For Science ... [Rain & Arma]

[Armageddon]

The air was difficult to breath. Foreboding and anxiety hung like fog, invisible and horribly persistent in tightening up Avar's chest. The two burly men in body armor and black-visor helmets walked alongside him, tranquilizer rifles held steady in each man's arms, their boots tapping heavily against the hard ground with each long stride. The unease penetrated their armor easily and caused their own hearts to beat a little faster. But neither of them could beat the speed the shorter man between them had his heart racing at.


He could feel it pounding against his rib-cage, and anyone watching his chest could probably even see it beating fast. He felt very vulnerable, stuck in the middle of two heavily protected men, with nothing but his long white lab coat, maroon button-up, and jeans - and a clipboard. It held a checklist for the subject's physical examination - No, wait, not 'the subject', he reminded himself. The rest of the staff called him 'the subject', and it was starting to get to Avar. He hated looking at living things like objects, no matter physical appearance. His thoughts were jumping everywhere, far too fast, and one hand came up to run through his hair nervously, a habit of his that he was desperately trying to shake off, but just couldn't resist sometimes.


The sealed metal door was coming closer, closer. His expression was having trouble remaining cool as they approached it. This was his first time meeting face-to-face with the so-called 'creature' that he would be examining daily, so he had every right to be anxious. His hands gripped the clipboard more tightly. As the trio stopped in front of the multi-layered metal door, his chest expanded with a deep breath and released with an exhale. He could do this.


One of the guards next to him strode up to a speaker next to the door, pressing a small blue light beside it and speaking in a slightly muffled, gruff tone, "Zulu, Tango, Charlie, Delta, Whiskey, X-Ray, Sierra, Tango, Victor, Oscar, Lima." The higher staff were on the other end of the speaker to confirm the short code, and release the locks on the doors for not one of the guards to enter - but for Avar, and Avar alone to enter. The many releases and switches within the thick steel vault door began to click and whir. Avar composed himself, his expression relaxing as calm as it could go. He hugged the clipboard to his chest.


Be prepared for anything, his thoughts whispered. Harpies could look like anything. Be ready for the worst.


The final latches within the door slid open. He nodded very lightly, a silent, personal confirmation to his actions.


The door began a steady ascent, and in streamed sunlight and fresh, cool air. He squinted at the sudden change from the gloomy shades of artificial light to the brighter, natural light of outside. Though it was actually a welcoming sight to behold, the guns in the arms of the guards rose to their shoulders and pointed towards it, readying in case of a surprise attack from the harpy.


The door stopped with a crank of machinery and waited for Avar to walk through. He shook his head to himself. What have I gotten myself into, his thoughts said, defeated. With a quiet sigh, he stepped forward, passing through the doorway and finding himself stepping onto fresh, vibrantly green grass.


He had to shield his eyes for a moment as he looked up and around, allowing his sight to adjust to the change in brightness before focusing in on the nature around him. Seeing the trees, all healthy and standing tall, coupled with the forget-me-not blue sky carrying lazy clouds across it, actually relaxed him a little, let his shoulders loosen a tad and one corner of his mouth pull up into a faint half grin. The balance of warmth from the sun and the breeze created a perfect temperature. He was snapped back to the grim reality, though, when he heard the door make it's mechanical crank again and slide shut, it's multiple locks clicking and turning away.


He glanced back at the metal door, and then quickly back to his surroundings, swallowing. Did he have to find the harpy? He found himself a little lost on how to get the harpy to his spot, and so feeling a little silly as he did it, he called out towards the trees, "Mr. Harpy? Could I convince you to come down here for me?" He didn't want to call the harpy 'subject', so he went with the second best thing he could find. He couldn't see anything in the trees, mostly because the leaves were so dense, but he half hoped and half dreaded that the harpy was close enough to hear him.


He found himself rolling the sleeves of his lab coat up to his elbows. You can do this.

 

[smolfluffball]

Helix had been minding his own business when a man walked into his cage. He rolled his eyes as the man shielded his eyes and averted his gaze from the figure when the scientist looked back at the door that seemed to be the only way out of the glass wall. He heard the man call for him and scoffed quietly. Mr. Harpy. Why would anyone answer to that? He let out a small sigh and looked back at the man. He was like the former scientist already. Being nice and not calling him a 'subject' or 'experiment'. At least, not right now. He knew the facade would drop and the scientist would be calling him fouler words in a few days.


He looked back at the paper he had been writing on. He wrote in his language, so that if any humans saw his paper they wouldn't understand what it said. It didn't say anything important; it was just a story. He still wanted to keep it private, though, and he didn't know how to write in English. He bit the end of his pen and felt the wind blow through the leaves of the tree he was calling home. He hated this tree. It wasn't as large as he would have liked it to be, and if you stood in the right spot on the ground he knew you would be able to see the tips of his wings. The wind had caused his hair to fall out of place and he flicked it back into place with his finger.


He wrote a sentence on his paper but crossed it out with his pen. This wasn't working. He couldn't write anything good today. He glanced at the scientist again. He looked different then the past scientists. He seemed more... Kind. He doubted the man was kind though. Helix looked away from the scientist again and leaned back against the tree. If that scientist wanted him to come down, he would have to find him.

