Re: Ctrl+V
Vinny's antic around Becky's shoes does indeed entice the other pigeon down from the branch. This human obviously doesn't kick. Probably. Any remaining possibility of danger is comfortably outweighed by the prospect of sandwich crumbs. Cooing, the plump bird pecks at the ground around Becky's feet for a moment before muscling past Vinny to get at the real deal.
A quick acquiry later - Becky feels the still-thrilling tingle up her fingers - and the job is done. The pigeon is so absorbed in gobbling crumbs that she only gives a slight start a moment before she realises a hand is coming for her, and then goes dead calm. They leave her pecking at the ground (she regains her comportment quickly enough after quivering out of the trance) while they discuss strategy, Vinny doing so as he pulls his shirt over his shoulders.
A flock of pigeons rises through the treetops, a few minutes later. Alex finds herself reeling, giddy at once in the joy of flight and in the stunning truth of the transformation. More than one beak emits squawking coos, unbidden, that only the pigeon brain knows the meanings of. They're all caught up in it. There's something powerful, and exciting, about flying in a flock. A little grey army on a mission from the stars.
Soon there are an unusual amount of birds circling Mr. Addison's modest single-story. Vinny dictates; they all learn about the fireplace, the windows, Shrek 2. And then, leaving him, they each disperse their separate ways, landing in backyards and open windows and demorphing finding themselves naked and panting. There's something about flight that doesn't leave you for about ten minutes afterward. A feeling of giddy breathlessness. A sort of cross-body adrenaline rush.
And they left their clothes in the woods, to a one. Oops. If anyone stumbles upon that it'll look like an alien abduction.
If only that were really implausible. Worry gnaws in more than one stomach.
Vinny's shift passes uneventfully. He hears the sound of the television, for a while; a couple of casing swoops past the windows reveal that Mr. Addison is watching Family Feud. "Bulldozer" is not on the big board. The rest of the time is spent perching in a tree. A couple of guilty, half-instinctive forays are made down into the street for stray bits of...well, edible stuff. Pigeons aren't picky. And they have fast metabolisms. They get hungry quick.
Yeah. Lisa takes second watch, and after an hour and ten minutes - Family Feud is over now, and the house is quiet, which is nice, since she's still adjusting to the astonishing vision (not to mention diurnal sleepiness) of the pigeon morph - their big break comes.
Her history teacher, grey-haired, sober, exits his house by the front door, locking it behind him. He makes for his powder blue Volvo. He opens the door, gets in, turns the key in the ignition, and he rolls down the driveway, turning left on the street. Under the limit. Not fast. Slow. Careful. It looks every inch like a staid, middle-aged spinster-bachelor taking a night-time drive. His eyes are placid behind the wheel, his hands relaxed on its plastic ring. His eyebrows settled bushily, their hairs moving only, and barely, with his relaxed breathing. She can see all that from above.
The pigeon eyes are really good. She feels weirdly lucky, for just a second. Then she has to make a choice, and the sensation of being blessed fades instantly away.
A primer on FP recovery! You recover 1 FP per ten minutes of rest. About the most strenuous thing you can do during this period is talking, if you want it to count! If you eat a good meal while resting - one that you need, overeating doesn't help - you get an extra FP back.
All of you can just assume you're renewed, essentially, given you have ample time to rest. Remember the importance of taking a break sometimes - low FP means reduced capability, and if it drops below zero you risk a sudden faint or even a heart attack! The threshold for being worn out enough that it affects your ability to do things well is at one third of your maximum FP, so watch for slipping under that level if you can. If you get more tired than that, things get steadily worse.
Since you're all getting that refill, I skipped Morphing rolls for this one. Lisa does however make her IQ roll to keep track of time accurately, with a 9.
