Adventures in Babysitting

[pugsmuggler]

It was uncharacteristically early when Garamond decided to stop by Calibri’s lab. The installment was still relatively new to the first circle’s queen ship. The counters were still glossy-tiled and free of chemical burns, the utensils all shiny and unused, and while it accommodated for plenty more than just Calibri’s research, no one really had the nerve to go in there with it being consistently occupied by the circle’s finest poisons expert — No one except for Garamond. From Garamond’s perspective, Calibri had acclimated himself to life on the ship quite well, and handled his responsibilities aptly. This particular morning, however, Garamond had decided to hand Calibri a responsibility that extended slightly beyond what Calibri had signed on for.

Ten-year-old son at his side, Garamond let himself through the laboratory doors and into the. He found Calibri, after a brief trip around the countertops, curled up asleep underneath a desk. Calibri was equipped with a stylus and notebook in hand as if he had fallen asleep scrawling notes. Garamond, not visibly surprised by the scenario, crouched down to Calibri’s level, perching himself on the toes of his loafers.

“Ah, there you are,” Garamond announced himself. “I had a favor to ask.”

Comments

[kobacake]

It was Danny's turn, now, to look at Calibri like he was stupid (though the effect was probably diminished since his face just barely cleared the lab table between them). "There's no way I'm gonna let you stab me with that!!"

For someone who was possibly poisoned, Danny sure did have a lot of life in him.

[tactician]

Calibri stayed still for all of a moment.

Then, languidly, he started to circle the table toward Danny. "Daniel."

[kobacake]

Danny began circling the table in the opposite direction, keeping pace with Calibri so that he maintained the space between them. "...w-what?"

[tactician]

Calibri began to circle the other way, then back again, repeating the cat-mouse game over and over around the circumference of the table and its immediate vicinity. Every time he changed direction, he seemed to be moving faster. "It will only pinch a little. A needle is hardly anything to be intimidated by."

[kobacake]

Danny tried to keep up with all Calibri's direction switching, but each time he started lagging behind a little more. He shook his head, not believing a word Calibri was saying. Like hell it wouldn't hurt! It was long and sharp and Calibri was trying to put it in his arm!!

"I-I'm amenic!!" he yelled. Perhaps he meant "anemic"? "If you take my blood I'll die and then Boss will rip your face off and hang your corpse up as an example!!"

[tactician]

That little furrow of confusion reappeared at the outburst, only to be eased away a second later. "You are not anemic, Daniel," Calibri said patiently, changing directions yet again. He never really quite caught up to the boy, always allowing a few extra feet of leeway between them so that Danny could always get away by the skin of his teeth, and he persisted even as they began to work up a sweat from so much pre-breakfast exercise. "I've looked over all the medical records of the immediate staff at this organization, and your record has no indication of anemia."

[kobacake]

"BUT I'M ALLERGIC TO PAAAAAIN!!" Danny whined, starting to panic now that Calibri was getting closer and closer. In a last ditch effort to escape Calibri's clutches, he decided to try something different. Instead of backing away when Calibri approached him, he instead dove past Calibri, trying to use the advantage of his smaller stature to slip past him.

[tactician]

In a flutter of labcoat, Calibri caught Danny by the back of his collar, syringe still in hand.

But a needle prick never came.

Instead, Calibri looked down at Danny with a critical eye, on one lens glinting in the artificial light. After what probably seemed like the most tense moment of Danny's life, Calibri tucked the syringe back into one pocket, shrugging impassively. "The hypothesis was incorrect. You're not poisoned," he concluded, going lazy-lidded and almost bored-looking again. "If you were, then all the blood circulation I just induced would have had you dead by now."

Which meant that if he had been poisoned, Danny would probably be keeled over thanks to Calibri's idea of an experiment.

[kobacake]

Danny yelped when Calibri grabbed him, staring back in wide-eyed horror as he waited to receive the final blow. Goodbye, cruel world! His young life was so short. If only he could have remained in this world a little longer! ...But when it never came and Calibri put away his syringe, Danny let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding in a moment of sweet, sweet relief.

Though, that moment lasted exactly the amount of time it took Calibri to tell Danny about the results of his experiment. Upon hearing that Calibri was fully ready to kill him (not like he hadn't been thinking that the whole time, but at least a part of him hoped Calibri would spare him), his eyes brimmed with tears, his bottom lip quivered, and within seconds his entire body was shaking with sobs as he cried out loud enough that it was almost audible beyond the airtight door of the lab. Almost. "Y-Y-YOU.... WANTED TO... KILL ME!!!!"

[tactician]

Homo Sapien children were fascinating creatures. How did they manage to shout so loudly while sobbing at the same time? The sound of their wailing was particularly grating too - it had the uncanny ability to make his head ache even after an entire night's sleep behind him. He raised his empty hand to one ear, cupping the palm over it though even that did little to assuage the volume.

