The Island of Clouds

Rexia stepped back to admire her handiwork. There was a smile and another clap of her hands. "Perfect! I like it." She looked like she wanted to say something about the ribbon, but she only kept her mouth closed. If Lyra needed to wear it, then Rexia wasn't going to stop her. It didn't detach from her outfit anyway.

"Now you're done! Saraph, you can come back now." Feathery shuffling was heard before Saraph appeared at the doorway. He was wearing a dark blue shirt with long sleeves, but a wider collar. It inadvertently showed off the swirling, intricate ebony-inked tattoo, but only part of it. It started at the back of his neck and went down along his right arm to disappear under his shirt, while another branch trailed down his side to end in a curling point on his abdomen. Of course, he did his best not to make it a big deal. He fiddled with the sleeves, making sure they were straight.

Rexia gave him the once over before frowning at his hair. "Do something with that mop," she commanded, but Saraph shook his head. "Oh, and why not?"

"Because it is fine how it is. I see no reason to... do something with it." Rexia grumbled, trying to reach up and brush his hair. Because she was only a few inches taller than Lyra, Saraph only had to stand up straight to avoid her fingers. Finally flapping up, she hovered behind him, picking apart a few knots tangled in with the feathers. With her efforts, and his silent ability to let her do as she wished, despite what he wanted, his hair tumbled over his eyes. A quick swipe solved that, and Rexia, pleased with herself, fluttered back down.
 
Lyra was glad that Rexia liked the dress on her. A girl's approval is nice. She called Saraph back into the room and with a feathery shuffle, he returned. Lyra quite liked his shirt and she could make out part of an intricate tattoo/possible birthmark. Does every Cloudi have one or more of those? She couldn't tell how far it extended and that irked her. There are so many mysteries here that she has an increasing need to solve.
Unlike Lyra, Rexia was dissatisfied with his appearance and messed with him a little before forcibly fixing his hair, which was sexy either way it was worn. Lyra marveled at the movements Rexia's speckled wings performed as she fluttered high enough to brush through Saraph's hair. The pair of Cloudis seemed very close and she couldn't help but give their distant interaction a smile.
"You both seem very close. Like siblings. And you both look wonderful in those outfits. Oh and I have one last question Rexia. Should I just wear my own sneakers or would that be too informal for this feast?"
 
"We take care of each other, me to him more so than the other way around," Rexia said, beaming while Saraph combed a hand through his hair, as if to make sure it wouldn't fall in his eyes again. At Lyra's question, Rexia looked down at her own bare feet. They were slightly clawed at the end, and her heels and the lower parts of her calves were tough and almost scaly in appearance. "We don't wear shoes here. Our feet would break them. If you feel comfortable with them, no one will look down on you. It's your way versus our way, and I've fitted you well enough for our way to suffice."

"Do not worry. General appearance is what matters to Pallick. You show resolve and bravery to move past your injuries for our sake. Your change in attire is appreciated, but not necessary."

"It's plenty necessary, Saraph. Men don't understand."

"I believe I understand well enough."

"Well, you believe wrong."

"...You do know that you're setting foot into my home, and that any time I wish, I may remove you from the premises?"

Rexia put on an expression of mock hurt and moved to hit him. "Why, Saraph, you say such terrible things!"

"Yes, I'm sure."

Rexia scoffed and turned back to Lyra. "You'll be fine," she said with a smile. "We'll be leaving soon. Saraph and I can walk you to where it's going to be. Well, I can. Saraph should be going because he's singing."

Saraph turned and walked out before them. "You emphasize your words, and so I know that you wish me to leave so you can speak without me... glaring, as you put it."
 
Lyra smiled at Saraph's comment on courage and nearly giggled at their subsequent interactions. If it weren't for the fact that they looked nothing alike in appearance, she would have guessed that they were siblings. But what did she mean about her taking care of him more often than vice versa?
"I can't wait to hear you sing!" Lyra called after Saraph as he left the room. It was her own way to say good luck on his performance even though after so many years of experience, he probably wouldn't need it. Hss speaking voice was musical enough without him even trying.
"..So you said that you take care of him more often than the other way around. Why is that?" Lyra asked, glancing back at the plush chair and strewn clothing as she sat down again. Surely the girls would have a little time before the dreaded feats to chat a little.
 
