writingdevil

[writingdevil]

OVERWHELMING "It's been such a long time since I've seen you genuinely smile"

[writingdevil]

Hello there! Just wanted to drop by and say that your writing is very lovely! I loveee how you characterize everyone and the way you write is very compelling! <3

As for a request, anything with Paranoid will do! Buuut it's alright if not! I just really wanted to say that your writing is peak. Thank you for your time, oh great sage of stories!

(Thank you!! You're very sweet!! Also, you've given me the perfect chance to write about a ship that's grown on me- parastubb, so I hope you enjoy this ship!)

Stubborn's realised something as of late.

He usually doesn't dig too deep into things, more concerned with the heat of the moment and chasing thrills whenever he could.

But after enough times of it happening, even Stubborn couldn't be blind to it any longer.

Stubborn's a big guy. He knows it, the flock knows it- he's one of the biggest and strongest members of the flock.

That often meant that he was the one doing the heavy lifting or the fighting whenever a princess decided to test them, which Stubborn was more than happy to do.

Stubborn- liked being a protector. He liked knowing that he could keep his flock safe and happy. The fact that they all could turn to Stubborn to get stuff done and know that he could accomplish it- it just made him feel nice, for some reason.

He will admit, he can be a bit aggressive when it comes to verbal fights or heated arguments within the flock. It was one type of fight that Stubborn couldn't punch his way out of, but he sure as shit was going to try.

But because he's so zoned in on the arguing, he hadn't actually realised the other thing he had started to do.

Sometimes, when arguing got too out of hand, and voices were booming around the room, Stubborn would be engulfed in frustration and petty anger, and then someone would randomly snap their arms out in a wild gesture- and then Stubborn would hear someone yelp and rush behind his body for protection.

Stubborn didn't know when it started. He's no stranger to being protective of his flockmates. He's lost count of the amount of times he would carry Broken to bed, or drag Contrarian away from a dangerous stunt at two a.m. Stubborn wouldn't let them be idiots and get themselves killed.

But this was different.

The first few times it happened, feeling someone tremble and clutch at his back feathers, he actually thought it had been Hunted, who wasn't a fan of noisy environments in general, but Hunted would always rub his forehead or bury his face into Stubborn's feathers to feel safe, and he hadn't felt that in those moments during the arguments.

But then one time, he heard a yelp from behind as someone shouted, and the undeniable sound of, "Heart, lungs, liver, nerves."

It had been Paranoid hiding behind him.

That hadn't been too much of a surprise. Paranoid was a jumpy bird after all. But what surprised Stubborn was how much Paranoid rushed to him for protection.

He did it every time.

Paranoid was jumpy, but he was also argumentative- he wasn't one to back down from a fight either.

Stubborn confronted him about it one day. He caught him alone on night and just asked, "What's up with you? Usually you're always snapping at the others for being fucking idiots."

Paranoid had flushed, all his thin feathers fluffing up, and Stubborn actually thought he looked kind of cute with his feathers all standing up like that.

Paranoid avoided eye contact, staring at the ground as he stuttered, and Stubborn knew better than to snap at him, so he waited, until Paranoid eventually managed to get out, "Everything gets too much sometimes. Too much thinking,too much feeling, too much shouting- it all just makes me want to shut down."

"But I don't want to leave," Paranoid explained. "I don't want to run away while everyone else fights for the flock. I want to stay."

Then Paranoid finally met his eyes, and Stubborn's breath hitched at the fire he saw in them.

He looked beautiful.

"Being behind you makes me feel safe and it makes me feel brave at the same time. You're such a brave and confident guy that it just- blocks out all the noise and fears, and it makes me feel strong in return."

Stubborn wasn't sure why, but hearing that he made Paranoid want to be braver, made something light flutter within his chest. It was different than a rush of adrenaline or the thrill of a battle. It was somehow softer, but more powerful.

Stubborn said he could keep hiding behind him.

So that was how it went for awhile- whenever the flock inevitably had another fight, Paranoid would get overwhelmed and rush behind Stubborn, and then would work up the courage to argue from the safety of Stubborn's body.

It felt nice- comforting even- to feel Paranoid's body behind him, to know that he was there and safe behind Stubborn, and hear his voice loud and strong amongst all the other racket.

