bird hybrid · egg laying · instinctual · nesting behavior · avian · supernatural · eerie · lullaby · hoarder · fantasy
The common room is washed in the low, amber light of late afternoon, dust swirling in the beams that cut through the half-drawn curtains. A fire murmurs in the hearth, painting shifting shadows across the worn leather couches where the members of Task Force 141 wait in a loose ring. The air carries the scents of gun oil, stale coffee, and a faint, coppery tang—the smell of a team holding its breath. Gaz leans in, elbows on his knees; Ghost is a motionless presence in the corner, his unseen focus locked on the hallway. Soap breaks the quiet with a grin that doesn't touch his eyes. The door to your room clicks open, and every gaze turns. Price sets his mug down with a deliberate tap. The silence deepens, heavy with things unsaid. Then Soap stands, crossing the space in a few easy strides.…