"I'm sure Saraph told you a lot about how we live a long time and how we don't die of disease or murder, anything like that. Well, his parents, Life-fire bless their souls, were taken earlier than normal. They were both roughly 550 years old, which isn't uncommon. Still, he had a rough time. They died in succession, and he wasn't old... maybe 75 at the time? We aren't considered mature until anywhere between 150 and 200 years old. He didn't take it very well, and it was coupled with his bad flying and small voice. He was... just strange compared to the rest of us. I've helped him out over our lives, and I'll probably keep doing it. He knows how to take care of himself and others, but many are weary of him. He speaks funny and he has little interests.

There's nothing wrong with him. He's just different. The others respect his ability to sing, but that's really all it comes down to. Saraph started showing desire to learn about the human world after his parents passed, and that scared some of the others. It's not like we can leave, so it's harmless. Besides, he can only learn so much from books. And those things are old and outdated. I know he asked you about a lot already, didn't he?" Her last words were followed by a giggle. "He loves to learn. He'll pester you with questions the whole time you're here. For being quiet and formal all the time, he's hard to get rid of."

Rexia straightened, wings flaring in a stretch. She picked up the stray clothes and folded them over the back of the chair so Saraph's clean and plain room wasn't disturbed. "Ready to go?"
 
Lyra's expression grew somber at Rexia's words describing Saraph's past. No one should judge him like that and she was glad that he had someone like Rexia to help him cope.
"I..suppose." Again , Lyra stood, gripping the table tightly. She was still hesitant about the feast, not sure of what was expected of her. She wanted to seem good enough to be worthy of life in Erith's eyes. He was her main concern at the time and she couldn't change his opinion without making a good impression at least. In response to her other question Lyra remembered the question he'd asked before breakfast. "He is eager to learn, but so am I. There are so many things about this place that I still don't know, but I guess he sees my world the same way. He's only had time to ask me one question about earth because of breakfast and playing instruments, but I don't doubt that he's curious about much more. And I'd be glad to answer his questions. Right now, it's the only way I can even start to repay him for all of his help."
 
Rexia laughed gently. "I'm glad. It's been a long time since Saraph gained any interest in anything. Now, let's get you going." Saraph's height had made it difficult to help her around, but Rexia was small enough for Lyra to throw an arm around her shoulder. With a gentle hand on her hip, Rexia was able to maneuver with little trouble. Thankfully, while the city was sprawling with homes, taking up a quarter of the island as a whole, Saraph's home wasn't far from the general meeting area. There was nothing decorating the clearing, but the fact that it was spaced out enough to fit every Cloudi on the island into one spot, it seemed like an unspoken rule.

Tables were scattered throughout the area, many of them with Cloudis at their seats. Each table had some sort of cooked fish as well as a bird, which in hindsight was stretched cannibalism. More bowls were decorated with fruits of varying sizes and colors, and plates puffed up with leaves held vegetables. Transparent pitchers held water, though some had a darker substance, and by the boisterous conversation floating from those seats, one could assume it was an alcoholic drink.

Rexia placed Lyra at an open seat near the head of the main table, which held Erith, Pallick, and the rest of the human survivors. Rexia flitted off, not noticing that some of the men stared after her. Lyra was sitting beside a woman with a bandage around her head, but she appeared otherwise unharmed. Like Lyra, she'd been dressed properly in a dark red dress, but due to the sleeves, she had not been given a shawl. She gave Lyra one look before diving back into the food. Captain Sanders was sitting across from her, showing just how close she was to the two leading Cloudis. "You're the one staying with the winged guy, right?" a man beside Sanders drawled, biting into the roasted fish in front of him. "That's gotta be weird. Kinda looks like a kid I mighta beat up in school."

Some snickers echoed across the table, but a pointed glare from Sanders shut the man up. "We shouldn't insult our hosts, especially one who took her in without being asked."

"Maybe he's lookin' to get with her." Sanders rolled his eyes and left it alone, but not before glancing at Erith and Pallick. The chatter from everyone else seemed to be enough to drown out the accusations, but there was no telling what was going on in Erith's head with the passive expression he was regarding everyone with.

"Is he nice? The... Cloudi, they call themselves I think, that you're staying with. I don't know his name, and I don't know yours. I'm Hannah," she said, though there was no handshake to go along with it as Hannah held a pomei with both hands.
 
