Babysitting from Forbidden Ruins

This is the last kind if thing Edelweiss would've expected on his way home.

Four little...they're not sure what they are, actually, but they just spawned right in front of them out of nowhere as they're trying to get home. All he can stare at them for a moment, trying to register what happened literally right in front of their eyes.

The creatures' eyes and smaller halves of their bodies are glowing, bright neon colors to look similar to spin paintings. One that looks like a sleepy aquatic creature comes up first from the pig-pile of them on the ground, holding its head with one of its limbs—Ed isn't actually sure what part of it does what.

It looks around a moment, then looks at Ed, probably just as startled as Ed was when first seeing them all. He can't actually tell how many there are when they're all bundled like this, there are too many colors to tell.

The creature makes a squeak of surprise, burrowing itself back in with the others. Clearly, Ed notes to themself, the poor thing doesn't want to be seen. That, or its more scared than they'd anticipated.

“Hey,” Ed says to the pile softly, getting down lower. When the creature burrowed itself with the others, it stirred a different one with a lot of legs, bright pinks and blues on its other half with eyes a neon green. It catches their attention a little more than the first, though it’s also much more jittery, scurrying back into its not-so-seeable position from before.

Ed may not have a single clue what these things are, but they sure are intrigued. 

A different, now, one that also seems curious, appears from the group cautiously, albeit definitely more adventurous than the first two. As that one steps closer, another pops his head up—and a big head it is.

They be sue to keep heir attention ok the one stepping closer to them, holding still and being quiet as to not startle him he little thing. When close enough, the creature sniffs their pincer, then their antenna, before jumping around excitedly, similar to that of a pet when their owner comes home after a long day. It catches Ed by surprise, but certainly isn't complaining—they didn’t think any of them would be so happy to see him.

The second from the pile, with the green eyes, appears again, still incredibly cautious but at least taking a chance. It’s with this one, though, that Ed finally realizes they’re about the same height as the creatures in front of them—though the others seem much younger than him. They must be children of their species, they suspect.

In a sudden way of vulnerability, the creature rubs its face against Ed’s softly, as though betting itself against them. They smile as a soft laugh escapes their throat, the other two coming to join the rest—still slow, but now as much. When they’re gathered with the other two, the four creatures form something of a cuddle pile on top of Ed, and they’re glad the creatures deem him trustworthy.

Still, he does need to get home.

"As cute as this is,” Ed begins, standing from their kneeling position, “I do have to get going, and you should too. You all get home, and I’ll try to find you again soon, yeah?”

A sudden crackle in the sky catches Ed’s attention, and they watch as a huge bolt of what looks like lightning vanishes from the sky—not appears, no, for it seemed it was there since long before he noticed. It clicks to them, then, that that’s probably where these guys came from.

His suspicion is confirmed when he looks at their scared, sad expressions—if they work any way like he and his friends do, it looks like they may cry if they’re capable.

“Whoa, hey, hey,” Ed says softly, kneeling again. “It's gonna be okay, yeah? I’ll—I’ve got you for the time being. Y’know what? Come with me, we’ll figure something out.”

I'm gonna regret this, they think to themself as the four cheer around him, but it’s the best he can do for now.

He smiles at the four, standing again.

“I've gotta get home anyway, so you guys follow me.”

Even if they can’t speak—or if they can, they don’t—they can at least understand him, and they get to excitedly hopping along beside him. When their legs brush against him, he realizes now the just kind if feel like a cold, gel, nothing.

A few moments pass of awkward silence, and Ed isn’t sure how much they can take.

“So," they say suddenly, breaking the quiet, “do you guys have names or anything?”

He receives a few blank stares, though the one with green eyes and pink-and-blue markings is more confused than anything.

“I’ll take that as a no,” he contemplates, feeling the gaze of the others around him as they continue to walk.

They look at the four creatures, and it's the long one that approaches him first that something begins to click.

“You look like you should get a short name,” he ponders aloud, the creature getting giddy at the idea. They tap their chin with their pincers for a moment before a metaphorical lightbulb pops into their head.

“How do you feel about Karm for a name?”

The long creature, now Karm, spins excitedly in a circle one or twice, showing off its big smile—Ed noticed only then that this one in particular has an angler antennae.

“Sounds good then,” Ed laughs, looking at the other three. He settles on the onewith a large head and small tail next to him, his eyes a like green. 

“You, big buy, look like someone who could use a cool D name. D, D, D, D….”

They contemplate some smore, this one being harder than before. Fortunately, however, they are really good with naming things.

“Desnir?”

The big-headed creature closes its eyes in contentment, and Ed could almost see a blush if it were to be anyone else.

“Desnir it is, then. Dez for short, as long as that’s fine with you.”

The neon-green-eyed one is looking at them expectantly before they can even look at the creature again, and somehow the markings give him an idea instantly.

“You look like a Spiro to me.”

Now Spiro fives a similar reaction, a slight leap in the air with contented, closed eyes.

“Sounds good then, Spiro. Now, for you,” he completes, looking to his other side to see the first one he saw originally. It doesn’t look like it has much energy at all, like it could sleep the entire day if it were allowed. 

“You remind me of someone I’ve seen before.”

He stares for only another few seconds before a simple answer reaches their head.

“I like Charles for you.”

Charles gives a sleepy smile, leaning against Ed a little more. Throughout the naming conversation —as much of a conversation as it could’ve been, with the other four not speaking—the crew arrives at their home, and Ed allows the kids to pass through first. 

“Exploring can be for tomorrow,” they settle before the four can get a chance to snoop around. “For now: bed. Y’all can stay with me if you’d like until I can get you something—or the couch, or the floor, however you're comfortable.”

With the short walk to their room, they settle into bed wordlessly. After a few seconds or so, he hears shifting and very quiet sounds, and then he feels the cool, gel, nothingness on either side of them, and near his feet. Karm is lying at their feet, he notices when he looks around, Charles near his head, Spiro just below him, and Dez takes up he entire other side.

Ed smiles fondly as he feels the others getting comfortable and falling asleep around him.

“Goodnight, you guys,” he mumbles tiredly, already getting attached to the crew already. “Sleep well.”