(no subject)

[eureka-bell.livejournal.com]

Long and meaningful discussions have taken place on the subject of ham.

Yes, ham. Ham and its place in the diet of a growing krakenbaby.

Fortunately, there was plenty of ham in the farmhouse kitchen. But in a post-apocolyptic world, who's to say how long the ham will last? There are the number of pigs to think about, as well as whether a sustainable population can be re-established, and storage (a fridge here, but who's to say whether electricity has survived elsewhere?), and a host of other things.

Well, this is the point... one of the points... one of the many points at which Stephen's motto is: experiment!

A sausage is being dangled curiously into the murky water.

Comments

[will_scarlett]

As he did yesterday, Will is outside going through his sword forms with the sword Kate lent him and blinks at Steve,

"Ye feed the squid thing?"

[eureka-bell.livejournal.com]

"Well, he gets hungry otherwise."

It's not really sarky when it's delivered with a smile.

Hopefully, Will is far enough away not to hear:

[will_scarlett]

Sadly Will is close enough to hear it and sheathes his sword and comes over,

"Ye've named it...Spots??"

[eureka-bell.livejournal.com]

Ah. Stephen makes shifty eyes. Pls to not be commenting on cute names for bacubabies.

"Well, he has spots, so... it, eh, kind of stuck."

[will_scarlett]

"Um aye, course, ye're Stephen aye? I'm Will, 'rrived 'ere with yer sister an Marley."

Hopefully Val hasn't already made Steve hate him, Will can but hope.

[eureka-bell.livejournal.com]

Will was mentioned very much in passing, and probably not by name, so it takes a second or two to remember, but:

"Yes! Hello. Good to meet you."

Crouching down with a raw sausage in one hand isn't the greatest way to shake hands, but Stephen's going to try it nonetheless, smiling up at Will.

[will_scarlett]

Another blink at the sausage and Steve, who is being nice and his sleeves are pulled down to hide the bandages then Will extends a hand,

"Aye, always good to know folks round 'ere. What are ye feedin'..Spots?"

[eureka-bell.livejournal.com]

Awkwardly-angled hand-shakes ftw.

"Sausage, at the moment, but I'm trying him with different things." From his pocket he fishes little bits of bacon, chicken, goose, wrapped in clingfilm. "Want to give him some?"

[will_scarlett]

"Um nay, is 'e from the ocean then, didna think was that close?"

Though Will does kneel down to sit, he's been moving all morning, nice to rest for a moment.

[black-rackham.livejournal.com]

"I'm fairly certain kraken eat people. You might lose your hand if you stay there." Joe remarks, heading over to Steve.

[apocalypsebaby.livejournal.com]

A tentacle, currently reaching for the sausage, changes direction to smack out at Joe.

HE WOULDN'T EAT HIS DADDY!

[eureka-bell.livejournal.com]

"He'd be more likely to cuddle me to death," says Stephen fondly. Then: "Spots, be nice."

wigglesausagewiggle

[black-rackham.livejournal.com]

Joe jumps out of the way of the tentacle, looking rather put out.

"Yes, he seems really cuddly." Flatly.

[apocalypsebaby.livejournal.com]

Happy wiggle!

Spots peels himself out of the pond to peek at Joe.

"...mama?" he asks doubtfully.

[eureka-bell.livejournal.com]

...He shouldn't. He really shouldn't.

"I wouldn't say no, if I were you," he warns gravely.

[black-rackham.livejournal.com]

Joe sighs, deeply. He won't say no, but he's certainly not going to say yes, either.
"It's very nice to meet you both." They get a weary, but genuinely pleasant smile.

[apocalypsebaby.livejournal.com]

Is it can be sausage tiem nao? Spots dismisses Joe as Obviously Not Mummy, since he's not instantly descending on him to feed him and love him.

(That doesn't mean he doesn't get a thoughtful attempt at a cuddle.)

[clockwork-son.livejournal.com]

"Steve."

It's a kind of greeting, delivered with extra blush.

"Testing Spots' diet? How's that working out so far?"

And the way his hand comes to rest on the shorter man's shoulder is TOTALLY PLATONIC, REALLY. HE'S JUST BEING FRIENDLY. NOTHING TO SEE HERE. MOVING ON.

[eureka-bell.livejournal.com]

Smile! But of course, anyone would smile like that upon approach by a good friend. Anyone. Yes.

Alas, crouching down beside a pool is not the most efficient position for return shoulder-touching. It does put him at an excellent height, but that thought is for now going NO FURTHER.

"He does seem most enthusiastic about the ham," Steve admits. "He is trying the other things, though."

[apocalypsebaby.livejournal.com]

TWO DADDIES AT ONCE!

Spots is in krakenbaby heaven. And will cuddle both Gabe's ankles and Steve's knees, happily, for the remainder of the conversation.

[clockwork-son.livejournal.com]

Gabe allowed that train of thought to continue for exactly - since this is Gabe - one-third of a second before he put it carefully aside for later perusal.

"I'm pretty sure his natural diet is, um, human flesh," Gabe admits with some trepidation. "But ham seems to be a perfectly acceptable substitute, and I think I'm having some success in teaching him that eating people is not allowed."

Spots' cuddles receive a soft Gabeish giggle and some patting of tentacles.

[eureka-bell.livejournal.com]

Stephen will gladly peruse it with him whenever he wishes!

Human flesh?

...Um. No comment.

"That can only be a good thing," is Steve's opinion of Gabe's success in the non-people-eating area. "You don't want to eat human flesh, now, do you? No! You're a good little baculite, yes you are."

(It's probably self-evident which of the two recieves that second part.)

[clockwork-son.livejournal.com]

Um. Good God, even his NARRATION is blushing.

"As I said, he's improving."

With a soft little smile, Gabriel walks around to crouch at Steve's right side. This mean his left hand can - after he's checked to make sure no-one's looking - fondly ruffle that adorably curly red hair, while his right hand absently pats Spots' determinedly cuddling tentacles.

[eureka-bell.livejournal.com]

He leans his head toward Gabe, smile spreading like a tide.

"You haven't been a parent before, eh?" No worries, it's delivered as a joke. It's merely a comment on how you seem to have taken to bringing up a baculite like, well, like Spots takes to water.

[clockwork-son.livejournal.com]

"No. Never. It's easier than it looks, isn't it."

D'aww. What an adorable family scene: father, father, and kraken.

...Um.

Slightly nontraditional, perhaps.

But certainly incredibly loving.