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A week. It had been an entire week since Parrot had been properly awake, rather than seething with a red-hot fever and muttering to himself between starts and stops in a dazed mix of English, Japanese, and pure gibberish.
By now, Theo was becoming weary of caring for him in this state, although not without increasing worry for the safety of his best friend, the king. Each night, he had refused to retreat to the safety of his room, instead insisting--against the others in the Castle's better judgement--on sleeping, sat hunched, on a sofa in the corner of Parrot's chambers. At each cough, groan of agony, or feverish whisper, Theo would crack his eyes open immediately and angle them at Parrot, mumbling words of comfort like "you're alright, man, hold on a little longer," and "I'm here, you're safe," until the noises once again returned to rhythmic breathing as the weak king fell back asleep.
The war with Cindercrest was all but over, and their forces were slowly but surely rebuilding, looming over the castle and those within it as though a ticking time-bomb was waiting to burst and destroy them all for good. Truly, they needed their king back, but there was little to be done now. All they could do was schedule meetings to strategise lines of defence, and pray that soon Parrot would be awake and ready to fight again.
Maybe it was a little selfish, but as much as Theo wanted to win the war and save the server... seeing Parrot in such a state, likely caused by how he seemed to neglect his health when overwhelmed by such intense levels of constant stress, made him wish they could just leave the castle and it's troubles behind forever. They could simply run away together, he could nurse him back to health in some distant cabin in the woods, and they'd never have to worry about wars and the constant struggle for power. They could escape, and nothing would put him nor Parrot in a situation like this ever again. As much as Theo was adamant about fighting back, and how passionate he was for PvP, that selfish urge was always in the back of his mind when he looked, guiltily, down at the hyperventilating, nauseous, sweating mess that Parrot had been reduced to.
That night, however, while the high moon trickled its light rays through the gently swaying curtains, Parrot seemed to stir slightly more than usual, opening his eyes with slow and deliberate intent. Already, Theo's gaze was on him, a glimmer of hope in his heart that maybe he was finally getting better, although mostly waiting for some sign that Parrot was actually awake and not just moving in his sleep again.
As slowly as he had woken, Parrot parted his lips as if to speak, leaving them ajar for a few seconds like he was focusing his brainpower on mustering the words, before quietly and hoarsely croaking out a string of sounds that could be interpreted as English.
"W... Water, please."
"Parrot! You're actually awake!?"
Parrot winced a little at the sudden loudness of Theo's excited voice, who noticed his hesitation and quietened before continuing.
"Sorry, sorry--" Theo's voice was little over a whisper now, and he stood and slowly paced over to the side of Parrot's bed. "Just a bottle? How are you feeling? Any better?"
There was a pause as Parrot deliberated a response, although he brightened a little hearing Theo's usually brash voice in such a calm tone.
"Not good... Hahah... But, a little better." Parrot squinted his eyes and pressed his lips together in a weak attempt at a reassuring smile. It wasn't particularly successful, but the sentiment made Theo seem lighter.
"That's an improvement at least. You'll be better in no time, trust me bro," Theo stated, nodding--although, if anything, he seemed to be reassuring himself more than Parrot. The cockatiel took a peek inside his inventory. "Ah, I don't have any bottles on me... I'll have to go all the way down to the kitchens, is that-- are you gonna be okay alone for 15 minutes?"
Parrot nodded once, his neck exceptionally stiff.
"You're... totally sure?"
Parrot nodded once again. The increasing ache in his neck let him know he sure as hell wasn't doing it another time, Theo would just have to accept his answer.
"Alright... I'll be as quick as I can, promise. If you, uh... if you need me then just pull one of these and I'll come right away." From his trouser pocket, Theo yanked out a bundle of small fireworks labelled "C" which, from experience, Parrot had come to understand meant "crackers". The flammable kind, not the food, although his stomach was churning at the thought.
