*~Toddler Chronicles-3rd Years PT.2~*
A/N: I have no excuses, once again. Only can say I've been in a mental funk, but I've gotten a second wind with writing. To make up for it, I've got some art at the end of this part of the toddlers, plus my headcanons of a lot of things that flavor my personal take on the world of Twist. Thank you again to @bun-lapin for letting me use their wonderful teacher OCs! Word Count: 5.4K Warnings: Children, Alluded to Infancy Health issues
Starter, Pt 1, Pt 2, Pt 3, Pt 4, Pt 5, Pt 6, Pt 7
Ortho floated down the halls of Ignihyde, Idia firmly in his arms as he listened to Riddle over the phone, “Hmmm…alerting the others' parents would be a good choice. If these changes do last for the full two weeks, we will need trustworthy people to look after them so we can get a break.” His eyes close, framing a smile under his mask, “This is a wonderful idea, Riddle Rosehearts! I'll make sure to contact the other affected juniors’ guardians and- Idia, please do not stick your fingers into my grates.”
Small fingers quickly pulled back, big yellow eyes sheepishly glancing through bangs as the toddler mumbled, “Sowwy…”
Humming, Ortho finally floated into his brother’s bedroom and placed him on the bed, “Thank you for apologizing. My grates are to help my body expel heat and there are many delicate parts inside. It can be dangerous to put your hands there.”
Idia pouted, patting his hands against the comforter in a single show of frustration, “Sowwy.”
“Ortho?”
“Ah! Apologies, Riddle Rosehearts. We will go through with your plan. I will be contacting Idia and I’s parents in a moment.”
“Understood. I’ve already handled both Trey and Cater’s parents, but keep me posted on the status of the other’s guardians. Best of luck to you, Ortho.”
“You as well, Riddle Rosehearts.” Tapping his ear, Ortho ended one call to start another only to pause.
Glancing to the bed, Ortho watched Idia flop around with his too-long sleeves in an attempt to crawl across the messy bed toward a poster on his wall. He couldn't help but run the calculations. With his brother's round face, big eyes, and a halo of fluffy-looking flames for hair, he could only come to one conclusion: his brother was maxing out the ‘adorable’ stat with no issue.
Humming, Ortho made the obvious choice to gather his brother back into his arms and move over to his computer, “Let's call mom and dad!”
Idia perked up, eyes locking onto the keyboard as Ortho typed up programs one-handed, “Ma and pa? You need a phone!”
Ortho giggles, a window already opening on screen as the line rings, “This is a special call. Remember how pa could watch super dangerous phantoms from a computer? It's like that, but we can talk to each other through it.”
For a brief moment, fear had crossed Idia’s face. Turning into Ortho's metal chest and hiding in the sleeves of his hoodie, he whimpered, “No scary phan-noms!”
“...Don't worry, Idia. There will be no scary phantoms. I promise.” Soothing the frightened toddler with pats on the back, he looks up as the call is accepted, “Hello, mom and dad!”
“Hello, Or! Ah, what is that in your hands? Did you boys cut Idi’s hair? You know how dangerous that is to do without the proper tools! And it was so pretty and long, why did he cut it now? I could have sent him some cute hair styles to try instead. Or maybe we could have tried an undercut. The undercut is the most optimal hair style to stay cool while keeping long hair, you know. Was he too hot? Did it get tangled?” Their mother continued, direct questions slowly turning into muttering as she tried to work out why her son had cut his beautiful hair.
Their father simply tilted his head in question, “Ortho, is there a reason you called on Idia’s line? You could have called us directly, you know…”
“Hm! I know, I simply wanted the camera feature on Idia’s computer to show you this.” He moved the clinging child in his arms, presenting the current form of their first born to their parents.
…
Their mother was the first to react. While their father stood frozen in place beside her, she had started to scream into an increasingly high pitch until the microphone of her helmet completely cut out. She became a woman possessed, hands feverishly roaming across her helmet with her muffled screams just barely heard underneath it. She ran off screen, the sounds of things crashing heard in various locations as chairs and bits of console panels started to fly in the background.
