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She didn't think it'd take too long, and she still had a few minutes before she had to be at her spot. If all went well, maybe they'd have time to make it to that new Star Raven movie that was showing nearby.\nFinished, the Barista capped the drink, and winged it over the counter to her. Maggie took it, and made her way to a quiet bench just outside in the hallway where she sat, waiting to meet with Liam.\nChecking the time, she rose the straw to her beak and took a casual sip; Liam should be about done with his therapy session right about now. She couldn't help but wonder what he had talked about.\nShe'd pretty much recovered from that whole egg ordeal from a few weeks ago, but it still wasn't pleasant to think about that it had happened to her. Her now-boyfriend, Liam had seen the whole thing, and it hadn't helped in the least for him; he was a bit of a sadist when it came to laying eggs, and she had kind of put him on a spot when she had asked him to help her with her eggs. It had been a horrific experience to say the least, but admittedly, having him there to brutally rag on her dignity during the process had weirdly helped deflect some of the weight of the experience. It was still horrific, and he was still an absolute cluckbrain, but he was far from an inconsiderate cluckbrain, as he'd clearly indicated again and again he hadn't wanted to cross any boundaries during the whole thing, and was now seeking counseling to get his obsessions in check.\nAs she sipped at her smoothy, she thought of her own place in all of this. In all honesty, she probably hadn't been all that helpful either when it came to informing him what level she fell in in all this; of course she had the right to set her boundaries wherever she chose, but if she was going to lead him on like this, she should at least be able to communicate with him where those boundaries lied. Problem was, she didn't know herself. Hopefully today would give them a chance to talk through some things. All she knew is those eggs BURNED, like no male would ever know, and if a charming raven like him was going to tease her about it, it was going to need to work in her favor. Though just the thought made her burn inside all the more from the embarassment.\nShe was just glad she had been able to lay the entire clutch in one setting, she couldn't imagine having to drag it out with only one a day like Magpies in the books used to do; as much as it had hurt, she was glad she had been able to just get it over with. She wasn't sure what had happened to change it, something to do with genetics, maybe she'd ask Liam about it if she didn't forget. Of course it had to be the male who knew all there was to know about being female, but seeing as he was just about the only expert she knew...\nA moment later, Maggie heard a sound and looked up to see Liam come flapping down the hallway, air swishing evenly through his dark raven feathers. His eyes went alight when he saw her and he alighted down next to her. She straightened the flower pin on her head self-consciously. Liam had brought his own sandwich from the cafeteria, and took a nibble at it tastefully.\n\"So, how'd it go?\" Maggie asked, sipping passively on her smoothy.\n\"Good,\" said Liam, taking a seat next to her, \"I think I'm starting to figure some stuff out. But I need to talk to you... about everything... you know, with your eggs and all.\"\nMaggie looked at him, paused a moment, \"Oh, my eggs, who could've guessed?\"\n\"Of course,\" Liam teased, going with her jest, \"a girl's gotta have her workabouts.\"\n\"Oh yeah, my workabouts,\" Maggie replied sarcastically, giving her tailfeathers an embarrassing shake, \"wouldn't be a girl without 'em. Let's not forget the complete indecency a girl's gotta deal with every day just by having them.\"\n\"Must make going to the bathroom fun,\" Liam replied.\n\"Oh, going to the bathroom is very fun; get the full experience of femineity right there. Well except for the egg part, but you can rest assured it's coming.\"\nLiam was silent a moment, feeling this conversation was going off track of what he was here to discuss already, but he just had to add, \"You have no idea how cool it is that you have them, I mean of course you do, a girl's gotta have workabouts, but the fact that it's you specifically, with all your personality...\"\nOkay, now Maggie wanted to throw her wings down over herself in self-consciousness, but that wouldn't make sense with her school uniform on anyway. It didn't matter regardless, in the end, she still had to carry it all with her anyway, and if you knew, you knew, no uniform would hide that fact.\nShe threw her wings down over herself anyway. \"Too much Liam, too much.\" She said, starting to flush.\n\"Sorry,\" Liam said, turning away and going red himself.\nThis is exactly what he was talking about, he feared he kept messing up with this girl. Sure he liked her, all of her, and that included certain things about her that probably best not be mentioned, but it wasn't fair to her if he made her uncomfortable. Could he stop himself from feeling the way he did about certain things? And if he did would he really be giving her his truest self? That was why they really needed this talk.\n\"About that,\" Liam began, \"Would it be okay if we were serious for a moment, without any sarcasm or condescending remarks - well, unless you really mean them - or anything like that... I mean, it's not that I don't love it when you go along, but I need to know honestly, how you feel about the whole thing. I need to know that I'm not stepping over any bounds.\"\n\"Is that something your counselor told you to say?\" Maggie asked.\n\"Well, kind of,\" Liam admitted, \"But I thought it'd be kind of smart regardless.\nShe looked at him, fiddling with her straw. \"Honestly, I don't think I even know how I feel. I don't like the pain of laying those eggs, that's for sure...\" She sighed grudgingly, \"But is it odd I'm kind of into how you're into it?\"\nLiam thought a moment, \"So you're not a masochist?\"\n\"Of course not,\" Maggie said, \"I don't see how any female could be after feeling pain like that.\"\n\"Oh, thank goodness,\" Liam said in relief.\nMaggie looked at him glaringly.\n\"I mean it wouldn't be very much fun for me if you found anything pleasant in it, would it?\" Liam said defensively. He looked at Maggie's face, \"I... should stop talking.\"\n\"Yes, you should,\" Maggie said.\nThey fell back into silence, and Maggie went back to her drink.\nFinally- \"But as much as I hate to say it, you're kind of right.\"\nLiam looked at Maggie, surprised.\n\"So yeah, I'm a female,\" she said in defense, \"And that means I have to deal with being female; everything that comes with it. So okay, I admit, it's kind of hot, you guys, all unfettered by... whatever... while meanwhile, us girls have ended up horribly disadvantaged simply because we were hatched Oviparous. There's nothing wrong with having an appreciation for how your bodies work different than ours, so what if that means giving us the short end of the stick? Of course I'm envious of you, that's what makes the whole situation hot; if there was any comfort in knowing us females had to lay eggs, even the slightest, it'd kind of ruin the entire point of it, would it not?\"\nLiam let out a chuckle. \"You sound like you've been watching too many of my podcasts.\"\nShe gave him a look, \"Why do you think I chose you to help with laying my first clutch of eggs?\"\n...\nMaggie sighed, \"But just because being female disadvantages me in some aspects doesn't mean I want being female to determine me as any lesser.\"\n\"That's fair,\" Liam replied considerately. But he couldn't help adding, \"Humiliation is at its best when the subject holds themself with dignity and self worth.\"\nMaggie whacked him with her wing.\n\"Ow!\" said Liam, pulling away.\n\"I thought we were being serious,\" Maggie said.\n\"Yeah, I know, I couldn't resist,\" Liam chuckled.\n\"I hope it hurt,\" Maggie said.\n\"Not as badly as laying an egg, I'm sure.