Reconnection (Cherry) - Rank 2 SL

After his meeting with the girl named Cherry, his path had led him to many places; however, the place he seemed to stay in the most at the moment was the Bellows and it was also the place where the most encounters had occurred. His life had been quite lively though whether that was good or not was another matter. It certainly did depend on how one viewed the events that had unfolded thus far. Either way, the pale man was rather contemplative about the various matters rather than upset by the activity that had come his way. When he wasn't in the company of others, he took to journaling and researching. Though today such studies would take a pause as he stood within the fog of the Bellows surrounded by twisted trees, his eyes narrowed as he tried to pick twisted form out of the fog, searching for a form that resembled a particular skulled crow friend of his.

He probably wouldn't have been too concerned -- after all, these skull crows were indeed wild and did what they want-- but the reason he had come out here to search for said bird in the first place was due to Ana Marie. The elegant and larger female bird was in quite the state earlier, cawing and hopping about with concern as she nervously poked at the make shift nest that she and Alexander shared. The smaller male had decided to stretch his wings some days ago and while that was not particularly unusual, it seemed that the younger male had taken far too long for Ana Marie's liking, so here they were searching for him within the Bellows. Surely he wouldn't have gone too far right?

Well....

Alexander had indeed decided to go on a journey. Instead of telling Ana Marie or his strange human pet where he was going or what he was looking for, he decided that it was high time he did something on his own. So resting up well, he snuck out when both his pet and Ana Marie were sleep to begin his journey. He was in search of the girl called Cherry. She had separated from them even though he had thought she would come with them to the Bellows. He had waited for her, but she did not come so he figured he go check on his friend and find her. So he moved out of the Bellows and began searching the lands even asking others of his kind if they had seen the girl with no luck. He kept moving, but eventually got lost and ended up hiding inside of a building within the Highrise as a snow storm hit. Letting out a defeated sigh like caw, he'd watch the snow storm from the safety of the building wondering how and where he was going to find Cherry. He just wanted to say hello, so why did this happen? Even more so when he decided to go alone. If he ever got back home, he was in for it. He knew it, but he was determined to find his friend, so maybe if he succeeded and brought her back it wouldn't be so bad, right? ....Right? Oh perhaps it was wishful thinking and something he didn't want to think on right now as he just simply waited the storm out so he could search again.

The day seemed to be pretty normal at first. Cherry was on her first day on 'watch and waiting' duty. Which was just a fancy way of saying she was keeping a eye out to see if any demons where going to make any moves towards the hotel. And wait for Retuo to go and get her when everybody is ready to move. It was a pretty easy job, yet important job. And Cherry was rather proud of it. She was in a rather good mood today, and it seemed to only be raising by the second. It was all going uphill! Right up until the snow storm hit..................

Cherry had gotten caught up in the beginning of the storm, but lucky for her then it wasn't all that bad and she found a mostly in tact building she could hide in. The door seemed to be sturdy, and the windows while drity where not broken on any way. It was a rare sight, but perfect for her to hide it. Sadly this fact did not cheer her up at all. She hated when stuff like this happened, she felt so cooped up in here, and she was so worried about Retuo and the other people at the hotel. It seemed to be pretty well taken care of too, so maybe they where okay? Of course there was no real way for to check this before the storm finished, so all she could do now was sit down and wait in this empty building, all alone. Well that is what she thought she would have to do anyways. As out of the blue she heard a noise that sounded almost like a caw.

"What is a bird doing out here?" The teen muttered to herself softly as she got up to look. Not once in her life did she ever spot a bird in the Highrise, and why would she? It was freezing here! Only a select few animals could stay alive in the Highrise, and to her knowledge birds where not one of those animals. So to hear one out of nowhere like this, in a building AND a snowstorm mind you. It just didn't make any sense. But she couldn't deny what she heard, and soon as she walked down the stairs, she wouldn't be able to deny what she saw either. It was a bird. Not just any bird, but a skulled crow and if her guess was correct it was one she has met once before. "Alexander is that you!?" Cherry called out, cleary shocked.

Her mind was racing with questions. Why was he here? Was he okay? Was Snow anywhere nearby? She was so confused about do many things that for a few seconds she just stared at Alexander, not saying or doing anything. She soon broke out of her confusion based daze and walked up to him. Getting ready to fire off a question or two."Are you okay buddy? It's snowing hard out there, are you cold? Hurt? Hungry?"

