Post by westernsunset on Jul 10, 2018 22:40:30 GMT 10
Title: Wasted Motion
Rating
Prompt: Cage
Summary: Daine has a hard time readjusting back to human form after a long time as a bird. Title and extra inspiration from the Bruce Springsteen song “Jackson Cage” (I’m doing a whole Bruce thing with these prompts, it’s working so far so let’s just ride this weird hobby out)
The night was hot, and the window she’d left open did very little to stir the heavy air. Next to her, Numair slept heavily, oblivious to her tossing and turning. She couldn’t find a space to lie comfortably. The bed was too small. The whole room was too small. Sweat clung to her skin and she shoved herself up to stand by the window.
It had never affected her like this before. Daine did a lot of spying for the King, using falcon or eagle form to scope out fiefs that were murmuring about rebellion, or changing herself into a sparrow and flitting about the northern border. She loved being able to provide a service to the realm where she made her home, and usually she came back from her spying trips exactly as she left them.
Not this time. It had been almost a week since Daine had a good night’s sleep. Everywhere she turned, she felt like she was trapped. The walls were too close, the air felt frozen, and everything felt like it was bearing down on her. She tried to take deep breaths, but she felt like her lungs were too small. A cold sweat broke out over her body and all she could think was “get out get out get out.” All she could think to do was pace the room, stalking between walls like a bird stuck on a perch.
“Daine?” Numair’s voice was soft with sleep. “Is everything ok?”
How could she respond to that? Nothing was ok. If she had to live in a room like this forever, she didn’t think she’d ever be ok again.
“Come back to bed,” he said, after a moment of silence.
“I can’t!” Daine’s protest sounded a little louder than she meant it to. “I feel trapped in here, it’s making me sick! I don’t think I can live like this!”
That got Numair’s attention. “Why don’t we go outside for awhile?”
Daine just nodded, and the two went outside, not bothering to put on shoes or change their clothes. The night was hot and the breeze was sluggish, but Daine felt marginally better outside. At least she had some space to breath. Numair seemed content to follow her, so Daine walked through the well tended gardens and out to the big hill above the practice yards. She was halfway down it by the time she felt ready to sit again.
“Feel better?”
“Somewhat,” she answered. “I still feel like I need to go somewhere but I don’t know where.”
Numair was quiet, thinking. “How long were you in bird shape this last trip?”
“Maybe two weeks?”
“And before that?”
“Three weeks.”
“So that’s five weeks with barely any time in between. No wonder your restless. Your body became acclimated to a certain shape, a certain lifestyle, and it’s hard to adjust back.”
“I thought I couldn’t lose my humanity anymore? I thought I put that behind me?” Daine was frustrated. Her one-time teacher should have warned her about the consequences of long-term animal form.
“I don’t think it’s that you’re losing your humanity,” Numair said, oblivious to the bite in Daine’s voice. “It’s more like...well think about how you felt when you first came to Tortall. Some things were uncomfortable or strange. Maybe it’s something like that.”
“Maybe?”
“Your powers are so unique, it’s hard to know for sure. I’d think of it less like you lost your humanity and more like you are having trouble adjusting to a place you haven’t been in awhile. I’m guessing it will take you some time to feel like your old self.”
“And what do you propose I do until then, O Wise One?” Daine joked, but she was a little relieved to hear Numair say what she was feeling probably wasn’t permanent.
“Why not sleep outside? You say you were feeling closed in, so take that out of the equation. Focus on getting a good night’s sleep. I think once that’s accomplished, you’ll feel more like your old self.”
“Old?!” Daine said, as they both got up, him to head back to the castle, her to the Rider’s barracks where she kept a spare bedroll.
Numair smiled. “Your right. Not your old self. Your wonderful, intelligent, beautiful self, who at this moment is acting a little...bird brained.”
“Numair that was horrible.”
“Too mean?”
“No, just cheesy.”
He laughed and gave her a hug. “I love you no matter what, my sweet. But it’s very late, and I don’t need to sleep outside. So I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
Daine gave him a hug and the two parted ways. Just as Numair was almost out of earshot, he said, “I’ll have the cooks make your breakfast all seeds and worms, so you feel more at home.”
