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[yardbird]

[Hello network! Meet Murphy.

[Murphy does not sound happy, either. In fact, he's the very opposite of happy. Because at some point in his temporary freedom, he was pretty sure that he finally had things all sorted out. That was before he became an unwilling passenger aboard a spaceship seemingly headed to no determined destination. Out of the frying pan and into the furnace, as the saying goes. It's an idiom that couldn't be any more appropriate than it rings now.]

"Guess no one was kiddin' about all that crazy stuff that happens here, huh?"

[He tries to hide it in his voice, but Murphy is also sounding mildly alarmed when he speaks. Thus, he doesn't waste any more time:]

"Anyway, I actually wanted to, uh..." [Pause.] "Well, some birds just flew outta my locker, about an hour ago." [Wasn't expecting that. Scared the hell out of him, too... but he's not going to mention that part. He had spent most of that hour trying to look for them before he decided that MAYBE accessing his comm device would be more productive.] "They're just blue birds -- and they're small -- and I don't think they'll survive out here on their own."

[It was one thing when he set them free in a town. This place is different. He won't bother in asking how they even got here. After all the crazy shit he'd been through in Silent Hill and with the fear gas stuff that went down -- he's learned to just roll with it for now. Fortunately, he's well passed that stage of having another meltdown.]

"Just... If anyone finds 'em, uh... let me know?

"That's all."

[No, Murphy can't see himself caring for a pet. He's never even owned a goldfish at any point in his life. But the prospect of a little bird helplessly starving to death (or worse) in this place legitimately worries him. Yeah, he's a sap like that.]

[In other news! It's taken Murphy some time to figure these communicators out. He's already been way out of touch with the latest and greatest of technology -- even by his own world's standards, let alone an otherworldly one.
[Let's just say for now that he's not a huge fan of cell phones...]

[ private ping to anne cunningham ]
[Oh hell, here we go now:]

"Uh... ma'am..." [Wait.] "I mean, Cunningham. Hey. I just--"

[/so much awkward turtle all up in this]

"How are you holdin' up?"

[...It's strange. Knowing what he knows now, about who Anne is, and everything... Even if he would much rather avoid her at all cost after everything that's happened to them, Murphy also feels almost like he's got a responsibility. Checking up on her every now and then seems to be the least that he could do -- for all that he owes to her father.]

Comments

video;

[wont]

[ Hello, Murphy, this is the face of a medieval not!princess who seems to have more than her fair share of sympathy for your handful of little blue birds. The way her brow pinches in obvious worry is proof of that and when she speaks it is with a timid sort of kindness — as if Murphy himself were a bird and she has no intention of frightening him away. ] There were birds in your locker as well?

video;

[yardbird]

[Oh god. Too precious.]

I take it this sorta thing isn't unheard of?

[It's a good thing he's calmed down a bit by now. He tends to talk different when it's with kids -- always subconsciously putting on a much more soft-spoken tone that he doesn't intentionally think about.]

video;

[wont]

[ She has that effect on people, though Alayne has yet to become well enough aware of it to be able to bend it to her own devices. He seems like a harmless enough man, though she knows that things that seem harmless often hid the greatest treacheries. And so it is with polite caution that she speaks, her words chosen carefully and delivered equally so. ]

The lockers provide all manner of things and— and there are animals who have been given over to the passengers in the past. But never birds before. Not to my knowledge.

Mine came caged, so it had not the means to fly away.

video;

[yardbird]

[For the most part, he is -- harmless. His penchant for violence (be it for protecting others or for self-defense) isn't a side of him that he likes to let loose on a regular basis, even though it's there, existing. He doesn't blame the fact that some kids can be a little guarded around him, though. It's not like Murphy drips with the most adapt social graces.]

Doesn't seem like a great place to have animals around to me.

[He pauses.] You found birds in yours, too?

[video]

[savethebullshit]

[wow, that was sure an awkward audio message. It takes her a few seconds to brain any sort of response, and while she comes up with something, she just stares at her own blank screen. When Murphy sees the video, he'll notice that there are several birds sitting on top of her head]

I'm holding up fine. This place is no picnic, but it's not exactly the worst place I've been, either. How about you? Are you doing alright?

[and then a pause as one of the birds pecks at her hair]

I think I found your birds. They won't leave me alone.

[video]

[yardbird]

I'm... alright. Things got a little insane, but I--

[He stops. Stares at some of the birds -- and Anne.]

