The Park on Sunday morning - picnic.

[hernando_fuentes]

The puddle of children had woken in the morning and asked to go to the park. After feeding them - and shooing the teenager out of his kitchen so he could have the privilege of making breakfast - Hernando walked them all to the park.

The children knew the way and it wasn't that Hernando was any sort of helicopter parent except yes, perhaps today a little bit, he was. Sparkle was making a quick dash into town to put a 'closed today on account of children' sign on the door of his store but planned to join them later.

Hernando had packed an entire antique picnic basket full of food and snacks and put Quinn to work hauling a rolling cooler behind them. The children had acted as if this were a usual thing and that made Hernando smile a bit. Abney was wearing the folded picnic blanket as a superhero cape and was running ahead with her arms out, making zooming plane noises.

There was way more food than the children would need, even if one was a growing teenager. To his rueful chagrin, Hernando found that the store had decided to help when he spread the blanket out and began to unpack. The basket never seemed to empty. He set out only enough plates of sandwiches and baskets of fruit for the moment and let the children go run. There were thermoses of tea and sodas and waters in the cooler as well.

Once free of her superhero cape, Abney lead the way to the playground and commenced burning off the energy. Quinn was more interested in reading a book but he, too, occasionally joined his sister in playing.

[Open park with picnic food! Come let the kids play together!]

Comments

[myownface]

Once Sparkle had tacked up a sign on the door of the Demon Marcus, he absolutely made his way to the park. There were family picnic times to be had, after all, and there was no way in heck he was going to miss out on quality time with kids in favour of clothes.

The clothes probably wouldn't miss him. The kids?

... Well, he'd miss the kids.

And if he happened to make a pit-stop on the way in order to bring bubbles, well... it was good weather for bubbles, okay?

"Oh my god," he murmured, watching Abney play, "they're so good."

So. Good.

[clonewelldone]

One advantage of telepathy - you could always find your favorite people.

"Mr. Sparkle!" Angela was grinning as she came up to him.

[myownface]

"Where?" Sparkle made a big show of perking up and looking around. "I love that soap!"

Sparkle never did stand on titles very well.

[clonewelldone]

Angela laughed. "Lucky best wash!"

She came in for a hug if he'd allow it. "Do you know me yet? I'm never sure."

[hernando_fuentes]

Hernando walked over to collect a kiss. "They're all so good," he murmured back, "Quinn's of an age when he should, if he were any other teenager, want nothing to do with small siblings but watch how he interacts with them."

Quinn was doing just fine with the littles.

Hernando nuzzled Sparkle. "He gets that from watching you."

[myownface]

Sparkle was totally going to cuddle right in, there.

"Me? Are you saying I'm all marshmallowy soft, Hernando?"

He kinda was.

[hernando_fuentes]

Hernando kissed him and agreed, "I am saying this, yes. When it comes to the children, absolutely. You are so very good with them."

And then he breathed something totally filthy right against Sparkle's ear. Look, he wasn't passing up that direct line. Being married to.. Having a boyfriend who was this good with children, who was such a good, capable co-parent?

Hot.

[forever_family]

Abney saw Dada walk up and dropped everything, including gravity. She jumped off the apex of a swing and landed in a crouch and immediately used it to push off in a sprint up to collect a hug. "Dada! Hi! Hihihihihi! Did you see my jump? I'm good, huh? Even without Quinn pushing me!"

[myownface]

"That was the best jump," Sparkle laughed, throwing his arms into the air in jubilation before bending over to scoop her up in a hug and twirling around a few times for good measure. "Man, it's been forever since I've done a jump like that!"

[forever_family]

Abney gave a delighted little squeal when she was spun and leaned in to pepper Dada's cheek with kisses. "Not so long!" She reconsidered, "Home-you, anyway, it's not been so long. Has it been so long here? Poor Dada!"

[usual_suspects]

Mom had things to do in the library today, but Marshan had gotten bored, so she headed off to find something to do.

Food and other people were always good!

So now she was peeking at them from a bit of a distance. Hi, people!

[forever_family]

Abney saw the shy girl standing at the edge of things and ran over with a smile, "Hi! Are you here to play with us? Are you new this weekend too or are you always here? I don't remember you so I think maybe you're new but I dunno, are you? Come play! It's fun!"

