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Impulse said there was a canary in the forest.
A small, golden feather bird lurking about as he was collecting more spruce for his newest build. Always just within sight, as if trying to get his attention but being hesitant to glide into direct view. Singing and chirping only when Impulse had looked at the bird first.
Impulse had tried to come near the little creature, he had claimed, but it was too high up in the trees. It would chirp, puff up, lower itself and then jump up; Impulse claimed it looked as if it was trying to defend itself in a rather comedic way.
That was a few days ago, back when Impulse had stopped by to check in on Tango, talking about villagers or the next redstone project to pick apart. It was right before Impulse left that he had mentioned the canary in the spruce trees, laughing as he retold Tango of the tiny bird. Tango was not all that intrigued with how the bird acted, but the creature itself did spark an interest; and just like a wolf he snatched it up and ran with it: a canary would be an awesome companion for a dungeon master— especially one with a level such as The Black Mines. It would be nice to have a new pet, especially one as rare as a canary in this part of the world.
Only a few hours later Tango finds himself walking through the taiga. In his haste to find the bird before dark, he did not think about how he would most likely be returning during the dark: the sun slowly setting overhead.
The spruce trees are dense, allowing for the sun to just barely peak through. Tango knows this will just lead to earlier mobs he will have to deal with, probably before he even ends his quest to find the canary.
It is not long before Tango hears movement from above, and snaps his head to try and find it. It does not seem too close, but it's heavier and louder than the usual mobs. Which does not make it in favor of it being the golden bird he's looking for.
Frowning, Tango walks towards where the noise is faintly coming from. It's only a footstep or two before there's a sickening crack and a painful scream of panic.
A scream, a scream, Tango’s expression quickly transforms itself into a picture perfect expression of how that panic sounded in that scream, his hair ramping up enough to where he has to quickly make sure nothing's on fire.
There's another person in the woods, Tango’s mind’s supplies, and from the direction of the sound and the surprise in that scream, it's likely that person fell.
Coupled with the quiet sound of probably a body hitting the ground.
Tango’s steps now have a lot more haste in them, as he quickly sprints towards the sound of the fallen person.
What, or rather who, he finds is not someone he has ever seen before.
The man is glaring up at the trees, his brown eyes match the color of the dirt on his cheek nicely. He's still lying on the ground, just propping himself up using one arm, while the other clutches his head and the yellow strings of hair now also with a layer of dirt.
Before Tango can even offer to help the mysterious man up, he quickly spots Tango. The man scrambles up without a second to waste, and even with the distance Tango can tell the other is quite a ways taller than himself.
However the mystery man’s height is not the biggest eye catcher of all: the wings are. Golden wings that ever so slightly wrap around him, contrasting beautifully with the blues of his outfit. It reminds Tango of the sun on a perfect day.
“Who are you?” The avian hybrid asks, his voice high with defense. It takes Tango a second to realize he was just staring at the poor man.
An awkward laugh escapes Tango as he raises his hands in mock surrender, “Woah, woah, shouldn't I be asking you who you are?”
Tango does not worry about if the man is an actual threat or not, even if he is, the fall from a moment ago still leaves the man missing a few hearts.
The other blond’s face scrunches up in a thinking expression, before his wings retreat back to what looks to be a more natural resting position rather than the former defensive.
“My name's Jimmy,” he, Jimmy, announces, with his arms cross now. “Now who ‘re you?”
“Names Tango,” he cannot help but let a grin slip through as he reaches a hand out to offer a shake, “what's a guy like you doing out in the taiga in a tree? Never seen you here before.”
Jimmy does not hesitate to shake Tango’s hand. Tango can see the brief surprise flash through Jimmy’s eyes as he feels Tango’s naturally higher body temperature. Only a moment later is a compliment look when he spots Tango’s hair, and puts the pieces together.
“Well, actually, it's a funny story that one,” Jimmy’s tone is full of amusement but also a smidge of bashfulness as the two break off the handshake.