Shit, I'm really sorry...

[video]

[savethebullshit]

Good. I couldn't help but wonder if you'd get yourself killed. I'm glad to see you're alright, Pendleton.

[she glances up at the birds]

It's fine. It's not your fault. I'm not sure what they want from me, though.

[she would probably find the birds sort of adorable if they weren't being so annoying]

Where are you? I'll bring them to you and you can figure out what you want to do with them from there.

[video]

[yardbird]

Survived worse, didn't we?

[He wonders if there will be a time when he won't feel weird talking to her like this. At least he's got the birds to worry about, and that's distracting enough.]

I dunno... maybe a nest? [Heh.] I was just leavin' the oxygen gardens. I figured they'd probably try and flock to there, and not... [And not to Anne's hair.]

...I have no idea what I'm gonna do with 'em, though.

[audio]

[testgasm]

Please do not tell me you've gone and let birds loose on this ship.

[audio]

[yardbird]

I didn't mean for them to. If I'd known that they'd be in there, I wouldn't have...

[perma-voice]

[testgasm]

What are you doing with birds in your locker anyways?

[yardbird]

How should I know? I just went there to grab something, and they -- flew out.

video;

[sweetmotherofgod]

Birds, huh?

[ She's unmistakably amused. Heather's been here long enough to know that if something turns up here it usually has a meaning, and this guy doesn't exactly sound like a Disney princess. Curiosity: piqued. ]

I'll keep an eye out. What are you gonna do when you find them?

video;

[yardbird]

Uh, yeah.

[It seems odd to him that they'd show up here, but no more odd than finding his clothes, or his journal, or anything else of his that wound up in that locker.]

I... Honestly, I dunno. I don't have a cage for 'em or anything. Maybe they'll be safe in the gardens...

video;

[sweetmotherofgod]

Probably best to talk to one of the science types about that first. I mean, they eat bugs and stuff, right? It probably wouldn't be too drastic but if we mess up the little ecosystem going on in there... well, we all suffocate and die.

[which is a gloomy fuckin' thing to say, Heather, well done. Doesn't matter that she really wants the 'science types' to say sure, go ahead, it'll be great' because the thought of those gardens with actual birds in them, cheeping around and making it feel alive and real makes her borderline giddy.]

So that wouldn't be too great for the little guys either.

[video]

[yardbird]

Dammit... I hadn't thought about that. [His shoulders sag a bit, realizing that she's got a good point.] I have no idea what I'm supposed to do with 'em, though.

Any idea where I can track down those science guys? I'm new here, so...

[Sooo, he doesn't know much of anything.]

text

[mutelunatic]

birds?

[SHE LIKES BIRDS mainly because robots hate them or something.]

text

[yardbird]

[LET'S BE FRANDS.]

Yeah. Apparently, they can show up in your locker.

[Among other things, of course.]

text

[mutelunatic]

[JAILBIRD FRANDS except she wasn't in jail woops]

oh.

i got clothes.

[and her portal gun.]

video;

[upstairsbrain]

Birds? [He quirks a brow.]

Any idea why they were in your locker?

video;

[yardbird]

I don't. Doesn't seem like it's the first time this kinda thing has happened here, though.

video;

[upstairsbrain]

Really? So... people usually find random things stuffed in their lockers?

Video

[walksonrooftops]

I found a bird.

[Guess who's very late to this bird party. He's been hiding for the past few days, but he did happen across a bird--singular. How it even got here, he has no idea, and he wanted to catch it so he could make a meal of it, but it flew just out of reach.

Now it's just staring at him. Taunting him.]

Do you want your bird?

[video]

[yardbird]

[Wait. Who's this guy--]

...

[Kitty ears, huh? Not sure how many of those linger around the ship, but Heather seemed to be specific enough to indicate that there's just the one. And this guy sort of meets the description, sooo...]

You wouldn't happen to be Asato, would ya?

[An awkward pause, and then:] Uh, yeah... I'd like the bird back.

[Not sure whether if he'd call it "his" bird. Yes, it was in his locker. He set it free. He vouched to take care of them. But. Complicated feelings about pets and things. Murphy has them.]

[video]

[walksonrooftops]

Yes.

[His eyes narrow a little. He doesn't remember meeting this person before, so it's strange to him that he knows his name somehow. Word of mouth, maybe... but he's still wary.]

I'm Asato. I can try to catch the bird.

[A beat.]

Does the bird need to be alive?