#listen i know babies are bald at birth but 1) shut up

[shop-cailey]

PURPLE - WRIST - REST - IS

AGAIN - SUPER - HUGE - SO

DID - NOT - MEASURE - THE

3 ROUNDS - HAS - SOFT HAI

TAPE - WHAT - I'VE - BEEN

WISHING - SO - WILL - YES

MEASURE - 9:35P EST - MALE

MANAGER - OPENED - MY HAI

DOOR - WHERE - I AM - NAKED

SCRUBBING - HE - CALLS - YES

WOMEN - MENTALLY - ILL - A

TRUE - MISOGYNIST - HATRED

AND - ABUSE - OF - FOREIGN

WOMEN - ESPECIALLY - HE

ATTACKED - BECAUSE

SAT - 1P - 5P - AUTHORS

OF - FLORIDA - MEET THEM

HE - WENT - 2 - LUNCH - TO

GO - TOWARDS - MAIN LIBRARY

HE - HAS - BEEN - STALKING ME

LISTENING - HOW - 2 - MURDER

2 - GET - $150 BILLION - NO USD

NOW - OVER - $250 BILLION AS

HOMELESS - BLKS - WENT

CRAZY - BALD - HEAD THAT

LET - TREE - HIT - MY HEAD

ONLY - BOUGHT - BEER - NO

DRINK - 4 - ME - INLOVE AND

MIAMI - POLICE - ALLOWED

PUBLIC - ALCOHOL - DRINK'G

HE - WAS - JUST - CRAZY - SO

THAT's - DONE - MANAGER

WAS - STALKING ME - THUS

WAS - GOING - 2 - BOX - ME

FRIDAY - NIGHT - TGIF TGIF

SINCE - 1941 - WHEELCHAIR

DEMOCRAT - ROOSEVELT

WHO - PUT - AMERICAN

JAPANESE - CONCENTRATION

CAMPS - STARVED - 3 MEALS

A - DAY - FLORIDA - BEGAN

BAKER - ACT

CONCENTRATION - CAMP

4 - EVERYONE - LESS THAN

3 DAYS - 4 - BIRTH CONTROL

PILLS USER - COED - U SEE

SOMEONE - WENT - ALL THE

WAY - WITH - ME - REALLY

I - KNOW - WHO

3RD - DAY - THEY'RE - YES

PREGNANT - PILLS - 2 HAI

HOW - MANY - KIDS THEY

WANT - NOT - 2 - BURN THE

AREA - LIKE - THE - BLK

GYNECOLOGIST - HE WAS

DESCRIBING - BURNING TUBES

I - SCREAMED - SHUT UP

SHOWED - BABIES - IN - THE

WOMB - HE - AIN'T - GIVING 2

50 AND OLDER - HE SMILED

DR MARIA MEJIA - UGLY

HISPANIC - TOPIRAMAX

SEASONIQUE - SAID - NO

2 - THAT - SHE - SAID BIRTH

CONTROL - A - JOKE - SO IS

BONIVA - BONE - DETERIOR -

RATION - PREVENTOR - JUST

ONCE - PER - MONTH - SHE

SAID - USA - PSYCHO - MEDS

NO 1 - SHE - DOESN'T - GIVE

2 - ST JUDE's - SHE SAID - A

SCAM - 1 UGLY - WEIRDO SO

I - TOOK - IT - AND - STOPPED

BLOODFLOW - NO NEED FOR

GYNOCOLOGY - SO - HAPPY

TOPIRAMAX - 50 MG

TODAY - FOOD STAMPS - $67

FEB - 2 - UC - SIGNALS - 2 ME

2 - MANUALLY - APPLY

DO - I - HAVE - PIG - FARM

LAND - 4 - PROFIT - STUPIDS

DO - I - HAVE STOCKS BONDS

I - ALMOST - HAD - A - HEART

ATTACK - 15 MIN - AGO - NOW

I'M - FINE - SUSHI - 4 - ME SO

SINCE - EBT - DOESNT' - GIVE

MONEY - 4 - DELI - FRIED CKN

CHECKING - 13ST - SUSHI

I'M - 2 - WEAK - 2 - GO - 4

INARI - MAYBE - TONIGHT

BECAUSE - MONDAY - NO

FOOD - TONIGHT - RIVER

LANDING - INARI - $7.05

FOUND - ROOT BEER - 0 CAL

IS - ABOVE - IS ONLY - 8 INCH

INSTEAD - OF - 14 INCH HARD

2 - GET - OUT - FOUND - TENT

4 - IT - TRIED - 2 - FING - 4 FT

WIDTH - NO SUCH - THING

SO - 5 FT - LIKE - MINE BUT

LONG - 10 INCHES - MORE

INSTEAD - OF 3 INCH - YES

ABOVE - SUPER EXPENSIVE

ARRIVES - TOMORROW

CAMILLUS HOUSE

THEY KICKED - ME - OUT

THEY - WANTED - 2 - THROW

PACKAGES - ON MY - FACE 2

