[Michael laughs aloud, and lets the layers of illusion hiding him flicker out.
Here and now, he no longer cares if other people worry about him; it hasn't even occurred to him that they might in the first place. So when he becomes visible, so too do the signs of his illness. His skin is deathly pale, only a few shades off from his hair, and all his visible veins have gone black - those in his hands, his neck, and even some tiny ones around his eyes. Dark stains from the ooze he's been coughing up are dotted on his sleeves and face, but he's not doing that now. He feels just fine.]
Hey there. [He smiles, and the expression is completely empty. It doesn't reach his eyes, which are similarly devoid of anything more typical of Michael.] Boy, birds are really fragile, huh? All those hollow little bones. It's a very poor choice of pet.
tw: violence towards birds
Here and now, he no longer cares if other people worry about him; it hasn't even occurred to him that they might in the first place. So when he becomes visible, so too do the signs of his illness. His skin is deathly pale, only a few shades off from his hair, and all his visible veins have gone black - those in his hands, his neck, and even some tiny ones around his eyes. Dark stains from the ooze he's been coughing up are dotted on his sleeves and face, but he's not doing that now. He feels just fine.]
Hey there. [He smiles, and the expression is completely empty. It doesn't reach his eyes, which are similarly devoid of anything more typical of Michael.] Boy, birds are really fragile, huh? All those hollow little bones. It's a very poor choice of pet.
[He squeezes.]