\"\nMaggie glared at him. \"You got me there.\"\nThey fell silent again, Maggie realized she was nearing the bottom of her smoothy.\nFinally, \"No, seriously, though,\" went Liam, \"don't undersell yourself. I know I'm a bit evil when it comes to your experiences as a female...\" He looked away, hiding his expression, \"I mean, you have to admit, you're very... female- Which, if you've ever taken a biology class, you'd know is in and of itself very fascinating.\"\n\"Mm-hmm,\" Maggie replied nonchalantly.\nLiam tried to start over, \"But I want my relationship with you to be separate from that... Okay, maybe with some crossover, I still want to enjoy you laying those eggs of course.\"\n\"Of course,\" Maggie said.\nLiam made an expression, like he realized maybe he should've pulled it back a little.\n\"No, might as well say what you're going to say,\" Maggie said.\nLiam opened his beak to sigh, then continued. \"In the end, I just think you're very cool of a person. You're clever, and funny, and you're just fun to be around; your eggs are only a small part of who you are, and honestly, I still have trouble trying to comprehend why someone like you should have to go through that, when someone like me wouldn't. In the end, we're not really that different, but in how we experience the world, it means everything.\"\nMaggie could see the light in his eye as he tried to wrap his head around his thoughts.\n\"You are really into this, aren't you?\" Maggie asked, \"And what major are you going into again? Eggology?\"\n\"Oviology,\" Liam corrected.\n\"Interesting,\" Maggie said, feeling the least bit put on the spot, \"And I'm sure you're going to learn a whole lot about my workabouts, aren't you?\"\n\"Well, it is a study of eggs and egg laying among Oviparous species as a whole, but female workabouts are major part of it, yes.\"\nOf course he'd study about that, it wasn't like she had any workabouts that she had to carry with her all the time that a male like Liam could find interest about.\n\"I mean, did you know that just about every female avion lays eggs at some point of her life?\" Liam went on, \"There's not a single one who won't experience the same exact excruciating pain you felt. And as a male who will never experience it, I don't know how any of you could possibly bear the thought of it. I mean, I feel bad, I really do, but the thought of you all screaming like you did, absolutely helpless, not a single one of you above escape... Wow, I can't even wrap my head around what that must be like.\"\n\"You know you're going to have to work on some things before you're ready to assist any females with their eggs.\"\nLiam shrugged, \"You don't think there are any females who'd like to be teased their whole way through agonizing labor?\" he give Maggie a teasing smirk.\nMaggie couldn't deny.\n\"Besides,\" Liam continued, \"I may not even be assisting in any labor wards. Did you know there are so many other things about eggs than just how they're laid? Calcification, how they form within the body - all female bodies, I must point out, and that is kind of cool, not to lie, but - the patterns and colors and why they vary from species to species... There is so much to learn about eggs that could be used to contribute to the world.\"\n\"Like make an epidural that works on birds.\" Maggie stated.\nLiam pulled away, looking aghast, \"No way, I'm not a Saint.\"\nDespite this, Maggie couldn't resist cracking a laugh, \"What do I have to say to get it through your head that those things really do hurt?\"\n\"Oh, I know they hurt, I just can't comprehend it.\"\n\"Well, if you actually could comprehend it, I bet you'd never want to laugh at it again.\"\n\"And that is why I'm glad I can't,\" Liam said, \"One of us needs to, and it know it can't be you. A little sorry for you though, now that you've gone through it, you don't get to enjoy the experience of not being able to comprehend what it feels like anymore. Then again, if you hadn't gone through it yet, I would be able to comprehend your experiences still, and that really wouldn't be any fun at all.\"\n\"You're hopeless,\" Maggie said, disapprovingly.\nLiam fell silent. A moment later, he stood up, and gave a little pace away. He came to a stop, a few feet later and stood there, back turned away.\n\"I went a little too far again, didn't I?\" He sighed, \"I don't know; I feel the way I feel, and I don't want to stop feeling how I feel... but what if the way I feel is disrespectful towards others?\"\nMaggie looked at him, feeling a strange sense of sympathy. Well, sure, she was the one who was having her agony teased ruthlessly, but she could see how challenging it could be to sort through intrusive feelings over other people's experiences.\nShe stood up and went over to him, her smoothy was done, so there was no shame in leaving it there discarded, \"I think the most important thing is consent,\" She said, \"I'm sure your counselor has talked to you about that.\"\nLiam nodded, \"Yes, but sometimes it's easy to just feel this guilt inside, just knowing that you're into something that... comes at such a great expense to another. You never asked to lay those eggs, and still you had to suffer through it, and I couldn't really do anything about it, but...\"\n\"And yet you still have my consent\" Maggie said. \"To some degree. And more or less, you've always taken the extra step to make sure you've had my consent. For the most part.\" Okay, sure, it was awkward, accepting the knowledge that he had near full knowledge of her workabouts, but sometimes a girl needed that. \"Lighten up,\" she continued, \"us females can't choose when we lay eggs, so might as well make the most of it, right? I'd like to think I can at least be of some entertainment value.\"\n\"Still not going to get out of that obligation to make an epidural, am I?\" Liam said.\n\"Do you want to?\"\n\"No,\" Liam admitted with a shake of his feathers. No need to elaborate.\n\"Hmm, maybe somebody else will have to take that matter into her own wings,\" Maggie said thoughtfully.\n\"I thought you were a History Major,\" Liam said, turning around finally to look at her.\nMaggie sighed, \"I guess we won't be getting any epidurals in my lifetime.\" Liam didn't reply like she kind of hoped, so she added, \"I'm guessing you'd be thrilled about that.\"\n\"Oh, of course,\" Liam said, looking back at her, \"I'm just thinking.\"\n\"About me laying eggs,\" Maggie said.\n\"I wish,\" Liam said with a light laugh.\nThe two of them pulled back to their seat, and Maggie picked up her discarded cup again. Even though it was empty, it gave her something to do to swish the straw around on the inside.\n\"Okay,\" Liam said finally, \"But all girls lay eggs, right? What about the ones I don't talk to, or the ones who post their experiences on the forums who don't know I exist, I'm still going to have feelings about them.\"\nMaggie said nothing for a moment, then, \"I'm not sure I can give advice about that. One thing I do know about being female is guys are going to have feelings about you simply because you exist, even certain aspects of yourself you'd rather not share,\" she gave him a very deliberate look which made him pull back an inch. She felt herself burn a little red as she added, \"But like I said, I kind of like it; I can't speak for other girls.\"\n\"I guess that's something to ask my counselor the next time we meet,\" Liam mused.\nShaking off her self-consciousness, Maggie thought for a moment, \"Why don't you bring girls onto your podcast, girls who want to talk about their experiences? You know, full disclosure of what you're into, and let them make up their own minds about it.\"\n\"I have thought of that,\" Liam admitted, \"But I'm not really set up to bring others onto the show at the moment, and I'm not sure how easy it would be to find others who are into discussing something so intimate.\" He was silent a moment, then he looked at her, \"Would you be willing to talk on my podcast?\"\n\"I'll think about it,\" Maggie said, giving him a playful smile.\nAnd again they were sitting there, but in a lighter mood this time.