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[What indeed...

Kaveh frowns thoughtfully.]

Do they eat them...? My other self would usually buy specially-made bird food at a shop, so that's what I've been using for now.

[Do they . . . ? For some reason, it was one of the first answers to come to mind.]

Have you any on hand?

[Kaveh shakes his head.]

I could try and run to the store, but that might take too long. [Surely Roland needs his shoe because he was going somewhere??] Hold on, let me try the food I have. It usually doesn't work, but it can't hurt...

[Off he goes!! He will return with a bag of what is probably obnoxiously expensive bird food... in the meantime, Demon Bird stares at Roland like he killed its parents.]

[No one can say that Kaveh doesn't spoil his bird. Roland feels a wee bad, but it's not good for the bird, at whom he stares back with no idea on how to engage, to eat a shoe, either.

Tentatively, he starts to lift a hand, palm up, toward the bird.]

[TRULY NO ONE CAN SAY THAT AND WHAT IS THE THANKS HE GETS FOR IT, absolutely nothing.

The bird watches Roland's hand with its beady lil eyes. It makes some kind of unintelligible noise, and it doesn't drop the shoe, but it doesn't try and attack Roland either. Neutrality, or a stand-off... who's to say...]

[Neutrality is good. A stand-off is okay, too. There's an absence of outright hostility and that's fantastic. Some part of Roland knows not to push it, so he keeps his hand where it is with the hopes that the bird or Kaveh will come around soon.]

[There is a distant thumping noise and a muffled curse as Kaveh digs out a dish to put this bird's food in. Meanwhile, the bird continues to watch Roland's hand; when he doesn't move, it turns around and begins to waddle away with the shoe. Goodbye.]

[The thumping draws Roland's gaze in Kaveh's unseen direction. Is Kaveh okay?

By the time Roland turns back around, the bird has already waddled out of his reach. Well, then. Seeing as it can't leave the suite, he stands up and watches it go lest he aggravate it further. Goodbye, bird and shoe.]

[Kaveh is never okay.

But, as if in a comedy skit, Kaveh rounds the corner just as the bird vanishes from sight, a bowl of food in his hand.]

This should do it--where did it go?!

[One day, Kaveh will be a little okay.]

To whence it came, I imagine. Is it your room?

[He would propose going after it, but if it's someone's bedchamber . . . ]

Oh, no--

[HE DASHES OFF TOWARDS HIS ROOM. Roland is free to follow if he likes, but even if he doesn't, he'll be able to hear Kaveh's voice.]

Get out from under there, you little--!

[Was he wrong? Is the bird not meant to be in Kaveh's room?

Roland follows after Kaveh, but peers in from the doorway without entering or looking too much. Where is "under"? Are Kaveh and the bird going to be all right? There's never a dull day around here.]

Kaveh . . . ?

[THERE TRULY IS NEVER A DULL DAY. When Roland follows, he'll find Kaveh on his stomach on the floor, stretching an arm out under the bed. The floor is littered with papers, pieces of wood, but it looks like a kind of "organized chaos" deal rather than a haphazard mess.]

Give me that--!

[Under the bed, the bird shrieks maniacally. It's definitely laughing at him.]

[He doesn't look much, nor does he try to; still, it's hard not to notice the organized chaos. Shocking as the sight is, though, perhaps it suits Kaveh.

However, Roland is not so sure that the bird is suited for Kaveh. He takes a step closer without entering.]

Can I help?

[Listen... it's a love-hate relationship. Kaveh does best when he is surrounded by people and animals that drive him insane, probably.

Anyway he bumps his head as he crawls back out from under the bed, cursing.]

Ugh... you can try, if you want. Just be careful, I can't predict who he'll bite.

[Kaveh, no.

Taking that as an invitation to come inside, Roland strides over to kneel down beside the bed. He bends at the waist to peer under it and sight the bird first. Hopefully it doesn't charge and peck his eyes out.]

[Kaveh yes.

The bird does not peck his eyes out! But it does cackle at him. It's basically this. Help.]

[Help.

Roland is not sure if he's ever heard a bird make the sounds he's hearing now in his entire life before this moment. He blinks, mesmerized and taken aback at once. Then he slowly sticks a hand under the bed and extends his arm, reaching with his palm out.]

It's all right. We simply wish for you to be out here and not under the bed. Won't you come out?

[Wipes my tears. Birds are maniacs.

Fortunately, this one doesn't bite Roland; but it does just. Spin in a circle and make more weird noises. Okay. Maybe it's playing?]

[This bird is special.

Roland pulls back to look up at Kaveh.]

It seems to be playing.

[And enjoying itself, at that. Because of that, he climbs back onto his feet to leave it be, still without the other half of his pair of shoes.]

[ROLAND NO]

But it's got your shoe!

[Yes!]

It's just a shoe. I will buy another pair and wear those for the time being, and retrieve this one once your bird tires of it.

What--no, oh my god, don't do that! [PLEASE. The bird cackles again, distantly. Maybe it's found a portal.] At least let me pay for it, since this is my fault anyway.

[Nay, he will do that. The cackling tells him he has no other choice.]

Nonsense. I am merely letting the bird borrow what's mine. [Though a large part of him wouldn't be surprised if he never gets it back . . . ] And I've the money to spare.

[EURGHGHGH...]

Fine, but at least let me make it up to you some other way. And I'll bring you your shoe as soon as I can get my hands on it.

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duskspear - 2023-06-26 02:41 (UTC) - Expand