Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 8)

(Aww buddy yeah. Tomhas is such a soft boi. And ooh I bet Lyra’s is such a bummer haha in a good way but very melancholy. Would love to see it once it’s done! I started one for Zander but only got three songs haha)

“Sometimes.” Tadaaki dipped his head, a little embarrassed.

“I’ve never heard you do birds!” Tasia protested.

He glanced at her. Was he going to put the effort into re-learning his skill to please her? Maybe. He’d do anything for her. But it would hurt. Badly.

“He used to do it all the time!” Aashi continued, bragging. “I don’t remember if the chirping started before or after people started calling us lovebirds, but it was fitting either way. He was always singing or dancing or whistling.”

Tadaaki blushed, embarrassed. “I was very young then.”

They must all think him a fool now. Not the stoic, polite front he tried to present these days.

(Lyra's is very, very sad
I've got a couple super dark ones on there--some Hell's Carnival, Daughter songs, a Mitski song. If you want I can share it and if you have any good recommendations I'd love to hear them!)

"What sorts of birds can you do?" Emery asked. "I know Sara and Gaius do some decent calls. Right?"
"I can do one goose," Gaius replied, fixing his eyes down on his plate and then at the wall. "Sara is skilled in quite a number of bird calls." He rarely used the goose call now, mostly to make Sara laugh. He'd learned it on a hunt with his father many years ago and had never had to use it until he met her.

(Sure! I’d love that!)

“Oh? Like what?” Tadaaki asked, looking at Sara in hopes of a successful diversion. He didn’t like remembering what a demotion Aashi had gotten stuck with him. That he didn’t have the joy busting out of him on the drop of a hat that he did when he was young.

(https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0a3Oy ... 84cf4f425a)

Sara flushed, smiling sheepishly. "I'm wildly out of practice. I could do a few songbird calls, and I do a decent snowy owl. Egret too, if I warm up first. I can do geese and ducks, as well."
"Do a duck!" Marcella demanded, then paused. "Please?"
"Maybe later," she chuckled.

Tadaaki smiled, endeared.

“Can you do a duck, Papa?” Tasia called down the table.

His smile faded a little. She was far harder to divert away from uncomfortable topics than adults. But he’d take a page out of Sara’s book. “Maybe later.”

“Why not now?” she pouted.

Ky watched, eyes flicking between them. She still felt awful. But she knew what was happening. And she couldn’t just sit back and do nothing. Tadaaki was very sensitive about cutesy things he did as a newly wed. She knew it hurt him to be reminded of what Aleth had taken from him; how he was so different now. She understood.

But she also knew Tasia wasn’t one to drop the matter. At least not before thoroughly embarrassing Tadaaki first.

Ky took a deep breath and cleared her throat quietly, then quacked a few times. It was lucky that was their request, since ducks were the only bird she could do even half-decently.

Tasia shrieked in delight and dissolved into a fit of giggles.

Emery chuckled and Rickard cracked a smile. Gaius didn't, but his face softened slightly.
"That's a better duck than I could ever do," Sara congratulated her with a wide grin. "I'll have to hang up my hat!"

(*pokes Gaius with a stick* you grouch)

Ky smiled, blushing slightly, and shook her head. She was happy she’d taken the attention off Tadaaki. But she didn’t want it for herself.

Tadaaki made a mental note to thank her later. He knew as well as she did that she’d just sacrificed her comfort for his.

(He's too busy thinking about being sad to ever be happy)

"Do more!" Marcella demanded.
"Be polite," Sara scolded her. "I'm sure Ky can do more, but only if she wants to and if you ask very nicely."
"Can you please do more?" Marcella asked, batting her eyes. "Please?"

(Haha aww that’s tragic)

Gods, this was exhausting. Why had she thought putting herself in the center of attention was a good idea when she felt as bad as she did now?

She knew why. Why she’d done it. Why she was going to keep the attention, to ensure it didn’t go back to Tadaaki. She’d rather suffer through it than force him to.

What other animals even existed?

She thought for a moment, then gave a half-smirk as she remembered the one she did an obnoxious number of times when she was a kid. “You wanna know what annoyed my Papa?”

(He is all the angst)

"What?" Marcella leaned forward, and so did Mattathias. Regulus busied himself with smearing jam from his bread onto his face.

Tasia also perked up, listening intently. Tadaaki smiled slightly but gave Ky the side-eye, wondering what father-annoying ammo she was about to give his daughter.

Ky took a deep breath and made a soft snort and then nickered, sounding almost exactly like a horse.

Marcella burst out laughing, and Mattathias giggled wildly. "That sound so silly!" he exclaimed. "Do it again, do it again! Please!"
Gaius's lips twitched up slightly, and he busied himself with cutting his bread crust into neat squares.

(She’s winningggg)

Tasia was just as delighted.

Ky smiled, exhausted, but actually enjoying herself somewhat. She whinnied this time, putting even more energy into it.

"Aaah!!!" Marcella rocked back in her chair. Ua giggled. "That was so good!"
"You could pass for a warhorse if I didn't see you in front of me," Ada said with a snort. "Keep that up and you might end up in the stable!"

That actually garnered a laugh from Ky. She hasn’t expected it. “Jokes on you, I fit in just fine when I lived in one.”