#[Small Chirps] - The Chickadees | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

sparklypinkflightsuit · 6 months

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The Containment Diaries: Entry 11

Pairing: Virologist!Bob Floyd x Reader AND Aviator!Bradley Bradshaw x Reader

ApocalypseAU

Warnings: Smut, Gore, Angst, Fluff, Warfare, Apocalypse Themes, Military Inaccuracies, Medical and Science Inaccuracies, Alcohol, Breakdowns, General Sexual Themes, Polygamy, Swearing.

- Entry 10 Here -

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18+ Only Beyond This Point

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The next day, when everyone was rested and wounds had started to hurt less, the four of you decided to make the trip back to the mustang. If there was another healthy human out there, you wanted to find out.

You called out as you reached the street, hoping they would be able to hear you.

Bradley had described the woman as brunette, average height, and in her late 20’s or early 30’s from what he could see before Jake swerved and they hit the tree. She stood in the middle of the street, a blank expression on her face, seemingly not having noticed the car hurtling towards her.

You reached the mustang, a sad wreck against the strong tree, and realised just how lucky Brad and Jake were to be alive.

“Hello?” You called again. Nothing but birds chirping and the distant sound of waves crashing against the shore.

You sighed, rubbing your face in frustration.

“Tell you what chickadee, while we’re out and about, how about we raid the Naval Medical Centre for some beakers and equipment or whatever it is you said you needed? We can then go and grab the generator too. It’s a bit of a walk but it’s still early.” Jake suggested. You smiled up at him and nodded.

“Yeah, that would be good, thanks Jake. You two mind?”

Bradley shook his head and Bob said that was a good idea, and the four of you took off.

After about half an hour of walking you decided to check on Bradley, who had been awfully quiet since the accident. You hung back and let Bob and Jake get slightly ahead of the two of you.

“Hey, are you okay?” You asked softly.

Bradley’s eyes flitted to yours for a second and then away.

“Yeah I’m fine. Heads just pounding that’s all.”

“You wanna head back to the villa? You might need to lay down for a bit.” You advised.

Bradley shook his head and sighed, “No I’m ok Rue, don’t worry about me, please?”

You couldn’t not worry about him, he was acting so strange.

“I can’t not worry, somethings up and I don’t think it’s just your head, Bradley.”

“Just leave it.”

You grabbed his arm and you both stopped walking. Bradley’s eyes were trained on the ground.

“Talk to me.” You demanded firmly.

He was quiet for a long moment, before he looked up at you and sighed, “Yesterday, when I thought I was about to die, you wanna know what I saw?”

“What?”

“You and me, Rue, you and me, at an alter. You and me with our first child, growing old with you. No Bob. I know I said I was okay with sharing but… I want this to really mean something.” His eyes looked sad, and your heart felt like it was deflating.

“If that’s really how you feel, Bradley, then we don’t need to do it. But I will need some time to think then, because either way I’ll be breaking someone’s heart.” Tears brimmed to your eye line but you tried to remain stoic.

“Take as long as you need. But until you do, please could I just have time with you, alone? I need to hold you, Rue.” He breathed, his eyes squeezing shut for a moment.

You nodded, a small smile breaking through the sadness. “Tonight, it’ll just be us. Promise.” You reached up and kissed him for a long time, before walking off to meet the others.

You finally reached the Medical Centre, and walked through the unmanned entry points. As expected, it was completely abandoned, and it looked like it was done so in a hurry.

Equipment of all sorts lay out across the tables, as if it had only just been used moments before.

You carefully placed the equipment you needed inside a soft cooler bag you found, alongside a few bits Bob picked up. You grabbed some more medicines and supplies for emergencies, and made the long trek back to the apartment. Bob ran in and grabbed the generator and remaining water canisters, and you all headed home.

That night you all chipped in to make dinner, Jake had found a bottle of wine on the way home which you all shared, dancing around the kitchen to the little battery powered CD player you’d found in your bedroom. Jake plonked down at the kitchen table, struggling to breathe with his freshly broken nose, and chuckled as Bob belted to Avril Lavigne at the top of his lungs into a spatula.

Bradley chuckled and rolled his eyes, but to your surprise began mumbling the words to Complicated under his breath.

You ate around the table and enjoyed your company, before excusing yourself to go and get cleaned up. You shot Bradley a look, and he nodded. He would follow you up in 10 minutes.

You gave yourself a wash using as little water as possible, feeling much fresher after the long day of walking. You found a clean razor and shaved, making sure you were all smooth and soft for Bradley, after all you hadn’t been with him since that night on the ship, and you were suddenly nervous, you wanted to impress him.

You found a soft silk night dress in the wardrobe, slightly short but still left something to the imagination, and you sprayed on some perfume from the night stand and waited.

Not long after, the door creaked open, and Bradley stepped inside. He took you in as you stood by the balcony window, the evening blue glow hasting beautifully across your skin.

“You look… wow.” He breathed.

You bit your cheek and smoothed out the skimpy dress. “It’s not much.” You blushed. He made you feel so nervous, anticipation rife in your stomach.

“It’s perfect.” He closed the door, and began walking towards you.

Your hands moved to his chest when he got close enough, “I… I wanna take it easy tonight, you’re hurt, remember?” You said softly.

The cut above his eye had closed up nicely overnight with a few stitches, and he only had a few bruises elsewhere, but you didn’t want to hurt him.

“I’m fine,” he cupped your jaw with his big hand, stroking your soft skin with his thumb, “I’m more than fine.”

You nodded, your heart in your throat as your hand moved down and under his vest, trailing a line up his abdominal ridge to his chest. You could feel his heart thudding against his chest.

Bradley shivered at your touch, his pupils blown.

He leaned down and kissed you, it started off gentle, but quickly grew desperate, needing more. You moaned, and Bradley lifted you up by your thighs. You wrapped your legs tightly around his waist, and the next thing you knew you were being pressed up against the back wall, the cold sensation making you gasp. Bradley took the opportunity to slide his tongue into your mouth, and he explored yours hungrily.

You tangled your fingers in his curls, and tugged gently so his lips left yours and his neck was exposed. You bit his thick neck gently and began sucking bruises into his skin.

A loud groan escaped his lips and he thrust his hips into you. You ground your hips against his, whimpered as his bulge rubbed against your sensitive core.

He ground into you again, and again, you both moaned and gasped at the feeling as you threw your head back and began to pant.

Bradley’s lips latched onto your throat as he peppered soft wet kisses along your skin. You were growing desperate for more, so you tugged at his vest, eventually pulling it over his head.

His hot skin against you made you delirious, you wanted more. You pulled off your night dress, and Bradley growled as he realised you were completely naked underneath. He pressed his body against yours, his skin burning yours perfectly. You wrapped your arms around his neck and kissed him hungrily.

Bradley walked you over to the bed and threw you into it. You squealed as you landed on your back and began to giggle.

He smirked seductively down at you, admiring your naked body in the candlelight as he unbuttoned his pants. You bit your lip as he pulled them down, his hard cock springing free.

You were suddenly in the mood to tease Bradley, so while he stood, you stuck two of your fingers in your mouth and trailed them down your body, sliding them inbetween your already soaking folds.

Bradley gulped, his hand moving to pump himself as he watched, his mouth open in a silent gasp.

“I need you Brad.” You whimpered, and he slowly crawled up to you, kissing a line up from your feet to your core. He pushed your legs apart as his tongue curled into you, flattening and licking up to your clit where he drew lazy circles.

Your hips bucked at the sensation, and Bradley’s strong hands wrapped around your thighs to pin you in place. His tongue dipped inside you and then up back through your folds. He continued to lick you until you were a wimpering mess, then kissed a line up to your breast, his hands following, palming you desperately.

You gasped, you body shivering as you clenched around nothing, desperate to feel him.

As if he read your mind, he reached down and slid his tip through your slippery folds, moaning as his head caught briefly at your entrance and again on your throbbing clit. He swiped again, but this time you couldn’t take it, and bucked. His head slid inside you with a delicious stretch, and you both cried out.

“Fuck, I forgot how good you feel.” He growled, pushing further in. You couldn’t speak, you were a moaning mess against the sheets below him, as he pushed deeper and deeper, admiring your squirming form.

He kissed your chest and collarbone as he began to thrust slowly, but before he knew it, you were pushing him onto his back and straddling him.

“Oh, yeah I like this.” He chuckled, and bit his lip as your hips began to circle. One large hand flatted against your stomach while the other gripped your hip. You rode Bradley slowly, savouring every moment that his massive cock brushed against your g-spot, his hand moving to grab your ass.

Bradley was now the one who was a moaning mess below you. Head thrown back and panting, his hands pushing and pulling you against him harder and harder as the desperation for more grew.

“Brad I’m gonna cum.” You cried, your body shaking as the coil in your stomach tightened.

“That’s a good girl. Cum for daddy.” He growled. You gasped at how much that had unexpectedly turned you on, and you came undone.

You moaned loudly as you shook, tightening around Bradley as he grunted your name and chased his own end, thrusting hard a few times before he spilled into you.

You gently rode out the last of your orgasm before you collapsed against his chest, panting together, hot and sweaty.

Bradley kissed your forehead lovingly as he lay there, brushing your messy hair out of your face.

“I love you.” He said, for the first time out loud.

You looked up at him with soft eyes and smiled.

“I love you too, Brad.”

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The next morning you awkwardly left the bedroom with Bradley in tow, but it seemed everyone was still asleep. You relaxed a bit and went downstairs to make breakfast, you were starving after last nights activities. After the initial session you had recuperated and gone again not long after.

Bradley sat at the kitchen table and rubbed his tired eyes. He looked sweet and flushed when he had just woken up, his hair a mess and arms swollen from the exercise he’d been through in your bedroom.

“Wish we had some serial or eggs or something.” You mumbled.

“Or bacon.” Bradley mumbled. You chuckled and threw him an apple.

“Bon appetit.” You joked, sitting and dreaming about a hot steamy cup of coffee. The apocalypse sucked.

You daydreamed sleepily with your chin in your palm as Bradley ate his apple, leaning back in his chair with his feet on the table. You suddenly realised you could imagine a life like this, with or without the apocalypse.

Bob shuffled into the kitchen, half asleep and rubbing his eyes. He bent down and kissed the top of your head, mumbling “Morning beautiful.” In his deep morning voice.

“Morning Bobby.” You grinned back.

Bradley rolled his eyes.

“Sleep okay?” You asked.

“Yeah, I was exhausted after yesterday.” He chuckled. “What about you?” He asked with his back turned as he scoured the cupboards for instant coffee.

You and Bradley shot one another a look, and you felt guilty.

“Fine.” You said quickly. “I’m gonna go outside and set up the rain catcher, if anyone needs me.” You awkwardly excused yourself.

Bob shrugged as he watched you practically run out of the kitchen.

“What about you, sleep ok? How’s that head?” Bob asked Bradley, eyeing him cautiously.

“It’s fine, thanks. I’m feeling a bit clearer today.” Bradley nodded.

Bob sat down, “Good. Listen, I just wanted to say… I don’t want things to be tense or awkward between us, especially now that we’re… a couple, or a triple?” Bob chuckled.

Bradley maintained his stony facade, as he leaned back and crossed his arms.

Bob sighed, “Look, as long as Rue is happy then I’m happy, it’s a less than ideal situation, but this way we both get to be with her-“

“I’m not sharing anymore.” Bradley cut him off.

“I’m sorry?” Bob questioned.

“I can’t sit around and watch the woman I love, love another man.” He spat.

“Well she’s gonna love us both regardless of if you want to share or not.”

“I spoke to Rue, she’s going to pick between us, she just needs time.”

Bob scoffed, “So you do realised, either way is a lose lose situation. If she picks me, you lose, and I have to deal with the fact that she’ll be heartbroken over you. If she picks you, she’s still going to love me, and again, she’s going to be heartbroken.” Bob stood from his seat, “No matter which way this goes, you’re gonna have to watch her love someone else and be heartbroken about it.”

Bradley watched in furious silence as Bob stormed out of the kitchen. Bob had a point and Bradley knew it. He didn’t want to hurt you, he would hate to see you heartbroken, but it was killing him seeing you with Bob.

If you picked Bradley, he’d take you away somewhere so that eventually, hopefully, you’d forget about Bob.

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You’d finally finished setting up your rain catcher in the back yard, thoroughly impressed with yourself, you stood back to take it in, in all its glory.

You smiled to yourself and crossed your arms as you looked up at bright blue sky above.

“Stupid California weather.” You mumbled.

As you looked down, your eyes glancing down the side of the villa out towards the gate, you froze.

There she stood, hands wrapped around the iron bars with her head resting against them.

“Hello?” You called, slowly walking down the side and down the drive towards the gate. “Are… are you okay?”

The woman said nothing, her head pressing against the cool metal as she rolled her forehead over the bar again and again.

As you got closer you noticed her eyes were bloodshot and glazed over, her lips extremely chapped.

“Are you thirsty?” You asked. Her eyes darted to yours.

“Wait here.” You told her softly and you walked quickly back to the villa, entering through the front door.

Bob put down his book as you walked inside, “Honey can we talk about something real quick?” He asked as you rushed past him.

“Not right now, Bobby. She’s outside.” You said, picking up a half empty canister of water and pouring some into a glass.

“Who?” Bob asked, confused.

You didn’t answer as you rushed back outside, Bob hot on your tail.

He stopped quickly as soon as he saw her standing there.

“Rue, don’t get too close!” He called, running after you again.

“She’s fine, she’s just thirsty.”

You handed the woman the glass of water which she took eagerly, gulping the water down as it dribbled down her chin.

Once she’d finished, you took the glass and waited.

“Tha-thank you.” Her voice was hoarse, like she hadn’t spoken in days.

“What are you doing here?” You asked her gently.

“I uhm… I followed you.” She croaked out. “I heard you talking about a cure. Is it true?”

“Oh… we had one but we lost it, we’re starting again though.” You nodded. Bob watched closely over your shoulder, not wanting to get too close in case he scared the woman off, but not wanting to be out of reach if things went badly.

“You scientists?”

You nodded, “We are. Are you alone?” You asked.

She was quiet for a long time, then eventually nodded. “My family got sick. But I couldn’t.”

Your eyebrows knit together, “What do you mean, you couldn’t?”

She pulled up her sleeve to reveal a partially healed bite mark, yellow and oozy, red track marks surrounding it.

You took a quick step back as Bob moved forward and stuck his arm out in front of you.

“You need to get away from the gate, please.” Bob said.

“I’m not sick. At least if I am I don’t feel the way they do.”

You pushed back passed Bob and closer to the gate.

“May I?” You asked, gesturing to her arm.

She nodded, and you gently took her arm through the bars to look at the bite.

You looked at her face carefully and the exposed skin on her neck and legs below her shorts.

“Bob she’s right. Her bite’s infected, but only the normal kind. She doesn’t have any of the other symptoms.”

“She could still be contagious.”

“Only if she bites or scratches us, plus she needs antibiotics.” You pleaded. “Bob if she’s immune we could really use her.”

Bob stood for a moment, his arms crossed as he thought.

“What’s your name?” He asked the woman.

“Anna.”

“Okay Anna… if we let you in we need to be sure you’re not gonna hurt us. We’ll need to bind your arms behind your back for now, but you’ll be fed and watered. That okay?” Bob asked sternly.

You smiled at how gentle he was even when he was being stern.

Anna nodded vigorously, “Please! I’ll do anything, thank you, thank you so much!”

She stepped back and Bob moved to unlatch the gate.

“Anna can you turn around for us?” Bob asked, taking his t-shirt off. She did as she was told and put her hands behind her back and waited.

Bob ripped a few long strips from the t-shirt, and quickly tied them around Anna’s wrists, checking they were tight but not uncomfortable before letting her turn around.

“Okay, follow Rue and she’ll take you in.”

Anna smiled thankfully at you and Bob and you showed her inside as Bob locked the gate.

You asked her to sit on the couch and went to grab her another glass of water. You had just screwed the cap back on the canister when you heard a loud curse from the living room.

Jake had finally woken up.

“Rue! Why is there a random lady in our house?”

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- Final Entry Here -

I don’t have a Taglist for this series but will be updating my Masterlist as I go 💛

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leafisamenace · 16 days

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A Chickadee's Feast

A beam of sun warms my black feather cap. Closing my eyes, I let it seep into my skin and down to my skull as I relax on my perch. A chirping song swells within me, as I release it, the notes are etched into the sky with a twisting stream of steam. The frigid air that now surrounds me marks the end of a long season. My song is inspired by this sense of relief, taking on a relaxed legato. My chicks have grown and there is now only one person I must worry about feeding, myself. However there is a new challenge, the frost has driven away the succulent bugs I would gorge myself on during the spring. Despite this I am still at ease. I have no screeching peeps or lonely nights guarding the nest from a nearby branch. Now nights are spent nestled with my flock in a sturdy tree, filled with warmth and comradery as the winter night freezes the very air outside.

