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jadekitty777 · 2 years

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Wings to Carry Us Both

It’s that time of year y’all where I got to put emotionally constipated bird man together with overly joyful dragon man.

I ain’t gonna lie, nine prompts was a bit overwhelming - and I know, I know. It’s not required to do all nine... but I am Crazy Taiqrow Fanfic Lady. What would y’all you know me for, if not that LOL.

As a sneak peek, our week is filled with some short entries (some new and some revisiting older stories), one steamy entry not meant for the kids ;) and one longer, currently unfinished story that will span several days. (It would have been finished, but work, as usual, kicked my ass.)

Hope y’all enjoy! Let’s begin!

Prompt for Bonus Sunday: Primordial

Rating: K

Word Count: 3200

Summary: With his new life, came new and terrifying things. Qrow now had a body more gangly than an oak tree and emotions that flooded more than a river in late April. The only thing that was familiar was his wings – and he was determined to learn how to fly once more.

The thing he really didn’t understand was why this strange, blond man made him feel like he already was. [Follows the events of The Judgment of Faunus from Fairy Tales of Remnant]

Ao3 Link: Wings to Carry Us Both

P.S. The Judgment of Faunus story is covered in the mini webseries RWBY Fairy Tales: The Shallow Sea. It's up on youtube, and is about 6 minutes long. I do recommend watching that before reading this story.

He looked over the side of the cliff, watching the fierce waves crash into rock. Water sprayed up against the wall, foaming white and smelling of salt, before it curled into itself and fell back into the crags below. Their jagged edges rose from the ocean like the gnarled teeth of a fox, mouth open and ready to devour him.

It would fill lesser birds with fear, but not him as he proudly stretched his wings and leapt off the edge. The updraft that pushed at the rockface caught underneath him, and with a few beats, he found stability. He glided through the air, turning lazy circles and staying close to the air currant. Despite his courage, he wasn’t quite sure he’d manage it on his own yet and he did not particularly fancy a plummet into the sea.

Everything was just… heavier. He was used to hollow bones and feathers, but after the God of Animal’s gift, rather than his sleek and aerodynamic form, he now had the awkwardness of a human body between his wings. The weight was troublesome, leaving him much like a fledging again; but he refused to believe that if he had been allowed to keep his wings, that he could not still use them to fly.

He’d learn how to again, no matter what it cost him.

He’d just about managed his sixth cycle when a piercing whistle caught his ear. Sharp and warbly, like a trill of a melodic canary. He found the comparison to be appropriate as when he turned back for land, he saw the figure of another standing at his spot, with hair as yellow as the songbird.

He pulled himself upright, wings having to beat harder to keep himself steady as, without the traction of his claws, his feet nearly slid out from under him. Just another thing he wasn’t used to.

“Whoa there!” His visitor was quick to reach out and grip him by the elbow, helping to steady him. “You alright?”

He shrugged out of his touch, the lance of warmth it left along his skin leaving a trail of bumps along his skin. Odd. “Yeah. Yeah, M’fine.”

“I can’t believe it – you were really flying!” Canary was still grinning wide as a wingspan, not at all perturbed by his ‘rudeness’ as some had called it. “That must be incredible.”

“It wasn’t. Not really.” He denied, shifting on his heels. “When I can take off without help then it’ll be flying.”

A nod, “Ah, I see! Still, the fact you have a future to is amazing!” He sighed dreamily. “I wish I had gotten wings.”

At that, he could not help himself from scanning over the other’s body. He found what he was looking for quickly, the spade-shaped end of the extra appendage flicking between the other’s ankles. A lizard tail like nothing he’d ever seen. The scales were golden like Canary’s hair, with sharp spines like the thorns of a nettle bush lining one side of it.

“Well, yours is…” He frowned, racking through his limited words. “Uh, terrifying?”

Canary burst into a series of little, happy bursts of air. “Right? I could really bop someone with it! If I wasn’t tripping over it all the time.” His tail end curled around one of his ankles, as if to hold himself steady. “Hard to stay balanced sometimes, you know?”

In reply, he held his arms outwards, rolling his shoulders. “Yeah, I know.”

