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]

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.

[mosaic_archive]

"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."

[mosaic_archive]

"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.

[mosaic_archive]

"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."