1st: mega sin

[loosetongue]

wake greg up (wake greg up inside)
[This cocoon seems totally disinterested in keeping its little hatchling, as Rian wakes up deposited backwards on the floor. His legs are still half in the cocoon, so it's an awkward few seconds where he tries to roll over and keep coughing out liquid without it drowning him again, but he manages... don't look at him during this trying time...

After he frees himself properly and kicks the outside of the split cocoon for good measure, he just--sits there, on the floor, looking down at himself. He sticks out his tongue, miming a gag.]

Ew. [And then, looking up,] Fetch me a towel, would you? Or maybe a whole bath.

[The littlest prince, sitting in a puddle of weird cocoon goo.]


TAKE.....these broken wings | just one pls
[The Haibane who tells him in gentle, simpering words that it's going to be difficult to get his wings, but he'll get through it! Everyone does! - well. They piss him off. He snaps enough times about being treated like a baby that he's left to mope feverishly on his bed - supervised, but not hovered over. It's still a bit much.

His wings take their sweet time, enough that the Haibane watching him has dozed off by the time he can tell that it's time. Damn them, what an idiot-- He hauls himself out of bed and roots through the medical kit in the dark, then stumbles his way into the hall. The loose robe is slipping and already dotted with blood in the back from what anyone can recognize as the movements of the wings trying to break through the skin, and if there's one thing he shouldn't be right now, it's upright. Upright and wandering, as he's going to go as far as he damn well can before the whole flesh-moving thing becomes too much.

Rules are for losers. In his hand is a pair of small scissors, the ones from the medical kit that are meant for nice things like cutting bandages, and not whatever this is. Which is, through labored breaths and a tiny bit of fevered delirium,]

I'm sick of this! I don't want these ugly things-- Why don't I just cut them out? Do you think I can reach?

[well. he's trying to reach. he's doing that now. he might also be weeping, lowkey.]


and a prompt with less suffering
[He'd have to be blind and deaf not to notice the reactions he gets from the other Haibane, already. It's obviously these stupid wings--he doesn't see the problem, if his are black and most of them are gray, who cares? It's not as if he chose to have different colored feathery abominations pop out of his back!

All things considered, he's sick of it already. He almost (almost) understood it from the people in town, when he was left very much to his own devices to beggar himself for clothes, since those people don't have to live in hovels with stupid wings and stupid halos at all... But at the same time. If the whole town of Glie burned to the ground tomorrow, he probably wouldn't feel a thing for those people. But these, the other Haibane?

These stares are just rude. He's already figured out how to flutter his wings irritably, which makes just enough people uncomfortable for him to keep doing it. How do you like him now?? As such, anyone who looks directly at him, whether they're even looking at his wings or not, will get the same Loudly Annoyed reaction:] What? Go on, say it! I know you all want to run your fat mouths at me, so do it!

[making friends]

OR: less suffering 2.0
[When he's not shrieking, Rian has taken it upon himself to investigate just what's so bad about having black wings.

Of course, his method for this is suddenly appearing much too close to other people and reaching out to simply pinch the edgemost feathers of their regular, gray wings, if he can do it without being noticed first.

Either way,] I don't see what the big, terrible deal is. Yours look filthy compared to mine, anyway.

Comments

less suffering 1.0

[scanningutterly]

[Gold may not know what exactly is on his list of things he'd like to wake up to, but he's pretty sure that this is far down it. Or off it. Yeah, off. He just wanted to make it all the way down to breakfast without...well, without running into anyone, really. But especially without being yelled at.]

My mouth isn't fat. [He doesn't say it sharply, but the annoyance comes through all the same.]

[loosetongue]

[If Rian were privy to those thoughts, he would counter (read: whine) with how he didn't want to be stared at since growing these stupid wings, but that's just life!!

So he's not going to apologize about his attitude, already. That's how this is going. He scoffs and practically leans his whole body back with the force of his eyeroll. Ah...]

Never mind, you must be thick in the head instead. I suppose that was my mistake. [rian no]

[scanningutterly]

[Maybe it's the eyeroll, maybe it's the arrogance, maybe it's that this boy seems to be the same age as Gold but acts and talks like younger brat, maybe it's all of the above. Whichever it is, Gold's not going to continue to breakfast just yet. He crosses his arms.]

