Jorden

[ginger_firebird]

~Outside~

“Do you know what this is? It’s a wolf. I worked with a woman who loved wolves. She would follow people from a distance before taking them out. I liked her, but she was scary.”

Mantis is in front of the apartment building again. He’s dressed and bundled up in white from the scarves covering his head and mouth to the jacket, scarf, pants, shirt, and shoes covering the rest of his form. Yaga is playing with some votive candles as they sail out of a box and settle into a loose ring around an assortment of objects. In the middle of the ring are several small figurines of animals and related objects: a nest with an egg in it, a white snake, an octopus, a raven, a wolf, and a praying mantis. He adjusts some of the candles by hand, but only with one hand. In the occupied arm is a small and fuzzy looking animal with grey fur and wide purple eyes.

“Watch this. This is the important part.” The little animal chirps with surprise as Mantis waves his free hand over the candles, setting all of them alight at once. He laughs at the noise and sits down, holding the small animal against his chest. “Don’t worry. You’re safe here.”

This seemed to soothe the little animal who trills and nuzzles its face against his chest.

“I’m pretty sure you’re a boy. What kind of name can I give a little boy like you?”

 ~Indoors~

Up in his apartment, Mantis is in the kitchen. The new friend is clinging to his chest and held up in a sling tied around Mantis’s body. Yaga meows quietly and sits on the counter as Mantis cracks open a window to set out several baking trays with cake in them. He looks out onto the world outside and sighs. Yaga walks onto his lap and sniffs at the little friend, getting a scared chirp. Mantis hugs his little friend closer and sighs again.

“I’m never going to enjoy this day, am I?”

Comments

[chiaro_oscuro]

A slice of cake is already missing from one of the trays, and Ben's embarrassed expression makes it pretty clear what happened to it - that, and the incriminating lump that goes down his throat when he lamely swallows. He hadn't realized this day was special. He comes to join Mantis and his new friend, curious. He hadn't realized that Mantis had adopted a friend for Yaga.

The new friend's cute, but also very shy. Ben smiles slightly.

"If it's any comfort, I don't really celebrate my birthday - mostly because I didn't see much worth celebrating. I'm not used to being happy. I asssume that's what you're doing. You don't usually wear white." Ben glances over at the new friend. "So...you found a Pokemon, too? That's what I figure he is. He looks like one, though he looks very different from Morrigan. Don't worry, I'm a friend. I won't hurt you."

[ginger_firebird]

Ben is lucky that there are multiple tins. He still has to stack and frost the tiers Ben. Luckily for them both, Mantis is one to overdo things so he gently nudges the already pilfered from tray towards his friend. Another tray silently zooms towards the fridge to be dutifully filled with more cake batter.

"If you were a real dog, that would kill you. This cake is special. I eat it in honor of a very important person." All that said, he isn't surprised that Ben has no patience around food. He holds up the espurr a little more and gets a little paw touching the mask around his mouth. The Pokemon trills quietly.

"I have no idea what a Pokemon is, but if that's what you are, then I'll consider you one. I found him when I went for a walk in the Wilds earlier this morning. He got stuck in a bush, and then he wouldn't let go of me." Mantis finds himself sighing again as he uses his powers to set another cake tier to bake. "When I was little, I used to go with my father to visit my mother's grave on my birthday. He never said why, but the grandmothers would tell me it was so we'd never forget her."

[chiaro_oscuro]

"I understand. I'm thinking of doing small things to honor the people who were important to me. The fact that most of them are dead because of me probably makes me a hypocrite. Fall and Winter seems like the times when people think about death the most. Not hard to see why. Things seem to die in fall." He shakes his head. "Isidor was right. I really do have a poet in me somewhere."

Now that he has permission, Ben settles down to enjoy the rest of the tray of cake. "I'll wait for it to cool a little before I eat another piece - that first one burned on the way down, and I figure that serves me right. Sorry about that, by the way. I didn't realize you made it in honor of somebody you loved. You've told me about your mother. She must have been a special woman."

Ben sighs, relaxing as he watches Mantis and his animal friends. "I've never seen you wearing white before. It looks good on you - does it mean something in your culture."

