TW of a brief mention of suicide, and death, be safe ya'll!
and happy holidays!
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name: Linnea Razorbill
Peculiarity: Ymbryne
bird: Razorbill auk also called Lesser Auk.
age: 16
Looks:long, stick straight black hair, Dark, almost black eyes, but oddly enough, her left eye has gold flecks in them, her right silver, but its not really noticeable. very muscular., around 5'7 with light golden skin tone.
Other info: would rather be in the water than anywhere else. has flown around the alantic several times. very warm and loves to joke with people. loves to be with Ella, claiming she is her "best mate" Has Epilepsy, and desperately trys to keep it under control. Strong Swedish Accent.
name: Ella Pipit
Peculiarity: Ymbryne
bird: Euroupean rock pipit.
age:15
Looks: about 5'1 meek, light medium Almond skin tone, deep brown eyes, slightly curly light brown hair thats cut at her shoulders, ublemished skin, Save for a single freckle under her left eye. it drives her insane.
Other info: is seriously great at hide and seek. loves to sleep as much as she loves hanging out with Linnea, loves to go swimming with her, well, ride on her Linneas back she doesnt know how to swim well. Watches over Linnea's health alot, but doesnt mind doing so at all. Also is great at soccer, and wears huge, gold rimmed circle glasses. Also has a irrational fear of needles (Trypanophobia)
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name: Mariah Pochard
Peculiarity: Ymbryne
bird: red-crested Pochard
age: 15
Looks: deep almond skin tone, Long thick dark brunette with hazel, golden flecked eyes. around 5'5, curvy.
Other info: very sweet, loves to garden. and cook but cannot stand meat. full vegan, and she enjoys cooking for her sisters. is the youngest and she despises it. also has a pet Carolina Conure (extinct nowadays) named Lupin that used to be her 9 year old brothers when she lived in the states. He gave it to her when she left for training so she wouldnt be lonely and,would remember him always. He passed away shortly after of milk fever.
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name: Alexandria Osprey or simply Alex
Peculiarity: Ymbryne
bird: Osprey, also called a fish hawk
age:16
Looks: deep golden eyes that you could lose yourself in, wavy brown long hair with white tips. very light rose colored skin, tall (around 5'9) bulky build, most of the time a rather sour look on her face.
Other info: very introverted, prefering the company of her mate Suki, a peculiar Red tailed hawk (He can turn Himself into a statue at will) Enjoys knitting, and is terrified of porcellian dolls. Works hard at her studies, and doesn't mind tutoring her sisters. has a mild case of depression and is allergic to Bananas and Kiwis.
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Esmeralda Avocet
Peculiarity: Ymbryne
Bird: Pied Avocet
age: looks around early 50s, in reality around 175
Looks: long wavy black hair (starting to grey slightly) Deep. walnut brown eyes, 6'0, Average weight, kind of muscular. wears glasses sometimes, but frequently forgets about them.
othe info: in a secret relationship with miss Bunting, but due to Councils laws, they are not allowed to be open about any kind of relationship. A shy, quiet but very kind woman who would do anything to protect her girls. original name was Esmrid as she was born a bird, changed it to sound more human but is still called such by miss Bunting and the elder miss Finch on the rare occasion. can speak several laungages and loves to Help people. sleepwalks sometimes when stressed.
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Diane Bunting
Peculiarity: Ymbryne
Bird: Painted Bunting
age: looks around ealry 50's, is truly about 173
Looks: Chocolate colored skin, dark green eyes, a Greenish yellow streak in her hair that is pretty well hidden by her kink curls that go down to her lower back, but her hair is always in a bun. Around 5'4, hourglass figure,
other info: outgoing and bubbly, but alas is the very definiton of stubborn, and has quite the dark sense of humor. ((see miss Avocet for relationship thing)). she has a single cream colored anorwegian forest cat names Jingle, so enjoys walking around on the ceiling and catching spiders. Allergic to Peanuts. Gets random body aches frequently.
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"Esmerelda?" Miss Bunting gently gave the door a knock for the fourth time loud storm brewed outside in the warm July sky, illuminating the hallway with a strike of bright lightening almost every two minutes. Miss Bunting lived for it, it was one of her favorite things to watch before drifting off to sleep. it was truly the main selling point of this day for a loop to her.
"Esme can you please unlock your door?" Miss Bunting called, trying to keep her voice down. Why was she even standing here doing this? Diana truly didn't know the answer for sure. an odd feeling of someone tapping her shoulder awoke her, and as soon as she did wake up, Diane was hit with a rather dire feeling and a need to get up and go check on her partner.
