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Story 8: The *SQUAWK*

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Rawon thinks butterflies is a stupid concept. Squawky disagrees. Rawon doesn’t care, though, what the stupid bird thinks, but butterflies - especially the idea of them being in your stomach - makes his head spins. Squawky runs the idea through his mind as he watches Rawon setup this girl, inconspicuously dropping off his number. It’s not like Rawon has such malicious intent, though –– he just saw Sky in the train and thought it might be nice to catch up again just to see if it might lead somewhere. 

Squawky descends as Rawon leaves the station, eager to know what exactly they (plural) are doing in Palmfall. Palmfall still looks as idle as Rawon remembers, a boring city, somehow expected that Sky would pick this city to settle down in. Squawky lands on Rawon’s hat and squawks in his face.

“What’s your problem now, huh?”

“What’s your problem huh?” *SQUAWK*

“Just stay still, will you, and don’t get too excited, I don’t want to be seen talking to a stupid bird.” 

“Stupid bird. Stupid bird.” Squawky squawks at Rawon, walking on his head as he does so.

Rawon ignores the bird and walks on, looking at his surroundings. 

“Country Road. Country Road. Take me Home.” Squawky continues, trying to find out where they are going. Rawon, used to ignoring the bird’s rambles, walks on, thinking of what Sky used to tell him on their nights together up on the roof of their dormitories. Squawky remembers these nights fondly too, locked in a room, alone, without food. The Taurid meteor shower in October and Sky’s strange fascination with them, and how she went on and on about living in a city small enough she can still see them. Squawky agrees with this dream, so much open air, but alas it was not to be for now.

Rawon stops on a bench, the wind softly brushing his hair, life moving in an unbelievably slow pace, and thinks that Sky is perhaps truly living her dreams right now. 

Squawky tries one more time, waiting for a lull in the crowds, and asks “Are we there yet?”

“No, Squawky, what about you try and find some friend or something?”

“No, Squawky. No, Squawky.” *SQUAWK*

Rawon ignores the bird again –– it’s for his sanity anyway –– and stops at the sight of a law firm stuck on the utility pole, featuring Boring Law Firm’s notice that they are recruiting. 

Squawky senses something amiss and swoops in, taking the poster and flying off into the distance.

Rawon sighs and leans back on the bench, but then he feels his phone vibrates. Picking up the phone, he discovers his legal friend found him an apprenticeship at Boring Law Firm. Rawon weighs his options, thanks him and shrugs. 

-----

Sky sits out on their verandah, admiring the skyline, when a bird appears on the railing, a poster caught in its claw. Sky thinks they recognise the bird, but it drops the poster and flies off before they gather who the bird is.

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