BATTERY - AND - ASSAULT

LIKE - MY - PHILIPPINE

ADOPTED - FATHER - WAS

WATCHING - LITTLE HOUSE

ON - THE - PRAIRIE - AND HE

GOT - HIS - SLIPPER - AND HIT

MY - HEAD - HOLE ON - FORE

HEAD - TIRED OF - SUBJECT

RAN - 2 - GRANDPA - NO MORE

FUEL - SHOOT - HIM - HAVE TO

GO - 2 - MAKATI MEDICAL CTR

CHARGE - ON - THEM

HE - SHOT - MY - ADOPTED

DAD - TWICE - SO - THERE

ME - HIS - 1ST - GRANDCHILD

THEN - WE - WENT - 2 - PARIS

WHAT - DO - U - WANT - FR

PARIS - GRANDPAPA - HE

TOLD - ME - GOT - HIS THEIR

MACAROONS - NICE - TELL

TEACHERS - WHAT - WENT

ON - GONE - 4 - 3 MONTHS

ABOVE - IS - ONLY - 6 LBS

PUT - IN - SMALL - BAG

OTHER - 15 LBS - DESTROYING

SIDES - OF - TENT - HEAVY

AND - LONG - EASY - 2 - YES

ASSEMBLE - NO - COT - WHY

THOSE - BECOME - FLAT YES

FAST - USING - AIR MAT WITH

MANDATORY - TWIN - FITTED

SHEET - OR - WILL FREEZE U

ABOVE - IS - BEST - INCLUDES

FREE - OVERNIGHT DELIVERY

THE - PRICE - TENT - IS GREEN

75.6 - LENGTH

TENT - 86.5 - INSIDE

MAT - 77 INCH - OVER 9 INCH

LEFT - NICE - ROOM - LEFT

SO - LIKE - GREEN FOREST

[alex-fa-ch]

Hmm random Quartz headcanon but they were named for their hair

#listen i know babies are bald at birth but 1) shut up #2) until i figure out what the god is up with their parents some other person named them #3) quartz has been alone basically their whole life but like SOMEONE had to have like. idk kept them from dying #esp since they were born in the old nether #which imo is a lot more fucking hostile #like dgmw i like the nether update but the nether feels nerfed #but the old nether is like. a special flavor of hell #while the new one is more alien than hellish yk???.?

[niccoloswifey]

Levi x Wife!Reader

Type: Fluff

Reader: Wife!Mother

Title: No He Did Not Pay Me

1/30/21

Y/n's POV

I was walking around town when a guy came up to me.

"You know your kids look alot like my friend Levi Ackerman" he says. I smile.

"Oh that's because he's my husband" I say smiling as I point to the ring on my hand. His eyes go wide and he grabs my hand.

"You have to come meet the cadets. Ooh and bring the Levi babies with you" He says.

"Robert, William. Come on" I say as they each hold one of my hands. Hange leads me to where they all stay. I walk in.

"Wow its so clean. Like Levi level clean" I say. Hange laughs.

"Yeah Levi makes all the cadets weekly" He says. I laugh. Hang then leads me to the room where everyone eats and to my surprise everyone was there. Robert and William immediately start yelling

"PAPA! PAPA!" They both yell.

"Who's papa?" A bald boy asks. Robert and William then run to Levi and hold their hands up as if to say 'pick me up. Levi sighs and picks them both up. Everyone's eyes go wide.

"Levi's a father? And he's got a hot chick as his wife?" A boy who looks like a horse says. I become embarrassed from his comment and Levi didn't like that.

"KIRSTEIN 50 LAPS!" He yells. I laugh and walk over to him. Everyone just stares at us.

