In Time for Tea

“For sure, I’ve visited heaps of them myself just in general. I’ve learned something new each time.” Nero thought that he could easily make some time for such a visit— maybe make it easier by calling in a few owed favors here and there so that he had nothing to worry about.

When it came to confirming the existence of the baby, Nero gently waved to the magical rune screen as his eyes turned gold in the literal blink of his eyes. “Heh, hey there, little one.” Of course, the infant couldn't yet hear their own father, but upon speaking, the green-turquoise-blue shape moved a little, and their energy somehow became ever so slightly easier to sense. “Woah...”

Like Zhalla, even with the tears of joy streaming down his face, Nero couldn’t help but give a wide sparkling grin as his hair gracefully flowed from brown to white, sideburns and facial hair on his chin returning as well. “Hell yeah!!” Nero took a deep breath and reared his head back before he let out an enthusiastic howl as he tried to wrangle Zhalla and Bagapa into a big hug. Bagapa wasn’t about to complain, if Nero hadn’t done that, he himself was going to! “Ahaha! Now I am greater grandpa! Marvelous! Ohohoho!”

After being let go, Bagapa gestured for Nero to hand the cane back over, and the Saiyan did so immediately. “Now, I answer questions. I think it is... Hmm. Slightly over three months.” As for anything further, Bagapa held their chin in thought as he watched over the imagery before him. “For a Namekian, there is no indicator of masculinity, femininity or anything else until they hatch, or even after a few weeks. For your child, it is slightly different. Though not fully developed, there are indicators of masculinity, so it is a safe bet that this child of yours is a boy.”

“I have to be the greatest for my great grandson! Hm!” Bagapa triumphantly declared. Nero meanwhile just gently stroked Zhalla’s hair during the hug. If Bagapa was going to be the greatest great grandpa, then Nero just had to be the greatest dad of all time! “One hell of a lucky kid, huh?” Alongside Nero and Bagapa, this kid was gonna have the rest of the family too; the greatest family there could ever be.

“No problems, no problems! Anything for family.” Bagapa nodded sagely as he looked to the runes and the parents-to be. “Would you like to keep the runes? I will teach Nero exactly how to use them so you can both check any time you want.” He asked both of them, patiently waiting for the consensus that they would reach. “I think I’d like that. Zhalla?” Leaving it to her, Nero simply relaxed as she rested her head on his shoulder.

When it came to preparing for the baby, Nero already had a few ideas on what to do. He could make most of what they needed himself— hand crafted items of high quality, it all had to be worthy of their future kid.

Aside from that, Zhalla made a good point, the child needed a name. As soon as Zhalla mentioned that, Nero seemed to go into a trance. A name.

A name.

His mind was taken back, way way back to a very early memory; one of the first things that he had ever heard. The voices of his birth parents. It was something he could never forget. The way they greeted him, the love that they gave him even before he was born was gifted to him on that day and forevermore after. Lycia, and Daucus. Their names were etched into his heart at the deepest of levels.

During this trance, in the waking world, a faint wisp of blue energy flowed out of the scar and the shaved parts of his head, looking like the hair that should have been there before. The colour of Nero’s eyes shifted once more; his pupils turned into a shining ultramarine, the gold in his eyes replaced by an opal-like white and the rings within turned three slightly different shades of blue. It was only for a moment, then his eyes snapped back to their empowered golden colour as Nero also snapped back to reality. “I have a name. Daucus.”

That was that, both Nero and Zhalla were interested in the knowledge that Bagapa offered. It would be an easy task for the wise old Namekian to teach the skills needed. “As we say; no problems! Anything for family. There is no troubles at all.” They would have to organize a time to teach Nero sometime soon. For now the confirmation was probably more than enough.

Still slightly stunned by the trance he was briefly in, Nero looked upward. It was as if he was looking at something far away— beyond the walls of the building he was in, beyond the atmosphere of Namek and out into space. Zhalla speaking up brought Nero’s attention back to her as he smiled softly. “Yeah...” He looked a bit bashful having been assertive about choosing a name without much of a discussion but Zhalla didn’t seem to mind at all. She knew what the name meant to Nero, and he was certain of that. “It’ll be a fun first birthday gift, right?” Nero said in a slight moment of jest— he had a permit for dad jokes now so he may as well use it. He also responded to Zhalla’s kiss on his cheek by doing the same in return.

Bagapa stroked his chin, he contemplated Zhalla’s offer of a snack for a moment. “Some pineapple juice would be nice if you have any? Nero can take me home after a drink.”

“Hm!” Bagapa nodded sagely. “You are welcomed!” It shouldn’t be too hard to teach Nero something like this in all fairness as far as Bagapa was concerned, the young man was a fast learner in a lot of ways.

