The Deck, Saturday Late Afternoon

[bitchprince]

Last night had been distinctly odd, but how it ended had taken some of the edge off, at least. If Arthur didn't know better, he'd almost even be able to convince himself the day was going to be sort of all right. Or, at least, not completely insane.

Instead, he was going to take a seat on the deck with a bowl of fruit and some bread for a late breakfast. Uther Pendragon taught great lessons about paranoia.

He was just going to be pleased that at least he hadn't wound up sleeping in the preserve last night.

[[ open, especially to any blonde spawn that might want to assault him ]]

Comments

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah cracked up again.

When she could speak, she said, "Um. Look. I don't know how long he'll be here, but... if you want, I'll keep him with me?" There might be an element of skepticism there for Arthur's parenting skills. "I've babysat a lot. We'll have fun."

Plus, she kind of loved this kid.

[bitchprince]

Arthur rubbed his forehead. He really would like to say yes, but... "He's my child, too," he muttered, "As ridiculous as that sounds."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Okay," Dinah said, still a little dubious, but smiling at Gawain, who was now talking on one of the bananas and ordering someone to get his Rolls detailed. "We'll, um. Trade off. Or something. I have to look after Lena, too, I don't want to leave Priestly in the lurch." She smiled a little, then said, "I'm pretending that he's just random weirdness so I don't think about the rest of it."

Because her, and Arthur, and no no no no no no.

[bitchprince]

"We'll trade off," Arthur agreed. He wasn't just-- going to leave the child out in the cold. But still. "I think that might be a wise strategy," he tried, "And we'll never speak of it if it ends."

[newlances.livejournal.com]

"I'm not an it," Gawain objected, hanging up the banana. "And I can hear you." He gave Arthur an expectant look, then Dinah. "I still get a sword, right?"

[bitchprince]

"I wasn't talking about you," Arthur started, because he did have the idea that it would be very bad parenting indeed if he wound up referring to his-- son-- as it, "Just about the entire-- situation."

Oh, god, now he was trying to be fatherly. "You'll have a sword in due time, once everything's sorted."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

As more kids started to show up and the situation became, well, louder, Dinah snagged Gawain's arm and said to Arthur, "Maybe we should catch up with you later? Like, leave him with you for dinner? I'm supposed to find Lena and Priestly then."

[bitchprince]

"Dinner," Arthur repeated. By dinner time, he might have actually processed all of this. "Dinner would be a good time," he finished, "I'll make sure everyone else's cleared out of the room by then."

Meaning Alice.

And, oh god, would there be Spawn of Leto in his room?

[newlances.livejournal.com]

"See you at dinner, Dad," Gawain said, shooting his punitive siblings one last lordly look. "Hopefully without them."

Amazing how much he sounded like his grandfather just then.

[bitchprince]

... It was really frightening how much Gawain reminded him of Uther there, yes.

"See you at dinner," he echoed, and tried not to sound as shell-shocked as he felt.