The small bird would look out the window at the snow blowing about wondering to himself when said storm would end so he could continue his mission. Well, maybe after warming up a bit. While his kind could fly and even survive in this cold zone, it was rare and being not one of the rare few that lived here, Alexander did have to rest and warm up a bit before attempting to search the area again. He just hoped he could find Cherry within the time frame he could be here. No he would find her. Yep. He mostly certainly would.

Getting comfortable on the floor, the odd crow was about to just sleep for a bit, so he could have strength to continue his search; however, he would soon throw that idea out the window as he picked up the sounds of someone entering the building and then coming downstairs towards him. Tilting his head, he'd turn in that direction only to jump up to his little feet at what he saw and the voice he heard.

It was her!!!

His beak was open in surprise for a few second as he stared at the girl staring at him, but then he was running over to her with his wings open a bit for balance as he waddled towards her. He met her half way, hopping around the girl happily before registering her question.

He let out few caws that had a pattern similar to speech. He was trying to say he was fine and glad to see her, but then pausing he'd raise a wing to his face and do something similar to a face palm as he realized one thing. This new pet.... He hadn't taught her to understand him yet. Oh dear.

Hmm...let's see.

He would think for a moment before trying to answer the questions one-by-one.

Was he okay?

He'd give a nod and a short caw that meant yes.

Was he cold? Hurt?

Also yes, but along with that nod he did try to do a small dance showing that he was okay and not hurt.

As for the hunger thing.

He'd would move his wing trying to mimic that gesture of the hand that signaled kind of or so-so. He had seen his pet and other beings do it so maybe he could get that same message across here even if it was a wing he used....and probably looked a bit odd, but hey! His pet was intelligent and typically those of the two legged variety that were similar to him were too. So he had no doubt in his mind that Cherry would understand what he was saying. Yes. He had all the faith in the world in her on that front.

However, that went, he would eventually tilt his head at the girl pointing his wing at her as he let out a soft caw that almost seemed as if he was saying "you?" Seeming to be checking on the girl himself.


Meanwhile back and the Bellows, Snow and Ana Marie would continue their search.

It seems that this really was Alexander, it was really nice to see another friendly face around here, plus Cherry found the crow's reaction to seeing her very cute. Of course now she had to try and play a little game of charades with the bird. To his credit, the crow was prertty good at this, seeing as Cherry could get the gist of what he was trying to convey. "I am glad you're feeling okay. I hope you didn't get caught in that snow storm, those things can get rather nasty from what I have heard. I don't really have much food I think you'd like, but I do have a fish and a rat for you to snack on if you need it. And you can hide in my coat for warmth too." She didn't have too much to offer to the crow, but she would try to give what she could.

"Um............ Me?" She asked, trying to make sure she understood the little creature's question well enough before answering. "I've been better I guess, but I must say, seeing you has brighten up my day a bit!" The teen flashed Alexander a small, but happy smile as she reached over to pet him a little bit. "So what are you doing here Alexy? I didn't think you guys liked it here. And what about Snow, is he okay? I hope he isn't caught up in this storm. H-he isn't right!?" She blurted the last part out, worried about her friends safety.

See that? See that understanding? This is why the two legged variety that were more flesh than fur and other things made the best pets. They were intelligent and quick learners. Honestly, it made the little bird quite proud to call this one his pet. Oh? You didn't know he had already claimed her as his pet? Well then you and she were both unaware, but at least now you know so be proud of this information. Hmph. Anyway, where was I? Oh. Oh yes.

In any case, the bird was quite proud of the girl's understanding, his head tilting here and there as he listened to her reply. He'd shake his head in regards to getting caught in the snow storm, making a 'safe' gesture with his wings. His kind didn't like being in this cold area perferring to just past through unless they were one of the crazy ones that did settle here, survived, and became something quite different. However, he wasn't one of these birds and thankful had found shelter before the storm had gotten this bad. Otherwise, he would've been a popsicle for sure by now! As for the offer of fish or rat, he'd hop towards her interested, but for now wouldn't make a choice on food or to take her up on her jacket offer just yet as instead made a few clicks of thanks for the offers given. She really was a sweet pet and the offers just made him feel all warm inside.

When she questioned, his question in regards to her well being, he'd give her a nod before giving his full attention to what the girl had to say. He'd would fluff up quite proud that he brought her joy. He would allow the petting, snuggling into the girl's touch before blinking a bit at the shortening of his name. He'd look down at the ground making a caw and click as if he was repeating it back to himself. The sound was rather soft before trailing off, leaving the bird in thought. Then after some time, he seemed to have accept the nickname for he let out a rather happy little chirp at the name as he hopped in a proud circle proud. As for the questions and the questions he had, he would address them one at a time.

