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

[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."

[mitochondriaaya]

'Hey, octopus! That's not at the petting zoo part, I think they're afraid it'll grab someone's head!" She came traipsing out with her overalls back on over her suit...then looked around at the boxes "Oh....uh. I'm not sure where I packed that."

[sliceitwithwind]

"Little octopus. Come on!" He grabs one of her overalls straps and heads down the same path Braig took at a trot.

[mitochondriaaya]

"You could totally wear a little octopus on your head without panicking! I should write the zoo!" she laughed, getting dragged out the door. No, she didn't yell out where she was going to her dad, still sequestered in the back room.

A heartbeat and she was trotting just as quickly as Dilan, the grip on her overalls mainly doing the 'steering' bit as she looked around "hey, my dad was actually right! This is a photo place!"

[sliceitwithwind]

"It pinches my ears." Dilan says, grinning, "And leaves weird spots on my head." his hair, at this age, is still shaved close. "What do you mean by photo place? It's just home."

[mitochondriaaya]

"I want to try!!" Aya laughed and skipped a few steps. Yeah, her parents had given up on kid leashes when she bounced out of them..."Oh, but I have hair. Would it try to eat my hair? Or get tangled? i bet an octopus wouldn't like that. Should I go back and get a hat?"

"Oh, you know, photo place! It's really pretty with not a lot of dirty stuff. And not a lot of people know about it so you can take really pretty pictures and it's not something everyone is already bored with!"

[sliceitwithwind]

"I've got a hat at Braig's." Dilan says, skidding to a stop and diving into the house in two motions that almost look like one. He dumps a fishing hat on her head and grabs sunscreen at the same time. "Here!"

[mitochondriaaya]

Aya adjusted the hat until wasn't drooping in her eyes anymore, then ignored Dilan in favor of reading the sunscreen carefully. It was easier to do it right the first time if she read directions now. At least they were simple directions! "Here! You do my back!" Aya snagged Dilan's hand and squeezed sunscreen into it before starting on her arms.

[sliceitwithwind]

Dilan nods and starts spreading it across her back cheerfully. He's got a constant chatter going on about the town. Best fruit trees, Braig's favourite candy store, etc. etc.

[mitochondriaaya]

Well, given an influx of information on her first day she offered in kind, sliding things in edgewise like the name of the corner grocer where she use0d to live who gave little kids candy at the check out. And the lady up the fire escape that grew strawberries in a little tub by the window...

It was a fair trade? In case he ever ended up in new York? It got them through the sunscreening at least!

"And the suckers at the bank or blue! I don't know what flavor blue is but it's really weird. I keep trying to figure it out..." was her last comment as she finally got her face done )with only a little in her eyes)

[sliceitwithwind]

"I can't eat candy. Sugar is nasty." Dilan says, plopping the hat on her head and grabbing her strap again to RESUME RUNNING AROUND!

[mitochondriaaya]

"I like it!" she countered easily, falling back into the running with a grin "I don't get a lot of it but it's nice to have! When i can't have candy I have carrots! And frozen peas which are really sweet too..."

[sliceitwithwind]

"Well, yeah, but you're human." he says this like it's exotic, "Round ears and pointy ears like sugar. Foldy-ears don't. I like fruit."

[mitochondriaaya]

"Duh' she remarked to the human statement. "Gee, if I'd known I'd have given you one of the apple slices we had in the car! Sorry, we didn't have anyone like you back in New York. A lot of little points though..." half breeds! Had to love them!

"They didn't let me poke their ears..."

[sliceitwithwind]

"Of course you didn't." Dilan says, "I'm a freak. There is nobody else like me. Mom is a pointy-ears, but my father's species isn't. There are only six in North America, and I'm the only half-breed in the whole world."

[mitochondriaaya]

"Whoa. That's cool! That makes you the best Dilan right? I've never met any only anything! Even me, I'm one of a set!" her feet missed a step for a moment, though she caught herself and kept up "Used to be anyway. wasn't born that way!"

[sliceitwithwind]

"It totally makes me the best Dilan." Dilan agrees. With the self-absorption of his age, he doesn't ask about it, instead calling, "Duck here! Low branch!"

[mitochondriaaya]

"Are you in the world record book?I bet you should be! You should write to them!" she was getting good at ignoring the empty spots in her life, so she just ducked and laughed through the branches.

[sliceitwithwind]

"I dunno? We could!" Dilan says, skidding to a stop again at a stretch of beach.

[mitochondriaaya]

"I can find the address! My dad can take your picture, I'll tell him to!" she offered, sliding a bit as she met the sand. sand! Like a giant playground before they put in the safety chips!

"Whoa...that's a lot of water. How do we find an octopus in all that?!"