---Nothing ever happens anymore, and that's a good thing---



the days have been feeling longer, the tension loosening but the dread still looms.

how long has it been to maintain this calm? hes never been able to count the hours to begin with despite his best efforts, easier to keep track of everything else, the little things. lately its been easier to keep track of the others aside from himself- not that he hadn't put the effort in before, just that the hustle and bustle of the sheer chaos prior was sutch the suffocateing tunami that its abcence in turn fills every room with the negative space they take up.

every object left with the remnants of memories that fade gently and warp slightly each time they come back to mind, each day ticking away as if the horrors where just a dream..

it has been hard to bare in its own way, the ease of it all, the lack of friction, the skill sets learned to cope left meaningless and inappropriate.

he couldn't help but find himself cruel every time he glanced in the mirror..

the feeling was always there but lately its been deafening with the noise of the world becoming quieter, the ability to hear a pin drop clearer- as well as one's own thoughts.

the days have been harder to bare in their own way-but nows not the time for all that, nows the time for the day to start, there's still so much to do after all.

with a ruffle of his feathers and a small hop in his step he made his way into the kitchen to make himself some coffee and toast, hm perhaps some eggs and ham if he remembered to save some for the day..

ah there they are- not stolen, he'd come to appreciate the little gestures of respect that the housemates gave, not that he shows that much... his tone was always so piercing and-

right. time to get these into fryer and get that coffee made, not a moment to waste while the morning is so fresh and he had this time to himself.

the stove clicks on and the skillet sizzled as the butter was given a chance to cook, just a simple toss of the meat and eggs all in one go with his secret technique of a splash of water before capturing all the heat under a lid to let it steam. nice quick easy meal, he'd always loved those but he also liked the kind that where a bit tedious to make- not that he had really any chance to learn and with the old days he never had much opportunity for trial and error, only needing to get it all right the first time or else having to pay it all back three fold- OH NO the eggs are getting over cooked, the yolk is almost hardened.

he is very particular about his eggs, there are many ways to cook an egg so might as well do your best to get it right the way you intended even if most ways are still edible.

onto the plate they go, coffee almost done, might as well try and get that perfect while he still has a chance to. he can hear the bubbling of the water starting to boil, time to lower the temperature and let it sit for a moment to percolate.

he can hear a rustling start to move in the other room, ah the others are waking up finally. the lazy lot, not that he really minded but the authority gave him something to do, a way to mark his presence, perhaps he scolds them too much perhaps- his beak was starting to chatter as he noticed he put a bit too much pepper on the eggs.

well they where ruined anyways, lets take a look at the coffee, try not to put too many flourishes today lest more mishaps find there way in the extra steps. he always finds a way to rui- AH here's the cream. time to get his favorite mug.

he cant help but notice the rustling in the bathroom getting louder, he had tried to give whoever was in there the privacy they deserved but the facet on the sink feels like its been running for quite a while with exemplified with the droneing whine it gives.... but there seems to be another whining, painful sound, in there. he can keep himself from noticing surely that's for the best, that's what he would want after all if he had to burden any hardships right? its only common courtesy to be left alone to ones own struggle, to bare them alo-

the coffee is right to go then isn't it, he takes the basket out of the pot and dumps the grounds in the trash leaving the bit of extra liquid in for his friends- what no that's not right. they haven't gotten that far have they? not that hes looking forward to, any, of that. why would he hes fine just where he is, everything about the day has been fine aside from a stray mishap here and there but all has been just well and and- lets look to what the paper has today now that the meal is ready to eat

proudly fitting into the role as patriarch of the house he flips the paper open proudly, a shuffle wanders in from the hallway exhibiting the polar opposite of any disposition resembling pride.

he can tell hes not doing well.

well who's to say that with such certainty? he cant just assume things like that, after all despite how large his presence was, his features where still limiting. best to stay on the safe side with anything that can be- direct. wouldn't want to risk the embarrassment of error in anything..

wouldn't want to risk hard feelings, not that he cares. he knows to mind his own business, and in that everything is fine with nothing to worry about so lets move on already.

he glances at his paper, not being able to focus on anything in particular trying to eat what he can of the eggs and toast.

he can feel the hulking figure move its way towards him, best to not make eye contact don't want to do anything wr- the body slightly brushes ageist his jacket bumping his shoulder with a gentle push.

