Unchanged

Date/Timing: 5 December 2005
Setting: UoM campus; Manchester, England, United Kingdom
.
== Revised text ==
Hermann fumbles, touches something soft and warm—
The lumpy blanket shudders, says, ""Tha's my ear.""
—freezes.
His mobile alarm keeps chirping.
""Puh-/lease tell me tha's not th' alarm.""
Hermann's heart stutters.
""'s yer alarm, innit?""
The lump is Edan.
Hermann might be breathing.
Edan rolls over to face him, smiles. "'mornin'."
Chirping ceases.
Hermann swallows, still squeaks, "Good morning."
"Ye sleep alright?"
"Just—" Clears his throat. "Just fine."
"Brilliant. Glad I didn't disturb ye; Rhys /insists I snore like a sawmill." Beams, pushes up onto his elbows. "I think—how 'bout this: I splash some water on my face, run our exam in, and meet you back here for the walk to breakfast?"
Hermann stares blearily at Edan's cheekbone.
Edan sits up, waves a hand in front of his eyes. "Hermann?"
He startles, pushes up, too. "I'm fine. Sorry."
"You /sure you're alright?"
"Y-yea. I'm just ... a bit of a slow riser."
"Alright then, sleepyhead, what do you think of my plan?"
"It's, ah, very good. I'll make myself ready while you're out."
"Brilliant. I'm off, then!" Edan hops out of bed, positively /skips to the washroom.
Hermann watches, allows his wings a tiny, happy quiver.
Edan, marginally less askew, reappears. "Right, then. I'll be back before you know it!" Waves, opens the door, steps—
"Papers!" yelps Hermann.
Edan pivots, smiling sheepishly, nabs the exam, ducks through the door—""See you!""—and out of sight.
Hermann sighs, shakes his head. He eases cautiously to his feet, pushes the door shut, locks it. After a moment to breathe, he takes up his cane and limps on an especially stiff knee to the washroom.
His reflection glows at him from the mirror and his cheeks hurt from smiling.
A wing twinges, so Hermann fumbles out of his clothes and binder with fingers not fully synced to his brain.
His wings creak as he stretches them slowly.  At their full spread, he flutters, sending a few loose feathers drifting to the tile.
Off come the rest of his clothes and he eases into the shower, quickly scrubs down. The warm water soothes away many of the aches and pains of  the previous day's tension and the extended time bound.
Hermann scoops up the fallen feathers, stuffs them in the biohazard box and rushes through the rest of his morning routine—teeth, clothes, hair, rucksack, last check for feathers, shoes—finishing just as a knock sounds at the door. He swings it open on a grinning Edan.
"Mission accomplished!" Bounces on his toes. "Ready to go?"
Hermann grunts an affirmative, settles his rucksack over his shoulder—
Edan steps aside.
—trumps out, locks up behind them.
They stroll along the pavement to the dining hall, Edan whistling.
"What's that song?"
Edan winces. "It's, ah, sorta how The Fall steamrolled an old song called "Rollin' Danny"."
"What's so cringe-worthy about it?"
"It's not very punk?"
"That's a problem?"
"Kinda? It costs you cred with the purists."
Hermann raises an eyebrow. "I thought one of the major tenets of the punk movement was 'do it your own way and damn the elitists'?"
"That's for the bands, not the fans."
"Sounds like an arbitrary, rather pointless, designation."
"Yea, but it's the difference between mockery and acceptance."
"It's only music," huffs Hermann.
"For some folks, it's a matter of honour."
Hermann rolls his eyes.
Edan shrugs, holds the dining hall door for Hermann, then loads their meals on a single tray and carries it to where Vigsai and Rhys wait for them.
"A very merry morning to one and all!" cheers Edan, setting down their tray and sliding in at the table.
"'mornin'," greets Vigsai.
Rhys grunts.
"Good morning." Hermann take his place next to Edan, picks up his spoon, tucks into his oatmeal.
Rhys and Vigsai exchange a look.
"Whuff?"
"Manners, Gingersnap."
Edan swallows. "What are you all significant looks about?"
Rhys chin-hands. "They grow up so fast, don't they?"
She sighs, "It seems like only yesterday—"
"Hold up a moment. Hermann, how old're you again?"
"I turned sixteen in June."
Rhys nods absently. "Good, good. No problems there, then."
Edan blushes violently.
Hermann pretends not to notice and works away at his food.
"You planning on stopping by the room and changing before your first lecture?"
"Don't have the time." Edan glowers. "If anyone gives me shit, I'll tell 'em it's laundry day."
"I'm sure /that will quell any rumours which may sprout," drawls Rhys.
Edan fluffs his hair, leaving it even /more rumpled than previously, grumbles.
Hermann turns his attention to his banana.
.
== Original text ==
Hermann fumbles, touches something soft and warm—
The lumpy blanket shudders, whines, ""Tha's my ear.""
—freezes.
His mobile alarm keeps chirping.
""Puh-/lease tell me tha's not th' alarm.""
Hermann's heart stutters.
""'s yer alarm, innit?""
The lump is Edan.
Hermann might be breathing.
Edan rolls over to face him, smiles. "'mornin'."
Chirping ceases.
Hermann swallows, still squeaks, "Good morning."
"Ye sleep alright?"
"Just—" Clears his throat. "Just fine."