Why was he here?

That one was easy to answer. He'd point at the girl with his wing as he made the caw that he used before that mean 'you', except this time it wasn't a question. As for the rest...well he'd first nod in response to Snow being fine and then shortly after shake his head about him being in the snow storm. He wanted to tell her that he was by himself and that Snow and his mother was in the Bellows. He wanted to ask her why her day wasn't great. Wanted to invite her to come back home with him, but how did one do these more complex manners of speaking? At home, he had things to draw with and such, but here? Hmm...he'd have to see what he could do if he couldn't get away with the method he was using now.

Cherry nodded her head up and down as the bird tried to explain to her that he was not caught in the snow storm. That was nice to hear, these skulled crows maybe very smart and clever but Cherry was sure that they couldn't withstand something like a snow storm, at least Alexy wasn't in the Dryrange. While she has never been caught up in one before, the teenager has heard tales of how nasty sand storms could be. "So you are hungry? Okay well, I can't really set a fire right now because, well............" She brought up her right hand and pointed to the walls. She wasn't willing to risk torching their only protection against the heavy snow. "But if you're fine with eating something raw then feel free to take a bite, just be careful though and take slow, small bites. I find if you eat raw food slowly there is less of a chance you'll get food poisoning." That little theory was not based off of anything logical, mainly just a little wife's tale her mother told her.

Soon she pulled out a decently sized rat that seemed to have been stabbed through the chest, while the fish was much bigger and seemed to have been struck at a strange angle. "Hehehehehehe!" Cherry found herself descending into giggles as he fluffed his feathers up. It was rather cute, the bird itself was pretty cute really. Which was a odd thing to think since it had a skull for a head. "You're such a cutie Alexy, you know that right?" As she said that she would once again go back to stroking him with her thumb.

"Awwwwww, you came here for me? That's so sweet!" Embarssed she ran her flesh hand through her blonde hair, with a blush on her face. Nobody has ever sought her out before! Well, nobody that was doing it because they missed her. It was mostly people who thought that she was a demon, but that was besides the point. "I am glad he is safe and sound, but where is he in that case? Is he in another building or is he not even in the Highrise?" He did say that the skulled crows kinda just came and went when they wanted to. So there may be a chance that Snow wasn't even around here, which was a bit of a problem since she had a request to ask of him. But in the end it didn't really matter did it? If they where all safe that was the only thing that was really important.

Storms of all sorts could be bad. Water could drown, ice could freeze and shatter, and sand could shred one's skin and muscle off in an instant. None were pleasant; however, if the bird were to say which he'd rather not be taken out by of the three, then the snow storm would win out of them all. He could handle water and was hardy enough to handle the blast of sands, but ice and snow? The very thought of that sort of death made him shudder deep inside.

In any case, his pet would nod in understanding before offering the food. Was he hungry? Weellll, he wasn't starving, but if she was offering to feed him who was he to refuse? When she pointed at the walls and made her comment about fire, the bird would look in the direction she was gesturing before nodding in agreement and understanding. Well yes. They certainly didn't want to torch the place. Very clever and mindful, pet. He could respect that. As for her advice about eating, he might've chuckled if he had that ability. He was a carnivorous bird after all, so he really didn't need any advice on how to eat raw things. He knew how to tear apart prey and eat it well. It was ingrained in him after all. Still, the thought was sweet, so he wasn't mad about the advice given.

When he saw the rat and fish she pulled out the little bird looked at the catches with his beak slightly open. He didn't mind the fact that they were killed in a strange way. They were still mostly whole and also look! Look at the size of them! His pet was not only smart, but a master hunter to take such prey down. He was indeed lucky she was his! But wait... Which did he choose? Oh dear. He'd recover from his shock hopping towards the two items before taking a full minute to look between them. In the end, he of course poked a bit at the larger fish. He'd tear a small piece off and eat it before looking at the small hole he made with thought. Then deciding he was not going to eat alone, he'd tear off another piece of the meat and hop over to Cherry before offering it to the girl. He needed to take care of his pet just like his mother said. Mhm.

