Recommended Song: Follow Me Down (feat. Neon Hitch,) By: 3OH!3
(Alex's POV) Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina. Next Day, 6:30 am.
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'Mmmm....What.is.that.smell? If that's bacon I'm smelling right now I must be dead.' Breathing in heavily I confirm that it is indeed bacon I'm smelling... Wait, why am I smelling bacon? Also, why am I laying in a bed!? Snapping my eyes open I jerk myself up only to hit a ceiling;
"Oww!!" I hold my now throbbing forehead with my hands while trying to rub out some of the pain. Once it subsides I look around to find myself laying under the comfy covers of the top of a bunk bed. 'What...? Ah, that's right.' Recalling what happened yesterday I calm my beating heart down and push the covers off of myself. Carefully maneuvering myself down the latter while keeping my wings close to my body I check to make sure Celia and Maisy are here.
With Celia laying on her side and breathing evenly I confirm that she's fine. Same with Maisy except she's bunched up all of her covers to make a type of cocoon around herself. I smile a bit and ruffle her already gnarly hair. I stretch out my arms above my head before going into the bathroom to freshen up.
After showering, brushing and drying my hair and teeth and putting on a fresh pair of sweats and a long sleeve sweater I quietly open my door and make my way past the vanilla couches and to the kitchen.
'Dear everything holy I was right!' Spotting crow boy- er, I mean, "Kay" near the oven I can see him making breakfast; Eggs, Bacon, French Toast, Toasted and Buttered Toast, Hash Browns, Pancakes... You know, I think I can die happy now.
I grab a D.R chair and watch him work the kitchen. 'He may be a good cook. Hell he could be the best cook in the world. It still doesn't make me trust him completely.' Getting lost in my thought I didn't see Kay coming up to crouch below me. I jump back in surprise, causing me to hit my back painfully against the D.R table; "OUCH!"
'Again!? Really?!' I steady myself and rub just above my but where I hit myself. I glare at Kay as I stand up, "What!?" He stands up to and gets way too close for my liking; "Oy Oy Oy! Back off bub, too close!" He doesn't listen and instead follows my retreating form until I hit the table again.
My face flames when he brings his hand and pushes on my cheeks, and before I know it my eyes close and my mouth opens without my consent. Something hot and delicious is pushed into my mouth, making my eyes fly open as his hand releases my cheeks. I chew the crunchy goodness as my face still flames on.
I brig my hand up to my mouth and glare at this cocky crow. It doesn't help my flustered state at all when he looks at me with a good natured smile. I got to punch him hard in the chest, but before it reaches him he catches it easily. I click my tongue in annoyance. Shaking off his hold on me I sit back down on the chair, no longer watching him cook.
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*~Chaos' POV~
Alex sits back down and begins to ignore me now. 'Perhaps that was a bit too far.' I go back to the stove and turn it off while placing the last of the bacon on top of a plate with paper towels filled with bacon between them. Grabbing a piece myself I catch Alex's attention, pointing over to the girls door as a means to let her know to wake them up.
It takes her a second before she realizes what I mean, and she most certainly doesn't appreciate me telling her what to do. She still does it so I don't mind the attitude she gives while doing it. It only takes three minutes for them to rush out of their rooms once they smelled the tempting aroma of breakfast.
Everyone grabs a plate and piles it full of everything before grabbing a seat at the table. I just snack on a bit of everything while watching them like I did last night. I look down at my watch; 6:52... 'Bout time we should head out,' I sigh a bit after thinking this which causes the others to look at me curiously.
I wave their gazes off, grab a few more pieces of bacon and walk over to my room and head in. I head to the dress or and get out a new flight suit, easily slipping on the bottoms I put the black top over my head and slide it on. I designed these suits specifically for us winged beings; two slits with zippers run up the back of it, so all you have to do is zip it up once it's on and down when you want it off.
To make sure the zipper stays pressed up smoothly against where the wings meet your back a device keeps it from moving or catching on your down feathers when on. The only problem with this is getting it to zip up, since it's on your back it takes practice to do it yourself.
Zipping up the two zippers and pulling on the long sleeves I go back to the opened dresser and grab five similar looking flight tops and bottoms. Before going back out with the the suits I slip on some sweat pants.
