(2016-04-15) Quoth the Lefty
Quoth the Lefty
Summary: A group of supers meet up on the beach and welcome back one of their own. And a zombie raven.
Date: 2016.04.15
Related: None
NPCs: Players go below, other chars that deserve mention can be listed here
Scene Runner: Who ran this scene, NA if no-one or mutual
Players:
aviva..daxton..vinny..annaliesa..

Shady Cove Beach
The beach forms a semi-circle around the outer edge of the mainland edged with sand that turns lighter as it reaches the water. A swimming area is cordoned off with buoys and orange rope, clearly designating it for visiting tourists and the sea craft further out. Off down near the rocky area further along the beach is a lighthouse that remains lit up despite it serving as a restaurant.

Aviva Maestroianni has been missing from campus for a few weeks. She's a Masters, and the Masterses have their own responsibilities to their family. They are pulled in and out of school as needed. So Aviva has been absent for much of the activity of the last month despite the fact that she's attended Coral Springs for nearly three years now.

The blonde woman stands at the top of the beach now, looking toward the darkening sky in the east, over the ocean. Her left hand is tucked into the pocket of her denim jacket, which is buttoned against the evening chill. A raven is perched on her shoulder, a feather dropping from its tail as it mutters to itself. "This is your fault, you know," she murmurs to the bird in accented English as she starts toward the docks.

Daxton's headed out from the lighthouse pizza, a hot box in his hands and an actual smile on his face. Today has turned out much better than the speedster had first thought. he looks tired, but not as tired as he's been all week. A hoodie on to keep the chill away and the teen is dressed in his better thrift store outfit, jeans and simple button up shirt.

Having found himself a place to sit, Vinny's focus for now is on the book he's currently drawing something in. He's humming to himself as his focus is on that book and whatever it is he's drawing in it.

The beach is one of Annaliesa's favorite places, she makes her way there every weekend, rain or shine, cold or .. well it hasn't been warm there yet, but likely the beach activity would increase with the warmer weather. She stands, hands in her hoodie pocket, looking over at the girl with the bird. "Is he molting?" The word is asked suddenly and with a touch of amusement. As she notices Daxton heading out from the pizza, she offers a cheerful wave. With her brother nearby her, drawing, she looks back down, "You should draw the bird."

The blonde turns at the question, the corner of her mouth twisting into a wry smile. "He is dead, in fact," she says. "The fool fowl fell afoul of a ghoul. But he's harmless." Pause. "Mostly. As long as he is close to me." She studies the girl for a moment, brow furrowing. "I think you arrived at the school as I was leaving for family business. I am Aviva." She shrugs her left shoulder, causing the raven to flutter away and onto the sand as she offers her right hand to Annaliesa. To the bird she says, "Go. Preen. Model. You know you still think you are beautiful."

Daxton hurries his steps up, raising a hand to his two house mates ands their friend, "Hey! How goes?" He only gets there for the end explanation of the bird. Which is probably a good thing. The box is hefted, "I got the job. And they gave me a pizza. Want any?"

Vinny pauses for a few moments as he hears his sister's words. Looking up, he looks towards the raven and smiles. "Now, just sit still there," he comments to the bird, as he turns a page in his book. Looking to Daxton, he grins, "Where did you get the job?"

Molting tongue twisters, Annaliesa just has to try and repeat it. "The fool fowl fell afoul of a ghoul. Say that fast three times." The bird is kept a respectful distance from, of course, because of that Mostly tossed in there. "I think so. I've heard your name," she slips her hand into that of the other girl, "I'm Annaliesa, it's nice to meet you. This is my little brother Vinny," she hitches a thumb and a smile towards Daxton. "And he's Daxton." The news from her friend is met with a fist pump of a celebration. "That's amazing! And yes, I would love a piece of pizza, if you're sure?" She grins, excited for him. "When do you start?" She looks at Vinny as she retracts her hand from Aviva's, "He's the artist in the family."

Aviva's smile broadens just a touch. "I think the effect would be better if I'd left out the word 'fowl'," she observes. "'The fool fell afoul of a ghoul.' But it suffices as is. Language is a marvelous thing. A pleasure to meet all of you."

The raven is evidently well behaved. It does as told for the moment, turning its head to regard Vinny with a single clouded eye, but otherwise remaining still.

