Hush, Little Penguin

Blood Relation💀

The Gup A parked smoothly along the dock. Peso's hometown, Whitewood, ran along the edge of the shore, leaving plenty of room to park. It was mid-afternoon and sunny. The weather even felt like fall, despite being colder. Colorful leaves rained down with each gust of wind, clobbering Kwazii as he stepped out of the Gup.

"Yeow!" He cried. "If there's one thing worse than winter in the Antarctic, it's Fall in the Antarctic." Peso stepped out after him, giggling sweetly. The entire town was decorated in shades of orange and purple and black. Ever since having a Spanish family move in, the entire place celebrated Día De Los Muertos with them. But Peso's family celebrated the best.

Peso happily dragged his new mint-green teddy bear along. He had been ecstatic to open Kwazii's Christmas present to him and find three soft, sparkling new teddy bears waiting for him. Three! It was three huge hugs wrapped into one box.

Peso's entire family already seemed to be there. According to Peso, the majority as from his mother's side. He didn't see much of his father's relatives, aside from his eccentric uncle Olaf, his father's younger brother, who showed up to family gatherings no matter what. His presence was usually friendly, if not an experience.

🎃

Peso's house was half-decorated. As the Octonauts approached, they were bombarded by a swarm of younger cousins who were gleefully tossing marigold petals everywhere. Some of them saw Peso, and sang; "Baby! Baby! Baby!"

Ignoring them, the Octonauts ventured in, dodging past a skeleton hanging near the door. The minute they were in the house, Barnacles was knocked over by a bunch of dogs.

"Off! OFF!" he pushed Spunky the sheepdog off his chest and sat up, wiping drool from his face. The others laughed. "I think they like you, captain." Peso said sweetly. Dashi helped him up, still smiling. On the floor above them, a large group of older cousins was scampering around, getting things ready. One girl, with long curly hair pulled back in a purple ribbon, walked down, expertly dodging them as she ventured out with her box of decorations. She was followed by another, younger  girl who was clearly in the Halloween spirit. She was dressed in a black funeral dress, and she wore heavy goth makeup and jewelry. Instead of a box, she cared a dismembered pumpkin.

"That was Daniella. " Peso explained tp them. "And her little sister Shantell. She love Día De Los Muertos."

"yeah, we can tell." Tweak quipped, hanging her snow suit on the coat rack. The others did the same, listening with interest to the banging sounds coming from the kitchen.

"That's my Abuela Rosa." Peso informed them. The elder woman dashed around the kitchen. "She likes to cook. And that's Abuelo Hector." An elder man wandered into the kitchen, and Rosa frowned. "Hector, your shorts are stuck again."

"Abuelo!" Someone cried. Another female cousin was standing at the kitchen table, fiddling with some orange tinsel. "I can never unsee that!"

"i think they looked better this way, but fine." Hector snipped defensively, slowly reaching around his wife with one flipper to snatch a piece of the pumpkin pie she had set on a cooling rack. Rosa smacked his flipper, and placed the pie on a high shelf.

Peso's family was rather friendly. They were particularly interested in who the Octonauts were, especially the little ones. Peso led them into the sitting room, where five of his baby cousins were sitting in a playpen. The little chicks gathered at the edge, and looked over, their fluffy penguin tails wiggling happily. Kwazii smiled at them. They were all dressed in orange.