"I don't know whether it'll manage another bird monster...."

"Whether it'll manage? Like it's difficult for it to do or it's too - hungry or something? - yes we're doing research, I have a dungeon blog you can look at if you want with other dungeon research on it," he tells a core guard, "I just want to be able to poke and prod the core a little, I will not destroy it prematurely, I have handled cores before -"

"....Maybe something like that.  It's... low energy?  Constrained on something?  Which - I think is probably related to the thing it wants -"

ẗ̶̳̞͖̗́̊̀͗͋͛̋͘h̴̨͙̜̙̹̪̥̳̙͙̯̮͒̏̇̉͛̍i̷͖̪̅̂̌̀̇̒̍̾̉̊́͊̚r̷̟̱̓̒̈̍͐̄͌̋̓̒͊͝ṣ̸̥͙͖̣̫́̅̆̃̀t̷̜̜̩̬̟̹̪͙͕̯̬̄͛̌͌̂̐̎̉̔͋̈́̓͠ͅy̴̢̛̘̻̖̠̳͔̆̇́̑͌̈̔̿̑̓̕̚͠.̸̤̦̜̮̯̬̔͗͌ͅ ̶̯̭͎̼̳͖͔̗̼̰͎̿͌́͂̉̿̒̌̿ ̸̞̻͖̀͂̿̃̀̎̓̔̅̂̈̕b̴̺̮͈͑̍́i̶̗͓̣̗͚̦̫̩̘͖̲͚̽̆͑̒̏͊̐̓̃̌͛̾̚͠r̵̢͇̰͖̭̈́̿̐̿́̊͆̂͒̓̉̽̓̂͐d̶̨̢̻̿͝ ̶̝͙̤̣̗̺̯͗̽̊̒̏̓̈́͠ͅt̶̡̡͍̣͇̹̺̥̗̦̠͕̜̦̐̏͛̿̉̾̈͘ö̷̱̜͍̜͚͙̟̤͔͈̝̓̐̽̎́̓̓͊̃͆̕͜ ̷̛̘̯̦̠͓͇͕̦͗̑̃͒̌͗̂̌̊͘͠g̷̤̹̻̤̯̙̦͉̪͌̿͌̈̐̔o̴̧̳̦͈͚͎̥̪͚͒̏̊̒̓͊̃͝ ̷̺̙̣̮̝͕͈̰̻̎̅͑̀̽͐̕g̷̖͇̼̬̰̜̃̾ę̶̢̢̤̣͕͇̔̾̒̄́̿̕t̵̛͈̠̯̠̬̦͍̺͙͙̜̅͋̈͗̾̈ͅ ̶̡̒̈́͗͒͘͠d̸̨̪͔͍̫̱̣̻̤̠͚̟̎̂͂̍r̵̛̙̥̯̱̗̗͍̳̟͑̿͌͗̈́̔̚͝ͅį̴̢̨͔̖͉̰̖̼̣̯̜̱͙͋̏̃͘n̴̛̥̗͋̓̎̇͆̓̍͌̏̈k̶̝̞͙̜̯̼̹͖̞̲̼̏̾̂̑̓.̵͉̿̑̍̑̎
̵̢͓̦̳͚͚̦̞̌
̷̧̨̡̡̲̖̰̳̭̥̥̲͎́͊̍̌̇̀͋͌̅͑̄̃̑̚b̷̮̱̫͈̲̜̹͓̳̙̝̲́ͅi̸̞͉̝͂̊̎̃͊̐̈̈͌̀̔̚͝r̵͈͍̼̎̅̈́̎̔̇̌̀̈͌͗̈́͗̕d̸̨̞̖̤̹̫̩̲̲͚͈̫̼͌̒͒̾͆̄̓͊̚͝ ̶̬̩͔͎̮̻̱̐̑̾ḩ̵̧̥͎͎̟̯͎̗͇̆͋̀́̒̿̂͂̀̈́̉͠͝͝ė̵̢̧̙̙̬͈̺͖̌̈́̊̿͒̾͘͜͜ͅl̶̜̬̬̱̱̜̗͛̽̿̊̒̋p̸̭̥̻̼̻̯͆̓̍́̕͘͝͝ ̷̧̬͕̥̼̝̥̘͇̣͙̙̝̫̫̂̅͗̄̐̓͗̿͘ẁ̴̛̞̹̋̓͌i̷̥͂̐̊͂͑͂̅̎̊̆͊̑̚͘͝ṱ̵̛̀̄̕h̷̛̺̭̞̙̣̩͔̖̣̗͐̅̋̃̓́̏͛̃̿̚̕͝ͅ ̶̡͚̼̭̖̞̜̟͌͒̋̓̍̂̃ͅơ̷̲͖̐̍͆̋͒̔̋̓͂̃̌͜͝͠͝ẁ̶̻̣̅̇͆̓̊̃̏͆̆̈́́̃̈͌.̸̡̜̳̫͍͑̃̓͋ͅ

"It - might have decided to make a bird and might be sending it to get more people!"

"- okay, the team can almost certainly handle that, the portal's secure - is my cage here yet -" Back to the portal to check on that.

