A/N: And... my Fanfiction progression is complete!
This is my first M-Rated story, and needless to say, I had a lot of fun writing it.
Let me tell you, being able to write something more advanced than T-Rated child's play, is a welcome change of pace.
*Disclaimer: I own none of the characters/locations/ideas of Rio. I wish I could, but I don't. I am merely borrowing them.*
Well, the good stuff is down below, so I'll shut up.
Chapter 1: Just You And Me
The inevitable sunrise cast its light upon Rio de Janeiro, driving away the chilled cloak of night and blotting out the stars.
Each sunrise harbored its own unique facet of beauty, and thus a "normal sunrise" was few and far between for the multitude of creatures who resided here. Each one heralded the start of a new day, a new chance to appreciate the beauty of life.
For the pair of macaws sleeping in the towering cannonball tree they had long since called home, this revelation was held most dearly. They were sleeping side by side in a carefully constructed nest, and their position allowed them to be quietly awakened by the kiss of the sun. They blinked open their eyes and turned to each other, alert and pleasantly rested.
"Good morning, my love-hawk."
"Good morning, my angel."
They climbed from the nest and stretched their wings, basking in the warm heat of the young sunshine. Jewel made her way over to the edge of their home, and her husband was not far behind.
She peered out at the dazzling jungle and sighed; even though she had spent her entire life here, she was routinely awed by the natural splendor of the jungle.
"It's such a perfect, wonderful day. I don't know how I could ever imagine living somewhere else..."
Her mate sidled up beside her and replied, "Minnesota was attractive in its own special way, honey. Still, this day just wouldn't be perfect withoutyou..."
"Why do you like to talk so sweet to me? "
"Because you deserve it, Jewel. I try to do the best that I can for you, and for as long we're together, that's what I'll keep doing."
"Thank you, Blu. You always manage to warm my heart. I love you."
"As do I, Jewel. It's hard to think of one single thing that could change that."
They snuggled at the entrance to their hollow for several minutes, enjoying the feel of being next to each other and the serenity of the surrounding jungle.
As much as they wished for this heavenly moment to last forever, they were still bound by the needs of their earthly biology. A short series of rumbles escaped from Blu's stomach, shattering the stillness they had created and causing Jewel to quiver with laughter.
"Well, somebody sure is hungry! Why don't we head out and-"
Jewel's empty stomach resonated with noise, startling her and forcing a smirk to form on her mate's face.
"Speak for yourself, honey. But you're right, we should head out and enjoy a nice breakfast together."
"Well, lead the way, handsome..."
Blu nodded to his mate and glided away from the tree, boosting his flight speed to a reasonable velocity as he flew across the clearing. Jewel soon drifted in alongside him, and they pierced the border of the clearing in unison.
"Do you want to eat anything special today, Blu?"
"Hmmm. Not really. What about you?"
"I think I could go for some dragonfruit. I just hope we can find some before too long."
"Fine with me. We'll just have to fly slowly and keep our vision focused. They're nearly impossible to miss, but finding them is the challenging part."
Clearing out all of the cluttering thoughts and daydreams swimming around in their heads, they powered on through the undergrowth in search of the telltale hot-pink flashes of the fruit.
After ten minutes of dedicated searching, they found not one dragonfruit tree but a luscious grove of them, all erupting from the ground near an expansive pond. They alighted down in the crown of the tallest tree, hardly able to contain themselves from ripping into the fruit that grew at their feet.
"Wow. These look so tasty! Here... you go, Jewel!"
Blu plucked one with a quick jerk - courtesy of his foot - and handed it to Jewel.
"Thanks, Blu! Now, get one for yourself so we can eat."
Moments later, Blu and Jewel were happily dining on the fruit, reveling in the rich flavor and ever thankful that they had found the grove in the first place.
They ate their first serving quickly, and being as they were still unsatisfied, they set upon a second. Halfway through their meal, a soft flutter of wings interrupted the silence they had been dining in.
Blu and Jewel scanned their surroundings for the source of the noise.
"What was that?"
"It sounded like a pair of birds, Jewel. I think someone else is searching for a place to have breakfast."
The macaws glanced around as the flutter grew louder, and true to form, two Blue and Gold Macaws entered the grove and dropped excitedly onto a nearby tree.
"Bem, Olá lá! Como vocês dois estão nesta bela manhã?" {Well, hello there! How are you two on this fine morning?}
The strongly-hued macaws glanced up at Blu and Jewel with genuine smiles.