Nero’s focus immediately returned to Zhalla and the present moment when she squeezed his hand, and he acted as if nothing really happened, as if he didn’t even notice where he was looking moments earlier. “Oh you know it. I’ll be even more of a dad joke master than anyone else has ever been!” Maybe not as much of a master as Daucus or Bard though, they were both on a completely different level.

Bagapa’s eyes bulged at the sight of a vast container filled with the juice that he requested. “Ay Porunga! I did not expect you to have this much.” He cleared his throat before continuing. “I am guessing the other hatchlings and little ones are juice enjoyers?” Bagapa gestured for Zhalla to stop pouring once the glass was about eighty percent full. “Thank you very much, Zhalla.” The elderly Namekian graciously took the glass when able and took a small sip. “Hm, hm! Yes. I always liked pineapple juices ever since I was a hatchling. My own grandpapa made a very special blend of it from ones he grew on his property. Hm. Zhalla, how about I teach you how to tend to such plants? That way Nero and yourself can learn some skills from me to help your yet-born child?”

“Bahaha! Yes, Uba and Harper! Both Nero and my daughter Zukha have spoken of those two to me before.” Bagapa was happy to hear about the two Namekian lads— and he knew that they were doing just fine, he didn’t need to even ask. After all, they had Zhalla looking after them. “I can see why you have so much of this juice now.” He nodded, taking a few more sips here and there.

Nero raised a brow when Zhalla looked to him for his opinion on Bagapa’s offer to teach her about tending to fruits. “Up to you honey. I think It’d be neat.” Plus, the idea of Zhalla taking care of a small orchard was cute, so it wasn’t as if Nero would pass that up. “No, no. Not work at all. I can do it. Ask about it whenever you like!” Bagapa reassured Zhalla and eventually finished his drink after a while.

“Okay, I should be going soon then. For now you keep the runes and the cane. I’m sure you know the basics from what I did. I will teach you everything else later, Nero.” The Namekian politely left the glass on a coaster on the bench as he stood up.

Nero stepped forward and conjured another duplicate of himself who moved to stand by Bagapa’s side and place a hand on the Namekian’s shoulder. “Right on, I’ll get you back home, gramps. Thank you for your help.” Nero gave a deep bow, and Bagapa slowly did in response as well before eventually disappearing alongside Nero’s duplicate in a flurry of glowing white leaf-like particles.

“Whew...” Nero sighed, but he had a content smile on his face. “I think I’m still hungry. Maybe I’m even more hungry now. Wanna finish up in the dining room?”

“Aaah, yes, that’s right, you’re gonna need a lot more nutrients now.” Nero took another respectable portion to eat out of everything that was still on the table. In all fairness it was a feast made for two Saiyans— which really meant cook for about six Saiyans in reality in any normal circumstances, but since it was a feast to welcome Zhalla back Nero had cooked for the equivalent of eight Saiyans. That was enough to account for a baby that hadn’t been born yet, right?

“I should cook more often then.” He was by no means an unrivalled wizard in the kitchen or anything like that but he did know how to sort out the basics and maybe even do some fancy things with the right recipe and instructions to guide him. “Got anything in mind for the next big feast? I’m thinkiiⁱⁱing_ggg... Seafood? Yanno those giant prawns you can get from a few ice-based planets? Those, but cooked up in a batter, coated in cornflakes and deep fried. Just be aware that it might take me a few tries to get it right.”

When it came to other preparations, Nero started to sway around in his seat almost, with an excited creative gleam in his eye. “I’m gonna make so much furniture.” Er... Maybe he should slow down and try a crib or something first? Nero would have to be reeled in before he goes overboard!

“You know the answer to that.” Nero gave Zhalla a straightforward and neutral expression. For all of 3 seconds before he returned to his big ol’ grin. “I’m gonna look after you even more, but you know it isn’t just for you either. It’s for Daucus too.”

Nero raised a brow when Zhalla asked if he was going to wear the apron when he cooked. “Yeah? That’s how cooking works.” Though when she blushed a little he put his hands on his hips and tilted his head a bit as he chuckled. “Zhalla, you know I almost never wear a shirt to begin with.”

Zhalla had some good ideas on what to add to the next feast as well— a nice seafood sort of thing overall would be interesting. The only thing he had to really consider was the types of desserts that would be good to pair with such things. His mother probably had a bunch of good ideas on that front so he would have to ask her later. “Or beef, or pork or maybe we keep those for other feasts, yeah?”

The creative gleam in Nero’s eyes did not subside when Zhalla tried to reel him in. Instead, she got him to focus on a single thing; the first thing she had mentioned— a crib. Nero stared at his own two hands. “I’m going to make the greatest crib in the universe.”

When it came to sharing the wonderful news, Nero spoke up immediately. “Mum first, without a doubt.” They had to, it was law. “Then Pankaa and Chime of course, if not at the same time. Patrona as well! D’you mind if she gets to make his birthday cakes or at least help out with them?”