The Ymbryne Academy

Chapter 50

"Alma, every time I shift my feathers have been getting..odd." Esmé says. "It makes my flying weird. I couldn't stay up too long when I was outside with Willow."

"Have you been preening them like I've told you?" She asks and Esmé looked away. "You have to keep up with taking care of yourself."

"If I take care of my human self why does my bird self matter?" Esmé grumbled.

"Alright then, shift, I'll do it for you."

Esmé sighed and shifted, Alma seeing the mess of feathers on her wings and gently picked her up, sitting down on the couch in the parlor and placing her in her lap.

"Honey you're a mess, you really need to start preening." Alma said with a small sigh.

She carefully ran her talons through her wing feathers, taking out most of the loose ones before working on getting the overkill of feathers off her wings and making them even, though it was a bit difficult using her hands.

"Here, sit down." She says and Esmé moved down on the couch off her lap and Alma shifted herself.

Alma wrapped a wing around Esmé to hold her still, digging slightly into one of her wings with her beak.

She pulled out a few feathers, squawking slightly at the woman for letting herself go this long. She carefully dug out more feathers as she looked over her, placing her feathers on the side of the couch noticing Ayn coming in.

"Ew you do this as birds now too?" Alma squawked loudly at her and continued preening her wife.

Alma sent her a glare and ripped out another of Esmés feathers.

"Geez, doesn't that hurt?" She asks as Alma moved Esmés wing to open more for her to get a better reach.

Esmé shook her head no, and cooed, rubbing her head against Alma's for a moment gently.

The older woman sent her a small scolding chirp when she seen the buildup of feathers underneath her wings, carefully taking them out.

"What are they doing?" Ayn asks and Evelyn rolled her eyes.

"What all birds do, preening."

"Preening?" Ayn asked confused about it.

"Basically Esmé hasn't been taking care of her feathers." Evelyn says simply before leaving. Eventually Alma made her way to the woman's head feathers, being extra careful with her beak.

Esmé stayed still, not wanting to accidentally get nicked by her beak.

It took a while and Ayn went to help make dinner with Evelyn, the older woman finally shifting back after finishing, a small pile of feathers on the couch.

"Esmé this isn't good, you need to keep up with caring for your feathers." Alma said with a sigh as she picked up the pile.

The younger woman shifted back after Alma threw the feathers away, keeping one to herself that came off her wing. The older woman came back, Esmé walking over and leaning her forehead against the woman's chest.

"Well hello there." Alma smiled down at her. Esmé hummed and wrapped her arms around her.

"You'll have to keep up with yourself now that I helped you. If you don't preen, your feathers will get damaged." Alma scolds lightly and Esmé hums, hugging her closer.

"I'm sorry." Esmé muttered as she held onto her tightly.

"It's okay, darling." Alma said gently.

"I love you." She says against her jacket and Alma smiled at her before tucking one of her long white feathers on top of her ear.