Friendship Means Birding (Preview) (Patreon)

A preview for an upcoming commission for Hot Bird Summer, featuring some twinning elements to it. Enjoy!

Vulblaze could only imagine. His cockatiel friend was a bit of a showoff and liked overextending himself. He would try some risky moves or plays to impress the other players or his coach, wouldn't he?

“Well!” huffed Nico, rubbing his face again and looking a bit more nervous now, “I'm really not in a good spot. The team, the coach, the manager; they're all pretty pissed off! They're saying it's my fault!” He grumbled. “Well, sorry!”

The bird let out a long, deep sigh, eyes closed as he did so. “Okay!” He looked intently at the fox. “I promised I would make it right. That's why I need you!”

Vulblaze's ears twitched. “What do you mean? How can I help?”

“I need you to fill in as my double!” The cockatiel said it as if it was the most natural, normal thing one could ask a person.

Unsurprisingly, the fox had to do a double take. “Excuse me?”

Nico reached into the duffel bag that was nearby, already in the room when they arrived. He pulled out a baseball cap, one that had his team's logo on it. “I got this from a witch last night. Put this on, and you can step into my talons for the next month while I recover!”

Vulblaze was just at a complete loss for words. He was the one rubbing his face, trying to comprehend everything he had just heard and had been told. “I just… I just… I…

“This is crazy, man!” the fox was positively shouting at this point. Magic? Oh, he completely believed in that, no doubt. He believed the hat could probably do what Nico said it would do. Witches weren't that uncommon in their area.

But the thing he was suggesting him to do… that was so wrong to him!

“You're the only one I can turn to on short notice!” Nico’s staring was serious, but there was also a sense of warmth coming to it now. “You know, this is an incredible opportunity.”

“What?”

“What have you always talked to me about? You've always complained about how you wish you could change things up, do things differently. Try something new, something amazing? Wellll, this is it!”

Vulblaze frowned but did not say anything as Nico went on. “Pluuuus, I'll give you half the pay I make for these ballgames! Come on, you don't have much going on anyway. You don't get out, and you're just a freelancer who works from home! Think of this as making something of yourself!”

Vulblaze gave him an annoyed look, but he was carefully thinking over everything. An incredible opportunity? Doing something new and amazing?