// done with rattlebone's permission!!

Blackjack loved birds.

This was no mysterious secret withheld from the general public — the man loved his birds. So when Olalla announced the construction of The Pitt's very own aviary, his ears perked right up. He couldn't find himself engrossed in a project the way he would be with this very one. He could see it oh so clearly: an immense dome cage with towering wooden formations and a sizeable shelter in the case of storms should these winged residents require it, all adorned with the most spectacular display of flowers and plants that would put a king's garden to shame. Avian creatures of all breeds, colors, sizes, temperaments, origins, all gathered within this great dome to be trained by their Pittian masters.

Unfortunately, he had his severe doubts that the Ardents would approve of such a structure. It was energy best spent elsewhere, but it was a job to be done regardless of the fact, and one that Blackjack took up eagerly with his superiors' permission. With all of the new construction projects sprouting up throughout The Pitt's territory, there would surely be a surplus of materials to use for his vision, albeit a much more compact one that would take less time to build and call for less resources. The Skald traveled through the Plaza on the prowl for paper, pencils, and a notebook, eventually gathering his desired items after a decent amount of time spent. The paper he used to sketch a crude design for the aviary, which he didn't find totally necessary to follow if others wanted to deviate from the sketch, but it was what he felt was fitting.

On one sunny morning he was prepared to execute his plan. "If you're ready to get to work, come with me to the jungle," Blackjack said in the Plaza before retreating with his notebook, papers, and writing utensil in tow. There were various materials prepared at his specially-scouted location in the jungle, where the sun was less harsh and the weather was more fitting for a collection of birds than the unbearably hot, dry desert. The location of the jungle also gave them more access to native, feral avian wildlife, which were much less common in the scorching desert. There were outlines in the dirt that determined the boundaries of the aviary — it was far from a large structure, disobeying his beloved vision, but it was one that would be capable of housing a few birds for the sake of inter-clan communication and, if they so desired, espionage, in a similar fashion in which he had enlisted the assistance of his raven friend Oscuro. The bird will stay with me, though, he thought, somewhat bitter at the idea of leaving Oscuro in the aviary once it was finished. He was more than a bird; he was a friend, his partner.

No matter. It was time for them to roll their sleeves up. "Alright. This will be the location of our new aviary. For those willing to build, there will be materials nearby — some needed to be taken from the jungle, some excess from our other projects. And for those who can't put a nail through a plank of wood with a blade to their throat, you can go look for birds in the jungle or anywhere else that we can use as messengers, as Olalla said, and retrieve them." The jaguar gestured in various directions as he spoke, signaling the places that participants could go to depending on what they wished to do.

He grabbed hold of his notebook now, tapping the leather cover with his sharp claws. "If you catch a bird, come and let me take a look at it. I'll be recording the different kinds that we'll be finding, keeping a log of each. Suerte con todo." In all honesty, this entire project was a damn good excuse for him to draw birds and get credit for it without looking like he was wasting his time. This was important business, after all!