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The rain started without warning.
One moment Parrot and Wemmbu were walking along the path toward the election hall, arguing about times LettuceK fucked up.
The next, the sky opened up and dumped what felt like an entire ocean onto their heads.
"Are you kidding me right now?" Parrot shouted over the downpour, his wings already drooping under the weight of water. "Dude, we don't have time for—"
And then the world shifted.
It wasn't painful, exactly. More like the universe suddenly remembered something important and decided to fix it immediately. Parrot felt his body shrink, compress, reshape itself in ways that made his stomach lurch. His vision changed, colors becoming sharper and more vibrant even as his perspective dropped rapidly toward the ground.
Feathers. He was covered in feathers. Actual feathers, blue and gold and brilliant even in the rain.
Oh no.
He turned his head—which moved way too easily, his neck suddenly capable of rotating far more than it should—and saw Wemmbu beside him.
Except Wemmbu wasn't Wemmbu anymore. He was a cat. A sleek cat with dark fur and those unmistakable purple-black eyes that marked him as definitely, absolutely Wemmbu. His demon tail was still there, thinner and more feline but undeniably the same.
The cat—Wemmbu—stared at Parrot with an expression of pure fury.
"Don't look at me like that!" Parrot squawked, his voice coming out as actual squawking sounds that somehow still formed words between them. "I didn't do this!"
"You jinxed us," Wemmbu hissed, his voice distinctly feline but still comprehensible to Parrot's ears.
"That's not how jinxes work, dude!"
"Clearly it is!"
The rain was getting worse, turning the path into a muddy stream. Parrot tried to hop forward and immediately face-planted into a puddle. He came up sputtering, his feathers now completely soaked.
"Smooth bro," Wemmbu said dryly.
"Shut up." Parrot shook himself, which only succeeded in making him even wetter. "We need to find shelter. Until this—whatever this is—wears off."
"Obviously." Wemmbu looked around, his ears plastered flat against his head from the rain. "But where, genius ParrotX2? We can't exactly walk into town like this."
"I can't walk anywhere like this," Parrot said miserably, attempting another hop. His clipped wings were useless, and his bird feet kept slipping in the mud. "This is the worst. This is literally the worst thing that's ever happened to me."
"Stop being dramatic and move."
"I'm trying—"
Wemmbu made an irritated sound and stalked over to Parrot. "Get on."
"What?"
"Get. On. My. Head. You're too slow and we're both drowning out here."
"You want me to ride on your head?"
"You have a better idea?" Wemmbu crouched down slightly. "Come on. Before I change my mind."
Parrot hesitated for only a moment before hopping onto Wemmbu's head, gripping carefully with his talons. Wemmbu's fur was soaked and not particularly comfortable, but it was better than trying to navigate the mud on his own.
"There," Wemmbu said, standing up with Parrot perched between his ears. "Now we can—ow, your talons are sharp—"
"Sorry, dude, I'm trying not to fall off—"
"Well try harder, you're digging into my skull—"
"Maybe if you didn't have such a bony head—"
"Maybe if you weren't so heavy—"
"I'm a bird! Birds are supposed to be light!" (Macaws are 1.2kg sorry pal)
"Then why does it feel like I'm carrying a brick?" Wemmbu started walking, his gait unsteady with the added weight. "What are you even made of?"
"Feather and bone, apparently," Parrot muttered, adjusting his grip. "And you're one to talk. You're the one who insisted on carrying me."
"Because you were pathetic, flopping around in the mud like a—stop shifting, you're throwing off my balance—"
"I'm not shifting, you're just walking weird—"
"I'm walking weird because there's a bird on my head!"
They bickered as Wemmbu trudged forward through the rain, his movements becoming more irritated with each step. Parrot tried to stay balanced, but every time Wemmbu's head moved, he had to adjust, which made Wemmbu complain more, which made Parrot defensive, which started the whole cycle over again.