The male replied, "Muito bem, obrigado. Como você e seu amigo está fazendo?" {Just fine, thank you. How are you and your friend doing?}
"Blu and I are feeling great! My name is Jewel, and he is my mate."
"That's nice." said the female. "My name is Sonia, and this here is my mate, Gabriel."
"Nice to meet you, Sonia and Gabriel!"
"Likewise, Blu and Jewel." replied Sonia.
Blu and Jewel nodded to them and resumed eating the half-consumed fruit in their talons.
Sonia and Gabriel leaned down and detached their own, chomping down on them with pleasant eagerness.
Blu and Jewel felt compelled to chalk up a decent conversation with the others, but the food was just too alluring. By the time they were finished, the two Spix's Macaws had each devoured three of the hot-pink ovals, and after wiping their beaks clean on the leaves below, they gave Gabriel and Sonia heartfelt goodbyes.
They left the grove and set out for their home with full bellies, admiring the courtesy the two Blue and Gold Macaws had shown them.
"Those two sure were nice." stated Blu.
"It's pretty hard not to be! There's something about this jungle, something that just soothes your mind and leaves you with a cheerful personality. It's so mysterious..."
"That is quite the theory, Jewel. Perhaps we should gather test subjects and conduct an intuitive experiment to validate it."
She rolled her eyes at his overly-detailed reply.
"You know Blu, your nerdy sentences are so annoying, but then again, they're so cute!"
"Are you saying that because you don't want to make me feel bad, or because you love me and it's the sincere truth?"
Blu stared at her with prying, mischievous eyes as he waited for her to answer.
"I'd have to say it's a little bit of both."
"I think I can deal with that..."
Blu and Jewel shared a quick laugh before flapping their wings more forcefully and speeding on home. They skidded to a stop in their hollow and slammed roughly into the wall.
Their feathers had been disheveled from the return flight, and they set about straightening them with their beaks. After they had groomed themselves and made sure that they looked presentable, they huddled together and mulled over how they would pass the time on this glorious day.
"Do you have anything in mind as to what we could do? It would be a shame to just sleep the day away."
"Let's see. What about spending some time at Rafael and Eva's place?"
"I was thinking that too, Jewel. But what if those eighteen demons are there?"
Blu shuddered at the thought of having his feathers ripped out and his body used as a trampoline.
True, Rafael's chicks had matured and were now a few years old, but who's to say that they could resist reverting back to their childhood ideas of what "having fun" was.
Both Blu and Jewel knew that they could not.
"Yeah, you definitely have a point there. Well, if they're off the list, what about Nico and Pedro?"
"That sounds more reasonable. Thing is, they may be out in the city, cavorting and engaging in God-knows-what. How will we find them?"
"We could check their house. If not, then maybe they'll be at the Palm. If they're not there, then I guess we're out of luck."
"Hmmm. Wait a minute! We may have something to keep us occupied yet."
"What do you mean, Blu?"
"If we can't find Nico and Pedro at either of those places, we might as well go spend some time with our offspring. And then, if you feel up to it, we can visit the club for a few hours. It's been over a week since we last went. Kipo must be dying to see us!"
Jewel lowered her gaze slightly and tapped her foot on the hollow, obviously contemplating the attractiveness of Blu's itinerary.
After spending several seconds in this pose, she met her husband's gaze and said, "You cooked up a good plan, handsome. I think it'll work."
"So that's what we'll do?"
"Com certeza. Por que não?" {Sure. Why not?}
"Alright then, let's get going. Você pode voar na frente desta vez. Não é tão bom ver uma se você está atrás de mim, linda." {You can fly in front this time. It's not as good a view if you're behind me, gorgeous.}
She edged closer to him and declared, "Are you sure it's not too good of a view?"
Blu smiled slyly and replied, "I refuse to answer on the grounds that I may incriminate myself."
She gave him a taunting-but-serious slap with her wing.
"Boa tentativa. Eu sei que você está pensando! Vamos lá, eu posso sentir-me envelhecer a cada segundo, e você não iriagostar de ver-me como uma arara idosos..." {Nice try. I know what you're thinking! Come on, I can feel myself getting older by the second, and you wouldn't enjoy seeing me as an elderly macaw...}
Jewel rose into flight and blasted across the clearing, leaving Blu to stare at her for a few seconds. Seeing that she showed no indication of slowing down, he shook away the euphoria and chased after her.
