Of Fins and Feathers

Peace, Family, and Little Concern

    Tommy gasped for breath as he yearned for air, his lungs were caving in! He couldn't breath, it felt like an elephant was sitting on his chest. His head hit the backboard of his bed frame as he tried to get some amount of oxygen into his lungs.

    As soon as the pain appeared, it left. Oxygen filled his lungs as he gasped for it as if he'd been starved his entire life, he reached for a glass of water on his nightstand, gulping it down, dehydrated.

    He stood up and made his way to his bathroom, only stumbling slightly. He reached into the sink and turned it on, he ended up splashing himself in the face several times to calm himself down.

     He felt a sting on his side, reaching down to his ribcage, he immediately felt pain when he touched it, snatching his hand away like his ribs were scalding hot, he pulled his sleep blouse up and took a look at what could be causing the pain.

    There was nothing, no bruises or anything, it was slightly red against his pale skin, but other than that, it looked fine. Was he coming down with an illness?

    Maybe he slept on it wrong. That makes sense. He just slept on it wrong, nothing odd going on.

    He sighed as he decided he might as well take a shower now that he's in the bathroom. He turns on the water to a good temperature and makes it settle on that one.

    After he took a shower, he rapped a towel around himself and gathered clothes for himself, the shower refreshed him, he might do some training with Tech after breakfast if the other is up to the challenge.

    He made his way to the breakfast room, similar to the family dining room, but it had large windows that cast over them, and it overlooked the gardens. He loved this room, he could bask in the sun while talking with his family.

    In the room, his mother and father were chatting happily, doting over eachother, his mother was happily giving her husband a strawberry and laughing at how he chomped it out of her hand instead of taking it.

    Tommy sighed, his shoulders slumping down, all the stress from before leaving his body, he could be happy if his family was, his flock? That's what his family always referred to eachother as, why did it sound wrong to him?

    He made his way to his seat, sitting in the chair and looking over the food, even if it was in the middle of winter, lots of fruit and nuts littered the table, as well as various vegetables, he immediately beelined for the blueberries, he liked those.

    His mother and father greeted him, as they normally do, and his mother started a conversation on the Canadian geese that are migrating through, she was so happy she saw them at the pond she could have run a mile.

    His father listened like his life depended on it, his father really was in love with his mother, it was beautiful, but gross, ewwww old people in love, gross.

    His brother Wilbur burst in, disturbing the peace, his wings were folded to get through the door, but as soon as he made it in, they spread wide as he stretched.

    "Guess who just finished all of his work for the day early!" He announced to them, clearly proud of his work.

    "That's great honey! now come sit down and get some food before your brother eats all the blueberries and your father eats all the strawberries." His mother spoke with such a lovely tone, you couldn't say no to her. She was also right, when Tommy looked back at the bowl of blueberries, he had already eaten half the bowl, his father in a similar predicament with the strawberries.

    "Yes mother! Woah Tommy save some for me! You're not the only one who likes blueberries!" Wil softly chuckled. Tommy frowned, grumbling and slowly pushing the wooden bowl to Wilbur, he smiled at Tommy and pushed it back. He was only joking.

   His mother once again started talking about the outside wildlife, no one minded.

    Soon after, the one and only Technoblade walked in looking like he had already run a mile that morning, but at the same time, looked like he just got out of bed.

    He grumpily plops down into his chair and immediately goes for some carrots, he loved those things so much, you'd think he was a rabbit.

    Tommy brings up the thought of them training later, Techno thinks on it, but eventually says yes. That'll be Tommy getting his ass whooped, but ehhh, he's not bad, just no match for the Technoblade.

    After their happy family breakfast, filled with happy chatter and talk of nature, he follows techno down to the barracks, their he sees many a soldiers doing their daily training, they all looked quite strong, but that's because techno trained their asses.

    Tommy looked over the weapons, he grabbed a standard wooden version of an arming sword and a bow with fake arrows, no one is actually going to get hurt. Techno wouldn't allow Tommy to fight him with real weapons, not because he's scared of Tommy, but because he's scared of hurting Tommy.

    He made his way to the training room, it was snowing outside and he'd rather not fight in the snow thank you.

   Techno was already waiting for him with the same weapons, he knows what weapons Tommy uses and figured it would be easier to teach him his tactics while sparing.

    They get into their fighting stances.

    "Looks like you finally listened to my teachings and you put your leg back behind you for stability." Techno remarked to Tommy, Tommy just gives him a glare.

    Techno immediately jumped towards Tommy and sliced at him, Tommy easily dodged, but Techno was quick to bring the sword back down immediately, not giving Tommy a lot of time to recover.

    Tommy jumped back and pulled out his bow, shooting towards the other, Techno dodged just as easily, but Tommy was already slicing at techno with his sword as soon as the distraction was set in place, Techno blocked it with his sword and pushed Tommy off. He was taken aback but the brute force and almost knocked on his ass, but Tommy quickly recovered. He lunged at Techno, who was quick to get ready to block, but Tommy changed his footing and swerved around Techno's body to his back, while Techno was surprised, he didn't show it, he turned around quickly to block a blow.

    Tommy had the upper hand for now, but he was quick to tire every time, for now all techno had to do would be to play offense and he would win. Techno watched Tommy's eyes, looking for where he planned to hit next, but Tommy was looking right into his eyes, like a lost puppy, it was hard to resist his instincts and not pick him up and take him inside and swaddle him in blankets galore, but he could.

    Tommy glanced at his right side, and that was and that could very well lead to his downfall, Tommy lunged, swinging at the right, but Techno predicted it, ready to block it, but in the last moment, Tommy changed it he pulled the sword back, and to Technos surprise, struck his left. If Techno had armor on, it wouldn't kill him, just inconvenience him, so he kept the spare going.

     At this point, some guards started to watch and bet on who would win, some were foolish enough to bet on Tommy because it looked like he was about to whoop Technos ass, but the older ones knew better.

    Tommy took his sword, lifted it in the air slashed it down, but that left his chest unprotected, Tommy changed the direction of the sword to the direction techno dodged in, and caught his side yet again, but this time, techno pushed his sword to Tommy's chest and pushed hard, Tommy fell to the ground at the pressure.

    "Checkmate." Techno spoke calmly, and while in a real fight, he'd have a couple broken ribs, Tommy fights recklessly and Techno took it a little easy on him, he could have blocked the second one easily, but he would have lost his chance at the kill, Tommy knew this and wondered if techno would take the chance and while he normally wouldn't, he could she his brother getting tired and didn't want to take the chance to tire his little brother.

   "Dammit!" Tommy let out a frustrated grunt as he pouted at his loss.

   "You didn't think you were actually gonna win did you?" Techno asked as he looked down at his little brother.

   "Hey, I was pretty close!" Tommy said as he got up and pointed his hand in Technos face.

   "Whatever you want to think hatchling." Techno chuckled.

    "I am not a hatchling!"