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[gentlebird]

Canon Point: Middle/End of 'Chapter Thirteen: The Longest Journey', at the Tower of Balance. (Before the Epilogue)
Age: At least 20 years.

Teacher: Professor Bird. Except don't call him Bird. That's rood.
Class: Crow's class will be self-titled Birds: Why We Are Awesome.
This will include lessons such as the Finer Art of Roosting, How to Preen Properly (Winter/Summer Lectures), and How to Court That Special Sparrow.
Living Arrangement: That tree. In that one spot. Where people sit under. (Watch out.)

My full name is That Damn Bird. I learned that when I was two weeks old.
"That damn bird," the old man would say. "No good ball of feathers!".

A good majority of Crow's youth was spent inside a large chest. And to this you may be waggling your brow a little—except no. By chest, I mean old fashioned, hard-wood box. Crow was obtained by the Old Sailor shortly after he hatched; either through trade, gift, or theft. (Most likely the first, considering the Old Sailor's gambling problem.) And all Crow really knows is that he's been the victim of a horrible torture for nearly twenty years of his life. Being caged.

Let's take a step back and briefly explain the world of Arcadia. Arcadia is the result of one world being split into two many centuries ago; the sister-world that was created was named Stark, our world. While Stark evolved into a world of technology and science, Arcadia became a place of magic and nature. In Stark, languages are widespread and various, in Arcadia the language is that of Alltongue—All creatures speak the same tongue and have the ability to understand each other. Some are better this than others. Some creatures don't speak at all.

Being a world of nature and magic, Crow has been exposed to some pretty heavy stuff when compared to someone from Stark. Oh, wait. he met April Ryan. Who just so happened to be a human from Stark. Though their meeting didn't being as well as he had intended.

You see, the Old Sailor lost Crow in a bet for gazillionth time. And he was being put up as a prize for anyone who could win one nasty haggler's game of cups. Then April Ryan came around and used not-magic (science) to win the game! Score! He's suddenly got his freedom from a not-so-bad looking human lady! ...Except no. Again. This human basically took her right back to the Old Sailor to be shoved right into the trunk. AGAIN. Screw that crap. The moment he could, Crow totally flew that coop. Right off to find April, of course. And it may be a little confusing why he would go right to the shoulder of the woman who imprisoned him, but she was bound for big things. Crow knew that somehow this start Stark-ian was going to change something in Arcadia. Maybe even bring a balance.

After he decided that he was going to help April on her longest journey, Crow became April's eyes-in-the-sky as she traveled on land and ocean. And even if helping April meant carrying mystic water in his beak at two minute intervals— He found himself doing anything a bird could do to help a very special human friend. He became very fond of April's company and worried about her in times that she left Arcadia back to her world of Stark.

Maybe in another life—where April was a bird—Crow may have settled down and roosted with her or something.

It's one of Crow's last meetings with April, April is able to teleport Crow across the land of Arcadia with an ability known as Shifting. Here, April asks for Crow's help. She wants him to carry a mystical water in his beak and take it deeeeeep into a crevice of nothing. Literally nothing but a fine mist going infinitely into the world. The water in Crow's beak is able to create a bridge from the nothingness which April then crossed, meanwhile Crow was basically making his entire way back up out of the canyon. When he surfaced through the mist, he only found himself high in the sky. Like he only breached through a thick cloud during a morning flight through the cool air. And when he descended to the nearest land...?

He definitely wasn't in Arcadia anymore. Spoiler: It was the academy!

I can be a hero, too. Just like Crowboy!

Crow is heavily motivated by a fictional show (from another reality, mind you) called Crowboy. April Ryan described Crowboy to be a sort of 'puppet show' about a Crow who was a cowboy (whatever a cow is) who rode on hiS OWN PERSONAL ALBATROSS HOLY CRAPPP. And that April decided Crow's name based on this Crowboy who was a hero in many towns in Stark. This bird sounds beaking awesome, so of COURSE Crow decided that he wanted to be much like this Crowboy. This may have also been made on the fact that April is a very close friend and he would never want to do anything to let her down—especially if she was expecting him to be as amazing as Crowboy...

So you'd think that Crow were something dependable, since he followed April Ryan around Arcadia and risk his own beak a few times for her sake. Not exactly. He's actually a bit of a flake. When the going gets tough, Crow gets going. He's never one for physical altercations and will actively avoid doing so. This will certainly apply when he's amongst large crowds or even slightly intimidating acquaintances. Just the prevention the loss of tail feathers and all.

He's definitely a more hands-off type of bird. Yet extremely touchy. He won't fly too high or to low. Won't do this. Won't do that. It's real hot and cold when it comes to what he will and won't do for people, especially people he doesn't know very well. In that respect, he's extremely street-smart though not intellectual. (This is even realized in canon where he compares brain sizes with April.) He knows just what's best for him and sticks to it. If not, he'll most likely be seeing the broiling side of a pot due to a stupid mistake. ...Which has most likely almost happened before. No doubt.

There are exceptions to the rules, of course. What are rules if ya can't break 'em, am I right? And Crow is no exception to that. After all, what good is moving at the speed of wind if you can't peck at a grump or snatch away a valuable every now and then. That's rhetorical; it's definitely a good thing. With enough prompt, Crow may just feel free to take advantage of it too. Going back to the "Crow Knows Best For Crow" bit— he'll definitely stay out of some bad stuff. He'll just need a full story and two-sided report before making any decisions that involve the use of his beak, thank you.

You may also notice that Crow is an easily amused creature. A bird of simple tastes, as it were. He'll make small jokes that make only be hilarious to him, alternatively he may make jokes he doesn't realize are jokes and only get it several seconds after he's made said joke, if at all.

Why don't you flap your wings and fly then?
...
Ahahahahahahaha! That's funny! I kill myself! "Flap your wings and fly". Oh baby, that's a zinger!




Crow will have gathered some mystical Balance dust on his wings (plot-device) and be able to shift himself into a human form. Back-and-forth, of course. Being grounded will only irritate him, or freak him out. Or both. This human appearance will resemble this young musical man; Standing at about five feet, six inches. Raven black hair. Deep golden-orange eyes. Chances are though that he won't be in this human form very often, considering it strange and unnatural, unless he really needs to be or feels like it.

SIDEBAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Say you've become a good friend to Crow. (It won't be difficult; a few favors here, a few meals there, maybe picking at his fleas for an hour or two...) Just know that you are not. April. Ryan. April Ryan was special. Is special. None of this wishy-washy, wibbly-wobbly shifting from world to world stuff from anyone but April. So if you even think of disappearing for extended periods of time and expecting the same amount of courtesy that Crow showed April... think. again. buck-o. Ain't happenin'. No way. You disappear on Crow, Crow disappears on you. That's how this works. No, wait, come back, don't leave. He'll miss you not-as-much-as-he-missed-April but he'll still be your friend, promise. Just let him whine a little bit if you do come back because technically you did leave him alone without any warning, and that's only fair, right?

~*~Fun Fact~*~ Crow's physical appearance (as a bird) and attitude actually more accurately represent a raven and not a crow. Though in Arcadia birds are unlikely named in this "Stark" fashion, so Crow's actual breed is never clarified beyond 'bird' and his name, 'crow'.