#dadsuma

The sun was bright in the sky, hot rays basking your shoulders and cheeks. Squinting against the onslaught you toddled after your dad, following the familiar green armor. His hand tucked safely around yours. It always annoyed you that you couldn't feel all his skin this way, but the smooth cold press of the armor was welcome in the heat.

"You remember what I told you?" Dad asks suddenly, pausing before a strange splay of houses, with a pole of boats going into a large hole. The houses were mismatched but somehow felt woven together. The start to a large-chair? of rocks, what seems to be a mountain range, a factory? and a couple of homey looking houses. The scenery almost completely distracted you from the question, but you managed a response.

"Course!" You chirp back, eager to run around this new territory and touch EVERYTHING. A stern but gentle squeeze of your hand reminds you where you should be focusing.

"Can you repeat it?" He asks, quirking an eyebrow underneath his purple tinted visor. You've always wanted to try on his helmet, but he says its to delicate to play with. You sigh, dramatically.

"Behave, follow any orders they give, don't run away, don't eat food off the ground, and avoid nighttime and dark spaces." You recall the words he had engrained into you from the moment you had started getting other babysitters. Speaking of, the prospect of seeing the funny cat man, the bird, and the mustache man excited you. They had never babysat before!!! Maybe you could get away with not following some rules! Papa K was always quite strict when it came to enforcing things. Dad sighs, letting some tension drop from his shoulders and letting go of your hand.

"Good now-" He's cut of by the sound of rockets, and his head turns to follow the sound. Excitement rushes through you suddenly, and you cant hell but crane your neck to look for the source. A black blur swoops down, and lands clumsily onto the grass. Straightening out almost as if flustered.

"Sorry if I'm late! I got really into building and-" Its the mustache man!!! His posh accent contrasts dads own, and he sounds so fancy- paired with his suit- you want to have a tea party with him!!

"Your alright." Dad assures, "I was just going over the rules." He nudges you gently towards the mustache man. "Kiddo, this is Mumbo, Mumbo this is my kid."

Mumbo- but you prefer mustache, nearly stumbles over himself to offer you a handshake. Sort of silly, you think, because kids don't do handshakes, but it makes you feel special. His fingers are long, and very gentle and he shakes your hand softly. Theres a weird red stain on his palm, and when he pulls away you realize theres some on your own hand. Curiously, you sniff it- then sneeze harshly as dust infiltrates your nose.

"Ah- sorry!" He's wiping his hands down the front of his jacket now, smearing the red dust onto the black suit coat. You giggle at his antics. He flushes. "I-um Impulse and Grian should be here soon." He informs both you and Dad, but the words are instantly lost on you.

"What's your base?" You ask, tilting your head and trying your best to coax him with puppy eyes. Mumbo crumbles immediately.

"Uh well-" He turns to point at a weird...tree Gollum? Holding a van? "Thats my starter base- the tree is called Tereesa." That pulls a giggle from you. Tereesa- like tree- a smart name. He smiles, eyes crinkling and creating a sort of sparkle you enjoy. "-And that's the beginning to my mega base!" He's pointing to the big weird chair, but before you can ask-

"I'm here!" A loud voice announces behind you. You jump, spinning around and nearly crashing into Mumbo. Instantly hands clasp your shoulders to stop your decent. The voice belonged to the bird! Golden hair and bright red feathers glitter in the sun- he probably didn't need rockets to fly- which explained how he was so quiet.

"About time!" Dad scolds him, "I was waiting for at least two of you to be here- sure Mumbo could probably handle it but I like more eyes."

"Sorry X." The bird rubs the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly. "Well im here now! and so you can skaddle off to whatever important admin business and we!-" He leans towards you and Mumbo, nudging you with his elbow. "Will have a great time."

Dad pauses only a moment, squinting at the pair suspiciously before sighing and shaking his head.

