Sebastian sat with his back up against a tree, doodling in the midday sun. His long legs were stretched out infront of him as he hand drew the wonders of natur before him with a simple pencil. He sighed and tore up a drawing. It wasn't good enough.

Sebastian dug through his bag and pulled out a small tin and a lighter. He lit a joint he had rolled earlier in the day and puffed away before starting to draw a small insect he saw crawling in the grass infront of him. The joint hung out of his mouth as he concentrated hard on his drawing.

Shad was having a bad day. He seemed to wake up on the wrong side of the bed more frequently now, even though there was no bed to wake up on. The fifteen year old couldn't sleep in a bed for he had no family here. He wasn't allowed a job for he was too little, and so he rarely got money. With little cash, he couldn't buy himself a house to live in. But his pile was growing. He now had near 500 dollars. Ask him how he got it and he would tell you something near the truth. Saving up ones and fives really was tedious, but they were cash amounts, so they did grow. Truth was he did that as well as a nasty little habit. He spied someone drop money, and he wouldn't utter a word to them about it. He would selfishly pick it up, stow it in his pocket and move on. One day, there really would be a bed to sleep on. And a bed to wake up wrong on too.

The boy wasn't as hungry as he would have liked to be, for he spotted a rabbit, and that was a lot for a sparrow hawk. Yes, the little boy was also an american kestrel. A Lycanthrope in the initiate world. And since he wasn't hungry enough to go after the rabbit, he figured he would take a hike to clear his mind. A very long hike. The bird swooped down onto a path, and, due to his state of anger, did not look around for eyes that might be watching. He just morphed. Dust swirled in the wind around him to vaugly mask his change. Aside from that, it was obvious that the bird there before was the boy there now. The little, slightly innocent looking fifteen year old boy. Gold eyes, short-but-growing-longer light brown hair, and regular street clothes. And a cloak. But the cloak is revealing two kestrel wings and a tail on the boys back, for it was disturbed during the flight. He quickly yanks it around him to cover the wings and tail once more. No one needed to see. And no one would, or so he thought.

Sebastian had been concentrating hard, finishing the last few strokes, when out of the corner of his eye he spotted Shad. He blinked a moment, taking another drag on his joint. Quickly he flipped the page of his book and began to roughly sketch out the boy before he was gone. The boy intrigued him, and Seb knew he had to get his image down on paper before he forgot it. Perhaps one day he would turn the sketch into a painting.

He coughed a little, pulling the joint out of his mouth and tapping it before the ash fell on to his sketch book, or into his lap. His pencil raced over the paper, expertly capturing the creature infront of him.

The boy heard the cough as he started fuming down the path, and froze. Froze stock still with a growing horror in his eyes. Shad didn't believe that the Unnish should know Innish ways, and was normally trailing a minor deity to make sure she didn't go off and screw things over for the Initiates. So now, the cough gave him a sickening feeling that he might have turned an Unnish Innish, or crazy, whichever and neither were good.

The boy turned to face the trees, spotting the figure lounging out with... A sketch pad. Shad mutter a vile word under his breath, and started walking towards the boy. He was not smiling. In fact, the only thing that kept him from looking downright pissed was the fact that he was so afraid of what he might have done to himself, much less the other person, and this fear sparkled in his eyes as did the sun. The only thing that kept him from walking right up to him was the fact that a joint hung from the corner of his mouth. Shad could smell it, and the smell always made him sick.

"You know... You shouldn't be smoking that."

His tone was not unfriendly, but it wasn't exactly peachy and nice either.

Sebastian watched the boy coming fumming up to him. As the boy moved closer, Seb flipped the page of his book and started a new drawing of the boy. The look of fear in his eyes caught Seb's attention, and he paid special attention to it.

Seb didn't look up right away when the boy stopped moving. He finished a bit more detail on the drawing before looking up. He plucked the joint from his mouth and tapped the ash away again. "Oh? Are you an under cover police officer?" Seb asked with a kind smile. He was not even remotely vindictive about it.

Shad let the fear dissipate from his eyes. The person had to be Innish, for any Unnish person would simply flip out about a kid with wings. Well, this one was likely feeling quite high, and that could account to his placid reaction, but then again...

"If I was an undercover cop, then I wouldn't be here right now wasting my time with you. What are you?"

Shad wasn't going to play it off as if the person knew nothing of magic in any way. He had just seen a bird become a human. It would be foolish of Shad to think that, and kid geniuses normally aren't all too stupid.

((Woo! Craptacular!))

Sebastian glanced down at his paper, finishing the last few details. He took another calm dragged on the joint before replying. "Calm down lad, you stress out too much and your hair will turn grey before you are twenty." Sebastian joked a little, his painted lips still twisted into a smile.

