#tongues and teeth

[writingdevil]

Tongues and Teeth PT.4 (STP)

(Fair warning-Cold is one of the two voices that I'm probably going to have trouble writing,so I apologize if I butcher his character)

*

Paranoid jumped off the rock,spinning around to try and spot the newcomer,useless wings wrapped around him for protection.He did a full rotation without seeing anyone,and he stopped,brows furrowed in confusion as he stared at the trees around him,until the stranger spoke up,"On your right."

He twisted his head to the right,the dimming of the sun making it hard to see anything,but when he squinted his eyes,he managed to catch a flash of movement.A blink.

That was when he realised that there was one of them here,leaning against a tree with his arms crossed,dark feathers blending perfectly into the growing darkness.

The bird tilted his head to the side as he said,"Hello there,"with frost exhaling from his mouth.There was only one voice that could be.

"Cold."

"Paranoid."

"How long have you been there?"Cold shrugged, and Paranoid asked,"Have you seen any of the others?"Cold took a second to think,then said,"I don't remember how long ago it was,but I did see Hero at some point."

Paranoid stepped forward in shock and longing, wringing his hands together,the ache in his heart growing bigger.Cold noticed,and only raised a brow at his reaction,but he couldn't help it.

He would only feel truly safe and okay once he found Hero.He couldn't explain it,but Hero just felt like safety,like nothing was beyond repair if he was there.It might have to do with the fact that Hero seemed closer to the Decider than the rest of them.

"Was he alright?Did you see where he went?"Cold shrugged,looking away."Not sure.He seemed to be in a hurry,but I decided that seeing what this new form could do was more interesting."Paranoid swallowed his scream of frustration,because this was just how Cold behaved.

He took a deep breath in."How are you enjoying your new form?"

"How are you enjoying yours?"

"It's awful,"he tucked his wings behind his back, hoping Cold didn't care enough to pay attention to it,"Now I have to actually worry about me,and the rest of you reckless idiots."

"I noticed Opportunist drop you here.You've been busy,haven't you?"He could've sworn that Cold's eyes darkened."Has he already tried one of his schemes on you?"

Paranoid clenched his fists,feeling Cold's eyes freezing him to the spot."We're just trying to gather everyone.There's me,Opportunist and Contrarian-and now you,technically."

"Oh?"Cold said,and finally pushed himself off the tree,strolling up to him in a relaxed manner,walking into the light so that Paranoid could see him better.He noticed that Cold's feathers were slightly on the thinner side,but not as bad as Paranoid's, and in the light,he noticed that the hue of his feathers actually looked a little lighter compared to everyone else so far.

He kept his arms behind his back,making Paranoid feel smaller than an ant as he said,"What makes you think I want to come with you?"Paranoid gulped, because he knew that convincing Cold to do something he had no interest in was an impossible task,especially now that they weren't simply voices fighting for control anymore.Cold could quite literally wander off to do whatever he wanted.

Paranoid chuckled,trying to come off as self-assured,but it only sounded anxious.He gestured around them."What?Is some dirt and trees enough to keep you in one place for this long?"

"Maybe."What?

Now he was really confused,because that didn't sound like Cold at all.There was no way that he was fascinated with the forest that much. Experimenting with his new body?Yes.Standing in a forest that they've seen plenty of times?No way.

Paranoid lowered his wings,trying to come up with a way to talk to Cold and get him to join them.But Cold had always been an enigma to Paranoid-their whole argument about pain was clear evidence of that.But Paranoid refused to give up-the thought of dying at the hands of her, was enough to send him snapping at anyone trying to make dumb and impulsive decisions.

But...none of that mattered anymore,did it?He could never successfully get the Decider to avoid all the horror that He went through,all the pain and trauma.Paranoid couldn't even escape from a monster without help now!

He wasn't as useful as he once was.Or had he ever been useful,considering all the agony they suffered?

"Oh,"Cold said,bringing Paranoid back to reality, "there's that look again.How odd.I don't think I've ever seen you look like that before."

Paranoid sighed,ignoring the comment."So you don't want to join us,I take it?"Cold hummed,then said,"Not right now."

"Why?"

"Excuse me?"

"Why?Tell me what's more interesting than watching us fumble around and try to get used to this new situation.I'd have thought that would've been perfect entertainment for you."

Cold blinked,silent for a moment,then let a heavy sigh out,cold air disappearing into the dying light. "Preferably,I would keep going until I found something that made me feel-something more,but it appears that solid bodies have...limits."

"Oh?So you're just tired?"

