12749/Nowear To Be Seen

Nowear To Be Seen
Date of Scene:	11 September 2022
Location:	Kían's estate, Kyshán
Synopsis:	The mystery of Mike's clothes is solved.  By losing the rest of them.
Cast of Characters:	Kian, Michael Hannigan, Kaida Connolly

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Kian has posed:
    It didn't take long for the rut'yw and native birds to return, for two reasons.  First, Kían provides food for them regularly.  And second, they've not got much in the way of long-term memory anyway.  So Kían is sprawled out on a chaise with bowls of kibble and birdseed, making the non-sentient tree residents very happy.  One rut is curled up against Kían's side, lazily eating one kibble at a time from the bowl as if it were a well-trained pet.  Both birdman and beast look terrifically relaxed.
    The birds really wouldn't look completely out of place on Earth.  Convergent evolution is a thing.  Some of them have colorations that are unusual, at least by Terran standards.  Jay-sized birds with blue bodies and red wings, a flashy swift-shaped bird marked more like a lorikeet, a small cluster of green sparrow-sized birds that would be perfect camouflage for Gar.
    Kían sips at a cold drink and lazily scritches the top of the rut's head.  The inert master of all he surveys.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
    As Kian tends to the local visitors, one of the more distant visitors approaches.  Mike seems to have embraced the sparse nature of attiring oneself when on this planet.  And yet there is a compromise for the sake of the easier scandalized members of the traveling party.
    Or at least, that's what one might if they saw Mike.  As he walks onto the balcony, he appears to have continued to work with the shirtless look.  His only bit of attire right now is a pair of loose sleep pants.  Well done Michael!  Embracing new cultures and showing off the a—
    Uh.  Why is he frowning?
    Mike gives a tired sigh, shaking his head as he seems to know the answer already.  But it is a question that needs to be asked.  "Have you seen any… of my shirts?"
    There's a pause.  "Or some of my pants.  Not counting what I'm wearing.  I'm well aware of them."

Kaida Connolly has posed:
    Peering at the group, a small figure stands near the ceiling.  She isn't standing in the traditional manner, though, she's standing on the wall with her arms crossed looking down at things.  She still hasn't made peace with the small creatures that 'attacked' her.  She wasn't being mean to them but she doesn't fully trust them.  It's not like they can hurt her but neither can she hurt them but for whole other reasons.
    With a release of her toes, she flips in the air, spins once and lands casually on the ground as if she merely took a step.  She starts toward Kian and eyes Michael briefly before shaking her head.  "You lot sure do love to walk around without clothes on.  It's a very strange thing, if you ask me."  She nods her head as she approaches and keeps a close eye on the various animals before looking to Kian.
    "I mean, don't get me wrong, sometimes it is beneficial but it is awfully strange for someone raised on Earth."

Kian has posed:
    "I wasn't raised on Earth," Kían replies, taking another sip of his drink.  He's wearing a translator for the first time since arriving—his accent has thickened so much in just that short time, he's become hard to understand.  "We are comfortable in our bodies.  They're just shells anyway, it's what's inside that matters."  He adds, after reflection, "For the most part."
    He sits up (without dislodging the rut that has adopted him) and blinks at Mike.  "Shirts?  I thought there was just the one.  And pants now too?"  He chuckles.  "You're going native?"

Michael Hannigan has posed:
    Seeing Kaida make her entrance, Mike turns his head to look to her.  The comment gets a glance.  "Hey, I'm still wearing pants," he protests.  Sleep pants, but it's not a time to get technical.  He grumbles, "Although being I'm down to three pairs of pants and some socks now, I'm going to need to do laundry soon."
    Mike looks over to Kian.  "Yes.  More than one.  All the shirts I've packed are now gone.  Most of my socks are gone an—I don't know.  You seem to have a black hole for laundry going on in the house and I don't know where my stuff is going."

Kaida Connolly has posed:
    "I'm not sure whether this is a when in Rome thing or a guest thing," Kaida states as she casually considers this situation before looking over at Mike and then shrugs at him.  "I'm not just saying you but also you all have too many clothes."  Kaida nods her head as she looks at him before shrugging and looking over at Kian.
    "I don't go to the extreme of comfortable to the point of naked but I only keep two outfits.  I clean the other after I change it and then put it away for when I need to clean this one."  She gestures at what she is wearing and shrugs her shoulders.