 

[Armageddon]

Avar, despite his efforts to call to the harpy, gained no response, not even a tiny physical reaction to show the harpy even noticed his voice. He waited for a full minute, straining his ears for any sign of noise and squinting into the trees for any sign of movement, but to no avail. His expression dropped into a slightly defeated, almost tired-looking face as he did a deep sigh, the nervous anticipation loosening slightly in his stomach. So much for the grand reveal, he thought with light bitterness. He refused to request entry back into the facility without the physical exam filled out, so it seemed that he was in for a search for this mysterious creature.


He wasn't all too thrilled for two reasons - one, he wasn't a fan of playing along with someone else's humiliating game. Two, he was, admittedly, afraid of being so ... in the open. The harpy could attack and he wouldn't even realize it until he was tearing Avar's throat out.


Oh, quit being such a pansy and just go.


With a slight shudder caused by a fresh wave of anxiety, he started forward, towards the biggest tree of the lot. His eyes scanned the dense leaves and packed branches. Even with his contacts, he couldn't see very well, and it wasn't the most opportune moment to have that issue. His clipboard was now being held a little away from his chest, his arms as relaxed as possible. He started to move underneath the tree, in the shade of it's rustling green canopy. The nature was so pure, it almost felt like he wasn't inside of a giant bulletproof-glass dome. Almost. His eyes narrowed and his expression grew less tired as his gaze flickered to and fro into the branches.


There came a point where he suddenly stopped in his tracks. He saw something. Back-pedaling a step or two, he tried to search for the abnormality again, and after several seconds of intense staring, saw it. There was a color that didn't fit with the greenery of the tree's leaves. It was more red, and some black, sticking from below a branch. The two points of color weren't small enough to be the tail feathers of normal-sized birds.


It clicked, and he suddenly felt stupid for standing there contemplating when it was obvious. With a deep breath and a return of his calm composure, he called up to the direction of the feathers, "I'd really appreciate if you came down here, friend." The 'friend' he tacked on at the end was normal for him to say, to strangers especially. It was like saying a much less formal 'sir' or 'ma'am' - meant to be positive a good majority of the time. His tone was moderately collected, and as polite as he could make such a request. He felt his feet taking a step or two back on instinct, hoping the harpy would take the request nicely.

 

[smolfluffball]

Helix watched the scientist curiously from the corner of his eye. He smirked, amused, at the mans searching. He noticed the small change in the grip the man had on his clipboard and clicked his tongue quietly. His expression also looked less weary and he frowned. Turning his attention back to his writing for a moment, Helix scribbled a single word--the only word he knew in English-- down on the paper. He then folded the paper so the English word was face up and contemplated throwing it down to the man.


He sighed after a moments consideration and tossed the paper aside, knowing it would never be found. He watched as it fell from the tree and looked towards the sky when he heard a birds caw. He pressed his lips together and looked at his empty clipboard. That bird was free. It could fly wherever it wanted. Why couldn't he do that?


Oh yeah, he had been captured. He was in a cage. Because of the humans. The very same creatures he was interested in.


He looked back at the scientist and felt a sudden impulse to go down and attack him. He then shook his head to clear the thought and sighed deeply. He wasn't normally this angry. He was quite docile when he was with his colony. Sure, he may be quick-tempered, but that didn't mean he was always bitter and hostile. He watched the human for a few seconds then realized the human had called him a "friend". He scowled. He would never be friends with any of these scientists. All they wanted to do was poke at him and watch him. He hated being watched.


Why should he even go down there? There was no real reason for him to. He was curious though. He hated that he was curious. He still wanted to learn about the humans, even though they had done nothing but belittle him and keep him from his family and friends. He noticed the scientist taking a few steps back and smirked. He was scared.


He slid off the branch he had been sitting on and dodged the branches going down the tree. He flapped his wings before he hit the ground and looked at the human again. He hovered in the air for a moment then flew towards the scientist, coming to a stop just a few inches in front of him. He stood in front of the scientist and looked him over. He was shorter then the former human, and he was thinner. "You should be scared." He said simply, the lyrical waver in his voice barely noticeable. He turned away from the human and lifted into the air again, flying towards a different tree. "Just leave me alone." He said, looking back at the human. He frowned and flew towards one of the middle branches of the tree, coming to rest on a branch quickly.


He cast a look back down at the scientist. He didn't know what he was hoping to accomplish with that first meeting, but if he was being honest he didn't want the poor guy to be scared of him. He wasn't that scary of a person, in his opinion.

 

[Armageddon]

The silence lasted an uncomfortably long time. He watched the feathers carefully, his expression tenser than before waiting for the harpy's reaction. But no matter how much he thought he could prepare himself, it wouldn't be enough to not startle him when the harpy suddenly dropped down the tree. He artfully dodged the branches on his fast way down, and before he could impact with the ground, his powerful wings flared outwards and beat in the air, blowing Avar's hair back and forcing him to step back, despite wanting to stand his ground. Avar's eyes had widened, bright now, caution flaring in them.


