[A truly horrifying prospect. For everyone. They'll definitely have to keep electrical cords as hidden or unreachable as possible too...there've been horror stories down the pipeline in rabbit communities.]
Definitely...and maybe see how much those, uh, pumps cost so we can save up for it-- [This is moving from cute into awkward, body specific territory!! And so she holds her hands up immediately following that, face a bit red despite herself.] Which I can look into on my own! And talk to my mom about later.
I'm definitely getting ahead of myself. It's not like the apartment has a lot of storage!
[Accidentally presenting yet another elephant in the room. So to speak. Just as an actual elephant family enters the department store.]
W-we should focus on the cute and fun things right now. Like clothes, and toys. How about we...look at the large mammal section. See if there's a wolf babydoll or something.
[For the baby of course, and not for Haru to cuddle with whenever Legosi gets home late. Yup.]
[Haru, bless your heart, you're about to give Legosi a heart attack. He's not even sure where he would have begun with that if she hadn't successfully steered the conversation somewhere safer.
It's funny how it's taken this long for it to sink in for Legosi, but preparing for a child is...a lot of work. A lot of little factors come into play that he never would have considered before; to be honest, it's actually a bit overwhelming. He's pretty sure if he didn't have Haru with him here, he'd have been sunk a long time ago.
But, right. Cute and fun things. They still have plenty of time to cover the practical things. It's not like the baby is going to be born tomorow or anything.]
Good idea.
[He's so eager for the idea of moving to a more comfortable section of the store that the potential ulterior motive behind getting a wolf plush is lost on Legosi for the time being as he reaches for her hand, walking with her out of the aisle so they can start heading that way. It's not like they'll get fewer looks here, but at the very least Legosi won't be the first immediate eyesore.]
[Honestly, she would not have wanted Legosi to go shopping on his own for these sort of items either. Not because she doesn't trust him, the guy does do his research to the nth degree when it's something that matters to him (She found...those rabbit behavioral books back in highschool. She Knows.), but because all of this is overwhelming to her, so it must be the same if not worse for him. Her family life was incredibly different from his, after all, and being a rabbit and having the usual extended family as a rabbit has her at least semi-familiar with the basics of what having a kid entails.
Plus, she kind of doesn't...well, as said, she trusts him, but she also trusts that he may either be frozen stock-solid or go overboard in over planning. So, slow and steady (like a lot of aspects in their relationship).
Still, she feels embarrassed bringing up something better discussed with her mom, and her heart is still beating fast from it, feeling yet another fluttering sensation in her stomach which she chalks up to said embarrassment, and it all calms down once she takes Legosi's hand as they head towards the opposite direction of the store towards the larger mammal section. It's kept a distance from the small mammal section for both obvious reasons, and no doubt they walk past same-species couples who are also doing after work shopping for their kids or friends (or similiar species couples...there's a female capybara with a guinea pig in an area for medium-sized mammals who pay little mind when they walk by).
But as they get to the toy aisle, Haru lets go of Legosi's hand to look at the canine toys, though instead of checking out the stuffed animals she instead looks at a rubber ball. Picking it up, she turns and holds it up, gesturing with it.]
Oh! Was your favourite toy something like this?
[There's some give to it, and even though it looks huge in her tiny hand, she squeezes it. And it squeaks.
[While Legosi's own nerves aren't immediately calmed by the change of scenery, it does help immensely. Now he hopes he'll be able to focus his efforts solely on finding things that will work best for their child, and not-]
Hm-?
[He turns his head just in time to see Haru standing there, holding up a rubber ball a mere foot or two away from his nose. It's...more than a little comical how immediate the effect is that it has on him, causing him to go perfectly still with his ears perked as high as they'll sit on his head. His tail swishes over the tiled floor as he adjusts the way he's standing imperceptibly, without even noticing.
It's the perfect image of a dog primed and ready for the ball to be thrown.]
It's exactly the kind of reaction she was expecting from him, and the look on his face, the immediate change in his stance and demeanor, has her holding back a laugh. It does occur to her, from time to time, that this is perhaps the very same look he had that initial night they met. Maybe that's part of why she triggered it.]
Hmm...I see. [Said casually, as though she's considering whether to put it back or not. And with a shrug, she does throw it. An underhand toss straight towards the shopping basket Legosi is holding. He's standing close enough and still enough where it's easy for even someone her size and lacking athletic ability to make it in, assuming he doesn't move to catch it in his own mouth or something.
Either way:] Good. We'll buy it; it's pretty inexpensive.