[ginger_firebird]

"I made a shrine outside with candles. It wouldn't do well to leave them all burning for an eternity indoors and people are remarkably respectful of things like that."

Mantis allows himself a little laugh at Ben's pain from being too eager. He strokes Yaga's back, causing the catwing to get up from his seat. He walks closer to Ben and sniff at his tray of cake.

"Serves you right for not asking permission, but you're used to eating the things I cook. And I think mother would appreciate that my cooking made someone else happy enough they couldn't wait. I didn't meet her when I was alive, but I was always told she wanted nothing but the world for me. As for the white...I wear it today because it's a holy color where I come from and different enough from my usual that is makes for good mourning clothes."

[chiaro_oscuro]

"We have our own holidays, where I come from. Different traditions. My old friend Chewbacca taught me about one of them when I was very young - before everything went wrong. I haven't worn white in a very long time, mostly because it doesn't fit me. I've worn black so long it's hard to imagine myself in much else. Part of it's a matter of habit. Black reminds me of where I came from, and it looks good with my hair."

That last part's a joke, mostly. Ben doesn't usually care much about his appearance, though he keeps to some standard of grooming. He pets Yaga when the catwing approaches. Yaga's a friendly creature. Animals are nonjudgemental.

"It does serve me right. It looked so good I couldn't resist a taste, though." Ben chuckles. "I'll finish off the rest of the tray once it cools. I like to think I learn from my mistakes."

Outside

[dontpetmeibite]

"I think you're supposed to name your pets yourself," Ravage calls out cheerfully as he approaches. He's walking on his rear legs now, one foreleg/forearm lazily wrapped around the waist of a much larger silver-blue humanoid mech; Ravage barely comes up to his chest, standing bipedally.

"I promised you I'd introduce him if he said yes. But actually he asked me first. This is Soundwave! And Soundwave, this is Mantis."

The two of them look like they ought to have little birds fluttering around their heads.

(Sometimes they do have birds with them, but those particular birds are very large and made of black metal with red and/or yellow enamel, and they are not here. The yellow one is loose on his own, and the red one is lying in her nest with a long straw connected to a cube of energon and a big bucket nearby.).

[ginger_firebird]

"So that's your...mech? I don't think gender means the same thing to inorganic beings like it does for people like me."

Yaga backs up slightly at the sight of the larger mech before approaching his friend Ravage. The catwing gets a good run going before launching into flight. He hovers around Ravage's newfound height and tries landing on his shoulder.

Mantis, on the other hand, goes back to standing, using his own powers to levitate slightly before landing on his feet. The little espurr makes a little squeak and waves a paw at the two robots.

"I'm Psycho Mantis. Ravage only had kind words for you."

[soundwave_ascendant]

Soundwave laughs. "My brightspark's words are kinder than they should be, possibly. An honour to meet you." He can't bow with a Ravage tucked under his arm, but he nods his head, and he acknowledges the little creature's wave.

"Gender...? I have always identified as a male." Soundwave is puzzled by the remark. Either it came out of the blue, or...does this person wonder whether he is as changeable as Ravage is sometimes? He does not know whether this person has seen femme Ravage before, or whether or not Ravage thought it important enough to mention, which she doesn't, always, when she is a she, which he is not, right now. What he does know is that it's not his to explain.

Finally, he says, "Gender: is optional for mecha. Some choose male, some female, some neither, and some...take moods. How you're built...doesn't matter."

[ginger_firebird]

Mantis can bow, and does so no trace of pride. That's an alien emotion on this particular day.

"Humans could stand to take that mindset in stride. I've seen the worst of thoughts and actions from those who think of such things as absolutes." He looks down at espurr and then back up at Soundwave. "I identify as male, too."

He gestures to his circle of candles. "You've arrived here on my birthday. It's more of a solemn day than a happy one, so I'm preparing the things I did when I was still alive."

Outside

[angelic_asshole]

It was rather touching to see the bundled up man talking to his....dog? Cat? Perhaps a bit in between. Either way, Balthazar could relate to talking to Onyx, his malamute puppy, in the same context. Nothing quite like master and companion bonding.

