Childcare

Challenge #04497-L113: Tiny Teaching Moment

A small child once again tried to swipe Wraithvine's hat. A common enough occurrence. What was uncommon was how protective the tiny dragon that lived on hir hat with it's tiny 'hoard' of a single gold coin, got of the child. -- Anon Guest

[AN: Corrected Wraithvine's gender in this prompt]

Walking sticks and wizards' hats are irresistably attractive to small children. Many is the king or other holder of a crown who has had to shoo a tiny toddler off the royal throne. At least one let the kid attempt to lift their shiny, fancy hat.

Heavy may be the head that wears one, but the crown itself is a weighty burden, too.

Wraithvine was used to having hir hat abducted by some scurrying giggle who had just learned how to run. Ze generally let them have the game before using some magic to retrieve hir property. It was such a common occurrance that Wraithvine forgot about the other entity using hir hat.

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Challenge #04479-L095: A Safe Space

Some children were playing hide and seek and one ended up in the king's private offices without permission by mistake. But the king, despite the child's fear, didn't get mad. He did suggest safer areas to play though. -- Anon Guest

Whitekeep Castle was large, labyrinthine, and full of secrets. It was also full of staff taking care of it. Some lived there, true, but their accommodations were much less impressive than the King's. The one thing they all had in common

Challenge #04448-L064: Completely Unsupervised Chaos

You can't control chaos, don't even try. So what makes you think you can control the humans? -- Anon Guest

The Humans, as always, have a song that fits... even if it only fits slightly. There's a hold-up in the Bronx/ Brooklyn's broken out in fights/ There's a traffic jam in Harlem that's backed up to Jackson Heights/ There's a scout troop short a child/ Khrushchev's due in Idlewild... The meaning's been lost to the centuries, but it does contain the moral

Challenge #04418-L034: The Necessity of Wandering

The family asks Wraithvine to be the god-parental to the quadruplets, and they visit from time to time to help teach magic, and just to enjoy the company of family.

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-04340-k322-a-pound-of-protection -- Anon Guest

[AN: Had to make a correction in the prompt over a minor detail]

"A goodparent," Wraithvine repeated. "I am a wandering thorn in various evils' sides. We've done what we can to protect them while they're vulnerable, but... there's reasons why I wander.

Challenge #04346-K328: Early Childcare

There's something to be said about need being the parental of invention. A small, sharp needle, some thin wire, and a lot of imagination can move mountains. -- Anon Guest

[AN: A little elementary research has shown me that the concept of a fastening device that doesn't hurt its wearer is older than you think it is. Look up fibula brooches. You're welcome.]

There's something to be said about loving another to the point of invention. Loving someone so much that creating

Challenge #04266-K248: Mistaken Identity

The small child nearly crashed into Gikka and stepped on the disguised Bibrid to hide among Wraithvine's robes. When gently asked the fear, the child admitted to playing in the house despite their mother's warnings, and breaking a window.

"Mommie's gonna be SO mad!"

"Oh child, you know, if you tell her you're sorry, and admit what you did, I bet she won't be mad long." -- The New Guy

It was raining, but not heavily enough to drive people indoors or

Challenge #04264-K246: Thanks Enough

Despite your aversions, you did this... for me?

"All life is precious, but, I knew you could not survive on plants."

And for my children.

"You were ill, I'm just glad my poor skills were enough."

Thank you. You're the first human I've ever met that has ever been this kind.

"You're welcome, my friend."