Their first stop took them deep into the jungle, their destination being the hollows of Nico and Pedro, which grew on opposite sides of a meandering river borne from a secluded waterfall.
Just as they suspected, the two spaces were equally devoid of life, save for a few scattered feathers that had fallen from the bodies of their owners.
"Gah," muttered Blu. "I knew they weren't going to be here. With them being gone all the time, it makes you wonder why they even have homes."
He strode deeper into Nico's hollow and kicked the pile of sulfur-tinted feathers in frustration, sending them dancing and spinning through the air.
"Well, to each his own, Blu."
He shot her an accusatory glare, since it sounded like she was defending them.
She shrugged and replied, "Hey mister, I learned that phrase from you."
"Yeah, whatever. Let's go check the club..."
They fled the hollows and cut back across the seemingly endless jungle, a trip that took them a good thirty minutes.
By the time they broke free of the sanctuary and found themselves hovering over the bustling city, it was well past noon.
They skimmed a few feet above the mosaic of buildings, encountering many thermals rising from the scalding roofs on their way to the club. This was the last chance they had to find Nico and Pedro, and if they didn't, their search would end then and there.
The trip over the city was nothing compared to their previous trek, and they located the ever-so-familiar outline of the club directly ahead of them. They executed a slow descent and landed nimbly on the ground. The scorching asphalt immediately cooked their feet, and they made haste to escape it and enter the cool confines of the club.
The lack of music was odd, but it had been replaced by the equally loud drone comprised of dozens of conversations. They found Kipo standing next to some of his friends, and he was easily the tallest avian creature present.
Nico and Pedro were nowhere in sight.
Thinking he might have some clue as to where they may be, they approached him determinedly, and Blu brushed his wing over one of the long, spindly legs. Kipo stared down at him after the sensation garnered his attention, and his eyes bloomed with elation.
"Heya, Blu! Heya, Jewel! What brings you here?"
"Hey Kipo! Jewel and I were wondering if you've seen Nico and Pedro this afternoon."
"I can't say that I have. As crazy as it sounds, they said they wanted to take a break from performing at this club. They went to a different one, on the far eastern side of the bay. They came and told me this morning, and then they left. Why?"
"Well, we kind of wanted to spend some friend time with them, but now that seems impossible."
"Hey, cheer up buddy! They'll be back soon enough. Why don't you stick around here for awhile?"
"We were going to come back in the evening, Kipo. We're going to visit our children for the time being, being as Nico and Pedro decided to haul tail."
"Sweet, Blu! Are you and your mate going to perform?"
"Not tonight. We're just going to relax and listen to the music. It'll be sort of a couples night for us."
"Sounds good, buddy. See you around! Tell your three rascals that Uncle Kipo said hi, okay?"
"No problem. See you in a few hours!" replied Jewel.
The Spoonbill turned his back to them, and they began to walk back through the nearly-serene crowd, towards the exit.
Upon reaching the sun-baked surface, they launched into flight without a second to waste and set their sights on the distant swath of the sanctuary.
"So that's where they went..."
"We never would have found them, Blu. Our search would've been in vain. Kipo saved us a world of trouble, so I suppose it's really not that bad."
"Yeah, you're right. Well, enough reliving what could've been. Let's get our tail-feathers over to our kids. I, for one, am anxious to see how much they've grown!"
"You took the words right out of my beak! I'll race you, handsome. One, two, three, go!"
Jewel increased her speed rapidly, and she was putting some serious distance between her and her mate.
Blu knew that she thought a straight path would get her there faster. However, his gifted mind quickly formulated a solution on how to beat her.
He flew on until he ran into a thermal, at which point he used it to push him higher and higher into the sky.
Once Jewel had all but become a tiny speck far below, he focused himself and began a steep dive. He planned his angle of descent so that he would reach his destination by the time he had dropped to the altitude of the canopy.
With gravity pulling down on him, coupled with his carefully planned wing-strokes, Blu was streaking through the layers of air at blistering speed. He appeared as an electric blue missile to anyone who looked up, his features indiscernible.
Jewel's minuscule form rapidly grew larger, and one minute into his descent, he was preparing himself to streak past her without hitting her, which would most likely result in several broken bones for the two of them.