Wherever that went, it would go. The little bird would eat, but made sure to leave some for Cherry too. As for what occurred with his fluffing and such, he'd find he took pleasure in hearing her giggle, but then found himself feeling quite bashful at being called a cutie. No one had ever called him that before and getting such a compliment from his pet of all things was almost too much. He honestly didn't know what to do as he made a series of clicking sounds much like a person muttering themselves as he tried to regain his composure. Yet he wasn't mad about it all. Just flustered.

Depite that, he welcomed the petting, his body relaxing as he released a content little chirp before settling into a strange soft purr that somehow carried a tune with it. It was a soft soothing tune, the birds made when they were content and happy. A sign of complete trust. He would enjoy the petting while it lasted and then go back to focus mode as the girl asked her questions and he answered.

Hehehe. He made his pet embarassed or bashful when he told her why he came. He was quite pleased of the fact as he gave a proud nod. However, that proudness would settle into thought as she asked about Snow and where he was located. Ah...about that. Hrmm...

He would look at the fish and then coming up with an idea he'd hop over to it and place his small clawed foot on it, tapping it as he made a strange scratchy caw as he tapped the fish again. He was trying to say Bellows in response to the question, but he just didn't have the mouth structure or language to say it properly, so he tried this first. Maybe it would work, but then again, she could get confused. Tapping a fish could mean many things really, but he was trying, okay.

Cherry, while she hated the cold and really did not enjoy being trapped in a snow storm. She would take the cold of the Highrise over the intense heat of the Dryrange, or gods forbid the Eclipse. It wasn't always like this, when she was a younger girl she actually enjoyed the heat. But ever since she got her 'replacement arm' Cherry has been wary of intense heat. Sure the wood seemed to be different than normal wood, but the teenager wasn't really eager to test if her limb could catch on fire or not. Because, while she did dislike it. This arm was not only her only defense against the demons, but also could be useful when she needed to use pure brute strength to scare somebody off or move something.

The girl's eyebrow raised up a little bit as Alexander looked back and forth between the fish that Retuo has so kindly traded her, and the rat she stabbed the other day. It took her a few seconds to fully realize that the male was trying to pick which one he wanted to eat. She didn't know much about birds, much less about this breed of crows. But she was more than willingly to give her two cents on the matter. "While I have never tasted fish before, I'd probably pick it. My mom loved fish, and while rats can be pretty good too, this fish is a little bit fresher than the rat." Either because of her option, or the fact that fish was probably better than a slightly decaying rodent, Alexy hopped over and began to chow down on the dead fish. "Is it any good?" It should be, it was caight just today. But better to ask than to just guess.

Taking the little piece of meat from the crow's beak, she'd flash the bird a warm smile. "Thank you!" She would bring the meat to her mouth and begin to chew. It was alright. Would have been better cooked of course but that wasn't a option right now, and besides taste didn't matter to the girl. Sure it was always a nice treat when she found some tasty food, but what was more important is that the food gave her enough energy to survive and ideally thrive in Paris. Like she said she ate the fish very slowly and in small bites, wanting to leave some for Alexander and also not wanting to get sick. While she was eating a amused smile stayed on her lips. This bird was so adorable.

"Hm?" She let out a curious hum as he suddenly began to tap the fish. "What is wrong Alexy? Did you bite into a bad part of the fish?" Cherry honestly had no clue what the crow was trying to tell her, the teen's mind was racing a mile a minute to try and think of something that would cause Alexander to just start tapping it. Out of the blue it dawned on her. He only started doing this after She brought up Snow. "Is this about Snow?"

If it was, that narrowed it down alot but it still didn't really clue her in on what he was trying to get across. "Does............ Snow like fish? Is he fishing?" Those where the only two things that came to mind at the moment. Maybe Alexander was telling her to save some fish for Snow? Or maybe her second guess was correct and he was fishing? If that was the case then there was only one place the odd man could be. Pausing for a few seconds, she would sloely open her mouth to take another guess. "Is Snow at the Bellows?"

He would hear what the girl said in regards to the choices of fish and rat; however, unlike humans, he was not a picky bird. He could've easily eatten the rotting rat, but instead chose the fish due to it being fresher, but also bigger. The fish was way too big for him alone, but when he chose he wasn't thinking on freshness and size in a selfish way, but rather in a way of if he wanted to share with his pet, then it was best to go for something they both could share and also not get his pet sick if not cooked properly. Unlike him and his kind, these flesh pets had a more fragile stomach. In any case, he would give a small nod at the question of it being good. To him, it was delicious! Also, he was overjoyed when she decided to eat with him. She took the meat from him and he couldn't have a prouder bird. He give a happy chirp to her thank you before eating a bit more quite happy he was had company. It probably would be even greater if Snow and his mum was here. The whole family eating together was a wonderful thought and kept the bird quite warm and happy. To make this deal even better it was happiness he could share with his pet. Such a terrible day turned wonderful. See! He knew this sudden descision to come out here was brilliant!