Their father still hadn't moved an inch. At some point, the image finally registered to him, holding his finger up to point at Idia, “Did-” a scientist goes flying behind him, crashing loudly as his wife took out her cuteness aggression on everything around her. He turns and watches her destruction off-screen for a moment, only turning back during a lull, “Your brother wasn't always that size, was he?”
“No, no he was not.”
“Ah…just making sure-”
Their mother had returned, pointing to herself repeatedly as her voice came out muffled. Seeing Idia’s blank expression, she realized the issue, frantically undoing her helmet to fling it off her head. Pixie-cut pink flames lit up the space, bright blue eyes giddy as she points to herself with a wide pink-lipped smile, “Idi! Idi, look! It's me! It's mama!”
Idia’s eyes light up, reaching out to the screen with his own wide smile at the familiar face, “Mama!”
“Oh, Idi! My little baby bugaboo!” She turns quickly, hitting her husband on the shoulder, “ODY! Take your helmet off, too, you're scaring Idi!”
Their father sighs but clicks the release on his helmet. A face that looked almost identical to Idia’s appears, pin straight blue hair in a small bun and tired looking yellow eyes. The man brushes his bangs to properly tuck behind his ears, “The air feels good.”
“Papa!”
He smiles, waving gently to the excited toddler, “Hello, Idia. Have you eaten today?”
“Not yet. Not hungry.”
“You need to eat.”
“No!”
“It's just a fact that you need to eat.”
“Not hungry!”
Their mother giggles, bouncing on her feet as she claps her hands, “Oh! I remember these little fights. I love this! Or, what happened, why is Idi so itty bitty?”
Ortho quickly explains the past few hours. Making sure their parents understand they don't have actual times of when the change occurred, but that those affected were properly tested and given clean bills of health.
“But, the estimated effect time is around two weeks. Other students on campus and in the affected students’ dorms are working together to look after them. But, we had the idea of parents coming to help out in the second week.”
“Ah! What a wonderful idea! We can take so many photos and videos with Idi, and conference call your aunts and uncles, and make arts and crafts, and-”
Their father spoke up, only barely audible over his wife, “Ortho, would you ask the staff to send us copies of the potion screens. I'd feel better if we could look it over ourselves. Maybe the blood samples too.”
Their mother presses her cheek against her husband’s, basically climbing into his arms, “But don't worry! Mama and papa will be there in a week to come see you themselves, ok!?”
“Penelope, we have multiple projects in their final stages. We're going to be busy with diagnostics runs, final checklists, meetings. Not to mention the R & D workshops you wanted to set up-”
She doesn’t turn her head, blue eyes flickering red as she glanced at her husband, “We'll be there in a week.”
“...” Odysseus coughed into his fist, nodding to the screen, “We'll see you boys in a week.”
“Bye Idi and Or! Be good boys! Idi, make sure to eat all of your veggies and drink lots of milk, ok? And brush your teeth! Let Or floss for you. Oh and make sure to have a bath every night so you go to sleep all clean and cozy! And wash behind your ears! I swear the mess I would find back there when you were this itty bitty. I had to develop a special towel just to make sure they’d get clean. In fact, let me go find that. Or I could just make another version of it. I’ll do that and it’ll be in so many pretty colors! Let me get my tablet- Ody, where’s my tablet!? Why is this place a mess!?”
Ortho ended the call the second his mother’s attention was off of them, a practice he and Idia had perfected over the years.
Idia looked up from Ortho's arms, patting at his metal mask to gain his attention, “Ortho? You're Ortho?”
“...Yes, my name is Ortho.”
A smile beams across Idia’s face, his hair almost glowing from the force of his happiness, “I have a baby brother named Ortho! He's really little though, so ma doesn't like to show him to people still. But he'll be out of the baby tank soon when his lungs are all better!”*
“Ah! That's so good. I hope your baby brother grows up to be healthy.”
“Yeah.” Idia perks up, leaning out of Ortho’s arms to slap his hands against the keyboard, “Wait, we need to call ma again and ask her to bring pictures of Ortho!”
“Great idea. I'd love to see your little brother, Idia.”
Ruggie was sure his lack of response to Leona trying his very best to rip his ear off was making the toddler try even harder. Sadly for him, Ruggie was a seasoned champ at being accosted by snot-nosed brats.
