The Perk, Friday morning

[future_sandworm]

Leto had ordered a coffee and sat down by a table next to the window. While his recent visit to Kate's family had been interesting, it had also reminded him that he was caught between his family here and the family he had on Arrakis. The risk of paradox prevented him from sharing anything of his current life with the latter.

But he pushed those thoughts away and leaned back in his chair. Although temporary, Fandom had turned out to be a home, and he was grateful for that.

[open!]

Comments

[irulan-atreides.livejournal.com]

Irulan entered the Perk for coffee and was pleasantly surprised to see Leto. She took her coffee and smiled at her stepson, "Good morning, Leto."

[future_sandworm]

"Good morning, Irulan!" Leto smiled back and gestured for her to take a seat by his table. "How have you been?"

[irulan-atreides.livejournal.com]

"Very well," she answered, taking the seat with a smile. "And you? You seem happier than usual."

[future_sandworm]

"I've been away for a few days," he said. "Kate invited me to visit her home. It was quite interesting, but I find it's also good to be back in Fandom." He grinned. "Fewer questions to avoid. But her family was quite welcoming."

[irulan-atreides.livejournal.com]

"That was nice of her," Irulan replied, after taking a sip of coffee. "How different is the world outside of Fandom?"

[future_sandworm]

"As would be expected, it is a lot more homogeneous compared to the melting pot of different cultures and timelines here," Leto replied. "But that doesn't mean it is entirely predictable." He paused. "Have you tried bowling? I've learnt it's a family activity."

[irulan-atreides.livejournal.com]

"Bowling?" Irulan knit her eyebrows together, "No, I'm not very familiar with it. How does it work?"

[future_sandworm]

"You roll a heavy ball and attempt to knock down pins with it," Leto explained. "Perhaps we should try it sometime? If Ghani wants to."

[irulan-atreides.livejournal.com]

"I'd be very open to it," Irulan said agreeably, "I hope your sister joins, is there a bowling place in Fandom?"

[future_sandworm]

"I believe there might be, but I'm not entirely sure." He drank of his coffee.

"What have you been doing lately? And how are business?"

[irulan-atreides.livejournal.com]

Irulan lit up, "Doing well and the tin foil hat line has launched, which reminds me, I've hired the services of Cabot and Associates, the local law firm. Should House Atreides need any business done that needs legal action all we need do is contact the firm."

[future_sandworm]

"That is good to know, although I haven't had any kind of trouble like that," Leto said. "I hope you haven't either."

Because if someone had he might have words with them, before talking to a lawyer.

[irulan-atreides.livejournal.com]

"Lawyers aren't just for when you're in trouble, Leto," she said after a chuckle. "They could help with papers or business."

[glacial_queen]

Karla came in for a hot caramel apple cider. With extra whipped cream of course. It was her favorite new drink, now that she'd discovered it. It reminded her of Glacia.

Glancing around, she noticed Leto at his table and headed for him. "Kiss kiss!" she sang, pleased to see him.

[future_sandworm]

"Hello, Karla." He smiled at her and gestured for her to take a seat. "I how have you been?"

[glacial_queen]

"You missed it," she said, hiding her smile behind her cup. "I was an Arcerian kitten. I chased my tail and had bright blue claws. Then I visited New Gotham with Dinah."

[future_sandworm]

Laughing, he said: "A kitten? I'm sorry I missed that. And Dinah told me about the trip. I spoke to her yesterday."

[glacial_queen]

"It was fun," Karla said, eyes shining. "I tried waffles and maple syrup and cotton candy and candy apples and caramel apples and Sno-Cones, which were a lot like the shaved ice at home, and stir-fry! They were delicious!"

Karla was hungry a lot, okay?

"And we went on roller coasters and a carousel and all sorts of other rides. And I tormented some males who thought I was Dinah's younger cousin." That part had been fun.

[future_sandworm]

"Tormented?" He raised an eyebrow and gave her an amused look.

"And I was in no doubt that you and Dinah could find ways to entertain yourselves. I also went away for a few days. Kate invited me to her home."

[and very soon I'm going to have to sleep :(]

[glacial_queen]

"There was one guy who thought I was half in love with him or something," Karla said, rolling her eyes at that. "I might have decided to help that idea along some. He seemed...uncomfortable with that, for some reason." Her grin showed lots of teeth.

"Kate? My age, blonde hair, blue streak?" she checked. "She came to my party. Seemed fun. How was her visit?"

[I love you enough for SP!]

[future_sandworm]

"Oh, Karla." He grinned, clearly not objecting.

"And yes, that is Kate. We stayed with her family, was offered plenty of muffins and cookies, went to the mall and went bowling."

[I am flattered!]

[glacial_queen]

Karla laughed. "If he'd been a nicer male, I wouldn't have. But he kept teasing his friend who wanted Dinah's number. And it gave hos friend something to tease him back a lot." She fluttered her eyelashes at Leto. "I guess I'm better at this than I'd thought," she added coyly. "Would you buy it?"

Almost certainly not. Of course, he knew her.

"What's bowling?" she asked, confused. "I mean...bowls?"

[future_sandworm]

"Well, Karla," he said, smirking, "I'm just a little harder to fool than him."

"Bowling. You try to strike pins with a heavy ball in a place specifically designed for the purpose. I didn't know what it was either before Kate told me."

[glacial_queen]

She wrinkled her nose at both his response and his description of the game. "Just wait," she warned. "One day I shall grow up to be an incorrigible flirt and will have males and females enthralled with just a single flutter of my lashes."

No, she really wouldn't.

"So...the point of the game is to toss a heavy ball and knock things down? And this is fun?" Her expression suggested she didn't quite believe it.

On the other hand, who could really understand what landens got up to?

[future_sandworm]

"I'm sure that day will provide the rest of us with entertainment." He gave her an amused look. "And I think it's not so much the activity as the company that makes it worthwhile. What do you and your family do?"