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 Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2005 9:29 pm
On Nov 17, 2004, Aiko I've been so busy; I almost don't know what to do with myself. I can't figure out where to set Shippou. I read somewhere that rare Lolitas are to be kept in a place that's special to me, but there's nowhere more special than in my arms, so I carry him around with me. Business has been slow lately, anyway, so I needn't worry about being too busy with my shop to take care of him and carry him around. Heartless more or less take care of themselves. Because I've been busy setting up Shippou's nursery in my room, I'll set him next to Rosalba's tank so I have my hands free to set up the crib. (I need to find some toys for my little Shippou...) I got so mad last night. Nataku's evil half tried to tell me that my little Shippou wasn't anything to get excited about, because he was just a pet. He said believing that Shippou would actually turn out to be a child is ludicrous. To tell the truth, I wanted to shred his nose off. Even Ansem started getting upset at him, but that was only because he was making me upset. I'm not going to let him get me down, though. This is my baby, not his. Speaking of Nataku, his good half also tried to prove that my shop isn't a good place to raise a child, because of the Darkness. I don't know -- I feel very comfortable here, and I'm sure I could teach any child that as well, especially if it's my own. I don't know. I guess we'll just have to see.
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Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2005 9:34 pm
On Nov 18, 2004, Aiko Shippou's crib is up now. When I took a nap, I set him in his crib. He looks so cute, sitting there as a bag! Besides that, nothing is going on. Oh, while I was down in the expansive basement, I found a top sitting in the middle of a cleared out space among the boxes. I find that kinda weird. I knew that there could have been just about anything downstairs, but I never thought I'd actually found a toy. I went on a search for some more toys, but I can't find any. I asked Ansem if he knew where it came from, but he shook his head and brushed me off. It's mine now, so I suppose it doesn't matter. Well, it's Shippou's. I'm going to give it to him when he's old enough to play. I had a lot of fun with tops when I was little. I hope he does, too.
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Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2005 9:35 pm
On Nov 19, 2004, Aiko I'll swear up and down I felt the bag move. I was sitting downstairs with him in my lap while I worked on some of my cross-stitching, and I felt a bump against my lap. For a while, I had thought that Lucas jumped into my lap, but I knew better. Lucas was curled up in my hair between my ears and sound asleep, and he's still a little perturbed over the bag, so he stays on top of my head at all times. Then, I thought, perhaps it was Chii, but no, she was taking a nap as well next to the fireplace. After I felt it again, I looked down just in time to see the bag move. I shrieked, which, of course, woke both Lucas and Chii up and brought Ansem running, asking what was wrong. When I told him I felt the bag kick, he looked at me as if I had lost it. Sometimes, I wonder if he really thinks that I've completely lost my marbles. He also doesn't believe me. Honestly, I don't care what he thinks. I've heard of Lolitas before, and this definitely was a Lolita. Both he and Nataku will see once as Shippou's born. This is a baby, and not only that, he's my baby. The rest of the day was spent cuddling the bag while singing songs to him. I remembered my mother sang some songs to me before she was killed, like "You Are My Sunshine." Well, okay, so that's the only song I remember her singing me before she left. So, all I could think of singing was that song, over and over, and held the bag against my chest. Truly, there is no better place to put this bag than close to my heart.
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Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2005 9:37 pm
On Nov 21, 2004, Aiko Kylin came over yesterday to see my bag (and stayed all day -- this is the reason I didn't get to write in Shippou's journal yesterday). She seems just as excited as I am, because she made him a plushie! It's the cutest little lion cub. I was really surprised to learn that she made it herself. She says the seems were a little wobbly because she knew how annoyed Ansem has been with all of this. I told her not to worry because he just annoyed with everything. Anyway, she promised me another present for my little boy, though she wouldn't tell me what it was. I'm so excited! So, other than sitting downstairs and talking all day, nothing much happened. I asked, when Shippou's born and old enough, if she would take him outside every now and then to play. A growing child needs sunlight, I can't deny that fact no matter how hard I try. Of course, Kylin agreed like I knew she would. She also offered to babysit for me, which might be helpful during future auctions when I'm too busy to hold him. I want Shippou to be born now. I'm just itching to hold him in my arms. The bag moves around more frequently, now. I wonder if the day's coming soon...