"What are you looking at brats?" Levi asks.

"How much did he pay you?" The bald one asks.

"SPRINGER 50 LAPS!" Levi yells again. Everyone just continues to stare. I sigh.

"Yes I am Y/n Ackerman. His wife, these are our two kids Robert and William. No he did not pay me." I say.

"How did you even get here?" He asks me.

"Well I was the market when I ran into that guy over there who said my kids looked like you. He then suggested I meet everyone" I say smiling. His eyes soften and he Slightly smiles at me. Everyond begins screaming.

"LEVI JUST SMILED! OH MY GOD!" They all yelled. My kids started to cry and I was getting pissed. Before Levi could say anything.

"SHUT THE HELL UP BEFORE I PUT MY FOOT UP YOUR ASS!" I yell. They all shut up and I pick up William.

"Its okay baby. Don't cry anymore" I say as I hold him. Levi holds Robert and glares at the cadets.

"Wow she's even scary like you too!" Hange says.

"Shut the hell up four eyes" He says glaring at him.

"Language Levi" I say as I smack his head lightly. All the cadets faces turned white. Levi glared at me and I bent over so we were face to face.

"Glare at me like that again. I dare you" I say as I smile sweetly. He continues to glare and everyone just stares horrified.

"You may be Humanity's Strongest, but I'm your wife. I will make your life a living hell and I will burn all your cleaning products" I say as I continue to smile sweetly. Levi quickly stopped glaring and turned away.

"Did she just-" a boy with brown hair begins.

"She just stood up to Levi" a girl with a potato in her mouth says.

"Of course I did" I say.

"You're so cool!" Eren says.

"JAEGER 50 LAPS!" Levi yells. I laugh.

"You're so cute" I say as I pinch his cheek.

"How do you not die when you do that?" The girl with a potato in her mouth asks.

"Its simple really. 1. Im his wife, 2. I birthed his children and 3. I know the code to his safe filled with cleaning supplies" I say. They all sweat drop at my innocent smile.

"Who is this?" A tall man with big eyebrows asks.

"Its the creator of the Levi babies" Hange says.

"Levi- where did they come from?" He asks.

"Obviously from me" I say. He walks over and holds out his hand

"Erwin Smith" I set down William and shake Erwin's hand.

"Y/n Ackerman" I say smiling.

"Why are all the cadets in a corner scared?" Erwin asks.

"Because I stood up to Levi and won" I say smiling. I feel Levi glare at me. I turn around and give him an innocent smile.

"You're on thin ice honey. I will burn your cleaning products. Just like I did with your mop. Glare at me again" I say. Levi tched and turned away.

"Wow he listens to you" Erwin says.

"Of course he does. After all he's my husband" I say.

(771 Words)

#levi ackerman #levi x reader #aot fluff #aot x reader #aot #snk #attack on titan #shingeki no kyojin #x reader #fem reader

[txfsimstyle]

Vacancy Signs Pt. 7

Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6

Previously....

Mulder kisses Scully’s head and helps her cradle the baby’s head. ”Have you thought more about a name?” Mulder asks quietly while Maggie cuts the cord and wraps up the baby. Maggie is beaming at the child, eyes full of unshed tears. The whole scene causes a lump to form in Scully’s throat. They haven’t talked much about names. She’d thought of it of course and knows right away what name she wants. “I like the name, Audrey.” Scully murmurs as her mother hands over the whimpering bundle. “Audrey meaning strong.” Mulder answers and gazes at the baby. Scully nods and looks up at her mother. Maggie nods, “That’s beautiful Dana.” “Hey Audrey, welcome to the world,” Scully says and kisses her baby. 

The Lone Gunmen’s secret bunker Somewhere outside of DC Three days after Audrey’s birth 3:45pm 

“Wow newborns are kind of ugly.” Langley says as he gives the baby a wave. 

“Shut it blondie, she’s beautiful.” Frohike scolds and leans over the bassinet.  “She is beautiful. Congratulations you guys.” Byers says with a smile.  “She’s a good girl too, real quiet and just watching everybody all the time.” Mulder says as he runs a finger down his daughter’s velvet cheek.  The Gunmen watched the baby for a few more minutes and then left the new parents alone with their daughter. 

They stared at her silently for a moment, just admiring Audrey.  “She’s perfect.” Scully whispers.  Mulder kisses her head and holds her. 