"HEY watch where your going you big oaf" the words spilled out automatically.

whydidhesaythatwhydidhesaythatwhydidhesaythatwhydidhesaythatwhydidhesa

"huh. yeah. s'ry" he said in a slurred tone, as if still in a daze. "n'coffy?" he picked his arm up with weighted effort as if his forearm was several pounds heavier then it was- even if he was big, hes not that big..

"n'yea'h" he stammered for a moment before collecting his bearings "take what you'd like, i just made it, should be nice and fresh" he adjusted his tone hoping to amend for the damage. whats there to damage, hes a sturdy guy, hes stronger then he gives himself credit- there he goes assuming again though, he needs to learn to not be so nosey.

the bird shuffles the paper again to assume his posture back to how it was before that red thing had to come in and distract him with his bold frame and worrying eyes- he hadn't made eye contact, perhaps a glance, he looks so tired. the coffee will perk him right up there's nothing to be so concerned with. so invasive hes been lately with that one..

all this free time has really been getting to them hasn't it- the news today welcomes some new arrivals to the shopping mall, great deals ahead on minced rice! ooh and there seems to be some nice jellied garlic up too! the market is so filled wit-

"t'nks for it, nice of you to leave some"

the words struck him weird, he wasn't expecting that out of him in that state hes in, his eyes still cloudy and hands still more hesitant then usual- or whatever usual is usual for the past few weeks or however long its been since the quiet set in.

he couldn't help but notice his sleeping patterns, or lack there of. just a few days it evolved from desperate rolling around to a blood curtailing scream with a dash to the door just to slowly and automatically come slumping back to bed. the other one always out cold like a rock that he was. ... but he himself had been trained to be a light sleeper by a treacherous past he cant quite remember. and yet somehow he found himself remembering the little habits of the scarlet one, as bothersome as the patterns may be. ..or was he more of a cadmium red?

the crimson one lumbers over to the table careful to give him a wide berth this time, having learned his lesson- he wishes he hadn't- and finds his way over to the furthest chair, deliberately positioning his way in as if not to make a sound. he cant help but let out a slight exasperated sigh- the kind that worms its way out despite trying to suppress a deep sadness- before he begins to sip his coffee.

finally. he is able to be snapped out of this internal rambling, and such disrespect to not even respond.

"what are you having in it?" meekly said after missing the opportunity to say "your welcome"

"just black" he said bluntly but not curtly

"don't you want some milk or cream? i think i have some nice sauces left in the cupboard too." the avian says bravely hoping to repair the tone of the conversation from the shyness that has cast itself in the air.

"i'hm simple" he says mostly into his cup then to the duck, avoiding eye contact the entire time

"and what are you having to eat or is it just the coffee here? have you been eating enough lately?" he says knowing the answer is no but hasn't been brave enough to step up about it till now, most days all he ever has is coffee and on a good day a bowl of cereal.

the taller one sits quietly for a moment, left hand hidden beneath the table, right firmly holding the mug. he loosens his grip and looks at a spot on the floor when speaking "its fine"

"have you even been getting groceries, I've been seeing a lot more room in the fridge, here i have some eggs left over how do you want them" the bird starts to stand up leaving the half eaten plate on the table

"i don't." he says dryly "its fine" he dryly responds taking another sip, perhaps just pretending to.

there the stupid thing goes assuming again and here he was being pushier on a sheer guess that he is not being imposing, he'd have to chose his next words more carefully as to give him more opportunities for an "out" but still try and bait him enough to open up.. his hunch of how distraught the red one's emotional state was, was just getting more severe.