Daxton hooks a thumb over towards the light house, "Delivering pies." Which he should get mad sic delivery tips. The fist bump is returned, "Yeah, I already had supper, so this is just icing, ya know? I start tomorrow to see how I do." New girl (old girl?) gets a nod and friendly smirk. "Hey. Nice to meet you." He opens the box and offers everyone a slice.

Vinny smiles, "A pleasure to meet you." Offered both to Aviva and the raven, as he continues with the drawing. At least for a little while, until the pizza is offered. Tucking away the book and taking one of the offered slices, he grins, "Sounds like an easy enough job," he offers lightly to the faster one. Taking a bite of the pizza slice now, he smiles.

"It's cute either way." And brings Annaliesa's attention to her brother and the Raven that follows his directions. "So you've been gone from school for a month?" The question asked as the pizza is offered and Anna does her part to prevent teen hunger, in herself at least, as she accepts a slice and begins to nibble it. "I'm happy for you, Daxton, especially since it's something you seem to be happy about."

The raven utters a 'quark' at Vinny, though it's half a croak — its vocal cords are withered.

Aviva takes a slice with her right hand, carefully folding it, though she almost fumbles it into the sand. Her left hand remains buried in her jacket pocket. "Grazie," she says to Daxton. "Almost a month," she agrees before she nibbles the corner of the pizza. "My cousin and I were called home to deal with family issues. An infestation at home."

Daxton nods, "Yeah. Easy enough." He munches on his slice turning his gaze briefly to Avina before dropping his gaze to his pizza. "I'm happy I'll not have to mooch off of people anymore." He's learned to not ask questions. Nope, infestation does not interest him in the least. Nop,e not at all. "Infestation?"

Vinny raises an eyebrow at the mention of an infestation, but then Daxton manages to ask the question first. "I hope things were taken care of?" he offers to Aviva, while attacking the slive of pizza in his hand. Must be quite hungry now, right?

Almost simultaneously, Annaliesa unerringly asks the very same thing that Daxton does. "Infestation?" Oh she is certainly curious and she doesn't mind showing it. There's a glance to Vinny and a nod in agreement, hopefully it was taken care of, certainly. It doesn't prevent her from biting into her pizza slice, that's good stuff.

The slice of pizza is waved toward the raven. "Ghouls," says Aviva. "Zombies. Some uncle got into something he should not have and…" Another wave toward the bird. "And so I have a zombie bird, and only one hand." Her left hand is, at last, extracted from the pocket. The prosthetic attached to her wrist is very well made, even matching her dusky Mediterranean skin tone, but the crease where her flesh meets the inanimate material is clearly demarcated.

Daxton blinks. Yeah. shouldn't have asked. "Oh…okay. Wow." His eyes travel to the girls hand, "Suck" He sounds like he means it. "Do you need anything?" Not that Dax has an extra hand or anything. "more pizza?" Do'ah.

"I hope you weren't left-handed before," Vinny remarks as he hears Aviva's words. Offering her another brief smile, before he grimaces. "Sorry… I don't think I should have…" Trailing off, and just looking back to the raven as he finishes his pizza.

Vinny receives a withering look from Annaliesa even as she gives a little shake of her head as he trails off. Brothers! Except by then the explanation is sinking in and her eyes widen. "Like The Walking Dead?" She had seen some of that. "I hope they all died and that it wasn't.. contagious. The zombieism stuff, I mean."

"No, I've always been right-handed," says Aviva, "so that, at least, is not an issue. I simply cannot let my hand reattach." Again she waves toward the raven with her pizza. "Lest it spread its disease to me."

Daxton blinks again. Let it reattatch. What has his life become? "Can't you, like….I don't know….destroy it?" Isn't there a movie like that, with a crawling hand? An astronaut or something? He inhales his slice, and grabs another one.

Vinny lets out a brief grin as he hears Aviva's answer, before he grimaces momentarily as he listens to the rest. Looking towards the raven again, he looks a bit thoughtful. "It's not… contagious?"

So that's a little scary. Annaliesa had touched her too! She looks down at her own hand and absently rubs it on her thigh of her jeans. Her other holds the remainder of her pizza slice that even gets a wary look now. "What do you mean?" she finally asks.

"It is not quite that simple," Aviva explains to Daxton. "It is a part of me, quite literally. To kill it is to kill part of myself. Injure myself permanently — and beyond the loss of my hand." To Vinny, then, "It is, but the bird is under my control. It cannot attack unless I tell it to do so. And I will not." She takes a bite of her own pizza as she notices Anna rubbing her hand on her thigh. Her expression turns rueful. "I am not infected," she says, "and the bird can only pass the disease by biting. But it was a part of me. It wants to be a part of me again."

