Chapter 19: Teething problems

Chapter 19: Teething problems

"Watching teething babies is like watching over a thermonuclear reactor - it is best done in shifts, by well-rested people."

Anthony Doerr

Turns out I'm having teething problems in more ways than one.

First off my teeth are coming in and boy is it painful. I'm actually leveling my Pain Tolerance off of this.

Second, they have nothing to chew on here to help with the pain, frustration, and general annoyance that new teeth are.

Third and most importantly I made a mistake and I am now being watched not quite in shifts, but by several more people now.

I thought it would be fun to sing along with my mother a little. I'm six months old now so talking is within the realms of possibility. Even if I still don't fully understand what it is I am saying when singing along I thought it would be nice to sing along with her and my sister.

I always loved the idea that before a child talks they sing, before they write they draw, and as soon as they stand they dance. That ultimately art is an intrinsic part of human expression and the first to be expressed. After all, everything real had to be imagined first.

Thought it would be a lovely line in my legend.

A mini Mozart in the making.

And it was . . .

for all of a day.

My mother laughed and sang all the more, my sister joined in more often and we even had an impromptu concert for when father came home.

All was well.

I was proud of showing off some of my skills, even if I have a long way to go before I can call myself Pavarotti.

However, pride cometh before a fall.

It seems that the Grandparents found out. Suddenly we have been seeing a lot more of them. I am being watched a little closer and I don't think it is because of my teething problems.

They always popped around once a week on average before now. But generally, I was napping or pretending to nap when they have visited so they never seemed to pay much attention to me other than seeming to enjoy the fact that they have a grandchild they don't have to spend all their time looking after.

Now though, they are interested.

I am prodded awake if I'm pretending to be napping when they visit.

And kept awake if I try to fall asleep while they are here.

They are suddenly taking an interest in how far I can walk and all the other baby milestones. Like whether or not I can run which I was still hiding from them.

Most of all though they are encouraging me to sing.

Through all manner of methods.

Though it seems to vary between the two sets of grandparents.

My father's wealthier parents seem happy to offer sweets for singing and I have had my first ever taste of sugar in this world. I've never had a sweet tooth and I'm sure that sugar can't be too good for my brand new baby teeth so I'm not overly impressed but the message is obvious singing equals sweets from them.

How easily we become bored. Or rather how quickly I forget what it was like to be completely alone in the womb. There is so much more to do out here. But I still want to do more, to move more, and to see more.

Communication will be key.

I need to be able to say more than Mama, Dada, Yes, and No.

I need to be able to ask what and why and understand their responses in return.

True Status

Level: 9

Name: Kai

Experience: 39,000/ 102,400

Age: 6 months 2 weeks 4 days 12 hr 10 min

Health: 1020/1020 Stamina: 433/433 Mana: 340/340

Trait: Long-lived

Vitality: 102

Endurance: 17

Strength: 17

Dexterity: 17

Senses: 42

Mind: 97

Clarity: 29

Magic: 34

Free Points: 10

Skills: Time sense (LV 15) Listening (LV 14) Meditation (LV 14) Sense Mana (LV 14) Swimming (LV 14) Eavesdrop (LV 14) Memorisation (LV 14) Echolocation (LV 14) Recall (Lv14) Composition (Lv 14) Mind fortress (Lv 14) Expel Mana (Lv 14) Absorb Mana (Lv 14) Mana Drain (Lv 6) Pain tolerance (Lv 5) Humming (Lv 14) Sneak (Lv 10) Whistling (Lv 14) Singing (Lv 14) and Drumming (Lv 14) Piano (Lv 14), Violin (Lv 14), Trombone (Lv 14), Saxophone (Lv 14) Running (Lv 1)

Skill experience: 14,300

Origin experience: 10,000

Combat experience: 0

Crafting experience: 90

Shall I try talking next?