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When Parrot pops through the End portal, quiet, lying whispers of The universe loves you echoing through his ears, he’s running half on adrenaline. Smart Parrot, Kind Parrot, Selfless Parrot: all of that is gone, ripped away now. Humanity, stripped down to its bare bones and cornered in a back alley, is really no better than an animal.
This helps him a little when he appears at spawn and the hungry growling of withers and the screaming of the dead or dying makes him run on instinct, eyes as wide as a fleeing rabbit. It, however, does not help that his mind is full of static and he can’t properly think straight; he’s running on autopilot, can’t think of a proper way to escape the horrifying wither targeting him. It also doesn’t help that he has the urge to call for help from nonexistent or dead teammates.
He has nine carrots, and he grips onto them like they’re his lifeline, which they are, but soon enough he’s out of food. He tries to make himself think straight, but every time his eyelids close all he can see is obsidian walls burned onto them. The outlines red like half-scabbed angry wounds.
He barely registers the fact that a familiar face is by his side until he hears his name called out, and in the blink of an eye he’s huddling pathetically in a dirt hut as someone - Theo - kills the withers. Still shivering uncontrollably from the adrenaline, he steps out and is about to flee when Theo stops him.
They are - there’s nothing stopping Theo from killing him. Parrot would be able to do nothing. He is out of aces up his sleeve he is out of plans he is out of everything, all that’s left is an animalistic instinct to live. He’s only living out of habit, and that habit is now about to be ended.
Theo’s voice is gentle, though. He has to say his words twice to cut through the static buzzing through Parrot’s head, but his voice is gentle. Caring, almost. The thought makes him want to vomit. Come to Capital City with me, he says. Parrot blinks in surprise, and then he’s falling in stride with Theo like they’re old friends reunited.