(no subject)

[run_barry]

At a table is one Barry Allen with a short stack of books and a small potted plant.

The plant is a red zinnia, and it doesn't look to be doing so good.

The books are on horticulture and gardening.

After an initial speed-read through the entire stack, Barry goes back and starts to page through the first book again, slower this time.

Turning pages, he looks up from the book every now and then and gives the little plant a frown, and then keeps on reading.

He's totally botherable, and open to help from anyone with a green thumb.

Comments

[run_barry]

"You just want to knock them on the floor," Barry says, shaking his head at the porg.

He knows this because that's the exact thing GP would do.

"Where did you come from? Do you belong to somebody?" he asks, looking around to see if there's anyone looking for a lost porg.

[space_puffin]

GP and Puffy have something in common? SHock! HoooRror!

He wanders over to the plant and nudged it briefly.

At the questions he tilts his head briefly and stares into Barry's eyes with large unblinking porg eyes. Where did he come from? Oceans and rocks, the smell of salt on the air, the tall cliffs and cold winds and rain.... Fish.

Yummy fish.

This is an impression that Barry might get in a flash. A projection, empathic... telepathic... ghost of a thing.

[run_barry]

Why did porgs do that? With the staring and the not blinking? It was a little unnerving.

More unnerving is that brief mental flash of a place he doesn't recognize to a question he just asked a space bird.

Now it's Barry's turn to stare at the porg.

"Did you just-- no, no way, that's crazy," he asks, then answers himself, trying to laugh it off.

There's no way. Right?

Side-eying the bird, Barry still isn't all that certain, but he is a nice guy so finally he says, "You're probably hungry, right?"

Porgs, it seems, are always hungry. A thing he and they have in common.

[space_puffin]

Barry.

Barry.

Barry.

You're a speedster.

You're in a multiversal bar.

You can travel through time.

Why is a psychic bird any more crazy?

On the other hand....

Food? When isn't a porg hungry? Will there be blue puff cubes? He wants blue puff cubes!

[run_barry]

Barry gets that it's a strange and weird multiverse, but a psychic space bird is a toe over the line.

Of course, future experiences are going to shift that line pretty far out there.

"Alright," he says to the bird. "Gimme a sec."

Barry gets up from his seat to go and have a conversation with Bar. He leaves the stack of books, but takes the potted flower with him.

It's not that he doesn't trust you, Puffy. It's-- yeah, no, he doesn't trust you, Puffy.

[space_puffin]

Well, that's good.

Because really.

Psychic birds aren't that weird.

Honest.

It's the Force. He used the Force, Barry.

The plant is gone. Life is tragic. The books on the other hand! He nudges one open and stares at the words. Puffy has no idea what they say but Barry seemed to be very interested in them so he wants to see what the fuss was about.

[run_barry]

If the words don't make any sense there are at least plenty of pictures. Lots of flowers and gardening diagrams to look at.

Barry returns with... blue marshmallows?

He's got a packet of the things and is examining one of them when he gets back to the table.

The plant he left with Bar.

"Okay so, Bar seems to think you like these," Barry says, not sure what he's looking at, but trusting the sentient counter to know her patron's tastes.

[space_puffin]

Blue puff cubes!?

Puffy gets all excited when he sees them, jumping up and down flapping his wings excitedly. Trilling even. BLUE PUFF CUBES!!!!

The Bar is quite correct.

He may forgive Barry for the vest incident for these.

[run_barry]

Barry laughs at the porg's antics and smiles.

"I guess she was right."

That said, he lightly tosses the cube he's holding onto Puffy's way.

His aim is for it to land just in front of Puffy, but it's a nice easy toss should the porg be able to, or decide to, catch it.

[space_puffin]

He jumps up and snatches the puff cube out of the air... and then bonks his head against Barry.

Look, Hondo taught him to bonk his head against things for blue puff cubes.

[run_barry]

Barry flinches a little, worried for a moment that he's triggered a porg-attack.

"Okay then... "

That's... different.

"Well here, enjoy," he says, grabbing out a handful of the cubes and dumping them on the table for Puffy.

[space_puffin]

Fortunately the cubes aren't being tossed at him so he doesn't bonk Barry again. Instead he scarfs them down and gives a pleased burp. Large eyes blink at Barry and there's a sense of pleasure, more so than what's given from the porgs' physical body language. Also that Barry should try some.

That last bit was emphasized by a nudge of the bag towards him.

[run_barry]

Okay seriously, there is definitely something up with this bird.

Even as Barry is weirded out, though, he's also glad that the porg is happy.

He's still not sure if he's imagining things or if the space bird is communicating somehow, but he's also used to having one-sided conversations with quirky birds so, he replies.

"Ah, thanks man, but those are all you," Barry says, declining the puffs by pushing the bag back in Puffy's direction.

Barry's not quite sure what the blue marshmallow things are, but if they're anything like GP's shrimp puffs, Barry is good on passing.

[space_puffin]

He's a bird from an island heavily influenced by the Force.

Of course there's something up with this bird.

If Barry doesn't want any of the cubes - which are not like shrimp puffs as they seem to be standard fare for non porgs to eat - then fine. Hondo was trying to saute some when the porgs on the Falcon discovered this.

There are a few more eaten before he checks out the books again. He does that thing that cats do where they shove themselves under an arm to get a look at the book.

[run_barry]

They're just a little suspicious, is all. And Barry is from a world where dog jerky looks exactly like the real thing so, best not to take chances.

Barry is surprised by the porg's action, but smiles and, carefully reaches his hand over to pet the porg. If the porg will allow it, Barry is ready to take his hand back if protest or biting seem imminent.

[space_puffin]

There's nothing that says humans can't eat dog jerky. Or dogs can't eat human jerky.

Barry has fed Puffy his favorite food, he is mostly forgiven for the vest incident. The hand isn't protested or threatened to be bitten. Instead a soft crooning escaped him.

[run_barry]

Barry's sensibilities say one shouldn't. Or at least, he won't.

Anyways...

That crooning draws another smile and Barry pets the porg, fingers traveling around to that spot behind the head and between the wings that's just so scritchable.

GP, at least, enjoys a good scritching there.

[space_puffin]

Oh.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes....

The crooning increases into a trill and starts doing the melty thing that critters do when they are getting perfectly scratched.

[run_barry]

Smiling wider, Barry continues to give scritches to the porg.

"I hope this means we're friends now," Barry says, turning a page in his book.

[space_puffin]

Yes.

As long as there aren't any horrible vests involved.

Or clothing in general.

He doesn't even fall asleep on the book, Puffy's happy enough.