[Voice]

[espigeonage]

[Julien is being so careful to keep his voice light, but someone sensitive might pick up the sheathed edge. He's irritated.]

Okay, I hate asking this, but can I completely take over anyone's hot tub or like... small pool? Something not chlorinated. Or would help me set up and fill one of those largish inflatable pools on their property somewhere.

[Pause. Yeah, he probably should provide a reason.]

It looks like I'm molting. It's - annoying.

Comments

[espigeonage]

[He's on the fourth floor. Julien always seems extra-large indoors. He's so tall he has to duck under doorsills and keep his wings close to his body. His rooms smell of him - feathers, heat, something like sweet fresh bread, a musky hint since it's been a few days since he had a good bath.]

Gi suilon. Here, let me take that.

[He doesn't look too different at a glance, except for his harried expression and his hair - there are blue shafts scattered around, tipped with white. There are quite a few small feather scattered around his kitchen/living room.]

[sylvanguard]

[There was that strange language again, this time she had heard him properly, which made her pause as she handed him some of the groceries.]

What language are you speaking?

[She glanced around at his apartment, noticing the feathers everywhere. He really was shedding and it it was a mess. She was going to have her work cut out for her.]

Its a good thing I brought some gloves too. [She added absently, remembering a conversation with him before about helping him clean his place.]

[espigeonage]

[He has to be careful taking them, but luckily Julien's dexterity is better than it has been. Carrying them to his small round table - there are feathers scattered across it - he brings out the platter and hesitates, hunger and decorum fighting it out.]

Elvish. -sorry, I had this pulse and now I tend to greet people in different languages, and Sindarin's my most recent.

[sylvanguard]

[I hate you /quietly submits an echo request for understanding sindarin.]

Oh! [She brushes a few feathers away, while thinking about how she was going to manage to clean up some of the feathers.]

Like I said, the language sounds similar to me. Maybe I spoke it before, or it was spoken to me before. What other languages do you know?

[espigeonage]

[^_^]

[Instead of just eating off the platter Julien sits himself down on a high stool, takes up chopsticks in one wing and digs in like that. He talks, but doesn't use his mouth now. The vocal organ in his chest can handle that.]

I grew up with French but that's kinda lapsed. Tried learning Japanese in college, and I've got a smattering of Spanish.

[sylvanguard]

[Okay that is a bit creepy Julien, she blinks but is wise not to say anything as she takes a seat next to him, brushing a few more feathers onto the table while doing so.]

I know french as well, and a bit of Icelandic. And of course english, but that's it for me.

[espigeonage]

Mmmh. Yeah, English's a given here. [He feels better now that he's swallowed a few pieces of sushi, so as he keeps at it he talks more.] You ever been overseas?

[sylvanguard]

Several times. And all over the place, why do you ask?

[espigeonage]

I haven't! I'd like to, someday. So where've you been?

[sylvanguard]

Different places in Europe a bunch of times, Paris, Spain and England and Rome mostly. And then India and Japan and Singapore. Mom was going to take me to Rio once but I came down with the flu so my sister went instead.

I've also been all over the states too.

[espigeonage]

Wow. Lucky.

[He's slowed down with the sushi, now that the edge is off.]

I've just been Canada-US-Mexico, though there's been lots of the US. You been anywhere that felt special?

[sylvanguard]

Between my parents jobs, there was always a lot of travel involved. My sister and I were home schooled almost as much as we attended regular schools. Usually our parents would take turns working on our homework with us, depending on whose job was more important at the time.
[She shrugs. The system of her parents jobs and lives was really chaotic even to her and she had lived it.]

[espigeonage]

Does sound rough! Travel's always hard on people, especially kids.

[Julien itches. He moves a wing, grimacing. Particles of feather sheath tick to the ground, and various small feathers are clearly loose.]

You want any of this? The sushi, I mean. By the way, thanks for bringing it, you're a lifesaver.

[sylvanguard]

It was alright since we grew up that way. I didn't even realize it was odd until I was 7 I think. Before then, my family was fairly stable anyway. We'd only moved twice. My parents had moved at least two more times before that though.

[She glances at his wing with a small frown, then shakes her head no at the sushi..] Not hungry dude. Is there anyway I can help with the feathers though?

[espigeonage]

Things usually do seem normal to little enough kids.

[He makes a face.] I don't know. Is it weird to say scratch me? I'd do it myself if I could. [A baleful look at his clawed fingers, three free per wing.] When I use a backscratcher I just end up breaking something open, and then there's blood everywhere.

[sylvanguard]

[Ariel slides off the stool and moves over to a wing, looking it over slowly.]

Okay how do I go about it, Just run my fingers through your feathers or...?

[espigeonage]

Basically. And actually, how about my hair? It is weird, I know.

[Blue tubes are sticking out of his scalp, amongst his hair. Some are whole, some are crumbling and showing white. The 'hair' he's growing in those looks something like kiwi feathers up close.]

[sylvanguard]

[And thus she starts grooming him, one hand combs gently through his wings, occasionally shaking her fingerss like she would going through her own hair, the other occasionally going through his hair as well.]

I hope this helps. Just tell me if I am doing anything wrong or if I hurt you.

[espigeonage]

[He's hotter than a healthy human would be. Julien is shedding both feathers and hair - 'hair', really. Both are very fine and soft. In both there are little bits of feather sheath, like hard crumbs of various sizes. He winces a little when she brushes against an intact sheath.]

Don't touch those. Please. They've gotta... dry out on their own, I guess. 'S nice, though.

[Julien closes his inner eyelids, looking through them at nothing, and sighs gratefully. In a moment he'll fall asleep sitting upright at his table.]

[sylvanguard]

I'll be careful Julien, don't worry.

[She carefully avoids the intact ones. It is a little hard given how he is molting, but she works around them, slowly, steadily trying to groom him. She does smile when she realizes he is starting to nod off.]

[espigeonage]

[He tends to sleep very lightly these days. Getting to sleep easily, waking up just as easily... well, he's asleep now, with no sign of falling over.]

[sylvanguard]

[She keeps going with his feathers, marveling silently at his ability to sleep standing up. Since she has never owned a bird, it does not occur to her that this is a thing they can do. Instead, she kind of wonders if he is okay, given his temperature and molting and all.]

You okay Julien?

[She asks softly, her voice barely a whisper, in case he really was asleep.]

[espigeonage]

[He's dozing, really. Closer to spacing out than unconsciousness, his wings drooping. When she says something his outer eyelids open part way, transparent inner lids still sealed.]

Mm?

[sylvanguard]

[She bites her lip, stopping the grooming of his feathers.] Do you want to lie down, you look like you're falling asleep sitting up.

[espigeonage]

[He opens more eyelids and blinks. After a second he frowns. Julien sleeps very lightly.]

Oh. Wow, I guess I was falling asleep... it's been happening like that. I don't need to lie down anymore - or, well, at night it's better if I do, but if it's a nap I don't have to. Weird thing.

[Swaths of his skin still itch, he's tired, he does not wish to be around lots of people, but Julien feels better for food and some preening.]

Didn't mean to do that now, though. Sorry.