You wake up the next morning groggy again, but you yawn - an impressive move with a beak - and throw off the covers.
You gasp - your arms, though still human, are covered in raven feathers, as is your entire torso. You climb out of bed and step over to the full length mirror on your closet door.
It's not just your arms and torso, it's everything. Your head is totally feathered, though still human shaped - even your hair has been replaced by feathers. Your eyes are still human as they peer out from the mass of plumage.
"...ok, that's...honestly kinda cool."
You come down to breakfast and your mom smiles at you, pouring you another bowl of birdseed.
"Morning [Your Name.] Did you sleep well, dear?"
"Yeah, thanks Mom," you say as you begin eating your birdseed. It really isn't so bad; it's actually quite tasty.
"Oh, honey, before I forget - it's already Thursday, are you going to stay here for the weekend or go stay with Max? I know you said you were planning on working your way up to doing that more often, and I hear they've got your enclosure in the backyard nearly done."
You stare at your mother, flummoxed.
"Wait...what? Enclosure?"
"Yes - you said you and Max talked it out and you wanted to become his full time pet raven after you both graduate high school. Did you change your mind? You seemed fine when you came back from staying there last weekend, or did it not agree with you?"
{Huh...I guess...I did say I'd be cool with being Max's pet raven once I'm done changing...}
"Uh, yeah, Mom, I'll stay over there this weekend. Actually, can I stay there tonight too, if Max is ok with it?"
Your mother looks dubious, but sighs.
"Well...I suppose. -Sigh.- I was really hoping you wouldn't want to fly the nest so soon - pardon the pun - and hoped I had a few more years with you staying here. But I suppose I always knew you would either migrate or nestle down somewhere else eventually. Just don't rush into anything, ok, honey? And remember, you can always fly home to mom and dad, ok?"
"Um...yeah, Mom, I get it."
{The way she puts it she makes it sound like I'm getting married!}
You get to school and wave at Max, who beams at you.
"Heeey! How's my pet-bud?"
"Pet-bud? Haha, I guess I'm ok. Hey, can I come stay at your place tonight? I got permission from the 'rents."
"Heck yeah! You know I love having you around. We can play some video games, you can scope out how the enclosure is coming along in the backyard, and hey!"
He looks around furtively, and grins as if this is your special secret.
"I know your mom doesn't let you sleep in one but we've got an n-e-s-t set up you can use all weekend!"
You find yourself grinning.
"Cool!"
You suppose your parents must restrict you from being as birdlike as you might wish, and so this version of you sneaks around and does it the way other teens might sneak porno mags. Not that you'd know anything about that...
You head to Max's place after school. Most of the backyard has become a large fenced cube - your enclosure, you suppose. Max walks you through everything that's changed since you were 'here last weekend' - you nod along, despite seeing everything for the first time. The place is clearly meant to resemble an enclosure for a domestic raven, but it's full of ladders, slides, rope lines, and so on - it's clear that whatever would live in this would climb like a human rather than fly like a bird. Finally, he shows you the oversized nest tucked into the largest tree you're not sure how you'd sleep in it since you're mostly human shaped, but you're eager to try. After you and Max head in and play video games until the evening, at which point you mention feeling hungry and a bit tired. Max nods and takes you back outside. As the evening light slowly sinks away, he fills the oversized bird feeder with the bird seed you regularly eat. As you eat, Max steps gently behind you and begins stroking the feathers on top of your head.
"Good birdy...eat all your seed...nice birdy, pretty birdy..."
You preen at the praise. As soon as you're done, you dart towards the nest, leaving a laughing Max behind. He leaves, shutting you into the enclosure.
You look around at the nest, and decide to try sitting in it like a bird. You separate your feet, squat down till your feathered groin is on the bottom of the nest, and fold your arms to your sides. You find it surprisingly comfortable, and find...yourself...yawning...
zzzz