The Harpy's Song

Chapter 2

Having worked for the Lord Commander for years, Avocato could understand this was a secret gathering location. Somewhere where the Lord Commander could gamble, bet on items (creatures most likely), host parties and perhaps make ties with other powerful figures.
Scowling, Avocato glared at the cracks on a wall where the Lord Commander most likely had a tantrum, he remembered the time he first found illegal trades happening right beneath his snout. He remembered the times he found out the Lord Commander was one to stoop as low as selling lives of infants, children from extinct races or races that were considered expensive in general due to stereotypes that spoke of their bodies.

"Hm?" Avocato's eyes happened to land on a glitching tablet, its screen broken on an edge indicating it had been thrown at the wall.
Walking towards the corner of the room, near where a balcony was (most likely where drinks were made and served), Avocato took another glance at the harpy, who was-

Was he eating bugs?

"I don't even want to know" he muttered to himself, shaking his head as he reached down and brought the screen closer to see... it was a profile of the harpy.
Another glance towards the nude half bird, Avocato began reading the contents, squinting with focus everytime the screen flickered.

"Gary" he read the words aloud and a high pitched chirp was heard in response.
Looking up, Avocato noticed that the harpy (Gary?) Was tilting his head from side to side, eyes set on Avocato.

"That's your name?" Avocato asked, reading the contents once again, there wasn't really much except for name, race and age "Gary Goodspeed?" He looked back up, catching just as Gary, the harpy, jumped from atop the sofa towards Avocato, landing in a crouched position as he crawled closer, head tilting curiously.
Once close enough, Gary slowly stood- standing a tad bit too close to Avocato but the ventraxian remained silent, allowing the crea- Gary to sniff him, and stare him down.

Avocato felt himself tense when the harpy leaned closer towards the crook of his neck, he stood rigid and uncomfortably as he felt the hot breath against the uncovered section of his neck.
The neck is a vulnerable spot, a weak spot to kill someone easily. Ventraxians usually wear something that covers it, whenever it's fabric like scarves or turtle necks, or in Avocato's case an armour...
Despite the uncomfortable vulnerability it brought upon his instincts, despite the part of the back of his mind that told him to claw the half chicken man by the neck and warn to never come closer again... Avocato remained still, controlling his breath and nerves as a random shiver ran down his spine.

A sudden huff had made Avocato realize he had his eyes shut tightly. He opened his eyes to see Gary huffing with displeasure, nose scrunched adorably before he simply walked away.

Avocato blinked, hand coming to the part Gary had sniffed. Was Gary perhaps interested in the metal but realized it wasn't shiny again? Or did Avocato just smell?
Removing his hand from the nape of his neck, Avocato was looking down at some blood that wasn't his.

Oh...

Avocato looked at Gary who was trilling as he played with a wrist pad that still had a flashlight on.

"Gary" he called and the harpy perked, ears fluttering as he carried a clueless expression (as usual- Avocato was certain that there wasn't a thought behind those eyes).
Avocato didn't say anything else, unsure as to why he called the ha- Gary in the first place. He looked down at the pad in his hands then the cage, realising that Lord Commander might have been showing Gary off to the guests and if Gary was a creature he took pride in (the more others wanted it, the better the quality in his eyes) then Lord Commander might have either tried to sell him off for something just as- if not- more valuable...

"Or he got angry when someone attempted to bribe into his most precious prize" he glanced at the cracks on the walls and dried blood.

A small clueless coo was heard and Avocato turned his attention back to Gary, seeing the other stood on the table now, body straight for once.
Avocato smiled, forcing his eyes to not wander upon the rare frame. Gary usually was hunched, since the moment they met, most likely due to the very tiny cage...
It was nice to see him like this.

"Wait a moment" Avocato hummed and turned, searching the room for-
Another tweet and a sudden sound of flapping wings. Swivelling around, Avocato's eyes widened as he saw, for the first time, a real life harpy flying.

Gary was flying towards the cage, large wings fluttering almost in slow motion despite the lack of wind. He looked beautiful but- oh so sloppy. Avocato couldn't help but frown with worry, realisation setting in that the bird man was not healthy enough to fly.

Part of him, was worried that Gary would suddenly fall but the other part of him knew this wasn't any of his buissness. The only reason he had freed Gary was due to his own curiosity and because no animal should be in such enclosed space...

"This will do" Avocato nodded as he took out some table cloths in hidden drawers before looking up to see Gary vandalising- well... trying to vandalised the cage.
The harpy bit on the metal, teeth clanking before he scowled and kicked the thing a few times before returning to biting it from another angle. Avocato chuckled-

"Gary" he called once again "come here for a moment"

Gary turned his attention at his name being called, his feathers rustling before he jumped off the cage and his wings spread beautiful to slow his fall.
Landing just in front of Avocato, on the back of the sofa, Gary once again crouched down.

"Here" Avocato winced at the sight of literally full on dick in his face but decided to ignore it. Gary was a wild animal- well half...Gary was a wild species, its natural for him.

Softly, Avocato reached his hand towards Gary and the naive bird man simply chirped curiously, placing his hand on Avocato's.
Avocato smiled, leading Gary down the sofa as he let a few clicks from the back of his throat and tilted his head again and again.

"There" Avocato nodded once Gary was on the ground, he fixed his posture to be less hunched before holding the cream colored fabric up "I'm going to put these on you" he explained but the harpy only cooed, clearly not understanding.
Sighing, Avocato simply got closer and began to work, movements slow and light in order not to startle the other.

Gary blinked, watching as the clothes were wrapped around his body. He let out a few curious noises before itching at his arms and his wings stretching, flapping uncomfortably, he whined.

"It's ok" Avocato reassured "you'll grow used to these eventually" he nodded as he tied some rope around his waist just to hold everything together.

"See? All done" Avocato gestured to Gary's  new attire. Now he certainly looked like those angels that humans spoke often about.

"Ooooo" Gary's tiny voice left and Avocato was caught in surprise. Sure, Gary made noise but that was usually noises that didn't require vocal cords. Just small whistles and clicking sounds...
This meant Gary could learn to talk. To communicate with him.

"Gary" Avocato tried and the harpy that had been playing with the fabric around him looked up again "Avocato" the ventraxian pointed to himself.

Gary only tilted his head.

Sighing, Avocato felt himself deflate. It's ok if Gary can't say his name yet... Right now is not the time for a speaking lesson anyway.