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

[mosaic_archive]

Spider grins a bit, and replies, "Most Wilybots don't know much about 'supposed' to." His family probably couldn't help that rebellious streak, particularly post-Wily and his particular little branch of the tree. "I just try to take care of things when it looks like somebody ought to. And if someone's willing to pay me for it, so much the better."

If nothing else, the kids are pretty much convinced it'd be good to have on hikes and such. Better than that chewing gum stuff a few of them have tried since coming to the Nexus.

[random_xtras]

"Neither do most Fette clones." Atin's grin widens. "And that's the right attitude."

Then he glances at his brother. "Show them the sea plum soup."

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"Noticed that resemblance myself... which didn't help much with keeping my temper over some things. But that's in the past now, at least for them." Though Spider has less hope now of doing anything to improve the status of droids in that universe when the authorities there are willing to come up with excuses to get around their own laws against using organics as slaves... and he doubts that would have changed with the shift from Republic to Empire. In fact, he has a bad feeling it's going to get a lot worse.

"You can't carry soup in a pocket," says Elsae... only to have Solus soon explaining to her about dehydrated field rations, and Sev noting that 'not fitting in a pocket' was no reason to ignore hot food.

Spider can't help a chuckle as he watches.

[random_xtras]

"Yeah. For my bunch too. And the rest of the guys here and some others." Atin presses his lips together slightly. "But sometimes even stealing two Republic Armies feels like a drop in the bucket."

Then he has to grin as he sees Blue bringing the bowls of softly steaming and very lovely smelling soup, along with a bowl full of threadlike, delicately tasty threan. "I didn't say to give them salad."

"I can eat it, brother." Scrat shrugs amiably.

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"That's the thing with the whole Nexus-Multiverse," Spider says. "You're dealing with infinity, and no matter how much of a dent you make in that it's still infinity. Sometimes you have to focus on the smaller picture just to stay sane."

Trouble will just snag a 'thread' out of that salad bowl when it's close enough, with a completely unrepentant grin. Were they not supposed to have any of this? Too late!

The girls are wondering if they still have room for soup after earlier... they're not used to eating a lot at any one time yet. Seth thinks he might be able to. And the other four? Like most of their particular origins, they're bottomless pits where food is concerned.

[random_xtras]

"Yeah. I think Charlie's figured that out the hard way." Atin snags some threan himself, then dips it into Scrat's soup before nomming it. Then he drowns a bit more and offers it to Spider as per the good manners of the world where Scrat lives.

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"Thanks," Spider says, trying some of it... and sharing bits with any of the kids that look interested.

[random_xtras]

Scrat's offering shares too, and now there's one of the little native wyverns over sitting on the bar and trying to look just as cute as he can to see if she can get a bit of the delicately flavoured and crispy threads.

[mosaic_archive]

The two girls consider it for half a second before they start feeding the little wyvern. After all, some of this food isn't the sort they can stuff in pockets, and they're getting a bit full.

Feeding pets, however, attracts something that Spider had tried to leave to keep an eye on things on the ship. That's the problem with pets that have a mental link to their handlers... there's a pop of displaced air as a green fire lizard joins the wyvern.

[random_xtras]

The wyvern squeaks with surprise, then makes a little chattering sound almost like laughter to the newcomer before opening his mouth again and begging for more threan.

Atin, meanwhile, is laughing. "Ooops."

And Scrat's wearing a little soup. The arriving lizard startled him since he hasn't got the mental early warning system that Atin does.

[mosaic_archive]

The girls soon divide their attentions, with Elsae fussing over the wyvern while Eldewn feeds remnants from the cold plate to the little green fire lizard.

"I could get her to stay put when it was just us eating, but as soon as she knew there was a good chance of treats..," Spider says. "It's hard to keep a fire lizard away from food."