Room 324, Monday After Classes

[vanillajello]

Apparently, going to high school classes was hard work.

Or Kate and her kids shared a gene for being lazy.

Either way, after Japanese Etiquette and Tradition, they'd headed back to Kate's room. Now, Dani was sprawled on the floor with a stack of his mother's kid-friendliest manga, and Vivienne had claimed the laptop for important research. Or so she said.

And Kate was keeping up a conversation, being all sneaky about finding out more about the way things worked were the kids were from. Not really asking questions, but kind of nudging the kids towards the subjects she was curious about.

She was pretty sure that Vivienne was on to her, and that Dani was barely listening. But, whatever. They had a big bag of candy. All was good.

[ooc: Open door, open post! Can't we keep the kids forever?]

Comments

[therewaslife]

"Candy was considered more a special snack treat where I'm from," he told her, shrugging and looking amused. "So, perhaps you are leading me on. How unkind of you."

[vanillajello]

Kate frowned. Without managing to look entirely serious. "Hey, no calling me unkind in front of my children. I'm totally kind."

[therewaslife]

"The fact that you have children here is still something I'm having difficulty wrapping my mind around," he said, blinking and shaking his head. "It's a little disconcerting, all these kids."

[vanillajello]

"Mmhmm, and you didn't even get any," she noted, before quirking a brow "... I think. Did you?"

[therewaslife]

He shook his head. "I didn't. Probably for the best. I wouldn't know the first thing to do with a child that said it was mine. All things considered, I shouldn't really be responsible for anyone but myself."

[vanillajello]

"I don't know about that," Kate said, smirking a bit. "You did okay enough with a child that said he was mine."

Dani snorted, but pretended it was because of what he was reading.

"With no help from the child in question," Kate added dryly.

[therewaslife]

"I think there's a difference between dealing with a child that isn't yours and dealing with one that is," he replied, glancing over at Dani. "Though, I will admit that was a surprise I wasn't expecting that morning."

[vanillajello]

"Well, my kids are just full of surprises, so it's very fitting," she said. "Of course, they're not actually my kids..."

She looked at the children for a moment, pursing her lips, before looking up at Bod again. "You wanna sit down for a moment?"

[therewaslife]

"...if it's all right," he said, feeling those nerves suddenly flare up again. There were children around and he wasn't used to that at all. "Of course, yes."

[vanillajello]

She gave him an odd look, but smiled and patted the bed beside her. "Of course it's all right."

[therewaslife]

At the odd look, he glanced at each child in turn before taking the seat beside her and sitting a little stiffly for a few moments. Eventually, he relaxed a bit, letting himself trust her and not any nerves he had.

"I didn't want to be an interruption," he explained.

[vanillajello]

"Pfft, nothing to interrupt. Just your basic Gregson-Atreides laziness," she assured him, almost cheerfully. "'Sides, I could use a little bit of talking to another grown-up."

And she rolled her eyes at herself right after saying that. Seriously, she sounded like such a mom.

[therewaslife]

"I'm younger than you are," he reminded her, laughing a bit now. "So, if you consider me a grown up, you must be really desperate for conversation."

[vanillajello]

"Dani is nine. Vivienne is six. You're an old man compared to them," Kate told him with an emphatic nod.

[therewaslife]

"So, what does that make you since you're older than us all?" Bod wondered, trying not to snicker.

[vanillajello]

"Mature," Kate replied haughtily. "Anyway, you're not that much younger than I am."

[therewaslife]

"Not that much, no," Bod agreed, smiling a little easier now. "Are you and your children --" That wasn't getting less strange. " -- doing anything fun tonight?"

[bratsforparents.livejournal.com]

"Bowling!" Dani exclaimed.

Kate blinked a few times, then glanced at the boy. "We haven't really talked about that yet." Beat. "Apparently, Dani wants to go bowling."

[therewaslife]

"And thus, your plans are made," he said and snickered. "Good that you have someone so decisive with you, isn't it?"

[vanillajello]

"Decisive and loud and really kind of rude," Kate replied. "Ah, family resemblance."

[therewaslife]

"I don't know, from what I've seen, he's been fairly...nice. And forthright," he added, nodding. "He says what he thinks, at least?"

[vanillajello]

"Now if he only thought about what he says before he says it..."

"Mooom. I'm right here."

"I know," Kate told him, a bit amused. "Maybe you'll learn something by listening. If you're gonna do the brutal honesty thing, you gotta learn from the pros."

[therewaslife]

"Has he said anything that awful or embarrassing?" Bod wondered, lowering his voice out of courtesy to the child but asking anyway.

[vanillajello]

"Mostly to her," she replied, voice equally lowered, nodding at Vivienne, "which I guess is okay--" Her voice was hardly more than a secretive whisper now. "--because she could kick his ass from here to next Wednesday in a dozen different ways, but..."

[therewaslife]

"Well, they're both still alive," he noted, glancing at them both, "so perhaps her patience is long and tested. You seem like you're doing just fine."