Where's home for the restless.

In the distance, the city was still bustling loudly, busy and noisy as usual, messy like it ought to be. Even here, after walking away from it for a few hours, you could still distinctly hear it, all metal and smoke and sweat, active and awake. Smaller, more rural houses still jittered the decor of fields and small roads, casting long shadows in the evening glow. It was a quiet evening following a sunny day, and few still roamed the place in the late hours of dusk.
One of these late butterflies was a man in his early thirties, tall and broad, silently closing a barn door behind him. He had thick, unruly hair and most of his face was obstructed by a metallic mask, a quiet, even breathing sound filtering through it. He was barefooted, wearing baggy clothes and a leather belt with pockets jangling from his hips.
Anthracite, or Anti as he was more often known among Cana, slowly stalked away from the barn he and his travel companion were spending the night in. The owners had been kind enough to allow them to take shelter there from the rain that was supposed to burst out during the night, and they had settled peacefully, his friend drifting into sleep almost immediately. He, however, was far from tired yet, and staying in this form for too long was quite tiring on him, and thus he had set out to find a discrete spot to switch over for a few hours, somewhere he knew he wouldn't be spotted all to easily, despite his massive form.

After a few minutes of walking more or less aimlessly, he finally found a spot that he deemed tranquil enough. Far enough from any of the settlements jittered around the fields, close to the forests that provided a good protection from prying eyes. And he had a good view on the glaring lights and glowing smoke of the city, which was always an enjoyable sight.
Streching a little, he sat down and started to transform, shedding his guise for his original form, growing and streching into the shadows, skin and cloth leaving for thick, coal and rusty fur. Even sitting down like he was now, he was massive and broad, a black rock against the trees. His hands, dirty with coal, stretched into the dust as he lay down with a heavy thud, taking in a deep, buzzing breath and sprawling shamelessly on the ground, popping and cracking joints in the process. Guises were so restrictive.

He rolled around a few times, scratching the itches and aches out of his body, slow and seemingly lazy, careful, muscle rolling under scruffy fur, bones jutting out in some places, sharp angles under coal coloring. And then he settled down, big lump of flesh sticking out of the dirt, legs and arms streched out to the sides, head lazily slumped on the ground, his face toward the fiery glow of civilization on the horizon.
His life was not too bad, right now.
Maybe he'd stay the night out. Maybe that would worry his little Cana.
Which would be fun.

Not too bad, really.

With the sun beginning to go down, the birds were looking for a place to roost. Large flocks of starlings dipped and swooped though the sky, creating mushroom clouds and waves of black iridescent feathers. Underneath these waves, ran a strange, multicoloured Dosoi, the bone white mask and bold yellow streak running from the crown of his head to the base of his neck standing out against his dark curving horns and brown-blue fur. Occasionally he would whistle and chirp, before changing direction and leading the flock to a likely place to roost. He slowed to a stop near a reed bed, whistling loudly, receiving a loud chitter from the entire group, before the flock spiralled around themselves and landed amongst the reeds.

Content that his flock was now settled for the night, Uthman began a large loop around the city, giving the occasional whistle to a bird yet to roost, indicating they should hurry up and get a move on. He was now more distracted with finding his own place to sleep at night, the city was much too loud for his liking, the bright light blocking out the stars as well, he didn’t like that.

Slowing to a trot rather than the awkward looping run, he skirted about behind the houses at the edge of the city, avoiding the windows and any Cana that might spot him. He did enjoy their company at times, but tonight, he wanted to speak to his birds. His calm night was interrupted by a strange, faint buzzing noise. He paused, mid step, one hand hovering above the grass, ears flicking back and forth, trying to locate the source of the sound, it was a sound which belonged to the city rather than the forest around it. Uth looked about, attempting to locate a bird to find the source for him, but none were about, only a few sleepy hoots of the owls, and they were stubborn little sods.

With a slight snort, he continued forwards, ears flicking about trying to pinpoint the sound, following it to a small spot between the trees. A large grey lump of fur was flopped in the middle, arms and legs sticking out at odd angles, head on the ground looking towards the city. Behind his mask, Uthman’s eyebrows shot up, was that a Dosoi, with a lump of metal on his face? He wasn’t well versed in the Cana machines and dreaded to think what contraption was on this one’s face.

