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Chine has some serious sleep debt to pay off, and is trying to do just that when the creature wakes them up for playtime. He's groggy and slow, sure, but It really does get him fair and square!
The adoring swarm calls in the fun police when the blood starts flowing, and Duvall shows up and puts a stop to their rough-housing. But Chine is getting sort of dizzy, so if Duvall is willing to listen to chine go on about how quick and quiet it was, then they're begrudgingly willing to let him babysit.
"No Duvall, you don't understand - I track by heartbeat! Do you understand how quiet it had to be? I didn't even hear it coming!"
"Sure, very quiet and very sharp"
"SO sharp <3"
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Duvall, master of long silences, starts the day off teaching It to chill out (a hard skill to learn, but one that will hopefully help Chine get more rest in the future) - and mostly, he succeeds! They sit together all through the long foggy morning.
Eventually the fog burns off and so does It's tolerance for sitting still. Determined to make the day educational, Duvall passes It off to Marn, who has been low-key suspecting chine of neglecting to take advantage of the baby's critical learning periods - early cognitive learning exercises are important!
She's been waiting for this excuse, and thanks Duvall for wrangling it out of Chine's hands for the day. Duvall thinks she's probably right, but also that she doesn't need to be so judgmental - it's not like Chine got an instruction manual for being a new parent!
Aware of Chine's hesitancy to let him take the baby for the day, Duvall leaves behind part of himself to watch and is quickly grateful that he didn't say anything to Marn - she really knows what she's talking about! (elsewhere he takes notes, Marn says that repetition is important - and he has to admit that Chine certainly isn't going to make It do homework)
Lunch is important, too, and when the baby starts to get overwhelmed and frustrated with the barrage of new information, Auntie Es is prepared with some of the fanciest (and sweetest) treats It's ever had.
It clears the plate in moments and is hungrier than Es was prepared for, but luckily Hazard has some tricks (and cookies) up their sleeve. Finally - education that the baby can get enthusiastic about!
Unfortunately Hazard has to go back to work eventually, and the baby is left to wander.
It finds Pickman and begs her to teach it all about the Majesty of the Shape, but she doesn't understand a word it says and when It becomes insistent, things start to look dangerous.
Elsewhere, Duvall stumbles out of his room, frantic, but thankfully but Lyke is faster, and steps in before It gets sent flying.
Laughing, he offers to do the kicking for Pickman, which instantly diffuses the situation (She didn't really want to hurt the thing, but when something's nipping at her hooves... "you understand, Lye, it's just reflexive" "Of course, of course! You wouldn't done any lasting damage, I'm sure!").
Lye's stories aren't about the Shape, nor are they educational in the traditional sense, but he's got a lot of them! It seems content to listen and Lyke seems content to talk to It, so that's where It remains for the rest of the afternoon.