@hulizi [A video is sent of a room that is decidedly distinct from an American home. Its more organically shaped walls are made of an unknown material, and in lieu of windows, it's lit warmly by something contained in bulbs that don't seem plugged into anything at all. The usual tells of a daycare are slightly warped- there are bright colors in what are obviously toys and art, and decor, but not the plastic primary colors most associated with childhood. Purple, orange, shiny off-silver.. There IS a recognizable carpet though, something installed to human standards, with dyed in lines and shapes that must indicate something. Prominently moving across frame is something hunched and not immediately identifiable as a person, this huge not-quite-insectoid the size of a brown bear, with thick grey skin that folds at the joints like that of a rhinoceros, and patches of iridescent blue-black chitin plating. Its hands seem split into sets, its head horned and beaked and lacking in features. This is a form far more alien than Tolya themself, though around it scuttle a gaggle of tiny, chirping, humanoid toddlers, so small and yet terribly mobile compared to humans of what might look like equivalent development. There's variation in anatomy to an interesting degree, spots or no spots, tails or no tails, plantigrade or digitigrade, but the majority of this troop of little monkeys is chasing this gentle giant, who moves with a smooth stride and chitters back and forth with children too small to be verbal.
They aren't too small to be picked up and gently swung though, or to climb up their caretaker to be swaddled in arms that might seem too large for such care. The longer one watches, the more obvious it is that there's a designated floor space for this, and that every movement made by this big creature is entirely mindful. Around the edges of the room are cabinets, some recognizable, some a little more odd, and a few adults seem busy entertaining smaller groups of children, a some bonding one on one. It's unclear whether these are parents or designated teachers, or whether it particularly matters. At the far wall, this room seems to open up into still more. Whoever had taken the video gives a soft giggle at something happening offscreen, starting to move already before the video cuts.]
Am very proud of My refuge.