Take Your Tradition and Shove It

[mikangirl]

Who: Nami and you
Broadcast: Yep
Action: Bloodsport / Space Bar, Iskaulit
When: Now-ish

[Nami sleeps in an hour past the start of her shift at the Space Bar because the Atroma have always had such excellent timing.  When she finally blinks awake, all icy sweat and teary-eyed, she spends a good few minutes slowly convincing herself it was just a bad dream, not actual, y'know, memories, which is a pretense that lasts all the way until she sits up and catches sight of herself in the mirror.

Welp.

There's no definites, on either side.  That's something to think about.  She checks the time and date on her comm, realises she's only lost an extra half day, and pings the bar staff on duty to let them know she's running late.  She can have her depressing existential crisis later.  Runs through the shower and skids out into the cargo bay with her hair still damp and her backpack over her shoulder and--

And--????

There's a giant thing staggering around in here with yellow feathers sticking out awkwardly from the most godawful wrapping paper she's ever seen--]

[Indignant Video]

Hey!  [This here's a redhead with a lot more hair this morning, looking pissed.]  Who the hell left the giant bird in our cargo bay?  You can't just wrap a living creature in that much--

KWAAA!?

[She breaks off, startled, to glance over her shoulder at the crackling sound and sudden rumbling of something heading this way.  It's a wildebeest herd  And then has just enough time for a shriek before the comm goes flying , which means maybe all you get after that is a blur of yellow feathers and pink flamingo wrapping paper that's on fire (who giftwrapped the electric bird seriously) and a whole lot of joyful bird sounds who just ran over his favourite navigator sort of accidentally, but that's Biri for you.  JFC, bird.

Muffled and in the distance, after a few moments--]

...never mind.  I'm gonna be later.

[She recognises him now the wrapping paper has kind of burnt to ash, that's for sure.  Ow.]

-------

[She will eventually get to the Space Bar with all due apologies, so you can catch up with her there.  Or order a drink.  She's in a better mood than when she woke up, at least.  Giant idiot birds will do that to you.  Even if they singe your hair a little at the same time.]

Comments

ac....tion

[axi]

[Kaname's walking down the main hall when she hears a weird sound followed by a shriek. She drops any plans and quickly heads down to the cargo bay to check it out.]

Nami? Are you okay?

[The doors open just in time for her to see her captain getting body slammed by a giant chicken and something on fire not too far away.

She makes her way to the scene, avoiding the bird and captain, to start stamping out the flaming paper.]

Tell me if you need help.

[mikangirl]

Help throwing this stupid bird out the airlock, maybe. [It's muttered and grudging and not at all sincere, and a little muffled as Nami's still buried by bird. But a good violent shove sends him flopping off and she sits up, rubbing her head. Sheesh. This feels familiar.]

I'm okay. Uh...I know this bird. I guess he knew me even with the paper on his head. I don't know why he's here, though.

[...is one of her hair locks on fire it's totally singed wow Biri. He gives her a joyful look and practically tries to fall on her and she shoves him with a foot this time, sending him sliding. Weird.]

...smaller, too.

[axi]

[The burning paper is put out quickly, so Kaname turns to pay attention to the bird and captain, watching the ensuing antics. A smile tugs at the corner of her mouth.]

Well, people have been receiving things from their home recently...

[She can't help but give them both an amused sympathetic look.]

That's a definite possibility if nothing else.

[mikangirl]

[He's here because of her? Nami'd always thought of Biri as his own pers-- well, his own creature, anyway. He's smart. There's a wealth of emotions that flash across her face at the thought, everything from delight to nostalgia to absolute chagrin and a flicker of sadness. But in the end, her face just screws up in a frown.]

I didn't know it was live animals. A giant flying duck, stuck on a spaceship? That's cruel. [She'll have to take him down on planet every chance they get. Only-- she tugs at his feathers gently, frown deepening as she stands up to measure heights. He comes up to her shoulder. Definitely way smaller.]

They shrank him, too. What a bunch of assholes.

[But her tugging turns into some gentle ruffling of those feathers and settling them down again. It is good to see him again. Only good memory of those islands, you big dumb bird.]

[axi]

[She sees the conflict on her captain's face, and decides to let her sort it out on her own. Mostly, anyway. Kaname goes over to the pair, looking at Biri curiously.]