“Really?” Tango’s hands go to his hips now, no longer trying to hide the grin on his lips full of sharp teeth as the hybrid before him laughs again, and Tango can swear he hears a sweet melody from it.
“Yeah, yeah, real funny story. I was actually flying through ‘ere, just passing along.” Jimmy looks up towards the used to be home of the branch that he must have fallen off of, “and then suddenly, I was me again!” His voice gets higher than what it just was.
Following up until that point Tango understood what Jimmy was telling him. His comes to a pitstop however when Jimmy seems to think Tango understands what the whole, ‘me again’ bit is about.
“Uh, sorry what now?” Is all Tango has in response.
Promptly, it clicks for Jimmy, “oh, right, see I was a canary—”
Golden wings, canary, the canary Tango was looking for, the one Impulse was talking all about just hours ago. That's the man right in front of him, it all clicks for Tango in rapid succession, barely leaving any other room to think as he blurts oh, “Ooooh, you're that canary!”
Now it's Jimmy’s turn to tilt his head to the side in confusion, “Sorry, was there ‘nother one ‘round here then?”
Tango shakes with laughter, “No! Sorry, I was looking for you. Well,” he grumbles, “technically I was looking for canary you. I didn't realize the canary my friend was talking about was a, well, was a you!”
A sweet melody rings out again from Jimmy’s mouth, “Oh!” More laughter, “yeah, that was me! That was me! I've been stuck as a stupid canary and then suddenly right before you saw me, I was me!”
Curiosity grabs a hold of Tango now, “stuck as a bird? Whatcha do to get stuck?” Maybe it is a bit too much to ask a random man he has only just met why he was stuck as a canary, but Tango can admit that he can act rather impulsively.
Jimmy thankfully does not seem to completely shut it down, “oh, well, you know, funny story.”
“I'm sure it is.” Delight is evident in Tango’s tone. He's having too much fun with this stranger, chatting away as the sun slowly sinks down, but the light around them never diminishes.
“Oh gosh,” Jimmy’s tone becomes alert, his eyes no longer focusing on Tango’s red ones, instead above him, “oh gosh, oh gosh,”. It takes Tango a second to realize why exactly they both are still lit up nicely as the sun descends down.
His fire seems to be responding to the same glee filling him while talking to Jimmy, and it reaches up and up towards the tree leaves. Two of three of them were already catching fire before the two companions ever even clocked it.
Jimmy and him scramble to put out the fire, laughing awkwardly as they get in each other's way more than actually helping one another. Only when they finally work in tangent does it barely register that Tango was so absorbed with talking to Jimmy, that he did not realize how out of control his fire was getting, never mind catching the signs of the trees on fire.
The thought gets put away for later contemplation once the threat of a wildfire is gone. Now with the tree, and his own, fire under control, it becomes crystal clear on just how little time left there is before mobs truly begin to spawn out of the darkness of night.
The air fills with smoke and giggles as the two hybrids start to relax after the fiasco. “So, I’m guessing that you're from out of town, right?” Tango starts just a moment later, the glee never once wavering even with the small fire trouble.
“I'd say if you were a betting man, you'd be right on the money,” Jimmy responds with the same delight.
“Well, it's a good thing I am then huh! How about, I bet that you need somewhere to stay for the night? Lots of angry little guys who will try to gnaw your arm off, or shoot your butt.”
It must be the canary in the man that makes his laughs sound like music, Tango reasons, that's the only explanation.
“Right again, you wouldn't happen to know a place? A spare bed perhaps?” What follows that question is the most sly look Tango has seen, but it is akin to that of a kicked puppy. The sight makes Tango bark out a laugh of his own.
“Yeah, yeah I got one in my base,” Tango’s voice goes low with a hint of joking in it, “how about you, uh, tell me that real funny story from earlier?” Maybe it's the tone of his voice, or the wiggling of his brows that make Jimmy revert back to a smile and nod.
“Yeah, yeah, alright then,” Jimmy falls in step easily with Tango, “just to warn you though, it's a bit of a confusing and long one.”
“Well, then I hope you'll spare enough time for me to hear it then, eh?”