Two months later and Finch’s nose was finally healed over. Looking in the foggy mirror Qispi ran their finger over it grumbling
It’s healed…but why is it still itching?!
Feathers growing in?
How do you even tell? Qispi took their hand rubbing it along there brow line. Small sharp bumps poked out through hair. Finch sighed letting himself zone out as Qispi continued to work at their hair and skin in the mirror. They’d gotten the hang of switching control, and they’d gotten used to feeling the other move the body, but raging emotions still caused a bit of a problem for them, Are you still mad about yesterday…?
I’m not mad. Qispi sighed shaking dust free from their hair
You seem mad
I’m not mad at you
Then what are you mad at? Qispi let a breath out through is mouth whistling past his lips as he tried to sort out his thoughts, Is it the seal again…?
It’s not anger Qispi frowned, it’s…depression. I think. All I want to do is preen but I can feel my…our…feathers getting sore, I don’t want to break a blood feather and I definitely don’t want to start plucking
Is that normal?
Plucking?
Yeah…
The occasional feather that doesn’t want to fall out sure but…sometimes once you start plucking out feathers you go a bit overboard. Especially when you pull out ones that aren’t ready to go
Well why are you depressed? Is it something we can fix?
I think it might be because of the lack of sun…. Finch flinched at that. Just the previous day they’d tried to test if they could go in sunlight, but at the last moment Finch had panicked wrenching control from Qispi and throwing their body back into the deeper shadows of the house. Qispi’s own panic from being shoved down and helpless on top of his was suffocating and he didn’t talk to Finch for several hours after that, but the reaction wasn’t surprising. Finch was a vampire, sun avoidance was ingrained in him from the moment he was born. The sun didn’t offer warmth and safety for him, it was nothing but danger and pain, he’d been caught off-guard by the occasional sunray before and that pain was not something he wanted to repeat, but Qispi’s panic went beyond that. They both could feel how much more weight Finch held, Qispi could force him down if he struggled and strained sure, but Finch’s issue was the exact opposite. Pushing his control aside was like lifting a feather for Finch, sometimes he did it without thinking, and the thought that one day Finch might decide he’d had enough, and push him into the recesses of their mind forever terrified him.
Do you want to…try again? Just switching to be less nocturnal had been hard on Finch. His brain wasn’t used to processing so much light, it gave him a headache, and being so young his mind still needed a lot of down time. Thankfully sharing a body had its benefits at times, as most of the time Qispi was content to mess with handheld puzzles and things that clinked to keep him busy and distracted while still keeping the body still enough to give Finch the breaks he needed, but if it would make Qispi more comfortable, he’d try. After all, he blamed himself for not being strong enough to keep them apart
“Uh…knock knock?” The two jumped turning towards the door, “Sorry but you’ve been standing there for an awful amount of time”
“O…oh uncle…um…hi?” Finch turned as Qispi retreated. As nice as the man was, he still wasn’t sure about him, “I’m sorry did you want something?”
“Well in an attempt to get you two looking less like death” He sighed smiling, “I thought we could at least try for a walk” Qispi perked up at this, “The sun’s been down for long enough to be safe, but it should still be pretty warm outside”
Can we go barefoot…?
Finch was more than happy to let Qispi walk so long as he stayed within earshot of his uncle, and the bird seemed delighted to almost prance his way through the grass and dirt. Qispi wouldn’t admit it, but despite him disliking the older vampire being so friendly with him, having him around did relieve a lot of anxiety for the both of them. Having someone who was willingly going out of there way to keep them comfortable and safe through this whole learning experience was nice, although he suspected most of his initial reaction was wash over from Finch’s own adoration of the man. Asema was either not noticing, or not caring about it, happy to make his steps just a little more noticeable without prompting when he caught on to the two’s new distress queues, the feathers in their hair tended to puff out when they got nervous or excited, and he doubted excitement was the cause at the moment. It seemed Qispi hadn’t caught on how to exactly use Finch’s nose. Finch was more than content so long as his uncle was in smell range, but Qispi didn’t seem settle unless he could hear or see him.
“I don’t mean to pry, but you haven’t told me your name yet” Asema commented watching as his nephew’s feet dug into the loose soil under his toes. He’d been trying to not butt in if he could help it, but being able to tell the two of them apart, but not having a name for those red eyes was slightly infuriating.
“It’s…Qispi” he mumbled, glancing back at him confused. He couldn’t figure out why the man cared, if anything he seemed to be more supportive of them making clear distinctions of themselves rather than them blending.
“And Qispi where exactly are you from? Did you get brought past a world border or are you from Arx?”
“Why do you care…?”
“Honestly it’s sorta my job to know” Asema shrugged,
“I’m from the southern mountains near Motem city”
“Motem? That’s pretty close to the incubi stronghold” Asema mumbled watching the way Qispi walked. Each step seemed uncomfortably short to him, rolling forward onto their toes as he tried to judge distance better, “So your family…?”
“All dead. I was nesting in the mountains with a flock of harpies” Qispi sighed, dropping his shoulders, “Thought it’d be safe, one bird in a flock? How would those hunters find me there” he laughed, clenching his hands, “I guess I was wrong.” The two continued on in silence trudging through dry underbrush as they went deeper into the wooded path
Qispi…do you want to go home?
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