Walking into Savanaclaw, a 30lb weight on his shoulders growling and still biting into his ear, Ruggie looked over the sea of mumbling students. Jack’s ears were the first to perk up at the sound of Leona’s growls, looking over with wide eyes that finally brought everyone's attention to him. Ruggie sighs as everyone crowds around them, shooting off questions without any restraint. He tried and failed to remove Leona from his shoulders, the toddler’s growls turning from frustrated to defensive as he clutched tighter to Ruggie’s hair. At the very least, most of the crowd had heard the pitch shift, taking steps away from the no doubt frightened child and forcing others to move back with them. Jack was the only one who'd dared to get closer, hands hovering over Leona until the toddler’s growls had quieted and allowed Jack to gently pick him up.
Ruggie sighs, rubbing at one of his ears, “Thank you. Baby teeth don't hurt but he was putting in the work to make them…”
Jack nods, trying his best not to smile and play with his Housewarden as he would his own little siblings. But it was hard as everyone watched the toddler look around in quiet amazement at being ‘taller’.
Eyes focused off to the side, Leona gave a rather forceful tug to Jack’s bangs. A few more tugs was all the instruction Jack was given to place him on the rock grotto of the pool. The entire dorm watched in silence as the toddler made his way across the rocks, climbing higher and higher until he reached the top. Sitting on the slab resting beside the waterfall, Leona only gave the water his attention for a few moments before crossing his arms, sending a vicious glare at Ruggie.
While Ruggie gave a gesture of ‘What did I do?’ to the toddler, a nervous energy slowly filled the dorm as each of them seemingly realized that Leona was four. They glance around, silently asking who would lead them while Leona was…out of commission? Did Ruggie take the place of their Housewarden by being his right hand lackey? Were they even allowed to think the lion wasn't still in charge of them?
While the majority was worrying over the dynamics of their dorm without clear leadership, the rest were all staring at the toddler angrily pouting on the top of the waterfall. Leona wasn't a social butterfly as an adult, always enjoying his own solitude or very small groups over being crowded. Keeping to himself in every mood as far as any of them knew. Looking at the tiny, chubby-cheeked version of the man they respected made them almost terrified to think; what the fuck do they do with him when he got upset?
Food, obviously, could be a way to curb tantrums. But other than that, everyone in the dorm slowly realized they had nothing else coming to mind to calm an upset, baby Leona.
“...” A rhino beastmen glanced to the side before looking back at the toddler, cupping his hands around his mouth before shouting, “You want a beer?”
Ruggie and Jack whirl around, each of them aghast he would even suggest offering. The Sophomore yells as he gestures to Leona, “He's four!?”
“Well, what else are we gonna do with him!?”
Leona yells from his perch, ears almost wiggling in his excitement, “I want a beer!”
“No, you do not.”
“Aw. Come on, Bucchi. Let the kid have a beer.”
Leona stands on the rocks, pointing toward Ruggie, “I'mma prince of the Savana! You have to listen to me!”
Ruggie holds his arms out, glaring at the baby, “We ain't in the Savana!”
“...” Leona pouts, looking around the area before tilting his head at Ruggie, “Are you stupid?”
“Ok!” Ruggie claps his hands, turning to face the crowd and trying to make eye contact with one of them, “Who volunteers to help me raise this little shit for the next two weeks? Any takers? I'm too young to be a single mother here people!”
Jack raises his hand, ears alert as he yelled, “Ruggie-Senpai! I’ll help!”
“Thank you, Jack. Fucking only good one in this entire pack.”
Leona huffs, stomping his foot and yelling toward Ruggie, “I don’t trust you! You made me get shots!”
Ruggie sighs, turning back to the pouting toddler, “If I promise you won’t get anymore shots, can you please not be a little jerk?”
“I’m not a jerk!” Leona pauses, seemingly thinking over Ruggie’s offer. Nodding his head, he crosses his arms and looks down his nose at Ruggie, “Punch yourself in the face.”
“Excuse me?”
“You want me to trust you? Punch yourself in the face to show your loyalty.”
Jack stepped forward, leaning down to whisper, “Ruggie-Senpai, You need to assert your authority as his care taker. I'm here to help with what I know from-”
“Laugh With Me.”
