Chicks

Date/Timing: 6 September 2011
Setting: Hermann and Edan's flat; Battersea, London, England, United Kingdom
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Hermann groans, oozes into the mattress.
Edan, astride his hips, scratches fiercely at the base of his left wing. ""Found a good spot, huh?""
"Oh God yes. Keep going."
""Yes, sir!"" Digs in his fingernails, giggles. ""You should /see the pile of fluff I'm getting out of you. Looks like a chicken exploded.""
"Bloody fuckin' moult."
""It seems worse this year than last.""
Hermann grunts.
""May I move over a smidgen?""
"Go ahead."
Edan inches his hands farther along the wing, gently fluffs the next patch of feathers.
"I blame the London air."
Laughing, Edan attacks the spot.
"What's so funny?"
""I'm /sure it's the atmosphere and not your new high-stress city lifestyle.""
"I envy how well you're coping."
""I'm a city boy—always had at least a half-million souls for company.""
Hermann sighs.
""What're you thinking?""
"I miss the countryside, the wind in my wings."
Edan hums, cards away some more loose feathers. ""What's it feel like for you? The wind?""
"It's ... every feather is a vibration sensor. I can feel every microcurrent, read the tiniest shift in the drafts."
""That's bloody amazing.""
"I think every neuron that's supposed to be interpreting colour has been re-tasked for it."
""No doubt. It's no wonder you miss it.""
Hermann shrugs.
""I know I'd miss colours if I could only see them on special occasions.""
"What're colours like?"
""It's hard ... I don't know how to explain.""
"Try, please."
Edan takes a deep breath. ""Well, I guess they're like different intensities of light and each intensity carries a meaning and emotion or sensation.""
"Like traffic lights."
""It's more ... subtle than that a lot of the time. Like one shade of blue can be calm but a really similar one makes you feel cold instead.""
"Like the difference between air moved by a person walking and that by a door opening."
There's a smile in Edan's voice as he says, ""I suppose so.""
Hermann smiles, too, pillows his head on his arms. "You can move on with the feathers."
Fluffing and scratching move over another inch.
"How did I get by before I had you?"
""You were ridiculously itchy for a quarter of the year, apparently.""
Hermann snorts a laugh.
Edan rakes his nails across the skin under his secondaries.
Hermann purrs.
""Jesus. A fuckin' chick's-worth just fell out."" Mutters, ""Must've missed this spot last time.""
"I distinctly remember you itching that place."
Scratching stops.
""You're fuckin' with me.""
"No, that spot is always particularly irritating, so I'd notice if it was overlooked."
Scratching resumes.
""I mostly believe you.""
Hermann sniffs.
Scratching continues.
Hermann melts further.
""You know, I've always wondered what you liked like as a wee cabbage.""
"Like any infant—I assume that's your dialect's term for an infant—does, I suppose."
""I mean, what were these like? Always this gorgeous? Bald?""
"Karla insists they were 'poofy' and white, then half of them fell out and the current type grew in."
""Huh. Don't suppose there are any pictures.""
"Dee had a handful."
""Really? You think he'll let me see them?""
"If they weren't lost in the move, I'm sure he will."
""/Brilliant.""
Another peaceful few moments as Edan moves on to another patch.
""Heard anything new about how Emma's doing?""
"Nothing aside from what Sabine put on her Facebook page."
Edan grunts.
The next area comes under Edan's ministrations.
""Hermann?""
"Hmm?"
""Do you want kids?""
"I can't have children, not with my condition."
""I'm talking about adopting.""
"Ah." Hermann shifts his hips. "I've ... honestly never thought about it." Picks at the duvet. "A child does best with two parents and a stable home. I didn't expect to be able to provide that."
""Well, now you can, so start pondering.""
Hermann chews his lip for a beat, then, "What about you?"
""Hmm? Oh! I've always wanted a tyke or two to spoil.""
Dottie woffles from her cushion at the foot of the bed.
""I'd love you just the same, sugar-pie.""
She huffs.
"You'd like to have children?"
""Yea, and I think I'd do an alright job raising 'em.""
Hermann hums. "You know, you probably would."
""You'd be brilliant, too.""
"I don't know about that."
""Look at the job you've done so far with PAIGE. She's turning out well, yea?""
"You can't program children like you can a computer."
""It's not completely dissimilar. 'sides, you did a lot of work with Bunny and he seems fine.""
"There's quite a bit of difference between a newborn and a few-years-younger brother."
""Which's where my expertise with my baby cousins comes in."" Shifts to a new place, nearer the leading edge. ""I take care until Junior starts toddling, then you join in.""
"I don't think that's how it's supposed to work."
Edan scoffs. ""Who gives a rat's about 'supposed to'? If it works, go with it.""
"That explains so much about your approach to life."
""It works, so I go with it,"" he snickers.
Hermann rolls his eyes. "You're hopeless."
""And you'd be hopelessly itchy without me.""
"I'd be missing out on more than preening."
""Really.""
Hermann tucks his wings tight to his body—
""What're you—?""
—pushes off with his arms and good leg—
Edan, eyes wide, tips—
—twists onto his back.
—flails, squawks, then all but his feet and ankles disappear over the edge of the mattress.
A /thump and a /bang.
""Ow.""
Hermann peers down, dreading the sight.
Edan, wedged between the bed and the wall, rubs the back of his head, sending tiny braids bouncing, winces. "That was meant to be sexy, yea?"
Hermann, face on absolute fire, nods.
"I love the idea, but if ye warn me next time, I can help aim and save some delay and embarrassment."
"O-okay?"
Edan grins. "Gimme a hand up so we can try again."
Category:Ficlet
Category:London (setting)
Category:Hermann
Category:Hermann's POV
Category:Hermann has wings
Category:Hermann (ficlet)
Category:Edan
Category:Edan (ficlet)
Category:Sabine (mention)
Category:Emma (mention)
Category:Peridot
Category:Peridot (ficlet)
Category:Karla (mention)
Category:Dietrich (mention)
Category:PAIGE (mention)
Category:Bastien (mention)
Category:Ficlets with images
Category:Pages with comments
Category:Celestial Mechanics
2011 09 06