Bran chirped along, pausing only as he noticed the meat. He eyed it

hungrily. He leaned closer to the stove when the human caught his attention, her voice questioning. The familiar word made him trill in approval. Vegetables were good. Fruits were better though. "Vegetables!" he repeated, dancing around Haley a few times.

The steaks caught his eye once more, the male licking his lips as he stared in obvious anticipacion at them. Deciding he wanted one, Bran reached out to touch and grab a piece of meat, only to hit his hand on the hot pan. Letting out a loud squak of pain, he jerked his hand back, holding it close to himself. Clucking and squaking indignantly, Bran glared at the stove. He wondered why on earth his food was on such an unpleasant device, hissing at the stove. His feathers fluffed up and ruffled in agitation.

"Vegetables!" Haley's eyes went wide as her breath hitched. She stared at him with a look on her face that practically explained what she was thinking. This wasn't real, was it? Ideas flashed back and forth across her mind. I could teach him to talk, I could teach him to talk! Oh god, I could teach him to talk! Closing her mouth that hung slightly open, Haley composed herself and a small smile stretched across her face. She continued to mix the salad.

"Yes, vegetables, that's right." She nodded in approval. Jumping at the sound of him squawking, Haley turned around towards the stove. Haley wondered if he would eat the meat raw, or now, what was slightly heated raw meat. Using a spatula to pull the steak off of the pan, she placed it on a plate and set it on the counter near him. "Raw steak?" She asked, watching him with curiosity.

Bran glanced up as the human began to speak once more, just in time to catch her startled jump even as his feathers slowly began to settle back into place. The stove was still a vile enemy as far as he was concerned, but the meat tempted him despite his still burning hand. Thus, it was to his great pleasure and relief that the human scooped up the meat, saving it from the hot surface.

He considered snatching the food away from her, but found he didn't have to seconds later as his human placed the steak before him on a dish. Chirping slightly, he gave the young woman a questioning look before returning his gaze to the meat. She didn't pull it away from him, and deciding he wasn't going to chance her taking it away, he scooped up the warm steak in his hand and tore a small chunk off in one bite. Despite it coming off the stove, it was just cool enough for him to tolerate holding it, and the bite was satisfying as any. Chewing contentedly, Bran continued to pick off pieces of meat and immediately replace the previous bites once he finished swallowing.