"Luka, Luka."

It was late and long past his curfew; and yet to Io, he felt as if leaving his friend now would make things seem even later. How that came to his mind was almost like a mystery. In fact, Io often related the concept of lateness to something of a pitiful event. It carried a slow sadness—as though things had come to an end, and the awareness of time merely made it all the more clear.

The eagle returned his gaze.

"Luka," His smile glowed in a strange manner, "do you think V will allow for a rematch?"

"A rematch?" Luka repeated carefully, watching an idea form in Io's head and the light that it lent to his wide eyes. "Of?"

"The games, silly," Io laughed, excited. "I just remembered something that Pipa said. She always says things like that anyway, you know. She said 'the more the merrier'."

"So I was thinking if I could get some people to sign...um, what's it called...?"

A petition? Victoria offered helpfully, and Io nodded right away.

"Yes! Yes, that!" He leaned forward hopefully. "If we could get the headmistress to allow for a rematch, and...well, you know. If I win for the second time, then—"

"No."

Luka's answer had slipped out of his lips without a warning. Neither he nor Io seemed to have anticipated this firm response; and it certainly upset the latter.

"Why not?" He asked, shoulders falling.

This time however, the eagle paused to think. He always did, really; contemplation mostly brought value to his answers and that was what mattered to him. After all, since he couldn't seem to offer them in quantity, he thought perhaps the quality of his answers would make up for it instead.

"It's dangerous," Luka began, "she will find ways to make you lose."

Io hung his head with a sigh. The slight consideration did occupy a small part of his thoughts until he pushed them aside in favour of the consequences.

For there was something beyond his plan.

The boy tried his best to relay this to his friend in the most coherent manner he could manage. Victoria listened intently while her Winged appeared the very same. Perhaps it simply was because he felt no difference; Luka was always compelled to listen to this strange little one.

As the conversation (or rather, the explanation) progressed, the eagle began to understand Io's aim; which didn't exactly include a victory in any part of it.

Though his viewpoint was far from radical, Luka thought it to be fairly intriguing nonetheless. There were things that he could relate to, but the presence of contention was perhaps inevitable.

"You...don't want to win?" He confirmed. His friend considered the question with a fleeting smile.

"It's not that I don't want to win, Luka...maybe," Io paused to think, somewhat a habit that he had inherited from the eagle. "Maybe the game wasn't about winning at all?"

It was unfortunate that the predator found no understanding in Io's conclusion. Nevertheless, he kept it at the back of his cage, for it was important to him.

"If so," He said, "then you should have the signatures of predators as well."

"Ah," His eyes were lanterns, "I forgot about that. Um, would it...would it be hard? I don't know many predators," Io pointed out with a sigh.

Luka found himself thinking that this was more a relief than a problem, but he couldn't seem to discover the reason behind this thought.

Are you not tired, Io? Victoria asked, feeling slightly exhausted herself. After all, anger wasn't the most comforting emotion; and the questions that her companion posed had been far from soothing. Thinking is no easy task.

"But don't we think every day?" The boy said in return, gazing at the stars. "Well, only if...we choose to think, that is."

The eagle reached out to flick Io's forehead.

"A—why did you do that?" Came his indignant yet curious response. "Was it something I said?"

"Maybe," Luka smiled vaguely; almost a smirk. He was a little tired however, and thus his tone did come across as half-hearted at most.

The thought of time crossed Io's mind, only to be met with the absence of an answer and the means to search for one. He stretched his legs over the floorboards, secretly comparing their length to Luka's. He had forgotten that the latter was able to hear his thoughts.

The fairly amused Luka decided to keep this to himself however—since it entertained him very much and he did not wish for it to stop.

Io expressed his desire to stay.

"I don't feel like leaving," He said strangely, frowning at his own words. "I don't know why."

Perhaps you don't feel like moving, that's all, Victoria commented lightly. I have similar sentiments occasionally. Do you not, Lyra?

I...hardly—but I empathize, came the sparrow's knowing reply.