Sebastian let a little of the faint glamour he was using drop, and his ears appeared a little more pointed. "Half-elven if you must know." he said, taking another long drag from the joint and letting it hover in the air as he brushed back a piece of hair.

((An equally crappy post))

Shad nodded and almost smiled. Almost. He was still angry from waking up that morning, so the mood was a bit offset, but he was certainly glad he hadn't screwed up some Unnish to a point beyond repare. The fact of his waking, and the fact of the joint were slowly making him tick down on his patience. He hated weed. Hated the smell, the sight, the things it had done to friends of his...

"Do you mind... Seriously, those things are gross... You know that they are just as dangerous as regular cigarettes, but illegal? So if you like killing yourself, I advice the cheeper route."

Shad was looking distastefully at the smoke cloud in the air, wafts of its smell stinging his nostrals. God how he hated the stuff...

Sebastian sighed, but was kind enough to flick the joint into the grass and stub it out with the end of his pencil. "You're lucky it was almost done or I wouldn't have done it." he said with a smile, it was obviously a joke. He personally didn't care what the boy, or anyone though of drugs, drinking or anything of the like. If he enjoyed it, he would do it. If it was illegal, he'd just be careful not to get caught.

"So kid, going to tell me your name so I can title this?" Sebastian asked, holding up the drawing.

Shad watched the young man stub out the butt, but that didn't clear the air. Shad just wouldn't breath for a couple of seconds, was all. And he waved his hand in front of his face, showing his dislike for the smell. At the young mans words, he blinked, and then slowly leaned forward, looking over the drawing. It was quite good, but Shad wasn't sure he wanted his name on something that might circulate, at least to whoever this mans family was.

"Er... I'm Shad... But don't put my name on it. Can't have someone hunt me down and kill me. I'd screw everything up for me. Who are you?"

He had resumed to a standing position, standing back from the man and the smell.

Sebastian set the sketch back on his lap, doodling strange lines and shapes absently. "Fine, no problem. I'll just have to think of a creative title for it." he chuckled.

Sebastian offered his hand, "My name's Sebastian, Sebastian Aliano." he said in a particularily friendly tone. He was always quite pleasant to random strangers, being rather stoned just made him even nicer.

Shad did not take the hand. Oh no. That hand had been dangerously close to that joint, and he wanted nothing to do with the drug. And anyway, one who smokes normally does other things, and Shad didn't know Seb. Who KNOWS where that hand had been.

"Nice to meet you, Seb."

Hands stayed at his sides. His eyes were looking over the stoner man carefully catching details. Makeup... Pointed ears, thin build, and, oooo... Shiney.

((Any more tonight and I will be super craptacular. Post in the morn.))

Sebastian withdrew his hand after a moment, looking at Shad oddly. "I don't bite you know." he said absently, still doodling. Dark lines and strange swirls crept from the centre of the page outward, spreading into stranger and stranger shapes.

((eh...crappy. Oh well))

Shad nodded, but still did not smile. It must have been a very bad morning. Normally he grins at anything and everything, but not today. Poor kid.

"I know you won't bite."

He left it at that. Even in his anger, he was a bit curious about what the mand was going to do with the picture of him. Likely nothing, but still... He hoped it wasn't some University assignment that he would turn in. Then again, if anyone ever suspected Shad, he could always say Seb was high when he drew it. It wouldn't be a lie.

"So, what are you going to do with that picture?"

Sebastian shrugged a little at the question. He looked over the drawing again, "I don't know....maybe turn it into a painting. Maybe it will even be famous some day. Though...I doubt it. I'll just be a starving artist forever." he said, again chuckling.

Sebastian leaned back and pulled a bottle of water out of his bag. "You don't mind if I drink water do you?" he asks teasingly.

Shad liked hearing the part about Seb not being able to get anything out into the world. Being a 'starving artist'. It ment that that picture would never get out into the world. And Shad wouldn't have to leave the world in search of a really good hiding spot. The boy WAS over-reacting, for the picture, though very good, would likely never be tied to the boy.

"No, I don't mind you drink water."

Shad spat that back at the man, and sneered a bit in doing so. He had just prolonged the mans life1 He should be GRATEFUL and not jeering at Shad. Messed up little boy... Angry little boy.

"And you wouldn't mind if I left, would you? I haven't exactly had the best day... And the air round here isn't the fresh air I had in mind."

Shad took one step backwards.

Sebastian blinked at the boy. Obviously the boy wasn't in as good of spirits as Sebastian was. Sebastian set the pencil and sketchbook aside and unscrewed the bottle top. He lifted the bottle to his lips and let the cool water slide down his throat.

Closing the lid again, Sebastian pulled out a small compact case and opened it. He instinctively checked his make-up. "You can leave if you would like Shad, if you have had a bad day then you should do whatever you can to make it better." the stoned man mumbled checking his lipstick.