It might be, but I hope it wasn't their intention. [Even if it was, who can say? The singer tentatively reaches out her hand to the bird, glancing at Nami for guidance because... right.]

Look at it this way, if he was bigger, it would be even more difficult for him and you.

[mikangirl]

[Nami's response to that glance is just a fleeting smile and a lift of her chin towards Biri. Go right ahead.

And--] Point. I don't think he can carry people anymore, from the looks. [Probably brief trips in a pinch, but... well, he could carry Takeshi. Bonus of being a kid.]

Maybe he's only here for a little while. I hope the next place we fetch up has a lot of healthy blue sky.

Ah-- this is Biri. [Watch that head perk up at his name. But he's watching Kaname cheerfully enough. He sees that hand.]

[axi]

[Well, okay then. Placing her hand on Biri, she lightly rubs his head.] Nice to meet you, Biri. I'm Kaname.

[With a glance to Nami, she nods.]

A little iffy about this planet, huh?

[mikangirl]

[Blink. For a moment she just feels disoriented. Going home for a bit does that to you--]

Oh, right. We're still here, aren't we. The fluffy place?

[axi]

[She nods, letting hand drop from the bird's head.]

Yes, we are. Do you think the snow would be taking too much of a chance with him?

[mikangirl]

Mmm, weatherwise, no. He's a tough bird, and he's seen snow before. [Her smile is soft.] Though he might try eating far too much of it, once he gets a taste.

[axi]

If you'd like, I'd be happy to help you with taking him down to the planet.

[He seems like a good bird, and being stuck up here when he doesn't have to be isn't fair.]

[mikangirl]

I think we'd both appreciate it. He makes friends easy. [As long as you're nice to him, anyway. She remembers how he was with Shiki, and smiles wryly.] And I've got a lot of work to do, so if you ever want entertainment and you're heading down...

[axi]

I can't picture otherwise.

[Kaname nods, already thinking of things.] I think he and Freyja would do well for each other.

[mikangirl]

...oh wow, Freyja. Yeah. I think they'd be made for each other. [Grin. She ruffles Biri's feathers and he stands up to attention.] Well, welcome to space and all, you big dumb bird.

[That kwaa!! almost sounded outraged. He's not stupid, he's just... dramatic okay.]

[axi]

[She simply laughs at that.]

What do you think, Biri? You up for the rest of this bunch?

[mikangirl]

Kwaa! Kwakwa! [...did he just salute you with a wing. Nami's giggling. Sort of getting over the shock and realising she really kinda missed him.]

Think that's a yes.

[axi]

It sure looked like one to me. [Oh no, now the giggling's infecting her, too.]

[mikangirl]

Biri will always find a way to let you know what he wants, that's for sure.

[...come to think of it, she has no idea how much time has passed for him. Maybe he only saw her yesterday, who knows. If that's the case, he'd definitely be happiest here.]

He was... sort of created by a mad scientist. They weren't very nice to him.

[axi]

[Kaname's brows draw together at that fact, ruffling his head feathers again.]</small? Is that why he's able to shock things?

[mikangirl]

Yeah. From what I heard, deliberately bred into him. They were turning all the native animals on those islands into murderous, rampaging giants. Didn't take with Biri.

[Biri makes a small scoffing sound as if to say of course it didn't. And leans into the ruffling. Kaname might get something akin to static shock occasionally, but nothing more serious.]

[axi]

That's awful. [She does look appropriately appalled at the prospect of that all that. To her credit, she only recoils a little at each shock before going back to feather ruffling.]

Was he the only one who wasn't affected?

[mikangirl]

Couldn't say. We, uh... encountered a lot of the savage types. The only gentle one we found was Biri, but that doesn't mean there weren't more out there just minding their own business somewhere.

I hope so, anyway.

[axi]

Maybe they were planning a rebellion to take back the island.

[And maybe Kanane's taken one too many zaps at this point.

Even if her tone is amused.]

[mikangirl]

Ah, too bad. [She answers in the same vein, flapping a hand around lazily.] If we'd have known we wouldn't have interrupted all their plans and staged it ourselves.

[axi]

That might've been very rude of you. We'll never know now, will me?

[Okay, that's enough sparking from the bird. She withdraws her hand and shakes it a little, to get normal feeling back.]