We're kinda bad at sharing our feelings

[forsometimenow]

Who: The crew of the good ship Wonderduck and visitors
Broadcast: N/A
Action: SS Wonderduck, planetside
When: The whole month of July

[IT'S A WONDERDUCK MINGLE.

Say hello to our new shipmates, play with fluff slugs, do what you wish.]

Comments

[feathery]

[To be fair, it looks like there are way more feathers scattered around than is warranted. Where u hidin' all those pinions, Bird Dave.]

What, no. It's kind of like how you shed sometimes.

[Now who's being dramatic.]

It itches like a fucking motherfucker. Like christ, look at this shit.

[He hooks a finger under one wing, holding it up. There's a sizable gap between a couple of his primaries, but what he's clearly pointing out is the pin feather he has growing in.]

[frigidaire]

[ Isaac doesn't shed. If he did, that'd mean he fully wolf out, which would be pretty awesome. Unfortunately, he just looks like he's been beaten in the face with a 2x4 instead.

He leans in to look at the gap, at the new feather. ]

Dude that is gross. I mean I can like, scratch your wings or whatever for you, but are all of your feathers going to turn into that?

[feathery]

Only like a couple at a time until they all grow in. They're fucking hideous. Scratch 'em too much too early and they bleed.

[He drops the wing and picks a down feather out of his hair, flicking it at Isaac before he flops back into a lethargic heap of Dave.]

I don't need to see a doctor or anything, it just makes me kinda tired sometimes. And eat a lot.

[frigidaire]

You're making that up, feather's can't bleed.

[ It doesn't sound like he believes what he's saying, but more that he's just really, really bothered by the fact that feathers can bleed. ]

I mean I can bring you food or whatever. I think there are dino patties still. Then there's the seed I gave you for Christmas. [ Hey, joking makes it easier to distract from the molting, right? ]

[feathery]

Are you kidding, I ate that shit ages ago.

[Christmas was like eight months ago.]

[frigidaire]

You actually ate it? I didn't even check to see if it was normal seed. Could have been alien seeds or something.

[ Well, color Isaac surprised. ]

[feathery]

[And Davesprite snorts.]

Oh yeah, man, I gorged myself on that shit. So much in fact I incubated a whole biome of alien weed in my stomach until it was ready to rupture from my torso like an evergreen chestburster.

[Yeah, he didn't actually eat it.]

[frigidaire]

I dunno, you've tried to do weirder things, so going all Alien wouldn't really be that surprising I guess. As long as you don't do that in my room.

[ Isaac rubs the back of his head, more relieved than he should be. He sure would have felt like a jerk if Davesprite had actually eaten the seed. ]

[feathery]

[Davesprite absently scratches one wing.]

Yeah, yeah. Anyway, I'm good. There's nothing actually wrong with me and I molt every year, so I can get to the kitchen on my own, dude.

[Also, it would be kind of weird letting someone look after him??? It was weird enough when Jade tried to do it and Jade is (was? should he be using past tense here?) his other best friend.]

[frigidaire]

Just trying to be nice. That and maybe get less feathers everywhere. I think there's one stuck in the wall. Yeah, in it. [ That sentence feels totally normal to say, but if he gave any thought to it, he might think twice. What has this place done to him? ]

Besides, I'm bored, and at least here I can track where your feathers go. I think Newton is dragging them around. [ Isaac is being a baby about this, Davesprite, sorry. ]

[feathery]

[He's kind of bemused, tbh. Though he thinks it makes more sense that Isaac would care because Davesprite is annoying him somehow, rather than concern. Which...says less about Davesprite's interpretation of Isaac's character and more of his own.]

Isaac. Bro. Chill.

[He props his chin up in one hand.]

I'll clean 'em up later, alright. Does that make you feel better about it.

[frigidaire]

[ Isaac sighs and leans back against the wall, folding his arms over his chest. ]

I'm fine, I just didn't know if you were dying or something, dude. I mean I've seen your feathers around before but this was more than usual. And I don't think I've seen a bird without its feathers or whatever.