She pauses, then leans over to put her pizza on the lid of the box. "Here," she says, removing her prosthetic. "Hold this, please," she asks Anna. "I promise, it is clean." She casts a look at the raven. "Stay," she orders firmly, eyes, for a moment, piercing, and the raven stays. And then Aviva explodes into a flock of red-legged seagulls, each going in its own direction, circling and crying out in that high-pitched seagull cry, at least a hundred birds, perhaps more.

Daxton's head tilts and asks honestly, "Well…aren't you already injured? Or can this be healed?" The bird or her hand? He frowns slightly, a little bit confused. And then lot confused when he's holding her pizza and there's flock of seagulls, and not a band. He winces, ducking slightly with the passing birds. "So…there's this." Does she want him to toss the crust?

Vinny whistles a little as he sees Aviva turning into a flock of seagulls. "Impressive…" he offers, as he watches the seagulls. Looking back to the others left standing, he offers them both a smile.

Annaliesa looks more than a little sheepish at being caught wiping her hand, her lips tilt apologetically, "I'm sorry," she offers, and as if to prove it, she accepts the prosthetic, looking at the digits on it, the nails, the way it connects to Aviva's body. Certainly she is curious about it. When Aviva alters, changes, transforms, what have you, she jumps back almost dropping the hand, barely able to hold on to it by a finger. "Alfred Hitchcock.." Because Birds and weirdness. She cuts a look towards her brother to make sure he was okay, a look to Daxton, before looking back to the birds.

The birds are unable to respond to the questions, of course, and weave and dip, moving as a unit, as they circle overhead. When they come back down to the ground, they stack together, compressing into Aviva's form almost as quickly as they separated.

And then the raven caws hoarsely and flaps its wings, trying to join the flock. Aviva grabs for her prosthesis even before the images of white feathers and red legs vanish from her skin, slamming it into place on her wrist before the raven can take its desired place. "I told you to -stay!-" she yells at the bird. It does not look terribly apologetic.

Daxton just watches, cause , you know, forming bird girl. OH. Oh. The bird is, double yikes. Dax nods, a little bit of understanding. His two house makes get a glance before he offers, "Okay….that's intense." He holds up the pizza box if she wants her slice back.

Vinny pauses, watching Aviva carefully as she forms back into one piece, and the raven not succeeding in taking the place it wanted. Ah, the pieces of the puzzle quite literally fell in place now. "That's…" Nodding at Daxton's statement, he offers a smile, "Impressive…"

The hand is taken from her as quickly as it was given and suddenly Annaliesa understands exactly what had happened. She looks between Aviva and then the Raven that would make up her remaining hand. "Is.. ah.. there a cure? Or will you always have to be cautious of the bird taking his place at your wrist again?" Because that sounds dreadfully difficult.

"When I reformed without it," Aviva says, eyes shooting daggers at the bird, "it was as though it were never a part of me. If I killed it — according to what I have read — I would be wounded as though I cut off my own hand. But I have a cage for him. I can keep him in there — as long as I am not going too far from him." She runs her flesh hand back through her hair, looking up at the others. "On the other hand, being a flock is very freeing. And very useful." She smiles. "My family always has its curses. This one is mine. I will overcome. I am a Masters."

Daxton doesn't pretend to understand magic stuffs. he'll accept that there's stuff he doesn't get, will never get. So he just nods, cause yeah. "It's what we all do, overcome, right?" It's why they're at the school, right?

Vinny nods as he hears that, "It sounds like a quite… I don't know. But it seems to be a challenge…" A brief pause, before he nods again at Daxton's words, unable to hold back a brief smile. "That it is."

"Well I'm not a science person, I don't even know that many.. Maybe Diego. You may know him already though." Annaliesa looks at the raven again, as Aviva shoots those daggers towards it. "So the bird used to be your hand and he misses you. How did it happen though? How did he become the odd bird out?" Perhaps more detail or something, but her mind is working and coming up completely blank and she does understand some magic stuff!

"This is not precisely science," says Aviva, chuckling softly. "He was caught by a ghoul, infected, and when I recombined, he was not there to become part of me. When he reappeared, I was already wearing the prosthesis — and he was as he is now." Trailing feathers, eyes cloudy and vacant, missing a chunk of flesh — though skin and down cover the wound.

