How Not to Babysit

Khonshu perches in his Avatars’ backyard tree, observing the nestling, who is running around the yard with Bastet’s Guardian.

He has been called upon to ‘babysit’ today for a couple hours while his Avatars and Taweret's Avatar are off in different errands.

As Khonshu watched the nestling kick/push a ball around while the Guardian attempted to steal it away; he recently recalled a conversation he overheard.

It was between his and Taweret’s Avatars, reminiscing about getting revenge on a person called…Donna.

Apparently she was cruel to Steven, so two of Khonshu’s Avatars and Taweret’s Avatar decided to Get Revenge.

He even vaguely recalls Taweret glowing about how her and Layla resurrected the dead to pull it off.

Khonshu, while impressed at Taweret’s dedication to her Avatar and her Avatar’s mates, Khonshu knows he could do Better.

One of his main goals is after all vengeance against those who harm the travelers of the night, including his own Knights.

Though, admittingly, since his incident with Ishtar, he is not so bent on constantly seeking revenge.

It had been a while since he got proper revenge on someone.

He turned his head to the nestling.

And he now has the Perfect Accomplice.

Perhaps a little young, but Khonshu was not much older when he started having…mischievous adventures.

He would be doing the nestling a favor.

Teaching him the Right Way to get revenge.

But first the nestling would need a Suit.

An Avatar, no matter how young or temporary, still requires a Suit.

-----

Khonshu, focusing back on the nestling and his Guardian, is unsure how his Avatars and Taweret’s Avatar were so willing to accept such a….large feline into their home.

It could be due to the fact that the feline hid it’s true form from everyone, except himself and the nestling. Everyone else saw an…adorable house cat. Khonshu and the nestling were looking at something reminiscent of a lioness.

But he shrugged, to each their own.

As the feline stole the ball away from the nestling, the nestling decided to attempt a….’tackle’…Khonshu thinks it is called, but failed miserably.

The tackle instead turned into a gentle wrestling match.

The Guardian could easily beat the nestling, but the Guardian uses it as a teaching moment instead.

Every time the nestling makes an unsafe move, the Guardian gently nudges him.

Khonshu watches this and gets an Idea on top of his Idea of Getting Revenge on this Donna person.

If the Guardian is allowed to instruct the nestling in wrestling, Khonshu could easily teach the nestling skills as well with the Suit.

When the nestling and Guardian wrap up their session, Khonshu comes down from his perch and approaches the two.

The nestling, not quite in his school years yet, knew Khonshu as an uncle figure.

The nestling chirped, “Un Pan-choo! Wanna westle?!”

Khonshu did his best to not bristle as the misspeaking of his name.

He knows who to truly blame the nestling’s terminology,…and general linguistics.

Khonshu hmmmed, “No nestling, I have something else in mind.”

The nestling became exuberant, “Wha? What?!”

But before Khonshu can say anything further a rabbit darts between them.

------

The nestling, now distracted, chases after the rabbit.

Khonshu observes, thinking further how a suit would be perfect for his nestling.

His coordination is coming along nicely, especially since he recently started to run.

He runs to and from meals.

He runs to, during, and after playtime.

He runs to, after, and (away from during bedtime) his parents.

He runs to and after the Guardian.

He even runs to and after Taweret and Khonshu himself.

Yes, the Suit would help even further himself in his speed and coordination.

And protect him from the occasional injury during these runs.

----

Khonshu moves to a bench, watching as the nestling ran straight through a muddy puddle, chasing after a rabbit.

Khonshu isn’t sure if his Avatars and Taweret’s Avatars are aware of the apparent rabbit infestation, but the nestling seems to enjoy it.

The Guardian, for all she is a predator, actually dotes on the creatures.

She even carried one inside the house, alive.

And let it go.

Khonshu chuckled, thinking back on the chaos such a small creature caused in such a short span of time.

Then again, the same could be said of the nestling.

But at least the nestling isn’t a delicacy in other regions of the world.

Regardless, as the rabbit dove into the warren hidden in the bushes, another one popped out.

Khonshu narrowed his eyes, it almost seemed like they were tag-teaming who entertained the nestling.

But that wasn’t possible.

Rabbits aren’t that intelligent.

Are they?

Khonshu watched as the new rabbit waited for Indy to catch up and started the game of chase.

The Guardian picked an open spot in the garden. Khonshu isn’t sure which Avatar decided to pick up the hobby, but it gave the Guardian the best place to watch the nestling on the ground.

-----

Eventually the nestling wore himself out and fell into a muddier part of the yard. The rabbit hopped away into the warren.