No, your mistake was not being able to come up with a real insult. [Yeah he's not impressed.]

[loosetongue]

[Oh, so it's going to be like this. Rian puts his fists on his hips and cants his head to the side, apparently less than impressed with- his not being impressive. He's not in the mood for this other boy to heckle him, even though he started it.]

Is that what you want? You really are a stupid boy, aren't you? I won't do tricks for the sake of your shitty ego.

["Fat mouth" is the upper limit of his effort today.]

[scanningutterly]

You're the one who yelled at me to "say it"! [Gold thought about attempting an impression with that part, but it's not worth the effort. And, as much of a brat as this kid is, it seems a little unfair. You got lucky, Rian.]

Whatever "it" is. [A shrug. He guesses it has to do with the black wings. It's true that he's heard sympathetic whispers about being "sin-bound," but he isn't clear on what makes that different. They're all in the same circumstances, regardless.] If anyone's demanding tricks, it's you.

don't run with scissors the prompt the saga the adventure

[fearfactor]

[Eve doesn't like sleeping. She isn't even aware that she does dislike it. All she knows is that she goes to bed late and wakes up early and she may yawn periodically through the day but it doesn't seem like a problem. So the sun may not have risen but she is up and curious about the newly hatched. They were probably passed out after the tiring first night but maybe she could spot someone cleaning bloodied wings. Anything to busy her hands.

What she did not expect to find is the boy stumbling out of his room in a frenzy waving a pair of scissors around.

She freezes, struck still with fear. A dumb reaction as he was clearly more intent on hurting himself and not anyone passing by. That- That was something she should stop. She reaches a hand out, wings fluttering fretfully, but doesn't actually step forward. Still a safe distance.]

You don't have to cut them out. Just wait a moment. Isn't someone with you?

i never get to use these gross icons

[loosetongue]

[The fact that this person - it's dark, all he can tell is she's someone he hasn't seen yet - doesn't stop him is, ironically, what gives him pause. That and it's harder than he imagined to get a tiny pair of scissors angled correctly behind his shoulders to stab the burning flesh open. But. He pauses, and that's what counts.

There's a lingering moment there where he just stares at her, squinting suspiciously despite the obvious tears on his face and, well, what he's trying to do. He hurts, every part of him hurts and his back feels like it's catching fire over and over and something inside him is moving and why shouldn't he just get rid of it--]

She's useless! [hissed, as he leans a shoulder against the wall. ow,] She went to sleep so I left, and I don't want these, aren't you listening?

[With a renewed burst of energy he brandishes the scissors over his shoulder again, and this time the point actually connects with the aggravated flesh waiting to make way for his wings. His jaw drops with a soundless expression of pain - maybe this is the worst possible idea - and he repeats, more quietly but desperately still,] I don't want these...!

good job to body horror wing growth then

[fearfactor]

[She doesn't know what to do. Part of her is screaming to run away. This is scary and she is afraid and she wants to get away from it. Avoid the pain he is causing to himself and might cause to her, however irrational it is to think it. The other half wants to help. To slap his hand away and pull him back inside his room to where more experienced hands can help. She only has one night of change under her belt and it was her own as well.

What she does is nothing in any useful time, stuck as she was in her own head. His words leave her reeling. He was saying everything so honestly in his desperation. She tenses, entire body shuddering in empathetic phantom pain as the scissors connect with tender skin.

That's what finally snaps her out of it. He shouldn't hurt himself. Anything but that. Of that, at least, she was sure. Eve steps forward and deftly grabs his wrist to pull his arm away, relying more on his fragile state than any strength of her own.]

I know. [She can't do much to actually support him or lead him anywhere - again she curses her useless, small body - but she makes sure to steady him with her other hand as gently as she can.] But you are going to get them anyway. I will do anything I can to help. Can you make it back into your room?

[The answer was probably no but it was something he could try to focus on. Anything but the pain.]