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Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2005 9:38 pm
On Nov 22, 2004, Aiko I mentioned the bag moving around more and more, right? I'm so tempted to open it. I mean, what if he's in there, and my little baby is suffocating? Then I remembered what I heard about Lolitas. When the time comes, you don't wonder if it is -- you know that it's time. At this moment, I definitely am not sure if it is or isn't. The bag doesn't make any sounds, like cooing or whimpering that you'd think it'd make if there were a little baby inside. I've always wanted a baby, and I know that I've probably made this clear by now, but I'll say it again -- I'm so excited about all of this. Chii seems anxious, too. She paces around the room and then'll sit and stare at the bag, then go back to pacing. She seems to know what's going on, and she's expressed her excitement with her clunky speech. She's so smart that it amazes me. All Lucas can currently say are one word sentences, like 'pretty.' Cookie's his favorite word, as I've trained him to jump into my hand when I say that word (though sometimes he'll jump in my hand no matter who says cookie...) He's still jittery around the bag, and is even more frightened with it, now that it moves more. Perhaps I'll get Daeva to keep him for a few days after Shippou's born. And Ansem? Ansem's same old. He stays more in his lab than anything, really. He told me that he's very busy and has been working on things that I might be interested in. I thought at first that he was going to get me some more Specials, but no, he hasn't left for a week or longer, so that's not the case. Like I said, all I know is that he's working on something for me/that I'd be interested in. Guess I'll just have to wait and see what it is.
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Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2005 9:40 pm
On Nov 27, 2004, Aiko So much has been happening lately, which is the reason behind not being able to write in Shippou's journal. I got another baby, Julia, added to our family, so I'll be splitting my time between taking care of Shippou and Julia at the same time. It's absolutly no problem, though. They're my children, and I love them very much. There's enough to go around. Let's see, what else... Oh, Ansem's working on a 'cure' for my condition, so I'll be able to go outside and raise my children in the sunlight, but still have me bound to the shop and the Darkness there in. And I'm worried about Shippou. I've been taking care of him for over a week, now, going on two, and he still hasn't grown. He doesn't move around as much. As soon as Ansem gets this cure, I'm taking him outside. Maybe I can then find out what's wrong.
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Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2005 9:41 pm
On Nov 30, 2004, Aiko Oh my goodness, I haven't noticed that I didn't write in Shippou's journal for a few days. Well, I have quite a story to tell. The other day, the bag stopped moving completely. My heart sank as low as my feet. I thought my little baby bag was gone. I just couldn't believe that he was gone. The bag wasn't warm anymore and, like I said, he didn't move. Julia noticed my sadness and was a little somber. Chii and Lucas reacted the way I had expected them to. They were sad that their owner was sad. I couldn't let my sadness let me down, though. I still took care of Julia as I should have, feeding her and changing her diapers and amusing her. But I couldn't just let the bag go like that, so I held onto him, and set him in his crib after I put Julia to sleep. Later that night, I woke to a baby crying, but my instincts told me it wasn't Julia. So I hurried up (again jostling poor Chii and Lucas around) and ran to the cribs. There he was, my darling little Shippou! I scooped him up and held him tightly, wanting to cry and laugh at the same time. Of course, the commotion woke Julia up, and she started crying. Again, Ansem tried to get on my case about the babies crying, but I just gave him the look again, and he backed off. I've spent the last few days with both my babies, learning how to balance the two out, since Ansem gives me no help. Then again, I didn't expect him to. I'm so happy now. I think babies were what I needed. I've felt in a slump lately, but seeing Shippou's and Julia's faces have just made me so complete. I think my biological clock may have been going off without me knowing. Whoops, it's feeding time! Gotta run. Added later in the day -- a quick scribble.It seems to me that whoever left Shippou knew he was about to need a bottle and a rattle... Ansem was quite surprised when he found more presents on the doorstep for me and my babies.
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Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2005 9:42 pm
On Dec 05, 2004, Aiko There can't be more adorable babies than Shippou and Julia. The way they reach for me with their chubby little hands, when they coo when I hold the lion plushie that Kylin made, when their eyes close as they fall asleep while I'm feeding them. I think I've died and gone to heaven, but that's because I've just wanted children so very badly. I've never been able to understand people who say that they'll never have kids. Well, the joke's on them, because they're really missing out. I know I've been neglecting their journals for a little while. I've been so busy figuring out how to divide my time between my two babies. Taking care of them comes first, and journals come second. Since I'm a single mother with no help from outside sources (Ansem's such a lazy b*****d...), I'm on my own. I feel up to the responsibility, though. I'm not the first mother to have two babies to take care of. I think I've pretty much gotten it straightened out. On an interesting note, Shippou grows faster than Julia. Guess that's just the difference in species.