Rating
Prompt: Cage
Summary: Daine has a hard time readjusting back to human form after a long time as a bird. Title and extra inspiration from the Bruce Springsteen song “Jackson Cage” (I’m doing a whole Bruce thing with these prompts, it’s working so far so let’s just ride this weird hobby out)
The night was hot, and the window she’d left open did very little to stir the heavy air. Next to her, Numair slept heavily, oblivious to her tossing and turning. She couldn’t find a space to lie comfortably. The bed was too small. The whole room was too small. Sweat clung to her skin and she shoved herself up to stand by the window.
It had never affected her like this before. Daine did a lot of spying for the King, using falcon or eagle form to scope out fiefs that were murmuring about rebellion, or changing herself into a sparrow and flitting about the northern border. She loved being able to provide a service to the realm where she made her home, and usually she came back from her spying trips exactly as she left them.
Not this time. It had been almost a week since Daine had a good night’s sleep. Everywhere she turned, she felt like she was trapped. The walls were too close, the air felt frozen, and everything felt like it was bearing down on her. She tried to take deep breaths, but she felt like her lungs were too small. A cold sweat broke out over her body and all she could think was “get out get out get out.” All she could think to do was pace the room, stalking between walls like a bird stuck on a perch.
“Daine?” Numair’s voice was soft with sleep. “Is everything ok?”
How could she respond to that? Nothing was ok. If she had to live in a room like this forever, she didn’t think she’d ever be ok again.
“Come back to bed,” he said, after a moment of silence.
“I can’t!” Daine’s protest sounded a little louder than she meant it to. “I feel trapped in here, it’s making me sick! I don’t think I can live like this!”
That got Numair’s attention. “Why don’t we go outside for awhile?”
Daine just nodded, and the two went outside, not bothering to put on shoes or change their clothes. The night was hot and the breeze was sluggish, but Daine felt marginally better outside. At least she had some space to breath. Numair seemed content to follow her, so Daine walked through the well tended gardens and out to the big hill above the practice yards. She was halfway down it by the time she felt ready to sit again.
“Feel better?”
“Somewhat,” she answered. “I still feel like I need to go somewhere but I don’t know where.”
Numair was quiet, thinking. “How long were you in bird shape this last trip?”
“Maybe two weeks?”
“And before that?”
“Three weeks.”
“So that’s five weeks with barely any time in between. No wonder your restless. Your body became acclimated to a certain shape, a certain lifestyle, and it’s hard to adjust back.”
“I thought I couldn’t lose my humanity anymore? I thought I put that behind me?” Daine was frustrated. Her one-time teacher should have warned her about the consequences of long-term animal form.
“I don’t think it’s that you’re losing your humanity,” Numair said, oblivious to the bite in Daine’s voice. “It’s more like...well think about how you felt when you first came to Tortall. Some things were uncomfortable or strange. Maybe it’s something like that.”
“Maybe?”
“Your powers are so unique, it’s hard to know for sure. I’d think of it less like you lost your humanity and more like you are having trouble adjusting to a place you haven’t been in awhile. I’m guessing it will take you some time to feel like your old self.”
“And what do you propose I do until then, O Wise One?” Daine joked, but she was a little relieved to hear Numair say what she was feeling probably wasn’t permanent.
“Why not sleep outside? You say you were feeling closed in, so take that out of the equation. Focus on getting a good night’s sleep. I think once that’s accomplished, you’ll feel more like your old self.”
“Old?!” Daine said, as they both got up, him to head back to the castle, her to the Rider’s barracks where she kept a spare bedroll.
Numair smiled. “Your right. Not your old self. Your wonderful, intelligent, beautiful self, who at this moment is acting a little...bird brained.”
“Numair that was horrible.”
“Too mean?”
“No, just cheesy.”
He laughed and gave her a hug. “I love you no matter what, my sweet. But it’s very late, and I don’t need to sleep outside. So I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
Daine gave him a hug and the two parted ways. Just as Numair was almost out of earshot, he said, “I’ll have the cooks make your breakfast all seeds and worms, so you feel more at home.”
Maybe once we'd have seen it during Smackdown!