Luka did not pause to think before his hand was reaching for the other sleeping bag that he had kept away under a loose floorboard. There had, initially, been no reason for an extra. After all, it served no purpose for the lone eagle in his personal space where he—and he, alone—would sometimes take it upon himself to rest in a place void of responsibilities.

The added responsibility however, came in the form of a curious friend. There was no particular motive that crossed Luka's mind as he ordered a new sleeping bag by post (only the awkward stare that the dove behind the counter was bold enough to give before turning away as if she had seen a mirror that reflected herself), only the possibility that someone might need it.

And of course—that someone being the only one, really, who might have any use of it at all.

The eagle dropped the rolled up bundle in Io's arms without much less a word or an expression, which the latter received in surprise.

"Is this..." He glanced at the sleeping bag that Victoria had been using (for little purpose) before, messed up in a corner of the treehouse. "I didn't know you had a spare! That's...that's so strange, but efficient!" Io laughed.

He proceeded to take the sleeping bag out of its waterproof cover, fumbling a little as he searched for something to identify to part where his head was supposed to be. "It's a little different from the one we used in the games. Oh—it's a lot...puffier. Is that a word?" He asked all of a sudden, turning to the eagle.

His companion thought for a moment.

"It could be," He said after some time, not wanting to douse the hopeful look in Io's eyes.

Oh look. You have a heart, Victoria mused quietly to herself.

"What do you mean?" Io asked promptly, catching on to her words. "Everyone has a heart, Victoria."

It is very well for you to think that Io, but after knowing someone like him for three years I naturally had my doubts. Victoria cocked her head in Luka's direction, who remained fairly still.

"What does she mean, Luka?" Io had turned to him instead with a puzzled expression, stopping to flip his sleeping bag in the other direction only to realize that it was the wrong one.

"Nothing important," He dismissed his Avian easily, leaving Victoria with ruffled feathers and an indignant tone. Oh I'm sure whatever I say is of no importance.

Io laughed, finally slipping into the sleeping bag after taking off his shoes. "I think everyone is significant, Victoria! I'm sure Luka thinks so too; just that he doesn't say it."

The boy curled up on the floorboards beside his friend, glancing up at him for a brief moment where their eyes met.

It was the unspoken words that filled the air thereafter that told Io the answer; and it had come almost like a lullaby—a silent whisper.

The air shivered with a sigh in the heart of the night; bringing their conversation to an end. Lyra had found comfort in an empty pencil holder in which she fit snugly into, warming her feathers for a long day ahead.

Luka sat fairly still—listening to the sound of his heart.

In the midst of sleep's grasp, a curious voice made his way into the beating chest of the eagle; soft, and a little sad.

Luka,

what is...the difference between prey and predator?

A question that could have been said to be, really, the easiest question to answer. Perhaps simply because the words themselves had, unfortunately, implied the analytical truths behind them all.

The difference between a prey and a predator—was simply that one was to be fed while the other, fed on.

How strange it was that Luka didn't seem to find this answer convincing in the slightest; for he was beginning to conflate the two and that, certainly, was not a part of natural phenomena.

Was the world not made to be like this?

For there was gentle sheep; but hunting wolf,

Nimble deer; ruthless lion—

Fleeting sparrow, and golden eagle.

At present, Luka began to realize just how little he knew of himself, much less the external world. There were questions that he could not answer, and it was a mere sparrow that had made him feel this empowered sense of loss.

He was losing himself in a world that he thought had existed only for survival.

For what was the purpose of it all if the only thing to do was to survive—alone?

Luka took in his sleeping companion, curled up against his side in the most foreign manner, and he wondered what sort of world Io lived in.

It made the eagle begin to think that perhaps, in Io's world, prey and predators...

Weren't very different after all.

_______________________________

"Iolani! Where have you been—I was so worried!" Callaghan began as soon as he saw the sparrow in the dining hall at breakfast. "You...you weren't in trouble, were you? I was so sure I reminded you about the club meeting last night."

