Inked Wings

Second Event - The Introductions

“Optimism is not always dumb. Pessimism is not always deep. The distance between two sides of a coin is very thin.”

“YOU HAVE ARRIVED TO YOUR DESTINATION” The panel announces to Angel, who is pressing commands. The respective panel screen links to the external camera and showcases the massive ship they are approaching.

The system communicates with the second, belonging to the dynamic shape.

Angel is relaxing his muscles when he exhales. There is a tint of red inside the corners of his eyes. Some lines indicate hints at his unhealthy habits.

Creases are carved above his steeply arched eyebrows; tension is settled in his wide, sharp nose and patches of skin are missing from his full, round lips. He shakes his medium-long, straight hair, where a pink streak falls next to his intense eyes. His white, large wings flutter.

Noel is still inside the bedroom, wide awake.

His hands are sweating, his head is heavy, his chest is hurting and his legs are restless.

In the end, he exited the room. The backpack, together with his book and tablet inside, is on him. He is clenching at the backpack straps and is making his way down the hall. He enters the Control Room barely, then stops to watch for himself what is happening.

They are entering the larger ship. The screens blink the following word and phrase: “Landing. Please stand by.”

Angel rotates his shoulders.

‘Where…where are we?’ Noel asks.

‘We’ve arrived,’ Angel responds, then stops himself.

‘Getting here is just the first step, though. We’ll still have to drop you at the base, and I still need to talk them through everything, including you,’ He scoffs, aware of his monotone talking. ‘Ah, I can’t even accentuate my sentences right. This headache’s got a bad timing to annoy me.’

Noel pouts.

‘Hold tight onto your jacket. It’s cold outside the docks...’ Angel is only wearing his blouse but eventually covers himself with his long parka before opening the ship.

The two enter the docks Angel mentioned just seconds ago.

It’s a large garage area occupied by multiple smaller ships. Bright, white lights reflect against the dark-gray surface.

Noel exhales then stares at his breath dissipate. ‘You weren’t lying,’ he murmurs.

Angel signs him to follow. Noel does. They enter a long hall, where the lights are dim.

Noel analyzes the senseless bursts of personality on the walls or ceiling, represented through random messes of paint and stickers. His eyes catch onto the glass continuing within the left wall. He spots water inside.

‘You have a tank but no fish?’ Noel stares intently inside and is taking his time.

‘It’s for someone you don’t know yet.’ Angel takes a right.

Noel rushes after him.

‘You’re late.’ A voice startles him. Noel pulls his lower lip as his eyes widen.

Angel smiles. ‘Give me a break, Linda.’ He goes up to her.

‘Linda doesn’t like you complaining like that, considering you always put Linda in charge with the home ship in your absence.’

Her inhumane eyes slide to Noel. ‘Who’s this cute, little one?’ Sweet-tempered, she is pushing her hair behind her shoulders.

‘Noel’s his name. I’ll explain later.’ Angel looks at how she approaches the boy.

Noel blurts out. ‘Tall.’

Linda chuckles. ‘Did Angel tire you this much? Poor thing, looks like you’ve seen a ghost.’ She caresses his cheek.

Noel backs away with his hand brushing the spot she had touched.

‘He’s into personal space.’ Angel corrects her, his arms crossed.

‘Linda’s sorry.’ Linda straightens her back. ‘So? Considering he knows that, it means he’s upset you already.’

Noel slowly nods, his lips drawn into a pout. ‘And what’s it to you? You’ll tell him to stop?’

‘Yes. Linda listens to her brother so he better listen to his sister just the same.’

‘Wait.’ Noel’s finger points and shifts between the two. ‘I can kinda see the resemblance, but otherwise, no way shitty Angel has a sister as nice-seeming as you.’

Angel reacts to the nickname, his neck slightly reaching out with a sharp look.

‘I’m just being friendly,’ Linda blows a raspberry. ‘Linda’s not much kinder than him but knows when to be considerate a million times better than he. Nice to meet you, Noel.’

She turns to Angel. ‘Loek, Cosmin, and Hashem are in the kitchen. Lusa wants to talk to you first, she’s in the Observatory.’ Her claw points toward the direction she mentions.

‘Where will you be in the meantime?’ Angel inquires of her.

‘Linda will let Dad know of your arrival. She will notify him of our return too.’ She continues down the hall.

Noel watches her silently, then glares at Angel.

Angel rolls his eyes. ‘Let’s introduce you to the others.’