"gross, 5 stars" -- new york times

[loosetongue]

[All Rian is thinking about now is that he doesn't want to hurt anymore. He doesn't want to hurt and he doesn't want her to look at him with pity or like he's some horrible, disgusting thing that's better of stepped on. That's what he feels like--

He makes a noise like he's going to snap at her again, object when she grabs his wrist, but he doesn't. Even her small hand pulling on him moves his body enough for the awful robe he's been forced to keep wearing to chafe agonizingly against his skin. He clutches the scissors hard enough to leave indented marks against his palm and looks down, away from her looking at him.]

No. I don't want to. I don't want to talk to that idiot-- [a breath, shaky.] I won't keep them!

[... and he adds, too late to have the weight he wants it to,] Let go of me.

raving reviews for the little hellion

[fearfactor]

[She had hoped he would drop the scissors out of surprise. No luck there. He wasn't lashing out with them though and for that she was grateful. She wouldn't be much help if she was also rolling around in pain.

Instead she focuses on what she can do. He won't go back into the room, dumb but she couldn't force him to do anything especially as he is now, so she would have to deal with this in the hallway. She could just run in to rouse the other haibane but if anything happened in those few split seconds it would most likely be disastrous. She would get her after he had calmed down. So, she leans forward to look over his shoulder at his back. They were coming soon.]

Okay. Then we'll just have to make do here then. [One last ditch effort to see if he will change his mind by himself and then-] If that is what you want to do you should probably sit down. You'll feel steadier.

[Wanting the wings or not Eve goes through the motions to try and prepare him. She doesn't let go of his wrist but she makes a move to try and push his robe away a bit, give his back some breathing room. If he was going to fuss and collapse in pain maybe he won't have to tear his skin and clothes. Maybe.]

morons 2.0

[encored]

[Good thing Lazare can't actually remember that people shouldn't be able to sneak up on him, or he'd be EVEN MORE ANNOYED than he already is - and it's an impressive amount as it stands! Having his wings touched and then insulted, gosh, who set this rude brat free in his space...]

Filthy—? [Said in a tone that just reeks of EXCUSE ME, SIR??] They most certainly don't. ...And that makes no sense, regardless. If mine are a bit dusty, yours are completely soot-covered.

[On the plus side, he's not staring with Vague Concern and Mild Apprehension like most of the other Haibane are. He's heard whisperings of what black wings mean by now, but he can't find it in himself to care much one way or another.]

more like losere

[loosetongue]

[Wow, okay. Rian makes a face that goes from taken aback - don't get mad that he threw so much shade?? who allowed that? - to amused in the way only a little shit child can be amused, complete with lip-curling sneer.]

Black looks better than filthy gray. [He goes to ruffle the feathers again, because of course he does.] I think the gray ones look just dreadful.

[This is the thanks you get for not being weirded out by him...]

not inaccurate at all

[encored]

And why is that? Because you wouldn't be able to sport them decently?

[PUNK he'll scrap with anyone here, don't test him! He's waiting to punch someone!! But he doesn't punch Alois because he's too busy making slappy hands trying to get him away from those feathers. Cut that out.]

[loosetongue]

[Wow look at this tiny moron. He'll back off from shoving his grubby hands everywhere because he doesn't want to get moron slapped, but he backs off with a shitty laugh. Now he's having a better time...]

Dreadful things don't suit me, no. [that's totally what you meant right nerd??] Ooh, I wonder if all those thick-skulled stares are just jealousy.

[he knows they're not... but it's good to dream]

[encored]

[He's trying so hard, Peach Bellini. He's trying.

Anyway, once Rian's out of slapping range, Lazare puts his hands down and smooths out the puffs in his shirt like he hadn't just made himself look like a complete turbomoron.]

Now there's some heavy-handed wishful thinking. It's completely beyond me why you'd want their jealousy in the first place.

[Not... not that any of them have been particularly rude or mean or even vaguely standoffish to him?! He just feels the innate need to insult people, apparently.]

sin brigade

[cheats]

[ Corbin is just minding his own business, honestly, but he genuinely can't help but stare when he sees someone else with those same blackened wings that he has himself. Most people would probably feel a sense of camaraderie from this realization, but not Corbin. He's just sitting and enjoying a cup of tea that's been prepared for him (though every time he drinks it, he gets the sense that it doesn't taste right, but he also can't decide how it's supposed to taste), so when the other boy's attention turns to him, Corbin just snorts dismissively and brings his cup up to take a drink. ]

I was going to tell you to be quiet, actually. All that yelling that you're doing is irritating.

