the aviary seems pretty popular

[ofthehellguard]

Anyone in or around the aviary may be subjected to a series of loud crashes, accompanied by a shout of alarm and lots of angry tweeting.

One moment Uriel was trying to land on the ground from the open air, and the next there was a roof over her head and a tree in her way. She had simply been going too fast to slow down or avoid it, so down through the branches she went, sending leaves, twigs and birds shooting off in every direction.

Ow.

By stretching her wings Uriel manages to slow her descent before she reaches the ground, though that still leaves her stuck in a tree she'll have to extricate herself from. Only once she's sure she's not going to crash down another few feet by moving does she take a moment to feel relieved.

Now, where is she...?

Comments

[consultmybooks]

That proves to be especially difficult in a tree when one of the parrots nesting in it tries to return after being startled away, only to find Uriel where its nest should be. It lands on a branch just above her instead, squawking and chattering in anger and alarm. Right on cue, a few of its fellows flap over to join it in chastising the intruder, attempting to threaten the stranger with flared wings and clicked beaks.

That makes it much easier for Giles to zero in on the newcomer, even if he finds himself half-raising his hands above his head in anticipation of attacks by angry birds. Not to mention that it should hopefully let the stranger see that he truly means no harm.

"Ah, hello? There's no cause for alarm." About him, at least. "Hold on, I'll, I'll try and find a way down for you."

[ofthehellguard]

Well, Giles does accomplish one thing at least: anyone who's more wary than simply irritated by these tiny birds is probably not a threat. And she definitely wants to be out of this tree.

"I would greatly appreciate that, stranger."

[consultmybooks]

It only takes having his glasses stolen by a flock of magpies once to make Giles wary of birds forever. He's absolutely certain the ones back home weren't this evil.

"Right. Um." He glances around a bit helplessly, before noticing something on the outside of the aviary dome. "Just hang on. I'll be back in a minute." He hurries off.

Presumably back when this castle was occupied, the birds were actually taken care of by a groundskeeper. The groundskeeper is long gone, but he left a shed behind, and in that shed is a variety of equipment one might need in order to take care of birds. Including a ladder.

It's a bit awkward, but Giles manages to retrieve it and bring it back to the tree.

[ofthehellguard]

Uriel watches with impatience, but also interest-- what a cumbersome object, just to gain some altitude. "I am unsure I could handle being earthbound," Uriel muses out loud.

[consultmybooks]

A very cumbersome object, as it turns out - Giles is quite strong, for a human, but even he's a little out of breath from lugging it back into the aviary. Still, he sets it securely against the tree, and even holds it in place just to make sure it's secure for Uriel. "Are you not normally?" he asks with no small amount of interest, glancing up at her.

[ofthehellguard]

Uriel flaps a wing-- and winces as it catches painfully on the branches.

"No," she settles on. "Though I understand that is rare."

[consultmybooks]

"You're, um, hardly the first person I've met with wings. But never anyone powerful enough to stay airborne constantly."

Giles can't help but wince in sympathy as her wing catches, but he's not sure what he could do to help it and so makes no move to climb up the tree. He's probably just overload it anyway, or else attract more vengeful birds. He does call up: "Are you all right?" though. Just to be safe.

[ofthehellguard]

Uriel does her best to move the branches a little more gently, since that... er, is less likely to result in pain. "I am fine, thank you. But what is the purpose of wings if not to remain airborne?"

???

[consultmybooks]

"You know, I'm not certain we ever found out. Beyond staying alive, I mean. We would die if they were removed. At least while we were in that place, as it happened." Giles takes a minute as Uriel moves past the last of the branches, and then shakes his head apologetically. "Sorry. Um, I tend to babble just a tad, when I'm nervous."

[ofthehellguard]

Well obviously they would die, unless they received immediate medical attention...

...Uriel pauses a moment.

"You used to have wings?" she asks, obviously surprised.

[consultmybooks]

"Hm?" Giles stares up at her in some surprise for a moment, before he properly realizes what she's asking. "Oh, um, oh yes. Not quite as impressive as yours', of course. And not always. They could barely flap, let alone fly. But I was used to them, after a while."

[ofthehellguard]

They could barely...

"That is a strange tale," she decides on. "I was under the impression that extra limbs were generally a congenital condition."

[consultmybooks]

Giles finds himself chuckling in equal parts embarrassment and amusement. "Yes, well. I suppose it all depends on where you come from."

Extra limbs in Sunnydale, or even in London, were a little more common. Definitely still unwelcome, but a bit more common.