A man is hidden in a peculiar forest untouched by humans, where the animals and plant-life thrive. He keeps a watchful eye to make sure the peace isn't disturbed when one day, a young woman is found venturing his world. He is unsure what to make of...
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Nearing sundown, Owen awoke from his restful sleep, yawning and stretching out his long, scaled legs as he opened the wings that encased him, spreading them wide before shaking the feathers to wake himself. He breathed in the fresh air and looked to the horizon from the tree branch he slept on and was glad it was not nightfall yet. Taking flight, he glided down from the branch and flapped his wings in the direction of Y/N's cave with hopes of meeting her there, but when he poked his head inside, however, she was nowhere to be found. He hummed disappointedly and spun his head to scan the area, checking if she was in the vicinity.
'Perhaps she stopped by the stream, or has she decided to meet me by the hot springs?' He considered also. That was their plans, after all. Subconsciously, his chest feathers fluffed up slightly when he thought about seeing her, something that quickly gained his attention. Brushing it off, he smooths down the plumage before turning himself in the direction he wanted to go.
'I'll check the stream first. It's closer.' Spreading his wings once more, Owen races forward and lifts off the ground, speeding past the trees until he reached water. He looked around after touching down, his feet sinking somewhat in the mud, which caused him to look down. Immediately, he recognized the pattern of a certain boot as they trailed away into the forest. They didn't look new, but fresh enough that she had to have been there recently. Tilting his head sharply, he follows the footprints while keeping an eye out around him and his ears keen.
"Y/N?" He calls out to her in a soft voice in hopes she'd respond, and sure enough, after a few times, a voice called back to him.
"Owen, over here!" Letting out a small trill, Owen perks his head in her direction as his feathers rose up again, but he paid no mind to that detail as he weaved past the trees to get to her. Her voice was a bit far, but he reached her in no time, finding her in a patch of flowers, crowded by a many number of owls who were weaving the yellow plants into her hair. The creature tilted his head at them with an amused smile as they picked at the giggling girl, her laughter making his chest light and airy as she turned to look at him.
"They've been like this all day. What's gotten into them?" Laughing more as one nips at her behind the ear, she attempts to cover the spot with her hand. "Hey, that tickles!" With long strides, Owen reached her and sat down amongst the flowers, across from her, resulting in some of the birds transferring over to him to give him the same treatment, grooming his hair and placing flowers in it.
"I believe they're dressing you up for me," he claims, making her laughter fade as a surprised blush heated her cheeks.
"Huh? What's that supposed to mean, or are you teasing me again?" He gave a light chuckle as his feathers once again rose in volume, catching her eye. Scooting closer, she pats them down without a second thought, and asks, "And what's with your feathers? They're all messy." A gentle coo caught her attention as she gazed into his eyes, making her freeze with her hands on his chest. She had gotten so close. "Oh, sorry!" Taking her hands away immediately, the woman leaned back a bit, completely embarrassed as he finished flattening the feathers himself before answering her question.
