Enter the Uncle

[mitochondriaaya]

It was a day like most others; sunny and bright with the sound of children screaming on the school playground. Recess always had screaming, usually it was the playful kind. Today the only anomaly was the principal standing outside next to a strange man whose gaze was weighing each of the running children in turn. The principal was trying to be helpful of course, pointing in the direct of one of the mobs.

Said mob was currently devolving into a medieval war on the monkey bars. The self-proclaimed King Braig was holding the top of the span with his loyal Knights holding either side for the moment. The barbarians were numerous though...and seemingly impervious to pain given the scraped knees and elbows they were gaining.

The man nodded gratefully to the principal so that the man could head back indoors...and waited. He wanted to see how this little war played out. And how the kid interacted with the two friends he'd been told about.

Comments

[mitochondriaaya]

"It's not my fault! It was a bad balloon!" Aya huffed and dug the toes of her sneaker into the ground. "I should take my shoes off." They were muddy and she didn't want Dilan scrubbing the floor come dinner time.

Nevada, being the practical sort, simply scooped the six year old up, making sure to cradle the end of her shoes to catch drips, and nodded to Dilan. "The bathroom if you would?"

[sliceitwithwind]

"Up the stairs first door on the left." Dilan chirped, "Bubble bath is under the sink and bath toys are in the closet to the side of it. I'll get towels and clean clothing for you!"

[mitochondriaaya]

Bubble bath? Toys? He was much more the...hold the child by the nape of the neck and get them clean type. That way she was back to getting into trouble in the least amount of time! "Is it really necessary?" He asked the kid in his arms as he went up the stairs.

"Yes! Bubbles!"

"Ah." Um. Well then.

[sliceitwithwind]

"She's six." Dilan said, as though that explained things, "It's part of the ritual." He peeled off to grab towels. One for Aya, and one for Nevada because...well. Splashing.

[mitochondriaaya]

"Indeed." Six meant bubbles. Duly noted.

He had to set Aya down on the mat when they got into the bathroom so he could get to the bubbles an dread the directions. No need to end up with a bubble monster eating the house. "Clothing, there in the sink where it can drain properly."

"Okay!" Aya could do that! And it was a good idea, sinks were a lot easier to clean than floors!

[sliceitwithwind]

Dilan certainly approved when he got back. He hung the towels and said, "Two caps full into running water. Aya, do you want the ducky or the boat?"

[mitochondriaaya]

He had figured out that much from the faded instructions! He turned to get the water running, letting the children banter. A little hotter than lukewarm for a child yes? Hot enough to clean, not too hot to burn...these were important things to think about!

"Hmmm, I'll take the duck and you can have the boat and he can be Duckzilla against the Japanese navy!"

[sliceitwithwind]

"Okay." Dilan agreed, "But I don't need a bath so I'll sit on the edge while you get scrubbed down."

[mitochondriaaya]

"Okay, that's the shore then!" Where Duckzilla could rise to rampage at him! RAAaarrrrrr-squeakum!

Nevada was getting the six year old dunked into the bath then getting her hair soaped while she wiggled around and had her ducky rising from the suds.

[sliceitwithwind]

Dilan did his best to keep Aya entertained while Nevada washed her, fussing only a little when his hakama got splashed.

His jeans-hate was a life-long thing.

[mitochondriaaya]

Nevada tried to keep the splashing to a minimum! It was rude to slop all over strange bathrooms! For the most part he managed! One more dunk and...shortest bubblebath ever? "Towels." Bring them on!

Duckzilla died an inglorious death, floating upside down in bubbles.

[sliceitwithwind]

Dilan offered the big towel to wrap Aya in, and started scrubbing up the puddles, "Thanks, Uncle Nevada! It's a lot easier to get things done fast with help."

[mitochondriaaya]

"I did want to ask about the 'Uncle' thing. You do realize I"m not actually related to anyone here?" Just curious, not freaked! Just...a little wierded out. A bit. Time to towel ruffle the six year old!

[sliceitwithwind]

"Oh." Dilan blinked up at Nevada and smiled, "Yes, I know. But you're a pseudo-parental figure who is not actually a parent. Braig calls my momma Aunt Lenna, and we call Aya's dad Uncle Jerrig. I call Braig's parents mom and dad 'cause I don't have a father of my own and it'd be weird to call dad dad and mom Aunt Elcy. It's just local short-hand for adult male who is authorised to take us places and do things with us without having to check in with our assorted parental figures every time."

[mitochondriaaya]

Blink.

"Dilan," he sighed. "A simple 'this is easier on everyone.' would suffice. You're eight? Nine? A paragraph of explanation is not necessary." He patted the boy on the head anyway? He wasn't saying it was a bad thing just...yeah.

"Don't worry," Aya chirped. "Dilan likes explaining things!"

[sliceitwithwind]

"Eight." Dilan said, blinking, "But that would be imprecise, and momma says that when I'm imprecise people get confused 'cause I don't usually remember to use little words when I'm trying to condense information."

[mitochondriaaya]

"Sometimes, Dilan, with adults that have a larger vocabulary, a little imprecision is alright." Nevada was just trying to make him understand that!

"And he likes it." Aya was very firm that people understand that Dilan and Braig both loved being smart!

[sliceitwithwind]

"I'll try to remember that." Dilan said politely, "C'mon, Aya, it's time to get dressed."

[mitochondriaaya]

"It's alright if you don't." Nevada allowed, turning to scoop up Aya's dirty clothes so he could cart them to the washer machine he'd passed on the way up. Then back to scrub the sink!

Aya nodded happily and towel-shuffled after Dilan.

[sliceitwithwind]

Dilan bit his tongue as Nevada went to the washer, trying not to tell an adult how to do things. He'd just Do It Right later.

He couldn't resist saying, "Scrub counter-clockwise." as he hustled Aya out to get dressed again.

[mitochondriaaya]

He had not started the washer, after all one set of six year old clothing wasn't enough for a load and he didn't know the particular settings for them. He just figured muddy water was best kept contained. The sink scrubbing though...

...he stopped his normal scrubbing routine and started going the other direction. Not hard, just...not normal. Huh.

He'd be waiting in the hall when the children returned?

[sliceitwithwind]

Dilan manfully didn't check the sink, instead just dragging Aya by the strap...as always.

"Okay! We're ready for supper now!"

[mitochondriaaya]

Well, that would explain the popularity of osh koshes in children's stores? He arched an eyebrow but fell in behind the pair neatly. "Yes, I'm sure the food is done by now."

"ElsssssyyyyyY!" Aya called as she was dragged past "Foooood!"

[sliceitwithwind]

"Coming, dear." She called out, "Just give me a moment..."

"You take Uncle Nevada ahead, Aya." Dilan said, "I'll get mom out of there."

"I heard that, Dilan."

[mitochondriaaya]

Nevada turned to look at the door she'd called through, then reached down to take Aya's hand. "Yes, please, I may get lost."

Aya blinked then nodded! "No, it's easy! It's a big house yeah but..." Babble babble babble?

Time to wave cheerfully at Braig and his dad?