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Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2005 9:43 pm
On Jan 1, 2005, Aiko Shiny. That's Shippou's first word. And Julia's. Shippou seems to have really liked the holidays, especially our Christmas tree. One night, while everyone was gone and I was still downstairs, I was holding Shippou and pointing to the Christmas tree, saying it was pretty and shiny. He mimicked me and said shiny, and before I knew it, Julia was saying that, too. I think magic took over my children over the holidays. Julia's a toddler now, walking on her own. She sure did grow up quickly. I always thought Shippou would have been the first one to talk and walk and learn to use the potty like the rest of us do. He's still working on taking his first little steps. His hair's also growing longer and longer, but I don't feel quite right cutting it, so I've been trimming off the dead-ends and pulling his hair back up into a ponytail. Anyway, I think he'll be walking shortly. He wants so badly to walk with Julia.
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Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2005 9:44 pm
~Fun at the amusement park, part 1~
Now that her children were getting bigger, Aiko saw more and more of a need to take them outside. They both could toddle around, and the mother felt comfortable about taking them to bigger and better places. She may have been consumed by Darkness, sure, and she didn't have a Heart residing in her body, but she was still so caring and loving. It shocked most of the people that knew her condition. At least she was able to leave the shop, leave the Darkness, now. She was starting to miss the light of day.
In any case, Aiko had decided that their first big outing would be to an amusement park for toddlers, and had saved up the gold from her shop. Sure, Ansem wasn't terribly happy that she was going out, but then again, he never liked letting Aiko out of his sights after what had happened on Halloween. 'I don't want to end up carrying you back like I did the last time,' he had said. Aiko had insisted that nothing like what happened on Halloween would ever happen again. 'Oh, come on, it's just an amusement park with a section for little kids under the age of five. What sort of trouble could I get myself into?' Ansem reluctantly let her go.
And so, Aiko and her babies, Julia and Shippou, went to the amusement park.
The little ones were so fascinated by the whole thing; they almost couldn't believe their eyes. So much was going on at once! Their keen noses picked up smells they'd never smelled before; funnel cakes, cotton candy, deep-fried orioes and the like. Above all, it was shiny. Things were just so shiny and bright, blinking lights and whirring sirens. Now, the group of three never really was big on loud noises, but this amusement park was different. It was loud in such a good way.
Aiko stepped forward to move, but when she felt resistance, she stopped and turned around. Shippou and Julia both were holding her hand, like she had taught them to do while they were out, and were rooted to their respective spots in awe. Aiko couldn't help but laugh.
"Come on, babies, if you stand here, you'll miss out on all the fu--"
She was cut off by another voice calling her name.
"Aiko!"
The three turned to find a woman with black hair jog into the group, towing her own children, Raven and Destin, behind her. Shippou automatically brightened up (if he could brighten up any more) at the sight of Kylin. Shippou and Kylin had always shared a special bond that only an aunt and a nephew could have. Of course, Raven and Destin felt the same way about Aiko, and the two ran up to Aiko to hug her. This caused Aiko to let go of the hands she was holding, kissing each of the usagi children on the forehead in her usual greeting. Shippou took off to jump into Kylin's arms.
This left Julia by herself. She pouted slightly and turned to look at the attractions behind her, and they were so, well, attracting. Something else caught her eye.
Rolling past her was a balloon, and when it rolled in a certain way, the sun caught it.
Even the balloons here were shiny! And so, she took off after it before Aiko could turn back around and discover her child missing.
