Meribia Mansion: Just the two of us?

[gorgonfondness]

"Now you're going to be a good girl while we're gone, aren't you pumpkin?" Mel asks, holding Rachel with his arm and huge hand as they play in his office.

"A'course Gramps!" the small beastgirl coos in agreement. "Will I get a treat?"

Mel chortles before going, "You'll have to eat all of your supper for that."

Their conversation is cut short when a maid approaches. "Master Mel? Majesty Lemia's assistant is here to watch your granddaughter."

Comments

[herr_bookman]

"I believe it!" Autor says, laughing. And he does. "I've read all about them, but it must be so much more of a thrill to see them in action."

After a bit of time spent sitting in a companionable silence, the boy leans forward to look at her again. "Are you hungry?"

[gorgonfondness]

She sticks her tongue out.

"I don't gotta eat roast ant surprise, do I?"

[herr_bookman]

Autor wrinkles his nose. "Of course not. That sounds horrid. What is it with all of the ants around here?" he says, shaking his head as he withdraws a leather-bound journal from his pocket. "Well, we'll not be eating giga ant eggs, either."

Then, after flipping to a page in the book, recites a couplet. "Thus do I pine and surfeit day by day, or gluttoning on all, or all away*."

Out pops a bag, which he rummages through to produce apples, cheese, and a couple of homemade chocolate croissants.


*Shakespeare, Sonnet 75

[gorgonfondness]

"Daddy likes roast ant surprise," Rachel grouses. "He an' his friends eat it all the ti-Oh!"

Rachel is suitably impressed by your Bag of Holding, Autor.

"Auntie Mia's got a bag like that, too! But she only has t'say one word to get what she wants."

[herr_bookman]

"Does she really?" Autor says coolly, and files that away for future reference. It's good to know what other people have on their person, though from what Mia has explained about her life, it makes sense that she'd have something akin to the troll's technology.

He draws a plate and a paring knife out of the bag, and begins slicing up the apples and cheese. The croissant, well. He hands that directly to her. "Dessert first, always. Right?"

Autor grins, thinking of Master Mel's boisterous threat. "But do make sure to eat all of your dinner, otherwise I may lose my head."

[gorgonfondness]

Rachel takes the pastry with both hands and doesn't hesitate to start in on it.

"I will!" she enthusiastically agrees between bites. "I promise I will!"

[herr_bookman]

"Easy, now. Don't choke," Autor says. He chuckles and pats her fingers. "It's a treat. Eat it slowly; it'll last longer. Or don't, but don't try to get me to share mine!"

That might be a challenge, Rachel.

[gorgonfondness]

She does pause at that and even takes a moment to just watch Autor eat his croissant.

She turns away again, suddenly shy once more and her cheeks might be the tiniest bit pink.

[herr_bookman]

And of course, Autor's oblivious to any manner of potential toddler crushes. He nibbles his treat to the halfway point and then lays it down on a napkin he pulls from the bag.

Then he sets the plate of apples between them and leans on the railing. "Can you read, yet?"

[gorgonfondness]

"Oh yes!" she answers. "I like reading to Auntie Mia's babies. She's got two, you know."

[herr_bookman]

"Oh, that's very kind of you," Autor says, elated by her not only reading, but passing it on as well. His students in the literacy class have depressed him a bit--not because they lack skills; they're actually doing wonderfully--but because of the alarmingly dismal literacy rate around Lunar.

Surely there's more than can be done on that front...

Then he focuses on Rachel again. "Hm, maybe next time we'll have croissants with Cepheus as well."

Autor is pretty amused that she refers to the three-year-old as a baby, given their short age differences. Then again, ages are always difficult for him.

[gorgonfondness]

"Are y'gonna babysit'em?" she asks.

[herr_bookman]

"I might, if someone asks me to. I know I wanted to play with Cepheus at any rate," he says, shrugging.

Then he grins. "But that doesn't matter much at the moment because I'm here with you, right?"

A sudden movement catches his attention, and he looks away. "Hoo, did you see that, Rachel? He knocked him clean out!"

[gorgonfondness]

"Yaaaay!" Rachel cheers and claps, prompting the victor to take a bow.

[herr_bookman]

Autor claps with her, though he does feel sort of bad for the one with the broken nose. They'll pray him back to health in short order, I'm sure.

He offers Rachel an apple slice. "How often do you come here?"

[gorgonfondness]

"Not much. Mom doesn't like me bein' in here."

She nibbles on the apple.

[herr_bookman]

Autor winks at her. "Then this is like treats before dinner. Our secret."

[gorgonfondness]

Rachel nods along.

"Our secret!"

Even though the guards know.

And Master Mel.

And she's definitely going to tell Cepheus and Scorpius.