Who is Magpie?

She had never been particularly found of humans, or how they bowed so easily to the wolven, but she had heard Magpie came to them willingly. To hear they were controlling her was news, and to hear that Bluejay was part of it was surprising. He was one of the more caring Doux, commanding officers, that they had. She didn’t dwell, as Sparrow and Nightingale joined her to ask about the outing went.

She followed them to the dining room, choosing a table somewhere in the middle, and waited to be served. Once they had started chatting Kookaburra divulged all about the five guys they had seen, and, though she hadn’t meant to, it quickly became a Magpie-bashing conversation. Her friends went on about how strange she was, how boring, how they didn’t understand why Kookaburra’s grandfather favoured her. They believe she got preferential treatment over others for some of the more important missions, but Kookaburra knew that was false, as she had been involved when choosing this last team and it was entirely off skill scores.

Kookaburra became increasingly uncomfortable engaging in this conversation when she noticed Magpie enter. She walked over to the kitchen door, knocking before the doors opened, she bowed, entered, and a few minutes later exited with her plate of food. She moved across the room to the corner closest to the kitchen doors but away from everyone else.

Their eyes met eyes for a moment before Magpie returned to her meal, and she had a flash back to them in the car together. ‘I prefer it when people talk about me to my face. Behind my back only shows cowardice’. Burra had never felt cowardly in her life before now, and she wanted to hate Magpie for it, but really she only hated herself.

“Enough. She’s right there.” She muttered to her friends, hoping they would shut up, or at least lower their voices.

They didn’t even turn to acknowledge her. “So? There’s no way she can hear us, and even if she could, it’s not like she cares. She’s a loner.”

Burra mustered all of her ‘honourable granddaughter’ energy into her expression and the words she said next. “Did you just tell me ‘no’?” She asked.

Nightingale’s face went pale. “What?… no, no of course not…”

“It sounded an awful lot like I asked for silence and you continued to prattle on.” Burra continued.

“But Burra…. We’re friends…” Sparrow muttered in support.

“We are, but don’t forget your station, especially here. Do you want others to look down on me, the future Supreme Doux? Your flippant words towards me set a tone that I can be walked over. I will not move into power in a state of disadvantage with any preconceived notions.” She announced. “Now pick a new topic, or shut up.”

Her own words shocked her, she was the queen of flippant responses, but what surprised her more was that she thought she heard something like a laugh come from Magpie. It was short, and quiet, barely one syllable of a sound, but when she looked over she thought the firm jut of her chin looked softer.

Not long after that Magpie took her plate to the kitchen, and through the serving window she could be seen washing and drying her own dishes. She replaced them on the shelf where they came from and bowed to the cooking staff in thanks. Burra had never noticed her do this before and she wondered if she always did, making a note to watch her again tomorrow.

As she left the kitchen there was a slight red spot on her tight blue shirt near where her arm rested. Burra knew that was where her wound was and wondered if they had refused treatment like she had predicted, knowing full well if she had gotten so much as a paper cut that she would have rubbed some gel on it when she got home. Though she and Bluejay had also emerged unscathed because they weren’t even seen, thanks to Magpie’s efforts no one knew they had the information they did and what they did next would be a surprise.

Kookaburra was realizing for the first time just how differently Magpie was treated than everyone else with a wave of guilt. How many times had she contributed to the conversations, or not cared to stand up against trashy comments… she didn’t dare to dwell on it to heavily. Being on her first small team mission with Magpie had definitely opened her eyes, and her curiosity, towards the other girl.