It struck the boy like a chime in his head, and he woke up instantly.

"Sir! Oh...oh no, I, you see, I—" Victoria had been a distraction. Curious Io had not the mind to resist a note that demanded his presence. Come. "I...I was. I forgot. I'm so sorry."

The apology was accepted in a surprisingly odd manner. He had assumed that Callaghan would berate him over tossing his responsibilities as a club president aside. Well, not that he had any particular person to lead either way.

"Well..." The widowbird found it difficult to word his reply. "I suppose it happens. Do not hesitate to tell me if anything happens. Oh and here is the club activity book."

The professor handed him a fairly tattered jotter book with worn pages. "Attendance is on the first page, and consequently, a record of our past excursions and activities. Plan the next one, will you?"

"Okay sir," Io nodded, observing that Callaghan was slightly paler than usual. "Are you feeling unwell?"

"Me? Oh, I—no, not really. Why? Do I appear quite under the weather?" He replied sheepishly, stumbling over his words. "Well then I shall take my leave. Do remember to plan the next club meeting."

"Wait sir!"

Io stopped the professor before he could go any further.

"I...I need you to sign something."

*

"Told you," Nash rolled his eyes. "Don't get your hopes up...the staff doesn't give a damn about what happens to you."

The sparrow lugged his textbooks to the next tutorial with a sigh, turning to the myna who spoke. "I don't think that's what Callaghan meant. He was...concerned. About other stuff."

Io recalled the spark of fear in the widowbird's eyes at the mention of a rematch. It was as if he knew it would not end well.

"My mom likes to say that what's in the past is over," Vijay shrugged, having slight difficulty with his stack of notebooks as well since he decided to bring along everything that was before lunch. "One person declining doesn't mean you should give up now. Sadly, my mom always uses that phrase when I remind her of the straight A's I scored in elementary school. Doesn't work now."

Io laughed, beaming at the first two who had agreed to sign the petition for a rematch. It was, in some senses, heart-warming. After all, Nash wasn't one to jump on the bandwagon blindly.

They went separate ways at the end of the corridor and Vijay waved goodbye to the second year. Nash raised a lazy hand in response.

"You can ask our classmates later. Third period is homeroom, and maybe Miss Tenner would let me make an announcement," The class rep suggested promptly as they took their seats at the back of the classroom and waited for the history teacher to arrive.

"Do you think Mr. Wood will sign it?" Io asked all of a sudden.

Vijay frowned in thought.

"The woodpecker? Not a chance."

*

Gretchen wouldn't sign it.

"It's silly," She dismissed, "what's the use of doing a rematch when you know you're going to lose anyway?"

Vijay and Io were going from table to table in homeroom, asking for signatures. They had a total of four on the list so far; which included Io's, Vijay's, and Nash's.

"Hey, we don't know for sure if Io's going to lose," The class president reasoned. "Besides, I saw, with my own eyes, he—"

"That's okay Gretchen. Thanks for listening," Io nodded, moving on to the next table. Vijay made a light comment that if he went around in this manner, there would barely be ten by the end of the day.

Io paused thoughtfully.

"I'm doing this for Pipa. If I win, they might change their mind about putting her to sleep," Vijay's jaw dropped. He hadn't known about that at all. "Don't tell anyone." Vijay nodded vigorously, making a ridiculous zipping motion with his hands. "And I don't think Pipa would want me to force someone else into making an uncomfortable decision."

"Because you see, for prey, it's...it's a little difficult," Io began uncertainly. "We can't just agree on something without thinking of the consequences. Like if the predators would agree with what we're signing for. I think that's what Gretchen's worried about, so I'm not going to force her." He smiled.

Vijay nodded slowly.

"True...but it's not forcing if you persuade them, right? At least that's what my mom says."

Io laughed once more.

"I guess I'm not all that good at persuasion then."

And in that very moment, he wished Pipa was here to help him—when, ironically, all he wanted to do was help her.