"Left," Parrot said, peering through the rain. "Go left, I think I see something—"
"Don't tell me where to go—"
"Dude, I'm the one who can actually see over the bushes right now—"
"Your eyes are like two inches higher than mine—"
"Two inches that matter—ow, don't shake your head like that!"
"Then. stop. talking." Wemmbu punctuated each word with a deliberate head shake that made Parrot squawk and grip tighter.
"You're doing this on purpose!"
"Maybe I am. Maybe you deserve it for getting us into this mess."
"I didn't—how is this my fault?!"
"Everything is always your fault somehow," Wemmbu said, but there was less venom in it now. More exhaustion. "You have a special talent for it."
They walked in silence for a few minutes, or rather, Wemmbu walked while Parrot perched and tried not to think about how ridiculous they must look. A cat with a bird on its head, both soaking wet, wandering through a thunderstorm because some cosmic force decided today was a great day for transformations.
"This is humiliating," Wemmbu muttered.
"Tell me about it."
"We're supposed to be at the election right now."
"I know."
"Instead we're animals. Wandering around in the rain. With you sitting on my head like some kind of demented hat."
"I'm not a hat—"
"You're absolutely a hat right now."
Parrot clicked his beak in irritation but didn't argue. Mostly because Wemmbu had a point.
"There," Parrot said after another minute of trudging. "Is that a building?"
Wemmbu squinted through the rain. "Looks like it. Whose base is that?"
As they got closer, the structure became clearer. It was small, hastily built, the kind of temporary shelter someone threw together when they needed a place to crash quickly. There were half-faded footprints at the door of the structure, and a signature marking was in the sole of the shoe.
"Oh no," Parrot said, recognition dawning, having seen that footprint pattern multiple times. "Dude, that's—"
"Flame's base," Wemmbu finished, his voice flat. He stopped walking. "Absolutely not."
"Come on, it's shelter—"
"It's Flamefuckingfrags’ shelter. My rival. The guy I've been fighting for months, bro.”
"The guy who at least won't kill us for being here," Parrot pointed out. "Unlike, say, Lettuce and his crew who are actively trying to murder both of us."
Wemmbu's tail lashed, nearly throwing Parrot off balance. "I hate that you have a point."
"I usually do."
"Don't push it.”
They stood there in the rain for another moment, both staring at Flame's sloppy temporary base. It wasn't much—walls were uneven, roof looked questionable, the whole thing had a rushed quality that suggested Flame had built it in a hurry and didn't care about making it pretty.
But it was dry. Probably.
"Fine," Wemmbu said through gritted teeth. "But if this goes badly—"
"You'll blame me, I know. You've mentioned it like five times already."
"I'm going to mention it five more times before this is over."
"Can't wait," Parrot said dryly.
Wemmbu started walking again, each step deliberate and resigned. As they approached the base, Parrot could feel the tension in the cat's body, the way his muscles were coiled and ready to bolt at the first sign of danger.
"You know," Parrot said quietly, "for what it's worth, I don't think Flame will—"
"Don't," Wemmbu interrupted. "Just... don't. Let me be paranoid in peace."
"Fair enough, dude."
They reached the door, and Parrot hopped down from Wemmbu's head. His talons squelched in the mud, and he shook himself again in a futile attempt to dry off.
"Okay," Parrot said. "So, uh. We need to get his attention."
"Obviously."
"And you're a cat."
Wemmbu's eyes narrowed to slits. "Don't."
"Cats meow at doors, dude. It's what they do."
"I'm going to kill you when this is over."
"You keep saying that." Parrot hopped a bit closer, trying to look innocent. "Come on. Just go meow. It'll be fine."
"I hate you."
"Yeah, yeah. Door's right there, bro."
Wemmbu stared at the door like it had personally offended him. Then, with the air of someone accepting their doom, he padded forward and sat in front of it.
He took a breath.
Let it out.
Took another one.
"Any time now," Parrot called.
