The Roof, Saturday Morning

[wwiii]

Everybody had their grumpy days. Or their uncomfortable days, or their just plain wrong-side-of-the-bed days. And for any reason under the sun, really. It all depended on what was up.

What was up for Warren was spring, headed into summer. Which meant fewer layers or even just the option of lounging around shirtless, a heightened likelihood of seeing pretty girls wearing less than they were a few months ago, and, less pleasantly, a molt.

Large feathered wings were amazing, breathtaking, and absolutely liberating right up until you realized that having a pair of them meant that you'd have to deal with itching, feather dust, and pinfeathers on a seasonal basis. And so Warren had made his way up to the roof in an effort to at least minimize some of the mess in his room to spare Hinata the headache, and was now sitting on the edge, frowning at a molted four-foot long primary feather and trying to figure out what the heck to do with it as he turned it over in his hand.

This sort of thing was so much easier to deal with when his dad could just smuggle it all out through his company as 'medical waste.'

[I don't know. All I know is that I've been vacuuming up cockatiel dust for weeks now, and finally he's starting to drop real feathers so it's time to torment Warren thus. But the roof is open!]

Comments

[therewaslife]

"...hullo," Bod said, not quite able to parse that greeting but she didn't appear to be coming towards him to try and kiss him so he didn't ask.

Yet.

"I'm guessing that a traditional greeting of your culture?" All right, the not asking didn't last long.

[glacial_queen]

"Not of my culture, but a traditional greeting of mine," Karla said, giving him a crooked smile. "And just a greeting, so you don't have to worry about me suddenly launching myself at you."

He'd looked a little leery at the prospect. Fortunately, Karla was far too amused by that reaction to be bothered by it.

[therewaslife]

"I will admit that the thought crossed my mind," Bod confessed, blushing just a bit. "I'm still getting used to the myriad of cultures that are contained just within the island and it wouldn't be so unusual for a culture to believe in upfront affection."

[glacial_queen]

Karla thought about that and nodded. "I could see it," she said. "A culture like that, I mean. I wonder what such a culture would be like, actually."

Not her culture, that was for damn sure. Morton would have a heart attack and die if she started trying to implement 'upfront affection.'

"I like it because it's versatile. And because I'm difficult."

[therewaslife]

"Another difficult girl," Bod said but he said it fondly. "I've met several like you. Perhaps the island attracts the difficult?"

[glacial_queen]

"I'd say we ought to form a club, but coming to Fandom is probably close enough to one to just make the venture superfluous," Karla agreed, laughing. "Though, if it makes you feel better, I'd say that any number of the males I know are far more difficult than I could ever hope to be."

[therewaslife]

"I'm Nobody Owens," he said, taking that as a good opening to introduce himself since he'd proven difficult himself. "I go by Bod, though, to prevent any confusion. Hullo."

[glacial_queen]

"I'm Karla," she replied, deciding pretty much the same. "And I usually go by Karla because there's no good nickname that suggests itself, and no one else here by that name to cause confusion."

[therewaslife]

Bod laughed and said, "Telling people I'm Nobody sometimes gets me a lecture that everyone's someone and I should have more self confidence."

[glacial_queen]

Karla laughed along with him on that one. "I can see where Bod would have its appeal then." She shook her head, still laughing. "I think after the third iteration of the speech, I would have started biting people. So good for you for taking the non-violent route."

[therewaslife]

"Well, I either get that one or people asking me if my parents hated me," Bod said, shaking his head. "They don't. When they named me, they said I didn't look like nobody but myself and thus, the name came about."

[glacial_queen]

"That's a good story behind your name," Karla said, smiling a bit. "Much better than mine. If I even have one. I'm probably named for some random relative or something. I don't really know."

And she never would, either. Her smile faltered for a moment, before she shook her head and asked, "Though do babies really look like anyone when they're born? They're usually all red and wet and squishy."

[therewaslife]

That surprised a laugh out of Bod and he shook his head. "I don't know, I've never seen a newborn. I've heard that they're quite loud but the closest to newborns I've seen is the random children that arrived on the island awhile back."

[glacial_queen]

"I've helped deliver a few," Karla said, making a face. "Believe me when I say that the sight of a newborn doesn't do a whole lot to increase your desire to have one of your own. It also stops being a beautiful miracle of life."

[therewaslife]

"You've delivered children?" Bod asked, raising both eyebrows. "By coincidence?"

[glacial_queen]

"How do you coincidentally deliver a baby?" Karla asked, laughing. "No, I'm a Healer. Part of the training includes assisting with deliveries. And when I moved back home for a year, I was one of a very few trained Healers around. Most of the time, people didn't need my help, but occasionally, things go wrong. And I'd be called."

[therewaslife]

"No, I meant you're in the right place at the right time and the people with you just suddenly start giving birth."

Bod winced and shook his head.

"That made more sense in my head. Healer? Akin to a physician?"

[glacial_queen]

"As a Healer, I use more magic, but yes," Karla said, nodding. "I belong to the Healer caste back home. I know some of the same skills a physician here does, I'm sure: binding, setting and sewing."

[therewaslife]

"Do you find your skills are especially useful her?" Bod asked curiously.

[glacial_queen]

"During an invasion, I do," Karla said. "Also my hangover remedies are in high demand after dances. I'm betting my sunburn salves are going to be useful this summer."

Her contraceptive brews weren't in high demand, but Karla was planning to start selling those at Dite's shop anyway.

[therewaslife]

Bod got a little more interested at that last one. "Sunburn salve? Does that treat a sunburn?"

[glacial_queen]

"It does," Karla said, lips twitching. "There're soothing herbs in it to stop the pain and irritation and just a bit of Craft to help speed along the Healing process of your skin."

[therewaslife]

"I...might actually need those this summer," Bod said, glancing down at his oh so pale arms. "I think I'm rather prone to acquiring sunburns due to my skin tone."

[glacial_queen]

"Feel free to track me down and ask for some," Karla said. "My Territory is in the far north, so I usually make it by the gallon, too. This island is much warmer than the weather I'm used to. Actually..."

She paused, calling in a small jar, holding it out to Bod. "I was bored a few weeks ago and decided to mess around with herbs for awhile. Want one?"