“Huh!?” Jack felt his body stiffen, grunting as his fist suddenly slammed into the side of his face.
Leona laughs from atop the rocks, the high pitched giggle sending a wave through the crowd that had the uneasy group easing with the uncharacteristic thought of ‘Cute’.
Jack holds his reddening cheek, glaring at Ruggie, “You could have warned me…Plus, should you have really caved so quickly?”
Ruggie smiles, shrugging as he rubs his own sore cheek, “He’s just a little kid. Plus, he’s a prince, can’t hurt to bend a bit for him. Right, Jack-Kun?”
“Just because you’re use to doing what he wants all the time doesn’t mean I am-LEONA-SENPAI! DON’T DRINK THE POOL WATER!”
Everyone in the dorm whips around, seeing the toddler in question half leaned over the edge with his tongue out. Leona huffs and whines as the dorm rushes forward, each of them trying to pull him from the waterfall and away from the perch.
Members of Diasomnia looked into the kitchen as one would a hazardous zoo attraction. The whole of them taking turns to peek past the large entryway, ducking back when curious green eyes glanced their way.
Sitting on the marble counters, Malleus pouted at the person rummaging furiously through the cabinets below him, “Baul, have you found me honeydrops yet?”
“Ah! Not yet, my little liege. And, I've said, my name is Sebek.”
“Find them soon. I was promised sweets for being poked and taking medicine…”
Silver speaks up, Lilia still squirming in his arms,“Malleus, be patient. You should eat a proper meal before you have the drops anyhow.” He sighs but doesn't react further at the now familiar feeling of tiny teeth sinking into his skin.
Seeing his biting was doing nothing, Lilia seemed to pout up at Silver before he hissed and kicked his legs briefly, squirming around in an effort to be released.
Hui-Yan walks in, sending the bystanding students away as she closed the double doors behind her, “So far, nothing is out of place in the brew room. I'll do a more thorough search over the course of the week.” Walking closer, she handed a bottle to Silver while using her other hand to poke and ‘play’ with a hissing Lilia’s cheek, “Anti-biotic. No telling what bacteria is in this thing's mouth.”
“Would you like to hold him?”
“I will throw him the second he bites me.”
Malleus kept quiet, trying to make himself smaller at realizing the two ‘adults’ in the room had rounded ears. He scurried closer to the edge once Sebek had reappeared with a small tin in hand.
“Found them!”
“Baul…Why are humans here? Why are your ears different? Where’s Lilia?”
“...” Sebek sighs, placing a wax coated candy into Malleus’s hand, “My liege, I am not Baul.”
“But, you look like Baul? Who else could you be?”
“Draconia.” Hui-Yan walked closer, yellow eyes cold and focused. At seeing the child instantly press against Sebek in hiding, she sighed but kept her distance, “Powerful magics have been at work. You’ve been displaced to a point far in your future. At this time, Humans and Fae have made peace with one another.”
“...” Malleus looks down, taking his time to fuss with the wax casing of the candy, “I want my grandmother…”
With a nod, Hui-Yan turned to take her leave, “She’s being contacted. For now, you’ll be in the care of your two guards, Silver and Sebek.”
“Where’s Lilia?”
“At the moment he is…” Her eyes glance over to the fussing child in Silver’s arms trying to leap over to bite her, "Preoccupied. You’re not among enemies here, Draconia. I’ll be off for now…Be good.”
Silver sighs, moving Lilia’s flailing body with ease as he tucked the child under his arm, “I’ll make us a quick dinner then. The venison is still up for grabs?”
Sebek nods, moving quickly to the large icebox and bringing the cut of meat to Silver’s side. Looking over, he then rushed back to Malleus’s side before the child could open another honey drop from the tin, “My liege, please don’t eat too many-”
Malleus had quickly jerked his hands away from Sebek trying to take his candy, expression fierce as he eyes flashed, “You said, I could have as many as I could stomach!”
Shrinking back, Sebek could almost feel his slightly pointed ears droop at the angry tone of the toddler, “Ah. I did…But, you will have dinner soon. And though he is human, Silver is a very good cook.”
