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Grey smoke fills Arlecchino’s apartment like a rancid cloud. She sits in her chair, legs spread apart, leaning back as she takes another drag. Coughing slightly before tapping the ashes away into a small plate beside her.
Soon she hears the door open, and a young woman with grey wings steps in. Her face is tired and mournful, until she takes in the smoke. She coughs and scowls before glaring at Arlecchino.
“How many fucking times do I have to tell you not to smoke inside!?” She says, her voice shaking as she drops her purse and jacket to walk over to Arlecchino, her pale grey eyes boring into her roommate's deep crimson.
Arlecchino takes a drag and then puff’s it out at the woman’s face. “Make me.” She says with a frown before turning her attention away from her pissed off roommate.
The winged woman bites back another retort before walking to the balcony and opening the door wide. The cold winter hair immediately floods the apartment as the grey smog slowly clears out. She takes a deep breath of the slightly fresher air before turning to Arlecchino with a much calmer tone.
“Please, go smoke outside. The air is nice and cool, the wind is still and the city looks beautiful. If it helps persuade you, you can smoke one of my cigarettes. You know the nice ones that you’re too frugal to get.” She says with a much calmer tone as she holds up a very expensive pack of cigarettes.
Arlecchino huffs as she finishes her current cigarette and puts it out.
“Outside, please.” The woman asks gently.
Arlecchino gets up from her chair, walking over and taking one of the cigarettes offered and stepping outside. Shivering slightly at the cold air. “You know these aren’t that much better right? You’re paying way more for something that isn’t worth it.” She says with an annoyed tone, despite which she still accepts the offer.
The winged woman shrugs and holds up a silver lighter. “I don’t care, this is the only brand I actually like.” She says as she watches Arlecchino light the end of her cigarette, then quickly doing so as well.
“You’re an idiot, Egeria.” Arlecchino says as she takes a drag. She sighs and lets out the smoke. “Ok… these are a bit better.” She murmur’s as she takes in more smoke.
Egeria smiles and leans on the railing of their balcony and puts her cigarette to her lips. “Yeah, I know.” She replies as she gazes down at the bustling city below. The soft layer of snow overtop, reflecting the moon light makes the whole place look ethereal, like a painting come to life.
The two of them smoke together in silence. Arlecchino looks down at the woman next to her with quietly curious eyes. Noticing how her silky white blouse is ruffled and messy, and her short white hair that’s normally combed back seems unkempt. Her eyes trailing to the wings on her lower back, the feathers grey and soft, though clearly haven’t been preened in some time.
Her thoughts wander as she takes another drag, wondering why someone who clearly isn’t wealthy would bother buying cigarettes at twice the price just for hardly any difference in quality. As she’s lost in thought she feels a weight on her shoulder, her roomate having rested her head against her. Her eyes closed as she held her cigarette to her lips.
Arlecchino hesitates for a moment as she looks down at the smaller woman smoking next to her. Slowly her arm moves around to rest on her side, holding her gently. In turn she feels a wing drape around her other shoulder, shielding her, if only slightly, from the cold air.
“God I needed this today.” Egeria mutters to herself. Her body relaxes against her roommate as she takes a much deeper drag. Her eyes open just a crack as she looks down again at the snow covered city scape.
“Rough day?” The taller woman asks, her voice softer as she notices her roommate’s eyes watering.
“Something like that.” She says as she closes her eyes again, taking a deep breath and inhaling the smoke that had just escaped her mouth.
Arlecchino holds her a bit tighter, sighing as she finishes her cigarette and flicks it off the balcony. “Come on, let’s go inside. I’m cold.” She comments.
Egeria scoffs and follows suit. “I’m not.” She says with a small smirk.
“I am, come on.”
The winged woman sighs, absentmindedly taking Arlecchino’s hand and walking back inside with her. Closing the door behind her and then walking over to the kitchen. “I’m grabbing a drink. Want anything?” She asks as she pulls down a tall glass.
“Yeah, whatever you’re having.” Arlecchino comments, feeling the ghost of Egeria’s touch on her palm. “Actually no, there’s a bottle of whiskey up on top of the cabinet, pass me that. And no ice please.” She asks, and then sits down in her chair, watching her roomate float up to grab the bottle.
A few moments later Egeria hands Arlecchino a glass, before sitting down on the couch and sipping from a bright blue mix of apple juice, curacao, and everclear topped with round ice cubes. Her wings relax onto the soft cushions of the couch, closing her eyes once more as she leans back and tucks her legs close to her chest.
“That looks vile.” Arlecchino comments, the bright blue liquid sloshing around as Egeria plays with her straw.
“It’s actually quite good, I can barely taste the disgusting amount of everclear I put into this thing. Besides, I like blue.” She shifts on the couch as she drinks more, trying to get more comfortable while the alcohol quickly takes effect.
The room falls quiet as the two sit together, the atmosphere much quieter than normal between them. “Do you know why I always get upset when you smoke inside?” The winged woman asks.
