Plushies

Far away in a small clearing, just outside Dai Shimarron, a red headed spy was just waking up. He looked down in his arms and smiled at the scary stuffed monkey glaring back up at him. He chuckled at the memory when Gwendal gave this monkey for his first birthday in Shin Makoku.

"Just to keep the nightmares at bay," the older man had grunted. He had given what was supposed to be a rhino to Adelbert earlier that year, and a peculiar fat swan to another noble named Lady Julia Von Wincott. Yosak cocked a red eyebrow but thanked Lord Von Voltaire. Though the monkey looked like it was glaring rather than smiling it did keep away nightmares.

Yosak vaguely wondered if anyone back home would have a good night sleep. He did not know how right he was.

In the Griscella estate, Huber and Nicola were sharing a dragon plushie between them while their child, El, had two dragon plushies with her.

The whole of Covenant Castle was silent as many of the castle tenants prepared for bed.

King Yuri curled up on his side of the bed. He made sure Wolfram was asleep before diving his hand under his pillow and pulled out a cat plushie Gwendal had made for his sixteenth birthday. One he thought was a raccoon. This one was bigger than the first, and just as cute. Yuri hated to think what Wolfram might say if he knew. Tired, he smiled indulgently and fell asleep with his Neko-chan in his arms.

Wolfram opened a lone green eye. He almost snickered. Yuri was not the only one afraid to admit he loved plushies. He reached under his pillow and pulled out a wolf plushie he had had ever since he could remember. The grey material had faded somewhat due to years of repeated washing. He knew that Gwendal had made it due to the fact that it looked more like a lion rather than a wolf.

He looked at his daughter snuggling with what looked like to be a fox in her arms. The look on her face suggest that she was having a happy dream. Gwendal showed his love for her that way, and she gave her own love to him with a kiss. He snuggled down with his wolf to start the night with a happy dream.

In another part of the castle, Lady Celi was about to curl up in her bed when she remembered something. She got up and went to her wardrobe, pushing her clothes aside, she smiled when she found what she was looking for. It looked more like a curly furred bear but the mother of the maker knew he meant love as she hugged what was supposed to be a poodle and strode back to her to cuddle with it before falling asleep.

Doria, Sanguria, Effe and Lasanga curled up in their quarters ready for bed. Each of them had their own coloured animals which were supposed to be bunnies of their favourite colour. They did not know where the bunnies came from it was only a few weeks ago when the four oddly shaped fuzzy bunnies of blue, red, green and pink seemed to have appeared out of nowhere on the kitchen table one morning with their names attached to those of their favourite colour.

Dorcascus kept a small bear-bee tucked in the belt; his glass Ha-chan was too fragile to be carried around carelessly in his line of work as he took care of the horses during the night before patrolling the gardens. He was forever thankful to the unknown someone who left it in the stables for him. Funnily enough, he had found it attached to Gwendal's saddle with a note telling him it was his to keep him company during the long dark nights in the garden.

Gunter was smiling with a 'Yuri induced' dream in sleep while holding what possibly was supposed to be a sheep in his arms. Asleep without worry. This sheep had mysteriously appeared on his desk one morning a few years back. At the time he did not know that knitting was Gwendal's hobby. He knew that Gwendal would be embarrassed if he thanked the hard man for the plushie.

Gisela was in her nightgown, ready for bed. She lifted her pillow which hid a precious item. Looking back at her was a green stripped dog which was supposed to be a tiger. She smiled with fondness as she curled up in bed with the toy animal she had from the time she first met Gwendal. Amongst the first acts of kindness she had received from him. He said it would keep nightmares away, and he was right.

Anissina shook her head as she picked up the poor excuse of a Sand Bear she had kept for a little more than a century. Her blue eyes softened at the memory of Gwendal learning to knit. This sand-bear had been the first plushie he made. He had been knitting for more than a century and only managed to perfected only one animal. A teddy bear which was currently positioned in Conrart's office. She made ready for bed; the sand bear never leaving her arms.

Conrad made sure no one was watching and tucked the little animal in his jacket and scooted quickly to his room from his office as he had always done from the time he gain the position as captain of the military. His patrol was done for the night. It was later than usual. Although it was rather silly to make sure no one saw him carrying a stuffed teddy bear, he much rather have no one know about his daily practice of keeping the bear close as it was a reminder how Gwendal cared about him daily; particularly during his time in the Luttenberg Division. Not even Yosak knew about it.

Upon reaching his room and in his night clothes, Conrad settled into bed and wrapped his arms around his Kuma-kun. Because Kuma-kun helped to keep the nightmares away during peaceful nights.

In his own room, Gwendal was at his desk doing paperwork with his blue penguin beside safe from the flame of the candle. He felt light that evening for some reason. He was surprised that he had not sneezed once nor felt a shudder running down his back. Little did he know every single one else was sleeping with the plushies he made for them. And appreciating their company, and him for making them.