"Indeed, we are all here to overcome," she says with a sigh. "So, what do you all do? And what teams are you in? Any Metis among you?"

Daxton puffs his cheeks out at the story. "Rough." The raven is eyed briefly before he answers, "I'm a junior in Ares." His free hand rises and he rubs the back of his neck, "I can move fast."

Grimacing momentarily as he hears that story, Vinny nods a little bit, before he pauses a little at that question. "I…" he begins, before he grins. "Strong senses. And I can move reasonably fast. Dax here makes me look like I'm running through syrup, though…"

"Poor bird." Losing his host like that, or whatever Aviva was considered to him. Instead of getting any more pizza, she looks between her brother and Daxton as they each relay what they do. She grins. "Ares. And Daxton's fast? An understatement. He's like.. super, super fast. His shoes wear out quickly. He'll make the perfect deliveries at the pizza place." As for Vinny, she grins, not telling his story for him. Instead, she tells briefly about herself. There's a motion to the water, "Water manipulation."

"Fast is very much relative around here," observes Aviva. "As a flock of needletails I can fly very fast — but I doubt it would be much in comparison to you, Daxton." She glances at the raven, beckons. It flaps up to land on her shoulder and nips her ear lightly. Not enough to break the skin — just a show of affection. "He is not so poor. He gets the leftovers when I am finished eating. Few of his brethren can say the same."

Daxton shakes his head, "You're pretty fast Vinny, don't knock yourself." The speedster clears his throat, looking down at said worn out shoes. "We all got our purposes."

Vinny grins at Daxton, reaching out to lightly poke at the other boy's shoulder. "Yes, I only meant that you're faster. But that's how it's supposed to be," he replies, before he grins at his sister too. "Oversimplification," he remarks, a bit lightly.

"I agree." Annaliesa smiles, "Some can fly, others can run, others can fall and not get hurt, it amazes me to see everything people can do. So amazing." As the raven returns to Aviva, she nods, albeit hesitantly. "I guess, but the other birds get choice from your meals." She flashes a smile.

"At this point, he's sort of a pet. And a spy. Who is a good spy, hmmm?" Aviva moves her good hand to rub the underside of the bird's beak. "As long as my wrist is covered, he's no threat to me — and as long as he's close enough that I maintain control, he's no threat to anybody else."

Vinny nods again as he hears that, with a quiet smile. Looking to the raven again, rather carefully, he nods again, before he takes out his book once more, opening it to where he was drawing the bird, and adding a few more lines now. "Now let's see… There…"

"I wonder if you could get some sort of hood or something, like they used to use in falconry or something?" Annaliesa does seem genuinely curious in the girl, her bird and her predicament. "I'm glad he's not a danger to you or anyone else though." She watches over her brothers shoulder. "I wish there was some sort of camp out on the island tonight. It's not too terribly cold out."

Aviva peers over at the book, her brows rising. "That is very good," she says. "Look," she tells the bird, and it flaps over toward Vinny, attempting to sit on his shoulder and look at his own picture. "I ought to give him a name," she observes thoughtfully, then blinks at Annaliesa. "That… sounds like it could be a good idea. It would not stop him from reintegrating if my arm is exposed, but it might help others be less frightened of him."

Daxton eye the book. He's seen Vinny draw before in their room. He glances up at the bird and says, probably without thinking, "You kinda got a fancy, new age pirate thing going on." He means that complimentary, in the way a 15 year old boy would. A hooded bird seems more metal too, to be honest.

Not moving away from the raven as it seats itself on his shoulder, Vinny holds the book up so the bird can see it. "Looks good?" he offers to it, a bit lightly, before he grins at his sister. "See, that would be quite nice too," he offers to the part about a camp out." Nodding a bit as he hears Daxton's words. "She'd need some kind of a costume for that to be even better, right?"

"I think you should call him Lefty." Annaliesa's lips tilt into a crooked grin, completely teasing of course. There is a nod at the idea of the hood, or rather the reception of the suggestion. "Maybe just during school or something, let him free in your room and during the weekends?" Just ideas. "This just happened during your absence, right? This last month you've been gone?" She peers at her brother suspiciously, "No berry picking for you though." Because protective older sister is a thing.