Shad really hadn't noticed the makeup before, and he wasn't one to reveal his thoughts. So, naturally, something offensive and quite unspeakable flowed straight from his thoughts to his words. The block that is normally there has died with a lack of use, so his title of Honest is tainted with Rude. Sadly, he doesn't care if he is too rude, so long as he is honest.

"Why do you wear makeup? Are you gay?"

He didn't mean it as an insult, and just an inquirey. He also didn't say it in a rude way, more of a curious way. Oh, and did I mention he would back up with a yes for an answer? The God of the Drunks and him had engaged in quite a kiss once upon a time, and Shad stuck clear away from gay guys since. He wasn't one for love.

Sebastian shook his head absently as he pulled out a stick of lipstick. He let the mirror hover in the air infront of him as he touched up his lips. "No....I'm not gay. I'm not...straight either. I...well it's complicated." he said. He put away the lipstick and plucked the compact from the air.

"I wear make-up, because I like too. I like the way it feels, the way it looks. It's colorful. It can sparkle." Sebastian shrugged. "I like to be pretty I guess...."

Shad eyed the man suspiciously. Not gay, not straight, so not one to care about people in a sexual way at all? Or one to love everyone... He shook his head a bit, and then looked over Sebastian again. Well, as for sparkle, he had that down. As for pretty, Shad wasn't one to think so. Well, then again, he wasn't looking at Seb as fair game to flirt with, so that could inhibit the beauty the man might have.

"Odd..."

Well, spiked hair is odd to Shad too, considering he uses no cosmetics of any kind. He didn't feel like buying that. First thing he needed was a haircut.

Sebastian shrugged a little to the 'odd' comment. "I like how I look. And it makes me happy. And if other people don't like it....well...they can go fuck themselves." he said simply. Sebastian had suffered for the way he looked before. Even though he didn't care what other's thought, he had had the message that other's thoughts were always nice beaten loud and clear into him. 'Fag Bashing' was definately not something he hadn't experianced.

Shad gave a curt nod, and lightened up a bit. Someone who didn't care how they looked likely didn't judge other people. This made Shad feel good about himself for all of one minute, which was definatly enough time for him to get over the smell and sit, still relatively far from the man, in the grass. Sitting was always a task, for he couldn't crumple his tail feathers. Never a good thing to do that. After he had achieved this task, he let his lightened mood show a bit.

"So do you do, just drawings and paintings, or do you do some other kind of art?"

Not entirly small talk. Shad was curious.

Sebastian smiled a little as Shad sat down. "So you've decided to stay? Well, I'm glad then. I also love company." he said with a grin. Sebastian was one of those people who would meet people on the streets and treat them like they had known eachother for years. He loved making friends. A person could never have enough friends.

"Paint and draw, sometimes I sculpt, but it's not my thing. I love to play, music. I write my own songs, and I used to have a fairly decent band." Sebastian explained, pushing his sketchbook toward Shad incase he wanted to look.

Shad let his lips curl up into a bit of a smile, not a particularly friendly one, but definatly an amused one at the mans comment of him staying. Shad hadn't figured a stoner would remember past five minutes. Suprise suprise. Ooo, and he plays and instrument or sings. How nice... Shad nodded and decided he would be a bit more open. After all, the guy had put up with all his crap so far, so he had to be a decent guy.

"My step mom used to harass me about being able to sing, so I don't anymore. But I can..."

Tener the last time he sang, three or so years back. He figured his voice probally deepened and changed his comfort octive, but if he dared try, he'd find out that he was the same as always.

Sebastian continued to smile happily. Shad was definately an interesting boy. Seb sat up a little, pulling his legs up and resting his arms ontop of his knees. This is a more difficult task than it looked considering the tightness of his pants.

"Oh? I love to sing, that's what I did in my band. Sang and played guitar." he explained grinning like a fool. He loved to talk about music.

Shad nodded, and kept a pain-striken look from coming across his face. His real mom had played guitar and the flute, as well as sung for the church choir. He missed her dreadfully, though he had barely known her. Rumor from the doctor in the hospital Shad was brought to on his high school graduation, his mom was the one who saved him from death by fathers rage. So the word Guitar held more memories than it should. A lot more memories.

"Yea... My mom played guitar. I can't play any musical instruments, unless you count clauve sticks as an instrument."

Clauve (pronounced claw-vey) sticks are usually used along with a tambarine, and much like they song. Two sticks, an inch in diamitar of a solid hardwood, that are used to keep beat. AKA, you beat them together and that make a loud clack noise. They aren't hard to play, at all. A sense of rhythm and two hands usually does it.