"Okay.  .........Haru, I think we're hurting it -"

"By... being in it, or taking the trees, or starving it, or something else?" Apparently they halfheartedly tried live capture earlier and the cages are still on site. One is handed up during a gap in log extrusion. Haru tests the mechanism and makes sure he can heft it.

"I don't know.......  I think not - being in it, probably -"

t̸̢̻̗̻̻̽͐̍͒̌̂̀̈́́͒͐̅͛͜͝h̵̗̥̦̲͓̭̠͍͙̳́̑ȉ̶̛̯̱̖̯̈́͛̋̀̑̄͝͠r̸͕̘̤̜̱͐̓́̽̑̇͑̊̆͊͒̈͘͠͠s̷̡̰̮̳̬̹̬͙͉̤̝̪͗̋̏͛̄̑̾̋͑͌̎̄́̍ͅt̷̳̼͖̤͔̗̙̒̏͆̀̒̈̓̎̒͒y̵̬̘̻̣͉̹̼̪̺̜̼̜͚͙͌̃͂̔̇͌̾̃̓̎̄͗͘̕̕ͅ.̸̨̟̘̙̘̥̇͐̋̏̆́̃̃̔̎ ̷̢̝̤̭͖̆̓͛̃̒̋̀ ̶͇̩͚̼̙͔̯̘̉̓͠b̷̻̤̬̫̼̲͉̯̻̮̖̦̏̉̓̄́̇̈́̏͋̇i̷̧̘̱̹͔̗̼̖̣̳͖͇̦̪̎͆̽̌́̇̈́̉͂̅̽̐̿̓͜͝r̴͕̯͎̝͇͈̙͒̏̒̚d̴͕̣̏̀̐̑̃̍͛̐̏̽͂̚̚̚ ̷̡̢̧̰̟͖̣̳̪͓̱̫̋t̷̢̧̪̘̱̞̯̯̗̙̰͈͈̯̲̑͂̋̚ȯ̶̰̏͆̓̓̂́ ̴̧̡̫͕̰͇̦͖̣̗̳̺̂́́g̷̡͕̙̺̤̜͙̩̾͗͋̓̓͆̄̓͝͠ę̸̢̢̹̭̻͎̰̦̱̺̑̈́̎͂̄̅̏̀t̵͕͚̣͎͉̺̰͈̞̠̅͌͐̒͐̈̀̾̇̅̈͘͜ ̵͕̪̺̻̗͔̹̒́͒̇͌̅̓d̸̲̑̆̇̍ͅr̸͓͚̥̯̹̜͓͇͛̾̄̈́̊̓̈̅̄̊̕̕͜͝͝͠ͅi̴̧͇̟̥̯̞̒̓͗͆͂̽͒̈́̓n̸̡͕̮͔̬̠̹̩̹̂̀͒ķ̵̢̦̖̪̤͎͎͐͛͝.̴͓͚͈̱̱̰̳̼͚̫̺̾͋̎̄̓̒̈́̔̑͊̚͠
̴̛̳̪̫̂̿́̃͊́͊̂̔̽̑̚͘͠
̸̢̪̖̣̤͚͕͎̰̒͌̊͂̉̚ͅo̴̧̘̗̖͎̼̗͙̹͋͊͊͛͛̇̈́́̾̋́͘͝͝ẇ̷̢̲̰̤̺̥̫̘̙̺̙̯̇̍̿̔͆͘.̸̢̨̜̲̝̘͚̣̤͇̼̫͙͇̦̔̊̋͆͋̆̑̄͂̎́͘̕͝͝ ̵̧̨̺̥̺̤͔͕̳̳̥̦̰͓̔̐̓̒́̑̏̿͒̌̒̀͒̆̇͜ ̵̢̮͖͙̇́̑́̽̉̈́͒͘͠ņ̵̩̖̞̮̩͍̘̥̪̙̘̳͉͆̿̽̏̑̓̀̆͑͛ỏ̶͇̳̠̿͋̀̆̍̑͝͝͝w̵̨̛̟͒͒̂͒̍̍́̅͂̈́̎̉̓͝ ̷̢̯̠̜͍̟̻̮̿̏͗̉b̶̡̻̦̰̠͖͐̅̓̈́̑̏͛͠i̴̛͉̫͙̳͕̦͙͊͐̈͜r̴̡͎͓̪̤̣͇̲͍̘̀͜d̷̥̪̤̮͓̝̤̙͔͓̺̓̍͐̍͘̚̕̕.̵̹̰͎̰̼̙̗̮͎̭̖̻̥͆̌

"Well, that's something." He drags the cage - it's got a leash and wheels - back over to where the core is. They will let him pat it. "Ready, Julien?"

"- Monster now‽"

"- you going to be okay if I go catch it? They tried earlier but my powerset is actually unusually good for live capture."

"Yes please do."

"I'm going to wait till it's, like, out and visible - Can you recall the loggers, get them out of harm's way? -"

They can do that. Loggers start tromping out of the remaining forest.

A bird peels out of a paisley in the sky. Haru squeezes Julien's hand once, hands him the phone which is still recording, and picks up the cage and zooms into the air to meet it.

