Finding time for a day out...

[1st_mistake]

Blues and Kalinka have been meaning to check this place out for quite a while now. It was surprising how often something could keep coming up when you have a pair of twins to watch. Not to mention all the other things both parents tend to meddle in.

But they're here now, with little Mikhail and Ciel. And without any other guards or chaperones.

Comments

[kalli_cossack]

Mikhail didn't guess right this time, but the pictures are enough to distract him from being upset because of that. He studies how the thing works some more, pushing on different pieces.

Ciel babbles happily, most of it a completely unintelligible mishmash with only a few near-recognizable snippets of what might be Russian, Japanese, English, or even a fragment or two of German.

Kalinka chuckles. "Yes. She loves the stress worm very much."

Blues decides maybe he can get a few bites to eat while he watches Mikhail with the toy.

[random_xtras]

The toy is specially designed for high IQ babies, and as such it's built with several features of interest. Some of those pushes result in major or minor changes in form. Some get beeps or tweets.

"I see that." Rachel's grin is a little sad, but it's an old sadness. "Best friends are wonderful things to have."

[1st_mistake]

Mikhail's completely distracted by it now, pushing at various parts and tugging at others with a serious expression on his little face as if he's carefully filing away what every single piece of it does.

"Well, I hope they'll have more friends than an oversized caterpillar," Blues comments.

"'Oad!" comments Ciel.

"Or their uncles," adds Kalinka with a chuckle. "Toad is not here," she reminds Ciel, and tries to get her to eat another bite of egg.

[random_xtras]

"Well, you have to start small." Rachel chuckles too. "When you're that young a blanket can be your best friend."

"'N then y' grow up 'n start hangin' out with a wet blanket," rumbles Vic.

She rolls her eyes. "You're not a wet blanket. Knock it off."

[kalli_cossack]

"Da, this is true. I do not remember when I was that young. I think we still lived in Moscow then. We would not have moved to the Citadel until I was perhaps three years old."

"Wonder if there are any Nexus play groups," Blues comments idly, watching Mikhail with the toy. "I know there aren't many in Siberia."

[random_xtras]

"Bring them here and let them play with Ben and Leia?" suggests Rachel. "And there are other little kids that come here."

[1st_mistake]

"That sounds like a plan," Blues agrees.

Mikhail, meanwhile, seems to have finished with his seemingly random poking, pushing, and pulling. Now, he just puts the toy back the way it was. Maybe he'll start all over after some sausage.

[random_xtras]

Speaking of Ben. There he goes, just as fast as his little bare feet can take him.

Vic can't hold in a chuckle.

[kalli_cossack]

Ciel babbles something at him as he runs past, and then giggles.

[random_xtras]

Someone young starts to cry softly behind the bar, and the landlady ducks down to comfort them. Ben had paused to call back to Ciel, but now he darts back behind the bar.

And comes back trying to carry a little girl nearly as big as he is. A little girl who looks like a fuzzy black kitten with deep blue eyes and no tail.

[kalli_cossack]

Ciel babbles curiously and wants down to get a closer look. Kalinka picks the little girl up to put her on the floor before she can attempt to find a way down on her own and likely take a tumble off the seat.

Stress worm safely on her head, Ciel crawls over thataway.

((The twins so need their own journal...))

[random_xtras]

Ben sees her coming and sets the little fuzzy girl down on the floor, where she rubs her eyes and sighs before standing up and going to meet Ciel. "Hi. I'm Isha." One little pudgy hand goes out to touch the younger baby's hair where it's not covered by stress worm.

"She's my niece," says Ben proudly.

[1st_mistake]

The other girl has fur all over, like Tango or Wendy. Ciel babbles in amazement as she reaches to pet back. "'Sha?"

"Her name's Ciel," Blues says.