Lowering his head, he stalked forwards, shoulder rolling under the thick fur on his back, dark blue eyes wearily watching the coal grey Dosoi. “Hey. You.” He said, voice low and eyes staring. “You alright?” He asked, referring to the metal mask and his awkward slumped position.

Sprawled on the ground like a happy dog, the coal Dosoi didn't really pay his surroundings all too much attention. Which is why he didn't realize he wasn't alone until a colorful figure was standing right in front of him, head lowered to meet his glass covered eyes in a slightly worried expression.
Huh. He had definitely not expected to meet ayone of his own species around here. But when the other opened his mouth to speak, clearly expressing concern about his current state of health, he couldn't supress a soft chuckle that came more like a deep rumbling sound escaping his throat. Yes, indeed, he was most certainly no usual sight.
Slowly, he picked up his limbs under his body, sitting (or more like laying) in a more conventional position. He didn't want to stand up quite yet, it tended to worry people when someone with a metallic face loomed too high above your head and he was certainly quite a bit taller than this stranger.
"I am perfectly fine, don't worry." His voice was just like his laugh, deep and somewhat strained, scratchy yet soft and polite. He gave a small tap on his mask with big, dirty hands "this keeps me breathing. Fascinating piece of technology, really."

His ears twitched shortly, earrings chiming against each other, as he remembered that not everyone liked to be greeted with an explanation on Cana wonders. "Ah, but I should maybe present myself first, how rude of me. I am called Anthracite, pleased to meet you." He was not sure what was the custom among Dosoi when it came to greeting, as it seemed to vary way too much among Cana already, so he settled with a simple nod of the head and polite smile that showed in his eyes rather than his mouth, as they were much more visible through the glass mask.

He certainly did not regret going out for a late evening walk, as it apparently allowed him to meet with some unusual creatures. Because, really, how often did he cross path with a Dosoi? Maybe it was bound to happen more often now that he was actually travelling, and not as part of a big, noisy group, but until now he had not really had the chance to meet many.
He kind of expected to be much of a stranger to them, tho. What's with loving everything technical and mechanical and definitely not natural.

Uthman took a couple of steps back, out of politeness so he wasn’t in the other’s face too much. They were certainly much larger when sitting up, strange metal face hiding most of their expression, although his large eyes were still visible behind the glass. The slight buzz and rattle coming with each breath made him nervous, it just didn’t sound right to have a voice come from within it.

“It keeps you breathing?” Uth asked, craning his head forwards to look at the contraption. “I do not spend enough time in the cities to recognise such a thing. I know little about the technology of today.” He explained quickly, a broad smile visible below his half mask.

“My name is Uthman.” He replied, inclining his head back, scuffing a back hoof uncertainly. The largeness of Anthracite was a little off putting, but he had been friendly and polite enough which helped put him at ease, he sat down with a bump and drew his hooves up under his fluff, cocking his head to one side as he looked at the other fellow. “I take it you spend a lot of time in the cities?” He asked, gesturing with the beak of his mask, back towards the city. “Do you live here or are you just passing by?” He added, realising he was asking a lot of questions.

Right, staying down definitely was the better decision, seeing how the other had seemed to stumble back a little when the coal Dosoi had sat up, and the fact that he already had to strain his neck up to look at him. Was he really this large, or had he just encountered a fairly small Dosoi? That, and obviously his steel face did not help put people at ease, which... was understandable albeit a pity, because really, it was a very cool thing, this mask.
Anti worried a little that he'd just scare the guy away, but when he suddenly leaned in to study him up closer, admitting he didn't know all that much about technology with a broad smile, he relaxed. Apparently, his unusual appearence was not enough to make the little guy run for his life, which was good. He enjoyed some company during his late night excursions and meeting another Dosoi was always an experience. Really, why where there so little of them in the cities?

