getting_better

[Luckily for him this misdirection actually works because 1) she likes him and 2) she likes petting cute animals.

Though she'll still smile mischievously at him, leaning in because she isn't fooled for even a moment.]

Sure, that sounds like fun.

[ Please let him have this, his face still feels hot. ]

Alright then.

[ He's never gone there but he's soared above it enough times to see the critters there. Although the keepers always got alerted whenever he flew by, as they should when they have small prey animals out in an open space and a bird of prey comes along.

He found great amusement in that. ]

[She'll let him have this because while she isn't fooled, she also finds his bashfulness just adorable.

Shiho has also never been to said petting zoo but she can probably find it with her psychometry. Or, you know, purposefully get lost with him on the way so she could spend more time with him, that's fine too.]

You'll ruin your dinner. [Don't eat small prey animals, please.]

I'm not going to eat petting zoo animals!

[ Honest. He's not that bad. ]

I honestly didn't even know it was there. I just swooped by, thought to poke around and then the next thing I knew there were a bunch of zoo keepers looking in my direction. One of them even had a net!

[ That was rude. ]

Honestly if anything they need to compensate me! I mean - [ He moved away for just a moment and jumped towards the railing nearby, but as he did his body turned lack like a shadow and in less than a second had become smaller, fuzzier, and distinctly avian. An eagle owl landed on the railing and turned to her with and spoke directly into her head. ] - what's scary about an owl just perching like this???

[ Yes, what is frightening about a bird of prey perched high above rabbits, puppies, kittens, and other small defenseless creatures? ]

So it was just an accident, then. We should definitely make them compensate you.

[Really though he shouldn't ask her because she's actually really biased??

Shiho hums cheerfully in reply to him pretty much admitting to scaring small defenseless creatures as an owl. But it's fine (??) she thinks it's cute. Hearing his voice in her mind makes her raise an eyebrow at him as she walks closer to the fluffy owl on the railing, tilting her head like she's thinking very deeply about this.]

...Nothing's scary about you at all.

[She says, smiling brightly.]

Right?

[ He's glad she understands and he's about to puff out his crest with pride before his eyes open as he realized- ]

Wait a minute, what do you mean "nothing"? I can be plenty scary.

[ Not really. He's the fluffiest of all the bird of preys and can be practically domesticated. Japan has cafes dedicated to show how adorable and goofy owls are so, he looks about as intimidating as cat. ]

[Yeah, he's too fluffy but she knows better than to say something to hurt his feelings. Even if he is too fluffy and she's definitely seen the same kind of bird at owl cafes.]

Well, you've never been scary to me, right?

[Walking until she's standing in front of him, she smiles:] So why would I be scared?

[ He blinks, literally, owlishly. ]

You make a good a point.

[ He leaps off the railing and quickly turns back to normal, smiling before taking her hand and the real reason for his transformation revealed. He just wanted to see how she'd react. His power is unusual even by the standards of his strange and twisted world and most who saw it had mixed reactions. Some were amazed, some were disgusted, and some shouted 'demon scum' and proceed to try and shoot him down or trap him with a box.

Her reaction though, made him smile and say a quiet 'thank you' in his heart. ]

[Shiho knows two others with the ability to transform. (Or rather with the ability to trick the eye with their powers.) To her it's perfectly normal and he transformed into a cute owl besides?

Though if she ever figured out who called him 'demon scum' or were disgusted, she intended to be very angry about it. To him though, she curls close and smiles up at him in turn, her expression softening a little at that quiet thank you.]

I always make good points.

I'll make sure to remember that.

[ And he'll probably defend those people because sadly, they would most likely have appropriate reason to. His world was not a happy one but everything had a reason, but he won't let those thoughts trouble him. He'll just hold her hand tightly and kiss her knuckles gently. ]

Now, let's go harass some zoo keepers!

[ He won't actually do that(today) though he does like giving them a bit of a scare.

The petting zoo is a humble establishment, a fairly large open space where furry animals of all kinds are free to roam, a waist high fence to make sure said critters are corralled, and a one storey office to the side with a what looks like a caution sign that reads 'If spotted report to the nearest keeper' with a picture of Sam's owl form perched on a branch. ]

[He can be there to defend them, that’s fine. But she’s also going to be there and make them sorry because she couldn’t let something like that slide, not ever again no matter what their reason. For now though, she’s just going to smile warmly at him as he kisses her knuckles so gently. Really, she’s weak to him and she wouldn’t have it any other way.]

Yeah!

[Those poor zoo keepers.

All Shiho is really going to do though is pet cute animals. But when she sees the sign, she’ll still nudge him a little with a mischievous smile.]

That’s a pretty good picture, isn’t it?