"If you don't answer I swear to the birds I will fly up to your window- oh wait no its way too windy..." Miss bunting tapped her foot for a moment. "I'll climb the wall if you dont answer this door!" The impatientness in the air was slowly thickening as her foot, starting pounded against the wood slated floor as her agitation with the whole ordeal grew. She knew Miss Avocet wasn't a light sleeper, not as a teenager, not now.
"Thats it, im going-" A sudden odd but rather quiet sound of something falling echoed from the darkstaircase at the other end of the hall, making Miss Bunting jumped out of her skin for a moment.
"Is this how I die?" Diana mentally whispered as she nudged her way to the staircase. before stepping down the dark stairs, the African American woman lit a single candle and placed it one hand, the other drawn back ready to swing. she might not of been tall, but she was sure she could pound someone hard enough to at least be able to make a fair attempt at an escape back upstairs to warn the girls if need be.
"Whoever the Hell is down here better show themselves or I am coming at you!" Miss Bunting whisper-yelled as her foot made contact with the final stair. After no response returned, The woman gently lurked around, shielding the candlelight back with her hand to not give away her presence. she knew in the back of her mind it was Probably one of the girls, but she always had to be prepared to fight someone if need be. it was one of the first things her mentor Miss Heron taught her.
"Watch your back, always aim high with hands, and low with feet." The words replayed in her mind as if it was yesterday, a few vauge memories flashing before her eyes of her days spent out in the hot American sun with Miss Heron, voices of battle of the Revoultion always looming on the outskirts of there little home nestled away from the normals. "She always loved how warm it was there. always wanted to be outside in the fresh lake air." Miss Bunting smiled, but it soon faded as she felt a slight saddness wash over.
"But shes gone now..."
It was a sad truth Miss Bunting had come to realize when that ugly letter came in the mail on September 12th of 1845, a rather balmy summers day from her older sister Miss Krestrel herself. that beautiful penmanship held some of the worst news miss Bunting ever received.
"I'm so sorry to inform you, but Miss Heron passed away in the earliest hours of saturday, August the 30th after being accused and persecuted of Witchcraft. She was hung with 1 other Unidentifiable adult Peculiar. Her death was not in vain as all of her Children escaped to miss Sparrows loop, and She made it possible for the two Ymbrynes Who lived nearby to escape and seek refuge and safety before the Townsfolk got to them. She will be remembered warmly, and from what we have been told, she was smiling until the very end, brave and as happy as ever to know her children, made it to safety. Her last words which have been transcribed by the towns gallowsman was "Do not shed tears over old me, You all made it to safety, and that was my only concern. Its my. time and turn to fly free now and watch you all with my sisters. I love you all, but we will meet again. farewell my dearest children" she will be missed dearly."
That letter, that ugly Parchment paper letter caused a few minutes of horrffic sadness alone in her office for the bunting, but As soon as a single blue and green butterfly fluttered in the open window and landed on Miss Bunting's shoulder that day, She knew she had too smile, and that if she broke down and cried she would probably get something thrown at her by Miss Heron's spirit from beyond.
"What a day that was.." miss Bunting snapped her head back into reality of the dark Derbyshire home. a sudden whimper came from the classroom, the door ever so slightly ajar as a candle flicker inside. The Bunting threw the door open with slighty force, charging into the what seemed to be rather empty classroom where only several empty desks and chairs remained. and a slow burning wax candle dripped on the main teaching desk, a ring forming on the dark wood.
"Who is in here?! better get your hands up where I can see them!" She softly yelped. a shift from behind the main desk made miss Bunting jump 30 feet in the air, signalling another life form in the room but only a rather Femine voice echoed throughout the air.
"Where are you honey? please come out?" the voice begged rather horrifically as if it was frantic. those were the only words miss Bunting could seemingly catch from the nonsensicial mumbling though. After gathering up enough courage, she finally trudged over to the desk, ready to fight anyone.
"Esmerelda? What are you even doing?" Miss Bunting kneeled down The find Miss Avocet on the other side of the mahogony desk, eyes shut, body shivering and her head slightly tilted back as she mumbled odd phrases that Miss Bunting couldnt much make any sense out off.
"Is she still sleeping?" Diana placed her calloused hands on the woman who looked to only be about 50's shoulder, gently shaking her for a good 30 seconds, "Esme hey, wake up! Hey!"
