the zookeeper ---

Thirty-Three              Shapeshifter / Peregrine Falcon                                               Midtown

[thora-fletcher]

tcrik:

Grayson kept his eyes on her as she spoke before looking down at the book. It was a book recommended by a friend and that was why Grayson was reading it. Truthfully, he wasn’t far in the book to know what the entire thing was about. “It seems to be about a young man who is also a magician.” He told her. “any other unnecessary questions?”

He felt like danger. Danger that is that Thora wasn't normally accustomed to. She'd been raised by all sorts of terrible people and some of them being considered the worst humanity had to offer but he had this was about him that felt deathly. Thora would be wary not to push too many of his buttons or attempt to push them at all. "No" She breathed nodding her head standing up but not before saying something else paying a kindness forward to him. "Let me pay for your things - so you can read in peace. Stories are should be savored especially ones about magic"

[thora-fletcher]

jak-ryker:

( “Pickpocketing is  literally the  definition of  putting your  hand in someone’s pocket and taking what isn’t yours, whether you intend to keep it or not. I can handle the patrons, I had it under control.” )

There were reasons Thora generally kept to her own company, kept well enough alone and generally spent most of her days interacting with as few people as possible -- she disliked the feeling of awkwardness that washed over her. In that moment she bowed her head, taking a mental note not to announce herself the next time she did it. Keys would just magically appear on the bar rather than in her hand to give over to someone who'd watch them. She appreciated his frankness in calling her out though, greatly. "I know the definition thank you. I was only trying to help.. Old habits. I apologize. Thora by the way. Thora Fletcher - turn into a bird on occasion too if your wondering if I have any other hidden talents to disclose" She teased lightly though there was sincerity in her tone of voice. Thora didn't often mention or joke about what she was but it seemed to come out naturally yet without officially saying it ot making a declarative statement.

[thora-fletcher]

elmirakent:

“They want everything to be perfect for just one day. They are asking for the Earth to stand still for them. It’s an impossible request, but one I try to help them with.” It was hard to distress her at this point, for a human to worry her, ‘bridezillas’ were just young women to soothe. It wasn’t really a myth that a wedding would be something you’d think back on a lot in your lifetime, everyone wanted to remember that day. At the mention of being paid back, Elmira looked to the other woman curiously. Of course she’d never ask for any money in return. But some people just couldn’t let that go. “I like stories. About your life. How about tea in exchange for a happy memory?”

At the woman's request, Thora's jaw stiffened and her feet considered turning back around and bidding adieu to the lovely young woman whose shop reminded her of brief glimpses into what happiness must've been like and times before when she fell just short of being completely and blissfully ignorant she shouldn't have been happy with what she was getting. Thora considered telling her she was too decent a person to lie to her as they had just met and it would be wrong to intentionally deceive her but she would have to decline the offer for tea and she would not be back for temptation to lie to her would be to great just to sit in the corner of the shop drinking tea observing the flora about her. Yet she stayed despite her better judgment telling her to avoid a triggering situation; a painful situation. The shifter didn't have many pleasant memories she could still remember and half of them had been stories themselves told to her when she was a child of a place that sounded near mythical in it's proportions. She had been raised in the mentality that nothing was free and a deal was a deal and fair deals were few and hard to find. This exchange seemed fair enough of a deal and it would do Thora good to peel back the curtains on her terribly private life to spare a little detail. "That's a fine enough exchange. A happy memory for a moment in your shop with tea"

[thora-fletcher]

Silence. Her world was a quiet there at the edge of it all despite the numerous cacophony of sounds that attempted to slice through her momentary peace. Things were always very quiet after flight. It seemed her ear drums were the last thing to completely re-adjust when returning to her original size but she didn't mind. It'd be a foolish move on anyone's part to attempt to sneak up on her in a dark alley way as she dressed in the dark. In the silence though the woman wrapped her coat a little more firmly around her body once she dressed completely. Stuffing her hands into her pockets she was going to attempt to walk the rest of the way home. Fishing into her pocket to find her ipod, her ear pods flooded her world with sound and Thora began to quietly hum alphabet aerobics. Having only just stepped out of an alleyway the she wasn't aware of what lied around the corner but she tripped and her ipod went wide. "Artificial amateurs, aren't at all amazing. Analytically, I assault, animate things. Broken barriers bounded by the bomb beat. Buildings are broken, basically I'm bombarding. Casually create catastrophes, casualties canceling cats got their canopies collapsing -- crap!"

[thora-fletcher]

sms recieved

ARIZONA: How did you get my number?

