(Untitled)

[legendarymadman]

Geoffrey's of an age when he doesn't necessarily do much to celebrate his birthday anymore. (Well, he'll probably demand birthday sex later, but he also demands non-birthday sex so that won't be much of a change. And actually, he doesn't generally have to demand sex at all. Sex just happens

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[willbewonderful]

"Is that right?" Duck asks, exchanging a raised eyebrow for a folding of arms against his chest. "For something small, eh? And non-birthday dinner ruining?"

[legendarymadman]

"Cake would definitely be non-birthday dinner ruining," insists Geoffrey affecting completely sincerity, "if there were cake. Or cookies. Do you think there might be tarts? I'm sure people make tarts sometimes, I'm almost positive I've stolen some at some point or another."

[willbewonderful]

"I leave you for one morning and you become a cartoon character," marvels Duck. He tries peering past Geoffrey into the fridge. "I'm pretty sure anything with sugar is gonna ruin your appetite, but it's your birthday so I'm not allowed to say anything."

[legendarymadman]

"Or maybe it'll just give me more energy," says Geoffrey. "Did you think about that?" He doesn't see any, though. He might just be out of luck. "And just for today, if you love me, you can avoid mentioning how much I resemble Sunny right now."

[polly_okeefe]

I watch Mr. Tennant warily, trying to identify the animal he reminds me about, ferreting about like that.

A ferret? No, too easy.

His explanation does little to lessen the strangeness of this scene, though it makes my mouth twitch guiltily. "I'm sorry, Mr. Tennant. I'm afraid the kids may have grabbed the last muffins."

We'd just brought the children from the children's office up for a snack and then taken them back down. I was holding back, watching for strays.

[legendarymadman]

"Not even one?" says Geoffrey, with an overly dramatic sigh, just because I can. "Well, I guess I'll live. If I must. Somehow I'll manage to carry on."

[polly_okeefe]

I couldn't help but grin at his reaction. Life was a stage, wasn't it?

"They descended like a ravening horde, ate everything, and left," I said. "I didn't count the number of people who were in the kitchen at the start, so I can't tell if there are anybody missing, so..." I chuckled. I couldn't hold the façade for long. Clearly, I needed practise. "I can see if there's anything in the pantry. Are you looking for anything in particular?"

[legendarymadman]

"I'm not particular," says Geoffrey, making a sort of a vague grabby motion with his hands. "Just something sweet. Preferably baked, but my standards are low. I'd be good with batter."

[inariver]

"Tis no bother," Ophelia says, sliding out of the way herself to lean against the counter. She's listening to the kettle, waiting for it to boil so that she can help herself to some tea when it suits her. It might turn out to be sooner rather than later, but time has never bothered her.

"If you find anything interesting, I should like to know it."

[legendarymadman]

"Well, as you seem to be right here," says Geoffrey, "I think it's safe to say you'll be the first to know. Or rather, second, since I'll be the first to know. Unless you find something. So if you find something interesting, I should like to know it too."

[inariver]

"Then you shall be my second as well," she says with a smile and a slight bob of her head as she taps her fingers against the empty mug without thinking about it. "Let us hope we find something truly interesting, shall we not?"

[legendarymadman]

"Admittedly, those are dangerous words around here," says Geoffrey. "Now we'll probably find something interesting that'll want to eat us, and that's really not what I'm going for here. Carnivorous plants in the kitchen wouldn't be a stretch."

[new_ophelia]

"Not a problem," Kate chirps, hopping up to kiss Geoffrey's cheek before he can duck or flee. Sam trails behind her, spouting excited little "G'fee!'s" in his wake.

"So, today wouldn't be a special day now would it? For an especially old man?"

[legendarymadman]

"Not the slightest bit," says Geoffrey, "unless you're hiding cake in which case today is absolutely the specialest day on the calendar and we should enjoy some right now."

[new_ophelia]

"You sir, are in luck," she says as Sam starts to pull at Geoffrey's pants. She sticks her head into the refrigerator and starts rummaging around. "There's a pie in here, I know there is. So how old are you now? Are you sixty yet?"

[legendarymadman]

"Oh, at least twice that," says Geoffrey dryly, reaching down to tug on Sam's shirt. "I'm so old I've stopped counting. They don't make numbers that go that high. Is there really pie?"

[dishabille_mal]

"Forgiven," Maladicta said from behind his shoulder, standing still while someone else scooted past Geoffrey, and her, before holding Olivia up with two hands, "if you take this."

Olivia looked up at Geoffrey with clear blue eyes, then burbled quietly at him with a fairly impressive degree of solemnity, however amicable.

[legendarymadman]

"But I can't eat that," says Geoffrey, even as he obediently takes the child into his own hands and stares at her dubiously. "At least, not without a lot of public outcry, and frankly I doubt she'd taste good enough to be worth it."

[dishabille_mal]

Olivia stared back at Geoffrey before, after a long moment, squealing softly and wriggling a little. Maladicta was attached to the coffee machine and distracted.

"I don't know, she smells all right," Maladicta said, "for a baby."

[legendarymadman]

"Babies don't generally have an appetizing smell, I find," says Geoffrey, giving her an experimental sniff. "Not even when dipped in sauce. Especially not when dipped in sauce."