► 002.

[culver]

[the video coming on is a complete accident. the hallway she's in is cast mostly in gloom, and only slightly more than her outline is visible. nill is clutching the comm in her hand, the camera aimed at her crooked. she's wearing one of her dresses from the most recent jump. her face is just out of the frame, but her wings aren't. they're standing straight out from her back, quivering. and from just that small movement, a feather falls.

and then nill darts from her hiding spot into the lit hall, and her wings are in full view. they look scraggly, a few thin patches visible. the sudden movement makes another feather come out, and then the video darkens again as she finds shelter in the next dark hallway. the feed cuts.]

think i am sick
heine where are you

[ooc; molting molting molting yeah]

Comments

video;

[chaineddog]

[Heine is out in the oxygen gardens clearing his head when he sees the transmission. It isn't shortly afterwards that he gets the text and it's only then that he starts to panic.

He doesn't bother texting back. With a few quick presses of the keys he's calling her back.]

In the oxygen gardens. Stay where you are. Sit down if you can.

[culver]

[sitting is good. she obliges, plopping right where she is]

not sure what happened

[chaineddog]

[He's brushing past people and it's vaguely similar to the time after his first jump. There are a few protests in the background but he ignores them intent only on getting to Nill.]

This hasn't happened before?

video | after heine and nill stop network communicating

[amethysts]

[Fuck, fuck, fuck.]

Hey, you guys--you need anything?

permavid & text in her room

[culver]

do not know
not sure what is happening yet

[amethysts]

'Kay. Look, you're moulting. You been stressed lately?

You need to eat a lot of protein and salt. Keep your eletrolytes up. This happen to you before? I know mine shed when I've been run down.

video »

[ripstides]

Did someone find you already?

permavid & text.

[culver]

[this comes after something of a pause. nill is already in her room, sitting on her bed. she looks about ready to cry but is doing her best not to show it.]

yes

[ripstides]

Look, you're not alone, okay? So, that's half the battle. You should have a friend get you to the Medbay, just in case.

video

[redhotsummers]

[Alex frowns, watching, then--]

You going to be okay? Is Heine taking care of you?

[He'd go after her, but he figures her keeper will get to her first.]

permavid & text.

[culver]

[she's glad to see alex, and it shows. the slightest bit of hope cuts through the panic on her face. she nods, yes, heine was here, though "taking care of her" was a stretch. neither of them had any idea what to do. he had just wanted to get her out of the open, in a place she felt safe. and now that she was there... well, it was just getting worse.]

scared alex

permavid

[redhotsummers]

It's...it's called molting.

[Alex got bored and read a few books on birds in the prison library. But he doesn't know exactly what you're supposed to do about it.]

It's going to be okay, I promise, okay?

Anything with bird wings goes through it, I think.

[text]

[jurisimpudent]

Have you been to see a doctor?

permavid & text.

[culver]

[it takes her a while to respond, both because she's en route to her room and because she has to decipher what he's texted. but she sees "doctor" and immediately shakes her head. the slightest bit of fear shows through on her face.]

no

text forever. <3

[jurisimpudent]

Dr. Watson is highly skilled. You should speak with him.

video;

[insufferableprick]

[ Dave would comment on how quickly Nill picked up the written word and would do it in his own signature red on top of that to celebrate in his own way, but sometimes, genuine concern for people wins out over being a douchebag. ]

You guys could hightail it to the Med Bay, ask if they've got any background in avian anatomy. If not, Big Bird--and by Big Bird, I mean, other me, y'know, other Dave, the one with wings--has practical experience.

[ Yes, Dave, we can infer that 'other you' translates to 'other Dave', thank you. ]

permavid & text.

[culver]

[maybe it was because she'd been listening to people talk for her whole life that she already had a basic understanding of grammar and the like. it was just memorizing spelling that she had to do.

but she appreciates the fact that he's talking instead. she's already in her room by the time she responds, sitting curled up on her bed. she's still worried, but not panicking anymore.]

this happens to him ?

video+text

[mikelo]

[The worry is quite clear upon his face, a touch of surprise coloring his gaze.]

Will you be okay?

permavid & text.

[culver]

[at least she can understand his words better, even after a little squinting and deciphering. she can't nod, but she doesn't want to shrug either. so she doesn't gesture at all.]

not sure

action;

[soothing]

[ Heine had texted her, which had been surprising in itself, but if Nill was sick then it made horrible amounts of sense. Betty made her way over to her room as quickly as she could, knocking on the door. ]

Nill? Heine? It's Betty.

perma-action

[chaineddog]

[Heine opens the door almost immediately as he hears Betty's voice. His normal look of annoyance is now a uncomfortable worry that lines his face. Nill is lying on the bed and it looks like Heine tried to make her as comfortable as he could, but there's a growing pile of feathers nearby. He motions to the girl before giving the woman a wide berth to pass by.]

She's there. Her feathers are falling off faster.

[video]

[savethebullshit]

[Anne pauses for a moment, taking in the fact that she has wings. Then, when she's finished with that, she actually looks pretty concerned]

You gonna be alright?

permavid & text.

[culver]

[the staring is normal, it doesn't really bother nill any more. besides, she's already in her room and sitting on her bed by the time she replies. she still looks nervous, unable to stop fidgeting, but she manages to nod anyway. unsure, of course, but it was still a nod. she hoped she'd be alright.]

[video] oops hit reply too soon :c

[wolfdreamer]

Nill. Are you safe?

[He cannot keep the worry from his voice, or from his face--a lord would be more schooled and steady, but he is no lord; he is only worried. At his side, Summer leans toward the video as well, almost as if he hopes to see what is happening.]

permavid thank god for that edit button

[culver]

[oh no, bran, she doesn't want you to worry. that's the opposite of what she wants. nill is mad at herself for it, even as she tries to offer him a smile, placing a few fingers on the camera as if she could reach through it and smooth his hair, let him know she's okay. she nods; yes, heine had found her, he was calling someone to look at her. and even if it hadn't been true she would have told him it was, just to get that look off his face.]