Australia Day scraps

## Dress

"Jordan!" Charlie squeaks—clears her throat. "Jordan!"

"Charlie!" grins Jordan, hugging her tightly. Pulls away, eyes narrowed. "Are we liking this get up?"

"We are not," says Charlie. "I don't mind the shoes, I don't mind the dress, I don't mind the earrings, but all together—" Deep breath. "All together, I look like a walking propaganda poster which I get is the point and I hate it—" She touches her hair, eyes blazing. "And if they think my hair's anything /**but** poofy no matter how much crap they put in—" Presses her lips together.

Jordan straightens Charlie's dress. "You make a beautiful propaganda poster."

Charlie huffs. "Thanks—"

""Ms Darling?"" interrupts the handler.

Charlie whips around, shoulders turning to steel.

"Who is this?"

"This is my friend, Jordan."

"Are they on the list?"

"I invited her."

"Are they on the list?"

"No."

The handler tilts their head.

Charlie turns to Jordan, eyes downcast. "Thank you for coming all this way," she says. "Please leave."

Jordan smiles. "Sure thing, Charlie." Kisses her cheek, squeezes her arm. "See you around."

"Thank you," Charlie replies dully and then the handler shepherds her away.

## Dressing

Rianne's lips press thin. “They're using that poor woman.”

Val glances over at Charlie—snags a sprinting Anni by the collar, "Slow down, sweetie."—shrugs. “She and her tots are perfect for it.”

Anni flounces off at a skip.

Rianne huffs.

“Doesn't make it right, at all.” Runs a hand through his curls. “Is it better or worse they're using us as window dressing?”

Izzy squeals past—red, white, and blue ribbons fluttering—with Book hot on his heels.

"Slow down, Ahsaac!" calls Val.

Izzy drops to a walk; Book plows into his back; they go down; pop back up immediately, giggling madly.

“I wouldn't mind so much if they didn't treat us like ignorant bumpkins.”

Val snorts. “The one who brought us to the hotel tried to explain the lift to me.” Chuckles. “He's going to have the /**strangest** problems with his fuel pump. Hope his fancy city mechanic's smarter than a South African bumpkin.”

Rianne sighs.

Val raises an eyebrow.

“Our shepherd's on his way over. Put your official bumpkin smile back on.”

Val grins, asks, "Ken Ah get you something to drink, wahfe?"

Rianne rolls her eyes. "Eh glass of tea fa me, please, husbend."

"You've got it!" Val bobs his head to the PPDC handler assigned to them, strolls off to the refreshments table.

## Little Thing

"Here," says Jones, passing Nate—

"But—!"

"Thanks!" And he's gone.

Nate blinks at the squirmy bundle in her arms.

Bundle blinks at Nate.

Nate applies a (hopefully) charming smile.

Bundle's whole face smiles.

Nate relaxes a fraction.

"/**Theh** you ah, Rahka!"

Bundles beams, twists and throws short arms out toward the newcomer.

"You certainly have lovely taste, sweetheart," coos Nate, easing—

Newcomer gathers up the bundle, tucks the mop of blond curls under their chin. "Hope she didn't cause you too much trouble, Miss ...?" [1]

"Call me 'Nate', please."

Newcomer inclines their head. "Miss Nate. This is Rahka—" Taps the bundle with their chin—

Rahka giggles.

"—end Ah'm Val."

Nate crouches to Rahka level, taps Rahka's nose. "You get your good looks from Dad, I see." [2]

Rahka preens.

"Don't tell hah mum, but Ah think so, too," whispers Val conspiratorially, leaning closer. "'course, Ah'm a little bahsed."

Nate laughs, nudges Val's elbow. "All these little blond angels running about are yours, then?"

"Efter a fashion. They're mah son's tahkes."

"Don't joke with me!" chides Nate. "You're not old enough to be a grandfather!"

"We Vosses fall in love young." Val's eyes crinkle.

"And do you /**stay** in love?"

Val beams. "Thirty-three years come May."

"Your spouse is a very lucky person, I think."

"Ah hope she thinks so." Ducks his head. "'Efraid Ah'm too much trouble sometahmes."

"I doubt—"

Rahka whines, squirms.

"Tahme to run, sweetie?"

Rahka kicks feet in bright red sandals.

"Down yeh go!" Val returns her to Earth.

Rahka sits right on the spot, focuses on a column of balloons swaying in the breeze, completely [immobile].

"Is ... is she alright?" Nate whispers.

"Mah son says she does that sometahmes. Doctors ahn't worried." Shrugs. "Just hah little thing."

Nate contemplates the tiny blonde head.

Rahka squeals—

Nate jumps.

—wobbles to her feet, shoots off to join her siblings.

"You're worried about her, though."

Val runs a hands through his curls. "Thet obvious, ay?"

"You cover it well, but I'm very good at reading people."

"Ah bet you ah," smiles Val. "Well, Ah've got a huge femly end mah oldest grendson's Aspie [3], but Ah've never seen ennything lahke it."

""Val!"" hollers a feminine voice. ““Get over here and corral Izzy!””

“Coming, sweetheart!” Val turns back. "Sorry, Miss Nate. True love calls."

Nate laughs, waves Val off. "Far be it for me to stand in the way of true love! Off with you!"

Val tips an imaginary hat, sets off at a jog.

.

[1] Val's never had intensive pronoun respect training, so he assumes. Rianne, if she heard, would kick his foot.

[2] Seeing Val make a gender assumption gives Nate confidence to assume Val's going to identify with the gender he's presenting as and use the traditional gender pronouns and terms.

[3] I saw this term used in a cracked article to change up the wording; I know South Africa doesn't have the history of slang as Australia, but it felt 'right'.; I like it! There's something right about Val using a slang term rather than more formal phrasing like my original, especially when he's in his second language. That said, the handful of times I've heard 'aspie' used in the States, it's been /very derogatory.