"Uthman then, pleased to meet you." The other one settled down, bright fluff cascading around his paws and feathers picking up every little breeze. It had Anthracite wondering for a little about the nature of his powers. Wind? Flight? Birds? Was that even possible, controlling something living?
"I'm a passerby, as you are, I presume, since you're asking?" Because someone from around here would know who's staying and who's just using the roads. "I'm travelling with a friend to see what the world has to offer. We left the city yesterday morning. And I haven't seen much else than cites since I was, what, 40?" His ears shoot up, tiny metal chains clicking against each other, one of them turning toward the bright orange glow of civilization while the other stayed focused on the other man.
"They're wonderful, complex and intricate and buzzing with life." There was a slight rise in the calm tone of his voice, followed by a little whirr from the mask, as if complaining about his small surges of excitement. It seemed to remind him of the first question asked, and he sighted, which came out more like a wheeze through metallic filters. "But yes, to answer your question, it has it's drawbacks. Long story short, apparently our lungs are not made to breathe coal dust and gas day in, day out. I used to wear a mask much like yours, because obviously I had to protect my eyes, but I didn't think of the lungs at the time." He gestured toward his face with a purposely over-dramatic gesture, trying to lighten a statement that was probably fairly depressing if you didn't take it as well as he did. "So now I'm stuck with this mask to support my breathing, least I want to die very young. Which I really don't." He chuckled softly, flexing his fingers before joining them together on the ground. "I'm aware it's a little off-putting, I'm sorry."

Though he didn't really sound all that sorry. He kind of liked that thing, for all it's restrictive disadvantages. It was amazing, actually, so small and little and yet so powerful, and it reminded him of everything he loved in Cana and what their little hands could bring forth.

He wanted to ask about Uthman's powers, the feathers kept catching his eye and he was curious about the bright colors. He'd have thought a wind elemental would have the colors of the sky and dust clouds. But he waited first until the other had asked his own questions, after all he had all night.

Uth grinned at Anthracite’s enthusiasm about the cities, while he might now share the interest in the large buildings and loud machines, he could understand the passion in his words. But his smile fell slightly at the mention of his damaged lungs, the few rare times he had breathed in smoke or being caught in a sandstorm was bad enough. He couldn’t imagine how bad the damage must have been for him to need the contraption.

“If you need to wear it, then I have no problems with it. I was just a little confused at the first sight of it.” He said, smile returning. “And yes, I too am just passing by. I sometime’s follow my different flocks about the world, just to make sure their travel goes by unhindered.” He briefly explained. “Do you ever explore the forests? They often buzz with life, albeit on a different scale, ants and termites create entire cities beneath the ground.” He said, trying to think of a similar comparison to the vast cities of Cana.

He suddenly realized he must sound like an over excited child, praising the city and it's liveliness. But really, who could blame him. It had caught his heart from the very first day he had been confronted to the mines and it's machines, giants against the dusty sky, all rust and power gutting the earth. Drawbacks be damned. He'd just have to build back whatever body-part failed him.

"I have... not yet seen much outside of cites, really." His hands absentmindedly travelled to the little metal scraps around his neck, thick, scarred and black fingers curling around them "I've lived with someone in Sarrel for a long time, and left not all too long ago. As far as I can tell, the forests live much more quietly than the cities. But I'll readily admit I haven't really had an occasion to see much of them. Ants do interess me. Systems interess me, mostly. Things with... an internal structure, and a purpose from that." He had his head up and slightly turned to one side, not quite sure how to express what he was trying to say. It was always so easy with proper terms for a specific mechanism, yet so complicated to show on a larger scale. Especially for someone who really had no clue as to how living and breathing things worked, alone or together. Did they even? Most of the forest life looked so... unstructured and random. It lacked the obvious pattern of mechanical items.

Instead of finishing that train of though, however, he opted for falling back on something the other had said that he had picked up in between two sentences, curious. "Before I forget this, though: I couldn't help but notice: Your flock? How... Uhm. What? Birds?" Not so smooth, but it will have to do. The sentence was followed by a gesture toward the feathers on Uthmans horns and ears and laced with a certain curiosity. Hopefully he was not being rude with that question, because really, he had no idea.