Miss Bunting could see the jolt of suprise when miss Avocet's dark brown eyes flicked open, the clandlelight giving them a walnut glow.
"Love what are you doing down here? its 3:02 in the mornin!" Miss Bunting got down her butt to sit next to her partner.
"huh?" Miss Avocet moved a few black hairstrands out of her vision then rubbed her eyes. The candlelight certainly were not all to kind to her head or eyes, both of which ached.
"You were sitting here mumbling to yourself. Were you sleepwalking? you haven't done that in years..." miss Bunting trailed off
'No. Back to bed now. Sorry that I awoke you. Won't happen again." Her words slurred slightly as the Avocet dashed away quickly, her footfalls virtually unheard as she gracefully leapt up the stairs and flew into her room. miss Bunting took a minute to process what had happened, but she truly wasnt sure what she could do.
"I guess I'll have to chat with her in the morning..."
--
"Good morning sunshines!" Miss Bunting cheerfully adjusted her green sleeves as she sat down at the kitchen table where the girls we're slowly filtering in, looking ready to crawl back into bed and go right back to sleep.
"Did you hear about what happened?" Linnea Razorbill leaned over the table slightly, her black hair almost obscuring her eyes completely. "Another Ymbryne got killed!"
"Seriously? thats terrifying! who?" Ella Pipit tapped her foot anxiously. she was never one on the calmer side, always feeling on edge. she was never truly sure why, but she sure despised it. Linnea felt a pang of regret for putting Ella on edge like that, completely forgetting she was a ball of nerves.
"all I know is it was one of the owls, and its all because of that werid boy, and the Peregrine girl." another voice chimed in this time Mariah Pochard as she took a bite of her warm bread, Lupin flying over to steal a piece.
"Alexandria, care to give any imput on the matter?" Linnea turned to the Osprey who simply looked away to find something out the window to catch her eye. "Alright never mind then." Linnea rolled her eyes. She never truly got along to well with Alexandria, as the teenagers sterness "Killed the mood" as Mariah dubbed it almost everyday.
"Why dont we just hide ourselves from him better?" Ella asked with a soft glance to her sisters. Linnea slid a hand onto her thigh underneath the table in a weak attempt,to calm ella down, but it didnt do much as Alex finslly gave her opinion.
"Because He is a Peregrine, far from dumb, and He wants his sister to be tortured, and then he wants her dead. Falcons never let things get in the way of there goal, and if that includes killing all of us to get to her, he will take the necessary actions." Alex spat, eyes still transfixed on something in the far distance.
"Can you stop? your scarring Ella!" Linnea felt the grip on het hand become tighter, But Ella remained looking down at her untouched plate of chocolate chip waffles, havign lost her appetite fully.
miss Bunting got ready to to tell them all to shut there mouths, but miss Avocet deathly glare from across the room stopped all of the talking in its tracks. every girl fell silent, just sharing look of rather unreadable emotion. breakfast was served but miss Avocet excused herself to go prepare for todays lesson, whisking herself away to her study, and away from everyone else.
--
"Again? Seriously?" miss Bunting sat straight up at 2:27am. It felt as if something had shaken her awake. her head already pounding as she swung her legs out from under her warm quilt, shivering a little bit as she put on her slippers. "Why do I keep gettin haunted?" She whispered drowsily. The woman wasted no time dipping down into the hallway, down the stairs and to the studys ever so slightly cracked door.
"Esme is that you?" She cracked the door open, Her heart dropping as the figure of a woman sat on the windowsill, head leaning against the frame. It wasn't to far of a drop as they were only about 14 feet above ground, but nonetheless miss Bunting sprang to grab her, yanking them both back inside and onto the well cleaned floor.
"What are you doing?!" miss Bunting screeched, as the figured tipped her head upward to look at her.
"Diane...?" Miss Avocets half open, tear struck eyes stared back. it felt surreal to say the least.
"You have 5 seconds to speak." Miss Bunting twitched, her eyes already full of tears. She was mentally praying that Her partner wasn't doing what she thought, but Diane was so unsure about the last 5 minutes of being awake she couldnt even tell.
"I wasnt going to jump out I promise! I didn't mean to scare you! i was just..."
"Just what Esmrid!?" miss Bunting snapped, her fists clenched so tightly her nails had slid under her skin and caused a little bit of blood to pool up in the crevices of her palms.
"I was reliving something." Miss Avocets voice falling into a mere, almost unheard whsiper as she rubbed her right eye.