Arlecchino looks over at her and shakes her head. “Not really.” She says with a shrug, tipping her head back as she rapidly finishes her drink before putting down her glass.
“Smoking is what I do to let myself be vulnerable, it pulls me out of my normal… blurry zoned out haze and makes me feel very fragile. Which is fine, pleasant even, when I’m in a controlled setting. But it’s not what I want to be experiencing the second I step into our apartment.” Egeria mutters, her words slightly slurred as her eyes grow tired and glassy. “I’m sorry, that I always yell at you for it. You don’t deserve it.” Her words don’t entirely seem directed at Arlecchino, her tone shaky and small.
“Alright then, I’ll try to remember that.” Arlecchino replies as she gets up from her chair, grabbing her glass and pouring herself more alcohol. She looks back at her roommate on the couch, noticing her shivering despite having never seen her once be cold. “Are you… ok?” She asks.
She doesn’t get a reply.
Walking back to her chair, she see’s Egeria tightly hugging her legs to her chest, her wings wrapped around her like a child hiding from a monster under their blankets. Arlecchino puts down her drink and steps closer to her roomate. “Hey, what’s wrong?” She asks, her tone light and coated in a level of concern that surprised even her.
“Nothing.” The woman mutters, her voice shaky and heavy. “Everything is fine.”
Arlecchino raises an eyebrow. “Yes, you definitely look fine.” She says sarcastically, reaching down to gently move one of her wings out of the way. Seeing how sullen the woman looks, her eyes red and raw, small tears stains on her cheek and her jaw clenched tight. “Do you want a hug?” She asks as she opens her arms.
Egeria takes a deep breath, quickly blinking away her tears and nodding. Standing up and wrapping her arms and wings around Arlecchino as she hides her face in her shoulder. “I’m sorry.” She murmur’s, voice muffled by the taller woman’s shirt. “I… should not be unravelling like this.”
“Don’t apologize for being human.” Arlecchino says, her voice a bit more stern than intended. She reaches up to brush her sharp nails through her roommate's hair. “I can tell you haven’t been taking care of yourself. Your wings look like a mess.” She comments.
The winged woman scoffs and nods her head. “I know, I haven’t preened them in a while, they’re honestly starting to ache a bit.” She says, her smile returning if only slightly as she feels Arlecchino hold her tighter.
“Then sit down on the couch, I’ll do it for you.” Arlecchino loosens her grip just a little, letting Egeria sit with her back facing the taller woman, her wings stretched out and her head resting on a pillow in her arms. Arlecchino sits behind her, her fingers carefully running through the delicate feathers, being surprisingly gentle as she does her best to help clean.
“I haven’t had someone do this in… a while. When did you learn how to do this?” Egeria asks, her voice a bit clearer as the feeling of Arlecchino’s fingers trailing through her wings relaxes her.
“I had a friend like you who didn’t take care of their wings either. Though I think they didn’t simply because they wanted me too.”
“I can see why, you’re… surprisingly good at it.”
A small smile creeps across Arlecchino’s face as she tells her roomate to shift so she can reach more. She lets the silence sink for a while as she works, enjoying the simple task and the softness of the feathers.
Eventually though she speaks up. “Who was the last person to help you with this?”
“My Mom.” Egeria replies, her voice flitting up just a bit. “Especially when I was little, it was nice to spend time just sitting together. She’d always take her time as an excuse to sit with me longer. Even as I got older I’d still ask her from time to time, and she’d gladly do it, as slowly as possible so we could catch up.” She smiles wide as she reminisces on old memories.
“She sounds lovely.” Arlecchino switches to the other wing, gently removing a feather that had fallen out and was irritating the ones around it.
The two of them relax in the silence, Arlecchino occasionally sipping her whiskey, eventually finishing as she pulls her hands away. “There, much better.” She says with a sigh, watching her roomate turn over, her eyes no longer as sore and her cheeks a little red from the alcohol.
“Thank you.” Egeria smiles at her and shifts closer. “That was really kind of you.” Her eyes trailing down to the taller woman’s hands, blackened with long claw-like nails and tough with calluses. She wonders to herself how hands like that could feel so soothing and gentle.
While the winged woman stares, Arlecchino is frozen, her glass against her lips as she admires her roommate's expression. The soft smile spread across her face, the blush that seems to be creeping farther down her neck and up to her ears, and the way her pupils seem to dilate while staring at Arlecchino’s hands. “Cute.” She whispers to herself, before her own blush starts to spread as she looks away and takes a very long sip from her whiskey.
Egeria looks up, her tired and intoxicated brain not having processed Arlecchino’s comment. “What did you say?” She asks. Her thoughts still fixated on the woman’s hands.
Arlecchino looks back at her, she swallows a lump in her throat and looks away again. “I said you looked cute.” She wonders to herself why she’s admitting this out loud, she shouldn’t be that drunk yet right?
A wide smile creeps across Egeria’s face as she looks up at a flustered Arlecchino. “Oh, well you’re really cute too.” She whispers, her hand reaching down to gently trace along the back of Arlecchino’s palm. Cold, slender fingers trailing along the blackened skin.