"Shut up—"
And then Wemmbu opened his mouth and let out the most pathetic, pitiful meow Parrot had ever heard. It was the sound of pure misery, of a creature who had been defeated by the universe itself.
Parrot tried very hard not to laugh. He failed. The squawking sounds that came out of him were barely stifled giggles.
Wemmbu shot him a glare that promised violence. Then meowed again, louder this time.
Footsteps from inside. The door opened.
Flame stood there in the doorway, his black blindfold tied securely across his eyes. His clothes were slightly singed at the edges as usual, and he had a sword strapped to his hip like he'd been expecting trouble. His head tilted immediately toward Wemmbu, and his expression shifted from wary to... soft.
"Oh shit," Flame said, his voice losing its edge. "Hey there, little guy. You okay?"
He crouched down, reaching for Wemmbu with careful hands. Wemmbu immediately started squirming, trying to back away, but Flame's fingers found him and scooped him up gently.
"Easy, easy, you're alright," Flame murmured, his tone completely different from his usual sharp demeanor. One hand supported Wemmbu's body while the other came up to pet his head, fingers scratching behind his ears.
Wemmbu froze. Then, despite himself, despite everything, he relaxed slightly into the touch.
Parrot watched from his hiding spot, completely baffled. Flame was cooing. Actually cooing at Wemmbu like he was the most precious thing in the world.
"You're soaked, dude," Flame said softly, still petting Wemmbu's head. "Where'd you come from?"
His head suddenly snapped up, scanning the area around his base. His body language shifted immediately—shoulders tensing, his free hand moving toward the sword on his back. "Anyone else out here?"
Wemmbu made a small sound, and Flame's attention returned to him. "Yeah, I know. Lettuce and his whole Law crew been skulking around. Can't be too careful." He continued scanning while keeping Wemmbu secure against his chest.
That's when his gaze locked onto the tree where Parrot was perched.
Parrot had made the mistake of glaring at Wemmbu. Glaring very intently. Because Wemmbu was getting cuddles and head scratches while Parrot was stuck in a tree in the rain, and that seemed deeply unfair.
Wemmbu, the absolute traitor, caught Parrot's glare and his whiskers twitched in what was definitely a smug smile.
Flame's head tilted toward the tree. "What're you looking at, cat?"
Then he moved, fast. One moment he was standing by the door, the next his hand shot out and grabbed—
Parrot shrieked as fingers closed around his leg, yanking him right off the branch. The world spun as Flame held him upside down, dangling by one foot.
"Gotcha," Flame said, his voice hard and suspicious. "Thought you could spy on me, huh? Lettuce send you?"
"Dude—dude, I'm not a spy!" Parrot squawked, flapping his wings desperately. It didn't help. He just spun in circles, water flying everywhere.
"Birds don't usually hang around bases," Flame muttered, still holding Parrot at arm's length like he wasn't quite sure what to do with him. "Especially not when—stop squirming, damn—"
Parrot was definitely squirming. Being held upside down by one leg was not comfortable, and Flame's grip was way too tight. "Let me go!"
Flame apparently wasn't great at handling birds, because his attempt to adjust his grip only made things worse. Parrot flailed harder, his wings smacking against Flame's arm.
From Flame's other arm, Wemmbu made a sound that was absolutely, definitely snickering.
"Oh, you think this is funny?" Parrot shrieked at him.
Finally, finally, Flame seemed to realize that dangling a bird upside down wasn't working. He brought his arm closer, and Parrot immediately scrambled up onto his wrist, gripping with his talons and flapping to keep balance.
"There, that better?" Flame asked, though he still sounded suspicious. "Weird that you're so tame. Most wild birds don't just—"
Parrot clicked his beak sharply at Flame, the sound irritated and pointed. He ruffled his feathers indignantly, shaking water everywhere.
