#and the right type of cat grass

[harocat]

Get domesticated, bitch.

[hopelesslonelyghost]

has anyone seen those tiktoks where it goes “if i die don’t look for me i’ll come to you?” and it’s like a cat or a puppy….

yall know where this is going …..

:)

what if you spoke about that with your boys. just randomly one afternoon when all five of you are chilling in the living room watching a movie and you’re just like, “if i die i’ll come back as a cat” and they all just whip their heads towards you and you’re like “what?”

the only one who bites the bullet is simon, who snorts and asks, “wha’ type o’ cat would you be, love?” and price is lowkey highkey glaring at him because why the fuck is he encouraging this?

you just shrug, “i think maybe a black cat. i’ve always had a soft spot for them.” and that was the end of the conversation because the movie got to the good part and you shushed everyone.

what if you died on a mission. ambushed and shot dead in front of your squad. just like that, you’re gone.

what if one day a couple of months later when your boys are visiting your grave they’re all sat on the grass when all of a sudden a black kitty comes meowing up to kyle and immediately jumps in his lap and begins to purr and knead at his jeans.

what if all of them just freeze because they remembered that conversation you all had years ago about you coming back as a cat. a black cat.

what if kyle picks the kitten up, staring at it with tears in his eyes and just holds the tiny feline up to his face and whispers, “you really came back.”

what if they take the kitty home, bathe her and cuddle her until she falls asleep.

what if they all cry themselves to sleep that night because they just miss you so much but you really kept your word because even in the afterlife you’re right there in the form of a rambunctious kitten that loves to sun gaze just like you did. that loves to sit on their laps just like you did. that loves to nap at all hours of the day just like you did. that loves to sometimes spend time alone just like you did. that loves to leave wet kisses on their cheeks just like you did. that is just as clumsy just like you were.

what if one day they all come home to their fur baby staring at a framed picture they have of you. smiling and trying to cover your face from the camera. they remember you weren’t fast enough, and that flick of you is now one of their most precious memories.

what if the little void looks back at the boys and chirps a soft greeting. happy to see them back and running over to them and rubbing themselves against their feet, welcoming them back home.

WHAT IFFFFFFFFF

[reallyromealone]

Title: little god

Fandom: jjk

Characters: Gojo, Geto

Fic type: fluff

Pairings: -/-

Warnings: male reader, reader insert, dragon reader, child reader, fluff, god reader

Notes: uwuwuwuwu

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

(Name) Stretched his bones as he sunbathed in a garden he found, the dragon stretched out and his scales glimmered in the sunlight.

The lawn was soft, fancy grass that felt wonderful against his scales as he huffed sleepily, eyes blinking lazily and without a worry in the world as the ribbons in his little horns swished in the gentle breeze, the gold accessories on his head and horns jingling slightly with the wind chimes in the engawa a few feet away.

Dragons couldn't be seen by normal humans so (name) often made his way into gardens or sleeping on couches or chairs... Basically the little mythical reptile did as he pleased as he scratched his little whiskered face and sneezed a little and a flower bloomed where the golden dust hit, a single orchid grew up.

"Well you aren't a cursed spirit" a voice broke out and (name) looked up to see blue eyes and immediately the small cat sized dragon jumped up startled and ran behind a decorative rock "I take it you're the little one leaving tiny paw prints in my sand garden" the man was crouched as he smiled at the dragon who glared and grumbled at him, a little baby hiss.

Who was this?

Why was he seeing him?

(Name) Was only a toddler in human years, running on instinct as he got ready for a fight.

But the human seemed unphased.

Gojo cooed at the little guy, he knew there was something living in his garden but he never thought it would be a fortune god or a baby one at that "where's your mama little one" he asked sweetly and sat down as he grabbed the pieces of chicken he grabbed when he saw the little one lounging "want some chicken?" That got the little guys attention as he chirped, the sound of little chimes could be heard as he carefully walked towards the good smelling food and before Gojo could even blink the dragon took it and ran back behind the tree.

(Name) Sniffed the chicken he took and deemed it safe and began munching on the chicken, glancing at the human periodically to make sure he didn't take it.

"You're the one whose been sneaking around eating birds, probably the one eating my koi" he teased as he watched the dragon eat the chicken happily before coming back for more, batting his snoot against his hand "I got plenty of chicken and even some salmon inside if you want some" he offered the dragon who let himself be lifted up as he ate more chicken from the white haired human, very food driven indeed.

Gojo noticed a gold charm on the dragons forehead, (name), inscribed on it and the man hummed as they got more food for the little guy.

He loved watching (name), he was absolutely hilarious and precious!

(Name) Liked to do his own little thing, mainly fight his own shadow and chase bugs but he did his own thing regardless.

He had to show Geto!

"So you found a dragon..." Geto said as they watched (name) eat his new balanced diet, little face messy "you know he won't be a dragon fully forever right?" He said and Gojo shrugged "I'm his dad now, currently he eats raw chicken hearts and salmon but when he's bigger he can have tempura and rice" he said simply as (name) blinked up at them before trotting off "he does his own thing" Gojo said simply and Geto worried for Gojos... Could it even be seen as parenting?

He definitely had to keep an eye on this situation.

The following days went daily smooth as Gojo took time off to be with his new son, (name) having morning zoomies in the yard before breakfast and a nap, the sorcerer doing some work from home as the dragon slept in his lap, imprinting hard on him.

But the dragon would often wonder off, vanishing for periods of time before eventually returning and Gojo decided to follow him.

(Name) Was weirdly interested in under Gojos bed, the man had no clue why though until he looked under to find things from his jewelry to coins to soft blankets, all on top of the fluffy dog bed Gojo got his little buddy "there's my Rolex..." Gojo grumbled but let the little guy keep it, clearly he was very happy with it all.

Something Gojo noticed as well was he would have random coins in his pockets in pants, better hair days and he was feeling better and it wasn't until he saw his little... Son? Yeah son! Drop coins in his shoes and pockets and golden dust sprinkled on his mask after the dragon finished cuddling it "do you do have a bit of magic in ya" gojo lifted the dragon up whose hind legs curled up and his long tail curled between his legs, little head tilt before sneezing gold dust on his face.

"Gross"

Bling!

Setting (name) down he checked his phone to see that meeting he was planning on being late too was cancelled "why thank you, son" Gojo pet the dragons little head and chuckled when he aggressively kicked his leg and leaned in to the touch.

Gojo did his research, Jujutsu sorcerer's kept documentation on God's and such, wasn't the first time they saw one and won't be the last and realized he would need to be ready for when he stopped being a little dragon full time and quickly grabbed his laptop and ordered away.

Gojo set up a bedroom for his adoptive dragon son, a toddler bed and toys that the little one played with kind of.

The room had everything he could need and even got pull-ups in case the kid couldn't figure out toilets.

Should he get a nanny?

Maybe he should look into that... And a tutor... His kid was not cut for public education.

It wasn't until four months in that he got woken to a tiny little hand, eyes snapping open to see a tiny face with big (color) eyes and scales that framed bits of his cheeks and forehead "papa, breakfast!" He said impatiently and gojo realized that this random child was the dragon he took in, the tiny tail swishing at the boy wore traditional clothes lined with gold "yeah? And what does my son want today?" He teased as he got up and lifted the boy into his arms, blessed energy radiating off him like an eclipse "hot dog!"

"A hot dog for breakfast? Thats not breakfast!" It was weird how easy he fell into the role of dad, making his son eggs and hot dogs as compromise and the boy devoured it happily.

Gojo was thankful he had the forethought to get the boy more clothes though the tot leaned towards more traditional robes than anything and Gojo assumed it had something to do with being a god.

"Fancy clothes for my fancy son" he said as he had the seamstress he typically went to put together a bunch of robes for the boy, his little one was so cute!

Geto came by frequently, (name) plenty used to him as the boy ate fancy chicken nuggets as his tail swished lazily "why is he dressed like royalty?"

"Why do you dress like a monk?"

"Touche"

"You know you can't hide him from the elders forever right?" Geto worried for the boy, the elders were assholes who would exploit the fact that the little one was the literal god of fortune, having done some research to find that (name) goes through "rebirth" periods, once he gets too old he just reverses his age and starts new, he wondered if he retained his memories....

"I would love for them to try" Gojo said coldly, a smile on his face as he pat his sons head fondly, the boy grinning at his dad and offering him some of his half eaten nugget "papas full, little man" he rejected kindly and (name) resumed eating as the adults spoke.

(Name) Was just happy to have more meat, Gojo always having the best food especially for the literal only other Gojo family member (if you try to tell him (name) wasn't you would be turned to a fine mist by the blue eyed man) who looked at him like he hung the stars and painted the moon.

"Oh? What's up?" Gojo asked and Geto looked confused as (name) suddenly handed him a few coins "he just has those" Gojo shrugged and Geto raised an eyebrow "he keeps using his magic to summon coins, he keeps giving them to the fridge though..." (Name) Practically worshipped the fridge, the tiny god hugging it often and mumbling "chicken..." Happily as Gojo took pictures of the little goober.

"Though he has granted a wish" Gojo said softly as Geto looked shocked, looking back at the tot who was full and sleepy, a soggy nugget in his hand "what did he grant?" He asked curiously and Gojo sipped his tea "he saw something on tv, I was watching the news and there was a report on a missing dog and the man looked distressed" setting his cup down and taking off his glasses as he continued '(name) touched the tv and poof, the dog was running to his owner" Geto still couldn't grasp the fact that he was sitting before a literal god, the god of fortune no less.

A being that could completely alter reality but all he wanted was chicken and getting to chase birds.

Eventually Geto left and Gojo brought his son for his afternoon nap, a stuffed lucky cat in his arms as he snoozed.

It was weird for Gojo to sit and think about the fact he was a dad... To a fucking dragon god!

But it was worth it because (name) was odd yes, but he looked at Gojo like he was his dad.

It's why he used his standing to put together papers so (name) would be a Gojo legally.

Now he just had to make sure the Zenin clan didn't go near him.

[leighsartworks216]

You're My Favorite

Sylus x gn!Reader

Very self indulgent fic for me. Started replaying Pokemon Shield and the au thoughts have been haunting me. But instead of that what if cuddle with big man while play game??

Warnings: fluff, domestic fluff, cuddling, kissing, Pokemon references, literal sleeping together, rain, the author's obvious love for ghost type Pokemon

Word Count: 964

Main Masterlist

First - Second - Third LADS Masterlists

AO3

Tag List Form

Rain patters softly against the windows. It pours down the glass, painting the outside world in a waterfall haze. The glowing lights of the cityscape shimmer and shine in a vibrant bokeh. All the way up here in the penthouse, none of the noise of traffic and disputes reach.

The living room is dim, lit only by the light of the TV. The sound is turned down low. Upbeat music and exciting battle themes, barely loud enough to hear over the rain. Your character runs around on the screen. The controllers sit comfortably in your hands, and Sylus rests comfortably in your arms.

It’s a lazy night in. You wanted to return to a game you haven’t played in a while, a Pokemon game. Sylus decided to join you, if only to cuddle. Which is how you ended up laid back against one of the couch armrests, and how Sylus ended up sprawled across the length of the couch, his arms wrapped under your back and his head on your chest. When you get into a battle and can play one-handed, your other hand finds its way into his hair. Those are his favorite moments. Your quiet confidence or underlying anxiety about the fight on screen, all the while your fingers thread through his silky hair, nails scratching lightly at his scalp. You always win. He hasn’t seen you lose a single battle yet, even though you make a habit of saving before the important ones just in case.

For now though, you’re exploring one of the wide open areas. Little creatures hop around the grass. Some occasionally chase you around. One manages to catch up, starting up the battle theme. In one hit, the fight is done.

A blue screen comes up with one of your Pokemon in the center. A blue and black bird with red eyes that you’d had since the very start of the game, affectionately named Mephisto. He’d teased you initially, saying it looked nothing like his beloved surveillance pet. You get giddy beneath him, sitting up slightly and playing with his hair as Mephisto is bathed in white. In its place, a large black raven appears.

You tap against his back to get his attention. “See? Doesn’t it look like Mephie now?”

He grins softly. “It does. You were right, sweetie.”

“Mhm.” You linger on the screen for a minute, just looking at your newly evolved partner. “D’you think you’d have one of these for a Pokemon?”

“I already have one mechanical bird, and he’s much more reasonably sized.”

You snicker, finally clicking off the screen. You pick a move to be replaced with Steel Wing. Then your hand leaves his hair, and you continue running around the digital world.

“What Pokemon would you have?” he asks. He scoots himself up further, pressing his face into your neck, nuzzling against your collarbones. He’s such a cat. You almost expect him to make biscuits against your stomach.

You rest your head against his. You can feel your eyes starting to get heavy. Lids starting to droop. You stubbornly play on. Just a little longer. You don’t want to get up yet, not when Sylus’s weight presses down on you so perfectly and his lips brush your neck like delicate flower petals. A yawn slips through, regardless. “I don’t know. I guess it depends.”

He hums. “On what?”

“Whether I’m a gym leader or a normal trainer or, like, a normal person.”

You can feel the curve of his smile on your skin. He loves when you’re passionate about your interests. When you put more thought into it than others would. “All of them. What’d be different?”

You wrap your arms tighter around him, mindlessly going into menus and healing your Pokemon team as you think. “Well, if I was a gym leader, I’d be a ghost one - easy. And I’d have a Mimikyu, and maybe a Chandelure. Hmm, an Aegislash. And my ace would be a Dragapult.”

“Mhm.”

“And if I was a trainer, I’d want a balanced team of my favs. I’d still have Dragapult, and a Vaporeon, and a Mephisto.” He huffs a laugh. “And three others… And I’d train them all and be friends with them all.”

You’ve lingered on your Bag’s menu screen for a while now. You hug him a little tighter, muffling a yawn as you rest your eyes for a moment.

“If I was just a normal person… I don’t know what I’d wanna do. For a job. ‘Cause there’d be no Wanderers for me to deal with… Maybe I’d have a cute little cottage. I think if I did, I wouldn’t wanna have a fight-y Pokemon. Just one that I can chill with…”

He kisses your pulse. Squeezes you around the waist. “What would it be?”

You hum sleepily. “If you were a Pokemon, what would you be, Sy-sy?”

“I don’t know. Why?”

“I’d want my Pokemon to be you…”

“What if I lived in that cottage with you, as myself?”

“Then we could have a Mephie…” you murmur. The soothing sound of the rain has caught up with you. Your breathing becomes rhythmic, long and slow and even. The controller slips from your fingers. He catches it from hitting the floor with his Evol, depositing it safely on the coffee table. Your hands, now free, gravitate back to his hair. You play limly with the hair at the nape of his neck, petting the shorter hair at the back of his head. “An’ a Dragapult…”

He chuckles, low and content. He nods slightly. “Okay. We’ll have a Dragapult. That must be your favorite, hm, kitten?”

You rub your cheek against his head. “You’re my favorite…”

“You’re my favorite, too.” He hugs you tighter. “Sweet dreams, my beloved.”

“Mnmm… G���nigh’, Sy-sy…”

---

Tag List:

@the-golden-jhope @armycaratlover @sylusfluffymeow @cheesemachine44 @nyx2021 @angel-jupiter @thelittlebutton @pikachuzhc @pomegranatepip @cordidy @an-ever-angry-bi @thejysemongko @deusfoundry @that-lost-one @always-just-red @22carolina08 @lunaizhere @sine-nomine0 @beautifulthingsiadore @lalaluch @nothankyew @terriblesoup @jeleryyy @nezuswritingdesk @anaathxma @ssushi @mina7820 @monophobix @mentaltrouble2201 @mskaylacharite @nerrivm @ichosesparklingtorment @schnittled @animegamerfox @flamedancer13 @rebloggingislove @moonlight-inthe-sea @persepolys @satorubabee @sleepykittycx @moon-inthe-sea @perla-drg @leiakitty

[hana-no-seiiki]

YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO FIGHT ME NOT F*CK ME!

yan! school grass (most handsome/perfect guy)/rival x crossdresser! male! reader x yan! friends - part one

tw/cw: mention of abusive parents (but not reader’s) and yandere themes. also your rival has some repressed sexual urges, he really needs to get laid or some head or something-

just read migi and dali and gahd NOW I WANNA WRITE A WHOLE CROSSDRESS /GENDERBENDER BL NOVEL IM IN HORRID ROTTING

Like I imagine this the best with stoic and/or tsun yans the best. You know those types that want to be perfect but only feels perfect when they’re with reader.

ive always loved these tropes as a kid, from mulan to that one tawog episode where darwin fell in love with fem! gumball and like this was even before i knew i wasnt cis but gahd AAAAAAA

also inspired by @moyazaika ‘s rival work. go read it!!

but anyways have the fic, lowercase intentional for first part to differentiate povs.

it was a dare given by your friend group earlier last weekend. wear the girls uniform and a wig for the entire month. it was easy to get the materials necessary for the most part. your mother had several wigs and was more than happy to style her son in feminine clothing. she was just amazing and supportive about your whims like that.

it didn’t take long for you to realize that no one recognized you in your new look.

the day started like many of your other ones at the school, you’d race your rival as the first one in class and whoever wins gets rights to a smug look on their face until the next thing you guys eventually compete on.

but unlike the crestfallen expression you expected — nay wanted — from that stupid pretty boy, you were greeted by what you could only described as complete bafflement.

“what?” despite having a different reaction from what you imagined, you managed to keep a composed appearance. “cat got your tongue?”

“ah. . .”

and that were the only words he said to you the entire day. nothing else. not a single groan of anger whenever you answered everything correctly, he didn’t even attempt at stopping you mid-way or disagree with you answer simply because he wanted to annoy you.

and so you couldn’t help it, as soon as the bell rang signalling lunch time you swiftly turned around to face him.