There was that noise again – laughter, that was it. “So, hey! Have you picked a name yet?” Without waiting for an answer, he lent forward, chittering his secret, “I’m Taiyang now. But I kind of just like Tai.”

It had been required of all of them – out with the old, in with the new, their leaders had said. “I, uh, took the name Qrow.” And, because it was an important distinction, added, “With a Q.”

“Well Qrow with a Q, it’s very nice to meet you.”

“Same to you, Tai with a Yang.”

More laughter. He was a joyful sort, wasn’t he?

“I like you, you’re funny.” Tai decided firmly, straightening up. “Were you human or animal?”

That got his feathers ruffling and he looked away, out towards the horizon where the ocean and sky became one. “Does it matter anymore?”

“Hmm, ‘suppose not.” He conceded easily enough, so Qrow allowed himself to relax enough to ask a question of his own.

“You hear what they’re thinking of calling us now?”

“Faunus, right?” Tai cocked his head to the side. “I like it. It’s worlds better than Halflings.”

He winced. “Or Mottlins.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me!”

Beyond his control, Qrow felt his face contort with his feelings as a smile turned up on his own lips. He was still getting used to that, too.

It fell, pulled down by a sudden weight in his chest. “We shoulda stuck with No-Belongs. ‘Cause that’s what we are. No human nor animal will take us now.”

“That’s okay.”

The light words finally pulled Qrow’s gaze away from the united distance, instead to the one before him.

Tai seemed as bright as the colors he bore as he proudly declared, “We have each other now.”

It was… strange, how those words made him feel buoyant enough to fly, perhaps even if he hadn’t had wings.

“I suppose we do.” Qrow said and this time when his face took upon the smile, he found he didn’t mind it as much.

Years later…

Spring was the most beautiful time of year on Unitas. Though the island the God of Animals had granted them was generally favorable all year round, the vernal season was the one to bring sweet-themed harvests and succulent smelling wildflowers. Thus, it remained his preferred time of year; especially on days when the picking was ripe.

Plump, red cherries fell with ease from their branches, Qrow having to do little more than tug at the base of their stems to have them tumbling into his handwoven basket. He fluttered around the tree, gathering big bunches of them as quickly as he dared. It wouldn’t be long before the tree was found and plucked clean by the rest. Despite how he had learned to portion together most things their community found, he still allowed himself to be greedy over his favorite fruit.

So, he did not quit until his basket was nearly overflowing and with a careful scan of the area, dived quickly into the surrounding trees. Between his dark clothing and wings, he was easily camouflaged. Which meant, he could enjoy his pilfers in peace.

Popping a pair of the red globes into his mouth, he started the trek home. It was certain to take longer this way as he’d have to veer off the main pathway, but it also guaranteed he would not be waylaid by anyone else. He occupied himself between eating and, perhaps out of habit, crooning to no one.

After all, nothing would flock to a phony bird, no matter how desperate the hen.

No sooner had he thought that, did a shadowy form drop like a stone from the trees above –he had but a moment to take in its large and hulking shape before the sound of its furious snarls sent his instincts alight.

Jaguar!!

With a squawking cry, he took to the air.

It wasn’t until he was nearly above the treetops that reason returned.

There were no jaguars on Unitas.

And if there were, they certainly wouldn’t laugh.

He turned, already knowing who he’d see, and his name burst from him like a roar, “Tai!”

Tai just continued to cackle worse than Abayomi – and she’d been a Hyena before! The other Faunus was hanging upside down from the tree by his spiny tail like a youngling opossum. “Gods above, you should of seen your face!”

Bristling, Qrow tried to rein in some of his dignity as he tempered his expression into something more neutral. He landed with as much grace as possible, holding his head up high as he walked past. “If I were you, I’d sleep with one eye open tonight.”

“Aah don’t be like that!” Tai swung himself into a neat flip, landing on the forest floor noisily before he jogged to catch up. “Where’s your sense of humor?”

“About the same place the snake is gonna be crawling into after I put it in your bed.” Qrow quipped, munching on another cherry. At least he hadn’t lost any of his treats.

