Daycare, literally

[achelord]

A combination of parents being busy during the day and the horrors of war leaving a bunch of orphans meant there were always a bunch of kids running around The Vault that needed looking after. It was just a fact of life. But child wranglers get sick, sometimes. Or just need breaks. And, as a wandering monster hunter, Ziel did not honestly have a lot to do with most of his time while the Corsairs weren't actively plotting any operations.

So Ziel had volunteered to take a few shifts keeping the youngest corsairs from hurting themselves. He wasn't the most active of daycare providers, spending as much of his time as he could sitting down and cycling ether through his body in his standard meditation patterns, but he routinely got up to break up scuffles before they could get out of control or make sure everyone was included in whatever the current activity was. He wasn't particularly smiley about it, but he had a surprising amount of patience, and he talked to the children like they were grownups and took them seriously. This strategy seemed to go over pretty well for the most part.

To anyone who knew the dour man, this probably felt like an unusual place to find him, but outside of the times he was drunk (and he was stone cold sober right now), this was probably the least stressed anyone had seen him in months.

At this exact moment, he was sitting cross legged with his eyes closed while a two year old slowly climbed up his back, using his hair and horns as handholds. If this bothered him, he gave no indication of it.

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[redprayer]

Rezo has been aware of the Vault's nursery (referred to by the residents as a "daycare") for a while, but it isn't a place he's spent any real time before. However, on this particular day he needs to speak with Ziel- his schedule is busier than usual due to the influx of patients after the attack on Flotsam- and after asking around Rezo had been informed that Ziel was handling a shift at the daycare.

It's a tad surprising. Rezo hadn't pegged Ziel as a paternal sort.

So here he is, getting ushered into the room by another daycare volunteer with a baby on her hip.

"He's over there- um, oh no, Hrodland, we do NOT pull people's hair-"

While the volunteer hustles over to go wrangle Hrodland, Rezo steps carefully towards Ziel, mindful of the numerous mobile tripping hazards that are running around. He's immediately the subject of numerous curious stares, thanks to both being a stranger and the unusual, chiming staff he carries.

"Ziel?"

[achelord]

Ziel blinked his eyes open, as he realized people were actually paying attention to him, then upwards to the small child on his head. He picked the giggling Hrodland up with one hand and handed him to the other volunteer before standing up and dusting himself off.

"Yes?"

[redprayer]

Rezo can't actually see what Hrodland has been up to, but he can hazard a guess, and he can't help but smile briefly at the giggling.

"Forgive me for interrupting your work," Rezo says. "I merely wished to consult you about your next meeting-"

Speaking of interruptions, another toddler chooses that moment to pipe up: "Who're you?"

"Ah-"

[achelord]

"It's fine," Ziel assured. Then they got what Ziel predicted to be the first of many interruptions.

He did his best to look less grouchy than he normally did while looking down at the child. Ziel had practice looking down on people, being on the taller side, and the intimidation factor was currently turned down to zero.

"That's Rezo. He's a doctor. I need to talk to him so please give me a minute." He said, clearly and simply. Then he looked back up to Rezo. "Did you need to reschedule or-"

"Why d'you need to talk to him?"

Internally, Ziel groaned. But you couldn't blame children for being children. He would have sounded irritated at an adult interrupting them twice, but he sounded blandly patient as he went on. "Because I was sick, but he's helping me get better."

[redprayer]

It's interesting to listen to Ziel interacting with the children. Rezo wouldn't describe Ziel as surly, necessarily, more gloomy and tired. Now, however, that edge is hard to discern, drowned out by placidity.

"Ziel, you've guessed correctly. I'd still like to meet with you some time this week, but the work with those injured at Flotsam is likely to keep me busy during the time we normally would meet," Rezo explains, partly for the benefit of any tiny eavesdroppers.

[achelord]

"That's important. I can wait a few days." he said. He didn't sound annoyed about the delay, but he did sound kind of like he was trying hard not to sound annoyed about the delay. It wasn't a long time. It's fine.

"Since we're not doing anything major right now, I suppose I shall spend my time here, with the rugrats." He looked down at the mess of playing children, two of which were arguing over who's turn it was with the toy horse. "Running a sect of martial artists and running a day care are surprisingly similar jobs."

[redprayer]

Rezo laughs a little at the comparison.

"Your stamina certainly must be improving if you've volunteered to take this job on," he remarks. It's another reason why Rezo is willing to reschedule Ziel's weekly appointment; they've made enough progress that they have a little wiggle room for it. "I admit, I was surprised when I'd heard this was where I'd find you."

[achelord]

"Kids are easy. When grownups are stupid I think 'you're acting like a toddler.' When a toddler is stupid I think 'you are a toddler.' and any annoyance fades away." he said, with a shrug.

A tiny girl started climbing his leg. He made no effort to stop her.

[fish4science]

"Oh my goodness..." Peeking around the corner was a certain bookworm, finally having removed her eyepatch and with most of the burns healing very well indeed, she had finally resumed her normal suite of duties around the Vault.

But she had to stop for this. She had to watch the tiny child climb this mountain's back, and was quietly cheering them on.

[redprayer]

"Mm. That's not a bad way to think of it, though some children might take offense at the logic." Rezo can think of a few children he's known that would have pouted at the idea of not being taken as seriously as an adult.

He catches the pitter patter of small feet coming closer, and then the rustling of fabric. Evidently Ziel is a popular piece of gym equipment.

