enna . roshan . rajani
sweet and soft . dark and deep . playful and sultry
ooc ;; @cancer

Things had been a mess. Without Calypso, the wedding would have been a disaster-- it was Enna's saving grace that Bevy had made it out in one piece. Unfortunately, the whole murder that monster before it kills you thing hadn't stopped. It plagued her, even after a few days, and Calypso couldn't keep fronting. It was exhausting work, and the motherly personality came crawling back to face her own demons. Ratchie had been silent, gone to the wind, though occasionally she swore she caught a whisper of the vicious voice mimicking Giggle's laughter, a hushed memory of violence in bones. It was gone as soon as she turned to ask-- and once more, her mind was filled to the brim. You must destroy it.

... There was, however, some good news. A delightful reminder, lingering in the back of her mind, of the child that... That was in Orion. Her child. Of Cancer, who she should be checking on anyway, to make sure he survived the ordeals of the cave. A small thought that perhaps, the leopard wanted to see her. Where these thoughts came from, she had no idea. Usually when she thought of the black, sleek feline, she felt only pain and loss-- a friendship that had been torn from her talons and spat upon, a bond that felt dirty to keep alive. Like she was somehow betraying everyone by caring for her childhood crush to this day. Calypso proooobably had something to do with that.

Perhaps it was because Amaria had shown up to the wedding. What a conversation. Despite that, however, the tiny bird didn't really want to interrupt anything between Cancer and the children and Ammy-- no, she... She really just wanted a private, quiet moment with Cancer. All to herself. Boy, that's asking a bit much, don't you think? A flitting comment wandered through her braincase, and for a moment she nearly mistook it for Calypso, but it felt more like... Ratchet? Enna landed on a crumbled down building in the ruined city of Orion, the wind nearly completely knocked out of her.

Ratch? Was that you? Enna dared reach out to ask. She was answered with something that was unexpected, despite the recent events. Where is it? Around here, perhaps... Kill it, quick. She clutched her beak tightly, a retort coming to mind before she even thought of one herself: Not much for romantics, are you, Roshan? The name made her blink, and she felt... Displaced for a moment, the world shifting under her talons.

It had been a while since he had been out-- in a sense. The world seemed blindingly bright, the quartz littering light down on to his ebony feathers as he stretched them out, feeling a faint cave breeze rustle past. How good it was to feel that. It wasn't unlike greeting an old friend-- which was precisely what he was about to do. Taking to the wind, the bird swept over the city, and picked out the throne among the broken rubble.

Bevy dove, his feathers near silent in the dusty, dry air. A few sweeping circles, and soon he landed upon the throne, his crimson eyes fixed upon Cancer. Despite being jet in the equally as dark shadows, it seemed he had no trouble picking the feline up.

"Psst~" He hissed through his beak, with an invisible smile mentally placed upon his beak. It had been quite a long time, indeed.

i dont want to be the right way 'round

Cancer slept, for a change. He slept so peacefully, so soundly. Though he had many plans to change his life, the girls still slept, waiting to arrive at their own pace- and he abided, waiting for them ever vigilantly. Life was better now. He felt safer, more confident. It was a drastic change from his dark beginnings- and the cat slept peacefully on.

Until a little bird's hiss woke him. He stirred, first in his ears, flicking towards the sound without waking. Then, those pale eyes blinked open, landing immediately upon the bird in question. A smile graced that gaze as soon as his pupils fixed and focused on the sight. Bevy. But which?

"Bevy!" He purred, hoisting himself to his haunches with a stretch. It didn't hurt. Not much, anyway. A few pops, then he sat upright, a polite smile on his face- this could be Calypso. She wasn't as nice as Enna, or Ratchie. Or perhaps, in the time he'd been away, another Bevy had popped up? Could that happen? Surely this must be one of the nice ones, the ones who liked him, or she wouldn't be here, right?