Malleus looks behind Sebek, pouting at seeing the human trying to pull a pulpy mess that was once a whole tomato from the other child’s mouth.
Sebek sighs at the scene himself, Silver’s soft scolding of ‘You’re going to choke’ barely heard before he spoke to Malleus, “I assure you, he is a decent cook.”
“He’s human…”
“...It’s better than Lilia-Sama’s cooking…”
“...” Malleus pouts harder, “That’s not hard. And why should I even trust you? You aren’t Baul…”
Sebek perks up, a fist slamming into his chest as he smiled, “No, but he is my grandfather! I’ve been given not only his approval, but also-”
Malleus’s eyes widened, staring at Sebek with a new sense of wonderment, “Boudicca* had a baby!?”
Riddle felt as though he was doing a wonderful job at raising children, no matter how little sleep he had gotten the past few days. Cater and Trey were rather easy going, though Cater apparently had the trait to start crying at the slightest injustice against his person. Normally, only phone time would make him stop, but in this instance, the toddler had stopped fussing the moment Deuce mentioned the upcoming Unbirthday Party. Trey’s eyes widened in absolute delight, asking in a hushed tone if it was a party like the Queen of Hearts would have. At the affirmative, the bespectacled boy had been quick to tell Cater on why an Unbirthday Party was the ‘coolest thing’. And then, he had two overly excited toddlers, elated that they were able to attend a ‘Real Unbirthday Party’ and begging him to help in preparation.
So Riddle stood in the busy courtyard, holding Cater up to a rose bush as he messily and slowly painted a single rose. Yes, his arms hurt. Yes, Cater had painted his sleeves and hands more than the rose. Yes, he had barely gotten sleep the night before because he was busy doing forms that he, Trey, and Cater would normally do together alone. But the toddler would look at him for approval after each painted blossom, only beaming happier and happier when he stated he did a good job. So he will keep holding Cater up.
Halfway through painting the singular bush, students suddenly came running into the courtyard panicked and pulling his attention. Riddle brought Cater closer to his person, hearing aggressive clicking and hissing that he could identify as mer-dialect growing louder. Slowly coming around the corner, he sees Floyd glaring at something on the ground fighting in his grasp. He stares blankly, seeing he was dragging Jade by his legs, the other Eelmer digging his nails along the walkway and no doubt scratching the stone.
Riddle sighs, “Well, I will be contacting Azul about the property damage…”
“Where's the stupid guppies!?”
“No!” Cater whimpers, eyes surprisingly locked on Jade in fear instead of the literal, bigger threat dragging him closer.
Riddle puts Cater on the ground, raising an eyebrow when the toddler press his face into the side of his boots in an attempt to hide instead of running, “As you can see, you're both absolutely terrifying. Which is why I didn't want you to be in my dorm until this is over!”
“Jade wants to see the baby Sea Turtle but he's being a baby about it-OW!?”
Jade had freed a leg from Floyd's grip, kicking his brother in the stomach and attempting to scramble away.
Riddle moved back, a hand resting against Cater’s head as a way to shield him, “Good Lords!?”
Floyd pounces, laying on his brother in a wrestling pin and trying to keep his claws from scratching his face, “Little guppies hate Jade, so he doesn't wanna scare the baby Sea Turtle.”
“Stop talking!” Jade screeched, attempts to flee growing more feverish.
“Well, why did you bring him here if small children hate him!?”
“Because it'd be funny! DON’T BITING ME!”
Riddle sighed, “Neither one of you should be trusted with children…”
“Hey, we’re back-Oh, what the fuck?”
As if on cue, Ace and Deuce appeared from deeper in the maze, everyone in their group carrying a basket of flowers or berries. Trey rushed past them as the first years stared at the fighting twins in horror. As the toddler ran past, Deuce attempted and failed to pull him back from the scuffle.
The green-haired toddler stood on his tiptoes, smiling wide as he presented a bustle of violets and grass up to the redhead, “Riddle! I picked lots, is this enough for the tables?”
At hearing Trey’s tiny voice, Jade went completely limp. The eel dropping his weight and dragging his brother to the ground with him in a heap, the resulting thud calling Trey's attention.
