Chapter 12 'The Second Day'
Well, I'm back with this story at long last. I apologise greatly for the wait (Over 7 months) and I am aware this won't make up for the wait. I've been stressed by school and personal things, suffered from depression, being distracted by other things, procrastination, motivation, good ole writer's block and lack of self-esteem. However, I decided to finally continue this after a collection of one-shots.
With little else to talk about, lets get on with it! Enjoy or suffer.
26/08/2021
I dedicate this chapter (and all future chapters) to my late boyfriend...
Martin's eyes slowly opened as the sunlight poured into the room, lighting it up with the warm sunshine of morning. The cool air continued to blow onto Martin from the ceiling fan above him. Martin went to go check the time on a watch, only to realise that he had no watch, nor a clock or a phone.
Martin sat up a bit more, letting out a groggy groan as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, and blinked a few times, gradually getting more and more adjusted to the light, which is understandable given how they've been plunged in darkness for several hours.
''Ugh, I forgot the luggage…'', Martin tiredly grunted. He remembered he had packed them in Luana's car as he intended to be driven to a hotel, but just so happened to forget to actually book a hotel. He sure as hell was on a streak of absent mindedness. At this rate he'd probably forget that he needs to breathe.
Martin slowly got out of bed, as he let out a yawn and stretched, trying not to hit the rather low-lying ceiling fan, given his somewhat tall height of 1.83m. Once done, he opened the door to the guest bedroom and walked out, closing the door behind him.
Luana was already up and was in the kitchen boiling water in a kettle, which Martin presumed was for coffee. Luana saw Martin,
''Good morning.'', Luana greeted with a smile, ''Morning.'', Martin responded back, ''Would you like a coffee?'', Luana asked as Martin sat on a seat that was at the counter.
''Yes please.'', Martin answered, ''I'd like a mocha if that's possible.'', he requested. Luana nodded and grabbed a second mug, and put the ingredients in it. She heard the kettle switch flick off (it was an electric kettle) and so she grabbed it and poured the boiling hot water evenly into both mugs, before placing it back when she finished.
She grabbed a carton of milk from out the fridge and poured it in their coffees, stirred it, and handed Martin his mocha coffee.
''Thank you.'', Martin spoke, as he took a sip of his coffee, which was fairly hot, so he sat it down and waited for it to cool down.
Remembering the problem with his luggage, and having nothing better to do, Martin decided to talk to Luana some more.
''Uh, I just realised that I left my luggage in your car.'', Martin said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck in mild embarrassment. Luana briefly giggled and rolled her eyes playfully,
''Its okay, we can go get it soon.'', she responded, before taking a sip of her coffee. Martin nodded in response, and they sat in silence for a few moments until another thing came to his mind.
''Um, so, I think there's a big flaw in this breeding programme.'', Martin began, and Luana cocked her head slightly, ''Okay, tell me.'', she said. Martin obliged,
''I mean, I know I've already brought this up, but still…'', Martin admitted, chuckling a little, and Luana's stare that communicated without words that he should just get on with it, and so he did, after clearing his throat.
''Well, you see there are only one breeding pair. You know you can't save a species with just that? You need a lot more diversity in genes, otherwise they'll inbreed into extinction.'', Martin told her, and she nodded with a slight frown.
''Well, the main point of this is not to save the species with just them. I know of the inbreeding issue. The goal is to get more members of the species, until we can find another breeding pair, and hopefully their offspring will breed with our current pair's offspring.'', Luana explained.
''You'd still have the issue of inbreeding.'', Martin pointed out.
''True, but our goal is to try and find more breeding pairs to keep the beautiful species going for as long as possible until we either find a whole new population of Spix's macaws, or until technology advances to the point where we could almost completely artificially sustain a species.'', Luana elaborated. Both paused for a brief moment, as they had déjà vu. Anyways, Martin still saw one flaw in it all,
''And what if you don't find any new pairs?'', Martin pointed out, and Luana sighed, ''Then they'd die out…'', Luana answered bluntly, ''But its still best to get more than just two members.'', Luana continued.
''Okay…'', Martin responded.
''And I'm sure Bluey will do well with Jewel.'', Luana spoke, and she immediately realised that she hadn't told Martin the nickname for the female yet, ''Uh, Jewel is the nickname we have for the female.'', Luana explained, awkwardly adding it on.
''Well, I suppose Jewel is a very fitting name for her.'', Martin commented, and Luana nodded, ''Yeah, I'm sure Bluey would find her very beautiful.'', Luana chuckled slightly.
