Things weren't going as Henry expected when he joined Animalia. He knew that no Animalians had volunteered to be part of the US armed forces. He had assumed it was from some gutless pacifism and lack of true loyalty to their country. He had considered it his duty to convert himself so that America would have willing animal-based soldiers ready to defend their country. Let the others roll their eyes at his intents. Even the other officers in the USAF thought he had too much fervor. Henry saw it as loyalty above and beyond the call of duty. Sacrificing his humanity would be worth to strengthen the military.
But there were some things that Henry hadn't counted on. For one thing, he hadn't considered how much more difficult it would be to make uniforms for Animalians. There were different shapes and sizes of them. Military uniforms that accommodate tails and wings would be an impractical use of military funding, let along battle armor. Then there was the fact they couldn't operate military vehicles quite so easily on account of a lot of them being larger than most humans. Henry couldn't even fly a jet right now on account of there being no room for his wings in the cockpit.
Not that any Animalians seemed interested at all in joining the military. Henry assumed it was cowardice that kept them from doing their patriotic duty. But he found that his eagle eyes were a lot more sensitive than he had expected. It could be disorienting to focus on something so far away. And not to mention light glares were a little more unbearable. And if that's what it's like with eagle eyes, imagine how much sensitive ears and noses would dislike the noise of guns and the smell of war. And Henry was finding it harder to deny that his current government is not being well managed, particularly with all these protests going on.
But what was really throwing him off was the bald eagle who had declared herself to be his mate. Not that Beatrice wasn't appealing to his new aquiline tastes, but she was a lot more forward than he was used to with women. Usually, he wanted to make the first move, but she had already considered him her mate before she even had a name for herself. And she was wanting to have eaglets with him before they even had their first official date. She was pushing Henry way out of his comfort zone, so he decided he really needed some advice.
Mike seemed like the ideal person to talk this over with. Like Henry, he was also a recent conversion into an eagle Animalian, even if he chose a golden eagle instead of a bald eagle. And he was also dealing with an amorous she-eagle who was also more forward than most women were. There were some differences, but as far as Henry was concerned, Mike was his best source for advice.
Finding Mike wasn't too hard, considering the limited number of places still open. Henry found Mike working out at the gym. "You got a minute?" asked Henry as he walked up to Mike.
"If you want me to join the army, I'm not interested," said Mike.
"I'm from the air force and that's not why I'm here," said Henry, "I need some...advice."
"Thought you go the hang of flying," said Mike.
"No, some...girl advice," said Henry.
"Oh, I get it," said Mike, "Your 'bond-mate' is too forward too?"
"About as forward as yours, I imagine," said Henry.
"Well, she's helping me get used to my new attractions," said Mike.
"More than just feathers?" asked Henry.
Mike raised an eyebrow and said, "You did know I was gay before converting."
Henry shrugged and said, "Don't ask, don't tell, military policy."
"Wasn't that abolished?" asked Mike.
"Look, it's none of my business," said Henry, "I just want to know how you deal with your eagle lady."
"Well, I'm honestly still getting used to Ruffles," said Mike.
"Ruffles?" asked Henry.
"She's leucistic," said Mike, "It gives a bit of a ruffled appearance. But yeah, she was pretty forward when we first met. I think she assumed that I'd automatically go bi when I converted."
"Isn't it how that works?" asked Henry.
"I think not," said Mike, "You have to put a little effort into adapting to a new sexuality. Some people dive right in. For me, I'm still adjusting. I've mostly gotten used to her, but I'm still holding back."
"At least you have an excuse," said Henry, "Beatrice wants to skip straight to laying eggs."
"Not had this kind of luck with ladies before?" asked Mike dryly.
"I'm a career man," said Henry, "And my country comes first."
To Mike, this screams like Henry is compensating for something. But that wasn't his business to pry. "All I can really tell you is that I think eagles are more no-nonsense in the wild. I don't know what eagle courtship is like, but females are more proactive. The parents take turn watching the chick and getting food. Maybe eagle Animalians think that both genders can make the first mood."
"Doesn't really help me with Beatrice," said Henry.
"You can tell her to slow down," said Mike, "Tell her you're still coming to terms. It would probably help if you didn't act like a drill sergeant."
"Animalians are wasting their abilities on-" started Henry.
"Animalians are still civilians," said Mike, "You can't just grab people from their homes and force them to enlist. Unless the Senate passes a draft law, which seems unlikely unless there's open war, people have to choose if they want to serve. And barking at them about what they should be doing is not going to sway anyone."
Mike got up and added, "And for the record, if there is a war that had to be fought to stop tyranny, I would enlist. But I don't think anyone around here will sign up to fight for someone who started a war for less than honorable reasons. As for Beatrice, you need to tell her to slow down or get used to her."
"That's your advice?" asked Henry, "Just adapt?"
"Adaptation is pretty much everything in life," said Mike, "If you don't adapt to your surroundings, it'll just make it harder to survive." It might not be the sagest advice, but it did give Henry something to think about.