\n\"So,\" said Maggie finally, \"I know you like to watch me suffer and all, but where do you draw the line? Where do you see me writhing and screaming and begging for any sense of relief, when you finally go, 'okay, that's enough eggs, this is too much'?\"\nLiam didn't even have to think, \"25,\" he said frankly.\nMaggie gawked, \"25?\" Last time, she had laid only seven eggs, and she could tell you, even going through one of them was an incomparable torture she still couldn't quite comprehend, like a part of her still refused to acknowledge that much pain could exist to her, although she knew she had obviously felt it anyway.\nLiam once again got that playful look in his eye, \"Of course, seven must already be an unimaginable amount of pain, so surely trying to wrap your head around hanging through more than triple that must be beyond incomprehensible. But I don't want you to suffer endlessly; 25 seems like a good solid number that goes beyond your ability to comprehend, but small enough that it doesn't stop feeling finite. I mean, it's not like I'm going to have to be the one who has to wrap my head around what's happening to me while I'm experiencing it.\"\n\"You really are something, aren't you,\" Maggie said.\n\"Of course,\" Liam smirked. \"It's just too much fun watching you, so desperately trying to hang through it, but the pain and your body overtaking you anyway.\"\n\"Well, if you could lay eggs, I hope you'd suffer. And I would enjoy watching you go through every single second of it.\"\n\"Well, I don't think that would be very much fun for me,\" Liam said.\n\"I know, but laying those eggs hasn't been very much fun for ME,\" she puffed her feathers in mock indignance, \"I think it'd be good for you to finally get to get in on what you've been missing.\"\n\"Not knowing what I'm missing is all the fun,\" Liam said, \"Besides, the whole point is that eggs are a uniquely female biological feature, where's the fun of having a guy in on your unique biological feature?\"\n\"You win this time,\" Maggie admitted grudgingly, \"But remember, everything I experience, I'm going to imagine happening to you.\"\n\"Sure, but while I only have it happen to me through imagination, you actually have to experience. I am literally never going to know what that feels like.\"\nWell, that got to Maggie quick; Maggie felt her legs clinching her wings wanting to cover herself down there. \"I'm going to need a pillow,\" she said weakly, \"And some privacy.\" All Liam had said was true, and it was so unfair, so why did it all feel kind of hot.\nAmusement appeared on Liam's face, but he said kindly, \"Okay, we can change the subject. Or the bathroom's down there if you want.\"\nMaggie scowled, still clutching herself bashfully, she hoped nobody passed, \"I know where the bathroom is. Just know if I get another egg from this, I blame you.\"\n\"Overexcitement is believed to lead to egg laying,\" Liam confirmed, giving her a playful hint with his expression.\n\"Oh no you don't,\" Maggie said, giving him a warning look.\n\"Okay, okay,\" Liam said, holding up his wings, \"We change the subject.\"\n\"Let's,\" Maggie said. She groaned, might already be too late. She might have to deal with those consequences in a few days.\n\"Besides, Magpies usually only lay one clutch a season,\" Liam said. \"But then again, it used to be that Magpies only laid one egg a day while in their gravid phase, so we're kind of in new territory here; Cross-Species Evolution does have it's moments, believe it or not.\"\n\"Yeah, I hear Professor Wingbeat is the worst,\" Maggie said.\n\"He is,\" Liam replied, \"Total misogynist. And not in playful, hopefully non-offensive way... Okay, maybe a little offensive. But I just like to tease you - and maybe find you a bit fascinating...\" he felt a bit self-conscious admitting this, \"But this guy's the real deal.\"\n\"Yeah, I hope I never have to deal with him,\" Maggie said, \"If you're just teasing, I don't want to know what the real deal is.\"\n...\n\"So, how are your classes going?\" Liam asked finally.\nMaggie brightened up a little, \"History is always a favorite. Right now, we're currently going over the Great Raven Wars from a thousand years ago. Apparently there was a soldier named Leith who got injured in battle and separated from the rest of his flock. This ultimately led to him starting over and becoming one of the greatest warlocks who ever lived.\"\n\"Leith the Mage.\" Liam nodded, \"Yeah, those were some pretty popular stories in my nest growing up.\"\n\"You Ravens have such fascinating histories,\" Maggie said jealously, \"Most of us Magpies were doing our own thing. I mean we got like what, one nursery rhyme and a dozen little tall tales of how much we like shiny things. That's not even accurate.\"\n\"Well, it's never too late to build some new histories,\" Liam said.\n\"Yeah, like the time I laid 7 eggs?\" Maggie asked sarcastically.\n\"Yeah, I would love to see that,\" Liam admitted with a laugh.\n\"Why is it me who has to lay eggs?\" Maggie said, clinching herself again in self-consciousness.\n\"Well, one of us genders has to,\" Liam said, \"And it can't be us males.\"\nShe glared at him unhappily.\n\"Hey, females have been laying eggs across all history,\" Liam said, \"Some of your favorite heroes. And I'm sure they have all been in just as much pain.\"\n\"I'm glad to know that in order to be anything in history, you have to endure inexpressible agony.\"\n\"Only if you're female,\" Liam said matter of factly, \"Or anyone's ancestor. If you're female of course.\"\n\"It all comes back to being female,\" Maggie said.\n\"Which, of course, you happen to be,\" Liam said.\nMaggie looked at him a moment, then a moment later burst out laughing. Liam couldn't help but join her.\n\"What is it with you and females?\" She said.\n\"I don't know,\" Liam laughed, \"I'm sorry, I just like them. They're interesting.\"\n\"And amusing, I'm sure,\" Maggie said, pulling herself off the seat and poofing out her tailfeathers.\n\"I'm sorry,\" Liam said, letting his laughter calm, \"I really do like you for more than just your... workabouts.\"\n\"But you can't help but acknowledge I have them,\" Maggie finished for him, feeling her face flush; she'd have to do something about that.\n\"I mean it'd kind of be hard for you to not have them,\" Liam said. \"You literally get to feel like you're a girl like... well, literally all the time; that is pretty awesome.\"\nMaggie sighed, \"Well, I'm probably going to have that egg I've been working on after this conversation. I'm guessing you're going to enjoy that. I really can't believe I'm female right now. And that I've been a female all my life.\"\n\"Well, we all have to have our workabouts,\" Liam said, \"Even us males.\"\n\"Yet only us females have to lay eggs.\"\n\"Of course,\" Liam teased, \"Can't let you forget what you have.\" Then seriously, \"But again, it's very unlikely for a Magpie to lay a second clutch in a season. But again again, modern genetics have changed quite a bit in the past century due to cross-species breeding, so it can get a bit unpredictable.\"\n\"Okay, sure, but I'm sure there are other stuff for us to talk about, how does it always end up going back to eggs?\" She had to admit, this kind of conversation could get very addicting very quickly, \"Perhaps we can save this for your podcast.\"\nLiam's eyes lit up, \"Sounds like a deal.\" He glanced at the clock on the wall, \"Hey, if you still want to see that movie playing at the theater, we should still have time to get to it.\"\nShe glanced at the clock as well, \"Yeah, I'm up for a movie. It doesn't have any Egg Laying in it, does it?\"\n\"A great action film?\" Liam clucked, \"What would it be without?\"\n\"Okay, I'm in, would be nice to see some other unfortunate chick suffer for a change.\"\nSo, pulling themselves from their seats, Maggie picked up her empty cup, and discarded it in a trash bin as they made their way out of the school. She followed Liam out into the late Autumn air, and Maggie breathed it in peacefully as she wrapped a scarf around herself, placing her wing-knitted beanie on her head. They walked down the path; even with wings, sometimes a calm walk under the trees was just as nice.