"What brings a pretty little bird like you to a dusty old place like this?"

enna . roshan . rajani
sweet and soft . dark and deep . playful and sultry
ooc ;; @cancer ; for reference, raj+ros are split off of ratchie, and share those memories/experiences

It took a moment for the shadowy jet of a shape to stir. As Cancer stretched, the tiny bird hopped an inch closer, his bright scarlet gaze washing over that slick, long frame of soft fur. What a sight for sore eyes, and ears as well. You hear that, Enna? He thinks we're a pretty little bird~ The sleek ebony cat must have been in a good mood, with that purr in his chest and those sweet, honeyed words. Apparently the pitohui had good timing, considering that most days the feline was sour and grumpy or worse, injured from doing something reckless.

The scars he had acquired across his pelt seemed to paint a striking portrait of a rugged, strong gembound-- so incredibly different from the tiny, clumsy kit that Bevy met as a fledgling. As the tom cat's rich voice crept along the dark walls, the tiny avian fluttered down beside him, batting those sanguine eyes at his old acquaintance. If only he could smile so a coy smirk could creep up his beak. Instead, the bird bowed slightly, lifting a wing as he murmured in peeps that seemed just a tinge baritone for the minuscule gembound:

"Why, I'm looking for a handsome young devil to share the crystal light with."

He lifted his gaze back up to meet those striking golden irises just for a moment as he spoke, before turning his eyes up to the glistening pseudo-starlight above. "I dare say I've found him," he peeped, ruffling out his stark feathers before settling them down again. "I don't suppose you're looking for a soul, I happen to have one for sale..." As the new personality spoke, Enna watched rather helplessly embarrassed by the whole scene.

Never mind that if she had the spine, she would have told Cancer her feelings cycles ago. "And I just so happen to know that I'll be safe in your paws, Carcino~" The bird hopped just a step closer, eyes bright-- though as ever, the pitohui knew to keep at least a hair's breadth from any other. "Whadd'ya say?" Internally, the bird was beaming, completely unashamed compared to timid Enna, who gawked on in the background. This was not what she wanted at all.

.. Or was it?

i dont want to be the right way 'round

At first, Carce expected the usual lecture for his slackery, or perhaps relief for his wellbeing. He wasn't off fighting dragons for a change. Surely his Bevys would be glad for that? Ah, but this Bevy wasn't here for such nonsense as common courtesy. No, this one was here to completely blindside him, apparently. The bird peeped with a new voice, one just slightly deeper than the rest he was used to. The words were what surprised the cat, though. Carce blinked in a stupid way at what came next.

"Ah... you're not Enna, or Calypso... are you... like, did Ratchie hit puberty?" He joked, teasingly, bringing his face down to eye-level with the bird- or as close as he could get. "You're a different Bevy, aren't you? Have we met before? Are you new to the one-bird-flock?" He wasn't sure if this tiny bird was serious in his flirtatous babble, but he didn't want to offend anyone by saying the wrong thing either. If Enna had come onto him this way, perhaps he'd have been more uneasy. Maybe even nervous- or worse, terrified. Enna was, amongst the Bevys, his favorite- so soft, gentle, sweet and kind. Calypso was a character all her own. Ratchie was adorable, a childish thing he'd seen only once or twice. This new expression wasn't any of those three- all talk and innuendos. Who was it? Was it right to call this one a Bevy? It knew his name- so the others knew of it, at least. Why had this one come to him, and not one of the others?

@Bevy

enna . roshan . rajani
sweet and soft . dark and deep . playful and sultry
ooc ;; @cancer

So, maybe the tiny pitohui couldn't smile, but that didn't mean he couldn't show affection and all those feline-esqe mannerisms. Oh no, he knew just the perfect way to show the leopard just precisely how serious he was. He had seen those nose-nuzzling champs back in the day, back when she-who-must-not-be-named and tiny, angry fluffball Cancer were together. It was all the better that the cat lowered his head just to meet eye to eye with him.

Oh, this little bird was getting an absolute riot out of this. Once would think from all the joy he felt that perhaps he was pulling the cat's leg, but no, he was having a hilarious time and being serious. "So astute! We just can't fool you, can we sweetheart?" The bird peeped, reaching up with his beak. With all the gentleness of a long time friend, the bird touched the safest part of his body-- his inky noir beak-- right to Cancer's own, slightly cold nose.