''I'm sure he would. Although I'm not too sure how well a domesticated bird like Bluey would fare with a wild and – in your words – "spirited", bird like Jewel.'', Martin said unsurely. Luana smiled,
''I'm sure they'd do fine. Perhaps Jewel may even view Bluey as her… Plaything…'', Luana began to blush, as did Martin who took a sip of his coffee, whilst thinking the exact words: ''Oh lord…''.
Realising how awkward this has gotten, the two just decided to stop there for now as they drank their coffee some more.
''Well, I think we should get going soon.'', Luana broke the silence, which didn't last all too long, ''We wouldn't wanna be late, would we?'', Luana finished, and Martin nodded in agreement.
''Yeah, I'll just finish this quickly and we'll get going.'', Martin said. He had his clothes on still from last night as he couldn't be bothered getting them off when he went to bed. Luana however, was in another change of clothes already. Martin reckoned she may have had a shower and got changed before she started making coffee. She was clearly more organised than he was.
Meanwhile…
Bluey slowly opened his eyes as the morning light shone. Well, it wasn't natural light, but rather the lights in the room. They seemed to be synced to the day and night cycle. Bluey let out a groggy yawn as he smacked his beak, and slowly got up, brushing the makeshift leaf blanket off of him.
He was slightly sore from the sub-par bed he had, and from the hits he received from Jewel. It seems she got him real good as he was still slightly sore from it. Lord knows how sore he would be if Jacques hadn't unintentionally saved him by distracting Jewel before she was about to attack him again. Bluey shuddered mentally at the thought, but decided to brush it off for now.
Regardless, with his talon, Bluey rubbed his eyes, rubbing the bits of sleep off. Surprisingly, it served well to wake him up more as his relatively rough skin on his talons was a bit jarring, but it worked surprisingly well.
Bluey knew today was going to be a long and likely painful one, and he sure as hell wasn't getting the best first impression of the day with him currently feeling like he's twice his age. And this is surprising as he usually doesn't feel too bad in the mornings.
But if there's one thing on his mind – apart from anticipation of the various things he'll have to deal with today, and likely the next few days, as well as him just wanting to go home, and several other things – it's his thirst. His beak was dry, and his throat hurt a little.
He didn't have a water dish near him to drink out of in the morning, so he'd have to walk to the stream to quench his thirst and wet his parched mouth. So, he tiredly made his way towards the stream, but he was still somewhat half asleep and wasn't 100% sure if he was even going in the right direction. He probably should've paid more attention to his environment.
Luck was on his side, as it just so happened that he was walking the right way and he made his way to the stream. However, he just had to pass a fern (likely fake) and…
…In the water, was the most beautiful bird in the world.
Bluey's eyes widened as he saw the angelic figure of Jewel bathing in the water, with it splashing all around her and rolling down on her feathers. However, he mercifully snapped back to reality quickly, and he went behind the bushes and stopped looking at her.
He figured he'd kinda look like a pervert if he stared at her. He could still hear the water splashing, and as much as that little devil on his shoulder wanted him to look back and just indulge in the eye candy that was Jewel bathing, he knew that he should be above that, and he'd also get his ass handed to him (without any form of manners) if Jewel saw him, which she probably would.
So, Bluey's thirst would remain unquenched. Now, he knew he could just announce his presence and intent to simply get a drink, but he was also very nervous about that, and he had no idea if Jewel would turn hostile, or if he'd wake up Jacques.
So, he'll have to wait.
Blu sat there for a few seconds, his parched mouth nagged at him incessantly to give it some water, and his back hurt, and his everything too. All this just nagged at him, and the more he thought about it, the more he just wanted to bail and hightail out of the place.
But at the same time, this could be him just getting all worked up over nothing. Because Bluey knew about as much about bird customs and social norms as a drunk redneck knows about quantum mechanics. Maybe its just his familiarity with human customs and social norms that tells him that looking at Jewel bathe is perverted. Maybe wild birds don't see it sexually at all and Jewel wouldn't mind bathing while others were around. Bluey could only guess as again, his knowledge of bird customs and social norms was about as extensive as the scientific knowledge possessed by your average Medieval Peasant.
And even if this is all him getting worked up over nothing, he would rather not take his chances and risk pissing Jewel off. Given the chance, Bluey would definitely rather pass on the prospects of round two of Jewel's whoop-ass.
Bluey sighed, and headed over towards the door on the side of the fake jungle/aviary and just wait there for Martin to come. He made sure to be behind the foliage for most of it, and he'd come out onto the little plaza of sorts on the left side of the room, just where the door was.
Breaking out of the cover of the foliage, Blu nervously made his way to the door, making sure not to look at Jewel. The splashing in the water stopped, and all he could really hear was a faint trickle, some ripples and the tapping of his feet on the floor.
