Long overdue...

[mosaic_archive]

Spider's missed this place... but sometimes absences just can't be helped. Stuff comes up, things happen... stubborn kids want to go out to lunch armed like they're going to raid the place...

They'd all needed some adjustment time.

But here he is, after about four months. And unlike most times, this time he's not alone. He usually picks a nice seat where he can see the view and orders the same grilled strawberry cream sandwich and hot cocoa... but this time he'll look around for a spot with enough room to accommodate the seven kids with him.

Comments

[random_xtras]

Uzulee grins at the kids, recognizing the features on those first four as she does so. "How about the bar? There's nobody else there right now except for Pug."

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"Sounds good," Spider says, with a quick glance to the kids. They seem to have no objections. "Bar it is." He'll smile, then, adding, "I'll have my usual, but the kids are probably gonna have to have a look at the menu first." He'd told them before coming here they could pick anything they wanted.

[random_xtras]

"No prob." The little brunette smiles. "Everything we have today is up on the blackboard behind the bar there." She glances at it. "Okay. The fresh sashimi isn't, but we have that too."

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As the commando kids look over the menu, they'll get a surprise. Spider hadn't mentioned some of this. Spider will just grin when they look his way, and say, "Told you I thought you'd like this place."

There's a range of reaction to that, from Trouble's huge grin to Husk just nodding. Then they'll start in on their order. Mostly stew, but a few other mando items they spot. It might be a while before Spider's mom learned how to make proper mando food.

The twin girls scrutinize the menu carefully, before requesting cold plate, some cookies, and a couple pistachio cakes... and after a moment's hesitation the 'marching snickerdoodles'. Surely something like that could be stuffed in a pocket for later, right?

Seth looks for the weirdest thing, from his perspective, on the menu. What was the point of going out for food if you didn't try something you couldn't get at home. One item stands out... "Spaghetti with applesauce? I want to try that!"

[random_xtras]

The bartender grins at the kids, her black eyes holding a friendly twinkle. "Anything to drink while you wait for that to cook?"

Then she glances toward the door to the hanger, which is next to the usual teleportal. "Hey, Alora. Not-beer?"

[random_xtras]

"Yes, please," comes the tired reply of the tall woman who is wearing what looks like a Jedi robe over a suit of sweet black Catarn armour. "One for Carth too, and the others will be in in a moment." She looks at the full bar, and then turns and guides the man at her side over to a table nearby.

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"Coconut milk," Seth requests promptly. Mars was a cold planet, and while there were plans to import coconut from Venus they were still a rare treat.

Drinks aren't portable, so the girls lean towards treats, giving each other a glance and nod before Elsae asks for an ice cream float they can share. They also watch Alora just a little warily. Jedi robes are something they recognize, even if the memories are old and fuzzy.

"What's the legal drinking age here..?" asks Trouble.

"Older than you are now," Spider says, with a slight snerk.

Mars is a little short on sodas, too, and the commandos decide to give those a try. After some quiet discussion they'll each order a different one. It's not like they can't try bits out of each other's glasses and figure out which ones they like best. They note the Katarn armor Alora wears, but given the menu writing it's not that big a surprise. Paired with Jedi robes is odd though.

[random_xtras]

Blue chuckles as she gets the drinks and serves them. "I don't serve booze except to Wolverines and a few other people that I know can handle it. This is mostly a dry bar. What flavour float, girls? I've got chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, lychee, and sand plum ice cream, and cola, root beer, ginger ale, or Yay works best for the pop part."

"Give me a Yay in a not-beer glass," requests a gruff voice from behind the kids. "After you're done helping these."

Blue snerks softly. "Uzulee, get Canderous his lum cake pop?"

"Sure." The little brunette laughs as she goes behind the bar and grabs a brown glass bottle.

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The girls look at each other again, not a word spoken out loud as they debate this. The mention about the soda helps this decision. "Chocolate and Yay, please," says Eldewn.

"Lum cake pop?" says Trouble. He'd ordered that one... talk about a bit of luck! The other three are still curious enough to try the ones they picked, but they'll keep that one in mind for later. Besides, the last two patrons mean they have something else on their minds.

It's Sev that ends up speaking up, Solus and Husk being quiet as usual, "No one has a problem with armor here..." So, why did they have to store theirs again? They'd only just gotten it resized to fit.

[random_xtras]

"So long as you take off your helmet so I can see who I'm talking to," says Blue as she mixes up the float for the girls.

"Armour?" asks Canderous, looking down at the boys. Then he recognizes features and grins. "Ah." A quiet-voiced Mando greeting follows. It's a casual one between soldiers.

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The boys reply to Canderous in kind, as they wait for Spider's response.

Spider just nods slightly to himself, "That's part of the reason. When we head back into things, it's all gonna have to be careful an incognito for a while... an your armor's even more recognizable than your faces. There's not too many civvies that would recognize you at the age you are, but they'd know the armor. You've got to practice keeping it stored, and bringing it out when you need it." He'll tap his wrist when he says that... all four older boys are wearing watch-like devices that serve to store their armor much as the 'bots from Spider's universe do.