Arms Hotel, Saturday Morning

[spin_kick_snap]

Okay, so for all the complaining about having to get up early - especially after a night chock-full of pollen - this was Kathy's favorite weekend of the year. Surrounded by kids who called her mom, arguing over breakfast, listening to them babble on about their likes and interests and hopes, singing them to sleep at night. Even with as a late an evening as they'd had, she was still up, bright and early, humming around the public room of the suite, readying it for tiny visitors.

A hotel room meant that she had to rely on room service for breakfast, but she made due, making sure to order plenty of fruit (heavy on the strawberries), and juice, and more bacon and sausage than any one room really ought to have.

Now to wait for folks to start showing up!

[Open for all tiny children and their parents, whether related or not!]

Comments

[rebelseekspizza]

"Is breakfast here yet?" Dante muttered.

Yeah, he knew what weekend it was. He was still going to sprawl in this bed until he was good and ready to stop.

[spin_kick_snap]

"Yes, but it's only for people who get up and get it," Kathy said, bending over to give him a kiss. "You don't get breakfast in bed, lazybones."

[rebelseekspizza]

"But why not?" Dante whined. "What's the point of being in a hotel otherwise?"

[spin_kick_snap]

"Because the kids are coming, that's why," Kathy informed him. "And if I brought you breakfast in bed, you wouldn't get up till noon. And they deserve to see their much-younger dad. Uncle. Weird blonde hobo who lives in their mom's house."

[spin_kick_snap]

Awhile later, Kathy was making her way back over to Dante. "You've got another son coming," she said. "Ezra's bringing him over."

[rebelseekspizza]

"...With Ez?" Dante said, sitting up. "Hope that one didn't come out the natural way."

[spin_kick_snap]

"I'm trying to figure out what, exactly, you're considering 'the natural way' with that pairing," Kathy drawled.

[rebelseekskimchi]

There was a loud, insistent rapping on the door. "Mom? Dad?"

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy barely managed to keep from cheering at that knock. She hurried over to the door, and opened it to see...

Okay, new girl this year. But definitely one of hers. And beautiful. "Hi," she said, smiling softly at this new daughter. "Come on in. Hungry?"

She was never going to be like her mother, shaming her girls for eating with dire warnings of gaining weight.

[rebelseekskimchi]

Evie's eyes were big. "Always hungry, mom," she said. "Speedster, remember?"

... Okay, she knew mom had reason not to remember. Whatever.

[rebelseekspizza]

"Who is it?" Dante called from the bed.

He'd sat up, at least?

[bouncy_foxkit]

So, funny thing: Zeke's mom wasn't the only person whose scent he picked up on at this hotel. He was just... doing the sane thing and ignoring that other one because thanks, but no.

And so he was just insistently knocking on this door, and ignoring all others. "Umma? Okaa-san? Moooooom."

He was a Sagishi, he was bound to be a little Extra.

[spin_kick_snap]

Hey now! He was a Li Sagishi!

...Which actually didn't cut down on the being Extra, and nowhere near as much as Kathy would like to pretend.

Kathy opened the door. "Umma, huh?" she asked, clearly delighted. And then she saw his face, took in those very clear Sagishi genes...

"Zeke!" she cried and grabbed him for a hug. Her son had been much younger the only ever time she'd seen him, but that this could be some other Li-Sagishi child never crossed her mind. This was Zeke, the first AU child she had ever met, and she'd loved him pretty much from that first day on. "Hello sweetheart!"

[bouncy_foxkit]

Zeke made a quiet 'oof' sound at being grabbed, even though he wasn't necessarily even that surprised by it. Or the fact that she reconized him that easily, because, duh.

He was amazing, he should be instantly recognizable.

"Yes, I know, you love me very much," he quipped. "Food, though?"

Ignore how tightly he hugged her back.

[spin_kick_snap]

"Of course," Kathy said, lingering a moment longer in the hug before stepping back so he had a clear line of sight to the food. "Like I was going to prepare for an influx of children and not have a mountain of food handy?"

She couldn't help but look at him, noting and memorizing every line of his face. He looked so grown.

[not_every_mage]

"Dear Maker, is the horde here already?" Anders wondered groggily as he came out of the sinfully good hotel shower, wet hair loose and scraggly around his shoulders. "How many have shown up this time around?"

[rebelseekspizza]

"I'm counting three so far?" Dante ventured gingerly, squinting up at him from the armchair in the corner, Evie sitting on the arm of the chair.

[not_every_mage]

"That's not so bad," Anders said, with a slightly tentative grin and nod at Evie. "It almost looks like we have food for them all."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Still short our record, so there's room for more," Kathy said, radiating a quiet happiness as she looked around the room.

[not_every_mage]

Anders went to sit by her, finding himself smiling at her warmth.

"Tell me about them so far," he said.

[spin_kick_mage]

Tiny Mom greeted and the new kids scoped out, Carys was beelining for Tiny Dad now. She knew how these weekends went. Tiny Mom usually ran around, her attention split a bunch of different ways, but Tiny Dad was just hers.

Having brothers and sisters was fun, kinda like how Fandom was fun: exciting and different. But sometimes, a girl just wanted the comfort of the familiar.

"Hi, Dad," she said, her hand worming into his.

[not_every_mage]

"Carys," Anders said, eyes crinkling at the edges as he squeezed her hand in greeting. "I wasn't sure we'd get to see you this year."

[spin_kick_mage]

Carys knew that Tiny Mom was going to make her eat something healthy and probably gross, so she'd stopped at the Perk on her way to the hotel and bought an enormous cup of hot chocolate with extra whipped cream. It was a treat she rarely saw in Thedas, and she felt very adult as she tapped on her parents' suite door.

"Are you guys wearing clothes? It's Carys."

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy couldn't help but gasp as she opened the door. "Carys?" she repeated staring down at the less tiny but still absolutely adorable face. "Carys!" With a delighted laugh, she swooped down and hugged the little girl tightly.

She hadn't realized how much she'd missed the little girl last year until just this minute.

[spin_kick_mage]

"Oof," Carys said, but it was a very happy oof. A my-mom-is-hugging-me-and-all-is-well oof.

"Nice to see you too."