Haibane Renmei: Charcoal Feather Federation

[ The cocoon cracks open, and though the liquid that fills it spills out, the boy inside does his damndest not to go with the flow of it. Even though he had been the one to crack it open, his fingers dig deeply into the odd, soft texture of the cocoon around him to prevent going with the flow. He's not sure why, but he's afraid of falling out. Even though the liquid makes him want to cough and vomit it back up, he stubbornly holds on until it's drained enough that he breathes in his first breath of air, which is a gasping, rattling breath despite himself.

If you were unlucky enough to be around for this, at least you get to see the stubborn occupant looking no better than a drowned rat even as he still clings to the broken sides of the cocoon. He's scrawny, but clearly fiery, since whoever is waiting outside is given a vicious, scathing glare, as if you're responsible. However, that glare might be odd considering what one of his eyes looks like. ]

Who the hell are you?

[ ...He's a cheerful boy, can't you tell? ]

[ He's not stupid. That's what he keeps thinking to himself as he lays with his stomach on the bed, burying that strange eye into the pillow. No one will say what's coming, but it's not hard to guess. He's seen people going to get bandages and a medical box, and he can feel a tightness by his shoulderblades. He's seen the wings on everyone else. It's not hard to make the connection.

They have to come out somehow.

Part of him wishes that they would just come out already, since the tight feeling on his shoulders just makes him anxious. Get it over with, since it's better to be done with it. It's what he'll say, but at the same time, he's frightened. They have to come out somehow, so it will hurt, won't it? That thought makes his jaw tighten, and he grips his pillow more tightly.

Maybe you've been given the duty of looking after the new Haibane? Just don't tell the boy that it's your first time looking after one, since you might get an earful on that subject. ]

[ After his fever breaks, Corbin is at least ready to join everyone else, but... He doesn't like it. As he sits at breakfast, he feels peoples' stares on him as soon as he enters. Part of him knows that it's fair, but mostly, he bristles at the very thought. The stares, even if they're just surprised and polite, aren't welcome. After all, the eye, he thought he could hide as soon as he could manage to find an eyepatch, but hiding the wings isn't so easy. After all, instead of the light, charcoal grey that the Haibane's wings are supposed to be, his are black.

He doesn't want to think about what that means. He even tries to tell himself that he doesn't care as he takes a seat as far from everyone else as possible, but as he looks down at his place setting, he feels that something is off. For some reason, this sloppy presentation bothers him... He looks up to someone nearby, as if he's going to ask for something else quite sourly, but he ends up deciding against it.

But finally, he seems to get over his stubbornness enough to at least ask for something. Considering he was wanting to just sit here in silence the whole time, this is impressive. ]

You. [ yes, you ] Pass me a croissant.

[ He's in such a bad mood that he's not even polite with his request, but you have to wonder if a good mood would really improve his manners that much... ]

[ They said he had to get a job, so fine. Fine, he'll get a job, even though it's ridiculous that he should have to work, so far as he's concerned. He can still barely manage to move his wings like they're actually a part of his body, so he feels like he should get something of pass. To be fair, he might if not for his terrible personality. Corbin's temperament absolutely hasn't improved even after most of the pain from those wings bursting out of his back had subsided, so maybe someone had been hoping that getting a job would improve his mood. Who knows.

i ; His first stop is the library, since really, it feels like the place he's most drawn to. Corbin takes his time looking at the old books, and it at least seems to better his mood to some extent, though not much. He seems to be looking for something, but if he sees another Haibane in the library, he'll actually start a conversation on his own that isn't quite so rude.

Are all the books here this old? You can barely read some of them.

ii ; But unfortunately, he's a bit too young to work in the library. It's where he would have preferred, since he felt a little more comfortable away from people, but even though he had tried to plead his case... No luck. At the very least, someone helpfully points him to the post office, since they inform him that they offer jobs that even a young Haibane can take. Though when they had said that, Corbin had been imagining something like sorting letters. Something away from people, most importantly.

And yet, when he leaves the post office, it's with a satchel in hand. If you've been here for a while, you're likely to recognize it as meaning that he'll be delivering your mail from now on, though... He doesn't seem happy about it. ]

Delivering mail? This is ridiculous! Surely there's something more dignified than this!

[ no, there is not... But at least you can overhear this small tantrum, so congratulations!? ]