4th floor common room, Saturday morning

[not-called-icky.livejournal.com]

Ichabod had woken up early and had decided to spend the morning enjoying a long breakfast, possibly while mocking whatever strange things was on the television. Unfortunately, as he soon discovered, he had little food left, which was why breakfast ended up being tea with several strange flavours of ice cream. Well, he also stole some bread and jam from someone else, hoping they wouldn't notice.

He had come across television programs aimed at children before, of course, but this morning they were everywhere, it seemed. They were also somewhat disturbing in Ichabod's opinion; loud, with bright colours and lacking in content. He ended up watching one which made his eyes hurt but even more oddly, he found himself talking back to the characters, as that was clearly what one was supposed to do. What strange thing to teach innocent children!

[Open CR. Ichabod doesn't know it yet, but he will babysit any weetiny students showing up. Not because he enjoys it, but because it is the proper thing to do. He'd feel guilty if anyone got hurt.]

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[pasunereveuse.livejournal.com]

A very small girl with a lopsided bow in her hair and a pinafore poked her head into the common room, curious but quiet. Celia was very pleased with herself for getting dressed without her mother's help (which was good, since Mama didn't seem to be here -- but she wasn't especially worried about that, yet.) But she hadn't quite managed all the steps, and she had wandered the halls trying to find someone who could help her tie the laces on her boots -- -she'd tried to do it herself, but at almost-five, the task was still a little beyond her skills.

For now, though, her untied boots were forgotten, because there was something exciting and loud happening in here, and she actually let out a little squeak of delight when the purple monkey began to talk. Monkeys didn't talk!

[not-called-icky.livejournal.com]

It took a moment for Ichabod to notice that there was a little girl there, because the television was quite distracting. Eventually he did, though, and gave her a surprised look.

"Are you lost, miss?" he asked, confused.

[pasunereveuse.livejournal.com]

Celia balked a little when the man spoke to her, but she shook her head immediately. She was lost, or at least didn't know where she was, but that wasn't too much of a worry at the moment. She was supposed to be polite to adults when the asked her questions, she knew, but she also had to be mindful of strangers.

She wrestled with her little dilemma for a moment before walking over to Ichabod and very softly informing him, "I can't tie my shoes."

[not-called-icky.livejournal.com]

Ichabod looked at her shoes, noting that the girl was wearing clothes that wasn't fashionable in this era, but unsure what to make of this. His gaze shifted to her face.

"Do you need help?"

Because letting a child trip over her shoe laces seemed like a bad idea,

[seveninchmotto]

Isabelle was wearing a cape with a hood, and had a plastic sword with runes on it.

"I demand breakfast!"

She also had no manners, and a loud voice.

[not_a_moonie]

"I like your sword," Alana -- who had dressed herself with similar, if girlier, fashion sense -- announced. "Wanna play princess and soldier?"

[seveninchmotto]

Okay, Isabelle was intrigued by that. Also, flattered by the first part, as evident from the slight preening.

"... What's that? Is that a game?"

[not_a_moonie]

"It's a making-things-up game," Alana explained. "I'm a princess and you're a soldier and, um ... something cool happens."

She'd figure out what it might be in a second.

[not-called-icky.livejournal.com]

Another child? Ichabod told himself that perhaps he shouldn't be surprise.

"Now, miss, what has happened to your manners? Would your Mama let you have breakfast when behaving so rudely?"

He certainly wouldn't let children behave badly.

[seveninchmotto]

Isabelle stopped to consider this.

But not for very long. "Yes!" she decided, nodding firmly.

[not-called-icky.livejournal.com]

"Well, unfortunately for you, miss, I am not your mama," Ichabod replied sharply. "You will have no ice cream until you ask politely, and address me as mr Crane. What is your name, child?"

[pasunereveuse.livejournal.com]

"You should say please," Celia admonished her, her own voice very soft in contrast.

She did wish she had a sword, too, even if the other girl seemed rude.

[seveninchmotto]

Story of Isabelle's life, really.

"Why?" she asked, brandishing the sword.

[pasunereveuse.livejournal.com]

"Because then people will want to help you," Celia said, after thinking it through for a moment.

[not_a_moonie]

The third small girl to come into the common room had dressed herself in an oversized slip as a dress (wings poking out in the back, of course), plenty of jewelry, and a scarf on her head for a veil. If there were no adults telling her to dress sensibly, Alana believed in making the most of it.

She skidded into the common room for some breakfast, and had already hoisted herself onto the counter to check what they had before she realized she had a very serious problem.

"There's not any cereal up here," she announced poutily.

[not-called-icky.livejournal.com]

Those wings were a give-away.

"Miss Alana," Ichabod said. "I would offer you ice cream to compensate, but only if you ask politely. Surely your parents have taught you that."

[not_a_moonie]

"Not really," Alana said. Her parents had other priorities; they hadn't worried themselves much with their only daughter's manners.

Still, she knew what he meant -- and she wanted ice cream. She slid off the counter and smiled at him. "Please can I have some ice cream?"

[not-called-icky.livejournal.com]

"Certainly," Ichabod said, smiling back. He scooped up ice cream into a bowl and offered it to her. "And if you don't know who I am, you can call me mr Crane."

[pasunereveuse.livejournal.com]

"Are you a fairy?" Celia asked her softly, her voice a bit awed. Though if she was a fairy, how come she hadn't flown up to look for cereal?

Maybe fairies had special rules.

[not_a_moonie]

"No," Alana said, sounding puzzled by the question. "I'm a princess,see?"

She adjusted the mass on her head to be more obviously crown-like.

[pasunereveuse.livejournal.com]

"Not a fairy princess?" Celia asked, equally puzzled. She pointed to Alana's wings, then withdrew her hand quickly, worried that that was rude. "Fairies have those."

[tigerundercover]

Raven Rita Hayworth Clara Barton came into the room with dramatic swoop and a candy cigarette between her fingers.

"What a night!" she said dramatically. "I need a drink."

What happens when a shapeshifter suddenly wakes up seven? She pretends to be the "seven" idea of what an adult looked like. Duh.

[not-called-icky.livejournal.com]

Ichabod blinked. "A drink, miss? In the morning? That wouldn't give the children a very good impression."

It was the first thing he could think of, while trying to make sense of the newly arrived lady.

[tigerundercover]

"Children?" Raven looked around with a haughty eyebrow. "Shouldn't the nanny be taking care of them?"

Her adult role models were . . . not the best.

[not-called-icky.livejournal.com]

"There is no nanny available, I'm afraid," Ichabod told her, not entirely impressed. "Also, they are here, so regardless of the presence of a nanny they would surely notice that drink. I can offer you tea, however."