Alfred didn't think that he'd ever heard Evander say the word nope before, which was sort of novel. If he was going to be shocked by anything, though, it wasn't the word choice but rather that he wanted to continue at all. Given how utterly graceless his jump had been, Alfred was a little impressed — not that he would admit to it, of course, but there was something distinctly admirable in Evander's determination to keep going, even though he clearly knew how ridiculous he looked doing it.
"Alright, then," he said. He moved to the seat beside the tiller and dropped into it, then crossed his arms over his chest, mostly to prevent himself from reaching out and just doing things himself if Evander was doing them too slowly or clumsily, which would almost certainly happen. Evander wanted to learn, though, and Alfred was going to make a good faith effort to teach him, which meant not interfering unless he asked for it. He issued orders from that position, pausing to explain terminology when Evander looked utterly baffled but otherwise just pressing on and hoping he figured it out as he went — which, unbelievably, seemed to be working (maybe the idea that Alfred could teach sailing lessons for a living wasn't so entirely far-fetched as it sounded when he'd first thought it up).
"You've got it, now," Alfred said encouragingly as the boat began to move out from the pier in a more purposeful way, the wind beginning to catch the sail. "Now take that line there and let the sail out until you like the speed. As much or as little as you like."
"Alright, then," he said. He moved to the seat beside the tiller and dropped into it, then crossed his arms over his chest, mostly to prevent himself from reaching out and just doing things himself if Evander was doing them too slowly or clumsily, which would almost certainly happen. Evander wanted to learn, though, and Alfred was going to make a good faith effort to teach him, which meant not interfering unless he asked for it. He issued orders from that position, pausing to explain terminology when Evander looked utterly baffled but otherwise just pressing on and hoping he figured it out as he went — which, unbelievably, seemed to be working (maybe the idea that Alfred could teach sailing lessons for a living wasn't so entirely far-fetched as it sounded when he'd first thought it up).
"You've got it, now," Alfred said encouragingly as the boat began to move out from the pier in a more purposeful way, the wind beginning to catch the sail. "Now take that line there and let the sail out until you like the speed. As much or as little as you like."
MJ made the most Alfredy of sets and then two years later she made it EVEN BETTER