If Rajani could purr, oh, he would. He understood why poor Enna felt so estranged. If only she could show her love and affection like the other lionesses and leopardesses or even tigresses, things would be so much simpler, wouldn't they? He didn't retreat back-- Cancer surely would pull away himself-- as he gave out his true name to the melanistic leopard.

"I would be Rajani-Bevy, but you can call me Raj, handsome."

And then, after having whispered his name to exiled king, the avian finally took a hop back and observed the poor, rattled feline's reaction. "Oh, and Enna sends her love, by the by. She'd love to see you too, but I'm afraid she's just a bit shy, mm," he explained politely, lifting up a talon to carefully fix the fluff of some of his chest feathers.

i dont want to be the right way 'round

Carcino wasn't much put off by the bird's behavior, but when that tiny beak met his nose, the cat blinked in surprise- was it meant to be an affectionate gesture? A teasing thing? Rajani-Bevy, huh? Raj. Oh, and more flirting. Carce lifted his head as the bird pulled away, not seeing the touch for what it was- not understanding that birds might feel jealousy for the affectionate ways of cats. He knew only his own jealousy for her flight- or, as it seemed, his at the moment. The bird spoke of Enna and Carce smiled knowingly. Enna was always shy. He didn't doubt those words a moment.

"Well, Raj, it is very nice to meet you." He purred, smoothly, unbothered but also mildly uncomfortable. Was Raj male? Did that sort of thing fly in the caves? Would Amaria come home to see this as a threat to their new-found closeness, as Makyna had with Fisher? Carce felt his nerves tighten, his ears pin back. "You're welcome to stay a while, but doesn't Calypso have leaderly things to take care of?" The next words the cat spoke were just slightly bitter. "Always so busy these days. Must be tough, cleaning up my messes."

@Bevy

enna . roshan . rajani
sweet and soft . dark and deep . playful and sultry
ooc ;; @cancer

Cancer was as transparent as glass as he shifted about, purring out words with his honeysuckle, well-practiced leader voice. He was plainly nervous and bothered about something, even when his words came out as silky smooth as the milk a pussycat like him might like to lap up.

Raj would have to sort this out once and for all then. It was too much of a pain for the leopard to go around feeling like he was about to step on broken shards of the past, being all bitter and spiteful towards himself. The tiny bird cocked his head to one side, clicking his beak as the feline asked his questions.

"If it was up to me," he cooed playfully, feathers rustling as he shifted his wings, "you'd be making a whole lot of messes with me." There was probably more on his mind, but the feline was holding back like he always did, and Raj wasn't exactly a mind reader. He sighed slightly, turning and hopping off to the side a few paces, as if thinking.

You've made a mess, you should go clean it up, the intrusive thoughts surfaced, a laugh stuttering from the pitohui bird's beak suddenly in reply. That mess must be destroyed. Go kill it. Stop wasting our time. His response was soft, a light little murmur to himself, "come on now, Roshan, Carcino is hardly a waste of time. An indulgence, perhaps, but entirely worth every breath..." The bird paused, straightening, and looked back at Cancer. It would be good of him to ignore his braincase, but it was a bit hard to ignore someone who used to be, well, you.

"So many distractions, hm? I say we both have a lot on our minds. Why don't we curl up under Orion's light and count the clusters together? Get that tension our of your shoulders," he peeped the suggestion, raising a wing towards the feline. As much as it was a genuine offer, the pitohui bird wasn't about to take no for an answer, either.

i dont want to be the right way 'round

The next words out of the Bevy's beak made Carce sputter audibly. He turned an incredulous look on the bird, brows hoisted high in surprise. Enna must be rolling in that tiny head, such language! He found himself almost amused at the thought. Tiny little Enna flustering about in her own brain, all tossed into a tizzy over how her alternate self was behaving. In reality, he couldn't begin to guess about the tiny bird's true intentions. He thought it merely teasing, a game. He'd play along, not knowing the implications, a fool to the truth.

