ArchivedLogs:Getting to Know You

Getting to Know You
Dramatis Personae Ducky. Holly	2013-06-03 Of Pets and Privacy
Location <XS> Ducky and Holly's Dorm
No matter that the room might be shared, it would appear that Holly is pretty good at being a roommate. At least, if one wishes a quiet, studious roommate who doesn't bring a lot of stuff with her. There's a distinct lack of extras beyond the school issued items on Holly's side of the room, save for a couple bits of costume jewelry, and a photo of her and her twin shoved in the frame of the mirror on her dresser, and library books on the desk. She's often up early, and today has been no different. Up early, slipping out of the room, it's a little more sane hour that she returns, attempting to slip back itno the room with a mug of tea without waking Ducky, should she still be asleep. By the time Holly returns to the sparsley decorated room, Ducky is awake, although still in her pajamas, with a chair pulled over to the window, which has been pushed open slightly. Her short tawny hair is fluffed up and ruffled from sleep, and she is leaning over against the wall, her head rested against her bare arm - a small gray and white dappled pigeon has its head poked in through the window. Ducky talks quietly to the pigeon, pretty much inaudible, gently stroking its head with a finger as she does. When Holly enters the room, Ducky glances up and looks startled, shooing the bird off and snapping the window back shut and locking it. Rubbing the back of her hand accross her eyes, Ducky yawns, mumbling quietly, "Morning." "Sorry.." Holly opens with an apology, her expression joining in the apologetic. "I didn't mean to startle you, or.. your pet?" She offers, uncertain. She's dressed already, although flip flops take the place of real shoes, making her as short as she actual is for once. "Um. Good morning. I hope I didn't wake you when I left." Ducky shakes her head and yawns sleepily, ruffling her hand through her hair as she does. "'S'ok. He isn't technically my pet, in the school sense. I haven't had the chance ta," Ducky yawns sleepily, punctuating the sentance awkwardly, "Ask for permission t' keep him inside as a pet. Followed me up from the City. Was a carrier pigeon at some point." The girl blinks out the window, where the white and gray pigeon is still sitting just outside the window, looking in. "Needed to ask you if it was ok to keep a bird in the dorm, since you're my roomie an' all," Ducky says, shiffting the chair back into place near her sparse desk. "I don't mind." Holly shakes her head a little. "I mean.. I'd rather it not make a mess everywhere, but I don't mind in principle." She comes over to draw out her desk chair and settle there with her tea. "Not that either of us have a ton of stuff we need to worry much about mess, really. It'd be easy enough to clean up." Shaking her head, Ducky fishes around in her drawer for a set of clothes, as she answers, "I used to keep birds, back when I had a home. As long as I have the proper style of cage, and all, he won't make a mess." She tosses her clothes onto the bed, a worn pair of jeans and a school t-shirt, ruffling her hand through her hair again, "He stays with me most of the time, anyway, so he would only be in the room at night to sleep." Ducky looks around, as though she's forgotten something, still apparently half asleep despite being up, "I'll only keep one bird in here, anyway. The rest are still kinda outside birds, and content to stay out there." She glances out the window at the pigeon, and beyond, "Others may stop by the window, but they don't come in." "Oh! You mean in a cage!" Holly's tone clearly indicates that she hadn't realized that. "I've.. never lived with a bird as a pet before. But just in here at night? That's even more fine." She umms softly and then looks out the window and back to Ducky a moment and then back to her book. "He's really fond of you, if he sticks around. I.. didn't think birds were that interested in people." Ducky grins a bit, "Well, cage door will probably stay open, if you're ok with that. He usually keeps to my shoulder, except when he needs to go - in which case, he lets me know, and I get him to a window or toilet, or cage" She flops onto her bed, beside her pile of clothes, "Birds are, um, kinda my thing. In that, uh," she ruffles her hair again, making it an even spikier mess than it had been, "My mutation lets me talk to them. And birds, well, they kinda tend to congregate around me sometimes, if I'm outside or near a window for some time." Gesturing towards the pigeon on the window, "He was one of the ones who started hanging out with me in New York. So, when I enrolled here, he