A/N: So it didn’t turn out quite how I wanted, but I hope you like it anyway. Also, Marcella is Minder.
One-year-old Joel stretched on his arms to carefully examine the mess of papers and books surrounding the current “babysitter.” He didn’t entirely understand the term, but he understood that four-year-old Anya—the oldest—didn’t like having her over. At all.
But those were interesting looking pants. They seemed to have flowers growing on them in odd, bright colors and maybe there was something interesting on those papers.
Slowly, he pulled himself up onto the couch and crawled over closer, then picked up one of the papers to stick it experimentally in his mouth.
“No, no, no. Bad child,” the babysitter said in her shrill voice. “Those are not for tasting.”
Joel let her gently pry the paper from his fingertips, but then stuck his hand out to feel those flowers. They didn’t feel right. He frowned and hit them harder.
“Ow. Bad child.” She picked him up and set him down on the floor.
“Hey!” Anya suddenly shouted in the living room entrance. “Nobody calls Joel ‘bad.’ You get away from him.” She came rushing over to get Joel, who was getting confused by all of this.
“I already told you to stay in your room, young lady,” the babysitter said, waving her finger.
“I’m calling Mommy! You’re a bad babysitter,” Anya declared.
Sometimes Joel wished he was deaf like Sunshine and could just ignore them. Instead, he sighed and set about crawling over the back of the couch for the dining room. Anya could and would call all right. Auntie Marcella could always hear when they thought in her direction.
In fact… Ice cream too? he thought hard towards their aunt, just in case Anya didn’t think to ask.
Kingdoms and Thorn Ficlet: Don’t Forget the Ice Cream
One-year-old Joel stretched on his arms to carefully examine the mess of papers and books surrounding the current “babysitter.” He didn’t entirely understand the term, but he understood that four-year-old Anya—the oldest—didn’t like having her over. At all.
But those were interesting looking pants. They seemed to have flowers growing on them in odd, bright colors and maybe there was something interesting on those papers.
Slowly, he pulled himself up onto the couch and crawled over closer, then picked up one of the papers to stick it experimentally in his mouth.
“No, no, no. Bad child,” the babysitter said in her shrill voice. “Those are not for tasting.”
Joel let her gently pry the paper from his fingertips, but then stuck his hand out to feel those flowers. They didn’t feel right. He frowned and hit them harder.
“Ow. Bad child.” She picked him up and set him down on the floor.
“Hey!” Anya suddenly shouted in the living room entrance. “Nobody calls Joel ‘bad.’ You get away from him.” She came rushing over to get Joel, who was getting confused by all of this.
“I already told you to stay in your room, young lady,” the babysitter said, waving her finger.
“I’m calling Mommy! You’re a bad babysitter,” Anya declared.
Sometimes Joel wished he was deaf like Sunshine and could just ignore them. Instead, he sighed and set about crawling over the back of the couch for the dining room. Anya could and would call all right. Auntie Marcella could always hear when they thought in her direction.
In fact… Ice cream too? he thought hard towards their aunt, just in case Anya didn’t think to ask.