► 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

[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.

[culver]

[that word keeps coming up, and she isn't liking it any more than when she'd first heard it. she has to stop herself from ruffling her wings for fear of making the feathers fall out faster--though in all honesty, they were only coming out one or two at a time, and they weren't primaries so the visual damage was minimal.

she nods, though. she had to believe something, and "it's going to be okay" was as good as anything.]

[redhotsummers]

[Alex sighs, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck, and then gives her a little smile.]

If you want, I can let you borrow Bozo. You know, he's really good at helping me when I'm hurt.

[It isn't something he'd do for just anyone, but Nill needs something, right now--it's all he can think of.]

[culver]

[that makes her pause. he would let her... borrow his kitten? that. that was probably the nicest thing anyone had done for her on the ship so far. her eyes are a little wide, still glossed with the tears she didn't let drop. she didn't like the idea of alex being hurt, but if he said bozo could help... well. who was she to say it might no?

so her nod is hesitant, but there all the same. she would like that, yes.]

[redhotsummers]

I'll drop him off at your room, then. Keep him as long as you want--I'll even leave you some of his food in case he gets hungry.

[If it helped, that's all that mattered.]

[culver]

[she'll feel awful if she keeps him for more than a day, but she nods. okay, she would take good care of him. maybe he'd like to play with one of her fallen feathers. that would probably be adorable.]

thank you

[redhotsummers]

No problem.

[And within the hour, a little kitten will be delivered to Nill, with a can of tunafish.]

[culver]

[alex is basically the best, in case she hadn't gotten that across yet.]