The hunger within me begins to outweigh the comfort of my sunny perch. I watch the ice melt off of branches around me, splashing onto the ground. I hear a loud sound and look over to the human’s den. A man emerges, hefting a large bag full of seeds. He walks to his stash, a hanging tube in the middle of his yard, and begins to fill it yet again. He hums a simple tune as he does so, which perplexes me. I cannot understand how he is so happy to fill his hoard of seeds as every few days it is reduced to nothing. It has no security or obfuscation, he does not even guard it. So unsurprisingly it is raided by every animal in the area until it is empty. I only try to take a little when I need to as I pity the poor human; although it doesn’t look like he is hungry. The hunger within me continues to swell to near starvation and as the man leaves, I see within the tube, my favorite food, black sunflower seeds. I decide I will take a few and then look for food elsewhere, use them to tide off starvation before finding my full meal.

Swooping from my perch I land on a fence post on the edge of the woods and the yard. I look at his seed tube and see I am not the only thief today. Cardinals, morning doves, and other chickadees were all faster than me, already feasting on the man’s treasure. Squirrels are eagerly waiting under the feast for any fallen seeds like a dog at a dinner table. I think I see a single open spot, an unoccupied small green perch next to an intimidatingly bright cardinal. I begin to muster my courage, spurred on by my hunger but I don’t find myself flying to the perch. Fear has shackled me to the fence and I consider giving up. Maybe I will get lucky and immediately find food in the words. Should I just go forage hungry? But then I see a black sunflower seed, gleaming in the sun, fall to the ground where the squirrels fight over it, and my hunger becomes unbearable. I launch into the air, locking onto the perch I begin to land, but the cardinal springs into action. He lunges at me with wings open wide and war cry blaring. I almost fall to the ground in shock. I recover and bolt through the air back to the fence. From my seat I watch the birds feast and occasionally fight. Not long after me, the other chickadee is chased off.

Suddenly, all of the birds flee into the woods. The man has returned. From the fence I feel that he is far away enough to be safe and remain, cautiously waiting. He is holding a steaming mug and takes a seat outside. Maybe he has finally decided to guard his seeds? After scratching his beard he takes a large sip from his mug and then looks towards the woods and to his seed stash. After sometime he shivers, shrugs, and then returns to the inside of his den. No bird has found the courage to return yet. This may be my moment.

Filled with determination I swoop onto an empty perch hastily pulling out every sunflower seed I see. A plethora of other seeds fall to the ground for the squirrels who have already returned. I swallow seeds greedily sating my starvation. Then the dreaded sound again pierces the silence, the man has emerged again. With my stolen bounty of a full stomach I flee hectically into the forest. I don’t look back as I fly into the woods but behind me I don't hear the man make chase or even yell - instead, I think I hear him chuckle.

#flash fiction #fiction #short story #nature #birds #writing

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queersrus · 1 year

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Bird theme

general bird theme

tagging: @bpdxhoardic, @s-hinobun

owl, parrot

(Nick)Names:

bird, birdi/birdie/birdy, birdette, birdley, beak, blue, bill, byrd, byrdi/byrdie/byrdy, berd, berdi/berdie/berdy, birdo, budgy/budgie, birdine/byrdine/berdine, bittern wing, wren feather, feasant, falcon, fiacre, fugl, fugel, fagel song owl, oiseau, ocell, ocellu ave, ava, avi, avia, aviar, aviary, arden, alouette, avis, aviana, avion, arno, adler, arvid, audette, amsel, avem, aderyn, allen, avocet crow, chick, callum, circe, chirp, corbin, colm, colombe, columbia, canary, caique, chickadee dove, duck, dipper hen, hawk, hoot, hooty, hum/humm, hummer, humming, hunter sparrow, stork, swan, shiri pheasant, pelican, prey, phoenix, paloma, peregrine, peregrina, paxaro, pouli, poulaki, ptashka, ptitsa, pasare, ptica, ptashynyy, ptakh, parrot, parakee, parakeet, pidgy, pidgin/pidgen/pigeon, pidove, pidge, plovar, plover, perch, percher raven, robin eagle, ezio, eun, ean, egg, eggbirt/egbirt/eggbert/egbert kite, kestrel/kestral quail, quill jay, jonah, jonas gavin, game, gannet, geese, goose mavis, merle, merula, merel, madar vulture, vogel, vorona, vtak, vtaci lark, lonan, lind, lintu, loon talon, teal, teyr, tweet, tweety/tweeti/tweetie ucello nest, nester

1stp prns: i/me/my/mine/myself

bi/bii/bir/birdine/birdself wi/win/wing/wingine/wingself fi/fea/feath/feathine/featherself bi/bea/beak/beakine/beakself ei/egg/eggs/eggine/eggself ti/tal/talon/taline/talonself ni/ne/nes/nestine/nestself twi/twee/tweet/tweetine/tweetself pi/pe/per/perchine/perchself bi/bii/bill/billine/billself chi/chii/chir/chirpine/chirpself

2ndp prns: you/your/yours/yourself

bo/bir/birds/birdself wo/wingr/wingrs/wingrself fo/feather/feathers/featherself bo/beakr/beakrs/beakrself eo/eggr/eggrs/eggrself to/talonr/talonr/talonrself no/nester/nesters/nesterself two/tweeter/tweeters/tweeterself po/percher/perchers/percherself bo/billr/billrs/billrself cho/chir/chirpers/chirpself

3rdp prns: they/them/theirs/themself

bi/bird/birds/birdslef bi/ird, bird/birds wi/wing/wings/wingself wi/ing, wing/wings bea/beak/beaks/beakself e/egg/eggs/eggself eg/egg, egg/eggs tal/talon/talons/talonself tal/on, talon/talons nes/nest/nests/nestself ne/est, nest/nests, nest/nester nest/nesting twe/tweet/tweets/tweetself twee/tweet, twe/eet, tweet/tweets tweet/tweeting song/bird water/bird per/perch/perches/perchself per/ch, per/erch, perch/perches perch/perching bi/bill/bills/billself bi/ill, bill/bills phea/pheasant/pheasants/pheasantself phea/sant, pheasant/pheasants chi/chirp/chirps/chirpself chi/irp, chirp/chirps

Titles

the bird, the bird of prey, the small bird, the waterbird, the songbird, the flightless bird, the migrator, the migrating bird, the one who migrates, the one who tweets, the one who chirps, the nest, the nest of eggs, the egg, the wing, the falling feather, the winged one, the nester, the nesting bird, the caretaker of birds, the bird trainer, the bird owner, the birds nest, the feathered one, the one with talons, the one with feathers, the pretty bird

(prn) who chirps, (prn) who tweets, (prn) who nests, (prn) who flies, (prn) who cannot fly, (prn) who dives for prey, (prn) who lays eggs, (prn) who cares for bird, (prn) who trains birds, (prn) who is bird-like, (prn) who is winged, (prn) who takes flight, (prn) who cannot take flight, (prn) who has feathers, (prn) who is feathered

this bird, this bird of prey, this songbird, this waterbird, this bird trainer, this nest, this birds nest, this wing, this feather, this winged hunter, this small bird, this pretty bird

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thesugarclubs-blog · 1 year

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Mirror Mirror - AU Bucky Barnes x OC

warnings: reverse snow white au, fairytale au, snow white Bucky & princess OC, pure fluff

word count: 9k

WP: https://www.wattpad.com/1381215967-mirror-mirror-florence

Masterlist

Once upon a time, in a kingdom far far away, nestled deep within the tall evergreen trees sat a small stone cottage.The roof was made of wood and straw with a garden of wild flowers lining the dirt pathway heading towards a large wooden front door. White smoke billowed from the chimney and the smell of fresh apple pie wafted through the forest with the faint sound whistling.

A man spun by the open window, singing softly to himself as he moved the broom over the grey stone floor. James smiled softly as a small chickadee landed on his shoulder and whistled along with him.

“Do you mind? I have to finish sweeping while dinner rests! The boys will be home from work soon,” he commented, using one hand to take the small bird onto his finger and set him onto the window sill.

With a small shake of his head, James balanced the broom on his shoulder in order to scoop his long dark hair into a bun that rested on the back of his neck. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with the edge of his white tunic and moved over the dark ceramic pot hung over a smoldering fire.

Looking into the pot James checked to make sure the stew was simmering nicely. Taking the long wooden spoon that rested to the side of the pot he stirred the stew around to make sure that none of it got stuck to the bottom and got burned. Taking out a little spoon from the pocket of his tunic James took a taste of the stew.

“Hmmm. Just perfect, I think it will be finished just in time for them when they come home” James smiled, turning to smile at the bird that was still resting on the window sill. It chirped in response.

"No," James shook his head, "there's enough salt this time."

The bird stomped on the sill, trilling into the air.

"That's nonsense," he rolled his eyes and tasted the stew again, keeping his eyes on the bird who watched him. A long mocking birdsong filling the air as James brows pinched together. "Okay, it needs a little more salt."

The bird chirped again. “I know, I know.” James sighed, “You were right. I was wrong.” James agreed to his little friend in defeat as he turned around to place eight little bowls onto the big wooden table.

As if he could tell, he heard his friends arguing from a distance.

Their familiar voices and playful bickering were unmistakable, and it brought a warm smile to James's face. It was a comforting sound, a testament to the strong bond they all shared–

“I can’t believe you ruined my favorite dungaree,” the door suddenly swung open, startling both James and the small bird who, huffing and puffing, flew out. “Your damn giant hands, Steven!”

“C’mon, Tony! Don’t be dramatic, it’s not like I did it on purpose!”

"It might as well have been! Why did you pull me back so hard?" Tony whined.

James saw Sam hold back a laugh at his brothers' argument as they all slowly trickled in, to which James shot him a playful glare.

"The rocks would have fallen over your giant head, otherwise!" Steve huffed in annoyance. He always meant well but his brother was not able to always see reason. Tony was as stubborn as the rocks of the mines they dug.

"Oh my god, will you two shut up? We get it," Clint rolled his eyes as he dropped his sack to the ground and moved around his bickering family.

Sam strolled over to the fire, lifting the lid of the stew and took in a big whiff, "Leave them alone, they're always like this when they're hungry,"

James smacked the wooden spoon onto the back of his brothers and shook his head, "All of you go wash up first and then we can eat"

The chaos that ensued everytime the family got home was one of James' favourite moments of his day. Sure, the quiet cottage was nice during the day when he needed to get things done but eventually it grew too quiet around him. Thoughts of the nights he'd spent alone in the forest before they took him in crept in from the edges of his mind but once his boys were safe at home, those memories disappeared once more, allowing a soft smile to tug at the edges of his lips.

A throat cleared behind him and he looked down to find Thor standing there, his hands hidden behind his back and a knowing smile on his face.

“Found another one for you,” he rumbled from beneath his thick blond beard and brought his clenched fist forwards.

James held out his hand and Thor deposited the heavy crystal into his palm. James almost squealed with excitement and leaned over to wrap his arms around Thor’s stout frame.

“Thank you Thor!” He breathed excitedly and hurried over to the window.

Finding a place on the frame for the clear crystal, James sighed happily as the sunlight refracted through it, casting rainbows across the opposite wall of the cottage.

Chairs scraped across James’ freshly cleaned floors as the seven of them finished washing up. They settled at the table, leaving the seat at the top for James.

“This looks delicious,” Steve beamed, as James set down a steaming loaf of bread in the center and turned back to the stove to dish up more stew.

“You think everything looks delicious, Steve,” Clint grunted, rolling his eyes.

“Because it does, James is an excellent cook!”

James grinned in thanks across the table where he was setting down a bowl in front of Natasha, her cheek smushed into her hand as her eyelids drooped. Tony nudged her gently with his elbow.

“Look alive, Nat.”

Nat shook her head quickly, swatting her hand out at Tony. “I’m awake, I was just resting my eyes a little. “The stew looks delicious as always. James,” Nat yawned as she leaned across the table and grabbed the knife by the bread and cut off a slice.

“Can we please eat… I’m really hungry” Loki said, playing with his spoon looking down at his bowl of stew with a longing look in his eye.

"Go on then," James winked at him, knowing that if he didn't give the okay Loki would sit pouting.

They all dug in without hesitation, the sounds of spoons scraping bowls and the soft satisfied moans filling the cottage.

"Breathe Thor," Steve warned, as Thor inhaled his stew in four disgusting bites. "There's always more!"

“It’s so good, though!”, Thor said, his mouth full with stew. “I could bathe in this food.”

“That’s disgusting.” Clint looked annoyed to his left, where Thor was seated with a big smile and remains of stew on his face.

“Language!” Steve pointed his finger at Clint happily.

“That’s actually not a bad word, Steve.” James leaned in and whispered into Steve's ear.

“Oh,” he responded a little embarrassed but continued eating

With their bellies full and the cozy cottage illuminated by the soft glow of candles, the family's evening continued in a familiar rhythm. After dinner, they gathered around the hearth, where the flames crackled and danced in the stone fireplace.

James began to tell one of his incredible tales, weaving a world of knights and magical creatures, some forged from fantastic metal. He recited the story of heroes battling incredible evil as all seven brothers found themselves captured by the grand gestures of his wrists, the dramatic flair in his voice and even Nat that night took her time trailing off on her usual spot on the armchair.

As the night wore on, and the firelight flickered, they all felt the deep contentment that came from being surrounded by the love of family and the magic of their kingdom far, far away. The enchanting forest whispered its secrets in the moonlit night, a silent witness to their cherished moments, a testament to the extraordinary life they had created together.

***

The forest was peaceful and serene, the warmth of the morning light shining through the trees and bathed the path in an emerald-tinged glow. It was exactly what Florence needed.

Clicking her tongue and tugging on the reins, she urged her horse, Alpine, deeper into the verdant greenwood. She breathed deeply once, and then again, letting the tension drain from her shoulders. Long had she yearned to escape the confines of the castle and the burden of royal life.

She tilted her head slightly as a sound filtered through the trees, one she would not have expected to hear. A deep, resonant voice carried a melody so sweet it piqued her curiosity and, tugging on Alpine’s reigns once more, she guided her noble steed in the direction of the alluring voice.

As she ducked beneath branches, traveling further into the blanket of green, the voice grew louder, stronger with each note.

Shielding her eyes from the sun as she came to a small clearing, Florence searched the area until she found the source of the voice. Crouched beside a hedgerow, plucking berries with careful thought, was quite possibly the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen.

His dark hair glistened in the sun, loose and draping across one shoulder, giving her a glorious view of his stubbled cheek and sharp jaw.

Florence slowed Alpine, staying hidden a little behind the trunk of an old oak as she watched the man work, filling a wicker basket by his feet.

She watched him picking through as he bent over searching through the grass and occasionally pulling something out and placing it into the wicker basket. He continued to sing as he worked. The birds in the trees seemed to know the tune that he was singing and began to join in. Soon the branches were filled with birds chirping along.

Florence watched in amazement as she saw a rabbit hop into the clearing getting slowly closer to the man. The man noticed the rabbit and slowly held out his hand.

“Why hello there. How are you doing today?” he asked as the rabbit came up and sniffed his hand.

A smile played on her lips, the grown man was barely contained beneath a white tunic and dark blue vest. His yellow trousers strained about his thighs in protest to his knelt position and his dark hair pushed back by a thick red ribbon.

"Would you like to share?" He asked the rabbit, who seemed to curl into his touch.

The small rabbit seemed to respond to his words, moving towards the basket and plucking out a few of the berries that sat nestled into the whicker, pulling another soft chuckle from the mans plump lips.

"Not to many," she heard him say, shooing the small creature lightly, "These have to make pies for the boys and you know how they can eat"

The boys Florence thought, tilting her head to the side. Were there more mysteriously good looking men trasping around this far into the forest? Maybe that had been her problem. Only being presented to men in the kingdom instead of looking farther out. Not that she herself has been looking, but her father always made it seem like she needed someone to take care of her.

Urging Alpine slowly forward, the dark haired princess made her way out into the grass, clearing her throat softly so as to not startle the man before her, "Hey!" Florence called, "what are you doing out here?" she asked, curiously.

The man looked up sharply and the little gray rabbit darted in between his feet, peering around one of his shapely calves with a curious expression, it’s whiskers twitching nervously.

“It’s alright, Rocket. I’m sure this lady means no harm,” the man reassured, although he eyed the sword fastened to Florence’s hip with no small amount of suspicion.

“I am simply collecting berries and plums, Lady. They make the best pies and my family does tend to need a lot of feeding,” he replied, his voice rumbling deliciously through the clearing.

"You live in the woods, you and your family?" Florence asked, tilting her head curiously. The man nods, eying her with a wary gaze still despite his soft, confident words to the creature at his feet.

"Yes, a little cottage not far from here. My family, brothers and sister, they work down at the mine."

Florence nodded, a gentle smile on her lips, as she studied the man. There was no denying she wanted to know more about him, to learn what else made his blue eyes shine the way they did as he spoke to the rabbit.

"What's your name?"

"You ask a lot of questions," the man replied, his tone teasing as he stood to his feet, "why should I tell you?"

