Babysitting Woes

[Northen Light36]

"I could use a snack myself," Acqua comments, giving Amaro a pleeding look. Amaro just snorts and pulls the young girl off the bed.

"Last I cheeked your hands and feet work just fine. Go feed yourself," he replies. Acqua pouts, but heads into the kitchen with Amaro. As Acqua makes herself a sandwhich, Amaro puts Spice in his baby seat and puts together a light snack of crackers and cheese for the child.

[Kender Bard]

Spice sighed, fidgeting in his special chair. He hated to be confined, even for a moment. Impishly, he squirmed around until he had his feet under him enough to stand up, and tried to crawl down. Doing so, however, caused the chair to sway and rock dangerously. Spice only thought it was more fun and games and tried to make the rocking increase.

[Northen Light36]

"Spice!" yelps Acqua, dropping her sandwhich in her haste to keep her nephew from cracking his skull on the floor. Lifting him out of the chair, Acqua exchanges a look with Amaro. "I'll hold him while you finish the snack," Acqua sighes. Amaro nods and finishes up the small plate of crackers and cheese. As he puts the plate on the chair's tray, Acqua slids Spice back into the chair. "Be good," she tells him, stepping away to clean up her ruined sandwhich and make another one.

[Kender Bard]

"Am good," Spice corrected her, shoveling his food into his mouth. If there was one thing a toddler was good at, it was making a mess otu of any meal, and Spice was no exception. By the time he had his fill, he had bits of cracker crumbs in his hair and all over his clothes. "Yum!" Contemplating what he wanted to do next, realizing Skip would still be sleeping, Spice tried to climb out of his seat again, calling out, "Kitty kitty kitty!"

[Northen Light36]

Amaro grimaces at the mess, but his vague memories of Thom's infancy had warned him and he'd warmed some water while Spice was eatting. "You can play with Faith after we get you cleaned up, Spice," he replies, brushing the crumbs out of the baby's hair then wetting a cloth to start washing the boy's face and hands.

[Kender Bard]

Spice whined and whimpered at this, trying to avoid the cloth with unnecessary drama. Once, clean, he glared at the offending rag before sighing. "Get kitty-kitty and go out?" He looked wistfully out a window.

[Northen Light36]

"Sure," agrees Acqua, finishing her sandwhich and taking Spice from Amaro. She'd been getting sick of being inside herself. "Faith!" she calls, smiling as her pet trots into the kitchen. "Come on Faith, we're going outside."

Seeing a chance to get some peace, Amaro asks, "Think you can watch him on your own Acqua?"

"Of course," Acqua replies and carries Spice outside with Spice. "You're getting big, Spice," she comments, putting the boy down.

[Kender Bard]

"Big boy," Spice agreed. "Not a baby anymore." Smiling in delight at Faith, he stroked the cat's fur with more gentleness than he used to when he was younger. The tyke was beginning to learn how to better care for his pets under the careful eye of the adults.

The second Acqua's attention was elsewhere, though, he grinned and snuck off quietly to go play in Alethia's painstakingly tended herb garden. With the idea that "mama" would love Spice for helping to keep her garden weeded, he began pulling up plants left and right.

[Northen Light36]

~Acqua!~ Faith calls and the girl's attention is pulled back to her job.

"Spice! No!" she shouts, running over and looking at the garden in dismay. "Alethia's going to kill me..." Acqua goans.

[Kender Bard]

Spice paused, holding a bay plant in his hand. He was covered in dirt again to boot. Smiling, he held up the herb to Acqua and explained, "Bad weed." A flicker of movement caught Spice's eye and he dropped the plant, turning his attention.

Nearby was a snake that had made the garden into its new home. Unaware of the dangers of snake, Spice cooed in fascinated delight, reaching for it...

[Northen Light36]

For a moment Acqua's distracted with trying to put the garden back together, but a hiss from Faith makes Acqua look up and spot the snake. Even as Acqua cries out and jerks Spice away from the reptile and Faith runs to attack, the frightened snake lashes out at the nearest target - Acqua's bare foot - landing the blow seconds before Faith sinks her teeth into the creature's neck.

[Kender Bard]

Spice wasn't quite sure what was going on; only that something was wrong, otherwise Acqua wouldn't have grabbed him the way she had. Taking a deep breath, he started to wail with a volume that only a wind child could achieve. "Amaaarooo!"

[Northen Light36]

Acqua winces, but can't help be greatful for the noise her nephew is making since it brings Amaro running. He quickly takes in the scene and sighes. "How many times do I have to tell you to wear shoes kid?" he scolds Acqua who pulls a face at him.

"Poisonous?" she asks nervously, looking at the dead snake.

"No, don't worry," Amaro replies then kneels next to Spice. "Spice, do you think you can help me with a few things?" he asks, wanting to give the child something to do to distract him from his fright.

[Kender Bard]

Spice blinked his wide, blue eyes and nodded, snuffling, already calming down in Amaro's presence. "Uh-huh," he said in a shaky voice.

[Northen Light36]

"That's a good boy," Amaro tells him, giving the child a reassuring pat on the head before picking Acqua up. "Let's go inside, then I'd like you to find a pillow and Acqua's teddy. Can you do that Spice?"