Along For The Ride

Owls and Wings

-Nudge-
She wiped her nose on her windbreaker sleeve. Sniffing, Nudge had a million questions. So she started with her first, and most poking question. "You have a flock?" She asked, her eyes huge and slightly puffy. Storm looked at her and then contemplated. "Yes," she said. "It's small, but we're family." She smiled. Nudge inched closer. "You should describe them!" Max motioned for her to cool it and then she remembered that Storm was to be weary of. Nudge huffed. Storm seemed okay to her.
-Storm-
I noticed the interaction and sighed bitterly. I hated those scientists. They ruined any chance of me having a relationship with this flock. Then I smiled at the thought of my own flock. I had the almost overwhelming urge to spill my thoughts and memories of my flock. But instincts kicked in and I kept my mouth shut. Fang looked at me, his dark eyes glittered. "Your wings, they have familiar markings." He observed. I looked at my wings as I stretched them out slightly. "Uh, yeah. 98.5% human, 1.5% barn owl..." I smoothed some feathers. "It's pretty cool, along with raptor vision, I also have night vision."
The little blonde boy, Gazzy, started to fidget. "Oh! Can you do the head thing. Like, spin it all the way around?!" I laughed lightly, "Uh, no...I cannot do the head thing." I smiled. The Gasman looked a bit down, but then he smiled again and opened his mouth before being interrupted by Iggy. "Hey, so yeah, I'm blind. Mind explaining what they look like?" He asked to everyone. Fang looked at my wings intensely. Making me feel uneasy under his gaze. "Well," he started, still looking. "I guess you don't know what a barn owl is."
Nudge bounced. "Oh! Maybe you could just touch them. See the colors and stuff."
Max and Fang cast glances of disapproval at Nudge, who blushed and tried to help herself. "Uh, I mean..maybe you'll be able to, uh, see..er, feel the colors?"
I watched as Max rolled her eyes and exchanged glances with Fang, who seemed to be closer to Max now. I raised an eyebrow before getting up slowly and picking my way though the crowd of onlooking eyes. "Well, he can, um, feel my feathers if he wants. But I'm going outside of this cave." I looked at Max. "I'm assuming I'm not aloud to leave?" I asked as I stood on the small outcropping ledge just outside of the cave.