Things would go peacefully enough until the whole matter of trying to get where his other pet was came up. Whoo boy. This was...Okay. Let's see.

Did he eat a bad part of the fish?

He'd shake his head at that one as he continued to tap the fish.

Was this about his other more strange pet?

He'd give a nod. Yes. Yes it was. Okay we are getting somewhere! Well...maybe.

Uh..

His other pet did like fish, but now that he thought on it his strange pet never ate the fish. Gave it to him and his mum, sold the catch to someone else, or made something out of it he did. As for fishing, well his pet was quite comical there, but he had no clue if that one was fishing now. In fact...he was probably hunting for him with his mother right now.

......

That terrifying reminder of a scolding aside, it take a bit of yes and no before finally, the bird was hopping about in celebration as the girl asked her last question.

He would nod as he made that odd sound as if he was trying to say Bellows, but failing at it once again. However that didn't matter, she had gotten it right. In any case, he'd settle down after a while before pointing at the girl and then outside, making that strange sound trying to invite her to come to the Bellows with him. Well after that storm was gone of course, but still...

Eating with Alexander has proven to be a very nice way to spend a late night, it actually kinda reminded the girl of eating with her mother. Of course it has been years since that last happened, but she could still recall the memories crystal clear. If the duo got luckly and there was enough food for the both of them to eat, Cherry would start up a fire, and start cooking. It was always so nice to see how she reacted when she bit into some food. And if she was in a good mood, she'd even tell Cherry about the old world or let the girl rest on her. Those rare treats where always the best, that was what the little girl lived for back then. And in part it is why she is still living for. The promise of getting her mother back, of finally being able to spend more time with her, it sounded amazing. Cherry couldn't help but wonder how she would feel about her arm? Would she be angry at the demons, angry at her? Would she be sadden, or happy that her own daughter was strong enough to fend off the demons? In the end Cherry would have to wait and find her mom first, before she finds out what her reaction well be. Besides she shouldn't focus in on that. That was in the future, she should just enjoy this moment with Alexy.

It was clear just by looking at the crow that he was in the moment, and enjoying the meal with her. A fact that made Cherry very happy. "This is my first time eating fish you know? My mom always said good things about it, but up until now I have never actually had the chance to fish for one. To be perfectly honest I am not all that good at it. I didn't actually this fish, I traded with a friend of mine to get this one. His name is Retuo, have you ever met him?" Cherry always had a bit of a problem with assuming that one of her friends knew the other, but Paris was just a city. Albeit a dangerous and demon filled one, this little vrow may have ran into him.

It seems as if her guessing was correct, which made her feel relieved. She was really going out on a limb there towards the end. "So he is in the bellows? That is great! That is one of the safer places in the Paris, so he should be okay." Pausing out the bird she would look at his wing that seemed to be pointing at both her and the outside. "Yeah I know, the storm is still raging outside. But don't worry Alexy it will ease up soon, I promise!" She reassured the bird, missing the point of what this crow was trying to get across to him. If it isn't a problem though, maybe we could go out and visit him in the Bellows? I wouldn't want some nasty demon trying to snag you on your way back, plus I would love to see Snow again."

Indeed the bird was quite happy with eating with the girl, the warm memories flooding him just enhancing the time he was spending with his pet. They would eat in silence for a while before the girl was speaking about the fish.

Swallowing a piece of the fish he had in his mouth, he would look up at her giving her his full attention despite not having any words she could understand to give back. He would look at the fish for a moment and then give a small click of his beak he would tilt of his head at her as if he was asking if the fish was good or not. Though whether the girl would understand that or not was yet to be seen. As for that name the she gave, to that he would blink a few times before shaking his head. Nope. He had never heard of the guy or at least he didn't think he had. He didn't recall Snow mentioning him either, but then again Snow had been rather busy and a bit sick as of late so maybe it was a bit of information he had forgotten to share in the chaos of it all.

In any case, the subject matter would go from warm and calm to a bit of guess work on his pet's part.