Arlecchino shivers at the cold touch. “You’re…” She trails off, her breath heavy as her mind clouds with less than pure thoughts. “You’re drunk.” She finishes, trying to recompose herself.
“Yeah, I am.” Egeria nods as she pulls her hand away, that dopey smile still plastered on her face. “But you aren’t, and your face is still red.” She teases with a giggle, her wings fluttering behind her.
“You’re terrible.” Arlecchino adds with a slight pout. “And a serious light weight, your drink isn’t even half finished.”
“God… that pout… and I’m the cute one?” She teases more, ignoring Arlecchino’s comments. She reaches over and picks up her drink, mockingly copying the taller woman’s flustered expression as she sips from it.
Arlecchino huffs and shakes her head. “Are you always this much of an incessant tease when you’re drunk? And don’t drink more of that. I don't want you puking.” She gently takes the blue drink away from Egeria, eliciting a whine.
“Hey, I’m not gonna puke, I know how to handle my alcohol, ok?” The winged woman leans forward reaching for her drink as Arlecchino holds it up out of her reach with a wide smirk.
“Nope, you’re done I’m cutting you off.” She holds it above her head, out of the shorter woman’s reach.
Egeria pouts and leans closer again, pressing her lips to the taller woman’s. Kissing her and sucking on her lip eagerly before pulling back and quickly snatching her drink while Arlecchino remains frozen. A playful smile on her face as she leans back and drinks from her straw.
“You… I-” Arlecchino stutters as she looks down at the woman with a bewildered and very flustered expression.
“That’s a really good look on you, blushing and stuttering, if I kiss you again will you just fully crash? Pass out like in one of those cartoons where someone gets kissed and falls over with a lipstick mark on their cheek. Ooooo I should go get my lipstick.” Egeria talks quickly and excitedly, standing up quickly and nearly falling.
Before she can go too far, Arlecchino reaches out and grabs her wrist. “Hold on.” She says, her voice shaky as she pulls Egeria down into her lap. “This isn’t your normal type of drunk… I’ve seen you come home much worse than this, what’s wrong? And please… drop the act.”
Egeria sighs as her expression drops. “Fine… you’re right I… I should stop trying to hide behind being a horny ditz, shouldn’t I?” She mutters as she sinks into Arlecchino’s lap, resting her head on the taller woman’s shoulder and taking a deep breath. “I’m sorry…” She murmurs.
“It’s fine, I can tell you’re trying to cope, but I’d rather you be sober if you’re going to kiss me.” Arlecchino whispers before feeling her face burn. “I- I mean… you know what, just forget I said anything. Tell me what’s wrong.”
The winged woman laughs but chooses to ignore that comment, though she’ll try to remember it for later. Instead choosing to try and open up to her roommate. “I… don’t know what there is to say. I’m just so… done, with life. Facism is creeping around the corner, my own personal life is kinda just shit, and what few friends I have are… not doing very well either. Fuck my brother called me today telling me he might try and kill himself because Dough Ford is going to be the fucking premier again and he’s scared that things are going to get so so much worse. And I didn’t know how to comfort him because I was about to as well! I had this stupid fucking plan and then I had to call our Mum to go help him because I’m a three hour fucking drive and I’m… I’m just so done.” Egeria deflates, her body going boneless on top of Arlecchino as she quietly sobs.
Arlecchino in turn doesn’t really know how to reply. She holds the woman closer to her, brushing her hair and feathers, trying to help soothe her. “I… I think I know how you feel… It hurts to see all that you had dreamed of crumble to dust, whether that be due to your own health, or the actions of others. It makes it no less painful.” She wraps an arm around Egeria’s shivering form, holding her as tight as possible. “But please, stay here… stay with us.” She whispers, her own voice shaking slightly as she tries to hold back her tears.
The two of them hold one another, hoping that if they could share just enough of each other’s warmth it would make things better. It would make the hurt stop.
Eventually, Egeria stops crying, wiping her tears on her sleeve and looking up at the clock. “It’s late.” She mutters. “We should sleep.” Though, she doesn’t seem to want to let go of Arlecchino, arms still clinging tightly to her like a lifeline.
In turn Arlecchino nods her head. “We should…” She sighs and pulls the winged woman closer. “Do you… would you want to come sleep in my bed? You don’t seem too eager to let go.” She whispers.
Egeria nods, giving Arlecchino one last squeeze before slowly standing up and nearly falling. Arlecchino catches her, helping her walk to her bedroom, neither bothering to change they lay down in the bed. The taller woman pulls Egeria into her arms, who in turn drapes a wing over her like a warm feathery blanket. The shorter woman was first to fall asleep, her eyes closing and breathing slowing to a soft steady pace, feeling safe and comfortable for the first time in a very long time.
Eventually Arlecchino follows her, her grip eventually loosening as her body relaxes in the smaller woman’s embrace.
It’s quite late, I think it’s time you slept.