8988/Of Mice and (Bird)Men (and Women)

Of Mice and (Bird)Men (and Women)
Date of Scene:	08 December 2021
Location:	Lobby - Titan's Tower
Synopsis:	The birds meet a mouse.
Cast of Characters:	Kian, Kaida Connolly

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Kian has posed:
    Seeing Kían in the main lobby isn't that uncommon.  It's a large, comfortable room, and it has the bar, even if it is alcohol-free.
    What is uncommon is that there are three more birdfolk with him, chattering happily in a language that's definitely not English.  Kían of course has his usual purple Kool-Ade; the others have similar tumblers, although of different colors.  And two of the other birds bear a bit of a resemblance to Kían himself.

Kaida Connolly has posed:
    Most would miss the movement.  Kaida, even when she's trying not to be stealthy is just that.  Stealthy.  She's tiny and she's fast.  It's a thing that happens.  A tiny entrance that she helped design opens up and she rushes in and toward the shaft flyers use to move between floors.  However, she comes to a halt upon seeing a strange sight.
    "Whoa!" Kaida states from the floor and casually takes a few steps before simply leaping up to a spot on the wall near the group, one foot and tiny hand gripping the wall as if it weren't something of a smooth surface.  She skids down just a tiny amount but otherwise hangs tight as she looks down at the group from around seven foot off the floor.

Kian has posed:
    Kían was certainly focused on his companions… as were his companions, so no, nobody noticed Kaida until the unexpected "Whoa!".  Kían is phlegmatic, waving and greeting with a cheery, "/Kié/, Kaida!"
    The others, however, are a bit more taken aback.  There's no telling what they're saying, it's in Kían's native language.
    After a further exchange, three of them put slim metal bands on their heads, and adjust them to fit; Kían for his part waves Kaida over to join them.  "There was an acciden' wit' Terry an' one of his Rabbit Holes, an' my sister Shíri an' brother Keth are here, wit' a frien' of ours, Kála."
    "She can really understand us?" Keth asks.
    "Are you sure that's not a rut?" Kála asks.
    "It has the wrong markings for a rut," Shíri says with certainty.
    Kían sighs heavily.  "I am sorry, Kaida, I think they do not understan' that you are not a pet.  I am tryin' to explain."

Kaida Connolly has posed:
    A blink at that and Kaida leaps right by Kala's face and points at her.  "You're a runt!" she states before landing on Kian's shoulder unless he dodges.  She then stands up straight and crosses her arms as she eyes theM.  "Your family has a lot of nerve."  She nods and looks over at Kian.  "A pet?!  I'm like ."  She shivers and raises her hands up into the air before slamming them down against her sides.
    "I'm like the greatest mouse hero ever in the history of the universe!" she states and nods her head.  "And at least top 20 of regular superheroes."  She nods her head.

Kian has posed:
    "She said rut, not 'runt'," Kían explains, not objecting to Kaida's choice of perches.  "It iss an animal that lives in trees on our worl', an' you are about the same size as one.  They haf never seen a mouse.  They haf definitely never seen an intelligen' talkin' mouse.  I did not either, before I met you."
    Shíri leans forward a little.  "Kié, Kái-ta," she says, stumbling over the name.  "Whatever or whoever you are, you're very cute."
    Kían winces slightly.  "An' the only reason they speak Engliss iss because they are usin' translators an' it annoys me that it soun's better than I do."
    Keth sits up.  "Can I pet her?"
    Kían replies dubiously, "Uh, that's up to her."
    "Can I pet you?" Keth asks Kaida, without missing a beat.
    Kála has recovered her equilibrium from being called a runt by a mouse and remarks, "I don't know, I'm not sure she's friendly."

Kaida Connolly has posed:
    A blink at Shiri and she shifts a little on Kian's shoulder and then raises her head up slightly before looking over to Shiri with a smile.  "Why thank you."  She nods her head and then blinks at Keth before looking to Kian and then back at Keth.  She then squints at Kala before clearing her throat.
    "Umm, I suppose that's fine," she states and then looks more directly at Kala and hmms.  "You're not a runt.  I thought that's what you called me.  I did not know Rut was a thing."  She nods her head.  "I apologize.  Mostly."

