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

[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."

[rebelseekspizza]

"I still think we should order burgers," Dante said sagely. "Kathy says no, but Kathy's clearly the no-fun one around here."

[not_every_mage]

"It's still early," Anders noted. "I bet Kathy will fold on the burgers by 11."

[rebelseekspizza]

"Let's hope for 10.30," Dante said brightly.

[not_every_mage]

Anders nudged Dante's calf with a toe.

"You could go get them yourself, if you're that hungry," he suggested. "Or tell one of the spawn to go get them."

[rebelseekspizza]

"Nah," Dante said. He heaved a sigh. "Gotta go check out the spawn with Ezra in a while anyway, but I don't wanna bail on Evie here."

Evie rolled her eyes. "I'm a big girl, dad."

[not_every_mage]

"According to who?" Anders wondered, turning his attention to Evie. "And are you the one who calls me 'Dad Junior'?"

[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_snap]

"There's Zeke," Kathy said, gesturing to the oldest kid in the room. "This is his second visit; he and Carys came the same year. Mine and Ezra's." And looked startlingly like them both, depending on his expression. "He was a lot littler then, though."

She nodded to the girl in the leather jacket, radiating 'too cool for this.' "That's Evie, eleven going on twenty, I swear. She calls you dad-junior, but probably just to get a reaction. She's embracing adolescence early."

"Carys is killing me with how much older she is," even though Anders already knew Carys well. Of all Kathy's kids, she was the most frequent visitor. "And Dante has another kid with Ez. He's bringing him over in a bit, but that's all I know about him."

[not_every_mage]

"Dad junior," Anders snorted. "What, I'm Dante's little buddy for her?"

His eyes skipped fondly over Zeke and Evie before coming to rest on Carys. "I guess she had to get older," he said. "But..."

But he didn't want her to.

[spin_kick_snap]

"Oh no, she assured us you were the cool one," Kathy said, lacing her fingers through his. "I think she was just being super-cool when she said that, you know?"

There was a lot of 'look how cool and grown I am' this year. And Kathy was sad about it.

"Did she, though?" Kathy asked. "I mean, like, did she really?"

[not_every_mage]

"It's magic," Anders said lightly. "So ... not for us, no. For us, you'd think the island would be considerate and send us a 6-year-old forever."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Right?!" Kathy asked. "Somebody better still be little enough to want to sit in my lap or you're getting tapped for the job, mister."

[not_every_mage]

Anders squinted at her. "Is that supposed to be a punishment?"

[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]

"Oh no, I had to come," she explained, Very Serious. "It was the only way I would have any peace and quiet."

She followed that up with an aggrieved sigh.

Seriously, Tiny Dad, you did not know what she was dealing with.

[not_every_mage]

Anders quirked an eyebrow at her. "Something's going wrong in Kirkwall?" he asked.

[spin_kick_mage]

"It's awful," Carys said. She glanced around to make sure than only her dad was listening and then whispered, "Being a big sister is super hard. All babies do is cry. I don't want any when I grow up."

[not_every_mage]

"... big sister?" Anders blinked at her, as though that might make him hear something different. "So we, uh ... we had another baby? And din't even ask you for permission first?"

He was trying not to grin, but didn't quite manage it.

[spin_kick_mage]

"I wanted a puppy," Carys grumbled.

Look, the injustice of her parents' argument still stung.

"But now I got a baby brother and Mom and Dad probably won't even notice I'm gone, unless they need me to help with the baby."

[not_every_mage]

"That doesn't sound very fair," Anders commented. "I'm glad about the baby, but you shouldn't feel pushed to the side."