Kian has posed:
    "A black hole wouldn't be any good at cleaning clothes," Kían says, completely seriously.  "There's a slot next to the closet door, once there's enough to do an economical batch, they'll be delivered clean to the door under the slot.  If you need a batch done early… hm.  I guess you'd have to let me know since you can't use the mindport and I could tell it to run them early.  If you've been washing them by hand… I really have no idea where your clothes have gone."
    He grins at Kaida—and she might have noticed that the rut'yw are keeping their distance, for the most part.  "You should compare notes with Terry.  He has to figure out clothes that work over fur, too.  I think that's among the reasons he likes to come here—no one complains if he goes for the minimum necessary coverage.  Honestly, no one would complain if he went for no coverage at all, but he's Earth-raised.  And his mom is here too—I can only imagine his reaction if he were lounging around in just a pair of sandals when his mom dropped by."
    Meanwhile, a rut is sniffing around Mike's right ankle.  "I think they like you.  They're harmless, they won't bite."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
     Mike looks over to Kaida as she lectures at him for packing too many clothes.  "If I didn't pack more than two pairs of pants I wouldn't have any clothes right now," the musician bites out.
    Kian's response to Mike's figure of speech causes for the musician to tilt his head.  "No.  I mean—"  Mike pauses.  "Thanks.  Yeah I'll have to take you up on that tonight."
    The feel of something at his ankle causes for Mike to step back instinctively, glancing down to the critter.  Kian's assurance that they're harmless keeps him from moving back any further when the rut inches back over to his ankle.  "…okay they're kind of cute."

Kaida Connolly has posed:
    A blink at Michael and Kaida tilts her head.  "And just what are you doing that is making your pants all dirty so quick."  She nods her head as she looks down at her own pants and back to him.  "Pants are very resilient and can last longer than most clothes!" she declares and nods her head before shaking her head with a sigh.
    "Honestly, you folks that are big are just sick with the need to clean clothes way often."  She shrugs before she idly watches the rut by Mike's leg and then she casually looks around and sniffs at the air.
    "What is there to eat?"

Kian has posed:
    Kían grins at Kaida.  "Another good reason to just go without, yes?"
    He closes his eyes a moment and concentrates.  "It'll be a few minutes.  I'm having some dóti sent out, what we had the other day, since you said you liked it.  I could do with a snack too.  Mike, if you like… nnh, what is it called?  Dimsun and susi?  It's at the Asian restaurants around the Tower, anyway."
    Another rut is sniffing around Mike's right ankle.  A third one glides in and clamps itself around his left knee.
    "Heh.  They really like you!"

Michael Hannigan has posed:
    Mike looks over to Kaida.  A smile snakes across his features as he looks to her.  Does she really want to know?  He's quiet for a few moments longer before clarifying, "I packed more shirts than pants."  He admits, "And I can't WEAR them if they keep disappearing before I can get around to doing that."
    "I haven't had sushi in awhile," Mike admits, "but I'm for trying something like thaaHH...
    The musician looks down as he sees not one, but three of the ruts now paying him attention.  The one clamping onto his knee is particularly getting attention.  "They don't bite, right?"  Yes, Kian may have answered the question but being one of them is currently advancing to an area of concern, he'd like confirmation.

Kaida Connolly has posed:
    A smile at Kian and she nods.  "I did really enjoy that, good to have more!" she declares before she casually looks over at Michael and laughs a little.  She shakes her head as she watches him before she points at him.
    "I don't think they bite, but enough of them could try to kidnap you this time."  She nods her head and looks to Kian with a headtilt.
    "I haven't seen your siblings much since I've been here."

Kian has posed:
    Kían laughs at Kaida's suggestion that enough rut'yw could gang up and kidnap Mike and reassures him that no, they don't bite… although to be fair, more are gathering around his legs, even to the point of ignoring the treats Kían has set out for them… and when they even ignore the robot bringing out a tray of dóti, that's when Kían really thinks something's up.
    "Uh, this might be a strange question, Mike, but… is there anything weird in your pants we should know about?"

Michael Hannigan has posed:
    Mike doesn't have much mind to respond to Kaida's comment but the ongoing arrival of more of these ruts paying an unseemingly amount of attention to his legs is a tad distracting.  Especially as the accumulated weight of the ones starting to grab onto his pants start to tug it down.  He does manage to catch the slide of the pants before anything of note could be shown but the wading steps Mike takes is far from graceful.  The retreat doesn't help with the situation as the ones that were initially standing on the balcony itself decide to hop on for the ride.
    "The only thing in my pants is ME," Mike replies, keeping his hold on the waistband.
    Interpret as you will.