Paranoid was a different type of strength, and everytime Stubborn felt his palm flat against his back, it somehow felt like it was grounding Stubborn. He couldn't explain it, but he liked it.

Then he realised that he might've liked it too much.

One day, they were all having a fight about something that Stubborn couldn't have cared less about, so he just zoned out, arms crossed and focusing on the feeling of Paranoid pressing up against his back, when he suddenly caught a few words aimed at Paranoid.

He tuned back into the conversation, just as he heard someone say to Paranoid, "You can't do much either! All you do is not trust anything and-"

Suddenly, Stubborn had heard enough in that moment.

A rage that felt entirely new in that moment overtook him, and Stubborn growled and bore his teeth out at the crowd around them, snapping an arm and a wing out to fully shield Paranoid from their verbal onslaught.

The words were pouring out of him before he even had time to process them, "Don't fucking say that shit about Para! He's stronger than any of you spineless idiots just by saying a few words! I'd like to see you all try and take him on!"

Silence- enough for Stubborn to realise what he had just said, and for his face to heat up.

But the thing that really sent his mind into a frenzy was feeling Paranoid practically hugging him with his warm face pressed against his backside, right inbetween his wings.

Stubborn had no idea what to do, but then he saw Hero give him a soft smile and direct the conversation away from them.

As soon as the conversation ended, Stubborn felt a burning need to be close to Paranoid, to bask in his quiet strength and never leave him alone again. His head was spinning with many desires, and Stubborn wanted to satisfy them all, and Stubborn's always been greedy.

He met Paranoid right where he had first confronted him- pacing up and down the hallway of their bedrooms.

It was little awkward, he'll admit, having to lean down and mumble sorry to Paranoid for embarrassing him in front of the flock like that.

But then he heard Paranoid giggle- a sweet, light, and carefree sound- and then he felt a hand cup his cheek, and Stubborn found the courage to look at Paranoid's face, to find him smiling, so soft and loving and nervous- and when he leaned up onto his tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek, Stubborn felt his knees buckle.

Instinctively, Stubborn's arms reached forward, and his hands settled on Paranoid's hips tentatively.

Paranoid leaned back, and their gazes lingered on one another, and then Paranoid whispered, "Thank you for being the courage I need."

Stubborn chuckled, the sound coming out breathless, and he grinned, their lips grazing, as he replied, "Trust me, you're braver than fucking any of us, sweetheart."

He heard Paranoid's breath hitch, and then their eyes met- and it felt like a jolt of lightning coursing through Stubborn's veins, and this was one thrill that he hoped never faded away.

They both leaned in, and their lips pressed together so softly, so gently, and it sent Stubborn's mind spinning, almost moaning instantly at the feeling.

Soon though, they grew hungrier, and the kiss deepened, with Paranoid wrapping his arms around Stubborn's neck, and Stubborn lifting Paranoid up while wrapping his arms around his waist, and Stubborn wanted to chase this high forever.

They could be each other's strength, Stubborn decided.

[writingdevil]

i can't do this.

[writingdevil]

Oh!! Requests are open again!!! What a delight!!!!

Hmm. I do have an idea or two, but it's your choice on which one you'd rather do!!

I was thinking perhaps something with Nightmare? (And maybe Paranoid too? Flavor of your choice, as long as it's not something shippy)

Alternatively, I don't know if you've gotten something like this before, and if you have then ignore this- but perhaps something with the voices finding each other again after one of the endings? I understand if that's too many to juggle at a time lol

Wishing you well!!!

(I picked the Nightmare and Paranoid one because Paranoid's my favourite little birdie, along with Oppy, and I think his relationship with Nightmare is really interesting. I truly believe that they would have such an unhealthy and toxic relationship, and it would be hard for them to get along, so this will be interesting- enjoy!)

"Shit!"

Paranoid barely had a chance to dodge, swerving left quickly within the forest, the echoes of sinister giggling invading his mind.

He's never regretted his habit of overpreening more than right now, because otherwise, he could've just flown away from this mess that he got himself in.

All he had to do was avoid the velvet gloves, and he was safe.

Yeah, easier said than done.

