estirose

It was the most unusual place Kei had ever been in, and given his time in the Manor of Sleep, that was saying something. He'd gone to what was his favorite bar, needing a drink after all that had happened, only to find the place full of... birds. Mostly pigeons and doves, though he spotted a few other kinds in there that might not be.

In fact, the only human in the bar besides him was the girl talking to the pianist, a fantail pigeon if Kei remembered things right. How a pigeon played the piano, Kei had no idea, but maybe this was a dream and nothing was supposed to make sense.

He decided that asking the only other human there was a good idea, and headed her way. But just as he was going to ask her something, the pigeon spoke up. "Yes? What do you want?"

"Sakuya!" The girl turned to her companion. "Play nice."

"He is rudely interrupting our conversation," the pigeon pointed out, and Kei could not help but stare. It was strange to hear such an aristocratic voice out of a pigeon, though he had to admit that the pigeon had the bearing and plumage to go with his tone.

"Old habits die hard," the girl explained to Kei. "I didn't know another human lived around here... I'm Tosaka Hiyoko, and this is Sakuya Le Bel Shirogane."

"Leave us," Sakuya commanded.

"He could be a paying patron," Hiyoko reminded Sakuya, in a soft tone that Kei was not meant to hear. "Remember that."

The bird stiffened. "Of course."

"I'll be right back," Hiyoko said. "I need to get us both more drinks."

Sakuya sighed, watching her go. "Ah, Hiyoko."

"You're more than friends," Kei realized. A bird romancing a human? Apparently not impossible in this dream. Sakuya had left all honorifics off of Hiyoko's name, and the sigh sounded like something other than a performer addressing a manager, or a noble addressing a serf.

"That is none of your business." Sakuya looked over to where Hiyoko probably was. "But it doesn't matter. You can help fill my tip jar, as Hiyoko calls it, so that I may further my career as a professional musician."

"I'm not sure I have the right currency." What did birds use as currency anyway? Seed?

"Then leave. What is a human doing in this bar anyway?" Sakuya asked.

"I believe I walked into the wrong bar," Kei replied. It was the truth, after all. He was expecting to walk into a bar full of humans, not a bar full of sentient, talking birds.

If all of them talked, after all. And were sentient.

"Ah," Sakuya nodded his head a little. It was surprising to see how human it looked on the bird.

"I wish I had a talent with music, though." He decided chatting up the bird would be okay, for the moment, until he figured out how to get back to where he was supposed to be.

"I was fortunate enough to be born with that talent, and to have met Hiyoko." Sakuya gazed longingly at the girl at the bar for a moment before turning back to Kei. "However, that is not relevant. If you are not going to fill my tip jar, you may leave."

"Right." Obviously, that was the end of that conversation. Kei gave the bird a smile, walking out of the bar, back into the sunlight.

And blinked, relieved to see he was among humans once more.