3rd Floor Common Room, Wednesday Morning

[not_every_mage]

When Anders wandered into the common room to get breakfast, the TV was already showing a marathon of cooking shows. He settled in to watch one -- TV about pie went well with hot porridge -- and found himself learning far more than he'd expected about the upcoming harvest festival. Apparently pilgrims and turkeys were involved, and something about may flowers. (Which didn't make much sense when the calendar was all but coming up on Wintersend, but he'd stopped expecting Fandom to be comprehensible.)

He went to drop raisins into his cereal as the TV went on about marshmallow-topped potato casserole. It sounded overwhelming, but he'd gathered that was part of the point.

[OOC: Open post.]

Comments

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

Nathan had been on his way to find Anders so it was a pleasant surprise to see him in the common room. Nathan slipped inside and glanced at the television.

His stomach rumbled.

"That's a lot of food," he remarked.

[not_every_mage]

"It's a little disgusting," Anders said, smiling at Nathan. (Eventually, he was going to need to apologize for his 9-year-old self.) "It's all butter and sugar and gravy on top."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

Nathan went into the kitchen to grab an apple and something to drink before he returned and sat next to Anders.

"I could do with one of those three but not all together," he decided. "Too rich. I'm not used to that much food and that much flavor."

[not_every_mage]

"Me either," Anders agreed. "I'm sure it would taste good but then I'd make myself sick before the pie, and the pie seems to be part of the point."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"What kind of pies are they making?" he asked, tilting his head. "I'm fairly good with some pie recipes."

If there were pictures, at least.

[not_every_mage]

"Pumpkin and pecan," Anders told him, sliding his eyes toward Nathan. "They put chocolate in one of the pecans. I want that type."

In a breath, he added. "And I'm sorry I kicked you. Even if I was nine."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"I've been kicked plenty harder than that," Nathan said, half smiling. "It's all right. We were children and it was strange but I'm not holding it against you. You were keeping me company."

[not_every_mage]

"I was trying to," Anders agreed. "And I think kicking was my way of making things more interesting. Children are weird."

Curiously, he added, "Did you ever make it out of bed? I didn't think to come back to check on you."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"After awhile, yeah," Nathan said, nodding. "Someone was in one of the common rooms the next morning and I found my way there and helped clean dishes and got some food. No one kicked me either."

Teasing.

[spin_kick_snap]

"Nathan, right?" Kathy asked, giving the boy an awkward smile. "I've been looking forward to meeting you--though I'd always imagined I'd be wearing real clothes for it."

[Holiday SP okay?]

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"Nathan. Have we met?" Maybe when he'd been small or something? "I don't know if...anyone's ever been looking forward to meeting me."

[Sure!]

[spin_kick_snap]

"I'm Kathy," she explained, ducking her head a bit. "Good friend of Anders'. So when he said that there was someone that he really liked, I wanted to meet him. Well, you."

For some people, that would entail posturing and threatening and dire warnings of, 'You hurt him and you'll answer to me!' Kathy just thought it would be cool to get to know someone so important to one of her dearest friends.

"So, umm, hi?"

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"Oh." Nathan instantly looked a little shy but managed not to blush. "Hi. I didn't -- I didn't realize he's talked about me. It's good to meet you."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Everything good!" Kathy promised. "We were just catching up on, you know, life things and your name came up and stuff."

She wasn't sure if they'd defined what they were or anything yet, so she was wary of even suggesting that they were 'seeing' one another. Hopefully her explanation was neutral enough to not make waves?

Socially awkward kids for the win!

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"Oh." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Is that a good thing? I hope that's a good thing."

[spin_kick_snap]

"It's a good thing!" Kathy assured him. "I'm not trying to make you worry or anything. He mostly said that you were nice and cool and that he really likes spending time with you. That's good, right?"

Kathy hoped that it was good! Or, at least, that she wasn't somehow ruining everything.

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"Sometimes, it can be," he replied after a moment. "I'm sure other times, I can be kind of...hard to be around. I'm not very exciting."

Or stable. Or normal.

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy shuffled in, more than a little bleary-eyed and still in her pajamas, looking for a common room with milk in it. Late night, as usual, and a stupidly early morning because she had a flight to catch in a few hours. "Morning," she mumbled to whomever was present. "Milk?"

Look, words were hard. Giver her a few minutes to wake up.

[super-holiday SP warning, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity!]

[not_every_mage]

Anders blinked at Kathy for a long moment. "You're wearing a bear," he informed her, but wandered over to the fridge. "Here's your milk. Why are you wearing a bear?"

Somehow the pajamas were vastly concerning.

[OOC: 'sfine with me!]

[spin_kick_snap]

"Cause they're cute," Kathy protested, reaching for the milk. "...Aren't they?"

She'd thought her pjs were cute!

"What's wrong with wearing a bear?"

[not_every_mage]

"Nothing, if it's armor made out of bearskin," Anders informed her. "I've just never seen a grown woman wandering around in plush pajamas with an animal face on the front."

[spin_kick_snap]

"I have grown woman pajamas!" Kathy protested. "But until I have a good reason to wear them--" by which she meant a person, obviously "--these are much warmer and more comfortable."

Beat.

"And cuter. Look at the little bear face!"

[not_every_mage]

The sad thing was, Anders hadn't even been thinking about that type of 'grown woman' pajamas. Possibly because he had only the haziest idea they existed.

"Yes, Kathy," he said, humoring her. "The little bear faces are very cute. Do you think I should get a pair cats on them?"

[spin_kick_snap]

"I do," Kathy retorted staunchly. "Because then you'd be adorable. I'm sure Nathan would agree with me. Everything is better with kitties on them."

Just look at your Tumblr and say it isn't so, Anders.

[not_every_mage]

"I can't actually disagree with that," Anders mused. "Maybe life would be better if I woke up in fuzzy kitty jammies."