Flame actually laughed. "Okay, okay, my bad, bro. Didn't mean to be so rough." The apology sounded more automatic than genuine, but at least he wasn't dangling Parrot by the leg anymore. "You're just... suspicious timing, you know? Animals hanging out near my base when there's people trying to kill me and my—" He cut himself off. "Whatever. You seem harmless enough."
He looked between the bird on his wrist and the cat in his other arm. "Both of you are soaked. Come on, get inside before you freeze to death or something."
Flame carried them both into his base, shouldering the door shut behind him. The interior was just as sloppy as the exterior—crafting table in one corner, furnace in another, a bed that looked like it had been placed as an afterthought. Chests were scattered around without any organization, and there were weapons leaning against walls in random spots.
"Not much, but it's dry," Flame said. He set Wemmbu down carefully on the floor, then lowered his wrist so Parrot could hop off.
Parrot immediately hopped toward the furnace, drawn to the warmth. His feathers were still soaked, and he was pretty sure he'd never been this cold in his life.
Wemmbu landed on the floor with grace, shaking himself off. Water sprayed in a wide arc, and he immediately started grooming, licking at his wet fur with quick, precise movements.
Then he paused. Looked at Parrot near the furnace. And his eyes gleamed with mischief.
"Don't you dare—" Parrot started.
Wemmbu crouched low, his tail swishing. Then he lunged.
Parrot screeched and scrambled backward, nearly falling into the furnace. "Dude!"
Wemmbu stopped just short of him, looking incredibly pleased with himself. He settled back down to continue grooming like nothing had happened.
"Stop messing with each other," Flame called from across the room. He was rummaging through one of his chests. "Let me find some food for you guys. Birds eat seeds, right? And cats..." He pulled out some fish. "Yeah, fish works."
He brought the food over, crouching down to offer seeds to Parrot. Parrot approached cautiously, taking them carefully in his beak. They were... actually pretty good? He'd never eaten seeds before, obviously, but his bird instincts seemed to know what to do.
Wemmbu had gone back to grooming himself on the floor, ignoring the fish Flame had set out for him. His eyes were half-closed, his movements methodical as he worked through his wet fur.
"You're being weirdly chill for a stray," Flame said to Wemmbu, settling down cross-legged near Parrot. "Most cats would be trying to bolt by now."
Wemmbu's tail flicked but he didn't stop grooming.
Flame was quiet for a moment. Then: "Alright, bird. C'mere. You look like a mess."
Before Parrot could react, Flame's hands were on him, gentle but firm. He carefully started working through Parrot's feathers, straightening them, removing debris, working out the worst of the water damage.
It was... actually really nice. Parrot had never had anyone preen him before except Wifies but Flame's fingers were surprisingly gentle, finding all the spots that were uncomfortable and fixing them.
"Sorry about earlier," Flame muttered as he worked. "Grabbing you like that. Just paranoid, you know?" His hands moved to Parrot's wings, carefully working through the clipped feathers.
Parrot went very still. He tried to keep his expression neutral, tried to act like a normal bird who definitely wasn't listening intently to every word.
"Stupid Law faction," Flame continued, his voice dropping to a mutter. "Think they can make everyone into voting for Lettuce. Like that's gonna work." His fingers found a particularly tangled spot in Parrot's feathers and carefully worked it loose. "Parrot's the only real candidate anyway."
Parrot's heart was beating fast. This was so surreal—sitting here while Flame, preened his feathers and talked about the election. About him.
Then Flame went quiet. Completely quiet.
Parrot's head tilted slightly. Why had Flame stopped talking? And why had his hands stopped moving?
He followed Flame's gaze—or rather, the direction Flame's head was turned—and saw that he was staring at Wemmbu.
Wemmbu, who had paused in his grooming. Who was now looking up at Flame with those distinctive purple-black eyes. Who had frozen mid-lick with one paw still raised to his face.
The silence stretched.
Wemmbu slowly lowered his paw. His ears flattened slightly. And then, with deliberate casualness, he started grooming again. Except this time he was inching backward. Slowly. Carefully. Like he was trying not to draw attention to the fact that he was definitely retreating.
