“I want to know why you stayed.” (Whatever verse!)
(I’m going LTH because that’s more interesting!)
Autumn blinked, turning to Falkner. It was still fairly rare for the hybrid to speak, and rarer still to instigate the conversation. Usually, she had to coax words out of him, and it was a slow process. They might have been safe in the privacy of the aviary, and he might trust her enough to let her outside her observation deck, but there was still a rift. Now, he seemed determined to get an answer.
“I…”
Autumn’s voice trailed off. It felt like a loaded question. Did he mean to ask why she stayed after he attacked her the first time she’d brought her there? Or…why she stayed after she’d seen him brought back to Rocket in general?
“I felt responsible, I suppose.” She answered honestly. “I didn’t want to see you locked up again. I needed to see that you were taken care of. I never meant for…”
She paused, giving him a bitter smile, “I’d like to help you get out of here, one day.”
The last time she’d changed anything about Falkner’s routine she’d ended up with gashes in her arm so bad she still had some faint scarring. Since then, though, they had come to something of an understanding and she’d like to think things were going well.
The scientists had needed him to be out of the aviary for a few days. Autumn didn’t like to think of the reason why, but she saw this as an opportunity. She’d been tweaking things about it throughout the months, but mostly in the observation nook that she spent her time. She’d added a better table, comfortable chairs, a shelf for books and, when the weather started turning cold, a heater. Now, she’d added a few things to the Aviary itself. There wasn’t much she could add, and it didn’t need much either in terms of improvement or upkeep. But, she couldn’t resist the urge to do something special this time of year. It was Christmas after all.
“I have something special planned for today.” Autumn said as she wheeled Falkner’s cage down the hall towards the aviary. Usually it would be a two-man job, but she could manage by herself, and it didn’t take much convincing from her to get the scientists to go along with her these days. “Just a little something for Christmas. Nothing alarming, so don’t freak out on me.”
As the doors opened, her surprise was revealed. The trees in the aviary had been done up in soft lights that twinkled, giving the illusion that ledian were in them. In the opening that sat just before the observation nook was a blanket spread on the ground, a picnic of berries and jerky and other quality food that Autumn was fairly sure he’d like. Two pokeballs sat on the table of the observation unit, out and in the open so he could see them. She was hoping that surprise went well, but for now they’d focus on the food.
Rook cawed from a branch near the observation area, his feathers puffed proudly. Autumn giggled as she stepped around to open the cage. “He helped with the lights in the high spots. He’s very proud.”
The door of the cage opened, and Autumn carefully stepped over to the observation deck, a spot she knew she’d be safe and where she knew he was most used to her being.
