Elysica Caedelle had made it a habit to climb Saira's ladder whenever she had a question, since Saira rarely left the birdhouse. Saira was willing to answer her questions but became easily exasperated when Elysica asked non-sensical questions, such as how to get wood planks, despite using only wood to build her first house.
"Saira!" Elysica called in warning as she neared the top of the ladder. The last thing she needed was to startle the alarian and get knocked off the tower again. "I know you wanted to be left alone today, but Lexan and B aren't at their houses, and I really needed to know how to make those cool-looking lights," she rambled as she clambered into the small house.
Elysica stayed in Saria's house for a while before the other Oakrest residents convinced her to build her own house. When asked, Saira agreed that she didn't mind the company, but she always had a distant expression when she said it. Now, with Elysica still visiting near daily, Saria was used to the sound of her climbing a ladder. Little did Elysica know that she had a distinct way of climbing that told any experienced Player a novice was approaching.
For once, Saria didn't respond to the human after she finished speaking (or ran out of breath, it was never quite clear). Instead, she sat crossed-legged on her bed, wings facing the door, focused on something in her lap. "Saria?" Elysica called again, rounding Saria's bed - which she happened to call her nest - to get a better look at what the sparrow was doing.
Saria was meticulously combing her fingers through one of her wings, occasionally plucking a stray feather and laying it gently on a small pile near her feet. "Are you talking about lanterns?" she finally responded once she was certain Elysica was done talking, "You can look it up in your recipe book, or you can use my book, if you need to. It is still on my crafting bench." Elysica didn't respond. "I should have a lantern or two in my storage," Saria added, "You can use those if you find them."
When Elysica still didn't respond, Saria paused her work and looked up in mild concern. "What are you doing, Saria?"
Saria smiled slightly, nearly imperceivable if she wore expressions than melancholy or annoyance. "Oh, I am preening my wings. They have been overdo for one for a while now." She went back to work.
"How do you do it?" Elysica sat herself on the edge of the bed, all thoughts of lanterns temporarily forgotten.
"It is nothing too complicated. I am just lining up my feather and reattaching them them with the bards and plucking out loose feathers. I also add a new layer of oil after. It helps keep them clean and healthy," she explained, deliberately slowing down her work to give Elysica a better look at the progress.
"Are you keeping the feathers?" she asked as she picked a feather from the pile and twirled it absently in her fingers.
"I give them to Lexan. He uses them for his arrows."
"Wow, that's so cool," she drawled in awe. Elysica watched for several minutes as Saria picked up to her normal speed again, working as if Elysica had already left. Instead, the human studied the way her hands moved and the wing that still needed to get preened. Saira could probably use some help to get the job done faster. Elysica reached a hand to the untouched wing. But as soon as her fingers grazed the feathers, Saria let out a surprised chirp and jolted off the bed.
She looked down at Elysica, her expression a mixed of shock and poorly hidden disgust. She shielded the offended wing as if it had gotten burned and kept the other wing pressed tight against her back.
"Sorry!" Elysica defended immediately, "I didn't mean to make you mad!"
"I am not mad!" Saria exclaimed, sounding very unconvincing. "It is just- You can not-" she let out a flustered warble, "My wings - all wings - are extremely sensitive."
When Elysica didn't look in any way reassured, Saria continued, "I was not expecting the touch, and it is a really delicate process, so I would only let someone help if I knew they had researched and studied wings and preening and..." she trailed off, getting that distant expression again, as if remembering something she didn't want to. She shook herself out of it. "Does that make sense?"
"So, you don't trust me?" Elysica wilted.
Saria did not. In fact, she didn't trust any of the people she lived with currently. But an upset Elysica was an issue that Saria didn't feel was worth the trouble. "It's not that I don't trust you! It-it's just that I preen my own wings, that's just how I do it."
"I just wanted to help, I didn't think you would be so touchy about it," she muttered in response.
Saria huffed, exasperated. "I have preened my own wings for as long as I remember. I do not need any help." The lie would've been unconvincing to anyone else, but Elysica didn't know Saira well enough for that.
"You could've told me that before snapping at me," Elysica finally rose from the bed, backing towards the door.
A strangled whistle escaped from the alarian as she sat back on her bed. "I did not think I needed to tell you not to touch my wings without my permission."
The air was tense. "Well, no one told me."
"I did not think anyone had to," Saria reiterated, "They are part of my body too."
Elysica dropped down the ladder, her feet unsteady and shaking as she moved it from rung to rung. Saira sighed deeply and got back to work.