“Well normally when someone asks you your name the polite thing to do is to tell them. At least that’s what I’ve been taught” Florence responds stepping a little further into the clearing. Alpine followed closely behind her lightly nudging her shoulder.

The man chuckled a little and smiled, the smile reaching his eyes and his nose scrunching up a bit.

Florence couldn't help but smile at his own.

"I tell you what," he leaned down to pick up the basket of berries and folded his hands over the handle as he squared his shoulders, "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

It was then she noticed how broad he was. His shoulders were wide with arms that would put any other woodsman to shame. The front of his tunic seemed to strain over his chest as he stood watching her with curious lake blue eyes. Alpine huffed behind her, nudging his nose into her back forcing a soft chuckle to leave her lips.

"I suppose that seems fair." She smiled, "you first."

The man tilted his head back and laughed, "I may have been raised in the woods, but I'm not a complete fool. Ladies first," he waved his hand out in front of him, gesturing for her to go.

"A baker and a gentleman," she quirked a brow.

"I do more than bake Sunshine." He grinned cheekily.

Florence tried to bite back the smirk that tugged at her lips, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest, "Down boy," she cocked her eyebrow, "I'm Florence. Your turn."

"Florence" the man repeated, tilting his head to the side, his blue eyes scanning over her features, "I'm James, but my family calls me Bucky"

The small rabbit appeared once more, tapping it's small paw onto James' leg, causing him to glance down and huff, "And this is Rocket"

Florence beamed even wider and crouched down, holding her hand out and rubbing her fingers together.

“Greetings Rocket, it’s an honor to meet such a fine looking rabbit as yourself.”

The rabbit hopped over to Florence’s outstretched hand and touched his little nose tentatively to the tips of her fingers.

A huff from behind her elicited a chuckle from James and she looked up to see him leaning over and whispering in Alpine’s ear whilst stroking a large yet gentle hand down the horse’s neck.

“I apologize,” she began. “This is…”

“Alpine, yes, I know. And apparently you two haven’t eaten since dawn.” James raised an amused eyebrow at her dumbfounded expression.

“Well, it seems you’re already acquainted with my hungry friend.”

Alpine huffed again, head butting gently against James’ hand.

“Yes, yes. I’m getting there,” he laughed. “Florence, would you be so kind as to join me for lunch?”

Florence met James’ gaze, a smile spreading across her lips. She was sure she was taught something about strangers as a child but when one was as endearing and handsome as James, well…

“That depends,” she replied, “will I get to taste this delicious sounding pie you’re going to make?”

James grinned at her in response. “Of course” he said

“Our cottage is just through the trees back here. My family are down the mines at the moment, but they will be back soon for some food. They are a bit of a rowdy bunch just letting you know.” James said turning around and walking across the clearing with rocket hopping along beside him.

Before Florence could respond Alpine began to follow behind James with a slight spring in his step. It hit Florence then what James had known her horse’s name and that they hadn’t eaten sine dawn.

“Wait… can you actually talk to animals!?” She called racing to catch up with James. “Like understand what they are saying?”

“Yeah…you can’t?” James asked, a frown forming on his face that turned into a light grin. Even though he was being sarcastic, Florence had to admit that his smile was addicting.

“How?” Now she was the one smiling as she caught up with James, Alpine, and Rocket.

James shrugged in response, “I don’t know, actually. I like to believe it’s a gift. I feel some kind of trust between us like I have a special bond with animals. It’s hard to explain.”

Florence nodded as she understood. “So you are a crazy person?” she said, making James stop. He looked at her like she said something wrong, but then he burst out into laughter.

"Crazy about sweet berries maybe," He smiled at her, running his hand along Alpine's neck, "but mostly sane in every other way."

"Mostly?"

James smirked, "I live with seven siblings, would you be completely sane?"

Florence's eyes bugged wide, "Seven!? How do you get anything done?"

"They spend most of their days down at the mines, gives me some quiet time during the daylight." James said with a beaming smile, "It's my responsibility to take care of them and there's a great pride in growing and cooking delicious food for the ones you care for."

“That’s a nice sentiment, how you care for your family,” Florence could see how much he loved his family with all his being. That love radiated from him every time he mentioned his family.

They fell into a lovely silence as they walked towards his home. Her stomach grumbling loudly enough for it to be heard across the forest.

“Hungry?” James says laughing at her and her stomach. “Luckily for you, we’re here.”

As the small stone cottage came into view, Florence allowed herself to pause and take in the scene before her. The contrast between her palace and the house nested in the trees before her took her back just for a moment. A sense of peace and comfort washed over her and a small smile found its way onto her lips.

"So eight of you live here?" She questioned, following James' lead up the pathway.

James hummed and nodded, chuckling lightly, "It's a bit tight but we make it work. Honestly, there's no other place I'd rather be"

Florence took in a small breath of the fresh pine air, and hooked Alpines reins over the wooden hitching post that sat to the left of the front door. Aside from the woodland creatures, she found herself wondering if they had many visitors or horses hidden somewhere. Maybe it was a habit of his bringing women he met in the woods back to his cottage, claiming he had pie and a deep love for his family.

"It's cozy and sweet," she smiled once more, following him through the lard wooden door.

The main room of the cottage was a refreshingly cool contrast against the heat of the morning sun and Florence sighed deeply. It smelled of pine, soap, and…home.

There was a large wooden table with eight chairs around it, right easy chairs surrounded a large stone hearth, and a wooden staircase led up to what Florence assumed was a second floor.

She gasped in delight at the twinkling rainbows that were cast across the back wall of the room and she found herself lifting her arms and twirling slowly around. Laughing in delight as the spectrums danced across her skin she halted as Alpine let out a deep whinny.

“Don’t be mean, Alpine,” James admonished quietly. “Everyone needs moments of joy in their life.”

He quieted the rambunctious horse by reaching over to the vegetable bin and pulling out a carrot. He offered it to an eager Alpine, who snapped it up with a huff of thanks.

"Yes, Alpine, don't be mean," Florence repeated, coming to a halt and standing with her hands on her hips. She heard James chuckle softly behind her and flashed him a beaming smile over her shoulder.

"Make yourself at home," James offered, gesturing to a cosy looking armchair in the corner. It looked well-loved, like the rest of the cottage, rough around the edges but so well cared for.

Florence made a beeline for the seat, sinking into the soft cushion as she watched James separate and wash the freshly picked fruit.

He moved through the small cooking area gracefully, like he'd danced his way through it a million times before and she got the feeling that he probably had. Every once in a while those blue eyes glanced up at her with a soft smile when he found she was watching and it only spread the soft thrum of butterflies in her chest throughout her limbs.

"I don't see many women ride through these woods alone," he blurted after a few moments, "matter of fact, I don't see any women ride through these woods."

Florence smiled, "So there's no secret lair teeming with damsels in distress you've saved?"

James huffed out a laugh and shook his head as he moved on to inspecting a batch of plums, "Even if there was, you think I'd give away my secrets?"

"Crazy and possibly murderous," She grinned, "I've hit gold with you."

She could see the faintest blush spread across his cheeks and beneath his stubble at her remark.

"I don't know 'bout gold, but I'd like to believe that I'm good company," he told her with a hint of shyness in his tone. She watched as he put together a plate of berries and plums and turned to walk in her direction and extended it to her.

"At least before I lure you to my secret lair, m'lady," he ended with a mischievous smirk and a wink thrown her way.

Florence couldn't help the huff of delighted laughter that left her at that, relishing in the light feeling filling her as she shared a light banter with James. Even more so when he laughed sweetly along with her with a red tinge still tinting his cheeks.

“Oh, so this isn’t your secret lair, then?” Florence couldn’t help going along with this playful banter. She didn’t really believe that a person like him, that had the ability to speak with animals, would do something bad to her. Unless, you know, he used said ability to ask the animals to be part of his craziness and lure damsels in distress to his lair.

“Now, why would I lead a lady into this cozy cottage where my family lives only to murder her?” James had a twinkle in his eyes while he said that.

With a light chuckle, Florence shrugged and shook her head, "I'm note sure, you're the criminal mastermind here, not me" she joked, popping a berry into her mouth.

James' laugh echoed out through the cottage as he moved back through the kitchen to assemble the pie he kept bragging about. Silence fell over them once more, her hazel eyes watched him worked, taking note of a small red cardinal that sat perched in the window.

"She's just a guest," she heard him mutter before the bird chirped back at him, "you can go now, Redwing," he muttered once more, moving his gaze over towards her as drifting sunlight caught his ocean blue eyes.

“Where do you hail from, Florence?” James asked, breaking her out of her reverie.

“I, umm, I live on the far edge of the forest,” she replied hesitantly, and James’ eyes narrowed slightly before he smiled at her once more.

“Then you must definitely be hungry, having traveled so far,” he said, and with a courtly swoop, placed a plate before her piled with bread, cheese and some of the berries. “We’ll have to wit a little longer for the pie,” he admitted, although the enticing scents of warm berries and sweet pastry were already creeping through the cottage.

“Thank you,” she said, gratefully, and pushed the plate between them in an offer to share.

She took some of the bread and placed a piece of cheese on top of it. Taking a bite she sighed. “Hmmm, this bread is amazing. Probably some of the best I’ve ever had. Did you also bake this?” She asked, taking another bite of the food. The bread was light and fluffy and the crust had a satisfying crunch to it.

“Thank you, yes I also baked the bread. Since we live quite deep in the forrest I make a lot of our food. We rarely head to any of the surrounding villages… when we do it’s mainly for delivering what my brothers and sister collect from the mines. I mostly stay here though” James said, taking a seat across from her and picking up a plum from the plate and taking bite out of it.

"What were you doing so deep in the forest anyway?" He questioned, as he examined the purple fruit in his hand.

With a soft hum, Florence shrugged unsure on how to actually answer that question without giving away her status. The truth was she wasn't built for the life her father wanted for her. She wanted to do more than sit around and look pretty when she knew the kingdom across the dark forest was suffering. The king would tell her how dangerous it was in the woods and how that kingdom had fallen under evil rule when the prince disappeared, yet still, deep within herself, Florence knew there had to be a way for her to fix it.

She sucked in a deep breath and shook her head once, realizing she had been lost in thought, " I just went out for a morning ride. Alpine needed to stretch his legs and riding around our village wasn't really cutting it, so we went a little farther than expected but it seems to have worked out for us," she smiled, taking another bite of the bread.

“I think not just for you,” James said, a soft blush painting his cheeks.

They stared at each other a moment before James cleared his throat and looked bashfully away.

“I…I need to check the pie,” he stammered, rising from the table and heading over to the oven as he wrapped a cloth around his hand for protection.

When he opened the door a waft of spiced heat filled the room and even Alpibne whickered from his place at the window.

“Be patient, big fella,” James laughed. “It’s still too hot, even for you.”

Florence watched in admiration as James placed the large pie dish on the table and cut two slices and then a third small sliver, which he put onto plates. He collected an earthenware jug from which he poured a generous helping of cream over the two lives and then set the third plate at the window.

“Blow on it first,” he instructed and Alpine did so, huffing on his little treat so dramatically that Florence feared he would blow it clean off the plate.

At a nod from James, the horse snaffled down the pie and James then joined Florence at the table, still chuckling at the horse’s antics. He slid one plate in front of Florence and then handed her a spoon. She took a generous scoop, making sure to blow on the steaming mouthful although not quite as dramatically as Alpine and then placed it in her mouth.

She took a bite and let out a satisfied moan. “Oh my… this pie is amazing” she said before digging back into the pie. She heard James chuckle as he watched her eat her slice of pie.

“So what about you? Where are you and your family from or have you always lived in the woods?” She asked looking up at him after eating a good portion of her slice. She noticed how he stilled at her question before slowly putting his spoon down his eyes darting to look out the window.

“I-”. James sighed, “I’m sure you don’t want to hear that.” He slowly shook his head and looked down at the wooden floor.

“I do,” Florence said, slowly taking James’ hand into hers. She didn’t want to overstep a line, but she could also feel that James needed some sort of comfort.

“Okay,” he smiled softly. “I was younger when I came here. I don’t know much about that night it all happened, but…one day, a man brought me into the woods. We walked until the sun had set. I didn’t know who sent him, and at that time, I didn’t know why, but the older I got, I knew his purpose. He was out here to end my life.” James paused before he continued, “He couldn’t do it, so he left me to die in the woods. I survived day and night before finding this little cottage. At first, I thought it was an old empty house, but then I met these six boys and one girl, and it almost felt like all of this happened for a reason. Because if that man hadn’t let me live, I wouldn’t have found my family.” He smiled as he looked around the cottage, his eyes stopping at the eight chairs around the kitchen table.

“Oh, James,” Florence mumbled. She didn’t know what to say other than ‘I’m sorry’ but those words cannot convey anything other than emptiness. Because how do you express that you are sorry that the person didn’t die-that they survived- a situation like that?

“It’s okay,” James whispered, as if knowing what she wanted to say.

“Do you know who sent that man? Florence asks with determination in her voice, as if she might go this instant and punish the person that tried to take away a soul as pure as his.

James looks away from her, but she catches the sadness in his eyes. It’s a sadness so deep that it tugged at her heart, “I don’t know. It’s heartbreaking to think that there is a person out there that has the type of hatred to want another person to just take away like that.”

Florence knew he was struggling to come to terms with that because this man, who clearly is the most fairest person she has ever encountered, has lived through unimaginable things and, despite everything, still wants to believe that there is still some goodness in this world.

A comfortable silence fell through the cabin as the two of them sat there, in the confessions. The afternoon sun brought a certain glow through the crystal and illuminated everything in it's path. James' company mixed with the fresh pine air drifting in with the breeze was a new experience for Florence. She could stay in this moment, in this place forever if she was given the option. To not have to return to the confinds of the palace walls was secretly what she'd wanted for a long time.

Florence cleared her throat and moved to stand up, catching the orange glow in her hazel eyes as the sinking sun brought her attention to how late it had gotten. "I should go," she said quickly, bringing her plate into the kitchen.

James followed her movements, and grabbed her hand lightly before she could make it out the door, "Wait, will I see you again?"

With a small sigh and a soft smile, she looked up to meet his eyes as she nodded, "Tomorrow. In the clearing we met in this morning,"

The man nodded in response and brought the back of her hand up to his lips, kissing it gently, "Tomorrow it is,"

With that, Florence made her way out to Alpine and untied his reins, mounting him quickly. She glanced back at the handsome man leaning in the doorway of the stone cottage before kicking Alpine into a gallop through the trees on their way back to the palace.

The next morning Florence rushed out of the great hall and down to the kitchens with her mouth still stuffed full of bread. She threw some food and a ceramic bottle of ale into a sack and almost ran to the stables.

“Woah there, Princess, where are you going in such a hurry?” The Head Steward asked as she nearly ran him down.

“Iiiiiit’s such a nice day I thought I’d take Alpine for a ride,” she squeaked breathlessly, bouncing impatiently on her heels.

“You have duties to attend to, your Highness,” he admonished, but the Princess pretended not to hear him as she bolted off.

She felt a little guilty for pushing Alpine as hard as she did in her eagerness to reach the clearing where she had met James the day before. She knew she was early but there was still a pang of disappointment when she arrived and James was nowhere to be seen. There was a little red bird however, who looked remarkably like the one she’d seen the day before. Feeling a little foolish she cocked her head and spoke.

“Redwing?” She asked and almost laughed in relief when the bird twittered and hopped over to her.

“Hi, hello, I, ummmm, I don’t know if you remember me from yesterday but I’ve come to see James. Is he around?”

The bird looked at her and tilted its head this way and that but made no response.

“You know, James? Tall, blue eyes, sings, bakes? Ummm, oh, he said his family called him Bucky?”

At the last the bird let out a series of whistles, bobbed up and down a few times, before taking off in what Florence thought she remembered as the way to the cottage. It wasn’t long before she heard footsteps and a melodious humming hurrying along the path.

James looked up at the sound of her approaching, the brightest smile blooming across his face, eyes glistening in the sun.

“There you are!” He called cheerily, tucking the handle of his basket into the crook of his elbow. “I was starting to think you weren’t going to show.”

His words were laced with a chuckle and he bound towards her as Florence stepped forward to meet him.

“What delights have you been picking today?” She asked, peering into his basket.

“I noticed there are boysenberries growing on the bramble through the clearing,” James explained, “I was just about to finish up with this hedgerow of raspberries before you arrived.”

James offered up the basket and Florence plucked a raspberry from the wicker, popping it into her mouth with a delighted hum.

“Well, I would love to help,” she replied softly, “I don’t forage much but it seems like a lovely way to spend the afternoon.”

“I’ll show you how to find the best berries then. Just follow me” he smiled leading the way down a narrow path that was lined with boysenberry bushes.

“So what you need to do is look for the berries that are dark purple and fall right into your hand when you gently tug at them. I always pick from the middle branches of the bush because the top branches are for the birds and the bottom branches are for the rabbits. And I always make sure to leave enough for any other animals that might come by.” James smiled at her showing extremely how to pluck the most scrumptious berries.