“are you alright?”

you inquired. not at all worried about his well-being at the slightest. you hated him with all your being after all and you didn’t make an effort to be soft with your tone either.

“h-huh?” he looked dazed. like his head had been in the clouds and you just yanked him down to ground.

your rival never got distracted.

“you—“ you reached out about to smack his face to keep him in check.

“if you’ll excuse me!” he smacked your hand out of the way, screeched at you, and then left in a hurry to who knows where.

nevermind that was definitely him. that silly brat hated it whenever you touched him. he must have just been having issues at home again or something.

Haoyu was trembling — shaking uncontrollably as his breaths turned more shallow by the second. His heart was pumping blood in places of his body where it shouldn’t have been in the middle of school hours. Sweat lined his entire skin and it didn’t help how the bathroom he rushed into had nothing to keep the temperature down.

Who were you?

You sat at his rival’s seat. That nasty kid that always got in his nerves. No one questioned the boy’s absence and he would have asked the teachers on what had happened if you didn’t suddenly take his breath away.

You were, ethereal. Otherworldy even. When he first saw you he was taken away by the way your hair moved in the wind (if only he knew . . .).

Still, he was far too distracted by [Y/N]’s absence to properly let the feeling simmer.

Then, all that went away when you reeled in his mind back at you again at class. You were incredible, capable, intelligent, and oh so perfect. But unlike that stupid child that usually sat in front of him, he did not feel an ounce of envy at all.

If only who could see your eyes as you spoke; the tone of your voice conveyed so much passion that he wanted to see in those beautiful (e/c) orbs.

And his prayers were granted by none other than the goddess that is you,

“Are you alright?”

Your voice? Oh your voice! Haoyu’s heard it already of course, but each new time you spoke it was like a whole new melody, a new piece that immediately turned into his favorite.

His mind was too fried with these thoughts, thoughts that his parents would no doubt beat out of him if they found out.

His feels the parts down there suddenly move. He wasn’t completely unfamiliar with the phenomenon. He wasn’t without his hormones after all. But this was the first time it ever reacted that way so strongly, like if he didn’t give it attention himself it’d explode.

“Mmph…”

And for the time in his entire life, Haoyu does something he knew his parents would definitely be disappointed if not livid about. A hand on his mouth, and another in his school uniform’s pants.

lunch time.

you usually spent those studying or preparing for the next class as hanging out with your friends always ended with you being too distracted to do schoolwork but today you had to show up with ‘proof’ that you went through with their dare.

“yiran ? yichen ?”

no response.

you sighed. as usual, the twins were late. what did you expect? those two would be caught dead before they could be early much less found in the library.

and so you spent the entire time reading,

unaware of the crowd that formed around you while you were busy studying.

[redisthenewblue]

TINKER-Twisted Wonderland x Tinkerbell!Yuu/Fem!Reader Part 3 Part 2 Part 4

⋆.ೃ࿔*:･You know, it’s easy to say that [Name] was really annoyed. She was clinging tightly to a rock, hovering above this monster, and let me tell you, she had been in this precarious position for what felt like ages. Now, don’t get me wrong—she’s not the type to be impatient, at least not by fairy standards. But honestly, if those guys didn’t get their act together soon, she was ready to kick them so far underground that they’d be greeting Hades himself. Maybe this was just karma for laughing at the very people she should have been helping. You know how it goes; they’d probably forget her the moment they got out of the mines.

“H-Hey, monster! I’m uh… I-I’m over here!” [Name] perked up at the sound of a familiar voice. Never in a million years did she think she’d feel relieved to hear Grim, but hey, tough times call for tough measures.

“Grrraaawrrr! BEGOOOOONE!” The monster’s booming roar made the entire mine tremble, and a startled yelp escaped the girl.

“Insect?!” The cat stared in disbelief at the girl dangling for dear life. The monster growled again, catching Gris’s attention. “He's coming our way! Yuuken!”

Yuuken glanced up at [Name] and exclaimed, “You have wings, remember?! You can fly!”

“Oh right!” [Name]’s wings sprang to life, keeping her aloft. “Watch out!” she called out to the cat and the boy. With a powerful flap of her wings, she dove down, swooping up Grim and Yuuken in one smooth motion.

“Right over here, monster!” the black-haired boy taunted, waving his hand at the creature.

“Grrurgh? Thieeef thiiis waaay tooooo... Neeevvva giiive stooones! Neeevvvaaa!” The monster growled, chasing after the teens as they scrambled to escape the cave.

“Eep! If it lands one of those punches, we’re toast!” Grim squeaked as [Name] skillfully dodged the monster’s attacks.

“Aieee! I’m scared!” Yuuken slapped a hand over his mouth, bashfully glancing at [Name].

“Really, Yuuken?” Was [Name] now the knight in shining armor? She could’ve sworn she was just the damsel in distress a moment ago.

“Begooone! BEGOOOOOOONE!”

“Ugh, this guy’s breath is horrendous,” [Name] muttered. Soon enough, they caught sight of a glimmer of light emerging from outside the cave. Once they had distanced themselves enough from the mine, she unceremoniously dropped Grim and Yuuken on the grass and then landed gracefully beside them.

“We got him a good distance away from the mine!” Grim exclaimed, clearly relieved.

“Now’s our chance!” Yuuken urged as Ace and Deuce took up defensive positions back to back.

“You bet! I’m ready! One extra-large gust of wind, coming right up!” Ace flicked his magic pen at the monster.

“And I’ll add my blazing-hot fire to that! MYAAAH!”

Ace grinned, “How’s that for a combo?! With my winds fanning them, even Grim’s flames can turn into a raging inferno!”

“Whaddaya mean ‘feeble’?! You really don’t know when to keep your mouth shut, do you?” Grim shot back at Ace.

Yuuken’s eyes widened as realization dawned on him. “The monster’s afraid of our flaming tornado!”

“Just stay calm, aim carefully… and pull out the biggest, heaviest thing I can think of… Get ‘em, cauldron!” Deuce shouted, brandishing his cauldron.

“Nailed it! The plan’s working! Look, Yuuken! That monster got smashed flat by a falling cauldron, just like Ace did!” Grim teased, taking a jab at the orange-haired boy.

“Could’ve done without the reminder, thanks! This has been one drag after another,” Ace rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed.

“Quick! While it’s distracted, we need to grab that magestone!”

“Guh?! Waaait! Nooooooo!”

“That’s it! That’s a magestone!” 

“Dooon’t tooouch thaaaaat!”

“Uh-oh! Looks like it’s almost wriggled free!” Ace took a step back, clearly on edge.

“I’ll help, I guess,” [Name] said as she took to the air, fairy dust swirling around her like a gentle snowstorm. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a small circular device and tossed it at the creature, which expanded into a net that wrapped around its body.

“Wait, you could’ve helped back in the cave?!” Ace exclaimed, a hint of offense in his voice.

“I’m helping now, aren’t I?!” she shot back. “Besides, you guys left me back there,” she said, crossing her arms defiantly.

“I told you we forgot something!” Deuce argued with Ace, who had accused him of being ridiculous.

“Nnngaaaah!”

“We got the magestone! Now let’s get out of here!” Grim and Yuuken rushed up to join the group.

“Roger that!” Ace grabbed [Name]’s wrist and pulled her along with him.

“MYYY STOOOOOOONE!”

“Are you kidding me?! It’s still coming! It broke all the nets?!” Ace tightened his grip on the fairy, causing her to wince and poke him with her other hand.

“Ooooooooogh...! Giiive it baaaaack...!”

“It’s too fast! It’s about to catch us!” Deuce started to panic.

“Then it’s kill or be killed!” Yuuken shouted, a hint of fear creeping into his voice.

“Easy for you to say, Yuuken! You don’t have to fight it!” [Name] exclaimed, pulling out her magic pen with a sigh as she held it close.

“Aw, fine! Let’s just smash the thing. Try not to wet yourself, Deucey!” Ace quipped, using the hand that had been around [Name]’s wrist to retrieve his magic pen.

“Same goes for you, Ace!” Deuce replied, following suit.

“I’m gonna show you why they call me Grim the Great!”

“Shut up and help,” [Name] said, her annoyance evident as her wings jingled.

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁

Deuce was panting, leaning against a tree for support. 

“Is it... over?” Ace whined, collapsing onto his back in sheer exhaustion.

“Yes, I mean, I guess watching it disappear right in front of your eyes doesn’t mean anything,” [Name] shot back with a playful sass.

“Even after that intense battle, you still find room for attitude?” Ace questioned, raising an eyebrow.

[Name] laughed, “We?”

Yuuken glanced over at the girl, who was still cackling. Even though he had only known her for less than a day, he was already getting used to her quirks.

“I think... we won? I think we really did it!” Grim exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air.

“All right!”

“Woohoo!”

“Give me a victory high-five!”

“I’m not doing that,” [Name] said, turning onto her side. Grim grunted but raised his paw anyway.

“Shared adversity really brings people together, huh?” the black-haired boy said, a satisfied grin spreading across his face.

“Uh... I don’t think that has anything to do with it,” [Name] replied.

“Yeah! Spare us the clichés, Yuuken!” Ace chimed in.

“There’s no ‘together’ here! We won because of me! This is all thanks to my magical genius!” Grim declared proudly.

“Magical genius, my a—” [Name] was cut off mid-sentence.

“You know... I hate to admit it, but we mostly won because of your plan,” Ace said, smiling at Yuuken.

“Right? If you hadn’t kept your cool and directed us, we never would’ve snagged this magestone. I can’t believe it—now I won’t get expelled! What a relief!” Deuce scratched the back of his neck, glancing down at his feet.

“I’m just glad nobody got hurt,” Yuuken shrugged, brushing it off.

“Yeah, yeah, lessons learned and all that. Can we just go home already? I’m wiped,” Ace said, clearly drained.

“Using all that magic made me hungry! Huh? What’s this?” Grim’s eyes widened as he spotted something.

“Is that... a part of the monster we just beat? It looks like... a magestone? But it’s as black as coal! I’ve never seen one like that before,” Deuce pointed out.

Grim sniffed at the black stone, “What IS this? It smells amazing!”

“Are you out of your mind?” Ace stared at the cat, utterly dumbfounded.

“It must be some kind of fancy monster candy that it was hiding from us!”

“Why don’t you just eat it then? I bet it tastes delicious.” The boys looked at [Name] as if she had just sprouted three heads. Did she really just suggest that? Before they knew it, Grim plopped the stone into his mouth and started munching on it.

“Wait!” A look of horror washed over [Name]. “I didn’t actually think you’d eat it?!”

“Did you seriously just eat that?!” Yuuken rushed over to Grim in disbelief.

“MYAAAH!”

“Are you okay?!” Deuce asked, panic creeping into his voice.

“That’s what you get for eating trash!” Ace laughed, unable to contain himself.

“Oooooogh... Urrrgggh... That... was AMAZING!”

“What?!” the group exclaimed in unison.

“Rich in flavor and full-bodied... It’s like sweet, fragrant flowers bursting into bloom on my tongue. A whole field of them! Right in my mouth!”

“What are you? Are you even real?” [Name] looked at the cat, a mix of confusion and disgust on her face.

“Gross. Monsters must have some seriously weird tastes,” Ace recoiled, grimacing.

“You might be onto something there... Most humans don’t just pick up random stuff off the ground and pop it into their mouths,” the dark blue-haired boy added.

“Monsters really will eat anything, I guess.”

They turned to [Name], waiting expectantly for her to explain. “Wha—oh, I dunno,” she shrugged, tapping her foot against the ground, clearly uninterested.

“Myah ha ha ha! Man, that was fantastic! Don’t worry about me. I don’t have a weak stomach like you humans do,” Grim boasted with pride.

“Hmph. We’ll see if you’re still so smug when you’re sick later tonight,” Ace retorted, ever the snark.

“Okay, let’s get it together. We need to deliver this magestone to the headmage!” 

[Name] dramatically fell to the ground. “Deuceeee,” she dragged out, “Carry me there, I’m exhausted,” she curled up into a small ball. Deuce blushed, flustered by the request from a pretty (albeit sassy) girl. Slowly, he picked her up and settled her on his shoulder. Ace scoffed at the boy’s red cheeks while Yuuken sweat-dropped at the girl’s antics.

“Come on!” Grim beckoned, and off they went.

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[Name] was peacefully snoozing away, her soft snoring confirming she was in dreamland. Meanwhile, Deuce was on edge, tensing up every time she shifted in her sleep. Suddenly, a wave of ugly sobs filled the air, pulling her from her slumber. She lifted her head, squinting through her blurry vision, and was stunned to see none other than Headmage Crowley in tears. Seriously? What’s up with him crying like a baby at his age?

“What’s this guy’s problem? Crying in public like that? At his age?!” Grim exclaimed, his jaw dropping in disbelief.

“In all my years at this school, today marks a monumental moment! The students of Night Raven College have finally united to confront a common enemy!” Crowley dabbed at his tears with a handkerchief, clearly overwhelmed.

“Whoa! No way am I joining hands with that guy!” Deuce protested.

“First off, there was no hand-holding involved. Gross. And second, just how old are you, Headmage?” Ace chimed in, echoing [Name]’s thoughts.

“Right now, I’m just too moved to express myself. This moment has validated my hopes. Yuuken, my doubts have vanished! You hold the talents of a beastmaster!” Crowley declared dramatically.

“What talents are those?” Yuuken asked, tilting his head in confusion.

“My students have been chosen by the Dark Mirror for their exceptional abilities. But with great talent comes great pride and huge egos. Most of them are so self-reliant, they wouldn’t even think of working with others,” Crowley admitted, looking down in shame.

“You make it sound like that’s a bad thing,” Yuuken replied.

“But you, Yuuken, you have no magic. Yet, in spite of that—or maybe because of it—you managed to rally those who do have magic to work together for a shared goal. Your ordinary, everyday vibe might just be what Night Raven College needs!” Crowley continued passionately.

“But... none of that sounds good?” Ace responded, unimpressed.

“Yuuken, I genuinely believe that people like you are essential for the future of this school. My instincts as an educator tell me so. Trappola, Spade—I’m revoking your expulsions! And you, Yuuken, I’m granting you the qualifications you need to officially attend Night Raven College!”

[Name] shot upright, eyes wide. “WHAT?!”

“You remember I can’t use magic, right?” Yuuken said, confusion evident on his face.

“Of course, and this is incredibly generous of me. However, there’s one condition. Your lack of magic is unacceptable for a mage. You wouldn’t be able to keep up with the curriculum! And Grim... your actions today show you have enough talent to become a mage. Considering everything, you and Yuuken will share a single enrollment at Night Raven College.”

“Ughhh,” [Name] sunk deeper into Deuce’s shoulder, “Does Grim really have to go to school?”

“Silence, insect! I... I get to be a student? Not a janitor?!” Grim exclaimed, excitement bubbling over.

“Exactly. But! There can’t be any more incidents like today. Clear?” 

[Name] couldn’t help but chuckle; she knew Grim wouldn’t last a day without causing chaos.

“It’ll be a pleasure working with you,” Yuuken said, smiling down at the cat.

“Don’t lie,” Grim retorted.

“MYAAAAAH! I FINALLY DID IT!” he shouted, jumping in joy.

“Now, I’ll present Grim with the magestone issued to every student here,” Crowley announced.

“Heh! A magestone, huh?!” Grim said, eyes gleaming.

“Just don’t eat it…” [Name] cautioned, watching Grim slump at her words.

“It usually attaches to the ‘magic pen’ each student uses, but I doubt your paws can handle that. So, I’ve got a custom solution for you. Am I too kind or what?” 

“Ah, sweet! A magestone collar, fit only for the legendary archmage, Grim!” Grim beamed.

“Are you even listening? Yuuken. As you can see, Grim is completely clueless about human customs. You need to keep him in check and make sure there are no more incidents! And you, [Name], will be placed in the ramshackle dorm until a room in Diasomnia opens up. I’ve already put your uniform by the door,” Crowley explained.

“Wow, that’s quite the upgrade. From janitor to student to prefect—all in one day,” Ace said, clapping playfully.

“Oh, I see. So if your dorm is just you three, and the headmage himself is putting you, Yuuken, in charge of Grim, that makes you... Yuuken the dorm prefect and [Name] the vice-prefect.”

[Name]’s jaw dropped. She had magic, so why wasn’t she the Prefect? She shot an angry eyebrow at Crowley but eventually lowered it in defeat.

“Well, that’s gotta be a Night Raven first! A magic-less prefect and a girl in one dorm? Sure, why not? Whatever works!” she said, rolling her eyes.

“I’ll do my best!” Yuuken declared, determination shining in his eyes.

“Heh heh heh. Good luck, Magic-less Prefect!” Ace chuckled.

“Ah, yes. I suppose that makes you a prefect. And I just so happen to have a job for you, which will make it much easier to... uh, I mean, congratulations! I have something for you. Behold, the ghost camera!” Crowley showcased the camera proudly.

“Camera?” [Name] and Yuuken echoed, intrigued.

“Ooh, my grandma mentioned those! They’re like, super old magic items, right?” Ace snapped his fingers in recognition.

“I wouldn’t say ‘super old’… ahem. But it might have been invented when your great or great-great-grandmother was a child. It’s a camera enchanted with a special kind of magic that allows the user to photograph not just the subject’s physical form but parts of their soul too,” Crowley explained.

“Wait, that sounds... sketchy,” Deuce said, narrowing his eyes skeptically.

“Right…” [Name] agreed.

“They’re called Memories. Here’s the catch: when the soul bond between the photographer and subject grows stronger, the Memories captured in the photos can come to life!” Crowley continued.

“Soul bond? Jumping out?” [Name] and Yuuken exclaimed in unison.

“When the photographer and subject get closer, their photos become animated like videos... and sometimes the photographs even take on a physical form and leap out. Isn’t that what you kids would call ‘wicked cool’?” 

