[attr="class","sideinfo"]

[attr="class","text"] "I can't say I'm too surprised to hear that," he replies, amused as he continues to smile at the pup with its happy, smiley doggy-face. The fidough looked extra snuggly, compared to some of the other canine breeds he kept. Still, he loved them all, all the same. Admittedly, though, this particular dog looked like it would be good for those who weren't even really dog-people, specifically.[break][break]
When the attention shifted to Miu, the little girl lit up, and then patted the head of the annihilape so that he would let her down from his back. "I'm Miu. Are they adorable too?" she asked the woman boldly, referring to her mentioned cousin. Her hand curled around the ape's, but her smile widened at the fidough's excited yipping. "Can I pet her?"

[attr="class","ooc"]

[break]

[attr="class","credit"]MADE BY GUNSMILE

[attr="class","sideinfo"]

[attr="class","text"] Scooping up the doughy little dog, he looks about for any sign of an owner. “Come on, Remo,” he says to the annihilape piggybacking his goddaughter. “Let’s head to the edge of the food court. The fidough sits contentedly in his arms, and Miu stretches a hand to give it a pat—luckily, it’s not long before someone approaches with a flurry of apologies. He lifts a hand to wave them away, “Oh no, it’s no issue. I’m glad I caught her before she became more lost—“[break][break]
“Hey!” Miu interjects, pointing at the Lucario accompanying the young woman, “It looks like Blue!” Enzo laughs, reaching over to ruffle her hair. His annihilape props her up further on his back to make her easier to reach. “Yeah, looks just like him, doesn’t he?” Her father’s Lucario was off somewhere in the mall as well—trailing his trainer dutifully.[break][break]
Enzo’s attention turns back toward their company, though. “Not a problem at all.” He hands over the fidough, who had definitely started wiggling with excitement at the sight of her trainer. “She’s terribly cute.” Normally cool and collected, his soft spot for canines breaks through. Maybe because fidoughs are insanely cute, he can’t stand it.

[attr="class","ooc"]

[break]

[attr="class","credit"]MADE BY GUNSMILE

[attr="class","sideinfo"]

[attr="class","text"]

It’s only a matter of a minute before Miu is babbling again, showing off her toy sword to the other little girl. All of her momentary shyness evaporating in the blink of an eye.[break][break]
Not that Enzo expected anything less.[break][break]
“You’re not wrong—granted, I was usually the one to do all of the talking myself.” Save for maybe the sticking up for others bit, Enzo was and is the sort to fall directly after that came. Maybe Miu took after him? Ha—that’s certainly something to tease Kosei Kiryu about later.[break][break]
He returns the handshake, a fluid, laidback smile tugging one corner of his mouth upward. “Enzo, it’s a pleasure.”[break][break]
As much of a pleasure as a Ren Faire can be for a seemingly fancy pants like himself.

[attr="class","ooc"]

[break]

[attr="class","credit"]MADE BY GUNSMILE

A GIFT

FROM vincenzo de luca[break]TO mint frost

[break]
OBSTAGOON[break]
GACHA

[attr="class","sideinfo"]

[attr="class","text"] "It seems we've lost your father," Enzo muses to his goddaughter as they wander the open food court in the Lilycove mall. Of course, he knows that Kosei Kiryu has discreetly slipped away under the pretense of buying something practical when in reality he's buying an early holiday gift while it's on sale.[break][break]

Miu doesn't seem to pick up on the shenanigans though - she's too entertained by the piggyback ride she's coaxed from Enzo's annihilape. Despite her love of all pokemon pink and cutesy, she's taken an odd liking to the ghostly creature, and in turn it proves exceedingly patient with the six year old. Regardless of the species' typical aggression.[break][break]

"Woah, look!" From where she's perched on the annihilape's back, Miu reaches out to tug on Enzo's sleeve. When he looks down at her, she points. "It's a bread dog!!" There is an obvious enthusiasm in her voice, mixed with awe, and he can't help but let out an amused laugh.[break][break]

"What on earth are you talking about, Miu? At the cinnabon shop?" Maybe they'd gotten creative during baking. "I don't see any-" Finally, he manages to spy the focus of her pointing and he falls silent at the sight of the doughy little pooch standing by its lonesome

