#birbna is love birbna is life

[binah-beloved]

Birbna going through a molt... Maybe she'd let you help her with pin feathers. You ought to be very careful - they hurt when disturbed. But if you open the pins gently, you can free the stuck feathers and soothe the pain. Brushing Birbna's wings with a soft hairbrush, only to find out later that many birds only trust their mates to preen them anywhere but the head.

she tries not to let you see, not to force you to bear witness to this... mess. Binah knows she's hideous now, a warped beast of feathers and eyes and claws. you shouldn't have to deal with this. it's her burden to bear, her punishment

but alas, you're perceptive, as you always were, following the scattered feathers to where she's tucked herself away, hunched over and scratching erratically at her skin. she stiffens when you approach, then slowly slumps and extends one of her wings at your gentle request, trembling when you begin to carefully run your fingers through the feathers

you use the utmost care as you straighten bent feathers and remove loose ones, Binah leaning more and more of her weight on you until she abruptly sweeps her wings around you for a close hug. you're so gentle with her, so sweet and delicate despite how she's a monster now. or, more of a monster than she was. her claws run through her feathers, plucking a particularly glossy one with an iridescent sheen and pressing it into your hands. you'll keep it, won't you? to show that you're hers, and she's yours?