Zerrin had only started examining and playing with the recently awoken Arc a few minutes ago. He was curious about the cultivation phenomenon that Kelvin told him about, yet no matter how hard he pushed his Xan, he could see no signs of the energy around him being disturbed. He was starting to think that Kelvin was exaggerating. He had no way of knowing that after the initial draw of energy there would be little to no disruption as the flow would be slow and constant, there was no disturbance to speak of.
Eventually he had given up looking and just started observing him. He watched him crawl around and look around the space a bit. The bed was only a mattress so he did not have to worry too much about him being injured from falling off.
What he found more intriguing was how Arc looked like he was trying to stand up at certain points, often using the wall against the bed to prop himself up. Of course he would always fall down again, but it was always controlled, very much unlike what he had heard about children learning to walk. He supposed this wasn't too outside the realm of possibility considering what he had displayed with Breda, but it still felt strange.
It was just as he was about to grasp something about Arc when he was interrupted by a rather disgruntled looking Merri. Knowing her, it was obvious she had been expecting to run into Kelvin.
Her anger quickly dissipated.
"Zerrin! Have you finished with work so soon?"
Zerrin was at a loss for what he should do, and he desperately needed guidance.
This wasn't about his work or anything like that, but more about a personal matter. There was a girl he rather liked that he had been trying to court for a very long time. However unlike his sister who found love on the battlefield with someone who was reliable and of similar strength to her, the woman he fancied was noticeably weaker and of a lower status than him.
"Hello Merri. Yes, I had just finished receiving the morning situation report. The issue of Arc's grandmother staying here is going to be quite the pain."
Yes, he was in love with Merri, not that he would let it show too much. Someone in a position such as his would become vulnerable by having a weak loved one. As much as he wanted to pursue the matters of love and romance, he still felt that his job was more important.
And yet he still found himself intensely envious of what Marlev and Jamie had.
This was part of the reason he was so intrigued with Arc. Maybe by watching him he could glean some information as to why they would make themselves vulnerable by bearing a child.
However, like most times he found he was on the verge of an answer, he was interrupted by someone. Not that he minded being bothered by this specific person though. In fact, this was the maid he had chosen above all other candidates merely because he wanted to be closer to her, her ability to control Kelvin was merely a side benefit to him.
"Oh I can't imagine what organizing her presence must involve. If ever you need assistance with something feel free to ask."
But still, despite their proximity, Zerrin felt as if he had only barely narrowed the gap between them. In his efforts to court her, he had even stooped so low as to ask Marl for advice and assistance in winning her heart. A few times she had even managed to get Jamie to deal with his work for him so that he could have a 'day off' with her!
All of this assistance was of course on the condition that he would have to do the talking himself. It wouldn't do for his beloved little sister to do all the work now would it? He had naturally accepted without even sparing it a thought.
"I'll keep it in mind. What brings you here?"
His initial interaction with her could be described as stiff and formal. Aside from during missions and in combat, he had never really talked informally with women. His sister didn't count. It was only made worse by the fact that he thought she was extremely attractive.
"I just finished making a dish for Arc to eat. I figured it was around time for him to be hungry again so I am currently testing various foods to see what he likes to eat. Would you like to join?"
He found her beautiful not because of anything superficial like her body, which was by no means ugly. He found her charm came from her silky black hair, the way her hazel eyes sparkled in the sun, how she fumbled with cursing whenever she struggled with a stain, and her sweet yet stern personality.
"I'd love to. He only woke up a few minutes ago anyway. I too am interested in what he likes to eat."
He hated himself for it, but he found himself using Arc as an excuse to get closer to her in Marlev's absence. He would make sure to raise him to be a strong and daring young man as an apology.