A scaly tail wound around his waist, pulling him in closer. “You’re a real riot, you know that?”

He was about two seconds away from forgiving the other entirely. That is until he saw a hand creeping forward towards – oh absolutely not!

Without a beak to peck with, he resorted to licking the other, leaving a wet stripe from Tai’s index finger all the way to his wrist.

“Oh gross!” The blond jerked back.

“That’s what you get, thief.” He told him.

“Oh yeah?” Tai lifted his soiled hand, and proceeded to dry it off in Qrow’s hair. “Then how’s this?!”

He bat at him. “Bah! Get off!”

“Never cherry hogger!”

“They’re mine, get your own!”

“Learn to share!”

“As soon as you learn to be less of a bother!”

A scandalized gasp, “Why I never!”

“Oh no, you always.” Qrow countered.

Tai’s mouth dropped open, before it spread into one of those wingspan smiles. “Alright, you got me there!” Without warning, he hooked an arm around Qrow’s neck and drew him even closer, dropping an ugly kiss onto his cheek, noisy lip smack and all.

He just sighed and accepted it, because there was no fighting the other’s sunny moods.

And, if, perhaps, he pretended to be distracted by the kiss enough to not notice a hand sneaking away a cherry pair, well, that was his prerogative.

Their hut was on the eastern side of the island, where the ground started to rise in elevation, tucked away on the top of a hillside. While roosting with the other Faunus hadn’t exactly been planned, in those early days when he no longer knew anyone and everything was more unknown and scary, he’d welcomed the easy comradery when it had been offered to him. Together, they’d built the structure out of surrounding material – wood from the palms for the walls and ground, bamboo as support beams, and a rooftop made of palm leaves and branches that had been weaved together by Qrow himself. He was used to making nests after all - they just weren’t usually upside down.

“It isn’t much, but we’ll get by,” Tai had said when they’d first completed it.

“I used to fit in a box the size of your head, I think we’ll be fine.” Qrow had snarked right back.

Inside, they had a modest amount of furniture – a long table, benches flanking opposite ends for them to take meals or craft; a fire pit for roasting; beds with animal hide mattresses to lay upon and pillows stuffed full with his own feathers; and other various this and thats scattered about. Items they’d use to pail freshwater, cut wood, shear hair... or were just shiny things that Qrow liked to look at.

Today, Qrow was using two halves of a carved-out coconut shell to separate the cherries. One bowl for the good and ripe ones, one for the rotted and pest-eaten ones. When he’d been nothing more than a carrion bird, such things wouldn’t have bothered him. But he discovered rather quickly that his new body demanded… sensitivity.

So, now he sorted.

Across the table, Tai was working on his own project, using a spade to carve out a handle for the small shovelhead he’d constructed earlier that week. He had some silly idea about digging little holes around the exterior of their home so he could put flower seeds in them.

(“We could use more color ‘round here, don’t you think?”)

He didn’t really get it, but when his companion was this excited about something, there was no talking him out of it anyways. Seemed ironic, seeing as Tai loved to talk.

It was a fact more timely than a rooster’s crowing, but gratefully more pleasant as well.

“So!” Tai’s sudden chirp was underlaid by sound of stone sliding against wood, “What were you singing? You know, before I scared the pants off of you.”

“You did not scare the- you know what, forget it.” He inspected a fused pair of cherries thoughtfully, wondering at its strangeness. Maybe they had just been too weak to grow apart. “It was nothing anyways.”

Tai was watching him now, a folded line to his brow that meant he was worried. “You sure?”

“Yeah?” He tried to ignore the way his feathers ruffled up. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“It’s just, it was so… sad.”

Qrow chucked the double cherry at him. It bounced harmlessly off Tai’s forehead. “Don’t make me sound so ridiculous.”

The other Faunus opened his mouth, ready to argue, “But-”

“It’s just the time of year.” He spoke over him. “It’ll pass like it did the ones before.”

“The ones before?” Qrow grimaced at his own mistake. Now Tai’s brow looked like a wrinkled-up pear. Peak worry mode. “Qrow, are you alright?”

“It- it’s nothing!” He sputtered out, “Stop making this a big deal. It’s not a big deal!”