At that, Theo quickly hurried to the door, casting a worried glance back at Parrot who tried to smile reassuringly again despite looking slightly constipated, and strode out towards the staircase. The door clicked shut behind him and Parrot was cast in complete, tranquil silence, save for the whistling of the high-altitude breeze outside of his window.
One window, however, was cracked ever so slightly ajar, a light wind trailing in and causing Parrot to shiver despite his blistering temperature and piles of disarranged blankets.
With a short, resigned sigh, Parrot opened his mouth again, fixing his gaze solidly on a point across the room from him, just beside his large, ornate windows.
"Could you at least close the window? I'm cold."
The silence echoed through the room, as Parrot looked to be speaking to nobody in particular. However, after a few moments, the window seemed to slide shut of its own accord, and the whistling became muffled.
"It's... a little embarrassing for you that even a man on his death bed could tell you were here--" Parrot muttered, sarcastically, but paused to cough, spluttering into the back of his hand which he limply raised to his face. "You got here a few minutes ago... Isn't that right... Wemmbu?"
The atmosphere changed, and Parrot could feel the air becoming thick with uncertainty. Not from him, no, but instead from the invisible figure perched on his windowsill whom he had been staring daggers at since he had crept through his window without catching Theo's attention. Of course, he knew Theo wasn't entirely an idiot--although it often seemed that way--and if he hadn't shooed him from the room... his visitor wouldn't be so well received, to put it lightly.
A slight sensation of guilt for lying to Theo bubbled in his chest, but his head felt as though it had been stuffed with sharp flint and sent through a washing machine until his vision was entirely filled with dancing spots, and he was currently getting a surprise visit from a man who tried to murder him hardly two weeks ago, so he had a feeling a few white lies weren't the biggest of his concerns currently.
"You look like shit," the figure finally responded, in that familiar voice which Parrot could only associate with purple and overly loud giggling.
"Thanks for--" Parrot paused to cough again, more violently this time, his vision going almost entirely foggy. "Thanks for noticing. I wonder why that might be."
Wemmbu went quiet again, and Parrot could only picture his face right now, although he assumed he was biting his lip and averting his gaze like a guilty child who had been caught lying to their parents.
A few moments of stillness later, Wemmbu's invisibility ran out, and Parrot was amused to see exactly what he had envisioned standing at the base of his bed. He fought back a small laugh, coming out more like a cough, which made Wemmbu glance up at him.
Beneath Wemmbu's eyes, deep, heavy eye bags had grown, and Parrot noticed that his appearance was unusually dishevelled. Despite Wemmbu being functionally homeless most of the time and constantly jumping into fights he had no reason to participate in, he was quite proud of his appearance, and kept his flowing, purple hair well managed. Now, however, it was unkempt and frizzy, a sight which sent the slightest pang of unease through Parrot's chest.
They hadn't been face to face since the invasion of Highwater, although that could hardly have been considered a meeting. All Parrot had seen in those long moments of agony between Orbital Cannon strikes had been destruction and the growing mound of corpses, and even when Wemmbu had been macing him from above, his vision had been doing far too many somersaults for him to notice anything more than a blob of colour coming his way.
Thinking about Highwater was far too painful for him, and Parrot squeezed his eyes shut again, losing his grip on reality for a moment as he tried to shut his senses out.
By the time he had dragged himself back to consciousness, Wemmbu had come closer, and was curiously waving a hand in front of Parrot's exhausted eyes.
"Earth to Parrot..? Yoohoo~? Oh, you're back."
"Mmh," was all Parrot could manage to respond, but Wemmbu decided that was good enough and plopped himself on the edge of the bed, not far from Parrot.
The man sighed, resting his arms back and tilting his head to look up at the ornate ceiling. Lettuce had been the one to design the castle, at least as far as telling the builders what to build and where, and Parrot had never been a fan of how lavish the place was compared to the rest of the server. Sure, it was pretty, of course he could appreciate that, but with people in his kingdom starving and fighting for shelter and necessities... It always made him feel a pit in his stomach.
