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

[sliceitwithwind]

"On your flank!" Dilan cries out, "The left side, Aya! The left!"

Braig is pushing people down with feet in their faces, "Don't you touch her! She's mean! A berserker knight!"

[mitochondriaaya]

"My left or your left?" she shrieked back, only to to have her ankle seized by the closest attacker. "Oh, that left! Ha!" a quick shake and a kick and she was free! And not only free, but clear with the closest attacker down in the wood chips! "Monkey bars! They're coming on the monkey bars!"

Nevada...blinked. The children were not behaving as he expected. For one they were slightly more violent. He should have expected that from Jerreg's daughter, but still...what happened to Freeze Tag? Dodge ball? Even Hot-hands? He'd give them five more minutes before he pulled the kid aside for a discussion.

[sliceitwithwind]

Dilan is the gentle one, pushing gently. Braig keeps stepping on people, while shouting things far past his age-range along the lines of not calling Dilan a bastard.

[mitochondriaaya]

And Aya was...completely following Braig's lead. Mean kids deserved to get their fingers stomped! At least she was small enough that said stomping only really bruised them a little...

And Nevada had seen enough. Even if it was in defense of a friend, this was not how recess was suppose to be spent. "Brea, come here now" he shouted across the playground. Aya straightened on the monkey bars as the kids around began the 'Oh, you're in trouble!' chant.

[sliceitwithwind]

Braig and Dilan slipped off the bars as well, flanking Aya and giving Nevada identical don't mess with the monkey glares.

[mitochondriaaya]

Well that was...bemusing. It was good to know the kid had good friends though. He nodded to the trio in general, then focused on the girl in the middle. "We spoke on the phone last week. I'm Nevada, I'm here to handle your father...I'm hoping to have dinner with you this evening if that's acceptable?"

Aya just kind of blinked. "Okay...? Do you guys remember what we're having for dinner tonight?"

[sliceitwithwind]

"Are you gonna make it so that Ayay isn't always taking care of her dad?" Dilan blurts out, "Yeah. Because, like, it's so uncool that she has to do the parenting. Aya doesn't mind, buy Aunt Lenna says it's detrimental to her future development."

Braig sounds perfectly fine with the big words, and both boys give every indication of knowing exactly what they mean.

"Braig was gonna grill tonight, Aya." Dilan says, "Burgers and vegetable kabobs."

[mitochondriaaya]

Nevada felt his eyebrows crawling up at the vocabulary from the boys, then squatted on his heels so he could carry on a proper, eye to eye conversation. "That is my goal, yes. It isn't healthy for any child, and I am grateful that she has found a better home for the time being. I don't know if I'll be able to get him to the point where she can move back in, but I would like to at least have them on civil terms." he wasn't a miracle worker. And his plans kind of revolved around beating Jerreg into shape but..."If you already have plans this evening, I will take the dinner tomorrow. I simply need information on what has been going on in my absence."

Aya beamed and hooked her arms with the boys "You hear that? He's gonna fix my dad!

[sliceitwithwind]

"You can come over for dinner with us." Braig says simply, "If you want to know what's going on with Aya's dad, you need to talk to my parents."

[mitochondriaaya]

"Will both your parents be present?" Nevada asked thoughtfully.

[sliceitwithwind]

"Yeah. I can grill, but I'm not allowed to alone."

[mitochondriaaya]

"What time will they be there?" He...needed Braig's father to be present the same time as Braig's mother. He really did.

[sliceitwithwind]

"They're, like, already there dude." Braig says, confused, "They only work in the labs three days a week."

[mitochondriaaya]

"That's acceptable." Nevada allowed. "Now, a different topic...why were you attacking your schoolmates?"

Aya glanced back at said schoolmates, then set her chin stubbornly "They were being cruel." that was her newest word, 'cruel'. It was a very accurate one in her mind.

[sliceitwithwind]

"They called Dilan a bastard." Braig says.

"And even if I am, that's no excuse for calling me a mistake."

[mitochondriaaya]

"Children are never mistakes.' Nevada opined immediately. "No matter that idiots will say otherwise." he rather liked children, and anyone coupling was making a deliberate choice to engage in an act of procreation, so, no mistakes there. "And you're right, it's cruel. The violence is not excused though." he sighed. Maybe he could get Brea at least into karate? Get her a little more discipline...

"Are you required to stay here on the grounds for recess?"

[sliceitwithwind]

The two boys shrugged, "Dunno. We've never tried to leave before."

[mitochondriaaya]

"I see." he rolled ideas over in his mind for a moment, then glanced back at the school building. "Is there an exercise trail at the local park?" perhaps he could start taking the trio along that for recess, granted their parents permission and the school's cooperation.

[sliceitwithwind]

"Yeah." Dilan says, "It's got marked botany stuff, too. Pretty cool."

"Dilan's a biology geek."

[mitochondriaaya]

"I see. Would it be acceptable if we attempted to take that trail during your recesses? I will need to speak with the principal and your parents."

[sliceitwithwind]

The boys shrug. Dilan pipes up with, "My mom won't care."

[mitochondriaaya]

"Then I'll speak with the principal before I leave. There are probably forms they should sign." at least he imagined there should be? Schools had to keep track of their children somehow...

Aya shuffled her feet. The exercise trail was really nice but...she was starting to feel weird about so much concern. They really hadn't been acting that bad right? "Hey...where are you staying?"

Nevada blinked as his mind changed tracks. "With your father. I stopped here first."

[sliceitwithwind]

"Is there enough room? Ayay's house is pretty small." Dilan pointed out thoughtfully, "But she could stay with us again and you could use her room, if you wanted. It's nice having her around." this meant he had to ruffle her hair. Obviously. "Momma says that having sleepovers is integral to Aya's ability to catch up on socialization. That's 'cause her dad is always moving her around, so she didn't get to make many friends."

"I can get the forms." Braig offered, "I help my teacher get stuff to the office after school anyway so that we can keep having our discussion about particle physics where it isn't annoying everyone else."

[mitochondriaaya]

Particle physics. Brea's had friends older than her who had coherent conversations about particle physics. Adding that to the vocabulary and he...rapidly changing his planned treatment of the boys. Upward. "There is plenty of room," given that he was happy to toss a sleeping bag down on Jerreg's floor next to the man's bed. "Though I do agree it would be best for Brea to live with you both for the foreseeable future. This will be something I discuss with your parents."

Aya nodded, wrapping her fingers in the boy's shirt sleeves as a sign of how tense she was getting. "I can pack when we get home today. I haven't gone hopping yet, so there's not a lot in the kitchen, but the freezer has some stuff for lunch, and eggs for breakfast..." And he'd be alright for dinner if he was coming to the cookout tonight and...

Nevada held up a hand to try to cut in on the babble. "We can do shopping, don't worry. The main thing that should be on your mind now is..." he tilted his head, bringing up the class schedule the principal had given him. "...math?"

OH RIGHT! "I HAVE A TEST AFTER RECESS!"

[sliceitwithwind]

"Ears!" Dilan wailed quietly, reeling from Aya's shriek, "Ears, ears, ears!" Braig's eyes were slightly crossed, although he didn't comment on it. He's used to little people screams.

"My parents, Dilan's mom. Although Aunt Lenna is usually at work, so you might not end up talking to her at all. Technically Dilan lives with her, but he's at my place nine nights out of ten."

"Momma's a nurse and works a lot of extra hours, and mom and dad like having me around."