----------------------------------------------
RESPITE CLINIC - EARLY AFTERNOON
----------------------------------------------
Xochi arrives at the door to the clinic just a little late for her appointment. Her reveal to Louma still stings in her mind, the fear of being uncovered, and yet here she is, at the Captain's suggestion. She gently knocks to make her presence known, almost hoping that by being late, the Doctor will have to cancel the appointment.
Doc Plume is sitting at their desk, reading over the latest digest from the Fraternal Society of Surgeons. They look up at the knock. "Come in! It's open."
Xochi enters, letting her full length enter before closing the door behind her. She looks about the room nervously before focusing upon the Doctor, "Thank you for seeing me once again, Doctor. This is a most... delicate matter."
Doc Plume stands and walks over to Xochi, their eyes scanning the snake for signs of injury. "Of course. What seems to be the problem?" They nod toward the examination table and then close a set of newly installed light curtains on a wire which separate the entry area of the office from the rest of it once the pair have moved to the exam area.
Xochi moves ahead, curling up the table to seat herself on it, hands folded in front of her. "This... is a matter of utmost privacy. You are a physician of good standing, this is required of you, to keep secret your patients ailments, yes?"
Doc Plume nods. "Unless I specifically fear that they're a danger to themselves or others or in danger from someone else, yes." They walk over to the sink to wash their hands before returning to the exam table. "You can trust me."
Xochi smiles slowly as Plume approaches. "Captain Louma said that I could. I must trust her, and thus I must trust you." She frowns, "First... I am apologizing. I have lied to you, upon our first meeting." She lifts her hands and slowly dispels the illusion around her wings. Still bound at her side, the large rainbow-colored plumage is not in the greatest shape. Xochi braces herself for a negative reaction.
Doc Plume watches as the illusion dispels revealing the wings. "I see." They start in immediately, working to release the bonds so that they can examine the wings. "How long have they been bound?" While there's a slight disapproving look on their face, Doc's actions and words are nothing but professional.
Xochi sighs, wings twitching at the sudden attention. "Over two months now. It was... necessary. It remains necessary, but, there is irritation. Damage. I... I do not know what to do."
Doc Plume frowns a bit. "And they've remained bound the whole time? Even in private?" Their hands move carefully over the wings starting from where they join Xochi's back. "Can you stretch them out for me? I can get a better look at them that way..."
Xochi nods, slowly stretching the wings, the feathers extending out clumsily after being bound so long. Xochi flinches slightly. "I was rarely alone during the travel. Risking revelation was too great. Now that I am here, in a home, perhaps I can... but I remain afraid."
Doc Plume nods. "I understand, but your wings are in poor condition thanks to this..." They pick up a pair of scissors and begin pruning away broken and damaged sections of various feathers. Once the feathers have been settled into a somewhat organized state, the body of the wings are examined. "Hmm. No permanent damage. Some chafing and feather damage of course... but it looks like you've avoided anything serious. Your muscles are definitely too tight though, as you're not getting full extension, so a regimine of stretching exercises is needed."
Xochi listens intently, clenching her hands together as Plume works. "In private, then." She hesitates. "And... when I need to bind them?"
Doc Plume nods. "You'll need to use something softer. Perhaps bandages?" They walk over to the medicine cabinet and take out a pot of salve, spreading some of it over the chafed areas. It's soothing but also stings just a little on the few spots where the skin has worn down into actual small abrasions.
Xochi hisses, the wings flinching as Doc begins to apply the salve, before relaxing and letting them work. "I will investigate options, then. I feel... relieved. I was afraid that coming to you was the act of a coward. But Louma said that keeping them bound is to let myself be ruled by fear." She sighs, "This was difficult for me to come to you."
Doc Plume nods to Xochi. "I'll be discreet, of course. I'll make up a file for a false patient where I'll track this situation. Not that anyone should be looking at my files, but one can't be too careful." They carefully apply plasters over the salved areas before returning to the sink to wash their hands again. "And I know it was hard, but if you can't trust your doctor, then who can you trust?"
Xochi gives a low laugh, "There is wisdom, in what you say... the owner of those wings is dead, and that is how it should be." She sighs, "Yet I find myself still attached to them."
Doc Plume frowns a bit. "If I understand correctly, the wings are an issue because of who the winged snakes are, right? Royalty of some sort?"
Xochi flinches, but nods, "Y-yes. You are correct."
Doc Plume nods a bit. "So you feel like showing them would endanger you?" They're duck out of the curtained area to go and lock the door before returning.
Xochi hesistates, thinking on this as she gingerly folds her wings. "...perhaps not my life... though, I am sure many are angry at my kind. My freedom... assuredly. I have spent sixty years of my life a prisoner for being what I am. A rich prisoner in a gilded cage... but I wanted freedom. I needed it. If it is found I yet live... if they come intending to return me to my little cage..." She closes her eyes. "Yes. I will die before returning there. Yes."
Doc Plume nods a bit as they consider this. "And you don't think you'd be recognized without the wings?"