"reliving sucidal intentions!?"
"listen to me-"
"What is wrong with you?!" why cant you just talk to Me!?-"
"just give me a moment to explain-"
"why cant you just talk to Me!?-"
"I AM TALKING TO YOU JUST SHUT YOUR MOUTH AND LISTEN!!" Miss Avocet screamed, her loosely tied back hair cascading down her back, outlining her slightly red face. miss Bunting, having never heard her partners voice get to over a meek shout, shriveled back into the corner, her heart pounding loudly in her ears. tears flowed freely down her face as she stared at the ground between her legs, to scared to even glance back up at miss Avocet.
Miss Avocet slowly nudged her way forward, terrfied at her own outburst. before she knew it, she was back in her own bedroom, hidding under the covers like a scared child away form the monsters of the night.
--
"Alright its been like what- 8 days of no lessons, your cooking, and no further explanation. Where is Miss Avocet?" Alexandria was the first to speak on the topic. at first Miss Bunting had lied to the 4 girls in training, saying Miss Avocet left late that night and was in meetings at the council building, but that excuse quickly deteriorated after 5 days, as most meetings rarley went over 2 or 3 days.
"If you do not like my cooking you are free to make yourselves something." miss Bunting skillfully danced around the question, Something she had learned to do quite well over the years. Mariah excitedly rasied her hand to voulenteer to cook, but Alex quickly stood up, causing everyone but miss Bunting to look at her.
"Don't lie to us!" Alex barked, her light pink skirt rufffling as she gritted her teeth.
"Your hiding somrthing I can sense it!"
"She is resting." the African American woman kept her back turned to them, scrubbing the scorched pan with surprising speed
"Why?"
"What do you mean why?"
"Why is she resting? I thought my question was pretty straightforward." Alex. snapped, moving her dark brown hair behind her. so she could see more clearly. linnea and Ella both looked quite shocked at their sisters boldness to snap at a superior ynbryne like that, but Mariah wore a monotone expression as Lupin took another bite of her bread and watched the show.
"My answer was quite straightforward, miss Opsrey." miss Bunting rolled her eyes and prepared to turn around, but her feet stayed planted to the floor as if they had taken root when a voice came from the now open doorway.
"I'm right here, there is no cause for worry I am fine. I was just very tired, and being a woman was not very kind this time around, im sure you all know that feeling. I am sorry if I worried you dear, and I'm sorry that I have hindered your learning, I promise that in the future I will try to manage the pain better." miss Avocet stepped in, all eyes fell on her, a few whispers shared between ella and Mariah.
A cream colored bandage had taken place on her right hand, but other than that Miss Bunting couldn't find anything else to be out of place by her side glances at miss Avocet, but she couldn't be too sure. "I will be right back. please be prepared for your lessons at 9 am. Also Diane, jingle wants in your room, but alas your door is locked."
"Alright." the other head Ymbryne nodded, but didnt look up, only her dark green eyes flicked just a smidge to the little catbed that rested just out of the kitchen on the back sunporch, the cat in question curled up and already taking his 5th nap of the day. Miss Bunting finished rather slowly, giving the girls time to leave out for their lessons, which took place outside of the old home.
Once alone, the woman creeped up to her own room to find a tiny, light yellow envelope slid just inside the door.
"Please meet me down at the gazebo at 11:30 after the girls go to bed. -Esme."
--
"Where is she? What if she decided not to come..." miss Avocet felt doubt tugging at the back of her mind. the Avocet truly hated the energy she created between her and miss Bunting the past few days, and if she didn't clear the air she was postive that she would choke to death on it.
"Oh good shes coming." miss Avocet felt a weight being lifted off her shoulders as miss Bunting approached, her light blue night gown fluttering behind her in the wind that would soon bring in the storm at 12:34AM.
"You requested my presence." Miss Bunting sat on the otherside of the. 2 way bench, her side facing the back of the gazebo.
"yes..." Miss Avocet chewed her lip as she tried to find her words. "I'm sorry." She finally whispered.
"Why? for scaring me half to death or screaming at me?" miss Bunting snapped, her arms remaining tightly folded against her chest, legs crossed at the knee and eyebrows furrowed. She didn't dare look back at miss Avocet on the other side of the bench.
7"I'm not okay." Were the first words miss Bunting heard in ten minutes of pure silence, save for the wind whipping through the trees.
