distressedude | 020 ~ [Voice]

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020 ~ [Voice]

[Save perhaps Sync's recent arrival, Ion hasn't been as stressed as he has been these past few months. The lack of experiments has made for a nice change of pace, though he's been refraining from saying as much. Just in case the Malnosso suddenly feel like putting an end to this little break... but it's that lack of stress that makes this new condition of his all the more mysterious. Losing a few feathers when he was sick wasn't entirely uncommon for him, and he had been feeling rather under the weather these past few days, but... well.]

Perhaps this is a bit of an odd question, but has anyone ever had their wings suddenly [...] change? Aside from just the color.

[Glancing over his shoulder. He has his wings folded behind his back so they don't appear in the journal-window. Usually they weren't out at all... which is mostly why he's only now noticing the change.]

Though I guess the color would apply as well, in this case...

[...]

[What, they don't really teach about filial puberty in school! At least, if they did, it was probably one of those days Ion when was out sick. Which is a lot. Though someone Ion's age probably should have already lost most of the fluffy feathers on his wings...... he's a late bloomer, okay.]

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[And here's Ion opening the door! He rarely keeps his wings out these days, so it's probably been awhile since Nephry's seen him wearing a shirt that shows them. He's not even wearing a sweater over them! ...though he was just sitting under all his blankets, so extra layers were hardly necessary.]

[With a smile, as though they hadn't just been talking less than a minute ago:] Hello, Nephry.

Hello, Ion. [When she sees the feathers, it strikes her that he always keeps his wings covered. Had this been going on for a long time, and he was too concerned to ask?]

You haven't lost a lot of feathers, have you?

Not too many, no. [He goes back over towards his bed and takes a seat, straightening out the blankets a bit so Nephry can sit as well if she likes.]

It's strange but... of the few that fall out, it almost seems as though there's no room for them anymore. Even the color looks a bit different from the ones that are left.

[The color is probably more noticeable to Ion, who sees them all the time, but they are both a bit darker. But more importantly, they match again. The wing that had grown back had already become a darker green color; now the one that had remained had changed to the same color.]

[She hadn't had a reason to really look at his wings since he'd recovered from losing one. Now, sitting beside him, it's relatively clear what actually happened. More so, when she picks up a down-soft fallen feather, then touches his newer, stiffer ones.]

I didn't experience this myself, but I have heard of it happening to others. ...I'm afraid there's nothing you can do.

[Sometimes? It's easy to pick out her relatives.]

[He may or may not have given a small squeak and twitched when she touched the new feathers. Not because it hurt, but with the new feathers still feeling so sensitive, it does tickle a bit. His wings will even keep fluttering for a few moments after.]

...s-so, this has happened to other people, but... what is it? It's nothing nothing serious, is it?

[Someone other the journals got him worried about it, okay.]

There isn't a cure for it, if that's what you mean.

[It will be impossible to keep up such an act in front of Ion for very long.]

No cure?

[MOM, YOUR BALFOUR IS SHOWING.]

[Oh, in the face of that she just can't keep teasing him.]

We can't make you any younger. [And because she thinks he might still be confused] Don't worry, Ion. It's your age.

[It's hard not to want to, though. He makes it so easy sometimes. Though clearly that answer still doesn't answer enough, and now he's just confused.]

My... age? What do you mean?

You're growing up, I suppose.

[That sounds a lot like something a parent ought to say. ...Of course, Ion has no parent.]

It should work itself out in time. You don't feel strange, do you?

[Growing up...? Ion still doesn't completely understand what she means, but he's gotten very good over the years at pretending he does. At the very least, he sees that this clearly isn't a bad thing.]

I still feel a little tired from the feathers that did fall out, but otherwise I feel fine.

[Ion you are always a little tired.]

Here, look. [because she can tell he's confused. Nephry turns her back to him, ruffling her own silvery-white feathers just a bit.] These aren't anything like the ones falling from your wings, are they?

[Hey, he knows the difference between regular-tired and something's-wrong tired!]

...no, the only ones that fell were the short, fluffy ones. [A pause.] That would mean... our wings change as we get older?

[A nod and a smile.] You can't really see them, but the feathers on your...newer wing are all much more like mine. The other is just changing to match.

...And if my brother tries to scare you with a different story, don't let him.

I see! That's a relief...

[Though he will stop and look up at Nephry at that comment with just a bit of a grin. Wasn't she the one who just told him there was no cure...?]

I'll be sure to keep that in mind if I hear from him.

...I really shouldn't need to ask, but...how old are you?

[How has he chosen to count his years?]

[A soft chuckle.] Luceti doesn't make keeping track very easy, does it... I've actually been 15 for a few months now based on Auldrant's calender. But I think it'll be easier to just use Luceti's system for the future.

[That number is already chronologically wrong for him, anyway.]

[Fifteen sounds about right. That's around when Peony-

No, never mind. His Majesty had always been a flirt.]

I think that's about the right age. [For a boy. She's not sure, really.]

[It would take more than a regular hormone change to turn someone into as big a flirt as Peony is.]

I'm just relieved it's nothing serious. For awhile there, I thought I may have been coming down with something...

[The journals didn't help, s-sob.]

Well. You, in particular, must always be concerned about that.

[Invading his space with a hand on his forehead in 3...2...]

You're not warm. ...Though I suppose you could ask Saphir, if you thought something else was wrong.

[Hey, as long as she's not touching his wings again, he doesn't mind at all.]

I have been feeling a bit under the weather these past few days, but the wings aside, it's just been a normal cold.

[His reaction to the wings worries her a little bit.]

Your wings don't hurt, do they? [Yep, touching the molting one again.]

[ffffff cue a short gasp and another twitch of his wings. But although he's brought his hand up to his face, he looks more like he's trying not to laugh rather than being in pain.]

N-No, they don't hurt at all! But it... tickles when the feathers move. I'm sure it'll pass when they stop being so sensitive. It was like this after they finished growing back as well.

Oh. [Oops. Inadvertent torture. Nephry drops her hand and looks apologetic.] You don't leave your wings visible anymore.

Ah, well... it's just easier to keep them covered most of the time. Especially when it's still so cold outside.

[Which is true, but is so not the real reason.]

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