Arnold--Hey Arnold!--Barplace

[mm_mono]

The football head that walks into the bar today isn't the one we all know and love.

Well, he is the one we all know and love, he's just lost a few years

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[kitchen_zen]

Know who else couldn't resist?

A Hey Arnold! fan who happens to work at a preschool.

She's not really tall for an adult, or at least there are adults who are much taller than her, and she's rather stout. ("Just like the teapot," she tells her own children.)

She has two of them in tow, actually. A pair of two-year-old twins, one with brown hair and eyes, the other the spittin' image of a baby Ron Weasley.

"Whoa whoa whoa!" she says to the first one, holding the other's hand. "You can't just run away from the line like that!"

Then she notices Arnold, before noticing where they are.

"Hiya! Are you a new student?"

[mm_mono]

He blinks at her and smiles shyly. "I'm going to preschool today."

He's very helpful!

[kitchen_zen]

"Then you've come to the...right...place..." she says, looking around at their surroundings. "Or not, but I work for the school, so you're on the right track. I'm Miss Auralie."

She's got the boy with brown hair by the hand now too just as the redhead starts to fuss and say, "Diaper change!"

"Oh right, I gotta change Billy here. If you want to come along, we can find a way back together. I've been here before, so the preschool should be just on the other side of the door we came in through."

[mm_mono]

"Okay," he says amicably, "I'm Arnold and I don't wear diapers anymore."

He's a big boy now~

[kitchen_zen]

She thought there was something familiar about the shape of his head.

"Pleased to meet you, Mister Arnold. This here is Billy," she says, indicating the redhead again, "And his brother is Jordan. They're in the C class."

She walks them to the bathrooms, where thankfully there's a family bathroom for changing diapers and such.

"It's just about time for afternoon snack and the three of us were going to look in the kitchen. These two wanted to be big boy helpers and volunteered to come just before Mister Bill here let us know about his situation."

Miss Auralie picks Billy up to change him while Jordan looks at Arnold with interest.

There might be hugging at any moment.

[mm_mono]

"Hi Jo'don, I like your shirt."

His speech is kind of stiff, like he very carefully pastes it together before he says it.

And he probably wouldn't be bothered by the incoming hug.

[kitchen_zen]

The shirt in question is a red stripey shirt with a dog on it. Billy's is the same type of stripey, but orange with a monkey.

Jordan goes in for the hug.

"Awww, you're a sweet boy," Miss Auralie says. "Both of you, really," she amends. And then, "All three of you."

"I wash my hands," Billy says with the same sort of stiffness, the emphasis on 'wash' and 'hands'.

"I wash hands," Jordan says as well, letting go of Arnold.

"Okay, we'll all was our hands and then we can have some cereal and fruit. Does everyone like strawberries?"

"I like star babies," Billy says happily before repeating, "I wash my hands."

[mm_mono]

Arnold happily returns the hug, mindful of his umbrella.

"My hands too," Arnold says, "and stawbearies."

[kitchen_zen]

Jordan looks at the umbrella with wide eyes and starts frantically pointing and saying, "Uh-bella! Uh-bella!"

He reaches for it just as Miss Auralie finishes changing Billy and sets him down on the floor.

"No, Jordan. You don't take another person's things without asking. You have to say, 'Arnold, may I please hold your umbrella?'"

"Peas uh-bella," Jordan says as Billy walks to the sink and climbs on the provided footstool, determinedly saying once again, "I wash my hands."

"Don't forget the soap," Miss Auralie helpfully adds, giving Billy a dollop of pink sudsy soap.

[mm_mono]

"You can hold it," Arnold says as he holds it out.

Once Jordan takes it, he goes to stand behind Billy. "Me next!"

[kitchen_zen]

Jordan takes it and starts pulling at the fabric.

"Be careful, Jordan. And tell Arnold 'thank you' too."

"Fank you!"

Miss Auralie helps Billy finish up and gets him a paper towel before helping him off the stool and giving Arnold room. Billy goes to look at the umbrella with his brother.

[mm_mono]

"Youwe welcome." Contractions are hard.

And Arnold hops onto the stool and starts rubbing his hands together under the water, sans soap. Oops.

[kitchen_zen]

Miss Auralie helpfully offers the soap to him, her finger on the pump to give him a sudsy pink drop.

Before saying, "Jordan! Billy! Don't you pull that umbrella apart! We have to be nice to things that don't belong to us."

[mm_mono]

He accepts the soap delightedly and rubs his hands together just outside the water flow before sticking them under and watching them make suds.

She's probably going to want to give him a nudge to finish, or he'll play in the sink all day.

And if the thought of his umbrella being messed up bothers him, he certainly isn't showing it.

[kitchen_zen]

"All right, sugar, looks like you're done," Miss Auralie says, handing him a paper towel. "Jordan, please give Arnold his umbrella back so you can wash your hands."

[mm_mono]

He dries his hands by balling up the paper towel and slapping it against his palms.

And thankfully the umbrella comes back into his hands, all parts still attached. "Thank you!"