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In hindsight, Qifrey should have seen this one coming.
There’s a list of things that pet owners are expected to do after accepting a new animal into the family, most of them being medically related, such as screenings for disease, potential allergies, and, of particular relevancy, determining sex. However, when Coco brought the brushbug back with her from the Dadah Range, the little thing made itself at home so quickly, like it had lived in his atelier its entire life, that the prospect of taking it to a veterinarian to at least make sure it didn’t carry a terribly contagious virus that would make the girls horribly ill failed to even cross his mind.
Honestly, he hadn’t even noticed it at first, too busy recovering from the scare that Coco had given him by suddenly taking the First Test, that could have very easily gotten her killed, without his knowledge or any prior experience. The first time he actually acknowledged the animal was when it had led him to the Brimhat’s labyrinth back in Kalhn, in which by then he already considered himself eternally indebted to it, as his apprentices would surely have been dead if he hadn’t arrived a second sooner, so he never questioned its existence as a member of his atelier.
Which, he thought now, might have been a mistake.
While they weren’t sure whether the brushbuddy was male or female, they had all taken to referring to it as a ‘he’, which, honestly, had been a rather sexist assumption.
In Qifrey’s defense, brushbugs had no obvious determinative sexual characteristics, and differentiating them based on genitalia was practically impossible as they, for some utterly bizarre reason, gave cloacal birth and had no external sexual organs (Why, Qifrey didn’t know. He was a witch, not a biologist). So, unless you were a trained professional, you could really only guess the difference.
Nonetheless, Brushbuddy had become known throughout their household as a Boy-buddy, to which it didn’t really seem to care about at all.
So imagine his surprise when Olruggio had shown up at his bedroom door a near clock-mark past midnight looking suspiciously sheepish.
“Olly? Are you all right? What’s the matter?”
It wasn’t as though the other had disturbed him, as he himself was finding it particularly difficult to fall asleep, but it wasn’t like Olruggio to randomly show up at his quarters so late, or even at all for that matter. A flicker of anxiety sparked to life.
“Is it the girls?? Did something happen??” (Maybe a bit of an overreaction, but that was good for him after all).
Olruggio shook his head quickly. “What? No no, they’re fine. That’s not what I’m ‘ere ‘bout.”
Qifrey blinked. “Oh. Well then, what is it?”
Olruggio sighed, dropping his head into his palms. “It has to do with the brushbuddy.”
“Oh no! Is it sick?”
Another sigh. “No, just- just come look.”
. . .
For how horribly messy they were, Olruggio’s quarters were surprisingly homey. Floating candles connected in a chain, lighting up every corner of the room as they bobbed in the air like apples. Shelves upon shelves lined with blueprints and various contraptions, quilts and embroidered pillows spilling out of a haphazardly placed hammock while stacks of books and papers took up the length of the bed, and the soft sparkle of the glowstone tiles lining the floor made it his.
While he wouldn’t dare say it out loud, Qifrey wanted more than anything, stars above, to retreat back here everyday after the sun had set down its weary head rather than to his own bedroom.
But that was besides the point.
“You were saying there’s something wrong with him?” He scanned the room. “Where even is he anyway?”
Olruggio didn’t respond, just tapping his feet together and flying up to the loft. Oh, ok. At least Qifrey was paranoid enough to sleep in his shoes, or he would have had to resort to taking the ladder and he didn’t particularly feel like doing that at the moment.
Meeting Olruggio at the top, he padded carefully to where the other man was standing at the foot of his hammock, conscious not to accidentally step on any discarded papers or the occasional lost trinket. He could see a distinct lump under one of the thinner blankets. Throwing one more quick glance at Olruggio, he carefully lifted the blanket to reveal the brushbuddy.
Or rather- brushbuddies.
Because curled up alongside the atelier’s family pet were four small, wriggling, multi-colored nubs that couldn’t have been any bigger than his middle finger.
He blinked. Once. Twice. A few more times just to make sure his failing eyesight wasn’t playing tricks on him.