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Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2005 9:46 pm
(( Reserved for part 2: Shippou's story. I'm currently harassing Kylin so we can get this written together over AIM. 3nodding ))
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Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2005 9:47 pm
(( Reserved for Shippou's growth. Again, I need to harass Kylin more. ))
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Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2005 9:48 pm
~It's That Time of the Year Again...~
 "Hey, mom, what cha got there?" "What cha got, what cha got?" Aiko had tried so, so hard not to let her children see what she had in her hands as she walked back into the Import shop. She had doubled over and hidden what she had with her arms, her eyes darting from one side to another. But right as she had shut the door, Shippou had trotted into the room with Julia on his tail, quite literally, in fact. The Ren'ai had her shoes off, letting her socks slide across the plush red carpet as Shippou trotted along, letting her hold onto his tail so he could pull her. Lucas was hanging on for dear life to Julia's shoulder. "Nertz..." she muttered. "You honestly didn't think that you could have gotten away with that, did you?" Ansem asked from his seat next to the crackling fire near the fireplace. He had been reading a book when Aiko came in, and hadn't even cast her a glance. How the hell did he know how she came in? His back was to her. "It's not like you look conspicuous or anything." Aiko made a few faces at Ansem as he spoke, mocking him. The toddler and teenager laughed in response, causing Ansem to snort. "Seriously, mom, what cha got?" Shippou asked again as he started pulling at Aiko's arms. "Guess I can't hide it anymore." With a sigh, Aiko showed them what she had. It was a pink envelope, written on with an old-fashioned computer font. It said 'To: Shippou + Julia, From: Mama.' Shippou made a face at it, and Julia cooed in admiration. "It's pink." "Pink!" Aiko laughed as she walked over to one of the big couches near Ansem and the fireplace and sat down, patting either side of her to signal her children to leap up next to her. They did, though Julia clambered into Aiko's lap. She wrapped one arm around her and the other around Shippou, letting the letter flop in her lap. The faemouse fluttered over to the family and rested in Julia's hair between her ears, and Chii, hearing her master come home, trotted downstairs and curled up next to Aiko's feet. Good, she woke her up just in time for her afternoon nap. "It's pink for a reason. It's for Valentine's Day." "Val-en-tines?" Julia repeated, tilting her head to one side, causing Lucas to fall off and onto her shoulder with a squeak. Shippou said nothing, just looked at the letter in Aiko's lap. "It's a holiday people like to celebrate. See, it's a day that we give our loved ones something special to reinforce our love." The two children continued to blink at Aiko. Ansem stayed still in his seat. The group was silent for a moment before a thought crossed Aiko's mind. It was time for a story. "Most people don't know how a day like this started, but I happen to." "Sounds like it's story time to me," Shippou said with a grin. Julia bounced up and down in Aiko's lap. "Story time! Story time!" With a grin, Aiko sat back against the couch, two pairs of eyes watching her face carefully. Ansem still remained in his seat, looking thoroughly engrossed with his book. "It started thousands of years ago in Rome, when one of the emperors decided that better soldiers were the ones who weren't married and weren't tied to a family. He banned marriage to make sure he got the best soldiers he possibly could have. Seeing as it caused trauma for several of the young lovers, a bishop by the name of Valentine met young couples in secret and would marry them. Of course, he was found out. The emperor was impressed with his dignity and tried to convert him to the Roman gods in order to save him from execution, but Valentine refused, though he knew full and well that he'd be executed. "While he was in jail, one of the jailors there had a blind daughter, and asked him to cure her. It's said that Valentine did just that, and through faith restored the girl's sight. Before his execution, Valentine requested a piece of paper and a pencil and wrote a good bye note to her, signing it 'From your Valentine', a phrase which is commonly on Valentine's gifts even today. "And that's basically how it started. [1]" "So, what's in that, then?" Shippou asked as he pointed to the envelope. Aiko grinned and winked at her son. "It's a secret. Now go on and play, you two. Mom's got some work to do." The kitsune boy pouted, but the look soon disappeared as he leapt to his feet and trotted over to Ansem. "Hey, what are you gunna get Mom for Valentine's Day?" "..." Ansem flipped a page in his book as he said, "Nothing." This caused the boy to pout again, and as the first did, it disappeared quickly. Julia had come over and clapped her hand against Shippou's shoulder blade, then scampered off, Lucas keeping up with her, hovering over her shoulder. "H-Hey!" Shippou shouted, then gave chase to Julia, who squealed with laughter as she darted upstairs. Chaos once again ensued, and Aiko couldn't help herself but chuckle and sweatdrop. So was the life of a mother. [1] Source here.