But birds. Birds could fly, and while he was not so much one for taking to the sky (never quite understood the obsession some seemed to have with it) the act in itself was mesmerising. Get something up. Something distinctively too heavy carrying itself out into the air.
Now that was a beautiful though.

Uth hummed to himself, trying to think of other things with structure and systems. He knew more about birds than the rest of the wildlife of the forest, when it came to explaining about other systems, he drew a blank. They both fell briefly silent, Anthracite seemed to be thinking to himself, before piping up again, asking about the flock and birds.

A wide grin spread across Uthman’s face. “Yes, birds, both flocks and single birds fall under my power. I can both speak to them, and with some of the ‘dim’ ones I can control or direct some of their movements. But obviously they’re living things, I can’t make them do anything they don’t want to.” He said with a slight chuckle. “I often follow a flock to make sure they roost safely, they have an unbelievable amount of predators. None the less, it means I travel. A lot. ” He added.

He gave a quiet laugh and shook his head, earrings fluttering. “Both of us over excited about our own powers, and not fully understanding the others.” He said with a smile.

Anthracite listened to the other's story with a quiet interest, his ears forward and his mouth turned up in an invisible smile. It was amusing, how Uthman had suddenly lit up at the mention of his feathery friends. It was an interesting power, very different from what he himself did. It seemed so... volatile and hard to grasp, just an affinity to a specific kind of creature. He was a guide and a guardian, like a passerby in the solid world.

Needless to say Anti wasn't the only one to notice the sharp differences between them, and how they failed, maybe, to communicate the meaning and use of their powers, of what they found in their respective environements. When the bird Dosoi pointed it out, the other replied with a nod and a faint wrinkle under the eyes, indicating he was smiling. For all it was worth.
"That's true. But I guess that is what makes it interesting. What is the point of explaining something to someone who already fully comprehends it?"
Here's the engineer talking. The curious mind. The one who takes pleasure in plucking things appart and stripping them down to the core of their functionning, in the hopes of understanding it.
But he knew from what he'd seem that most people still preferred the simple things, or were satisfied with using without understanding. Maybe that's why they knew so little of the working of the world. Who had bothered to take it apart?

They fell into a conftable silence for a short while, the big Dosoi musing about funktion and purpose, before chiming in again.
"Here, I have an idea. Since we both seem unable to put things into words, why not try to show each other?"
Someone is testing the waters. Trying, prying, always polite but maybe, just maybe, a litte provoking and playfull, in that still, muted way that characterized Anthracite so well. It was only an edge, though, in the deep, broken voice that seeped through his mask, barely there and easy to miss.
"What is it about birds that make them so outstanding? How would you explain what makes them so valuable in your eyes to someone who's never seen any before? Which, with the exception of pidgeons and an occasionnal crow, is pretty accurate.
Are there even any birds up at night?"

In their short silence, he looked around peering through the dark trees, looking for something to snack on, maybe a berry bush, or a few mushrooms. He wasn’t starving as such, more peckish and wanting something to chew on while he mulled things over with the coal gray Dosoi.

His head twisted round to look at Anthracite as he asked about birds. He tried to keep the broad grin under control, but couldn’t help smiling. “Birds are free.” He said simply. “We and cana are confined to land or boats, only able to travel as far as their fuel - is it called fuel - can take them. Birds simply spread their wings and let the wind carry them.” He said rather wistfully. “And there are a few awake at night. One second.” He said, sitting up a little straighter.

He briefly worked his jaw around, ‘loosening up’ in some ways, before giving a few distinctive hoots, followed by a low screech. There was a short pause, before a quiet flurry of wings signalled the arrival of a barn owl. It landed on a branch above the pair and peered down at them with a disdainful look. Or as disdainful as an owl could get. Uthman looked up at it, before back to Anthracite, and raised his eyebrows with a slight shrug. “Barn owl, predator, eats small things like mice and voles. Their feathers are slight frayed so they can fly silently and catch things without being heard.” He explained, giving the basic outline of the bird.

His grin widened as he turned back to Anthracite. “Now, how would you show me your power?” He asked. “If you wish, I half no qualms about going into the city, if it would help you to show it.” He added.