"y- your always so -" the duck pauses trying not to stammer over his pathetically mushy words "you never think about yourself, let me do this one thing for you. don't worry, ill make it simple, t he way you'd like" he focuses his eyes on the fridge. walking confidently making sure to hide his face while speaking.

he doesn't see the way red moves, refusing to look back, not that it would make much of a difference, he cant risk reading him in any way that isn't direct words right now.. he still doesn't know for sure what hes thinking about anything..

he finally breaks the silence that had sit there for a half beat too long "alright then, go ahead"

he stopped for a moment, eggs and ham in hand. his heart had to catch up with his breath for a second, happy to see that whatever he was doing might be working. now to keep the momentum..

the small one hops in his step to the counter where he will begin scrambling eggs, a hint of cream will make these nice and fluffy, some spice wouldn't hurt, best to ask

"anything you don't want me to add? i know this is going to be your first meal in a while, i don't want to hurt you" he takes the chance to look over at him with a smile to see his normally towering figure hunched over with panic smeared all over his face, eyes clenched tight, fist clenched at his stomach. duck quickly turns back to not get caught looking then waits patiently for any response as he darts his eyes around the cabinet counting spices to quell his anxiety

"uhmn- yeah, its fine. don't worry about it" duck looks back at him, both hands on the table, neutral expression with his terribly normal sad eyes, less cloudy hopeful thanks to the coffee.

even in all this he seems to be quite the fighter and he admired him for that..

he will go easy on the ingredients for now, diced ham, a dash of salt, some curry powder for flavor but not enough to be spicy just a little dust to liven it up. nice easy scrambled eggs, he'd put in cheese if he wasn't so worried it would overwhelm him, and if he had any- make a note of that the next trip.

it didn't take long to fry up, he proudly places the plate at his side and smiles up at him, hes hunched over so they are nearly at eye level for a change.

"here you are, nice and warm." a pause to try and remind himself to be gentler as the guilt of even just the start of the day floats overhead and he continues "t try- take your time with it okay?"

the red one shuffles around in his chair, watching the small creature walk back to his chair, flipping his paper proudly yet again and making sure not to glance at him to give him space with his words.

"thanks, s'nice." he takes the suggestion and dose eat with cautious delicately.

the words where simple but the validation behind them where powerful, the directness was intoxicating even if vastness of its meaning was still left unclear. that's not what mattered, the future isn't here yet we are still only in the present and all bonding that is yet to come or never to arrive is moot, the small gesture alone is to be cherished in isolation and that is worth something.

they eat together in silence, the paper is an endless source of activities with informative bits of the daily car crash and sports terrors, and when hes done reading the paragraphs he can sort through all the text to find the words without consonants or count the words starting with the letter L. the simple joys keep him going, keep him distracted, he wants to make sure that his friend- hOUSEmate, is doing okay. so he mustn't smother him, and its taking everything in his power not to do exactly that.

a 3rd of the way done with the scrambled eggs and duck just nursing the remainder of his coffee, eyes shot open and large mits hit the table quickly to get up

"wait wheres the other one?" he rushes his way over to the bedrooms. hastily scrambling to check if they are still breathing.

following swiftly but quieter behind, duck comes up to the door and pokes his head inside as to not impose but still watch out in any helpful matter he can muster.

two fingers entrapped in the mitts find their way to the neck of the unconscious one, gently resting enough to feel a pulse and his breathing has now become more pronounced since becoming disturbed in his sleep

"best to let that one rest, he was up all night watching telly" an unusually quiet measured voice creeps out from behind

"yeah, yeah your right it is early..." he makes his way out of the room upset and embarrassed that he- was what? so thoughtful? how tragic it was that he even dared to be so caring to even the lesser one of the bunch.

surely he would have to step in now more then he had before and do something about this.. but the panic sets in as the pressure of failure creeps its way back after such a brief respite to break the monotony

"here, ill clean up don't worry" he says proudly as he didn't fumble the kindness in his words this time, finally getting enough opportunities to practice

"wait i- haven't finished wit-" he works his way back to the table and clutches his stomach again this time unable to hide, embarrassment to his body falling apart consuming him "i-ihmk sorry"

"just, p please- just go sit down over there even- in the sitting area, I'll take care of everything here. go give yourself a break." another pause as he makes his way after gathering up the plates "you've earned it. don't worry about all this"

he really has been laying it on thick he worries how this is going to be taken but the regret for the neglected days spent silently watching the traumas wear on him, wearing it on his skin as he slowly decays into a form that has now pushed him to a point the bird has never seen before- and he wants to make sure never again.

