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Paracelsus was a lot of things... But a babysitter was never one he thought he'd be adding to the list.
He sat on the couch as the Monad kids ran around him pretending to be Stalkers in their little game. The book he was reading was only just getting good. The main character was about to confess her feelings to the love of her life. Paracelsus was on the edge of his seat when he felt a tug on the bottom of his shirt.
He slowly lowered the book and looked down to find little Gemini there staring up at him with big innocent eyes. He pointed his little finger towards Sophia, telling on her with that action.
The alchemist looked toward the little girl and squeaked in surprise when he laid eyes on her. The entire lower half of her face was smeared with lipstick, which she no doubt found in her mother's things.
He got up quickly and went over to scoop the girl up into his arms. He might've looked frail to anyone who saw him but he had the strength of a farmer. He held the child on his hip and smoothed some hair back from her face with his hand.
"Do you want to tell me what's on your face?" He asked Sophia gently. She looked at him with a big smile.
"Wipstick," she answered, seeming proud of herself. Paracelsus arched a brow.
"And why are you wearing lipstick?" He asked her.
"To look pwetty!" She said sweetly. The alchemist sighed and shook his head.
"That's only for grown ups," he told her. "Come on, let's go get you cleaned up." He began to carry her to the bathroom.
"When I gwow up, I want to be a fairy!" She was telling him.
"How practical," he commented with dry sarcasm.
"Pwacable...?" The girl asked as he set her down on the washroom counter and turned on the sink.
"Practical," the alchemist corrected as he grabbed a clean towel and wet it under the water for a moment. "It means..." He was taking the towel to the girl's face, gently wiping the makeup off of her when he heard a sudden wailing from the other room.
His hair practically stood on end with how it startled him.
"What now?" He whined to himself as he turned the faucet off and lowered the girl back down to the floor. "Stay here, I'll be right back." He handed Sophia the towel and left to check on the others.
He found Gemini sobbing in the middle of the floor while Lea stood over him with wide eyes.
"W-What's going on?" Paracelsus asked nervously, coming to kneel beside the young boy.
"I didn't do it," was the first thing out of Lea's mouth. That was suspicious enough that the alchemist automatically didn't believe her. He looked the boy over for injuries and didn't see any.
"Gemini, why are you crying?" He asked, smoothing the boy's red hair down with his hand.
Gemini looked up at him with fat tears in his eyes. He sniffled and managed to say in a thick voice, "Lea broke Mr. Meow..." He showed the alchemist his cat plushie with its arm ripped in half.
The alchemist raised a hand to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose. All of that crying was for a plushie...
"I didn't!" Lea said, stomping her foot. "I wanted to play with Mr. Meow too and he wouldn't let go!"
"Well now no one is playing with Mr. Meow because he's going to the doctor," Paracelsus said, snatching the thing away from them. The kids both started complaining but he held the plush out of their reach. "I will fix him only if you behave." He pointed at them both, giving them a look.
Gemini sniffled and Lea pouted but neither of them argued.
"Good. Now how about you two go get ready for story-time," he suggested. "I'll be in after I get your sister." He turned to go back to Sophia but noticed she had followed him there. She still had a little spot of makeup left on her cheek.
"How pwacable," she said, trying to speak like him.
The alchemist gave her the plushie to hold and scooped her up into his arms again. She was easily his favourite of the three children but he wouldn't admit that in front of them.
"Yes, how practical," he said, smiling. He balanced her on his hip again as he licked his thumb and rubbed the spot of lipstick he missed. "You're much prettier with a clean face, little fairy."
Sophia giggled happily and hugged around his neck. He carried her over to the couch where the other two munchkins were waiting and he sat down between them, letting Sophia sit on his lap. Then he took the plushie back.
"Hand me my bag Lea, if you'd please," he said. She nodded her head and slid off the couch to grab the handles of the carpet bag that sat on the floor. It was heavy and she struggled to pull it closer to the alchemist. He chuckled.
"Perhaps you should give her a hand Gemini," he suggested. The boy blinked his wide eyes and was about to get up when Lea glared at him.
"No! I can do it!" She exclaimed as she got behind the bag and started to push it towards Paracelsus's legs. "Why's it so heavy?"
"I keep a lot of things in there," he told her. Once it was within reach, he leaned over and plucked it off the ground. "Thank you Lea."
He opened the bag and began to root around in it. He pulled out three candies, handing one off to each of the children and watching them squeal with delight. Then he found what he was looking for- a travel sewing kit. He opened it up and took out the supplies he needed to mend the plushie for the children.
"So, what kind of story do we want today? I could tell you about the Princess trapped in the tower, or I could tell you about the mermaid who traded her voice away..."
The kids huddled close around him, listening to the alchemist's stories with wide eyed awe. They never once thought that one day their lives would become one of those grim fairytales...