baby’s first sand

their eyes stretch wide as Wylan wiggles his wings, watching as the feathers shift and move. a mixture of envy and awe sweeps through them, tinging their voice in a strange amalgamation of the two. “that is soooo cool!” for a moment their mind is full only of winged daydreams, in which they sport a large, intricate pair of their own. “if you ever do figure out how to fly, you have to let me come! i could ride on your back!” they edge closer and stick their nose right in the boy’s face, as though to impress upon him the importance of their words. “promise you will!”

at the prospect of a sandless future, Araneae releases a dramatic breath, casting the ground a final disdainful look. “oh, good. it’s so itchy.” they pull a face, then follow Wylan as he bounds to the shore, spraying up even more sand in their wake. ugh, the nerve. they hit the water with a loud splash and wade determinedly forward, until it’s about halfway up their legs. raising a sceptical brow, Araneae lifts a single foot and examines it – then gasps in wide-eyed wonder. “it works!”  they crow, dancing about with unbridled glee. water flies through the air and lands on their face, making them giggle. “Feathers, you’re a genius!”

"Speech"