Ranvir dragged himself out of bed, forcing himself on to his feet. In the middle of the night. Again.

Yawning, he sluggishly wandered over to Frija’s crib, “Hey,” he called softly dredging pale blue patience up from the depths of his emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion. He’d arrogantly said to his mother that he could handle most of Frija care over the break. Mostly because he didn’t want his parents to spend their time off looking after him and his child, though they still spent a few hours everyday helping him.

He was barely getting to the end of the first week and he was bone weary. He sent feeling of comfort and protection as he reached down and stroked her cheek with the back of one finger.

“She needs to fart,”

Ranvir nodded and picked his daughter up. Her usual night clothes was a diaper and a wrap similar to what he used when taking her outside, though the cloth wasn’t nearly as thick. Instead, the blanket was actually pretty thin, though his apartment in the middle of the Parentage was pretty warm. He didn’t have any windows which was a shame, but it basically never got too cold.

Laying down Frija on the dinner table, Ranvir started running her legs back and forth or going in circles. Soon enough, his little one-and-a-half month old started farting like a forty year old farmer.

Before this week, he would’ve probably reacted to the farts. Overreacted even, but after all he’d been through this didn’t even make the top twenty of things he’d seen and experienced. He was about to wear his third uniform of the week. He only changed uniforms that often when the academy was on, during breaks, however, he could usually stretch the pants and the coat for a day, or two, or fourteen longer.

Ranvir smiled down at her as she started giggling. At some point during the farting she’d stopped crying, which was great. Now she was flashing the prettiest smile in the whole world at him as she giggled.

Ranvir smiled back at her, picking her up in a carry his mother had told him about. He rested her stomach and chest on his forearm and hand. He knew when she was on her back that he needed to support her head, whether with his hand or through whatever she was lying on, but that wasn’t necessary when she was on her stomach.

With both legs dangling on either side his arm and one hand gripping his pinky, Ranvir walked around the suite. He’d found that she needed a little time after she’d been picked up to relax again otherwise she wouldn’t fall asleep and eventually start crying again.

So he walked a few laps around his living room with her slowly getting more and more sluggish, before he finally put her back down again. As he enveloped her in the blanket, he too enveloped her in his tether-sense making sure she knew she was safe and secure.

“She’s a little hungry, you’ll be up again in a few hours.”

“That’s fine,” Ranvir muttered as he finished wrapping her up, “I don’t—“ Ranvir searched the room but he already knew he was alone. No one but him and his daughter was in his apartments, and no one but him could speak. Instead, he turned his attention inwards sensing the stirring of the creature again.

He’d on occasion sensed the creature meddling with his mind, especially before he advanced against those second-years. It had made him hesitate, made him frustrated, and angry. Now it was speaking in his head.

“Hello?” Ranvir asked but the creature didn’t respond. “What are you? How are you in my head?”

Still ignoring him the creature finished it’s prowling hidden underneath the cover of his ambient emotion. Mostly a purplish-blue exhaustion and bright and powerful white love.

“Your choice,” it said finally, before seeming to stretch then falling into rest.

For a single moment, Ranvir felt like he caught a glimpse of the creature. The image came clearly in his head of the human-like shape stretching itself out, raising its hands from the ground solely supporting itself on cat legs. It raised its overlong arms into sky, yawning widely, its tongue sticking out and curling like he’d seen dogs and cats do. A single word appeared in his mind as he resonated with its tiredness.

Latresekt.

Then the creature vanished and Ranvir was left with his tired emotions, and a newly risen low burn of anxiety.

It was growing more present, more capable.

Ranvir himself yawned, unsure what to do. Eventually, he went to sleep as well.

Ranvir watched as Frija grabbed the finger offered to her, squeezing down hard on it. It always surprised him how strong she was. Kirs, too, was surprised as she looked up with wide-eyes. First, she looked at Esmund her mouth lightly agape before turning her gaze on Ranvir.

“She’s so strong,” she whispered wiggling her finger a little bit.

Frija just held on tight her face locked in this weird space between happy, about to shit herself, and mildly uncomfortable. At first, he’d been worried that something was wrong, but as time went on he realized her face just did that.

“She looks like she’s shitting herself and holding on to you for dear life,” Grev said grinning and causing Kirs to let out an affronted gasp.

