chinese russian assassin bbies

[anatural]

[It's been a long day of babysitting.

Sure, the baby is ridiculously well-behaved for an infant. But it's still a baby. It drools, and poops, and needs food, and can't talk or do ANYTHING interesting. That's probably the worst part. If Korra could actually play with the little thing, she'd be happy as a clam. But funny noises and silly faces get old after awhile. Tamping down her natural energy and making sure all of her attention was on the infant takes a lot of effort.

When Hei and Chekov get home, they'll find their baby and their Avatar snoozing on the couch.]

Comments

[candothat]

[Maybe Dima does have a playmate rather than a proper father in Pavel, but that doesn't mean he can't grow up happily. Nothing--not Hei's apparent bewilderment with the situation, nothing--will prevent the Russian from providing the best care for the child that he can. He's been reading about children. He can handle this.]

If you say so. [That's an easy enough concession to make. He's not going to protest anything Hei does to involve himself in Dimitri's life.

Pavel plucks a folded blanket from the back of the couch, shakes it out, and drapes it over the snoozing Avatar. He hesitates long enough to wonder whether or not he should be concerned about the fact that he is emulating his grandmother before asking:] Should we wake her, or let her sleep?

[mortemscintilla]

[ If Hei harbors any skepticism about the effectiveness of book-learning versus practicality -- the nitty-gritty minutiae of dirty-diapers, colic, rashes, spit-up on nice shirts -- he doesn't say so. But in his experience, theory and practice have little in common. The former can offer you guidelines. A framework. But the experience is something you have to own by yourself. That said, perhaps it's telling that he has more faith in Pavel than in himself. Hei doesn't have the capacity to cradle something delicate and alive in his palms and nurture it. He's not built for it anymore. In many ways, the baby gives him what even Pai couldn't: innocence. His, and therefore, Hei's own. Except that's an illusion. You can't get back what's lost. ]

[ (That doesn't mean, though, that Hei's not trying.) ]

[ The expression on his face -- a mix of tired and dubious and amused -- should say just how quaint he finds the blanket-wrapping, and how much he's not an advocate for waking Korra up. ]

Not unless you want to start an awful chain reaction.

[ Face it. Korra isn't exactly a whispering churchmouse. Get her too loud, and she'll wake Dima up too. They can kiss all peace and quiet goodbye. ]

[candothat]

[If nothing else, knowledge gained from research is a useful starting point. Pavel certainly feels more capable of taking care of a child after reading about it, and that illusion alone makes the process of gaining firsthand experience simpler. That said, parenting comes fairly easily. Maybe it's because Chekov's a quick learner; maybe it has more to do with having a naturally helpful personality. Maybe--just maybe--Pavel is benefited by his own proximity to childhood.

Whatever the reason, Hei is not allowed to find him quaint.

He's not wrong about Korra, though awful chain reaction might be a bit of an exaggeration of the possible consequences of waking her. Peace and quiet are both valuable commodities. There's no need to risk throwing them out when it's not absolutely necessary.]

No, I would like to avoid a chain reaction of Chernobyl proportions. [Two can play the exaggeration game.]

[mortemscintilla]

[ (He is allowed if it's true.) ]

[ Hei isn't an advocate of teenage parenting. Or parenting in general. But it's irrefutable -- the younger you are, the easier it is to keep up with a child, or to relate to one. He observes that in Pavel and Korra's bright prattle and their easygoing concern for Dima. Granted, Hei is hardly over the hill himself. Barely 23. But he's not built for this domesticity. Even when he and Dima are getting along, there's still an inexplicable longing -- to be unencumbered, to be out in the Underground cracking necks, to never see -- or smell -- another diaper. Is that normal? He's convinced he's a Bad Parent. A bad, emotionally-stunted, psychologically detached, impatient parent who'd rather be up all night killing unspeakable things than doddering all day over his curly-pated darling. ]

[ Carefully, he settles on the arm of the couch. Leans over the snoozing Korra, regarding her almost-fondly for a moment. Then -- ]

No. Not Chernobyl. [ Because two can play at that game -- ] I was thinking more along the lines of Fukushima Daiichi. [ -- but only one can win. ]