but the call of home is loud

Citizen of the Pelago Islands Bank: 173,722G

[jake-out-the-humans]

New Father Struggles || Jake & Soseki

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jake-out-the-humans‌:

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⚔ - Jake waits at the front desk as the librarian processes his returned books, foot idly tapping against the ground as he waits for her to finish. He had been planning on checking out a few more today, if they had anything new in stock. 

Reading wasn’t exactly the half-elf’s favorite thing to do (not because he was dumb, but because he got restless quickly), but if it meant being a better father to Orland, he was more than happy to do it. Well. Maybe not happy… but it was a necessary sacrifice, one he was willing to make.

Once the librarian lets him know everything is in order, Jake nods, turning to head into the library proper when—

“Whoa. ‘Scuse me.” He takes a step back before running into the taller man that had been approaching the desk, a vague sense of familiarity striking the half-elf when his eyes land on the man’s face. Did he know this guy from somewhere?

Rather than How to Parent books, Soseki had recently progressed to checking out more children’s stories. They were fun and playful to read aloud, and Soseki made sure to include strange voices for his children and even, at times, acting. Despite the long nights and occasional tantrums, Soseki was enjoying being a stay-at-home dad.

He was carrying a few new children’s books when he found himself almost run into. Soseki took a step back himself. “Whoa, sorry, I was a little distracted there.” He held up the array of books as an excuse. “Trying to remember if I’ve read these ones before.” 

[arigatosmiles]

What’s Better Than One Baby || Open

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flowerpowernovelist‌

Iris was, fortunately, free for the day after having clocked out early. And while normally she’d have returned straight home - or at least right back to Arcadia - sometimes it was awfully nice just to wander around a little. The air was crisp and cold and invigorating; winter felt like home, doubtlessly because of her closeness to the element of ice.

She was walking through town, humming under her breath, when she spotted a familiar figure - albeit in an unfamiliar, if not entirely unexpected, situation. About to call out to Soseki, she saw him stumble and felt her heart lurch. But he kept to his feet without difficulty, the only potential casualty his dropped phone.

Well. She could help with that, at least.

“Soseki!” She crossed over at a jog, grateful she had gone with slacks over a dress for the day, and hurried to get his dropped device. “Let me get that.”

Still considering his predicament, Soseki looked up at the familiar voice and smiled. “Iris! Oh, thank you!” He accepted his device back. “Funny enough, walking with babies wasn’t in any of the parenting books I read.”

Soseki paused, seemingly realizing that he had not introduced Iris to his children, and immediately gestured to his son. “Oh, please meet Hayato~ He’s only a few months old but he knows how to gurgle, cry, wake up at night, and be fed with airplane noises.” He smiled broadly, obviously proud of his son’s accomplishments, however strenuous some could be on him.

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Baby Good News | Georgia & Soseki

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rxzberries‌

🐎 - Georgia had been pretty high on pride from her recent culinary feats, but the mention of fish is quick to bring her plummeting back down to earth. She makes a face, but finds that she can’t outright deny Soseki’s point. A good chef would be able to make a dish out of anything, even foods they didn’t like…

“Ugh. Why do you have to be right…?” She gives him a halfhearted glare, but gags at his next comment. “Wait, no. I take that back—a fish smoothie? That sounds SO wrong.”

She shakes her head, shoulders lifting in a shrug. “But maybe I can try making a sushi bowl sometime or somethin’. Those aren’t so bad..”

Soseki was only teasing but found himself unable to stop. “No, no, it has to be a fish smoothie. I’ve heard they’re very delicious and nutritious. I saw one recipe that uses sardines, celery, an onion, jalapeno peppers, and a beet.”

Was he joking? Soseki would actually drink that, but mainly he wanted to see Gigi’s reaction to such a concoction. 

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What’s Better Than One Baby || Open

It was good for babies to get outside for a walk. While they were still young enough to carry, Soseki liked to use the baby carrier, with Hayato settled in his front and Aiko on his back, playing with strands of hair happily. They were both wrapped up for the cold weather and Soseki talked to them as they went down the street.

“See, all the leaves have fallen off the trees now because it’s so cold.” Soseki wrapped his around Hayato and shivered dramatically. “But they’ll come back in spring and then— ow!” He turned partway to side-eye his daughter. “Aiko, please don’t hurt daddy...” All he received in response was a giggle.

The trio continued in that manner, walking and talking, or rather Soseki talking to his children. From one of his pockets, he pulled out a cell phone to check for messages from Evelyn. Attention diverted, a single misstep was all it took for his phone to fall from his hand.

Soseki sighed at his luck. It’d take a bit of maneuvering to pick it up while carrying two babies.

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Activity Check 1.11

Passed!

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Baby Good News | Georgia & Soseki

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rxzberries‌

🐎 - “W-what? No, of course not!” She protests, almost immediately. Was her cooking really so bad that people thought she’d do something so weird to her food? Yeesh. “I’ve been followin’ the recipes by the letter, and they’ve honestly been comin’ out pretty good.” 

