[Video]

[kingsofafeather]

[There is a bird in a throne room here.

It's definitely a throne room - although most throne rooms don't have giant mushrooms growing and large crystals and plants next to the lights, there is a very nice throne in the middle of it. So it's a throne room.

It's probably a bird. Though most birds don't wear crowns or fancy robes. And most don't talk.]

His Royal Highness, the King!

[Trumpets play. It's not clear where from.]

Hello, I am the King.

[The King clears his throat.] This is a very strange thing. There are not usually computers on the Holiday Star. The King does not understand how this one got here. The King is very worried that scarier things than computers might suddenly appear.

But, it is nice to see people from far away. The King is very busy on the Holiday Star and cannot travel. The King would like to say hello to everybirdie.

...There aren't many birdies here, are there? Very strange. Very, very strange. The King would like to know why, if that is okay.

[The message ends soon after - apparently the King does not have any trouble operating a computer with wings.]

Comments

[heartofthegroup]

As far as I can tell, it is the human data information center. The Internet.

I hear there are a lot of cats.

[Heart gave him a look.] You are a bird.

[kingsofafeather]

The King has used the Internet before. Not for a long time. The King would be scared if there were real cats on the Internet, but they are not smart enough to use computers.

[Even unintelligent cats still try to eat birds.]

The King is a bird. You are a human.

[heartofthegroup]

[Heart gave him a look, raising an eyebrow before snorting.] I am no human, I am more than a human.

You can call my people Roidmude.

[kingsofafeather]

The King is sorry! The King didn't mean to be insulting. You just looked very human. The King is very, very sorry.

[Aaaand he's sniffling already.]

[heartofthegroup]

Hmph, for a talking bird and a ruler, you have a lot to learn if you are going to protect your people.

[And Heart is slightly unimpressed at the moment.]

[kingsofafeather]

The King's birds are all perfectly safe. There are no troubles on the Holiday Star.

[For a multitude of reasons.]

[heartofthegroup]

Really? What's stopping someone from portaling over and shooting up the place?

[No that's not a threat. Just a question Heart was wondering. How does a bird protect its people?]

[kingsofafeather]

Portalling? There is one train that stops a the Holiday Star. No one has gotten there by other means.

[And that's the train of the dead, so. Not a train many people willingly board.]

[heartofthegroup]

[Heart held up a device that was provided to him.] This apparently allows me free access to your realm.

What's to say anyone else has one?

[kingsofafeather]

Oh! The King found one of those as well. The King had not considered that... but, his people should still be fine! It is very hard to hurt us.

[heartofthegroup]

Good.

Caring for your people is a sign of a leader then.

[kingsofafeather]

The King cares very much for his people. He would not allow anything bad to happen to them if he could stop it.

[heartofthegroup]

Very good. I'm glad to talk to you then.

[kingsofafeather]

The King would like to know your name.

[heartofthegroup]

It's Heart.

I am Heart, the leader of the Roidmudes.

[kingsofafeather]

Heart is a nice name. The King is pleased to meet you.

[heartofthegroup]

Likewise. It's uncommon to find rulers in this world, or in others who aren't human.

[kingsofafeather]

The King hasn't left the Holiday Star for a long time. So the King hasn't met many rulers.

[heartofthegroup]

I would prefer it if you protected your friends, oh King. It would be more of what a ruler needs to do.

[kingsofafeather]

The King will do his very best!

[heartofthegroup]

Good. [He liked the idea of having a good leader after all.]

[kingsofafeather]

[Conversation is nice. How do make conversation.]

What are your people like?

[heartofthegroup]

Driven. We have a single purpose and that is to prove ourselves better than humans.

[kingsofafeather]

That should be easy. Humans are not very powerful.

[heartofthegroup]

One would think so, but there is a foe among them that we... [what is the word for it? Fear? No, respect? Maybe.] oppose.

He is the Kamen Rider.

[kingsofafeather]

The King thinks that name sounds imposing.

[heartofthegroup]

It's a name that we're not fond of around these parts at least.

[yes_im_kawaii]

[A tiny robotic cat has turned the feed on. From the video, it appears to be in a large briefing room of some kind and has tracked mud all around the place, especially on the paperwork scattered across the desk it's sitting on.

It paws at the screen.]

[kingsofafeather]

You are a cat!

[The King looks slightly blue in the face. Possibly nervous.]

A robot cat? Will robot cats be the next threat to birdkind? The King is scared. The King is scared and thinks he might cry.

[yes_im_kawaii]

[Nekotari tilts its head, makes a chirping noise, and picks up some paperwork with its mouth.]

[kingsofafeather]

...The King has no idea if you can understand what he's saying right now.

[yes_im_kawaii]

[The cat in question drops the paper and starts sort of... mashing on the keyboard, leaving muddy pawprints.]

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[kingsofafeather]

The King will take that as a 'no'. The King hopes robot cats will not match birds in intelligence any time soon.

[Phew.]

[yes_im_kawaii]

Nekotariiiiiiii!

[The voice does not belong to the cat, but to a girl coming in from offscreen in an awful cobbled-together hero costume with a backpack bulging with snack foods and "borrowed" weaponry.]

We gotta go or we'll get in trouble for the mess. ...How come you're using the computer?

[Nekotari makes a chirp and hops up into Makoto's arms. Makoto stares at the video feed.]

There's a bird.

[kingsofafeather]

There's a human. [The King waves one wing at her.] Hello, human. Your cat is very scary to birds.

[yes_im_kawaii]

[She blinks and looks disoriented for a moment, then shakes her head.] Auu? Nekotari isn't scary. Even if it only likes me. Besides, it doesn't even eat birds. It drinks fuel.

[kingsofafeather]

Oh! That is a relief. The King feels much better now.

[He will cross 'being eaten by a robot cat' off his fears list.]

[yes_im_kawaii]

Is that your name? That's a weird name. I'm Sawatari Makoto, and this is Nekotari Meat Bun.

[kingsofafeather]

The King is pleased to meet you both.

Though the King does find it confusing. Why is Nekotari Meat Bun called that? Is that what cats are being named these days?

[yes_im_kawaii]

I think you can name your cat anything. Some people name their cats after random stuff, like food or clothes. Some people name them people names.

[kingsofafeather]

Does Nekotari eat meat buns as well as fuel?

[yes_im_kawaii]

No, but I like meat buns. And neko is for cat, and tari is for Sawatari Makoto.

[kingsofafeather]

The King likes that name. It is a very nice name to have for a cat.

[yes_im_kawaii]

Thank you! [The cat gets snuggles.] How come you're called The King instead of King Whatever-name-a-talking-bird-has?

[kingsofafeather]

The King used to have a name like that. But he can't use it any longer. Now the King is just the King.

The King doesn't like to talk about it.

[yes_im_kawaii]

Auu... I forgot my name for a while. Is it like that? That's sad. But I can call you the King anyway! It's easy to remember.

[kingsofafeather]

The King is grateful to you. Makoto is a very kind person.

[yes_im_kawaii]

Really? Thank you! Most people just call me a very annoying person.

[kingsofafeather]

The King doesn't think so. The King thinks everyone can get along if they try.