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-04162-k144-help-to-all-in-need -- Lessons

Many omnivores who choose a herbivorous diet seem to believe that everything can subsist on a herbivorous diet. Those

Challenge #04162-K144: Help to All in Need

The human had helped nurse the very, very sick dragon back to health. The dragon'd had trouble laying her eggs and it'd taken a toll on her. They stayed to help the dragon, as did their family, and when the eggs hatched, the human and hir family helped the dragon raise their brood, so that all children, human and dragon, knew the love and warmth of a big family. -- Anon Guest

If you believe that all life is precious, truly and

Challenge #04119-K101: Unplanned Landscaping Incident

The dragon was young, admittedly, only about a 100 human years. It tended to rampage, but so far not in any place where cogniscent beings lived. But it was only a matter of time. A much, MUCH, older dragon decided to put a stop to such behaviors firmly. Before it caused a ruckus that would end up risking other dragons lives. -- Anon Guest

Ze called hirself Remrot, like all young Dragons, ze liked a name with a bit of edge. In

Challenge #04017-J364: Chaos in the Domicile

The parental is injured and their companion friend is trying to get a rambunctious 4 yr old into the bath. -- Anon Guest

"No, no, no, no, NO!" Kindergartener Eyn ran squealing through their domicile, bouncing off of anything and everything, including their Prime Rennie, Quie.

Who was currently flopped on the family couch, on heavy medication, and waiting enough energy to make it all the way to the matrimonial sleep nook. "Ow!" She missed the grab. "Menace... Mama's already had a

Challenge #04007-J355: Essential Operations

Wraithvine and friends are asked to help teach apprentice healers who are going to be assigned to local orphanages to help care for the kids and keep them healthy. Some of the children come up to them with torn, or otherwise damaged, stuffies and ask the healers to please treat their "friends". -- Anon Guest

In any large enough city, it's no accident that Healer's schools are in close proximity to the orphanages or poorhouses. They are, after all, the places that

Challenge #03912-J260: Games That Neophytes Play

A giggling toddler swipes Wraithvine's hat when it was set on the ground. They run around camp trying to wear it and, well, be a typical silly, happy, toddler. -- Anon Guest

Certain happenstances are universal. If you have a less-than ordinary accessory and put it down, the nearest toddler is going to steal it for laughs. Cane? A toddler is going to take it and run away laughing. Cloak? The toddler is going to become the campsite blanket monster. Funny hat?

Challenge #03863-J211: Lucky They Were There

The child stood in the hall screaming high and shrill red-faced. Jay and Lilicoon find the child and get them to some help. Why is the child screaming? The place was very, very, crowded, and they'd lost track of the parents. -- The New Guy

It was too loud thanks to a fault in the nearest air circulation fans. They created a shrieking din so cacophonous that it was hard to hear oneself think. The local engineers were working on it, but

Challenge #03755-J102: The Best Hat in the World

Wraithvine and friends were riding in a carriage to the next village. A small child kept giggling, trying to swipe the pointed hat, wanting to wear it. The parent sighed with patience trying to get the somewhat rambunctious toddler to settle. -- Anon Guest

Gikka had to ride on the roof, under the close watch of the carriage guard. Strodius was wedged into a corner and incapable of movement. The Hellkin next to him was barely capable of crochet. There was one

Challenge #03742-J089: Just Keep Them Occupied

A family begs Wraithvine to babysit two very hyper kids so they can go and gather in the crops. Normally the mother would watch the children, but she is feeling very ill. Needless to say, at naptime, Wraithvine has no problem getting the kids to sleep. -- The New Guy

[AN: My RNG gender picker wound up with "he/hims" all the way down, so it's Papa and Dad running the farm in this story]

The triplets were far too young to

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A 40-post collection

Challenge #04497-L113: Tiny Teaching Moment

Challenge #04479-L095: A Safe Space

Challenge #04448-L064: Completely Unsupervised Chaos

Challenge #04418-L034: The Necessity of Wandering

Challenge #04346-K328: Early Childcare

Challenge #04266-K248: Mistaken Identity

Challenge #04264-K246: Thanks Enough

Challenge #04162-K144: Help to All in Need

Challenge #04119-K101: Unplanned Landscaping Incident

Challenge #04017-J364: Chaos in the Domicile

Challenge #04007-J355: Essential Operations

Challenge #03912-J260: Games That Neophytes Play

Challenge #03863-J211: Lucky They Were There

Challenge #03755-J102: The Best Hat in the World

Challenge #03742-J089: Just Keep Them Occupied