THORA: You are the one who texted me - perhaps someone gave us both fake numbers?

[thora-fletcher]

jonahrhodes:

A sly smile crossed his face as she agreed to help him. He could get in a lot of trouble if he wanted to. He wanted to return his sister’s jacket, but theoretically, he could make a few stops along the way. But he decided not to take advantage of Thora’s kindness or her trust in his good intentions. He would be his way of repaying her. Sure, she might not notice the small kindness, but Jonah would know about it and that’s all that mattered to him. He didn’t want people to think he was soft; he wanted people to be intimidated by him, and to fear him. “You make an excellent point. I’m the only one who can deliver this jacket, so it’s important I have someone to look out for me.” 

“I always have excellent points” Thora whispered softly not often feeling it necessary to toot her own horn but it was a point she liked to occasionally make. None of her points were ever made lightly or without all consideration of the facts at hand. Besides he was attractive not that that had been at all factored in her evaluation of the situation. “Shall we be off?”

[thora-fletcher]

dahlia-x:

                    “You’re admitting to opening this window while knowing full well he could fly off.” Dahlia began, knowing full well her raven would return; but they didn’t know that. “And now here we are, raven-less and with our mouth hanging open.”  

Birds, animals, people - they were things that did not deserve to be in cages or locked away. Especially birds which was ironic coming from where she worked knowing the zoo was nothing but a glorified over priced cage for people to further poke and prod and parade around majestic creatures who deserved better. Thora worked there to insure that there was someone in the world who understood them and cared for them properly. When she’d seen the person who’d let the bird it was something she’d do but sometimes a cage was better for an animal than that of the real world. The woman seemed to care about it very much. “Can I help - I couldn’t help but overhear the situation.” Thora said clearing her throat stepping forward.

[thora-fletcher]

joanna-sargent:

“You know, for the sanity of my own mind I’m going to pretend I didn’t see that. Because honestly, this whole …whatever this is looks like hours of sleep I am so not willing to sacrifice.” 

“I only need your help but for a moment and if I could do this myself I would” Thora breathed calmly despite internally freaking the fuck out. She wasn’t prone to things like this; to actual panic as the urge to truly panic died several years ago but the animal was heavy and she couldn’t lift them easily without hurting it more. She had after all just tried lifting it and it hadn’t gone too well... “Please”

[thora-fletcher]

tcrik:

“Yeah, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before.” Grayson said, expecting the woman to leave and looking back at his book. A huff of air following when she didn’t leave, his gaze shooting back up. Given the way she was looking at him, she must have said something he missed before he realized she was looking at the book. “Name of the Wind.”

Thora was half tempted to mention that most people hadn’t ever seen her before. She was good at keeping hidden and staying hidden and blending right into a crowd. It had served her well in these past several years and allowed her to keep well out of the supernatural world and a bit of the mundane one as well. From his body language she could tell with her sharp eyes he didn’t care for anyone being there and she would leave him soon but she’d never heard of the book. “Name of the Wind. Please don’t laugh but I’ve never heard of it - it sounds intriguing. What’s it about?”

[thora-fletcher]

sms recieved

ARIZONA: Did I meet you when I brought in my chocolate lab?

THORA: No I don't think so. I don't own any animals - work at the zoo.

[thora-fletcher]

padenkolter:

No one ever remembered that he was classically trained, that had he not posted that song on the internet and gained overnight fame, that he would have gone to Julliard and maybe not be completely covered in tattoos – maybe not have as many problems. Still, the beginning chords of the song broke out in the venue. He was rusty, the tempo was off as his fingers remembered the composition. Soon, though, they slipped back into what used to be muscle memory. “I haven’t played this in more than a decade,” he hummed over the soft melody. His mom used to love it when he played piano – but his mom was the only woman who liked things like this. “Good choice. I am a bit rusty.”

Closing her eyes Thora inhaled a deep breath and imagined flight. She imagined taking a running start off the top of a roof, of plummeting, falling to unfurl wings after taking a near nose dive to the ground just to pull up and shoot back up into the sky at lightning quick speeds. She imagined freedom, imagined this song being the only sound she heard and it was beautiful. He may have thought himself rusty but he was very talented regardless. Opening her eyes she still wore a smile for the stranger covered in tattoos with gauges in his ears knowing most people wouldn't dare to think or even assume such a melody could've been carried out by someone who didn't look very delicate. Then again appearances were deceiving even in Thora's case. "I wouldn't have assumed that had played it in that long had you not said something. It's not often that I listen to too much of today's music. Can I buy you a drink and you can play for me. You are really very talented. Thora" She introduced herself head gesturing towards the bar. Perhaps she’d make a friend of the talented young man whose rusty was still pretty damn good.