She takes a sip of her milk, refreshed by the coolness of the beverage. “But if there’s anything else you’d like to try, I could make a crack at that, too. I wanna cook as many things as I can, really work on those culinary skills.”

Soseki grinned. “How about fish?” Soseki very well knew of her hatred against the scaly animals, which is exactly why he asked. “A mark of a true chef would be able to cook something delicious out of a dish you don’t like.” He didn’t really expect her to cook something with fish but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t tease her. “How about a fish smoothie?”

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Fatherhood | Clorica & Soseki

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anephemeralwish‌

When Clorica had the time she often tried to visit Sofia’s relatives and drop off food or offer her help when and where she could.She felt it was important that she knew her family as she spent so much time with the Hunts. With an afternoon to spare, she traveled over to Evelyn and Soseki’s home to bring them a variety of dishes she had made. She knew that the two of them had twins and thought that they could use the extra energy to lift their spirits. Although she didn’t have children of her own, she took care of enough of other people’s in her lifetime to know the struggles.

With the bags on her arms, she carefully lifted one to not tip the containers as she knocked. It was a brief moment before she heard the door opening and saw a tired Soseki. Perhaps she had chosen a great time to stop by? “I came to drop this off for you and Evelyn,” she held up the bags. “It’s fish stew with a few side dishes and extra fruit for your wife, especially apples and strawberries.”

She paused and looked over Aiko and Hayate with a smile. She had met them when the families got together and enjoyed them just as much as Mia and Leo. “If you don’t mind me asking, would you like some help?”

Oh, food! Soseki eyes widened. “That’s so kind of you, thank you.” Aiko burbled but was thoroughly entranced with her father’s hair over any visitor. He stood back and allowed Clorcia to enter. “Please, come in. Sorry for the mess.” Unfortunately, he couldn’t accept the bags at the door, as that would involve not giving Aiko his full support. 

Inside, blankets and toys scattered the house, and Hayato, twin brother to sister Aiko, laid on a pallet. Soseki had been watching and playing with them, hoping the duo would tire out for their nap soon.

“It’ll be their nap time soon,” he said, a hint of hope in his voice. Just because he wanted it to be their nap time didn’t mean it would be. “You can play with them, though, if you like. Help tire them out.” Soseki chuckled.

[arigatosmiles]

❄️Snowflake: Do you enjoy playing in the snow? Why or why not?

“As a kid, I used to play in the snow a lot. But I’m getting a little old for that. The cold that comes with snow is that kind that dulls my senses to the point I can’t even feel my wife’s hand when I hold it.” Soseki pouted dramatically. “Though when Aiko and Hayato grow older, I suppose they’ll want to play in the snow, hm? And I can’t say no to them...” 

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A Year With You || Evelyn & Soseki

@fashionistaextraordinaire

It had been a year. One whole year of marriage. Who knew a small ring on your finger could change your whole life so much?

Then came baby. Two, in fact. Aiko and Hayato: his pride and joys, his little bundles of love. Being a stay at home dad fit him well. He still worried about not being a great father, but it was hard to worry too much when he was singing poopy diaper songs while sleep-deprived. 

And Evelyn... they didn’t have as much time in their schedule for all the things they used to do and it made him sad. The most he got to hold her was at night, but he snuck in as many kisses as he could in-between. 

Of course, one whole year also meant something else: their anniversary. It snuck up on him faster than expected. One moment they were exchanging vows, the next they were having kids, and then suddenly a whole year had passed. Wanting the night to be just for them, he was able to find a babysitter in advance and then prepared alone time for them. Dinner, some music, the simple enjoying things the hadn’t had a chance to do as much with twins taking the run of the house.

When Evelyn returned home, she’d find it all laid out. Lit candles cast a flickering, warm glow over the walls and an incense burner puffed a woody, floral fragrance into the air.

Unfortunately, Soseki, who had yet to catch up on his sleep, was fast asleep. I’ll just close my eyes for a minute, had been his last thought.

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Activity Check 12.21

Passed!

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Fatherhood | Clorica & Soseki

@anephemeralwish;

Taking care of twins was hard. Soseki had little time to think if he was being a good dad between the number of diapers that needed changing, food that needed to be prepped, and nap times to be had. More often than not, he fell asleep with both of them, and outside of his wife and kids, his social life had been nonexistent. It was to be expected and, truly, he enjoyed being with his kids. 

So he was rather surprised to hear someone knocking at their door. Soseki made his way over, Aiko in his arms while Hayato played on his pallet, and opened the door. He was sure he looked every bit the harried father to twins.

“Oh, Clorica.” He recognized her not just from Sofia and Luke’s home, but the times he had visited Thread by Thread. “How can I,” a yawn tore through his sentence, “help you? Sorry, I’m a little tired.” In his arms, Aiko reached up and started tugging on his long strands of hair, but he paid her no mind.

[arigatosmiles]

Baby Good News | Georgia & Soseki

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rxzberries‌

🐎 - “Yeah, I love it. It’s a great look for you!” She wasn’t surprised to hear that he was doing it for Evelyn, though. Even after this long, Soseki was still absolutely smitten by her. It was honestly really sweet.