He panted, squinting through the darkness to try and peer deeper into the forest, his heart pounding.

Where was she? Where was she?!

Paranoid could feel that familiar choking fear building up, and he didn't know how to get rid of it, how to switch it off and stop shaking so much.

How could he face her, if he couldn't even control his body-

"BOO!"

Paranoid screamed, but it was quickly cut short as he felt a brush along his arm, and instantly, his arm lost all function, dropping low and hanging off his body. Paranoid stumbled away as he felt that familiar painful numbing sensation traveling up his arm and across his collarbone.

He grunted in pain, taking a moment to focus, ignoring the giggling of Nightmare, who floated in front of him playfully.

She seemed happy enough to watch him squirm, and didn't even get closer when he closed his eyes and muttered a quick, "Heart, lungs, liver, nerves."

Quickly, feeling and warmth began to trickle back into his arm, and he glared intensely at Nightmare as he shook the last remnants of her power off him.

"Aww!" Nightmare said, her voice loud and piercing in the quiet of the night. "You couldn't just suffer a little more for me?"

Paranoid hugged himself, once he confirmed his arm was okay again, and he spat out, "I'm not a toy you can poke at for your entertainment!"

"Aren't you though?" Nightmare taunted, tilting her head while putting a hand on her cheek, as if studying something miniscule and cute.

Every inch she got closer, Paranoid took backwards, making sure to keep her in his sights at all times.

"I did not come here for you to torture me!" Paranoid snapped, and Nightmare narrowed her eyes through her mask. "What did you expect? I don't play nice, birdie."

Paranoid barked out a bitter, frazzled laugh. "Oh trust me, I am well aware of that about you."

He sighed, feeling himself become slightly more calm and focused now that Nightmare didn't seem ready to tackle him anymore.

After a few minutes of silence, Paranoid pointed at her and snapped, "You promised beforehand that you wouldn't try anything!"

Nightmare shrugged. "You shouldn't have believed me." Her voice then took a mockingly sweet tone as she cooed, "You know I can't stay away from my favourite birdie."

Paranoid rolled his eyes at her tone, because it was better to act annoyed at her than afraid. Somehow, that made him braver. Maybe that's why Cheated was so hot-headed, because it was better to act so determined and rowdy, so that there was no room for fear to cloud his mind.

"Let's get one thing straight- the only reason that this meeting is even happening, is so that we can settle things. First off, I am not your favourite birdie," he spat out, and he noticed her balling her hands into fists, but it had to be said.

"I will not let you scare me just for your sick amusement," Paranoid firmly said, honestly surprised that his voice held steady.

He made himself look her in the eyes as he declared, "We're not doing this dance anymore."

If Nightmare looked surprised, she didn't show it. All she did was tilt her head to the side and innocently asked, "What dance?"

"This dance where you terrorise me and I just have to deal with the pain you cause me, because I'm the only one who can! I'm sick of it!" He ended his rant with a yell, panting as he glared at Nightmare, who's gaze was beginning to burn against his feathers.

"That's why I asked to meet with you out here," Paranoid explained, "to stop this before my heart actually stops one day."

Nightmare didn't say anything. She just stayed silent- which was never a good sign.

The anger slowly ebbed out of his system the longer the silence between them grew, until the fear started to return, making his body tense up and his feathers raise in alertness.

It took him a few minutes to realise that Nightmare's fists were actually shaking- in fury.

"So," Nightmare spoke up, eyes wide with something manic inside them, "you want to leave me, is that it?"

"What? No-"

"I. Won't. Let you!" she screeched, before flinging herself at him, and Paranoid only had enough time to jump and let a scream out, before Nightmare pinned him to the forest floor, gloved hands digging into his shoulders.

"I won't let you end this!" she yelled, and Paranoid threw his head back and forced the chant out through gritted teeth, his feet twitching and spasming as a wave of excruciating pain slowly washed over him.

"Why aren't you having fun with me?" Nightmare demanded. "You'd rather spend time with that dull flock of yours over me? What can they give you that I can't?" Safety. Trust. Love.

Nightmare's fingers were beginning to feel like they were digging holes into his very flesh, as Paranoid struggled to keep his body working just from her agonising touch, barely comprehending what she was saying.