Must be lost, the poor thing.[break][break]

Enzo has, and always will be, a bit soft toward canines. And this one is beyond cute, to an extent that threatens to break the calm and clever composure that the hotelier typically displays. He stoops, as Miu cheers. "Bread dog!" And it takes no time to coax the fidough over. "Gotten yourself turned around, have you?" he asks it as it blinks up at him with round, pleading eyes.[break][break]

The faint waft of baking bread and spices waft from its doughy body. Something he notices dimly as he looks around for anyone who seem to be missing a pokemon.

[attr="class","ooc"]

[break]

[attr="class","credit"]MADE BY GUNSMILE

[attr="class","sideinfo"]

[attr="class","text"]
If they were to ever find themselves on the subject, King would find Enzo to be cut from the same cloth. He'd never considered himself the paternal sort, even if he'd taken care of a multitude of younger siblings at one time in his life - his youth. He was too independent, too unattached.[break][break]
Instead, he turned out to be doting - even if she wasn't his own by blood. By this point, he considered her his own too. His family.[break][break]
"How 'bout you, Miu?" he asks in turn, ruffling her hair as the little girl huffs - seeming to finally get her courage back up when Delta waves. Tough little lady knight that she is, she marches forward with the deerling constant alongside her.[break][break]
The attention she gifts the entertained lucario for a moment seems to be the common ground she needed. She points at the jackal, but her eyes remain on Delta. "My dad has a lucario too!" Her brow furrows, "Oh. Not this dad, my other dad. Uncle Enzo is my dogfather." Over her head, Enzo is mouthing godfather with a snort of laughter. He waves a hand, unbothered.[break][break]
"Clearly Miu can talk enough for the both of them."

[attr="class","ooc"]

[break]

[attr="class","credit"]MADE BY GUNSMILE

[attr="class","sideinfo"]

[attr="class","text"] “No problem.” Enzo lifts a brow at the claim, but it falls as he laughs, “Is that so? She must be extra tough, if a Turkey leg is easy pickings.” It’s a light tease, violet eyes drifting away from the man for a moment to his daughter.[break][break]
He swings Miu down to stand with her deerling again, but her normal boldness temporarily wanes in the favor of shyness. First her hands wring at the hilt of the toy sword and then one clutches the hem of Enzo’s shirt as she ducks half-behind him, watching the other little girl just as attentively.[break][break]
“Hm? What’s got you so sheepish today?” Normally, she’ll talk just about anyone’s ear off.[break][break]
Maybe it’s the sudden swap from the safety net of a school setting to actively meeting someone her own age out in the wild of the real world.

[attr="class","ooc"]

[break]

[attr="class","credit"]MADE BY GUNSMILE

[attr="class","sideinfo"]

[attr="class","text"] “I leave everything in your very capable hands,” he concluded, a short nod given to the day manager who had been jotting down his instructions on a work tablet. Because of course, Enzo couldn’t step away from the Nimbus without checking things over several times before actually making it out the door. They were maybe ten minutes behind schedule. It was fine. Except now Miu, where he’d hoisted her up onto his shoulders, was now lightly drumming on his head impatiently. “Yes, we’re on our way now Miu, don’t worry.”[break][break]
“Uh, boss..”[break][break]
Except apparently they weren’t. Enzo stopped mid stride as the concierge approached. An apprehensive look shadowed the man’s face, as if he felt bad for interrupting their departure. Because, well, he probably knew well that interruption was never one of Enzo’s favored things. Even among his most senior staff. But he was perhaps feeling a bit lighthearted right then–a rarity to not be taken lightly.[break][break]
At least for right then.[break][break]
“Yes, what is it?” Absently his hands rose to stop Miu from continuing to use the top of his head as a bongo. “We’re just leaving. If you have any concerns, you know that you can direct them to Helena and she can handle it just fine, Tobias.”[break][break]
With the way Tobias was wringing his hands together, it seemed that he could not, in fact, direct his concerns to Helena. “Well, yes, of course sir. It’s just that–” he leaned forward, eyes flitting to the side in indication. “There is a boy at the desk who refuses to leave.”[break][break]
Enzo frowned as he looked over the man’s shoulder to the desk across the lobby. True to Tobias’ word, there was a blond boy parked there, no more than thirteen or fourteen, but still skinny as a reed. All awkward, new height and folded arms as he leaned against the edge with indifferent eyes. It felt familiar, in an odd way. He shook off the strange sensation. “So? Have security toss him, if he loiters outside, he’ll have bigger problems than hotel personnel soon enough.”[break][break]
“Ah, yes, I did make him aware of that, but the thing is, sir–”[break][break]
Once again, the poor concierge was interrupted, though more by his own halting that time as it seemed the boy caught Enzo looking. Across the room, their eyes connected, and again he was struck with that odd pang. His worker looked back over his shoulder then toward Enzo again. The little punk had slouched up off the desk and was beelining it for them, hands in his pockets. Or well, beelining as in shuffling in an apathetic teenage sort of way. With intention.[break][break]
“–he keeps insisting that he’s your son.” the agitated whisper caused Enzo’s attention to snap back toward Tobias, and then slowly, his stare drifted sideways toward Kosei. “Sorry, come again?”[break][break]
“Hilarious, getting all of my staff in on a little prank.” Funny joke, right? Really went the extra mile to make it realistic, right?