[thora-fletcher]

tcrik:

Sitting at a table, Grayson was enthralled by the book he held in his hands. Little attention was being payed to the environment around him. He hadn’t realized that somebody else had joined him until he glanced up from his book and saw somebody sitting on the other side of the table. “Hello?” He responded, eyebrow lifted, tone sharp as he spoke. “Is there a reason you have invited yourself here?” Sliding the bookmark between the pages, he closed to book and carefully set it on the table.

"You look like someone I once knew - I am mistaken I apologize” Thora said as soon as the man spoke. It was odd but the gentleman have a vague resemblance to an old acquaintance but as soon as he spoke she knew she had the wrong man. “What book is that you’re reading?”

[thora-fletcher]

elmirakent;

“Oh there’s no need.” Elmira said with a small shake of her head, moving to hold the door to the shop open for the other woman. Maybe it was her loneliness that made her do it, but there was always tea in the shop, sometimes whatever baked goods she’d decided to bring in. At five hundred years old, she did whatever she could to occupy her time, keep people in her company for just a bit longer. “It’s a daily occurrence here, I can never be sure when a bride is going to come in raving about arrangements. It helps relax them.” 

She could smell the tea from here, how its fragrant aroma filled the air and reached and every corner of the shop she took a deep breath and could smell it all. It was calming oddly enough and Thora could find herself if she were a dreamer in a corner of that shop telling stories to flowers sipping tea. “I can see how that can be helpful to both you and that bride. Seen plenty of them in my own time and they have a strange mentality. Are you sure though? I can’t offer to pay you back at all?”

[thora-fletcher]

sebordeaux:

MISCHIEF gleamed in his eyes; its power ever so present in every last fibre of the vampire’s being. It guided his actions, encouraged every whim; the birthplace of all his twisted thoughts. The smile he bears reels in, creates a false sense of excitement. Oh, what an adventure he is about to open invitation to. No good could come from it. He leans closer, a devilish charm to his ways, complemented by the raising of a cheeky eyebrow.  Then it comes, words sweetly rolling off a silver tongue.   ❛   –––––  Why don’t you and I have some fun?  ❜

If there was one thing you learned being raised in a den of wolves while a pit of snakes sung you to sleep was how to tell when a smile bore teeth just like a crocodile. Maybe he wasn’t but Thora was not about to make that mistake. Maybe it was because she didn’t spend so much time with people or really thought of herself as such but she knew. Thora knew, Thora could feel it and it made her skin crawl just a little bit. "No thank you, no. I'm sure your smile works on others but I don't think I'd like to have your kind of fun"

[thora-fletcher]

sms recieved

ARIZONA: Thora..?

THORA: Small, blonde, usually very quiet. works with animals.

[thora-fletcher]

jak-ryker:

( “Hey!” ) Jak called after the blonde after a moment of looking rather dumb- foundedly at the keys in his hand. He then followed her down the bar, ignoring the demands from the other customer about wanting his keys back. ( “You can’t pickpocket people in the bar.” )

“I didn’t pickpocket him.” Thora corrected quietly, glancing up at him with a subtle curl at the corners of her mouth in a half smile. “Pick-pocketing would imply I had ideas on stealing the car that went with the keys but I didn’t and I don’t. I was merely relieving him of his keys and holding onto them for safe keeping - for his safety and that of others.”

[thora-fletcher]

jonahrhodes:

He balled the jacket up and carried it under his arm. Jonah contemplated making a sarcastic comment, but decided against it because she had helped him out. He could consider that his way of saying thanks. “I was planning on it. Why? Are you enjoying my company so much you want to continue this adventure?” 

The continuation of an unexpected adventure could have many heavy consequences. A hundred consequences to the simplest of actions or requests could spark any number of flames in an already volatile  world and set the whole damn thing on fire or end with someone on the floor bleeding out. It was always within her nature to propose any number of outcomes in her head  that would come about as a result of her simply saying yes or no to anything. There was substantial power behind a yes or a no. Who could say saying yes to to wanting to continue this odd little adventure would bring dire consequences but who could suppose it wouldn’t? She answered with a smile shrugging her shoulders. “I have better eyes than you do - if you encounter any trouble someone should warn you before it over takes a brother only wanting to return his sister’s jacket back to her.”