Xochi chuckles again, perhaps a bit harshly, but it's hard to tell when her laughter already sounds so strained, "I hear to most races, they say we snakes all look alike, no?" She shakes her head, "I left them little reason to look for me. But one must remain careful. Rumors of a winged snake could attract all the wrong kinds of attentions."
Doc Plume moves around behind Xochi and begins gently tracing a talon around the base of Xochi's wings. "Well, in an extreme case, we could remove them, but that would obviously be a permanent solution and not something I would undertake lightly."
Xochi shivers the touch of Plume's talon, lowering her head, "Perhaps... if it becomes the only way to keep my freedom, then it is a sacrifice I would make."
Doc Plume nods. "I am a licensed surgeon, but I would say that such a major undertaking would be best handled in a proper hospital... I would definitely need skilled assistance at the very least if you wanted to not have nerve pain and the like..." They walk back around and look at Xochi. "But for now, stretch your wings out at home and don't leave them bound all the time."
Xochi dips her head as Plume steps around to meet her face to face, "I shall, Doctor. I thank you."
Doc Plume nods. "Come see me again in two days for fresh plasters." They smile at Xochi. "I do hope that you can find more freedom here. I certainly have."
Xochi returns the smiles. "So far? It is beyond what I dared hope, Doctor. I shall see you in two days, then."
----------------------------------------------
GUARD TRAINING GRONDS - MID-AFTERNOON
----------------------------------------------
Louma could not allow herself to remain out of shape, dragged down from her prime by some pieces of wood and piles of paper. After allowing her bruises to heal, the swansnake is found at the training grounds, much of the equipment mottled with mud splatter from a recent, very welcome rainstorm. Today she is focusing on her movement, dipping side to side around some poles standing out of the dirt.
Damina has taken her high-up perch near the training grounds again, content to watch the captain practice her skills. The training area is rapidly becoming her favorite location to lurk around because what happens here is always entertaining to watch.
Louma reaches the end of the poles, wrapping her body around it and using the momentum to return through the slalom course, her breath having as she pushes to go through faster on the return. Her forearm clips a pole with a dull 'thud', but she otherwise makes the pass fairly well. The snake herself is unimpressed.
Damina keeps watching, taking note of Louma's impressive mobility. Having all that body length must be good for something after all.
Louma returns via spinning around the final pole again, tightening up to the posts, though her lungs are burning. The same arm clips a pole again, eliciting a frustrated, if low, honk. She turns on the offending pole, her tail curling around the pole as she circles it rapidly, delivering a hail of half-hearted strikes as she rises to the top, the pole completely obscured under her coils, making her look like a swan torso perched upon a tall black spring as she rests against the flat pole top.
Damina can probably be seen from that height, if Louma cares to look for her.
Louma huffs as she rests on the pole, looking at the scuffed feathers on her arm with a grimace. As she's about to plop her chin down again, she spots a figure on a distant rooftop, hesitating for a moment before giving them a nervous wave.
Damina waves back before calling out, "Having fun there, captain?"
Louma chuckles slightly to herself before calling back. "I wouldn't call it anything nicer than punishment, Damina!"
Damina: "Oh, that's no good then, ain't it?" She hops on down from her perch, jumping her way to the training grounds themselves.
Louma watches Damina's agile approach, feeling a tinge of jealousy that the cat can move so easily. Her coils loosen around the pole as she lowers herself back to the ground, slithering towards Damina. "It's all well and good, my own fault for becoming lazy behind a desk. What are you up to today?"
Damina shrugs. "Was on the way to check the schedule and see if I can fit in anywhere. There's always something to do, right?"
Louma nods, smiling. "I like the initiative, but unless you really need the extra money, don't go wasting all your time on duty." Her smile falters slightly. "Take my word, it's not really worth it."
Damina ponders that for a moment. "So... I guess we'll hold off for a moment." Continuing thinky, she asks Louma, "Well, do you have any ideas what to do?"
Louma chuckles, thinking. "You're already in pretty great shape, not sure what else you can train in... I don't know if I'd want to try to spar with you, there's a lot of me for you to jump on and punch." She crosses her arms, but smiles jokingly.
Damina raises an eyebrow, but it's hard to see under her hat. "Maybe so, but what about you? Is there anything you want to do that's not... tied to guard duty?"
Louma blinks, taken slightly aback. "Oh.. Hm." She slowly coils her tail up and rests against the scaly pile. "I don't suppose flying counts as an activity?"
Damina looks very interested. "Now you didn't tell me you could fly? What's that like, jumping but very high?"
Louma laughs, giving a sideways look to Damina. "Did you think these were just for show?" She straightens up off her tail to spread the white wings on her back, which she had kept tucked tightly to her body while training. Tip to tip, they span nearly 19', more than enough to carry her with confidence.
Damina gets a very stupid idea. "How much weight can you carry?"
Louma laughs with a slightly darker undertone. "I know exactly what you're suggesting. Are you sure about it, though? I managed to carry Nesseth clear across town without much trouble, but the flailing was exhausting."
