Birds of a Feather

**Kaze** · Oct 7th, 2020 08:04 PM

Kaze's condo is a second floor walk up in a gated community called, 'Woodside' nearby the University of Sacramento. Inside the floor plan is spacious and airy with a private balcony and vaulted ceilings that make it feel open despite only being a 1 bedroom; 1 bathroom unit. The living room has only a desk on one wall and a futon currently in couch configuration on another, and a folded out beach chair with a tray built into the arm rests. In one corner is a large cage holding a number of pigeons, 8 to be precise if one takes the time to count them. The cage is about five feet square and about four feet high, with boxes mounted inside for roosting pairs. The cooing of the birds is omnipresent though not particularly loud.

There are stacks of books on the floor and on the counter of the kitchen area, and the bedroom itself is completely empty except for a padded mat on the floor and a wooden post with dowels projecting out that might be recognized as a kung fu training equipment, or just look like something for cats or maybe the pigeons. There is a holder on the bedroom wall for various staves and a set of two sheathed swords, one with about a three foot blade and another with about a two foot blade, both of them slightly curved.

The books in the stackes are mostly non-fiction, of

various topics and authors

.

**Briar Rose** · Oct 10th, 2020 01:16 PM

Briar Rose is heralded by a riot of sound. Her bike passing the walkup, before quickly turning when she realizes she over shot. Cutting the engine, she step walks it into place. Kicking the kickstand she yanks her helmet off, and starts attacking her hair with her fingers. Fuck she hates helmet hair, but fuck if she'll live without her bike.

Jeanes, boots, baggy shirt in an offish white, with pain spattered, and her jacket.

She ambles up and in. Taking in Kaze's actual place. Fuck. First Aurora then Kaze. Shit. Fuck.

"Yo," she calls out, a greeting, and a signal.

**Kaze** · Oct 12th, 2020 11:01 PM

"Hey there!" Kaze says, poking his head out from over the balcony above. "Come on up!" He says, grinning.

He opens the door and invites her in. "So, thanks for coming. Do you want some water? It's all I have to drink." He apologizes.

"Um, anyway." Kaze says, shutting the door securely behind Briar Rose as she enters and sounding a little nervous. "I...I got to an Adept level of Life."

He sighs. "So, I can shapechange now. And I have wanted to do that for a really long time. I drove out into the boonies and made sure no one was around and flew in eagle form for like an hour. A couple times. It was...pretty awesome." Kaze says, sounding a little dreamy.

He looks at Briar Rose. Apparently deciding there is nothing to be gained by attempting small talk or other pleasentries before telling her what he is hoping for her help with, he just starts talking to her, "The thing is, I want to ask your advice on...keeping control of...instincts." Kaze explains. "Aurora didn't have anything to say about it, except not shapechanging until Master level, or basically not doing magic at all unless you have to. Which, I know, isn't bad advice, just not the kind of advice I'm looking for." he admits.

**Briar Rose** · Oct 14th, 2020 01:03 PM

".....water is fine." she says after several moments of the Adept's babbling.

She heaves a sigh, and plops her ass down.

"I got nothing. Well, nothing first hand. I'm still only a Disciple of Life." she admits. Rolling her neck, "Fuck I'd say...meditate. Focus on you, and that you are not an animal no matter your shape. You are Kaze. An Obrimos. Maybe it, or something like it a mantra." she offers, interested, but not liking that he was better than her, at something that made her own Soul light up and sing.

....maybe she should get a handle on Matter and turn the offered water into wine.

"But other then that, yeah. Nothing."

**Kaze** · Oct 14th, 2020 10:04 PM

Kaze gets two sealed bottles of water from the refrigerator--actual glass bottles not plastic--and hands one to Briar Rose. Then he sits down in the folding each chair across from the couch futon where she sits, and listens.

He grins, "Meditation! Yeah, okay...I've been getting into that lately. I mean, I always did it, you kinda can't get away from it if you do martial arts, but...lately it's been a lot easier to just...clear my mind." He says thoughtfully.

