[LN] No, those aren't for pulling

[carrierdove]

"I said to stop pulling my feathers."

The voice is flat and unamused. There is a giant mourning dove (about the size of a large dog) perched on the banister overlooking the Globe of Belief, and there's a cluster of elves huddled near him, completely disregarding personal space and putting their hands through his feathers, occasionally trying to pull one. The dove seems to be glaring at them, but it's hard to tell since it's a fucking bird.

"Go away and leave me alone." He flares his feathers and gives a flap of the wings, kicking up enough wind to make the elves slide back. Normally, the invasion of personal space would deeply upset him, but the little things feel more like animals than people. It'd be like getting angry at a dog for trying to get too close and personal.

The elves hide behind objects to escape the wind, but they're already peeking out, gauging how long it will be before they can go investigate the feathers again.

The bird sighs and turns his attention back to the globe, watching lights flicker in and out. Maybe he should fly closer to get a better look.

Comments

[animalhats]

"Hey, go get some cookies," comes an imperious child's voice behind Nageki. "Ones that you haven't eated at all, okay? And milk!"

He's lucky, this time, as Molly showed up and saw them heading back for the feathers. She's pretty good at dealing with them, as good as anyone can be when dealing with such stupid little things.

Molly, to be honest, has to fight not to do the same thing the elves were doing, because it's a GIANT TALKING BIRD, but she restrains herself. "Um, hi! I'm Molly, I don't think I've met you yet!"

[carrierdove]

It's a good thing that she resists the urge, because he wouldn't be nearly so patient with a human as he is for the childlike elves.

He swivels his head to look at her when he hears her talking to the elves, but doesn't make any other movement to acknowledge her. He just stares at her with those black bird eyes.

And then she actually talks to him. He blinks--his eyelids are blue--and looks away immediately, feathers fluffing out in what could be any number of emotions because he's a bird and what do fluffed feathers even mean for birds.

He doesn't talk for just a second too long, prolonging an awkward silence without seeming to mean to.

"Nageki. Fujishiro Nageki," he says when he seems to remember that he's expected to respond. "I haven't been here very long."

[animalhats]

It's okay to be awkward, Nageki - Molly excells at not letting someone else's awkwardness stop her from having a conversation.

"Cool!" She pulls herself up to sit on the railing. "Are you really a giant bird or are you like under a spell or something?"

[carrierdove]

Good, because that's the only kind of person he can have a conversation with.

He stares at her as she sits on the railing next to him. How odd. She doesn't have wings to catch herself if she falls, so it's more dangerous for her to perch than him. He supposes she might have magic, though. If all else fails, he'd catch her if she fell.

"I have always been a bird." The tone is flat, but his feathers smooth and he moves his eyes away from her again. It sounds a little like he thinks this should be obvious. "Birds are the dominant species where I come from. Are you really a human or are you under a spell or something?"

Nageki, don't be rude. But it's hard to tell if he's trying to be rude or not; the question is certainly pointed.