At the last minute, he braked slightly by flaring his wings and then executed a double barrel roll to the right, just missing his mate and leaving her quite far behind.
Once he was sure she could not catch up to him in time, he slowed his flight immensely and scanned the area for the hollows of his children. At long last, he found the trio of trees peeking out behind a thin screen of plants, and he resolutely flapped his wings a few more times.
He landed gracefully in the middle tree, although his blistering flight had ruffled his feathers for the second time that day.
He saw before him the sleeping form of Esperanza, but he opted to wait for Jewel's arrival before waking her.
After one minute of straight talon-tapping later, a flustered Jewel dropped in beside him, disappointed fire burning in her eyes.
Oblivious to her daughter's presence, she declared, "You cheated! I guess you knew that you couldn't win fair and square!"
He attempted to calm her by saying, "No, Jewel. I just used my superior knowledge of aerodynamics, along with the pull of gravity, to boost my flight speed to near-dangerous levels. Now could you please be quiet? Our daughter is sleeping."
Jewel peered past him and saw that Blu was wrong. Her outburst had awoken the peaceful macaw, and she felt a pang of regret for doing so.
"I'm not sleeping anymore, mother."
Blu turned around as Jewel made her way over to Esperanza, and he cast a disapproving gaze into her back.
"Look, I'm sorry for waking you. It was rude and uncalled for."
"Well, it's okay, just promise not to do it anymore!"
"I promise, sweetie."
"Thank you. Why are you and Papa so... frizzy?"
"Your father and I had a little race to see who would get here first. I think you can guess who won!"
A tiny smile grew on Blu's face, and his expression was mirrored by Esperanza. Seeing that they were both secretly pleased by her loss, she decided to change the subject.
"Where are Vicente and Ricardo?"
Esperanza - who was looking past them and saw her brothers land in the entrance - did not reply, and a few moments later, Blu and Jewel heard, "We're right here!"
Vicente and Ricardo took their turns in embracing their parents, who returned each of their hugs with equal fervor.
"You two have certainly grown. I'm impressed! You both look so healthy and well... handsome."
"Thank you, Mama!" they replied in unison.
"Hey, what about me?" demanded the female.
"You have grown too, daughter. It seems that you got your looks from your mother!"
"Really? Thank you, father. I never thought I was that pretty!"
"Trust me, if I had met you instead of your mother, and if you were the same age as me, I would've fallen for you just the same!"
Both Esperanza and Jewel couldn't help but blush, but in the latter's case, her blush was accompanied by a swift punch to Blu's chest.
"Ei, o que foi isso?" {Hey, what was that for?}
Jewel proceeded to strike him in the chest once again.
"Que... foi por seu comentário de mau gosto pouco." {That... was for your tasteless little comment.}
"Okay, I get it! Stop hitting me!"
Jewel motioned for her children to move deeper into the hollow, leaving Blu doubled over in pain.
"Why did you come to see us today, Mama?" queried Vicente.
"Do you and Papa have a surprise for us? Did you make more eggs?" added Esperanza.
"No... and no. We just came by to visit and check up on you three. Are we allowed to do that? If not we can just... leave."
Jewel turned like she was planning on going to the entrance, but her children all shouted, "No, don't leave!"
She turned back to them and said, "I was just teasing, my sweeties. I'm not going to leave! As for your father" - she looked back at Blu, who was walking toward them with a grimace - "he might not be staying too much longer."
Blu hesitantly drew himself up beside Jewel, visibly tense due to the fear that his mate was going to punch him without warning.
"How are you feeling, Papa?"
"Just... fine, Ricardo. Just some... internal bleeding. Nothing to worry about..." he croaked.
His three children giggled, and despite his discomfort, he couldn't help but crack a smile.
"Well, has anything interesting happened to any of you?" asked Jewel lovingly.
"Not really..." replied Vicente.
"Me neither..." added Esperanza.
"Nope..." concluded Ricardo.
"I was looking forward to an interesting conversation..." said Blu with a distraught expression.
"Has anything happened to you or Papa?"
"Basically, no. But we are going to spend a few hours at the Palm later on tonight." replied Jewel.
The three macaws' eyes lit up with excitement.
"Can we come? Please?" they all pleaded.
"Well, I guess you are old enough, but..."
"But what, Mama?"
Their voices were already tinged with disappointment.
"Jewel and I were planning to go by ourselves. We don't mean to upset you, but we would like to have some free time together, just the two of us."