“I started doubting I’d ever find you.” He says against her hair. Scully turns her face into his neck and pulls him close.  “Thank you for finding us.” She murmurs against his skin.  “I’m going to find out why they took you and what happened. The Gunmen have some data they want me to go over with them.”

“Ok boys so are you going to tell me what all of this shit means?” Mulder asks as he examines the complicated equipment in front of him.  The Gunmen have taken him to a back room in the compound that appears to house all of the machines that keep the place running. 

“You wouldn’t understand it if we tried to tell you.” Langly responds before reading a couple screens and pressing a few buttons. 

“Try anyways.” Mulder says dryly.  “Each computer tells us the information we need to know about the atmosphere and general safety both underground and above ground. They help us control the air, lights, and heating down here and with this one over here we can monitor what is going on above ground.” Byers goes through the list of things each machine does and soon Mulder waves him off.  “Just tell me about the ones that are important to me.”  “This one here has been keeping track of the communications between the various members of the Syndicate as well as higher ups in the government. It’s been very quiet since the event for the most part except for the day that you rescued Scully.”  Byers points to some printed out data sheets.  “Krycek. He probably let them know we were on the way but why the hell did no one stop me? I mean there was no one there, like they abandoned the project.” 

“That would match up with what we’ve been seeing.” Frohike says as he enters the room, “I hate to say it Mulder but it looks like they wanted you to get to her for some reason.” Mulder pinches the bridge of his nose, “You think they did something to Audrey.”  “We’re running the DNA tests now. Scully said we can do a CT and some other tests in the next few days just to make sure.” Byers says. “You jokers have that kind of equipment?”  All three nod solemnly. “We didn’t know what we’d need.” Byers answers. 

Skinner joins them as they gather around a particular machine with readings that mean nothing to either of the two FBI men. “Now this baby here tells us what kind of shit is going down all around the world. It helps us to keep track of alien activity. Lately they’ve been pretty subdued, in this country at least. Apparently many of them have gathered over India where people appear to be fighting back.” Langly says and shows off the machine like a proud father. “Do they stand a chance?” Mulder asks. The Gunmen share a look and shake their heads, “It was over the day they came into our atmosphere.” “What do they want?” “They are mining for a substance called Magnetite. We have no idea what they want it for but the more they accumulate the fewer ships there are.” “So they destroyed the entire planet just for that?” “Well we think they saw the threat that humans were to the planet and decided to take matters into their own hands.” Mulder looks at them not understanding. “So whenever the colonials would conquer a new place they would say that the natives were living bad lives and needed to be taught and changed. They would manage the population, take everything they could from the land, and then rule. It was always a civilization with better weapons, a bigger army, and preparation taking another by surprise. In this case the aliens have been preparing for this for god knows how long, have weapons that we can’t even begin to imagine, and have an army that can’t be counted. They are coming in, cutting down the population, taking what they want from the land, and we believe they will then leave.” “What makes you think they will leave?” “Cause they’ve already started.”

Five days after Audrey’s birth 10:34am

Scully sings softly to her daughter as she changes her diaper. 

Audrey looks up at her with serious hazel eyes that seem to old to belong to an infant. Scully rocks her baby back and forth slowly and looks for any signs that she is anything but normal. She wonders if she will ever stop looking for signs that her child is anything but normal. It’s only been a few days but to Scully it’s felt like a lifetime. There is an odd divide in her life, a before and after. Before Audrey, and after Audrey. Her life will never be the same. 

Mulder walks in and crosses to his little family with a smile. “Hey.” He says as he slips his arms around Scully’s waist and smiles at their daughter.  Audrey’s thoughtful eyes move to him and he runs his hand over her nearly bald head. “Can I hold her?” He asks softly in Scully’s ear.  Scully chuckles and smiles at him, “Mulder of course you can, she’s your daughter. I need a bathroom break anyways.”  Carefully Scully hands Audrey over to Mulder who stares at the baby reverently.  “It’s still weird to me.” He says in the same hushed voice.  Scully cups his cheek, kisses him softly, and makes a quick getaway. Mulder makes a silly face at the little girl, even though Scully has told him repeatedly that it will be a while still till Audrey is smiling or laughing.