Kian has posed:
    "Oh!  She is friendly, then," Kála says, breaking into a smile.  "You do look a little like a rut.  Except without the mask.  And the gliding membrane."
    Keth snickers, holding out his hand.  "So, not much like a rut then."  If Kaida touched Keth's hand, she'll get a good mental image of a rut—basically a Kaida-sized flying squirrel, but with markings like a raccoon.
    Shíri tilts her head inquisitively.  "Are you on Kían's team?"
    "It iss not my team."
    She gives Kían an exasperated big sister look.  "I meant the team you're on."

Kaida Connolly has posed:
    The hand held out is just an invitation in Kaida's mind and so she leaps over to the hand and looks back at Kian.  She then blinks.  "Whoa.  You all do that then," she says to no one in particular before shaking her head.  "And I look nothing like that!  I'm far cuter!" she states and nods her head.  She then looks to Shiri before looking over at Kian briefly and then laughs.
    "And yes, we're both on the Titans.  I am Kaida,  the mighty swordsmouse!"  She pulls out her blade and shield and thrusts the sword into the air.

Kian has posed:
    "Ai, I am sorry, I forgot that Keth does not know to keep his min' to himself.  Rut'yw are common to our part of Kyshan, an' probably the closes' thing to what you look like, so…."  Kían shrugs, feathers rustle.
    Keth is fascinated.  "Are there more of you?  Or are you the only one?"
    "And what do you do with those?"  Shíri indicates the sword and shield.  "Do they focus your energies or something?"
    Kían moans.  "Shíi, those fantasy books of your haf put a hole in your mind."

Kaida Connolly has posed:
    "What do I…?"  She stares in disbelief at Shiri before shaking her head and looking to Keth.  "I'm the one and only!" she declares and nods her head.
    "And…"  She looks over at Shiri.  "They're a sword a shield."  She gestures to one and then the other.  "They shield and cut," she states simply and shrugs as she looks at Kian in a questioning manner.
    "Do your people not cut things and block things?"

Kian has posed:
    "Keth is a blocker on our intraclan qihár team," Kála offers, "but I think that's probably not what you mean."
    "We do not fight like that on our worlds, Kaida," Kían tries explaining.  "They say we once did thousan's of years ago, with each other, but no one woul' think of usin' a blade for more than kitchen work now."
    Shíri looks stunned.  "Earth people fight among themselves?"  She doesn't sound like she believes it.
    Kían nods once.  "They do.  I know firs' hand."

Kaida Connolly has posed:
    Looking at Kian with a blink.  "You don't fight?" she asks and tilts her head before looking over at the others here and staring for a long moment before shaking her head.  She idly puts the sword and shield away before letting out a breath.
    "That's… amazing," she states and then hops back over to Kian's shoulder before shaking her head.
    "Seems like people here fight more than anything."  She looks at Kian before blinking.  "oh, hey, whoa. I just realized I am gonna be late!"

Kian has posed:
    "We compete," Kála says.  "Kían is on our qihár team too, or at least he was."
    "An' Kála takes that about as serious as a war," Kían says half under his breath.
    Kála ignores that.  "But we don't fight," she says firmly.  "Maybe that's why you need Kían here, to show Earth there's another way."
    Kían pointedly says nothing about the conversation he'd had with the viceroy of Kyshán before coming back to Earth.  "Maybe," he says.  "Late for what, Kaida?"

Kaida Connolly has posed:
    "I have to be on a video call with someone!" she declares and nods her head and leaps off of Kian to land on the floor and waves her hand.  "It was very nice meeting you all!"  She then runs toward the elevator shaft only to stop and run back to leap up and waves at Shiri.  "You're cute, too, by the way!"  And with that she runs up the elevator shaft.