Fifth Floor Common Room [Sunday morning]

[justwantsquiet]

After so many requests for pancakes from her own children yesterday morning, Sookie figured that might be a theme for the weekend. And when she woke up, and Henry wasn't gone, at least, she'd run out to get a few supplies before returning to the common room to see what she could put together. (Though, of course, Henry had insisted on coming with

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[liliceflakes]

"Can I help?" Henry asked from where Sookie had plunked him in a chair in the kitchen, close enough that she could keep track of him, but far enough away that he wouldn't get under foot.

[justwantsquiet]

"What's my rule about the stove?" Sookie asked, because she was honestly curious as to whether the other-her had one or not.

[liliceflakes]

"Always wear oven mitts and don't play with it unless a adult says it's okay," Henry recited carefully. "But you're a adult and you could say it's okay...."

[justwantsquiet]

"How about," Sookie suggested, putting together a little plate of pancakes and bacon and eggs, and pouring him some apple juice, "you be my taste-tester. Your job -- and it's very important -- is to tell me if this all tastes good. Can you do that?"

[empathic_fire]

"AUNT SOOKIE!" a wee dark-haired girl squealed, barreling into the common room and throwing her arms around Sookie's legs.

[justwantsquiet]

Sookie was still, somehow, able to be surprised by these things at this point, but she did reach a hand down to pat the little girl's head. "Hello, honey. Want some pancakes? And juice?"

She'd get to whose kid this was in a second.

[empathic_fire]

"Yes, please," Elizabeth said. "Orange juice, please." Her mommy had raised her to be polite. (It wasn't always the case due to Daddy's influence, though.)

[justwantsquiet]

Well, Sookie noticed, anyway. "Very nice manners!" she praised, getting some orange juice and a plate for the wee one. "Now, let's do a little safety drill, 'cause it's important to practice those, right? If you were lost right now and had to find a grownup who could help you, what would you tell them? Your name, maybe? And your parents' names?"

Look, it had worked so well with Dahlia yesterday, Sookie was just going to use that on all the kids now. It was better than, 'Aunt Sookie can't remember your name, please don't cry.'

[shes_got_fins]

"Seeeeeeeee, Mom?" Melody had successfully dragged Ariel down the hallway, who also had Bruce Jr. in tow. "I told you there was breakfast down here. It smells like pancakes!

[halfbatfish]

"And breakfast is an important start to any workday," Bruce Jr. offered, but mostly because now he wanted pancakes, too.

[shes_got_legs]

"Hey, you guys don't have to tell me twice that free pancakes are awesome," Ariel quirked an eyebrow at the kids and just had to wonder how different she might have been in these two possible brain-hurting futures. "Sookie?" Still, her eyes easily went appreciatively to one of the few 'adults' in the room. "Is this your doing? If so, you're amazing."

[justwantsquiet]

"I'm not letting these guys live on coffee and cookies," Sookie said with a little smile as she took in the two kids. "You guys hungry? Because you, sir, are right, it's very important to start your day with breakfast! Otherwise your brain can get all foggy and you get tired by lunchtime!"

[aforbiddenchild]

Ahura had not slipped leash of his nanny. His nanny was simply too large to fit through the doorway. So... sorry about the pony sized dog in the hallway, peering in and whining pathetically on occasion.

"What are you doing?"

[justwantsquiet]

"Making breakfast," Sookie said, waving with a spatula.

Henry, from where he was seated, added, "With pancakes!" excitedly.

"Would you like some?" Sookie offered, as her son went back to his own food.

[aforbiddenchild]

Ahura nodded solemnly despite the odd artificial smells coming from the so called 'pancakes'. "That would be acceptable."

It hadn't killed the small human boy after all.

[justwantsquiet]

"There're eggs and bacon, too, and juice, sweetheart," she added. "Are your mom and daddy lookin' for you?" She didn't recognize this kid, so she was going to see if she could track down who he went to.

[one_with_eyes]

Valentine wasn't actually all that hungry. What she was trying to do was get a good lay of the land, and not impose so much time on Ender that he'd wind up feeling even more uncomfortable than he obviously already did. She knew he didn't mean badly by it, that he was trying, but she also knew her dad.

So she shunted her tiny spark of disappointment aside and jogged up along the common rooms until she found some people cooking. She didn't say anything - she stayed near the stairs, watching rather than interfering.

[liliceflakes]

The thing about telepaths -- even little ones -- was that it was hard to sneak up on them. So it didn't take Henry long at all to notice the little girl and yell at her. "Come get pancakes!" he said in a definite outside voice. "My mama's makin' 'em!"

"Inside voice, Henry."

"Sorry, Mama."

[one_with_eyes]

Valentine frowned, and tried to tighten up her shields a little more. She berated herself for getting too used to being back in either of her homes, where the rules were different. "I'm not that hungry," she said, unfolding from her corner of the room because now she'd been spotted anyway.

[justwantsquiet]

"Are you sure, sweetheart?" Sookie asked, resting a hand on Henry's head and sending the telepathic equivalent of a shh his way. "There's bacon and eggs and juice, too. Plenty to go around."