Ooookay. So she had missed the point and thought he was talking about the storm to which he would simply blink at her as he seemed to calm though not due to be reassured. He was on the edge of trying to figure some other way to ask the girl about coming to the Bellows when she actually made a suggestion that lined up with exactly what he had been asking in first place.

He'd give a caw as he hopped in a small circle of celebration, agreeing in his own way that they should indeed go to the bellow, but also happy they were on the same page. While he celebrated the storm would rage on not seeming to want to let up for the time being forcing them to wait for it to die down. And wait they would have to do.

The storm would continue to blow and increase in intensity. It made the building colder as night time settled over the area, but the small bird didn't care as he went about keeping himself warm, but mainly making sure his pet stayed safe and warm too. He would continue to do this sleeping lightly here and there until the storm finally started to calm and ease up enough to allow him to sleep a bit more easily next to his pet. When he woke up again sometime in the middle of the morning of the next day, the storm had cleared and the Highrise became its usual calm and icy self again. With the storm gone, Alexander made sure his pet was alright as he went about stretching and making sure none of his joints were locked. They would need to be as ready as they could be for the travel to the Bellows after all.

Cherry would tap her finger against the her bulky wooden arm in thought as Alexander tried to ask her a question. She still wasn't anywhere close to being able to understand these smart animals outside of body language. So it was time for her to use some context clues. They where talking about fish, and he looked at the fish before looking at her. So it was pretty easy to guess that the bird was curious about something with this tasty little dinner. And while that did help limit her options, it was still a rather broad subject and Cherry didn't really have all that much to go on other than that. A small part of her wanted to just avoid the question, but she that would be very rude on her part. So, going out on a limb Cherry just rolled with it and made a random guess. "The fish? Um......... I think it's pretty good. I can see why my mom likes this stuff." Cherry said, hoping she didn't make a fool of herself eith that answer. As fond of the bird as she was, it was embarssing that a bird could understand her, while she couldn't understand them. "You don't? Well he is a very nice man, if a little stoic. He helped me fight off some demons a few days ago actually!"

Like he has done many times in the past, Alexander forced a giggle out of her mouth as he did a little 'victory dance.' "Alright then, so it's settled! Once the storm eases up, we'll head out and find Snow together. I promise." It was true she did have a job to do, and she did tell Retuo that she would stick aeound the Highrise for a little bit until the group was ready to head out. They still had alot to do, and it wasn't like the trip to the Bellows from the Highrise was a big one. This was for a friend, and Retuo and the rest didn't need to know about it.

The rest of the night was pretty average fair. Cherry continued to chat with Alexy, and pet his soft feathers. Before she finally fell alsleep for the night. Kept warm by her clothes. Cherry, unlike Alexander, slept like a log. It would take him making quite a racket to stir her awake. However if he was still awake the crow would notice that she had a few problems peacefully sleeping. She'd toss and turn, her breathing rate would increase at random times, her face would twist in fear and sometimes sadness. Overall it did not look like she was having a good time, but if the crow where to fly over to her, or cuddle with the young girl. He'd see that she would quickly calm back down. Her dreams turning more peaceful when she subconsciously noticed that she wasn't alone. Nevertheless, no matter if Alexy comforted her. Or even noticed that she was having a bad time in the first place, Cherry would wake up early in the morning. Decently refreshed and ready to make her trip to the Bellows.

"Okay I think I have everything we'll need. I am ging to keep my backpack cracked up a little bit so you can go in, just in case any demons come by or you wanna take a nap." She said as she stood up and straighted up her backpack. After making sure Alexy was ready. She would finally start their journey to the Bellows.

It took a few hours but in the end the duo reached the Bellows without much trouble or fuss. Well. From anybody dangerous, Cherry did make a bit of a fuss with her rants about how moist everything in this zone was, and how it messed with her hair. ".......And that is why I started to keep a hairbrush with me when I go to the Bellows! Wooo. Sorry to talk about that for so long, but it's really annoying how this fog keeps making my hair all frizzy! Ugh! Anyways, do you have any idea on where Snow could be? Do we just call out to him?"