The harpy landed not several inches from him, and stood tall, staring at Avar with brilliantly colored irises of blue and green. His eyes held amusement, with something else fighting to break through beneath it, and his stance - more looming over Avar than simply confronting him, due to being a good bit taller - was more than likely meant to intimidate the therapist. And though it was working to an extent, Avar composed himself and blinked, his expression becoming placid again. He refused to let his caution show on his face. Though the harpy was half human, the animal part of him wouldn't simply disappear because of it, and he didn't want to let that part of the harpy win this.


Despite the display of aggression, the harpy was indeed a beautiful creature, much more majestic than Avar had expected. His feathers flowed so seamlessly with each other, the colors shaded perfectly to work when put together by nothing but his genetic makeup. The tail was as flexible as a cats tail, waving sinuously behind him. The human torso that flowed into the birds half seemed so natural. The wings, though folded, looked silky and well-maintained. He was muscular and fit, and the gray pallor of his skin made him look statuesque, in a sense. The silver hair added to the impression. Avar managed a cool face as he stared straight back into the eyes of the handsome creature who could attack him at any moment and murder him with little effort - not a very comforting thought, but Avar had worked with animals before. It was the same case for many of them.


The harpy contemplated for a minute, scrutinizing Avar. He then said something that sent a light chill down Avar's spine, "You should be scared." Avar found his head tilting just slightly to the side, keeping their gazes locked. The harpy was silent for a moment before turning his back to Avar and saying, "Just leave me alone." The frown that grew on his lips was just slightly indignant as he opened his wings (which turned out to be just as seamlessly connected near to his shoulder blades that Avar was in awe for a moment) and lifted off with short pumps of wind, shooting up to a branch lower than his first one, but still high up enough that Avar wouldn't be able to reach it without resorting to climbing the tree itself.


Avar was completely silent for a second. He broke it himself with a tired sigh, whispering very quietly to himself, "What have they done to you." He was sure that the higher staff had done some less than favorable things for the sake of study to the harpy, but he seemed to have the potential to be docile - the aggression towards humans had to have come from something. He could sense it festering underneath the humor, animalistic. But instead of letting himself be afraid and backing off, a small, faint grin spread across his lips. He had to stop looking at the harpy as more animal than human early, before it became a habit. It was apparent that the higher staff treated him as less than human, counting on the numerous times Avar had heard them discussing the harpy in private. It was about time he got the proper kindness and casualty that any other human would receive, because no matter how animal he acted sometimes, he was still sentient and with a soul.


With a small chortle, he responded, "Well, with that stare, you could scare just about anyone." He had no other intention than to joke, obviously, with his shift in tone to something a little more upbeat. He let one hand rise from gripping his clipboard to fix his hair. "But is there something that I can call you? Other than, uh ... subject. Or Mister Harpy, dear Lord." He scoffed at Mister Harpy. That was silly of him, a little too silly, but he was honestly curious to see what the harpy's actual title was. He paused for a minute, letting silence reign until he broke it again, "If it's any help, I'm Avar." He didn't know how his name would help anything - maybe establish a little more trust in giving the harpy the power of knowing his name. He also wanted to sort of shift the subject a little away from the physical exam, since he seemed uncooperative at that moment.

 

[smolfluffball]

Helix observed the scientist and saw him sigh, then saw his lips move as the man said something. He had to admit; the scientist was different looking then any of the past ones. He had skin that was a light bronze, and he was healthy looking. His hair was black and it looked messy, especially since his wings had created a gust of wind that ruffled it up further. His eyes were a deep shade of brown, and they reminded him of one of his own family members feathers. He rubbed his nose and looked away from the scientist for a moment.


He let his thoughts fill with memories of his colony and family. He wondered if they were missing him. He had upset them before he had gotten captured, and they might be thinking he was just off on his own for a while. He needed to know how long he had been in his cage, for he had lost track of the day. If he was away for more then three weeks, his colony would start to wonder where he is and start worrying for him (at least, that's what he believed). He partly wanted someone to come save him, but he also didn't want any of his friends to get captured. He sighed and rolled his head back. What a predicament he had gotten himself into. Although it really wasn't his fault.


He looked back at the scientist when he said something about Helix's stare and he continued to watch the man. He heard the change in tone of the mans voice and understood he was trying to be humorous, but Helix didn't smile. The scientist fixed his hair and asked what he could call the harpy, and he scoffed when he heard 'subject'. He then looked away from the scientist when he said Mister Harpy and he stood carefully, balancing easily on the branch. He walked forward a bit so the scientist, who he heard was named Arav, could see him. He wasn't going to use his name anytime soon, as none of the former humans had said his own name. They had simply called him 'harpy' or 'beast', or 'creature'. His least favorite name was 'subject', however.


He looked down at the scientist and folded his wings to signify he wasn't coming down. "Go away. Don't test me today and I'll tell you my name tomorrow." He called down to the man. "Not that you actually care about it." He muttered afterwards, looking out towards the sky again. The clouds drifted lazily along the clear sky and he sighed again. He wished to fly and touch those clouds right now.

 

[smolfluffball]

((Bumps))