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Seriously, it's no problem at all. Be right there.

[The fact that they're treating this like such a formal request is so odd to him. Borrowing stuff is just a day in the life of the apocalypse... he is so very curious now.

He's already on his way though. One comb, incoming!]

You are a life saver, Casey.

[It is very serious! Serious enough that Rue will not be waiting outside in the garden when he arrives or reading out on their outdoor patio like usual. Instead, whenever he arrives, they will be peering out from the door, a heavy shawl over their head, but even that does not hide the unusual spiky, sparseness of their feathers.

Rue is so meticulous about their appearance, it is a point of pride to them how soft and shiny their feathers normally look.

Still, their face softens at the sight of Casey.]

I hope I did not put you out, having to travel so far for me.

[Rue just casually triggering his PTSD during the commute over-

He arrives a short time later, jogging up to their door with an expression oddly mixed: friendliness towards Rue as usual, but with a slice each of curiosity and concern. This is all very unlike them.]

Don't worry about it, visiting you isn't a chore or anything. [He's always glad to see Rue, even if the circumstances seem very... odd. He fishes into his side pouch and offers the comb out to them. It's clean at least!] ...Is... there anything I can help with?

[He doesn't know what's going on but he is worried!]

[aaaaAAAHHH

Rue's big eyes reflect back that same friendliness mixed with concern, the owlbear's great paw - not quite as untamed and sparse as Rue's face, but still far less groomed than they'd prefer - slips through the open doorway and gently plucks the comb up with between two talons before disappearing.

They do not say it, but please know how grateful they are it is clean.]

I could not ask your help in this. It is overwhelming as is. [but Casey's expression is so sweet, so eager to be helpful, so worried for them. Rue's beak clacks gently.] I am only molting. It is not so big a deal, truly, I am just so wholly unprepared for it. And in the past, I have had help, so I feel most out of sorts. But sincerely, it is not as dire a situation as I must have made it sound.

[Oh... oh. He's not seen it with birds specifically, but the term is familiar to him. There were lizard yokai in his timeline who on occasion shed their skin. They were often irritable and sensitive before, during, and after, so Rue being out of sorts suddenly makes a lot of sense.]

You're not asking, I'm offering. [He shuffles awkwardly from foot to foot, not wanting to overstep, but not wanting to back off too early, either.] I'll go if you'd rather handle it alone, but... I want to help you.

[Rue's done nothing but help him over and over since he arrived. If he can't lend a hand in their hour of need, what is he even doing?]

[It is enough to give them pause.

Would it make them a hypocrite to offer themself up to the world around them but then refuse all help for themself? Would it hurt their relationships with others to see how badly they want to help but still refuse them?

And even more than those, would it really be so terrible to admit how desperate they are for some friendly conversation? For some physical affection? It has been such a lonely few days for someone as endlessly social as Rue.

Finally, they step aside and open the front door fully so that Casey can follow them inside.]

I think that I would deeply appreciate the help right now, Casey.

[An obvious relief passes through Casey, releasing some of the tension he'd been feeling from all that concern he carried. Hastily he follows them in, closing the door behind himself. It's pretty obvious based on how covered up they are and how they'd barely cracked open the door that they don't care to be seen like this by anyone else. It makes him feel very trusted in this moment, and he's determined to ensure they won't regret it.]

Just tell me what to do, and I'll take care of it.

[welcome to scrungly town. population: rue

It is only when Casey has so kindly followed them inside and slipped the door shut that Rue will allow him a true look at their current state, pushing the shawl from their head.

And really? It's not bad. Their new feathers look strange and pointed, capped at the tip instead of fluffy, more skin poking through than normal, but it is not nearly as dramatic as Rue is making it out to be.]

I can not apologize enough for the way that I look. Truth be told, I have spent so many years wearing the face of another, that I hardly know what to do to conceal such grotesqueness without resorting to magic. [Along their wings, their collarbone, the feathers are fluffy and full like normal, it is only their head and neck that still looks so scrungly.]

Once a year, owlbears molt and the process is rather humiliating. I thought a comb might help with some of the more difficult to reach feathers, but if you truly do not mind helping, I would be so grateful for an extra pair of hands with this.

[Well, it certainly is... different. He'd be lying if he said they looked fine, and he doubts someone as aesthetically gifted as Rue would let him get away with it. But really, grotesque seems a little far to him. He smiles, hoping to reassure them. Look, he's not recoiling in horror at the sight!]

It's okay, we'll fix it.