She kicks her legs out and gurgles, blowing a couple spit bubbles from her mouth. “Hey little baby girl.” Mulder whispers to her and kisses the top of her head. “I’ll protect you. I promise.” 

Two weeks after Audrey’s birth 2:10pm

Maggie Scully’s new favorite place to be is with her granddaughter. When she holds Audrey she is able to put aside her worry and sadness for just a little while and enjoy the child’s total innocence of the world around her. 

Every day since the invasion she has wondered about her sons and their families. Before the return of Dana she had wondered endlessly about her daughter as well. These days she tries to occupy her time with managing the bunker, which is a never ending job.  She takes care of all the cooking and much of the cleaning. The men never asked this of her but she knows that they would live on a diet of frozen dinners and snacks if not for her. Not that the food she can make them from what they have are that spectacular. 

Having Dana back has also helped her state of mind. The thought of spending the apocalypse as the sole woman in a group of men seemed unpleasant to Maggie.  The Gunmen and Skinner had, of course, been very kind but having another woman, especially her daughter, around is nice.  Skinner in particular had been very good to Maggie. The two had grown close. 

Often times when the pain would feel too much, Skinner would listen as she talked and would even comfort her when she needed it.  She considered these things as she looked at her newborn granddaughter. And she smiled. 

#vacancy signs #the sims 4 #txf sims #x files sims #the x files #x files fanfic #txf fanfic #fox mulder #Dana Scully #Maggie Scully #the lone gunmen #walter skinner

[silvermp]

Flock Together - Part 1

(part 1) (part 2) (part 3) (part 4) (part 5) (part 6) 

Read on AO3 HERE

----

Her world began with a muffled sort of sneeze.

Warm darkness had cracked open moments before, cold air prickling uncomfortably over wet skin. She was alive, in that moment… But the air was cold, so she did what any warm blooded creature would do in that situation - and sneezed.

Her first memory of her mother was of a massive, dark shadow blotting out the dappled sun. Instincts prompted her to open her mouth, and swallow. She did not experience hunger, in those first few hours. The yolk in her belly still nourished her, for a time.

She began expecting the large bird, and the slimy offerings of food. It sank heavily into her stomach, hunger relenting with each eager gulp. She learned to voice her growing hunger, and her satisfaction in different notes. The other bird sat quietly, watching her with one keen, black eye.

Her body felt… awkward, somehow. It was the only body she knew (right?) yet it felt bloated, lopsided. A dozen unpleasant concepts slithered up into her brain, and the dissatisfaction grew.  Her arms were too short, legs so thin and weak she could barely move them. The bird returned, her hunger quieted, and she fell quickly into unconsciousness.

The next time she properly awoke, her body felt… less sore. A bit less tender, but just as lopsided. She was able to drag her oversized head to look around, blinking against the way her vision swam. The enormous, disgustingly high-definition body of a baby bird leaned against her.

No… that was her body.

She groaned, hearing her voice come out as a warbling sort of croon. There was something twitching at the edge of her brain that said she should be able to conceptualize this into meaningful sounds. Words, even. This body felt heavy, dragging her down away from something that should have been.

Shit.

But the shadowy bird was always swift to return when she woke up, and the desire for food drowned out logical thoughts.

The tightly woven nest still pricked her delicate skin, sunlight feeling too hot, wind too cold, and the ever-present feeling of vulnerability sitting heavy in her chest.

This wasn’t right…

But, it was the only existence she knew.

So she slept.  

----

“Wake up.”

She groaned, tucking her head a bit closer to her chest, wishing the world would just pass on by. A warm shadow passed over her.

“Wake up, before I eat you.”

A jolt of fear shot through her tiny body, and she shot upright, flailing little stubs of arms (wings?) and kicking out with her feet.

She slumped onto her back, heart racing, muscles already tired from that small movement. The shape above her sharpened into the black bird, beak open in mocking, raspy laughter.

“Now that’s better.” It growled, finally stopping the harsh choking noise. It sidestepped around the edge of her nest, peering at her from different angles.

“You wake up when I come back.” It finally demanded, nipping at her tiny stub of a wing. She pulled it away, tucking it closer to her and trying to sit upright. She glared at the bird with as much strength as she could muster, trying not to feel put-out when the bird just huffed another chuckle at her anger.