\n\"Life really can be nice when you don't have to think about laying eggs,\" Maggie said.\n\"Too bad it's probably so bad that in the moment it probably makes you want to cancel all of life, even at the expense of the good stuff,\" Liam mused.\n\"You have no idea,\" Maggie said.\nWow, Liam didn't really expect to be confirmed in this, \"You girls have really angsty lives, don't you?\"\nMaggie shrugged, \"You make do with what you got, appreciate the good stuff, even if you know you'll be cursing it during the bad.\"\n\"Yeah, I'm going to be having a hard time reconciling that,\" Liam said.\nMaggie was about to reply, when in that moment, she stubbed her talon on the uneven fissuring of the cement.\nMaggie gave a squawk of shock, grabbing her talon and hopping up and down, \"Ow-Ow-Ow-Ow-OuCH!\" She cried, her eyes starting to water. She had to hold back a curse, reminding herself that she NEVER used words like that.\n\"Are you okay?!\" Liam asked, spinning around quickly, and flapping to her side, eyes filled with concern.\nMaggie glared at him.\n\"That looks like it hurt,\" Liam fretted, \"Don't tell me it hurt too bad.\"\nMaggie could already feel the pain fading except for a lingering swelling sensation, and let her foot fall back down beside the other.\n\"That is what you're concerned about,\" Maggie asked, giving him a look that showed full on skeptical.\nLiam took a step back, his face flushing.\n\"Yeah, about that,\" Liam said, brushing his neck bashfully with his wing, \"It's just, right now, you're not laying an egg. Your experiences right now are that of a normal person. I don't want your experiences as a normal person to be a torture. Not to say you aren't a normal person when you laying an egg, but... at that point you're a gravid-person, which makes you a unique kind of normal person; so it's not exactly the same. Now if your next egg hurts a billion times worse than stubbing your talons, I'll be all for it. I mean yeah, the person you are will have to carry on into existing as that other person who lays an egg, sure, but...\" He really didn't know where he was going with this, it was all confusing for him, he'd have to push on, even if it made him feel stupid, \"That special aspect of your life, it's been set aside for torment, it doesn't really count as your actual reality- Well, except when it's happening, and then at that point... Well, I kind of hope it feels like the most real thing that's ever happened to you.\"\nYeah, he'd completely failed that.\nMaggie just shook her head, and went on walking.\nLiam flapped to catch back up to her, and the two of them went on walking in silence for a moment.\nFinally, \"The new Star-Raven's Revenge, huh? Do you think he's finally going to get that new Star-Crystal to revitalize their Sun?\"\n\"Mmm-hmm,\" Maggie said. She wasn't really giving him the silent treatment, but she didn't have to let him know that; he had something more to say, he just couldn't put words to it, she didn't want to hinder the process by letting him change the subject.\nSo they walked in silence a bit more, each in their own thoughts.\nFinally-\n\"I know I've been trying to be real with you today, so I'm just going to say it,\" he said at last, \"If I'm being honest, laying eggs, the pain that goes with it, the fact that you girls have to go through all it, it's truthfully really unpleasant to think about.\"\nMaggie looked at him surprised. \"Then why do you?\"\nLiam shrugged, \"Because it happens, and I can't pretend it doesn't. I can't actually experience it, so thinking about it... Helps me process it.\"\nMaggie felt a sense of understanding at these words, \"By making something unpleasant into something entertaining.\"\nLiam hesitated, \"I think,\" was his reluctant answer, \"In truth, I don't fully know, it just kind of happened that way.\"\n\"Well I'm glad you get to experience unpleasant thoughts rather than Unpleasant Actual Experiences,\" Maggie jabbed sarcastically.\nLiam flinched.\n\"But, I think I kind of understand,\" Maggie admitted after a moment, \"Us girls have to find our own ways of coping as well, not as importantly as you need it of course.\" More sarcasm, he'd just have to go with it. \"But it's not like we don't want you guys to think of us, even the more unfortunate features.\"\n\"Like your workabouts?\" Liam asked a little confused.\n\"Especially our workabouts,\" Maggie said, giving him another tease with her tailfeathers. \"Why else would we have them if not for our boyfriends to tease us about?\" Then her face went serious, \"But seriously, we just want to be looked at as normal people, despite all our differences, despite the misfortunes of... eggs, in the end, we aren't much different than you, we just experience some things that you don't, and... have things that you don't. Are those things fun? Sure. But they shouldn't be used to separate us. Well, I mean other than physically. You guys aren't getting our experiential secrets anytime soon,\" She shoved a wingfeather at Liam.\n\"I mean that's kind of the fun of it\" Liam said. \"But like you said, I don't want to see you as a mysterious 'other', I want to see you as just another normal person who I can relate to as a normal person. Mostly. You know what I mean.\"\nMaggie paused a moment, her face relaxing.\n\"Thank you,\" she said. There was a pause, then, \"I like you,\" she gave him a friendly bump. \"But if we're going to make this relationship work, we have to work through some things, you know, like not having every conversation end back up on my workabouts,\" she flicked her tailfeathers back behind her self-consciously.\n\"Part of that is you,\" Liam said frankly.\n\"Of course,\" Maggie said, \"Sometimes it's fun.\"\n...\n\"I'm just saying... I'm not sure what I'm saying...\" Maggie thought a second. \"I'm just saying, our relationship is at a point where I don't know where it is, why don't we just take it from where we are and see how it goes.\"\nLiam couldn't deny, he had tried to make a good conversation with Maggie, and still he wondered if he'd failed a few too many times. Perhaps he was destined to mess up, did that mean he was not the best option for her? He looked down at his feet, not sure what to think. Even with counseling, he couldn't be sure it'd be enough. Maggie seemed to like him, but it left him with more questions than he was sure how to answer.\nBut then the simplest of realizations hit him.\n\"The truth is,\" He said, \"I like being around you. Your presence, whatever state its in, I just like having you in my company.\" He took a breath, \"I enjoy being your boyfriend, but I also want to work on being your friend. So like you said, let's work on our friendship, and see how that goes.\"\nShe looked at him skeptically, \"You're not friend-zoning me are you?\"\nLiam shook his head, \"No, not at all, I still want to be your boyfriend, I just also want to be your friend. I mean if the two weren't already mutually interchangeable.\"\n\"Friendship does sound alright,\" Maggie nodded, \"But you must be warned, I already have a lot of friends, all my sorority chicks and all. Boyfriend privileges only get you so far. That is to say, you're gonna need them.\"\n\"Understood,\" Liam said with a laugh.\n\"And I'm still showing up to that podcast.\"\n\"Agreed,\" Liam said.\nThey reached the edge of the campus, and Maggie checked the air to see if it was clear of obstacles. Spotting no other birds directly overhead, she spread out her blue-gilded wings and looked back at him.\n\"Ready for that movie?\" she asked.\nLiam nodded.\nAnd with that, the two took off for the sky.", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "Maggie stood in line at the University's cafeteria, waiting on her açia berry smoothy. She didn't think it'd take too long, and she still had a few minutes before she had to be at her spot. If all went well, maybe they'd have time to make it to that new Star Raven movie that was showing nearby.
