Welcome to town (Kiddie AU)

[mitochondriaaya]

Aya looked at the small vacation cottage and hefted her suitcase up onto the curb. This was going to be 'home' for at least six months. Possibly nine? She couldn't remember all the factors for extending the job. Regardless, this cottage was smaller than their apartment back home! At least it was warm here. Early spring in New York wasn't so much...

Her suitcase she dragged into the small living room along with the thick quilt. Her dad was already fussing with the smaller of the two bedrooms, getting it ready to be a dark room. The photos were important. This was a high paying job, so the dark room had to be ready as soon as possible! She understood that, so, she stayed out of the way by unpacking the rest of the car.

Well, unpacking what she could lift. Or kick out of the side door, if it wasn't fragile. She might be an unconventional little girl, but she was a very determined one!

She was also a rather enthusiastic singer. She'd figured out how to keep the car radio on while she worked. Hopefully the new neighbors were at work or something.

Comments

[sliceitwithwind]

"LOOK OUT!" it's a loud, boy-voice, "ESCAPED HAMSTER!" and something of a flood of little boys (two, but two is a flood when they're moving that fast) chasing after the rodent in question.

Which thinks Aya is a great hiding place, and goes up her pants leg.

"Shoot." says the littler, dark one, "Can we have our hamster back? Braig's dad left the cage open."

[mitochondriaaya]

Considering the little girl looked like a draped garment bag with legs at the moment, she really couldn't blame the hamster for thinking she was a good place to hide? That was a lie. She could blame it. She just tried really hard not to.

For all of a minute before the teeny tiny nails on her legs made her wiggle. "Will it bite me?" she asked, nearly dancing in place as the hamster explored her Osh Kosh overalls. After all, that was the important question, as opposed to 'With what free hand?'

[sliceitwithwind]

The two boys quickly get that idea, and the tinier one takes the bag while the slightly less tiny one starts waving food around her ankles.

"Nah." Dilan says, "He doesn't bite."

[mitochondriaaya]

It was a very annoying and floppy bag. Aya had had it draped over her head and shoulders like a towel?

She tried to hold still so the other boy could tempt the hamster. Tried...but the hamster wasn't going for bait. "Ah! It's going up my back!!" she yipped, bending and arching just a little so it didn't tickle so much. Of course, that made the rodent grip tighter and she burst out into giggles.

[sliceitwithwind]

Braig takes the bag from Dilan, passing the food over, and Dilan says, "Okay, lift up your shirt really fast and I'll grab him."

[mitochondriaaya]

Aya blinked at the boys a moment, but shrugged. It made sense to her? Unfortunately the process involved more giggling and wiggling as she unstrapped the overalls to get to the shirt, but eventually had her back to Dilan "Ready?" He better be. She was getting more ticklish by the moment as she pulled her shirt up.

[sliceitwithwind]

"Ready." he assures her, poised to snatch the little rodent as soon as he can see it, "I'm Dilan, by the way."

[mitochondriaaya]

The poor little hamster was clinging for it's life to the shirt edge that was suddenly inside out. "Aya!" she offered, muffled through the shirt. "I'm from New York...and I don't have a hamster."

[sliceitwithwind]

"Neither do I." Dilan admits, snatching the hamster and stuffing him into a carry-cage pulled out of his pocket, "He's Braig's. Braig's dad just forgot to close the cage after feeding him. Hi, Aya! Want to play?"

[mitochondriaaya]

Aya tucked her shirt back in, but left one of her overall straps dangling due to distraction. Peering through the carry cage mesh to meet the hamster properly was far more important! She couldn't quite poke a finger in, but she could pet the fur that pushed out through the mesh! "Oh, dads do that!" she agreed cheerfully enough.

"Sure! Oh...if you can wait? I'm unpacking the car..."

[sliceitwithwind]

Dilan frowns a little, "I'll help. Then we can play more. Braaaaaaaaig. Help carry things in when you've got him back to his cage?"

It's hopeful, but the older boy nods and waves as he trots away.

[mitochondriaaya]

"Thanks Braaaaaaig." Aya laughed and crawled back into the car. The car that still held a great deal in the back seat and trunk. At least there was a decent radio station on?

"Everything goes in the living room! Unless it goes in the kitchen!" she called cheerfully over the music.

[sliceitwithwind]

Dilan sticks his tongue out at her and starts carrying things in. He's deceptively strong for his size.

Braig, when he gets back, does much the same thing.

"Are you a tourist, or living here now?"

[mitochondriaaya]

There were some things they really had to leave for her dad; but with the help from the boys most thing got in alright. Aya even missed Dilan sticking his tongue out in favor of wrapping her arms very carefully around a blender. Glass could break after all.

"Kind of? My dad has a job here so we'll be here at least six months? I get to go to school her for a while! After that we'll see! What about you guys?"

[sliceitwithwind]

"Lifers!" they chirp together, then grin at her, "Born here, gonna stay here forever if we can." Dilan explains.

[mitochondriaaya]

"You make it sound like jail!" she laughed, setting the blender down carefully on the floor as she found a stool. "Here for life! Though this is prettier than a jail..."

[sliceitwithwind]

"Nah. Jail isn't as much fun." Dilan says, poking at her boxes curiously and asking, "Do you know where your swimsuit is?"

[mitochondriaaya]

"Umm...maybe in my suitcase?" she offered, peering into the living room. "Or maybe on the box with clothes? I can look!"

...

"Where are we going?"

[sliceitwithwind]

"Down to the beach!" Duh. "Sand castles and wading and tidal pools for the win." Dilan pokes boxes into place, nods firmly, and dusts the top of a couple bits of furniture, "I'll help you clean later, if you want. I'm good at cleaning."

[mitochondriaaya]

Aya followed him into the living room to pull boxes back out. It didn't take long to single out the ones with clothes, and she did put them back...

"Really?! I've never been to a beach before! We didn't have any...can I see a shark?!"

[sliceitwithwind]

"Doubt it." Dilan says, shaking his head, "There are some pretty powerful barrier spells keeping them out. But we can find starfish, and little fish, and other things."

[mitochondriaaya]

"Awww man." she sighed in disappointment. "There's a little shark at the petting zoo, like a little bigger than my hand! It feels like wiggly sandpaper!" she chattered cheerfully until she found her bathing suit.

"What kind of other things?" she called through the bathroom door as she went to change.

[sliceitwithwind]

"Liiiiiiiiiiike kelp and sea cucumbers and neat rocks and. Things?" Dilan offers. He's so helpful.

[mitochondriaaya]

"Rocks are cool!" she agreed cheerfully. "But like...what other stuff? Like jellyfish? Those are creepy, but I bet we could find ! Or, oooo, an octopus!!"

[sliceitwithwind]

"No jellyfish, but sometimes octopus!" Dilan offers, glad to have something that she seems interested in, "Don't forget sunscreen. Mom says that humans are fragile."