“Don’t be so prickly, little squirt. You need to eat more, or your flesh will fall off your bones. I’d rather not try hunting down that good-for-nothing this late in the season. Egg laying is a pain” The bird muttered something under her breath, beak clicking with irritation.

These words mean something. She noted with a blooming amazement.

As unpleasant and aggressive as they were, the bird was still Communicating with her. She opened her mouth and gave a pleased warble, the hunger growing stronger with every second. It gave her enough motivation to lift her head and look around.

Food?  She tried to ask.

The sound came out more like a long whine fading into a teetering hiss. She quickly shut her mouth as the crow snickered at her again.

“You’ll have to practice using that tongue of yours, Kuroko.” The bird’s eyes squinted shut in what could be called a smile, if one were being generous about giving birds facial emotions.

“Since you’re awake, You’ll eat something, yeah?”

She nodded meekly, the gnawing hunger writhing like it could carve open her gut. Black feathers rustled as the bird leapt away into the air, the sound of wings blending quickly into the quiet slide of leaves and wind.

A twig popped upright, from where the bird had been pinning it down.

--

She realized with a some amazement that the food she was being offered was changing, as was her skin. Black down spread swiftly across her back and sides, softening the ugly lumps of flesh. She swallowed something crunchy, and something interestingly sour.

“Always so hungry…” the bird murmured.

I can’t help it. She tried to respond, but only trilled a stilted melody.

Something is wrong, her brain whispered.

It was difficult to tell when the large bird was present, or if it had left yet to retrieve some other weird food. Sometimes she wondered if it even flew, or just appeared somehow. No, that was ridiculous. Maybe flapping just wasn't as noisy as she thought it should be.

She'd be introduced to a variety of long or recently-dead things, and a whole host of leggy, crunchy bugs. (To be honest, she preferred the bugs to the meat, but beggars can’t be choosers.)

At night, black feathers draped warmly over her body, smushing her comfortably into the nest.

The crow’s voice spoke softly of old gods, alliances between giants, and the birth of a world. She was enraptured by the stories, listening closely as the bird described a rivalry between siblings and the disgust that beget the gods’ division.

“Amaterasu brought up the sun, and Tsukuyomi pulled up the moon. Susanoo directed the storms and seas…”  

She forgot most of it, moments later, but remembered the joy in listening.

--

“Kuroko, wake up…”

The new-spring leaves unfolded before her eye, time passing in an odd haze of existing-without-direction. She grew restless as the night wind became warmer, and the melody of forest birds shifted tune.  

“Do you remember who I am? My name is Ko----”

She focused on the dappled leaves, watching them shift and dance and cast twisting shadows upon the branches around her. Itchy feathers had begun to develop, and her body had grown nearly large enough to fill up the nest. The crow’s presence became a bit too hot at night, making her squirm when the thick feathers became uncomfortably warm.

She started beating her wings, flexing the quills apart and testing how they caught the wind. It was a marked improvement on the bald, ugly stubs she had been born with. Her body looked more like a spiky sootball than a bird, but it was a marked improvement compared to the  lump of raw meat she had been born looking like. The crow watched her progress, light shining green off black feathers, glinting like pale flames.

How did she know what fire looked like?

---

As her muscles developed, it became easier to look out over the forest, watching other birds and small animals flit around. She felt a pang of longing, and looked forward to the day she, too, could fly. The freedom her bird-keeper must feel, when leaping away from the nest…

Her claws gripped the bark easily, wings pumping absentmindedly as she tried to strengthen her muscles further. She wasn’t sure if it was a gust of wind, or if she really had just lost balance, but she definitely noticed when she started falling ass-over-teakettle down through the branches.

She squawked and scrabbled at the branches and leaves, before landing in a painful pile at the base of her tree.

She lay quietly, panting and getting her bearings for a long moment. The world loomed around her.

She pushed herself awkwardly upright, hunching down and shuffling backward until she was sort-of protected by a large root.

Not good.

Her mind flashed to a dozen ways a baby bird could be gobbled up by passing wildlife - from other birds, to snakes, to cats or dogs. Hell, there might be bird-eating spiders laying in wait.

She eyed the half-decayed leaves suspiciously, heartbeat skipping.

She nearly jumped out of her skin at the dark shape rushing at her, but relaxed when it settled into the familiar feathered shape.

“A bit impatient, are we?”

She shifted awkwardly, tongue sitting heavy and clumsy in her mouth. The apology came out garbled.