“That’s very thoughtful of you. I don’t think anyone would think about leaving some for the animals,” she said with a hint of wonder in her voice, while plucking the berries just as James taught her.

It felt natural to do this with him, something that she could see herself doing for a long time to come.

Out of the corner of her eye, she can see James sneaking some berries into his mouth. James catches her looking at him savoring the delightful flavor of the berries and chuckles, “Do you want to try them? They’re good, I swear.”

“Don’t mind if I do, kind sir,” Florence picked up some berries from the basket and popped one into her mouth. Relishing the flavor of the berry, she goes to pick up more from the basket when the basket is suddenly taken away from her.

“Woah, there. Don’t eat all of them now. Leave some for later!” James chuckled.

Florence laughed and tossed another berry in her mouth with a playful smirk, "I can't help it! You introduced me to these," she commented, earning her another deep chuckle from James.

"Go try the bushes over there, I've got these ones," He pointed to a space a few feet away from where they were standing.

Her smile remained on her lips as she nodded, taking one of his spare baskets and heading to where he told her. There was something about his presence that brought a certain feeling of peace and happiness to her soul. She was beginning to understand what it felt like to have someone genuine in her life.

It was nice, picking berries in silence. Doing some manual labor and taking her day into her own hands instead of strolls through the garden or sitting in the throne room for meetings. The quiet chatter of James' voice drifted through the breeze and floated through her ears. For the amount of animals that were around and who James liked to speak too, it didn't even cross her mind to look over and see what it was. There was a higher pitched second voice that softly mixed with it, but Florence assumed she was either going fully crazy or it was a mockingbird playing off a conversation it had heard.

"Hey look at this!" James called, pulling over her attention to a rip purple plum that flew through the air as he tossed it and caught it again in his fingers.

Florence hummed and her eyebrows kissed together, "I didn't know there were plum trees around this clearing?"

"There's not! Some nice woman gave it to me," He smiled sweetly.

“Nice woman? What nice woman?” Florence asked with suspicion, having never seen another soul in these woods before, not even James.

“She seemed like a nice old lady,” he shrugged, tossing the plum into the air once more. “I mean, she only found one plum and she gave it to me because she said I looked like the kind of person who would appreciate it. I gave her some boysenberries in return!” He protested, as if Florence would think *he* was the one taking advantage.

“James, I don’t think you should eat that,” she said carefully, making her way across the clearing towards him.

“I don’t see why not,” he countered. “It looks so ripe and juicy and…” his voice tailed off as he looked at the plum.

His eyes grew wider, seeming to glow with an eerie hue, and he stared at the plum as if mesmerised. He ran his tongue over his bottom lip and began to bring the plum towards his mouth. Florence felt as if she were wading through molasses as she tired to reach him.

“No, James, don’t-“

It was too late. James brought the plum to his lips and took a large bite. Florence watched as his lips curved up into a satisfied smile and a rivulet of juice made its way down his scruff-covered chin. His eyes crinkled in delight then they widened in surprise.

Florence could do nothing as James’ jaw fell slack and his arm dropped to his side, lax fingers spilling the plum from his hand. His knees buckled and he collapsed to the ground, his eyes rolling back in his head before closing. The plum rolled insidiously across the space between them and knocked against Florence’s foot before she finally freed herself from the thrall she was under and launched herself across the clearing towards the fallen man she had come to care for so much.

"James? James!" Florence panicked, heart thudding hard against her ribcage as she fell to her knees beside him. "Please, please. James, can you hear me?"

She brushed her fingers delicately over his cheek, sweeping tendrils of chestnut hair from his face. Timed seemed to slow as she sat beside him in the grass, covering James with gentle touches and murmuring softly in an attempt to rouse him. She didn't know how long it had been before she heard a rustle, the thump of tiny feet on solid ground and she looked up to see Rocket, snuffling around the plum.

"Oh, Rocket, no! Don't touch that!" She cried, and the small rabbit peered up at her, nose twitching as he made a small timid sound at the sight of his friend sprawled out on the ground. He hopped over, burrowing in close to James' side. "I'm so sorry, Rocket, the plum -- it must have been poisoned. Do- do you know the way to his cottage? Maybe his family could help?"

The small rabbit seemed to nod his head at Florence in understanding. “Perfect, now all I have to do is figure out how to get him there.” Florence said standing back up. Alpine came up behind her and nudged at James’s side then looked over at Florence. The horse then knelt down and rested on the forrest floor next to James and turned his head to her.

“Alright Alpine, let’s see if we can make this work” she said grabbing James under the shoulders and slowly lifted him up and draped him over her horse. Once she was sure he was on properly she stood back up and Alpine followed suit. Taking hold of Alpines’ reins in one hand and holding James in place with the other she looked down at Rocket.

“Ok, Rocket lead the way” she said and the rabbit began to hop into the forrest. Florence followed quickly behind hopping that someone would be at the cottage when she got there. Rocket seemed to understand the urgency of the situation because the little rabbit was moving fast through the wood. It was not long before the cottage came into view and she could hear people talking from inside.

The closer she got to the house, the more scared she became because, what would she tell them?

She didn't want them to think badly of her. From how he spoke of his family, they mean the world to him and she had hoped to meet them under better circumstances. Becaise she knew, deep down, that James had come to matter to her far more than she could have expected in the short span of time they had known each other.

With her heart in her throat, she came to a stop in front if the cottage door and knocked once. The chatter inside immediately stopped and steps thuded on the floor before opening the door.

"Hello– oh I'm sorry.." her voice trailed off as she saw who opened the door. A dwarf. Much shorter than she'd expected given James stature, small in size with kind eyes starring at her expectantly before drifting off behind her and widening comically at the man laying on her horse' back.

"James! What's happend to him?" He rushed out the door to his brother before the sound of many more steps came barreling down the door at his raising voice.

"What have you done to him?!" He shouted angrily at Florence, making her both frightened to respond but angry with how she was being treated.

"Nothing! It wasn't me!!" Florence tried to assure them men before her, with slight frustration in her voice, "we were berry picking and James said this nice old woman gave him a plum! I tried to tell him not to eat it but he went into this trance and then he just, collapsed."

His family moved around Alpine and managed to get James down, carrying him with the seven of them into the small cottage. Florence wasn't sure if she should follow them or if they still assumed it was her fault. Maybe it had been. The ominous red glow in the middle of the plum should have made her work harder to stop him from taking a bite. Or maybe she should have just looked over when she heard him talking and she would have seen who it was. There had to have been something she missed.

"James!" The blonde man called, kneeling down beside his brother and putting his ear close to his face, "he's breathing," he assured his siblings before glancing up at the doorway where Florence now stood, "what did this woman look like?"

"I - I don't know, I just heard him talking to someone, but I thought it was one of his creatures so I didn't think to look," Florence breathed, pulling her lip between her teeth and looking down at the concrete floor, "But I did see a flash of red hair when she walked away," she pointed out.

The redhead female looked at her brothers, "Wanda. We should have known she'd find him one day. But he should have been more careful,"

“We told him again and again about talking to strangers,” a shorter, blond-haired, dwarf grumbled, casting a disparaging eye over Florence.

“Easy Clint, she brought him back to us. She didn’t need to do that,” the first dwarf replied, stroking a hand through James’ hair.

“Who is Wanda?” Florence asked, subconsciously clutching at the hilt of her sword in a gesture that didn’t go unnoticed by the seven dwarves before her.

“You’re up Steve,” Clint grumbled, folding his arms in a huff as the dwarf that held James cleared his throat.

“Wanda is James’ step-mother. She married his father when James was but a babe and, as he grew, she became convinced that he would take the crown from her.”

“She’s achoo a witch!”

“Aye Tony, I was getting to that,” Steve said, offering his brother his handkerchief.

“She knows that as long as James lives then her power will weaken. When he was but a boy she commanded her huntsman to bring him into the forest and take his heart!”

“That’s horrendous!” Florence exclaimed, her hand reaching out to cup James’ cheek, a gesture not lost on any of his found siblings.

“The huntsman took one look at him and couldn’t go through with it. He abandoned James in the forest knowing we would find him and take him in,” Steve finished.

“But now she’s found him and tried to finish the job!” Another, dark-haired, brother cried.

Florence couldn’t stop the tears that tracked down her cheeks.

Never had her heart ached so much for someone. She glanced down at James, serene and soft in his sleep-like state. Florence didn’t understand how this had happened to someone like him, James was so kind and gentle, how anyone could try to harm him the way the—

“Wait, did you say crown? He’s… he’s royalty?”

Tony nodded, “his father was the king. James should have been next in line to the throne if Wanda hadn’t… well, you heard the story.”

Florence could do nothing but stare at them all, shocked by this new revelation.

The silence was broken by a soft trill sounded from the windowsill, and Florence turned to see Redwing, perched on the wood with several other birds. Behind them, a doe and her fawn peered into the cottage, while Rocket sat solemnly in the doorway.

“They care about him,” Florence whispered, “he made a life for himself out here.”

“We all care about him,” James’ sister stepped forward, a yawn stretching out her words, “he’s our brother.”

Florence nodded, steadfast as she swept the last of her drying tears from her cheeks. There had to be a way to wake James, surely.

Florence looked from James’s family gathered around him where they laid him on the table to the assortment of animals all peering in to see their friend and back to James. The story his family just told him sinking in… James was the missing Prince from the Kingdom from the other side of the forest. Hadn’t she just been thinking that there was a way that she could fix that? Somehow, whether it be fate or destiny or her horse she had stumbled on said Prince.

Looking down at James who seemed to be in a deep sleep she took a deep breath. “There has to be something that we can do. There is always a way to reverse magic… maybe, if I ride back to the palace I can bring back our healer. He knows some magic… maybe he can help” Florence said looking back to his family.

“Palace achoo you live in a palace?” The one called Tony asked

“Yes… My father is the King of the Kingdom on the other side of the forest. And if James is really the Prince from the other Kingdom then it is our duty to help save him. His Kingdom has diminished since he disappeared. I’ll go right away” Florence replied about to head out the door, but before she felt she turned back around to James and knelt over him.

“I’ll ride as fast as I can James, I promise” she whispered in his ear before placing a soft kiss on his lips. She stood back up and headed back towards the front door his family stepping to the side to let her through all watching her silently.

Her heart felt heavy in her chest as she went to climb atop her horse, the family and the animal's hopeful gazes following her every step.

Florence didn't know for sure if her family's healer could help James, the Queen's sorcery being much more powerful and darker than anything they'd ever heard of.

It was fueled by hatred and greed.

She couldn't imagine anyone wanting to hurt people– especially James, so willingly.

He was the last person she'd ever wish harm to. So sweet and kind and caring. And selfishly, from the moment of brief contact their lips had moments ago, his lips so soft and plump under her own. She wished to have the opportunity to kiss them again and again.

She would do everything in her power to help him, and maybe, to return him home. If he wishes so.

Alpine hooves were heavy as they began to move, stopping abruptly and just as she was about to question why, a few shocked gasps could be heard before the birds birched on the cottage window started chirping excitedly.

The birds began to fly in circles around her head and Florence had to resist the urge to bat them away. She dug in her heels and to move Alpine onward but he remained stubbornly in place.

“Come on, boy, we need to go. We have to help him!” She demanded, her voice cracking.

“Princess!” A voice cried. “Come quickly!”

She turned to see Steven beckoning her madly from the door of the cottage and she leapt from her horse and hurried towards him.

“What’s the matter?!” She cried, worried that the witch had found a way to deliver James some greater torment.

Florence entered the cottage once more but halted abruptly as she took in the scene before her. James was propped up on his elbow, one hand rubbing across his forehead, his brows drawn down in a frown.

Like a magnet his eyes found hers and his face erupted into a smile so joyful that Florence could do nothing else but return it.

“You’re here!” He exclaimed, though his voice was hoarse.

“Of course I’m here,” she replied, striding over to his makeshift bed on the table. “I was only leaving in search of help.”

“Please don’t leave,” he whispered, reaching his hand out towards her.

She grasped it and he pulled her closer, managing to drag himself upright.

“I don’t understand.”Florence murmured. “You were under a spell so strong…”

“It was you!” One of the dwarves replied.

“Loki is right, Princess,” Natasha confirmed with a yawn.

“Princess?” James mumbled, not able to tear his eyes away from Florence’s face.

“Aye,” Loki said with a dopey grin. “You woke him with your kiss.”

“ I did not,” Florence protested, but could not help the way her eyes flickered down to James’ lips and back, nor the way he gazed back at her with such emotion.

“Only true love’s kiss can break a witch’s curse,” blushed Thor.

“I am not sure of the truth in that statement,” James muttered as his arm wrapped around Florence’s waist, “but I would very much like to test the theory.”

Florence flushed a deep red as he leaned upwards but at the last minute she turned her head to the seven pairs of eyes that stared intently at them.

“Turn around at least!” She exclaimed, and with some shoving and jostling, the seven dwarves turned their backs to at least give some semblance of privacy.

“Where were we, your Highness,” Florence smiled, turning back towards James.

“From what I heard that title belongs to you,” he replied, leaning ever closer.

“There are still some tales to tell,” she whispered against his mouth as their lips finally met in a sweet, soft kiss.

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shewasverynice · 4 months

Text

Fandom: 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia (Anime & Manga) WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS

Rating: Explicit

Major Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied Childhood Sexual Abuse, Non-Consensual Drug Use

Additional Warnings: Canon-Typical Violence, Blood and Injury, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Drug Use

Categories: F/M, Multi

Relationships: Takami Keigo | Hawks/Original Female Character(s), Original Character/Other(s)

Major Characters: Original Characters, Takami Keigo | Hawks, Hero Public Safety Commission, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead

. . . . . ╰──╮꒰ Halcyon - Part 2 ꒱ ╭──╯ . . . . .

Kiwi walked into Hawk's hospital room, a magazine tucked in her pocket and a wide grin on her face. He greeted her with a small wave, propped up comfortably in bed. Despite feeling perfectly fine, the doctors opted to keep him overnight as a precaution. With his lungs and wings already healed, they were monitoring his heart for any potential issues.

"Hey!" Kiwi said with a chuckle, "Look at you! Right as rain?"

"Yeah, no worries." Hawks said with a grin.

"Yah, nah. Look at your wings, bro." Kiwi said, reaching for Hawks feathers.

He pulled it back instinctually, covering that motion by touching the feathers himself. "Well, they'll heal pretty fast. The pins are already starting to come out."

Kiwi shrugged, sitting down on a stool and scooting it closer. "You know, I got the call from Phoenix."

"Really?" Hawks said, his brows raising, "I figured you found out some other way, like maybe a civilian or something."

"Nah, little things taken a liking to you I reckon." Kiwi laughed, "She was heaps excited!"

"Really?" Hawks tilted his head, "Well, that works out for me. I'd like to get on her good side."

"She'd probs the easiest to get in good with." Kiwi nodded, leaning to rest her chin on her hand and her arms on the edge of the hospital bed, "She's kinda like a little kid really. Little sister type."

Hawks nodded, "Yeah, I noticed that. Singing and chirping and stuff?"

"Yeah she's a little wack." Kiwi grinned, "But I like her. She only shows up to rescues."

"Rescues only." Hawks repeated, "I'll remember that. I'm gonna try to thank her and maybe talk to her about Halcyon."

"What about Halcyon are you trying to figure out?" Kiwi asked, "Like, what are you trying to accomplish?"

"I want to see if they can be reasoned with in some way." Hawks said, "Because if we can get in good with one we can find out what it is that made them all decide not to go pro. There has to be a good reason."

"Are you sure it's a good reason?" Kiwi suggested, "Like, don't assume they're in it for the good of the world. They might just be getting a profit somehow."

Hawks wings fluttered a little, "That's... Very true."

"Exactly." Kiwi nodded, "Although, I doubt Nixie is. She's not really the type."

"Nixie?" Hawks chuckled, "You nickname everyone, huh?"

Kiwi grinned, "Yah, you'll get one too when I figure it out."

Kiwi left after some time, wrapping up the paperwork before allowing Hawks to take a break for the night. He felt grateful that she had visited him, but he couldn't shake off the fact that Phoenix had informed Nest about his injury. It puzzled him why she would do that, especially since Tiger wouldn't have reported it if he had discovered a fallen hero.

The following morning, he was permitted to depart, but he was already annoyed. His wings felt burdensome and awkward, the healing causing his pinfeathers to sprout rapidly and irritate him. Feeling incredibly itchy and uncomfortable, all he wanted was to hop into the shower and allow the steam to loosen the casings and peel them off.

Chickadee met him at the door, her eyes a little dark underneath. She smiled at him, hurrying over after she got him from her desk. Stopping short, she looked him all over before she stood in front of him again.

"You alright?" She asked, her brows knit together, "That was pretty scary!"

"I'm all good!" Hawks said, giving her a thumbs up, "No big deal, Chicky."

She giggled, "Oh good! Thank goodness."

