(no subject)

[cityblocks.livejournal.com]

[ it's after his meet-up with his supervisor that he gets a call from robin to babysit alice. of course he says 'yes' -- he has nothing planned for the day & would never consciously turn down time with his niece. & like he told robin before, more free air should do him some good; who knows, if he's feeling better in mind, the body might follow. (he didn't really believe that since the damage from the accident has been said to be absolute, but a little bit of feigned hope wasn't too heavy to carry around.)

that's the context to their current scenario: at the park with alice, doing whatever she wants until it's time for lunch & ice cream. time with uncle nick is the time to get spoiled, so he doesn't worry too much about feeding her nutritional things; he's pretty sure his mom sis has that covered anyway. ]

Comments

[butterflydoodle.livejournal.com]

I want to be just like uncle! But I am only five years old! [ pauses. thinks about it... ] When can I be an arch-ee-tectur?

[cityblocks.livejournal.com]

[ gives her hair a ruffle & then pulls away to look like he's thinking. ]

Hm. Probably when you're as old as your uncle is. So you have a long time to prepare.

[butterflydoodle.livejournal.com]

[ reaches for his hand. ]

How old is uncle?

[cityblocks.livejournal.com]

[ takes it, curling his fingers around hers as best as he can. ]

Hm. How about you guess first?

[butterflydoodle.livejournal.com]

[ lifts their hands up enough so she can (awkwardly) try to twirl around. (it's more like shuffling, but--) ]

More than ten.

[cityblocks.livejournal.com]

[ quirks a smile at her antics & tries to help her along, guiding her movement with his arm's. ]

Exactly right.

[butterflydoodle.livejournal.com]

[ skips a little here and there, yammering absently as she goes along: ]

Okay. I can't count more than ten. So uncle is ten plus another number...

[cityblocks.livejournal.com]

[ raises a brow. ]

Can my doodlebug add already?

[butterflydoodle.livejournal.com]

[ nod nod nod. ]

One plus one is two. One plus two is three. One plus three is four...

[ stops her skipping, squinting a little as she tries to rack her brain for the next number. ] Uh...

[cityblocks.livejournal.com]

[ waits for a moment before deciding to help out (lest he have a heart attack from the cuteness): ]

One plus four is?

1/2

[butterflydoodle.livejournal.com]

[ looks down at her free hand, counting on her fingers. ]

Four is one and one and one and one... so one more one would be...

[butterflydoodle.livejournal.com]

[ lightbulb goes off, jerking her head upward. ]

Five!

[cityblocks.livejournal.com]

[ huffs out an amused breath of laughter. ]

Perfect. So what would you like for your prize?

[butterflydoodle.livejournal.com]

[ bounces a little in place, clearly pleased. ]

Ice cream, please!

[cityblocks.livejournal.com]

[ raises an eyebrow. ]

We're getting ice cream after lunch. Are you sure you want more?

[butterflydoodle.livejournal.com]

[ contemplates her options. and then: ]

Can I have a hug instead?

[cityblocks.livejournal.com]

[ stops to blink down at her briefly & then gently pries his hand from hers. squats down & opens his arms, gesturing. ]

How about I give you two? One for now, and another for later.

[butterflydoodle.livejournal.com]

[ automatically waddles into his hug, wrapping her arms around him as best as possible. her words are a little muffled as her face plants itself into his chest. ]

Yes please!

[cityblocks.livejournal.com]

[ hugs back gently, giving her a little squeeze at the end. ]

You can pick when you want the next one, okay?

[butterflydoodle.livejournal.com]

[ nods up at him, giving the thumbs up after she pulls away. ]

Good idea, uncle. You are the smartest.

[ ... and then she scurries away to go play on the swings again. ]

[cityblocks.livejournal.com]

[ gets back to his feet & walks after her at a leisurely pace. at least up until he spots the drinking fountain nearby. glances briefly at alice & then decides that a drink wouldn't hurt.

this is the worst choice he'll make in his life. turns away briefly to take that drink of water, fiddling with the handle a little when he finds that the water is barely coming out as a trickle. ]

[butterflydoodle.livejournal.com]

[ is happily swinging on her swing, singing the my little pony song again (she watched it this morning with her mommy) until she stops, spotting something shiny in the distance. as usual she has a one-track mind, completely forgetting that she should be a good girl and stay right there where uncle can see her.

alas, she isn't thinking at that moment in time, something urging her to scuffle faster and end up next a bench where a person is drawing something.

cranes her neck a little to try and look. when the person seems too distracted, she puts her chin and hands on the bench before saying: ]

What'cha drawing, mister?

[fashionmajor.livejournal.com]

[ blinks out of his stupor the moment he hears the voice, looking around him until his eyes decide to point downward.

... ? looks increasingly confused, but answers dutifully anyway: ]

I'm doing a sketch of the trees.

[butterflydoodle.livejournal.com]

Oh. [ tries to peek again, lifting her hand to help lyssa move it to her line of sight. ] It's super pretty.

[fashionmajor.livejournal.com]

[ ... a smile slowly tugs on his lips, patting the empty spot beside him so she feels more invited to join him. after she wiggles on up he scoots closer so she can see the drawing better. ]

Do you think it needs more detail?