It's likely that, at this point in time, Haru hasn't yet played catch with Legosi. Not like...explicitly, at least. And maybe, deep down in his wolfy heart, he's wanted to...badly...but it's also kindof weird to ask your girlfriend something like that? Especially when he has no intention of throwing her the ball. Just having it be thrown for him to bring back...endlessly.
So it's instinct and reflex that take over in tandem when she tosses the ball, his head snapping to the side so fast that it actually makes his neck hurt. His teeth close around the ball and just like that, he's holding it in his mouth.
This ball that has probably been touched by countless hands. That they haven't paid for yet.]
...ah... [Her hand has stilled at the end of the toss, hovering as she stares wide-eyed at Legosi standing across from her, ball in his mouth. His head moved so fast, it was practically a blur. She knew exactly what she was doing in throwing the ball, tempting fate and the instincts of a canine, but she didn't actually expect him to go for it.
But--]
I wonder how many other animals put their hands and mouth on that.
[All the parents that come through with their babies and toddlers, grabbing and touching everything...
Like...technically they could just sneak it back on the shelf and pretend they didn't ever see it, but...they would know. That ball would probably haunt them when their kid was in college.
Legosi swallows, slowly lifting a hand to take the ball shamefully out of his mouth. He doesn't even know what to say, his ears laying flat out at their sides as he quickly wipes it off on the front of his shirt.]
I'm just teasing. [She feels bad now; canines wear their shame so upfront and honestly as much as they do with most of their emotions. And with Legosi...probably because his expression is often difficult to read because of his reptile ancestry, his shame reads a lot more intense.
Smiling, she moves towards him, patting his forearm.] You're just being a wolf. I just don't want you picking up gross germs.
[Because kids are gross.]
We'll wash it off when we get home, and maybe tomorrow if the weather is nice we can really play with it.
[The thought of playing fetch with Haru is enough to lift his spirits, easing away the shot of embarrassment to his system he was contending with in the wake of...well, all of that. He's honestly less worried about the germs and more worried about how he's being perceived by Haru in general, so he's glad she seems to be taking it in stride...
He'll just. Carefully put that ball down into the basket, stragetically placing it underneath some other things so he won't be tempted to look anymore.]
Mm...in the meantime, we're supposed to be finding toys for the baby, not me.
Mmhmm true but, now I know what else I can get you for the holidays. [There's probably a fresh jar of tennis balls somewhere out there with Legosi's name on them for Rexmas this year.
But now she's lead them towards the stuffed toys proper, and in the canine section in particular, any dolls or stuffed animals that aren't some kind of canine species or breed veer towards large stuffed insects and anthropomorphized plantlife.
Look, you can't give a puppy a chewtoy in the shape of a raccoon or rabbit, that's just taboo.
And while Haru's initial mission was to find a large stuffed wolf plush for her the kid, she can't help but be taken in by a stuffed mushroom. When she lifts it up to look at it, it's about half her body length.]
Ooh...how cute! Kids get all kinds of interesting toys nowadays...
[Said like she's an old lady and not a rabbit in her early twenties.]
[Cute...how is Haru so impossibly cute all the time...
Legosi's tail has taken to wagging slowly again as they peruse the plush toys together, smiling slightly in spite of himself at the sight of all of the insects. He would have had an absolute field day in here as a kid, though you wouldn't have known it with how bland and soft spoken he was.
He tilts his head a bit as he looks the mushroom over, amused by how large it is in comparison to Haru. Not that that's saying much, but still.]
That's big enough for the baby to sleep on, don't you think?
[Haru hugs the plush close to her, extremely aware of just how big it is compared to her. It's meant to be a big plush toy for a toddler to lounge on and hug, but it's also definitely not made with small mammals in mind. She presses her cheek against it.]
It is...but when I was a kid I used to have dreams about sleeping on a big mushroom.
Or, maybe it was me eating one and growing big? [Somebody definitely read the furry version of Alice in Wonderland as a kid.
But, as cute as it is, she sets it back on the shelf.] I guess a mushroom also looks too much like a penis... [Said bluntly, pressing her thumb to her mouth as she considers the other plush toys. Sure, she came looking for a grey wolf plush in particular, but she looks to Legosi.]
Which ones stick out to you, Legosi-kun? You have a better view of the higher shelves than me.
[...it's funny that Haru says that, because Legosi wasn't even thinking that at all until she brought it up. ....of course, now he can't think of anything else, his ears drooping back as she sets the plush back down. Okay, yeah, probably...probably a pass on the mushroom then...
But hm. Which ones stick out to him?