*

It was then, when Luka realized that he had—no friends.

No surprise there, Victoria remarked off-handedly. Eagles aren't social creatures after all. I'd be having a headache all day if we were socially active.

"Io's different," Luka said under his breath, glancing down at the petition void of any signatures in his hand. Well, except his own, of course.

Yes, yes we know, now hurry up and get this over and done with. This rising displeasure from within irks me to no end; honestly, this is unlike you.

"What is?"

Socializing? Just because the sparrow asked you a question? Victoria huffed. He didn't even ask you to help. It's not your duty to...meddle in his affairs.

Luka couldn't help but wonder why it was not—and certainly, where this strange inclination to do something for someone came from. A friend. He wanted to help his friend.

But why would anyone want to help their friend?

There was no answer.

Nevertheless, the eagle set his mind on the matter, sliding the petition between the pages of his lecture text and leaving his dorm.

"Oh. Sullivan," Dmitri, the falcon whose dorm was across the corridor, greeted casually. "Lecture?"

Luka nodded vaguely. On ordinary circumstances, their exchange would have ended then and there since he found humans—as usual—a chore. Except Io of course. So perhaps Io wasn't really human to Luka.

"Dmitri."

The falcon practically jumped with a freeze, a chill seizing his spine. "Uh. What?"

He wanted to confirm if this was a dream. It never crossed his mind that the eagle knew his name, let alone his first name and actually use his first name on—

"Sign this," Luka handed the petition to him.

"That escalated quickly," Dmitri blinked in response, taking the paper. "What's it about? I don't like to read."

"Rematch for the season games."

"What? You?" The falcon's jaw dropped. "You—the none-of-my-business, I-don't-give-a-damn asshole wants a rematch?"

Luka felt the urge to deliver his fist in the other's gut. Perhaps this was what socializing felt like; and if it was, truly, then Luka respected Io for having so many people to socialize with.

"Yes," He replied simply, for the sake of it all. Saying more was explaining; and explaining was troublesome; and trouble was unwanted.

"O—kay," Dmitri said cautiously. "I am dreaming after all. See, this might be my unconscious mind trying to tell me that you are friends with that sparrow."

Luka gave up.

He took the paper back, and began to walk away.

"Dude, I never said I wouldn't sign it!" Came a voice from behind.

*

On the part of Luka's entertaining effort to speak to another human being, Dmitri decided that this was worth the price. Whatever that petition was, he didn't exactly care. After all, it was simply a signature; and if that was all he had to do to see more of the silent eagle's amusing attempts to socialize, the falcon would gladly proceed.

More specifically however, Dmitri didn't actually think that the petition would get through.

He was sure that V wouldn't agree.

"Luci, did you sign Luka's petition?"

The first thing Lucienne caught on was his first name. "You called Sullivan by his first name."

"Yes, and I call you by your nickname—satisfied?" The falcon cast an impish grin her way. "Anyway, he talked to me. This morning; he actually talked. Holy shit I thought I was gonna have a heart attack."

"Drama queen," The harpy eagle noted with a knowing smile. "I'm surprised you could read a petition."

Dmitri cast his gaze skywards. "Double standards, here they come. And no, I didn't read it. Luka told me what it was about."

"You signed something without reading it?" Lucienne raised her eyebrows in amusement. "As expected from a dimwit."

He groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Come on, that's not what I meant. Honestly, I was distracted. Wait till you see—the eagle. Talking. To me. He used my first name—I was like wha."

"Could be a ploy to distract you from his lie," Lucienne shrugged. "Don't worry Dimitri. You don't have much to lose."

Oh that burn.

He liked it.

*

"Sign this."

"That's not how you talk to your senior, Sullivan."

"Okay. You can sign this."

Slayne accepted the paper with a snort. "Helping that sparrow again?" He smirked with a laugh. "You're attached to him. You've been to the post twice in three days—"

"Just sign it."

This was the third person Luka had made an effort to talk to and he was getting very, very tired.

Victoria concurred.

