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Even though nap time was over a long time ago, Taako is still sitting quietly on his nap mat.
He loves daycare, even though he thought it was the most terrible, awful, horrible place ever the first day. He loves playing with his new friends. Also, Miss Lucretia and Avi and Johann are so nice and cool. The activities, like snack time and story time and painting, are so much fun, too. But, all of those things, so many people having fun together can be a lot for him. Sometimes, he pulls his hat over his eyes and holds Mr Mongoose close when it get to be too loud. Luckily, Miss Lucretia is good and nice and lets him sit alone when it happens.
He's having one of those moments right now. He woke up from his nap, which was so disappointing because he was sleeping so good, but he wasn't really in the mood to play again. Miss Lucretia had asked him if he felt okay, and he shyly nodded and hugged Mr Mongoose.
“I'm okay, I jus’ wanna… sit by myself.”
“That's okay, Taako,” Lucretia smiled, “You just come over when you're ready, okay?”
Now he's tapping his foot in the air and humming to himself. The songs is almost like his Loops song, but different, because it doesn't have any words. It feels right, and nice, though he's not sure why. He's gonna keep doing it anyway.
Barry floats over, nervous and shy like Taako sometimes is. But Barry is nervous and shy all the time, so he’s used to it, “Hey Taako, uhm, whatcha doin’?”
“I'm singin’ to Mr Mongoose,” Taako smiles and continues to hum.
“Can he understand you?” Barry asks, hovering an itsy bit closer.
“'Course he can, I speak Mongoose-ese,” Taako says easily.
“Wow, really? That's so cool,” Barry says in awe, before he glumly adds, “I can't speak anything but Common.”
“I could teach you!” Taako says happily, “Look, see, this is how you say ‘hello.’”
He waves, and makes a weird growly sound and clicks his teeth.
“Oh, that, uhm, doesn't sound very friendly,” Barry says nervously, “Also kinda hard.”
“You get used to it,” Taako shrugs, “But Mr Mongoose understands me, so I just talk normal.”
“Can he speak common?”
“Yeah, but only I can hear him because he's- he's so quiet and my elf ears are sensitive. That's what Angus always says, and he's very smart.”
“Like how I'm the only one who can hear Lup!” Barry beams, “That's so cool!”
“Yeah, Lup n Mr Mongoose are so so cool!” For a moment, Taako wants to add that Mr Mongoose is cooler, of course, but he doesn't feel like it. Barry is already sensitive enough about her. Besides, he feels like, maybe, Lup is the cooler one. But only a little bit.
“Do you wanna, uhm… do you wanna play? I know you're having your quiet time. Mom told me about it. So you don't, uhh, have to-”
“Sure!” Taako stands up and adjusts his hat, “What do you like to play?”
“Uhm, I have a… uhm, a science kit,” Barry stammers, “It has beakers and a magnifying glass and some rocks and some other stuff.”
“Ew, nerd stuff,” Taako giggles.
“H-hey!” Barry cries, “Mom says it's not nice to call people that!”
“But you are a nerd,” Taako insists, “You're so smart and you like science stuff. Angus is a nerd too, and he's the bestest .”
“Oh,” Barry says, like he never considered it, “I guess that's true. Does that mean… you like me?”
“Yeah! You're my friend!” Taako smiles, and he knows Barry would be smiling so big if he had a face, “Can I eat the rocks? For you science spearmint?”
“Magnus tried to do that, but Mom wouldn't let him,” Barry laughed.
“'Course he did, Magnus would eat anything!”
They play with Barry’s science kit (or ‘nerd kit,’ as Taako called it) for a while, but Miss Lucretia called all of them to the tables for Arts n Crafts time. She sets several bowls of dry pasta on each table, and tells the kids they can glue the noodles to the paper to make shapes. Taako bounces eagerly in his seat, and Barry floats next to him. “Whatcha gonna make?”
“Uhh,” Taako looks at the blank piece of construction paper in front of him and frowns, “I dunno.”
“Oh, that’s okay,” Barry reassures him, “I’d make a bell.”
“You wouldn’t make a measury-thing?” Taako asks, as he glues his noodles on in a lumpy circle.
“A beaker? I, uhm, guess I could,” Barry shrugs his ghostly shoulders, which Taako thinks is pretty cool, “But I really like bells, they’re pretty.”
“Like the one’s from Candlenights?” Taako asks, because those are the only ones he knows about.
“No, like, uhm, the ones that have a handle and you can go, uhhh, ‘ding-a-ling-a-ling’ with,” Barry explains, “Oh, that sounded really silly.”
“Wow Barry, that sounded just like a bell!” Magnus exclaims, though nobody even asked him what he thought. “Nice rock, Taako! I made a cup!”
“It’s not just a rock,” Taako huffs.
“Oh, then what is it?” Merle asks, also comin’ over and saying stuff without anyone saying he could.
“It’s, uhhhhh,” Taako looks around on the table for anything to save him. He spots a bottle of pink glitter, and grins, picking it up and liberally pouring some on his macaroni art, “It’s a magic rock, goofus.”
“Wow!!” Magnus looks at the ‘rock’ in awe, “I wanna make my cup magic, can I??”
“Me too!” Merle says, “I want my belt to be magic.”
“Davenport!” Davenport adds, holding out his construction paper for Taako to glitter.
By the end of their arts and crafts time, everyone’s macaroni art, and hands, and hair, and… everywhere has glitter. Miss Lucretia isn’t happy about it, but Taako doesn’t really care. He made a pretty magic rock, and everyone thinks it’s so neat, but especially Barry. He promises that next time, he can make him a magic bell.
When Angus and June pick him up from daycare later that day, Taako is beaming. He waves to Barry as he leaves and starts humming his happy song.
“Sounds like you had fun today,” Angus says as he takes Taako's hand, “Did you play with that lich kid today?”
Taako stops to glare at Angus, ears laid back, “His name is Barry. “He doesn't like it when people talk about him bein’ a lich, it makes him sad.”
“You're right, that was my bad,” Angus apologized, “But I didn't know he was your friend.”
“He's my Barold,” Taako says matter-of-factly, “He's really cool, and smart, he’s just shy.”
“Well, it's that you two get along,” Angus says, “Maybe we could invite him and Miss Lucretia over for lunch and a playdate. How does that sound?”
“That sounds so so good!” Taako exclaims. Then, he adds in a much more serious tone, “Just don't ask them so many questions, like when you're at work. It might make him nervous.”
“Okay buddy, I promise,” Angus crosses his heart with his free hand.
That night, Taako is so happy to get ready for bed, because it means he can invite Barry over for a playdate when he goes to daycare in the morning.