He shakes his head, "You are a natural though. I mean, Obrimos, right? If I'm not setting things on fire or blowing things up, I have to try to figure it out like, by studying and a LOT of trying and failing." Kaze says with a vague gesture at the room around him, the piles of books, the cage of birds cooing. "My instincts don't really help much; I end up having to totally change my perspective and start over all the time."

"You'll pass me up and be a Life Master long before me." He says with confidence. "Actually...when you do, will you help me with that? That's my ultimate goal." Kaze confesses. "Life Mastery."

**Briar Rose** · Oct 18th, 2020 12:09 PM

She feels like she wants to bash her head against something. Violently. Instead she grabs the glass fucking bottle and breathes. "Life Mastery, fuck." she shakes her head.

"You're already there. You're twisting yourself and focusing on you instead of oh gee I'm an Obrimos better throw some lightning. So, you're already ahead. And obviously on the right track. I dunno, what I could do to help, but fuck. Sure. If that happens. I'll put you through your paces." she snorts and cracks open the bottle. She takes a swing and wishing it was hoppier.

Fucking Matter. Fucking non-alcoholic bullshit.

**Kaze** · Oct 18th, 2020 08:35 PM

"Thanks." Kaze says soberly. "Coming from you...that means a lot."

"I am trying, to figure it out, what I really want to be, instead of what I think everyone else wants me to be."

He's quiet for a moment. "You know. It's funny. I don't mean to complain about how I have tried to please other people...it kind of works out. I mean, I tried out for a play, and I liked...acting." Kaze says in a wondering tone. "I think for me, expressing myself kind is pretending to be someone else."

**Briar Rose** · Oct 24th, 2020 11:24 AM

"Sure. Whatever." she grunts, ~~hiding behind~~taking a sip of water.

She looks over at the man, blinks. "I guess. Props, or whatever. We get pigeonholed into these archetypes and a lot of us just...fucking. Go with it. Like we stop. Being. Ourselves. When we Wake Up and Write Our Name. Which is complete fucking bullshit. ." more a growl then anything else. Fingers meeting around the bottle, she picks at a nail.

"Acting sure. You're not yourself. You're someone else, which is a layer - armour between you, and them." she belts out, before her brain can catch her mouth. Whatever. "If you get enjoyment outta it. Sure. Fine. But do it for you. And not to...conform to someone's bullshit. Or to stifle whoever you are underneath."

**Kaze** · Oct 24th, 2020 11:53 AM

Kaze grins at Rose's manifesto. It's awesome. That she just...says what she thinks, no matter what anyone feels about it.

"Yeah. It's funny. I have habits, 'skilz' I guess, in kind of being what people expect instead of...myself. But, I can--I think I can--learn how to use those skills to try out...figuring out what 'being myself' really is. Basically trying out different versions of myself, and just...I don't know, feeling what is natural, what actually feels good." Kaze muses.

Kaze notices Briar Rose's water. Remembers to drink some of his. Finishes the bottle in a gulp.

He looks at Briar Rose. "Do you mind, I mean, what's it like? Doing your art, I mean? Do you think about who's going to see it and what you want them to feel when they do? Or is it just about what's inside of you, getting it out?"

**Briar Rose** · Oct 26th, 2020 01:53 PM

Was that a 'z' did Kaze say that with a 'z'?

Fucker.

"That's stupid, but smart." she drawls, "Whatever works for you dude. But. Yeah. Keep up the 'you' part of it, for sure."

She waits half a minute, maybe more then that. She wasn't an Acanthus. Time wasn't Innate.

"So, is the eager puppy thing a hide behind, or a spotlight to your youness?"

She puts the bottle on the nearest flat surface.

"Okay. So. It's not anything. Pretty. Or like those inspirational quotes. Or whatever else. It's not like - it's." she frowns. "I gotta get it out or I'll explode. There's too much in my head and what I see. It needs ta get shown. I don't care who sees it, just that it's there. It's out and can be seen."

She rakes a hand through her hair.

"Sometimes...sometimes I cast my Spirit Sight and look lot of what I do. It trying to get people to see."

Birds of a Feather

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