“That sounds like ghost photography!” Deuce commented.

“Very observant. That’s why it’s called a ‘ghost camera’. It was created as a more vivid way to capture moments before video existed. As Spade noted, back in Back in the day, people would freak out when they saw their memories literally jumping out of photos, yelling things like, "Ghost!" I’ve heard so many stories about folks who were absolutely terrified of being snapped by those kinds of cameras.”

“Honestly, this whole tech situation seems like it could cause more headaches than it’s worth.” Ace stretched.

“Luckily,it’s not you handling the camera,”[Name] said as blunt as ever.

“Yuuken, I need you to grab this camera and take some pictures of Grim and the other students, documenting your campus life,”Crowley said.

Grim chuckled, puffing out his chest, “Myah ha haaa! That sounds like the perfect way to capture all my greatest moments!”

“Ahem... Just make sure to focus especially on the little antics of certain students who might have a hard time controlling their impulses. Trust me, keeping a photo journal is way less of a hassle than writing me those long reports, don’t you think? As a prefect, it’s your responsibility to keep an eye on things and document them. Plus, just look at how generous I’m being by letting you use this rare magical item that even someone like you can handle. Isn’t my kindness just off the charts?”

“I’ll give it my all,” Yuuken replied, determination shining in his eyes.

“Alright, it’s getting late, so we’ll have to dive into the details tomorrow. You’re all dismissed, so head back to your dorms!”

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“Wow, Yuuken,” [Name] wrinkled her nose as she looked around the inside of Ramshackle, “Let’s tackle this mess tomorrow. Oh, and remind me to grab a mop and duster too. Got it, Prefect?”

Yuuken and Grim exchanged shocked glances. Was she really going to lend them a hand?

“Thank y—” But before he could finish, a fairy wing swooped in and covered his mouth.

“Don’t thank me,” she said, lifting the wing away and watching as he coughed up a cloud of fairy dust. “I’m just doing this because I want a clean space.”

“At least we’re making some progress around here,” the black-haired boy chimed in, brushing off her comments.

“Yeah, yeah. And just so you know, I’m calling dibs on the bed!”

Taglist: @itwaszzmoon

[lady-boketto]

Gyomei Himejima General Headcanons (Sfw/Nsfw)

a/n: I hope i did this right but anyway, I have a lot of ideas but i don't really know how to right them out and his is my first time actually drumming up the courage to post anything lmao but after writing this I had a lot of fun and actually feel more confident in writing headcanons but let me know what you think! :)

SFW (Safe for Work)

Gyomei is a man who is very in tune with his feelings, so he's very attentive to your emotions and when you're not feeling quite like yourself so he likes to help you out when you're not feeling well or when you ask him to hold you, he always welcomes you into his strong arms with a warm smile on his face

when someone comes to confide in him, Gyomei is more of the type of person to listen to your problems or stories that you want to tell him than he is at trying to come up with topics or solutions to talk about but he will comfort you with ressasuring words if he feels like you need it and always has a warm smile on his face when you approach him

Sometimes when Gyomei has time to himself to relax and unwind in his own space it is often interrupted by someone (his comrades or you, his beloved) not that he minds at all at their presence he actually welcomes them as he found with time that the people around him naturally gravitate towards him and tend to be comfortable enough to share stories with him which he's more than happy to listen and be engaged in anything they might say, Gyomei suspects it might be due to the mixture of his large stature and calm demeanor that people naturally feel that they are protected and puts those around him at ease

Due to people casually coming and talking to him, Gyomei is a bit of a gossip and likes to know things but doesn't really do anything with the information, he doesn't like to start drama or be around it, he would rather be spending time at home with you, he'd take a seat in the lounge area and when he has made himself comfortable he'd raise his hand out to gesture for you to come and sit with him so he can tell you all the stories he has collected since you last spoke with a wide grin on his face

He may be blind but that doesn't mean that he is completely useless, in reality Gyomei has learned how to compensate for his short comings in a way that makes the people around him forget that he is even blind

tries to hide how amused he is when you forget that he is blind (ex. when you try to show him something interesting or when you comment on how dark the room is)

he loves it when the both of you have the time to relax and enjoy each other's company, especially the warm afternoons where he can sit in the grass without a care as you are relaxing peacefully in his lap, reading out loud to him the book that you picked up from the markets while he was out on his last mission.

also there are days where he likes to sit outside ( by himself or with you) and play his shakuhachi ( it's like a flute but sounds so majestic lol) , he doesn't know a lot of songs but likes to play notes and find which ones sound good together and plays little random tunes ( sometimes he makes up lyrics to go with the melody but most times its just meaningless tunes)

Gyomei has two weaknesses and that's: you and cats. It's a struggle for him to balance the two but with persuasion ( he secretly likes to be complimented and hugs, especially when you hug his arm) he will choose you with little to slightly moderate regret to the stray he saw on his way home from his meeting with the leader and the rest of the hashira.

Gyomei especially has a fascination with the maine coon cat breed not only because they are one of the biggest breeds of cat but because they are rather social creatures like Gyomei himself, they don't mind spending time around other people. He also finds it very funny when he get to spend time with a maine coon cat and he feels them softly making biscuits on his haori when he's trying to pet the other cats or talking to you

NSFW (Not Safe for Work)

Gyomei likes to praise you in bed so that he can feel the heat rise from your skin under his large hands

not really the one to risk getting caught doing anything other than kisses on the cheek or a loving embrace in front of others

there's a whole another side behind close doors and in your shared space, he becomes more desperate for your touch and especially loves it when you roam you hands down his chest and shoulders, he blushes and softly sighs when you pay more attention to his thighs ( lightly moans if you lightly drag you nails down his mid thigh)

Gyomei's ears are very sensitive and likes to hear your voice (has a thing for your voice) so he enjoys every little noise you make for him, it ties a knot in his stomach when you lowly whisper in his ear how much you desire him and he more than happy to comply to your wants

Another area that is sensitive for Gyomei is his neck and collarbone, he can't help but squirm and firmly hold you by your waist as you are on top of him and attacking his neck with kisses and bites

The one thing he doesn't mind other people seeing is the love bites you (or hickies) leave on his neck because most people that he talks to are actually too anxious to tease him about them when they catch the sight of them peeking out of his uniform, but little do they know he knows what they are nervous about because although he can't see the chain of marks you've left, he smirks to himself as he body shivers with the slight sting of pain when he traces his fingers over his neck as he remembers your touch

Gyomei likes to rely on his other senses to please you in the bed room and due to not having the proper time to go out and meet people it has left him a little touch starved so he loves to use his mouth on your body

He wants nothing more than to kiss your body on the parts you are most sensitive to and tell you how much you brighten his world by being in it and telling you how lucky he is to call you his lover while his hands are working to bring you closer your desire of coming undone in front of him

He is a bit embarrassed to admit to you but loves to use his mouth on your chest and moans like crazy when he has one of your nipples in his mouth, also likes to feel up your hips and thighs as he works his mouth on your chest

Gyomei's favorite places to kiss you are your lips and inner thighs because he secretly love how needy and how vocal you get for him (it makes his chest swell with a sense of pride and wants nothing more than to hear you praise him more so he can do his best for you)

He doesn't like to use his full strength on you in fear of hurting you in some way, unless you specifically ask him so to do or that you managed to work him up so much that he can't control himself and has to set a boundary to show you who is in charge of the current situation by sneaking up behind you with a firm press of his hips to your behind or when his hands find their way to your neck to put a light pressure, warning you to behave for him or else he'll have to use drastic measures on you if you dare to test him further)

if you'd let him if would love to cum inside you, he likes it when you beg for him to cum inside you (the heat of the moment makes the both of you blush like crazy) especially Gyomei because he doesn't stop thrusting his hips until you're both coming down from the high of the moment (he loves to feel you spasm and eventually relax against his body)

Gyomei always makes sure to take care of you after you are both done, he's amazing at massages (he's very good with his hands) and will clean you up or run the bath for you with your favorite soaps and scented oils or he will gladly get you a glass of icy cold water with the small ice cubes that are so easy to crunch with your teeth (whatever you want or need, Gyomei is ready and willing to serve your every need)

[octopus-punching-union]

Tokyo Debunker characters + MC who talks to cats

(specifically, praising the campus cats for being cute hard workers)

Jin: Obviously he's not giving you enough work if you have time to waste with the cats. (But secretly, he's cranky that you're too nervous to be like that with him. He doesn't get much genuine praise and has been telling himself that he doesn't need it... but hearing you so freely praising the cats makes him feel things that aren't entirely pleasant.)

Tohma: "They have jobs, you know." If you're so bored that you're distracting others from their work, he has plenty for you to do. (He actually finds it really amusing.)

Luca: "You're right, they really do work hard." He's not the type to fawn over animals, but he doesn't find it at all unusual when you do. He very earnestly thanks them for all their hard work.

Kaito: Sits down and joins you petting and praising the cats. It's a rare moment in which he's not feeling self-conscious or worrying about impressing you, until you accidentally bump hands and he starts freaking out.

Alan: He backs off as soon as he notices what's going on — he doesn't want to ruin the moment. Later, he makes sure to tell you that you're doing a good job (but without context, it feels like it's coming out of nowhere).

Leo: "It's just a cat. You know it doesn't understand what you're saying, right?" He starts to say something rude in a sugary-sweet tone. "Don't listen to him," you say, covering the cat's ears so that it won't hear. (The cat, disgruntled by all the movement, hops out of your lap and trots away.)

Sho: "You're so weird, senpai," he says, not even trying to hide his smirk, but you can tell he's not serious. He pretends to be reluctant to join you, but he really just wants to hear you ask for him again.

Haru: He stops briefly to say hi, but doesn't have much time to spare. He'll take care of some of your tasks, though, so that you can have a peaceful moment without worrying about anything. (If you want him to take a break with you, you'll have to sit on him or something.)

Towa: A sudden burst of rain scares the cat away. Towa appears moments later with flowers for you, and the weather has turned sunny and warm — perfect to dry out your damp clothes. He lies down in the grass next to you as you relax.

Ren: "Gross. You don't know where that's been." He grumbles about how people lose their minds over cats just because they're cute (he definitely doesn't want to hear you say that he's cute) and makes you wash your hands after the cat leaves.

Taiga: He either wants to eat it or wants to chase it out of his room with gunfire — you have to distract him while the cat makes a hasty escape. He pins you to the wall, musing about how he'll punish you... He runs a finger down your cheek just to feel you tremble. You're his favorite toy.

Romeo: He hasn't given the cats a second thought until this exact moment. They do their jobs competently and he can't exploit them, so what else is there to care about? He has never in his life praised someone for doing a good job, and he thinks you're excessively soft for doing so... but that's not the real reason it bothers him. You've always refused to call him Fico or stroke his ego, yet you're heaping praise on a cat? Ludicrous.

Ritsu: Initially not interested, as cats aren't subject to labor laws and standards. When you wonder out loud if Sinostra could get in trouble for animal abuse, he immediately goes off to investigate.

Subaru: He enjoys the moment with a smile. You're sweet and encouraging and way cuter than any cat, and he counts himself lucky that he gets to spend time with you.

Haku: He ruffles your hair and, mimicking your tone, says that you're cute and hardworking and doing a great job. "Don't make fun of me," you protest, pouting. "I'm not," he replies.

Zenji: Joins you, far more eloquently. After the cat leaves, it's your turn to be praised! He makes sure that you know exactly how important and admired you are.

Rui: Feels really silly for being so envious of a cat. (He's cute, too! He works hard and has great hair, and he wants to cuddle up to you while you praise him and run your fingers through his hair...) But, as long as he's cursed, he can't have what he wants. It's better to keep things lighthearted so that he can see you smile. (Maybe someday, when both of your curses are broken...)

Lyca: Growls. The cat is not intimidated; it escaped Sinostra unscathed, after all. Lyca's not sure what to make of it, but he settles next to you, wary. If it makes a move, he'll be ready.

Yuri: He's so busy and deals with so much weird stuff that it doesn't even register. If he needs you for something, he'll just grab you regardless of what you're doing. You protest as the cat tumbles out of your lap, but he's already three steps ahead.

Jiro: Observes carefully, as he would with any experiment. Are Darkwick's cats smarter than normal cats? You're making it sound like they are, but he doesn't have any other memories of cats as a comparison. Later, he watches some cat videos. For science.

[junedenim]

sit there and watch

one day here, part five

warnings: dad!al, fluff, smut, piv, probably something inconsistent

word count: 12k

They come here every summer. It’s become a family tradition for their own little family. Lottie’s maman, Agathe, moved to Meux right after Franny was born. She had a boyfriend, Emmanuel, out here, now her husband and Lottie’s stepfather, even if it is only technically speaking. She lives just on the outskirts of the town with vibrant green grass in her backyard that right upon arrival Alex always seems forced to mow.

But Lottie loves it. She loves being with her mother and speaking French and the way the air smells slightly of Brie cheese and lilies. Franny loves it because it’s summer vacation and she gets to see her mamie. Lulu loves it because she seems to love everything. Ever since she learned how to giggle it is all she does. 

Franny from the moment she met her sister, Eloise, she called her “Lulu.” She climbed into Lottie’s hospital bed, burrowed into her mother’s side, peeked over at the other little baby girl who was now her living, breathing sister, and declared, “This is Lulu.” She tapped Lulu’s little baby nose that curled up in response and from then on everyone has called Eloise “Lulu.” Lottie thought Eloise was tired anyway, but they couldn’t think of anything else. They should’ve known to just ask Franny.

They took the train down to Paris a few days ago, spending a few nights there in one of Lottie’s out-of-town friend’s apartments before driving to Meux. Franny has been looking forward to this trip ever since Alex promised her that he would teach her how to ride a bike. She has been jealous ever since last summer when Lottie and Alex went for a bike ride while she napped. She still hasn’t quite wrapped her head around why they would want to spend time without her.

It’ll be Lulu’s first time there. She’s no more than ten months old, sucking on her thumb, born with a giddy smile. It’s hard to predict who she’ll look like more but just like Franny, she seems to resemble Lottie more. She’s blonde, which knocks out the whole hair claim Alex had before. She does have Alex’s eyes, only they look much better on her—big and wide on her little cupcake face—than they ever did on him.

Franny is Lottie’s mini-me. This was established from the moment she popped out. Besides her tresses of brown hair courtesy of Alex, Franny got everything from Lottie, even a little French accent on certain words that Alex is terrified will slowly become more and more British as she gets older. He can’t bear the idea of her not saying squirrel like skweerul. It’s adorable and heart-achingly cute in her little high-pitched kid voice.

A week after his birthday, he had put Franny to bed and returned to the living room to find Lottie typing on her laptop. Alex slumped down on the couch, picked her feet up, and rested them in his lap. He rubbed them as if it was as soothing for him as it was for her. 

She stared at him intensely waiting for him to feel the weight of her stare on him. His head was tilted back and his eyes closed, resting from wrestling Franny to sleep. But he feels it eventually—the pull of her, dragging the tether between the two of them, demanding his eyes.

He rests his cheek against the couch cushions. “What?” He laughs because her gaze is too much for him sometimes. He’d do anything for those eyes and what a terrifying prospect to one day fail those eyes, to lose the glint in them, the special upturn that pokes into her cheeks just for him. He loves her so much and he doesn’t care how plain it is, he’ll think about it every day, every minute, every second.

It’s equal. It gets her heart pounding. He can tell because it takes her extra long to respond. She shuts her laptop and puts it on the floor. She curls herself up against him like she’s a little cat. She makes herself so small and tucks herself into all the corners of him just as she did to every corner of his life. “I have something to say.”

“Okay?” He questioned. She’s not usually one for preamble. She spits it out and her sudden hesitancy left him worried.

She reached up and stroked his cheek. She drew a line along the bone, pointing at his lips. She spoke in riddle, “I thought I’d be better at this the second time. I mean, we’re not freaking out in a little apartment. We’re married and we have Franny and the space for it but still it’s not…planned.”

His face was a puzzle. She couldn’t make sense of what he was thinking. “I don’t understand,” he said. “Are you pregnant?”

She shrugged because she had to be nonchalant about these things. She makes a big deal out of small things but rarely does she jump up and down and rub things in your face. “I think.”

Maybe because Lottie gets to carry the kid. She knows her body inside and out and she can feel whatever is inside there. But he doesn’t understand how she could just shrug her shoulders. It’s where they differ. “Did you take a test?”

She nods.

“When?”

“Halfway through Little Red Riding Hood but I found out before you finished Rumplestiltskin.”

He laughed and he’s pretty sure he cried too and he couldn’t make a single move, his brain was completely fried, but he wanted to hug her so tightly that neither of them would be able to breathe. “Fucking hell, Lot. Are you serious?”

“No, I decided to do April Fools’ in January. It’s not definite but I feel it.”

Then, they both were crying like a freeing mist on a hot day. He hugged her and they laid back against the couch and he kissed every inch of her face but also just wanted to stare at her. “Holy shit. Can I tell Franny?”

She giggled and ran her hands through his hair, pushing it back, and scratching her fingers against his scalp. “Wait until morning. She took long enough to get to sleep tonight.”

When Franny found out she declared that the baby would be allowed to play with her Barbies but not her stuffed butterfly, Legos, markers, toy cars, or even look at her stuffed animals because they might like them more than her. They were worried that might be a child worried their new sibling would take away their parents’ attention from them, but Franny insisted it was because she doesn’t care that much about her stuffed animals but she didn’t want anybody else getting them. Lottie joked about calling family services on Franny.

They’ve been here for two days. Agathe has doted over the children since they first placed Lulu in her arms. Agathe met her after she was born but she hasn’t seen her slowly becoming a real human being. Lulu giggles and ducks her head into Agathe’s neck, feeling at home in that maternal hold. 