The way to the Observatory Room is silent. The personality Noel thinks about whenever he spots a type of design other than modern gray, is becoming more frequent the closer they are to their first destination. Strokes of paint decorate the walls and meet at the door, which has galaxies depicted on. In each star the artist has hidden an eye.

Angel let Noel admire it for a second. ‘You’ll meet the drawer right now. Come on.’

The doors slide open. The drawing is placed such a way it looks like a big star is being slit broken whenever the doors do open. Noel gapes at that. ‘Whoa.’

A headache immediately hits him once he realizes it happens. His legs shake and his stomach feels like it is being crushed. Inside the observatory they meet a sight Noel thinks many District Residents would “cry for”. Clear stars and cosmos go over their heads. There are dark-purple and dark-blue pillars inside this room. The lavender light is faint here.

Angel stops in his tracks. Noel jolts, having almost crashed his nose into Angel.

‘Linda told me you wanted to talk to me about something right away,’ Angel speaks with a higher volume than his usual one.

A silhouette twitches on top of one of the center pillars. ‘Yeah.’ Lusa opens her winged arms, which blend with the colors of the room, her claws outstretched.

She bends then lowers her upper body sideways. Her hands support her. Her wings are adding the surplus weight which visibly drags her down, way more than a non-mutant like Noel if he were to sit the way she does.

‘Your big eyes are starting to creep me out, lady.’ Noel rubs his palms together.

Her eyes retract while her head tilts to the side. ‘Who are you?’

‘He’s -’ Angel starts.

Noel interrupts him. ‘My name’s Noel. Your friend or whatever here has been the bane of my existence for what felt like more than one cycle.’

‘Well,’ She shifts position and faces them fully. Her legs hang and her hands hold each other against her thighs. She gives Angel the side-eye. ‘No kidding. I’ve known him for about thirty hundred cycles, he’s not that impossible.’

‘Not…accurate.’ Angel now corrects her. ‘It’s been about two thousand - Whatever, tell me what you wanted to tell me and stop indulging the kid’s prejudice against me.’

Lusa snorts. ‘I’m not trying to do that, silly.’ She glances at Noel. ‘Don’t wanna know.’

She claps once. ‘I just wanted to check your wings.’

‘..They’re - fine.’ Angel shrugs. His wings follow.

‘How many times did you use the mask on them this cycle, without stuffing them under whatever cloth you wore this time?’

Angel clicks his tongue. ‘I thought something actually happened to you. Is this all?’

Lusa smirks with “murder” written in her eyes. ‘You have huge wings, smartass.’ Trying to save power on your Mask Device isn’t worth scrunching up your limbs! We’ve over - we’ve been over this! You’remakingmestutter!’ She raises her voice.

Noel scoffs, his eyes landing on Angel. He raises his eyebrow.

‘Once we get to the base, I will have Dad scold you so you stop this.’

‘You’re his sister too?!’ Noel exclaims.

‘No.’ She mimics pulling down an invisible hood. ‘I’m a simple bird.’

Noel and Angel keep quiet and her humor is blatantly ignored but her grin sits just as wide.

‘We’re a found family.’ After the fact, she states.

Angel sighs. ‘Fine. I’ll try to stop the wings mistreatment thing.’

She nods. ‘I’ll believe you this time. Also, welcome, Noel.’

‘Thanks,’ Noel says.

‘Come on, kid.’ Angel walks away, back to the entrance.

Noel does as he has been told. ‘At least they can remember my name.’ He rushes past Angel.

‘The kid digs the drawings you did!’ Angel lets her know.

‘Dude!’ Noel yells. He fast-walks ahead, his hand is covering his face.

‘Thank you!’ Lusa says it loud enough, so he can hear her. He does.

Noel grumbles the whole way to the kitchen, reserved.

Once more, Angel steps inside the room first.

The kitchen is relatively small for a ship with as much space as this one. Two young men play around, fighting each other. Two Bluebirds who insult each other. The third boy, Hedwig Harshen, watches with bloodshot eyes, petting his suit against his gray skin.

Loek pushes Cosmin’s face out of his way. He adjusts his cap and then spots Angel. ‘Hey!’

The three sit in a row, the short one in the middle. That being Harshen.

‘Did y’all miss me?’ Angel smiles.

Cosmin snorts, mirroring Loek’s stance. ‘This fool thought he could hit the eighty mile on a Sorin Day.’ He points.

Loek protests. ‘Shut up, pip-squeak!’

‘You shut up, stupid! You got rashes all under those feathers!’

Harshen watches them. He is wearing a grin.

‘What’s a Sorin Day?’ Noel buts in.