[usual_suspects]

"Hi!" Marshan smiled just a little shyly at all the talk. "I'm new, I think? What are you playing?"

[forever_family]

"New is fun," Abney said, "The island is pretty weird when your new, though. I was just playing on the swings. They're fun. Do they have swings where you're from? Some places don't. I can explain it if you're from a don't-place. It's easy!"

[what_dad_was_like]

Incoming not entirely sullen teen, guided less by the Force and more by a spotty dog that his father had insisted they walk together when he'd awkwardly suggested maybe they attempt to spend some father-son time before it was time for him to leave. The end result, in this case, meant that Jacen was behing half-dragged through the park toward that picnic basket, an amused Kanan ambling along behind him.

"Stance! Stance, buddy, hold up!"

[forever_family]

And then Abney saw him and went tearing straight for him. "JAAAACENNN!!! Jace Jace Jace why didn't you tell us you were coming too, you jerk? We could've come all together in a group! Where have you been?!"

Quinn looked at Jacen and then from Jacen to Kanan and hastily put his book aside and rose to go after his sister, "Er.. Abs.. uh.. "

Too late. Incoming tiny blonde tornado, Jace.

Quinn scrubbed a hand over the back of his neck, "Sorry, Uncle Kanan."

[what_dad_was_like]

See Jacen. See Jacen be utterly confused.

"Um?" And there he was, being bowled over by the tiny blonde tornado and the rainbow spotty dog, who had wheeled around to come say hello.

So, that was Jacen landing on his butt, and Kanan blinking over at Quinn, taking a moment to assess the situation.

"... Uncle, huh? Whose are you?"

[forever_family]

Quinn answered, "My parents are Hernando and Sparkle. Er. You've been 'Uncle Kanan' as long as we've been here. Abney sort of decided it when she was little. If you were Uncle Kaidan and Aunt Jack's brother, you had to be an 'uncle' too. She didn't want you to feel left out."

He reached out a hand for a shake, "Hi. I'm Quinn. That's Abney. We, uh, grew up with Jacen. He's.."

"He's our cousin!" Abney insisted, basically sitting on Jacen and poking him, "And he's a jerk today but usually he's not a jerk. Jaaaace! Why didn't you tell us?"

Her face got licked and she giggled and then left off sitting on Jacen to throw her arms around Stance's neck. "Hi Stance! Oh gosh, you're just a baby Stance! Look how little you are! You know me, don't you? Yes, you do."

Stance wouldn't care. Stance loved everybody.

[usual_suspects]

And running right past Jacen to tackle Kanan was a small blue bundle of half-Chiss energy. "Uncle Kanan!"

[uncertain_dume]

BLINK.

"Huh?"

Aaand that would be Kanan, catching the tiny half-Chiss girl and trying to process why this seemed to keep happening to him today.

"Uh, hi!"

[usual_suspects]

"Hi!" She looked up at him. "Do you have candy?"

[sharp_man]

Eventually, following along behind Angela, came one of her fathers, curious as to what visitors Sparkle might have this weekend. He brought his own food, of course, though he laughed at the sheer amount that was already there.

"I see my services were not required?"

[forever_family]

Abney heard that very familiar voice and gave a tiny high-pitched squeal of delight, leaping off the swings again to go tearing at him. "Senelis! What did you bring? Did you bring sweets? Papa brought some cake but it's bought cake from the store." She wrinkled her nose a little. She had opinions and she shared. "Are you visiting? Are you staying the whole weekend? Are you both here?"

[sharp_man]

Despite an initial pain at being called 'grandfather', Hannibal met her with a smile. "I've brought several things, and yes, some chocolate and fruit. I live here, and Jono as well, so I'm afraid I don't know you yet, kiškutis, but I'm happy to meet you. Where shall I put the food?"

[forever_family]

"On the blanket? Unless you brought another blanket?" Abney suggested. She took being called a bunny in stride. She got called all sorts of things by the adults in so many different languages. She always knew when they meant well.

"I'm Abney," she told him and waved her hand at her brother, "That's Quinn. It's ok you don't know us yet. You do someday. This whole weekend is weird where nobody knows us but we know everyone that we know back home. I don't care if the island's being stupid, my family is my family and that's just how it is."

She glanced over but Papa and Dada were - ish - kissing again. She rolled her eyes. "At least some things are still the same. They're still just as gross as ever."