Franny runs for miles in the grassy fields. She’s a child of nature and he wonders if children were meant to be raised among the birds and insects and grow out of the soil like flowers. She comes back with her feet covered in dirt, a tuft of grass and flowers in her hands, and a big toothy grin on her face. She’s a pain to clean but he can deal with all the splashes she shoves at him as long as she stays happy forever.

Lottie spends her days doing odd jobs. She gets crafty and only opens her laptop to answer emails. She’s unplugged in the way humans are supposed to be. She tells him on the first night that she doesn’t have a headache from staring at her laptop screen for too long. She sat up and said, “Everyone’s asleep but I’m not tired. This might be a first.”

He ruffled his head on the pillow. He rounded his arms around her waist, tugging her closer. He hummed in agreement. “Do you think we could sleep in? Your mum will make breakfast and the door locks, right?”

She leans down, hovering her face inches from his. “Yeah, Al, the door locks.”

Franny has some attachment issues. They’re trying to work on it. She’s clingy and most of the time this attachment applies to Lottie. She talks and talks and talks to her and can’t seem to let her go. It’s a likely offshoot of it being Franny & Lottie against the world for months at a time then quickly followed by a new chic in town. When Lottie showers, Franny will barge in and continue to not leave her alone. The lock on the bathroom door has been broken ever since Franny locked herself in there last year. Alex has been trying his best to allow Lottie to get some alone time but it’s been difficult since Lulu was added into the mix.

One is always crying for something from her, usually, it’s either cuddles or her boobs (Alex wouldn’t mind either). Alex felt insecure about being unable to help out more until Lottie rolled her eyes, brought Lulu to her nipple, and said, “Then grow some boobs, Al.” Sometimes it’s biologically something he can’t change, but he should probably do a better job when it comes to Lottie’s shower time.

But the door locks here and last night Lottie gave him the head of his life because she didn’t have a headache. In the end, still panting from the orgasm, Alex says, “I think we should move here, Lot.”

She shakes her head and tells him to reciprocate. So, he does until she begs him to stop.

Lottie is one of those people who wakes up beautiful. Alex hasn’t wrapped her head around how she can get barely three hours of sleep and look fully rested. She barely runs a brush through her hair, she rarely wears make-up, and yet her face is blushing and her blonde hair falls in glorious waves. But, perhaps, that’s just the way Alex sees it.

Lottie misses the days when her boobs didn’t leak and she didn’t have stretch marks and a C-section scar. She’s lucky if she gets to wash her hair once a week, she doesn’t have time to do make-up because there’s always something pulling on her leg or crying or asking where she put away that shirt he hasn’t worn since the Y2K bug was a threat.

But this morning she takes her time because for what feels like the first time this year, she can. Alex is awake but he is facedown on the pillow, slowly adjusting to the sunlight creeping through. Lottie shifts onto her side, rubbing her pointed foot against the back of his legs. Her hand combs through his hair until he lets out a sound of pleasure. She puts her mouth against his ear and whispers, “It’s like we’re the only two people on Earth.”

He comes out of his shell, slightly tilting his head to take her in and just enough for her to see that grin peek through. “At least in this room,” he responds. 

“We could do anything we wanted,” she teases him. Her touch is no longer just soothing but taunting. He has a clear view of her breasts because she slept topless last night because he likes her boobs too. She comes close again, right next to his ear, blowing a toe-curling breath against his sensitive skin. “We could sleep for another hour.”

He loves her so much. He pushes her onto her back and smiles so wide he’s laughing. “You love me so much.” His whole body covers her, kissing her excessively over her whole body so much it tickles her and she’s laughing so hard her stomach tenses up and she struggles to breathe. The little urchins definitely hear her laughing. It’s loud enough that the dog is barking.

Agathe has this dog, Skippy. He is the bane of Alex’s existence. He barks and jumps on top of Alex and he’ll find dog hair on himself for the rest of the year. Skippy loves Lottie. He’s quiet and calm with her, laying his head on his black-furred head on her lap and making soft little snores while Lottie’s hand pets his fur. Alex can’t believe he’s jealous of a dog. 

“That fucking dog,” Alex curses, falling on top of Lottie, which only increases her giggling. She places her hands on the soft skin of his back, her nails faint on the line of his spine.

“It’s your fault,” she says. “You have to learn your lesson.” Lottie talks to him like he’s a child. She’s always been motherly. She’s his oracle, giving him the prophecy to lead the way. She’s his guidepost. 

“Another hour of sleep is probably out now.” He sighs and rolls onto his back.

Her eyes follow his body. “I don’t think we were ever going to get another hour of sleep, Al.” She flicks the sheets off of her and gets out of bed.

Alex groans. “I don’t even get cuddle time.”

She looks so beautiful in this light. The sun peeps in just right, intruding on their time politely shining directly on her like a spotlight. She looks good in any light, even in the dark when he can’t see her, but he can feel her and picture her so clearly, she’s ethereal. “T'es belle,” he says.

She heads for the guest bathroom and hides half her face behind the door as she tells him, “Ta gueule.” He’s smug. His French is getting better and is now good enough to embarrass Lottie. He can now make her blush in two languages.

Franny eats apple slices with her two hands. It’s the same way she eats carrots like she’s a rabbit. She chews on it in little bits with her front teeth that her dentist said she’ll probably lose first because of the pressure she places on them. She didn’t inherit the best dental genes. She’s desperate to lose a tooth and Alex suspects she prays to the Tooth Fairy after finding letters addressed to her with a drawing of a tooth and a fairy like the Tooth Fairy goes by symbols like Prince. 

This morning, she’s chowing down on apple slices like her life depends on it. Alex kisses the top of her head as she chants the words to “Au clair de la lune.” Lulu squirms in her highchair, kicking her chubby legs and shaking her body. She blabbers gibberish and he kisses the top of her head too before grabbing a cup of coffee.

Agathe is cutting up another apple for Franny. “You’ll need to get Johnny Appleseed to replenish what she’s eaten.”

Alex laughs. He likes Agathe. She’s the least intimidating parent he’s ever met. The first time they met was at her Parisian apartment. She had a cigarette in her mouth when she opened the door and was dressed as if she was about to have her portrait painted. She talks about herself so excessively that Alex didn’t have a question directed his way until months later when Lottie told her mother she was pregnant. She asked him, “Do you have any other children?” She was joking but he didn’t know that until she let out a cackle.

It’s strange that such an oddball raised Lottie. Agathe wears purple eyeshadow and spent half her life working as an elevator operator and now she sells odd things at the local flea market. To him, Lottie is by the book and proper until she comes here and has a glass of wine with her maman then he finds out things about her that he never knew like how when she was younger so wanted to be one of those living statue people and practiced holding her body still for several hours. Agathe says she was very good and could’ve had a successful career if she kept at it.

Alex takes the plate of apple slices over to Franny, who is drawing with crayons in the colouring book Emmanuel gifted her. He sits down opposite her. Lulu is at the end of the table, still wiggling in her high chair. Alex takes her out and holds her in his lap to calm her down. She still kicks her legs but doesn’t try to get out of his grasp.

Franny lifts her head, takes a itsy bitsy bite out of her apple slice, and asks, “Where’s mummy?”

“In the shower. What are you drawing?” He asks to distract her. She lifts up the page, covered in the colours of the rainbow. It’s a picture of rabbits, relatively coloured inside the lines. Alex earnestly tells her, “That’s really good, Fran.”

She puts the book down. “It’s not done yet.”

“But it’ll be great, I know it.”

She stares at him trying to decide whether to believe him or not. She tilts her head and he can see Lottie in her eyes, cross-examining him, trying to detect the lie. When his face doesn’t budge, she smiles wide. “Thanks, daddy.” She returns to colouring and he just watches her.

There might be something egotistical about having kids and wasting long hours staring at them like Narcissus with his reflection, but Alex can’t help it. He is completely and utterly fascinated by everything they do. The things they smile at, the things they laugh at, the things they reach for, what they try to say. Every time he looks, there’s something different about them, something new, and that both captivates him and scares the shit out of him. He doesn’t wanna miss anything, especially the big stuff.

Franny has these little red rain boots Alex’s mum got her for her birthday because Alex used to have a pair of his own. Lottie said it was her favourite photo of him. He can’t be more than six years old and he’s got the two boots on, there’s not a single drop of rain on the ground and he’s got a smile so big he could steal the part of the Cheshire Cat. His smile is tilted upwards even though the camera is right in front of him.

He doesn’t remember the photo but he remembers how much he cherished those little red boots and how devastated he was when he outgrew them. He hopes against every scientific belief that Franny will never outgrow her pair, even if it means foot-binding practices. 

Lottie comes out dressed in a pair of his trousers and one of her detailed blouses with a towel wrapped up in her hair. She grabs her coffee first knowing once Franny gets a whiff of her she’ll be pulled away before she can get caffeine. 

Franny squeals when Lottie sits beside her and starts rattling off about colouring and apples and bunnies and Lulu’s wiggly legs and Lottie listens intently to every word and asks questions back. It’s a good way for Franny to understand that it takes two people to make a conversation and you’re not supposed to talk over the other person. Franny hangs on every word her mother says. She copies are mannerisms and asks for help with her colouring. So, Lottie picks up a crayon and assists under the instructions of Franny. Alex and Lulu just watch.

Agathe handmakes dolls. They are stuffed little ragdolls that have short chopped pieces of yarn for hair, two buttons for eyes, a stitched-on smile, and leftover handkerchiefs for a dress. Franny is utterly terrified of them. She screamed and cried and bawled her eyes out when she was given one for her second birthday. She curled up into Alex’s arms until it was put away. Getting older hasn’t diminished her fear much.

The dolls must be hidden away in the craft cupboard where Agathe keeps all the materials she uses for items sold at the Sunday flea market. Growing up Lottie used to help her make them, that’s where she got her crafty art skills from. Last night, Lottie pulled up a chair and helped her mother. Alex tried to help. Lottie took him through step by step, but he kept poking his finger with the needle.

Lottie has become the mother who crafts her children’s Halloween costumes. Franny wanted to be a witch last year so Lottie made sure she was the best darn witch ever. For Franny’s birthday party, she spent the night before bossing Alex around on how to hang the streamers just right. She was about six months pregnant and it wasn’t advisable to stand on a ladder, but she refused to let up.

She considers it to be the fun part of motherhood. After all the tantrums and crying and early awakenings, she gets the look on Franny’s face when she wakes up the next morning to purple balloons and a chain of letters that spelled out “Happy Birthday!” 

Lottie has always been more physically creative than him. He still struggles with a straight line. Alex thinks she should sell her paintings or put on an art show but Lottie continues to insist that it’s only a hobby. Alex thinks that if her mother can sell these scary little dolls for a living, Lottie could make a fortune off of her art. She denies it but kisses his cheek.

Once Franny declares she is done colouring she insists upon going outside and demands Alex teach her how to ride a bike now. Alex is only about halfway through his coffee and holding a whiny Lulu which means she’ll be in need of a diaper change soon.

Lottie anticipates everyone’s move. She grabs Franny’s hand and declares they will go outside together. She challenges her to a game of hopscotch and searches the drawers for chalk so they can draw the outline.

Alex lays Lulu down and changes her. Once she’s all dressed again, Alex blows a raspberry on her and she erupts into giggles. It’s his favourite sound ever. If he could package it up to keep it with him forever he would. He would pay any amount of money it would take. She looks up at him with a toothless grin and he sighs feeling every load come off of his shoulders.

He holds Lulu close to him and joins Lottie and Franny in the front yard. Lottie is hopping one foot, two foot, one foot, two foot when he comes out. The sun pours down in a perfect fashion. The day is bright but there is no sweat collecting on his skin. Last summer, it felt like the weather was inflicting pyrexia on his soul, but this year the breeze blows just right. 

The two girls are too engaged in their game to notice the onlookers. Lulu’s body is turned out looking eager to join the fun. Alex would let her if she had gained control of her two legs but she’s too wiggly. By the time Franny was Lulu’s age she was walking but Lulu hasn’t tried to stand yet. They’re not worried about it. She’s an active baby, just a tad clumsy, always on the move, a flimsy move, but a move nonetheless. Alex was the same. Maybe still is the same.

The girls were quick but detailed with the sketching of the hopscotch court. Lottie drew the boxes and then Franny drew the numbers in. On the side of the outline are flowers and two butterflies. One done by Franny and one done by Lottie, but the one each drew represented the other. The butterflies are tangled together. The one drawn by Franny is bigger than the other but is coloured yellow, Lottie’s favourite colour. Lottie’s drawing is smaller, but detailed, outlined blue but dotted with pink and purple with a red body, all Franny’s favourite colours because she just can’t choose.

Lottie makes it to the end and notices Alex. She sends him a smile but stays silent. Franny tosses the lagger and hops away, slow but steady. Franny says, “Watch me! Watch me!” Lottie obeys and watches closely, cheering Franny on.

Back home, a few months back, when the icy winter began to melt and give a glimpse of brighter times, Alex built Franny a swingset. Alex doesn’t claim to be a handyman. He can’t fix your sink and he sometimes struggles with the correct batteries to use for the TV remote, but he’d like to think he’s pretty decent at building things. He put together each crib and bed frame in the house. He’s no woodworker but with some help, he can manage.

So, with the assistance of Lottie reading out from the instruction manual, Alex took his time, let out a few curses, and built Franny her swing set. The entire time they were setting it up, Franny ran around the yard in one of the boxes, truly proving the point that kids have more fun with the box than whatever is inside it. 

But Franny does love the swings, specifically making Alex push her. She really really knows how to milk it too, pouting her bottom lip out and saying she just needs help getting started. She hasn’t quite mastered the whole pumping your legs in and out mechanism or maybe she doesn’t want to because Alex will push her for as long as she asks.

There’s a cherry tree that grows in that backyard. It’s been there since before Alex owned the place. Franny is obsessed with it. She reaches her tiny hands up, begging for one to plop right into her lip. She hates eating them because she’s terrified of the pit, but she loves the shape and colour of them. She’ll whine until one of the taller folks pulls one down for her. She cries when they are out of season, no longer growing. 

Lottie says it’s a lesson not only on nature but that things won’t stay the same forever. Alex thinks there’s nothing wrong with wanting things to stay the same forever. He isn’t fighting to change anything. He hasn’t been a fan of growing pains since puberty. Plus, he likes the cherries too and he’s annoyed when the tree loses its leaves and beauty.

However, Lottie says that she finds that is when the tree is the most interesting to look at. You can see the true shape of it, how its branches are shaped, and the way it blows with the wind. She made this breathtakingly scenic painting of it that now hangs in their living room. It’s one of the few Lottie will confess she actually likes. Alex has been trying for years to break Lottie’s self-deprecating habits, but he admittedly shares the habit too, which Lottie is also trying to break.

Lulu loves the tree too. Unfortunately, it’s becoming an issue. One day, Franny asked for a cherry. Alex, with Lulu on his hip, pulled one down for her. He didn’t pay attention to the other one with just enough height and grubby little hands that were apparently strong enough to break one of the branches. She stuffed it into her mouth quickly.

Lottie came out a few minutes later and asked, “What’s all over Lulu’s face?” Lulu isn’t well-coordinated and only has a few teeth. The cherry was smacked around her mouth with barely any making it inside. The remains stained her shirt, but she smiled and giggled and Lottie took a picture before they gave her a bath.

Agathe and Emmanuel’s home is in a quaint part of Meaux, just on the outskirts, where every house is separated by a perch of land then lined with shrubs. The house is small but has more rooms than two people need thus each member of the Turner family gets their own room. Lulu will room with Franny when Gabriel and his kids come into town in a few days. 

Lulu and Franny tend to get along. Franny loves hugging Lulu and squeezing her cheeks, but they’ve never shared a room. Franny can whine near bedtime and Lulu doesn’t always sleep through the night. It could end in disaster, but Lottie, filled with optimism hopes it’ll bond the two girls even more. Alex is wary. 

The Meaux home could qualify as an arboretum. The backyard vicinity has trees that are so tall that Franny believes they are part of the sky. Giants roaming around among humans. She hugs every single one. She’s always treated plants as a creature of their own kind in need of love. She’s terrified and fascinated by them. She leans her back up against them and tells tales that Lottie and Alex don’t understand but believe they contain a secret message from her to the trees. 

“Daddy!” Lottie hollers. His eyes snap out of the sky and to the little creature standing before the first square. “Watch! Watch!” She hops one foot, two feet, one foot, two feet until she reaches the end and declares, “I win! Now, bike time?”

She’s been patient, even if she’s pestered on about it for a near-month now. The area is much more secluded here, not running the risk of a freak accident happening with traffic. Gabriel’s youngest son outgrew his kiddie bike and left it here for Franny. She endured all day yesterday and to hold her off any longer would be torture.

“Okay,” Alex agrees. Franny is cheering before the full word has even left his mouth.

There are these moments that he can tell Lottie will remember forever. She’ll tell stories of them for the rest of her life. She’ll talk about them at the dinner table when everyone is older and there are more people than chairs and she’ll tell everyone about the day Alex taught Franny how to ride a bike. He can see it in her eyes with the way they glisten as she takes Lulu from his arms. 

She twinkles at him with her smile and tells him, “The bike is in the garage. Tell maman to come out here. And will you bring a chair for me too?”

“Yeah.” He stands there for a moment with his hands on his hips, watching her sway with Lulu to keep the transfer from her father’s arms to her mother’s arms calm. Her body moves slowly and he thinks of the many different situations he’s seen her body move like that. He feels like he’s lived a whole lifetime with her in these short swaying moments.

He squeezes her shoulder and kisses her cheek before heading inside. He hears Franny cheer and jump around as he leaves. Lottie says to her, “Waouh! T’es trop cool!”