Finished, the Barista capped the drink, and winged it over the counter to her. Maggie took it, and made her way to a quiet bench just outside in the hallway where she sat, waiting to meet with Liam.
Checking the time, she rose the straw to her beak and took a casual sip; Liam should be about done with his therapy session right about now. She couldn't help but wonder what he had talked about.
She'd pretty much recovered from that whole egg ordeal from a few weeks ago, but it still wasn't pleasant to think about that it had happened to her. Her now-boyfriend, Liam had seen the whole thing, and it hadn't helped in the least for him; he was a bit of a sadist when it came to laying eggs, and she had kind of put him on a spot when she had asked him to help her with her eggs. It had been a horrific experience to say the least, but admittedly, having him there to brutally rag on her dignity during the process had weirdly helped deflect some of the weight of the experience. It was still horrific, and he was still an absolute cluckbrain, but he was far from an inconsiderate cluckbrain, as he'd clearly indicated again and again he hadn't wanted to cross any boundaries during the whole thing, and was now seeking counseling to get his obsessions in check.
As she sipped at her smoothy, she thought of her own place in all of this. In all honesty, she probably hadn't been all that helpful either when it came to informing him what level she fell in in all this; of course she had the right to set her boundaries wherever she chose, but if she was going to lead him on like this, she should at least be able to communicate with him where those boundaries lied. Problem was, she didn't know herself. Hopefully today would give them a chance to talk through some things. All she knew is those eggs BURNED, like no male would ever know, and if a charming raven like him was going to tease her about it, it was going to need to work in her favor. Though just the thought made her burn inside all the more from the embarassment.
She was just glad she had been able to lay the entire clutch in one setting, she couldn't imagine having to drag it out with only one a day like Magpies in the books used to do; as much as it had hurt, she was glad she had been able to just get it over with. She wasn't sure what had happened to change it, something to do with genetics, maybe she'd ask Liam about it if she didn't forget. Of course it had to be the male who knew all there was to know about being female, but seeing as he was just about the only expert she knew...
A moment later, Maggie heard a sound and looked up to see Liam come flapping down the hallway, air swishing evenly through his dark raven feathers. His eyes went alight when he saw her and he alighted down next to her. She straightened the flower pin on her head self-consciously. Liam had brought his own sandwich from the cafeteria, and took a nibble at it tastefully.
"So, how'd it go?" Maggie asked, sipping passively on her smoothy.
"Good," said Liam, taking a seat next to her, "I think I'm starting to figure some stuff out. But I need to talk to you... about everything... you know, with your eggs and all."
Maggie looked at him, paused a moment, "Oh, my eggs, who could've guessed?"
"Of course," Liam teased, going with her jest, "a girl's gotta have her workabouts."
"Oh yeah, my workabouts," Maggie replied sarcastically, giving her tailfeathers an embarrassing shake, "wouldn't be a girl without 'em. Let's not forget the complete indecency a girl's gotta deal with every day just by having them."
"Must make going to the bathroom fun," Liam replied.
"Oh, going to the bathroom is very fun; get the full experience of femineity right there. Well except for the egg part, but you can rest assured it's coming."
Liam was silent a moment, feeling this conversation was going off track of what he was here to discuss already, but he just had to add, "You have no idea how cool it is that you have them, I mean of course you do, a girl's gotta have workabouts, but the fact that it's you specifically, with all your personality..."
Okay, now Maggie wanted to throw her wings down over herself in self-consciousness, but that wouldn't make sense with her school uniform on anyway. It didn't matter regardless, in the end, she still had to carry it all with her anyway, and if you knew, you knew, no uniform would hide that fact.
She threw her wings down over herself anyway. "Too much Liam, too much." She said, starting to flush.
"Sorry," Liam said, turning away and going red himself.
This is exactly what he was talking about, he feared he kept messing up with this girl. Sure he liked her, all of her, and that included certain things about her that probably best not be mentioned, but it wasn't fair to her if he made her uncomfortable. Could he stop himself from feeling the way he did about certain things? And if he did would he really be giving her his truest self? That was why they really needed this talk.
"About that," Liam began, "Would it be okay if we were serious for a moment, without any sarcasm or condescending remarks - well, unless you really mean them - or anything like that... I mean, it's not that I don't love it when you go along, but I need to know honestly, how you feel about the whole thing. I need to know that I'm not stepping over any bounds."
"Is that something your counselor told you to say?" Maggie asked.
"Well, kind of," Liam admitted, "But I thought it'd be kind of smart regardless.
She looked at him, fiddling with her straw. "Honestly, I don't think I even know how I feel. I don't like the pain of laying those eggs, that's for sure..." She sighed grudgingly, "But is it odd I'm kind of into how you're into it?"
Liam thought a moment, "So you're not a masochist?"
"Of course not," Maggie said, "I don't see how any female could be after feeling pain like that."
"Oh, thank goodness," Liam said in relief.
Maggie looked at him glaringly.
"I mean it wouldn't be very much fun for me if you found anything pleasant in it, would it?" Liam said defensively. He looked at Maggie's face, "I... should stop talking."
"Yes, you should," Maggie said.
They fell back into silence, and Maggie went back to her drink.
Finally- "But as much as I hate to say it, you're kind of right."
Liam looked at Maggie, surprised.
"So yeah, I'm a female," she said in defense, "And that means I have to deal with being female; everything that comes with it. So okay, I admit, it's kind of hot, you guys, all unfettered by... whatever... while meanwhile, us girls have ended up horribly disadvantaged simply because we were hatched Oviparous. There's nothing wrong with having an appreciation for how your bodies work different than ours, so what if that means giving us the short end of the stick? Of course I'm envious of you, that's what makes the whole situation hot; if there was any comfort in knowing us females had to lay eggs, even the slightest, it'd kind of ruin the entire point of it, would it not?"
Liam let out a chuckle. "You sound like you've been watching too many of my podcasts."
She gave him a look, "Why do you think I chose you to help with laying my first clutch of eggs?"
...