“Then, what is it?”

“Nothing!”

“Clearly, it’s something!” Frown becoming more pronounced as time went on, Tai shoved his project to the side, leaning forward. “Come on, you know I’m not going to laugh.”

If anything, the other’s open compassion made him further agitated. He threw a leg over the bench, not leaving, just turning his body away so he didn’t have to look at the other anymore. “It’s nothing you can do anything about, so just drop it.”

“How do you know I can’t?” Still pressing, still too nice.

His wings hitched up and he fought against the urge to stretch them around himself to hide. “Because I just do, okay?!”

“Qrow…” Wood creaked as Tai shifted his weight to stand. His touch skimmed his shoulder, a sign of support but like the very first time, it left a lance of warmth along his skin that was just too much. “Look, if something’s bothering you, just-”

It burst out of him then as he whirled to face him, voice a squawking shout, “Crows mate this time of year you moron!”

Tai’s jaw dropped and stayed like that.

Unable to keep up eye contact, Qrow swung his other leg over, turning his back to the other to instead stare at the wall, fingers tightly gripping the edge of the bench as if he was afraid it would fall out from under him. It was also the only thing keeping him from leaping up and bolting – but, well, where was he going to go anyways?

“Oh.” Tai finally managed to breathe out.

“Yeah so… yeah.” He mumbled lamely. “Told you it was nothing. Just a bit of the old me doing pointless things.”

“Why, um… why have I never heard it before?”

Qrow’s cheeks warmed so hot, he wasn’t entirely sure he hadn’t grown ill with something. He didn’t have a word for the feeling, just that he hated it. “Because when we’re together, I don’t feel like I’m looking for anything.”

“…Oh.” He echoed, then nothing more.

As the silence stretched and the air felt almost electric in its unease, he was half convinced he’d managed to tie the other’s tongue. Before he could even get a handle on how that was making him feel, he was overwhelmed by sudden panic when he heard the screech of the other’s chair being shoved back, feet moving across the floor.

He was leaving?

Qrow couldn’t have ruined things that badly, right?!

His brain felt like it was simultaneously moving too fast and too slow, two sides of him at war. It left a body devastated by feeling too many extreme emotions within quick succession, and heart a patter of anxiety that screamed at him to fix it, fix it now. Torn as he tried to figure what to do… to the point he froze entirely.

Never had to figure out anything, as within half a dozen steps, Tai was on his side, and settled down beside him.

He couldn’t prevent the way his body tensed, as if readying for an attack.

“Are you okay?” Tai asked gingerly, perhaps frightened something might break.

Unable to verbalize it, Qrow resorted to shrugging because really, he had no idea.

“Okay.” He accepted easily, mulling a moment before stilting out, “Qrow, before, when you were – before. Did you have a…a-?”

“No.” He cut in. Surprised, when words came to him, bitter and stinging like sea salt, “Maybe that’s why I’m here now. Never had a flock. Never had a mate.” He dropped his chin low to mirror the sinking in his chest. “No one wanted me.”

He saw the movement before he felt the touch, a hand sliding along the back of his neck while another crossed over his chest, both synchronized with the spiny tail curling around his waist. Then with little more warning than that, he was being pulled against Tai’s chest, the bright Faunus saying adamantly, “I’ll always want you Qrow.”

The relief that flooded in was almost as impossible to handle as the rest.

So was it any surprise it decided to escape from his eyes?

He wasn’t unused to the physical response; had done it quite frequently in the early days, when the forest felt too empty and the ache in his chest grew too much. Knew it came more often with bad feelings – which was why he wasn’t surprised when his companion panicked a little.

“Whoa, whoa, are you okay?”

Qrow sniffed, nodding as best he could from where his face was smashed against the other’s sternum. “It’s not bad. Actually, I feel like floating.”

All too familiar with his inability to vocalize his emotions properly, Tai just smiled brilliantly, “Got it.” Then pulled him back to give him one of his big, ugly kisses, this time on his forehead.

Paused, then placed a tinier one on the tip of his nose.

Overshot, and got the point of his chin next.

“You gonna keep doing that?” Qrow asked.