"I had no such desire," he answered, finding it difficult to be heard above Danny's voice. He reached out with his other hand and tried cupping Danny's mouth this time, but even the muffled crying was enough to make him wince. "I was trying to diagnose you and- ah, that's really very loud. That-...can you...Daniel, please stop. I'm not exactly sure what the best course of action is when you make that sound."

[kobacake]

Danny was hysterical now, so there was no way he could understand Calibri's already difficult to comprehend manner of speaking. When Calibri tried to cover his mouth it only caused him to scream louder, and he flailed around until he could break free from Calibri's hold. He sank down to the floor, hugging his knees and burying his face in the space between his legs and his body.

"I.... HATE... YOU!!!!" Unfortunately for Calibri, the sound was barely muffled by his change in position.

[tactician]

Oh, now he was losing the support of his limbs. What was wrong with him?

Calibri flinched, slowly lowering himself to his knees and crouching until he was eye-level with Danny. "Daniel, please stop. I wasn't trying to kill you. That would have been a terrible decision considering the Boss put you in my care. I wouldn't have let you succumb to a poison. You're really...very loud, so, please. I'm not going to take a blood sample. Daniel."

He reached out, pulling his labcoat sleeve over his hand, and tried to pat at where the child's eyes were leaking saline solution. "Are you screaming because you're injured? Is that it?"

[kobacake]

When Calibri reached out towards him, Danny curled in tighter on himself so that Calibri wouldn't be able to see his face. To Calibri's question he just shook his head and said... something, but with all his sobbing it was too unintelligible to make out.

[tactician]

"Enunciate," Calibri said sternly, but not too harshly, still trying to pry Danny's face from his knees.

[kobacake]

To this, Danny didn't respond. It was likely he didn't know what that word meant...

[tactician]

Calibri settled back on his heels, huffing out an exasperated breath. "I'm confident that you don't want me to fetch pliers for this. What did you say? Is your tongue swelling in your mouth?"

[kobacake]

Danny finally looked up at the mention of pliers, but made no other effort to uncurl himself. Presumably, he repeated what he'd said before, "I-I'm scared!! I don't like pain!!"

[tactician]

Calibri raised a brow. "Are you in pain right now?"

[kobacake]

Danny shook his head. His screaming had finally subsided, but he was still sniffling and shaking with half-sobs.

[tactician]

"Then there's really no reason for me to inflict any upon you," Calibri mused, though he didn't really sound very sure about it.

[kobacake]

"You... talk so weird." Danny sniffed. He'd flattened his mouth into a line now and furrowed his brows together like he was trying to force himself to stop crying. "I don't understand you at all."

[tactician]

Oh, thank goodness, that awful sound had stopped.

"You make very weird sounds," Calibri admitted in return, inclining his head at Danny. "I don't quite understand it either."

[kobacake]

Danny rubbed his arm across his eyes to wipe away the last of his tears, his sobbing having dissolved into a mild case of hiccups. It was silent for just a moment (surely to Calibri's relief), until Danny's stomach growled. He looked up at Calibri again, his tear-blotched face set in a small frown. "...I'm hungry."

[tactician]

Calibri looked up, then toward the door. "Breakfast should be arriving-...ah."

He stood up, taking Danny by the hand and pulling the child to his feet as well before leading him in the direction of the exit. A matte metal tray had been left there just inside the doorway, stacked with covered dishes that were warm to the touch - presumably the food Garamond had called up for them, given the distinct aroma of food particles hanging in the air. There were just enough plates to constitute an ample meal for the two of them, carefully-prepared but hastily delivered. The men under the kitchen's command had apparently come sometime during their shuffle and, wisely and in consideration for their own well-being, had left the food here for them to find when all the conflict died down.

He let go of Danny's hand to pick up the tray and set it on the nearest clear table that was not contaminated (last he remembered) by any biologically threatening substances. Then, he stepped back, waving a hand to motion for the boy to go ahead. "Eat, then."

[kobacake]

Despite that touching Calibri was the last thing he wanted to do ten minutes ago, Danny, surprisingly enough, allowed Calibri to lead him across the room without protest. Perhaps he'd expended all his energy, or maybe in admitting they didn't understand each other, they had come to some sort of odd understanding after all. He pulled himself onto one of the high stools at the lab table once Calibri set down the tray and pulled off the metal lid. Underneath was a short stack of pancakes (the top most of which was adorned with various berries, whipped cream, and chocolate arranged to look like a smiley face), a small bowl of fruit, and a couple of links of Quiggailian boar sausage.

Danny's mood seemed to brighten considerably once he saw the meal and he took no time before he started digging in. This was clearly a breakfast of champions, after all.