Tribute - #3142 + #3143 Stryx: Tribute - Nokt Impressive Display

The Stryx

https://www.paperdemon.com/app/g/dracostryx/character/3143

Nickname - Kea

https://www.paperdemon.com/app/g/dracostryx/character/3142

Nickname - Drac

The Witness

https://www.paperdemon.com/app/g/dracostryx/character/1424

Nickanme - Sunny

Word Count - 1,017

After the kraken incident, the three were on the shore again, right where they had started the day. It was surprisingly silent, as feathers had been ruffled and nips had been given between the two hawks, while the tyto just watched, eyes glinting with humor.

Sunny was still chuckling as the two hawks calmed down after learning the boat was safe and sound, Haukea side eying Drac with an evident sadness drenching their aura. Sighing, Drac hopped over, and with a grunt, flopped a wing over their friend, and smiled at them, bobbing their head slightly in a pacifying gesture. “We are okay.” Instantly, they almost regretted that with how easy Kea switched from sad bird to happy bird. Almost.

Sunny laughed, and then craned their neck around the beach. “Well, good time as ever to start the next trial!” They tilted their head right, then left, and then shook their feathers, and settled down in the sand. “Show me what you got.”

Drac blinked, sharing a glance with Kea, and then bobbed their head once. Kea understood the simple seeming meaningless gesture, by the way they perked up. Puffing their chest up, they settled in front of Sunny, eyes bright and exuberant. The yellow tyto blinked, amused, and chirped at them. “Consider my curiosity peaked! Continue! I am sure this will be amazing!” Drac scoffed, but also settled down, and closed their eyes, though they were attentive towards their friend.

Instantly, the flood gates opened, and off Kea was. How were they showing their ‘impressive display’? The day before, they had been talking with Drac about how they would go about showing off. They were not quite the strong one, nor were they the fast, agile, smooth one. Nor could they sing, for they were absolutely tone deaf. Not that they thought so, but then again, they couldn’t hear themselves quite well. For one cannot hear their own voice, due to the way the sound is transmitted through the skull bones, more than the air waves themselves. As they were going on and on about external and internal conduction, Drac had drawn an easy solution, “Just use your knowledge. You have enough to overflow that bird brain of yours.”

To which, Kea had exclaimed - “OH THAT IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL IDEA!” “Yeah yeah, don’t get my feathers all dirty, good grief.” Was Dracs response.

Now, Haukea was stating fact after fact. Why was the sky blue during the day? How did their feathers prevent water from damaging them? How fast could certain breeds flap their wings? What exactly were biorhythms and how did stryx become adjusted to certain ones? Sunny just sat there, surprised by the bombardment of questions that were followed up by even more answers.

Spitting fact after fact, Kea was panting from how fast they were speaking. Finally the tyto laughed and cooed, “You sure are a smart one! Feel free to catch up with me later, I would love to chat about philosophy, see if you agree with how some of the ancients did things versus how we do it now!” With a chirp of agreement, Kea jumped up, sending sand everywhere, and took off towards Drac screeching unintelligible nonsense.

Sighing, the sea green bird laughed, and shook their feathers, then settled down in front of Sunshine as well. Blinking, they then closed their eyes and lifted their head, opened their beak, and sang. In the background, even the sounds of the jungle faded away, as a melody so soulful and haunting, came into being.

Their feathers fluttering with the movement of their throat, Drac sang their heart out. Dips and valleys in the melody shared tales of their woes, of the times that they couldn’t tell the truth from their heart. When the whispers in the dark got too loud, and the demons in their head broek free of their cage. As the song had gotten sad and barren of joy, soon a strength came up in the notes. Now they were hearing about triumphs, victories against those mentioned inner demons. Of perseverance, strength, and of getting up over and over again. With a vibrant and joyfully strong crescendo, Drac ended with a keening high victory screech, which cut off so sharply that Kea almost fell face first into the sand from how far they had been leaning towards their friend.

Well, now they knew why Drac said they were tone deaf, “DRAC YOU CAN SING?!” Sighing, the dark colored hawk nodded, shy even as annoyed as they were by the instant screeching their friend was up to. Right in their face too.

Meanwhile, Sunshine was silent, usually sharp eyes vague, lost in thought. These two were a fire of a duo, and not in the bad sense. More so in the extremely talented category. Their eyes focused as they watched the two squabble. While Haukea was certainly hyped up all the time, and Drac was an enabler most of the time, they sure had their twining aspects that fit just right. The piebald hawk was smart, and could probably learn how to plan and coordinate raids, hunts, and such, easily if taught by a decent teacher. And while singing was not too useful in battle or while hunting, the singing was not what Sunny was amazed at. Sure, it was enthralling and quite the talent, but what it spoke of - that was pure gold right there.

That strength, conviction, and perseverance the song had spoken of, the tyto could definitely see in Draco. And ironically, as annoying it would seem to be around a loud and buoyant being all the time, it seemed to soothe Drac’s sharp edges, and cause them to be a bit more approachable.

So, yeah, they were a fire of a duo. Though, right now, as Sunny watched them badger each other again while wrestling on the beach - before screeching as a wave brought some sea to them, they were a bit rough around the edges. A smile on their beak and in their eyes, Sunny laughed, startling the two. Diamonds in the rough, for sure.