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]

"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?

[sliceitwithwind]

Yinsi and Braig were setting the table, Nevada being motioned to take place of pride at the end. Aya's place setting (slightly smaller silverware) is set to one side of that.

Several minutes later Dilan appears tugging yet another adult who looks frighteningly like Braig. Yet, somehow, while the two both look like Braig could be a clone of them, Elcy and Yinsi do not look related beyond black hair and gold eyes. Their son is simply a perfect harmony of their features.

[mitochondriaaya]

Nevada stiffened, slightly, as Elcy came out but managed a smile just the same. "Hello, I am Nevada, Aya's godparent." Polite introductions helped cover a good deal of awkwardness in his life! He held the chair out for Aya and then sat, since, well, barbeque wasn't formal?

"He came!" Aya said proudly. "And he's going to take us to the park because he doesn't like us playing King of the Monkey Bars."

[sliceitwithwind]

Elcy took a kiss from Yinsi, but being a bright woman didn't offer Nevada her hand, "A pleasure, Mr. Nevada. It's good to have you here. Having someone help the kids out at recess is probably a good idea. My son doesn't socialize well."

"I do too! With people like Dilan and Aya! You know, smart people."

[mitochondriaaya]

He appreciated not having that hand offered! He did! He also appreciated being able to reach the serving spoons before Aya so he could dish things out properly. It meant the kids nearest him got decent portions of veggies, though Dilan he...didn't give many veggies. He remembered the meat requirement discussion.

"I'll see what I can do to provide engaging activities," Nevada offered simply. "Elitism or no."

Aya poked her corn on the cob until it rocked. "Butter? Do we have butter on the table?"

[sliceitwithwind]

Dilan took a bit more veggies than he was given, but mostly concentrated on his meat. His...raw, bloody meat in it's uncooked sauce. Yes.

"Butter's here." Braig said, passing it along. Elcy and Yinsi allowed Nevada to finish serving the kids before taking their own food, in pretty much a free-for-all.

However Yinsi, before people started eating, said; "Okay, moment of thanks to the farmers who grew our food, everyone." because keeping the geniuses in touch with such things? A good idea.

[mitochondriaaya]

Nevada tended to err on the side of caution? And he was glad he'd recognized the dish of raw meat. That would have been...a bit of a shock. Nevada casually reached over to stop Aya's corn from going in her mouth and nodded, bowing his head. "It's been a hard year for farmers this year, blight and a touch of drought in much of the bread basket." Just to add import? Happened to be true too.

"Umm...amen?" Aya added, blinking at the hand on her corn before dropping it.

[sliceitwithwind]

There was the small moment of silence, then the boys dove into their food like, well. Young boys.

"Too bad we haven't had anyone show enough water magic lately to be able to help safely." Elcy muses.

[mitochondriaaya]

"Conversely, that's a good thing," Nevada chuckled, starting in on his food. He wasn't as single minded as a young boy, but he did eat quickly and neatly. "When the strong ones emerge, it's usually just before a big strife. A few theorists I follow call it a sympathetic preparation, a type a resonance through the magical fields." Not a genius, Nevada, but not dumb, and certainly well read sometimes.

"Perhaps we could send out a call for groups though, teams of waters who want to do some community work."

Aya was finally munching on her corn, happily, she'd pick apart her chicken next! "And I can launch water balloons!" Because she didn't have any magic at all.

[sliceitwithwind]

"You aren't going to Kansas." Dilan said instantly, "I bet Braig could figure out how many magic users we'd need."

Braig, considering it, said; "Yeah. I bet I could." and then fell to a much more contemplative silence.

[mitochondriaaya]

"But what if I want to go to Kansas?" Aya huffed. "And I bet I could launch a lot of water balloons if you help me! Don't you wanna help Dorothy's farm? Think about the moogles!" It probably didn't help that they'd recently seen Wizard of Oz...as done by moogles.

"Bet on first aid level waters, Braig." Nevada offered, information wise.

[sliceitwithwind]

"Right." Braig mumbled, frowning slightly.

"Aya, Wizard of Oz isn't real."

[mitochondriaaya]

"Duh." Of course it wasn't because riding tornadoes to a new world didn't make sense! "It's still in Kansas though. What did all those moogles do after they made the movie huh? Probably stayed in Kansas to work!"

Nevada was...a bit bemused. He glanced at the adults to see if this was normal.

[sliceitwithwind]

"Most of 'em stayed in Hollywood." Dilan said, "You can track them on IMDB."

Yinsi shrugged, "Life with our kids, I'm afraid."

[mitochondriaaya]

"I could still go to Kansas." She huffed and tossed her chicken skin at Dilan. "And if you guys go I'm going!" Because they might totally go!

"Granted," Nevada chuckled and dishes seconds for himself and anyone who indicated they needed more. "Braig, eating before solving the breadbasket problems please."

[sliceitwithwind]

"I'm not going!" Dilan said, "Just Braig's work!"

"HuH? Oh..." Braig started eating again, although he was busy thinking at the same time.

[mitochondriaaya]

"You guys follow his work some times, like the science fair!" Where they had to go to state competition and stuff. "You could go to Kansas! How far away is Kansas anyway?"

"Thank you, Braig." He was going to watch the boys plate and refill it a little when it got low. Kids needed food and thinking kids might not remember to serve themselves.