“Olly… I distinctly remember only having one.”
“We did yesterday!” Olruggio whisper-shouted, obviously not all that pleased by the situation, but Qifrey could tell that he was making an effort to not accidentally wake the girls.
“So imagine my surprise when, on one of the few occasions where I decide that I can hit the hay ‘fore sun rise, I’m greeted with a whole fuckin’ litter!”
It was Qifrey’s turn to sigh this time. “Is that why he…” She? It? He considered for a moment before picking the safest option. “Is that why it’s been spending so much time in here?? Because it was preparing to give birth???”
“Why would it wanna give birth in ‘ere!?” Gods, this man could be so daft.
“Because it likes you Olly! And it’s warm in here! And dark!”
“No it doesn’t!!” Lies, as he was its next favorite person besides Coco (and perhaps maybe himself, for more… morbid reasons), which brought on a fair amount of jealousy from the other girls.
“It obviously does, Olly.”
Flustered over the funniest thing, Olruggio looked positively miffed. “Nah… seekin’ warmth though, that I can believe.”
Either way, it was true that Brushbuddy had been spending an unusual amount of time in Olly’s tower. He’d assumed it was because of the approaching winter, as the animals typically hibernated in the wild and the darkest, toastiest location in the atelier would naturally be the most ideal. The girls had been disappointed at the temporary loss of their cylindrical little furry companion, but Qifrey had insisted that they leave it alone as long as it was eating and functioning properly. For this reason, Olly had been the only one who really saw it regularly and Olly, busy as he was with his commissions, likely hadn’t been paying it much attention anyways.
“Well, you must have noticed something! Some indicator that it was pregnant!” Qifrey said, hands on his hips.
“I just thought it was fat!!!”
“You’re the Watchful Eye! It’s your duty to notice these things!”
Just as Olruggio was about to shoot back some excuse, he was interrupted by a sharp “Pwee!” coming from the hammock. Brushbuddy was awake now, and for a creature without many distinct facial features, it looked very irritated. As it stirred, so did the nubs buried in its side, responding with soft squeaking noises as they maneuvered to face the two men.
Their eyes were open, eight beady little dots amongst the four of them. Despite being what Qifrey could only assume was a few hours old, they all seemed perfectly aware, focusing on him and Olly almost immediately.
They all had different colorations, perhaps hinting at multiple fathers, though Qifrey hadn’t the slightest clue of how brushbug genetics worked. One was a dark, smoggy color with big bushy eyebrows that made it look perpetually angry, another fluffy and pale pink, and the third a silvery-blue with long, shaggy fur. The fourth, the smaller runt of the litter, looked almost identical to the original Brushbuddy, though with a yellow tinge like it was slightly jaundiced.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
“...What do we tell the girls?”
. . .
They both eventually agreed to go about breakfast as normal and wait to announce the surprising new development after everyone had eaten, explaining the situation as calmly as possible and that ‘no, we will not be keeping them, one is already too many, please don’t get attached’.
The sun came up quickly, much to Olruggio’s horror, giving him only a pitiful amount of time to pass out unceremoniously on the sofa. Qifrey, in the meanwhile, prepared a porridge with brown sugar and mountain apple, additionally baking several more whole fruits over a pyreball with a dusting of cinnamon.
Eventually it came time to call down the girls. Tetia appeared first, followed by a sleep-addled Richeh who looked like she would much rather be back in bed, but perked up when she smelled the baked apples wafting out of the kitchen. Finally came Coco and Agott, who’d been practically tied at the hip since Silver Eve a few weeks prior, taking their seats next to each other at the table. This was one of the rare positive changes Qifrey had observed as of late, because ever since the former had arrived at his atelier, Agott had been joining them at meals or in the common area much more frequently.
Breakfast passed smoothly for the most part, though there was some collective surprise amongst the apprentices that Olruggio was actually up eating with them, and Richeh had accidentally inhaled a bit of cinnamon, resulting in a short but violent coughing fit, though she still somehow managed to be the first to finish, even after taking seconds.