"Brilliant. Glad I didn't disturb ye; Rhys /insists I snore like a sawmill." Beams, pushes up onto his elbows. "I think—how 'bout this—"
Hermann nods absently, eyes focused (blearily) on Edan's cheekbone.
"—I splash some water on my face, run our exam in, and meet you for breakfast at the usual place?"
Hermann ....
Edan waves a hand in front of his eyes. "Hermann?"
He startles. "I'm fine. Sorry."
"You /sure you're alright? That wasn't, like, a microseizure or something?"
"N-no. I'm just ... a bit of a slow riser."
Edan's muscles drop tension and he slides to sitting upright. "That's a relief."
Hermann chases a niggle.
"Hey. You're doing it again."
Hermann catches it, sits all the way up. "Why are you concerned about microseizures?"
Edan ducks his head, ruffles his already mussed hair. "I read up on your meds and that's one of the possible side effects of the combo you take?"
Hermann's throat tightens around an 'oh'.
"But since you're just sleepy and it's not a seizure, what do you think of my plan?"
"It's, ah, very good. I'll meet you at the dining hall."
"Brilliant. I'm off, then!" Edan hops out of bed, positively /skips to the washroom.
Hermann watches, allows his wings a tiny, happy quiver.
Edan, marginally less askew, reappears. "Right, then. A brisk morning run and I'll see you at the usual table." Waves, opens the door, steps—
"Papers!" yelps Hermann.
Edan pivots, smiling sheepishly, nabs the exams, ducks through the door—""See you!""—and out of sight.
Hermann sighs, shakes his head. He eases cautiously to his feet, pushes the door shut, locks it. After a moment to breathe, he takes up his cane and limps on an especially stiff knee to the washroom.
His reflection glows at him from the mirror and his cheeks hurt from smiling.
A wing twinges, so Hermann fumbles out of his clothes and binder with fingers not fully synced to his brain.
His wings creak as he stretches them slowly.  At their full spread, he flutters, sending a few loose feathers drifting to the tile.
Off come the rest of his clothes and he eases into the shower, quickly scrubs down. The warm water soothes away many of the aches and pains of  the previous day's tension and the extended time bound.
He scoops up the fallen feathers, stuffs them in the biohazard box and rushes through the rest of his morning routine, then to the dining hall, the food line, and over to the table Vigsai and Rhys had secured.
"'mornin'," greets Vigsai.
Rhys grunts.
"Good morning." Hermann slides into place across from them, picks up his spoon, tucks into his oatmeal.
"Ye kinda vanished after lunch yesterday. What were ye up to?"
Hermann swallows his mouthful. "Edan and I were working on a take-away exam we'd put off too long."
Rhys and Vigsai exchange a look.
Hermann pretends not to notice and works away at his meal.
"Top 'a the mornin' t' ye!" sings Edan as he drops down beside Hermann.
"mornin'," greets Vigsai.
"Good morning," replies Hermann.
Rhys squints, says, "Those are yesterday's clothes."
"No they're not!" protests Edan, a little too quickly.
"Gingersnap, it's your clashiest jumper—"
Edan checks, cringes.
"—we /notice when you wear it."
"I, well, I'm outta clean clothes and need to do laundry."
"Your wide-open closet is currently /full of clean clothes."
"I forgot to change?"
Vigsai's lips turn up in a sly smile. "That's not what you're forgetting."
"Tell me, then: what'm I forgettin'?"
"You're forgetting we normally sleep in the same room and I know for a /fact you didn't come back last night." Rhys chin-hands. "So where /were you?"
Edan drops his eyes, pokes his toast.
"You know, Iggy, he looks a little winded—"
"And flushed and that's some /serious bedhead he has going on."
"—like he's just run across campus."
"'coz I just did. To turn in an exam."
"Suuuure." Vigsai leans back, crosses her arms. "/I figure it was a 'run of shame'."
"/No. I mean—"
"He slept in my room," blurts Hermann.
Edan meeps.
Rhys bats his eyelashes at Edan.
Vigsai smugs.
Hermann wishes for death.
"We didn't do /anything! Except sleep! I wouldn't—I mean—I'd never—not with—" Deep breath. "We just slept."
"Is /that what the kids are calling it these days?"
Hermann swallows, forces some confidence into his voice. "There was no sex. I wouldn't do that. /Especially not—"
Edan cringes, eyes firmly on his beans on toast.
—Hermann's heart twists. "Especially not before I'm married."
"Never figured you for the purity ring sort."
"He's probably trying t' offset his sister."
Hermann cringes.
"Too bad, 'ey—"
Edan hisses, flaps.
Rhys rolls his eyes. "Why don't you—"
"Not. The. Time."
"You're running o—"
"Shut /up, Swansea."
Hermann glances between them, brow furrowed.
Edan sighs—
Rhys snorts.
—attacks his breakfast.
Hermann takes a deep breath and does the same.
Category:Ficlet
Category:Manchester (setting)
Category:Hermann
Category:Hermann's POV
Category:Hermann has wings
Category:Hermann (ficlet)
Category:Edan
Category:Edan (ficlet)
Category:Rhys (ficlet)
Category:Vigsai (ficlet)
Category:Vigsai
Category:Rhys
Category:Karla (mention)
Category:Ficlets with images
Category:Pages with comments
Category:Celestial Mechanics
2005 12 05