He turns his attention back to the shelves lined with various soft toys, all of them mostly themed around insects and various plant life, as expected. There's one in particular he hones in on immediately though, right at the top shelf out of Haru's sight. He's picking it up before he can stop himself, bringing it back down to her level.
And when they both can see what it is, Legosi states simply:]
[Haru watches as Legosi focuses his attention on something just out of view, rising up slightly on the balls of her feet despite knowing she won't be able to see it no matter how much taller she could stretch herself upward. As he brings the beetle plush down into view, she smiles knowingly, bringing her hands back in front of her and absentmindedly resting her hands at the swell of her stomach, subconsciously feeling at ease and finally letting her guard down completely.]
Oh! That was the pet beetle you had at school, wasn't it? [The plush is certainly a cuter caricature of the insect, large enough for a puppy to cuddle without completely overwhelming an animal as potentially small as their kid could possibly be.
Nodding and reaching forward to rest her hands on the soft carapace of the stuffed bug:] I think it's perfect. Just the right size, too!
[Seemingly satisfied, she's about to take it from him to carry it while they continue along, but she stops suddenly, ears going tense and alert as though she's trying to sense something and then unceremoniously grabbing at Legosi's paw with both hands to pull it towards her abdomen not even a second later.
What she had been assuming to be the usual giddy feelings when around him had flared up into something much more purposeful and...not of her own doing, and she hopes Legosi can feel what she feels as she fits the curve of his palm over the curve of her belly.
It's about as small and subtle as the flap of a butterfly's wing, but--]
[When Haru makes a sudden grab for him, he's almost afraid something's wrong. It's not unusual for her to do that, and he'd gotten a bit more used to the often times rapid and unexpected movements that smaller mammals like herself tended to make, but this was different. It's very different, he realizes when his paw goes not to her own hand, but to her stomach.
He goes very still on instinct, and it's a good thing he did. He might not have felt that soft shifting otherwise, so barely there that it's almost imperceptible. But it's there, and Haru will know he felt it by the way his tail lifts several inches to attention.]
They-! I felt it, Haru! Did you feel that?
[Asked dumbly, because...of course she felt it, it's inside her.]
[The fluttering feeling ebbs away, replaced by Haru's own rapid heartbeat from excitement. But even though it's stopped from the time being, and even though they're in the middle of a department store full of all kinds of animals, Haru's happy to stand here for a second or so longer, pressing her hands over the back of Legosi's to hold him close, happy to know he's felt it too.
Her ears relax.]
Mmhmm. [Of course she did...] It felt weird, but...not in a bad way.
[It's a bit nerve-wracking, though. Between her body changing and certain pants and tops not fitting as comfortably as they used to, she was able to carry on her days like normal and keep the changes out of sight and out of mind.
But now knowing she can feel their baby move inside her? It's weird. And makes it all the more real. It also means things are falling pretty square into what to expect timeline-wise for a rabbit pregnancy.]
I'm sure it'll be happening more often where we'll get used to it.
[Legosi can't help it. He smiles, his tail wagging as he leaves his hand where it is for a few moments more before gently drawing away, though he'll instead turn his hand so his palm can scoop up Haru's within his own to hold.]
I'm happy too. [Her voice cracks a bit, that annoying swell of emotions that comes from being a mess of hormones making her want to happy-cry, but she manages to fight off the urge.
Taking Legosi's hand in hers, she turns away so she can wipe the corner of her eye with the heel of her palm before returning to normal.]
Let's go get some of that purin, hm? I think what we have is great so far. [She curls one hand around his pinky finger.] And now...I really want to have our date.
[This has been...QUITE the eventful outing at the baby-store, but it basically went about how Legosi could have expected it to. A little disastrous, a little stressful, but a memory he'll never forget. Both Haru and their little bunny-puppy to be have made sure of that.
So as she wraps her hand around his finger, he picks up their basket in his other hand as he shuffles with her towards the front to check-out.]
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Definitely...and maybe see how much those, uh, pumps cost so we can save up for it-- [This is moving from cute into awkward, body specific territory!! And so she holds her hands up immediately following that, face a bit red despite herself.] Which I can look into on my own! And talk to my mom about later.
I'm definitely getting ahead of myself. It's not like the apartment has a lot of storage!
[Accidentally presenting yet another elephant in the room. So to speak. Just as an actual elephant family enters the department store.]
W-we should focus on the cute and fun things right now. Like clothes, and toys. How about we...look at the large mammal section. See if there's a wolf babydoll or something.