The language barrier was a indeed a challenge and one that Alexander made a note of. He would have to teach her in time how to communicate with him, but for now he made due with the method he was using now. If the girl had avoided the question, the bird would've understood. Trying to communicate without knowing how to say things back to each other could indeed become a frustrating point; however, the girl didn't give up. When she asked her question he nod to confirm he was asking about the fish and when she said it was good, he would let out a small happy chirp for her. Glad she was enjoying, but also feeling a bit sad that he could not tell her this in a way she understood or even comfort her when it she spoke about her mom. The sadness would linger there, but he kept it more or less hidden as he took in the information about this Retuo fellow. He wanted to ask her more questions, but didn't want to frustrate or strain her more than needed, so he'd give a nod showing he was paying attention at least.

That heavy event aside, at least he got a giggle out of his pet again when they came to 'agreement' when it came to going to the Bellows. He was very happy about that agreement indeed. He was so happy with that, the chat, the petting, and later coming over to comfort the girl when her sleep seemed to be getting unpleasant, that he cleanly forgot by the next morning that returning to Bellows meant he was going to get in trouble with his mom.

He woke up happily enough and was patient enough as the girl packed. When they were ready, it was easy for him to flap up to her shoulder and sit for a while. As they traveled, he would listen to her chat only hiding out in her backpack once to escape the cold of the Highrise. About time they were out of the place, he was back on her shoulder. As for that rant about her hair, the bird didn't seem to mind. In fact, he even tried to gently push some hairs back into place only for them to do their own thing and not stay where he put them. This thing that was hair was certainly not like feathers. It didn't stay where you wanted it too. Hmph! Maybe the hairbrush would have better luck. Anyway, as for that question about Snow he would give a nod as he fluttered off of her shoulder and gestured for her to follow him. He could show her the path or would've if it hadn't been for something finding them first.

You see, unlike Alexander or Cherry, Snow's night had not been peaceful. In fact, the pale skinned man hardly got any sleep. His usual blue eyes were tinted red as he clicked his nails against the wooden table of his home as he sat on a stool turned sideways as he glared daggers at the bird that had kept him up all night with her moving about and fussing and now, for whatever reason she was trying to stuff his bandana into a small bag that she wanted to take with her for him. She wouldn't even let him hide the fact that his hair was a hot mess right now! He tried to get it back from her, but that was how he ended up with the peck wounds and even more messed up hair to begin with. He honestly wanted to kill the bird and see what it tasted like, but love and something human within him kept him from acting on such impulse.

In any case, she decided to ditch the packing at random as she tilted her head and then zoomed out the door with said bandana. Grumbling to himself, the pale man would pick himself up from the stool and follow her out, narrowing his eyes in the direction she had rushed off to only to find frustration turning into a bit concern as he heard quite the racket of squawking from the direction she went. What the hell? The sound turned his grumpy following into a brisk walk. As for what all the squawking was about well....

Ana Marie had picked up the presence of her son and had gone off to find him with a mix of joy, worry, and anger flooding through her and when she spotted that little rascal happily flying about as if nothing was wrong all her worry turned to rage as she went full on attack mood on him. She came out of the fog like some demonic bat and knocked Alexander to the ground in a blur of feathers and squawks. Once on the ground, it was hard to tell if she was trying to peck him to death or kiss him as she gave the little bird a scolding unlike any other and stopped any attempt to escape coming from him. She didn't even realize Cherry was there due to being so mad with her child or the fact she had dropped Snow's bandana in the muck near the girl's feet.

While she did her mama thing, Snow would appear out of the fog slightly winded as he paused to rest, hunching over slightly as he rested his hands on his knees and looked over to the chaos and upon registering what was happening he let out a rather deflated "Oh..." as his shoulders slumped with relief and also for the pain that was to come as he prepared himself for more injuries trying to separate the pair. However, whether it was fortunate or not, he would take notice that there was another there. He almost said "give me a moment" to the other in the area, but then did a double take and found himself squinting as his brain fully registered who was there.

Eh?

"Cherry?" he would ask uncertain his brain not putting the pieces together at the moment.

Other than Cherry's long winded rant about humidity and how she hated the effect it had on her hair, their little 'road trip' from the Highrise to the Bellows was pretty pleasant! Alexander was kind enough to try and fix her hair for her while they where on the move, even if it didn't really work out in the end. And despite the fact that neither of them could actually speak with one another, Cherry was enjoying the back and forth, it was like the teenager and the crow had been friends for years before this. Of course their pleasant little chat came to a close, as all of a sudden another skulled crow came out of nowhere and slammed against Alexander. Knocking him down to the wet dirt bellow. For the first few seconds Cherry was caught totally off guard, not really knowing how to react to this. But soon her more protective nature kicked into high gear, as she got on her knees, and shoved her hand in between the two crows.

