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Dick does wonder sometimes why his parents let him do things. Sure he’s grown but surely they would know better than him in regards to being interested in other cultures. To be fair, they had asked him if he was sure… but maybe they could’ve pushed harder?
Not that any of that matters now.
He’d stayed behind to join the Alphas on their trek out to these cliffs and await the Omegas to pass them. Nobody he’d asked had a good about why they did it this way. ‘It’s just how it’s been done’ was the most common answer. An older Alpha, Slade, had said that it was to keep the Omegas from being harassed before ‘the season’ started. It was supposed to help with the stress to keep the Omegas from not being receptive to them during the mating. Dick had never heard of that being a problem, but the troup migrated so maybe it was a stationary flock sort of problem…? Dick wouldn’t know for sure.
What he was sure about was that some of the younger Alphas were homesick. They may not have said anything but their molts took longer. That was part of them leaving as early as they had, get to the cliffs pre-molt so when the Omegas see you, they see you with your new shiny feathers. That makes Dick wonder what they do during the cold months when the unmated Alphas go back to the flock? Are they separated? There had seemed to be plenty of Alphas at the airshow a couple of months ago… of course those could’ve all been mated pairs and the younger Alphas on the cusp of leaving the next. He doesn’t know and isn’t sure how important those question sare anyway. If he doesn’t find a mate, he’ll be leaving to catch up with his parents.
“They’re coming-!”
“They’re here-!”
The caves come alive with Alphas scurrying to jockey for a good viewing spot. He managed to find a place tucked off to the side that everybody seemed to miss. The swarm arrives, flying past the cliffs. All bank sideways, showing off their wings. The Alphas ‘oh’ and ‘aw’ at the colors.
And Dick’s left feeling very confused.
After the way they’d talked up this exhibition, this was it?
Was the great exhibition just a bunch of Omegas tilting?
He’d learned that move when he was four.
Maybe he was being unfair. After all, he did grow up in an airshow. They regularly did things most couldn’t.
Maybe…
Maybe a bunch of Omegas flying sideways along a cliffside really was magical to these Alphas and Dick’s disappointment is solely his own towering expectations.
He’s about to cut his losses when-
There’s one… who’s flying up and up and up…
Dick watches whoever it is go, breath catching as the Omega pauses in mid-air and tumbles.
It’s beautiful.
The Omega catches air and swoops past. Dick catches a splash of red on what looks like otherwise brown wings. The Omega’s bigger too so hopefully easier to find. Ooo… Dick has to find that one…
Dick left breathless as he follows that Omega until the flock is gone.
Now they wait.
Two days before they can leave.
‘The Omegas need nesting time’
Of course they do.
Dick wonders how the Omega will make theirs. His mother made some very nice ones though they never had many decorations since they moved around alot. Maybe this Omega would use some flowers…? That would be nice.
Surprisingly he doesn’t hear any of the other Alphas talking about the big brown and red wings.
There’s alot of talk about some of the others, but the one Dick likes seems to not exist to them.
Which is fine in Dick’s opinion.
The two days pass and he’s flying out with the other Alphas toward the distant trees. He’s not sure what the etiquette is so he watches the others for awhile. They don’t interact at all so Dick assumes they’re not supposed to. He does drift around a bit though, trying to find those wings. It takes until almost sunset before he finally finds the patch of red in the surrounding browns and greens of the trees. Dick actually very sure he's flown over that spot at least three times.
Perfect camouflage…
He perches in the tree, higher up. The Omega is male, short black hair. He’s absolutely gorgeous.
Dick has to get here first.
He to make this whole courting dance thing the best one the Omega’s eevr seen.
Unfortunately he also has no idea what a courting dance looks like so he’ll have to hang back and study what the others are doing.
He follows the other Alphas down for the night. Apparently they’re to sleep on the forest floor until they’re invited up to a nest by an Omega. Dick makes the best of it. There’s a tense air of competition now, Alphas gearing up to show that they’re the best .Some of the previously friendly ones are snappy. Dick decides to avoid everyone altogether just to keep it simple for himself. He finds a low branch and hunkers down for the night.
The trees quieten as the Alphas settle and the Omegas sleep. Dick doesn’t do much of that. Oh he gets a few hours, but he spends most of the night wondering how he’s going to wow the red and brown wings. Surely he’ll be fought over after that display at the cliffs and being hard to find in the trees.
Dick has to be the first one to get to him…
The problem is that he has no idea what a ‘mating dance’ is. The troupe doesn’t do them… not really anyway. Not how they’ve been described here anyway.
To be fair, the Omega demonstration was not exactly what he thought was promised, so maybe this wouldn’t be much either.
Maybe all he had to do was a little twirl and it’d be enough…
The Alphas rouse with the sun. Dick watches them to see what they do, how they act. They all stare up at the nests… probably to see if the Omega are awake. One of them decides he’s waited long enough and launches himself up. His dance doesn’t seem to be anything particularly interesting.
It certainly has more effort put into it than what the Omegas had done by the cliffs.
A couple more Alphas go up and he watches, sees if there’s a pattern in how to dance or if it’s just how each one feels. They’re all different, though do seem to hit similar beats. Once he thinks he’d got it, he leaps into the air, barreling up and up. He flies past the Omega’s nest and keeps going.
He’s confident in this.
None of the others can match him.
Because he’s the only one who will fly to the heavens.
He’s the only one who can match that incredible pair of wings.
Once he gets high enough, he pauses for a brief moment to enjoy the peace and the height… and then lets himself fall.
There’s something freeing about gravity and the wind ripping around you as you tumble toward the earth. He waits until the last possible second and then catches the wind, sailing into the twirls and flips his family is known for. The trees are a natural obstacle course, things to spin and bank around. He goes high again and pirouettes and ends it with a tight twirl that brings him right in front of the nest.
And the pretty bird with brown and red wings.