"You better keep 'em safe- alright?" He asks, and the pair enthusiastically nod. "Okay- good bye hug." Dad opens his arms and you throw yourself in, nuzzling into his armor. A wave of sadness passes over you- and you lean back with puppy dog eyes.

"Do you have to leave?" You ask, his eyebrows furrow, but his eyes stay impossibly soft.

"I'm sorry Kiddo, I told you I'll be back before sundown." He reassures you, reaching forwards to pat you on the head. "Love you." He smiles.

"Love you too!" You respond enthusiastically, finally letting go and letting him stand. He pulls up his communicator- and is gone in a flash. The momentary silence is deafening.

"Sooooooooo..." The bird starts, "What do you want to do?" hmmm, what DO you want to do? You consider your options. You could....see their bases?

"Show me around?" You request, turning to face the pair. The bird looks enthused and Mumbo smiles as well.

"Course!- though thinking about it, maybe we should avoid the Boatem hole-" Mumbo trails off, thinking hard.

"Yes. We absolutely should avoid throwing Xisumavoid's child into the void." Another voice agrees from behind you- WHATS WITH IT AND PEOPLE APPROACHING FROM BEHIND???

You spin around, nearly knocking into the bird and Mumbo, who catch you again. This sight is very different- not the cat man but a new person! He has a yellow top hat, odd yellow suit, and a HUUGGGEEE purple bowtie. You almost want to ask if he got dressed in the dark!- but his eyes shine with amusement and affection, and his stance is casual. He smiles at you, offering you a handshake.

"Impulse- Wonderful to meet you." You reach for it immediately, his much larger hand easily grasping yours. Its warm and surprisingly smooth- but something odd presses between your palms-

You pull away and find a small hard candy in your hand. A gasp pulls from your throat before you realize it. Candy!!!! He gave you candy!!! Instantly he moves up the list of 'favorite people'.

"Oh c'mon Impulse thats a cheap move- buying favor with candy?" Bird man sounds disappointed, but you honestly couldn't care less. Impulse holds up his hands in surrender.

"If it works it works." and it works indeed.

"Thank you Mr.Impulse!" You chirp, remembering your manners before cramming the candy into your mouth. It's sweet and smooth, coating your tongue in mouth watering goodness. It's a flavor you can't quite place, but you don't care, its amazing. He chuckles, seeming amused by your reaction.

"Theres more where they came from." Impulse winks, and Mumbo stifles a laugh. His gaze snaps to the offending spoon. "What?"

"Sorry its just- your offering candy to a child you just met-" Mumbo breaks off into giggles and you gasp in realization. Your eyes widen and you stare at Impulse, gaping.

"Dad told me not to accept candy from strangers!!" You squeak, shuffling to frantically hide behind the pair.

"No no-" Impulse seems slightly panicked now, "I'm babysitting you just like those two- Xisuma trusts me." You just glare out from your spot behind Mumbo. He sighs, "Look, do you even know the bird's name?"

Hmmm....

oh.

"No...I guess I don't..." You squint at the bright red bird now, who squawks and glares at Impulse, before turning sheepishly around.

"I'm Grian." He offers a hand, its smaller then Mumbo's and Impulse's, but has a pointed claws extending from his nails. Your slightly worried he may hurt you- but hes extra careful to avoid that. Then, he spins around to face Impulse. "Now they know!" he declares, making the other shake his head fondly and approach.

"So whats the plan with activities?" Impulse asks, and you break into a grin.

"Show me your bases!!" You bounce on your toes, looking at the mismatched group excitedly. Nods all around.

"Mumbo's first!" Grian decides, grabbing said mans hand, and your own, to pull you towards the structure. Admittedly from afar it seemed quite cute- but as you approach...

Its large claws and gaping maw hang over you- its shadow completely consuming you and your small group. Instinctively, as Grian pulls you closer, you start to slow, tucking behind the cozy looking red sweater. The creature- Tereesa, as you learnt, stares down at you. Its beady eyes dig into your soul. Shivers run down your spine. Grian is talking, but the words are muddled compared to your heartbeat in your ears.