[achelord]

"So do the adults. Being in charge of people is exhausting. I'd like to avoid it if I can."

Ziel started to say something else when the child hanging onto his waist lost her grip and fell. Lightning quick, Ziel bent over and caught her before she hit the ground, then set her back on her feet gently.

[achelord]

The child eventually managed to get a seat on Ziel's head, gripping his horns and looking around from his new vantage point excitedly. He started rocking back and forth like he was riding a bull and giggling.

Ziel still didn't react.

[fish4science]

"Eeeeeee..." he's riding Ziel! How cute is that?? Angelika certainly can't stop the high pitched noise that escapes her throat, before she clamps down on her mouth with a free hand. No, this is Too Cute. How dare that child be so adorable, and Ziel be so calm and...fatherly? Maybe not fatherly, but certainly some sort of ideal is manifested here. If she had a camera, she might take a picture-instead, she'll have to commit this to memory.

[redprayer]

-!

There's an alarming moment where he can hear the child yelp, but then it seems Ziel has her well in hand. Nevertheless, Rezo crouches and asks "Oh my, are you alright?"

The little girl looks from Ziel to Rezo, staring curiously for a moment. "Uh... uh-huh," she says.

The little girl then grabs Ziel's cloak in a fist and stands on her toes to ask "Ziel, why are his eyes closed?" One gets the impression that she is trying to be discreet, but hasn't mastered the art of modulating her tone.

[achelord]

The child riding his head might not have distracted him, but his warrior instincts warned him he was being watched! Ziel emerged from his trance to stare directly at Angelika.

Then, he slowly rolled his eyes upwards, trying to get a view of the source of the weight on his head.

[freearcadia]

Harlock doesn't mind children, though he didn't have much reason to really interact with them.

Today was a little different, a young bat-kin had managed to slip away from one of the other minders and went out to one of the labs, where the pirate had found him. Children should be allowed to explore and run around... just not unsupervised - especially not in a lab, he thought. It took a few false starts, but he managed to find his way to the daycare with the child holding onto the edge of his coat.

"There we are," Harlock started. "You promise to stay here until your father picks you up, Basil?"

"Only if you teach me like you promised." Basil points at him.

"Of course, I'd never break a promise. Just let me talk to one of the adults first." With that, he looks around, spotting Ziel. Well, he hadn't expected to run into him, though he didn't seem too taken aback by the sight of a child clamouring over him.

[achelord]

No doubt, Ziel would have some diplomatic way to approach the iss-

"He's blind. He can't see."

Oh okay we'll just do it like that, then.

The little girl went on with the complete lack of self awareness that children had and asked "Why not?"

And Ziel realized he didn't know. He'd been so sunk in his own problems he hadn't given anyone else's a second thought. He hesitated...

[achelord]

Ziel opened his eyes at the sound of a familiar voice and nodded a solemn greeting to Basil. Then he looked levelly back at Harlock with a hint of curiosity. It had been a while since he was curious about anything, really, but...

"Teach him what?"

[freearcadia]

"Stars," He replied.

"He's gonna tell me everything! Isn't that right?"

"Well, I found him breaking into some of the labs, and suspected he managed to slip away from his minders." The pirate explained. "He'd only let me take him back if I answered the questions he had."

[achelord]

“Stars?”

Ziel tilted his head slightly, in curiosity. He’d honestly never really thought much about the stars. They were just dots of light you saw in the night sky. His interests had always been more focused on ground level. “What is there to know about stars?”

[redprayer]

Honestly, that isn't that far off from how Rezo would answer it. Possibly a bit more diplomatic, even, depending on how self-deprecating Rezo was feeling.

The next question is, however, a little more complicated. When Ziel hesitates, Rezo crouches in front of the girl and does his best to explain it as simply as possible.

"I was born like this. That sort of thing just happens sometimes. Some people are born without the ability to hear, or parts of their body will be smaller than normal or missing entirely. Everybody comes out a little different, and sometimes our differences make it hard to do things that other people can."

The little girl sucks thoughtfully on her lower lip for a moment before coming up with another question: "So... You can't see where you are?"

Resigning himself to being the Guest Speaker at the daycare for the time being, Rezo calmly begins explaining how he uses his other senses to get around.

[freearcadia]

"Quite a bit actually," The man gives a sphinx-like smile.

"Momma says if you know the stars, you will know your way home." Basil piped up he eyed all the tall things in the daycare, before clamoring up a shelf.

"That's true, they can do that if you know how to read them." the pirate confirmed.

"So why are there stars in the first place?"

[achelord]

"Oh, true. You can navigate by the stars. That's useful." Ziel said, with a nod. He watched Basil climb the shelves cautiously, ready to jump in if the boy fell.

"I never gave where stars come from much thought, to be honest. But maybe our outworld friend knows."

Outworlders knew all kinds of strange things. Some of it was even true.

[freearcadia]

Once up, the batkin grips the edge, and starts dangling by his feet, wrapping his arms around himself - apparently that's comfortable.

Harlock on the other hand found some paper and a pencil, sitting cross-legged on the floor as he starts drawing what looks to be a series of circles. "It might be a little different here, but stars and the sun are actually the same thing." He started.

"Really?" Basil's ears perked up... or down.

"Yes, really. The difference is that they are farther away from the world than the Sun." The one-eyed man confirms, continuing his lesson, pointing or drawing something on the paper. He was using rather simplified language, though it's as much as he didn't know how to say the terms in this tongue as it is to make sure Basil could follow.