He listened to the explanation, giving an amused nod to the question about fuel and to the points Uthman was making, though he did not really agree. His conception of freedom seemed incredibly flawed to him, pretty and fitted for a dreamer but not really true. Living things had their own fuel that could only take them so far, and while they had the lands and skies, they did not have the sea and earth. He'd gone down the coal and iron mines, and no bird would follow you there unless you forced it into a cage. Cana did that, sometimes, take a song bird with them down into the darkness. It would complain and bicker, always, and if it did not, then it had fainted and the vein was to be evacuated as fast as possible. Gas leak.
Anti did not think it a taktfull thing to mention. So he didn't.

And anyway, there was a much more interesting thing to see right now, a rather big bird gliding silently through the starry night sky to land not too far from them, called by the bird Dosoi. It did not seem convinced, by whatever it was, judging by the look it was giving the two creatures staring up at it. Anti chuckled at the face it was making, taking in everything he could about it from where they were. Huge eyes, light feathers, a face like a moon and sharp beak and claws. Noiseless during flight, from what the other told him.
Curious creature.
He ought to get his hands on a few of that one's flight feathers.

His attention went back to the other who was now grinning at him happily, asking about his own power. Well, owls will be for another time, then.
"I don't think we will have to go as far as the city. I'm not travelling alone, you see, and someone would be very unhappy to find me gone in the morning." A whirrying noise escaped his mask, somewhere between a laugh and sight, and somewhere he wondered how long his companion would wait for him. Maybe he'd test that one of these days.
"I did leave my bag in the barn, though, so if I want to show you something more interesting than just a small simmer of ember, I'd have to get that. Tagging along or should I just bring it back here?"
So much for not having your stuff with you at all times.

He cocked his head to the side, he had a travelling companion? He was curious, another dosoi, or perhaps a cana? He didn’t ask though, talking about yourself was fine, but talking about others when they weren’t aware of it, that was interesting territory, some people didn’t mind, but some preferred to do their own talking.

“I shall follow.” He said, standing up and stretching, silky tail flicking for side to side as he yawned. “Makes the trip shorter and reduces any issue of getting lost.” He added with a grin, before giving the owl and single hoot. Telling it, it could clear off if it so wished. He got a stare in return, and he shrugged to himself, stubborn thing.

“How far away is the barn?” He questioned, looking toward the city. The dull glowing halo highlighting it like some great sleeping beast. His ears folded back slightly, it had been a while since he last entered a city, he usually skirted round them. But he would cope, he’d make sure of it.

((Ugh, my posts are shorter than normal, sorry about this :c ))

"All right then, off we are!"
There was a distinctive amused ring to Anti's voice when he raised to his feet, revealing the burned out torso he was previously lying on. He was a good bit bigger and broader than Uthman, too, and made sure to stand at a reasonable distance from him, so as not to be towering right above him. If the other was conftable with walking closer to him, he could still just do so, but the coal Dosoi did not want to force it, perfectly aware of how much it could sometimes make people squirmish. He did use it to his advantage at times, but right now he was actually trying to be a decent, polite and agreeable company.
He chuckled softly at the blank stare the owl gave at the other man's hoot. What a stubborn creature. Obviously, having the power to communicate with birds didn't automatically put you in their good favors. He wasn't really sure what the point of that power was, then, beside allowing to talk with things that, maybe, had a complete different view of the world than you.

"Not too far, maybe ten minutes? You don't look to conftable with cities. If it's anything to you, it's just in one of the farming settlements jittered around here, not actually in the city. Still, we should probably shift to Guise when we get a bit closer to it."
With that, he took off, walking at a conftable pace, all of his movements slow and fluid. His body language actually told a lot about him, the deliberately controlled pace, muscle rolling against slightly protuding ribs, the way he carefully set his hands on the ground, making sure he wouldn't hurt them. He was very contained, as a result of collapsing in bloody coughing fits if he breathed too heavily. And maybe other factors, but he never dwelled on that for too long.

"That bird, the... barn owl, was it? It didn't look all too convinced. What do they see you as?"


((It's fine! I think they're good, actually, it always gives me enough to answer on ^^ ))