The Raven and the Owl

9 September 2015
Oxford, ENG, United Kingdom
Hermann wanders the campus, looking for his sibling. Bastien has just started university and had asked Hermann to visit because he was feeling homesick. The mathematician doubts that, but he does miss his little brother.
Being so busy with the end of the world doesn't leave much time for family.
The man rubs absently at his chest where the binder for his wings coils around him. He doesn't like crowds at all, and classes have just dismissed. Where is Bastien? He'd just told Hermann that he'd be outside of the University Museum. He'd refrained from telling him where outside. The building is large, and Hermann hasn't been back on the Oxford campus for some years.
A bench set close to the museum catches his eye—those are new, Hermann notes. He walks over and sinks down with a grateful sigh. His leg hurts and his wings are sore as they always are from the binding. Even sitting hurts. Hermann sighs again and wishes that he hadn't come. Bastien doesn't need his cripple, monster brother disturbing his life.
"Manny!" Bastien is running towards him from the great doors of the museum with a huge smile on his face. He's handsome and strong like Dietrich (and Karla and their father) and Hermann feels the constant envy rise. He's nothing but kind, but his enthusiasm is too much for Hermann some days. Hermann takes solace in the fact that Bastien's hair and eyes are dark like Hermann's own. He shares something with his lively younger brother, at least.
"Hello, Bastien. How are you?" Hermann asks as the other man sits beside him and rummages through his large backpack.
Bastien grins even as he continues to paw at the bag's contents. "Great! I wish that I could move on from my general classes, but I've met some awesome people." Finally finding what he wants, Bastien presents it to Hermann with a flourish. It's a sweatshirt with the Oxford logo on it. "Here! I bought each of you three a shirt!"
Hermann takes the sweatshirt with surprise. It's much too big for him if he didn't have giant bird wings attached to his back. With them, it should just about cover anything incriminating. "Thank you. It's lovely."
"Lovely? It's badass! Now everyone in that Shatterdome of yours will know who you belong to. I know that you never got anything with the logo on it when you attended here."
"I went to TU Berlin for my undergraduate work, not Oxford," Hermann says sadly as he folds the shirt and gives it back so that Bastien can keep it safe. Except for those few short months at Manchester ....
"Uh, no. You went to Manchester. Your school is the one you love, not the one your fuckhead father makes you attend. You can have more than one school home, too," Bastien says, drawing stares from a few students. He isn't usually loud except when agitated.
The mathematician places a soothing hand on his brother's arm.
Bastien's grin is sheepish. "I wasn't talking about Oxford, anyway."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, you belong to me and Karla and Dietrich. Not in a creepy way like with our parents. In a normal 'I love you' way."
Bastien says as he looks in Hermann's eyes.
Hermann looks away, too ashamed and sad to bear his brother's blunt pity. "You shouldn't associate with me. You're out of that cage. Enjoy it and don't let me ruin your chances at a normal life."
Bastien's punch is jarring to say the least, and harder than it would usually be. It's still gentle enough that it doesn't hurt the winged man's fragile frame.
Hermann looks up angry with his arm smarting and sees his strong little brother fighting tears.
"Fucking stop that, Manny! You aren't a monster and I'm proud that you're related to me." Here he smiles and brushes the tears away, not ashamed of them as Hermann would be. "And besides, do you think I'd spend any of my money from Father on you if I didn't love you? He'd hate that!" Bastien's wicked grin brings a small smile to Hermann's face.
"He would see it as a waste."
"Exactly! Loving you is the point. Pissing off Father is just the icing." Rising from the bench, Bastien holds out a hand to help Hermann to his feet. He slings his backpack over his shoulder and claps Hermann's shoulder, mindful of the hidden wings. "Come on, let's get some food. I know of a great Chinese place just off campus."
"I worry about your waistline, Hasi," Hermann says with a genial smile.
Bastien snorts a laugh.
"And I worry about you. We're even." The good-natured bickering continues as they walk in tandem, Bastien never leaving Hermann's side.
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