Chickadee tilted her head, observing Hawks' wings. He noticed her attention on his large, weighty pinfeathers, and her concern was still evident in her eyes. As she approached his wings with her fingers extended, he quickly retracted them and took a step back. His expression clearly displayed his unease, and he couldn't help but feel bad for his exaggerated reaction.

"Oh, I'm sorry I just--"

"No! No it's fine." He said quickly, "They're just a little itchy right now."

"No, really. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have tried to touch them without permission." She said just as fast, covering her face with her hands, "My goodness, I'm so embarrassed!"

He blushed, suddenly feeling like an ass for some reason. "N-no! It's fine it's fine really I just-- they're just itchy!"

"W-would you like s-some help with them?" She stumbled out.

"Sure! Yes, that would be great!" He blurted out, then immediately regretted it.

Before he could even consider how to take it back he ended up in the shower wearing swim trunks, accompanied by Chickadee who was sporting a cute tank top over a modest one piece swimsuit. Surprisingly, she didn't seem to find it odd at all, but he couldn't help feeling a bit embarrassed. He had never witnessed a woman even near a shower in real life, let alone sharing one with him. Even though they were both dressed, it just didn't sit right with him. He just hoped she would think his blush was from the heat.

The faucet was running, but only enough to create steam in the room. The moisture in the air made him feel at ease, his eyes shutting as the pinfeathers became softer and the irritation faded away. The shells were dry and fragile, waiting to be removed. Chickadee was calmly washing her hands in the water as if it was the most ordinary thing to do at that moment. He couldn't help but gaze at her, not knowing what to say.

He'd never had anyone help him with his wings- well not since becoming an adult. The HPSC had brought in a kind older woman to help him understand how to care for his wings and he'd done it all alone since. Her words echoed in his ear suddenly as Chickadee picked up a soft towel and put it on her arm.

"Only let someone special preen your wings, little chick." The woman had said with a laugh, "It's a private thing for someone important to you."

He blushed, looking away as Chickadee's hands reached out. When they didn't touch, she cleared her throat before softly asking, "I'm assuming your feathers are very sensitive because of your quirk, right?"

Hawks nodded, glancing out of the corner of his eyes. He felt like an idiot, blushing like a teenager or something. Well, he was technically still a teenager at eighteen, right? Right! She wasn't much older than him either. This was weird. She should definitely think this was weird too.

"I'll be really gentle, okay?" She said softly, "Stop me if it's too much."

Her fingers brushed against his skin, causing him to take a sharp breath. The velvety touch of her hand made his heart race. With closed eyes, he felt her fingers glide over a delicate pinfeather, checking the looseness of its casing. Slowly, her touch moved down the shaft, releasing the new moist feather. Hawks instantly felt a sense of relief wash over him.

Chickadee carried on, taking her time and pausing frequently. She spoke softly, allowing him to take the lead. His cheeks were red, his teeth digging into his lip. Her touch was light and tender. It made him feel like letting out a groan, but he resisted the urge.

His wings were always sensitive, but when he was turned on, the sensation heightened even more. He had experimented a bit in private moments, but having someone else touch his wings was a whole new experience. As her fingers traced down a feather, his eyes almost crossed. His own fingers twitched at his sides. It felt amazing. Really amazing.

When the final casing rolled off he couldn't help the groan of relief. His eyes shot open and he looked at Chickadee, but she either chose not to react or didn't notice. With the garbage bag she'd brought in, she gathered up the pinfeather casings before stepping towards the glass door.

"Well, I'll let you do your thing." She said with a smile, "Hope that helped!"

"Y-yes. It really did." Hawks said, an awkward smile on his face, "Thanks so much Chickadee."

As soon as the bathroom door closed and he sensed her leaving his apartment he slumped against the shower wall, letting out a massive sigh of relief. That was just way too overwhelming. Like, seriously, way too much. His wings quivered, and his nether regions were ablaze. He never saw that coming, especially from such an innocent gesture. It wasn't even close to spring yet!

Chickadee couldn't have missed it, right? She definitely would have noticed his reactions. But she didn't even mention it. He pondered this for a moment, his forehead landing on his arm on the shower wall.

"Just being polite." He muttered aloud, "She's just being nice."

He spread his wings, the exhilarating sensation of fresh feathers compelling him to extend the rest of his back too. He let out a contented sigh, fluttering his wings a bit more and experiencing a sense of astonishment. She had done an impressive job, unexpectedly. It was impressive considering she didn't have wings herself! Did she do that for the others at the Nest as well?

His brows lowered and eyes narrowed. Surely not, right? She wouldn't just help anyone like that right?

He took a deep breath after a moment of silence, pushing those thoughts aside. Running his hand over his face, he straightened up and took a deep breath as his wings drooped and loosened. It was absurd for him to entertain such ideas. He was well aware of his boundaries. It would be unwise to even test them.

· · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·

Hawks started his patrol the following day bright and early. With his feathers feeling fresh, he enjoyed being back in the air. He lazily swooped and glided, smiling at the clouds above. Breathing in the autumn air deeply, he embarked on his mission for the day: locating Phoenix.

She only did rescues. Specifically that. It was obviously not a good idea to hope for something like that to happen for real so instead he decided to put in a fake call through the civilian network once again. He hovered high above the streets, waiting to catch sight of her flaming wings.

"Oooh~! Did you play a little tricky trick on me, Pretty Bird? ⁠♪⁠♪"

Hawks grinned looking up at Phoenix descended, stilling her wings to hover beside him, "Just the girl I was hoping to see!"

"Mm? Reallyyy~? ⁠♪⁠♪" she cocked her head to one side, fluttering closer, "What do you need, Birdy? Helpies? ⁠♪⁠♪"

Hawks smiled at her, "In a way, I guess. Would you mind talking to me a little bit?"

She tilted her head to the other shoulder, "Mm? With Phoenix? Not Tiggy or Turtle?"

"No, I want to talk to you." Hawks insisted, then pointed down at a nearby rooftop, "Can we land over there?"

She nodded, "Mmhmm!" And began a slow descent.

Hawks touched down, sliding slightly on his feet. He watched Phoenix, her petite figure gracefully landing on her dangerously sharp talons like a ballerina. As she retracted her arms, the fiery wings dimmed down allowing her to fold them. It was at that moment he realized she didn't actually have hands in that state.

"Do you want to change back to normal?" He asked, hoping maybe she'd be that naive.

"Ha-ha!" She playfully huffed, then laughed for real, "No, no Birdy. Not that silly!"

Hawks shrugged, a half-smile tugging at his lips, "Well, can't fault a guy for tryin'."

Phoenix stepped forward, her talons clicking on the cement rooftop. Up and onto the edge, she peered down at the people on the sidewalk before looking back at Hawks.

"Talk, Birdy." She said, "Phoenix is listening."

Hawks walked over the edging, leaning down with his arms resting on it and watched the people below as well. "I heard you four got along well with Kingfisher." He said, his eyes flicking over to her to catch her reaction.

The fiery look of her hair brightened for a moment, her eyes widening. She kept her eyes on the sidewalk, but nodded. "Yes. We liked him very much." She said softly.

"What happened?" Hawks asked carefully, surprised by her demeanor.

She shook her head. "Don't want to talk about it." She said sadly, "We thought he was our friend."

"Did he break your trust in some way?" Hawks asked, "Hurt you?"

Phoenix tilted her head, "Only our hearts. King broke a promise before he left. So we broke ours."

Hawks acknowledged with a nod, shifting his gaze towards the sidewalk beneath. It was a logical explanation. He had already suspected that it was something similar to that. From what he had gathered, Kingfisher appeared to be a decent person and likely had his own motivations. Eventually, Hawks planned to discuss this matter with him too.

"Tiger seems not to trust pro heroes a lot." Hawks asked, changing the subject, "Is that how all of you feel?"

Phoenix nodded, looking away from him. "Yes, Birdy. Pro heroes are no good. Sorry, Birdy."

"It's alright," Hawks said with a calm smile, "I understand."

She looked up at him through her long eyelashes, "Do you want to help us, Birdy?"

Hawks' brows raised, "Hmm? Help you?"

Phoenix glanced downward, anxiously nibbling on her lip. Her face displayed a mix of emotions, her eyes darting around restlessly. Stepping back from Hawks, she shook her head while he straightened himself, his wings fluttering with unease as hers flared up once more.

"Birdy," she said, her voice nervous, "Talk to Turtle. Or Dragon."

Something in her eyes seemed off, like she didn't quite want to say what she was saying. Hawks lips parted, unsure of what to make of the situation. His wings spread just as hers did, but she shook her head.

"No. Talk to Turtle. Dragon." She said again, "See you later, Pretty Bird."

Her wings caught a sudden warm breeze, sending her soaring away as she made a quick escape. Hawks watched her departure, folding his wings neatly against his back. The encounter definitely didn't exactly unfold as he expected. Her abrupt change in attitude is what was bothering him the most. Something about it felt wrong, almost like she was in danger.

Putting his hands in his pockets, he ascended to the ledge and stretched out his wings. Phoenix suggested speaking with Turtle or Dragon, so that's exactly what he planned to do. Turtle had been quite rational during their last encounter, but Dragon? Now that would be intriguing. He had only caught glimpses of her before, and each time she had been openly unfriendly.

After a series of false reports, he finally managed to successfully entice Turtle specifically. It appeared as though Turtle had anticipated this outcome, as they arrived at their own leisurely pace. Hawks lifted off from the wall he had been leaning on, readjusting his wings. With a casual wave, he made his way towards Turtle.

"Hey, don't believe we've talked yet." Hawks said, holding out his hand, "I'm Hawks."

Turtle took his hand in a solid grasp as they shook his hand. Their skin was very rough and covered in patches of hardened scales. Unlike their compatriots, Turtle wore only the bike shorts as their shell covered their top half.

"They call me Turtle." They said, their snake tail twisting as the second head looked at Hawks, "You've spoken to Phoenix, so I know what you want."

Hawks nodded, "Cool. Let's make it easy then. What was it Phoenix wanted help with?"

Turtle signaled for Hawks to come along, guiding him down the narrow alley. The snake head observed him warily, its tongue darting out as it trailed behind Turtle. Hawks moved in closer, raising his aviator goggles to examine the creature. It pulled back as he approached, prompting him to playfully stick his tongue out in return as it continued to flick at him.

Turtle chuckled, looking over their shoulder at Hawks, "I can see you, you know. I see out of that head as well."

"Neat." Hawks said with a smile, "You can control both at once?"

"Yes." Turtle nodded, "Though I find that others find it unsettling when that head speaks."

Turtle led Hawks through the alleys and streets, eventually bringing him to the slums. Hawks kept his hands in his pockets, sensing the tension in the air as the residents stared at him. The coldness in their gazes and the glares on his back made him feel uneasy and his feathers ruffled with agitation.

"Don't be nervous." Turtle said calmly, "You're with me. You're safe."

As Hawks looked up at Turtle, he watched as they exchanged casual nods with the people they passed by. Hawks couldn't help but notice how popular Halcyon was once again, and suddenly a realization struck them like a puzzle piece falling into place. It became clear to Hawks that the people in the slums specifically were the ones protecting Halcyon. Although he wasn't sure how they managed to conceal this connection, it was now obvious to him. Not only were the homeless involved, but many of Halcyon's supporters resided in this part of town.

"Phoenix told us you helped out at the fire." Turtle said, "We heard about it later anyway, but I think you should all know we respect you for it."

Hawks shrugged a little, "Just doing what should have been done."

"That should be the normal action a hero should take," Turtle said, their expression darkening, "It shouldn't be that we respect you for doing what you should." They turned to look at Hawks, "And yet here we are."

"So that's what it is then." Hawks said with a scowl, "That old lady that helped me, she had told me that the city doesn't rush to calls on this side of town. No one does."

Turtle nodded, "Yes. That was Mrs. Toni. She's lived here for quite a long time." They smiled a little, "One of our best, she is." Turtle turned to face Hawks, "The city doesn't care about us. They left us here to rot and burn."

Hawks shook his head, "That's so... So messed up." A realization dawned on him and he looked up at Turtle, "Nest. Nest abandoned you too, didn't they."

Turtle nodded, "Yes. They did."

Hawks ran his fingers through his hair, feeling completely dumb struck. The people that he'd been working with, the people he was learning to understand and get along with. They were all complacent in letting this entire section of the city fall apart.

"We're supposed to be the pros." He rasped, his fists clenching.

Turtle nodded again, crossing their arms, "It's not just this city either." Their gaze scanned over the dilapidated buildings marred by graffiti with brick façades that fell away in chunks. Broken windows, tents on the sidewalks and trash littering the streets. Worst of all people of all walks of life that all looked beat down and defeated. "This is an unfortunate situation across cities everywhere."

"Disgusting." Hawks grunted, "Absolutely disgusting."

Reflecting on his past, he remembered the bleak days of his childhood when he doubted the existence of heroes. He'd longed for someone to rescue him from the darkness of his home. It pained him to think that there might be other children enduring a similar nightmare, hidden away in an abusive environment with no hope of escape.

He'd been taken in by the HPSC young, but he recognized his luck. If not for his impressive quirk he may never have been spotted. If he hadn't had the opportunity to take action when he did, what then? How many children with more common quirks would be stuck like he was?

"You have my word," Hawks said, his voice heavy with conviction, "I will fix this."

Turtle looked at Hawks, their eyebrows raised. "Don't make a promise you don't intend to-"

"No." Hawks cut them off, moving to stand in front of them, "This is my top priority now. This is unacceptable and I'm not going to let it continue."

"Well," Turtle said softly, "I won't deny that I am impressed, but I will say this. You are not the first hero that has promised us something like this."

"Kingfisher, right?" Hawks asked.

"Yes, Kingfisher." Turtle confirmed, "And that promise was forgotten."

"Well, hold on." Hawks said quickly, "Have you considered that maybe there's more to it than that?"

"In what way?" Turtle asked.

"Maybe there's a good reason he couldn't do it." Hawks suggested, "Have you tried to talk to him?"

"No." Turtle said coldly, looking down the street away from Hawks.

"Well, then I'll take care of that too." Hawks said, "Put your faith in me."

To Hawk's surprise, Turtle smiled and nodded. "Very well, Hawks." They said, "I will. But you will be the last hero that I give an opportunity to. Phoenix has taken a liking to you and I will trust in your conviction."

Hawks smiled back, "So any chance you can put in a good word for Dragon and Tiger for me?"

Turtle chuckled, "Dragon, though it may be hard to believe, will be much easier to convince than Tiger if you intend to get our support."

"Really?" Hawks asked, his fingers stroking at his facial hair, "Dragon is..."

"Spooky." Turtle said, "But predictable. Each of us had a very distinct personality, as you've noticed. Dragon is aggressive and overwhelming, but not necessarily angry."

When Hawks did eventually get his chance to meet Dragon, he still found himself unsettled by her. Turtle had agreed to have Dragon meet him in an alley a couple hours later and when Hawks arrived she was already there flexing her wings. Her thin tail lashed and her dark eyes narrowed as he approached.

"Bird." She said, rising to her feet, "What is it you want from me?"

"Turtle didn't tell you, huh?" Hawks, asked with a sigh, "How dramatic. So, what I-"

"Stop talking." Dragon hissed, stepping closer as her wings stretched and adjusted on her back, "Turtle told me enough. I want to know what you want from me."

"Ah." Hawks pointed at her, "Cool. Let's make it easy then." He smirked, his own wings spreading wide, "Let's race."

"Race?" Dragon sat back on her haunches, "Interesting. Why?"

"Well," Hawks smirked, "I'd like to prove myself capable. I'm completely serious in my intentions and I want Halcyon's support. Let me show you what I can do and I promise you won't be disappointed."

Dragon's lips pulled back into a grimace-like smile, "Interesting."

The narrow alleyways of the city became a labyrinth of shadows and noise, the air thick with anticipation. Dragon, sleek and serpentine with her white scales glistening in the dim light, darted forward, her bat wings beating a rapid tempo. Her movements were a symphony of grace and power, each turn and dive executed with fluid precision.

Hot on her tail was Hawks, his crimson wings spreading wide, catching the currents with expert ease. His eyes were sharp, locked onto his quarry as he maneuvered through the chaotic urban jungle. The contrast between his golden hair and the fiery red of his wings was striking, a beacon of determination against the twilight backdrop.

As they raced, the alleyways grew tighter, the walls closing in like the teeth of a trap. Dragon's slender form twisted and turned, avoiding obstacles with uncanny agility. She burst through a narrow passage, her wings folding in just enough to slip through, leaving a trail of disturbed dust and echoes of her passing.

Hawks followed, his wings adjusting, angling to match her path. He pushed harder, gaining speed, his feathers brushing against the rough brickwork, sending a rain of loose mortar to the ground below. The chase drew the attention of the city's denizens, who watched in awe and confusion as the two figures streaked past, a blur of motion and color.

Bursting from the alleys, they emerged onto a bustling street. Dragon leapt into the air, her wings propelling her upwards, high above the crowd. She scanned the skyline, seeking the next route. Hawks was right behind her, his wings cutting through the air with a powerful whoosh.

