The winged boy narrowed his eyes as he watched the group below. Amidst his observations, Drake had picked up on a few things. For one, there was a telepath in the group. And he had managed to decipher from context clues who it was. Two, they were heading toward some sort of settlement, which was what had really peaked his interest. Three, he knew by now that he had been discovered. Cursed telepath. He didn’t much care for that sort of gift, as it left one feeling completely exposed. Thoughts were private for a reason, after all, and while he knew she probably couldn’t help it in the same way he couldn’t help but see people’s auras, he still didn’t like it. 

They knew of his presence now and were evidently talking about it. This much he could pick up from general lip-reading, despite their hushed voices, although the telepath’s hat allowed some mysteries to remain. [i]"You know, for someone who can hear the secrets of everyone around you, I don’t think it fair of you to hide things from me,"[/i] he noted in a low-key bitter headvoice, though the thought was quickly dismissed. Normally at this point he would have turned tail and ducked out of there, but there was one problem.

He was starved. 

Food had been harder and harder to come by these days, and he had had no luck on his search lately. Yet it seemed these people were talking about a settlement which meant the potential for food. And at this point, it wasn’t so much a choice as it was a matter of survival. He hadn't been having any luck finding food on his own lately - he needed help. The girl’s wave left no further room for deliberation. Straightening out, the boy’s wings stretched and, with a brief leap, they carried him safely down to the ground below.

His trust issues were clear, however, as he still landed a few paces from the group, erring on the side of caution. [color=#a2a2a2]“I’m not hostile, to answer your question, so long as you don't give me a reason to be… I'm just… Hungry.”[/color] As if on cue, his stomach gave a fervent rumble, earning him a sheepish expression. [color=#A2A2A2]“Starving, actually. It’s been a couple of days now…”[/color]

He couldn’t be bothered to ask them for food, as food was a luxury out here and surely no one would give it up all willy nilly. So he posed a different question instead, not wanting to seem too desperate upon his first introduction. Even if he was extremely desperate... To be honest, his lack of food was really starting to wear him down, which was especially dangerous for someone taking refuge out in the wastes. 

[color=#A2A2A2]“This place you’re going, is it possible they would have rations?”[/color] Admittedly, he wasn’t too familiar with the settlements and how they operated. But maybe they would have a soup kitchen of sorts to feed travelers. Maybe. Hopefully. Probably not, but he could dream.