"don’t waste it, the food il-" the red one gets interrupted with a now more determined and ready to step up to the challenge green who is now taking a step back to present the still untouched plate that rests on the table.

“here I can finish it if that will make you feel better, I’ll come join you in the sitting area if you'd like, I still have to finish my paper”

before the larger one even had a chance to react he scooped up the last bit of egg in one go in a sort of silly display to try and lighten the mood.

A small "heh" escaped from the red one and then with a simple sigh just leads on to saying "yeah, I’ll just be, over there then. Yeah"

with a light tap of his funny little flippers he proudly went and washed up, cleaning off the tables for good measure. With the sink running to rinse off the plates he heard a familiar sound coming in from the other room, his cheerful prance slowing again, with his realization of how different his disposition is to the other.

The fimiliar noise of the foccit running is back..This time a bit deeper and more guttural with a suppressed choking cough as if he was being smothered by a pillow.

Wanting to give the other one space with his emotions he slowed his pace in the washing, using the warmth of the water and gentle bubbles to reflect. The stillness letting in emotions he worked so hard to bury deep down, the empathy for his housemate rubbing off so severely as the raw chemicals of his emotions filled the room.

He just had to do something more to help, eggs alone cant repair the damage that has been done- damage that even he himsel-

he had to do something to rectify all this, to amend, to at the very least. Cope.

Drying his hands along with the cutlery he put it all back in its place, nice and simple, an obvious solution with a simple direction to take. So rare do problems have that but the kinder days have left room to count more of them, as well as crafting their own impossible problems like the one he had now set himself out to face that is waiting for him in the other room. Is he though? Waiting for him? Should he just let it be and not.

The sobs have never been so audible, hes never seen him at his breaking point like this, he'd just know him to swallow his pain like anyone would and leave dry humor in its place, dark jokes to lighten the mood. Cries for help

he has to do something. Its now officially been decided.

Carefully and deliberately, as to not be seen as a threat, the avian walks into the room

a nervousness creeps up from the back of his neck and finds its way firmly into the middle of his brow, the stress building and pulsing as to beg him to just go back to his room and leave all well alone. But a choice has already been made and with that effort must be as well.

A creek in the floorboard makes his presence known and the heart wrenching bellowing noises pause for a moment with a few shallow breaths. The breaths become more pronounced as creaks and whines try their best to not escape, another crackle making its way out in vein of all efforts to try and grip onto any semblance of normalcy and stability.

Hands gripping around the face that hides so many secrets that are now careening out of his body by force shift to look over at the body looking at him- eyes that plead to not be mocked for how withered and sorry his state has become.

The duck hopes he could match his eyes with the tender softness that he wishes he could bring out of him more naturally, hardened by pasts both fresh and buried to time and suppression.

"tic-i he" a weak attempt to break the silence was quickly overrided by the red one

"i thought he was gone"

the weight of those words froze him in his tracks. shocked at the clarity of his sudden composure. he stood their encased in stone, only being able to respond with a hard swallow and tender breath awaiting direction.

"i- i thought" he starts to crumble again, choking as he clutches his side, trying to compose himself again in height the spiraling panic attack.

"what doy- tell m-" The bird trys to fish for words "if you want me to go i can, but i dont want to"

shocked at the kindness on display the tears relentlessly pour out. gasping for breath and holding back gags he tries to talk agian. "y-yio- tod dasy youv-"

a nervous hand from the bird places its way onto the arm rest waiting for approval, unsure if hes doing anything right here, but to leave him like this would be unthinkable.

"i dont know how to help"

fumbling blindly a large hand makes its way from the huddled body, unsure and apprehensively stopping several times within the seconds it took to finally find its way home, planted neatly ontop of the other's. "d'nt. you dont" words fail to make their way out as the large form goes back from peeking at the other and reseeds further into himself once more, gripping the hand beneath his as he dose so.