[ friendship is on the horizion, clearly ]

[loosetongue]

[Rian's figured out through the Muttering and Staring from others that he isn't the only one here whose wings came out black, but he hasn't tried going looking for his comrade in questionable feathers. So the fact that this - this snooty kid sitting there drinking tea and not being remotely helpful - is the first time he's encountered the other black-winged Haibane is so...

Disappointing is a strong word. Shitty, maybe. What a waste, if he's going to sit there and not show any solidarity!! Rian scoffs and rolls his eyes, like this commentary is the least important thing he's ever heard.]

Oh, is that so? And what are you trying to do, look harmless so the rest of these idiots will accept you? I ought to tell them we're the best of friends.

[tdl: ruin lives]

[cheats]

[ He shouldn't have said anything. This is a regret that he feels very quickly, but it at least gets him to look up from his tea, albeit with a "are you serious" kind of expression. He stares at Rian completely flatly, like he's expecting him to just go away from that expression alone, but alas, he does not. ]

I am trying to drink my tea.

[ important ]

What are you even trying to blackmail me into, exactly?

[loosetongue]

[He never goes away... Ignoring him wouldn't have worked, anyway, but responding to him is interpreted with some liberties as encouragement. He smirks, and it's awful.]

It's not fair, is it? If you get to sit there and guzzle your crap tea while I have to put up with this--shit.

[there are zero contributing factors to Rian dealing with shit other than Corbin is drinking crap tea, apparently.]

We're the same, so why don't you take my side? [ready for the best part of this pitch,] No one else is going to take yours.

[cheats]

[ This is the most bizarre blackmail that Corbin has ever dealt with, though to be fair, he can't exactly remember being blackmailed before. Still, it feels familiar and stupid all at once. ]

First of all, there's nothing unfair about it. You can go pour yourself a cup if it's that important to you.

[ Corbin takes Great Offense to the tea issue too, apparently. ]

Second, I don't see how joining your "side" will be any better than staying on my own. You've just been yelling about it, and I'll have no part of that, thank you.

less suffering 2.0

[lionson]

[It's less that Kai didn't notice what Rian was doing (somehow he is acutely aware of people sneaking around. He swears that, even though he can't remember life before here, he must have been around a lot of pranksters or something) and more that he is acting natural to see what Rian does.

He feels the pinch, but it doesn't really hurt, so he stops what he was doing (folding laundered blankets to pack them away in a cupboard) and does a half-turn to look at Rian.]

Hmm? Do I have dust on them or something?

[He had been cleaning, so he would not be surprised if he is a little dusty.

Also he is going to overlook that sorta-insult for now and see if maybe Rian just worded his sentence wrong. Even though that seems unlikely.]

[loosetongue]

[... old people are strange. Rian decides this with a flat look up at Kai, not at all suspecting that that response is purposely ignoring his rude mouth. He's not the best at this.]

... Yes. It looks horrible. Don't you have any concern for your appearance?

[lionson]

[Child plz

Even though he does not remember how or why he knows this, somehow he feels that the best way to diffuse a potential argument is to play dumb. There's no need to rise to Rian's bait. So he just laughs a little.]

Ahh, well, I have been busy cleaning all day. I'm not surprised I have a little dust and grime on me. Unfortunately, dust does not care about one's feelings about their appearance.

[loosetongue]

[Old?? People??? Rian gives him another look, dubious about whether or not this is legitimate now... Surely no one talking about dust like that can be totally serious.

But it works - he deflates a bit, some of his petty irritation leaving with the slump of his shoulders.]

Alright, whatever. What are you cleaning? There are so few of us, I don't know how we could make a mess.

[that's not even how messes work]

[lionson]

I think that might be the point. These buildings must have held dozens, if not hundreds of people before. And we have, what, twenty now? Maybe a little more if you count the really young ones? So the dust is probably from disuse.

[He doesn't intend on cleaning all the rooms, but he figures at least keeping the commonly-used areas clean would be a help. Plus his own room is still a mess, even with the cocoon gone.]