Khonshu was not the most fastidious creature, but even he could tell the nestling was…filthy.

Completely covered head to toe in mud and muck.

Khonshu isn’t sure how is happened, the nestling was just running around after all, but somehow the nestling went from clean to filthy in seconds.

Khonshu knew that he needed to clean the nestling before one of the Avatars came home.

He sighed, it was becoming common occurrence that the nestling would need at least one bath when Khonshu watched him.

Sometimes though, it could be several baths, for the nestling would somehow end up requiring one, again.

And again.

And again.

Khonshu approached the nestling, thinking.

He has tried keeping the nestling inside.

It didn’t work.

He tried to keep him contained in a room.

Still didn’t work.

He even contained the dirt demon in the actual washroom.

And it still didn’t work.

How in the Void was Khonshu going to keep the nestling’s bathing down to a minimum?

Khonshu thought about what clothing options nestlings during his childhood did.

No, no he already attempted those options.

Then he thought back to the Suit.

Yes, Perfect.

Simple and brilliant.

Khonshu smiled as he looked down on the nestling.

The nestling cheered, “Pan-choo!”

Khonshu was too eager about his plan to even be bothered by the (parental deliberate) misspeaking of his name.

Khonshu picked up the nestling, resembling more like a rough rendition of Khnum’s early creations.

“Time for a cleaning nestling.”

The nestling cheered, “Clean!”

Khonshu did not remember enjoying bathing as much as the nestling, but he did appreciate not having to fight the child to the wash room.

He quickly took the nestling to the washroom and cleaned him….without too much of a mess.

Granted the walls were soaked and Khonshu’s not sure how the ceiling got wet, but still.

The nestling was clean and that is what mattered.

-----

Now, time for Khonshu’s plan.

He created the Suit, different from his Avatars’ as it would be a one piece.

It was still pearly off-white, and had inscriptions proclaiming who the nestling belonged to.

From there Khonshu took the mask idea from Steven’s suit, the wrappings from Marc’s, and the sleek yet comfortable fit from Jake’s.

He checked to make sure the mask did not affect the nestling’s breathing and decided to remove the lower half to prevent any…incidents.

Once he was done with adjustments, he held the nestling out.

Yes.

Perfect.

The nestling, not exactly understanding what happened, could tell from the sensation of magic on his skin that it was something good, giggled.

Khonshu nodded, this will work to keep the nestling clean, factor into Khonshu’s early stage plans for Donna, and further the nestling’s physical development.

Then when the nestling reaches schooling age, he will be the best amongst his nestmates.

Also, Khonshu can fan the flame of mischievousness in the nestling, that same spark Khonshu recognizes from himself in his own early years.

While not all of his pranks were successful….Khonshu was grateful for his magic to help keep him out of trouble.

The nestling’s Suit will work in that regard as well.

Khonshu just knows that the nestling’s parents will be beyond relieved for such a gift of protection for their young one.

--------

However, when the nestling’s parents arrived home, Khonshu decided to not say anything about the nestling’s Suit…yet.

Besides Khonshu was still working on teaching the nestling how to work said Suit.

It would be highly foolish to hand out such a gift and not teach the young one how to use it.

Also, Khonshu would deny this, but he was starting to wonder if his Avatars and Taweret’s Avatar would understand that the suit is not a comment on their protection abilities of their own child.....

Yes, he would wait.

He would have time.

At least he thought he had time until the nestling told them himself at breakfast a few days later.

When he toddled downstairs in his Suit and pulled out a skunk….from said Suit.

Not even Khonshu knows where the nestling found such an even tempered skunk to willingly be carried by someone so young in the Suit.

But the nestling did.

Much to the dismay of his parents.

And to Khonshu when they turned on Khonshu for making him a Suit.

And most likely being involved in the appropriation of a skunk.

That decided to be less even tempered and spray everyone in its vicinity.

(Including Khonshu)

Which was honestly more than enough for the nestling’s parents to yell at Khonshu in at least five different languages.

For three hours straight.

Khonshu was impressed, no one repeated themselves and the threats….were creative to say the least.

He was just grateful that neither Taweret nor Artemis showed up.

Afterwards, Khonshu would never admit it, but he was proud of the nestling.

It was something he would have done himself at the nestling’s age.

Clearly, the nestling had a bright future ahead of him.

And would be the perfect accomplice to get Revenge on Donna….just not in the near future.

Khonshu’s pretty sure when the nestling’s parents found out, Khonshu may be in more trouble than he bargained for.

But it would be worth it.