"I guess you could call it that."Cold backed away, until he was leaning against the tree again."For now, I'm happy to wait,until I get too bored again.Then I'll see what this place has to offer."

Paranoid made sure to not mention the creature he just encountered.

So Cold was just tired?He was just waiting for the energy to go out and try and feel something again?That was more understandable to him,but something in the back of his head was whispering doubts.Was Cold really someone to care about limits?He didn't even care about being killed by the Princess that much!

Paranoid took a step forward,and Cold didn't react. But he took another step forward,almost closing the distance between them,and then Cold asked, "What are you doing?"in that sharp yet soft voice of his,turning his head to look away from him.

But why ask?Why not see what Paranoid would do?Why was Cold-holding back,in a way?

Paranoid sighed in frustration,and that was when he noticed Cold's breath,thanks to the frost.He would've thought that Cold would be taking long, relaxed breaths,just waiting for the time to move again.But his breaths were coming out in quick, short bursts,as if he was trying to get to heart under control.But why would-oh.

That was when he realised-Cold wasn't bored and just waiting for something interesting to happen.He was overwhelmed,a feeling Paranoid was quite familiar with.

He once thought that Cold would love all these new things he got to explore-but perhaps he was wrong, and he wasn't as numb as he'd like to be anymore.

But the realisation must have shown on Paranoid's face,because Cold furrowed his brows,and without taking his gaze away from him,slammed his elbow into the tree behind him,causing an owl to cry out and fly away,and for Paranoid to yell out.

"Fucking hell!"he exclaimed,hands coming up to clutch at the feathers near his head,jumping back a good ten feet from Cold,who's smugness Paranoid could feel.

His body shook,and he placed his hands over his pounding heart,softly muttering to himself,"Heart, lungs,liver,nerves,"over and over again until he got his body under control and he no longer felt in danger.

At least his chant,despite everything else,seemed to be normal.

When he came to,Cold was giving him a curious look,and ignored Paranoid's glare as he said,"Tell me how you do that."

Paranoid sighed,but opened his mouth to explain it, a habit from teaching Hero,until an idea popped into his head.

Opportunist got Contrarian on board by poking at his ego,to make him want to be with them.Maybe Paranoid can do the same here.

So he looked Cold in his dark,unreadable eyes and said,"No."

For a brief moment,a look of genuine surprise came over Cold's features,before falling back into his usual blank mask.

"No?"Cold repeated,intrigue in his tone now."No," Paranoid said,crossing his arms and looking away, in the hopes that Cold didn't see the anxiety in his eyes."I don't think I feel like it."Then he shrugged, feigning indifference."You probably wouldn't get it anyways."

He held that position for a few seconds,until he felt footsteps approach him,and he took a deep breath, willing his worries to go away,and he turned just as Cold walked up to him.

He unfortunately towered over Paranoid.It was eerily quiet as they stared each other down, Paranoid having to crane his neck back to even properly look at him-so close that their chest feathers were touching

They held each other's gazes,and Cold didn't seem to blink,an intensity in his stare that had Paranoid's knees wobbling,but he held firm.

This should've been the moment that Paranoid turned around and left him wanting more,like with Contrarian.The longer he stayed there though,the quicker Cold would call his bluff,or give up entirely.

But at this proximity,Paranoid could clearly see the slight tremor in the other's body,the clouded, almost unfocused look in his eyes.Cold hid it well, but Paranoid knew when someone was overstimulated,from his own experiences and with helping Hero through his own struggles.

He couldn't look away,pretend to not care.He did care,even if Cold acted like he didn't,and he wouldn't feel right leaving him all alone in these woods.The thought made his stomach turn.

Cold may act numb,but a body doesn't lie.

"You're not as untouchable as you think you are," Paranoid said,clenching his fists tight to keep him on the spot.Cold merely leaned closer,and asked in a teasing manner,"What are you going to do about it?"

Neither of them said anything for a few seconds-until Paranoid sighed.

"Sit down,"he instructed,lowering himself to the ground.Cold looked at him for a second or two,then shrugged and sat down across from him.

"Give me your hand,"he softly ordered,holding his own hand out expectedly,palm facing up.Cold didn't tear his eyes away from Paranoid,yet still gently placed his hand in his.

"Are you teaching me your chant?"

"No."Paranoid closed his fingers around Cold's hands,immediately noticing how thin and bony they were,and he felt how they shook slightly in his grip.He was also freezing,but he figured that that was normal for the other bird.

"Close your eyes,"he said,and he waited until Cold obliged,before doing the same himself.For once, Paranoid actually felt sure of what he was doing as he said,"Take a deep breath in,hold it for four seconds,then breathe out for five seconds."He did it as well,and was pleasantly surprised to hear Cold copy him.