"Ow! H-hey stop th- OW! Stop pecking Alexy, he didn't do anythin- OW, OW, OW, OW, OW!" Even though Cherry tired her best the bird's beak of fury proved to be to much for the girl, as she recoiled in pain. Her flesh hand being poked and pecked at. A small part of her wanted to just flat out snag the larger bird and toss it, seeing as that would be the quickest way to get it to stop hurting her friend. Other thoughts that came to mind was using her left arm to block the strikes, which would probably end up breaking the female's beak. Or just crushing it. Any of the three options could be done with ease, and would have been done if Cherry hadn't remembered that Alexander knew a larger crow. Ana marie. And Alexy probably wouldn't take too kindly to her killing his friend, even if the creature was currently attacking him. "Ana, stop doing that! You're hurting him!"

Cherry was about to make a move to force the two apart, however suddenly somebody called out to her which made her pause and tilt her head to look at the source. "Oh! Mister Snow it's you! Me and Alexander has bedn looking for you! Could you uh, please get them to stop fighting for a second?" Cherry asked as she started to walk over to him. The teen was wearing much better clothes than when they last met. She had changed on her way to the Bellows. And she was now wearing a rather colorful poncho, with a black skirt that reached down to her knees.

As she moved closer to Snow, she noticed the peck marks on him and his red eyes. Soon she'd let out a soft gasp as she moved a little bit closer to him. "Oh my, Snow are you okay!?"

To say that Alexander was not having a good time was an understatement. As soon as he was hit and heard that familiar caw, he knew exactly who it was. He tried to escape, but as usual the larger female bird was quicker than him and gave him no room to do such a thing. The pecks and scolding hurt and to add onto that, he was embarrassed. He would've taken the beaten, but then Cherry decided to try to interfere and in the course of doing that got pecked and fussed at by Ana Marie. Though it could be noted her nips were less harsh on the girl, though it would still hurt. She wouldn't stop her attack though as she instead fussed and just found ways to poke at the smaller bird through gaps in the girl's fingers or hand doing her best not to hurt the girl. She was not through with her son...and apparently seeing Cherry get hurt caused the smaller bird to go from submissive to defensive. He actually got up and was trying to peck the female bird back doing his best not to hurt Cherry in the process too. The move surprised Ana Marie for a second or two, but then becoming angry that her son would dare attack her she went back at the smaller crow just as Snow appeared on the scene and called out to the girl.

As for the pale man, he would hear her voice and give a small tilt of his head and a tired smile. "Oho? Have you now?" he would say and then hearing the request, he would give a nod as he moved towards the girl and the birds. He'd meet her half way only pausing when she got a bit closer to him, concerned thanks to the peck marks and his red colored eyes.

"Uh..." he would shake his head with a small wince. "It's been a rough few days, but I'll live once I get some sleep," he would say and then focusing on the birds, he would tell the girl to give him a minute before he moved over to the fighting birds. To separate them, he indeed ended up pecked and scratched a bit more since in order to grab the two he had to place his hands within that chaos. However, he would not cry out as he Clasped down on their wings with his hands in a way that did not hurt them, but still made it hard for them to keep fighting. As the two birds struggled, he'd keep the pressure on them to keep them pinned down so they could not escape. It would take a few more moments of struggle, but eventually the wiggling and resistance would stop. Cautiously he let up on Alexander allowing the smaller bird to wiggle free. He was huffing and puffing all right as he tried to fix his feathers a bit before he hopped moodily over to Ana Marie. He would make a chirp at her to which the larger bird would chirp back after a few seconds of silence and glaring. Understanding that as a sign of no more fighting, Snow would let her go too. As she got  back up and shook herself off, Ana Marie would hop over to Alexander going from hostile to gentle now that she was calmer as she took snuggling her son instead.

Shaking his head, Snow would pick his heavy self up from the kneeled position and upon spotting his bandana move to pick it up before turning back around, and moving back to Cherry. "Sorry you came into such chaos," he would say with a sheepish smile as he tucked the bandana away in his sash before he looked her over fully. "Outside of looking nice in your new clothes, did they hurt you?" he would ask as he tilted his head at the girl, his tones soft, gentle and concerned despite fatigue and moodiness. He had taken note the girl had tried to stop them earlier and even heard her cry out, so he wanted to make sure she wasn't badly harmed and if she was well...he'd have to deal with the bird who did it later. For now though he was pretty calm despite it all.