"Do you ever feel like everything in the whole world is just... against you? Like whatever you do, nothing is working in your favour?" Wemmbu suddenly blurted out, a shaky quietness in his voice as though he wasn't intending to say it at all.
Blinking slowly in his direction, Parrot just stared at him for a moment.
"Or-- or just like nobody actually understands your intentions. Like they just constantly treat you like this... awful person who they can shove around without having to think about it! And-- and just hurt all the things you love because-- because you deserve it anyway, or something!" Wemmbu whipped his head towards Parrot, not really looking at him properly, more just letting out his frustrations as if Parrot was the first person who had listened to him in the last month.
In all honesty, maybe he was, despite being unwilling. It wasn't like he could leave the conversation if he wanted, he was still bedridden.
Nevertheless, Parrot continued to look at him, unwavering, his gaze cold but knowing, like he was searing straight through Wemmbu and into his core. After a moment longer of Wemmbu rambling and ignoring the other man in the room, he nervously glanced at Parrot, their gaze locking. Wemmbu seemed to get it, pausing and closing his mouth.
"Yeah, I-- I guess you probably get the idea..." Wemmbu leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees and gazing at the ground for a minute. "Sorry, I'm just-- I know I tried to kill you. But, let's be real, if I was really trying you'd be dead already."
Parrot knew that well enough, but he still scoffed, quietly but with a playful air that made the tension in Wemmbu's shoulders ease just slightly.
"I... don't really forgive you for betraying me, bombing my kingdom and killing my people... If that's what you're looking for. Sorry," Parrot huffed.
"Well, I wasn't really looking for your forgiveness anyway so... Whatever." Wemmbu shrugged, Parrot rolling his eyes in response. "I just... Well, listen, you're the smartest guy I know... and-- and I don't know what to do anymore."
Once again, Wemmbu turned to Parrot, his face morphing into a surprisingly earnest expression.
"They took Egg. They took him, Parrot. Just like always, but-- but this time I can't save him. It's like I'm useless! They're treating me like a walking trump card to win the war all because I can't *do anything*." Small tears began to well in the inner corners of Wemmbu's sunken eyes, but he held them back. Even as vulnerable as Parrot was, he couldn't allow his own walls to slip any further than they already were.
As Wemmbu fought down the aching in his throat, he was surprised by the sudden flicking of a long, bristled feather in his face, shaking him completely out of his previous mood. From the head of the bed, Parrot was still glaring at him, although now he was unsure what he had done to elicit such a reaction.
"I'm gonna be honest," Parrot began, the hoarseness in his voice forcing him into a low and hushed tone that only made Wemmbu more nervous. "If I wasn't sick... I would be sliming you out right now. You've done horrible things to me, even after I put my full trust in you, Wemmbu."
Why was he even surprised? He knew Parrot had no reason to speak to him, let alone offer him any kind of advice. Why had he even bothered sneaking in here, against any orders, against his own better judgement, just to talk to a flu-ridden bird that he was meant to be fighting a war against? He balled his hands into fists and moved to stand, but Parrot's voice cut through the air and rendered him completely still.
"But if I know one thing about you, it's that you're anything but useless."
Wemmbu whipped his head around looking at Parrot with a mix of confusion and aura-diminishing intrigue.
"You're a self-centred asshole, that's definitely true. You think everything is solvable if you throw a weapon its way, like an idiot. And you're childish, and treat murder like a pass-time, and--"
"Okay, Parrot, we get it bro," he interrupted, glaring and fighting back the urge to groan.
"Yeah, sure, but you're still Wemmbu, bro. You're still a person. And you're, like... One of the most creative, yeah stupid, but persistent people I know. Like... if you were anyone else, you probably would've already died already. But you haven't. Because you've always kept going, somehow, who even knows."
Surprisingly, the sick man's words were starting to get through and Wemmbu felt as the tightness that had been knotted in his chest for the last few months began to loosen. He wasn't one to admit to his feelings often, he much preferred keeping that between himself and whatever existed after perma-death, but even he had to admit that feeling... recognised was a strangely liberating sensation.
