The Park, Monday Sundown

[suitably_heroic]

As the sun began to set, a swirly convalescing bundle of colors reappeared in the same place in the park that it always did. Quietly, at least to bystanders; to the various (and not so young) offspring who had come tumbling out of it on Saturday, it sent a call they absolutely had to heed.

Come say goodbye to your kids, Fandom!

[[ alas! all au kids weekends must come to an end. ]]

Comments

[whenshewasnice]

This was Natalie's least favourite thing. She wasn't very fond of goodbyes, and these ones always had a note of finality that especially got under her skin in an unpleasant way.

But she was here. Because letting Lilith go without a proper goodbye was just unacceptable.

[lockestheway]

Peter flashed her a small smile.

He generally couldn't give a rat's ass about goodbyes, because most of the people he had to say goodbye to didn't matter. This one, though, was rough.

If simply because he really liked having a family, even if he could only admit that to himself right now.

[potentia-gloria.livejournal.com]

"This isn't a funeral," Lilith said quietly. "It's not even necessarily goodbye for good."

She was still reaching for one hand of each parent.

[notconflicted]

After a weekend with Tori, it was time to bring her back to the portal. Which Sia was sad about, but she also knew how these weekends went so it was easier to be pragmatic about it.

"Do you have everything?" she asked.

[dauntless-four.livejournal.com]

"Shoes, socks, chocolate cake?" Four checked.

[notconflicted]

"...That's a strange priority," Sia said.

[smilestopscars]

Maybe this was a little sad, but honestly? Ezra was also a little relieved. Or maybe a lot relieved. And also looking forward to not having his bed full of tiny werefox kits.

But, okay, it was a little sad to be here for goodbyes.

[thegreywaren.livejournal.com]

Ronan supposed he should follow Adele since he was a co-parent here. Not that he wanted to because ugh. This whole weekend had been weird.

Owen was waiting off to the side, patient and still. Adele rushed forward and gaze Ezra's legs a hug.

[smilestopscars]

Ezra reached down and ruffled her hair. "Hey, sweetie," he said. "Going home, huh?"

[werefoxlets.livejournal.com]

George was a fox.

This had been the case for most of the weekend. (You were welcome, Gwen.) He was one right now as well, trying to wrap himself around his dad's ankle.

[smilestopscars]

"Still in that form, huh?" Ezra asked him, with a gently amused look. He crouched down, and picked George up. "Good. Someone needs to make sure this place stays foxy for a moment."

[wingedfoxlet.livejournal.com]

Ruby's pretty pink dress stayed on her body for all of five seconds after she realized George was in kit form. If he wasn't going to go home as a human, it didn't seem fair that she should have to.

So she was the world's smallest nudist for an instant before she fully transformed and trotted up to Ezra, yipping at his shoes. Hi daddy! Wasn't she pretty?

Alana followed, dress and shoes haphazardly held in one arm.

"I think she takes after you."

[bouncy-foxkit.livejournal.com]

"How come I can't be a fox, Mom?" Zeke grumbled, looking at his half-siblings running around on four legs.

[not_every_mage]

Anders had a general rule against crying when anyone could see, but he suspected this was going to break it. He wasn't anywhere near ready for children -- but it was nice to know that if it happened some far away day, he wouldn't make a complete hash of it.

He blinked hard and readied for the goodbyes.

[bornahalfmage.livejournal.com]

"Time to go?" Leo asked, holding Nathan's hand and swinging it idly. "That's what I came in, that bright thing."

[spin-kick-mage.livejournal.com]

"I don't wanna go," Carys said stubbornly. "I like it here. There are no templars and it doesn't smell bad and I get hoddeok!"

[begmetwice.livejournal.com]

Irene wasn't especially willing to admit it, but she was maybe going to miss the little bundle of inevitable regret who was swinging their joined hands as they walked toward the park.

"Promise me you'll be good for -- for your parents," she said, squeezing his hand.

[brainyledtobaby.livejournal.com]

"You mean for the other-you and Dad?" Hamish clarified, smirking a little.

He was so their child.

"I'm always good, Mummy. 'Least, I always try, and Uncle John says that's good enough!"

[thegc161kid.livejournal.com]

Alex hated to admit it but she would actually miss her kids when they went through the portal. She held their hands and stared ahead, not quite willing to let go.

[gc161-kidlets.livejournal.com]

"Mum do we have to go?" Elizabeth whined, trying to hide behind her mother as she stared at the portal, "I wanna stay here!"

[geniuswithasmartphone]

Don't think there weren't a few people there, trying to figure out how to steal a portal.

[glacial-kidlets.livejournal.com]

There were no tears for Della as she grasped Nommy's hand and looked at the portal. This weekend had been fun--grownup Nommy! Wee baby Kayla!--but she was looking forward to being back with her real family on the other side.

"Thank you for letting me visit," she said, smiling up at Karla. "I had lots of fun! Do you think I can come back again?"

[stoleafamily.livejournal.com]

"Wait up!"

Spike tore away before the good-byes to his family to catch up with Della, and then stand their awkwardly. "Hi. I mean. You're going back, hunh?"

[kinda-surprise.livejournal.com]

Lily stood stiffly at the edge of the park. Most of the stiffness was the inevitable result of sparring being a major form of affection in her family, combined with a refusal on her part to go to the Onsen after, but not all of it was.

"So, there's the portal, you going to try to stop me going through it like you always do?"

[wrongkindofsith]

"Don't tempt me." None of Cara's stiffness had to do with muscle aches, because she didn't refuse perfectly good baths out of some teenage sense of rebellion.

She kept a hand resting on the back of Lily's neck, ostensibly to make sure she didn't run off. Never mind that she seemed to have forgotten her gloves this evening. "You're not getting out of the consequences for going through the first time that easily," she added.