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[foolishwren]

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, ROADKILL ROOSTER. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 007.14.007.17 *** ROADKILL ROOSTER has joined 007.14.007.17 <ASSMUNCH45> wat up gurl!!!!!!!!!!! <BANNED USER> SCREENED MESSAGE. UNSCREEN? Y/N -- B& MOTHAFUCKA <CREATURECOMFORTS> Are YOU interested in not having to worry about basic needs? Have we got the job for YOU. Click to read more... <SHOVEL_GUY> hey heather are you getting weird ads for going to live with rich people too??

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[foolishwren]

_{[There's a bit of silence after he pounds on the door and yells his piece, but then the water sloshes again, and a low, squawky voice croaks out:]}

Go fuck yourself.

This is Mason's special alone time.

_{[And by 'special alone time' she means 'curl up on one side of the tiny bathtub and pull out her feathers one by one' time, but she's hoping the phrasing will scare him off.]}

[solperierat]

[Well, it almost does, but given that he's been hanging around Greed for so long...]

You got your fuckin' room for that, some of us have blood to clean off, goddamnit!

[foolishwren]

Then go fuck yourself bloodily, I guess.

Come in here and I'll scratch your eyes out.

_{[Her voice is creaky-sounding. More like she's been crying or has a sore throat than anything else. But there's still plenty of simmering anger in it.]}

[solperierat]

You couldn't manage that if you tried, Mason.

[Shut up, Ed, you get curbstomped by two fucking trees a week from now.]

Just get out and let me use the shower already!

[foolishwren]

You don't WANT to know what I could do to you if I actually tried.

_{[She actually sounds flustered, though. She came up here for peace and quiet, and this is the EXACT OPPOSITE OF WHAT SHE WANTED.]}

I got here FIRST.

Go use the one on the second floor, fuck.

[solperierat]

All the rest are either being used as a goddamn love nest or fucked to all hell! This is the only one left!

[foolishwren]

_{[... Grrrr of COURSE all the others were taken...]}

--fine, but just so you know, there's not a drop of hot water left.

_{[So there. >8(]}

[solperierat]

[Really.]

Mason, I just spent the last I can't even remember how many days acting like a goddamn animal in the woods, and I don't know whether or not I murdered a bunch of campers. A cold shower is the least of my fucking worries.

[foolishwren]

<sub>[... What? ... Oh. Oh yeah. Some people still have fog forms.]

[She doesn't answer this time, but there is the telltale sound of someone climbing out of the bathtub and dripping all over the floor.]

[Then the door opens.]

[In all her soggy glory, Heather only bothered wrapping a towel around her waist-- there's honestly not anything to see in the chest area that isn't covered in sodden feathers. But she doesn't look like someone who was enjoying any alone-time.]

[Her eyes are bloodshot, her visible skin is pale and gaunt, and there's patches of feathers on her face and arms that are missing, almost scratched bloody.]

[She's shaking.]

[But she still has enough composure to shoot Ed a surly look.]</sub>

There. Happy?

Have your fucking shower.

[solperierat]

[There's a lot of ways that Edward has changed in the past few months. He's grown horns and a beard, he's fallen in with criminals, he's eaten a human being and regularly loses his shit over someone looking at him the wrong way.]

[But he still just can't let someone so obviously hurting go by without at least trying to help.]

...woah. You alright?

[foolishwren]

_{[She's already pushing past him, her wings clamped tightly to her back.]}

I'm peachy.

_{[No, she looks like she's been doing heroin in there or something.]}

Get out of my way.

[solperierat]

Mason.

[Ed reaches out and catches her arm--oh no, you're not getting out of it that easily.]

You are clearly not okay. Have you been pulling your own damn feathers out?

[foolishwren]

<sub>[He's right. Both on the statement and the question.]

[Unfortunately for him, Heather's already on her last nerve (she has very few to spare during the fog these days...) and to top it all off... yeah. Still kinda naked. When he catches her arm, she whips around, bloodshot eyes gleaming, and bares a mouthful of sharp teeth at him, hissing loud enough to actually echo off the bathroom's linoleum.]</sub>

[solperierat]

[Ed bares his teeth right back but manages to keep from actually snarling. His grip on Heather's arm tightens for a moment, but then he lets go and snorts, turning to go take his turn at the shower. He hasn't actually dropped the issue, but he's not interested in starting a fight.]

