COO COO PIGEONS COO

[keep_hallways]

There seem to be an awful lot of pigeons about today. They blanket the courtyards and pathways, cooing and fidgeting and fighting. They’re as flighty as ever, wheeling away in great flocks as soon as anyone approaches. All but the odd one or two, who hop on the spot half-heartedly, or else fly in a circle and quickly land again

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[keep_hallways]

The message delivered, the bird took flight, leaving Bryn with only the message:

[brynkitten]

She dropped the note.

The little slip of paper tumbled to the ground and she stared at it as it curled up upon itself once more and rolled a little bit away from her leg.

She didn't notice her heart start to beat a little faster, speeding up with shallow breaths. Bryn swallowed, and clenching her teeth together as if that would keep her steady, reached out to take the paper back again.

Who was Tom? Who was dead?

"Where did this come from?" she whispered aloud, glancing to the carrier pigeon and then back to the curled note in her hand.

[keep_hallways]

There was no answer but the cooing of the flock.

[brynkitten]

This had to be a joke. A joke right?

Bryn swallowed and scrambled to her feet. She shoved the note into her pocket and searched the birds. This couldn't be the only note. There were tons of birds. Surely there were more with canisters there. With other notes. If there were, maybe one of them would make this all make sense.

[keep_hallways]

There were indeed more with canisters, but Bryn's scrambling scared most of the flock away.

There was, however, a lone bird left. It turns its head, the motion jerky in that birdlike way, and coos.

[brynkitten]

Shit, shit, she scared the flock. Bryn forced herself to stop, and slowly, carefully approach the remaining bird. She tried to urge it forward again with an outstretched hand and little kissy noises.

"Here, birdy-birdy," she murmured, eyes fixed on the bird, unwavering as if she were stalking prey in her other form.

[keep_hallways]

With one hop, it turned around. With a few more, it moved closer to Bryn, just as friendly as the previous pigeon.

[brynkitten]

Well that certainly made it easy. Once again, Bryn carefully grasped the small canister on its back, opened it, pulled the paper out, and closed the canister again.

On her feet this time, She carefully unrolled the scrap of paper, mentally bracing herself for whatever this message might say.

[keep_hallways]

[brynkitten]

No, nothing prepared her for that, but rather than drop this message as well, her fingertips tighten on the paper. Bryn stared at it. Even out of context, the first message had made sense. Someone was telling another person that everyone was all dead.

This...who would send a message like this? Bryn wasn't sure whether to be reassured that the person didn't eat cats, or horrified that they ate kids. What war were they talking about? Was there a war and now everyone was dead? Perhaps this war had something to do with why everyone's worlds were being retroactively taken out of existence?

She just didn't know, and now there were no other birds left with little message-canisters to check. Carefully, she tucked the message into her pocket along with the first, and tried to figure out what she should do with this new information.

Perhaps it was all just a trick...some...elaborate, cruel joke to worry them all. Were they just trying to get a reaction? Were they watching?

Her mind jumped from one question to the next, only adding to an increasing feeling of paranoia. Feeling apprehensive, Bryn exited the courtyard as quickly as possible.