Third Floor Common Room, Saturday Evening

[wesleynotponcy]

Wesley felt a little silly, entertaining his bratty child in the common room with board games that she seemed irrationally talented at. Honestly, what nine-year-old could beat a trained and experienced Watcher at Scrabble? He was positive that she was making the words up, but every time he consulted a dictionary, all he saw was Eloise's smug little

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[longislandiceme]

Bobby entered the common room in search of food. This in and of itself was not so unusual. The small tousle-haired boy he whose hand was curled in his own? That was somewhat out of the ordinary.

"Hey," Bobby greeted, upon seeing the room was already occupied. "Know if there's anything good in the kitchen?" The boy who accompanied him gave Wes a wide-eyed look and looked as if he wanted to protest something about this, but Bobby continued: "...That can be cooked in a microwave."

[wesleynotponcy]

In one moment of appalling mean-ness, Wesley wished certain bratty children could be cooked in a microwave. Then he hated himself for thinking it, but still. Mean.

"I think I saw a bowl of macaroni and cheese?" he suggested.

Eloise turned up her nose at this plebian cuisine. Apparently noodles were beneath her.

[longislandiceme]

"Mac and cheese is good," Bobby decided. "Especially if it doesn't involve me trying to cook the pasta." Look, he was well aware of how much of a kitchen-failure he was. "Though I'm starting to think maybe we should just order a bunch of pizzas." There were an awful lot of children beginning to gather, after all...

[nothingbutgrey]

"I don't eat pizza," Eloise chirped helpfully. "Mother thinks it's undignified. I'd like filet mignon, please."

Wesley had been spending the entire day with this child, and even he was suprised by this phenomenal bit of snobbery.

[longislandiceme]

"Pizza's definitely undignified," Bobby had to agree. "But that's the fun part." Whoever this child's mom was, she sounded definitely anti-fun.

[wesleynotponcy]

Lilah Morgan was absolutely anti-fun. Not that Wesley had any way of knowing that just yet, but it was the truth.

"I'd chip in for pizza," he offered.

Sorry, Eloise.

[longislandiceme]

"They could probably put filet mignon on a pizza," Bobby mused, already getting out his phone to dial Pizza Planet.

[nothingbutgrey]

"That would still be undignified," Eloise chirped primly.

Then she looked around, as if verifying that her mother wasn't actually there, and muttered quickly, "I'd like anchovies, please."

[longislandiceme]

Snobbish or not, she'd said please, so Bobby figured that was a step in the right direction.

"One with anchovies, coming up," he promised, placing the order. Which... glancing around at the occupants of the room, he added. "Make it one of everything. No, not one with everything. Just... one of every kind of pizza you've got." There'd probably be leftovers for a week, but Bobby figured the tradeoff was worth not having to deal with children upset that their pizza choice had been left out.

[wesleynotponcy]

Wesley thumbed through his wallet and extracted several bills, which he handed to Bobby. Probably a little overboard, but part of it was just payment for having to put up with Eloise.

Then he glanced down at his daughter, tilted his head and asked, "Really? Anchovies?"

Eloise hmphed.

[longislandiceme]

"Better than filet mignon, at least," Bobby reasoned. "Well, on pizza, anyway."

[nothingbutgrey]

"That's certainly true," Eloise interjected. "Filet mignon is best served with portobello mushrooms and a Cabernet Sauvignon."

Wesley gaped. It was true, but -- she was nine.

[longislandiceme]

"Are you even allowed Cabernet?" Bobby asked, narrowing his eyes at her.

[nothingbutgrey]

"No," she said offhandedly, like that didn't mean anything. (Wesley breathed a sigh of relief at his alternate-universe parenting abilities.) "But I still know it's true."

[liliceflakes]

"I want popcorn and creamsicles," Henry announced happily, still watching his father. "Because Daddy isn't allowed to make real food."

[longislandiceme]

"Maybe... for dessert?" Bobby tried, vaguely aware that he was supposed to be all responsibly parental at the moment.

Even though there were times when he totally did consider popcorn and creamsicles a valid dinner choice.