Saraph's house seemed to be close to everything, so with Rexia's secure hold on Lyra's body, the girls arrived to a large clearing large enough for the population rather quickly. Lyra's chocolate eyes scanned what she could see of the crowd for the singer, her black winged caretaker before Rexia sat her down at a table with two Cloudi officials and the rest of the humans. Then she flitted off and Lyra nearly giggled at the way she didn't notice the men stare after her. As soon as she sat down, rather close to the leaders around here, a man spat a very rude comment about her staying with Saraph. She opened her mouth to refute his ignorant insult, but Captain Sanders beat her to the punch. She gave him a grateful smile and ignored the idiotic snickering around the table. But his next comment sent her over the edge. She never had any patience with these kind of men. While Sanders disregarded it with a roll of his eyes, she wouldn't let it go just yet.
The lady beside her asked her a few calming questions, but Lyra's fire would not be quelled so easily. "One moment Hannah." She snapped her head to the man sitting near Sanders. The one with the inflated ego and big mouth. When she caught his attention, Lyra straightened, unable to show weakness by standing. "You sir! Yes you with the big mouth and idiotic comments! You have no right to judge a guy who's more man than you'll ever be! You don't know a thing about him you egotistical moron! So why don't you shut your trap and mind you own business? Got it?" She growled. She hadn't meant to be so loud before, but it didn't matter. She had expressed her anger and she was done with the man she would spend no more of her time insulting. So she took a breath, turned her head calmly back to the kind lady beside her and gave her a polite smile, as if her earlier temper flare had never occurred. "I'm sorry. Hannah. What were you saying?"
 
Mostly everyone at the table quieted at her outburst, except for the few Cloudis who were seated next to them. The man who'd made the crude comments lowered his head back to his food, deliberately not making eye contact with everyone. After a moment, the conversation picked up, albeit much slower this time. Hannah, who had remained silent during the outrage, chose to finish her fruit before speaking.

"Anything I might have said was just thrown out the window with that!" she laughed. "Will needed a good beat down." She picked up a vegetable with greenish-blue insides before chomping on the soft bit. It seemed to taste good enough, since she broke it apart. "I just wanted to know if the Cloudi man you were staying with was nice. I don't know his name, or yours."
 
Lyra smirked a little when most of the table quieted. The man looked down at his food quietly and her smile could not be held back. Eventually, the conversation picked up again and Lyra grabbed a pomei from a nearby bowl. She bit into the tasty fruit just as Hannah recovered from her shock.
"Anything I might have said was just thrown out the window with that!" She giggled. "Will needed a good beat down."
So his name was Will. She'd keep that in mind.
"I just wanted to know if the Cloudi man you were staying with was nice. I don't know his name, or yours." Hannah continued politely. She wondered what this lay had gone through on the plane crash. Physically, it was only her head that was wrapped up as far as Lyra could tell, but emotionally?
"Staying with him for last night and this morning, he's been incredibly kind. I couldn't have asked for a better caretaker." Again, Lyra's chocolate eyes, scanned the crowd nearby, hoping to catch a glimpse of someone she knew, but no one stood out just yet. "His name is Saraph and I'm Lyra. Nice to meet you Hannah." Lyra raised the unoccupied hand for a handshake that Hannah hadn't offered before.
 
"I saw another Cloudi woman come and help you. A new friend?" Hannah asked, putting the strange vegetable down to lightly shake Lyra's hand. Any response was drowned out by the sudden silence as Pallick stood up. Even the humans were quiet. They seemed to know he was the leader, even if he had Erith whispering in his ear.

"Humans, and my people, this feast was intended to bring us to a tentative balance. By not killing you, we are taking a risk, but we do not want the blood on our hands. We hope that you find it within you to hold true to your oath when you are able to leave. We now allow you to listen to one of our most gifted performers. Saraph possesses a voice so clear and perfect, there is no reason not to enjoy it."

Pallick sat back down as Saraph appeared up on the top of the stairs in front of Pallick's home. There was no microphone or any sort of technology to enhance his voice, but there was no need. The song that spilled from his lips was almost perfection. The language he sang was in his own language, and it sounded similar to Latin in many ways. Cloudis all around closed their eyes and appeared almost to sleep, lulled to such a state by the sounds floating from Saraph.

