The Park, Saturday Morning

[crimson_sister]

Lucille had recently begun to take an interest in botany, specifically in certain kinds of plants. This island offered more of those than the countryside around Allerdale Hall, which she anyway wasn't allowed to visit. Or she suspected there were more to be found here if only she knew which ones would suit her needs and where to find them. Perhaps the preserve would be a better place to look, but the woods still made her uneasy, not that she would ever admit that.

She stopped to inspect a bush. It was quite unfamiliar. Perhaps she needed to find a book. She had already found one for Thomas, which she had promptly stolen from the library.

[Open! I will be around on and off during the day, but I would love to have people annoy wee Lucille.]

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[sith_happened]

Anakin was on the island with his two usually small children, who both made a beeline for the playground equipment.

"Hello," he said to Lucille, crouching next to the bush. "What are you looking at?"

[snipsnspecks]

Ahsoka had woken up somewhere that wasn't the Jedi Temple and she hadn't been able to find Master Plo or any of the other younglings from the creche. She had been able to reach out and find several bright spots at felt like Master Plo, so she'd headed towards them.

Which had taken a while, since there'd been a lot of stairs and her legs were very short.

[snipsnspecks]

There. That was what Ahsoka was looking for. Someone who felt the same kind of right as Master Plo.

Congratulations, Anakin, you had a three-year-old Togruta in Jedi robes trying to attach herself to your leg.

[sith_happened]

Anakin glanced down and laughed. "Hello, little one."

Force, Ahsoka was cute as a little Togruta. "Can I help you?"

[snipsnspecks]

It was the stubby montrals and squished-up markings.

"The Temple got lost, Master." Because obviously if he felt like Master Plo and Master Yoda he was a Master and she could trust him.

[sith_happened]

"Just for a few days," Anakin assured her. "But here's pretty nice too. There's ice cream."

[snipsnspecks]

"Ice cream?" Ahsoka repeated, clearly confused.

Anakin, no.

[sith_happened]

"It's a dessert," Anakin said. "It comes in all kinds of flavors."

[dwarvenswagger]

Thorin had been on his way to find materials to create more for Blue's Etsy shop, but he could hardly keep going upon seeing a child so young unattended. "Hello?"

[snipsnspecks]

"Even jogan fruit?" Ahsoka's eyes were almost as wide as said fruit.

[myownface]

Sparkle had slipped outside that morning after waking up without saying a word. He didn't really approach anybody once he was out, either, keeping his head down but his eyes alert, clutching to a black plush cat like it was a lifeline. Nobody would notice, he figured. People only noticed he was gone when they wanted somebody to yell at.

There were ducks, here. He liked the ducks. They were outspoken jerks, for birds, but there was nothing the matter with that. He kind of wished he was that way, himself. It didn't seem like a bad way to live, if you could get away with it.

He had a piece of bread in hand that he'd grabbed before sneaking outside, and he was alternating between eating bits of it himself, and throwing it toward the squabbling birds. If his siblings were around, he would probably share with them too, but at the moment, this was his bread and he was going to feed the ducks.

[crimson_sister]

Lucille looked up, studying the man. "I'm not allowed to talk to strangers, sir."

That wasn't quite true. Her parents had never said such a thing, but perhaps that was because they didn't expect her to meet any strangers.

[crimson_sister]

Lucille stared at the strange child from behind the bush. What was that on her head? Her? His? It was hard to tell.

[crimson_sister]

Lucille looked up, studying him. Then she smiled, a smile that might be a little familiar to Thorin. "I'm afraid I'm not allowed to talk to strangers, sir. My parents tells me that and one should listen to one's parents."

She would rather see them dead than listen to them.

[dwarvenswagger]

It was distressingly familiar. Just, you know, smaller.

"My apologies," he replied dryly. "But I am concerned for I see them see them naught."

Where were your crazy ass parents, child?

[crimson_sister]

From behind the bush, Lucille saw a boy feeding the ducks. Why would anyone feed the ducks? They were horrible creatures. Although Thomas would probably decide to do such a thing unless she stopped him. Lucille had to admit that to herself.

"Why are you feeding them?" she called to the boy.

[crimson_sister]

Lucille eyed him suspiciously. "How shall I know you are telling the truth? You might want to lure me away and sell me into slavery."

Lucille had no reason to think well of anyone, stranger to not.

[myownface]

Sparkle blinked up at the girl, and then kind of awkwardly shrugged one shoulder, pulling what was rest of his bread to his chest.

"They looked hungry," he explained, because... well, they had. But then, they were ducks. Maybe they all looked hungry. He scuffed his toe against the ground. "Now they... don't. As much."

[crimson_sister]

"If you feed them too much they get fat." She stepped out from around the bush and brushed leaves off her dress. "Do you know plants well? I suppose its not the right season anyway, unless you are looking for evergreens or pine trees."

[dwarvenswagger]

...okay, that was fair.

"What might I say to reassure you?" Thorin asked. "That would not be thought false."

[crimson_sister]

"Well, I don't know. Perhaps you need to explain why you care about lost children."

Not that she was lost, but what reason could he have?

[dwarvenswagger]

"Why would I not?" Thorin asked, looking as confused as he sounded. Then sighed and rolled his eyes. "Perhaps that is common among Men, but children are a precious rarity among my people."

[crimson_sister]

"Your people? Are you a foreigner?"

That made her curious.

[sith_happened]

"They might," Anakin said. "But we're on a fairly remote planet. They will have something delicious."

[myownface]

Sparkle didn't seem to mind the idea of fat ducks all that much, really. He looked at the birds thoughtfully, and then looked back down at his bread before shaking his head a little.

"I don't know plants really," he admitted. "Except dandelions. Those are everywhere. And grass."

... Not necessarily the sort of grass that grew in yards. Also that, but he'd seen some stuff.