Sidestory:
In His Dreams
by Emiko
Mentally, Perdix sighed. Having been robbed of the ability to actually perform the action, he could only sag his wings and hiss through his beak slightly in a grotesque mimicry; mentally his sigh was as potent as ever. So Perdix was resolved to sigh mentally.
He could still just remember his past life and of how he had come to be in his present condition. The memories were far from pleasant. There had been a time, long ago, when he had danced in the surf of the beach, feeling the water on his feet, the sand on his toes, the sun on his forehead.
But I don't have a forehead any more, he was forced to remind himself. All he had now were feathers, gray and warm.
It was a little bit better than that. There was always Sophie.
If Perdix could have anything, he would choose Sophie. He could be content with the meager food and shelter she provided him if only he could truly have her. Yet another impossibility in his current state.
What am I thinking... I wish I could have hands again more than anything so I could grasp the tools of modern man and teach these fools a thing or two about REAL invention.
At precisely that moment, Sophie walked in wearing a soft yellow towel with her wet hair plastered to her face. "Bird," she said simply, acknowledging his presence.
She could never know that he had once been human and still possessed human desires. That was a secret Perdix would keep for now. So long as she thought he was strictly a bird in such respects he could watch her. And watch her he did. Everything about her was utterly perfect. She smelled slightly of bath oils, a scent she carried with her on her smooth and flawless skin. Perdix could taste that smell more than he could actually smell it. She changed quickly, barely paying him any attention.
"What are you looking at, Perdix? Do you want more food or something?"
"No," Perdix replied, shaking his small head in emphasis. "I was just thinking."
"Thinking?" she laughed, "I doubt it." Her green eyes fixed him with a level glare as she ran the damp towel through her short hair.
Her constant sarcastic cruelty stung Perdix, but he remained resolute, determined not to show weakness. "Somebody has to come up with a way to kill the Romanus Senshi," he admonished, matching her calculated callousness with his own. "I don't see you doing it."
"Hmph," she snorted, turning away to set her alarm clock. It was a victory of sorts for Perdix.
"Aren't you the least bit curious what my plan is?"
"Not if it involves some idiot machine like the last ten plans you told me."
Perdix was instantly rigid. "They're not idiot machines!"
"You're right, the idiot must be you. Nobody could ever make those stupid ideas of yours work."
"Jace could. Maybe I'll go live with her instead."
Sophie instantly burst into laughter at the mere thought of Perdix trying to live with Jace. "She wouldn't even give you the time of day!" Sophie choked out. "Yet you think you could live with her? Ha! Nobody else will even put up with you for five minutes, Pudding."
"I wish you wouldn't call me that, Sophia."
"In your dreams, birdbrain. Goodnight." Sophie rudely flicked off the lamp, a sign that she was done talking for the evening. Perdix mentally scowled into the darkness.
In my dreams, indeed! After all, he could have her in his dreams.