Their children were obviously less affected than Blu and Jewel imagined them to be.
"Oh. Oh! In that case, we understand. Sometimes, we would rather be together as siblings than out with our friends. Family is important too, right?"
"Well said, you three! Family is important, and in the end, family is all we'll have left." stated Blu.
"Now that's what I like to hear..." said Jewel proudly as she gazed at her husband.
"Before we talk about anything else, how about we all get something to eat?"
Blu walked steadily over to the hole in the trunk, pausing when he noticed the others weren't following.
"Well, aren't you coming?"
"I thought we were going to eat in here!"
"Why, Jewel? It's a lovely afternoon! Why waste it cooped up in here?"
"Okay then, we'll come."
Blu left the hollow and glided out into the balmy atmosphere, his mate and children following close behind.
They searched for whatever food seemed pleasing, and shortly after their departure, they found a vibrant plant loaded with tangy yellow starfruit.
They all settled in the tree, and after waiting for it to stop rocking, they eagerly but carefully ate their lunch, punctuated by short bursts of conversation.
Once their mellow meal was finished, they returned back to the stand of trees from which they had come.
The effects of the now-heated atmosphere, combined with their churning stomachs, caused them to become drowsy. They all settled into a dreamy nap, comforted by the presence of one another and the love that silently flowed between them.
Their siesta gently passed the time, and when they awoke, the sun was on its way to meeting the sea.
They stayed behind just a few more minutes to say their goodbyes, and once that was completed, two macaws lifted off from the middle tree.
The heat from earlier still lingered in the air, and the two macaws were that much more eager to seek relief from it, courtesy of the Palm.
Flying as fast as they dared, they tore through the sanctuary and blasted back into the city amidst a wave of déjà vu. They retraced their flight path from earlier in the day, and before they were nearing the point of heat-exhaustion, they found the precious club and entered it sluggishly.
They found one of the few empty tables and plopped down side-by-side, fanning themselves with their wings to bring more cooling air to their bodies.
"Oh man, this feels good. It's crazy how it can be so hot outside, and so refreshing in here."
"Indeed, Jewel. I felt like I was going to bake in my feathers out there."
"Our couples night isn't off to a very good start, is it?"
"Well, not really! But I'm sure it'll get better. Once the music winds up and the lights start flashing, we'll forget all about our past troubles."
"If you say so, handsome."
While Blu and Jewel relaxed in the club, they detected something odd. The standard booming beats and hypnotic light shows they had grown accustomed to dealing with were nonexistent.
A soothing ambiance lingered in the air, a complete one-eighty from the usual frenzy that Kipo orchestrated. The lights were toned down and glowed in cool reds, greens, and blues.
"What is going on here?"
"Hmmm. I'm trying to figure that out, Blu. Wait a minute..."
As they lowered their gaze from the ceiling to the floor, they noticed a striking pattern emerge at nearly all of the scattered tables. Two and three pairs of birds sat together, and the pairs were always the exact same species.
Lastly, Blu and Jewel could discern slight details between the pairs, and as they stared at each other, the reality of the situation hit them.
"Kipo must have took what we said to heart and made this an actual couples night!"
"He must really care about us to go and work something like this out, Blu."
"I think he deserves the proper congratulations, honey. We'll have to thank him before we leave."
"I think it'll be as much a surprise for him as this was for us. I don't think he's expecting us to thank him."
"I can't wait to see the look on his face! Oh, the music is starting! Let's relax and enjoy the peaceful mood. Just you... and me."
"Fine, but first, how about you and me share one of these?"
She leaned into him and supercharged his body with one of her trademark kisses.
"So delicious..." muttered Blu. "You know, if you give me too many of those, I won't be able to keep still." he added.
"Uh-huh. We can't have that, can we?"
Blu smiled sweetly at her before lifting her left wing up onto the table and laying his right wing on top.
A rather seductive Military Macaw graced the stage, bathed in an equally tempting shower of purple and green light. As she belted out a fitting love ballad in Portuguese, the entire crowd of birds swayed languidly in time to the beat.
Blu and Jewel had scooted as close to each other as they could before falling from their seats.
After the song ended, gentle and endearing applause stirred the air and the macaw left the stage, only to replaced by another confident avian species.
This routine repeated twice more in succession, and after the fourth singer left the stage, the DJ announced he was going to take a short break.
