sees the houses.

She feels a little dizzy when that sense of joy hits her. It's--odd. Of course, Above is telepathic, but Krile still wasn't expecting the rush of actual emotion to extend out too, so she doesn't say anything as she holds on a little tighter.]

Woodpeckers? I guess it's a good thing I got a wind-up one, then. They probably don't have plugs in their nests.

[She lets go carefully and looks around as she unties the space heater. It does look like a handy little nest for something Above's size, Krile thinks as she follows her in.]

Gosh, this looks like a really lucky find.

Re: Quicklog

[azhdarchidae.livejournal.com]

You'd need a nightmare of extension cord, that's for sure.

[There's a big heap of blankets on one side which probably took a lot of trips to move, and nothairs as thick as fine human hair are sprinkled about, even caught on the chiseled walls. It's somewhat warmer here, out of the wind, so breath doesn't condense.]

I've seen a couple more, but they had spiderwebs across the entrance, and this one's facing east, so when the sun rises there's more light.

Re: Quicklog

[feathered-earth.livejournal.com]

No kidding.

[Krile looks around the nest with interest. It looks like Above has made this into a nice little home for herself, but despite the fact that it's shelter, it could definitely stand to be a bit warmer.

She starts cranking up the space heater, but pauses.]

--Will you be able to work the crank? I got one without plugs because I didn't think the barn had them either, but--

[She figured it would be okay because Above has the dexterity to write, but still.]

Re: Quicklog

[azhdarchidae.livejournal.com]

Um... Well, one way to find out.

[Her fingers (http://joysweeper.deviantart.com/art/Another-Quetz-Pic-189517634) are thick, padded, and clawed, and the lowermost surfaces are covered in small, rough-textured scales. Her best fine grip is actually between thumb and "middle finger", and she can't raise her arm very far in this direction. With everything, it doesn't quite look like she can get it.]

...'S what I get for living in a human world. Fine.

[She just uses the tip of her beak. The sharp edges have been worn down by the various other situations she's been in and had to use it.]

Re: Quicklog

[feathered-earth.livejournal.com]

[Krile's about to apologize when Above works out how to use it with her beak. Which was, admittedly, not an approach Krile had thought of.]

Well as long as you can make it go one way or another! The fellow I got it from said it should keep warm for a few hours, so it should be good for the night. I think. I don't know how much sleep you need.

Re: Quicklog

[azhdarchidae.livejournal.com]

I sleep whenever it's dark. Like a bird, I guess. You don't want to fly when you can't see.

[She says this absently while looking the thing over, craning her neck to see it from various angles. After a bit she seems to remember that she's not alone.]

So, thanks, I guess.