[Later, after Ed's washed himself and gotten a fresh change of unmaimed clothes on, he heads over to Heather's room and knocks a few times on the door.]

Mason. You wanna talk?

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Once he lets her go, she's GONE-- clicking down the hall with ruffled feathers and slicked-back ears.]

[In the bathroom, his suspicions will be confirmed by the clumps of black wet feathers clinging to the sides of the bathtub, which had been left full of lukewarm water. Could've been worse. At least there's no blood.]


[When he comes to her door later, she doesn't come to answer it.]

[Instead there's a bitter croak of:]</sub>

No.

_{[But, well, it's not locked.]}

[solperierat]

[Ed sighs, shaking his head even if she can't see him. Child, come on.]

[He pushes open the door far enough that he can peer inside, but no further. Nor does he step past the threshhold, instead crossing his arms and frowning with annoyance and concern.]

Yeah? Not even about why you feel like forcing a molt on yourself for no reason?

[foolishwren]

<sub>['CHILD' OMFG LIKE YOU'RE THAT MUCH OLDER THAN HER ED]

[The room is a mess like most of the ones in the 'Nest, with feathers and food wrappers littered about. The window is wide open and Heather's out on the fire escape, a tendril of smoke drifting from the cigarette in her claws. She tries not to do it much anymore... but even a little is a far cry from 'quit for good', which was what she'd thought she'd done a year ago.]</sub>

'Reasons that my dumb blond peabrain doesn't know about' isn't the same thing as 'no reason', Elric.

Just fuck off and forget you saw anything, can't you?

[solperierat]

Nope.

[Edward strolls in past the clutter and mess, his newfound tail flicking a few bits of trash this way and that as he passes through. Shoving his hands into his pockets, Ed leans his shoulder against the windowsill and flicks his gaze over Heather, getting a little better look at her now they aren't a breath away from a squabble.]

You oughtta know by now I'm a nosy asshole. So what's got you all upset? Something happen while I was out?

[foolishwren]

<sub>[At least she's wearing clothes now. But the patches of pulled-out feathers are still visible. She's left the ones on her wings alone, at least. But she's still a mess. Her ears go flat as she hears his footsteps approaching behind her.]

[Her reply is flat.]</sub>

The fog happened.

You've just learned how fun that can be.

[solperierat]

[Edward frowns, turning to cast a glare down the street. He can see a few rats fighting over a bit of food down there, and hear their angry little squeaks.]

I dunno if I'd call turning into a mindless animal 'fun'. Did someone else go nuts too, then?

[Guess who just assumed Heather never changed during the fog? This guy.]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[ED NEVER GOT TO SEE THE FALSE BLACKBIRD IN ALL HER GLORY.]

[Not that 'glory' is a word Heather would have associated with the creature she became during the fog, back when she actually did.]

[No... she hadn't really appreciated what she'd had until it was gone.]

[Her shoulders hunch further.]</sub>

No.

I get sick during the fog.

And that leads to-- YES-- molting.

_{[The fact that she helped it along a little is irrelevant...]}

Happy?

[solperierat]

Sick?

[Ed's ears lay back, and he frowns with concern. That...that really doesn't seem right.]

What the hell? I thought it's supposed to make all us freaks stronger, not fuck us over.

[foolishwren]

_{[It's really not Ed's fault he doesn't know-- and besides, Heather doesn't exactly know anybody else this has happened to. Still, that doesn't stop her reply from being snappish.]}

Well, I didn't always get sick during the fog!

[solperierat]

[Ed can't quite help his brief growl in response to Heather's snappy reply, but he stifles it down to just an annoyed scowl. He's trying to help her, and getting into a shouting match won't be much help in doing that.]

It's the fucking first I've heard about any of this, gimme a break! So what happened, then? A curse or some bullshit?

[foolishwren]

I don't know.

_{[She says this gruffly, defensively, flicking a bit of ash from the end of her cigarette off into the night.]}

It's been this way ever since--

_{[She pauses, willing herself not to shudder as her gut clenches. Then brings the cigarette to her mouth and takes a slow drag from it, not finishing whatever thought she'd started.]}