The lovestruck throng of birds chased away the silence with honey-like chatter. Jewel nudged Blu with her head to attract his attention.
"Yes, my temptress?"
"I need something to drink."
"Like what? Water? I haven't seen any around here."
"Oh no, not water, my love-hawk. Something... less-restrained. Look to my right, over in the corner."
Blu did as she instructed, and much to his dismay, the bar was up and running, being operated by a skilled Keel-Billed Toucan. Four birds waited patiently in the line that led up to it.
"Why do you want to drink? I thought you weren't into that sort of thing."
"I did it a few times when I was younger, but my... my parents... didn't like it one bit. I didn't want to dishonor them, so I stopped. I want to see what it's like."
"But Jewel, it's not very healthy for your body. It kills brain cells, you know. And plus, hangovers are not very pleasing."
"Those are risks and side effects that I'll have to deal with myself. I haven't drank in years, Blu. It can't be that bad."
"Something is telling me that I shouldn't let you, honey. It's like a subconscious warning. Maybe-"
Something flickered deep in Jewel's eyes as she stared at Blu. Was it disapproval? Disapproval over being told "no?"
She pulled Blu closer to her quite abruptly.
"I want to have a drink. You're making me upset, mister. This couples night is about to be a singles night... for me."
Blu was actually growing scared of her, and her veiled threat told him she might do something she would regret. In addition, he most certainly didn't want her to leave.
"Hey, easy alright? Go have a drink. I won't stop you."
"Isso é o que eu pensava." {That's what I thought.}
She released her grip quite suddenly, causing him to topple from his seat and fall flat on his back. As he picked himself up and shook the dust from his feathers, his little "accident" had drawn the attention of some of the other couples. He climbed back into his seat and tried to hide himself with his wings, but the piercing stares burned right through to his brain.
Okay, he thought angrily. Is it just me, or is Jewel in bitch mode right now? I didn't do anything wrong! Wait a minute...
Blu peeked out and saw that he was no longer being stared at. As he gazed around the room, he felt a strong pull coming from deep inside him when he glanced at a bird he knew was female. Right then, he knew what the cause of his attraction and Jewel's temper was.
I bet it's mating season for us birds. It must be spring down here in the Southern Hemisphere! Well, that explains it. I wonder if Jewel is mad because we haven't had sex. Maybe I should ask her if...we can put her ovaries to good use...
As these explanations and musings whirled about in his brain, Jewel plopped back down with a cup nearly filled to the brim with a green liquid.
"What flavor is that?"
"Why do you care? You're not the one drinking it, so don't worry about it."
Blu dropped his eyelids in a harsh stare, but his wife merely lifted the cup to her beak and took a swig. She drew in a deep breath and set the cup down awkwardly, nearly spilling its contents.
"Porra, que foi delicioso." {Damn, that was delicious.}
With the way Jewel was acting right now, he wanted to swallow some himself and let the alcohol erase his short-term memory. Still, if he and Jewel planned to have sex later that night, he wanted to make sure he was sober.
He leaned as close as he dared and whispered, "Quer divertir hoje?" {Do you want to have fun tonight?}
She glanced at him with a slightly dizzy expression and replied, "Fun? What kind of... fun?"
"Você sabe, diversão sexual?" {You know, sexual fun?}
"If you don't start... treating me better, you won't... be getting anything tonight. You better... shape up quick, mister."
"Fine. I'll treat you nicer from now on..."
Another swig from the cup for Jewel.
Another song had begun to waft from the stage, and it helped Blu take his mind off of his wife's deranged behavior.
Once the song was over, he turned to ask her if the song was beautiful or not, but she wasn't there. She was back at the bar, picking up another container of mind-rot.
He noticed a wobble in her gait, and he wondered how her beverage wasn't splashing all over the place. She sat down next to him, irrefutably drunk and quite dizzy.
"Are you okay? I don't think you should drink anymore tonight."
She shook her head feebly and replied, "N-no, I-I'm fine. I'll finish t-this, a-and then I-I'll get a-another."
Blu was torn over concern for her and the wrath he would most likely endure if he voiced his concern.
"Jewel, I think you should stop now."
He laid his wing on her gently, but she only flung it away with her own.
"D-don't challenge m-me, j-jerk. I-I'm not g-going to tell y-you again."
She was near her breaking point, and Blu decided to drop the issue.
Maybe, just maybe, he could get her home safely, and even if he didn't get intimate with her, it was a small price to pay in exchange for her well-being.
