A Deliberate Measure

Stiffness gives way. A cold click resonates through my talons as I shift my weight forward. Across the patterned fibers stands another figure, molded in brown plastic, jaws frozen mid-snarl. I do not rush. I lean in, slowly closing the distance between us, until the ridge of my snout rests against its blunt forehead. No heartbeat beneath it. No response. Only silent, unyielding molded form. I draw back an inch, standing motionless, fully aware that while it remains locked in place, I am unbound.