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]

Scrat nods, and one gets the feeling that he understands perfectly as he looks at the girls and Seth. "Brothers and sisters are a blessing."

"Even when they're a pain in the shebs." Atin offers the pepper bowl to Canderous and gets snorted at.

[mosaic_archive]

Spider chuckles at that. "I come from a big enough family I can back you up on that one... though mostly from watching my uncles."

[random_xtras]

"You want a pain in the shebs?" Another clone, this one in bare feet and a doctor's white coat, stops behind Atin.

"No. Keep your ugly feet to yourself. And eat a pepper." Atin stuffs the treat into his brother's mouth, and then grins at Spider.

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This gets some snickers from the younger clones. And then Seth leans over to half-whisper to the nearest one, "Does that word mean what I think it means."

"What do you think it means?" Sev replies with a grin.

[random_xtras]

Canderous harumphs and grins, then excuses himself to go to Alora's table. He's accosted on the way by a clone that looks a bit beefier than the norm, and his irritated voice comes back to the people at the bar. "What the ferfek do you want, Ordo?"

[mosaic_archive]

The younger clones glance over... and after that are just quietly paying attention to their food. Because if there was a good chance one of the Nulls was here, they're not sure they want to attract attention. They never saw them much during their time on Kamino... but they heard and saw enough to know those guys weren't all that stable.

[random_xtras]

The barefoot clone grins. "Hey, Ordo, look."

"Don't bother me, Fi. I don't have time for your #$%&@$#@."

"But it's mini Commandos!"

"What??" The burly Null turns his head, and then meeps as Canderous laughs. "Kids! I'm out of here!"

Action is put to words even as he speaks it, and the remaining adult clones other than Scrat slap each other on the back and laugh much. Canderous too is laughing, so hard that he needs to sit down and steal the drink of a friend at his table.

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"What did we do?" asks Seth. Because even though it was the young commando squad that was directly pointed out, Ordo's reaction seemed to be to kids in general... and he wants to know why. And the commandos aren't going to be asking as they're just giving the whole event the same boggled look they had when they saw B1s on Mars delivering mail and wearing bows or bow ties...

[random_xtras]

"You didn't do anything," says Atin, his laughter simmering down to sniggers. "Ordo's afraid of kids. Even the one his wife is giving him."

"He's a father?" Scrat perks, then frowns with concern. "Oh dear."

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"Ain't good to be scared of your own kids," Spider comments. But of he had anything more to say to that, Eldewn and Elsae are a distraction.

Both girls have started giggling as if over some private joke, until Elsae decides to share... "Does this mean Model E's are a perimeter warning system?" Given the way that the Es tended to congregate where ever there were small children...

[random_xtras]

"They might be, if they had any of them here." Atin snerks as he grins at Spider.

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"Lots of them at home," says Spider. "And there's probably gonna be need for more, 'specially 'round Arcadia from what I've heard."

[random_xtras]

"Yeah." The slightly eldritch clone sobers. "I hear that too. If you need any help, just call me."

Scrat turns to look toward them, his sober nod backing up his brother's offer.

[mosaic_archive]

The serious reaction lets Spider guess they're possibly thinking of the Ragnarok fallout - with it's batch of orphans and disowned 'bot and cyborg kids - and not the more recent news. He's not all that sure if it would have hit the Nexus yet, even if many of his uncles were still laughing themselves silly about Xavier's lack of foresight and the possibility of Arcadia being 'overrun with babies'. So...

"Latest from there is that Xavier's decided the best way to fix under-population is to import babies. My uncles are waiting to see how long it takes before he starts thinking he needs to import babysitters."