[ It's awkward, telling your bff that you care. ] I can clean them up, it's cool. [ He shrugs, almost feeling bad for being annoyed by it. ]

[feathery]

Well, I'm not supposed to lose all of them in one go. You see that happen and you'll have to get me checked for mange.

[He sits up again, rubbing at his face with the heel of one palm.]

But seriously, dude, it's not something you need to worry about. I can handle it. And it kinda seems dumb to have anyone take care of this shit when I've been dealing with it for literal years at this point.

[Truthfully, it makes him uneasy, because he's so used to handling things alone. Guess who still isn't used to people showing any in-depth investment in his well-being or doing shit for him just because.]

[frigidaire]

Yeah well sorry, gonna check on you anyway. In case you get mange, I guess.

[ He doesn't really know what mange is, but the sentiment is the same. Isaac shrugs his shoulders, stuffing his hands into his pockets afterward. ] I'm gonna go get some food though, I'll bring you some on my way back.

[ Isaac's gonna be nice, so deal with it, Davesprite. ] I managed to make some good sort-of-barbecue sauce for the dinosaur the other day.

[feathery]

[AS TOUCHING AS THAT SENTIMENT IS, Davesprite is completely distracted by the mention of Isaac making barbecue sauce. In fact, he looks concerned.]

Uh. You don't say.

[...]

So how did you pull that off.

[frigidaire]

Uh it kind of tastes like it. It's spicy. There's some different powders and then I got some like, ketchupy stuff from the planet, so.

[ Isaac was a little proud and it didn't taste like death, so... ]

I mean, if you want to try it. If not, more for me dude.

[feathery]

[Davesprite just looks more disturbed. So maybe he doesn't have the deepest reservoir of confidence in a dude who broke the ship blender.]

Ok, but when did you learn how to make barbecue sauce?

[That's definitely not a skill in Davesprite's repertoire.]

[frigidaire]

Uh, I didn't really mean to? I was just trying to make hot sauce. And it ended up tasting kind of like barbecue sauce. I mean it's good on the dino meat, so.

[ Isaac should be more embarrassed, but he's at least happy whatever he mixed was edible. It's usually not. ]

[feathery]

[Well, the disturbed look has given way to a perplexed one.]

When did you learn how to make hot sauce.

[frigidaire]

I mean, I wasn't trying to make hot sauce really. I just wanted something spicy and I tried to mix a bunch of stuff. A lot of it came out gross, though.

[ He sighs. ] Do you want a sandwich or not, dude?

[feathery]

[Davesprite rn.]

Yes.

[frigidaire]

Good. I'll be back in a few.

[ Because he's gonna make a few sandwiches and come back, awkwardly shimmying down the ladder with trays of food precariously balanced in one hand, the other holding to the railing. ]

Why can't we have normal doors? Someone's gonna kill themselves on these ladders.

[feathery]

Hey—

[Which is all he manages to get out before Isaac disappears. Rude, he would have gone along with him. Usually he'd tail Isaac, anyway, but he's still clumsily bundled up in his blanket and disentangling himself enough to phase through it easily is Effort.

So he's just flopped onto his back, wings clumsily folded up on either side of him, and clicking through the network when Isaac gets back.]

I dunno, I think they're fine. [Says the kid who can fly. He looks up at Isaac, head hanging over the end of his bed.] I would've helped you out if you would have just waited, dude.

[frigidaire]

[ Well, Isaac doesn't want his ill feeling friend to be wandering around. Spoiler: he doesn't want to clean up any stray feathers. He doesn't entirely get this molting thing, and he's sure Davesprite is gonna go bald or something. ]

You should stay in bed and stuff, right? You're sick. I just needed the microwave, anyway. Here. [ It's a sloppy sort of sandwich, but have one, Davesprite. Who knows what he'll inflict on your taste buds. It smells decent-ish, anyway? ]

[feathery]

I'm not sick.

[He's still nettled about getting sick on ice planet. But he sits up and awkwardly takes the sandwich.]

I just get kind of tired sometimes, if you can even say that. It's not like I need to sleep, so maybe it's just an inconvenient holdover from Asgard. Or. [He deflates a little.] Life in general back when I was an actual bird.