#anneirieldevay

nineteen when Lucina was younger, she'd seen Owain nearly get mauled by a stray cat after trying to pick it up by its tail. The scratches on his face were so bad that they'd had to take him to the hospital for stitches, and one of them even got infected because of something that was on the cat's claws. While Lucina knows that the incident was entirely Owain's own fault, she can't help but feel anxious as the large grey she-cat approaches her, looking up at her with unblinking golden eyes. Minerva reminds her of the feline familiars that would sit on the broomsticks of witches in storybooks, and Lucina can't help but imagine a hostile scowl on the cat's features, until Gerome smooths a hand over her fur, prompting an affectionate purr. "It's fine, she won't hurt you," Gerome murmurs, scratching Minerva below the chin, and the gentle smile on his features when he looks at his family pet is a rare but heartwarming sight. Lucina waits for a moment, then stretches out her hand, and pays Minerva on the head in greeting. Much to her surprise, the cat seems to lean into her touch, cooing happily. Gerome's smile widens and he places his hand on top of Lucina's. "See, she likes you."

eighteen Morgan whistles as he sizes up his older sister's house guest, a wry grin on his features. "Wow, tall dark and handsome indeed. Looks like Cynthia's flower fortunes aren't as whack as they seem," he comments, much to his sister's annoyance and embarrassment. As soon as the couple leave the living room in favor of Lucina's bedroom, Morgan pulls his phone out from beneath a cushion and starts texting furiously. His twin owes him twenty bucks.

seventeen Despite others' attempts to convince him that he was too old for Trick-or-Treating, Owain refuses to heed their words. After all, one of the few perks of working part time in a costume shop is being able to get employee discounts and first pick of the Halloween costumes. Besides, it's the only time of the year that old man Gaius from the fifth floor is willing to part with some of his candy treasury, and there is no way in the world that Owain is going to miss out on that miracle.

sixteen Morgan was honestly a bit surprised when she found out that Lucina had a thing for the pet shop boy who lived on the fifth floor. Sure, he was cute and all, but she'd always found it strange how the guy never took off his sunglasses, and always stinker of cat and exhaust fumes. Even moreso, she had never thought that her straight-laced princess-like older sister Lucina would be into the whole black-leather-and-motorcycle package. But catching them kissing at the estate gate was as solid proof as one could get, and Morgan now owed her twin brother twenty dollars. Dammit.

fifteen From the moment they step into the office, their relationship is purely professional; Chrom is the prime minister of Ylisse, and Robin is his loyal political advisor. They discuss the passing of new policies, negotiate the state of Ylisse's international relations, and attend conferences and meetings with delegates from other states. But the moment the step back into their home to hear the sound of their twin Morgans arguing over a video game result, or Lucina singing in her room where she thinks she can't be heard, they shrug those roles off to return to husband and wife, as well as father and mother of a family.

fourteen The first time Gerome invites Lucina to his home, he's almost embarrassed. Compared to her family's mansion house, the apartment complex he lives in must seem shabby and confined in comparison. He's personally never had much problem with it, save for how irritating loud his neighbors can be at times, but he suddenly worries about what she'll think of it. Opening the door, the entire apartment smells of cat, courtesy of Minerva, and bits and pieces of candy wrappers or shed fur are scattered on the floor. Gerome mentally berates his father for not cleaning up the mess as he invites his girlfriend inside. Lucina seems completely fine with the messy living room, and soon makes herself at home in Gerome's apartment. She ends up spending more and more time with him at his neighborhood. "It has character. Community," she explains simply. "Although the candy wrappers could use some cleaning up."

thirteen Gerome comes home later than usual one night, and when he goes with Minerva to feed the stray cats near the park, he sees a strange figure seemingly going insane near to the fountain. Ducking behind a bush, he watches the person's actions. All that spinning and twisting and flailing, is this some sort of ritual or dementia or- Oh wait, no, that's dancing. When the person comes closer to the light, Gerome's surprised to see a familiar face. He'd always known that Inigo's mother was a professional dancer, but he'd never known that Inigo had shared her gift. Gerome had grown up with his amateur Casanova next door neighbor, but this was the first time that he'd ever seen the other boy dancing. After some time had passed, Inigo eventually ended his practice for the night and left. Standing from his hiding place, Gerome looked down to Minerva as the cat gave a short meow. Gerome nodded. "Agreed. I think he's quite good as well."

twelve Chrom only finds out about Lucina's new boyfriend when he spots his eldest daughter zooming past his car window on the back seat of a motorcycle, blue hair flowing in the wind from beneath her helmet, and her arms wrapped around a young man's waist. Chrom would have had an aneurism right then and there had Robin not been present to calm him down.