“Grev, you can’t say that.”

“It’s kinda true, though,” Esmund said shrugging as he tickled Frija under her chin, “isn’t it, you chubby little fart machine?”

Frija just giggled at him and let go of Kirs’ finger to the dark haired scholar’s disappointment.

“Can I hold her?” Sansir asked looking at Ranvir, a mix of curiosity and fear in his eyes.

“Yeah, sure,” Ranvir replied. “have you ever held a baby before?”

“Ehh, no. Is that a problem?” Sansir asked looking worried. Ranvir noticed that Dovar too looked a mite upset.

“No, no, it’s not difficult,” Esmund said looking to Ranvir for permission, then he swiftly and gently lifted Frija up and into his arms. “See how I’m holding her? The biggest thing you need to remember…” Ranvir smiled as Esmund showed Sansir how to hold Frija.

Ranvir noticed more than a few surprised looks from the crowd. Only Grev didn’t seem that surprised that Esmund knew what he was doing. Kirs seemed a mix between captivated and stunned that Es was so competent with babies.

She clearly hasn’t put it together, yet, Ranvir thought, he grinned at Grev who was clearly amused at the astonished look on Dovar’s face. Apparently, it wasn’t every day that the most immature and child-like of the group showed up as the most competent in taking care of the most fragile.

Kirs’ face quickly transformed as Es helped Sansir take Frija into his arms. He noted the way she’d stopped worrying at her lip and was now biting it. How she’d gone from wide-eyed surprise to sudden intensity.

“Did you forget about his sisters?” Ranvir asked her, causing her—thankfully—to snap out of her thoughts, wherever they’d been going.

“His sisters?”

Esmund had a bunch of sister, varying from twelve all the way down to five. Esmund was five years older than his next sibling and as such had seen more than his fair share of babies and cared for most of them.

Ranvir saw the ice settle behind Kirs’ eyes as she realized what Ranvir meant. She let out a low ‘ahh’ sound, “That makes so much more sense.”

“It’s easy to forget,” Ranvir said smiling.

“I guess it is,” Kirs muttered watching Sansir as he awkwardly swayed Frija, who only seemed amused by his maladroit attempt at comfort. It was odd seeing the tall and increasingly wide-shouldered Sansir bent forwards, shoulders around his ears, as he gently held the little girl to his chest.

He looked up with vulnerable green eyes, almost a glow, causing Ranvir to smile as Frija giggled from her impromptu swing. Sansir’s eyes grew wet at the sound and he looked back down again.

Of course, despite Ranvir’s seemingly at ease with the ice tethered holding her, he was ready with his Veil, enveloping them all. He wouldn’t risk her falling or any of them getting distracted with her.

“That’s adorable,” Kirs muttered watching Frija slap Sansir on his chin. She could only barely reach, but reach she did. Frija was incredibly curious willing to slap, grab, and put most anything she could into her mouth. It didn’t make him nervous at all, he wasn’t even that worried about it. What was the worst thing that could happen? She could choke? Not even, the worst thing was that she ate something poisonous that instantly killed her, taking her life away in a spli—

Ranvir let out a long breath, so maybe he still sometimes struggled with over developed worries.

“Ranvir, are you okay?” Grev asked grinning widely.

Ranvir, in turn, narrowed his eyes at him as he continued rocking Frija back and forth, “What?”

“Frija’s over there.”

“I know.”

“So what are you doing?”

“I’m rocki—“ Ranvir looked down at his empty rocking arms. “Training, I’m training.”

“Oh? What kind of training?”

“Beating your ass,” Ranvir replied narrowing his eyes. He hadn’t realized how heavy they were, and the momentum carried closing them on their own. Their draw too much for him to overcome.

Only once they’d settled was he able to force them open, Ranvir realized he was still rocking his arms back and forth.

“It’s fine, Ranvir,” Es said, “you can grab a nap.”

“No, no, I shouldn’t. I need to stay, in case—“

“In case what?” Es interjected, “I’ve done since I was five, Ranvir. I’ve done this more than you. I’m better than you.”

Ranvir’s eyes shu— he forced them open and shook his head, “No, this isn’t what is going on.”

Es paused, “Nevermind, if you can keep your eyes closed for thirty seconds I’ll agree with you.”

Ranvir smiled in victory, then let— oh they we’re already closed…