Alex sets up two chairs for Lottie and Agathe, who brings out two iced cold lemonades with straws that Alex is envious at the sight of. Lulu sits contently on her mother’s knees and her tiny little fingers grab on the buttons of Lottie’s shirt. She gurgles and listens in on the chit-chat shared between her maman and mamie. 

He strolls out with the bike and Franny delightedly claps her hands. Alex lowers the bike seat for her and Franny tugs on his back pockets losing her willingness to wait. Alex bends down and puts the bike helmet over her Lilliputian head. She grins wildly as he clips the buckle. “Are you ready?” He asks.

She aggressively nods, knocking the helmet back and forth. She grabs the bike handles and mounts her horse. “Only let go when I tell you,” she commands.

Franny has been confident through the whole process. It comforts him to know she isn’t being overly confident and reckless. She’s always been a sensitive baby. She likes holding hands, piggyback rides, and lying on chests. 

Alex hopes what Franny will remember about her early years is the naps they took together with her head planted in the nook of his neck, her soft quiet little snores, and the way she hiccups in her sleep. The night before Lulu was born, Franny fell asleep on Alex’s chest. In her last few moments as an only child, he hopes she’ll remember falling asleep together.  

Lottie doesn’t like napping and when she was pregnant Franny couldn’t lay on her body, so Alex considers this to be just for him and Franny. She’s inherited his ability to nap. Lulu is more clunky with sleep. She’s been a colicky baby and a light sleeper. Franny will conk out in the middle of rock concerts. For his livelihood and parenthood, he’s thankful for both.

The bike has a little basket in the front of it and Franny declares, “I can put all my toys there!”

Alex puts his hand on Franny’s back and holds the bike still under his grasp. “Your feet on the pedals?” She nods. “Good grip on the handles?” She nods. “Helmet tight enough?” She nods. “You ready?” She nods.

For a few rounds, Alex simply pushes the bike up and down the street with Franny steering so she can get a feel for it. At each pass, the audience of Lottie and Agathe clap. Lulu starts to attempt to clap as well, though her hands are too itty and soft to make much noise, but it’s an adorable sight.

Franny begins to pedal with Alex stirring and she’s much better at this legwork than she is at the swings. “Mummy! Are you watching me?” 

Agathe answers for the group, “We can’t stop looking at you, Francoise!”

“Is Lulu watching?” She asks as she readjusts her grip.

“Yes. I’m sure she wishes she could be learning to ride a bike right now.”

“I can teach her!” Every day Franny teaches Alex something. He can’t imagine what knowledge an infant is soaking up from her. The other day Franny corrected his French pronunciation. She’s a total smarty pants.

When Lottie first moved into his London home, she was about five months pregnant with Franny. She sat on the floor in her last few days of being able to wear her own jeans. She sorted through her boxes of things and mixed her books with his books.

“We both have The Stranger,” he said.

Without looking up, she said, “Mine’s in the original French.” She only possesses the pretentious French stereotype when it comes to proving French is far more beautiful than English, even though he agrees with her every time. Lottie is wicked smart and he feels dumb as a doorknob next to her.

Still, she told him that he’ll never be able to understand the beauty of the opening line “Aujourd’hui Maman est morte.” He can’t but he’s trying. He attempted to read her copy of The Stranger when she was in labour.

She swatted at him and corrected every other word and said he shouldn’t read a book that starts with the line “Maman died today” when she is about to give birth. Still, he kept trying, intentionally getting worse and worse to distract her from the pain.

He’s getting better. He can read Le Petit Prince to Franny, though Franny has started correcting him too. “This doesn’t make any sense,” she said last night. Alex thinks she spent too much of the day with Agathe.

“I want to try now,” she decides, feet on the pedals and a white-tight grip on the handles. A few seconds later she adds, “But stay close.”

“I’m always right behind you,” he promises.

Franny takes her time, hesitating to take off before she is fully prepared and balanced. He doesn’t rush her, already impressed by her bravery. She’s more insistent and gallant than he ever was. He fears she’ll be attempting the death ramps soon.

She takes a deep breath, something Lottie always tells everyone to do before a big, scared moment. He does it before shows now, even when he’s not nervous. It feels like Lottie is there right beside him when they are oceans apart. Franny lets the big breath out and kicks off. She pedals quickly and pants heavily like she just finished a marathon in her first few pedals.

Suddenly, she sails by, riding down the street as Alex jogs after. She u-turns with no issues and as she reaches back to Agathe, Lottie, and Lulu, she yells to Alex, “I don’t know how to stop!”

Alex is an idiot. After learning how to start, the next thing you should be taught is how to stop. He forgot about that part. Franny panics and starts screaming despite not being near anything that would cause her to crash and she’s riding at about a turtle’s pace.

Alex grabs the handlebars and stops her. She’s already crying, her face completely wet and red. “I didn’t like that,” she cries. 

She hobbles off the bike and into Alex’s arms. She cries into his shoulder. He already feels the wetness soaking through. “You’re okay. You're doing great,” he whispers softly in her ear and rubs her back in circular soothing patterns. 

Lottie joins them, placing her hand on top of Franny’s head, playing with the braid in her hair. “Baby, you’re okay,” she says. Franny whimpers in his neck, wanting to hide away. Her grip is tight on his collar. All he can do is keep rubbing her back. “Take a deep breath,” Lottie says.

“You know, I can’t ride a bike, Francoise!” Agathe yells from the lawn. “Neither can Lulu!”

Franny lifts her head. Her long lashes are wet and her cheeks are red. She places one of her hands into a fist and bites down on it. Lottie directs her with a deep breath until she calms completely. “Can I have some lemonade?”

“Of course,” Alex says. 

Franny sits in Lottie’s lap and sips away at her glass. Lulu is content in Agathe’s arms, babbling nonsense to herself. After a few burps, Franny says, “I want to try again.”

“Are you sure?” Lottie questions.

Alex gets the feeling Lottie is more nervous than Franny. “I want to ride bikes with you.”

Lottie hugs Franny close to her and kisses the top of her head. “You have your whole life to ride bikes with us.”

“I just want to ride a bike, mummy. It’s no big deal.” She hops off Lottie’s lap and says, “Come on, daddy. We’ve got business to attend to.” She leaves laughter in her wake and eventually, Alex gets it together to walk with Franny.

They go over braking multiple times before Franny tries by herself again. With no issues, Franny rides her bike down the street and when she returns to her audience she announces, “I did it!” She hops off the bike and runs over to Lottie. “Can I dance now?”

Alex has tried teaching Franny piano. They’ve accomplished “Chopsticks” but Franny’s fingers are too short to do much else without assistance, but she likes to watch. He tried to teach Lottie piano years ago but they got into a big argument because Lottie doesn’t like to fail at things and Alex wasn’t the best teacher back then. 

They’ve matured since then and Lottie can now do “Chopsticks” with Franny. She says she prefers to watch. She’ll sit on the floor and do one of those Montessori puzzles with Lulu. Lottie always claps Lulu’s hands together when Franny and Alex finish a song. 

Alex thinks Franny has grown too accustomed to applause after everything she does. She started to curtsy after finishing basic tasks so they put her in ballet. She wears these tiny little ballet slippers and a black leotard with a flowy pink skirt. She dances everywhere now; the park, grocery store aisles, during dinner, she even does a little wiggle in the bath.

So, when she wants to dance, Lottie tells her to dance out on the front lawn. Alex brings a chair out to sit beside Lottie, sitting Lulu in his lap, and steals a sip of Lottie’s lemonade. Franny flails around the grass. Her dancing is limited but in her head, she’s a prima ballerina. Alex can’t help but watch.

“She has a feisty spirit,” Agathe says. “Quite a mignonne.”

“I guess we did pretty well in that department,” Lottie says.

“Yes,” Agathe agrees, curling her index finger in a wave to Lulu, “you were an ugly baby.”

Lottie snorts. “I know. You don’t have to pull out the photos.”

“I was so worried that you would stay that way, but by the time you were this old” she points to Lulu “you grew into your looks. You’ve only gotten more beautiful.”

“Hush, maman,” Lottie tells her.

Agathe doesn’t argue with her plea. “Were you an ugly baby, Alex?”

Alex chuckles. “I don’t think so.”

Lottie grabs his shoulder, squeezing it a few times. “He was a very beautiful baby. That’s where the girls get their eternal cuteness. I sent you the rainboots photo.”

“Oh, yes,” Agathe says. “Francoise looks just like you.”

“Really?” Alex questions. He wonders if Lottie has trained her mother to say this. Nobody else has ever attempted to tell Alex he and Franny look alike.

“Certainly. She’s got your head of hair. Lottie didn’t learn how to smile until she was 10. She would bite her teeth down and show them like she was an animal. Her cheeks were never wide and bright. Franny’s got that grin of yours.”

“Yeah and you both dance the same,” Lottie says with her eyes watching Franny.

She twists and turns and jumps around. Her hands point and she makes up the choreography as she goes but looks as if she’s putting on a Broadway show. For a moment, Alex can see himself in her. She has no shame as she whips her head around, searching the grass for butterflies and fairies, her own secret world.

She imagines whole new places for herself. She talks about them, draws them, and plays in them. She wore these sparkly pink costume fairy wings for a week because she claimed to have been magically transformed into one and couldn’t return to human form until she completed all her tasks. They never found out what the tasks were but she spent a suspicious amount of time digging in the backyard.

Agathe looks at her watch and says she should be heading to the market. Lottie helps her mother load up the car with all those ragdolls and Alex makes sure to distract Franny until they are all concealed. The whole car ride to the flea market Franny chants, “Market time! Market time! Market time!”

Typically this would annoy the shit out of Lottie but there is something so endearing when Alex joins in making a little song out of it. Lulu joins in with her little squeaks. Lottie allows it, but only for the five-minute car ride. She forbids it for the whole time they are at the market.

Alex walks around with Franny while Lottie helps her mother set up. Franny tugs on his hand, pulling him to the booths she finds most interesting. The first is a candle booth that Alex feels like he might barf because all the scents are so overwhelming. The second is a fruit stand where he has to hold Franny’s hands back from contaminating every piece of fruit. The third is a pastry stand where Franny presses her face up to the glass and demands a chocolate croissant. Alex’s mouth begins to water and he kind of wants one too. 

“Bonjour. Uh, deux pain au chocolat.” He holds two fingers up to assist with his request. Franny digs into his pocket and pulls out his wallet for him because she wants to “pay” for it. The cashier takes the money from Franny and gives the bag to Alex. “Merci. Beaucoup.” 

She tugs on his leg as they walk back in the direction of Agathe’s booth. “Gimme. Gimme.”

“Keep your greedy little hands to yourself or I’ll eat both,” he warns.

Her paws come back to her side. “Please.”

Alex takes one out and bites into it, moaning at the taste. “God, I’m so hungry, Franny.”

She crosses her arms. “Don’t tease, daddy, it’s rude.” Everyone can say Franny looks or acts like Alex, but she’s Lottie down to her core.

He quits testing her patience and gives the bag to her. “Thank you,” she says in her cutest voice—a grade A manipulator in the making.

They stroll through the market like two old pals. Franny devours the treat so quickly you would think it evaporated into the air. Chocolate is smeared around her mouth. Alex hands her a napkin and says, “You got a little something there, mate.”

“Cheers, love,” she imitates. She dirties up the napkin and hands the trash back to Alex. “Merci beaucoup. We should eat those every day.”

He wouldn’t mind that either but he smiles and tells her the parental thing, “I think we’ll settle for special occasions. Nothing is as good as it is in France.”

“That’s what mummy says.”

“I know.”

Franny clings to his side as they near the rag dolls. She looks anywhere but the table they’re sitting on. “They better sell out or Franny will never go near me again,” Agathe says.

“I want to keep walking around,” Franny says.

“I’ll watch Lulu,” Agathe offers Lottie. It’s not much work, Lulu is conked out in the stroller anyway.

Lottie promises, “We won’t be long.” Mainly because she doesn’t want to hang around here too long. These things bore her and Alex swore last night to take her to Saint Stephen's Cathedral. Churches are an aphrodisiac for her and they’re only a couple of blocks from it.

But Franny wants to see the florist booth first. She walks a few paces ahead, skipping away, giving a chance for Alex to put his arm around Lottie. “We got two pain au chocolat and the cashier didn’t think I wasn’t French for a second.” 

He’s exaggerating a little but the dramatics make Lottie giggle. “Did he say you were the greatest French speaker of all time?”

“Oh, yeah, he said I should run for president.”

In these short few moments, it feels like it’s just him and Lottie on a street. They could be anywhere, it doesn’t matter. It feels like the whole world is in her eyes. “Well, I bet you sounded very sexy.” She taunts him by wiggling her eyebrows too. She’s playing his game.

He stares at her then at her lips then at her again. Sometimes she makes him feel young and horny like he could fuck her in the middle of the street. His blood is pumping and he sees the image of it in his head. It would be nice if everyone else could piss off and just let them fuck here. 

He reaches down and pinches her butt just to get one touch in. She squeals and knocks into his chest. “Oui oui,” he says.

She fist bumps his arm but reaches down with her other hand to give him a pinch of his own. He shrieks from surprise and covers his mouth in embarrassment. Lottie giggles. He supposes his shame is worth that much.

Franny loves sunflowers the best because that’s what was embroidered on her favourite overalls, which she’s since outgrown. She goes through the stand and smells each flower one by one trying to figure out which one smells the best. 

Lottie buys a small bouquet of lilies. She holds them down to Franny to smell each offering first before she selects which group of lilies smells the best. She pays for them and sets off for whatever Franny deems is the next booth.

She stops Alex first. She pulls a flower out of the bouquet and snaps the stem off. “For you,” she says, brushing his hair behind his left ear and placing it there. 

It’s evocative. He could cry. It pulls on every piece of him. It takes him a deep breath to remember how to compute. Then, he does the same thing he did the first time: he kisses her. It’s slow and gets the job done. It’s romantic, not sexual, purely a kiss to say “I love you” because he does.

For good measure, when he pulls away he says, “I love you.”

She smiles and says, “Pussy.” She leaves him behind and follows Franny. He takes his first few steps slowly just to make sure he has control of his legs and they don’t give out from under him. He watches her move from behind. She fills out his trousers perfectly like they were made for her. He adds it to the list of things that are a perfect match between him and her.

He feels like a dork for having a list but he’s always thinking these things. One night he wrote it out. They had a fight before bed, something inconsequential, but he could tell Lottie had been hurt by the things said, frustrated by him. After a night of tossing and turning, he debated waking her up to apologize but he figured that would piss her off more.

He went into the living room and dug out one of the legal pads and wrote out those things about them that align in all the right places from the gift of children to how their hands fit in one another to their first conversation to all the books they have duplicates of, except hers are in French and his are in English. It made him feel better and he finally fell asleep after.

She woke him up with a kiss, clutching the list in one hand. It was a brief interaction before she told him to go back to bed. When he woke up she wrote a note of her own about how they’re puzzle pieces that slide into one another and how he picks up where she ends off. She wrote that he fits the hole inside her. That night he said he’d like to fit the hole and she got mad at making a sex joke out of her love note. She’s under a sick twisted belief he’s secretly always mocking her. But after she showered, they had sex and she said they’re learning to understand each other every day and there is no one else she would rather get to know. She’s the romantic poet, not him.

He catches up to them at a jewelry booth. They poke around and Alex offers to buy something for Lottie but she fiddles with the blue pendant hanging from her necklace and says she has all the jewelry she needs. That’s enough to make any boy blush.

They buy Franny a little charm bracelet. She shakes her wrist in the air to jingle the charms together. She stares at it for the rest of the day when they return to Agathe’s booth, she rushes up, paying no attention to those evil dolls, and presents her new dazzling charm bracelet. It seems to yield magic to fight off the dolls’ curse.

Agathe shoos Alex and Lottie off, allowing them momentary alone time to head to the cathedral together. They walk on the stone road hand in hand, in pace with one another, repeating patterns from a thousand times before. There’s a version of them from hundreds of years ago that walked these roads before they were made of stone, only following the natural path they had with one another.

“Franny will probably have a doll nightmare tonight,” Lottie says.

Alex swings their hands. “She’s got her bracelet now. I think we can play up the narrative that it fights off the dolls for long enough that she’ll no longer be scared of the dolls when she realizes it isn’t true.”

“Then, Lulu will probably be scared of them. Franny will tell her stories of them coming to scare her in the middle of the night. Gabriel did that with me, scared me for years with stories of phantoms.”

Alex sighs and shakes his head. “Kids. Can’t live with them, can’t live without them.”

Lottie grants him a laugh. “If they weren’t so cute we’d probably eat them.”

“I’m glad evolution has moved us past that point.”

They come up on the cathedral, the steeple covers the sun and the sky is a clear blue. He feels like he’s looking at a giant. They come here each time but Lottie likes to stand across the street for a few minutes to take it in all over again. During that time, he takes her in. “I should build an altar to you,” he says.

She casts her eyes down from the sky to him. “You’re corny. It’s pathological.”

He moves forward, pulling her behind him. “Most women would swoon at that.”

“Well, I have to stay on my own two feet unless you want to carry all of us girls back home.” She takes his arm and wraps it around herself, personally hugging herself to him. It’s her version of corny words, her whispering back her love. He knows this. It’s just the way they work.

“Emmanuel is going to make dinner tonight, which means maman can watch the girls and you and I can…” She trails off suggestively.

Alex leans closer, rubbing himself up against her. “Can?”

“Have a romantic evening,” she vaguely says because they’re in a church and she can’t start speaking of vulgar things even if they are both thinking it. “I meant you take me out to dinner, not whatever you’re thinking.”

His hand trails lower but doesn’t grab her ass because she would yell at him and say the eyes of god are watching, even though she doesn’t believe in that kind of thing anymore. “I was thinking dinner. And dessert.”