You jolt as a hand is delicately places on your shoulder.

"It's okay. It's just a build, it cant hurt you." Mumbo's voice is low, his grip tightening only a moment before releasing. The tension releases from your shoulders- right- just a fake tree.

"So what do you think?" Grian spins around with flourish, seemingly happy to take the role as tour guide. You fumble- having not payed attention.

"Its cool!" You nod, hoping your convincing enough "Sorta scary." he nods, too enthralled to notice anything wrong- but Impulse laughs under his breath.

"Next we should go see Scar's!" Grian declares, the other two nodding along. But this begs the question-

"Who's Scar?" You ask, Grian looks offended- but Impulse cuts him off.

"I think you call him 'Cat man?'" He tilts his head, watching to make sure it's correct. You gasp- of course!! Jellie!!! You bounce excitedly.

"Yea! I wanna see Jellie!!"

"Oh- so you know his cats name but not his?" Impulse laughs, nearly knocking off his top hat as he leans back. You glare, crossing your arms.

"He never told me his name! And Jellie likes me so I like her and want to know her name!" You defend immediately- and its true!! When Jellie had escaped she had spent her afternoon basking in the sun on your lap while you colored outside. When the cat man had found you two he was so frazzled he didn't introduce himself! Now you'll remember. "Can we go see Jellie??" "Of course!" Grian chirps, butting in. "I'm sure Scar will be delighted to show her off- she's practically his prized possession!" His wings flare out- but he catches himself. "Right-can't fly-" He murmurs, offering you his hand. You eagerly accept, threading your fingers together, then sticking your other hand out. You fumble. You have two hands...but there's three people! What happens now? Mumbo steps forwards, accepting your hand, and, seemingly sensing your distress, offers his other hand to Impulse. Who shakes his head, but accepts. Now satisfied, you tug the line forwards. Scar's base turns out to be the series of houses, a winding path beginning to be strung amongst the homey, pointed roof houses. The color pallet of reds, browns, blues and grey blends into a pleasant environment of peace and warmth. The roofs in particular catch your eye- copper! It was easy to find, but apparently really annoying to make the nice blue Scar had. There was so much of it! Scar must be super cool!! Thankfully- instead of sneaking up on you like the others- you notice Scar immeditly. He to wore a top hat, but his was a lovely shade of red compared to Impulse's bright yellow. A matching suit, and monocle. What's with people and dressing so fancy here? Then, just as you had noticed him, he notices you. "Well hello there!" He calls, waving with the hand not on his cane. Not wanting to let go of any hands, you tug forwards. Your group shuffles towards him as he strides to meet you. "What's with this little entourage-hm? Getting up to some mischief?" The words are accusatory, but the sparkle in his eye and gentle smile tells you that even if it was the case, he wouldn't be mad. "No Mr. Scar, we're here to see Jellie!" You inform him, practically vibrating with excitement. "I like your base! Lots of blue copper!" "Thank you, thank you." His infectious smile grows at the compliment, and blush dusts his cheeks. "And it would be my absolute pleasure to present lady Jellie-" He bows, gesturing into the very house he exited from. Peering inside- you spot her! Fluff curled up on a plush couch just inside. Unable to help yourself you squeal, letting go of your new friends to dash inside- minding to wipe your shoes to not track mud onto the carpet. At the commotion, she lifts her head, blinking sleepily.