What is the bird thinking???

ǵ̶̤̍ǫ̶̪̔ͅ ̶̧̛̩̦̝͔o̶̤̬͗̑̀͝ͅŭ̴̱̝̑͆̃͠t̸̙͕̟̯̑̄̐̾͋̓͜.̶̡̠͗͗͐̌͆͗̚ ̴̥̞̯̔̽ ̷͎̼̼̮̟̊͋͋͑̔͘g̴͓̦͇̬͈̦̔̄̒̃͝͝o̶̭̜͙̻͓̦͜͠ ̵͔̦̓̾̎̊g̵̲̋̀̄̍̑̄e̵͕͈̬̘̩͘ͅt̴̺̻̤̟̀̀͐̍͘̕.̸̙̗͖̞̈͊̂͋̈́́͜͠ ̶̛̝̻͉̼̯̜̔͘͝ ̷̢̧̦͕͌͌̎̓́͘ť̷̰̦̅̑̊͂a̸͓̯̖͒͂s̵̹̥̼̗̑̌͆̈́̕t̴͎̖̮̼̖̻̘͋͑̃̑͘͠ỳ̷̗̫͙̹̾̄̈́̀͜ ̸͈̭͚̆t̶̝̙̗̔͌̃͑͂h̵͓̝̪͇͎͉̍̂͋͛͝į̷̛̛̹͔̲̤̠̌̕͝n̴̝͌̒͘g̸͍̹̬̪̟̈́̐͜s̷̻͂͑̌͊̽͊.̸̢̩͋̿

How does that compare to what the dungeon's thinking at the same moment??

The dungeon is:

ţ̵̍̀͒i̵͔̯̻̫̥̘͙͉̦͗̋̍̅́͊̓́̌͜i̶̲̞̝͓̗̟̤̞̥̜̹̰̰̐̀̅͛̾͌̽͆̏͊͋̿̚͠i̷̢̛̻͚͙̮͇͔͈̖͒́̈́́́̃̍̔ͅǐ̷̯̺͍̯̲̜̝̼̙̟̘͇̩͈͌́̅̾̆̈̍̅̈́̑̎͠͝i̴̠͓͓̝͓̮͔̠̹̠̿̊̆̈́̀̋́͜͝ȋ̴̞͈̲͎̉̂̅̕͜i̸͔̋̂i̶̝̩͉͍̺̻͊̒̓̈́̋͆̎͊̏̀̕͝ͅŕ̸̥͓̜͍̤̖͖̙͉̘͊̀̉̈́͂̏̚̚͜e̷̙͈͇̖͗̈́̈͊̎̆̕͠d̴̙̼̫̮̃͛̀̆͐̈́̃ ̷̯̺͙̤̜̃̓̽͊t̵̨̞̍́͌̎͂͝ͅḩ̵̨͉̗̳͖̼̼̼̏̆́͐ḯ̴̧̨̢͔͕̜̲̙͈̭͈̞͌̀͋́i̶̧̡̧̯͕͉̜̥̗͎̠̠̥̭̒̇͘͠i̴̬̟̗͖͂͊̃̆i̸͔̳̞̟̜̅͐͋̀͗̎̀͋i̴͕̦̲͓̻̐̏̍̉̈́̊̍i̵̧̲͇̠̮̩̳̿̔͌͂̍̍̽̐̈́̇̈̾̂̏ḯ̶̧̢̯̰͍̪̘͕̼̗͕̪͠ĩ̸̢̨͍̭͈͈̗̤̣̖̜̞͉̈́̓̓̉̓̓̆͐̿͝͝ŗ̶̢̰͕͕̔s̵̬̤͍̯̞͔͋̒̍͛̃̆͂̔̐͂̈́̚t̸̡̞̩̖̱̖̼͈̣͔̻̬̲̀̆̓̉̐̽̋̌̑̂̑͠ÿ̶͍̼͓́̐̐̅̀͒̉͂͝

"The dungeon and the monster have different thoughts," he mumbles into Haru's phone.  The dungeon wants - less actively; the bird has - drive, a goal..."  He watches out for Haru to make contact, how both sets of thoughts react to that -

The dungeon and the bird can't perceive Haru at all.

Haru has the cage open and nabs the bird right out of the air. It's a big bird; it's proportioned more like a hummingbird than anything else and it would be fully capable of picking up a person in its long needle-like beak and carrying it home to its nest. The cage is sized for it and covered in Kevlar webbing to prevent it from stabbing people through the bars. It stubs its beak on the far side of the cage and flails, startled and in pain, while Haru shuts the door on its tail and latches it and pulls it down to the stumps.

Julien - stops.  Everything.

...Except breathing.  He should still breathe, actually.

Thumbs up? He starts dragging the caged bird back in Julien's direction.

Thumbs down.

Julien - is going to stay right here, is probably the smart thing.  It worked for the emergency dungeon.

Wait Haru has anxiety.  Thumbs down into heart hands.  Yeah.

Yeah no Haru caught the thumbs down but he doesn't really have anything he can do about it besides continue to lug the bird. "Something wrong?" he calls when he's in esper earshot.