eleven On Sunday nights, Gerome's parents invite Libra, the social worker who lives on the seventh floor, to dinner. "Padre and I go way back," Gaius had explained once. "We used to be roommates, back when we were both young and broke. Lots of gender confusion, late night theological arguments, and alcohol. I kid you not, that guy can drink anyone under a table. The one time I challenged him to a drinking contest, it got to the point where I prayed to the gods sacrificing my firstborn child for pie. Good days." Looking at the blond man's soft spoken appearance, Gerome sincerely can't imagine Libra drinking, let alone excessively. The part about his father sacrificing his son for pie, on the other hand, is much more believable.

ten One of the many reasons that Gerome refuses to take off his sunglasses is because he wants to hide the massive dark rings around his eyes. Having Severa as an upstairs neighbor does not bode well for a light sleeper.

nine Once a year, around Christmas time, all the residents of the building get together for a gathering of caroling, watching old movies, and of course, food. The potluck dinner is like Russian roulette, because while Stahl, always makes the best meat pie, if he let his wife Sully or daughter Kjelle help with the cooking, then everybody is doomed.

eight Nobody without a deathwish dares to make sound near the tenth floor, because that's where Tharja, Henry, and Noire live. While it's highly likely that Owain was the one who made up stories about the dark blood that runs through that family's veins, it's still unanimously agreed upon that nobody quite wants to cross them. After all, Tharja runs the oldest coroner businesses in the city, and nobody quite knows what Henry does, though it's likely something equally morbid. Or illegal. It would be remarkably easy for them to get rid of a dead body.< /p>

seven For Owain's eighteenth birthday, his best friend Cynthia bought him a model sword off eBay, and while it was by far the best gift Owain has ever received, it instantly garnered her the hatred of all his neighbors because Owain wouldn't stop screaming about the twitching of his sword hand for the rest of the week.

six One time, a thug had tried to rob Kjelle on her way back home from hockey practice. It's said that the man needed to the hospital for several broken bones and concussion. After hearing Sully's boisterous descriptions of how her daughter had rendered her robber sure to be impotent with the club-like head of her hockey stick, all the boys listening simultaneously squeezed their legs together and vowed never to piss of Kjelle.

five Lucina ends up having to stay at Gerome's when an unexpected storm hits and the streets flood with rainwater. It's impossible for her father to send a car to pick her up, let alone for her to walk home, so her only choice is to remain with Gerome for the night and see if the situation is any better in the morning. Rain beats heavily against the windowpanes, sounding as heavy as pebbles tossed against the glass, and the wind howls in the background, whipping tree branches into a frenzy. Lucina can almost feel the entire building swaying with the storm, and the thought of it unnerves her, so she holds on to Gerome's arm a bit tighter. They argue over who gets to sleep on the couch and their conflict is ultimately inconclusive, so they end up sharing his bed. With her back pressed up against his warm chest and his arms wrapped around her waist, she feels safe even in the middle of such a storm, and the both of them sleep well and sound that night, through the crash of thunder and howls of the wind.

four The first time Inigo sees Gerome wearing a leather jacket with a popped collar, he thinks that the other boy is trying to make some intimidating fashion statement to hide his inner softness, like the way that Brady spikes his hair. However, upon closer inspection, or rather when Laurent, ever the observant one, points it out, Inigo realizes that Gerome intends to hide the dark hickey that's been sucked into the side of his neck, and while Inigo's taunting has never been louder, Gerome's blush has never been darker.

threeSometimes, Gerome has elaborate dreams. They come in a sequence, almost like episodes of a saga- always the same setting, same people, a series connected instances. In his sleep, the world is dark and cold with abominations roaming the land, and his family lost. The only glimpse of hope lies in the determination of a beautiful blue-haired warrior princess who is prepared to challenge her fate in order to save all that she holds dear. He knows that in these dreams, he loves the princess a lot; she is one of the few things that he has left to treasure in that broken world, and he'd die to protect her smile. He dreams of plans failing, of dead comrades and crushed gemstones, and the form of a dark dragon looking over him, suffocating and terrifying. He dreams of dying with monsters' weapons speared through his body, and regretting that he could not save his world or protect her. Those nights, he wakes up in a cold sweat, breathing heavily, and grabs his phone off the bedside table, staring at the screensaver picture of Lucina to remind himself that it's all just dreams, and that she's still alive and safe.

two Other nights, Lucina dreams about building a family with Gerome, with three children- two sons and a daughter. She awakes from those dreams with a slight feeling of loss, but also embarrassment and hope for the future. It's almost like she's been given an opportunity to grasp happiness that she was once denied, and she fully intends to create a future for herself as bright and peaceful as that in her dreams.

one

Naga smiles upon her children, because while the world around them may be completely different, it's nice to see that sometimes, some things never quite change.