Loek and Cosmin break eye contact simultaneously, then walk up to Noel, their chests puffed out.

‘Did you bring another unfortunate soul into our club?’ Cosmin eyes Noel’s backpack intently.

Loek hovers over Noel, a smirk plastered on his face. ‘Another annoying kid, like you, I bet.’

Cosmin spits at Loek’s feet.

‘Oh, you -!’ Loek charges toward Cosmin, ready to throw a punch.

Noel takes a step back to get out of his range.

‘Stop that.’ Angel demands, his look turned sour.

The two oblige.

Noel rolls his eyes and turns to Angel. ‘Answer my question.’

Harshen beats him to it. ‘Aves who were test subjects in Purgatory are left with an odd allergy. Once every two cycles, the Phier Sun rises. These idiots are allergic to its sunlight.’ His head points to Loek and Cosmin, then to Angel.

‘You too?’ Noel’s voice pitch slips when Angel meets his gawk with another.

‘Yeah, kid. Phier sunlight fries my wings and skin now and then.’

Noel’s torso leans in.

‘Are you gonna introduce us or something?’ Hashem huffs another laugh.

‘I’m Cosmin and this is my annoying sibling, stupid on a plate.’ He gestures to Loek.

‘Call me Loek. Don’t mind him, he’s got issues.’ He points back to Cosmin.

‘And that’s Double H. He can kill you with one touch.’ Both revealed.

‘And -?’ Noel shakes his head, his eyebrows drawn together.

‘Don’t get too close, I guess.’ Hashem shrugs.

Angel rests his hands against his hips. ‘Pause on that for a second. Tell me what’s up?’

The three watch him quietly with wide eyes and pursed lips.

‘You’re more chaotic than usual.’

‘We’re way worse than this.’ Loek admits with a nonchalant tone.

‘Around new people, I mean. ’

The three exchange looks. Hashem speaks up first:

‘Do I tell him?’

Cosmin scoffs. ‘You won scissors so - shoot.’

Hashem clears his throat. ‘You’re screwed, man!’ He chirps.

Angel squints his eyes. ‘Does it have to do with my absence?’

‘Morgana found out you crossed her word. She pried when she last talked with the Doctor and said she will have to chat with you about something you did...What did you do? What does she mean by that?’

A dry laugh left Noel’s lips. ‘True. What would he need from a Tackler?’

The room shifted to a more tense air.

‘Is it about what we think it is?’ Loek yawned.

‘I’ll explain later. First, I gotta speak with Morgana.’

‘Sure, man.’ Hashem crosses his arms.

Angel deeply sighs while Noel tightly pulls his backpack closer over his back. The backpack slips to the level of his neck.

The kitchen doors slid open. Linda leans against the doorframe, her upper body further inside compared to her crossed feet. ‘Ready to take off?’

After a moment of silence, Noel passes her. ‘Yup.’ He stops in the hall.

Loek signs for the rest to follow along.

All go to the Command Room. Angel introduces the data needed to turn the navigation back on. While he does, the rest find places to sit except for Linda, who is watching her brother. Cosmin and Loek sit next to the Communication Panel.

Lusa is not present. She is yet to leave the Observatory.

Noel rests on the small, bench-shaped structure at the end of the room, the start of the main hall. His hands’ press against his legs, where they go through slow movements that stop to nail at his knee bones. Multiple creases appear on his forehead.

He jolts.

Hashem sits on the bench which is opposing him. They are now face to face.

‘Hey there, didn’t get your name,’ he says, legs crossed.

Noel lays back. ‘Noel.’

‘Nice to meet you.’

Noel does not respond.

Hashem mirrors his sitting position, soft smile intact. ‘So, how old are you?’

‘Why?’ Noel now hunches over his knees and is closing his hands and legs.

‘Just curious.’ Hashem tells him. ‘I’m the youngest here. Don’t know if you can tell from - everything about me.’ He gestures to himself, from head to toe. A quick laugh leaves him.

Noel raises his head. He takes a moment:

‘...Dwarfism, right?’

‘Yeah.’ Hashem puts his arms behind his head. ‘How old are you? I’m nineteen.’

Noel breathes.

After twenty seconds pass, the ship announces their departure. A shake of the whole place and they are moving.

Noel inhales. ‘Sorry, man - I just won’t tell any of my personal information to any of y’all.’

‘No pressure.’ Hashem simply puts it. ‘I don’t know what you did before us, just that you’re here now - which means the reason isn’t pretty. Don’t mind me asking…’

A shiver travels Noel’s spine.

‘What happened to y-?’

Noel snaps.