"Why are you not okay?" miss Bunting asked with a hint of concern, her arms loosening and heart slowly cracking at her partners words, but she still didn't dare to turn around and look at her.,Instead she let her gaze become focused on little yellow butterfly that was perched on one of the white rose's her and miss Avocet planted together with the girls last year.
"I dont know" Miss Avocet voice cracked as She tried desperately to hold back her own tears as her head fell against her knees. Esmerelda knew that she had done more crying in this past week than her whole life, which for some reason, only made her want to cry even more.
"Well...lets talk about it then." Miss Bunting's voice sounded much closer this time which startled the Avocet a pair of light blue sleeved arms wrapped around her in what seemed to be an attempted half hug. "Just spill it out. your not good at it, but just try."
"We- no I am the reason everyone is dying." miss Avocet latched onto Miss Bunting, laying,her head on her shoulder. "I should have known that Jack, He was capable and he was hurting my baby girl for so long!" she suddenly stood up.
"The first time I caught him doing something, it was so simple, just pinching her once down where the lessons taken place. I saw it through that window I was sitting in the other day, then I went down and told him to knock it off, and then I thought it was okay, everything seemed okay, IT WASNT OKAY!" She stood up, and had now taken to pacing around the gazebo
" Every single time we punished him, he said he would do better! And now he is brutally touturing and slaughtering all of my children and Alma is being blamed for it! ITS MY FAULT!" she shouted the last part, narrowly missing the ledge the top step.
"I SHOULD HAVE DONE BETTER! I COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS!" It had now progressed to a scream matching the one a week prior. " THIS IS MY FAULT! EVERYTHING IS MY FAULT! I SHOULD BE THE ONE DEAD NOT THEM!"
"ESME STOP THIS PLEASE!" Miss Bunting screamed back, wrapping her arms around her partner and bring her down the gazebo's painted wood floor, Trying to stop the trembling and now incoherent mumbling, accompanied by sporadic breathing.
"Your going to loose consciousness if you dont start breathing normally! focus Esme...focus on me and only me, please!" Miss Bunting begged, as the mumbling started to lessen. her dark green eyes meeting miss avocets Brown ones. "in through your nose, out your mouth, breathe in, 2 3 4, hold, 2 3 4, breathe out, 2 3 4." Miss Bunting used the only breathing technique she even knew of. She had learned it from watching Clarrisa Nightjar tend to one of her own only a few months prior. Diane wasn't even sure it was working until the trembling had subsided into just slight twitches every so often.
"Alright...I think that worked? do you feel better Esme?" Miss Bunting felt her partner nod.
"What are we going to do?" miss Avocet Whispered. after all the crying she had done she was finding it much harder to keep her eyes open, but yet she felt she couldnt even cry anymore.
"Well, firstly, we would both be to blame, but yet no one is to blame for that wretched boys behavior. We did punish him, it just never worked. And we will just have to keep moving, and keep on keeping on darling. Thats truly all we can do." miss Bunting sighed. She truly despised every bit of this, but especially seeing miss Avocet deteriorate down into the shell of the strong, caring woman she typically was.
"We cannot change fate once it set in stone, from that point on, we can only try to determine the stone's path." Miss Bunting stood up, wrapping her arms around Miss Avocet's waist. "lets go inside and get some sleep, We both know you need it. Maybe we can pay Alma a visit soon, I think it would do you some good."
" That sounds wonderful" miss Avocet gave a slight smile. "Will you sleep with me tonight?" Miss Avocet asked, taking a few staggering steps forward, but kept her balance pretty well.
"Of course, but I'll have to sneak in a little while after I feed Jingle, little demon probably shredded my curtains by now in revenge for making him wait. Why do you ask though?" Miss Bunting got closer as if someone would hear her words if she didn't. "You said you wanted to make it seem as if we weren't even extremely close as friends let alone lovers to protect our partnership."
"Although that is true, It is for a medical reason, i've unfourtnatley picked back up my habit of sleepwalking from when I was younger." she looked away, slightly embarrassed.
"HA I was right!" Miss Bunting excitedly skipped a little bit, her mess of long black curls bouncing with her as she stepped over a rock.
"Huh? Who argued that I wasn't sleepwalking with you?" miss Avocet asked, fearing the worst.
"YOU! when you were sleepwalking!" miss Bunting giggled as if they were both 17 years old again as it started to sprinkle.
"Your ridiculous, Ya know that Diane?" miss Avocet smirked tiredly as Miss Bunting linked arms with her, and kissed her cheek, as the sprinkle turned into a downpour, soaking them both.
"I know!"
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