He rubbed a thumb over Cold's knuckles and whispered,"Now do it again."They breathed in sync, letting nothing but the sounds of the forest consume them,and Paranoid,even though this was for Cold,felt his own muscles relax and his wings lower to the ground.A part of him wanted to stay in this little bubble of peace forever.

But still,at some point,Cold's hand stopped shaking,and Paranoid whispered,"Open your eyes."

What he saw,was still Cold's blank face,but there was now a lightness in his eyes that hadn't been there before.He gave the other a small smile and said,"One day,I'll show you the chant,but right now you needed something else."

Cold said nothing,and Paranoid was about to let go, but before he could,Cold suddenly yanked him forward,and Paranoid yelped as their faces were now inches away from each other,and he couldn't bring himself to look away from Cold's intense stare.

Paranoid didn't dare speak-and then he felt a gentle squeeze from Cold.

A thank you.

Paranoid was too stunned to speak,as Cold let go of his hand and leaned back,content to sit there in silence.

However,Paranoid had too many strong emotions to speak right now.He thought that he was worthless in this new form now,no longer able to perform the way he used to,no longer able to protect the way he used to.But he was wrong.

He may be in an entirely new and unpredictable situation,and dealing with things that he never had to before,but he was still him.Just because he couldn't do certain things,doesn't mean that he can't do other things that are extremely valuable to his flock.The skills he has still matter,now more than ever.

A warmth spread through him at the realisation,and a soft smile was beginning to grow on his face when-

"Look out!"

Suddenly,a dark figure burst through the foliage, and Paranoid yelled out in fright,but still scrambled to his feet,with Cold in tow-although not as frantically.

The figure ran on all fours,running in circles around the area,until it stopped and pressed its back against a tree,and then Paranoid realised that it was Hunted.

His whole body was shaking violently,claws digging into the bark of the tree as his eyes darted around, never lingering on one place for too long,with his feathers sticking out in all directions.

Paranoid looked back to where he had emerged from,to find Contrarian had pushed Oppy to the ground,presumably to avoid Hunted,and a Stubborn looming above them just brimming with energy and aggression.

Stubborn looked to be as tall as Cold was,but where Cold was skinny,Stubborn was bulky,with sharp claws just itching to fight something.He was twisting his head around madly,a feral grin on his face as he said,"Where is he?!Where is that little pipsqueak?!"

"What is going on here?"Paranoid demanded,and Stubborn's attention immediately shifted to him, but his face twisted in disappointment."I'm looking for that little rat!Have you seen him?"

Paranoid knew he was talking about Hunted,but he didn't dare look over and give away his place in the shadows,the moon high in the air at this point.

"Why?Has something happened?"

"Yeah,and it's the fact that we haven't fought yet!"

"You want to fight Hunted?"Oppy asked in confusion,being pulled to his feet by an equally confused Contrarian.

Stubborn just gave them all a hungry grin full of teeth."Yeah!Now that I've got this body all to myself,I can really challenge it,and since the Princesses are gone and I haven't seen Hero boy around,that pipsqueak is the only worthy opponent left!"

"Did he want to fight you?"Oppy asked,and Stubborn sighed sharply."No!All he cared about was finding you lot!He wouldn't fight me all!"

Contrarian snorted."So you decided to just chase him around?Him?Hunted?"

"Well what other choice did I have?"

"Leave him alone,maybe!"Paranoid snapped,and Stubborn just glared at him."Why?What else is there to do other than to fight to see what we can take?"

"So you just want to punch things again?How unoriginal,"Cold commented with a roll of his eyes, and Stubborn let out a snarl at him."Well I'm sure as hell not gonna sit around and do nothing with this freedom,am I?"Before Paranoid could speak,he waved them all away."Whatever.I'm off to find the little runt.Don't bother me until I've fought and beaten him."With that,Stubborn stomped away.

Everyone was too shocked to speak,but then Paranoid heard a small sound coming from Hunted, and when he brought his attention back to him, dread filled his chest and made him rush over to him,as he realized Hunted was having a panic attack.

"Hunted,"he softly called,kneeling in front of him, but Hunted wouldn't respond,his eyes staring into nothing as his breathing came out in short,painful looking bursts.

There was no way he could calm him down like he had with Cold.But there was one thing he could do.

Paranoid took a deep breath in,placing one of his hands over Hunted's rapidly beating heart,and directing Hunted's hand over Paranoid's own,and with that,everything else fell to black.

