"Like a fish"
Today was a special day for the two. For many a month Kuja had watched the water with facination, admiring the small fish in the backyard pond especially. He loved the way their tiny, orange bodies darted back and forth. He adored the way they would rise to the top to nibble at the small moresles of food he threw in, the frenzy that ensued always made him giggle. Blair had watched every moment of it and finally decided it was time for Kuja to learn how to swim. He even bought a little pool for his son, after all, he was pretty sure the boy wasn't ready for the lake.
Kuja just sat in the water at first, staring at a flock of geese fly by, then splashed a little. Blair, deciding that maybe he could turn this into a game, directed him to do a simple dog paddle. The boy started by just splashing about, resembling a fish out of water, but soon caught on.
"Good." Blair cooed as he ruffled the little boy's hair, causing him to grin broadly. "Think you can do this?" He started to do a butterfly stroke in the air. Kuja stared, a little confused. Blair smiled as he took the tiny arms in his own adult-sized hands. "Okay, let's do it like this." He moved the arms in the way of a butterfly stroke. The toddler protested at first, as to be expected with children his age, fussing and squirming to get free, even starting to cry a little, but stopped when he realized the touch was non-threatening. Blair relesed him and let him imitate the movements on his own. They were clumsy but they would improve.
Blair picked the boy out of the small pool and dried him off with a soft towel. "Okay kiddo, that's enough for today."
"Fish?" The child said in response, peering up through his lilac hair and the soft yellow material of the towel.
Today was a special day for the two. For many a month Kuja had watched the water with facination, admiring the small fish in the backyard pond especially. He loved the way their tiny, orange bodies darted back and forth. He adored the way they would rise to the top to nibble at the small moresles of food he threw in, the frenzy that ensued always made him giggle. Blair had watched every moment of it and finally decided it was time for Kuja to learn how to swim. He even bought a little pool for his son, after all, he was pretty sure the boy wasn't ready for the lake.
Kuja just sat in the water at first, staring at a flock of geese fly by, then splashed a little. Blair, deciding that maybe he could turn this into a game, directed him to do a simple dog paddle. The boy started by just splashing about, resembling a fish out of water, but soon caught on.
"Good." Blair cooed as he ruffled the little boy's hair, causing him to grin broadly. "Think you can do this?" He started to do a butterfly stroke in the air. Kuja stared, a little confused. Blair smiled as he took the tiny arms in his own adult-sized hands. "Okay, let's do it like this." He moved the arms in the way of a butterfly stroke. The toddler protested at first, as to be expected with children his age, fussing and squirming to get free, even starting to cry a little, but stopped when he realized the touch was non-threatening. Blair relesed him and let him imitate the movements on his own. They were clumsy but they would improve.
Blair picked the boy out of the small pool and dried him off with a soft towel. "Okay kiddo, that's enough for today."
"Fish?" The child said in response, peering up through his lilac hair and the soft yellow material of the towel.