"Hi Jellie- remember me?" You blink back, grinning at the small creature. She perks, letting out a long thrill. You reach a hand to cart if through her soft fur- giggling when she presses into the touch eagerly. Her wide green eyes watch you contently, pupils wide and comfortable. Scar always took such good care of her- her fur was free from tangles, and she smelt vaguely of flowers. You pet behind her ears, and enjoy the purrs that vibrate her small body. "She likes you a lot." Scar's voice rumbles behind you, gentle enough to not startle. It's almost reminiscent of Jellies purring with the sheer amount of fondness it's laced with. "I like her a lot." You respond, craning you neck to glance at the fancy man. He grins widely at you. "Are you planning to spend all your time here cuddling Jellie?- Not that I'd object to it, certainly makes our job easier." Ah so he was told. You hum, genuinely considering it. You liked Jellie a lot! But...there was more bases...so many cool things to see... "Sorry Jellie, but I think I want to keep exploring." You tell the cat, watching her watch you. She meows, and you'd like to think she's saying 'Go have fun!' With that you stand, turning and offering your hand to Scar. "Okay- I want to see Impulse's base now" Scar's hand is warm, calloused and scarred skin odd against your own, but he's so careful and sturdy in a way that's distinctly him. You don't mind. The group is still waiting, stopping their conversations at the sight of you and Scar. Then, you notice another problem. You had two hands, as did Mumbo, Grian, and Impulse- but due to Scar's cane he could only hold one hand! and if he was holding yours- he couldn't hold someone else's! But...you didnt want to NOT hold his hand.... Before you can worry any longer Grian accepts your hand, taking Mumbo's, and then Mumbo holds Impulse's. The line is a lot more uneven this way...but it solves your problem! "So you said you wanted to see Impulse's base, but I think we should stop at Pearls before- she'll want to say hi!" Scar informs you, and you nod along. Pearl..thats such a pretty name! Maybe..

"Is her base the purple one?" You ask, and Scar nods. Excitement sparks, its such a good color!! "That's a great idea Scar." Mumbo adds, making the other man beam. "Hey- I'm the tour guide!" Grian objects, "Maybe I'll just avoid Pearl's base completely in protest!" "Well that wouldn't be very nice!" A new voice cuts in, and you realize abruptly you were basically already there. Their bases were so close together!! You squint for the new person, and find a lady leaning against the fence of her porch, watching the group with a smile. "Hi!" You greet, waving your hand, still clasped with Scar's. Your toothy smile clearly catches on, and she grins back. "Heya Kiddo!" Skipping her steps, she effortlessly strides to you. "Want a tour?" Its clearly mostly to annoy Grian- but you cant help the excitement. "Yea!!!" You nod enthusiastically, and he huffs, releasing your hand to allow you accept Pearls. Her hand is soft, but still bore the marks of tons of building- like Scar or Papa K's. As she gently guides you to her garden you decide you like it. The garden is a wide range of flowers all in bloom, purples, reds, yellows, blues, pinks- every color imaginable!! You want to touch them- but the fear of breaking the delicate blossoms holds you back. Pearl begins to name them, pointing to each and explaining a bit about them. Her voice is soothing, but carries and energy to keep you from falling asleep. As the sun beats overhead, and the gentle breeze ruffles your hair, you cant picture a more perfect day- A loud yelp makes you jump. You spin around, terror clutching you for a moment. Your original group had wandered a bit, until lingering around the large tower of boats and pit. Impulse, Mumbo, and Grian. Where was Scar? Horror clutches you as you notice his hat at the edge of the hole- and you lunge forwards before you can think. Your legs carry you quickly, and you skitter to a stop, landing harshly on your knees. Reaching to pick up the hat and peer in. Did he fall in? Was he okay? Why wasn't anyone doing anything? When your unable to see him down the hole, you lean further, peering into the dark depths below. Further...just a touch more- The ground under your left hand crumbles- and the sudden lack of support sends you forwards- For a second you feel weightless, fear clouding your mind and tears springing to your eyes- Wind whips by- Then your abruptly caught- slight pain pulling in your shoulders at their newfound strain. "I've got you-" A voice growls, labor clear. Your tucked into a chest- immediately burring into the soft material- and your brought to the surface. The grass under your feet has never felt more reliving. Knees buckling, you bring your savior down with you. "You're okay." A hand pats your head, the voice rumbling the chest you were clinging to. "You're safe."