The god of the forge, fire, and volcanos, Hephaestus, pushed open the door to the daycare, his daughter Ivory's hand clasped tightly in his. The room was filled with the sounds of children playing and the scent of baby powder. As they approached the sign-in sheet, a nymph with golden curls and bright blue eyes approached them.
"Hi there," she said, her voice sickly sweet. "I don't think I've seen you here before. Is that your niece?" She gestured to Ivory, who looked up at the nymph with wide, curious eyes.
Hephaestus bristled at the assumption. "No, she's my daughter."
The nymph's face briefly showed disappointment before she asked, "Does she have any restrictions I should know about?"
Hephaestus rattled off a list of things Ivory couldn't have - no nuts, no dairy, no gluten. The nymph's face showed another flash of disapproval.
"I'll make sure to keep that in mind," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She took Ivory's hand and led her away, whispering something to her friends.
Hephaestus's ears perked up as he heard the nymph's snarky comment. He strode over to the group, his face set in a scowl.
"Excuse me," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "I couldn't help but overhear your comment. Care to repeat it?"
The nymph's face paled as she realized she had been caught. "I-I just said that it's unusual for a god like you to have a child who looks like that."
Marjorie, another daycare worker, came over, her arms crossed over her chest. "Is there a problem here?"
Hephaestus explained the situation to Marjorie, who nodded understandingly. "Ivory is adopted," she said, her voice gentle.
The nymph's face showed surprise. "I-I'm so sorry. I didn't know."
Hephaestus's face softened as he looked at the nymph. "It's okay. But next time, you should be more careful with your words."
Marjorie reassured Hephaestus that not everyone was as accepting as they were. Hephaestus nodded, confident in his and Ivory's bond.
"I'm ready to face any more prejudice head on," he said, a determined look in his eyes.
And with that, he turned and left the daycare, his daughter by his side.
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