Blue eyes, deep like the ocean and pretty as the sky in one, shined hopefully. “Can I?”

“I’d… like it.” He decided, hesitant yet firm. “Feels good when you do.”

So, Tai did. Again and again, to every inch he could reach.

Kisses left along the curve of his jaw and across the slope of his brow.

Kisses following the line of his nose and erasing the tracks of tears down his cheeks.

Kisses that trailed long, languid, unhurried paths all along the contours of his face that led to one destination.

And when his lips finally, finally met Qrow’s, the floaty feeling from before was overcome by another.

Qrow’s eyes slid shut and he kissed back, becoming engulfed in it and hoped the other could feel it too.

Because it was one that he’d known since they’d met; one that only Tai could create. One that would fulfill the wish Tai had divulged the day they met.

The sensation of flight.

#qrow branwen #taiyang xiao long #Taiqrow #taiqrowweek #taiqrowweek2022 #rwby #fanfiction #Chase Firekitten's Tale

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jadekitty777 · 2 years

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Return to the Crossroads

Second entry for today and is another revisit to an old story of mine that I never intended to come back too. Once upon a time I wrote a story where Tai was an angel and Qrow was a demon called Divine Intervention, and it was fun. So I decided why not come back to it.

Actually no what really happened was the prompt “Gods & Monsters” was a thing, I went “I’ve already basically done this” and decided to just expand... and then I shuffled the prompt days and it doesn’t even matter now xD Ironically Hurt & Healing also would have fit very well for this... but no, I went with Final. As in “Final Frontier” aka the afterlife lol

Technically can be read as a standalone but makes a ton more sense when having read the original story.

Prompt for Day 7: Final

Rating: K

Word Count: 1300

Summary: It had been over a decade since Qrow had come to heaven, but sometimes the demons from his past still chased him down. On days like today, Tai could only hold him through it.

Ao3 Link: Return to the Crossroads

On that fine May afternoon, the weather at Hecate’s Lake was balmy and clear. Dragonflies flittered about, landing on long cat-tail weeds, or dancing above the clear water that would ripple every now and again when the breeze sought fit to pick up. Despite the perfect day, it was quiet; kids were tucked away in school this time of year and few families saw fit to pull them out of end-of-year activities even for a nice day out. So other than a couple of boats upon the water, casting lines for fish, and the two souls tangled together upon the grass on the shore, there was no one around.

It was the kind of day Taiyang remembered of his youth – when less people roamed the earth and the lake was newly discovered and unnamed. Where he and his fellows would fly away to when the urge struck to just shuck work and boil away the day, catching frogs and skipping stones and sleeping away on the shoreline.

Much like those long ago days, he found himself drifting where he lay upon the grass, head tilted towards the sun. Perhaps he may have even managed it, but a touch to one of his wings stirred him. He tilted his chin left and down, towards the lanky man sprawled across his chest, and murmured, “You’re doing it again.”

“Don’t know what you’re talking about.” Though Qrow tamed his expression into one of simple innocence, the twitching of his own dark wings gave him away faster than a wild stallion bucking off an amateur rider.

“Mmhmm,” He reached up, pushing back the other’s fringe of dark locks so he could tap a kiss to his forehead, as if it could soothe the hurt within. “What ails your mind?”

After all, his lover only touched the scars on Tai’s wings when he was thinking about Before. When Qrow’s black wings had more leather than feather and his head was crowned with horns instead of a halo.

…When he was alone and unsure he’d ever not be.

“You always make it sound like I’m dying or something.” Qrow puttered back with a sigh, smooshing his cheek upon Tai’s breastbone. “’Member when we first came here?”

“A’course. You were rather perturbed by my presence as I quite recall.” Taiyang joked lightly.

“Had a right to be, seeing as you were stalking me.”

Tai clicked his tongue. “Ah-ah, shepherding you.”

“Don’t act like that sounds any better. M’not a damn cow.” Qrow deadpanned.

“Perish the thought! Not when you compare so much nicer to a bowlegged donkey.”

His beau finally cracked a smile, snorting. “Jackass.”