"im here" the bird said flatly but warmly, letting his hand stay limp to allow as much agency to the other, not wanting to take his chances making any more rash assumptions now that hes been gifted this level of closeness.

the red one tries to unlatch himself and sit more upright, cautiously moving as if every muscle needed his individual attention in order to function, one at a time. as his shoulders moved upwards to the back of the chair, clenched eyes reveled the extent of the tension in his body, steady breaths trying to wind him down to where he wanted to be but now having his hand in his he can see the extent of the involuntary shaking. his back finally touching the plush of the seat, thinking he was getting close to it being over, another wave of terror cast over him and the unused hand rockets up to cup at where his mouth is assumed to be, gagging and gasping hideous painful noises. trying best to hide his panic contagiously finding its way into him the bird stands taller to point his body to the door.

he talks too quickly to truly hide his anxiety "do you want me to get you a-" "NO!" red succeeds in exclaiming "no, no im-hrk gh- st st say. sorry im." he takes a few even slower breaths and presses hard into his middle to try center himself once more, inching closer then last time "no i, i can control it i just. it gets hard. sometimes. and then it only gets worse after that" he finally gets off his chest and then slumps deeper into his chair then he had, overwhelmed by how open hes being. though with that something seems to be comforting in that as well.

not sure if its the right moment to ask but having the nagging feeling itch away at him as the display was unfolding, the bird dares to ask "this morning, where you.."

leaning back finally in the chair, body limp and breaths mostly automatic the largest just keeps his eyes shut and sucks in a breath to clench the hand that still rest neatly under his as a response.

the bird understands, breathing in the moment gently with him, turning his hand over to squeese his back.

cutting into the silence one more time the bird says "im sorry you where alone in that.. you didnt have to be"

overwrought with the unfamiliarity of the situation at hand and its uncomfortable kindness and warmth, the red one lets go of any remaining defenses, finally letting the fears they where too proud to burden alone finally be one to be shared, and with that the cascade of emotions worked through them both silently. in seeing the clench loosen in their grip the larger one makes a point to show compassion by makeing an attempt to lift the hand closer to his head.

"ow-ow, w wait my arm" his arms can only go up so high as pain rushes as the muscles twist for a second.

"oh no no im sorry i-"

"no its fine, here can i just.." he reaches up the side of the back of the chair to attempt to crawl up and sit on the arm rest. "can i be here with you?" he tries to balance himself on the rest needing the aide of the other to make sure he doesn't fall.

impulsively perhaps, the larger one just goes in and pulls him up to steady him, in turn letting him lean into a hug. the two just sitting there taking a moment to realize they are so close, not just physically but mentally and in shock of it all not knowing how to verbally process it. so they opt out of doing so, just taking in the moment as it goes and letting the stillness cast a welcoming blanket of calm over all the horrors they leave behind them- now ready to brave the new world of unpolished and unfamiliar optimism.

it feels as if an eternity has passed with the gentle breaths of the other moving almost in sync with how trusting they are of the other. at peace to let this small gesture last as long as time will allow.

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eventually the other one of the housemates finally removes himself from his room, having made a habit of oversleeping, a coping measure surely.

And peeks a glance at the two in the other room resting so peaceful. perhaps things are changing for the good around here, not just saving room for vivid pleasant dreams at night but, to fulfill some in the day as well.. not wanting to disrupt them he works his way quietly to find the most colorful and sugary cereal reserved for him in the kitchen, thinking of the turning point where agency may finally be firmly granted to them after all...

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many untraceable months later, the days finally easing into a comfortable rythem with the caressing kindness finally setting in deep enough to be considered familiar. nothing really ever happens anymore- and thats a good thing! leaves room for smaller moments, gives time for careful planning, lets there be no consensuses for any vulnerability left unchecked

to be at peace so wholly surely is a gift- and thats why its become the honorable task of the devoted un-democratically appointed patriarch of this assorted pile they call a group, is to disrupt that peace at all costs.

