ello_poppet | Catchall for Domestic Post-Airlocked AU Shenanigans w/Mini

[The bridge village is quiet, and things have calmed down some. Oda's learned how to tell which Pokemon are worth making a big fuss over (Drifloon) and which aren't (basically anything else), and he's settled into life in Elaine's world. He works as a handyman - a broken pipe is a broken pipe and is fixed in about the same way in Unova as it would be anywhere else.

Oda sees Elaine and Aria frequently, but he's learned to not be quite so on edge if it's been a little longer since he's heard from them. They're fine even if they're out of his sight.

When Elaine knocks, Oda is quick to open the door, and blinks. It's a little late to be going for a walk, but-]

Come in.

[No need to ask why they're here, or at least not before they come in out of the cold.]

[ Aria is holding her mother's hand when they come in. She can walk pretty decently, as long as she's holding her mommy's hand or has some furniture or a wall for support. Lately, she's been trying to work on walking for realsies, without the supports. It's a work in progress.

...she's also a very active child, as evidenced by her trying to nyoom inside before Elaine stops her and tries to get her shoes off. It's a lot of wiggling. But it happens. Elaine takes her coat off next, but it's about one second after that happens that Aria is trying to climb Oda's couch, squealing in frustration as Elaine sits down and ruffles her hair.

She turns to look at Oda. PICK HER UP YOU MONSTER ]

Sorry I didn't tell you I'd show up this late, Saku.

[ She still calls him that, even though she knows by now any chance of them being a romantic couple is goneygone. Because she's going to care about him forever. ]

Buuuuuuut, Aria had a really big day today!

[ Aria hears her name, but she's just a little bit salty that Mom isn't actually paying attention to her right now. ]

[It's okay, Oda will pick Aria up almost as soon as she reaches his couch.]

It's alright, I don't mind.

[Elaine can come into his house at any hour of the night, especially if-]

What happened?

[She doesn't sound like it's a bad big day, so he doesn't tense, but he does want to know within the next two minutes.]

Well, I had Aria with me while doing some supply runs, today...

[ It's one of the benefits of working mostly from home, and Elaine wouldn't change it for the world. ]

She saw another trainer with an Absol when we got to the Pokemon center, and-

[ Aria has mostly just been babbling now, but she lets out a SQUEAL that sounds unmistakably like "Papa" about a minute after Oda picks her up.

Do you see the smile on Elaine's face, Oda?

She's absolutely ecstatic right now. She might actually be clapping a little.]

That's my girl!

Edited 2017-11-15 12:19 (UTC)

[Oda's first reaction is shock. Of course he'd known that Aria would start talking eventually, all babies do - but for some reason he hadn't considered what her first word might be.]

Aria...

[And then. A huge smile breaks across Oda's face. He hugs Aria to his chest, though it does nothing to hide his delighted expression.]

Papa's here now, Aria.

[Elaine's happy whenever she gets to see that smile. Aria seems a bit excited too, going between saying "papa" a few more times and shrieks of delight.]

She's been calling for you all afternoon. How could I say no?

[She's just. Gonna ruffle that toddler's fluffy red hair.]

She's so sweet.

[And, to Aria rather than Elaine, though naturally she can still hear him:]

Mama brought you all the way here so we could see each other. Isn't your Mama wonderful?

[ Aria's still squirming around, but she slows a bit when Oda talks. Even if she's only really mastered saying one word right now, she still understands "mama", when someone else is talking.

Elaine's gonna boop her nose. Aria, like all toddlers, is going to do the thing toddlers do best and stick that finger in her mouth. ]

Shae's been reading to her almost every day. [ She pulls the finger out of Aria's mouth and wipes it, briefly, on her jeans. ] Who knows, maybe she'll be saying something else by this time next week?

If Papa was first, Mama can't be too far away.

[Elaine is the parent she spends more time with now, so he'd have expected Mama to be first... but he isn't complaining. Nothing could ruin this moment for him.]

I hope so.

[ The rest of the visit is pleasant enough. A few weeks pass. Aria learns a few more words: "mama", as Oda had said, along with, well...

Well, the next time Oda comes in for a visit, he's going to get an excited little "HI" and a wave as Aria gets telekinetically picked up and forehead-kissed by Elaine once sheer willpower deposits her into her mother's arms. ]

Oops! Watch the door, pumpkin!

[ She's saying that to Aria, not you, Oda. There's the tiniest "oooooh" in response. ]

['Hi' is a good word. Very useful. Oda smiles when he hears it.]