Walking out with the shirts on one arm and the pants on the other I find the five are done eating and cleaning up. I put the suits on the couch and watch as they converse as they work. With five of them it doesn't take them long to finish and head over to the couches by me.
Grabbing the suits up I go to each of them and hand them a pair specifically suited to ones height and build, though not completely since I have to tailor them once we arrive home... Taking the two articles of clothing they ask what it is exactly; "They're flight suits, as I call them, and they're modified to keep body warmth in and cold air out. They're also very light, as you can see, and very flexible."
Dax grips the shirt at each end and stretches his arms out, making the shirt stretch far with ought breaking and retain its shape once slackened on. They go to each of their rooms to put them on, coming back with sweatpants over the flight pants. I motion for Celia to come over, causing her to jump in surprise a bit and point to herself.
I smile and nod my head. She hesitates a bit before shuffling over to stand before my. I grab her shoulders and spin her around, which causes her to tense up immediately. Slowly running my hand across one of her spotted wings I try and get a feel for them. 'Smooth and hard like iron but lighter than it...'
Running my hands over the outer edges of her faint looking wings I meet where they touch her back. Flipping up the small shirt flap between her wings I study the space where wing meets back. Of course she's freaking out by now and completely embarrassed, though too scared to move away from my wandering touch. I finish up my inspection and zip up her slits, patting her shoulders to let her know that I'm done now.
"There, that should be better. So, who's next?" Celia once again hides behind Alex, trying to hide as much as herself as possible. The others look a bit uncomfortable to step up, so Nasir takes my offer up first;
"Aight, guess I'm next..." He quickly walks up to me and turns around, placing his hands across his chest in annoyance. I chuckle lowly and take a knee so that I'm level with his back. Studying his wings intently, I start at the center of his wings. Slowly feeling the protruding bone I find it very hard and very stable, more like enhanced stone than bone.
Moving up the bone I study how it connects to other bones and stays locked, sometimes feeling the soft brown pycnofibers that make up most of his wings. After inspecting the tips of his wings I zip him up and gently pat his back to send him off. Next up is Maisy, who happily turns around for me to inspect her wings.
I find her wings the most fascinating of all of them; the texture like a bats and the colors meld together to form something truly extraordinary. I hum in content at her wings, causing her to plaster on a bright smile. Before zipping her up I spot a curling bump showing around her left leg. "You know-" I tap the twirling protrusion, "I designed your pants to accommodate a tale by having a hole built into the back of it."
She gasps in surprise, "Really!? I can have my tail out?!" She jumps in joy, and before she drags Celia off to their room to help her let it out I zip up her back zippers. Dax comes up next, turning around a bit uncomfortably and waits for me to begin. I run my hands against the leathery blue material, coming up with ideas about what they had to use to get him airborne.
I don't spend too much time prodding with his wings due to his growing discomfort, zipping him up I tell him his is designed like Maisy's; With a hole in the back for a tail. He takes Nasir into their room to help him with it... "Well, just you're left." Alex, looking away from me, clicks her tongue again in annoyance. She brings her wings close to her body, comes to stand by me, turns around and quickly spreads them out to their full glory.
I chuckle at her boldness, to which she gives a sharp look over her shoulder to me. I clear my throughout and begin my prodding. I start at the very top and pinkest of feathers before working my way down and out to the longer brown feathers. Finding no abnormalities or problems with them I zip her slits up and knock on her back gently to let her know I'm done. She closes her wings sharply and struts away proudly.
Maisy comes twirling out of their room with her tail snugly protruding from her pants, no longer wearing sweat pants. Twirling over to me while giggling wildly she jumps off the ground and hugs the heck out of my neck; "Thanks you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Kay!!" Still hanging from my neck, giggling in happiness, she wraps her long tail around my waist and squeezes.
The sheer strength of her tail squeezing me makes me gasp loudly in surprise and pain. This stops her giggling and makes her look up at my strained face. Not trying to make her feel bad I laugh fast and with volume, grabbing her small hands and lowering back onto the ground. Still smiling, "Mm, no problem! No problem at all young miss, I knew you had one so it was only natural that I did it."
Still grasping my hands her smile returns in full power, and she begins to jump up and down in splendor. The pain around my waist subsides and I smile a bit more warmly instead of strained. A snicker comes from Alex as she smirks in smugness. I can feel my jaw tick, but I keep smiling at Maisy. Nasir and Dax comes out soon with Dax looking much moor relaxed, even if he didn't really show it on his face you could tell.
