Down, hidden far into the dark hosted the aviary: a place where light dared not reach. The flightless beings who lived in such cases whimpered and groaned, each sickly and hungry. At one time, the spider-like young man had moaned about his woes too, secluded in a room made especially for him, but eventually he'd been allowed to roam the halls (somewhat) freely.
Eyes which attuned to the gray darkness counted each door, each cage, and each of those without flight. Even those whose rooms were left completely alone and forgotten were counted, as they were still part of his flightless collection. Their bones remained, as did any of their cloth-like feathers, if they had any to begin with. Some were more lucky than others, in that way. The more iron cages in one room, the more likely he was to visit it.
Well, it also depended on how much he cherished the bird. Were they pretty? Was their chirp considered cute? Zion would jealously peer out from beyond the doors, wishing the attention for himself.
"MoOOoon bIrrrrdie."
Zion cooed, attempting to mimic the tone of the aviary's owner. Blackened digits clawed the side of an older iron cage while a free hand slid an offering deeper between bars, others keeping it stable within his hold. He knew it as half of a delicacy-- one hard to find in the aviary. He'd sooner resort to eating vermin and pests; sweets were rare. Yet, he decided to share it after nibbling at the last half the hour prior, pondering how best to return the love which he'd been given.
Golden eyes with undertones of red tracked the bird's movement, waiting for the bait to move.
She knew who it was out there as Zion approached. She knew his smell and his steps like her own heartbeat. As he came closer, her near-blind lavender eyes grew larger in anticipation and she hopped over to the edge of her cage, causing it to swing slightly. "Ah..." Lumi cooed softly, her tiny cold fingers reaching out to his and taking the soft bread. "Mmm." Without hesitation she happily pressed the little scrap of food against her face and took in it's lustrous smell. "Thank yeh Zohn." The snowbird said, her voice nigh above a whisper before she hungrily stuffed all of it into her mouth. Around them, she could hear other birds moaning for their own gifts and their cages rattling as they reached in the dark for Zion.
Cries of hunger fell on deaf ears as the spider-like man sunk back, away from the edge of Lumi's cage. He wouldn't communicate with most others, but she was an exception. Just as he found her charming, so too did Zion. There was a reason she was fancied, and it extended beyond outermost beauty.
Zion shyly nodded to himself, bobbing his head briskly up and down, and out of view. An unofficial birdkeeper going about his job of keeping the flightless fed.
Eyes searched through darkness as he felt through vibrations in the ground, waiting for prey. Alas, no such disturbances made themselves known.
"fEEd the birds."
He mumbled to himself between his nail-biting habit. Another of his long arms swept through the empty space, frustrated at the lack of prey. After a few seconds of thrashing about, he once again gripped Lumi's cage and held still, eyeing another of the flightless birds.
ₒⁿᵉ wᵢₙgₛ, ᵗʷᵒ wᵢₙgₛ, ᵇⁱʳᵈ ₛᵢₙgₛ, ₒf ₛₜᵣᵢₙgₛ.
Garbling a verse to himself, he took a step forward, his unlucky selection of fresh produce finalized.
There was nothing in Lumi's cage but a perch that hung above her head for her to sit on. She was naked, for that was how he liked to display her. Nakedness was nothing strange to the girl. It was clothes she didn't understand. Strange, soft wrappings that he would bind her in when he sent her and Zion out on errands. She certainly liked the warmth of them, and how they would swish as she walked.
"Zohn!" Lumi chirped quietly, jumping up to her feet and peering around blindly. "Zohn!" Her perch rattled as it rapped against her head. "Bath please..!" The birdbath, a room in a far corner of the Aviary, where freshwater streamed from vents in the wall. Select birds were taken here when they needed to bathe or relieve themselves. Others were left to sit in their waste.
While the spider wasn't exactly startled by the bird's request, his attention immediately shifted towards her. He'd had his mouth widely agape, fangs bare as he readied his web. By Lumi's words, however, he'd shrunk back, covering his mouth before using his free hand to fiddle with the cage's lock.
In no time at all, the cage door swung outwards, allowing Zion to assist the young woman. His singular extra set of arms reached forward, practically scooping her up at the cage's entrance. He'd only held her for a moment before setting her down and running a claw against the back of her head. Resting the hand right above her neck, he slithered a finger through her hair, right at a spot where hair began to dangle from its roots.
His face flushed while he ignored the never-ending pleads from other cages. None else were granted privileges by the aviary's owner, nor likely would they with Lumi's beauty outshining them.
