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

[bitchprince]

Arthur grew up without a mother. That might've had something to do with it.

"I can take her up until dinner," he said, staunchly ignoring anything... you know. That might infer he had an emotional life. "And she can stay in my room the following afternoon and night. If she remains after that, we'll see to other arrangements."

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, sure," Katchoo agreed, still eyeing him dubiously. "I dunno if she oughta be in my room with my weird robot roommate's booze stash."

Which just brought to mind the uncomfortable realization that as far as maternal role models went she only had her own -- absolutely not -- and Francine's as reference. And no way in hell was she Marie Peters.

[bitchprince]

"There's plenty of empty rooms in the castle," Arthur offered. ... He had so little experience with any of this. "Or you could try hiding the 'stash'." Even if that might be a bit more dangerous.

[tinyblondedeath.livejournal.com]

"That never works, Dad," Morgana cut in with a roll of her eyes.

[bitchprince]

"You," Arthur said, fixing his eyes on the girl for that one, "Are not drinking anything."

Sense of responsibility? Yes. Macho sense of authority? Also yes.

[tinyblondedeath.livejournal.com]

"Why not? Mom never listens when you say it," Morgana said, pouting.

[bitchprince]

"Yes, well--"

Arthur was doing his level best not to skim the edge of camp here again, thank you. "--You're not your mother."

[tinyblondedeath.livejournal.com]

"That's what you always say." Morgana heaved a little sigh that suggested she couldn't decide if that was a bad thing or not. "And then she says, 'Morgana can damn well be whoever the hell she wants to.'"

[bitchprince]

"And she can say whatever she likes." At this point, strangling seemed like a nice option, but he shoved that idea out of the way. "But you won't be drinking any of her roommate's 'stash'."

Oh, god, was he actually saying this to a four-year-old?

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"And as much as I think I'm going to be drinking to forget this later on," Katchoo interrupted, "your dad -- oh god -- is actually right about that."

She glowered at Arthur. "Can I just die now?"

[bitchprince]

"No," said Arthur, soberly, idly, and nonchalantly. "Because you'll have to stab me in the juglar first, before you go."

He'd be more polite and Princely some other day.

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"Can I do it anyway?" Katchoo asked hopefully, and that question could have come straight out of Morgana's mouth, with a matching expression.

[bitchprince]

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Absolutely not," he said.

Like he was going to be killed by a girl.

[tinyblondedeath.livejournal.com]

"Dad thinks you won't do it," Morgana told Katchoo helpfully. "And you haven't yet. Even if you keep saying you will."

[bitchprince]

See? Never getting killed by a girl. "If that's settled," he interrupted.

You know, before any actual armed conflicts could break out.

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"I guess it is. Damn." Katchoo sighed. "Just for the record, this is never happening in a million years."

[bitchprince]

"Don't worry," he said, at pitch-perfect deadpan (with, admittedly, quite an edge of camp), "I wasn't making any plans."

Although at least she wasn't a girly girl. There was that.

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"Good. Don't bother," Katchoo informed him. Damn him and his actual freaking sense of duty to go with the posturing and macho crap.

[bitchprince]

"Likewise," he said, mostly untouched.

Hey, he dealt with Morgana - original flavour - every single day. There were certain things you grew to be immune to. "I'll see you tomorrow."

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, sure." Katchoo nudged Morgana. "Go on, bug your dad for a while, will ya?"

While she drank herself unconscious or something.