Flame's head tilted. His fingers resumed their work on Parrot's feathers, but it was automatic now. Distracted.
Wemmbu's backward crawl accelerated slightly.
Parrot forced himself to stay absolutely still. Maybe if he didn't move, Flame wouldn't—
Flame stared at Wemmbu retreating a little too long for someone who didn’t know anything and didn’t think anything of a suspicious bird and cat showing up at his porch.
Wemmbu had reached the couch now. Without breaking eye contact with Flame, he ducked underneath it, disappearing into the shadows.
"Huh," Flame said.
Parrot remained frozen on the floor, trying very hard to look like a normal bird. Just a regular macaw. Nothing unusual here. Definitely not a player who'd been transformed—
"That's actually insane," Flame said. But he didn't sound angry. He sounded... amused? "No way. There's no way."
Under the couch, Parrot could hear Wemmbu's breathing. Quick and tense.
Flame stood up, leaving Parrot by the furnace. He walked over to the couch and crouched down, peering into the darkness underneath.
"Hey there, cat," he said, his voice taking on that teasing edge that Parrot had heard him use in PVP sometimes. Right before he absolutely destroyed someone. "Why so skittish all of a sudden, bro?"
A hiss from under the couch. Low and threatening.
"Yeah, that's what I thought." Flame reached under the couch.
Wemmbu made a sound of pure outrage as Flame's hand found him, grabbing him by the scruff. He was dragged out from his hiding spot, hissing and spitting, his claws extended and swiping at Flame's arm.
"Easy, easy," Flame said, but he was grinning now. Actually grinning. "Damn, you really don't like being grabbed, huh, Wemmbu?"
Wemmbu's response was to bite Flame's hand. Hard.
"Ow—okay, yeah, that's fair." Flame held Wemmbu at arm's length, apparently unbothered by the teeth currently embedded in his skin. “Really? My base?” He turned to look at Parrot, who had been attempting to slowly hop away toward the door. “And you.”
Parrot froze like a criminal caught red-handed.
"Yeah, I'm not an idiot, bro." Flame's grin widened. "Hi, Parrot. Hi, Wemmbu. Fun transformation you've got going on there."
Wemmbu finally released Flame's hand, hissing with such venom that Flame actually winced. The cat's entire body was radiating hostility, his fur standing on end, his tail lashing violently.
"Okay, okay, I get it. You're pissed, bro." Flame set Wemmbu down carefully, and the cat immediately bolted back under the couch. "But seriously, what the hell happened to you guys?"
Parrot clicked his beak in frustration. This was exactly what he'd been afraid of. Now Flame knew, and Flame was unpredictable on a good day, and they were vulnerable, and—
"Relax, dude," Flame said, apparently reading Parrot's body language. "I'm not gonna do anything. What am I gonna do, fight a bird and a cat?" He snorted. "That's pathetic even for me."
From under the couch, Wemmbu made a sound that suggested he didn't believe that for a second.
"Yeah, yeah, we're rivals, I know." Flame moved back to his chests, pulling out some towels. "But I'm honourable. That's not—" He paused, his jaw tightening. "That's not who I am, bro."
Wemmbu let out a sound that was clearly a snarky laugh.
He ignored Wemmbu, and brought the towels over, throwing one near the couch entrance for Wemmbu and draping the other carefully over Parrot. "Look, I don't know what happened or how to fix it. But you're stuck here for the night, so you might as well make the best of it."
Parrot shuffled under the towel, trying to process everything. Flame knew. Flame knew, and he wasn't... attacking them? Wasn't taking advantage?
The hostility radiating from under the couch didn't diminish, but Wemmbu didn't try to run. Didn't try to attack. Just... stayed there. Watching.
"This is so weird," Flame muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Weirdest day of my life, and I've had some pretty weird days, bro.”
Parrot had to agree with that assessment.