"SmALL time, quIck, fasTime."
Beginning to guide her away, the spider felt a new vibration atop stone-- of course, and only then, would a rat move about while the predator remained occupied.
"Aye. Aye." She murmured in understanding, walking onwards before him without needing to see a single step. Once they reached the birdbath room, the girl slipped from under his finger and walked quickly on her toes to the water streaming down the wall. She was careful not to get her hair wet, for wet hair almost never dried down here in the dank. Quickly, Lumi cupped her hands and splashed water down her face. She whimpered at the cold, flailing her hands to get the droplets off before sitting down and rubbing her feet clean.
"Pretty bird, pretty bird." She whispered to herself routinely as she washed all over. Upon finishing, Lumi stood and reached blindly for Zion.
"All done, Zohn! All done!" She whimpered again as if afraid he'd abandoned her in the dark.
With Lumi slashing away in the water, cleaning herself up, Zion darted away in chase of another rat. The misfortunate creature was quickly cornered before the small crack in stone: its only route of escape. Although the large rat was very much still alive, he spun silk over and around it, suffocating the creature as it turned into a meal to-go.
Only as the young lady called for him would he return-- after a moment longer than she likely would've liked.
"FasTime, good. Later-meal for you."
Second set of arms ran down the girl in both an attempt to warm and dry her off from the frigid bath.
Squinting down at her, spider pondered to himself silently before releasing his hold, allowing yet also expecting her to run back over to her birdcage. He brought claws to his mouth and gnawed at them, thinking.
A little smile brightened Lumi's features as Zion warmed her.
Hearing something small scuttle nearby along the stone floor, the girl leaned down curiously and reached to touch it. With a sudden clanging, a nearby bird groped desperately from its cage and Lumi felt bony fingers tangle themselves up in her hair and yank her up. She screamed and thrashed her hands in a panic as the bird above her reached its other hand round to her face and attempted to take off skin.
"Oh no no no." Crooned a voice from down the hall. At that, Lumi was immediately released, and she huddled herself on the floor and covered her hair with her hands.
There were no footsteps to be heard, no smell, the air itself hardly seemed to move around Nicodemus as he strolled towards the scene. Unlike his little snowbird, this man could see perfectly in pitch blackness. "Oh, my sweet." The Birdwatcher said softly, walking past both Lumi and Zion towards the cage that had acted out. "You must never take food that was not given to you. We know this, don't we?" Nico's voice was shaking. It always shook, trembling from a higher pitch to a lower one and one could never tell if he was on the verge of laughing, crying, or maiming.
A weak little voice could be heard pleading from the cage, and a pair of hands reached out to him. The man looked down and took the hands into his own. He stroked them tenderly, "You've lost your privilege for these, I think." He said gently, and in an instant his gaunt fingers twisted the little hands until they snapped. A horrible scream pierced the air, and Lumi hid behind her hands and started crying.
Although Zion had just attempted to warm the pretty bird up, he did nothing to assist her as she was yanked upwards. In fact, he saw it as some sort of playtime between the flightless two, and crouched down as to not get in their way. An amused expression found its way onto his features as he observed their interaction-- only for it to be cut short by the birdwatcher himself.
The spider's head whipped back to take a look at Nicodemus as he strolled up to separate the two. He spoke no words, daring not comfort either of the helpless. Instead, he gazed up admiringly at him-- ₜₕₑ ₒₙₗy ₒₙₑ wₕₒ ₜᵣᵤₗy ₘₐₜₜₑᵣₑd in such a rotten place-- while his face flushed red.
After the audible snap of fingers, Zion reached out his arms for Nico, his four hands lightly sliding along the lanky man's legs. They traveled upwards, but not too far, stopping before the knee. Permission to intrude upon-- no, a request for attention once he was done which bordered onto a need. He hadn't felt neglected by the man; how could he, when Nicodemus loved him as much as he did?
The wrapped up rat Zion caught moments before ended up dropped onto the ground, forgotten with the snowbird.
"Shhhh, shh shh shh." The man said dismissively to the crying pet in the cage. "Your little wrists are no less beautiful this way, just be sure to think on their better use when they've healed." With that, Nicodemus turned and smiled down at Zion. "My ZIon!" He cried, delighted. Giving a small beckoning gesture with his finger, he permitted any embrace the boy may desire. His eyes then traveled over to Lumi who was trembling nearby. "What's this little one doing out with you?"