"Heart.Lungs.Liver.Nerves."

His head tipped back,and there was only the feeling of blood rushing and a heart full of fear,but not of his own.Hunted's fear was like the whipping of wind,crashing and flinging about everywhere, twisting and turning,but with nowhere to go.

"Heart.Lungs.Liver.Nerves."His voice was firm yet calm as he spoke,willing the fear to leave Hunted,to see that he was safe,his flock was here and they were going to protect each other now.

It felt like hours had passed,but with one last whisper of his chant,and a promise that the danger had passed,Paranoid felt Hunted calm down.

He sighed in relief,letting their hands fall to their laps.It felt good-in a weird way-to do his chant again,despite the tense predicaments that it's needed for.

He slowly lowered his head to face Hunted,to find him staring at Paranoid with an animalistic intensity,but he knew he wasn't in danger.

Especially when Hunted gently cupped his face,and pressed their foreheads together.

[crustaceousfaggot]

Crane Wives songs will be like *folk guitar intro* ooowoahhhhhhhh ooowaoahhhhh. I am a wolf in the river. I am worried that I'm too volatile to ever be in a stable relationship. *guitar interlude with some percussion now* ooowoahhhhhhhh ooowaoahhhhh. There is ash in my hair. I am so tired all the time. I think I'm a bad person.

[i-eat-mold]

WHAT UP FOLKS!!! TOOK A WEEK BUT ITS HERE!!!1

Honestly it doesn’t even look that good but it’s my first official ish animation slash animatic so I can’t complain. Love the crane wives and also I appreciate comments questions critics punches punchlines and kisses in the mouth

The audio is a little off sync which is killing me but I refuse to fix it

[lovepassionheart]

[skyenish]

Tongues and Teeth | Scarabia duo animatic 🐍☀️|

———

Because loving eachother is the worst thing they could do

———

These lyrics fit them so well, and I want to point out that, as always, the lyrics can fit both Jamil and Kalim (though the first bit is undoubtedly Jamil)

The fact that Kalim never meant to hurt Jamil, that he loved him so dearly and saw him as the only person he could ever trust. He meant so well, thought they were best friends, and at one point in their lives they were, but as the song says, Jamil isn’t a vessel for Kalim’s “good intent”. The way Jamil sees the world and Kalim is fascinating, because it’s actually quite skewed from reality! Both Jamil and Kalim have this, though they’re kinda on opposite ends of the spectrum. When Jamil said that every night he prayed that Kalim would just disappear, that really stuck with me. That desperation, that anger, those emotions he’s been bottling up for so so so long. Its a really powerful line!

The fact that even after everything that happened in book 4, even after all the hurt they’ve caused eachother, even after knowing how much Jamil hates him, Kalim still wants Jamil around. He still wants to be his friend, his equal. He still wants him as his vice-housewarden. Kalim is fine with Jamil, even whilst knowing the horrible things he’s done and how he feels about Kalim. Partly because he blames himself, partly because he thinks Jamil can get better. The only person he was ever able to trust betrayed him and he’s all alone, and yet Kalim shows so much strength. Kalim is so incredibly strong, for enduring everything he has and still managing to smile, for still going and for hoping that things will eventually get better.

I’ve already ranted about these two a lot, so I don’t really know what else to say without repeating things over and over again or making this too cluttered and disorganized, but these two and their dynamic will always live rent free in my heart. They’re so complex, and I could honestly talk for hours on end about them!

[fallenrain40]

I'VE GROWN A MOUTH SO SHARP AND CRUEL IT'S ALL THAT I CAN GIVE TO YOU, MY DEAR

[purplespacekitty]

I've gotten good at leaning on metaphors I've gotten good at living on someone else's page

I cut my teeth on secondhand sentiments You can't trust a single thing I say

The crows in the garden are laughing at my expense Drowning out all the lies that I might have told instead

I keep my closet free of skeletons 'Cause I'm much better at digging graves

But I always dig up bones in your sympathy I can't trust a single thing you say

I light torches in my sleep I have gasoline in my veins I am always burning, burning, burning

And I know that you mean so well But I am not a vessel for your good intent

I've grown a mouth so sharp and cruel It's all that I can give to you, my dear

Don't look too hard, 'cause you won't like the scars he left in me

I'm afraid Is this a bunker or a shallow grave?