[He reaches out to gently grasp their paw and tug, urging them to enter the house proper and sit down somewhere comfortable. He's thinking the couch, and he can certainly help clean up after, but if they'd prefer not to get feathers all over the living room, the kitchen would also work. He just needs a way to reach their head, since they're so much taller.]

Are the old ones still coming out, or do you just need the new ones cleaned up?

Just the new.

[Rue does not need more prompting to follow after Casey, allowing him to tug them along, until they settle on the couch. It's maybe not the most convenient place to make a mess, but at least Rue can magic all of the feathers and pinfeather dust away after.]

It has been some days since the last of the old molted off. The new ones just need to released from their casings. I can easily get to the ones along my torso and wings, but my head - I presume that wild owlbears must preen one another every molt, the same way that birds do. I have relied on my old friend for so long, and then Hob was there to help me, but well, I was woefully unprepared this time around.

[and then softer, a touch more vulnerability, simply for Casey's ears alone.]

They itch something terrible. I can not stand the way it feels.

[That makes it easier. He'd been a little worried he might have to navigate which feathers to leave and which need to come loose, but if it's just fussing and rearranging, that's much more in line with his capabilities. That means he can really help.]

Oh! That's no problem. Here- [He climbs up to perch on the back of the couch, scrutinizing the feathers for a moment to get the lay of the land before using both hands to scritch through, his touch careful of the new feathers yet firm. He uses the pads of his fingers and his knuckles, ensuring his nails don't scratch at any tender skin beneath, and will start working his way over their head and neck.] How's that? Tell me if it hurts anywhere and I'll move.

[This is familiar territory! He can do scritches. He's the best at scritches.]

[It's nothing at all for Casey to perch like the sweetest gremlin behind Rue on the couch, immediately leaping to work with nimble fingers over their feathers. The casings over the new do not need much attention before they simply break apart, unrevealing the new, fluffy and full feathers beneath, leaving behind a mess but one Rue is almost immediately grateful for.

It does not take any time at all for the owlbear to fully melt into the couch as Casey works, big eyes sliding shut.]

That is quite nice. No, it does not hurt in the slightest, if anything, it feels like quite the relief so far.

Good! I'm glad it's helping.

[He sounds pleased about it, too. He pauses one hand briefly to examine one of the loose casings, very gently brushing his hand over the fresh feather left behind. It's so soft, and the difference is stark. He grins, and continues the process in a different area, learning gradually what to look for and how to identify which feathers need attention as more fresh moults are revealed. He's a quick learner, which is coming in handy now.]

Rue, the new feathers look so beautiful! No one's gonna have anything bad to say about it once we're done.

[Rue is just going to puddle beneath his touch, a gentle, trilling, near-musical sound slipping from their beak as they sigh out as another feather breaks free. The feeling is beyond description, like an itch beneath the skin that is finally getting scratched.

Their earlier embarrassment is fully dissipated. Rue shall never hesitate this long before asking for help again.]

They always do look extra glossy and full when new, don't they? If I did not have to go through with it yearly myself, I think I would find the whole process quite interesting. And here I am with only so much of my body covered in feathers. I can not imagine being a full bird.

[That was an incredibly cute noise, and Casey is just gonna work around to see if he can get them to do it more, secretly-

As fresh new feathers unfurl more, he moves one hand to gently and briefly brush his fingers through them, to keep them together and out of the way so he doesn't jostle them too much scratching their surroundings. They can get a proper brushing once he's done, but for now, gotta keep them safe.]

It would be a crazy amount of work, yeah. And to do it alone would be so much! I knew someone like that back home, and every year he was determined to make it everyone else's problem for like a week straight.

[Betrayal!!!

Rue is not normally caressed like this, usually it is them petting the hair of other's through their tears or rubbing soothing circles against trembling backs, having someone reach out like this towards them is such a wonderfully odd sensation. But it's lovely, to have their new feathers broken free and then gently brushed through, every touch so soft and careful.]

I could never imagine putting myself upon my friends like that. It is certainly not my favorite aspect of being an owlbear, but it is nothing I can not handle. [a soft pause, Rue tipping their head back into Casey's touch like a cat, guiding his hand without direction.]

Especially with assistance like this. Thank you again, this is already a dozen times better than I was feeling earlier.

[Casey's cheeks go pink at the praise, and he's grateful to be behind Rue where he can get away with it unseen. Taking note of the way they're tipping their head into his hand, he gives that spot extra attention.]