The green-haired toddler steps closer to the pile, jumping back when Floyd roughly shoved his brother in front of him. The Sophomore refusing to look up from his face pressed into the pavement.
Squatting down, Trey held the flowers out, softly asking, “Want some flowers? I picked lots so I can give you some…”
“...” Looking up shyly, Jade takes a single violet from the bouquet. As he glances at the flower between his fingers, he manages to smile at Trey, “Violets are edible, you know?”
“What?”
“This flower is called a violet. It's edible.”
“I don't know what ‘edible’ is…”
“It means you can eat it.”
“Oh!” Trey looked at the flowers in his hands then opened his mouth, attempting to fit as much of his bouquet in his mouth to chomp down on.
“Ah! No! Nonononononononono!”
“Clover-Senpai, stop!”
Ace and Deuce rushed over quickly, attempting to wrestle the flowers away as Jade teasingly encouraged him to try the blossoms for himself.
Floyd stands beside Riddle, playfully leaning side to side to keep eyes on a still hiding Cater, “How's it going, Goldfishie?”
Riddle sighed, shaking his head gently, “Working without both of my aids has been a nightmare. I knew I would be without them come a proper next year, but this is just too much. Ace and Deuce are wonderful in keeping them entertained and looked after, but I have to handle all the paperwork myself.”
“...” Floyd leaned down, lightning quick and snatching Cater into his hands. Ignoring the squirming and whining child, he spoke, “Wait, you're picking Crabby and Little Mackerel to be your aids when Sea Turtle and Sea Bream leave?”
“Stop upsetting Cater. But, yes. They've shown more than once they are beyond dependable.”
“Oh, don't worry about baby Sea Bream.” Floyd grips the toddler under his arms, flinging the child into the air a few times until he starts to giggle at the action, “Little guppies like me way more than Jade.” With Cater now secure in his arms, now smiling, Floyd nuzzles the bubbly child, “Plus, little stuff is just cute! Makes me wanna squeeze’em…”
Riddle looks at the sweet scene before sighing again, "I'm too young to be a single mother.”
“You say that like you have plans to be one.”
“If our lives keep going the way they are, I will be.”
“...” Floyd pulls away from Cater, glaring at Riddle who looks away from him, “What the fuck does that mean?” He glances at the toddler in his arms, muttering under his breath, “And why is he sticky?”
“I don’t know.”
It took Vil exactly one minute to regain his crown when they came back to the dorm and Epel was sure Pomefiore was no better than Savanaclaw, no matter what they said. In the brief time they were gone, a group of Juniors and Sophmores had actually broken into Vil's bedroom and were fighting over the Housewarden’s ‘unclaimed’ crown.
Vil saw the gold ornament being tugged between sets of hands, a lazer focus as his eyes watched it. He then scampered up to the group, sweetly asked to wear it.. The second the upper classmen denied his request, the puppydog eyes came out.
It was almost sickening how effective they were. Epel was even sure the toddler had started to tear up before the crown was handed over to him on a literal silken pillow. Epel had to ask Crewel to adjust it when he brought the kids new clothing, already dealing with Vil pouting that it kept slipping over his eyes. Now Vil was a little queen that everyone cooed and fawned over on the dot, his normally stern expression looking like an angry pout. Rook was still unintelligible, though some of the other Florian fluent students tried to help. They attempted to translate, but unfortunately Rook would use loan words from the Sunset Savana, keeping him from being fully understood. Luckily, both toddlers clearly understood the word ‘No’. A fact Epel was greatly thankful for after seeing Rook almost eating one of the wax apples of the lounge.
Now, Epel sat slumped in a patio area of the Pomfiore woods. It was tasteful, as all Pomfiore was; clean, metal furniture with deep purple cushions and the large ivy covered gazebo sitting peacefully on lush grass and apple trees. He groaned, having spent ten minutes wrangling and debating with a toddler on if he was using the right sunscreen before he could even get them out of the dorm. Vil was somehow even more high maintenance, and while normally Rook would be the much needed buffer, the Florian didn’t understand him well. So unfortunately, whatever Vil said to him was what went with the two of them.