Send me anywhere, take me out I'm the well they're gonna drag you down

I am a falling axe I am a sharpened knife I am a poison asp I am a risk to your life I am a swinging bat Tumbling dynamite I am the beast at your back You better run for your life

I will only break your pretty things I will only wring you dry of everything

You gotta know that this won't last Desperation will erase the fact I'm keeping all Of the answers in my cigarette box

I've gotten good at making up metaphors I've gotten good at stretching the truth out of shape And all these words are sweet and meaningless

My darling, the devil knows my name

But if you're fine with that You can be mine like that

"Metaphor", ��Tongues and Teeth", “The Garden���, “The Wolf", “Hollow Moon” and “The Well” by The Crane Wives

Sometimes I wonder if The Crane Wives have watched Deep Space Nine...

[playing-with-dax]

Could we perhaps get a good look at everyone's mouths?

Tongues and teeth oh my god yes please

YES YES YES YES

Have some lovingly rendered drool and multiple angles 🥰 hope you like it 😈👅

[rayisgolden]

still keep forgetting tumblr exists

[foxritz]

I wanted to draw something simple with Lamb and Narinder, but my brain keeps shouting Tongues & Teeth animatic and refuses to let me focus on anything else.

I have a couple other sketches but this is the only sequence I have completed so far.

Will update as I go because I am too impatient to wait until I have the full thing to share it.

[artemx746]

tongues and teeth aromantic coded never ask me to explain

[writingdevil]

Tongues and Teeth PT.3 (STP)

Somewhere else in the forest-

"C'mere!"

"Stop this-"

"C'mon pipsqueak!Just one round!"

"Pointless.Should be searching,should be looking-our flock-"

"Who cares about them?This is more important!"

"No-this is a waste-just listen to-ugh."

"Hey!Get back here!"

*

If Paranoid's head wasn't full from Oppy's constant need to voice his every thought,then it definitely was from his back and forth with Contrarian.

Contrarian would say something outlandish,clearly as a way to rile them up,but Oppy would just attempt to give him a proper answer,treating it like a serious question.

Paranoid wasn't sure if Oppy was trying to have a genuine conversation with Contrarian,but when he glanced down at them,he heard a hidden frustration in Contrarian's voice,and then he noticed Oppy's smirk,and he knew the two were just trying to annoy each other.Whatever.As long as they didn't involve him,they could play all the mind games they wanted.

The sun was shining down on them as they walked, and Paranoid was trying to remember if they had ever experienced sunlight while with Him,until he felt it.

"Stop!"he ordered,spreading both his wings and arms out to block the other two.He stared at the ground below them,keeping his breath as quiet as he could.

"Um,Jitters?"Oppy cautiously said,"what's wrong?"

"Yeah,"Contrarian added,resting his elbow on Paranoid's shoulder,"I mean the dirt is interesting and all but-"

"Shut up!"Paranoid whispered harshly in his face, before staring at the ground again.One second passed.Then another.Then-

Thump.

The ground shook.

"What was that?"Oppy asked,fear in his voice now, but the only answer he got was another rumble of the earth.Paranoid was frozen,his eyes now searching the woods around him,trying to figure out what was big enough to make that sound.His first thought was some of the Princesses,but they weren't here anymore,so what-

"Get down!Get down now!"Paranoid hissed, grabbing both of them and diving towards the nearest thing to hide them-a huge boulder.He made sure the three of them were completely covered by the rock,giving Contrarian a warning glare to keep his mouth shut,before peeking out from behind the boulder.

The trees in the distance began to part.Then Paranoid felt his heart drop at what he saw.

It was a thing,a monster,with no discernible face or features of any kind.Its body was a pulsating,black mass,that wriggled and squirmed,as if something was trying to get out of it.But then there were the arms.

Pale arms stuck out of the body like disgusting worms,flailing and grabbing at nothing,and some were even being used as legs,dragging the creature forward.

It was here for them.Paranoid knew it.

"Fucking hell,"Contrarian whispered,and that was what set Paranoid off.

"It's here to kill us,"he whispered,squeezing his eyes shut and pinning his back against the sturdy rock, scraping his claws along the surface.His breathing was out of control-his chest burned and his heart was pounding painfully against his chest."It's one of that Echo's tricks or-or-some other terrible thing that the Princess turned into.We shouldn't be here-we should be with Him and that thing's gonna kill us now-"

"Jitters,"but then there was Oppy's voice,and then a large wing was draped around him,"breathe."He tried.He tried to recite his chant,but then he would hear that thing move,and the fear gripped him even tighter each time.

He heard Oppy sigh,and then there was a warm hand grasping his,and he forced himself to open his eyes,coming face to face with Oppy's determined one."It doesn't matter what it is or why it's here.All we need to figure out is how to survive."

Survive.That was what they did.That was what he was good at,keeping them alive.

