K is for Kin
Avalanche knew that the world looked different from the ground than it did from the sky. He knew this because he had gained a glimpse of this as he jumped from Cabbie's hold and into the empty air. But even though he had experienced the joy of the wind cradling every inch of his chassis, he also understood that he would never fully understand what it was like to be an aircraft and have the freedom to fly under their own power.
Something deep inside the dozer told him that this lack of understanding went two ways. He would never understand what it was truly like to fly…but the aircraft he served with would never understand the concept of family like he did. Growing up in the mines he had constantly been surrounded by vehicles of his own steel, and even though he had become the black sheep of the family be setting out into the world to seek his fortune, he knew that his family expected him to return and settle down once his firefighting career was complete. Having family like that was incredibly grounding because he knew that no matter how stuck he might get, there was always someone out there…a parent, a cousin, a sibling, an aunt…that was willing to pull you out of the muck. The fact that the aircraft around him were often adrift, either by choice or by circumstances, made his engine ache, so Avalanche decided that he would do his best to make sure that the base was like family.
Cabbie became the uncle, partially because it seemed a little bit rude to call him grandpa, and partially because…well, they had kind of assumed he was gay. Discovering Cabbie's history had been a bit of a shock. Discovering his kids and grandkids had been an even greater surprise. But by then, Cabbie was firmly their 'uncle' and no amount of protesting from the old plane was going to change the smokejumper's minds.
Blade was the next vehicle to kind of snap in the place. The Chief was clearly 'Dad'. He was a stern, somewhat standoffish father, but all of the jumpers knew that was partially a facade. They had all seen how the Chief worked to keep them all safe…how he practically hovered over them when they were injured, and they knew just how much the Chief cared.
Windlifter, Maru, and Patch all managed to become older cousins. Windlifter was the type that always got roped into babysitting you when you were younger, while Maru was the kind of cousin who would sneak you half a can of high grade while you were underage. Patch, on the other tine, was clearly the responsible cousin that always remembered to send you a card for your birthday…even if the contents of the card might be a little bit questionable.
That of course left the siblings. While Avalanche liked to think of himself as the older brother, Dynamite had totally left in the dust when it came to being the 'oldest' sibling. She was strong, beautiful, reliable, and utterly terrifying when she was mad. In contrast, Dipper and Drip were clearly the 'babies' of the family. Their endless curiosity required constant supervision and everyone on the team did their best to keep them safe. That left Avalanche, Blackout, and Pinecone, in the middle trying to do their best to find ways to gain attention from other members of the 'family.'
Avalanche had mastered the art of being a middle child on base having fun alternating between being overly helpful and throwing wrenches into the works. The trick was reading the mood of the base and knowing what the rest of the family needed at the moment…For example, if Blade had just been handed another budget cut from Cad, it was time it was best to help cook an extra comforting meal. On the other tire, if Windlifter was handed the exact same set of budget cuts it was better to organize an impromptu movie night to help the helicopter procrastinate the paperwork.
Regardless of what the right action was at the moment, Avalanche would always do his best to be there. Because Piston Peaks was a family, even if not a single one of them were of the same steel.
Term – Kin – This word usually refers to blood relatives but can also be used to refer to any group that shares a strong affinity or relationship to each other.