Soap didn’t care what anyone thought. Not what the stupid scientists thought, not what Ghost or Gaz thought, hell, screw Price too, the old bird. If Soap knew one thing for certain, it was himself, and he was definitely, 100%, with no shadow of a doubt, not lonely.

Sure, sometimes he wouldn’t get out of his nest, spend the day lazily moving the twinge and bits of feathers into an even comfier shape, not even getting out until dinner, then happily flap around with his friends. The scientists said he was ‘depressed’, and deemed it necessary that he have a little friend be shoved into his territory right beside him. He brought his grievances up with the lab’s other avians; Ghost, Price, and Gaz, fully expecting them to side with him.

“I think it would be good for you, someone to keep you entertained,” Price had said as he preened his wings the one day, and Soap’s mouth had dropped open in shock and outrage! Betrayal! Price snorted at Soap and rolled his eyes. “I mean it, Soap, ever since the scientists gave me Nikolai to talk too, it’s been easier,”

Price admitted with a fond smile, and Gaz snorted, jabbing a prey bone in Price’s direction. “Yeah Yeah, you just like shaggin’ him, my enclosure is right next to yours, y’know,” Gaz grumbled as Price turned red, and Ghost raised a silent eyebrow before grunting. “Maybe that’s what the scientists want, to pair you off and keep you too busy to cause mayhem,” Ghost bared his teeth in a creepy, uncanny smile.

And that had Soap thinking, and the more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Why should the scientists choose his mate? It boiled and simmered in him for weeks, telling himself no matter what, this avian would be awful, nothing like him, and bad. That was, until an avian with the prettiest feathers, and beautiful shaped tail was plopped in his enclosure, and he couldn’t do anything but feel his tail feathers raise and splay out, an obvious sign of attraction.