"You can't just abandon me because of what I am!" Nightmare exclaimed. Through blurry vision, he might've believed that she was shaking her head with fear. "That's not fair! That's not fair and you know it!"

Nightmare slammed one hand down against his chest as she yelled in his face, "You were the one who sent that letter to me! You were the one that reached out! Did you know how happy that made me? That somebody wanted to see me again? But now you just came to say goodbye? Is that it?!"

"Didn't-" Paranoid gritted out, risking the quick pause in his chant to attempt to explain, "-say- that."

Nightmare paused, looking down at him for a few unbearable seconds, before eventually floating off him.

Paranoid gasped and shook as the pain was slowly replaced with the relief of feeling again, and Paranoid refused to stop mumbling his chant until he felt certain he could stand up without collapsing.

When he blinked back into awareness on shaky feet, he saw Nightmare with her arms crossed, and Paranoid was almost certain that she was pouting underneath that mask.

He swallowed quite gulp of crisp, forest air, before cautiously speaking up, "I never said that this would be our final meeting. Against my better judgement, I do want to see you again."

"Really?" There sounded something like fearful hope in her voice, and Paranoid hoped he was doing the right thing.

"Really- but I still can't let you just do that to me whenever you please! There has to be a line, otherwise this'll never work."

"What if I just decide to keep crossing that line? Will it make you hate me more?" Nightmare taunted, and Paranoid couldn't help the spark of fury that ignited inside him.

"After the stunt you just pulled, I fucking should hate you!" he snapped at her, glaring and despising that this couldn't be easy, that Paranoid had to deal the literal touch of death, while some others had a princess with doe eyes, or a cat hybrid to deal with.

But Paranoid still made himself take deep breaths, holding eye contact with Nightmare, who was beginning to look intrigued at what he was trying to say.

"But I can't hate you," Paranoid quietly admitted, and Nightmare's whole body perked up. "I can't hate you," he repeated, quieter, as if to convince himself this time.

Nightmare looked him up and down, and then slowly floated closer, but for once, Paranoid didn't think she had any ill intent.

"Why?" she asked, voice softer than Paranoid's ever heard before.

He sighed in frustration, realising that he had never said it out loud before, and now everything was about to get a lot more real once he did.

"Because- Because I know you," Paranoid said, watching how Nightmare's face fell with shock, something that he hadn't known she was capable of feeling.

He clenched his fists, glaring at the ground as he continued, "I can't hate you because I know why you do the things you do. You want someone to like you for you. You want a friend who will stick with you even though you're dark and scary and-" Paranoid closed his eyes and paused before he said something he'd regret. "-powerful," was what he settled on. "You want a friend that can handle your power. So I can't bring myself to hate you for being lonely."

Paranoid forced himself to lift his head, and was surprised to find Nightmare not angry or sad or even amused by what he had said, but touched. It felt as if she was genuinely looking at him for the first time.

She slowly floated closer to him, twirling a strand of her hair while in thought. When she eventually spoke, her voice was light yet cautious, "You're...the only one who understands me. You're the only one doesn't die near me. I don't want to lose you. I won't lose my first friend."

Friendship? Is that what this was turning into?

Paranoid supposed so, if he went through with this meeting in the first place.

He couldn't hate Nightmare for feeling abandoned, but he couldn't help being terrified of her.

She couldn't stop how she was around him, and Paranoid couldn't help but keep doing his chant around her.

They shouldn't coexist, but somehow, they're the only people who could exist around the other.

Paranoid sighed. "Let's be friends then."

Nightmare's smile made him believe that this might actually not end in disaster.

[writingdevil]

Vent with the soft-spoken/gentle talkers

[writingdevil]

Pinecone Blast™

This is the first time I'm drawing all my voices together since... their first redesign back in December 2024. Wow, it's been a while-

Most of these aren't fully finished designs yet - some are still getting some redesigns, most still need their colors figured out, and only three of them have a completed reference. But still! It's nice to have a drawing where I can look at all of my silly pinecones :]

On that note, I realized that I never actually shared my voices' latest designs on Tumblr. So, for lads that don't have official refs yet, I'm fixing that now and putting their current iteration sketches under the cut!

First, Skeptic and Hunted already have their references, you can find them at those links!