Hi, Aria. Hi, Elaine. When did she pick that one up?

I think it was just the other day? She's learning so fast it's hard to keep up, sometimes.

[ Oh no, Aria's wiggling. Good thing mom's grip is impenetrable, because that kid looks like she might rob a fuckin bank if let loose. Considering that this seems to be a recurring thing with Oda's kids, of which Aria is the last remaining, that ought not to be surprising, but. ]

Why don't you have a seat?

[ That's for Oda, but she'd love it if Aria sat the fuck down sometimes, too. It smells like something's cooking in the kitchen, there are random Pokemon scampering across the house, and the twins can be heard yelling about something in another room.

It's a house that's constantly full of activity, and while Elaine, right now, looks very tired, she wouldn't have it any other way. ]

Edited 2017-11-20 18:57 (UTC)

[Oda takes a seat on the couch when he's instructed. He can see the tiredness in Elaine's face...]

I'm sorry I haven't been here to help out more often.

[Moving forward is good, making a new life is good, but he also has a small child to help be responsible for.]

[ She doesn't want to seem like she's shitting on the help he is providing, and she doesn't want to seem ungrateful...but damn, is she tired. ]

It's fine.

[ It is probably not fine. Aria lets out a plaintive little whine as she accepts her defeat and goes limp like a little noodle in Elaine's arms. And then something else happens- ]

Sowwy!

[ That's enough to catch Elaine off guard, and she boops Aria's face gently. The fatigue on her face has been replaced by confusion. ]

Pumpkin, you didn't do anything wrong.

Sowwy...

Edited 2017-11-21 04:54 (UTC)

[Normally, Aria saying a new word makes Oda smile, or at least lightens some of the lines around his eyes. This - this makes his heart fall into his stomach.

There's no need to wonder who she picked that word up from.]

Honey, you don't need to say that. Even when Papa does, you don't.

[Elaine listens for a second, then settles for setting Aria down on Oda's lap. She takes a brief glance at the kitchen for a moment before she figures she's got some time.

Well, this is awkward.]

She probably doesn't know what it means.

[Doesn't make it any less upsetting.

The phone rings in the kitchen. Elaine is, after all, from a slightly earlier time period than Oda was.]

Pumpkin, why don't you stay with Papa for a minute while Mama answers that?

[She ducks out for a moment, but that's long enough for another "sowwy" to escape Aria's lips.]

[Oda is always willing to look after Aria when Elaine needs some time to herself. He nods, and tries not to look visibly pained at Aria's 'sowwy'.

While Elaine's in the kitchen on the phone, she might be able to hear Oda telling Aria that she has nothing to be sorry for, and Aria happily replying 'sowwy'.]

[She hears them, but she also is very occupied with the conversation she's having. Oda's lived with her for a few months, and probably learned the types of conversations she has with different people before moving out - her parents, her friends, people she talks to as part of her Pokemon breeding business.

This is new. She sounds... flirty? Like she had months ago, when she told Oda she'd always liked him.

After several minutes, she returns with a soup ladle in her hand.]

Having fun, you two?

[It's a recognizable tone, even if it hasn't been directed at him in a while. That's for the best.

When Elaine returns, Oda and Aria have escaped their sorry loop. Instead Aria is trying to eat Oda's hand, and Oda is letting her.]

Mm. She is, at least.

[He's... working on the fun thing.]

Talking to a friend?

I guess you could say that. We met at the Pokemon Center a week or two ago, but... well, he seems awfully charming.

[ Is Elaine blushing? Her cheeks do certainly look at least a little pink, there. She'll let Aria stay with Oda for now -- she loves seeing the two of them together like this. ]

If you keep that up, I'm not sure you'll have any fingers left.

[ She's just teasing, but. ]

If she manages to bite all of my fingers off, I would be very impressed.

[Taking her at her word... Probably. It's hard to tell with Oda.]

I'm glad you're meeting new people.

I'm surprised it's happened this quickly.

[ She's gonna boop Aria's nose, but still leave her to eat Dad's hand. ]

Even when it was just the twins, most guys are kinda scared off by the kids.

[ That's probably why she's had such horrid luck with dating in the past, her questionable taste in men notwithstanding. ]

I don't know why. They're good kids.

[Mischievous sometimes, sure, but that shouldn't be a big problem for anyone who's serious.]

Catchall for Domestic Post-Airlocked AU Shenanigans w/Mini

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