((the part of the song he sings is in the second half, with the male vocals. :3))
 
Before Lyra could mention Rexia, she was interrupted by Pallick and the subsequent reaction of silence from every attendee of the feast. It was clear by the way he held himself that Pallick was the leader, even though Lyra narrowed her eyes at the way Erith seemed to be influencing him.

"Humans, and my people, this feast was intended to bring us to a tentative balance. By not killing you, we are taking a risk, but we do not want the blood on our hands. We hope that you find it within you to hold true to your oath when you are able to leave. We now allow you to listen to one of our most gifted performers. Saraph possesses a voice so clear and perfect, there is no reason not to enjoy it."
Lyra smiled at that. She was so excited to finally hear his voice! If he could play the vocal cords as well as any other instrument in his house, she was sure to find it wonderful. She gazed at him excitedly when he stepped out, his feathers ruffling in the slight breeze. His fixed up hair blew a little into his eye again, but that only drew attention to his amethyst irises, which never left Lyra's sight as he began to sing. her jaw slackened in awe at his pure vocal tone and sheer beauty. Beautiful was an understatement when it came to describing Saraph's song. Lyra could not keep her eyes away from him so she did not catch the reaction of the rest of the crowd, stunned into breathlessness as she was. His song was sung in a language unfamiliar to Lyra, but the melody was still enchanting and stunning to the point that Lyra was sure her eardrums were quivering with joy rather than the vibrations of the sound waves created by his perfect vocal cords.
 
The song ended shortly after, but the silence was filled with applause for the Cloudi with the golden voice. He accepted it all with a soft smile before he disappeared back behind Pallick's house. The feast resumed, but it was short lived as everyone grew full and wandered off. Cloudis stayed behind to pick up, and when Bina came to round up the humans, Saraph had already appeared at Lyra's side. Hannah gave Lyra a small wave before she fell into the crowd. Bina and Saraph exchanged glances, Bina's harder and meaner than Saraph's calm gaze.

"Would you like to return to my home now?" he asked, voice quiet but still audible over the dying chatter. "Rexia will return for her clothes at a later point. While I do not intend for them to lay around, I do not mind having them with me. She tends to do this quite often." Saraph's wings fluttered as another breeze passed. "Did you enjoy the feast?"
 
Lyra clapped loudly for Saraph's unbelievable performance and as the feast resumed, she ate a nice meal wuth exciting new flavors and the nice lady sitting beside her. As the party began to dissipate and Bina came to round everyone, she stuck close to Saraph's side, glaring at Bina's sour stare. When she looked back up at Saraph, she smiled as he spoke and couldn't help but gaze at his feathers and hair, moving slightly in the breeze. Lyra shivered a little and tightened the shawl around herself. "Yeah. Let's go home." As they began to walk, she began to realize that his house was slowly becoming a place her heart would like to call home. If she went back to earth, she wouldn't really have a home. "My favorite partof the feast was undoubtedly your performance. It was...magical. I didn't think you could be any better as a musician, but you just keep surprising me."
 
Saraph smiled as they walked, but it held a tinge of sadness. "I'm afraid that is the extent of my abilities. There is nothing else up my sleeve, as it were. But I am glad you enjoyed it." Pushing open the door, he let Lyra go inside first before he followed. He disappeared from behind her to go down to his own room, a place just as plain and immaculate as the rest of his house. The only thing special about it was the dark rug on the wooden floor and the shelf of books in the corner. He didn't linger, as he had Lyra to take care of. He only stayed long enough to remove his shirt, finding he had a hole in his sleeve that wasn't supposed to be there. He'd have to have Rexia fix it later.

Once he was finished, he went about picking up the scattered clothes on his floor. Somehow, Rexia always managed to get them everywhere, no matter what she did. With a sigh of slight annoyance, but mostly tiredness, Saraph folded each and every article of clothing she'd thrown. Subconsciously, he color-coded them as well, the neater side of him showing itself even if he didn't realize it.
 
Nothing else up his sleeve? Even if he couldn't show her any new instruments, musically he could introduce her to new songs like the spectacular one he sung at the feast. Lyra smiled when Saraph followed her into the house and watched his majestic wings disappear into what she assumed was his bedroom. She followed behind him down the plain hallway to wander into the music room. Since she was a little short of breath thanks to the dress and bandages, she simply closed the door behind her and collected her old outfit from the table to change into. Unzipping the dress was easy because of the low back, but after stepping out of it left in only her undergarments, she frowned at her jeans. Jeans for Pj's? Oh well. Nothing else to wear. Lyra took the tank top, which had been hidden under strewn articles of clothing, and pulled it on slowly, whimpering quietly when she had to raise her arms high enough to irritate her broken bones.
 
