Of Fins and Feathers

Cute.

Tommy opened his eyes sluggishly, he was so warm, he didn't want to get up, he was comfortable. But alas, he had royal duties.

He sat up, his eyes adjusting to the light. He made a very confused noise as he looked around, where was he?

It looks like Techno's room, but Techno wouldn't let him in his room, would he?

The answer is yes. Techno would, and Tommy realized this when he looked over to the right and saw Techno reading a book at his sofa.

Tommy tried to recollect what happened the night before, but it was all mush, all he remembered was warmth and the word protector going through his mind.

Then, he got it. He had come here for blankets, they talked a little bit, he grabbed the blankets, but saw a nest? He asked Techno what it was like to have wings, Techno... hugged him, and then the rest is a blur.

He looked down, and sure enough, he was in a nest. So Techno let him in his nest? That's... that's great!

Wait, was the protector thing an instinct? Does that mean he'll have wings?

He looks to Techno, it would be embarrassing to ask him, but he would know, wouldn't he?

Techno was looking at him now, staring into his soul, seems he knows Tommy is awake.

Tommy looked down at his hands and started to fiddle with them. He doesn't know what to do, should he ask Techno?

"It's nice, but a pain in the butt." Techno spoke out of nowhere, placing his book down.

"What?" Tommy's eyes opened wide.

"Having wings and instincts, it's nice, sometimes." Technos gruff voice rang out, for some reason Tommy blurted out.

"Does it ever.. tell you words, or like, put them in your head?" Techno looked up at Tommy again, he seemed a little surprised, his ears turned slightly red.

"Uh.. yeah," he scratched at his neck. "it uh, it calls you hatchling, Wilbur flockmate and clutchmate, and it calls Phil and Mother my fledgers." Techno seemed embarrassed about the fact he had names for everything.

"I'm not a hatchling, if anything I'm a fledgling!" Tommy was ready to quarrel. Techno observed Tommy, seemingly in thought.

"You will be called a fledgling when you get your wings. For now, if you're going to be anything but hatchling, you'll be called nestling, which one would you prefer, because I know which one my instincts prefer." Techno let out an amused huff. Tommy looked appalled at the thought.

"Whatever!" Tommy huffed. He was whining like a little baby now.

"You're just proving my point by wining like that.... How'd you know my instincts called y'all things?" Techno was confused, his eyebrows furrowed as he looked at Tommy, studying him.

"I uh" He mumbled out a response.

"You what? I couldn't hear through the mumbling." Techno was really curious, his eyes glaring into Tommy's.

"I got one, it wasn't like one of yours though, it was different." The words came out rushed and uncertain, he didn't know why he was so nervous to talk about it.

Techno took a moment to process what Tommy said, and then his eyebrows lifted up as his eyes softened. "What did it say?" He said calmly and as softly as he could, he'd hate to admit it, but he was a little exited.

"It uh, it called you protector?" It sounded more like a question than an answer, but they both knew it was an answer.

Even so, Technos eyebrows furrowed again, he hadn't heard that one before, not among his flock atleast. "I don't think I've heard that one, are you sure it was that?" He said, very unsure.

"Yes, it was protector." Tommy looked at Techno warily, was he rejecting him? No! He just didn't know of that one, but what did that mean?

"Maybe we should talk to mother about it, she'll know about it, she very intelligent in subjects like instincts and hybrids, she could let us know?" Techno looked unsure, but he was always willing to talk to his mother.

"Uh, maybe? I don't know, it's just so weird." Tommy got up, it was still cold, but a bareable cold.

"Don't know till we try." Techno shrugged.

"Well, I guess I'll meet you at mom's breakfast, and then we'll try to catch mom on her way to her office, for now we should probably get dressed." Tommy sounded unsure, but he was willing to figure it out.

"Alright, see you then." And the both set off.

Tommy made his way back to his room, earning a couple weird stares. He brushed it off, no need to fret on simple things.

He opened his door, walking into see a gift laying on his bed... why was that there? Maybe it was from Wilbur, Wilbur liked doing early birthday shenanigans. Tommy decided to get dressed before seeing what it was.

He pulled on a nice dress shirt with golden trimmings on the edges, it had fluffy sleeves and it was white in colour. He put on some black slacks and put on some comfortable boots.

He made his way to his bathroom, he looked in the mirror and saw his hair, so that's why he was getting weird looks, it was in a braid, and while it wasn't long, only a little further than his shoulders, it was pretty.

He smoothed out his clothes as he looked over everything he was wearing, that's right! He needed his necklace. He grabbed a silver necklace, with a green emerald as a pendant, surrounded by pearls, his crown was similar, but he doesn't wear it often.

He sighed, well, he should head to breakfast now.

Walking down the corridors, he felt exhausted. He got good sleep, but something was weighing him down.

His mind was in so many different places, he felt like he was in the wrong, but what was he in the wrong about?

Entering the breakfast room, he saw his older brothers hanging out with their mother and father, they seemed to be enjoying their company.

He looked at the table, seeing many types of food, including fish, nuts, fruits, and berries.

He sat down at the table and back to the fish on his plate, he liked crustaceans better, more crunchy. He didn't mind fish, and his family regularly ate it, but it always made him feel awkward, like there was something he was supposed to do before eating one.

Tommy's mother looked to him, she loves him to death, but she saw the way he lingered on the food.

"Hey Tommy! Good morning!" Her voice was soft and calm, she was truly a Saint to him.

"Hi mum! How're you!" He smiled, he loved they're little greetings.

"Oh its lovely, I was actually thinking about something!" Her smile reached her ears, her eyes wrinkling at the pressure.

"Oh? Thinking? Dont you always do that?" Tommy was curious, if one of his eyebrows could go up, it would.

"Well yes, but I've been thinking about something that I normally dont think about." Her smile was still there, but there was a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Well, what is this thing you've been thinking of that you so happen to be gatekeeping from me?" He dramatically put the back of his right hand on his forehead and slumped in his chair. Safe to say the other three at the table were now paying attention to them.

"I was thinking about getting a pool! We could put it in a greenhouse area, like that empty one over by the east-wing corridor that we couldn't decide what to have in there, we found a spring coming from the river to the greenhouse! It's the perfect place! The greenhouse will keep it warm enough to be able to swim in the winter!" Her smile somehow got bigger as she waved her hands around in exaggerated movements.

He smiled, "That would be great!"

That would be nice.

[ I am on a vacation for five days, last chapter for a little while, if I can leave it alone ]