He focused on the feel of Oppy's hand in his,and slowly,his breathing began to slow down.

"You back with us?"Contrarian asked,and Paranoid took a deep breath in,then nodded.

"Good,so what the hell is that thing?"Contrarian asked,careful to keep his voice low as he hissed,but his volume still worried Paranoid.

"I say we leave the questions with Skeptic,"Oppy suggested,"he's probably got this whole situation figured out by now,and us standing around and discussing it?Won't help us leave in one piece."

"You're right,"Paranoid whispered,glancing between the two of them."Let's just focus on not dying.Can we agree on that?"He gave Contrarian a pointed look,who just put his hands up in surrender."Hey, don't look at me.There's no fun in dying,so let's get outta here."

Paranoid sighed,then stood up to peek over the boulder.Oppy tried grabbing his arm,but he batted it away,peering over the edge.

The monster was still there,and it's arms were gripping and touching every rock and leaf in sight, its only way of detecting things,no doubt.

"It doesn't look like it's gonna move anytime soon."

"So how are we gonna escape without getting caught?"Contrarian asked in dismay,but then Oppy coughed,and Paranoid was about to snap at him, until Oppy gave the two of them a confident grin, spreading his wings wide."Gentlemen,I think the solution is simple."

Paranoid gasped,but it was one of delight."Yes,of course!We can just fly away-that thing doesn't look like it can jump and grab us out of the air."

"Exactly,"Oppy said,pride clear on his face,but then unsurprisingly,it was Contrarian who made a noise of disagreement.Paranoid turned to ask him what was wrong,but then he noticed that Contrarian's attention was elsewhere.

Contrarian briefly glanced up at Oppy,nodding at Paranoid as he said,"He's not gonna be able to fly. Look at his wings,mate."

Oppy rolled his eyes."What are you talking-oh."

Paranoid had no idea what they were talking about, but when he looked down at his own wings,he instantly noticed a difference.

He knew that his feathers looked thin,but when compared to the other two,his own wings looked practically unhealthy.The other two had wings full of plump,strong feathers,covered from the base to the end.But Paranoid's wings looked frail,and he realised that they weren't as full as his friends wings,with patches more bare than others.

His wings weren't capable of saving him.

Before he had a chance to freak out again,Oppy straightened up,merely giving Paranoid's wings a single glance as he said,"Okay,new plan-I'll carry Jitters to safety,while you-"pointing at Contrarian,"-will go out there and cause a distraction-you're good at that stuff.Once Jitters is safe,I'll circle back and help you.That sounds like a good plan,right?"

"You think you can carry me?"Paranoid looked him up and down,but Oppy just gave him a reassuring smile."Sure,you look scrawny-I mean light enough-to carry."Oppy chuckled nervously as Paranoid glared at him,but this plan felt stable enough to him.

"Okay,"he nodded,then looked over at Contrarian. "You good with your part?"Contrarion nodded,but still peeked out over the boulder nervously."Yeah, but are we sure that we can't-"

"Do your thing,clown boy!"

Without waiting for him to finish,Oppy pushed him out into the open with a ruthless smirk,and Paranoid had no time to yell at him as hands looped under his arms,and soon he felt his feet leave the ground.

All Paranoid could do was shake and mutter his chant under his breath,and he could see Contrarian down below,flapping wildly,taunting and circling the thing,guiding it to the left,so Oppy swerved right.Paranoid tried to keep Contrarian in his sights for as long as possible,but then the area darkened with the shadows of trees,and he was deep in the forest again.

Oppy planted him gently on the ground,a crazed yet determined glint in his eyes as he flapped in the air.He nodded towards Paranoid and said,"Stay safe, Jitters.I'll be back with that clown in a minute. Try not to miss me too much."With that,Oppy gave him a wink,and took off into the air again.

Paranoid's knees trembled with the effort to keep him upright,and all he could manage is do was stare at the space that Oppy had been.

He wrapped his wings around him on instinct,as a way to comfort himself,but now he couldn't not notice how wrong his wings looked compared to Oppy and Contrarian,and probably the others as well.

Paranoid used to be the voice that people could rely on in times of danger.But right now,he had to be carried away while Oppy and Contrarian did all the work-how mortifying.

He brought a wing over his lap as he sat on the ground,fingers lightly tracing over the feathers,until one dark feather fell off with merely a brush of his claws.He stopped,staring at how easy it was for his wings to fall apart.Why was this the way he started?Was this who he truly was as a solid person?

Paranoid used to be the only voice that could keep Him safe,at least physically.He used to whisper fears in His ears so that the Princess couldn't deceive them,and he would always throw himself into his chant,because there was nothing worse than dying to her.