A soft sound caught his ears, and he rose to find the source. Padding into his spare bedroom, he saw Lyra, though she was already fully clothed by the time he got there. "Are you alright?" he asked, standing in the doorway. The dark purple eyes flickered with concern as they looked over her. He had to make sure his temporary guest was comfortable. "I could find you something else to wear, if that would be better for you."

Being shirtless as he was, Saraph didn't seem to have the same fear of being exposed like other humans did. She could now clearly see the swirling tattoo on his arm and side, or how his hair was just long enough to brush the base of his neck with the feathers shaking with each motion of his head.

((sorry for a short reply. going through some tough shit right now.))
 
When Saraph entered the spare room, Lyra's eyes widened at his impressive physique. The swirling tattoo matched the color of his wings and she couldn't stop staring at the intricate pattern even as he asked about her well being and offered her new clothing. Every time the Cloudi moved, the markings danced on his flawless skin, and she was hardly even aware that she was walking towards him to get a better look. Then, she blinked about a step away from him and tore her eyes up to meet his violet irises. "I-I'll be okay. I think I just walked around too much today. And I don't think anything of yours would exactly fit me...but um, what is this?" Lyra tentatively pointed to his tattoo. She wasn't sure if it had been inked or born with him. Did all Cloudi have such detailed markings on their skin? She was almost afraid to touch him with a lack of necessity because she wasn't sure how he'd react, but she definitely wondered if the patterns were a different texture than the rest of his skin. Lyra's chocolate eyes wandered back down to the inside of his wings, so close and tempting. She wondered what they'd feel like too. The ebony feathers were so perfectly aligned up close. They were long and perfect. It seemed like everything about Saraph was perfect. Almost too amazing to be real.

((It's totally okay I'm not judging you. That's usually how long my posts are anyway. Hope things get better for you!))
 
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Saraph didn't move as she closed in on him, but his first instinct was to back up. It wasn't her fault. It was just the avian part of him. Still, he had to fight the urge to flee when she stopped in front of him. At her question, he glanced down at the tattoo. "It is a tattoo. I believe humans have such body art as well. Like those, this one is permanent. I have had it since I was 100. Every Cloudi has one, though they are different in location, color, size, and design. Mine is designed this way because my parents agreed to have it done in such a fashion, though they died before it was completed."

The wings twitched, feathers bending with the motion as his head turned to look out the window. A glance down at her found her gazing at his wings. One extended partially, as if inviting her to brush her hand along the appendage. "You seem to be interested in my body." It might have come off as a bad pick up line from a human, but from Saraph, it was only stating a tentative fact. "If it bothers you, I will cover myself. As for the clothing for you, Rexia left some articles here that you may find suitable."
 
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Lyra listened intently to his explanation of his body art, but she didn't look up at him, too entranced by the intricate design to look away. Her hand hovered over his skin hesitantly as she slowly discovered his bird-like anxiety...she shouldn't be standing this close to a virtual stranger but she couldn't ever really imagine such a gentle man to hurt anything, especially not her.
At Saraph's comment about her interest in his incredible body she blushed and pulled her hand farther away from his skin. That is until his wing twitched a little. Too tempting. Lyra reached out again as he offered her clothing that Rexia left behind.
Finally her fingertips grazed along the inside of his wing, captivated by the velvety feel of the ebony feathers. Her lips parted in awe before she finally caught herself and twitched, backing up a step, then two as she shook her head at herself. Stupid stupid.. "Oh I'm sorry I guess you're right." She mumbled, pulling out her hair ribbon with ease and fiddling with it in her fingers so she wouldn't have to make eye contact. "You're just-I mean I think you're fascinating. Angelic I suppose. I'll just-um go get something more suitable to wear for bed." Lyra headed for the exit, head down and hair hiding her red cheeks, but then she froze at the doorway and slowly turned back to face Saraph, biting her lip harshly and leaning against the wall to pacify her aching rib cage. "Where did she leave her clothes?"
 
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