Just Bootlaces

“I got it, you guys. He doesn’t really need it on unless someone says so, anyway.”

Kenny offers to take the leash from Ham.

Emma giggles jumping up and down.

“Piggy back, yay!”

“Cheater.” Rabel knelt down and helped Emma onto his back, making sure she was secure and comfortable before standing up. He waited for Jeeves to open the door to jog outside. “Choo choo!” He even blew a little steam!

“Choo choo!” Jeeves yelled as well, thumping down the front stoop.

Emma shrieks and giggles. Usually her mother’s friends weren’t kids and not quite as interesting or fun, at least not to a three-year-old girl. She definitely likes this!

“He’s okay,” Ham assures Boots, without going to any details. He is being honest – Junior spends a lot of his time trying to live up to the Walter name. Sometimes at the cost of playtime. But there wasn’t anything wrong with centaurbot.

“H-here Ham, you get le-le-leash duty.” Rabel tossed the slobbery end of the lease at Ham who instantly pulled a face. He wiped one hand across the front of his shirt.

“Gee. Thanks.”

“I got it, you guys. He doesn’t really need it on unless someone says so, anyway.”

Kenny offers to take the leash from Ham.

Emma giggles jumping up and down.

“Piggy back, yay!”

Boots giggles at Jeeves’ outburst.

“Kenny can show you guys around the neighborhood, if you want. You just have to take Emma and GoGo with you.“

She pauses.

“He wa-w-w-w-wanted to sstay with his mama!” Rabel announced in a sing-son voice. Ham quickly delivered a quick punch to the arm, which made a dull clunk noise.

Boots looks concerned, then glances down at Emma.

“I’ll ask later.”

The implication that she would rather have Emma out of earshot is clear.

Both Rabel and Ham wince. Ouch.

“None of the four of us have a mom, not really. We were made kind of how Ian was made.” Ham explained quietly and hoped that would be enough.

“O-oh man, if that h-happens again, K-kenny’s gonna end up our age!”

Boots giggles at Jeeves’ outburst.

“Kenny can show you guys around the neighborhood, if you want. You just have to take Emma and GoGo with you.“

She pauses.

“Yeah, I met Marshmallow at Ian’s… two years ago.”

Boots grins.

“Just watch he doesn’t get too heavy for you, kiddo.”

Emma jumps up and down, nodding.

“Uh-huh, Emma Olivia!”

There’s a pause, then…

“Your mommy and daddy named you Ham?”

Boots only groans and facepalms.

“I can tell.”

Emma blinks up at Ham.

“Kenny doesn’t have a mommy either. Did yours run away, too?”

That earns her a sour look from Kenny.

Boots is more than happy for the subject change, though.

“Emma, that wasn’t nice.”

She sighs.

“We got a cat waaaaaay bigger den Gogo!” Jeeves announced, spreading his arms out in demonstration.

“Yeah, I met Marshmallow at Ian’s... two years ago.”

Boots grins.

“Just watch he doesn’t get too heavy for you, kiddo.”

Emma jumps up and down, nodding.

“Uh-huh, Emma Olivia!”

There’s a pause, then...

“Your mommy and daddy named you Ham?”

Boots only groans and facepalms.

Ham snorted at that, then sized GoGo up. He gingerly patted the dogs head. “We’re from San Francisco.”

“Th-that’s in California,” Rabel adds.

Jeeves pouted, but didn’t attempt to rush Kenny. “Sarah in my class has as-a-ma and she has to breathe real heavy sometimes like huh haaa hu haaa,” he attempted to imitate wheezing, too excited to think this might be oversharing.

“Yeah, Squeakers tends to spend most of his time with Keys. He’s well-looked after, I promise. Not to say he hasn’t needed a few minor repairs, but... well, it happens, am I right?”

Boots steps out from the kitchen, smiling.

“And don’t worry about GoGo. He’s specially trained to work around me. He won’t hurt you.”

Emma is confused, for a second, but perks up.

“California! I been there! My friend Ollie lives there, just a long time before now!”

Kenny shrugs.

“I don’t have that, though. I got-- I got sick, last fall.”

