Strut Your Stuff

The first time he’d walked towards her neck of the ashlands, Cavill stood out against the burnt woodlands. His feathers matched the dried grasses of the moors, though less windblown and much more put together. He looked as if he took great care of them–not a feather out of place, hardly any scars to blemish such a complexion. Pitch took greater notice to his eyes–so vibrant, as though they captured the sea itself within. The female therizinosaurus lingered within the ashes, her darker feathers helping camouflage her presence as she observed Cavill’s movements. He was a curious individual; Pitch couldn’t help but continue to stare as he picked through the fresh grass shoots that spread across clearings in small patches. He then strayed next to sniffing and prodding at a mostly-burnt tree trunk, when Pitch realized that was the tree she used to scratch an itch at the back of her neck. Cavill’s eyes then glanced across the ashes and lava flows, as if he’d recognized the scent or noticed it nearby. Pitch should’ve realized that she couldn’t hide very well when the wind was blowing in his direction, but she was a bit distracted ogling the male’s satisfying gradient of colors across his feathers. She only hoped his personality was as pretty as his plumage.

As he looked around, Cavill’s eyes finally landed on the red markings decorating her coat, then to the bright red marking across her chest. His head tilted in slight confusion, but he quickly got over the initial hesitation and sent a smile her way. Pitch thought the smile was radiant. Her heart fluttered at the kindness, and really hoped that the smile was actually meant for her. Otherwise, the dopey little grin that made its way across her own face would’ve been very out of place. She looked around a little bit, turning her head this way and that, just to confirm that the smile was indeed aimed directly at herself. When Pitch found no other creatures in the vicinity, her grin grew into a full fledged smile and she preened a little at the recognition. 

As she returned his gaze, Cavill appeared to go into some sort of focused mode as he then kicked rocks out of the small clearing, tore bushes from the ground to get them out of his way, and dragged fallen branches away from his space. Pitch didn’t fully realize what was happening until it was made clear by Cavill pushing his bodyweight against a burnt sapling between them–he was making some sort of little stage, a clearing of his own creation, to entice her with. The effort captured her heart, and Pitch slowly moved closer to observe his ministrations. Once the sapling snapped in half, brittle from the burn scars, Cavill carried the broken top half away before he returned, crouched down, and used his claws to uproot the remaining little stump. He looked awfully proud of himself, but Pitch was inclined to be as well when she saw the near spotless state of his stage. Every piece of debris had been carried to the edges, and even formed somewhat of a perimeter to accentuate the new dance floor. She made her way to the edge of the stage and gently sat down, with her choice of front row seating showing that Pitch was clearly interested in whatever the male therizinosaurus had to offer. He maneuvered to the center of the stage and faced her chosen resting spot, once more sending a dazzling smile to her.

Cavill’s feathers slowly began to puff up along his body, and Pitch watched with rapt attention as his body appeared to nearly double in size. Her eyes were further drawn towards him as Cavill raised his head, flexed his talons and began to strut around. She could observe his plumage easily from the distance he’d set; some even seemed to glimmer and shone faintly in the sunlight with how well he’d clearly maintained them. He gave her a full opportunity to take in his appearance–turning this way and that, giving her a broadside view to the left then to the right, facing away and spreading his arms for full viewing of his dorsal feathers before moving to face her once more in the same position. The light tone of his underbelly made the feathers look extra soft, and Pitch internally remarked on how he’d probably be wonderful at keeping a nest warm for a clutch, should she decide to accept his bold advances and thoughtful courtship display. 

Pitch let him flaunt around a bit more, just to see if Cavill truly was intent on courting her, or if it was more of a practice for the future. He ended the display with a wonderful flourish of claws slicing through the air, and gave his feathers once last puff before looking to Pitch with hope in his seafoam green eyes. She rose to her feet and shook out her feathers, carefully stepped over the stage’s barrier, and moved closer to fully inspect the male in a final confirmation. Pitch sniffed at his throat, eyed his claws, and even gently nipped at his neck to test his patience and tolerance. As she did so, Cavill kept himself still and watched as she moved. Pitch then stepped back, ruffled her own feathers, and spread her arms wide before dipping to the ground. She then shook her arm feathers as she raised her head to the sky, and trilled her acceptance of his display. Cavill chirped and chuffed and moved closer, gently preening the feathers on her neck while she did the same for him. With a successful display, both therizinosaurs settled to the ground and preened each other’s feathers while they shared polite conversation, happily getting to know each other further. The two discussed nesting sites, plans for their own futures, the places they’d been and the places they’d go. Once both were satisfied with the other’s answers, Pitch led Cavill further into the ashlands to find a safe nesting site and gather materials for their future clutch.