[attr="class","ooc"]

[break]

[attr="class","credit"]MADE BY GUNSMILE

[attr="class","sideinfo"]

[attr="class","text"]
Even now, Kosei was committed to the practicality of his arguments. But Enzo was rapidly losing the capability to keep up with verbal sparring. His thoughts had scattered with the jarring pain in his shoulder, the split in his eyebrow. It felt like a ringing between his ears might start at any moment.[break][break]

“Well maybe you’re my problem,” he spit back. In more ways than the obvious. In more ways than Enzo could really even acknowledge or admit to himself.[break][break]

His mouth was fixed in a wordless snarl right back at the other, inexplicable heat licking under the surface of the skin on his face. Furious, pained violet bored into dark eyes. And then in the next moment, fingers clamped to his jaw with enough force to draw an agitated hiss through his teeth. But it was soon swallowed by Kosei’s mouth within a breath as it crashed against Enzo’s. Something in his brain short-circuited with the unexpectedness of it. And then he was responding, angry and pressing. Teeth dragging on a bottom lip with no pretense at gentleness.[break][break]

Adrenaline burned through some of the throbbing pain in his shoulder, dulling it. But every shuffled and nudge drew the sting to the surface so that it mingled with the craving that bloomed in the wake of whatever… this was. The outletting of their frustrations with one another in a purely physical way. A battle of tongues and teeth instead of what probably should’ve been busted knuckles and blackened eyes.[break][break]

Yes. That was what he would call it, as though the lingering memory of that night in Lavaridge hadn’t crept out every once in a while. Something long forgotten to the recesses of Kosei’s blackout, but annoying stuck in Enzo’s as a resilient what if?[break][break]

Another flare of pain from his shoulder rolled through him, twisting to mingle with a shiver as Kosei’s mouth moved against his and a muffled curse tumbled from his mouth. Breathier than the furious litany of them he’d spouted before. Eventually his head rolled back, resting against the wall behind him as he eyed the other. His bad arm cradled itself close to his chest, but the other hand had crumpled around Kosei’s shirt collar. “Much more emphatic than the last time,” he wheezed, voice thinned and husky between the hurt and the satisfaction. The corner of his mouth hooked upward, knowing and clever.[break][break]

Even if his mind was scrambling. Even if he didn’t know anything at all. Just that he wanted to pull Kosei back under. He shouldn’t have liked the way it felt. To have that force exerted over him when he maintained such a firm edge of control over himself despite the flippancy he appeared to act with. Or maybe it was just the way it felt to be the focus point that Kosei fixated on when his own restraint untethered.

[attr="class","ooc"]

[break]

[attr="class","credit"]MADE BY GUNSMILE

[attr="class","circleoutline1"]

[attr="class","starimg"]

Kosei Kiryu // m: recruitment act i

[attr="class","petalpoke"]