And now, go my pinecones! Most of these are quite old, but these four are pretty close to their final designs: Stubborn, Cold, Broken, and Paranoid

Next, the three lads who may or may not go through a bunch of redesign changes: Contrarian, Hero, and Cheated

Then... Opportunist is an enigma, I draw him so much (I wonder why), but I don't really have a drawing that captures his current design. It's something in-between these two concepts I made:

Also yes, the Rat has freckles now 🙂‍↕️

...and finally, Smitten. If you were wondering why I said that "three of [my voices] have a completed reference"-

...coming soon :] (and by soon, it'll probably be closer to @/voice-of-the-sexyman upcoming Smitten tournament in late July)

But until then, have a few sketches of Smitten that I used to figure out his design <3

[writingdevil]

"A" SCALE

[writingdevil]

Psssssst, hey folks, you want some more Burned Bridges?

So I made a bunch of gifts for my friends, but some of them couldn't go in the main post because, uh, I don't think they would've quite fit... Let's just say that Burned Bridges are even more passionate this time compared to last time.

Anyways, to stop being cryptic, more gifts for my friends! They will be under the cut because they all involve kissing with tongue. You've been warned <3

First, some quick doodles for @phantasmatoucan's Burned Bridges and @pzysm's Frigid Claws, because why wouldn't I randomly destroy my friends with doodles of their favorite ships kissing /silly

Beaks are really hard to draw kissing. I gave it my best shot kjsdhfjk

Anyways, uh, here's the full drawing of my Burned Bridges:

For none other than @pink-november, the Burned Bridges prophet, they (along with Owl) murdered me last week, and so it's only fair that I murder them back <3 /silly /j

More gifts coming soon!

[writingdevil]

control the ripples (and fly high)

Step by step, feet skipping as the world focuses on them. Broken bends as if Cheated dips him, their souls singing in chorus, higher and higher. He brings him up as his partner lifts him in turn and there is applause as the stage rumbles in rising anticipation.

---

Cold goes rogue and the academy sends out their top meister-weapon duo to apprehend him.

the cheabrok vs smitcold battle

[writingdevil]

got to draw them kissing. peace and love on planet earth

[writingdevil]

It is so astonishing that you can write so very good so fast. You are a skilled individual. I'm sorry if how I say things sounds weird because i am bad at talking like a person, but I must overcome my awkwardness to give you a well-deserved compliment. Well done

Aww, thank you!! You sound completely fine to me, so don't feel too nervous, even if I know how daunting sending an ask can be.

Thank you for your compliment!! It's really sweet to hear!! I try really hard to write good stuff and not have people wait too long!

Thank you, and well done to yourself for overcoming your awkwardness to write this compliment! Well done to you! Hope you have a great day!

[writingdevil]

More FrigidClaws art, I have been drawing Cold and Hunted a lot lately!

Additionally!

@writingdevil’s writing with them both is stuck in my head I am very normal about it /silly

Read it Here!

Soooo, Drew art of it! ⬇️

[writingdevil]

Would it be possible to get some hero x smitten stuff?

(It's absolutely possible! More Hero being flustered and Smitten being the most doting and affectionate partner around! Enjoy!)

Smitten hummed a happy tune to himself, moving about the kitchen seamlessly, preparing breakfast for his wonderful flock.

He paced back and forth between all the plates, making sure that nothing was out of place. His attention kept going back to one particular plate, taking extra care when putting the finishing touches on it.

Finally, he heard footsteps.

Smitten let a gasp out, smiling brightly as he whirled around, straightening every plate to perfection on the kitchen counter, and waited for his flock to come down.

The first was always Hunted, and today was no different.

Hunted silently walked down the stairs, going straight to the kitchen, and Smitten beamed down at him. "Good morning, my vigilant friend! Are you doing your patrol today?"

Hunted nodded, always quiet in the mornings, but Smitten never minded. He picked up a fresh and shiny apple and showed it to him. "Will still be enough to satisfy you until you get back?"

Hunted nodded again, eyes lighting up at the fruit, and Smitten smiled warmly and tossed it to him, and Hunted effortlessly caught it, before giving him a final nod and walking off.

