3rd Floor Common Room, Saturday Morning

[apocalypsehow]

Because it was funnier Five had woken up perfectly normal this morning. Normal and enjoying the fact that his roommate wasn't there so he could work on setting up a chain of events that may have started the apocalypse now that he had access to more materials.

You know. Since it wasn't destroyed in said apocalypse and all.

But right now, he was just enjoying a nice cup of coffee without anyone throwing knives at him and contemplating going to get himself a donut.

[open!]

Comments

[grayskollar]

Adora had woken up in an uncomfortably soft bed, wrapped in too heavy and warm blankets, and she'd barely glanced at the walls before realising she had more important worries, but Shadow Weaver was going to be so mad if she saw them.

"Catra?" she called out as she wandered into the room. "Catra?"

[apocalypsehow]

Five squinted at the small child over his coffee cup.

"No," he settled on. Because, if there was a Catra here, she was hiding really well.

Look, there were certain Hargreeves that were good with kids. You did not just meet one of them, Adora.

[grayskollar]

Like Adora had ever interacted with any one who was good with kids in her life.

She eyed the older cadet with suspicion. "Were you mean to her? Is that why she's hiding?" She was completely prepared to make him sorry if he had been.

[apocalypsehow]

Hey, same hat!

"You are literally the only person I've seen this morning," Five replied dryly. "Are you lost or something?"

Because, sure, everyone looked like a toddler to him and all, but this was a bit much.

[grayskollar]

Adora knew better than to admit that to someone she didn't know, he might still be mean about it, or worse, go find Shadow Weaver. "No, I'm on a drill."

Looking for Catra was almost like a scouting drill.

[howareyanow]

"Isth that coffee?" lisped Wayne, walking into the common room and then giving it a good assessment with his wide little stance, his little thumbs tucked into his little belt loops. "Coffee'll sthunth yer growff."

[apocalypsehow]

"Oh, advice from an infant," Five replied. "Just what I'd been hoping for."

[howareyanow]

"Infanths are babieths," Wayne pointed out. "I'm sixsth."

So you were clearly wrong, Five. Nice try, anyway!

[apocalypsehow]

You can't be wrong if you don't care!

"Like I said. An infant."

And are a jerk.

[howareyanow]

"Infanths only 'till a year old," Wayne informed the other older kid like he was doing the poor sod a favor. "After that, itsth a toddler. After four, yer no longer a baby. 'Lesth you goesth around actin' like one."

Mostly by crying a lot, but Wayne never did!

[lovethatjourney]

Little Alexis was exactly the type of kid who'd walk right up to someone who looked older to say, "Yes, hi, I'll have a latte, thank you."

Should eight-year-olds have lattes? Eh, it's not like anyone was watching her.

[apocalypsehow]

Five gave her such a look for that. "Then go to the coffee shop."

[lovethatjourney]

"But you're here right now," she pointed out, wisely.

Were you not at her beck and call? Jeez.

[apocalypsehow]

God, couldn't she just have an android mom for that?

"Yes? And?"

[noonedecidesmyfate]

Belle was tinier than normal today. Not that she knew that, of course. Tiny and hungry and there was an interesting smell that might be food coming from down the hall. The cooks in the kitchens at home always gave her food when she was hungry. Maybe the kitchens were down the hall where the interesting smell was!

"Is there breakfast?" she asked hopefully. This didn't look like a kitchen but maybe there was breakfast anyway.

[apocalypsehow]

"How many children are here?" That would be a no, Belle. God help you. He could provide you with coffee and maybe some Raisin Bran like the old man he was.

[noonedecidesmyfate]

"I haven't counted the other children," Belle told him. "Was I supposed to?"

[apocalypsehow]

"It would have been good to get some warning about this, yes," he replied with a sour look. "I would have had my coffee elsewhere."

He would have spent the entire morning rage teleporting through the common rooms.

[x_discospider_x]

"Why is everyone suddenly small?"

Yeah, it didn't take a long stretch of the imagination or even a whole lot of smarts to ID at least a few of those kids.

But then Troy's eyes widened.

"Unless I just got really big!"

But then a moment later, he relaxed.

"Wait, no, everything else is normal sized, it's fine."

"Unless...!"

Welcome to Troy, where every few seconds was a whole damn journey...

[apocalypsehow]

Five just sort of stared at him for that one, waiting for more of whatever that had been. You know, he was coming to the horrifying conclusion that he was stuck in a madhouse, filled with children.

[noonedecidesmyfate]

Maybe this person knew about where to find breakfast and drinks that didn't taste terrible!

"I'm always this size," Belle informed him. This was very untrue. "People don't change sizes. Unless there's magic!"

[toottootmagicflute]

This wasn't Lotus Pier. He hadn't woken up in his bed in Jiang Cheng's room, and he didn't know any of the people here. "Shijie?" he called out, sticking his head in each open room. When he found the common room full of people, and his sister was not among them, he tried not to burst into tears. He performed a neat bow and said politely, "This one is looking for Jiang Yanli." Then he wiped his nose with his sleeve.

[noonedecidesmyfate]

"What's a Jiang Yangli?" Belle asked. "I have food. I can share!" She held out the cereal box Five had given her.

[toottootmagicflute]

"My sister," Wei Wuxian said. He took a handful of the cereal and looked at all the brightly colored pieces. "Is it candy?" he asked, and tasted one carefully. "It's good!" he exclaimed, and popped some more in his mouth.

[noonedecidesmyfate]

"He gave it to me," Belle said, pointing at Five. "It's breakfast!"