The other bird clucked at her, hopping around before stepping closer to her and prodding her sides with that sharp beak.

When she didn’t yip or flinch at the prodding, the bird stepped back, satisfied.

“Find some bugs or something.” The older bird instructed, looking distracted. “Your squealing pulled me away from a good meal, so you’re on your own for this one.”

The elder bird must have sensed her swelling terror, and flicked her tail in irritation.

“Not abandoning YOU, idiot squirt. You need to learn to feed yourself sometime. ”  The bird huffed, taking again to the skies.

She swallowed, watching the bird alight on a nearby tree, turning to stare down at her. She obediently stood up, wobbling a bit as she tried scratching at the leaves and dirt for a bug.

(Honestly, she didn’t know which was more humiliating. This, or waiting for a chunk of mouse to be pushed into her face.)

She hopped over an oddly shaped throwing knife, and a rusty plate of metal in a half-hearted chase after a centipede before deciding it was too much work. Centipedes were bitter anyway.

She did eventually find several black beetles, almost caught a mouse, and apparently that satisfied her mother enough to come swooping in and drag the little rodent back by its neck.

They shared a bloody meal that night, and the black eyes on her back felt much more comforting than the shadows around her.

This isn’t right. Her mind whispered.

Of course it wasn’t she was grounded. Birds were supposed to be airborne, right?

No, why did she know about birds?

She paused, tilting her head to look up at the moonlit sky.

Why did she know about knives, or metal, or how soot looked, to compare myself to? Why do I feel comfortable around that bird?

That was easier - they were both crows, right?

How do you know what a ‘crow’ is? Why would this crow care for you at all?

Those were… very good questions.

She swallowed, the night feeling a bit darker, uncertainty creeping in on her sleep-fuzzy brain.

--

When dawn began sending a pink haze into the dark sky, she woke to find the crow was missing from the branch she had last been spotted on. A warm breeze stirred some leaves, and hunger rumbled in her belly once again.

She ended up flipping leaves over, hopping around the underbrush and kicking over half-decomposed sticks and bark to find little grubs.

One large chunk of bark flipped up, and revealed a coiled up little snake. She stared at it for a moment, frozen where she stood with wings half-open for balance. Then it was moving, and she shrieked, flapping backward and tumbling into a graceless pile. Leaves rustled as the brown snake fled, and she relaxed, rolling upright again with an ungainly flop of wings and flailing legs.  

“Sometimes I wonder why I even bothered to let you live.”

She nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden voice, chirping in distress and whirling to find the crow standing on a nearby rock. The older bird jumped down, walking toward her with an aggressively lowered head. Where on earth did she come from?

“After all this work, you jump out of the nest like an idiot , and freak out at the smallest thing.”

She blinked at the grumbled words, meekly pecking at a small spider crawling near her feet. Her feathers prickled, and she spread her wings in a futile attempt to show she wasn’t weak.

“You won’t be able to fly.”

The crow snapped her beak with no small amount of irritation.

“Not before a damn cat gets you, anyway. You’re too young and stupid to use the shadows properly, but I’d rather not have wasted all this energy for nothing.”

The ruffled chick froze, feeling her mother looming over her, regarding her with one dark eye.

“You’re the only one out of your siblings that had a lick of Chakra, so don’t make me regret not eating your egg as well.”

Grey eyes widened, and she twisted to look at her mother - she must have been her mother. What else could that comment mean?

Darkness swallowed her.

And Darkness ignited.

---

Kuroko screamed, thrashing out of the shadows and squirming in the woven nest she landed in.

Electric fire lanced through her veins, starbursts exploding behind her eyes. Liquid shadows poured between her feathers, black claws twitching spasmodically as a billion images and impressions raced through an unprepared brain.

Her mother (That was her mother! Kokoro!) sat quietly on the edge of her nest, watching the fledgeling flop around, before growing still.

Kuroko laid for a long moment, panting as words rushed back through synapses. "The Northern Roost was laid to waste by fearful humans” “You were born on the eve of-” “She was jealous of her son’s Chakra, and turned our script against-” “Kuroko, can you understand me? Can you-” “Susanoo, angry at his sister’s insistence, lashed out and drove Amaterasu to hide in a cave, bringing an all-consuming night.” “Wake up, little one, I can’t tell if you’re breathing-” “The Many-Eyed, corrupted, was pulled from their union, and split into the Great Tailed Bijuu. Kaguya was sealed-” “Kuroko, please eat. The Southern Roost is calling, I can’t-”

Kuroko wheezed, curling up a bit tighter, letting the sounds and images and thoughts, oh gods she could think clearly!  Wash over her in convoluted, overlapping trails.