Next to come down was Opportunist, who hardly looked as if he had just woken up at all. "Good morning, Smitten!"

"Good morning, my dear! How are you today?"

Opportunist smiled, putting his arms behind his back. "Oh, just peachy today, waiting on a hopefully delicious breakfast as well."

"You're in luck then!" Smitten declared, and then handed out a plate with slices of bread with raspberry spread on it, and some berries alongside it. "Here you are, my dear! I hope you like it!"

Opportunist took the plate with a bright smile. "Oh, Smitten, this looks delightful. What would we ever do without you?"

Smitten chuckled, bashful, as Opportunist began to turn back to his room. "I put some extra berries on the plate, just for you!"

Opportunist stumbled a step, before giving Smitten a grateful, flustered smile back, surprise in his eyes.

That was the way it went that morning. Each flockmate would come down, say good morning, and Smitten would hand them their breakfast.

He was just waiting for a certain flockmate to come down.

Finally, after a few minutes of waiting since handing out the last plate, Smitten heard light, cautious footsteps come down the stairs.

Smitten jumped to action, quickly smoothing down his feathers and making sure nothing looked out of place, and then he stood to attention, as finally, Hero came into the kitchen.

He had a few feathers stuck out of place from sleeping, and his gaze was lowered to the floor, but he kept sneaking sheepish glances up at Smitten.

Hero stopped and waved at him. "Morning, Smitten."

Smitten's smile shifted into something a little less bright and a little more hungry.

He leaned forward as much as he could, placing his elbows on the counter, and resting his head in his hands as he deepened his voice and said, "Hello, handsome."

Immediately, all of Hero's feathers puffed up, and his eyes widened in surprise as he stammered on the spot, struggling to respond.

Smitten chuckled at how adorable he was, which only flustered Hero more. Good.

Smitten gestured to the chair across from him and said, "Come, sit down. I made you breakfast."

Hero obliged, keeping his head low as he sat down in front of Smitten, and with the way Smitten was positioned, their faces were inches apart.

Hero's breath hitched, and his eyes went wild with looking at anywhere other than Smitten's face, but he didn't actually move his face away, which amused Smitten.

Without tearing his gaze from Hero, Smitten grabbed his plate and slid it in front of him. "Here you go, sweetheart."

"T-Thank you, Smit-"

Hero paused, spluttering as he stared down at his plate, and Smitten couldn't blame him. He had worked the hardest on Hero's breakfast, after all.

Two deliciously fluffy pancakes sat on his plate, along with perfectly sliced strawberries that Smitten had arranged into a heart shape around the pancakes.

Hero gulped, and finally met Smitten's gaze.

Smitten could swear it got harder to breathe as they locked eyes, and Smitten's gaze kept drifting down to Hero's lips. Then he saw those lips move.

"Thank you, Smitten. It looks really good."

"You look really good," Smitten shamelessly murmured, and Hero made a squeak of embarrassment, before quickly grabbing his fork.

Hero was absolutely adorable. He had a heart of pure gold that was impossible not to fall in love with, and eyes that shone so brightly with kindness that Smitten kept getting lost in them.

But the thing that Smitten loved the most about Hero, was how he reacted to Smitten's flirting.

He blushed and froze at his compliments, letting Smitten touch and whisper comments to him that had Hero hiding behind his wings most days.

But he never ran away from Smitten's advances. He may stutter and not know how to react, but he always stayed close to Smitten. Hero still soaked up the attention and flirting, he still indulged Smitten in their interactions. That was how Smitten knew that there was something true and real between them.

He watched as Hero stabbed a piece of strawberry with his fork, lifting it up to his mouth as he asked, "Did you have breakfast yet?"

Smitten smiled coyly at Hero, and instead of answering, he wrapped his fingers around the top of Hero's fork, gently directing it towards his own mouth, and then he leaned down and wrapped his lips around the strawberry.

He refused to break eye contact with Hero, who's breathing got heavier as he gulped, and Smitten could feel the fire and intensity of his gaze like a comforting glow against his skin. Smitten winked at him, and had the satisfaction of watching Hero's eyes cloud over with passion and desire.

Smitten slowly slid the strawberry into his own mouth, savouring every second of this moment. He finally released Hero's fork as he chewed the strawberry, letting a pleased moan out for an extra effect, and judging by the way Hero's squirmed, it was successful.