Usually, the girls would excuse themselves to go practice spellwork the moment they finished eating in order to avoid being volunteered to do the dishes, but this morning, Qifrey had them wait, as there was an important announcement he and Olruggio had to make. Which led them to their current position, huddled around the table with four young girls staring at them with increasing worry, and Qifrey felt terribly awkward like he was the one that had randomly had a baby in the middle of the night with no warning whatsoever. Peering over at Olly, his Watchful Eye appeared to be in the same boat.
Tetia was the first to speak up. “Um.. Master Qifrey?” She asked, fingers twiddling with a loose strand of pink hair. “You said there was something you needed to tell us?”
“Can you get on with it please?” Added Agott, her face mostly neutral, but he could tell she was getting annoyed. “I really need to get back to my studies.”
“Agreed. Richeh’s getting impatient.” Said Richeh.
Taking one more glance back at Olruggio, Qifrey sighed and turned his full attention to them. “Alright girls, I suppose you’re wondering why I’ve gathered you all here. The truth is that Olly and I made a… discovery last night. Regarding our dear Brushbuddy.”
“Oh no!” It was Coco’s turn to cut in. “Is he alright?! Did something happen?!?”
Qifrey quickly shook his head. “No, don’t worry, he’s… he’s perfectly fine. In fact, Brushbuddy actually-”
“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!”
Before he could finish, a shrill, very Tetia-esque squeal rang through the room, making him jump.
She was facing the back of her chair, hands cupping her cheeks and eyes practically popping out of her head. Her peers all shared similar expressions of awe, because there, at the entryway to the kitchen, stood Brushbuddy with its four beady eyed babies clinging to its back.
Even Agott looked bewildered, her mouth hung slightly open. “Did.. did Brushbuddy have babies???”
“I heard they’re called Brushbubs.” Said Richeh matter-of-factly, though her eyes sparkled like one of her crystal ribbons hitting sunlight.
It was Coco, however, who seemed the most astonished. Her expression was that of someone who had grown their own sprawling garden from seed, or of a master watching a former student taking on apprentices of their own. She crouched down to Brushbuddy’s level, her own usual brand of childish wonder evident on her face, but with a layer with something more thoughtful and sincere (though Qifrey would argue that there was nothing more sincere than the innocent musings of a child).
“Brushbuddy… are these your babies???”
Brushbuddy blinked and vocalized softly, which is the most honest confirmation a brushbuddy can give. Coco beamed.
“Master Qifrey! Is this what you were going to tell us?!”
“Oh Master!” Tetia practically shrieks. “They’re perfect! And now there’s one for each of us!”
“Can we name them Richeh Two, Three, Four and Five?” Asks Richeh.
They all looked up at him with a level of joy he hadn’t seen in weeks. Olruggio turned to him in defeat.
. . .
“I told you we should ‘ave kept it a secret.” Olruggio grumbled, slouching deeper into his seat. “Or at least sealed up that damn door.”
Qifrey smiled almost sadly. “We both know that wouldn’t have worked. We tried to convince ourselves otherwise, but this outcome was honestly inevitable.”
They were in the waiting area of Kalhn’s veterinary clinic; a smaller branch of the greater hospital complex bordering the island city. The girls sat in a row beside their guardians, Coco cradling a magically assembled wooden crate containing Brushbuddy and its little family. They’d agreed to take them in just to make sure they were all healthy, and also to get Brushbuddy its long overdue check up that had basically caused this mess.
The clinic was quite busy, and since they weren’t there for anything urgent, they’d been waiting for almost a full clock mark. There were other people in the lobby, mostly outsiders, but there were a handful of witches as well. One wealthy looking wizard had a whisker cat on a leash, petting it leisurely, while another man paced back and forth, muttering something about the health of his buffashoal.
Finally, the receptionist called their number and they made their way to one of the examination rooms.