Maggie sighed, "But just because being female disadvantages me in some aspects doesn't mean I want being female to determine me as any lesser."
"That's fair," Liam replied considerately. But he couldn't help adding, "Humiliation is at its best when the subject holds themself with dignity and self worth."
Maggie whacked him with her wing.
"Ow!" said Liam, pulling away.
"I thought we were being serious," Maggie said.
"Yeah, I know, I couldn't resist," Liam chuckled.
"I hope it hurt," Maggie said.
"Not as badly as laying an egg, I'm sure."
Maggie glared at him. "You got me there."
They fell silent again, Maggie realized she was nearing the bottom of her smoothy.
Finally, "No, seriously, though," went Liam, "don't undersell yourself. I know I'm a bit evil when it comes to your experiences as a female..." He looked away, hiding his expression, "I mean, you have to admit, you're very... female- Which, if you've ever taken a biology class, you'd know is in and of itself very fascinating."
"Mm-hmm," Maggie replied nonchalantly.
Liam tried to start over, "But I want my relationship with you to be separate from that... Okay, maybe with some crossover, I still want to enjoy you laying those eggs of course."
"Of course," Maggie said.
Liam made an expression, like he realized maybe he should've pulled it back a little.
"No, might as well say what you're going to say," Maggie said.
Liam opened his beak to sigh, then continued. "In the end, I just think you're very cool of a person. You're clever, and funny, and you're just fun to be around; your eggs are only a small part of who you are, and honestly, I still have trouble trying to comprehend why someone like you should have to go through that, when someone like me wouldn't. In the end, we're not really that different, but in how we experience the world, it means everything."
Maggie could see the light in his eye as he tried to wrap his head around his thoughts.
"You are really into this, aren't you?" Maggie asked, "And what major are you going into again? Eggology?"
"Oviology," Liam corrected.
"Interesting," Maggie said, feeling the least bit put on the spot, "And I'm sure you're going to learn a whole lot about my workabouts, aren't you?"
"Well, it is a study of eggs and egg laying among Oviparous species as a whole, but female workabouts are major part of it, yes."
Of course he'd study about that, it wasn't like she had any workabouts that she had to carry with her all the time that a male like Liam could find interest about.
"I mean, did you know that just about every female avion lays eggs at some point of her life?" Liam went on, "There's not a single one who won't experience the same exact excruciating pain you felt. And as a male who will never experience it, I don't know how any of you could possibly bear the thought of it. I mean, I feel bad, I really do, but the thought of you all screaming like you did, absolutely helpless, not a single one of you above escape... Wow, I can't even wrap my head around what that must be like."
"You know you're going to have to work on some things before you're ready to assist any females with their eggs."
Liam shrugged, "You don't think there are any females who'd like to be teased their whole way through agonizing labor?" he give Maggie a teasing smirk.
Maggie couldn't deny.
"Besides," Liam continued, "I may not even be assisting in any labor wards. Did you know there are so many other things about eggs than just how they're laid? Calcification, how they form within the body - all female bodies, I must point out, and that is kind of cool, not to lie, but - the patterns and colors and why they vary from species to species... There is so much to learn about eggs that could be used to contribute to the world."
"Like make an epidural that works on birds." Maggie stated.
Liam pulled away, looking aghast, "No way, I'm not a Saint."
Despite this, Maggie couldn't resist cracking a laugh, "What do I have to say to get it through your head that those things really do hurt?"
"Oh, I know they hurt, I just can't comprehend it."
"Well, if you actually could comprehend it, I bet you'd never want to laugh at it again."
"And that is why I'm glad I can't," Liam said, "One of us needs to, and it know it can't be you. A little sorry for you though, now that you've gone through it, you don't get to enjoy the experience of not being able to comprehend what it feels like anymore. Then again, if you hadn't gone through it yet, I would be able to comprehend your experiences still, and that really wouldn't be any fun at all."
"You're hopeless," Maggie said, disapprovingly.
Liam fell silent. A moment later, he stood up, and gave a little pace away. He came to a stop, a few feet later and stood there, back turned away.
"I went a little too far again, didn't I?" He sighed, "I don't know; I feel the way I feel, and I don't want to stop feeling how I feel... but what if the way I feel is disrespectful towards others?"
Maggie looked at him, feeling a strange sense of sympathy. Well, sure, she was the one who was having her agony teased ruthlessly, but she could see how challenging it could be to sort through intrusive feelings over other people's experiences.
She stood up and went over to him, her smoothy was done, so there was no shame in leaving it there discarded, "I think the most important thing is consent," She said, "I'm sure your counselor has talked to you about that."
Liam nodded, "Yes, but sometimes it's easy to just feel this guilt inside, just knowing that you're into something that... comes at such a great expense to another. You never asked to lay those eggs, and still you had to suffer through it, and I couldn't really do anything about it, but..."
"And yet you still have my consent" Maggie said. "To some degree. And more or less, you've always taken the extra step to make sure you've had my consent. For the most part." Okay, sure, it was awkward, accepting the knowledge that he had near full knowledge of her workabouts, but sometimes a girl needed that. "Lighten up," she continued, "us females can't choose when we lay eggs, so might as well make the most of it, right? I'd like to think I can at least be of some entertainment value."
"Still not going to get out of that obligation to make an epidural, am I?" Liam said.
"Do you want to?"
"No," Liam admitted with a shake of his feathers. No need to elaborate.
"Hmm, maybe somebody else will have to take that matter into her own wings," Maggie said thoughtfully.
"I thought you were a History Major," Liam said, turning around finally to look at her.
Maggie sighed, "I guess we won't be getting any epidurals in my lifetime." Liam didn't reply like she kind of hoped, so she added, "I'm guessing you'd be thrilled about that."
"Oh, of course," Liam said, looking back at her, "I'm just thinking."
"About me laying eggs," Maggie said.
"I wish," Liam said with a light laugh.
The two of them pulled back to their seat, and Maggie picked up her discarded cup again. Even though it was empty, it gave her something to do to swish the straw around on the inside.
"Okay," Liam said finally, "But all girls lay eggs, right? What about the ones I don't talk to, or the ones who post their experiences on the forums who don't know I exist, I'm still going to have feelings about them."
Maggie said nothing for a moment, then, "I'm not sure I can give advice about that. One thing I do know about being female is guys are going to have feelings about you simply because you exist, even certain aspects of yourself you'd rather not share," she gave him a very deliberate look which made him pull back an inch. She felt herself burn a little red as she added, "But like I said, I kind of like it; I can't speak for other girls."
"I guess that's something to ask my counselor the next time we meet," Liam mused.
Shaking off her self-consciousness, Maggie thought for a moment, "Why don't you bring girls onto your podcast, girls who want to talk about their experiences? You know, full disclosure of what you're into, and let them make up their own minds about it."
"I have thought of that," Liam admitted, "But I'm not really set up to bring others onto the show at the moment, and I'm not sure how easy it would be to find others who are into discussing something so intimate." He was silent a moment, then he looked at her, "Would you be willing to talk on my podcast?"