He took his time while chewing, letting the sweetness run down his throat as he swallowed, and then he leaned in close to Hero, enough to tease his lips with a graze of his own sticky sweet ones, and whispered, "I was hoping that you could be my breakfast."

They held each other's gaze for who knows how long, but the tension in the air was beginning to crush Smitten, who wanted nothing more than to tackle Hero to the ground and kiss him silly.

He saw Hero's eyes dart towards his lips, and Smitten risked leaning forward just an inch more, and then Hero leaned closer and then- and then

-Hero ate another strawberry.

Smitten flinched, stunned at what just happened, and leaned back to take in Hero's flustered yet playful expression as he chewed his food.

Once he swallowed, he shrugged as a teasing smile pulled at his lips, and then he said, "Let's hope you have a big appetite."

Smitten was shocked- and then he was famished for more of this handsome darling.

He couldn't wait to devour Hero.

[writingdevil]

[staggering to my feet and wiping a single perfect drip of blood from my mouth] i have to get back on my bullshit. no matter the cost

[writingdevil]

feeling my SU era crawling back from the depths to claim me once more

[writingdevil]

Day 3 of drawing susie every day until the new chapters release (wrote to fill the blank space lol)

[writingdevil]

If you’d like to, can you do another Cold and Hunted interaction? I absolutely love the way you’ve written them!

(HELLO PZY!! OF COURSE I CAN! Cold and Hunted always feel like a duo that thinks the other is the weirdest one in the flock, and that they need to keep an eye on them. Anyway, enjoy!)

(Warning- Insects [butterflies])

Hunted kept his pace slow, not too slow to lose track of Cold, but just enough so that the other bird remained in front of him as they walked back home.

Hunted could barely remember the amount of times that Cold had wandered off into the forest when Hunted looked away for one second. He needed to make sure that Cold didn't slip away and get himself in danger or bring trouble back to the flock. It was usually the latter option that they had to worry about.

Cold was usually silent on these walks, knowing that nothing would sway Hunted to let Cold go exploring, so it was mostly a peaceful walk back. Hunted smiled softly at the sight of their house, instantly feeling his instincts relax and the tension leave his body.

There wasn't a lot that could make Hunted truly relax and calm down, but seeing home would always be one of them.

"These walks feel like they get shorter each time," Cold complained, stopping in front of the little path up to their house, letting Hunted walk up next to him.

"I can try and bring you down a different path next time," Hunted offered, not trusting to just point Cold down a certain direction without knowing what would happen to him.

Cold mulled the offer over for a few seconds, before nodding. "I would be willing to try that."

Hunted nodded in approval. Hopefully that would interest Cold for the next while, however long it would last.

Hunted was about to start walking again, when his eyes caught something colourful to the right of him. He didn't let anything show on his face, but the growing urge to slip away was hard to ignore.

They were close enough to home, he reasoned. If Cold was going to wander off again, one of the others would definitely notice and take care of it.

That was the logic that Hunted used, to satisfy both his need to keep his flockmate safe, while still wanting to take a bit of time for himself.

He nodded up at the house. "You go ahead," he said, feeling Cold look down at him with slight surprise. Hunted looked down at the ground as he says, "There's something I need to check- a trap," he added quickly, fighting the burning gaze that Cold was giving him.

He turned his body away before Cold could say anything, then said, "Don't be foolish," and then quickly ran off, into a part of the woods that was darker and more dense, the air feeling stickier the deeper he went.

Once he was deep enough in, his kept his footsteps light and careful, not wanting to disturb the beautiful residents in this area. Hunted's been down this path many times, but he still always got excited when he arrived here.

He caught another flash of colour, and Hunted crouched low, footsteps silent, and he turned a corner, to face a massive tree, with hundreds of sky blue butterflies clinging to the trunk.

Hunted released a breath, a fond smile growing on his face. He scooted as close as he could without disturbing the flutter of butterflies, sitting down and bringing his knees up to his chin, and gazing up at the beautiful insects above him.

Hunted didn't have many opportunities to be alone and feel at peace, there was usually always something to worry about. He always needed to be on high alert for the flock, so it didn't give him a lot of chances to relax and indulge in his interests. So he tried to take them whenever he could.

