Glowing Night Light | agere short stories

Play Date

regressors: Fever (regressed to 2), Muireann (regressed to 6), Toko (regressed to 4)

caregivers: Levanté, Echo, Edgar

pov: 3rd person 

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    As Levanté set his bag down on the coffee table, the sound of excited giggling caused him to smile. He'd brought Fever to have a play date with their friends, Toko and Muireann! The three of them were sitting on a blanket on the floor, looking at their toys.

    "This is Daisy!" Muireann said, holding up a Calico Critter figure to show to Toko.

    "Hello, Daisy!" Toko mumbled, their pacifier in their mouth.

    Fever was regressed to a bit young of an age to play with the Calico Critters, so they were sitting beside them and playing with shape sorting toys, absentmindedly sliding different blocks through their corresponding shaped holes. Levanté sat down beside Echo and Edgar on the couch.

    "They're so cute." Edgar remarked, smiling.

    Levanté nodded. "Yeah, they really are. I've noticed Fever tends to regress a bit younger when they're around other regressors."

    "Huh, I wonder why that is." Echo tilted her head in curiosity, watching Fever move their attention to the ring stacking toy.

    "I'm not sure. I think maybe they just feel comfortable." Lev responded.

    "Awe, that's so sweet!" Edgar commented. "I'm so glad they feel comfortable here."

    Muireann and Toko had started a game with the Calico Critters. They were essentially playing house. Muireann was being the mom and the older daughter, and Toko was being the dad and the younger daughter. Levanté stood up from the couch and sat on the opposite side of the dollhouse, picking up a Calico Critter, making them knock on the door.

    "Oh, I wonder who that could be!" Muireann made the mom say before opening the door.

    "Helloooo!" Levanté made the toy speak in a silly voice, causing all three of the little ones to erupt in giggles.

    "Oh, hi!" Toko made the dad toy respond while Muireann giggled. "Can we help you?"

    "Yes, I need to borrow your couch!" Lev made the toy say, still in the silly voice.

    "Our couch??" Muireann made her character respond in an appalled voice. "No, you can't have our couch!"

    "Well, I'll just have to take it myself!!" Levanté made the Calico Critter say before quickly shoving them through the door and past Toko and Muireann's dolls.

    Toko and Muireann squealed and giggled, trying to push Levanté's hand back through the door.

    Several minutes of the silly and chaotic storyline pursued, and Edgar and Echo even joined in. Eventually, it was time for lunch. Echo prepared food for all of the kiddos while Edgar and Levanté sat at the table.

    "That was so fun!" Muireann smiled.

    "Yea!! thank you for playing with us, Lev!" Toko nodded in agreement.

    "Awe, don't mention it, kiddos." Levanté responded. "I had fun too!"

    "Mm!" Fever cooed, their pacifier still in their mouth.

    As Lev ruffled Fever's hair, Echo came back with food for everyone. Muireann, Toko, Edgar, Levanté, and Echo had dinosaur chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese to eat. Fever had Malt-O-Meal since they were feeling very small and wanted soft food. Muireann got a juice box, Toko got a sippy cup with juice in it, and Fever got a bottle of milk. The caregivers each had a can of soda.

    "Mmm!!" Muireann said, eating one of the nuggets.

    "Yummy!" Toko smiled, eating a spoonful of their macaroni and cheese.

    Levanté fed Fever spoonful's of their Malt-O-Meal as he ate his own food.

    As soon as everyone was finished eating, Muireann and Toko hurried back to the living room to keep playing. Edgar carried Fever to the couch to lie them down since they seemed to be slipping into an even younger headspace. Edgar and Echo sat next to each other, and Lev sat close to Fever so they could lie on his lap and he could bottle feed them.

    "They look so comfortable." Echo said, smiling at Fever.

    "Yeah, and look." Edgar gestured to Muireann and Toko, who were playing together. An alien had come to spend the night with the Calico Critters.

    "This is why I love caring for them." Levanté said. "Look how safe they all look. It's actually so precious."

    "Yeah, exactly." Echo nodded. "It's such a special feeling to be an age regressor's comfort person."

    "Plus they're adorable!" Edgar smiled at Fever, who seemed to be falling asleep as they drank their milk.

    "It's such a beautiful thing to see them smile, to hold them, to get little drawings from them." Levanté said, looking down at Fever as they finished their bottle. Once it was empty, he set it on the coffee table and cradled them in his arms.

    "Mmm..." Fever cooed as Levanté put their pacifier back into their mouth. Their eyes were fluttering shut as he held them close.

    As they continued their chat, the energy in the room was pure comfort. Fever was asleep in Levanté's arms, Toko and Muireann were playing, and the sun was starting to set, shining it's orange glow through the window. Pure comfort.