Going Swimmingly

[palmerthing]

 *Palmer has found a lake today and is giving it an uncertain kind of look. Not only is such a large outdoor feature a bit unexpected when there appears to be nothing in particular dividing it from the couches and chairs in the main area of the nexus, not only would he probably start turning into something aquatic on automatic as soon as he tried swimming, but he's fairly sure that he saw Gollum from The Lord of the Rings swimming in there and that's just too much weirdness for him. Not that he has any room to talk, but he's not up for that meeting yet. So he sits on the beach and watches the waves. Hopefully there won't be any merfolk or cartoon fish, one fantasy character at a time is bad enough.*

Comments

[save_us_alice]

This is fair -- I just don't have any experience with babies besides him, so. . .it's been a learning experience.

[palmerthing]

Don't worry, you're doing fine. I'm sure I have less experience than you do, at least experience that counts as mine.

[save_us_alice]

Right, right. . . I'm just doing the best I can. [watches Chester make another sand mound with a smile] I'm hoping it's enough.

[palmerthing]

Like I said, you're doing fine. Kid seems happy as a clam to me.

[save_us_alice]

Heh -- and you'd actually be a good position to know, if you've ever taken over a clam.

[palmerthing]

I haven't yet, but they can't be hard to find around here. Harder to know what the kid is feeling.

[save_us_alice]

Perhaps there's a thriving clam community in a random tidal pool somewhere. . .and as indicated, we'll know if he's upset. [she watches him poke random holes in his mound] Right now, though -- I think you're right. Happy as a clam.

[palmerthing]

Shame he ain't old enough to tell us yet.

[save_us_alice]

[Chester takes his mother's hand and tries to make her poke holes too -- she obliges him, glancing up at Palmer with a smile] He gets his point across.

[palmerthing]

Yeah, I guess he does.

[save_us_alice]

[Chester claps as she makes holes, then grabs a handful of sand and tries to eat it -- Alice tries to pry open his fist] Hey! No no no! That's not edible!

[palmerthing]

*Palmer makes an abortive attempt to help her, then groans.* Trying to be an earthworm, are you?

[save_us_alice]

[Alice manages to get him to drop the sand, Chester crying as she wipes off his tongue] Apparently -- that he gets from his bug-loving father, I'm sure.

[palmerthing]

That or it's just one of those toddler things, hard to say.

[save_us_alice]

Probably both, honestly. [she gathers Chester into her lap as he continues crying and trying to grab more sand] Someone's decided to be Mr. Cranky all of a sudden, I see.

[palmerthing]

Wonder why he's so intent on eating dirt.

[save_us_alice]

Because he is a toddler and toddlers just love to stick anything not actually food in their mouths. Things that are actually food, they turn up their little noses at.

[palmerthing]

Ah, yes. Naturally. *Eyeroll.* Silly things.

[save_us_alice]

To be fair, we were all like this once. Even you -- part of you, anyway.

[palmerthing]

Yeah, part. Only part, though, which is kinda weird when I think about it.

[save_us_alice]

I think it would be weirder for a sapient disease to somehow have a toddler stage?

[palmerthing]

Yeah, probably. It's still a bit surreal either way, though.

[save_us_alice]

[Chester has finally calmed down a bit, though he's still sulking] Yes, well, 'surreal' is kind of the name of the game around here. It's weirder when things are ordinary.

[palmerthing]

Yeah, I bet. In a way the same is true for me, I'm just trying to ignore it for now.

[save_us_alice]

[Alice tilts her head] Ignore that -- surreal is normal for you? [because you DID just make yourself part-fish and then absorb one in front of her]