"I'll think about it," Maggie said, giving him a playful smile.
And again they were sitting there, but in a lighter mood this time.
"So," said Maggie finally, "I know you like to watch me suffer and all, but where do you draw the line? Where do you see me writhing and screaming and begging for any sense of relief, when you finally go, 'okay, that's enough eggs, this is too much'?"
Liam didn't even have to think, "25," he said frankly.
Maggie gawked, "25?" Last time, she had laid only seven eggs, and she could tell you, even going through one of them was an incomparable torture she still couldn't quite comprehend, like a part of her still refused to acknowledge that much pain could exist to her, although she knew she had obviously felt it anyway.
Liam once again got that playful look in his eye, "Of course, seven must already be an unimaginable amount of pain, so surely trying to wrap your head around hanging through more than triple that must be beyond incomprehensible. But I don't want you to suffer endlessly; 25 seems like a good solid number that goes beyond your ability to comprehend, but small enough that it doesn't stop feeling finite. I mean, it's not like I'm going to have to be the one who has to wrap my head around what's happening to me while I'm experiencing it."
"You really are something, aren't you," Maggie said.
"Of course," Liam smirked. "It's just too much fun watching you, so desperately trying to hang through it, but the pain and your body overtaking you anyway."
"Well, if you could lay eggs, I hope you'd suffer. And I would enjoy watching you go through every single second of it."
"Well, I don't think that would be very much fun for me," Liam said.
"I know, but laying those eggs hasn't been very much fun for ME," she puffed her feathers in mock indignance, "I think it'd be good for you to finally get to get in on what you've been missing."
"Not knowing what I'm missing is all the fun," Liam said, "Besides, the whole point is that eggs are a uniquely female biological feature, where's the fun of having a guy in on your unique biological feature?"
"You win this time," Maggie admitted grudgingly, "But remember, everything I experience, I'm going to imagine happening to you."
"Sure, but while I only have it happen to me through imagination, you actually have to experience. I am literally never going to know what that feels like."
Well, that got to Maggie quick; Maggie felt her legs clinching her wings wanting to cover herself down there. "I'm going to need a pillow," she said weakly, "And some privacy." All Liam had said was true, and it was so unfair, so why did it all feel kind of hot.
Amusement appeared on Liam's face, but he said kindly, "Okay, we can change the subject. Or the bathroom's down there if you want."
Maggie scowled, still clutching herself bashfully, she hoped nobody passed, "I know where the bathroom is. Just know if I get another egg from this, I blame you."
"Overexcitement is believed to lead to egg laying," Liam confirmed, giving her a playful hint with his expression.
"Oh no you don't," Maggie said, giving him a warning look.
"Okay, okay," Liam said, holding up his wings, "We change the subject."
"Let's," Maggie said. She groaned, might already be too late. She might have to deal with those consequences in a few days.
"Besides, Magpies usually only lay one clutch a season," Liam said. "But then again, it used to be that Magpies only laid one egg a day while in their gravid phase, so we're kind of in new territory here; Cross-Species Evolution does have it's moments, believe it or not."
"Yeah, I hear Professor Wingbeat is the worst," Maggie said.
"He is," Liam replied, "Total misogynist. And not in playful, hopefully non-offensive way... Okay, maybe a little offensive. But I just like to tease you - and maybe find you a bit fascinating..." he felt a bit self-conscious admitting this, "But this guy's the real deal."
"Yeah, I hope I never have to deal with him," Maggie said, "If you're just teasing, I don't want to know what the real deal is."
...
"So, how are your classes going?" Liam asked finally.
Maggie brightened up a little, "History is always a favorite. Right now, we're currently going over the Great Raven Wars from a thousand years ago. Apparently there was a soldier named Leith who got injured in battle and separated from the rest of his flock. This ultimately led to him starting over and becoming one of the greatest warlocks who ever lived."
"Leith the Mage." Liam nodded, "Yeah, those were some pretty popular stories in my nest growing up."
"You Ravens have such fascinating histories," Maggie said jealously, "Most of us Magpies were doing our own thing. I mean we got like what, one nursery rhyme and a dozen little tall tales of how much we like shiny things. That's not even accurate."
"Well, it's never too late to build some new histories," Liam said.
"Yeah, like the time I laid 7 eggs?" Maggie asked sarcastically.
"Yeah, I would love to see that," Liam admitted with a laugh.
"Why is it me who has to lay eggs?" Maggie said, clinching herself again in self-consciousness.
"Well, one of us genders has to," Liam said, "And it can't be us males."
She glared at him unhappily.
"Hey, females have been laying eggs across all history," Liam said, "Some of your favorite heroes. And I'm sure they have all been in just as much pain."
"I'm glad to know that in order to be anything in history, you have to endure inexpressible agony."
"Only if you're female," Liam said matter of factly, "Or anyone's ancestor. If you're female of course."
"It all comes back to being female," Maggie said.
"Which, of course, you happen to be," Liam said.
Maggie looked at him a moment, then a moment later burst out laughing. Liam couldn't help but join her.
"What is it with you and females?" She said.
"I don't know," Liam laughed, "I'm sorry, I just like them. They're interesting."
"And amusing, I'm sure," Maggie said, pulling herself off the seat and poofing out her tailfeathers.
"I'm sorry," Liam said, letting his laughter calm, "I really do like you for more than just your... workabouts."
"But you can't help but acknowledge I have them," Maggie finished for him, feeling her face flush; she'd have to do something about that.
"I mean it'd kind of be hard for you to not have them," Liam said. "You literally get to feel like you're a girl like... well, literally all the time; that is pretty awesome."
Maggie sighed, "Well, I'm probably going to have that egg I've been working on after this conversation. I'm guessing you're going to enjoy that. I really can't believe I'm female right now. And that I've been a female all my life."
"Well, we all have to have our workabouts," Liam said, "Even us males."
"Yet only us females have to lay eggs."
"Of course," Liam teased, "Can't let you forget what you have." Then seriously, "But again, it's very unlikely for a Magpie to lay a second clutch in a season. But again again, modern genetics have changed quite a bit in the past century due to cross-species breeding, so it can get a bit unpredictable."
"Okay, sure, but I'm sure there are other stuff for us to talk about, how does it always end up going back to eggs?" She had to admit, this kind of conversation could get very addicting very quickly, "Perhaps we can save this for your podcast."
Liam's eyes lit up, "Sounds like a deal." He glanced at the clock on the wall, "Hey, if you still want to see that movie playing at the theater, we should still have time to get to it."
She glanced at the clock as well, "Yeah, I'm up for a movie. It doesn't have any Egg Laying in it, does it?"
"A great action film?" Liam clucked, "What would it be without?"
"Okay, I'm in, would be nice to see some other unfortunate chick suffer for a change."
So, pulling themselves from their seats, Maggie picked up her empty cup, and discarded it in a trash bin as they made their way out of the school. She followed Liam out into the late Autumn air, and Maggie breathed it in peacefully as she wrapped a scarf around herself, placing her wing-knitted beanie on her head. They walked down the path; even with wings, sometimes a calm walk under the trees was just as nice.