Aviva considers this. "I don't know that 'pirate' is quite the look I'm going for… but for Halloween perhaps." Her own lips twist at Anna's suggestion. "Indeed. Lefty." She glances at the raven, who quarks at the picture of himself. Ravens are intelligent birds, really. "Yes, just in the last few weeks. The family did some research into the matter before I came back to school."

Daxton didn't mean it bad, more just that she has a bird on her shoulder. The teen nods, finishing off another slice. For someone not hungry, he's sure eating a lot. He snickers at the name but then smoothes his face, unsure if that's on to joke about or not. "Well…hopefully you family will find a way to revert it, or cure it, or…whatever." He offers the box around again.

"Why not?" Vinny replies to Annaliesa, offering her a brief grin. "I mean, what could go wrong?" Nodding once more as he looks back to Aviva. "Yes, I can understand them wanting to do some research before you returned." Another smile is offered, "Welcome back."

"I guess even you're not used to it yet," Annaliesa gives her another apologetic look. "I can't imagine a part of myself being missing." She hesitates, looks down at herself then out to the water. "Well maybe I can…" there's a fleeting look of sadness but she doesn't allow it to linger. As more pizza is offered, she moves right into the lighter mood. "Oh, no I've been told recently I need to get exercise," she gives Daxton a cheeky grin. Her brother gets a hand lowered to his hair as she tousles it. "Cause, you're too good for that."

Aviva lifts a hand to pass on the pizza, though she murmurs a thank you all the same. "I should head back to the school," she says with a sigh. "It has been a long trip, and I need to settle… Lefty in his cage." She chuckles softly. "It was very nice to meet all of you."

Daxton's eyes widen, "That's not what i meant!" Oh god, no, he's not getting into that viper pit! the speedster starts to fidget, changing which foot is carrying the majority of his weight. "Later Aviva.'

Vinny smiles, "It was nice to meet you too," he offers to Aviva, before he grumbles at his sister. "Do you have any idea about how long I spent on my hair today?" he asks, unable to hold back a bit of laughter. A few moments longer, and he looks around. "I should get going too, I have a few things I need to take care of."

"You going to mom and dad's or back to the school?" Since their parents had moved to Shady Cove for the duration of the two's schooling. Annaliesa smiles at the name for her bird. "It was nice meeting you. All of the yous." When she hears Daxton, she looks at him and laughs. "I know you didn't mean it that way."

Aviva clucks her tongue, and the raven flaps back to her shoulder. "Good night, lady and gentlemen," she says brightly, and then starts down toward the docks again to catch the ferry.

Daxton snorts at the siblings. It's comforting. he shakes his head at anns, letting his eyes drift up to her briefly. "Very funny." The not pirate walks away and he lets his eyes follow her before sneaking back down to his shoes. "If you don't want to do the danceing with Felicia, We can go jogging or whatever. If that will help."
Daxton nods to Vinny, "Later man."

"To mom and dad's first. Promised dad I'd help him with something," Vinny replies, before he adds, "Will make sure to be back at the school very soon too." Waiting for a few moments longer, before he hurries off now.

"Maybe I could do dancing and jogging?" Annaliesa suggests, certainly not adverse to the idea. "It'll be a way to get out and keep warm at the same time." She slips her hands into her hoodie pockets. "You should learn dancing with Felicia too." She nods to her brother and even hugs him goodbye before he heads off.

Daxton nods, "Sure. Jogging will keep you warm." But then she drops an obvious ultimatum. He freezes, the motion stopping, "Me? Dance? I…uh…" There's a different type of fear now. "I don't think that would be a good idea."

"Are you afraid you'll do the Tasmanian devil thing?" Annaliesa does seem genuinely concerned as to whether or not that was the reasoning. Then she fishes a little more. "Or do you not want to be that close to Felicia?" Was someone fishing?

Oh god, could he? Dax's eyes widen even more. "No, …I mean. I don't know. it's…Prolly not a good idea." Then he tilts his head, "No. Why would I not want to be code to Felicia?" He's not getting what Anna's fishing for.

Seeing the look, Annaliesa regrets the question, actually, she regrets both of them when Daxton just seems confused by the question more than anything. "Are you going back to the school tonight? I was thinking of going back and getting an early night. I'm getting sleepy."

Daxton offers, "I can DJ for ya, if you want." And by DJ, he means play a CD. His narrows his eyes, noticing she's now evading that question. Weird. "Yeah. It's not like i got anywhere else to sleep, right?" he smiles softly, "Sure. I'll walk ya back, if you want." He's not got any hot dates for the night.

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