"How about Amethyst? Since his eyes are purple. Or is that a rather feminine name? I don't see why it should be though. My pup is called Onyx."

Right now, he was snoozing back at the apartment after chewing through yet another pair of the angel's shoes. Yes, he did love chewing through Balthazar's shoes. The magic trick with the candles though? That was quite impressive.

"Nice trick by the way. Where did you learn to do that?"

[ginger_firebird]

Every so often, Mantis becomes far softer than he's used to, and it almost always happens on anniversaries such as today or the presence of small animals such as the little espurr. He doesn't rise to meet the man, but the combined gaze of man and tiny beast fall on Balthazar.

"A stone might work. I only found him today, so I'm hoping his personality might start shining through." The catwing upstairs took several days to think of a good name for. "I'm a psychic. I've been able to do this for a long time."

[angelic_asshole]

The magic was definitely there and the angel could just about sense the man's power through the use of his own telepathy. Telekinesis was indeed a powerful and useful tool in the right hands. Balthazar smiled down fondly at the rather adorable creature.

"Only today? Yet, it seems he's already formed a strong bond with you. What kind of creature is he, do you know?"

The angel cocked his head just wondering about both the creature and the rather mysterious man. There was a link. Definitely something connecting the two on perhaps a deeper level. Walking closer, he offered the man a hand outstretched.

"I'm Balthazar. Angel and lover of all things cute and cuddly."

[ginger_firebird]

"He has psychic powers too. I can't explain it other than that anyone with powers like this simply...melds together a little more readily than others. Being an animal probably doesn't hurt my chances with his trust either. He needs protection."

Espurr has grabbed Mantis's hand and trills while playing with his fingers. Mantis wiggles his fingers, getting more excited noises.

"I think that makes you the third or fourth angel I've met. Belial...Phenex, and Lucifer have all crossed my path before."

[itmeanstruth]

Minoru was on his way home, passing by several apartment complexes on the way to his own, when he spotted someone tending to something unusual out front. It looked like an altar of sorts, or a kamidana if it weren’t on the ground.

He was curious, but did not want to be disrespectful, so he watched at a distance until the other man was done and talking to his pet before giving a friendly wave.

“Hey there!” He called out. “Celebrating a holiday?”

[ginger_firebird]

Mantis spent about as much time in his apartment as out these days. It didn't sit him to stay put for very long, even when he puts down roots of some kind. He and the espurr look up at the newcomer. He's altogether far more chipper than Mantis was feeling, but a bit of happiness was, perhaps, neccessary.

"My birthday. It's a day to remember my mother and others."

[itmeanstruth]

Of course, Minoru exclaimed the obvious, “oh! Happy birthday!” When it came to happiness, he had that in spades.

But he was honestly curious about the little shrine. And he was as respectful as possible when he asked, “honoring those who have passed on? May I ask who all the figures represent?”

The white snake among them definitely caught his eye.

[ginger_firebird]

Minoru might be able to see the way Mantis's face shifts into a smile, covered as it is. The further question is a pleasant surprise to him and he turns his gaze to the circle of candles.

"In order from the oldest death to recent..." He goes from the nest and egg, to the octopus, to the mantis, to the wolf, to the raven, to the snake. "Mother, Decoy Octopus, me, Sniper Wolf, Vulcan Raven, Nyoka ya Mpembe. It's a small collection of people to care about, but it's enough for a very tiny ofrenda."

[making_sacrifices]

"Oh, so that's how humans knew what a wolf is when they've met one on the edges of spacetime!" Allura says, delighted. "There are wolves on Earth, too? That's great."

"Hello, Mantis. You seem pretty focused. Is today some auspicious day? Or-"

Or did something awful happened, the Princess wonders.

"I should probably introduce you to Keith and Romelle sometime. They're from home, and they fight against Honerva same as we do."

[ginger_firebird]

"It's a bit of a good thing and bad. I'm remembering my mother and some friends, but it's also my birthday, so there's going to be cake later."

