hell of a party

[middlingalong]

Ivan must be drunker than he thought he was. He could have sworn he knew his way around Vivienne's parents' house, since she wanted to introduce him last week and showed him the place, but maybe they have a... secret... upstairs... bar? where Vivienne's room is supposed to be? And most certainly was last time he checked? He's never going to find the sweater she sent him up looking for here, anyway. Why is there a secret upstairs bar in Vivienne's parents' house?

Comments

[unmarred]

Mark looks at Lalita. "Next time," he echoes, in a hopeful tone of voice.

[dream_me_up]

Lalita... looks at Stalas. "Next time?" he asks.

[thisvorlunatic]

"You know what," says Stalas, "sure. Why not."

[dream_me_up]

And up go the three of them. (Four? Three and a half?)

[middlingalong]

"That was not intended as a sug- oh, never mind."

[thisvorlunatic]

"I don't think they thought you were suggesting anything, Ivan."

[middlingalong]

"Right, right."

Ivan starts setting up solitaire, since his cards partner has absconded.

"So Isabella and her husband - no, you know what, it is not even worth it to yank your chain."

Solitaire.

The door creaks open.

It is a six-year-old boy.

[thisvorlunatic]

"...Ivan..."

[middlingalong]

"What?" say Ivan and the six year old boy at the same time.

"AUGH," says only the larger Ivan.

"WHAT?" exclaims the six-year-old Ivan.

"Sorry! Sorry. Nothing."

[thisvorlunatic]

Miles... Miles genuinely does not have the first clue what to say.

[middlingalong]

"Where's the garden?" asks Tiny Ivan.

"Oh, hell... Uh, the garden is... temporarily missing," says Big Ivan. "There is this. Restaurant. Instead. Just for now."

"Oh," says Tiny Ivan.

"...How old are you?"

"I'm six," says Tiny Ivan. "Is your name Ivan too?"

"...Yes. My name is Ivan too."

[thisvorlunatic]

And Miles's name is Miles. But does he volunteer this? Oh God no. What in damnation are they supposed to do with a tiny Ivan? Whatever it is, the non-tiny Ivan seems to have a better handle on the situation than Miles for once in their lives.

[middlingalong]

"Are you playing cards?" says Tiny Ivan.

"I'm playing solitaire. It's pretty boring. D'you want to play whirligig?"

"Yeah!"

Tiny Ivan goes over to Big Ivan's booth and Big Ivan deals them cards and whirligig ensues. Tiny Ivan cheats once. Big Ivan lets him get away with it.

"Who's that?" Tiny Ivan asks, pointing at Miles.

"...m'cousin."

"Oh." Cards.

[thisvorlunatic]

"Hi," ventures Big Ivan's cousin.

[middlingalong]

"Hi. What's your name?" says Tiny Ivan.

[thisvorlunatic]

...bugger.

No, that is not his name.

He gives up after a few seconds. "Miles," he admits.

[middlingalong]

"I have a cousin Miles, too!" says Tiny Ivan, apparently delighted.

"How about that," says Big Ivan.

Tiny Ivan makes no effort to follow up on this interesting serendipity. He beats his elder alt at whirligig instead and bounces up and down happily in his seat when this has come to pass.

[thisvorlunatic]

Whew.

Miles declines to venture further remarks while Tiny Ivan is occupied.

[middlingalong]

Eventually, the tinier of the Ivans says, "D'you have a cousin Nika too?"

"...I do not have a cousin Nika. Where'd you get a cousin Nika?"

"From a basket."

"I did not know you could get cousins from baskets," remarks Big Ivan.

"Well, that's where she came from."

[thisvorlunatic]

Despite himself, Miles is intrigued. "Where did the basket come from?"

[middlingalong]

"Nobody knows. Nika pretends fairies."

[thisvorlunatic]

"Nobody knows? Well, where'd they find the basket? And who found it?"

[middlingalong]

"It was on the Residence doorstep. I don't remember who found it first. Maybe Aunt Cordelia found it?"

[thisvorlunatic]

"And... adopted the basket baby," he guesses, "and that's how you wound up with a cousin Nika?"

How the hell does a baby in a basket show up on the doorstep of the Imperial fucking Residence without anyone finding out where it came from?

[middlingalong]

"Yeah, that's how."