Sebastian, even though stoned noticed the look. "Shad...did I say something...upsetting? I'm sorry, are you alright?" he rambled worried he had offended his new friend. He probably would have been less worried if he hadn't been rather on the stoned side.

Shad flinched back a bit, but was careful not to let himself let it be noticable. The guy, though stones, had keen perception of emotions, and Shad didn't want to have his emotions be so palpable. It just wasn't right to him.

"No... Nothing. My mom just played guitar, is all... I miss her."

No, he wouldn't mention the fact that he had never really met her, nor would he mention the fact that she had died last year, and his sister had disappeared. He had stalked her, found her, lived with her, and, to his suprise, his other two siblings he didn't even know he had, then she, too, died. Difference was, Karee was murdered. But he wasn't thinking of Karee. He was thinking of his mom.

Sebastian leaned foreward a little closer to Shad. "Oh....I'm sorry. What happened to her?" he asked. His grey eyes were filled with genuine concern and kindness.

Many people found it strange, or sometimes creepy that Sebastian cared as much for the random friends he met, as friends he had had for years. A friend was a friend, no matter what. And too Seb, a friend was just any person he happened to meet and chat with.

Shad leans back a bit at him leaning forward. The boy lives in a bubble, and anyone getting in it was definatly not something he allowed often. He was friendly to people around his age with his intrests, and was normally kind to strangers. He would have been tolerant of the mans smoking if he hadn't had a bad morning. Unfortunatly, that wasn't how the world swayed today.

"I don't know, really. My sister called to tell me she died. No one told me anything else... It wasn't old age."

He sighed, and looked at some unusually interesting blades of grass, his attention turned to it completely.

Sebastian leaned back, "Okay...personal space bubble, got it." he said with a small smile. He stretched his legs out again into a far more comfortable position.

"Oh...I'm very sorry about that. Not knowing must be the worst feeling in the world." Sebastian said. He would have never been able to stand loosing someone and never knowing what happened to them.

Shad gave a small, shy smile at the bubble comment. He wouldn't deny the truth, so he said nothing about it. And anyway, the man didn't seem to offended. The comment about his mom made him nod in agreement, but he said nothing on the topic. Infact, he let the spotlight shine on Seb for a moment.

"So what about your family?"

Curious and quizical expression.

Sebastian leaned back against the tree. "Oh...my family? Well, it's just...me and my mum and dad. They are a pair of old hippies basically. Pasely, inscense and peace and love sort of thing. My dad made the right investments early in life. So...we pretty much never have to worry about money again. They have jobs...but they are more...ceremonial then anything. Occaisonally they have to go in and sign something or whatever." he shrugged. "I love them dearly too." he said with a smile.

Shad nodded, and let him finish his story, before letting his own words down whatever happy mood there might have been here. It was more of a yearning mood, but he wasn't displaying it as open jealousy. More open saddness, and if Seb could sense the yearn, then Shad would be a bit too freaked out and awed by the mans power to even think of speaking again.

"Must be nice to have a family like that. You still live with them or do you live on your own?"

Sebastian nodded for a minute. "Yes, I love them very much. I wish everyone could have a family like mine." he said, giving Shad a compassionate look.

"I live in an apartment in the city while I'm at University. They are in a town...about...an hour away. Maybe a little more. I visit them whenever I have time. And they like to come visit me too." Sebastian explained.

Shad nodded quietly, and looked out over the field behind him. Something, anything, to do. Awwww crap.... A headache... You know how you can feel your head hurt before it officialy hits? Yeah, Shad's got that now. Course, God gave you that pain as a tease, thinking something like, 'Oooo! Can you feel it coming? Can you feel the pain that you can't do a damned thing about?' Yes... God did that on purpose.

"Sorry I am not acting so great today... I best go. Getting a headache, and if you thought I was irritable before, I am about to get worse. You seem like a nice guy... Don't want to subject you to that."

He ment it, too. Standing, he held his head slightly, his eyes dulled to a brown color, his shoulder drooping slightly. The last thing he needed was a headache.

Sebastian bit his lip a moment "A-are you sure? I don't mind really. If you are cranky, it sometimes helps to talk." he said kindly.

"Though....perhaps, being along it better too. I hope I see you around again. Perhaps I'll make these drawings into a series." Sebastian said with a smile, stuffing things into his bag. No point in staying in the company was leaving.

Shad nodded... It was all he really felt he could do. He didn't want to be any more rude, but bubbley and happy wasn't working for him either at this moment in time. He backed up a bit, waved, and... Was gone like he came. Swirl of dusty wind enveloped the boy, and a small raptor bird stood in its place. Its eyes looked hurt and tired, much like Shad's had been seconds before. It spread its rusty red and slate gray wings and took off. Took of with a little leap, and soon... Gone.