#apologise

(Not editing on this webbed site because on app, tumblr likes to make the whole entire paragraph italicized or cross-throughed so yeah. Not fighting with it lol

*---* - italics

~~---~~ cross-through)

Omega sighs as he heads back to the cave.

Yet another failure to procure a... more *suitable* residency for Aile... How difficult was it to find a decent home for a child?! The crimson-clad reploid never once thought in his life that it would be, *yet here he is...*

At least Aile stayed inside this time...

~~He just hopes she didn't fall into anything he can't fish her out of...~~

But the blond's fears are quickly relieved when he spots the four year old bouncing excitedly near the entrance of "her room". ~~It was temporary. This was *not* a permanent thing.~~ He'd only been out for ten minutes at *most,* so it couldn't be because she missed him... (Look. He gets it. Don't leave kids alone. *But look at what happened last time he tried bringing her along...*) "...What is it, Aile?"

"I made dinner, Daddy!" the brunette grinned, giving Omega pause. ~~She should not be calling him that.~~

"...I highly doubt that," he replied.

"But I *did!*" Aile insisted. "Come see!" She grabs his hand and begins pulling him with a *surprising* amount of strength. ~~Never let it be said that kids have *no* strength...~~ Omega lets out a quiet groan as he begrudgingly follows her back into her little section of the cavern. ...Only to see that she has filled one of the big plastic bowls they use for water collection with dirt, pebbles, and... yeah. Water...

As well as a few bowls with the slurry she "cooked..."

"See, Daddy?" Aile stated proudly. "I made *dinner!* Sit! *Sit!* We gotta eat now!"

...He's not getting out of this, is he?

~~He *really* does not want to eat rocks and dirt...~~

"...I'm afraid I ate on my way in," Omega tried, but that just earned him a foot stomp and a glare.

"No, you did *not!* Stop lying, Daddy! *Sit!*"

Rust it all...

With a heavy sigh, Omega sits at the "table", (a waist-high boulder that he had dragged a few larger rocks over in order to act as chairs.) Aile promptly follows after, grabbing her spoon and looking expectantly at the crimson-clad reploid. "...What?"

"You gotta eat first!" the four year old ordered. "Gotta tell me what you think!"

Oh Asimov please noooooooo...

Eyeing the muddy sludge in his bowl, Omega hesitantly picks up his own spoon. (Does he *really* have to do this?) Glancing back at the demanding child, he sees that *yes. He is going to have to.*

The blond slowly dips his spoon into the concoction, causing the disturbed silt to rise up to the top and- *is that a plant.* Shuddering, he brings the rock-filled utensil up to his lips and-

*KRINCH-*

~~Thank Asimov his teeth are metal...~~

"DADDY! YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO *ACTUALLY* EAT IT!"

...Huh...?

Omega gives the four year old a confused look as Aile *huffs* with all her might. "This is *pretend* dinner, Daddy!" she explained. "You don't *eat*-eat it! You *pretend!*" And to drive home her point, the blond watches as she fills her own spoon with her "dinner" and makes exaggerated eating motions, tossing the concoction behind her in the process. "See? Now try again!"