The vet was a kindly looking woman who’d hummed knowingly when they explained to her the situation. Apparently this happened often. They’d been made to sit outside as she worked, ‘Witch Law’ and all that, but she emerged not too long after with positive news.
All four babies were healthy, as was Brushbuddy. Two girls, two boys she said (though Qifrey was baffled that she could actually tell). They could all be fixed in about two months, though Brushbuddy could come in a month earlier after its bubs had been weaned, though she asked for them to bring the whole little family to administer vaccines and dewormer.
They left with a small bag of supplies; nutrient rich brushbuddy feed and formula just in case the (assumingely) first time mother’s milk ran dry.
It was already getting dark by the time they got back to the atelier, so it was leftover stew for dinner. While Qifrey divvied out portions and set the table, the girls start hauling blankets into the sitting room while Olruggio, once again, passed out on the couch. They explained to him that they were making a ‘nest’ for Brushbuddy and its brushbubs, which the creatures took too quickly, much to their delight.
Since they’d missed lunch, the stew was inhaled. Once their plates were clean, all four girls made a beeline for the den, fawning over babies. They’d constructed a litter box out of wood, filling it with sand from a wall breaker spell, and Richeh and Tetia were collaborating on little toys for the bubs.
Soon, it was nearing the girl’s bedtime and Qifrey began coaxing them to retire to their own rooms.
Then Coco asked, “Master Qifrey, can we sleep in the living room? Just for tonight?”
“Can we Master Qifrey?! Can we please!?”
Hesitant, he turned back to Olly, whose expression read “please Qifrey, I need a drink” and Qifrey couldn’t help but pity him. Then he looked back at the girls, who were all staring up at him with their best puppy eyes, even Agott, who seemed slightly embarrassed yet committed to the bit.
They slept in the living room that night.
. . .
Over the next few weeks, each brushbub bonded to one of the girls. Which was convenient, since Qifrey told them that they could each name one.
The one with the eyebrows took a liking to Agott almost immediately, who at first tried very hard to act like she didn’t care at all in the slightest, but that facade broke the moment it opted to fall asleep on her lap while she studied. Despite its constant look of anger, it was actually very sweet, and Agott ended up naming it Sopracciglia. A very dignified name, she told them.
Tetia fell in love with the pink one, which in turn, fell in love with her. One of the two confirmed boy-bubs, Tetia named him Princess. The name turned out to be quite fitting, because Princess was spoiled rotten, demanding to be brushed near constantly.
The shaggy blue one, the other boy of the litter, went to Richeh. She named him Rili, after her older brother, who she had recently reunited with but still seemed to miss dearly. Rili the brushbub, however, took after the girl who named him rather than his name sake, very chill in most situations but a bit stubborn. His long, silky fur grew faster than the rest of his body, so it started falling in front of his eyes after just a few days, so Richeh started tying it back with her crystal ribbons. Because of this, you could hear him coming from down the hall, but it ultimately worked to keep him from colliding into things.
Finally, the runt of the litter, a little girl hardly bigger than one’s thumb, became attached to Coco. There wasn’t too much notable about her besides her size and the fact that she was very curious. For a Brushbug, she was very admirative of all their spells, choosing to sit still and watch any of them draw rather than make a mess of their ink. Coco had panicked and named her Tiny rather than “something more meaningful” (her words) and the name just sort of stuck.
So Sopracciglia, Princess, Rili and Tiny officially became part of Qifrey’s atelier.
Olruggio, who’d originally been the most opposed to keeping Brushbuddy’s litter, ironically ended up becoming the most attached. Whenever he’d fall asleep on the couch, the brushbubs would be there, stacked on top of him like stones.
To Qifrey, it made everything feel more domestic, more so than before.
That evening was quiet, the girls huddled around the table in the den, Olly not yet passed out but quickly dozing off and the bubs settled in his lap. Brushbuddy sat atop Qifrey’s shoulder, taking everything in as it yawned, showing its little buckteeth. Qifrey smiled.
“Fine little family we have here, right PuffPuff?”