They soared above the heads of the crowd, their shadows flickering like ghosts on the pavement. The people below scattered, looking up in wonder and fear. Dragon banked sharply, heading for the rooftops. Her claws scraped against the ledge as she pulled herself up, her wings flaring to maintain balance. The man followed, his landing precise, his wings a burst of crimson against the twilight sky.

The rooftops became their new arena, a high-stakes game of cat and mouse. They leapt from building to building, their movements synchronized yet contrasting. She was a streak of silver, twisting and turning with an almost hypnotic rhythm. He was a flash of gold and red, powerful and direct, every beat of his wings echoing his relentless pursuit.

They raced toward the skyline, the city's heartbeat thrumming beneath them. The woman took a daring dive, plummeting towards the streets below. At the last moment, her wings snapped open, catching the air and propelling her forward. The man mimicked her dive, his eyes narrowing as he adjusted his trajectory, determined not to lose her.

In a final burst of speed, they neared the city's edge, the horizon ablaze with the setting sun. The dragon-woman made a last-ditch effort, her wings straining as she aimed for the open sky. But the blonde man was ready, his wings pumping with powerful strokes. He surged forward, closing the gap, his fingers brushing against her tail.

With a final, defiant roar, the woman twisted away, her bat wings carrying her into the fading light. The man, panting but resolute, watched her retreat, his wings beating a steady rhythm as he prepared to follow, their race far from over. The last stretch was ahead and it was exactly what Hawks excelled in.

A dive for the empty lot, that was all it would take. She had him in agility, but Hawks' speed was unmatched.

They reached the apex of their flight, the city sprawling out beneath them like a patchwork quilt. The Dragon's wings flared wide as she paused for a heartbeat, then tucked them in tightly, plunging into the steep dive. The air whistled past her, the ground rushing up to meet her in a blur of colors and shapes.

Hawks followed instantly, his crimson wings folding against his back, streamlining his form. His speed was breathtaking, the gap between them closing rapidly as they plummeted towards the earth. The air pressure built up around them, the rush of wind a deafening roar in their ears.

Hawks' golden hair streamed behind him like a comet's tail, his eyes locked onto the ground with unwavering focus. The distance between them shrank with every passing second, the ground now perilously close.

With a powerful beat of his wings, he surged forward, pulling alongside her. They were mere feet from the ground when he finally overtook her, his crimson wings a blur of motion. At the last moment, he flared his wings wide, braking sharply and landing with a triumphant thud on the ground below.

The dragon-woman landed a heartbeat later, her breath coming in ragged gasps, her eyes filled with a mixture of frustration and reluctant admiration. The man stood tall, his crimson wings folding elegantly behind him, a victorious smile playing on his lips.

"Damn." She panted out, "Impressive, Bird."

"Thanks, Lizard." Hawks grinned.

She seemed taken aback by that nickname before she grinned a toothy sharp grin herself, "Well, then. I think we--"

"There!" Heron's voice called out from above, "Dragon is here!"

Hawks' head snapped up, seeing Heron hovering just above them. The white haired man looked over as Hummingbird quickly joined his side and shortly afterwards Kiwi was standing below them. Hawks eyes widened and he turned to Dragon before looking back at them.

"Wait!" He was too late though, his feathers flying out from his wings to slow the heroes.

Kiwi lunged forward, grabbing Dragon's legs and holding her down while the tired woman attempted to escape. Heron was preparing to dash forward as Hummingbird came to restrain both of Dragon's wings. Dragon's tail whipped around and Kiwi forcefully brought her elbow down on it. Heron's swift attacks were the only instance where he could surpass Hawks, and in that instant Hawks barely had time to react before Heron was already charging towards Dragon. Dragon exhaled, releasing a chilling mist into the air just before Heron struck her head with his knee.

But then...

Hawks blinked in surprise as the mist dissipated, leaving icicles on the ground. Kiwi's legs were stuck in the ice and Hummingbird had been forced to retreat. Kiwi arms were still wrapped around something, only to realize it was Turtle's snake head instead of Dragon's tail. The pro heroes stood in shock, trying to make sense of the situation. Dragon was missing, replaced by Turtle. Heron's knee had hit Turtle's shell, causing him to kneel on the ground with his wings outstretched.

Turtle clenched their teeth, forcefully yanking the snake tail away from Kiwi. Hawks swiftly sprang into action, fully aware of the gravity of the situation. With a wide span, his wings extended and feather fanned out and secured his fellow heroes by their garments to the ground. Hawks' gaze remained fixed on Turtle, anticipating the inevitable.

Heron ripped at his outfit, ready to make another move, but Turtle had already withdrawn their arms into their shell and swiftly twisted their body. Suddenly, Tiger's form emerged from the shell, towering over the other heroes. Letting out a fierce growl, he dashed past Hawks while Hummingbird urgently called for Hawks to give chase.

Hawks darted out onto the street after Tiger, locking eyes with the man before he morphed into Phoenix. Hawks' jaw was slackened, watching as Phoenix ascended and flew off into the evening sky.

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#writing #fanfiction #bnha hawks #hawks #keigo takami #boku no hero academia #my hero academia

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raventroll80 · 2 years

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Spring Melt

A short story featuring a new character of mine Newt! Not much plot to it, just a bit of a writing exercise and worldbuilding, just something to keep y'all interested while I work on other projects.

It was early spring and the snow was beginning to melt. With nothing else to do Newt decided to see if some of her friends were awake yet. They put their cloak on and grabbed their bag and head out the door.

The snow tunnels they had made during the winter had begun to melt causing them to flood. The melted snow trickled down the tunnel as they walked, each step making a tiny splash and light would filter in through the thinning snow.

The cool fresh air was invigorating and made them eager to explore the thawing forest. But first they need to check on Pebble and the others. As they continued to walk town the tunnel she could hear various birds chirping away, a few chickadees, sparrows, and even a cardinal could be heard.

Eventually the tunnel opened up into a small stream, Newt surveyed the area and spotted the branch they'd usually used to cross the stream. It had fallen into the stream and had gotten stuck. They weren't too upset, in fact it made an even better bridge now that the rocks held it in place. The only problem now was getting down and then up again.

Newt spotted a root and got an idea.

They dug out some rope and tied it tightly around the root and tossed it down. The climbed down and walked across the branch. They took a moment and looked downstream, they wondered if any shops were open in Rootbank at this time of year.

After a deep breath of air Newt continued on their way. The other end of the log was a bit more tricky to navigate than the other with all of the branches getting in the way.

Eventually they found a path to stream bank. This time they threw their hook up and caught it in one of the roots. Newt climbed up and tied another rope to the root before continuing their journey.

When they found the next tunnel but it was too flooded to walk through. Not wanting to risk getting caught by something Newt looked around for a solution.

After some searching Newt an old birds nest and decided to use it as a makeshift raft. With a running start Newt shoved the nest into the water and jumped in.

They took off like a rocket down the melt stream, not that they knew what a rocket was. They let out a whoop of excitement as they floated down the water. Blue tinted sunlight illuminated the tunnel periodically where the snow was thinnest. Eventually the runoff stream merged with another stream.

Seeing their destination ahead of them, Newt leaned to the right causing the nest to drift to the bank of the stream. After pulling it further up the bank Newt walked towards the Great Tree.

The Great Tree was the oldest tree in the forest, it towered over the rest and was regarded as the heart of the forest. Every winter most of the forest spirits would converge here to sleep through the winter, including her friend Stoney. Hopefully it was time for the spirits to start waking up.

As they walked up to the ancient tree they could hear the creaks and groans of the branches shifting in the wind. Walking up they passed many rock covered stones, some had other plants starting to grow on them as well. Every once and a while they'd stop to check a rock to see if it was Stoney.

Newt had climbed up on top of one of the sleeping spirits to get a better look when they got an idea. They took a deep breath and yelled at the top of their lungs.

"Hey, everyone! It's spring! Wake up!""

They felt their fur stand on end as the rock beneath them began to rumble and stand up, along with many others. Small balls of light began to glow from the tree and drip lazily to the ground.

Newt jumped down and watched as the spirits began continued to wake up and meander about the tree. They continued to search for Stoney amongst the spirits, finally spotting them with some other spirits still asleep in the dirt.

"Stoney it's spring, time to get up," they said as they climbed up their sleepy stone friend.

"Mmmmrrrrrrmmm" Stoney groaned before burring themselves deeper into the dirt.

The movement shook Newt off of the living stone and into the mud. The got up trying to shake the mud off before walking away.

"Fine, I'll come back next week. But you better not complain when there's no more syrup left!" they said as they made their way to the stream.

As they approached their makeshift raft Newt felt every hair on their body stand on end. Newt slowly turned around and was immediately blinded by an intense bright light.

“Argh! My eyes!” They exclaimed, covering their eyes with their cape and hands, “A little warning would be nice your majesty,”

The light slowly began to dim and Newt could finally look at the sprit in front of them.

The light had the vague approximation of a deer and a bear fused into one. At least that’s what they thought it looked like. When they first met the god, Newt quickly learned that unlike the spirits who could be viewed after some exposure, the Forest King was always cloaked in a bright light that obscured and muddled their appearance.

The Forest King slowly reached down with cloven hands and scooped up Newt. With a gentle breath the god blew the mud off of Newt, it felt as though a warm spring breeze was blowing over them. The King gave them a nuzzle before gently setting the borrower back on the ground.

The Forest King slowly walked away and Newt pushed the raft back into the water and began their journey down to Rootbank.

Rootbank was a small settlement situated on the bank of the stream that fed into the river that flowed through the forest. It was home to various critters that called the forest their home.

There were borrowers and gnomes, rats and mice. There was even some goblins that lived there too. It got confusing sometimes trying to figure out if the squirrel you were looking at was the blacksmith or just some wild animal.

Some time a while back when Rootbank was just a borrower settlement, a group of rats and mice who stood on their hind legs and spoke men arrived. They spoke of how some beans had done something to them and injected them with some weird viscous liquid. They were welcome with open arms and soon revealed secrets that not even the oldest borrowers knew. At least that’s what Newt’s grandmother had told her.

“Newt? What one earth are you doing?” A voice asked in astonishment.

Newt looked over to the source of the voice and saw Klevin and Biggs, two friends of theirs from town.

Klevin was a borrower light dirty brown hair and green eyes. And Biggs was a big greyish brown rat who had a notch in his left ear. The two were a part of the Foragers Guild and were wearing their uniforms.

“Morning Biggs, morning Klev!” They shouted, “lovely day for a ride ain’t it?

“Is that a birds nest?” Klevin asked.

“It sure is,” Newt responded enthusiastically.

“You head’n to town?” Biggs asked with an amused expression.

“Yep!”

“Y’know nothing’s open yet right?”

“Oh,” Newt said deflated.

“Also that stream leads to the water mill,” Klevin added.

“Oh… could you guys help me out of this nest then?” Newt asked.

“No-”

“Sure thing!” Biggs said, cutting Klevin off.

Biggs grabbed a large stick and held it out for Newt. Newt climbed onto the stick as Biggs brought it back ashore. The nest continued on its path downstream and the three watched it disappear around the bend.

“Uhh… should we-” Newt started before getting cut off by Klevin.

“We should get outta here before we get in trouble,”

“Agreed,” Newt and Biggs replied in unison.

The three quickly turned around and walked back upstream before someone came looking for whoever caused the blockage at the mill.

After some time the three where checking for roots to tap when Newt had separated from Klevin and Biggs when they got a tingling sensation. It felt different from the spirits and the Forest King, it felt like danger was approaching. Deciding to act on their instincts, Newt hid under a nearby log.

Just as they did a dog trotted up and began sniffing about. Newt could feel each sniff blow over them.

“Hey buddy whatcha sniffing at?” A booming voice said from above. "Anything interesting down there?' It was a bean. There was a bean in the forest, and their dog knew where they were. Newt leaned forward to try and get a glimpse of the bean. But ducked back away as the bean kneeled down and pet the dog.

The dog whined a little and pawed at the ground in front of them. Newt backed up further under the log when the bean spoke again.

"C'mon Lucie, lets keep going," The bean began to walk away and dog soon followed after another whine.

Newt breathed a sigh of relief as the bean, dog, and the tingling feeling left. They got out from under the log and brushed themselves off before going to look for Klevin and Biggs. They eventually found the two under a maple tree setting up a tap.

"Hey, guys did you see the bean?" They asked.

"Bean? Like the human kind?" Biggs asked.

"Yeah, they had a dog, almost found me too," Newt replied.

"You sure? The only bean around here died a few months back, didn't he?" Klevin asked.

"Could be a new one, we should warn town anyways," Newt said.

"Yeah, let's head out," Biggs said after marking a root for tapping.

The three made haste towards Rootbank, hoping the bean wasn't going towards it. Luckily they weren't and the three immediately made their way to the town hall. After explaining the situation to the leaders the three were met with slight suspicion but were taken seriously none the less.

"We'll get some patrols going and survey the area," The guard captain said. "Thank you for you concern, you don't happen to know anything about a bird's nest clogging one of the watermills do you?" He added.

"Nope," The three said in unison. The guard captain raised an eyebrow in suspicion. The one of the mayors spoke up.

"You all are free to go and do," They paused looking at Newt, "Whatever it is you do,"

Newt and the others left town hall and walked into the square where Newt bid farewell to their friends and began their trek home. The trek was somewhat stressful, but overall uneventful. They followed the one of the streams up. Newt eventually passed their new bridge and followed their snow tunnel back up to their house at the base of a tree.

Newt walked up the steps, kicked their boots clean and walked inside. Ready to rest after such an eventful day.

#g/t #giant tiny #borrowers #oc: Newt #I was hoping my local weather would match the story #but no #there’s still piles of snow on the ground #as with any other of my stories #if you have questions feel free to ask #my writing

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moths-wc-aus · 2 years

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Prefix Meanings - C

Calm - “Not showing or feeling strong emotions.” A calm cat; A quiet / stealthy cat

Canary - “A yellow finch with a melodious song.” A small cat; A yellow cat; A vocal cat; A cat who is musically gifted

Cardinal - “A songbird of the bunting family with a stout bill; the male is partly or mostly red in color.” A red cat; A vocal cat; A noticeable cat; A vain cat; A dramatic cat

Carp - “A deep-bodied freshwater fish, typically with barbels around the mouth.” A large cat; A grey cat; A yellow cat; A dark-furred cat; A spotted tabby; A speckled cat; A muscular cat; A strong cat

Cave / Cavern - “A large underground chamber, typically of natural origin, in a hillside or cliff.” A dark-furred cat; A quiet / stealthy cat; An introverted cat

Cedar - “Any of a number of conifers that typically yield fragrant, durable timber.” A brown cat; A reddish-brown cat; A sturdy cat; A cat with spiky fur

Chaffinch - “A finch with a bluish top to the head and dark wings and tail.” A brown cat; A cat with a dark back and tail; A vocal cat; A stealthy cat; A shy cat

Char / Charred - “Partially burn so as to blacken its surface.” A black cat; A grey cat; A dark-furred cat; A temperamental cat

Chasing - “Pursue in order to catch or catch up with.” An active cat; A playful cat

Cherry - “A small, round stone fruit that is typically bright or dark red.” A red cat; A brown cat; A cheerful cat; An outgoing cat; A friendly cat

Chervil - “A plant of the parsley family, with small white flowers and delicate fern-like leaves that are used as a culinary herb.” A small cat; A gentle cat; An elegant cat; A calm cat; A quiet / stealthy cat

Chestnut - “A glossy brown nut that may be roasted and eaten ; A large tree that produces the edible chestnut, with serrated leaves and heavy timber.” A brown cat; A cat with spiky fur; A tough cat; A defensive cat

Chick - “A young bird, especially one newly hatched.” A small cat; A vocal cat

Chickadee - “A titmouse with a distinctive black cap and throat.” A small cat; A grey and black cat

Chicken - “A domestic fowl kept for its eggs or meat.” A skilled forager; A social cat; A loyal cat; A parental cat

Chipmunk - “A burrowing ground squirrel with cheek pouches and light and dark stripes running down the body.” A small cat; A brown cat; A tabby; A skilled tunneler

Chirp - “A short, sharp, high-pitched sound.” A vocal cat; A curious cat

Chive - “A widely cultivated plant related to the onion, with purple-pink flowers and dense tufts of long tubular leaves that are used as a culinary herb.” An elegant cat; A graceful cat; A cat with tufted ears

Chrysalis - “A dormant insect pupa, especially of a butterfly or moth.” A brown cat; A white cat; A grey cat; A tan cat; A dark-furred cat; A black cat; A tabby cat; A cat with great potential

Cicada - “A large insect with long transparent wings, occurring chiefly in warm countries. The male cicada makes a loud shrill droning noise.” A brown cat; A black cat; A dark-furred cat; A vocal cat

Cinder - “A small piece of partly burned coal or wood that has stopped giving off flames but still has combustible matter in it.” A grey cat; A black cat; A dark-furred cat

