Going_North_cal

The plumage of the small bird in Calano's hands turned a stark, deep blue. It was the most familiar color he had ever seen. "I- Oh gods. Ohhhh gods. Lana?" Calano stared, dumbfounded, at the bird in his hands, whose eyes changed from that of a bird, to that of a human, with irises that glowed a gentle cyan.

1000 REP!!! WOOOOO!!!

Calano's mind was going a billion miles an hour, trying to connect puzzle pieces he hadn't seen in years and had forgotten the configuration for. "How would you know? I was the only person who ever talked to her. She told me that. Her own family wouldn't accept her. And I all but betrayed her."

"You weren't there. You didn't see her eyes in that moment. There was anger and hate and grief and-" Calano thought back to that moment. Back to the moment the guard pressed his hand to the wrist of his left arm, bestowing the Curse of the Black Angel upon him. He thought back to when he looked at Lana as his left eye bled to gray, as his wings went from white to black. There was more in her eyes. Pain, yes. Sorrow. Yes. But something more... Patience, and... and love. Deep down though it was, there it was. Love. "What..." Calano whispered, looking down at the purple bird in his hands, which was iridiescently shimmering familiar colors.

"I saw her face! In the Court! She hated me! I- I... I never forgot her expression." Calano sank to his knees, overwhelmed, as a black void surrounded him. The Unseen Plane. Always, he was sent back here. Always, he was companionless. The Bird came with him. "She... She hated me. She hates me."

"You... We... How do you know those words? Lana hates me! How do you know those words!"

Calano watched, no emotion showing. On the inside, however, he felt sympathy for the dying world. The bird in his hand shivered, as if it had a chill. Calano decided to name the bird Chi.

"Definitely not by choice. Continue. I will watch as it unfolds." Calano turned the bird in his hands, holding it gently, giving it a view of the unfolding story.

Calano thumped to the hard floor of the void, the bird in his hands. "Nameless... what are you doing? Who's backstory are you crafting? Yours? Or are you making mine?"

Calano pointedly ignored Nameless, continuing to stare at the purple plumed bird, who breathed softly in his hands as he floated in the sea.

Calano glared at Nameless. He was venturing farther into a past Calano wasn't ready to share. He'd share it, but now was not the right time.

Calano wanted an answer from the bird itself, and waited patiently for @Shining Silhouette to respond through the bird.

Oh gods! I'm sorry! Listening to the first version that popped up on Spotify as I type this... hmm.... I can try and fit it in. It won't be very long though, but I'll try my best. Song Analysis #4: Love Myself, Andy Grammer (I'm not double posting here. That is solely reserved for my vignettes page :D.) "I want to love myself without needing someone else/To say it, say it to me (say it, say it to me) I want to love myself without needing someone's help/To show it, show it to me, mmh, ay" The biggest issue we face is self love. We find it so so hard to love ourselves, and because of that, we rely on other people to love us so we can make it through our lives. "'Cause I can be mean in my mind/Beat myself up all the time with awful thoughts and/I can eat myself alive I'm gonna try/It's gonna be an awkward talk, but" Building up the courage to tell yourself 'I love you' is hard. Trying to convince your own insecurities that they don't exist is one of the hardest things ever. "I love you, I don't say it enough/I love who you are, who you've become Don't know why I cannot hear it/'Less it comes from someone else/But I'ma find a way to finally feel it" So you tell yourself 'I love you.' It's hard to hear, but you repeat it until you get the message you're telling yourself. And if you need to, get other people to tell you it, so you can believe them, and then yourself. "When I say it to myself/Whoa-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh When I say it to myself/Whoa-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh" It's a hard journey, but it feels so good when you tell yourself that you love yourself. The feeling of self acceptance is something you have craved for so long, and now that you have it, you feel like you can take on the world. "I want to be someone who's not swayed by opinions/Be me authentically without the apologies And want my heart to soar without being insecure/And point out what's wrong with me 'cause sometimes subconsciously, yeah" Society strives harder than anything to conform you to it's standards, to make you insecure about the things that make you you. But you can try to be independent, and to be you, and you can do it beautifully. "I can be mean in my mind/Beat myself up all the time with awful thoughts and/I can eat myself alive I'm gonna try/It's gonna be an awkward talk, but" Again, society makes you anxious about all the things you want to love about yourself, and makes you wonder if you're good enough for anyone. "I love you, I don't say it enough/I love who you are, who you've become Don't know why I cannot hear it/'Less it comes from someone else But I'ma find a way to finally feel it" Tell this to yourself. Drill it into your head as a mantra. Tell others this. Love yourself and love others. You're all amazing. "When I say it to myself/Whoa-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh When I say it to myself/Whoa-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh I want to love myself without needing someone else/To say it, say it to me I love you, I don't say it enough/I love who you are, who you've become Don't know why I cannot hear it/'Less it comes from someone else But I'ma find a way to finally feel it When I say it to myself/Whoa-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh When I say it to myself/Whoa-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh/Whoa-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh When I say it to myself/Whoa-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh When I say it to myself" Being able to love yourself without the support of someone else is hard. It always has been, it always is, and it will always be. So do it anyways. Tell the fear and insecurities to screw off, and tell yourself and everyone 'I love you.' I love you. I love you. You love you.

"I know you... Why do I know you?" Calano gently asked the bird.

Calano folded his wings around himself just before he hit the water, shielding himself from the impact. He sank, and opened his eyes. The small purple bird was singing. Calano dove after it, grabbed it, and swam to the surface. He surfaced, and used his wings as a buoy. He held the limp bird, then gently pressed it's chest in a repeating rhythm with two of his fingers. gotta go.

Calano's feathers muttered about the approaching sea, which was getting closer and closer. But Calano wasn't about to admit defeat just yet. He grinned, and used his Windshear ability, scuplting the air around him to fall even faster, catching up with the bird, which he now realized had strikingly familiar plumage. That color... that was... Lana's hair, wasn't it? Yes, that was it. It was the exact same shade. But Lana hated him, so it couldn't have been her. Eh. He dove after the bird, laughing.

I'll look into it

Calano chuckled. A challenge. Good. He dove through the cloud with a shout, contracted his wings, and dove towards the deep purple speck near the sea.

Calano watched the bird as it swept up, and grinned. He flapped his wings and dashed after it, grinning like a fool. There were very few birds who had deep purple feathers, and no bird could instinctually twirl like that. It had to be a humanoid shapeshifter. Someone like him. With wings. A friend.

And he laughed at it all, soaring into the sky, and down above the sea. His feathers shouted along with him.

Calano smiled and took flight. He always loved when it stormed and rained. He loved the way the lightning danced in the clouds, and shimmered in reflections along his wings. He loved the way his wings shimmered and sliced through the wet, rain filled air. So he flew, gliding through the air, doing flips and tricks. His feathers turned a jubilant shade of blue and purple as he, (and they) laughed through the storm.

Marsh: angsty half bad half good half boy brother of main character's mentor. may or may not have been emo at one point.

The Green Gobird and Pink Pelter trekked behind the Largest Lemon, chanting "Rooa! Rooa! Rooa!"