Letting go of Maisy's hands I pat her before making my way to each room and making sure everything's turned off and unplugged. Before checking the kitchen I grab my pack that I left laying on the little table in the middle of the couches. Turning and plugging everything off I bring over the tupperware full of leftover spaghetti and breakfast and set them inside my pack.
Zipping the pack up I un-click the buckles on the bottom of the straps, throw it over my back and buckle them back up; It's a pain to put on anything involving the back when you're like us since giant wings block its way, so I designed anything involving the back be able to slip on with ease. Walking back over to the small table I grab my mask sitting on it and fit it below my eyes. Despite it covering my nose and mouth it doesn't labor my breathing in the least. I grab my goggles and start to adjust them over my eyes; "Go get your goggles, we're leaving for Texas. If we fly non stop we should get there by 6:00 pm."
"Texas?" Alex gets a bit edgy and her body becomes a bit defensive, "Why're we going to Texas? You haven't even told us what you even want from us! Not to be rude and all but we don't actually trust you enough to blindly follow you around." Stepping in front of the others she puts her hands on her hips and puffs out her chest in rebellion.
'Doesn't trust me enough, huh...' Her face turns confused when I bring my gloved hand up to my mouth and chuckle. Her eyes enlarge in anger, but before she can rant even more I interrupt her; "That's good, not to trust others so lightly. Though it won't be necessary for now..." She crosses her hands over her chest and waits for me to explain. "We're going to meet up with my little sister in Fort Davis, Texas. I have another, larger, safe house stashed away up in the mountains."
"That still doesn't explain why-!" Before she can finish I click my fingers, which makes a loud *Snap* ring throughout the room.
"I'll explain more when we get there. For now I want you to get your goggles, put them on and follow me." Alex once again tries to complain, but before she can Maisy grabs her arm causing Alex to look down into her goggled covered eyes. Surprise covers her face as she looks around to see that the others have already put their goggles on and are ready to go.
A shot of betrayal and pain flash in her eyes before she covers it up, grabbing the last pair of goggles laid out on the couch she adjust them to her face. Roughly running a hand through my hair in discomfort I sigh softly before going over to the door and unlocking it.
Opening the door I wave for them to head in. One by one they make their way into the dark tunnel once again, and after turning off the lights and closing the door behind me I click the side of my goggles to turn on night vision. Making it to the end of the tunnel I open the two locked doors above us after turning off night vision.
The double doors open to let in the morning light and cool air of winter. With the others a few feet behind me I work and stretch my wings a few times before powerfully thrusting down off the ground, catch the edge of the door with my now gloved hands and pull myself up the rest of the way.
My boots crunch on the white snow as I stand up off the ground, and before crouching down to help the others out I stretch and beat my wings out to work out the soreness still lingering from yesterday. One by one I reach in the hole and hoist them up. After helping Nasir out I close the double doors and lock them back up tight. Scraping some snow over the closed door I point in the direction we need to go.
With my wings beating rhythmically I start to sprint through the barren trees. My momentum increases and my wings start to lift me off the snow. One powerful jump and push of my wings lifts me off the ground, which causes the surrounding snow to burst into the air with me.
I slowly incline myself and get high above the ground and catch winter air below my wings. I circle around as one by one the others take off in a similar, but sloppier manner. Heading SW atop the clouds we once again set off nonstop to Texas.
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*~Fort Davis Mountains, Texas. 6:17 pm.~
With scarcely no snow covering the dry, short grass the others and I land running atop a relatively level part of the mountain. Closing my wings tightly to my back I look around for the marker, which is a simple red handkerchief tied to the base of a Gum Bully tree.
Far away from any town, it's the perfect place to train during the winter season. Soon spotting the marker I make my way over, and much like the other safe house I dig around in the dirt and find the latch opening up to spiraling stairs this time. I wave the others into the automatically fluorescent lighted room, looking around as they file down the medal rod stairs. Once in I put in a code to close the doors above us automatically.
We make our way down the spiral stairs until about 20 feet underground. The stairs give way to a regular wood looking front door with two separated windows on the front of it. Opening a small pocket on my backpack I grab a set of keys, soon finding the right brass key and unlocking the bolt and stepping into the small tiled foyer.