[For the baby of course, and not for Haru to cuddle with whenever Legosi gets home late. Yup.]
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It's funny how it's taken this long for it to sink in for Legosi, but preparing for a child is...a lot of work. A lot of little factors come into play that he never would have considered before; to be honest, it's actually a bit overwhelming. He's pretty sure if he didn't have Haru with him here, he'd have been sunk a long time ago.
But, right. Cute and fun things. They still have plenty of time to cover the practical things. It's not like the baby is going to be born tomorow or anything.]
Good idea.
[He's so eager for the idea of moving to a more comfortable section of the store that the potential ulterior motive behind getting a wolf plush is lost on Legosi for the time being as he reaches for her hand, walking with her out of the aisle so they can start heading that way. It's not like they'll get fewer looks here, but at the very least Legosi won't be the first immediate eyesore.]
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Plus, she kind of doesn't...well, as said, she trusts him, but she also trusts that he may either be frozen stock-solid or go overboard in over planning. So, slow and steady (like a lot of aspects in their relationship).
Still, she feels embarrassed bringing up something better discussed with her mom, and her heart is still beating fast from it, feeling yet another fluttering sensation in her stomach which she chalks up to said embarrassment, and it all calms down once she takes Legosi's hand as they head towards the opposite direction of the store towards the larger mammal section. It's kept a distance from the small mammal section for both obvious reasons, and no doubt they walk past same-species couples who are also doing after work shopping for their kids or friends (or similiar species couples...there's a female capybara with a guinea pig in an area for medium-sized mammals who pay little mind when they walk by).
But as they get to the toy aisle, Haru lets go of Legosi's hand to look at the canine toys, though instead of checking out the stuffed animals she instead looks at a rubber ball. Picking it up, she turns and holds it up, gesturing with it.]
Oh! Was your favourite toy something like this?
[There's some give to it, and even though it looks huge in her tiny hand, she squeezes it. And it squeaks.
She knows exactly what she's doing.]
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Hm-?
[He turns his head just in time to see Haru standing there, holding up a rubber ball a mere foot or two away from his nose. It's...more than a little comical how immediate the effect is that it has on him, causing him to go perfectly still with his ears perked as high as they'll sit on his head. His tail swishes over the tiled floor as he adjusts the way he's standing imperceptibly, without even noticing.
It's the perfect image of a dog primed and ready for the ball to be thrown.]
It...um. I think...so...
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It's exactly the kind of reaction she was expecting from him, and the look on his face, the immediate change in his stance and demeanor, has her holding back a laugh. It does occur to her, from time to time, that this is perhaps the very same look he had that initial night they met. Maybe that's part of why she triggered it.]
Hmm...I see. [Said casually, as though she's considering whether to put it back or not. And with a shrug, she does throw it. An underhand toss straight towards the shopping basket Legosi is holding. He's standing close enough and still enough where it's easy for even someone her size and lacking athletic ability to make it in, assuming he doesn't move to catch it in his own mouth or something.
Either way:] Good. We'll buy it; it's pretty inexpensive.
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It's likely that, at this point in time, Haru hasn't yet played catch with Legosi. Not like...explicitly, at least. And maybe, deep down in his wolfy heart, he's wanted to...badly...but it's also kindof weird to ask your girlfriend something like that? Especially when he has no intention of throwing her the ball. Just having it be thrown for him to bring back...endlessly.
So it's instinct and reflex that take over in tandem when she tosses the ball, his head snapping to the side so fast that it actually makes his neck hurt. His teeth close around the ball and just like that, he's holding it in his mouth.
This ball that has probably been touched by countless hands. That they haven't paid for yet.]
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But--]
I wonder how many other animals put their hands and mouth on that.
[All the parents that come through with their babies and toddlers, grabbing and touching everything...
Now we have to pay for it.]
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Like...technically they could just sneak it back on the shelf and pretend they didn't ever see it, but...they would know. That ball would probably haunt them when their kid was in college.
Legosi swallows, slowly lifting a hand to take the ball shamefully out of his mouth. He doesn't even know what to say, his ears laying flat out at their sides as he quickly wipes it off on the front of his shirt.]
Probably, erm. ...a lot. Of them...
[......]
I'm sorry.
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Smiling, she moves towards him, patting his forearm.] You're just being a wolf. I just don't want you picking up gross germs.
[Because kids are gross.]
We'll wash it off when we get home, and maybe tomorrow if the weather is nice we can really play with it.
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He'll just. Carefully put that ball down into the basket, stragetically placing it underneath some other things so he won't be tempted to look anymore.]