"I won't."

"Why?"

"No reason for me to sign it," Slayne shrugged. "And your attitude's not making it easier, that's all I can say."

Their conversation was short; and Luka ended it that way. Did the snowy owl actually think he would make that much of an effort to—

"Slayne, it's for Jiro's friend. Sign it."

Wild card.

*

Apart from using blackmail and threats and also very awkwardly underhanded means of calling people by their first names, Luka also resorted to means such as using his non-existent charm to persuade female predators. And by charm, he meant:

"You free?"

"Oh! You're asking me out?" Flattered that a golden eagle would pay attention to them. Perhaps he had seen something in them as his potential mate—

"Maybe. Sign this first."

Thank goodness for mating season. Everyone's deluded.

*

The day was half over, and Io was staring at his sheet of paper (the petition, really, but it appeared so unofficial that it merely looked like a piece of unfinished homework that students couldn't be bothered with anything but scribbles), barely filled.

He was back in his room, wondering just how he should go about filling the blanks with signatures when the people he knew amounted to a meagre number that was definitely less than twenty. Io considered asking his roommate for advice, but was quick to remind himself about the consequences for prey with predators.

Did that necessarily mean ruling out all prey with predators? Ah, this was no easy task for a sparrow after all.

Io understood that wishing for help would do nothing to his present state; he might as well get up and do something about it than wait for help to drop from the sky.

If only Pipa was here.

It was the point whereby the things he had known all along were adding up to a present moment—the crash.

As much as Pipa had expressed her reliance on him; depended on his opinions and even his existence itself, Io found that he was...unfortunately the same.

He had depended on her smile to make things a little brighter; stronger—better.

Io had always thought it was just family that one could not do without, but it was just as Pipa had said.

There were some friends that humans like him could not do without.

Such as his first.

____________________________

It was the second time he was visiting her; but unlike the first—short but planned, inserted carefully into his packed schedule of afternoon classes—this was, in comparison, rather unplanned and without purpose. Io had skipped two classes in the afternoon, forgetting momentarily of the consequences while conveniently reminding himself of how lonely she must have been inside her head.

He understood, well, how it felt to be left in the mercy of thought when there was darkness that ate its way within. Io wondered if talking to her would make things any better in the enclosed room we called a mind.

"Spring's coming, Pipa. I saw a yellow flower yesterday. I was thinking it would look nice on you."

The sparrow said quietly as he sat on the edge of her bed, having snuck in while Mrs. Goldfinch was snoozing in her office.

"I would have plucked it from the grass and given it to you, but then I wasn't sure if you'd be happy with that."

Lyra landed on the windowsill, watching the girl from afar. The light of the falling sun set itself on the walls of the infirmary. Shadows were long and ugly.

"Also, I made a new friend."

"I want to know what you think of him."

She would have been surprised, shocked; perhaps angry, even, at the decisions that he had made in the past two weeks. But Pipa's stillness made Io's heart sink against such 'would have's and 'if so's. There was so much inaction.

"Back to the flower."

Her lips were cracked where her smile should have been, but his friend was still beautiful in deep sleep.

"You wouldn't have been too happy at me, because then I would be killing it."

"Luka gave me sunflower seeds by the way."

"That means I can share them with you."

He paused, taking out the packet of roasted sunflower seeds and tearing a small opening at the top left corner. "I'll crack it for you."

"But next time, you have to do it yourself."

Io cracked the very first seed, and placed it in the heart of her palm. "Here."

"Back to the flower—"

—Io had forgotten what he was about to say. It slipped from the grasp of his mind, as though they were fleeting grains of sand.

He vaguely recalled it to be about living;

Something like she would have wanted to flower to live.

_____________________________

Why do humans care?

Io asked himself as mound after mound of whipped potatoes were piled onto his plate. His hands moved unconsciously.

"Io, are you sure you're eating that much?" Vijay asked, very concerned.

Nash shrugged. "It's good. There's still room for growth—you're skinnier than a stick."