followed me up, as did a few of the other lost homing pigeons." "Oh!" A collection of revelations and Holly nods as the situation becomes more clear. "Oh well that makes it even easier, I mean.. that's not a pet, exactly, but more a friend?" She ums softly and nods. "I.. I don't mind. I mean.. I expect he'd want a perch to sleep on? Or.. I'll leave it up to you, but I don't mind. I.. that's.. that's really kinda cool, actually. Freaky, but good freaky. Are.. are they noisy? I mean.. birds /sound/ chattery, but are they actually?" "Yeah - I mean, uh, the birds are sort of my companions and friends. I haven't really talked to people much for the last year or so, and, uh, most people look at me funny when I call them friends at first," Ducky grins and sits cross legged on the bed, looking out the window. "I can get something situated for him and everything - he's not exactly particular, since he lived in New York for who knows how long." Ducky ruffles her hair again, "Some of them are chattery. I can't really deal with a ton of them talking at a time, because it's kinda like, um, being in a room with a whole bunch of chattery church ladies who haven't seen you in years. So, um, I usually will only keep one bird around me, usually two or three max." "There's a large collection of people who rather suck, and birds seem like a much more sane choice to talk with." Holly gives a little shrug. "And I'm pretty sure I'd of said that even if you couldnt chat with them." She takes a sip from her tea and her expression turns rueful. "Chattery church ladies are the /worst/. Especially the ones who knew you when you were /this big/ and seem to forget every week that you haven't been /that big/ for like.. fifteen years, and have you tell you. Again." Ducky chuckles, "Oh yes, there are in fact people who suck, out there." She adds a vague gesture of the hand and a shrug, "I managed to avoid most of the chattery church ladies, thankfully. I, uh, was considered the odd ball. Most of them didn't talk to me, mostly talked about me. Quietly, but loud enough to hear." Ducky yawns again, covering her mouth with her hand at least as she does, "I was homeless for a year, so, uh, the birds kept me company." "I.. both Ivy and I got cornered regularly by the church ladies. The human ones, not the bird ones." Holly mmms softly. "I was pretty good at pretending not to be the odd ball. I.. I'm sorry you were homeless? Is that the right reply? I'm glad you ended up here. It's probably much better." Ducky shrugs slightly, "Eh - homeless is better than the other option, so, now I'm here." She fidgets with her clothes on the bed, shaking her head, "I talk to birds. A lot. I end up looking kinda crazy, since, um, well, ratty looking teen chattering at the pigeons in the park." She smiles and shrugs again, "I'm no good at looking like a normal person - the birds congregate and stuff, and I like talking to them." She grins, and her stomach grumbles a bit, "Uh, guess I should go see if there's still food in the cafeteria this time of day." "I stuck with the other option. I.. I can understand the homeless choice." Holly murmurs softly and nods with a little half smile. "It's okay, I.. I dont mind birds. At least it's not spiders. Or snakes. Or.. rats. I really don't like rats. Birds? That's easy enough." She nods at the mention of food. "There should be /something/ in the kitchen, even if there's nothing left in the great hall." She pauses a moment and the ohs softly. "Uh.. Lucas.. well.. he's likely to visit now and then. Is that okay? Or should I visit him in his room?" "I couldn't stick with the other option. My parents took away my birds, and tried to have me committed against my will," Ducky explains quietly, shrugging, "So, yeah, streets. Better idea." She tilts her head slightly at the mention of Lucas, raising an eyebrow, asking with a chuckle, "I'm gonna assume, from your comment about a variety of other animal and insect life forms - that Lucas isn't a pet?" She shrugs, and scoops up her clothes, "Eh, whatever, just put a sock on the door if you need privacy, or leave a note on the white board. I'm usually out on the campus grounds anyway - being inside kinda gets cramped sometimes." Ruffling her hair, yet again, she smirks, digging a shower basket out from under her bed, "I should get going - I sort of need to shower and grab breakfast soon, 'fore I miss it entirely." "I probably can't go home now, so if I get kicked out of here, streets will look pretty good." Holly agrees and nods. The mention of privacy brings blush to her cheeks but she laughs softly. "Uhh.. no.. not a pet. Another student. I.. uh.. okay. Eat well. I'll.. probalby see you later."