(no subject)

[cassiefuckingcage]

When Cassie makes her way downstairs for breakfast, her customary eggs and not-quite-disgusting protein drink are accompanied by a minor surprise.

Cassie's not in the mood for minor surprises right now. She regards the viewscreen, and its explanation of the day's happenings, with skepticism and annoyance.

"Fine. Get the shit parade over with."

The first screen displays a standard fuzzy yellow animal configuration.

"I come down first thing in the morning and you ask if I want to turn into a hamster? Next."

The second screen shows a half-Tarkatan configuration. Cassie's eyes narrow.

"Look, I really don't want to be anything other than me today. Alright?"

The screen obliges. It's like looking into a mirror now. Save for the red, glittering eyes.

Cassie's breath stops. Her vision narrows. Her fists clench and tremble with rage.

"...That's not funny. Not. Fucking. Funny."

The viewscreen informs her that there is one other option available.

"I've got a better idea: How about you give me one goddamned reason I shouldn't set you on FUCKING fire right now!?"

A loud shattering fills the bar. The cracked viewscreen disappears as chocolate-flavored protein drink trickles off the counter.

"Take this shit away, I'm not hungry anymore."

Comments

[lt_blade]

There is a hawk in the bar. Normally strange, but this time of the year-not so much. Why it's in the bar exactly and not outside? Well, she may be in an animal form, but she's no animal exactly. Besides, she likes it up there in the rafters.

Or she did until there was the shouting, and the crash and for a bird with highly sensitive hearing-it's enough to nearly make her fall off the rafter in surprise. Her wings flutter and flap and she just narrowly manages to keep her balance. Accompanied by the sound of wings is a soft clinking, the sound of ID tags wrapped around her leg in the same manner as a pair of jesses.

Seeing Cassie's reaction has her properly flap down on the table, carefully studying her. Cassie would notice that the ID tags have the name 'Blade, Sonya. E typed into them.

[cassiefuckingcage]

Cassie has acquired a small brush and a dustpan and is currently sweeping the broken glass off the counter. One would think the Bar could just magic this shit away - seems the least it could do. But it seems it's decided to be lazy today as well as an asshole.

Just as well. It's something to do to at least.

Her attention is occupied, so she's not looking at the dogtags just yet.

"Not really in the mood right now."

[lt_blade]

She's still curious as to what was on the screen to make her cause such a mess, but clearly she's not getting an answer now.

'Can I have something to help clean with?" Of course, to Cassie, this sounds just like a few sharp squawks, but the dustpan showing up by one of Sonya's talons makes it clear enough.

While picking up a small brush with her beak is tricky, she does manage to push the broken glass aside by gripping the dustpan with her claws. Considering that she needs the strength to take down pray, the movement isn't so hard if all she has to do is push.

[cassiefuckingcage]

Cassie's mouth is already open - a rather nasty remark is about to escape it - when she catches a glimpse of the tags.

Her expression softens from ready-to-snap-something to regular-old-miserable.

"Sure, Mom. Could use the help."

[lt_blade]

The way Sonya's eyes are set and with her new sharper vision, the quirks and suddenness of Cassie's changing expression are easy to pick up. She tilts her head in a very curious and hawklike manner before pushing more of the glass into the dustbin.

One of her talons steps into the chocolate protein shake, and she tries/fails to shake it off.

[cassiefuckingcage]

Cassie grabs a damp rag.

"Let me help with that."

She starts wiping down the counter before gently rubbing it over Sonya's talon.

"Look. I know this isn't gonna be much of a conversation, but I'm...sorry about a couple days ago."

[lt_blade]

She's as careful as she can be when Cassie takes a hold of her leg. When she's done, she carefully grips the towel and sets it on the table top where she could stand without getting messy. No doubt it'd get stuck, but she'd worry about that later.

Sonya tilts her head at the apology, wondering..almost fearing..what the sort of thing implied. The best she could give in response is a gentle slap of her right wing on Cassie's left arm: not painful, but the best way to show she's listening.

[cassiefuckingcage]

Cassie grasps the dustpan and scrapes it into a trash can before returning to rag duty. She's not going very fast. It's taking all her concentration just to get this out.

"I know you were trying to...open up to me. And I stonewalled you. That wasn't fair."

[lt_blade]

For a moment, Sonya wishes she was back to her human form. For all Cassie wasn't saying much about hers and 'other sonya's relationship-she was saying a lot, and in a way that it reminded her of just after Lance was killed.

Carefully, she moved over to the edge of the table, extending her wings around one of her arms. The closest she could come to with a hug.

She and her own mother never had much of a relationship. There was always a part of her that wanted to reconcile with her, but it was always an exhausting balancing act, and she never knew when it which way it went.

[cassiefuckingcage]

Cassie holds her arm still. The spill can wait right now.

"It's just. There's...there's so much I can't tell you. I can't even tell you why I busted this glass. I don't..."

She closes her eyes and exhales.

"I don't fuckin' know what to say. And now you're a bird."

[cutting_edgex23]

A dark-haired woman is already standing and heading in Cassie's direction when the yelling happens, never mind the subsequent shattering glass.

She's quick and silent, though she does shift her approach so that Cassie can see her coming.

It's polite.

X is also frowning very slightly, tension high as if she might need to move at any second.

"You are okay?"

It seems unlikely, but X does not know how else to ask the question.

[cassiefuckingcage]

Cassie is breathing deeply, her nostrils still flared. She closes her eyes and shakes her head.

"I will be when whatever runs this place finally lets me out."

[cutting_edgex23]

"Oh."

X's voice is a little quieter, though still flat and lacking affect.

"You are Bound. That is -- "

What is the word?

"Irritating. Sometimes."

[cassiefuckingcage]

"Wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have to deal with its interesting sense of humor."

[cutting_edgex23]

"At least it is not Loompas."

She sounds like she means it.

[cassiefuckingcage]

"The hell are Loompas?"

[cutting_edgex23]

"The cleaning staff. Here."

It's true.

"They are orange."

[cassiefuckingcage]

"They ever drag your nose through the worst thing that ever happened to you?"

[cutting_edgex23]

"Telepaths have done that."

A pause as she thinks about that.

"I do not know that the Loompas cannot."

[cassiefuckingcage]

"Well, they never did it to me. More than I can say of that countertop."

Cassie glances around the room.

"You know where they keep the brooms and dustpans?"

[boston_bruiser]

If it makes her feel better, there's a stupid-looking pinniped-thing near her flopping its way across the bar.

It's going "SEEL" with every few flops.

[cassiefuckingcage]

Cassie shoots it a puzzled grimace. It does not make her feel better.

"The hell do you want?"

[boston_bruiser]

It pauses in front of Cassie, fixing her with a dull-eyed stare.

"Seel. Seel, Seel."

And then it waves one flipper in front of her face.

[cassiefuckingcage]

"You do know there's like a million things I could use as a club in here, right?"

[boston_bruiser]

-well when you put it like that-

She is promptly given the Seel equivalent of the middle finger as the creature slowly flops away.