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Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2005 10:05 am
(( For Valentine's day, when my envelope decides to open up. =^._.^= ))
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Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2005 10:57 pm
Shippou had been sitting in the middle of the shop floor playing with his top when the door opened, causing him to look up. Mom was home from a day of errands. He knew, even though she had left early in the morning (leaving the rather dead shop in Ansem's care), that she was errand-running. She always came back with frizzed out hair and a rather stressed look on her face. She had arm fulls of groceries that she took into the kitchen. Chii was helping in this as well by taking the grocery bags and fading into shadow to carry more of them over a greater distance. The kitsune's green eyes watched as the purple puddle skimmed across the surfaces of both the walls and the floor, heading toward the kitchen. Such oddities were the norm around here.
As Aiko was walking in, however, he noticed something about his mother that he hadn't before. When she was outside, red pendant with the black trimming around it glowed with a dull light, one almost unnoticeable. He'd never noticed it before now. He knew she always wore that pendant -- she'd worn it before he could remember and he'd always considered it as just something that was mommy. But did it always glow like that?
"Hi mom," he greeted none the less, picking up his top and string and pushing it into his pocket. "Need any help?" The mother smiled down at her son.
"Chii and I got everything inside. Why don't you help put things away into the cupboards?"
"Hai!" he sang as he trotted into the kitchen with Aiko. Behind him, he heard the padding of soft feet. Julia followed.
"I help! I help!" she cooed. The two already in the kitchen turned to look at the skunk anthro only to find her hands covered in a chocolate mess. Obviously, Julia'd found the stash of chocolates that Aiko thought no one else knew about. Of course, everyone knew about it (Ansem and Shippou would sometimes steal a piece or two), but Julia, not knowing better, had gotten it all over herself.
Aiko blinked at Julia for a moment, then sighed and shook her head. Setting the bags down, she turned to Julia and put her hands on her hips. This prompted Julia to take on her 'I'm so cute and I haven't done anything' pose, one finger hooked in her bottom lip as she blinked her large, indigo eyes up at her mommy.
"... Shippou, is my secret chocolate stash not so secret anymore?" She was answered with coughing from the kitsune. Another sigh escaped her lips. "Thought not. Ansem!" She turned her head and shouted in the general direction of the said man's lab, where she knew he was hiding. "Come help Shippou with the groceries while I clean up Julia."
A pause, a sigh, and the clomping of boots was heard as Aiko scooped Julia into her arms, not caring about the chocolate she was getting all over herself. She'd just clean up later. As Aiko exited the kitchen, Ansem entered. The man gave her a glare that fell on blind eyes -- she'd long since learned to ignore the glare of death that he'd try to give her, and was completely immune. Shippou had to hold in a snicker when he saw the disgusted look on Ansem's face. How humorous that man was, even if he tried to act indifferent to what was going on around him.
Ansem'd learned by this point not to counter any of Aiko's requests. Arguing with the woman was so much more trouble than it was worth. Crossing the kitchen, he looked through the bags, then down at Shippou, who was looking up at him. All was silent between the two males before the older let out a rather annoyed sounding sigh.
"I'll put things away on the shelves; I'll set things down for you to put away in the cupboards."
"M'kay," Shippou answered as he took the cans of food Ansem handed him after rummaging around in the brown bags for a moment. Again they were silent as the kitsune started putting things away. He also broke the silence. "Ansem, you know the necklace mom wears?"
"Mm." Ansem grunted his affirmation. Shippou blinked and stood at his feet, craning his neck to look up at the man who towered over him.
"Where'd she get it?"
"I gave it to her," answered the white haired man. A grin crossed Shippou's face as he almost threw the fact that he always did things for and gave things to Aiko that only further proved his school boy crush on her, but decided against it. He wanted more information out of him, and riling him up wouldn't get him anywhere.
"Has it always glowed while she's outside?"
Ansem stopped rummaging around in the grocery bags long enough to look down at Shippou for a full two and a half seconds, studying the face of the kitsune boy carefully. With that moment over, he went back to what he was doing.
"Yes."
"Why? What's it do?"
"That's not something for me to tell you," came the answer after another silence passed. "Ask her."
Shippou didn't like that answer, but knew he wasn't going to get anything else out of Ansem. The man was as stubborn as he was tall; twice or thrice fold, even. Taking some more foodstuffs to put away in the bottom cupboards, Shippou was lost in his own thoughts.
He'd ask her about it later.
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