Cinnamon - “A warm, medium shade of brown.” A brown cat

Clay - “A stiff, sticky fine-grained earth, typically yellow, red, or bluish-gray in color and often forming an impermeable layer in the soil. It can be molded when wet, and is dried and baked to make bricks, pottery, and ceramics.” A grey cat; A brown cat; A reddish-brown cat; A blue cat; A flexible cat

Clear - "Transparent; unclouded." A white cat; A very pale cat; An honest cat

Cliff - "A steep rock face." A daring cat; An adventurous cat; An impulsive cat; A cautious cat

Cloud / Clouded / Cloudy - “A visible mass of condensed water vapor floating in the atmosphere, typically high above the ground.” A white cat; A grey cat; A graceful cat; A fluffy cat; A soft-furred cat; A daydreamer; A cat who is prone to wandering

Clover - “A plant in the pea family that has leaves that are typically three-lobed.” A kind cat; A sweet cat; A friendly cat; A social cat

Coal - “A combustible black or dark brown rock consisting mainly of carbonized plant matter, found mainly in underground deposits and widely used as fuel.” A black cat; A dark grey cat

Cod - "A large marine fish with a small barbel on the chin." A large cat; A pale cat; A golden cat; A yellow cat; grey cat; A brown cat; A black cat; A dark-furred cat; A spotted cat

Cold - "Of or at a low or relatively low temperature ; Lacking affection or warmth of feeling; Unemotional." An aloof cat; A stoic cat; A temperamental cat

Comet - "A celestial object consisting of a nucleus of ice and dust and a “tail” of gas and dust particles pointing away from the sun." A swift cat; A daydreamer; A noticeable cat; A bold cat

Comfrey - "A plant in the borage family, with large hairy leaves and clusters of purplish or white bell-shaped flowers." A blue cat; A pale grey cat; A white cat; A fluffy cat; A tall cat

Condor - "A large vulture with a bare head and mainly black plumage, living in mountainous places and spending much time soaring." A large cat; A black cat; A black and white cat; An aggressive cat; An intimidating cat

Conifer - "A tree that bears cones and needle-like or scale-like leaves that are typically evergreen." A large cat; A brown cat; A spiky-furred cat; A protective cat; A defensive cat

Copper - “A red-brown colour.” A reddish-brown cat

Cormorant - "A large diving bird with a long neck, long hooked bill, short legs, and mainly dark plumage. It typically breeds on coastal cliffs and is noted for its voracious appetite." A large cat; A black cat; A skilled diver; A skilled fisher; A skilled climber

Cornflower - "A slender Eurasian plant with flowers that are typically a deep, vivid blue." A slender cat; A blue cat; A grey cat; A black cat; A white cat; An attractive cat; A cheerful cat; A cat who stands out; A bold cat; A gentle cat; An elegant cat

Corvid - "A bird of the crow family." A black cat; A black and white cat; A blue cat; A brown cat; A cat with glossy / sleek fur; An intelligent cat; A vocal cat

Cotton - “A soft white fibrous substance that surrounds the seeds of a tropical and subtropical plant; the plant that is commercially grown for cotton products.” A white cat; A pale cat; A cat with thick fur; A cat with soft fur

Cougar - "A large wild cat with a plain tawny to grayish coat." A large cat; A golden-brown cat; A fierce cat; A noble cat

Cove - "A small sheltered bay." A small cat; A calm cat; An introverted cat

Coyote - "A wild dog that resembles the wolf." A brown cat; A grey cat; A grey-brown cat; A reddish-brown cat; A playful cat; A social cat; A friendly cat; An intelligent cat

Crab - “A crustacean with a broad carapace, stalked eyes, and five pairs of legs, the first pair of which are modified as pincers.” A red cat; An orange cat; A tough cat; A defensive cat

Crane - “A tall, long-legged, long-necked bird, typically with white or gray plumage and often with tail plumes and patches of bare red skin on the head.” A white cat; A tall cat; A long-legged cat; A persistent cat

Crawfish / Crayfish - “A nocturnal freshwater crustacean that resembles a small lobster and inhabits streams and rivers.” A small cat; A brown cat; A red cat; A tough cat; A defensive cat; A protective cat

Cream - “A very pale yellow or off-white color.” A pale cat; A cream cat

Creek - “A stream, brook, or minor tributary of a river.” A cat with winding markings; A calm cat; A vocal cat

Creeping - “Growing along the ground or other surface by means of extending stems or branches; to move slowly and carefully in order to avoid being heard or noticed.” A quiet / stealthy cat; A skilled hunter

Cricket - “An insect related to the grasshoppers; the male produces a rhythmic chirping sound.” A black cat; A dark-furred cat; A long-legged cat; A vocal cat; A swift cat

Crimson - "Of a rich deep red color." A dark red cat

Crocodile - "A large predatory semi aquatic reptile, distinguished by long jaws, short legs, and a powerful tail." A large cat; A dark-furred cat; A tabby cat; A skilled hunter; A stealthy cat; A fierce cat; A strong cat

Crooked - "Bent or twisted out of shape or out of place." A tabby cat; A cat with crooked stripes

Crouch - “Adopt a position where the knees are bent and the upper body is brought forward and down.” A small cat; A skilled hunter; A mischievous cat; A playful cat

Crow - “A large bird with mostly glossy black plumage, a heavy bill, and a raucous voice.” A black cat; A dark-furred cat; An intelligent cat; A cat with glossy / shiny fur

Cuckoo - “A medium-sized long-tailed bird, typically with a gray or brown back and barred or pale underparts.” A grey cat; A brown cat; A cat with white spots; A cat with pointed features; A cat with a particularly long tail

Curlew - “A large wading bird of the sandpiper family, with a long down-curved bill, brown streaked plumage, and frequently a distinctive ascending two-note call.” A brown cat; A speckled cat; A speckled tabby; A tall cat; A protective cat; A cat prone to wandering

Cygnet - “A young swan.” A white cat; A grey cat; A fluffy cat; A youthful / childish cat

Cypress - “An evergreen coniferous tree with small rounded woody cones and flattened shoots bearing small needle-like leaves.” A brown cat; A spiky-furred cat; A defensive cat; A slender cat

#name meanings #warriors #warrior cats #warriors prefixes

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sugar-coated-machinery · 7 months

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─────✧･ﾟ: ✧･

𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚕 ⇢ ғᴜʟʟ ɴᴀᴍᴇ: Charles ⇢ ɢᴇɴᴅᴇʀ|ᴘʀᴏɴᴏᴜɴs: Male, He/They ⇢ ᴏᴄᴄᴜᴘᴀᴛɪᴏɴ: Robotic Children’s Entertainer ⇢ ʜᴇɪɢʜᴛ: 6’0"

─────✧･ﾟ: ✧･

𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚢

⇢ ᴅᴇsᴄʀɪᴘᴛɪᴏɴ: He takes on more of what can be assumed is a more polite or calm personality. Programed to be a gentleman and make anyone feel as calm and comforted as possible when visiting. However, due to the influence of the many stressed employees and parents they've observed over the years, it would be a lie to say they were without their more “frantic” and anxiety-ridden habits.

─────✧･ﾟ:✧･ ⇢ ʟɪᴋᴇs: -Decorating small displays -People watching/Interactions with Staff -Learning Short Tunes ⇢ ᴅɪsʟɪᴋᴇs: -The restaurant's manager (They have beef for a reason that Charles doesn’t understand :( ) -Their hair coming undone.

─────✧･ﾟ:✧･

𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚐𝚛𝚊ᴍ𝚎ᴅ ғᴇᴀᴛᴜʀᴇs: Charles is programmed to provide musical entertainment for those visiting and eating at the restaurant. His main programming involves a general music database to take requests from, interactional programming for his smaller sidekicks The Chickadees, and slightly tightened hearing compared to the others to hear over his own music. While not in his initial programming, Charles sometimes tries to interact and wait on tables on slower days. More or less relying on their own mimicry of the employees to successfully deliver items. ─────✧･ﾟ: ✧･

Additional Ref - The Chickadees:

#[Sweet Treats] - Character Refs #[Soaring Melodies] - Charles #[Small Chirps] - The Chickadees

0 notes

acmenvs3000w23 · 2 years

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Nature Interpretation through Music

Hello Everyone,

I thought this was an interesting topic to read about. Music plays a role in many of our lives and it’s interesting to see it from a different perspective. Music is all around us in every possible crack and crevice. I use music to get away from the daily hustle and bustle. It clears my mind and just lets me relax. Now to think where music is in nature the answer is its everywhere. Whether you’re in the boreal forest listening to sparrows, warblers, chickadees, and others chirping along to the rustling of wind in the Sahara Desert to the middle of the Pacific Ocean where humpback whales produce sounds to communicate. We cannot escape it. Gray et al. (2001) discusses the many forms of music used by different species and how everyone has their own sort of way of showing it. Some are obvious like humans and birds but others such as whales are difficult to interpret. Gray et al. (2001) mentioned that the song structure used by whales is similar to ABA form which is also used in many differing songs by humans. We also have other forms such as AABA, ABAB, AAB and others. Furthermore gray et al. (2001) talks about a universal music that is waiting to be discovered. Imagine if we could discover this universal music. It would open so many possibilities. What would be the first thing you would do if there was a universal music?

Now let’s talk about where nature is in music. Mallarach (2012) mentions on page 130 that folk singing performances may offer the community with new strengthened meanings with links to the surrounding nature. The music is being performed to specifically connect individuals with nature. The nature is the reason the songs were made in the first place. Mallarach (2012) further goes to explains on page 130 that specific messages can be placed within songs to better communicate to the audience. These folk songs and many other songs from around the globe are created to show meaning and to remember the beauty and sacrifice that the land and nature has gone through. Songs hold scaredness. The ways these songs communicate towards the audience changes people views. Different instruments, vocals, pitches, and other music terms presented can alter a song and change where meaning is placed. In what ways can different instruments, forms, rhythm, and others alter that way a song is perceived?

I live in a small town in the country so really any songs related to country music bring me back to natural landscapes. I just imagine the times where I was working outdoors, helping my parents, or going on a road trip. It was always country music. Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw, and many others. They just have a certain vibe that makes me feel at home. Driving down the road windows down country music blaring basking in the sunshine just admiring the open landscape, different crops, and the beauty all around me. What are your favourite types of music?

Aaron

Gray, P. M., Krause, B., Atema, J., Payne, R., Krumhansl, C. & Baptista, L. (2001). The music of nature and the nature of music. Science, 291(5501), pp. 52-54. DOI: 10.1126/science.10.1126/SCIENCE.1056960

Mallarach, Josep-Maria (ed.). Spiritual Values of Protected Areas of Europe: Workshop Proceedings. Bonn, Germany: Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, 2012. 170 pp. ISBN: 978-3-89624-057-6.

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cbenvs3000w23 · 2 years

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Unit 01 Blog: Nature- A place of peace and appreciation

I like to think of nature as an escape. As escape from reality and from all of the ups and downs today’s society has to offer. Growing up in a small town in northern Ontario, it became quite easy to grow a love for nature. My hometown is about two hours east of Thunder Bay. The conifers take over the forest, and create a thick, dense sheet. The birds are often chirping, and larger animals are always watching to ensure their safety is not in jeopardy. As a child I was outside from morning until the street lights came on. My friends and I would explore the nearby forest and all of the animals thriving within it. Now however, it has become more difficult to enjoy what nature has to offer, as jobs and school work often consume a majority of my time. Before entering university, I knew I wanted to study more about the world, and learn as much as I could about it. After taking a few environmental courses as electives, it became more clear that I wish I could still experience nature as I did as a child. Instead of pointing out a colourful flower, or all of the buzzing bees, I point out that these species are more scarce as time goes on. More time is spent worrying about “what might be” in the time to come. That being said, I now begin to slowly take in nature's amazing features. Slowly walking through the forest and noticing all I can. Taking in the smells and sounds has allowed me to connect not only my mind to nature, but as well as my body. Many of my adventures take place back at home. A few of my favourites are hiking on local trails with my friends and my dog, feeding chickadees off of my hand, observing and learning bird calls, and a recent favourite, having a lynx follow us as we walk through a trail. The last one, although it sounds terrifying, it was one of the greatest nature related experiences I have had. As it was following us we noticed its movement and its large features such as their snowshoe paws and large ears. When we first noticed the lynx it was far across the lake, but as soon as we got up to leave, we noticed it came to follow us. We were unsure if it was stalking us or the dogs we had with us, regardless, it was threatened by us in its territory. Ultimately, during this time I felt connected to nature in a way I never felt before. The only thing going through my head was this lynx, how it leaves no traces, how it followed us for so long without us even knowing, and what it wanted from us. The lynx gave us no issues, just followed along, and observed what we were doing. Below I have attached the video my friend took of the lynx. I hope you enjoy this magnificent creature as much as I did.

As mentioned, ever since I was a child I loved to be outside with my friends exploring nature. I would say my best friend gave me a sense of place in nature. Together we explore the forest, hike local trails, and visit the beaches to watch the waves crash along the shore of Lake Superior. We feed off of one anothers appreciation for nature and still do to this day. I am always excited for winter and summer breaks so we can explore more of the world, and travel to new places together. Along with the video, I have attached a few of my favourite views from back home.

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miss-writes-a-lot · 1 year

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Tsukimi (Formerly titled 'Something Beautiful)

(This took forever and it's not how I pictured it turning out, but it was taking too long, and I have late start classes soon and didn't want to forget about it. Might go back and rewrite/edit this in the future. Content warning for implied harm to animals and illegal animal trapping)

The chill already starts to crawl up the base of Keigo's spine and reverberates across his wings the second Touya cracks the window a smidge. Suzume feels it too. Keigo sees her shiver a bit in the rearview mirror despite sitting on the opposite side of her arsonist father. Though given how tightly her brows are knitted together, he can tell that it's not just the cold that's preoccupying her mind.

He smiles sympathetically at her reflection, "You doing okay back there, Suzi?"

Suzume's eyes flicker up to meet his in the mirror. There's a brief flash of anxiousness before she forces a tight, closed smile – an expression that makes Keigo's stomach turn with gross familiarity.

"I'm okay!" She nervously chirps back.

"Are you sure? If you're not feelin' we'll, we can go back to the hotel–"

"No!" Suzume’s face burns red and she hides herself in the oversized jacket Touya lent her, "S-Sorry…"

"It's okay, Chickadee."

"You wanna tell us what's up?" Touya asks.

Suzume sinks further into the hood of the jacket, pulling her knees to her chest. "'m nervous 'bout going and seeing Pippa-chan again…"

Keigo's own worry softens into a smile, "Yeah, it's been a while since we've been out like this, huh? And you haven't seen Pippa since…?"

He trails off, turning his head to Touya.

"Damn, it had to be a couple months at least," Touya says, carding a hand through his hair.

"What if she doesn't wanna see me anymore? What if she doesn't like me anymore…?"

"Oh Su, I'm sure she'll be plenty happy to see you again."

"She thinks I'm boring…"

"She doesn't think you're boring, Su," Touya states, "She’s probably itchin’ to see you real bad after all this time. Heck, I bet you that little bunny’s bouncing off the walls at the thought of seein’ you!”

Suzume slowly lifts her head, “Yeah…?”

Touya nods, “Anytime I call Tenko and you’re at school, I always hear Pippa in the back yelling about how badly she wants to see you again.”

Suzume brightens, fully unfurling with even a small smile starting to form on her face. “Really?”

“Really, kid. Pippa’s crazy about you, and even if you’re doing nothing, she’ll still just love being with ‘cha.”

She’s starting to grin, kicking her feet happily as she looks intently out the window at all the passing cars and people walking to and from the park venue. Keigo turns back to Touya, mouthing a sweet ‘thank you.’ Touya throws him a quick glance before he picks up his hand and presses a kiss to the top of his hand.

Ignoring the lie that Tenko and Touya can call as often as he says they do without a, the intervention of their parole officers and b, without trying to make fun of each other for the entire conversation, Keigo can’t help but smile at the fact that his daughter has already made so many wonderful and somewhat loud friends at only five-years-old. If it were something he had been allowed to dream about, his younger self would have killed to have had actual friends his age who were just happy to see him and could distract him from the large crowds of unfamiliar people in an equally unfamiliar place (well, somewhat unfamiliar).

He tries not to be envious of it, tries to linger on what could have been, and focuses on what he has now. He has friends and while a lot of them have a rapt sheet a mile long, technically so did he, and they were the best friends anyone could ask for– ones who can quite literally kill for him. His daughter is doing things he didn’t experience until he became the adult he is now, and better still, she doesn’t need to do these things for a PR stunt or because someone told her to. She gets to do (mostly) anything she wants. She gets to choose.

And that’s all he ever wants for her.

The parking lot is full, both with cars and people. Keigo can already hear the beginnings of Touya’s grumbling about how they should have left earlier instead of trying to find the right haori that matched Suzume’s kimono. They miraculously find a spot to squeeze into near the entrance of the park. Suzume hands off Touya’s jacket to him with her little hands before she grabs her little bag and slips out of the back. Keigo and Touya follow, Touya going to the trunk to pull out the picnic stuff and Keigo helping Suzume try to navigate her first pair of zori.