He smiles nervously at Ham and Rabel, as if he knows the older boys will have an easier time seeing through the partial lies he’s telling.

Boots smirks at the boys, feeling even shorter than usual, now.

“Awesome– Hey, wait for me!”

Kenny follows him, but he’s already winded at the bottom of the stairs.

There’s a tiny pet door in the main door, and a little green face peeks out, before Squeakers runs onto the porch and yaps at the boys.

There’s a louder, much deeper bark from inside, and small feet follow something large.

“GoGo, noooooo! Not the little door!”

That’s not a familiar voice…

Something smacks into the door from inside, and a big, black snout pokes out the tiny door, sniffing.

“Mama?” they both echoes in confusion. Are they at the right house? Ham shrugs and moves to open the door. He is very careful not to hurt the giant dog while simultaneously worried it might knock him over at any moment. Or try to eat him.

“Um. Hi.” Rabel greeted the little girl as he shuffles in through the door. 

“I’m Emma. Where did you guys come from?”

Kenny takes a minute or two to get his breath back. Oh, that wheeze sounds awful. He waves, as he manages to straighten up and start toward the door, again.

“Lemme ask!” He went quiet, screwing up his face for a moment. “They'we here to plaaaay!” he shouted, turning to run back down the stairs. “C'mon Kenny!”

“Awesome-- Hey, wait for me!”

Kenny follows him, but he’s already winded at the bottom of the stairs.

There’s a tiny pet door in the main door, and a little green face peeks out, before Squeakers runs onto the porch and yaps at the boys.

There’s a louder, much deeper bark from inside, and small feet follow something large.

“GoGo, noooooo! Not the little door!”

That’s not a familiar voice...

Something smacks into the door from inside, and a big, black snout pokes out the tiny door, sniffing.

½ = How the character feels about people taller or shorter than them

± = The character and what they think about math

† = How the character feels about murder

@ = How the character appears online

¥ = How the character handles money or spends it

° = The character’s temperature preferences 

æ = The character and languages (Known or Want to Learn)

↔ = The character’s ability to read directions

♥ = Character’s preference for relationships (sexuality, type of person, etc.)

zzz= What time the character enjoys sleep or being awake

☂ = Weather the character enjoys

♪ = What music the character likes

( =①ω①=) = What animals the character likes and if they have a pet/pets

(・∀・ ) = The character’s emotional state most of the time

☆～（ゝ。∂）= How the character greets people

⊙﹏☉ = What flusters the character

(≧∇≦) = What makes the character happy

(/□＼*)・゜ = What makes the character blush

(;╹⌓╹) = What scares the character

（；へ：） = What makes the character cry

(´ q ` ” ) = The character’s “guilty” pleasure

（・□・；） = What makes the character uncomfortable

(*^◇^)_旦 = What the character likes to eat and drink

｡ﾟ(TヮT)ﾟ｡ = What makes the character laugh

(´；Д；｀) = What worries the character

(⑅ ‘﹃’ ) = What the character daydreams or thinks about

I figured a small ‘improvement meme’ would be a fine idea for RPers looking to brush up their skills and topple weaknesses, so here it is. Feel free to use the symbols or go for a more in depth response. Yes, you can send any of these to me too. 

☢: You need to work on character responses, they tend to be bland. 

✄: Your RP responses are really short/ could have more effort put in!

Σ: You’re messing up your punctuation here and there. 

▼: Try to improve your spelling/Grammar

☯: Try to open up to more RPers, you’re great, but you’re missing out on a lot of potentially amazing RPs!

▲: Try to be more positive on yourself, there’s no reason to hate on yourself so much. 

☠: You need to be more respectful. 

✈: You need to improve your action sequences or reactions of characters. 

❤: You’re doing amazing, we can always improve but every RP I read of yours is a joy.

✉: Message more RPers and get some more activity going please. 

Ⓐ: Fight scenes could use more work. 

❥: Romantic Scenes can be awkward, do your best to improve on this, and look out for common pitfalls!

☁: You might want to take another look at your character/characters and work on them a bit more. Every great character has a flaw or two.