But now,sitting in this forest,with a monster on the loose?Paranoid had never felt so useless.

"Never thought I'd see you with a look of defeat on your face."

*

"You can do this.You can do this,"Opportunist whispered to himself,flying back as fast as he could.All he has to do is make sure that that clown doesn't get himself killed,so that everything can get back on track.

It was easy to find them,what with the gigantic monster and all.Opportunist had no idea what that thing was,but he assumed that it had something to do with The Shifting Mound.Maybe it was another piece of her.Maybe this was what became of all the different vessels of the Princess.

Whatever.Dwelling on it was pointless in his eyes,so he just flew faster,until he found Contrarian, somehow doing cartwheels in the air above the monster,and he could hear him shouting some dumb jokes to it.

The monster was attempting to find the source of the voice,but all it could do was flail its arms about angrily,and if it could talk,Opportunist was certain it would be growling in frustration now.

He swooped low,not waiting for Contrarian to see him.Shouting to him would've just given away his own position,so he just flew straight for Contrarian, who caught him at the last moment,just as Opportunist grabbed his arm and smacked a hand over his mouth,desperately trying not to look at the wriggling black mass below them.

He flew high enough into the air that the thing couldn't hear them,and he let go of Contrarian."You good?"Contrarian nodded,grinning giddily."I think that guy liked my jokes!I'm pretty sure if it had a mouth it would be laughing."

"Of course it would,you're the funniest of us all."The compliment fell out of him easily,a habit at this point,even though he had just called him boring not too long ago.

Contrarian didn't seem to realise this though,as he looked back down at the monster curiously."What do you think that thing is?"Opportunist grimaced at it and waved it away.,beginning to fly away. "Nothing good for us,so let's just leave it be."

"Really?"Contrarian said in surprise,following him as they spoke."You don't wanna try and see what this guy's about?See if it'll help us?Usually avoiding stuff is Hunted's deal."

"Yes,well,in this case,the creature doesn't seem-sapient,"and he cast a wary look towards the creature,"so maybe avoiding it is the wiser option."

Contrarian shrugged,and Opportunist sighed, waving him forward as he said,"C'mon,we'll fly to where Jitters is."They took off in silence,which Opportunist was genuinely surprised by,but he should've known better.

They had been flying for not even a full minute, before Contrarian flew up next to him,a mischievous smile on his face,and before he could ask what was wrong,Contrarian casually said, "Actually,I feel like walking,"before grabbing Opportunist's arm and plummeting to the ground.

"Son of a bitch!"

Opportunist continued to swear the entire way down.This was different than with Jitters-this time, Contrarian was actively pulling him down with his weight,making no effort to fly at all.He actually put his arms behind his head as well!

Opportunist flapped his wings as hard as he could, managing to pull Contrarian up just enough so that he could glide instead of crashing to the ground.

He unceremoniously dropped the clown,who giggled as he fell,and Opportunist sighed as he floated down gracefully next to him,hands on hips. He glared at Contrarian as he shakily got to his feet, and he didn't miss the devious glint in his eyes as he stood up,and he knew that look meant 'That's for calling my jokes boring,asshole.'Whatever,he could have this small win.

Contrarian giggled."Sorry,just had a sudden urge to stretch my legs."

"Well,that can't be helped,can it?"Opportunist kept his voice nice.He kept it calm and polite,because what the clown wanted was to piss him off,but what Opportunist wanted was to get back on track, so he remained poised,so that he looked as in control as ever.

"Anyways,let's get moving!"Opportunist turned and began to walk off,not even waiting for Contrarian to follow.A second later,Contrarian was at his side and they walked in silence,but this time,Opportunist could feel the other's eyes on him,and he was waiting for whatever trick the clown was about to pull now.

His fingers itched for something to defend himself with.

"So what's your plan for all this?"was what Contrarian eventually said,intrigue heavy in his voice,as if the question had been bugging him nonstop.Opportunist gave him a brief glance,trying to act casual and unbothered as he replied,"What plan?I just want to find the others.I'm sure some of them have a better idea of what happened and what to do now."

He didn't look at the other bird,but he could tell that he didn't believe him,but that was fine.He didn't care if Contrarian,of all voices,believed him.

"I dunno what you said to get Paranoid on your side,but I'm not convinced that you haven't got a trick up your sleeve."Opportunist rolled his eyes."If anyone's got tricks,it's you,clown boy."Contrarian giggled."Yeah but the thing is-my tricks are funny."