“Precisely.” Tai grinned in return. Normally he didn’t joke so freely when the mood was so serious, but sometimes, when the haunt creeped into Qrow’s eyes, he knew it helped. “Sorry to derail you, what was it you were going to say?”

The smile dimmed but didn’t fade. “S’nothing just… did I ever thank you, back then?”

It was such an odd question to ask after all this time; the day was a decade behind them now. Had it been a less impactful moment, Tai wasn’t sure he’d of remembered at all – but he very much did.

“Hard to forget our second kiss. You were so sweet about it too~” He cajoled.

“I was messing with you.” This time he sounded a little less sincere. Qrow could holler about all he wanted, but their mutual attraction had been ripe from the start, just waiting for the right teeth to sink in. “I mean it though,” He continued valiantly, “Did I?”

Tai cupped the other’s pale cheek in his hand, murmuring, “Sweetheart, just because you didn’t say it, doesn’t mean I didn’t know you felt it.” When the frown only persisted, he added, “You could say it now, if it would appeal?”

“Such a cowboy.” He muttered, red eyes rolling as if such things actually irritated. His look clouded, a thunderstorm incoming as he grumbled, “I was such a jackass to you… why didn’t you ever give up on me?” The next words soft as they were boomed in Tai’s ears like a crack of thunder, “I was a monster.”

Abruptly, he sat up, gripping Qrow by his shoulders so he could not flail too far. Perched upon his lap and within his arms, the younger man had nowhere to go and thus, could not flee from the intense look Tai brought down upon him as he said, “Qrow Branwen you were many things back then, both good and bad. The worst of which are things I’d freely admit to even to this day, you surly, stubborn ass.” He caught the other’s face between his hands once more, sentiment honest and firm, “But of all the things I’d ever call you, a monster will never be one of them.”

Qrow grabbed him at his wrists, pushing them away as he snapped, “I murdered someone!”

“A sin you’ve atoned for a hundred times over. It still does not make you a monster.” Like a viper, his next words spit like venom to the air, “No, the ones who hurt you, who tortured your very self out of your own head until you forgot yourself, they’re monsters.”

The other’s face twisted a bit, the reminder an ugly blemish, before it smoothed into solemnity, “I could have been one of them.”

“But you’re not.” Tai replied, catching his eye even as he tried to shrink from it, “You never will be Qrow. You were stronger.”

On bad days like this, it was hard to tell which way it would go. Sometimes, Qrow would fight him at every turn. Snarling and howling like a wolf caught in a bear trap but still raring to bite his enemies and even those who might try to help. Other times…

…Would be like today, when all the fight would blow away from him like a feather in the wind. He’d slump against Tai with a weary sigh, allowing himself the comfort of his arms, the shelter of his golden wings that encircled them, a mimic of a shield that would keep all the bad away.

With his head now pressed into his shoulder, Qrow’s words came out muffled and weak, “Why am I like this?”

“It takes time, sweetheart. Healing is not something you can rush.” Tai reminded. “I promise one day you’ll find the peace you’re looking for.”

There was a puff of air against his neck as the other man scoffed. “Sorry you have to put up with me until I find it.”

“You are never someone I simply ‘put up with’.” He combed a hand through dark locks as feathery soft as the wings the man bore. “Before you came along, I was a field without water, drying up as the years went by. Then you sparked a wildfire in my heart. It was like I came alive again. What once was nothing but brittle weeds and shriveled crops was given chance to grow again.”

It was a shame he couldn’t see the other’s face as he flabbergasted, “…Tai you could just say ‘I love you’.”

“And pass up a chance to fluster you by waxing ridiculous poetic? You’d sooner get the cows to come home.” He pushed a bit more of his accent into his tone as he continued, “’Fraid yer just gonna have to tolerate me a half-time’s more, alrite partner?”

Against the sliver of bare skin his collar didn’t quite cover, he felt the way Qrow’s lips turned into a smile. “’Suppose I can do that, Sunshine.”

And it was everything Tai could ever want.

#taiyang xiao long #qrow branwen #Taiqrow #taiqrowweek #taiqrowweek2022 #rwby #fanfiction #Chase Firekitten's Tale

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