All he managed to mutter was a quiet "Yeah... whatever," before going quiet and simply listening to Parrot's ragged breaths as they both sat on the bed.
"Listen, Parrot--"
"I already said I forgive you," Parrot calmly interrupted before he could finish, allowing his eyelids to close peacefully as he spoke.
"You didn't even know if I was gonna apologise! Fine, now I won't apologise!" Wemmbu crossed his arms, pouting almost childishly, and although Parrot couldn't see it with his eyes closed, he saw a smile creeping onto the king's face and knew he could tell anyway.
"Bro, Wemmbu, if anyone can rescue Egg, it's gonna be you," Parrot continued after a pause. "I want to help you with-- with whatever I have, but, dude, I'm fighting a war... and the flu apparently. It's gotta be you, bro."
Wemmbu took a long inhale, followed by a longer exhale. He knew that was the case anyway, but he'd been so stuck in a cycle of doubting himself that... Well, maybe internally he was waiting for some solution to appear before him and fix all his issues. He certainly wouldn't admit that to Parrot, although he wouldn't be surprised if the man already knew. No matter how strange and ridiculous Parrot seemed to Wemmbu at times, he knew that he also possessed a great deal of wisdom. Sometimes, it felt like Parrot could see straight through him.
"Yeah. Yeah, I know," Wemmbu murmured, resigning himself.
Pursing his lips, he cocked his head towards the half-asleep Parrot that was laid, sprawled across the bed. The conversation had clearly knocked all the remaining energy of him, and he had retreated a little further under his duvet. He looked like a caterpillar, or so Wemmbu thought at least. The thought of it almost drew a grin from him.
Tentatively, Wemmbu slid a hand over to rest on Parrot's half-submerged shoulder, hovering over it for a moment before he placed it softly down. Parrot was visibly unbothered by the gesture, although tilted his head a little in the direction of Wemmbu's hand, subconsciously.
"Don't die from a stupid flu, alright? Although... it would be very funny writing 'ParrotX2, King of Unstable, defeated by a Common Cold' on your gravestone..."
Parrot weakly laughed, but beneath Wemmbu's hand, he could feel the man trembling, and perhaps there was a part of him that felt... guilty. Once again, he would rather die than admit it, but looking at Parrot's pathetic state was just one of those things... like seeing an abandoned cat on the side of the road, y'know?
Either way, he knew Theo would be coming back soon and considering he'd prioritised invisibility pots in his inventory over his actual PvP kit, and the wrath of a sleep-deprived, protective, vengeful cockatiel didn't sound like his ideal Tuesday night, Wemmbu carefully peeled himself away from the bed and stood once again.
"Maybe I'll see you later. Maybe I won't. Don't think this was anything meaningful, alright, just count yourself lucky I didn't feel like macing you quite yet," Wemmbu announced, although Parrot wasn't really listening anymore. His breathing had steadied again and he seemed to be drifting back into restless sleep.
Wemmbu took another look at him before hearing the hurried, thundering footsteps of one TheobaldTheBird from along the corridor and instantly splashed invisibility onto himself. Not a moment later, Theo burst into the room, babbling.
"Dude--! How many people are awake at this time of night? Seriously, I ran into every damn person in this castle all asking to know how you were and when the plans would be ready, and then when I tried to get water the well was empty, and--"
Theo's voice trailed off as he noticed that Parrot was sound asleep. He let out a sigh, placing the water bottle carefully down onto the side-table next to the headboard, beside the unused fire-crackers, and flopped onto the sofa, hardly noticing the mysteriously ajar window that allowed the breeze to seep into the chamber once again.
Wemmbu was already long gone, and Parrot was drifting deeper into calm dreams of fields and purple headbands. He dropped his chin onto his hand and quickly followed suit, closing his eyes and letting the pale moonlight guide him into slumber.