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]

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.

[tactician]

Adopting a mild look of almost-horror at the speed to which Danny ingested his sustenance (that couldn't have been very good for his small digestive track), Calibri quickly recovered and began to lift covers to inspect his own meal. For as flighty as Garamond always seemed in his company, the man clearly knew what he was doing at all times.

Whereas Danny's breakfast was perfectly cooked to his tastes, Calibri's, too, was one tailored exactly for the kind of person who never quite ate well and rarely enough in favor of longer work hours. There was a bowl of what seemed to be thick, slightly-sweetened oatmeal cooked in milk, a humble-looking plate of scrambled eggs, made fluffier with milk, and a tall glass of cold, pure white mi-...

There certainly was a lot of that stuff. (But surely it had nothing to do with all of Garamond's comments about his lack of growth. Surely.)

"Don't eat so fast, or you'll choke and suffocate and die," Calibri commented idly as he picked up his spoon.

[kobacake]

Danny stopped mid-chew, frozen with his fork still in his mouth, as he heard the words "choke" and "suffocate" and "die." He continued his meal much more slowly after that, making sure to properly chew and swallow each bite before taking another. The meal continued in silence for the most part, but when he was just about finished (Really, how could such a small boy eat so much? He'd grow up big and strong for sure.) he turned to Calibri with a question. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

DANNY

[tactician]

Calibri, still chewing, quirked a brow. He waited until he had swallowed before answering simply, "No."

His eyes narrowed. "I thought human males usually hit the onslaught of hormonal maturity before they were concerned with such things."

CALIBRI.

[kobacake]

"Why not?" Danny asked, as he stuffed a bite of pancakes into his mouth. He ignored the second half of what Calibri said (there were way too many unfamiliar words in there). Once he'd swallowed, he pointed his clean fork at Calibri. "You're old right? Shouldn't you have one?"

[tactician]

Danny's interest in his (lack of) love life was somewhat perplexing. What interest could this possibly hold to the child?

"I left my planet before a mating candidate meeting was arranged for me."

[kobacake]

"So?" Danny furrowed his brows, dropping his hand with a shrug. Really now, all of this was common sense, wasn't it? Everyone knew that people were supposed to date when they got old. If there was anything TV taught him, it was that. "Why don't you just meet someone here?"

[tactician]

Calibri looked at Danny as if the answer was obvious. "Because I'm working."

[kobacake]

"Why would you choose work over having a girlfriend?" Danny looked at Calibri like he was crazy.

[tactician]

They continued to stare at each other over their breakfasts.

"Why would you choose a companion over a means to sustain yourself?"

[kobacake]

"If you have love you don't need anything else!" Either Danny was the least materialistic 10-year-old in the world, or he was quoting something he'd heard on TV. Obviously it was the latter. He'd probably be quite upset if someone took his things.