“Are you dying, Kuroko?”

She sucked in a stuttered breath, squinting one eye open at the dark crow perched over her. Her mother’s feathers were flat, black eyes dull in a miserable expectation.

And the darkness of unconsciousness enveloped her at last.

----

When Kuroko awoke, she was alone.

Well, in the broadest sense of the term.

She could see birds swooping through the trees, and a pair of squirrels scampering from tree to tree, chattering at each other and weaving a graceful dance of travel.

For the first time, her mind was clear.

She could recall the legends her mother murmured to her in the haze of twilight, about the moon and sun, and the creation of demons. - and that word meant something now.

She marveled at the efficiency of her own mind, flitting from subject to subject, directed completely by her own willpower. She focused on the word, demons, and found countless mentions over the long weeks she had been alive.

“Humans feared us or worshipped us,” her mother had said.”It depends on the individual, whether they want to call us ‘kami’ or ‘demons’. Every once in awhile, you’ll find one who does both.”

Kuroko stretched her wings, identifying the feathers that had been plucked and named while she watched in a sleepy haze.

“Coverts. Alula. Primaries.” She whispered, stretching her wing this way and that, to make them shift. “Secondaries…”

Kuroko twisted her head around, tilting her head and delighting at the strained position. It was new  and novel just like the rest of her ‘awakening’.

“Tertial…” She flicked her tail. “Retrices…”

“Remember all your feathers, so you can put yourself together again.” Her mother had said.

Kuroko wiggled her tail, considering what that was supposed to mean.

She shrugged, having no idea whatsoever, and deciding that was alright.

The warm darkness still seemed to be pooled in her chest, twisting and pulling with every delighted movement she made.

“Chakra?” She wondered aloud, mentally prodding at it. The silky warmth seemed to ignore her touch.

“Chakra is your spirit’s way of connecting with the world.  It is your energy, your essence, your life. It’s how we manifest, and how our kind can use the shadows.”

Kuroko pondered that explanation for a moment, feeling the warmth shift around her body. She stretched, and the warmth stretched to her wingtips with her. Her mother had such nice things to share.

“I have to go again - I’ll be back soon. The Southern Roost needs me…. I can’t lose them again.”

Kuroko paused, remembering her mother’s words a few nights ago, before she vanished again within darkness. The roost was… “Our home, from the beginning of this world. The crows gather there to breed, and connect.” ... Like a big nest, or a collection of a hundred smaller nests. She couldn’t remember what it looked like. (Had she ever seen it?) but if something was wrong, then her mother was right to worry. That kind of thing was important.

Kuroko flexed her wings again, looking up at the mottled clouds beyond fresh summer leaves, wondering what she was supposed to do to pass the time. Existing in a haze and worked up until that point, but she wasn’t eager to return to it.

She spent a few long hours waddling along the thick branch that held up her nest, stopping periodically to pump her wings and feel the wind stir her feathers. (And her Chakra. How interesting)

Kuroko eventually fell asleep as the sun sank down toward the horizon. She remained blissfully unconscious when her mother came back, squishing against her in the tight nest, and fell asleep.

---

“Good morning, Kuroko. Are you hungry?”

She yawned, shaking her head with a flurry of bristling feathers. Kuroko blinked at her mom, and the unusually haphazard way her mother’s feathers laid. Her memories were still trickling in, but she always remembered the glossy black feathers had been neat and tidy.

She stood up, leaned over, and tugged one of her mother’s back feathers (scapulars her mind whispered) into place.

“Yes.” She finally decided with a little head-bob. “I am hungry.”

Her mother froze.

“...Kuroko? Do you… know who I am?”

“Yes? You’re Kokoro - my mother.”

Something like a shiver ruffled up the bird’s dark feathers, and she managed to hear the raspy words “-get you some food” before her mother swept away into the early morning fog.

#naruto #smpwrites #fic rec #third mizukage #FlockTogether #Fanfiction #Naruto fanfiction