Zion launched upwards, clinging onto Nicodemus upon acknowledgement. His breath was heavy as he rubbed his face against the man's chest, relishing in the short time he had to himself. With one hand, he tightly laced his fingers with the birdkeeper's. The spider didn't delay in answering his question, however, but he continued to hold onto the birdkeeper all the while.
"Moon birdiE bath, strETCH wings while ZIon HUnts."
Mumblings were voiced after and in rapid succession while the spider tried to climb onto Nico-- not that he truly could.
"Ah, mmhmm." Nico replied, scooping one of his long skinny arms under Zion's rump and (somehow) easily supporting him, holding him on his hip like a mother would do with a child. "Let's go, my little porcelain doll." He said to Lumi, holding his other hand down to her and gently touching her head. The girl winced at first, but quickly regained composure and hopped to her feet. She held tightly onto Nicodemus' arm as he walked back through the rooms.
"Hush, my beloveds." The Birdwatcher crooned to the cages that called to them as they passed. "You are right where you belong, I promise. I love youuu, yes, I dooo."
Lumi could smell her own cage drawing near, but instead of gently placing her in it as he usually did, Nico continued onwards with his two children. They passed room after room of his collections until they reached an ornate stone staircase. Lumi immediately recognized the embossed texture of it beneath her feet and she smiled excitedly. "Upstairs, Fah?"
"Yes, upstairs, snowdrop." Nicodemus hoisted Zion a little higher onto his hip as they carefully ascended the stairs before pressing open the heavy wooden door before them.
The young woman trailing beside the two gasped as both light and warmth flooded over them. The house was beautiful, with red hard wood floors and pale velvet furniture that glistened with golden, gilded edges. It was full of smells and sounds that the thick door of the Aviary shut out. A crackling fire in a sculpted fireplace, warm breads and pastries resting on the smooth wooden counters in the kitchen, and birds outside singing. Real and beautiful birds. To Lumi's nearly-blind eyes, the lovely scene was nothing but blurry golden lights dancing here and hazy textures sitting there. Nevertheless, it was a paradise she was always delighted to experience. The floors up here didn't scuff her callused feet and the sounds of comfortable life were like angels singing. And for once, she was not shaking from the cold.
The spider's grip loosened as the birdkeeper supported him, though only slightly. He instead rested his head along the man's upper arm, closing his eyes to the woes and pleads of those they passed. Nicodemus' declarations of love was all Zion needed to feel safe and secure. Yet as they ascended the stairwell, he peeked an eye open, only to squeeze it shut and bury his face back into the man.
He let his eyes slowly adjust as he carefully slid off the birdkeeper, above ground at last.
Once off the man, he stretched his arms out and above himself, reveling in the warmth that lingered throughout the house. Even Zion couldn't completely hide his joy of life directly under the sky. The smells were overwhelming, as was the feeling beneath his feet. Little rumblings, but nothing to give away the flightless locked below.
No-- the flightless at home, resting below them.
He cleared his throat, ready to practice how he heard the world above ground speak, cutting his thoughts short. His understanding of language wasn't the clearest, ho0wever he was able to fiddle his way into speaking in somewhat comprehensible sentences from time to time.
"Hmm, would you like to?" Nico asked, watching Zion with a smile and leading Lumi to one of the velvet couches. "Here, little light." He told her softly, sitting her down before walking away towards the kitchen. As he walked, the man pressed his fingertips together and from beneath his sharp nails came dark threads that he began to turn and twist in his palms. This was a common fidget of his, always weaving. The same threads could be found sewn in beautiful patterns all over the house. In corners, along the walls, in frames sitting on shelves, and most importantly, across every window. Threads crissed and crossed from one window to the next, tautly bound in delicate patterns. The only exit from the house was a single wooden door, sealed by six different locks. The keys of which were kept hidden.
"ᴺᵒ, ₙₒ, ₙₒ, ₙₒ, I want you. To be with. Here and home."
Zion violently shook his head in denial, worried he would be punished for even suggesting so. He'd unfortunately glanced at the door and locks a second prior, inducing a panicked feeling of responsibility. No, was that it? Disappointment? He wasn't sure, but it bothered him in ways he wanted to deny. The Spider was at home and loved it there.
With his head still spinning from the shake, he dared to follow the birdkeeper around like a lost puppy, scuttering about the redwood flooring.
From time to time he'd glance at the silk-like workings of the birdkeeper, reminding him of how superior the man was. While the spider's silk was thick and useful for prey, it could never be quite as beautiful as his.
"Teach me, please? Pretty silk, pretty designs. I make but not pretty."
