One Big Awkward Family

by PropMaster

Fatigue

Fluttershy curled into her blankets, breathing hard as a familiar voice called up to her from the bottom of the stairs. She'd been startled awake by a crash from below, but had calmed as Discord's sing-song greeting set her at ease. The animals had awoken rather abruptly this morning. She frowned slightly. No doubt Discord had moved things along with his... gregariousness.

She pushed away the blankets and rolled out of bed, taking a quick moment to settle her feathers and run a hoof through her mane, before giving up as the insistent cries for attention, sustenance, and love grew louder. Not a moment to lose, today. Things to be done. Fluttershy spared herself a small smile in her mirror. "Okay," she said softly, "time to go to work."

She threw open the shutters to the window above her bed, and opened the window for good measure, dim dawn light peeking hesitantly into her bedroom. She smiled, inhaling the fresh air, and then leaned further out the window to peek in on a myriad of nests that had been constructed in the eaves right above the window. "Hello, Mrs. Titmouse, and good morning, Mrs. Jay. How are the eggs? Warm and cozy?"

She blushed rosily as the birds chirped happy greetings to her. They looked content in their nests, unhatched young safe beneath them. Mr. Titmouse and Mr. Jay arrived in quick order, bearing breakfast offerings for their nesting mates. Fluttershy's smile widened. "Oh, how thoughtful. You boys are such gentlebirdies. You know that I'll have some yummy seeds outside for you soon, but you still brought your lucky ladies breakfast in bed."

The birds chattered and cheeped away, and Fluttershy giggled and slid back inside her room. She opened the door to her room and stepped daintily down the stairs, small rodents and her indoor friends clustering around her as she descended. Discord lay draped sinuously across her couch, grinning cheekily at her. "Oh, good morning, Fluttershy, dear. I hope I didn't startle you awake."

Fluttershy smiled gently. "Good morning, Discord. No, I needed to wake up, anyway." She spared a quick glance at the coffee table, noting that there was no breakfast waiting for her.

Not that she expected it! It just... would have been nice. But it was fine! Fluttershy smiled at her chattering woodland friends. "All right, now. Breakfast time! Discord, would you be a dear and help me get a few of these bags of feed out of the closet? I didn't have time to move them last night."

Discord stretched, elongating beyond his normal proportions, his upper torso moving towards the closet while the lower half continued to recline lazily on the couch. "Of course! It would be my pleasure."

Fluttershy frowned, opening her mouth to add a few stipulations as to how and where she wanted those feed bags moved, but before she could object Discord had floated three of the bags into the air and separated the feed inside into several dozen conjured, garishly colored tea cups, which he placed around the floor awkwardly. Fluttershy sighed, and managed a smile. "Thank you."

The animals crowded around the tea cups, and Fluttershy carefully trotted through the gaggles of wagging tails, avoiding stepping on them as best she could. She had to jump over the last little group of hungry animals to get to her kitchen, but she managed. With a sigh, she poured water into a kettle and put it on the stove to heat. She paused for a too-brief moment, sitting down on the floor of the kitchen and letting out a slow breath.

"Oh Fluttershy! I believe the birds are in a foul mood. After all, they haven't been fed!"

Fluttershy let out the smallest snort, before rising to her hooves. "Thank you for the reminder, Discord," she called into the other room.

"Always happy to be of service!" He hollered back, nearly drowning the chorus of anxiously chirping birds.

Fluttershy cast a longing glance at the kettle, but it was still heating, so she trotted towards her stash of birdseed for the indoor feeders. "Time to go to work."

Comments

[PropMaster]

7891876 Thank you! I really love writing Discord and Fluttershy, so I feel like this will be really fun.

[Ponky]

Funny re-use of the "cries for attention, sustenance, and love" from Fluttershy's perspective.

Oh, very cute parallel between the birds' thoughtful breakfasts and her empty table. Well done, lots conveyed there without actually saying much.

Careful of how often you use "she spared a glance/a brief moment". I saw three in here. Great phrase, but a little distracting in such high dosage.

Great start! I like the switch in perspective between chapters. Looking forward to the next 29 days!

[PropMaster]

7891957 Thankya ponky! Fixed those little things.

[Hap]

7891957

Oh, very cute parallel between the birds' thoughtful breakfasts and her empty table. Well done, lots conveyed there without actually saying much.

I was going to mention this as well. Again, like poetry. So much beauty in so few words.

[RoyalBardofCanterlot]

Cute scene. Seems Fluttershy is both annoyed and amused by Discord's antics.