Slipping off my boots I set my googles and mask on top of a wooden cupboard while placing the keys onto a key holder above it. I take the glove on my left hand, bring my pointer finger and ring finger into my mouth and give a loud whistle towards the hallway across the foyer.
Clattering comes from somewhere in front of me, followed by the sound of eight paws pounding on carpet gets louder. Looking into the short hallway Vi comes running from the left at the end as soon as Ki emerges from the right. Once in jumping distance I ready myself for the impact; they hit my chest square on and begin to lick my face heatedly.
I bring my arms below them to make sure they don't fall off. I allow them to lick a few seconds more clicking my tongue twice. Their ears twitch once and they immediately stop and straighten up, each going to one of my shoulders to perch. I turn around to the others still waiting outside the door while snapping my fingers 3 times, letting them relax and rub themselves repeatedly across the side of my face.
The look of surprise at seeing the two small foxes on my shoulders was quite pleasing to watch, but I wave the thought off and motion them in. With wings folded in they file into the small foyer and begin to take off their shoes and goggles. I can feel Vi and Ki become tense at the strangers arrival.
Once their claws come out and start to dig into my shoulders I begin to send them comforting vibes, as well as feelings of being able to trust them. Their claws retract and they relax a bit, but it'll take some time for them to really trust them. The sound of small feet slapping the ground is the only clue I get before a force slams into my back and envelopes me into a hug.
"Welcome home Kay! I missed you, how'd it go!? Did they come wi- They did!" Echo tightens her hug before letting go and peeking over my side to see the others. A blinding smile is on her face as she grabs my arm and begins to jump up and down in joy.
Something rubs up against the inside of my legs. Looking down I see Vixen rubbing against my legs and purring contentedly at my return. Echo holds her together for Vixen to jump into, which she wastes no time in doing so. Now that the excitement has passed, Echo rubs Vixens fur in expectation.
Awkward silence envelops the small space, practically stopping any chance for a conversation to happen. I smirk at the awkwardness of it all, "Well, let's take this into the living room shall we?" Everyone follows me into the short hallway that splits into two more short hallways on both sides.
Quickly turning left then right we enter the small area containing just a small kitchen, some couches, a T.V, two coffee tables, a kitchen table built to seat four and a small elevator nestled into the far left corner. Including this level, there's five in total: 1) Kitchen and Living room, 2) Bedroom and Bathrooms, 3) Music Studio, 4) Workout Room, and I'll tell all of you about the fifth level another time.
Walking into dark blue granite floored kitchen I make Vi and Ki get off my shoulders and onto the tabletop space next to the sink. Unbuckling the straps to my backpack I take it off and unzip the large pocket containing the tupperware. Before closing the door I grab a water bottle nestled between cans of fruits and a package of eggs, and also a honeycomb apple in the second to bottom drawer specifically filled with fruits.
Taking a bite out of the large juicy Apple, I make my way through the kitchen and set my pack and water onto the small birchwood coffee table. Echo comes to stand by me, Vixen still in her arms, while the others all take a spot on the couch.
Vi and Ki jump up onto the coffee table and start to wrestle, almost causing my bottle of water to fall off. Vixen doesn't join them on the table, content with watching the two mess around instead. A loud *Crunch* from me biting into my apple grabs everyone's attention.
Dax breaks the silence, "Are we gonna get a explication now?" I lock eyes with Echo, and we both have the same expression on; mild reluctance. I scratch my cheek, take one last bite of my apple, throw the core to Vi and Ki still messing around as their treat for the day, and try to find out where to start...
"Well, I suppose I should start at the beginning, shouldn't I... Let's start with The Compound." Echo frowns and draws into herself, Dax becomes agitated, Alex's face contorts in anger, Nasir doesn't make a move, Celia grabs Alex's arm and try's to hold back tears while Maisy clenches her small hands while her eyebrows draw in, in confusion.
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Hey, Tomo here. Now we'll get a bit more background info on everyone, excited aren't you?? You should be! Well, I hope you are X) Comment, vote and subscribe if you feel like it, (Crossing fingers tightly while thinking "Please feel like it Please feel like it Please feel like it!")
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TOMO. OUT!~!