Being that it is her first moon-viewing festival, it is only fitting that she wears her first kimono to it. After literal weeks of indecisive internet searching and shopping, she finally found one she wanted – a pretty sky-colored thing with golden flowers printed on the bottom and sleeves with a matching obi to boot.

Keigo also decided – at the very last second – to dress up for the occasion, digging out the same deep red and gold kimono he had worn five and a half years prior while his husband stuck to his all-black ensemble in case someone here recognizes them – Keigo having pinned his wings to his back just before they left.

“I think I’m getting it,” Suzume says, wobbling on her slightly elevated shoes.

“You sure?” Keigo asks, slowly trailing behind her.

She nods. She steps forward, trying to take bigger strides and she immediately trips over her feet and starts to fall forward.

“Never mind, I don’t. I lied – I lied!”

Keigo quickly launches forward and catches her by her torso before she can faceplant into the concrete.

"You okay?" He asks.

"I think I need my real shoes."

Keigo chuckles, "Yeah, I think you do, too. Hey Firefly, can you grab–"

"Lemme out! Lemme out! Lemme ouuuuuuut!"

They all turn their heads to the line of cars opposite of them. Standing at the back of a black Lexus trying to wrangle their impatient daughter are the Usagiyama-Shimuras. Tenko holds Pippa as tightly as he can muster while Rumi adjusts the blue and pink comb in Pippa's hair.

"Pippa – hold still!" Rumi exclaims, trying to catch her daughter's bobbing head.

"But I wanna goooo!" Pippa whines.

"Hey, you're the one who wanted to be pretty like Mommy. Now hold still!"

Rumi manages to get the decorative comb in her daughter's hair before she breaks out of her father's grip.

"There! You're free now. Was that so bad?"

"Yes," Pippa replies, fists on her hips and a confident nod.

Rumi playfully rolls her eyes, catching sight of the other trio. She grins and waves to them. "Hey!"

Keigo and Suzume wave to them. Pippa looks up, her jaw immediately dropping as she zeroes in on Suzume. She grins, and Suzume grins back at her. Pippa gets into a running stance, pushing off her back foot, and propels herself forward.

“Suzume-channnnnnnnn!”

She flies across the parking lot and holy shit, Keigo forgot how fast she is. He reaches down to scoop Suzume up into his arms before she can ram into her with all of her force. Pippa screeches to a halt at Keigo’s legs.

“Hey,” she whines, making grabby hands at Suzume, “Gimme!”

Suzume giggles as Keigo moves her around while Pippa hops around trying to grab her. Rumi and Tenko rush across the parking lot to meet them.

“God fucking – Pippa!” Tenko gasps.

“Papa!” Pippa replies much more cheerfully.

“Don’t do that,” he says.

Pippa just giggles in response.

Rumi sighs, shaking her head. “Sorry, Kei. She got really excited when she heard that you guys were bringing Suzume with you.”

“Told you,” he whispers to Suzume, “No prob, Rumi. Suzume’s happy to see you all too. Well, mostly Pippa.”

Keigo sets Suzume down. Pippa immediately grabs Suzume and wraps her up in a bone-crushing hug that just makes Suzume laugh even more.

“You look very cute, Pippa-chan,” Keigo says.

“I know!” Pippa proclaims, “I wanted to match with Papa but he didn’t wanna wear a kimono ‘cause he’s boring.”

“Yeah, I know how that feels,” he replies, pointing at Touya with his eyes.

“Hey, boring’s keeping us from getting swarmed by paparazzi right now,” Touya faux chides as he throws their picnic shit over his shoulder.

“Ah ah ah! I believe it was my husband’s expertise that found us a town where barely anyone knows us,” Rumi says, grabbing Tenko’s hip and pulling him close.

“Hey, let’s not forget I’m the one who came up with the idea to come all the way out here in the first place,” Keigo says, gesturing to the entrance.

Pippa groans, “Oh my god, no one cares. Can we please go now?”

“Alright, alright. Lead the way, Pip Pip,” Tenko coincides, immediately regretting his decision when Pippa grabs Suzume’s hand and pulls her along the crowds of people entering the park.

The adults hurry after the two with Rumi being the only one able to keep pace with them in spite of her elevated shoes. Keigo’s wings are itching to break out of their confines so he can ensure they don’t end up getting lost, but he tries to keep them – and mostly himself – placated.

They maneuver through the claustrophobic crowds and the long lines outside the food and game booths along the treeline. Pippa breaks through the people and gasps, pointing to the grassy clearing with the other people.

“I found a spot! I found a spot!” she shouts. She grabs Suzume’s hand and pulls her toward the middle of the field, Rumi following them.

The two girls tumble into the grass, limbs splayed out to protect their place until the adults meet them there.

“Good find, Pip!” Rumi exclaims. She picks up the little rabbit girl and places her on her hip. Suzume sits up and dusts the grass off of her kimono. She makes grabby hands at Keigo when he finally pulls up to the spot.

“I need help.”

Keigo chuckles. He grabs her hands and pulls her to her feet, “Up you go.”

“Thank you.”

“Suzu-chan, come get dango with me!”

“Pippa, we just got here.”

“But I’m hungry.”

Tenko sighs, opening his arms, “Give her here. I’ll take her.”

“You sure? Don’t you wanna sit and chill for a bit?”

Tenko waves her off, “You’ve been taking care of her all day. Don’t worry, I got this.”

“Oh, do you?” Pippa asks dramatically, getting a few centimeters from his face to stare at him with playful intensity.

Tenko slowly turns his head to her, looks at her blankly for a few seconds before he blows a raspberry into her cheek, causing her to squeal.

“Yes. I do,” he looks down at Suzume, “You wanna come?”

“Um,” Suzume anxiously looks back at her dads, “Can I?”

Touya nods, “ ‘Course, Su.”

“Stay close to your uncle Tenks, okay?” Keigo says.

Suzume nods.

Keigo looks up at Tenko. "Keep her steady, yeah? She's not good at walking in her zori yet."

Tenko nods. He holds out his hand for Suzume and together, the three walk in the direction of the food stalls in the wooded area. Keigo watches them disappear among the crowd. His stomach can’t help but twist a bit as he begins to lose sight of her.

A pair of firm hands trail up his arms and grab him by the shoulders, pulling him back into a hug.

“Hey,” Touya’s voice rumbles in his ears, “You okay?”

Keigo nods, “Yeah. I’m good.”

“She’s gonna be okay. Nobody’s gonna do anything to our kid with Ten around.”

“I know, but…she’s our kid, you know?”

Touya chortles, “I mean, yeah? I was there, remember?”

Keigo elbows his side, “You know what I mean. I worry…”

Touya turns his head to press a soft kiss on his cheek, “I know. I do, too. But we gotta let her have fun once and a while. God knows we could have used it…”

Keigo nods, nuzzling into Touya’s neck. “I hope she’s having fun…”

“Babe, she’s with Pippa. If she isn’t having fun, she’s probably having a full-on stroke.”

“Oh yeah, she’ll do that to ya,” Rumi says, laying out the picnic blanket.

“Have you been listening to us this whole time?”

“Kei, I’m literally only a few steps away from you. Of course, I’ve been listening.”

Touya rolls his eyes, murmuring “Dumb bunny,” as he goes to sit on the blanket.

“Sorry about that. Didn’t mean to bring down the mood.”

Rumi waves him off, “You’re fine. You’re just being a dad. It’s actually really sweet, you worrying over Suzume like that.”

Keigo hums, “What can I say? She makes me a huge sap sometimes.”

Touya snorts, “More like all the time…”

Rumi laughs, “Don’t worry about it! All kids make us saps, hell – the number of times I’ve cried at the dumb cartoons she makes me watch is fucking abysmal and you can’t tell me that that little blue dog doesn’t do the same to you!”

“I don’t know what you’re fucking talking about. I had a perfectly happy childhood.”

“Bull. Fucking. Shit.”

Keigo laughs from the side as Touya and Rumi bicker back and forth, some of his anxiety starting to melt away the further he gets lost in their conversation.

‘She’ll be fine,’ he thinks, starting to unpack the food that Pippa had been too impatient for, ‘She’s with Tenko and Pippa. She’s fine and having fun. And so should you.’

He cracks open a beer, cheers to no one but himself, and prays to the gods that his internal mantra proves to be true while he waits for the trio to return.

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

“Dan-go! Dan-go! Dan-go!”

Pippa and Suzume chant the entire 5-minute walk to one of the dango stalls. Pippa started it first and Suzume joined in not long after, but now her arm is starting to hurt from fist-pumping the air and she can tell that Uncle Tenko’s starting to get tired of it as well.

They finally decide to stop when they reach the nearest Dango place with a pretty long line in front of it. Pippa’s ears droop and her chin drops onto Tenko’s shoulder. She groans.

“This is gonna take foreverrr!”

Tenko sighs, “Yeah, it might. Better get comfy.”

“Boooo…”

Pippa pouts on her father’s shoulder. Suzume simply stands quietly beside them. She doesn’t mind waiting. Waiting just means she doesn’t have to walk or take big steps in her high shoes for a little while.

However, waiting also means she is now acutely aware of how many people are at this moon-viewing festival thing. From what her papa told her, Tsukimi festivals aren’t this big. People usually celebrate at home with their own little shrines and offerings.

Maybe the people here just really like the moon.

She likes the moon too, though she probably wouldn’t go all the way out here to see it. It’s cold here – even with all of the layers she’s wearing, there’s a chill running up her little fingers and the base of her neck.

And now, some of the people are staring at them. She doesn’t like staring, but they aren’t just staring at her.

She follows their eyes up her Uncle Tenko to Pippa who is still on his hip. They stare and whisper to each other. Some of the other kids passing by point at her and say things before their parents hurry them along while still staring. Suzume looks up to see if Pippa sees and they lock eyes.

Her ears droop. Any excitement drains from her face as she hides it in Uncle Tenko’s shoulder, gripping his black hoodie tightly.

Uncle Tenko slips his hand out of Suzume’s and moves it to rub soothing circles into her back, glaring at the people staring at them. Suzume shuffles to hug his leg and hide from their prying eyes as well.

“You okay, Pip?” he asks quietly.

“‘M not hungry anymore,” she mumbles into the soft fabric of his hoodie, “I wanna go.”

“You sure, Bun?”

She nods, gripping him tighter, “I wanna go.”

“Okay, okay. We’re going. We’re going. Come on, Suzume. I can take you to get Dango later, yeah?”

“It’s okay,” Suzume says.

It’s too overwhelming with all of these people, and she doesn’t want Pippa to be sad anymore. She doesn’t really care about the dango anyways. She isn’t even all that hungry.

Uncle Tenko reaches down, takes her hand, and they start walking out of the line. Suzume keeps her eyes on her feet so she doesn’t trip and fall over herself like she did in the parking lot. That, and it helps her keep focus off of the people staring at them as they pass.

They’re almost in the clear, grass starting to show up beneath her feet, when Pippa starts to talk again. She doesn’t hear what she says, but the next thing she knows, Uncle Tenko lets go of her hand as he starts struggling. She looks up to see Pippa, squirming and kicking to get out of his arms. Maybe she changed her mind about getting dango?

That idea immedietatley goes out the window as Pippa jumps out of his arms and races toward the treeline and into the brush at top speed.

“Pippa!” Uncle Tenko shouts, “Shit – C’mere. We’re goin’ after her.”

“Again?”

“Yes, again. Come on.”

He scoops up Suzume – because there is no way she’s going to be able to keep up with him in these shoes – and they dash into the woods. They follow the sound of crunching leaves. Suzume tries to keep track of the dot that is now her friend that bobs between bushes and tall trees.

“Pippa! Pippa, come back here!” Uncle Tenko shouts.

“She’s over there!” Suzume says, pointing to a small clearing up ahead.

They find Pippa crouched over something, moving back and forth with her hands anxiously hovering around the mysterious object. Uncle Tenko screeches to a halt, sets Suzume down on her feet, and runs to Pippa’s side. Suzume awkwardly shuffles to meet her as well.

“Pippa!” he yells again, “Don’t go running off like that! What’s gotten into you?”

She ignores him, still continuing to fret over the thing in front of her while her head scans the area.

“Pippa, what’re you–?”

That’s when they hear it.

The squealing.

Tenko and Suzume move to the side and see a small, white rabbit in front of the rabbit girl. Its back left foot is caught in a trap. It’s one Suzume’s seen around her neighborhood in her backyard – a simple one made out of sharp string that cuts into the animal’s leg. She winces, hiding her face in her uncle’s leg at the sight of the bloody line wrapping around its ankle.

Tenko stares in shock, “Pip..how–?”

“I heard it,” Pippa says, “I can hear all of them.”

“All of them?”

Pippa nods, pointing around the brush with her ears twitching. “They’re in there somewhere. I can hear them. Someone’s hurting the bunnies, Papa. I have to help them. They’re hurting really bad.”

Uncle Tenko sighs. Suzume releases his leg as he goes and crouches down in front of the trapped rabbit. He pulls up his sleeve, reaches out a hand, and pinches a bit of loose string between his fingers. The two girls watch anxiously from the side. The string disingrates cleanly between his thumb and pointer finger, leaving the bunny unscathed but still startled. He scoops the injured animal in his arms and hands it off to Pippa.

“Here. You keep him safe and help me find the rest, yeah?”

Both girls grin and nod.

Together, they scour the forest looking for rabbits stuck in traps. Some are in the string traps, others in little boxes that Pippa breaks open with her foot – her grin growing each time she releases one into the wild. Suzume spots out the ones really far or really well hidden behind the thick bramble.

They’re done by the time the sun sets and the sky has adopted a light periwinkle color. Uncle Tenko leaves the flash on as they open the last box with the last rabbit inside. It hops out easily, bouncing back into the brush without so much as a glance back.

“Alright, looks like that was the last one,” he says, rolling his sleeves down, “Time to head out, girls. Your mom’s been texting non stop about us.”

“Wait, what about this one?” Pippa holds up the injured rabbit from before up to him, “he’s still hurt!”

“We can take him to the vet tomorrow to get him checked out. Once he feels better–”

“We can keep him?”

“No. We are not keeping him.”

“Oh, we are so keeping him,” Pippa says to Suzume.

“We are not. Keeping him.”

“I can keep him,” Suzume says.

“I don’t think your dads would want to keep a bunny in their house either, Suzu. They’ve already got Pippa to deal with when we come over.”

“Oh.”

“Now, come on! Before it gets really dark.”

The trio hike their way out of the forest. By now, only the lanterns remained up and strung along the trees. The food and game vendors had gone and everyone’s sitting in the grassy field. When they get there, Pippa’s mom and Suzume’s dad are already starting to get up in their direction before they see them.

They both run over to them, Keigo scooping Suzume up in her arms and Aunt Rumi coming up to hug her husband and daughter – and her rabbit.

“There you are!” Keigo exclaims, her other dad coming up to join him, “Where have you been?”

“We found a lot of bunnies in traps in the woods and we were letting them out,” Suzume replies plainly.

“I found this one! I’m calling him Hito!” Pippa exclaims.

Aunt Rumi turns to Uncle Tenko, “Babe, when I said I might wanna have another kid, this isn’t exactly what I had in mind.”

“We are not keeping him,” Tenko deadpans.

“Too late! Already named him! He’s ours!”

“Pippa..”

Touya puts his hands up, “Look, let’s just be glad that everyone’s safe and nobody died tonight. I’d call that a win for us, yeah?”

The adults make non-committal hums in agreement.

“Great. So let’s go see this stupid moon or whatever, eat, and go home, yeah?”

The group makes their way back over to the blanket. Suzume crawls into Keigo’s lap. He folds his arms over her and she leans back against his chest with Touya wrapping an arm around his waist. Pippa’s sitting in her mom’s lap with Hito in hers. The park goes quiet as everyone turns their heads up to the sky to the bright and full moon in the sky. Suzume and Pippa trace the shapes on the inside to see if they can find the rabbits pounding mochi.

“I found one!” Pippa whisper-yells to her. Suzume grins back at her.

Touya slides a small container of food to her, making her realize just how hungry she had been this entire time. She digs in without even glancing at the utensils.

“Moon’s pretty,” she whispers through a mouthful of rice.

Keigo hums in agreement, “Yeah, it is. Just like it was the last time we went.”

“When was that?” she asks, looking up at him.

“Before you were born. We just found out we were gonna have you and I wanted to go and see it before we did.”

“Oh,” Suzume looks down at her food for a second before she looks back up at her dads, “Can we go again next time?”

Keigo’s brows arch in surprise for a second before his face softens into a smile. He reaches down to peck a kiss on her forehead.

“Sure, baby. We can.”

“Cool.”

She goes back to eating and staring at the moon, still trying to find the shape of the rabbit within the moon’s glow.

(Might also do a prequel to this and then edit this because it's bad. Next up is something shorter and hopefully better.)

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