Georgia laughs at his response, giving him one last ‘warning’ look before turning to grab a couple of glasses. “Now that’s what I like to hear. So… oh, water? Okay! Comin’ right up.” She pours herself a glass of milk, and water for Soseki at his request, handing the latter over to him once she was done.

At his question, she grins. Georgia was always happy to talk about things that excited her. “Fruit smoothies! I’ve been using the fruit I grow here on the ranch, so they’ve been comin’ out really fresh and sweet. Full of healthy nutrients, too.” 

She takes a seat over at the dining table, beckoning for Soseki to come and join her. “You might be aware that I’m not… well, the best cook around… so I reckoned this would be simple enough for me to start with. The doc down at the clinic suggested it, actually! Trent, if you know ‘im?”

Soseki accepted the glass and took a sip, letting himself relax. He had been running himself ragged lately. 

“Ohh, those sound really nutritious.” He followed her to the dining table. It was too bad he wasn’t a fan of smoothies. “Dr. Trent? I do, yeah.” Soseki had seen him a few times, though he couldn’t say he had a chance to really just chat with him. 

“I suppose it’d be a little hard to mess up making a smoothie.” He grinned at Georgia and couldn’t help but tease just a little. “You’re not adding any strange ingredients to them, right?”

[fashionistaextraordinaire]

It’s Fashion, Darling || Evelyn & Soseki

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fashionistaextraordinaire‌:

arigatosmiles‌

Keep reading

Read More Now!

Soseki didn’t need the encouragement but he appreciated it and continued what he was doing. 

“Mmmm,” he hummed and looked up at her. “Sorry,” though he didn’t sound sorry, “I couldn’t help myself. Do you want me to stop?” Soseki was sure he knew the answer but waited to hear it from her. Meanwhile, his hands continued to travel along her hips.

[arigatosmiles]

ℂ𝕙𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕞𝕒𝕤 𝔸𝕤𝕜 𝕄𝕖𝕞𝕖

🎅🏻Santa: What do you want for Christmas this year?

🤶🏻Mrs. Claus: Who are you spending Christmas with this year?

🦌Reindeer: Are you a leader who hosts Christmas parties, or do you prefer to attend other people's parties?

🎄Tree: What kind of things do you decorate your Christmas tree with?

❄️Snowflake: Do you enjoy playing in the snow? Why or why not?

⛄️Snowman: What is your one wish this Christmas?

🍪Cookies: What is your best memory associated with Christmas food?

🎁Presents: What did you get your friends/family for Christmas?

💝Heart: Are you spending Christmas with someone special?

🎵Music: Do you like Christmas music? If yes, which is your favorite song?

[arigatosmiles]

The Future || Evelyn & Soseki

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fashionistaextraordinaire‌

Evelyn smiled, humming a little, “That’s a pretty name.” So…would it be Eleanor Aiko? Or Aiko Eleanor? Hm…she liked the sound of Aiko Eleanor a little better than the other way around. Plus, it seemed like a right fit for his mother’s name to be the first name. 

She looked at Soseki and tilted her head a little, genuinely confused, “Does it matter either way? No matter how they come out, they’ll still be our kids. I don’t think it’ll matter whether one’s a boy or both of them or boys or if none of them are boys. I’m still going to love them the same and treat them the same.” After all, her treatment growing up as a woman wasn’t the best. Evelyn was practically treated as a marriage bargaining chip rather than an asset to the family, for crying out loud.

“Why do you ask?” Evelyn rose an eyebrow at him.

“Of course I’ll love our kids either way.” He was surprised she even said it. “But I don’t know if there’s any difference in raising a girl or a boy. I’ve never raised kids. I’ve read a few parenting books saying there is a difference but others don’t agree, and going into the unknown for something so important in my life just makes me nervous. How am I going to be a good dad?” His nerves came out as he wrung his hands. 

He looked at Evelyn again. “I just don’t have any good model to go off of. Though, when I remember I’m doing this with you, I feel calmer about it.” He reached for her hand to squeeze it.

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Hiatus Post

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The Future || Evelyn & Soseki

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fashionistaextraordinaire‌

Evelyn smiled softly, “I think that’s a great idea.” After all, his mother had such an impact on him based on what she heard of her. It almost felt natural for one of their children to have her name. 

“Then if one of our kids is a girl, then we should do that,” Evelyn continued, nodding affirmatively, “There’s a good chance that at least one of them will be a girl, right? So…maybe we can name her after both of them? Both my mentor and your mother. What was your mother’s name?”

“Aiko,” Soseki answered. “She was a florist.” He remembered there always being flowers around the house. Some were used for crafting, but just as many were there to brighten up their home. It was sad when they died, but she always assured him they would come back, new and flourishing. 

“What if one of them is a boy, though? Or they’re both boys?” Soseki had thought about this a lot, how different it would be to raise a boy or a girl or if there’s really any difference at all. Babies were babies. “Do you have a preference?”