At the very least he was able to get them both outside to play, hopefully running around would be enough to get them to nap easier than they have the past few days. His cousin was a baby, but Epel was sure he was easier to take care of then the two hellions he was in charge of. He never understood why his aunt would drop the second his cousin napped, sleeping curled up right beside him. But as he leaned his head against the back of the chair, Epel understood ‘napping when the baby naps’ as his eyes started to close.
His peace was broken by the sound of shrill, terrified children screaming. Epel jumped up so fast he fell face first onto the stone patio before scrambling in the direction of the noise. He broke through the brush, semi-panicked at realizing how far the kids had wandered from his eyesight before he found them in a small clearing.
Rook was on the ground, screaming the loudest as Vil braced himself against a tree. Seeing Epel appearing, he rushed over and gripped onto his leg, pointing toward his friend in distress, “THE BIRD’S GONNA TAKE HIM AWAY! DO SOMETHING!”
Epel did his best to detach a sobbing Vil from his leg without shoving him aside. Stepping closer to Rook, he looked over the bird on his head. It was sitting calmly, completely unbothered to the screaming children and the thrashing boy under him. But, seeing the patterns along its wings and the purple ribbon necktie does he realize who the bird is. Seeing the gray and orange speckled bird tilt it's head at him, Epel fault his body relax.
“Oh…oh, this is Rook Jr*. He's harmless, Ah promise guys.” Epel gently pulls a still crying Rook to his feet, brushing dirt and stray leaves off of him, “Hey, u're ok. Stop cryin’. Is he hurtin’ ya?”
Vil screeched from the treeline, “The claws are gonna dig out his brain!?”
“No they're not!” He hoped they weren't as he gently tapped at the bird from the toddler’s head, hoping to make it fly off. He could simply grab it. The hawk was at best the size of a pigeon. But the threat of talons into Rook's baby skull was still serious.
Vil wailed, putting his face in his hands and crying out, “Its gonna rip his brain out!”
“It aint gonna rip his darn brain out! Its his bird!” That gave Epel an idea, beckoning the other child closer, “Vil, come ‘ere.”
“No!”
“Come ‘ere! Ah need ur help.” As the toddler sniffled but slowly shuffled closer, Epel gently took him into a hug as he explained, “This bird is actually Rook's pet when he's bigger. It probably recognized him and wanted to hang out. Since he trained it, wur gonna see if it'll get off his head and onta his arm if he tells him to. Can ya translate that for me?”
Vil nods, tearfully repeating what Epel had asked to an equally crying Rook. After a bit, Rook started to shout what Epel assumed was a command, stomping his foot. All it did was jostle the bird, but he stayed firm in his spot. Whimpering, Rook shook his head and shouted another word.
Epel wasn't sure if it was the actual word Rook had trained the bird to follow or it simply decided to show mercy. But it flapped its wings, making the short trip from Rook's head to his out stretched arm. Epel had to give the bird credit, even perched on such little space its claws barely dug into Rook's skin.
The bird gave a short shrill cry, tilting its head this way and that to call Rook’s attention back to it. Turning his head, the toddler started to marvel at the mini hawk. His free hand moved to softly pet its wings. A choked up giggle escaping him as the bird trilled and shook its tail feathers.
Vil had also lost his fear, stepping close and using a single finger to pet the bird's head, “Your pet bird is so pretty! Très jolie.” He giggles as the bird trills again, nuzzling into their pets.
Rook perked up, completely over his crying fit as he held his arm higher, “Voyons s'il connaît des astuces!*”
“Yeah!”
Epel sat in the dirt, watching as the toddlers start to run around and command the bird to do dives and loops over their heads. Their gleeful tones almost enough to make him forget the absolute terror he had felt only two minutes ago.
Sighing, Epel dropped his head to his knees, muttering into the air, "Ah'm too young to be a single mother…”
Have some art of the toddlers! I've very happy with them and the other four will be in the next chapter!
Sprinkles in some sad headcanons of Ortho being a premie baby.
I gave Sebek's mom a name. Only after picking it did I learn the story of Boudicca and honestly, she would burn several cities to the ground to avenge her family.
A pet bird I give Rook that Yuu found as a freshly hatched baby.
Translation - Let's see if he knows any tricks!