What an astute princess! And she uses words like 'auspicious' so casusally. Mantis would never consider anything about his birthday to be particularly significant.

"I like the sound of their names already. Never such a thing as too many allies."

[making_sacrifices]

"I understand. Is dressing in white something done for rememberance?" she asks

"I can introduce you even today."

[ginger_firebird]

"I was raised to understand white is a color for holy days and remembering people. Even if I don't believe, I can still be respectful."

"Can you?" The espurr shifts and climbs his way up to Mantis's shoulder. "If they're up for it, I wouldn't mind company. This isn't a day to be left with my thoughts."

[hybriddino]

Humans light candles as memorials to remember the dead. I was there to see the memorials after the Long Winter - the people killed by the storm and by the Eliksni. The Eliksni honor their own dead, like we do, so they can't be all bad. Maybe that's something all thinking creatures have in common.

A ten-foot dinosaur, jet black with a gold stripe across its side, approaches Mantis. The Indoraptor doesn't venture into the inhabited Nexus as often as he used to, in part so he can keep an eye on his less socialized and more aggressive mother. But he was drawn to see Mantis by the lights.

He uses his marker to talk to Mantis on his whiteboard. He can't talk, but he's found ways around that.

I know loss, too. I am the only one of my kind. There were others like me, but they died in their eggs and were never born. We were made by humans, so I'm not sure if I can have children the way humans do.

[ginger_firebird]

A terrified squeak is all the espurr makes before diving as far as it can under Mantis's shirt. The shaking lump is aided without much thought from Mantis himself, who is far more concerend with the fact that a giant dinosaur that can apparently write fluent English has approached him. He holds espurr up against his chest once more, now with an added layer of fabric hiding the little thing.

He's met aliens, a kelpie, a teenaged robot, talking baby spiders, and a host of other weird and strange people. Talking dinosaur. Why not.

"I was taught to do this when I was a child. You light candles for the dead and arrange them with effigies to represent who is gone." He's just going to slowly stand up and try and reach into this mind. Not too far. Not too deep. But inquiring minds need to know if he can read the mind of this particular dinosaur. "You don't look much like any creature I've seen in a museum. Is this really what technology was used for in your world? Bringing back dinosaurs?"

[hybriddino]

I'm a special dinosaur. I wasn't born the normal way. Humans created me in a laboratory by putting parts of other dinosaurs together. I'm part Velociraptor and part Indominus rex, but there are other parts in there somewhere - parts that aren't even dinosaur. I don't know everything that's in my DNA. It's what humans call classified. That means they didn't want anyone to know what's in me and how I was made. The big black claws twitch. I was the only one that made it to adulthood. The humans kept me in a cage and poked me with shock-sticks.

The dinosaur can tell where the furry thing hid because of his sense of smell. Hiding from him is difficult - he was created to be an expert hunter and tracker, skills that he still has.

In my world, yes, humans used technology to bring dinosaurs back to life and put them on display for people. But I'm not like other dinosaurs. My kind of dinosaur isn't one you'll see in books. The people who made me called me an Indoraptor, after my mother, the Indominus rex. She's here, too - she lives deep in the Wilds. She's bigger than I am and white instead of black.

[ginger_firebird]

Mantis has a bit of a hard time following such an incredible story, but he feels parts of it to the deeper parts of his soul. He too had been experiemented with and mistreated in the course of it. Some of the worst parts of him were made by the actions of others. He tries feeding a sense of understanding to the massive dinosaur.

"I was kidnapped as a child by a military force called CIPHER. They kept me prisoner along with other children... It's nothing compared to how you came to be, but I can begin to understand that pain. I was the third child before I managed to run away. Little Tretij Rebenok."

Mantis takes a couple of steps closer, but only that, because he could feel espurr wiggling more.

"Indominus Rex... Oh goodness, she must be even bigger compared to you if she's modeled after the Tyranosaurus." And he's deeply happy he hasn't run into her as much as he goes to the Wilds for scant amounts of food and herbs. "I am Psycho Mantis. Most people call me Mantis. You're Indominus and velociraptor. ...Indoraptor?"