Mm...in the meantime, we're supposed to be finding toys for the baby, not me.
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But now she's lead them towards the stuffed toys proper, and in the canine section in particular, any dolls or stuffed animals that aren't some kind of canine species or breed veer towards large stuffed insects and anthropomorphized plantlife.
Look, you can't give a puppy a chewtoy in the shape of a raccoon or rabbit, that's just taboo.
And while Haru's initial mission was to find a large stuffed wolf plush for
herthe kid, she can't help but be taken in by a stuffed mushroom. When she lifts it up to look at it, it's about half her body length.]Ooh...how cute! Kids get all kinds of interesting toys nowadays...
[Said like she's an old lady and not a rabbit in her early twenties.]
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Legosi's tail has taken to wagging slowly again as they peruse the plush toys together, smiling slightly in spite of himself at the sight of all of the insects. He would have had an absolute field day in here as a kid, though you wouldn't have known it with how bland and soft spoken he was.
He tilts his head a bit as he looks the mushroom over, amused by how large it is in comparison to Haru. Not that that's saying much, but still.]
That's big enough for the baby to sleep on, don't you think?
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It is...but when I was a kid I used to have dreams about sleeping on a big mushroom.
Or, maybe it was me eating one and growing big? [Somebody definitely read the furry version of Alice in Wonderland as a kid.
But, as cute as it is, she sets it back on the shelf.] I guess a mushroom also looks too much like a penis... [Said bluntly, pressing her thumb to her mouth as she considers the other plush toys. Sure, she came looking for a grey wolf plush in particular, but she looks to Legosi.]
Which ones stick out to you, Legosi-kun? You have a better view of the higher shelves than me.
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But hm. Which ones stick out to him?
He turns his attention back to the shelves lined with various soft toys, all of them mostly themed around insects and various plant life, as expected. There's one in particular he hones in on immediately though, right at the top shelf out of Haru's sight. He's picking it up before he can stop himself, bringing it back down to her level.
And when they both can see what it is, Legosi states simply:]
This one looks like Kabu.
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Oh! That was the pet beetle you had at school, wasn't it? [The plush is certainly a cuter caricature of the insect, large enough for a puppy to cuddle without completely overwhelming an animal as potentially small as their kid could possibly be.
Nodding and reaching forward to rest her hands on the soft carapace of the stuffed bug:] I think it's perfect. Just the right size, too!
[Seemingly satisfied, she's about to take it from him to carry it while they continue along, but she stops suddenly, ears going tense and alert as though she's trying to sense something and then unceremoniously grabbing at Legosi's paw with both hands to pull it towards her abdomen not even a second later.
What she had been assuming to be the usual giddy feelings when around him had flared up into something much more purposeful and...not of her own doing, and she hopes Legosi can feel what she feels as she fits the curve of his palm over the curve of her belly.
It's about as small and subtle as the flap of a butterfly's wing, but--]
They're moving.
[Said in case he can't feel it.]
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[When Haru makes a sudden grab for him, he's almost afraid something's wrong. It's not unusual for her to do that, and he'd gotten a bit more used to the often times rapid and unexpected movements that smaller mammals like herself tended to make, but this was different. It's very different, he realizes when his paw goes not to her own hand, but to her stomach.
He goes very still on instinct, and it's a good thing he did. He might not have felt that soft shifting otherwise, so barely there that it's almost imperceptible. But it's there, and Haru will know he felt it by the way his tail lifts several inches to attention.]
They-! I felt it, Haru! Did you feel that?
[Asked dumbly, because...of course she felt it, it's inside her.]
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Her ears relax.]
Mmhmm. [Of course she did...] It felt weird, but...not in a bad way.
[It's a bit nerve-wracking, though. Between her body changing and certain pants and tops not fitting as comfortably as they used to, she was able to carry on her days like normal and keep the changes out of sight and out of mind.
But now knowing she can feel their baby move inside her? It's weird. And makes it all the more real. It also means things are falling pretty square into what to expect timeline-wise for a rabbit pregnancy.]
I'm sure it'll be happening more often where we'll get used to it.
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I'm glad they're letting us know they're here.
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Taking Legosi's hand in hers, she turns away so she can wipe the corner of her eye with the heel of her palm before returning to normal.]
Let's go get some of that purin, hm? I think what we have is great so far. [She curls one hand around his pinky finger.] And now...I really want to have our date.
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So as she wraps her hand around his finger, he picks up their basket in his other hand as he shuffles with her towards the front to check-out.]
Yes...I think we've earned it.