The boy blinked, smiling sheepishly upon noticing that his plate was full of mashed potatoes and nothing else. "Oops."

"It's okay potatoes are good for your health they have a lot of carbohydrates. Like my mom once made me eat potatoes for a month. She's over-concerned." Clearly, she was. Io could tell without the last part, in the very least.

In all honesty, his mind wasn't where it should be: anywhere near the conversation.

The buzz of dinner was littered with the clinking of utensils that rang in his ear every now and then as the trio made their way down the main aisle towards their table at the back.

"That's him."

Rumours were fires that burned within the minds of a general common; fires that were hard to put out.

"Hey sparrow—wanna be friends?"

Laughter rose from the right side of the hall where they sat.

"Sparrow, I'll sign your petition for you—after you get your ass kicked by V." Strange. There was clapping.

Distraction was a foe, as we all know.

Io was aware of this—but however much he knew seemed not enough to prepare him for the next moment. So brief; and so memorable.

He did not see the foot that was, for all intents and purposes, stuck out on purpose.

The prey's ankle was caught in the impact as he stumbled forward in attempt to regain his balance, registering that there was the other task of keeping his dinner tray from slipping out of his grasp.

He stepped on something—a tablecloth, perhaps, he wasn't sure—but it, too, slipped out from underneath his shoe and he lost his footing once more.

He fell to the floor, limbs and all, crashing; the sound so loud that it shook his cage, frightening the creature trapped within.

What brought fear to greater heights was humiliation, and that was the sound of free laughter.

"You serious? You fucking fell for that?"

Io pushed himself off the ground, wondering if there was anything stuck to his face. "I'm sorry I did," He said quietly. "I must have been so silly to fall for something so unintelligent."

Oh?

He had this inside?

Io did not know where his words came from.

Vijay dropped his tray to the ground and helped Io with his, silently picking up his utensils and tugging at his sleeve for them to leave.

Nash was nowhere in sight.

"That's some fire you have there, sparrow," The one who stuck his foot out rose with a weird smile that people called a smirk. Io felt that it was a mere manifestation of vice, in this case.

There was nothing nice about this smile.

"I'm glad you think so," He dropped, quiet.

The senior laughed; hawkish. He advanced.

"Fuck you," He swung his fist at the smaller male—who took the brunt of the impact.

"No!" Startled, Vijay took his hand and jerked his classmate backwards, abandoning their dinner on the floor and the world was watching with a stare. "Io, Io are you okay?"

His side hurt.

It was no pat on the shoulder.

Vijay met the eyes of the predator. It was his first time, and it was no surprise that he, too, was trembling.

"You...y-you should apolo—"

Io looked up just in time to see a dark figure pass before them; and the sound of yet another fist connecting with flesh.

"Apologize," The eagle blazed.

Quiet. Furious.

"You," The predator frowned, dropping his jaw in pain and disbelief. "What the fuck?"

The double doors of the dining hall opened with a knowing slam and if possible, the world was seized in a silence sharper than any needle.

"Oh good. Trouble," V entered with a biting smile that spoke nothing well. "Would any one mind telling me what's going on in here?"

__________________________

A/N: Eeeep I'm so sorry for the late update my dears! Last week was just exam paper after exam paper and honestly it was tiring :< I'm glad I'm taking papers though, honestly. I'd choose this stress and pressure  over the complex emotions that Io is experiencing through discrimination. 

I'll be preparing myself for the society ahead; the one that kills a person inside, but is cruel enough to leave their body alive. 

Stay alive dears :) 

Don't forget your existence. 

Sometimes, it's easy to forget that we truly exist;

Since we often lose ourselves in this social world. 

Luka is slowly finding himself, and though he thinks that Io is much more found than himself,

The little one is equally lost. 

-Cuppiecake.

MORE VAUGHN IN THE NEXT CHAPTER!! :DD

....at the price of Io's demise. 

JKJKJKJKJKJK omg did you see your own face

I love you. Thank you for waiting.