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 Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2022 9:16 am
Mene Hadassah made he way to the part of the Nursery where the tots were kept. Another of the acorns had emerged and she had an infant for them. Hadassah loved babies but she was not prepared to care for them. She smiled, noticing Anise was working today. "Good morning," she said, adjusting the infant on her hip. "Another one came in the night," she said apologetically. There had been a veritable baby boom in the Tree and poor Anise didn't have much help in the Nursery. Dai Anise was finishing up with her morning Nursery duties - those who had come from acorns has just finished taking their morning meals, she had gathered linen to send off to be cleaned, and she was otherwise preparing the place to receive it's so-called 'commuters' - those borne to and living with their parent or parents. She wasn't quite finished when she heard the door open earlier than expected - had the morning meal even begun yet? - and turned to see a familiar face. One of the Gardeners. Normally she would have been genuinely excited at the prospect of being visited, but... these last two seasons had been terribly busy.
"Oh... Laisidhiel has graced us with another one?" Despite her pleasant smile and energy, she couldn't keep the strain from her voice.
She bit her lip slightly to keep her smile as Hadassah confirmed it.
"Well... No matter." Anise was about to pull her hair out, but the spirits were truly testing her with such a challenge... or so she tried to convince herself. "Have they already been seen by the healers to check their health, or should I put out a call for them to come later in the day?" Mene Hadassah shook her head. "I came in this morning and she was rolling around. I brought her here straight away." After a thoughtful pause, she continued, "I can call on the healers instead if it'd be helpful. I know you've got your hands full here." She looked around. "In fact, if you want I can stay for a while to help out," she offered. Dai "Oh, and another girl at that?" How had this season's gender-ratios ended up working out so far? Was it skewed or even? There were so many... she really couldn't keep up anymore. "Having her checked isn't anything urgent - it's pretty rare one hatches sick or becomes so this quickly. Really it's more of a courtesy to them for when they some day have to care for them." No faun was without injury or illness forever - none but Earthmother anyways.
Anise perked up at the suggestion. "Really?! Oh by the spirits that would really help! Are you sure you have the time though?" Mene Hadassah bit her bottom lip to keep her composure. Anise was far too beautiful to be this stressed. She shrugged gently. "Acorns don't generally disappear," she joked. "And in another couple hours someone else is supposed to show up anyway. I could leave a note." She shifted the baby again and booped her little nose. Dai Anise pouted slightly. "You say that, but every once and a while some faun from outside the tree just... shows up! You heard about that new girl right? Her two girls should be arriving with their brothers at some point pretty soon - both mother and father have pretty early work schedules." Course they were a -touch- more complicated, and sometimes the father of their brothers dropped the girls off, but no matter.
"But I know better than to look a gift deer in the mouth - thanks a bunch!" She walked over and offered to pick up the newhatch (variant of newborn idk).
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Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2022 9:20 am
Mene Hadassah offered the little one to Anise and put her hands on her hips. "What can I do to help?" She asked. Dai "Hmm..." She looked around and gestured to the play place. "If you could get some of the toys and blankets out and start setting up the coloring space, that'd be really helpful. I'll get this little one set up in a crib. Let me know if you need anything." She started to walk and then turned back. "By the way, have the Gardeners already given her a name, or shall I?" Mene Hadassah nodded as Anise spoke, watching as she gestured toward what Hadassah assumed were the things she would need. "Got it," she said with two thumbs up. She started toward the play pen, then looked back.
"No, I hadn't named her yet," she responded. "Why don't you name her? You always come up with nice ones." Hadassah offered a smile. Dai Well s**t, guess that's another thing I have to do now...
Anise smiled back at Hadassah and nodded. "Will do, thank you," and took exactly one step before turning back around, "Has she eaten yet this morning?" Mene Spirits, Anise did have a lot going on. "Yes," she said with a nod. "I wasn't sure when she'd come out last night so I fed her as soon as I saw her, maybe half hour, hour ago?"
Hadassah started tidying up the play space, folding up blankets and stacking them with pillows. Then she pulled a small table and chairs out and, after a brief search, put out crayons and paper.
Anise wasn't back yet, though, so she looked around for something else to do. She picked up the stack of blankets and pillows with ease and set them outside the play area, where they would be easily accessible if someone needed them, but not in the way right now. Dai "Okay good, thank you." Anise left Had to continue with her tasks and left to get the newhatch situated near the others. She found an open crib with a sheet pulled taunt over the cushion and laid the child in it, then moved to find some cloth to use as a diaper and a little mobile to attach to the side to entertain the tot. As much as she'd like to add a blanket, it held a risk of suffocating the newborn if they got tangled up in it.