“Of course you were. We have to be back to tuck Franny in and kiss Lulu goodnight.”

Alex corrects her, “You mean, I have to be back in time to tuck the girls in and you have to be back in time to have wine with your mother.”

She smiles at him, her lips are close by but they can’t kiss in a place like this with Saint Stephen watching. He’d throw a brick at them or something. “You’ve been trained very well.”

“Good teacher,” he replies with darkened eyes. He’s dirty. Something about a church makes him filthy. It’s something about not being able to that makes his flirtation stronger. He can’t lay one on her so he has to speak it, to convey it in a look.

He conveys it all right. Enough for her to pull away under the claim of looking around, but more not wanting him to see the look on her face and how she squeezes her thighs together. He’s too much; it feels like she could choke. One day, she’ll choke on all the things he says and does and end up spitting everything out, not being able to contain all this love inside her.

He lets her be and looks around on his own. His eyes forever attracted back to her, the unavoidable magnet pulling him closer and closer. It’s irresistible. She’s too alluring to keep away from.

Alex slides up next to her. “Can I take you out sometime this evening, ma’am?” He bows his head like he’s tipping his imaginary hat to her.

“Are we roleplaying now? Are you in a play and you didn’t tell me?”

“There’s this lovely place on the Marne I thought we could go to.”

She smiles because he always seems to remember these things. The ones she can’t even perfectly recall. “La Péniche?”

“Yes. Have you been before?” 

“Once or twice.” The first time they came to Meaux they went to La Péniche. They got hammered and had sex in the car. It was the first time they had sex after Franny. The locale could be perceived as unromantic but they both would argue otherwise, mainly because there were no crying babies, among other tantalizing things.

La Péniche is a restaurant on the water. It’s a tiny little boat with beautiful views and a feeling of seclusion even when surrounded by people. Alex gets a steak and Lottie gets foie gras and they share a cheese platter. Lottie ends up eating most of the cheese and Alex ends up eating most of her foie gras.

“I forgot what it’s like to have a meal without having to feed someone else,” Lottie complains. They’ve had plenty of meals without the kids but she’s been a bit hazy these days. He can tell she is hungry by the way she munches the cheese two cubes at a time.

“Does that mean I can’t count on you spoon-feeding me dessert?”

“I thought I was getting the special treatment tonight.”

He smirks. “I was referring to other things.”

“Foot massage?”

“Oh, I’ll give you a massage.”

“You’re gross.”

“I could go under the table right now if you’d like.” He’s trying to embarrass her. He does everything to prompt the blood rushing to her cheeks. 

Alex begins to bend down under the table when she kicks him. “Will you stop it? I don’t want to get thrown overboard.”

“Too wet?”

She focuses back on her food before changing the subject, “Gabriel is only bringing Elias. Sacha and Lena are staying with Brigitte.”

Alex groans. “He’s got to bring the annoying one.”

“Al,” she lightly scolds. “Gabriel is upset according to maman. All this divorce drama.”

They’ve all been on the receiving end of a mouthy Gabriel about his divorce from Brigitte, still stretching on. “Let’s promise to never get divorced.”

Lottie smiles across the candlelight to him. She places her head on her chin. “If only for your assets.”

“Like my dick?”

She scoffs. “What is with you tonight?”

“We’re on holiday. I’m horny.”

Her brows furrow. “You’re always horny. What’s so special about tonight?”

He becomes timid, placing his chin to his chest. “I don’t know how else to say this, Lot, but…I’m pregnant.”

She throws her napkin at him. “Don’t mock.”

Across the bridge, they get ice cream. Lottie gets coffee-flavoured. Alex gets one scoop of salted caramel and one of marshmallow but ends up not liking the salted caramel so Lottie has to spoon it out of his cup for him before it infects the marshmallow. He could almost be mistaken for another child.

Alex fails to spoon-feed her ice cream instead ending up getting it on her cheek instead of her mouth. She refuses to let him try again, even if he begs on the drive back home. 

Franny scurries across the room in her pyjamas right when they walk in. “I’ve been waiting for you,” she says with her hands on her hips.

Alex has always been in charge of bedtime. He likes it, especially after over a year of not being able to do it. Franny always demands two stories unless she falls asleep before the first one is finished. Lulu is too young to comprehend more than the sound of his voice is soothing. She’s already asleep in her crib when Lottie goes in to kiss her goodnight.

Lottie and Agathe uncork a bottle of wine and sit in the sunroom. They could gab for hours and hours in the same ways they did when Lottie was Franny’s age. They gossip, Lottie told him that. 

Franny knocks out halfway through storytime. She’s had a long and big day. Alex nearly falls asleep next to her. He checks on Lulu adjusting the stuffed polar bear that now belongs to her. Franny gave it to her when she was born. Something in him reels every time he sees it.

Alex pours himself a glass of wine and sits beside Lottie. The three of them smoke enough cigarettes to put the Zog of Albania to shame, but when in Rome or Meaux or France or wherever. Emmanuel went to bed before Franny. He seems like a ghost in this house, coming home from work, eating dinner, and then crashing.

“He was such a brilliant child and now he’s an idiot,” Agathe said. “I love him. He is very special but he’s never been able to handle women.” Alex tries to play catch-up.

“Ma, you hated Brigitte,” Lottie says while swirling her wine glass around. Ah, Gabriel, yet again.

“Yes, but she’s a smart, strong woman. He was off sticking his cock in the wrong places. I didn’t set a good example.”

Lottie ducks her head down. “Gabriel will get mad at you for saying these things to me.”

“So sensitive,” Agathe snips. She relaxes back into her chair. “You’re right. Alex, supply.”

He looks around. Agathe has never prompted him to come up with a subject matter. “I can’t help you much there. Only child.”

Agathe softly smiles at him ending in a yawn. “I should be heading to bed. Wash the glasses out for me.” She kisses each of their cheeks good night, leaving them alone with the moonlight.

“If it wasn’t so dark I’d suggest a bike ride,” Lottie says.

“Franny would curse you out for that.”

Lottie shushes him. “It could be our little secret.”

Alex shakes his head at her. He doesn’t speak, sending the room into a quiet comfort. He leans his head onto her shoulder wanting to feel like her pet for a moment, wanting to know what it’s like to give his weight over to her. She knows exactly how to move up his back before combing her hand through his hair. He feels settled. 

He drifts away for a moment, shutting his eyes and letting the tension in his shoulders go. Eventually, he flashes back and raises his head. She looks toward him expectantly, waiting for his words. “What was the name of that porn addict boyfriend?”

She giggles confusedly. “What?”

“We’ve told so many jokes about him and you’ve never told me his name.”

She smiles at him and something ticks away in her head that he can’t read but her eyes shift all over his face as if she’s trying to read him as well. “Hans.”

“Hans was handsy.”

She laughs again. This time she lays her head on his shoulder and he flops his on top of hers like two books falling on each other. They sit there until her neck begins to ache. She stands and silently holds her hand out.

They go about their nightly routine. He’s in bed reading when she supposedly goes to the bathroom to brush her teeth but suspiciously shuts the door behind her. He’s not shocked when she comes out in lingerie but he won’t complain.

She crawls into his lap but he stays focused on the book. His mouth quirks up before he turns a page. Lottie sits there in unusual uncertainty, feeling space between them even when they are so close together. She touches his forearm greeted by warmth and hardness. She straddles his waist and waits, but he keeps his eyes on the pages. She scowls. “Okay, I’m sorry, but there’s no way whatever you are reading is more interesting than me.” 

“Yeah? How do you figure?” 

She snatches the book away, tossing it somewhere over her shoulder, and he gets all affronted. “Hey, I was reading that.” 

Lottie manually puts his hands on her thighs. His grip there tightens on his own. “Don’t play games with me. You talked a big game today just to ignore me.” 

“Yeah, but then you wouldn’t get all riled up crawl into my lap. It’s very cute.” 

“Conniving,” Lottie accuses. 

He grins, pulling her closer, and wrapping his arms around her waist. Their foreheads touch. “It’s nice to know you want me too.”

“If I haven’t given you that impression then you’ve been checked out.” 

His voice is low, face in the crook of her neck now like he’s talking right to her heart. “I like it when you get all hot and bothered like Hans for me.”

She snorts. “Are we including him in our foreplay now?”

“If it gets you flustered.”

She sighs and pulls away from him. “Remember when we used to talk about intellectual things.”

“I’ve watched too much Teletubbies, my brain’s fried.”

She rubs his ear in between her fingers. “Alright, Tinky-Winky.”

“Eh-oh!” He exclaims before pushing her onto her back. He kisses down her neck. His hands feel up her breasts, sitting low in her barely-there bra. He squeezes one, unleashing a yelp from her. She pushes the tight grip off of her and sits up.

He chases after a kiss. A static shock is sent through him and he continues to follow after her. His fingers fiddle until her bra is undone and off. She caresses her way down the planes of his chest. She pushes like he pushes her bottoms off until they’re both pleasantly naked. 

She places her hands on either side of his face and leans up to lock her lips on his. It’s carnal. They rarely get time to do just this. Just sit and kiss. He can’t remember the last time they took it slow and weren’t racing against a privacy clock.

Despite their desperation, neither wishes to rush this. He gets to feel every inch of her, refamiliarizing himself with how soft her skin feels up against his. She grows warmer from his body heat and remembers what it feels like to be moved. 

His cock rubs against her bareness, planted right between their two bodies. He lays her down on the sheets. He nuzzles his nose against her collarbone. He lightly kisses down her breastbone. His fingers feel along the indentations of her ribs. He licks her midriff before raising his head when he meets her pelvis.

“What do you want?” He asks because all he’s ever wanted to do is please her.

She bends her legs around him, pulling him back to her. He skims his finger along the curve of her leg. Lottie responds with a shiver. “Get in me.”

Alex’s smile and dick grow about twice as large from that. He runs himself through her folds. She lets out a whimper giving him permission to slide into her. He pushes in until he meets the bottom of her and then he stays there with them lying skin to skin. He breathes her in. Her hands run through his hair, combing her fingernails down his back, so faint it makes him shift into her. She moans against his ear and it almost breaks him right there.

He tries to replicate it, repeating the small movement to pull the same noise from her. She reciprocates until they are going back and forth with the slightest of moves. It’s so little but so erotic. He whimpers. He can’t remember the last time something so vulnerable fell out of his mouth.

Everything is breathy, each noise a whisper in the wind. She quivers under his hand and clutches his back. Her fingernails scratch down his back. He thrusts harder into her. He starts to move in and out of her. He pulls out to the tip gradually. She wiggles around the tip of him, savouring every piece of him.

She reaches her hand down in between them and starts to rub her clit. He feels like he has to touch every inch of her. He begins mouthing her breast as he rocks in and out of her. He groans at how tight she feels and she begins muttering words so gently he can’t understand them. 

She pushes his hips down, wanting him to hit the back of her. She grabs his back, trying to grab a hold of something before she flexes, arching her back up, coming. The sound of her moan escapes through her shut lips. He keeps moving to let her ride it out. “Feels so fucking good,” he whispers to her.

Alex pauses when she finishes, holding himself away in the back of her. He kisses her to let the memory sink in. He waits his turn simply wanting her to bask in this feeling first before he makes it about himself. She hugs him to her chest as her panting slows.

When she lifts her hips up, he resumes, shifting up to feel the core of her. He bucks his hips as he approaches that edge. She starts bouncing up. “Fucking hell,” he says because he can’t take it anymore. Before he can manage to say anything else he comes in her. His eyes squeeze shut and press all the way into her.

“That’s it,” she says. Her hand idly strokes down his spine, making him tremble in her arms. He lays there with her like he’s done so many times before. He relaxes into that familiar way she holds him. His heart rate calms and soon he’s just resting with her.

He tucks his head into her neck and feels her pulse against his cheek. It’s a lullaby to him. He almost falls asleep before she shakes him. “You have to let me up, honey.” She only calls him pet names like that when she’s being schmaltzy, the moment too tender for their own names. Honey, love, sweetheart, snookums.

His skin peels from hers, his arms pushing him up and out of her until he sluggishly lands on his side of the bed. She sits up, putting her feet on the floor. He grabs her hand, pulling her attention. She looks at him with those eyes he could drown in—probably already has drowned in, a complete goner. She’s a siren and he’s shipwrecked. 

“What?” She asks.

Alex takes each part of her in. He’s seen her like this so many times before but sometimes he likes to hold her here and take her all in for a few minutes. She looks the same as she did at 21, at 32, at 36, yesterday, and yet there’s always something new to admire. He always finds something to tick up his smile in a new way. One day he might know all of her, every bump, freckle, eyelash, that small scar she has on her knee from the time she fell off her bike and kept picking at the scab.

She leans down over him with a grin. “I’m gonna make a mess on the sheets if I don’t move.”

He squeezes her hand just to hold her a little longer. “Okay. Come back quick.” He lifts his head to kiss her.

She’s amused by him but doesn’t laugh. She knows that look in his eyes. “I won’t be too far.”

He watches her go, keeping his eyes trained on her until she disappears into the bathroom. He shuts his eyes to see her. In this lifetime of coming and going, it’s nice to feel like this will always remain. He’ll end every night for the rest of his life with her either next to him or on his mind. He’ll think of all the little details and trace them in his mind. He can feel her right beside him, even when she’s not in the room.

It’s been a line throughout their entire relationship. Her presence in his life has been permanent since he met her. She’s an expanse, a horizon, setting out across the sky with no end in sight. He can reach his hands out, touch every piece of her, and never reach the end. There is always something new to hold on to. There’s an immensity to this sentiment.

The bed dips and she lands on his chest. “Hi.” She smiles, greeting him like a long-lost divinity. 

He pets her hair back to see her clearly. “Where have you been?”

She giggles at him, reeling him back into her. His arms embrace her, grabbing a hold of her and bringing her body as close to him as possible. “I was just in the bathroom.”

Alex’s smile pokes through. “I know.” He kisses her nose first. He grabs her arms and pulls her up more until her face is right above his. He strokes her cheek before passing his hand down to her shoulder. She gets lost in him when he kisses her, falling straight into him. They break apart to breathe. “I know. I just wanted you here.”

She hooks herself around him and reverently kisses his cheek. Her thumb brushes the part behind his ear that gets him exhaling. She whispers, “I’m right here.”

*

a/n: this might contradict facts in previous parts but if you noticed that then you care more than i do. also this takes place in the future i think. if my math is right this is july 2025 but i'm sure nothing new will happen before then because alex probably won't be spotted again until 2030. thanks. i always like writing them, it just takes me a while to figure it all out. but i like this. hopefully, you did too. okay. bye. also can we get another alex recent? it took me forever to decide on this picture and it's not even that good of quality but i couldn't find anything else. okay. bye again.

[twisted-king]

OOOO IDEA, how about the OB boys with a s/o who has an ESA (Emotional Support Animal) that they somehow convinced Crowley to allow them to have (because they literally need the animal). And the esa comforting them after their OB 🥺

Literally kissing you on the forehead rn.

Sorry about the exlusion of Jamil, idia and Malleus.

No ideas about Jamil, not sure how Idias would fit in... and Mal mal isnt finished

This is angstier than I thought it would be <3

TW: Panic attacks (Isolating + silent types), narcolepsy

Feel free to correct me if i got a certain experience wrong, I am a studying Psychology major so it would help me with my understanding of anything!

Remeber: ESAs and Service animals are different!

Overblot gang with an S/O with an ESA

First things first:

Lets say you're in second year, so you're dating the OB boys before the OB.

Going to keep the particular support need vauge, but it is panic related, reader is sensitive to loud noises and textures feeling wrong.

You 100% convinced crowley to let your ESA to stay with you because:

he is sooooo kind

you wouldn't let a poor defenseless panic-prone human in an ALL MAGIC BOYS SCHOOL alone would you????

Now with that out of the way:

Riddle Rosehearts

Animal: British Shorthair (cat)

I'm gonna call this cat Queenie

Riddle's Overblot wasn't really something you were ready for in any capacity.

Your usually kept together boyfriend was suddenly some... angry, monsterous thing.

This wasnt the Riddle that got you high quality noise cancelling headphones for unbirthday parties, the same Riddle who you spent so much time learning and growing with. Your dutiful boyfriend who was learning how harsh his punishments were with you...

That Riddle wasnt here right now.

Queenie circles you, nuzzling into your legs.

But its too late, you've shut down. Its hard to move, your heart feels like it doesnt have a beat but the hurt of an ever beating heart remains present.

Your breathing quickens, your knees buckle in from under you.

the dull thud of of your body hitting the slightly overgrown grass of heartslabyul is the last thing you hear as you slowly drown further into your panic.

Riddle, on the other hand, Just came to from his OB, staring at his dormmates worried and horrified faces. He feels weak, he knows what just happened, and he feels HORRIBLE....Oh god.

Are YOU okay??? where are you? Where is his S/O

That's when he spots you, your tear striken face, Queenie laying on top oof your chest, your hands shakily petting her back in sporadic, unrythmic strokes as her face snuggles further into your chest.

What has he done?

Riddle feels awful.

He promised to never be the cause of any panic for you. He wanted to be a safe space for you.

But his need for order seems to have taken over and ruined yet another important relationship in his life.

Despite his fatigue, he hesitantly appraches, keeping about 2 meters away from you. He knows you don't want anyone too close by right now.

When you show signs of calming down, He's there, silently and patiently sitting across from you.

"Do... do you want to talk about it..?"

You respond with a shake of your head.

He nods, you two remain in silence. One preparing for a potentially life-changing talk, the other rocking about as they cradle their cat

Leona Kingscholar

Animal: Corn Snake

His name is Zazu (shhhh)

Leona liked things quiet, and calm.

Thats what made you two work, at least according to him.

But, you knew and Malleus and Magift was a sore subject for him, you were kind of ready for his yearly temper, it caught you off gaurd last year, but this year you felt like you could really stand by his side!

