The Roof, Monday Afternoon

[cypher_can_fly]

Well, Owen had learned one very important lesson these past 48 hours: he was absolutely, positively, totally not ready to be a father.

Still, that wasn't any reason to be weird about it, right? Or at least... weirder... than... a certain treshold of weird. Yep. Yes.

"Picnic on the roof," he declared, gesturing broadly at the spread - picnic blanket, basket, food - he'd put down on the roof. He grinned sunnily at Anya and gave her a thumbs up. "Dig in!"

Oh, please have this work.

[[ open ]]

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[incyphered]

She ducked her head, smiling.

"Thanks, Dad," she said, leaning forward to pick out a sandwich. "Which one did you want?"

[smol_beans]

"Sorry," Aurora said, taking a seat near Anya. "For crashing your father's picnic, I mean."

[incyphered]

"Oh! Um, like," Anya grinned slightly. "It's okay. I mean, like, Mom's in a tough spot, isn't she? Trying to balance all of us, when your dad isn't around..."

[cypher_can_fly]

"Ideally, all of them," Owen said, collapsing in a melodramatic heap in front of the food, "But I'll settle for the salami, thank you."

[incyphered]

She laughed.

"The salami is all yours then," she said, taking a ham sandwich instead for herself. "Are we going to have enough food?"

[cypher_can_fly]

"I think so," Owen mused. "Though they have this invention out here called the phone where you just click a button and they bring more food, so there's that."

[incyphered]

"That's the thing Mom's glued to all the time, right?" Anya checked.

Because she was pretty sure that's what Mom was glued to all the time.

[cypher_can_fly]

"She is... very phone-forward, yes," Owen allowed. "Uh, phone-experienced. I think she knows everything on the, uh, the Instagams?"

[bookbeltof_love]

Nina was... more than a little apprehensive about this lunch. Not because of Owen. Or because of Anya.

Or even because of Solis and Aurora.

No, no, individually all of these factors were fine.

She was just... slightly... concerned... about all of them together.

"I've been summoned," she said cheerfully. "And I bring extra food!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Nina felt that was fair since, like, she'd also brought two extra children.

[cypher_can_fly]

"You just said my favorite thing in the entire world," Owen said, perking up. "What did you bring?!"

[bookbeltof_love]

"A lot," Nina said, since she knew Owen and she was hungry and, oh yeah, three kids and god knew if anyone else would show up. "But how do you feel about fried chicken and pasta salad???????????????????????"

[cypher_can_fly]

"Super good," Owen said, with his patented enthusiastic thumbs up. "Because right now our diet is like, 90 percent sandwiches." Beat. "Not that that's a bad thing."

[bookbeltof_love]

"Sandwiches are pretty good," she admitted, setting her basket down. "But, like, variety is also good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

She cast a glance at him.

"How are you????????????"

[cypher_can_fly]

"Definitely not ready to be a father," Owen said cheerfully, "But I'm full of food, so I'm willing to fake it!"

[smol_beans]

"It's a picniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" shrieked Solis, bursting onto the roof. "Hi hi hi, Anyaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

He blinked up at Owen.

"Hi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

[smol_beans]

"Solis," Aurora said, sounding tired. "Give the poor guy a break..."

[smol_beans]

"I'm just being friendly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Solis protested. "And Mom and Uncle Prompto don't mind me at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

And he did not really come with volume control.

[smol_beans]

"Mom and Uncle Prompto are thoroughly used to you," Aurora pointed out, heaving a sigh.

For the record, she was also thoroughly used to him.

[incyphered]

"Hi, Solis," Anya said, amused. It was hard to not be amused at all the energy the boy had.

... Or at how Done With It his sister was.

[smol_beans]

"Anyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Yeah, that was a flying tackle hug in her direction. "What are you eating??????????????? Can I have some????????????"

[cypher_can_fly]

"Okay, I think there's a word for this, and that word is... inside voice?" Owen tried.

[smol_beans]

Solis looked around.

"But we're outside???????????????????????????"

[cypher_can_fly]

"Inside voice," Owen said, bringing up a finger to his mouth. "You know. Quieter!"

[smol_beans]

Solis laughed.

"But whhhhhhhhhhhyyyyyyyyyyy??????????????????"

[cypher_can_fly]

"'Cause you're very loud and," Owen thought of his mother and changed tacks, "...Loud kids are less fun!"