Damina: "You don't suppose you can carry me on your back?"
Louma narrows her eyes slightly, looking around for anyone else. Spying nobody, Louma sighs. "Alright, but if you pinch or flail, I can't promise your safety." She smiles as she lowers her torso down. "Sit above my wings."
Damina stretches herself out and climbs on. "Can't wait to regret this."
Louma feels immediate embarrassment as Damina climbs onto her back, but it's too late to back out now. She clears her throat to clear her slight blush, looking about once more as she gently straightens back up again. "Get a good grip, but try not to choke me, yeah?" She spreads her wings, shaking them slightly in preparation.
Damina grabs on tightly, but not too tightly, although her claws reflexively poke out a little bit.
Louma winces slightly at the claws near her throat. "Ready? Three, tw-" Her wings slash through the air, casting up a cloud of dust and loose white down, but the two are long out of the choking dust before it can be an issue as Louma ascends to around 80' above the training grounds, holding position with steady wingbeats that rock them in the air like gentle waves under a boat. "One."
Damina is a little bit startled but quickly adjusts to it. "I think you missed your count, captain."
Louma chuckles, turning her head to look sideways at Damina. "I got a little excited, sorry. You seem to be doing well, I'm impressed."
Damina looks down at how far up they are. "I don't know why I'm not afraid? Should I be?"
Louma avoids shrugging, "You hang out on rooftops a lot, right? This is just that, without a footing." She tilts her torso forward, beginning to take them on a course following the roads below, very slowly ascending further.
Damina shrugs and holds on a bit tighter, letting herself get carried along
Louma relaxes as they go along, feeling less like a mount. "One thing that I've found, though of course my data is limited, non-flyers seem to have a lot of trouble picking out landmarks from up here. What do you recognize?"
Damina looks out very closely. "Well, that appears to be my house... and I can see the market... and the clinic..."
Louma easily picks them out as Damina lists the landmarks, except for Damina's house, nodding. "Good, the clinic's a bit tough, but your own house is often a tricky one. Where is that?"
Damina: "Ah, real easy, it's just right over..." She points in the direction of where she lives, which thankfully is a bit easy to pick out since she recently got some rather colorful flowers in her backyard.
Louma nods, turning in that general direction. "With the bright garden, or next to it?"
Damina confirms that that's the one. "No, that's it. Just wanna spice up my little corner of the world, if I can do so."
Louma chuckles. "It looks nice from up here. I'll have to visit some time. Not many gardens in the city. Erika's got you beat for now, though." She turns in the air, pointing toward what looks like a slice of jungle around the backs of a few small houses near the South Gate.
Damina chuckles a bit. "Trust me, it's very bare-bones in my house. I just throw up what I think looks nice, but there's not a lotta substance to the arrangements." She checks on what must be Erika's... area, with all the plants and whatnot. "Huh, that's quite a lot over there... of course, local botanist would be like that."
Louma huffs slightly, turning them back around toward the training grounds as her energy starts to wane. "I think that's... all for the tour though... Ready for the... fun part?"
Damina starts holding on a bit tighter in anticipation. "Oh dear, what happens next?"
Louma chuckles dryly, as they approach the training grounds, still climbing slightly. "Crashing! Or landing, if we're lucky." She doesn't wait for a response, reaching up over her shoulders to grip Damina's hands as she rolls her tail underneath them, rocking her entire body to tilt downward as her wings fold inward. A dive.
Damina REALLY holds on now, trying to make sure her hat doesn't go anywhere.
Louma closes the distance to the ground within seconds, rearing up and spreading her wings so that they just barely clear the poles she'd been using earlier. She manages a relatively graceful landing, breathing rather heavily.
Damina 's hair is quite thoroughly stood on end from that, which is shocking since she didn't let out a peep during that dive. "Well... that was quite something."
Louma turns her head to grin at Damina, catching her breath slowly. "Heh, I hope you had fun." She blushes again now that they're back on the ground with her wearing Damina like a backpack. She glances around the area, lowering her torso down a bit to make it easier for Damina to hop off.
Damina quickly dismounts, having decided that, while it was fun, flying is not quite her thing. "Yes, yes, now, I'd like to not do that again for some time."
Louma chuckles lightly, straightening back up, beginning to preen the feathers that always tuft up after flying. "It was your crazy idea."
Damina shrugs. "Maybe I'll try it again, but I'll think about it."
Louma nods. "After all this, though, I'd like to take a long soak at the bathhouse. Think I'll just spend the rest of the afternoon there."
Damina remembers the last time she visited that place. What an experience. "Sounds good. As for me I think I'll prowl the market, find more stuff for my house maybe."
Louma smiles at Damina. "Alright, then enjoy the rest of your day." She gives a quick salute to Damina, but rather than taking off into the sky, Louma opts to slither to the gate of the training grounds. Carrying one 5'-some cat wouldn't have exhausted her like this a few years ago. "Need more cardio." She mutters to herself, heading for the baths.