Crowned

Arc 1, Chapter 2: Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid.

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When the wings ceased growing, the pain finally dimmed down to a manageable level. Balloon wheezed and spat out the blood plaguing his mouth. Dry heaving over the carpet. That wasn't how he'd been expecting to spend his morning when he returned home. Speaking proved to be a difficult task, a croak exited his raw throat instead. It was to be expected after screaming for so long. It felt like he hadn't drank water in months, or perhaps scraped a layer of skin off of his tonsils. Either way, he needed a moment before attempting to talk in the slightest.

Nickel was stood in the doorway. He was in utter shock, he wasn't sure his eyes could be any wider than they were in that moment. "I— d— did you— j— Wh— WHAT THE FUCK?!" He managed, which was the only reasonable response anyone could've given in that situation, realistically.

Balloon was still breathing heavily, he moved up to rub his throat, slowly raising his head to the other. The feeling of growing basically two entirely new limbs was overwhelming. It was all so sudden. He's felt the emotional and literal weight of his new appendages weigh his shoulders down. He wasn't sure where he could've even began.
'D—do I look...?'
'How did this happen?'
'Wh—why does it hurt so bad?!'
'Why me...?'
He slowly turned to look over his shoulder, to say the wings were rather large would be an understatement. He'd been staring down a pair of wings that barely could be considered functional. Feathers that stretched out and stuck together from the bloody residue. He grimaced, but also felt a buried sense of wonder. That was, until horror set in. He shriveled in terror, face scrunching up in an ugly way.
Nickel stood there in silence as he tried to process what he had just witnessed. Watching the boy struggle in pain was gut wrenching—but there was also the beauty in the end product that had been undeniable.
"Do... y-you need... Uh. . ."

"Y-yes." He replied stiffly in an instant, "I need—Help. N-now. Please." Balloon felt the pressure of someone beneath his armpit trying to lift him. It wasn't to say he resisted the aid, but he certainly took a moment to try and stand alongside the help provided.
The feathery limbs twitched as they moved across the ground from the connected motion of moving his back. The feathers were stained with blood, and lymph. Balloon could feel every little nerve and vein pulse within the wings in that moment, the squeamish feeling it gave him was less than pleasant.

He shakily touched one of them. The feathers were soft and the wings were very sensitive. Probably because he'd just got them and the nerves haven't adjusted properly... as if a more extreme instance of getting adult teeth and having them be sensitive for a week or two. Though he was extremely distraught, emotionally and physically. His brain was drugging him with adrenaline and other hormones. Mostly the red alert of gaining an entire extra body part. Like losing an organ—it was extremely hard on the brain.

Nickel assisted Balloon towards the Bedside, so he could lean on it.
"How did this happen?! What did you do—it... It actually looks really cool."

"I—I don't know...? It hurts a lot and—! W. Wh.....wha..." Balloon paused at the compliment, he was sort of flattered since. well. He didn't get them often. It took him a moment to process he'd just received one, then process whose mouth it came from.
"You. Think so?"

"Wh— I was just saying they're cool!" Nickel said again, raising a brow. He was confused at what Balloon was so surprised about in his own behaviour.

"No—I'm just confused why you're being nice to me...?" He asked nervously, a small smile creeping on his face. "You don't... really ever..."

Nickel flinched. shit... He tried to put walls back up. "WH— AM NOT! NO— N-NO! I wouldn't care about you! Hahaha-ha... uh... you look like a stupid pigeon! Bird boy!" He tried to retaliate. He seemed to be taken off guard and struggling. Ever word out of his mouth blatantly unconvincing.