One and two and she got the little one good to go. Now a name... Hmm... Getting a little card and some charcoal, she spelled out "CLOVER" before tying it to the side of the crib, officially marking it as hers.
Normally would be when she'd prepare the play area, but since that was being taken care of... Oh, she better check on that. Returning, she gasped lightly at how everything was already set up. "Oh goodness...! You sure you wouldn't prefer to work in the Nursery instead?" Anise teased.
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Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2022 9:22 am
Mene Hadassah gave a soft laugh, then blushed and rubbed the back of her neck. "It's no trouble, always happy to help where I can...what should I do next?" she asked. As much as she'd love to see Anise all day long, and play with babies, her calling was for the Acorns.
She wondered about asking Anise to have dinner with her sometime, but now didn't seem like the time. She was too busy. Hadassah didn't want to give her something else to stress out about. Dai "Hmm... Let's see..." She figured it'd probably be a bit rude to ask her to help with checking the live-in's diapers, so what instead... Oh, idea! "Would it be too much trouble to ask you to put away the decorations from Heart's and Hooves?" She'd already boxed them up, but hadn't gotten around to storing the boxes yet, given they were quite heavy and she was quite busy. "You can find them behind my desk and... Have I shown you where storage is? I don't remember... Either way, the room is over there - just find a spot and make sure the label is facing outwards so we can find them again next year." Mene "Sure thing," said Hadassah. Lifting things was a perfect job for her. "And after that? Should I just find you?"
After hearing the response, Hadassah made her way to Anise's desk and, finding the marked boxes, lifted them up onto her shoulder to carry so she'd still be able to see in front of her. She hummed to herself as she found her way to the storage room, smiling as she dodged a couple of playing tots, oblivious to the adult in their midst. She found a spot for them easily and put them away, label facing outward as directed.
On her way to the next thing, Hadassah noticed a toddler sniffling by themselves. Looking around and seeing that no adult was available, she walked over to the little one and crouched down a short distance away. "Hey. I'm Hadassah. Can I sit with you?" Her voice was warm, comforting, and gentle. Dai "No no, I'll come find you! Or you can just leave if you need to and I'll get the idea. Thanks again!" And so Anise went, checking some tots, cleaning some off and changing little cloth diapers and replacing dirty sheets, until she had a basket ready to send to be washed. She'd normally have done it herself, but it simply wasn't a priority with how busy they were.
She sprayed it with some liquid deodorizer and carried it near the door, then set it down with a wipe of the brow.
Now then... Where was...?
Anise turned around and began to look through the Nursery to see if Had was still here, and smiled softly as she saw her cheering up a little one. Very cute. She'd wait until they were done so as to not ruin their moment. Mene When Anise had found her, Hadassah was sitting next to the little one, telling them a story. She was just about finished up. At the end of her story, she put her hands on her knees and regarded the tot. "Are you ready to join your friends again? I've got some chores to do. You are? I'm so glad." She helped the tot up and watched as they ran to rejoin the rest of the group, then walked over to Anise. "I got the boxes!" she said cheerfully. "What's next?" She felt great. She never got this much done in the Garden. Dai Now that just touched her little heart. "You suuuuuure you don't want to jump branches and join the Nursery?" She was mostly joking, which she showed by following up with some laughs. "Thank you so much for that! And honestly... That's basically it other than some light cleaning. Last thing is waiting for the dirty laundry to be picked up."
"But if you're not careful, I'm sure I could find a use for you when the majority of the children start trickling in... Should be relatively soon..."
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Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2022 9:24 am
Mene Aw, finished so soon? Hadassah had really been enjoying herself. She laughed and shook her head. "As much fun as it's been, I've got a calling for Acorns." She smiled with an apologetic shrug. "I'm always happy to help, though," she added.
Ask her out. Aaaaaaaask herrrrrr ouuuuuut.
"Say, Anise, um..." She blushed and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "You wouldn't want to get lunch together sometime, would you?" She glanced up hopefully. Dai Anise shrugged back with a simple, "Oh well," and then a smile. "Thanks! Come in the morning or evening and I'm sure I could put you to work."
Oh dear, this was awkward. Anise clapped her hands together apologetically. "Sorry! Lunch is -really- a bad time - we need all hands on deck from feeding up until we put them down for their naps in the early afternoon. Especially right now... There are just so many young ones..."
She really could use another couple of colleagues. Mene Hadassah couldn't conceal her disappointment. She nodded a few times, clasping her hands behind her back. "No, yeah, I understand." She tried a smile. "I'll be by again soon to see how I can help," she promised. Dai Well now Anise felt darn terrible, but there was nothing that could be done until either Laisidhiel calmed down with her blessings or they got some more help around here. So just followed up with a, "I'd love that, and I'm sorry again."
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