Game-Maker's Wrinkle

Bad Words

"Daddy, Hyacinth said a bad word!" Four year old Thersities screeched as he ran into Plutarch's den. "She said a no-no word!" Plutarch raised a brow at his youngest child and scooped him up.
"And what did she say?" He asked in mock seriousness. He doubted it could be anything to bad, she was only six and a half.
"She said- she . . . I can't say it it's baaaaaaad!" The look on the boys chubby little face was scandalized, obviously trait inherited from Plutarch himself.
"Oh? How bad?" Plutarch fought the urge to laugh at his son's very capital attitude. (He has yet to meet a child so dramatic, and he was Haymitch and Effie's Daughter's godparent.)
"Mommy bad!" The boy squeaked out. Plutarch jaw dropped. He had heard all kinds of 'bad' come out of both children's mouths but 'Mommy Bad' had never been reached before. That ment that, if it was true that she had said something 'Mommy Bad' , he would be forced to punish her.
"Well, I can't very well punish her if you don't tell me what she said." He tussled the blonde tereses, also inherited from Plutarch, and leaned down close to the boy's face. "How about you whisper it in my ear, and then it will be like not saying at all?"
Thersities thought about it for a minute before nodding approval. He leaned in even closer and took a deep breath. "She said that Acer Duck is a twat ." Plutarch gasped in genuine shock as the small voice formed the obscene word.
"Well, I'll go have a talk with her about using grown up words like that. Now, go play with your toys, until I have it settled and then we will have lunch." The boys eyes lit up at the mention of food.
"Scghetti ? With Cheeses?" Thersities' big Brown orbs widened to the extremes as he envisioned the Cheese topped pasta.
Plutarch nodded, ruffling blonde strands again. "Yes, we can have Spaghetti with Cheese, but only if you go play." Thersities ran down the hall to the play room as fast as his little legs could carry him at the promise of food.
With that handled, the former Gamemaker made his way to the family room where his daughter sat, crisscross applesauce, on the rug in front of the holovision, watching animated birds. "Hyacinth Raleigh Heavensbee, did you say a grown up word?" He put his sternest glare on her small form as she met his eyes.
She huffed out a sigh and stood up, crossing her arms. "Yes, Father. I told Thersities that the ridiculous stuffed duck he drags around is a twat."
"Hyacinth!" She flinched as his voice boomed. " We do not say words like that in this household, now where did you hear it?" She looked close to tears as he continued to look down at her. "Well, young lady?"
She looked at her feet, toes picking at the rug, and mumbled the answer. "What was that?"
Her eyes darted up to meet his and she stomped her little foot. " I SAID - Mother called Miss Cressida that last week at your birthday party, before Aunt Euphemia escorted her away! I thought I was using it properly, Mother used it on Miss Cressida so it must be applied to things or people you dislike."
As much as he hated that she had said such a filthy thing to her brother, he had to admit that he was proud of her reasoning. I made perfect sense that Roarrickk would be the reason for such language being used by their very wise six and a half year old. "Mommy was just being rude. Good Girls don't use words like that or their Daddies take away their new toys."
She shuttered at the thought of losing her new glamor set and nodded solemnly. "Yes, Father, I am sorry I used a grown up word. Can I go play now?" He smiled lightly at her slightly exasperated tone, entirely her mother , she is except for her big blue eyes which were all Plutarch.
"Yes, but only after you apologize to Thersities for saying that to him." She nodded once before walking towards the play room. He heard her apologize and laugh as her brother tackled her to the floor.
With the issue settled, he set about making lunch. The rest of the evening went by peacefully, and soon his wife and he were kissing their wonderful kids goodnight.
As they laid in bed, reading separately, Plutarch brought up their daughter's language mishap. Roarrickk smirked as she summoned up the image of her husband correcting Hy for saying twat. "She's got a good Father, who looks out for her, and prevents her from being a foul mouthed Capitalista, I honestly don't think anyone else could be as perfect a parent as you, Plu. "
She smiled as he pressed a kiss into her hair. "I think you have me beat, Roe, dear." He whispered in her ear.
"Oh, really? How so?" Her dark brown eyes cringed at the edges as he kissed the ticklish spot below her ear. She could feel his smile graze her earlobe.
"You teach them how to be bold, and never back down, a lesson I believe you also taught me. You kiss them 'see you soon' at the door,because 'goodbye ' is too permanent, and hold them like they are water in a desert when you get home. I can love and care for them, but only you can mother them. Only you can coddle them and also push them out to face the world. You may teach them some bad things, but my Nanny always said 'anyone can raise a child, but only someone who isn't afraid to mess up can do it right' and I'm inclined to believe she was right." He kissed her lips softly. "So I repeat, you have me beat."
She grinned cheekily at him and kissed him back. "I love you, you romantic Sonova bitch."
"If she says that next I'm getting a swear jar." He chuckled.