Yet another swig from the sturdy cup for intoxicated Jewel.
Three more songs were over and done with, and the crowd had thinned slightly over that time period. Blu had stepped outside to "take care of some business," and when he returned, his mate had nearly finished her third cup.
She could barely keep her head up, and her eyelids were drooping as if she hadn't slept in days. Blu knew that she needed to get out of this club, and into the seclusion of their home, now. He gently lowered her from her seat and supported her partially with his shoulder.
"W-where... are we..."
"Home, honey. We're going home."
"H-home? Where... the hell... is that? T-this is... my h-home... damn it."
She attempted to break free, but he gripped her tightly, and she stopped struggling.
If I can just make it to the door, prayed Blu. It's just a few feet away. Stay with me, Jewel. You can go wild outside...
They made steady progress, but all of a sudden, Jewel said quite forcefully, "I-I don't know... this asshole! He's b-birdnapping me. Can a-anyone k-kick his ass? Hello!"
"Hush, Jewel! Come on, let's go."
He tried to cover her face with his left wing, but she smacked it away once again.
"D-don't try to s-silence me... y-you little b-bitch..."
Oh God, this is a nightmare. I wish she would shut up!
Nearly all of the birds in the club were now staring at them, and even the singer had been interrupted.
At least Kipo hadn't come out and witnessed the spectacle Jewel was instigating. That would have caused Blu more shame than he could hope to bear.
Moments later, Jewel stopped moving and shoved her mate away, fixing him with a spear-like glare.
She marched over to a female Scarlet Macaw who still had her gaze locked on the two Spix's Macaws.
"What are... you looking a-at? Am I-I too pretty f-for you? Well, too damn b-bad, so h-how about y-you look... at the g-ground?"
The female macaw's smile morphed to an angry frown, but Blu's mate took no notice. Jewel raised her wing and swatted the female from her chair, causing her to spin around as she fell and land face first on the floor.
As the female attempted to get up, Jewel held her neck down with her foot and spit on her.
"Well, h-how... does i-it look, you f-feathery slut?"
The male of the pair jumped down to help his mate, shoving the aggressor backwards and lifting the victim up to reveal a bloody cut on her otherwise perfect face. He moved the shaking, fearful female behind him and viciously glared at Jewel.
"What is your damn problem? You just injured my mate! I'll take you on right now, you degenerate freak!"
Seeing that the two macaws were all but ready to lunge at each other, Blu rushed in and placed himself between the two bristling birds.
"Hey, let's just calm down here! No need for a conflict. You have to forgive my mate, she's got a quick temper, and the fact that she's drunk doesn't help. I am so sorry!"
"What-the-hell-ever. Learn how to better control your girl, asshole. Now get lost, before I dig my claws into that little bitch of a mate you have."
As quickly as he could, Blu neared the door and slowly slipped outside. He paused just past the threshold and heard some of the guests murmuring.
"Woah. She's a wild one!"
"I wonder how good she is in bed."
"Looks like he can't control her. Maybe he needs to get someone else!"
"I wish they would have attacked each other. That drunk bird would've put up a good fight!"
"Her mate is such a stupid ass! Ha ha ha..."
He led his wasted wife away from the club at a fair pace, trying his best to ignore the taunts and jeers he had heard.
Once they were a suitable distance away, he slowly drew away from her, his muscles tense and ready for action.
"Hey, where... where did you g-go, asshole? I c-cant find y-you..."
"I'm back here, Jewel. Can you fly the rest of the way home?"
"Fly? Of c-course I can f-fly! Just w-watch me..."
She rose into the air and attempted to gain forward momentum, but she merely crashed head-first into the ground with a painful *crack*. He rushed to her side and saw that she was bleeding from a small cut on her forehead.
"Jewel, you're bleeding! I don't think you can fly. Do you want me to carry you?"
She dragged herself to her feet and glared at the ground like some deranged fool.
"S-stupid ground. Quit h-hitting me... damn it! I c-could... beat y-you in a f-fight any day. Bring it..."
"Did you hear me? Do you want me to carry you?"
"N-no carry. I-I'll walk. You w-walk. I w-want to see what h-home..."
She trotted off down the poorly-lit space between the buildings, making more left and right progress than she did forward progress.
As Blu jogged to catch up with her, he thought, This is going to be a long damn night...
A/N:
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