Despite the possibility of Jewel not seeing anything wrong others seeing her bathe, Bluey just could not help but fear that Jewel would attack him at any second now, and he started walking faster. But the attack never came, and he made it to the door. Now at the door, he felt a little safer, and he just sat down by the door as if that would do anything.
Any minute and Martin would come in and take him home and the whole nightmare would be over.
He continued waiting, as he began to lose hope. He faintly remembered waiting by the window as a chick for hours on end, waiting for his parents to come get him… All in vain.
Bluey had some scary thoughts enter his head: What if he'll never return to Moose Lake? What if he'll live in Rio for the rest of his life? What if he'll always have to be with Jewel? What if he would no longer live with Martin?
These thoughts made him shudder. He began to hopelessly look around the room. He now knew how Jewel felt: Far away from home, and trapped inside this mock-jungle for who-knows-how-long.
But at least he knew why he was here, and he knew what would let him be free. Jewel knows nothing about that. She's trapped in here just like he is, and he realised why she acts the way she does.
Bluey stood up, and looked at the stream. Jewel wasn't there.
Now with her somewhere else, he could finally quench his thirst. He rushed over to the stream, and bent down to the water, and he began to lap up a bunch of that cool, refreshing most-likely recycled water, letting out the occasional grunt of satisfaction/breath, until his thirst was finally satisfied.
He slowly stood up, panting a little, and he looked around the room. He sighed, and walked back into the fake-jungle, heading over to where his "bed" was, deciding that he'd just lay there for the time being.
However, he saw a very groggy bird. It was Jacques. He looked like he was a walking corpse, his eyes full of sleep, and he looked like he had a real bad hangover.
Bluey looked at him in awe, and Jacques saw him looking at him.
''Yeah, I know I'm not a morning bird…'', Jacques remarked, and he continued walking, likely to the stream to drink.
Bluey sighed once more, shaking his head.
Today was going to be a very long day…
Meanwhile...
Martin and Luana had arrived at the aviary, which already had a few workers there, tending to the various needs of the place. As Martin was the owner of the male Spix's Macaw, which was obviously a very important thing for the aviary, he got to hang out with the head of the Centro de Conservaçāo Ambiental, Luana.
An important question lingered in Martin's mind as he and Luana sat in leather couch in an office, which belonged to Luana, and so, he decided to ask her it.
''So…'', Martin began, ''When will Bluey leave?'', Martin enquired. Luana, who sat to the left of him, and had been sorting through a little bit of paperwork, turned her head over towards Martin.
''Well, I think it'll be as soon as their offspring hatch successfully.'', Luana answered. Martin was a little anxious for a reason he couldn't quite exactly put his finger on,
''Well, I'm just worried if it doesn't go well…'', Martin sighed, and Luana stopped sorting her paperwork and placed her hand on Martin's lap, ''Look, if it doesn't go well, we can take Bluey out of there.'', this eased Martin's fears, ''Or, if you decide to pull out of this.'', she added on.
''However,'', Luana continued, ''We will have to get a… ahem... sample… of Bluey's sperm…'', Luana awkwardly finished, blushing a little.
''Oh…'', Martin replied, chuckling nervously, ''Well, I guess we can do that…''.
''Because we do need to have them produce offspring, but I'd prefer – and I'm sure Bluey would too – if they did it the natural way, with y'know…'', Luana explained, ''But if we have to, we will use artificial insemination. But I am not too keen on that, as I just don't feel comfortable with the idea of forcing her to bear Bluey's offspring against her will. Its kind of like if I got held down and was forced to have the semen of someone else put in me and I'd have to bear that child.'', Luana continued. Martin nodded,
''Yeah, I understand… I just hope its going well for them…'', Martin sighed, and Luana solemnly nodded.
But both did still hold onto hope that Bluey and Jewel would get along and would be able to reproduce together on their own accord, and after that, it'll be only time that'll tell what will happen next.
So, that wraps up this chapter, I hope you enjoyed it!
This was a very long wait, and I started this chapter (just under about halfway done) back in April, but it took until today for me to complete it all in one go. I'm very glad I've finished this.
I had gone back and made some minor alterations regarding Martin and Luana's height, reducing their heights from 188cm and 177cm respectively to 183cm and 172cm respectively. I do stand about 190cm tall, so that may be why I like making them tall, but I don't know. I also added a few more sentences to chapter 7 and commented on how cringeworthy the songs were in chapter 8, in the author's notes. I'm also doing this so the total word count would reach 30,000, as it was 29,924 words before and that will not do.
I don't know when the next chapter will be out, but I hope it'll be soon, but don't get your hopes up. But I'm sure you're all used to that by now.
Until next time, goodbye.