'Unnecessary,' would be Opportunist's opinion,but he kept that to himself.

"You though-you always had an ulterior motive,and I could never guess what it was,sometimes."

"Because there never was one."A lie,technically.

Contrarian giggled,then whispered in an exaggerated tone,"I call bullshit."

"Okay,"Opportunist said,stopping in his tracks to give the annoying jester his full attention,"I'm so sorry that there's no annoying Echo for you to piss off anymore,or a proper reason to never do anything right,but I'm actually trying to accomplish something here."

"What's that?"

"Finding the other voices."

"Why?You're too sneaky to not have another reason to do this."

"Not even from the goodness of my heart?"

A harsh laugh."You don't have a heart."

That-actually hurt.But he kept smiling,kept the mask up,because he needed to look in control,so that Jitters could still trust and rely on him,and maybe eventually,the others.But just Jitters was fine now.He didn't care if nobody else trusted him,because he knew that he was doing the right thing,even if nobody else saw that.

This was why he tried to ignore Contrarian at all times.He was impossible to work with.If anything, they should be counterparts.A Contrarian that doesn't care about anything serious,and an Opportunist that will do anything to get what he needs.

Still,he was nothing if not one to improvise.He thought back to how he got on Jitter's good side.He had been on board until his fears got the better of him,and wouldn't comply unless Opportunist had been truly honest with him.

Maybe that was what he needed to do here, because clearly the clown would never trust him if he didn't give him a good enough reason,and although the thought of being vulnerable with Contrarian of all people,made Opportunist want to stick the blade in his own chest,he figured there was a way to go about this and keep his pride.

He tilted his head to the side and asked,"Do you miss Him?"That wiped the smile from his face,and Contrarian chuckled lightly and his feathers puffed up."Yeah,of course I miss the big guy."

"Did you love Him?"Opportunist caught the wince Contrarian made at 'did',but still replied with,"Yeah,I did."Opportunist smiled wide and spread his arms out as if the answer was right in front of them,as he continued,"So you would do anything to keep Him happy and safe?Because that's all any of us wanted-to keep him safe,we all just have different ways of expressing that.Jitters with his chant,you with your jokes.It was all for Him."

He kept up that sleazy smile that no one would trust for a second,almost looking victorious at the end of his speech.It was a truth,but he just wanted it to look like another trick of his.

He nodded at Contrarian,his face blank,probably trying to determine if he was lying or not. Opportunist just kept walking,hearing the clown follow not too long after that.

Good.Now that that was out of the way,they can keep-

"You're really weird,y'know?"

Opportunist almost stumbled in the grass,but managed to keep his footing.He spread his wings out wide as a way to block Contrarian from him, merely giving him a fleeting glance as he went, "Aren't we all?"

Contrarian chuckled,and then said,"Yeah,but I thought you were a flock worse."

Against every power in his body,Opportunist actually laughed at the pun.He tried to disguise it with a cough,but he knew the damage was already done.

Face burning,he spun to face Contrarian as the other gasped,pure delight on his face."That was a laugh!"

"No it wasn't."

"That was a genuine laugh I got out of you!"

Even now,he refused to break,but now it was just for his own dignity.He marched ahead,Contrarian laughing while hot on his heels."You think I'm funny!"Contrarian teased in the singsong voice.

He covered his burning face with his wing as he attempted to sound calm,"Think whatever you want,but we have to find Jitters before he has his third panic attack of the day."

Opportunist didn't know what was wrong.Usually he was better,more guarded than this.Not twenty minutes ago,he had Contrarian wrapped around his finger,but now he was laughing at his jokes?At a god awful pun no less?

He needed to be better.He needed to get a fucking grip and get his mask in order,because that was the only way that could guarantee his-their-safety,that everyone can get together and be happy,and who cares if nobody knew who he really was?That's not Opportunist's job-

"Look out!"

[silly-guy-tendencies]

Just realized I never posted this here?? Oops

[thestarrysparrow]

yAlLllLlLLllll

" 'Cause in the night I know you burn with feelings I cannot return, my dear. Oh, my dear."

IT'S SO DESERT DUO CODED Y'ALL, SO DESERT DUO CODED *sobs*

Even tho desert duo was toxic no one (at least from what I've seen) rlly talks abt toxic desert duo!!!! When it actually is. Thennn ppl always make flower husbands (again from what I've seen) toxic when they arenttttt!

Anyways, I do love to ramble, can you tell? XD. Have a wonderful timezone!

[g3othermal3scapism]

I am not a vessel for your good intent.

[the-overanalyst]

why are all the crane wives' songs so eda clawthorne coded