Babytalk

Babytalk

June 18th, 2005

"C'mon baby. Say 'Motocross'", Haruka cooed. "Mo-to-cross". She sounded out the syllables reverentially, hovering over little Chohana Tenou witha big stupid grin on her face.

"Haruka, it's all she can do to dribble," Michiru exhaled flatly, turning to look at the baby's mother. "Moonstar-san, are you sure you're happy about having HER DNA in there?"

"Of course I am," Moonstar McWind replied staunchly, but even as she said that she could not help but groan as she saw Haruka hovering a small model bike over the baby, bobbing it up and down.

"Say it," Haruka continued to coo in a babytalk mode. "Mo-to-cross." She moved the bike back and forth, making "vroom vroom" sounds.

Chohana, for her part, simply looked up, tranfixed on Haruka's face with a gaze that she rarely even gave her own mother.

Her lips began to part as she tried to force the air from her lungs into cogent sound.

A hush fell over the room as Haruka, Michiru and Moonstar all leaned over the crib expectantly-- but not too close, remembering some of the earlier "presents" she had spit up for them in the past.

Chohana wrinkled her brow and continued to to try and speak, as Haruka's expression grew goofier and more expectant, the Soldier of Wind mouthing "motocross."

Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, she said her first words.

"Haruka no baka".