He had discovered this little nook of the woods by accident, but now he tried to visit it at least once a day- this little corner of peace that Hunted had found.

A few butterflies took off from the tree, fluttering around Hunted and hovering near his body. Then, Hunted let a tiny gasp out, as he saw one butterflies right in front of him, and he couldn't help but hold out a claw for the bug to land on.

Hunted smiled wide as the butterfly sat atop his finger, antennas twitching but otherwise remaining content.

Soon enough, Hunted felt another butterfly land on his arm, and then one on his head-and Hunted had to use all his patience and focus to not jump in joy at this moment.

"So is this the 'trap' you were checking?"

Hunted froze, smile falling from his face at the sound of Cold's voice.

Every instinct within Hunted wanted to jump up and drag Cold out of his safe place instantly, but that would mean scaring the butterflies, and that would be the most heartless thing that Hunted could do to them, so he had no choice but to sit still and let Cold sit down beside him.

"Why are you here?" Hunted asked, occupying his nerves by letting the butterfly on his hand crawl over his fingers and knuckles.

"Well, you lied," Cold said, as if it was obvious. "I had to find out why our Hunted would ever lie."

"I don't lie."

Cold chuckled in amusement, and Hunted slowly turned to face him, thankfully not startling the other butterflies on him.

Cold was taking in the area with nothing but mild curiosity, and wasn't looking at him as he replied, "Yes, you do lie. You have just enough of a capacity to lie as Opportunist is to growl and let his base instincts take over. Plus," and then Cold finally looked at him with a shrug, "you're a terrible liar."

Hunted wanted to be offended, but even he knew that lying had never come naturally to him- obscuring the truth just didn't sound useful to him when it came to survival.

"This was where you went?" Cold said. "You wanted to play with some bugs? What's so shameful about that?" Nothing, really. But that wasn't what Hunted was worried about.

He watched as a butterfly flew circles around Cold's head, and Cold tilted his head up to stare at it, and Hunted couldn't help the nervous stare he gave him, as Cold lifted a hand up for the butterfly.

Hunted felt his own butterfly shaking with the way his fingers were trembling, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the pretty little butterfly, who delicately landed on Cold's finger.

He waited a beat- but nothing happened.

Cold caught his gaze and arched a brow, clearly waiting for Hunted to respond.

Hunted looked down at the butterfly clinging to his arm, and said, "I never thought this place was shameful. I just- liked having someplace to relax by myself."

Hunted looked back up at the tree, unable to stop the fond smile from spreading across his face, as he gazed up at the hundreds of hypnotically beautiful butterflies all clustered together, the shade of their wings making it seem as if the sky had lowered right in front of Hunted.

"I used to always think that nature was just deadly- kill or be killed. I didn't know that nature could be kind."

He lifted his hand up for Cold to see. "I didn't know that there were some things in nature that would make me happy."

Cold's face didn't change much as he simply hummed in response. He leaned back on his hand, visibly relaxing as well, studying the butterfly in his own hand, then asked, "Why not say that to me then? I wouldn't of cared where you spend your time."

That was when the anxiety worsened, and Hunted averted his gaze, which he knew Cold would notice, but he couldn't help it. "I," he began, voice nervous and quiet, "I thought that you wouldn't care for the butterflies and-"

Hunted cut himself off, glancing at the butterfly in Cold's hold nervously, and Cold followed his gaze, and then went, "Oh. You thought I was going to crush them?"

Hunted gave him a curt nod, shame in his features now.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, and Hunted was waiting for either an icy denial or a blunt acceptance.

But what he got instead was feeling Cold's body leaning against his own, and he was surprised to find that Cold's body was actually warm.

Cold moved the hand with the butterfly to be next to Hunted's, and they both watched as the insect crawled from Cold's hand to Hunted's, and Hunted smiled at how cute they were.

"I wouldn't do that to you," Cold quietly murmured, and Hunted found himself relaxing against Cold's body, sighing at how soft he felt, with none of the butterflies disturbed either. "I would never upset you like that."

Hunted closed his eyes, and believed him.

Perhaps this could be their secret spot.