Besides, a year in this hectic world with Zazu really helped stabilize your mood!

Until it wasn't.

A roaring stampede instead of a crowed, screams of terror instead of cheer, and your boyfriend, slowly turning your friend, Ruggie, into sand.

It was too much, too many shoves, too much noise, your friend almost died

You hold Zazu's little head gently, the soft, smooth texture of his scales your only vice as you duck under the bleachers of the magift stadium.

It's there and only there, all alone with your snake that you're able to break down and cry.

Leona groaned as he came to, he knew this was a stupid plan and a stupid decision. He could have just trained everyone properly, spend some actual time with you. He could have- Wait... where were you?

Despite his drained energy, he needed to know where you were. He put a hand up, stopping the chatter of his former victims, attemping to listen in for any sign of you.

He hears the soft mumbling of your attempts to talk to yourself

"Can't even trust em enough to tell me, I knew i should have stayed at home, this is why no one will accept yo-" hisssss

Okay, he had to do something

He rushes across the nearly empty stadium, suprising everyone (Except Ruggie maybe, he's kind of used to Leona)

"Herbivore?!" he stands outside the stands you're under

"I don't... I don't want to see you right now... I don't want you to see me."

"Babe- I... alright. Can I be with you right now?" "no." "I'm coming in anyway."

and he does.

He enters the darker space to find you huddled ong the ground, gripping onto your sleeve with one hand, the other coiled but zazu, who seems to lay still across your shoulders.

"I'll just be here." "Why?" you mumble "For you." he states

That makes you chuckle "You sap.."

Hisss <3

Azul Ashengrotto

Animal: Mop dog

Mop dog named Max...uh... Maxie

Okay so, unfortunately Azul did NOT like Maxie at first

But he got used to him because you two are a package deal

You knew Azul had insecurities, and his own...moments

You and Azul had a comfortable routine, you and him are both realtively particular, he needs a level of order in his life, and his comfort zone is very well kept. So you two kind of fell into a step.

Despite your realtive bliss spending most days in his office or the backrooms of the Lounge. You knew his business was his passion.

You also knew he tended to get a bit... ambitious.

You and Maxie knew to stay away during midterms, it was bound to get chaotic. And Azul gets kind of... gift-bomby around this time... it isn't the most comfortable.

Things typically died down a few days after midterms, so you decided to visit your boyfriend.

On the complete wrong day.

You took Maxie with you, ready to greet Azul after his busier week but instead you find...

Leona? with a pile of sand around him by Azul's vault... Oh no.

Maxie softly appraches a sullen Azul and nudges his leg with his paw.

Something seemed to snap because all of a sudden the sneaky yet loving Azul Ashengrotto you knew was... huge eight tentacles and crazed.

He shoves Maxie away, sending him to the ground (mind you, he's a pretty big dog)

He shoved your dog.

He's stealing things, he's refusing to be "worthless" "weak" "stupid and clumsy"

Everything you've always secretly felt you were... oh no...

Maxie rushes toward you.

You slowly place yourself on the ground.

You've fainted.

Azul comes to, he sees Ace, Deuce, the Prefect... Leona... and you? when did you get here? on the ground... Maxie gaurding your sleeping form.

He... overblotted.

How could he be so stupid?? everything seemed to be in pla e did he not count something or- WHY ARE YOU HERE?

Azul approaches you and Maxie, he dismisses the prefect and gang, solely focused on you.

Maxie opts to lie on top of you, promptly waking you up

"oof... what... what happended"

"I'm... so sorry" "Oh. right."

Maxie greets you with kisses, happily nudgeing your cheek accompanied by his happy barks. You sratch his head "I'm ok... down boy."

Azul apologetically stares at you, hesitant to say more.

You look up to him, sighing against Maxie. Your eyes narrowed "I thought we agreed." "I know I just... I can't help it." "Therapy." "I'll apply tomorrow afternoon, I promise."

Vil Schoenheit

Animal: Poodle

Her name is Georgette

Vil and Georgette get along realtively well. She doesn't shed, you keep her well groomed, and you're usually more on task with her around.

You like to joke that Vil reminds you of Georgette. He claims he is much more refined than your dog. She doesn't seem to like it much either.

He likes taking you out to set with him. He trusts you to behave and know's you feel safe both around him and whenever Georgette is around, he respects that.

Vil pets Georgette like an evil mastermind sometimes? So maybe that should have been a warning sign.

The VDC was fast approaching, Vil is under a lot of stress; he's been a harsh coach, his popularity stays at the same place consistently, he's FINALLY given the opportunity to beat Neige "once and for all"

VDC happens, you're helping the Prefect overlook how things are running. Overlooking the practices.

Vil does absoltely beautifully! and for once, Georgette agrees.

Neige does this old nursery song, and you're more than confident Vil will win.

You leave the prefect to handle the rest while you head to the stalls to buy a drink for Vil.

He deserves a treat after all <3

When you come back, everything seems fine but, the stadium is empty though...

And suddenly everything is falling around you

You take Georgette and quickly duck behind one of the seats.

Vil's distorted voice echoes throughout the stadium, you cannot quite see him but you see the giant MONSTER lurking behaind him.

When he comes to..

Vil is downright ashamed. He knows trying to poison someone is wrong. He knows he doesn't get to decide whether or not someone lives... Especially not for a glorified popularity contest.

And that's when he spots Georgette's thankfully obnoxiously large bow peeking out from behind one of the seats.

That is when he knows he has to check in on you. You are never far from Georgette.

"Darling? Meine Geliebte, are you alright.." You're huddled with your poodle. Rubble is strewn about around you. Your eyes remain shut as you mutter to yourself.

"It's ok, it's fine. you're safe. I-it's okay.." Georgette's fur is soft, you continue to trace little patterns into her well groomed coat.

Vil sighs to himself, relived you're at least ok, but he's worried. You have Georgette for a reason, and he knows just how much progress you've made to gain the confidence to live your daily life and he may have just destroyed that.

He remains by your side

[p0pp3t]

damn crew hcs because i miss them every day they’re not posted </3

sometimes when gavin is hanging out with his friends he’ll just. flop down on top of them if they’re sitting or lying down. genuine cat behavior. he gets very comfortable, his ear over their heart and their hand in his. he savors every second he gets. he also complains when any of them tell him they wanna get up

“can you move for a second gav? i wanna refill my drink” “just say you hate me.”

(for someone with such severe self worth issues) damien pampers himself SO much when if comes to hygiene. matching fragrances across all his products, shower steamers, bath bombs, candles, the whole deal. on friday nights you’ll find him wrapped in a plush bathrobe with a matching headband pushing his hair back, a clay mask smeared on his skin. he has a book in one hand and a glass of wine in the other, with some soft classical instrumentals pumping from the tv speakers. huxley loves coming home to find him so relaxed

sometimes, when he’s upset, huxley will go out into the backyard and lie in the grass for a while - letting the solid ground hold him and the soft grass caress him. other times, when he’s very upset, he’ll dig a hole and lie down in that instead. he feels safer, grounded (ha) and closer to his element. damien checks on him periodically with offerings of snacks and water

lasko is something of a fashionista (it might be why he and milo got along as well as they did at the E&E games) - he’s very meticulous about his closet; every item is lovingly sorted by type, color, material, and season. he frets whenever his “best” pieces are still in the laundry and no combination of the things he has on hand looks “good enough”. he’ll say it’s about being presentable but he also really just likes feeling pretty. dear assures him that he always looks lovely and helps him find an outfit he can at least tolerate for the day. such a diva

freelancer has an absolute BLAST on karaoke night. they’ve sung at least three (3) lovey-dovey duets with each of their friends and aim to do even more. (at first damien took some convincing with a direly serious “you love me, right?🥺”) as of late, their favorite singing partner has been dear - they’re always happy to indulge their freelancer and both their voices just blend so beautifully

in their quiet nature, dear has picked up on a lot of campus gossip when the people around them thought no one was listening. sometimes their students will come up to them and directly fill them in on the most recent, hottest rumors. they know how to keep a secret, but if damien needs dirt on another staff member he always knows who to ask

and speaking of - don’t let their professional appearances fool you; damien and lasko are total suckers for gossip. when their lunch breaks align with dear’s, nobody on campus is safe from their shit talk. lasko has a surprisingly sharp tongue where he feels it’s warranted

[omgahgase]

more charthur headcanons/drabbles bc i'm mentally ill over them

charthur cuddling can go one of two ways: they're both suction-cupped to the other octopus style, limbs thrown over hips and hands twisted in hair or night shirts, their legs tangled together so tightly that, in the morning when their bodies ache and their joints click, they have to gently maneuver out of the pile they've made themselves. or, and this one is more likely bc they're both human furnaces so it gets hot under the covers, they're on totally opposite ends of their bed, their blanket lost somewhere on the hardwood floor of their room, but one of them has a hand stretched out, either gripping a hip or gently placed on a broad chest. sometimes both of them do, just to feel the easy rise and fall of their breath. just to know that the other is still breathing

arthur is an avid tree climber. charles will find him sketching out the scene from a branch that should've been difficult to scale to for a man of his size, but arthur somehow got up there. charles will follow him bc of course he does, and when he's sitting pretty next to arthur, their feet dangling and shoulders pressed together, he finds himself giggling. arthur would ask him what's so funny and charles will remind him of the dumb song jack used to sing about his parents when they'd share a kiss in front of him. "charles and arthur, sitting in a tree," charles would sing. "K-" arthur says before he pecks charles on the lips. "I-" another kiss. "S-S-" two more, right on charles nose, the curve of his brow. "I-N-G," he finishes the song by kissing charles twice on both of his cheeks and then plant a big one right on his lips, smiling into charles' laughter

arthur loves dogs, that's a given. he's the type of guy to bring strays back to camp and him and jack would spend all day bathing them and feeding them, making sure they're patched up from injuries and the like. charles doesn't mind dogs, he's fond of cane, but he'd rather his lover bring home a quieter pet, maybe one that charles can tend to without getting slobber all over his clothes. it's not until one day, charles is reading under the shade of a tree when arthur runs up to him, more eager than a honey bear in a bee hive. "guess what i found you." charles doesn't want to guess, but still, he indulges. "more fiber for my bow?" "no." "moonshine for flaming arrows." "no, but i'll get right on that. tomorrow." charles shrugs, dog ears his page and stands so him and arthur are level. arthur also kisses him in greeting bc he can't help himself. as if charles can't help himself either when he pulls away. "what, then?" arthur reaches into his pack and pulls out the most least likely thing charles ever thought he'd have. "you found me a...turtle?" arthur nods, happily, nearly sending his hat flying off his head. "you said you wanted a pet that don't spit on you, an' i thought cats were outta the question too, then i found this 'lil guy in the grass near the pond!" arthur scratches the turtles head with his finger, and charles, despite himself because what the hell? almost coos. the turtle is pretty cute, about the size of arthur's palm, and something in charles' chest tells him to hold it. so he does. and within in seconds, he's in love all over again, with both this small creature and his cowboy. "thank you," he says, reeling arthur in by his handkerchief and kissing him soundly on the mouth. arthur responds in kind, kissing him back and winding an arm around charles' waist. "never thought our first kid would be a reptile," he jokes, smiling into charles' shoulder as charles tucks his new friend against his chest. "it could be worse. you could've brought home an alligator." arthur hums, trails his arms around charles' middle, hooks his chin over his shoulder, and sways. "what a strange 'lil family we got here, huh?" charles chuckles, and sways with him. "i wouldn't have it any other way."

[verysium]

ACT 1, SCENE 2: blue lock headcanons

nagi found out amazon product testers were a real thing, and he had never been more happy in his entire life. if he wasn't training to become a professional football player, that would have been his dream job.

sae became a victim of the cat distribution system the moment he moved to spain. he left his window open once, and he came back to a whole secret society of strays on his fire escape.

aryu used to watch his mother do her makeup in the bathroom every morning. after she left for work, he would use her hair curlers and nail polish to bedazzle himself. if you ever ask him to do your makeup, he would tilt your chin up with one hand and ever so gently swipe on your lipstick for you.

kaiser is a whore for attention, even if it is bad attention. if you're not listening to him during dinner, he would most definitely steal the food right off your plate whilst maintaining eye contact. gives you the most shit-eating grin once you catch him.

rin genuinely cannot function around the female species. sometimes his aunties make small talk during family gatherings, and he just sits awkwardly with his baby cousin in his arms. the baby almost always cries.

sae still uses his ipod from 2005. he doesn't have any interest in music, so he mostly uses it as a white noise filler during long flights. if you send him a song recommendation though, he will listen to it.

rin kept a diary as a teenager with some of the entries completely filled with angsty scribblings about sae. he definitely had an entire section somewhere dedicated to death and existentialism. the second half of his journal is reserved solely for you though. he sometimes doodles flowers in the margins.

raichi is chronically online. he would be the type to have an entire four-page argument with a stranger in the youtube comment section. sometimes you have to remind him that the outside world actually exists, and he needs to go outside and touch grass.

sae is secretly intrigued by artists. like how can you just transfer an image from your head onto paper? is it some sort of magic? he cannot wrap his mind around anything that isn't concrete and tangible. he sometimes walks through the streets of madrid just to spy on the old people painting the sea. if you made a drawing of him, he would internally malfunction.

isagi used to help his mother with knitting and sewing. he even learned how to crochet one summer but forgot all about it once he got into football. would not complain if you asked him to do laundry or iron clothes. he is (most of the time) very sweet and kind.

bachira does not have a sleep schedule. what is sleep? he only knows 24/7 hyperactivity and the demons under his bed. would wake you up at the crack of dawn just to go hang out in some random abandoned parking lot.

sae has to physically restrain himself whenever he does shoots for brand endorsements. he would definitely tell the truth if the product was low-quality while literally being on set for its commercial. this man does not lie. cannot model for the life of him. he lost his ability to smile a long time ago, and he feels viscerally ill every time a camera is shoved into his face. if you're there to accompany him though, he will straighten up and at least attempt to look enthusiastic.

rin is terrible at any sort of class that involves creative writing. however, he does enjoy reading haikus. it's the only form of poetry he can understand. definitely sends you one when he misses you.

reo is clueless whenever you tell him that you feel ugly in your outfit. like where is the ugliness? all he sees is the most stunning person in the world. definitely recommend taking him shopping. he would go into the fitting rooms with you and give you the most encouraging confidence boost you have ever felt.

sae has the strongest enamel in existence because he bites his popsicles right off the stick. rin tried to do that once and ended up getting brain freeze.

yukimiya is the type to go from 0 to 100 in less than a millisecond. if anyone says anything remotely negative about you, he will definitely make sure they do not live to see the light of day. he does all this with the most charming smile on his face too.

shidou has no table manners. he would be the messiest eater in existence. if the dining hall looks like a velociraptor just barraged through, you know shidou was there. he only uses a napkin because you told him to.

rin wears chelsea boots and women's clothing. he has a collection of trench coats in his closet, and they're one of the only things he's incredibly proud of. at least he beats sae when it comes to fashion sense.

ness would pack you lunch every day without you even asking for it. he also uses those glittery animal toothpicks and cuts your apples into hearts. his paper notes are little menacing though. usually it has your name written a thousand times in blood red ink.

sae would let you braid flowers into his hair, but he would wrinkle his nose in embarrassment if you ever took a picture of it. he tries to act nonchalant when you gush about how pretty he is because in his mind he looks incredibly stupid. will keep that photo by his bedside and look at it when he's lonely though.

isagi is incredibly clumsy. sometimes he will act like an egomaniac before falling right on his face. the world has an interesting way of humbling him. he does keep his mood swings in check when you're around though. your presence gives his mind inner peace.

otoya has color-coded folders for every girl he has dated. he keeps their names, likes, dislikes, and contacts all separately filed so he doesn't confuse them. however, on your night out, he got so caught up in talking to you, he forgot to even update your file. the date ended with him smiling like a damn fool. you're always the exception.

aiku is the type to just be casual about everything. he just got into a car accident while on call with you? that's okay because he got to hear your pretty voice on facetime. he took a tidal wave straight to the face while ogling you at the beach? that's no problem because he got a sneak-peek at your cute little bathing suit. this man literally has no sense of self-preservation when it comes to you.

bachira was the kid who tried to mix up weird concoctions at the school lunch table. now it translates into drinking both an energy drink and americano at once. you had to pull him away from the soda fountain because he kept trying to add every single drink combination possible into his red solo cup.

sae would blatantly stare at your ass and then tell you it was for research purposes. if you press further, he will pull up the statistics showing how buttock size correlates with athletic ability.

rin is obsessed with tea only because he saw his brother drink it at family dinners. he always sat up straight on the zabuton and sipped the bitter leaf juice as a way to impress the grown-ups. unfortunately for him, he developed a caffeine addiction in his late teens.

niko would be the tech-savvy person in your relationship. he doesn't believe in traditional flowers, so he codes you an entire HTML webpage with roses on the user interface. he also wholeheartedly believes that virtual pets are real pets.

shidou is an adrenaline junkie. he has six piercings, two of which are helix. he also snowboards during the winter and speeds on the highway for fun. (don't be like shidou, kids.)

© verysium 2023 / please do not translate, repost, or plagiarize any of my works

[would-this-pokemon-be-a-friend]

Would decidueye or rowlet be good pets?? I love them smm :33

[I haven’t done either, so I’ll start with rowlet since it comes first in the pokédex] It probably won’t come as much of a surprise to anyone who has been following this blog for a while, but grass-type starter pokémon tend to make pretty good pets. And thank goodness too, because look at that face! Just look at it!

To begin with, rowlets are the perfect size to be a house pet at only a foot tall and about as light as can be. I will say, however, that the more space you have for your rowlet to play in, the better. These pokémon are active hunters and love to fly around (Sun, Moon, Shield), so they’ll definitely like a lot of space to explore and play with toys. If you live in a smaller place, you will want to make sure you bring them on excursions to pokémon parks or other outdoor areas often.

