As it grew it became more and more monstrous. Limbs piled upon limbs, all vying for dominance. Maybe one or two extra sets could've been helpful, but this many was just a hindrance. It's limbs kept getting tangled in each other whenever it tried to walk. And that's not even mentioning how heavy it was.

Still, they wandered. Slow and steady and almost painfully, but they wandered. The haphazard trail of tracks they left behind could've been mistaken for an entire stampede of various creatures. Or, perhaps, a prolonged fight or chase. The slimy blood-like mucus that marked it's trail certainly could give the impression that blood had been shed.

Their sibling was nearly impossible to miss- a monstrous fleshy insect, almost always screeching or making some sort of horrific noise. Frankly, Creosote didn't understand Karambit that much. They didn't understand it's.. art. The gruesome displays of crimson and gore and bone it often strewn across the beach. Nor the insect's particular brand of 'affection.' But family's family after all, so they loved their sibling dearly regardless.

"Hello!" They called out to their sibling, hoping it was loud enough to be heard over their sibling's ambient cacophony of noise. Just for good measure, they repeated "Hellllooo!" They sat down in the sand, shifting around their limbs in an attempt to get comfortable.

I let my horns grow longer
I observed my skin get redder

@Karambit

gore

Fracture my spine

Whether fortunately or not, Creosote had arrived just in time for another of Karambit's little art projects. Surrounded by the usual eager buzz, it hovered over the lucky subject of interest, a rabbit. Their gray fur was a matted mess, washed sticky and red. An arm crammed deep down their throat, rendering them the backwards version of a hand puppet, the fluffy-tailed ass end sticking up. If one pretended this wasn't the unusual desecration of a corpse, the scene could've almost been comical. All around the monster, broken bones littered the ground, bits of flesh still yet to be scraped from them. Even the pulverized remains of a heart rested there, smeared inside of its workspace.

Bone plates relaxed along its abdomen, numerous unhidden eyes saw its sibling before hearing them.

"Creeeo!" it greeted. Consumed in its work, Karambit did not turn around. Claws continued to fidget inside of the Lesser corpse.

Violated so, the skin of the rabbit swelled. First the chest, what remained of the rib cage threatening to poke through, then further and further along the body's length. Finally, with a decisive clack of mandibles, the arm fell onto the sand and withdrew. The appendage, tan and now partially bloody, fished out an entire reel of intestines like a hook lifting its wormy bait from the sea.

This accomplished, at last it swung to acknowledge Creosote with its front-facing eyes, an excited screech already falling from its mouth. "Making a pretty!"

It jabbed a claw into the rabbit, oblivious to the unnecessariness of the statement.

"Here," Karambit insisted. "See better!"

The lack of understanding was mutual between the siblings. After all, who didn't love to revel in a world full of carnage and pain? (Many, in fact.) That didn't prevent the gangly-limbed insect, though, from trying to bridge the gap in a possibly less than helpful way.

And swear that you're mine

@Creosote

Along with Karambit's usual hum came the stench of blood. Bits of gore were strewn around- bones and other bloodied bits. The sight and smell of blood on the beach was all too familiar, and despite itself Creosote found itself somewhat on edge. A few of it's eyes darted around, checking the area for anything that wasn't it's own kin.

"Karambit!" The word came out clumsily, too many symbols and sounds for it to say comfortably. Still, it wiggled excited- though it's excitement damped slightly as it watched it's sibling at work. The corpse contorted, chest bulging from the claw inside of it until the prize was reveal- a sickening reel of intestines. Creosote's eyes flicked away, suddenly very interested in the sand.

"Yes... A pretty.." It took a polite few steps forward towards Karambit's 'artwork,' though hesitation was written all over it's monstrous face. "...good pretty.." A somewhat forced compliment. While it's love for the artist was real, it's love for the artwork itself was completely fabricated. It'd try to support it's sibling, though, even if it found it's interests nonsensical and mildly disturbing.

I let my horns grow longer
I observed my skin get redder

@Karambit

Fracture my spine

Despite its many eyes, Karambit remained blind to what should’ve been clearly read as hesitation. The awkward but polite praise was blatant; emotion behind the response, though, translated to mild dissatisfaction with its work. Perhaps if this had not been family or the dislike had been instead strong hatred, the following reaction would have been far more brutal: a hum of activity might’ve abruptly risen to a roar of noise and pleasantries been exchanged for a most unusual temper tantrum. As those were not the current circumstances, it was content to correct its mistaken sibling.

Laughter, discordant and keening enough to rattle bones, broke loose from its meat cage of a body.

“Silly Creeeo! No,” it said, head shaking. Still hooked, the intestines bobbed at the end of a waggling claw, the gesture one of playful admonishment before it chucked the repulsive catch to the side. “Almost pretty! Still making.”

How could the rabbit be anything other than incomplete? Surely, Creosote did not underestimate its artistic ability?

“Fluffy friend’s squishy insides good for making pretty sand. Not good if want to make friend tough. Too floppy now.” Demonstrating, Karambit picked up the Lesser by the ears and waved the empty bag of flesh about. “Needs hard insides. Have some"—it crouched, middle legs scraping together some of the scattered bone fragments in a messy pile—"but not enough."

Antennae drooped in lieu of a child's pout. "Need more. Or friend can't have hugs." From it or its siblings. How unfortunate.

And swear that you're mine

@Creosote