LOG: Welcome Home

[protective_logic]

Who: Ai Family (Native), Maine (Native), York (Native) [Mingle]
What: Maine has dinner with the Ai Family
Where: The New Ai Household
When: Wednesday 3/30, Evening
Warnings: None, will add as needed.

Per Sigma's suggestion, Delta's prompting, and Omega's invitation, tonight is the first night Maine is welcomed back into the lives of the Ais. Dinner is set for an hour after Maine is due to arrive, giving him plenty of time to socialize, and there are board, card, and video games out in the family room for before dinner if needed and after dinner indeed. Everything is ready for the friend to be welcomed back by a joyful family.

Comments

[maine_makes_growly_noises]

"Read it to me?" he asks. He wants to see them read.

What books does he like? "Like history books."

[protective_logic]

"Kay," Eta smiles, moving to sit not-quite in Maine's lap so she can open her book.

"History books? Boring," Iota declares as he scoots closer too. "DOn't you wanna say hi to people?"

[maine_makes_growly_noises]

What does that have to do with anything?

"Yes," he says.

[protective_logic]

"Can't say hi if we're here," Iota points out. "Cause dinner is soon."

"I wanna read him the book," Eta protests, snuggling fully into Maine's lap and going to the first page. "Once upon a time there was a little blue car."

[maine_makes_growly_noises]

He wants to retort about history, but Eta is very determined. Maine looks at the pictures over her shoulder.

[protective_logic]

"And the little blue car..." Eta continues, only to be cut off by a soft voice with a chuckle.

"Eta, Iota, dinner is in about fifteen minutes. Why don't you show our guest to the bathroom and get your hands clean for me," Delta says, standing just barely inside the doorway to the room. Distance. Let Maine approach only if he wants. Smile in a friendly way and otherwise leave him alone. Check in all boxes he can manage.

"Can I read Maine my book in the bathroom while they wash their hands?" Eta asks.

"Ask him and not me," Delta shrugs before walking back to the kitchen. "Maine's the one you're reading to."

"You can," Iota tells his sister. "I don't mind."

[maine_makes_growly_noises]

"Go ahead," Maine says. He offers Delta a friendly smile before the other man disappears into the kitchen again.

Well. That wasn't so bad.

He helps Eta out of his lap and lets Iota guide them both to the bathroom.

[protective_logic]

"You can sit with us on our side of the table," Eta offers as Iota guides them to the bathroom outside of Gamma's room.

"You can," Iota agrees. Because Maine needs friends to sit by and he should thus clearly be with them. "You can help us reach the bowls of food."

[maine_makes_growly_noises]

Maine is more than happy to sit with the twins. Iota's honest idea makes him grin.

"Glad to help," he says.

[protective_logic]

The twins smile at each other. Now Maine and delta have space! They are so smart. Iota gladly l ads them into the bathroom and eta hops onto the toilet to sit and open her book again.

"And the little blue car was sad because her family wanted another car," she reads. Well, paraphrases. Her reading is good but not perfect.

[maine_makes_growly_noises]

"Poor car," Maine says. How do kids deal with the idea of not being wanted? This seems a bit heavy for a kids' book.

He busies himself helping Iota up to put soap on his hands.

[protective_logic]

"And then the little blue car's family took him for a drive and left him in this big driveway with lots of other cars while they left in a mean red van!" Eta exclaims with all the disapproval of a small child.

"It's the part that makes her angry," Iota says. They're not so young that they don't get that the lack of parents makes them different, especially since they started kindergarten. This book is a new favorite for a reason.

[maine_makes_growly_noises]

Maine can understand why. He nods quietly. He had more than his share of mean red vans while growing up.