"no no NO you absolute buffoon, you have to whisk cream back and forth in a straight line to get the most consistent results for whipping" the bird shreaked, knowing full well that he is correct but making sure to be extra hammy on his explanation to assert the most authority.

"i do just fine beating it like eggs i dont know why you always got to be so fussy about it" the larger one chuckled, helping the squirming mass stay on his lap while sitting on his designated chair.

"I like the fluffy eggs" chimed in the yellow one, sprawled out on the floor with a coloring book, thoughtfully choosing the next crayon to color in the beautiful forest fire that was the current page he was on in his book of "horrifying inevitabilities"

"tisk, the death of me you both will be- to think i cant make an omelet without that one separating all the bits of it before eating. my hard work is wasted on the both of you." he scoffs as he pills himself up closer to the largest one, settling in nicely besides his arm, cradling it as he gets squished by all sides as he competes for space on the chair.

the red heap grips tight to the smaller body in an embrace before loosening the grip to allow him to fiddle with the imperfections on his arm. "your just jealous that he likes my cooking more then yours- and whats this about lumping me in with the accusation that i'm wasteful?" he pulls him in tighter then before to make his point about how much softer things have become between the two of them. "not sure how much more proof you would need there mate, you know full well that i happen to be your number 1 fan." he looks down at the bird, finding it harder to see him with how deep hes sunk into his side- smirk firmly plastered on his unseen face, but confident that he is with how the words drip with the essence of his smile.

"and you use this unconditional kindness i have given as a WEAPON every chance you get you filthy creature! i swear i am never appreciated enough for all i do here!" he he reaches for the armrest trying to pull himself up with gentle patting and prodding by the big mits teasing to make it a harder task to get unstuck.

"I PRECEEATE IT" the middle one exclaims much too loudly "jus't like havein' it all separated is all" he says kicking his legs quickly, happy with keeping included in the conversation and with the hue of the fire's lighting reflecting back from the tree tops and their bold shadows hanging overhead

the red one changes his mind about keeping him in his chair with him and is now making light attempts to push him off, finding gleeful joy at his scrambling attempts to stay fully on the large lap. "see, he just likes it separated is all" the grin in his voice growing bolder.

the duck squirms harder, enjoying the effort its taking to stay on with all of the more fleshed out features taking up more space in his favorite sitting area.

"and if it weren't for me you'd still just be eating mash and plain eggs the rest of your life- truly don't know how the two of you would survive without me stepping up to change to make more meals."

finally up high enough to press his face close to his chest, close enough to hear a gentle heartbeat- the smallest one is able to hear the words whispered under his breath "barely" breaths the red one

reacting accordingly the duck changed his posture to demand more authority and went on to saying "now back to the topic at hand!- humph- one mustn't whisk cream with large circular motions in the wrist- EGGS can do just fine with that having different surface tension, so egg whites foam and peak best while doing that-" his info dump gets interrupted by the largest one butting in.

"doesn't copper bowls help for making egg whites peak faster?" the red one goes on to saying, probably learning about it in a very old cook book, the duck is quite impressed but still feels the need to-

"yes but i will never have anything of the sort in this house, if you put any acidic on real copper it becomes poisonous.."

something more inaudible grumbles its way out of of him and a tenseness makes its way up from the pit of the core of his being, the duck knows this emotion from him far too well know, needing to employ more drastic action this time- knee jerk movement swipes a clump of yarn and quickly pulls, not enough to hurt just enough to shock. "HEY, WHAT DID WE TALK ABOUT? you will be doing none of that today you hear?" the duck cries out in a firm but kind voice, not too loud with the closeness they are sharing.

"aye aye aye watch it, always on about all this you are an-" he tries to defend quickly-

"NO FIGHTING YOU TWO" comes the loudest voice- still face down on the floor with his crayons, now on the page about automation and the evolution of technology as described by a visual of ever smaller microchips infinitely shrinking on the page. the childlike one lets out a deep giggle kicking away again at how his influence worked for a paused moment

"we arnt fighting you lousy bugger how dare you come here and try to-"
"you know its nice to see someone taking charge here then just you ya pidgin headed-"

they both stammer over each other, wrestling even more now to keep themselves planted in the chair

"PLAY NICE" squealed the voice on the floor again, happy about the chaotic show on display.

