Those talons finally punctured fabric, the feathered creature standing in agitation.
“Are you ignorant or just plain stupid, human? What is it that you do not understand about I kill your fellow beings for a food source? You could be next; your friends could be next. Why do you not try to stop me? Why do you even try to be nice and civil and kind and—and—”
“Because I think that you deserve some,” she interrupted, causing him to pause on an intake of breath and simply look at her.
“You could’ve taken me out at any point. You could have tortured me to get the information you wanted; you could have hurt those who were close to me just for fun, but you didn’t. How else can I respond but with some kindness?” She stood to meet him, standing before him, the closest she had been voluntarily, “I meant what I said; that I would like to be friends. I would like to know more about you… I think about you constantly, you’re unlike anything I have ever seen. But I understand that I am just a nobody to you. You’re not the bad guy here, at least, I don’t think you are.”
A hand came up between them, signaling for her to pause as the feathered being stepped back, looking away and amidst his thoughts.
He continued to step back, “I do not get it. I just. Do not. Understand.” Suddenly, his head perked up to meet her eyes. He flew back up to her, grasping her arms, “Humans fear me, they hate me, no one makes it out alive when they meet me. You know your fate. So, fear me! Hate me!”
He slightly shook her, as if that would make her think like all the other humans he met.
“I can’t! I can’t, I’m sorry… Sometimes I think I’m nothing but afraid, but then my curiosity takes over and I want to know why you’re here, what I should call you, where did you come from? I want to try to know, at least try to understand who you are.” Avie placed her hands over top of his forearms in their hold, a bold move.
She continued, “Why did you come back, then? If you don’t want anything to do with me, why come back and bother talking with me? Why even entertain that? Why? Please, tell me why!”
Her words were getting somewhere with him. She saw him take them in, think them over, question his own motives. Maybe he really was lonely to try to continue any communications with a human.
The being spoke through gritted teeth, “… Because you make me curious too.”
It was a breakthrough; an incredible moment Avie didn’t think she would get to see—an admission to something. This odd back and forth that they had which made no sense to her, finally broke through the fog, just the smallest amount, in order to understand the existence before her.
A knock on the door startled them both, turning towards the sound. He let her go, holding his own fists tightly. She looked back at his form, eyeing him intensely, a mix of desperate zeal and disappointment in the interruption reflecting back at her. The redhead couldn’t imagine how he interpreted the look.
“I don’t want to answer it, I don’t want you to leave yet.”
The pounding continued.
“Avie! Open the door!” Owen’s muffled voice came through the wood.
“... I cannot stay.”
She spoke in a rushed whisper, “Will you come back? Will you come back again?”
He looked at her, his gaze narrowed. Avie wondered how she sounded to him, asking him to come back, practically pleading to see him another time.
“I have a lot to think about first.” In the brush of his wings, the giant was gone into the night again.
The harsh wracks against the door continued, causing her to curse, stomping over to throw open the wood on its hinges.
“Thank god, I was about to start kicking. I think I found something—a photo from a while back, it’s hard to make out but hear me out on this one.”
Owen made his way into the flat, pulling out the picture to show off with pride.
CHAPTER 8
He could see her residence from the tree line.
Perched in a tree, snow fell from a higher up branch, landing on his shoulders as he surveyed into the town. He groaned, disturbed at the sudden cold before shaking off the offending flakes with a roll of his wing. Her lights were off, but a soft glow still came from the abode, much the same as the last time he had been there.
Under the guise of night, he moved, swooping down and travelling the short distance to the window by her fire escape. His talons curled under the pane, surprised when yet again it slid easily up and open for him. This human must be daft.
A few days passed since their last contact, he stood the same as he did before, however, she was not there. He almost felt... disappointed?
No that couldn’t be, perhaps it was more akin to him wasting his time when she couldn’t even be in to greet him. He paced back and forth, pondering if he should even bother to come back at a later time, the aftermath of their last meeting floating to the surface.
He entered his home, the scent of damp wood and pine once again welcoming him back as he walked through the threshold. Talons at his side clasped and released while pacing the living room over the interaction with the human.
This person wanted to see him again. She thought he was good despite what he did to her race. Gave kindness when he hadn’t even tried to reciprocate. But the few times he’s met with her, he did want to go back.
There was something strange in what she said, about vibrations in her body. He wouldn’t mind learning a little about that, it may help him with his meals in the future, right?