Additionally, like a lot of grass-type pokémon, rowlets get a lot of their energy through photosynthesis during the daytime (Sun). This means that you will need to provide them with a sunny spot, like a closed in patio or window perch. Simultaneousyl, however, these pokémon need a dark place to rest during the day if they choose to. Make sure to provide a rowlet with a “tight, dark” place, like a cat house or even a bag, to nest in and they will be happy (Ultra Moon). These pokémons’ nocturnal behavior also means that this pokémon would fit best with a (no pun intended) night-owl. Rowlets are most active at night (Sun, Shield), so you’re not likely to get a good night’s rest until you’ve spent some quality play-time with your rowlet. Be careful, though, these little guys can pack a punch.

Rowlets are skilled hunters due to their ability to sneak up their prey silently, ambushing them with “formidable” kicks and knife-sharp feathers (Moon, Ultra Sun, Sword). This makes friendly, but perhaps a bit rough, sneak attacks from a playful rowlet a bit of a force to be reckoned with. These abilities present themselves in painful moves like Razor Leaf, Leaf Blade, and Brave Bird. Think of it as having a rowdy cat that can fly through the air and shoot their claws at you from a long distance. This would, understandable, not be a lot of owners jam, but it’s certainly something that can be handled with proper training. On this blog, we give the benefit of the doubt to species that are commonly used as first partner pokémon. There is record of rowlets serving the role of first partner pokémon for trainers from Hisui-era Sinnoh to modern Alola. This indicates that this pokémon is receptive to training and friendly to humans. So, while they could certainly give you a beating, they’re not as much a concern as a bigger pokémon with a history of attacking humans and resisting training.

Some final points: if you live somewhere that has a lot of problems with pests, like on a farm, a rowlet would be a highly recommended pet. Like a farm cat, rowlets with happily keep pest populations down for you! Additionally, I would recommend any rowlet owners to make use of an everstone, at least until they get some experience caring for a rowlet. Dartrixes are a little more of a handful, so you won’t want your pet to evolve unless you are prepared for the responsibility.

Overall, a rowlet would make a great pet for the right person. They’re quite playful, and their nocturnal lifestyle won’t be a fit for everyone, but it’s hard to go wrong with a pokémon with a history of being first partners for young trainers around the world.

[siddyyyyyyyy]

Can you do a Duke Thomas/reader? Like brother’s best friend type of stuff. Or it could be friend of a friend type of romance. I’m sorry of that’s not a lot of info 😅

Lucky

Duke Thomas x Reader

wc: 2.6 K summary: Your brother's best friend likes you, but won't dare to actually do anything. warnings: none, fluff a/n: Don't worry about it, it was just enough info to get my brain working and I am very glad you requested such a nice idea! Hope you enjoy it!!

You've known Duke since the first day your brother invited him over to your house when you were just little kids. He was pretty nice back then, but had more smart-ass comments back then. That led you two to having a sort of bickering relationship. Not in a bad way, no. He was funny and just liked to tease you often. Not that you minded.

It was pretty fun, you found yourself looking forward to when he will visit you for dinner again, so you can play a bit with him. He usually dreaded playing with your barbie dolls, but still did, having felt too bad to decline.

Now, of course a lot of years have gone by. You're both grown, but still two years younger than him. You've seen him just last week, when he dropped something off for your brother and stayed for a while to chat with your mother over a cup of tea. And now you find yourself missing him while hanging out with friends. You shouldn't feel so bored during a birthday, right? And yet you find yourself staring at his number in your phone while thinking of some excuses to leave the social gathering.

A small sigh leaves your lips and you tell one of your friends that you need to leave, resulting for them to groan and try to make you stay a little longer. Finally, you got out of the cafe and walk down the street to make a peaceful phone call. Your brother works at this time of day, basically leaving no choice but to call his best firend, now hoping that Duke will at least pick up the phone.

He surprisingly picks up just after the second ring, his smooth voice going through the speaker.

»What's up?«

»Are you busy right now?« You ask back and he just now realises it's you who calls him, his mind searching for an answer.

»Uh, no? No, why? Something happened?« He eventually answers back and continues to drive through the busy streets of Gotham on his bike, parking at a small alleyway and killing his engine.

»No, just got bored during a hangout... and they really drained me, to be honest. Anyway, can you pick me up?« He doesn't hesitate and nods, even though you can't see it through the phone call.

»Sure, where are you? I'll be there in no time.« Duke answers back while taking his gloves off, looking around before he changes out of his suit and back into his civilian clothes. He can take a small break during his patrol. No one will mind, since he is still helping someone out, right?

You see him approach after some minutes, having been scrolling through various stuff on your phone while waiting for him. He waves to you with a smile and is quick to be by your side.

»Being a grumpy cat again? You never last more than two hours with friends, I'm starting to think you need better friends at this point.« He nudges you gently as he starts walking you back to your home. You try to tease him back and just nudge him back with more force, making him chuckle.

»Careful, you are the last person I'm not constantly annoyed with.« You say back to him which makes him roll his eyes. You're currently walking through a park on the way home, the sun still being up but not as hot as earlier. It's actually the best weather to have a walk.

moew

Did you hear that right? You turn your head towards the small sound, gasping once you spot two cats sunbathing on the free field of grass. They look so cute, it makes you have cuteness aggression while slowing down your steps. You are not the only one who noticed the cats, Duke watching your expression and reaction beside him.

»Do you see them? I want to steal them.« He almost chokes on air at your words and wraps his arms loosely around your shoulders to gently move you away from the cats who look peaceful at the moment.

»Nope. Let them be, you have enough cats of your own.« He guides you away from them, even when the cats are far away enough that you'd need to walk a bit to actually reach them.

»Wait, let me at least get a picture of them.«

He reluctantly stops and lets you snap a picture of the two cats, smiling widely some more as they move around and lick at each others furr, seemingly relaxed and having a good time.

After having made about ten or more photos, he drags you back the way to your home, having to lead you as you're looking through the photos as you trust him enough to bring you home safely this way. Eventually, he got you to your apartment and gets a hug in return for being so nice to waste his time to walk you home. Even when he wouldn't call it a waste of time. He will most likely think about it for the rest of the day.

Making his way back to his bike to change back into his suit, Duke makes it quick and continues to patrol until the evening. Getting back to the Manor, he didn't pay much mind to the chaos going on and just looked down at his phone while making his way to his room.

»Wait, Duke! I saw you with a girl today, who was it? Who is the lucky one?«

They've got to be kidding him...

He tucks his phone away and turns to face Dick, really not wanting for him to misunderstand anything.

»It was just Justin's little sister. She asked me to walk her home and I did.« He shrugs as nonchalantly as possible and hopes his brother will let go of the subject. »Are you sure? Why did you have your arm around her the whole time then, huh?« Duke has to restrain himself from rolling his eyes at his eldest brother, not wanting to come off as defensive but also explain it to him somehow.

»Can't I have friends of the opposite sex? It's really not that hard to be friends with a girl, Dick.« Dick scoffs, putting his hand on his shoulder to drag him towards the couch in the livinng room.

»No, sure... you just looked at her in a specific way.« »I didn't! Okay, what is this about?«

Duke halts in his movements and crosses his arms, looking very bemused by the antics of his brother. »Relax! I was just trying to give you some advice, but you don't want it, I guess...«

Of course he plays the wounded card on him now. This is really unnerving for him, especially when his brother is trying to play matchmaker in a weird way. At the silence of Duke, Dick decides to go on and give him some advice of his own.

»Just ask her if she wants to see a movie or get coffee or something. Worst thing she can say is no. It's not that bad.«

Duke finally rolls his eyes and mumbles, »She doesn't even like coffee...«, before he forced Dick to let go of him and enter his own room.

»Well, does she have a favourite movie?« Dick's voice sounds through the Manor, but Duke his already in his room, ignoring whatever advice he wants to give him. ----

A family gathering isn't a family gathering without Duke. Not only is he the best friend of your brother, but also gets along really good with the rest. Today was nothing new, sitting at the dining table at your Mum's house, having also your grandma and your aunt with his husband at the table.

Duke has even brought you a small gift, saying it would be rude to visit with empty hands. When your brother complained about getting nothing, he just brushed him off, claiming he is way to stupid to get gifts.

You're halfway through the gathering, and no one has asked these typical, annoying questions yet. It's then, when Duke has a mouthful of food in his mouth, that your grandma decides to drop some rather typical questions.

»You should be more like Duke, he brought a gift for a pretty lady. Why aren't you such a gentleman like him? That's probably why you don't have a girlfriend yet.«

Justin, your brother, feels a little embarrassed from your grandma's words, rubbing the back of his neck and looks across the table to her. Meanwhile, Duke almost chokes on his food, quickly swallowing it down before speaking up. »I think you're wrong ma'am. Why should he bring a gift for his sister for a normal gathering?«

He argues lightly, gesturing to Justin beside him who nods along. »I'm just saying he should take an example on you! You are so well-behaved and nice, it shouldn't be hard to at least be more charming like you.« Your grandma reasons as a matter of fact, looking to his grandson who seems slightly uncomfortable but not ashamed by this. It's mostly amusing.

The dinner goes by after sharing some more words and eating all together, eventually being able to retreat to your old childhood rooms. And it's finally time to see what he bought you! You don't know why, but you've always been giddy when he got you presents out of nowhere. Was he spoiling you in that way? Maybe. But you don't complain.

Opening it up, you are surprised to see a new, gorgeous-looking notebook. He knows you like to journal and just keep track of things with taking notes, being very pleaased with how stunning the smaller notebook is binded. It must've cost like... a lot? But then again, he never told you about the prices of the presents. Meaning, if you would ask him about it, he would down-right ignore you.

Things like this happen more often though. He regularly brings you some small gifts or giftcards to your favourite cafe whenever he meets up with a group of friends and you, or when you have another small gathering back at your mum's house. And you aren't the first to notice. Especially your brother keeps making fun of him, finding it a little weird and mostly unusual from his best friend to subtly hit on his sister like that. But Duke just brushes it off, always wearing a smug smirk while countering back with jokes.

»Can't help it. Your fault for having such a sweet sister.«

By now, he always swims around in your brain and his small gifts stand around in your room. You don't know if he just has too much money or genuinely wants to say something with that. Neither way, you won't complain and have thought about paying him back in some way. »I think you added too much sugar.« Your friend of probably a decade remarks while she watches you make a batch of brownies, while sitting by the kitchen counter. She came right into your apartment after calling for some company on baking sweets for Duke.

At first she teased you unecassery about it, already calling him your 'secret boyfriend' or something. Now she has the audacity to judge your brownies.

»Listen, he'll eat it any way. He never turned down any of the food I offered to him, and he has a sweet tooth, so...« Mixing up the batter was a hard task, but you finally got it mixed together well enough to fill it into the form. »Oh God, you even know if he has a thing for sweets or not...« She groans and rolls her head back dramatically, pretending to be very disgusted over this.

You finally get the brownies ready, having had about five meltdown's and three "I can't do this anymore", but you got finished. You really hope he will like them, because you aren't really sure if your friend was right about the amount of sugar. ----

You both settled to meet up at your place, finding it easier to just hang out while eating some sweets. Of course, he came in with a small gift once more, a handwritten letter from him. He specifically told you to read it when he is gone, probably so he won't cringe at himself for what he wrote down.

Finally, you settle down on your couch with a plate of freshly baked brownies and a tv series you both decided to binge today. How could it get any better. Duke compliments your homemade brownies through and through, even liking his fingertips to show you how much he enjoys them. Maybe he is a little overjoyed at this, but you enjoy the satisfied and genuinely happy smile across his face.

As the series marathon continues, you make yourself more comfortable beside him, getting a blanket out to share. He wraps his arm around you casually, keeping you close under the comfort of the blanket while the light of the TV illuminates your features gently. The evening goes on and you lean against him more the longer you watch the first season of the series. You can't help, he is just so comfortable. And he doesn't seem to mind at all as well and just stays close.

However, you weren't exactly paying any attention to the characters on the screen, but silently dozing off against his shoulder. He hasn't noticed yet and just watches the show, until he feels how limp and silent you've been for the last few minutes. Duke shares a small glance towards your sleeping form, his heart melting at the sight. It means a lot for you to feel comfortable enough to fall asleep against him. He tries not to praise himself too much for it, focussing back on the TV screen.

It's been one more episode, you seem to be dead asleep by now. He actually has no idea what to do now. What is he suppposed to do? Is there something he is supposed to do right now? It feels like when a cat falls asleep on your lap and makes you unable to move until it wakes up again. What would Dick do in this situation? Okay, he hates himself for thinking that. All his advice has been bullcrap over the last few weeks.

He decides on carefully shifting you enough so that you're both laying down on the couch, making sure you won't fall off from it while he holds you close. After turning down the volume of the TV, he settles down eventually and falls asleep right beside you. ----

You squeeze your pillow tighter to yourself, sighing out lightly once you're comfortable again and continue to lay in the soft cushion with closed eyes. That is until a hand pats your shoulder lightly, gasping surprised at the unfamiliar touch. You sit up suddenly and look down to Duke. Duke? Since when is he here?

He grumbles in response to your sudden movement, squinting his eyes at you. »Geez, am I this ugly?« You scoff at his light joke, finally remembering and getting why you were cuddled up with him on your couch. The evening ended with you falling asleep against him against your will. Which lead to this... you can't say you are complaining at the moment, but you don't want to come off as a desperate person.

»Just confused you for my pillow.« You mumble back finally and settle back beside him with a small sigh, relaxing again. He smiles amused in return and rolls onto his back next to you. The room falls into silence briefly before the rustling of a blanket fills it in, currently snuggling up to him once more.

Duke can't help but feel his heart race, sneaking his arm around you to keep you close to his side. You can hear the faint beat of his heart against your ear as you stay snuggled to him, finding it both amusing and sweet how his body betrays him for his nonchalant attitude at the moment.

a/n: there's no part two, boohoo. But don't worry, there's anothe rbig fanfiction waiting for you, I'm just currently trying to take care of everything at once, soo..... it will take a while. But I hope you enjoyed this request! Thanks again!!

[alexa-yukiyu]

UR WRITING AMAZING MATEE

Pls do more of Rayleigh and shakky those story u posted heal my childhood, they r like the type of parents I wish I had.

Thank you so much for ur work and ofc u don’t gotta do this if u don’t wanna or don’t do requests but thanks have a good one :)

Special Treasure (Rayleigh x gn!child!reader x Shakky)

A/N: YALL I HAVE COME BACK WITH A COOK AM I WRONG OR AM I RIGHT?? Toothroting, cavity inducing heart stopping cuteness ahead

Dividers by @/saradika

“Reader, where were you? Rayleigh questions as he sees his grandchild coming into the bar on top of Millo, their usual Smiledon Companion covered in dirt and grass, his wife in front of him preparing drinks, glancing at the child questioningly

“Outside!”

Rayleigh smiled softly as he approached the child, kneeling down slightly to meet them. Grabbing them from the large feline and putting them on their hip

“What were you doing outside?”

“Causing trouble, I bet?” pipes in Shakky

“We were exploring.”

“Mm, of course,” Rayleigh raises his brow at his wife, who nods along knowingly.

“Exploring, eh?” The white-haired man asks with a sly smirk

“Where were you exploring?”

They stay silent, playing with their grandfathers hair, trying to evade their gaze as they shrug

“Hm,” Rayleigh muttered

He then raises his eyebrows.

“You think I'm going to get mad?” his voice was light yet stern

“Yeah,” they say, hiding their face into their neck and continuing to play with his hair

Rayleigh chuckles, rubbing their head with one hand as he speaks to them.

“Well, I'm not...I know how it is. Being young and curious.”

“But you should never go off without telling someone where you're going.."

“But I went with Millo!” They exclaim, pulling their head out and gesturing at the large feline

“I mean a proper person,” Rayleigh chuckles,

“Millo, doesn’t count”

The toothed cat lets out a small indignant yowl at his comment, Reader reacting similarly with an offended gasp

Rayleigh scoffed at the cat's reaction, finding it amusing.

“There, there, Millo, you'll live.” Shakky Laughs.

“You're lucky you're adorable, isn't that right?” he said, looking at the cat.

“You're being mean to Millo Grandpa!”

“Now, Now both of you know I didn’t mean it like that,” Rayleigh says with a frown,

“but you need to understand it makes your gramps and gran worry, alright? You're our treasure, you know?”

“Im sorry,”

Shakky smiles, opening her arms for Rayleigh to pass them to her, he smiles obliging her silent request

“Come here” she says taking a hold of them

“We’re not mad, As we said, you are really important, and we simply worry, there are dangerous and gross people not far from here.”

“I just wanted to explore a little, but I didn’t mean to go far. “

Rayleigh scoffs and pulls the child into his arms, planting several kisses upon their cheek,

“It's fine... Just let me know next time where you are exploring; I know you're more than capable on your own, but still, I'd like to have an idea of where to look for you."

“Oke”

“Now that we got that out of the way, what were you doing that got you covered in dirt?”

They shuffle in their grandmother's arms, digging something from their small backpack

“I was getting you guys flowers!” They exclaim, pulling said plants out and handing two roughly arrays of flowers

Rayleigh’s face breaks out into a smile,

“For Us, you brought us flowers?”

They nod excitedly handing them the mix-match bouquet of flowers

The elderly couple exchange a look before embracing the child, who is now buried within the confines of their affection.

What do we think? Originally I thought it was missing something but I re-read it and I really like it, what are our thoughts? Im going to try the Dokusha reader for a test run, btw it’s about a certain lazy ice lord 👀. Im editing it right now maybe even a second part today if yall like it?

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