Kaida Connolly has posed:
    "Kian, are you sure they can't get a taste for blood?" she asks and eyes the way the animals are crawling on Michael.  She then tilts her head.  "I mean, if all he has on are pants, then it's odd that they'd want to go for him like that."  She then considers.  "Check the pockets?" she suggests and looks at Michael with a shrug before she casually runs over to the wall near him to scamper up it and look back down at the creatures from a better vantage point.

Kian has posed:
    "I have never heard of anyone being injured by a rut," Kían states flatly.  "Kaida's right, check your pockets—and did you bring soap or scent or anything with you from Earth that no one else is using?"
    He moves the rut that was leaning on him and comes over to help clear Mike's pants of animals.
    There's a sentence to never be taken out of context.
    The problem is, as soon as he moves one, another takes its place… and the one he moves scampers right back again.  "I've never seen them do this before."  He's trying very hard to not sound amused but… yeah.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
    Kaida has a way with words.  A taste for blood?  Oh.  Lovely.
    Mike tries reaching into his pockets, confirming the lack of anything in them.  "Nothing in the pockets," he confirms.  To the mention of scent, Mike gives a small laugh.  "I'm the odd one out.  I don't live with any of you.  Very likely I use different soap and detergents than you."
    Mike's form shifts, features reversing in order to test the theory.  Closing his eyes for a moment he steps back, causing the rodent like creatures to fall through and land on the balcony.

Kaida Connolly has posed:
    A blink as she watches him transform, so to speak, and she blinks as all the little critters fall to the floor.  She looks over at Kian and then she considers and nods.  "I see."  She states, "Maybe they are like that one commercial." She looks over at Michael.
    "Were you by chance wearing Axe Body Spray?"  She sniffs at the air.  "I mean, I don't smell that lingering scent but I do try to tune out certain smells."

Kian has posed:
    The rut'yw fall away and look anything from confused to genuinely put out at not having Mike's pants to sniff at.  Some are sitting there looking baffled, others are snuffling around where he'd been standing.  "There's one more test that could be done to make sure whether it's you or your clothes, but you'll have to take your pants off."
    At about that moment a short, squat robot rolls out with a large beach towel in its carrier.  "I don't have any kilts that will fit you, but you can wrap this around yourself, if you must."
    He can't help himself.  "Earthers are weird…."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
    Mike shakes his head to Kaida's question.  "No, I don't wear cologne."  He pauses, looking to the creatures.  "…intentionally."  The musician gives Kian a LOOK at the suggestion, glancing over to Kaida for a few moments.  Considering.  He shakes his head, grabbing the towel before fading from view, towel and all.
    Several moments pass before a pair of sleep pants reappear, tumbling to the balcony floor.

Kaida Connolly has posed:
    Watching, she stares for a moment before looking down at the robot and she peers at it closely.  Without even asking, she leaps over to the robot and lands on it.  She pokes at it briefly, sniffing at it and then looking to Kian.  "Still curious how your robots work."  She nods her head as she then blinks at the appearance of the pants.  She looks at the pants briefly before looking to Kian and then at the pants.
    "I swear, the things that happen with this group are really odd."

Kian has posed:
    We shall call this a successful experiment.
    The pants have barely hit the floor before there's a little fuzzy squabble over them, three rut'yw tugging on one leg and two on the other, then all five go tumbling over the edge of the balcony.  When it comes back into view, there's two holding onto one pant leg and one onto the other, trying to glide in opposite directions.  It's not graceful.
    Another movement catches Kían's eye.  "Uh.  Two questions, Mike.  Did you leave your window open… and did you used to have another pair of jeans?"  He points.  There's definitely another pair of pants being absconded with.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
    As the other half of the experiment consisted of whether or not he had any draw to the creatures, it stands to reason that Mike would eventually reappear once the switch was made.  And so appear he does, exposing much more than he has for the entire trip.  The muscle definition in the shoulders and back was already shown, but with the lack of pant legs, there's more to confirm that this musician apparently loves to climb stuff.  Which… might be a good thing as The Birbworld flying tree ninjas are making off with his stuff.
    Kian's questions get a look.  And then, the expression changes to one of horror.  "Godd–"
    Biting back the rest of the sentiment, Mike bolts out from the balcony to head to his room.  There's a slight flutter to the towel as he moves but the tightly gripped fabric prevents it from shifting to truly provide a view.

Kaida Connolly has posed:
    At her spot on the wall, Kaida stares and then watches the creatures fly off with the jeans before she just falls off the wall and the reason?  She's laughing her fool head off on the ground even as she calls out, "He ain't got no breeches!"  She then laughs more.

Kian has posed:
    "Well, that answers that," Kían says, obviously fighting down the urge to laugh….