You're welcome. I'm just glad it's something I can do.

[If it'd been something really out there, like a magic feather-fraying illness or something, he'd be essentially useless, and he really doesn't like that. Something natural is much more easily managed.]

Who helped you before? Besides Hob.

[Casey manages to break free a particularly stubborn feather and Rue hums out in a mix of relief and delight, unintentionally ruffling their new feathers out until they are puffed up around their head and neck.]

Hm? [Relieved as they are, Rue nearly misses the question, their eyes finally fluttering back open.]

Ah well, before I knew Hob, I only had one true friend in my life. She helped me in absolutely everything for a very long time, the only who knew my secret. Her name was Wuvvy. She was a satyr. [a beat, before Rue quickly corrects themself] Is a satyr.

[They don't want to mislead or worry Casey. At least speaking about her does not hurt nearly as much as it once did.]

She was very good to me, caring and attentive and more generous than I deserved.

[Oh! They're puffing up! Casey stills his hands in the midst of the feathers for a moment, watching them sort of disappear in the middle of the fluff. Once they're done, he moves his hands to a fresh spot, continuing the process. There's a stubborn bit of casing clinging to one feather that he has to gently coax free.]

She sounds nice. What's a satyr? A kind of faerie?

[He's wordlessly grateful for their clarification; as someone who's getting used to referring to everyone he's ever known in past tense, the distinction is. Very important.]

[Rue reaches up to gently coax their feathers back down again. Sometimes they just get excited and can't help themself.]

A type of fey, yes, though more of a beast, like myself. If I were to describe her, I would say her torso and head were very humanoid-shaped, while her lower half was that of a goat. She had sweet goat-like ears and horns, and the most wide, startled eyes I'd ever seen.

[He tries to envision this, but is stalled by the fact that he's never seen a real goat. Beast-esque fey, though, got it. Ears and horns.]

You must've really trusted her, if she was the only one who knew your real self.

[He passes his fingers through the freshly-freed feathers in the space he'd just finished, helping to settle them down. Together they close up some of the gaps Rue had been worried about, covering the bare patches that had been previously too-visible.]

[Rue will be overjoyed by the time they finally arrive back in front of a mirror, to see the magic that Casey's perfectly small, nimble hands have cast over them.]

Indeed. [There is a silence then, intentional but not at all awkward given how comfortable the owlbear feels with the young teen, but still Rue hesitates on saying more. Casey, however, has proven time and time again that he deserves all of their trust.]

She was from another court than mine, but she left hers to follow me. At the time, it was to become my assistant, I thought that her interest laid more in the work than anything else, but - Well, we grew very close. I let her in on my true form and she was my most trusted confidante from then on. We were quite the team for nearly a millennia.

Whoa... that's so long to be together. No wonder you're missing her right now. Bet she'd have done all this in record time.

[His unpracticed hands surely pale in comparison to how Wuvvy might have done this, but at least Rue seems to approve of the job he's doing regardless. Feeling around, unless he's missed a spot, he thinks that most of the neck feathers have been uncapped. He leans forward, draping carefully over their shoulder, and reaches a hand down. ...Oh gosh, those feathers are so soft and tickling, though. Like the nicest, downiest pillow.]

Comb, please?

To be perfectly honest, you are speeding along quite quickly for your first time. Truly, I can not thank you enough. All of it, but especially the back of my head, would have taken me forever on my own.

[Forgive them, Casey, but with him leaning over their shoulder, the owlbear is just going to lean in to nuzzle the side of his head affectionately as they slip the comb into his hand, another happy trill at their beak.]

I hope I am not stealing you away from any other plans this afternoon.

[No forgiveness required, as the gesture makes him chuckle under his breath - the feathers tickle! - and, feeling an ounce of boldness, he goes ahead and nuzzles them in return, before the shyness takes over and he scoots to the feathers at their back again. It feels almost like home; the communal contact of hugs, head rubs, nuzzles, all of it- is a love language of his family, and it warms his heart to experience it again, however unexpectedly.

Very carefully he runs the comb through the fresh feathers, testing the waters to ensure it can travel smoothly without damaging or pulling too hard on the new coat. Once he's satisfied, he begins combing through in earnest, smoothing down the ruffled parts until they're laid flat and orderly, more in line with the appearance of their previous coat.]

I didn't have any plans- I was just thinking about what I was gonna do. Now I don't have to- you're today's "one new thing".

[He's definitely never helped tame a molt before.]

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