[ He has questions, like when did they take this picture? Why did he feel like old western outlaw? And more importantly, why did he look like a vertically place bread loaf with googly-eyes??? ]

Honestly, couldn't they have gotten a more flattering picture?

[ He's going to come back one day and stick around until they get a better picture of him. ]

My bird form is quiet photogenic, if I do say so myself.

[Shiho really does laugh this time which prompts more than one of the zoo keepers to turn around and look at them. But she hides it by looking for all the world like she only has eyes for the one she’s with, leaning in, pointing out a rabbit but in reality whispering to him:]

...We could break in later and switch it out, I bet.

[ Smiles and leans towards her, not to keep up the act(well, not just to keep up the act) but because her laugh sounded so great and made him smile.

The temptation to actually break in for something so juvenile was also amusing. ]

Oh absolutely. I need to get a nice picture of me though.

[Shiho does blush a little as he leans in but that's replaced quickly enough with a mischievous look.]

I could help you with that too, I bet. We'll make you look amazing. And scary.

[ He's liking his new girlfriend more and more, not to mention this idea. ]

Sounds like a plan. But are we really going to break in to a petting zoo just to change one picture?

[ He says sounding remorseful and hesitant while staring at the picture. ]

Of course we are.

[ That picture does him a great injustice. Also he is immature. ]

Of course~

[She's done more drastic things for pettier reasons. Besides, she is happy to support him with this.]

We'll figure out the details of it later over text, okay?

[Because, of course, they should keep the zoo keepers and the petting zoo at large in the dark about their master plan. For now, she'll instead play the part of excited girlfriend and drag him along to the bunnies.]

Okay~

[ He needs to remember to preen and pretty his bird form before they take the picture. He needs to look his best. The zoo keepers open up the gates with smiles and greetings, and no sooner than they find the intended bunnies do they see that these rabbits come in all sizes. Some small, some large, and some so big he thought it was a curled up dog. ]

Holy smokes, look at the size of that thing.

[ He kneels down and reaches to pet the largest rabbit. ]

What do you think it eats? Smaller rabbits?

Smaller rabbits?

[She giggles at that, crouching down next to him and smoothing her hand over the head of the giant rabbit, scratching its ears.]

Do you?

[Of course, it can't answer verbally but she can read it with her psychometry and make sure there isn't a murder-rabbit living here.

Of course, it's vegan as all rabbits are.]

Of course you don't, you're too cute.

[ The rabbit sniffs and honks while the two pet and fawn over it. One keepers tapped Shiho on the shoulder to hand her some veggie sticks to feed and lure some other critters over. ]

That doesn't take away that it's bigger than a small dog and probably heavier too. Let's see.

[ He says while putting his hands in the sides of the large bunny and lifting. Well, half lifting. He raised it about an inch before giving up. ]

Oof! This is one heavy bunny!

Thank you. [Shiho smiles at the zoo keeper, accepting the veggie sticks and happily waves it in the direction of one of the smaller bunnies as she leans against her boyfriend's shoulder.]

But isn't that what makes it cute?

[Is it?!

As a consolation for letting itself be picked up, she holds another veggie stick out to the giant rabbit, giggling as it takes a nibble.]

[ Soon enough they're almost surrounded by rabbits and one large rabbit that chewed loudly on a stick of veg. ]

I suppose. Though I have heard that in certain parts of my world there are rabbit large enough you can use them as a pillow.

[ A very fuzzy pillow. Things were about to change a bit with the approach of a rabbit that honked and thumped its foot at Sam, even going so far as to aggressively bump him for attention. ]

Okay, okay. Yeesh. Here you go.

[ He says while going to pet the aggressive rabbit a few times, but when he stopped it continued its honking and thumping until it was given more pets. ]

The heck is with this rabbit??

But don't they have really delicate spines though?

[Ergo maybe don't use them as pillows? As she watches the rabbit honk and thump at Sam though she reaches out to place a hand on its (giant) head to try and figure out what its deal is.]

....Maybe it just really, really, really likes you?

[or maybe it just wants to mate but she'll fight a rabbit if she has to in order to protect him]

[ The rabbit is calm while being pet or eating, but the moment one goes away - thump thump honk. ]

Or maybe it's just a diva.

[ The rabbit is certainly just looking for attention. He also had the bigger hands to rub and stroke it with. A good and proper tool or minion. ]

Or hungry. I get pretty cranky when I'm hungry.

[ Someone should probably tell him, the man who becomes a large bird of prey, to compare himself to one of the prey animals his bird form is known to eat. ]

Cranky? You?

[She giggles at him comparing himself to a bunny rabbit and at him being cranky because he's hungry.]

I should keep you well-fed then, huh?

(no subject)

getting_better - 2020-07-26 18:35 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

good_ideas - 2020-07-27 04:37 (UTC) - Expand

Inbox

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

(no subject)

(no subject)