"Life really can be nice when you don't have to think about laying eggs," Maggie said.
"Too bad it's probably so bad that in the moment it probably makes you want to cancel all of life, even at the expense of the good stuff," Liam mused.
"You have no idea," Maggie said.
Wow, Liam didn't really expect to be confirmed in this, "You girls have really angsty lives, don't you?"
Maggie shrugged, "You make do with what you got, appreciate the good stuff, even if you know you'll be cursing it during the bad."
"Yeah, I'm going to be having a hard time reconciling that," Liam said.
Maggie was about to reply, when in that moment, she stubbed her talon on the uneven fissuring of the cement.
Maggie gave a squawk of shock, grabbing her talon and hopping up and down, "Ow-Ow-Ow-Ow-OuCH!" She cried, her eyes starting to water. She had to hold back a curse, reminding herself that she NEVER used words like that.
"Are you okay?!" Liam asked, spinning around quickly, and flapping to her side, eyes filled with concern.
Maggie glared at him.
"That looks like it hurt," Liam fretted, "Don't tell me it hurt too bad."
Maggie could already feel the pain fading except for a lingering swelling sensation, and let her foot fall back down beside the other.
"That is what you're concerned about," Maggie asked, giving him a look that showed full on skeptical.
Liam took a step back, his face flushing.
"Yeah, about that," Liam said, brushing his neck bashfully with his wing, "It's just, right now, you're not laying an egg. Your experiences right now are that of a normal person. I don't want your experiences as a normal person to be a torture. Not to say you aren't a normal person when you laying an egg, but... at that point you're a gravid-person, which makes you a unique kind of normal person; so it's not exactly the same. Now if your next egg hurts a billion times worse than stubbing your talons, I'll be all for it. I mean yeah, the person you are will have to carry on into existing as that other person who lays an egg, sure, but..." He really didn't know where he was going with this, it was all confusing for him, he'd have to push on, even if it made him feel stupid, "That special aspect of your life, it's been set aside for torment, it doesn't really count as your actual reality- Well, except when it's happening, and then at that point... Well, I kind of hope it feels like the most real thing that's ever happened to you."
Yeah, he'd completely failed that.
Maggie just shook her head, and went on walking.
Liam flapped to catch back up to her, and the two of them went on walking in silence for a moment.
Finally, "The new Star-Raven's Revenge, huh? Do you think he's finally going to get that new Star-Crystal to revitalize their Sun?"
"Mmm-hmm," Maggie said. She wasn't really giving him the silent treatment, but she didn't have to let him know that; he had something more to say, he just couldn't put words to it, she didn't want to hinder the process by letting him change the subject.
So they walked in silence a bit more, each in their own thoughts.
Finally-
"I know I've been trying to be real with you today, so I'm just going to say it," he said at last, "If I'm being honest, laying eggs, the pain that goes with it, the fact that you girls have to go through all it, it's truthfully really unpleasant to think about."
Maggie looked at him surprised. "Then why do you?"
Liam shrugged, "Because it happens, and I can't pretend it doesn't. I can't actually experience it, so thinking about it... Helps me process it."
Maggie felt a sense of understanding at these words, "By making something unpleasant into something entertaining."
Liam hesitated, "I think," was his reluctant answer, "In truth, I don't fully know, it just kind of happened that way."
"Well I'm glad you get to experience unpleasant thoughts rather than Unpleasant Actual Experiences," Maggie jabbed sarcastically.
Liam flinched.
"But, I think I kind of understand," Maggie admitted after a moment, "Us girls have to find our own ways of coping as well, not as importantly as you need it of course." More sarcasm, he'd just have to go with it. "But it's not like we don't want you guys to think of us, even the more unfortunate features."
"Like your workabouts?" Liam asked a little confused.
"Especially our workabouts," Maggie said, giving him another tease with her tailfeathers. "Why else would we have them if not for our boyfriends to tease us about?" Then her face went serious, "But seriously, we just want to be looked at as normal people, despite all our differences, despite the misfortunes of... eggs, in the end, we aren't much different than you, we just experience some things that you don't, and... have things that you don't. Are those things fun? Sure. But they shouldn't be used to separate us. Well, I mean other than physically. You guys aren't getting our experiential secrets anytime soon," She shoved a wingfeather at Liam.
"I mean that's kind of the fun of it" Liam said. "But like you said, I don't want to see you as a mysterious 'other', I want to see you as just another normal person who I can relate to as a normal person. Mostly. You know what I mean."
Maggie paused a moment, her face relaxing.
"Thank you," she said. There was a pause, then, "I like you," she gave him a friendly bump. "But if we're going to make this relationship work, we have to work through some things, you know, like not having every conversation end back up on my workabouts," she flicked her tailfeathers back behind her self-consciously.
"Part of that is you," Liam said frankly.
"Of course," Maggie said, "Sometimes it's fun."
...
"I'm just saying... I'm not sure what I'm saying..." Maggie thought a second. "I'm just saying, our relationship is at a point where I don't know where it is, why don't we just take it from where we are and see how it goes."
Liam couldn't deny, he had tried to make a good conversation with Maggie, and still he wondered if he'd failed a few too many times. Perhaps he was destined to mess up, did that mean he was not the best option for her? He looked down at his feet, not sure what to think. Even with counseling, he couldn't be sure it'd be enough. Maggie seemed to like him, but it left him with more questions than he was sure how to answer.
But then the simplest of realizations hit him.
"The truth is," He said, "I like being around you. Your presence, whatever state its in, I just like having you in my company." He took a breath, "I enjoy being your boyfriend, but I also want to work on being your friend. So like you said, let's work on our friendship, and see how that goes."
She looked at him skeptically, "You're not friend-zoning me are you?"
Liam shook his head, "No, not at all, I still want to be your boyfriend, I just also want to be your friend. I mean if the two weren't already mutually interchangeable."
"Friendship does sound alright," Maggie nodded, "But you must be warned, I already have a lot of friends, all my sorority chicks and all. Boyfriend privileges only get you so far. That is to say, you're gonna need them."
"Understood," Liam said with a laugh.
"And I'm still showing up to that podcast."
"Agreed," Liam said.
They reached the edge of the campus, and Maggie checked the air to see if it was clear of obstacles. Spotting no other birds directly overhead, she spread out her blue-gilded wings and looked back at him.
"Ready for that movie?" she asked.
Liam nodded.
And with that, the two took off for the sky.", "pools_count": 0, "title": "Maggie Magpie and Liam Have The Talk", "deleted": "f", "public": "t", "mimetype": "text/rtf", "pagecount": "1", "rating_id": "2", "rating_name": "Adult", "ratings": [ { "content_tag_id": "4", "name": "Sexual Themes", "description": "Erotic imagery, sexual activity or arousal", "rating_id": "2" } ], "submission_type_id": "12", "type_name": "Writing - Document", "guest_block": "f", "friends_only": "f", "comments_count": "0", "views": "1" }