"You'll have Calypso diving off cliffs at the messes we'd make." He joked, that sultry tone tempting at the edges of his voice. Then, the bird murmured to himself, and turned back with more smooth talk. The cat settled back down again, grinning. "My shoulders are never tense, silly bird. Don't you know, that's impossible for us cats." He grinned wider, slyer. "We cats are always loose and flexible. Never stressed. Doesn't happen." Bullshit, but he liked to think his ruffled moments were simply youthful toils now. With his family at his side, nothing would ever ruffle his fur again. He'd be a smooth-coated liquidy thing forever onwards. Absolutely.

"Can you find the lion up there?" He asked calmly, diverting his gaze upwards. He'd mapped those crystal stars, ever the same day in and day out- and somehow, that felt wrong to him. The stars should change, though they never had in all of history, he was sure. "Its mane dazzles with white light. Can you find its eye?"

@Bevy

enna . roshan . rajani
sweet and soft . dark and deep . playful and sultry
ooc ;; @cancer

"Caly could go for a bit of cliff diving. Really gets the heart pumping. Might even warm up that cold husk of hers," Raj agreed immediately, though he fell incredibly quiet as the feline shot back a retort about how cats were never tense. The bird felt no need to say anything, only casting him a point glance with a half lidded expression. Yeah, right, he hummed to himself.

The feline seemed to handle the moment of silent bullshit-calling smoothly, just like the king he was. He could talk himself out of anything, as Enna always said. She was so fond of his way with words, wasn't she? H-hey! Maybe less focus on me, and more on C-Cancer, you-- you-- Momma bird chirped up, her mental feathers puffed up so much she might be mistaken for a hairball instead of a bird. No worries, cutie, I got this.

The bird hopped right over to Cancer again, settling himself just beside his flank, and cast his eyes upwards towards the stars. "A lion, hm?" He peeped softly, letting the dizzying light overwhelm his senses for a moment. Something about the cavern made him want to fly right up to the top and soar high above anything else in the world. If he could only go past those false stars.

"Oh, I see it," he commented after a long moment of stargazing, seemingly absolutely absorbed in the beauty of the moment. "Over there, in that semi circle, the point there that's isolated from the huge cluster?" He flashed a glance back towards Cancer. "... You have quite the view," he sung softly, scarlet gaze lingering for a moment longer than perhaps needed on the feline's dark profile.

i dont want to be the right way 'round

Carce found himself chuckling at the comment Raj made about Caly. Yes, she could certainly use a little warming up, couldn't she? He shook his head as the bird stared up at the star light. The cat looked on, amused, at the other constellations he'd mapped out. The Bird. The Dragon. The Bear. The Leopard, with it's many dazzling spots. He liked that one best. It reminded him of Amaria, with the blue hues near the head shining like her eyes might under the same light. For a moment, he forgot his company, lost in his lovesick thoughts of the revived leopardess. After losing her for what he'd once thought would be forever, she was most beautiful now, alive and well even with her new scales. He couldn't be happier to have her in his life again. If that's the case, why am I still so uneasy?

"Oh, I see it," Raj commented, breaking Carce from his thoughts. The cat looked up at the Lion constellation and smiled. Finally, the bird sighed and Carce found himself sighing with him.

"Yeah, it's pretty nice... but we won't be here much longer." He turned to glance back at the sleeping pair, no longer small enough to hide easily, like twin sparkling eggs waiting to hatch. "Once Remedy and Cure are out, I want to bring them and Amaria to Canis." He paused, then turned to consider Raj carefully. "I wish I could take them back to Pisces, but..." Makyna wouldn't approve. They'd need a full vote to be let back in early. He wouldn't leave his kids' sides once they were born. It was a lot of hassle, for little results. Besides, he wasn't sure he wanted to live near the lioness again. Pisces was his home, but as long as she lived there and hated him, he'd never be welcomed back.

"Is Enna okay with that? The Bonebound are still allies with Maji, so I figured it'd be easier to visit Remedy that way, without the risk of people complaining."

@Bevy