"come-ear give me that" the largest one snatches at the wrist of the hand that snagged at his yarn "you've lost your privileges, im confiscating this" with a protesting pull and unintelligible noises accompanying it as he tucks the hand under the vast chasm of hair to place his palm to gently caress his cheek. a gesture the other one knew very well as well as the gravity of the situation- now, finally untainted with anguish as the laborious passage of time has allowed wounds to heal and unseen faces to be fuller, relaxed fingers forming the perfect shape of the curvature to fit the plush cheek. gentle breaths flow in tandem having done this secret ritual so often but each time revealing more trust, intimacy and growth to ensure its unique grandeur. resisting anything resembling a grip the hand gently pushes its palm into the softest part of the cheek, moving away delicately as fingers drag at the skin and meet to touch, proveing the newfound texture change from once so taught and boney exterior. moving the hand back he lets a thumb run close to his mouth outlining the now- finally- wholly unambiguous smile. he lets the remaining of his fingers rest gently under the chin as he-

blissfully unaware at the full scope of the situation at hand that is being shared among those piled on the chair, the yellow one tries his hand at info dumping randomly back, putting in work to read off the page as best he can:"calaforinia forest fires are an expected occurance and is in some ways benificial to the health of the fauna- however due to clima-"

"ENOUGH- THATS ENOUGH I CANT TAKE IT ANYMORE LET ME OFF I NEED TO BITE HIM- LET ME GO LET ME GO!" the smallest pleads, both wrists now being clenched by the largest restraining him playfully but firmly.

"no, noooo you dont" the squirming flipping the tiny body around but dispite all efforts wrists stay in place as all other limbs wiggle like spaghetti trying to escape.

"UNHAND ME YOU BEAST, IVE JUST ABOUT HAD IT WITH THAT ONE THERE AND ITS CONSTANT BUTTING IN AND YAMMERING" he squawks loudly, only finding his way more on the lap of the larges the more he claws at the arm rests.

the yellow one howls in feigning terror as unconstrained joy works his way through his body and he rolls around on the floor kicking as much as the bird.

the red one muscles his way around the birds middle, but he manages to escape the hug and so the stakes have now been raised "alright your askin for it" he says before lunging in to bite one of the gripped hands, getting yarn in his mouth "aw guh why phhf"

"serves you right you-" duck smugly began saying
"YEAH GET EM GET EM" cheered the yellow wriggling on the ground still having no sight of losing his energy.

"im tryin im tryin, here" red goes in for another bite, this time not missing as he yanks confidently on the arm, bringing it into the yarn nest before committing to his playful chomp.

"I CANT GET A FULL MINUTE OF PEACE AND QUIET AND NOW HERE YOU ARE TRYING TO EAT ME HOW DARE YOU" he shouts in dramatic form.

"YoUr the one always haveing the yell" remarks the one in denim

"you know what, hes right. ive spoiled you enough for today, im going to do whatever that one wants now" concludes the red one

"I WANA BE TALL" the second shortest shouts.

"and he wants to be tall so-" with a thud as the largest unceremoniously stands up letting the smallest just hit the floor. "you will be fine finding something to do till we come back right? "as he gets up he makes sure to balance some of the weight onto the birds head, giveing a light tusle before leaveing him on the ground.

"absolutely ingrates, the both of you UGH!" the bird scoffs, brushing off his coat as dignified as one can who was just thrown down to the floor, enjoying the masculine show of how un-phased the whole thing has made him. hiding his smile until the two where far enough out of the room with there cheering about over the piggy back ride.

he laughed to himself how nice these problems are to any former ones, making himself busy with getting started on tonight's meal for the three of them, enjoying the quiet granted to reflect upon his unconventional life. happy to have a family as illegitimate as his taxes.