120.0

[encryptedlock]

[ACTION FOR YORK]
[It really doesn’t take much to wake up Carolina, even on a bad day, and hearing someone moving around the room makes her stir awake. It could be York, but the sounds are too soft, too small, and she keeps her eyes closed as she listens. With as little movement as possible, she pinches the back of one of York’s hands, before]

Daddy? Daddy, I had a bad dream.

[.York wakes up at the pinch, but he’s still blinking groggily when he hears the little girl’s voice. Is he still asleep? Well, the only thing for it is to sit up and turn on the lamp near his bed. When he does, though, and he sees his little Princess in her fancy nightgown, he sits up and smiles at her brilliantly and holds out his arms for a hug.]

Hey, don’t worry, Laura. Daddy’s here. C’mere.

[Carolina sits up more fully to kind of just stare at them for a few seconds; she’s pretty sure she missed something.]

Daddy.

[But just as soon as she muscles out the word, there’s a small hand tugging on her arm, definitely not belonging to Laura. Surprise! There’s a tiny ginger babby boy standing there.]

Mommy.

[York gathers Laura up in a tight hug for a few moments before beginning the all-important explanation.]

Right. So. We have kids here in the castle, get to see them about once a year. Laura here is my little girl--I’ve seen her for what, four years in a row now? [Laura nods.] Which makes her five or six, I think. And you, little man?

[Because damn if that doesn’t look like a little version of Carolina and himself.]

Two, Daddy. [And Jack holds up two tiny fingers. Carolina glances over at York again, really not sure of what to even do at the moment. What do. The little boy makes some grabby hands toward Carolina, very clearly wanting to join the rest of his family up on the bed. ...okay, so she’ll reach down for him, but kind of hold him at arm’s length at first. However, gut instinct tells her,] Jack. His name is Jack.

[Keeping one arm around Laura, York reaches out with his other to have his whole little family in one big hug.]

Jack, York, Carolina, Laura. So! Who wants pancakes?


[Filtered to friends of York and Carolina (read: not South lmfao)]

All right, I know now all of you are probably aware of this, but it’s that time of year when we have kids here at the castle. I’ve got my little girl Laura, and me and Carolina have a little boy, Jack, too. Anyone else have kids?

We’d handle them better in groups. Strength in numbers.

[South]

Status. Do you have extra occupants in your room?

(ooc: For reference
This is Laura
This is Jack
Carolina and York is plaintext. )

Comments

[youfallback]

[Carolina grins over at him before leaning back on the blanket.] We've been practicing enough.

[Read: having plenty of sex.]

[encryptedlock]

[York actually flushes a little at that.]

Well. I mean, yes, that's true. But in all my time here, nobody's ever got pregnant, so.

[youfallback]

[Carolina's grin quickly dims at that and she shifts her gaze back out to the kids playing. She's not sure how to feel about that, honestly, as she'd never been particularly focused on having a family or any kind of personal life before the Castle. Everything was focused on her professional career, but the suggestion that there's zero possibility of a family here rubs her the wrong way. Having any skill being taken away from her, no matter how important or mundane, gets on her nerves.]

You have once a year. [She selfishly shoves the attention of the conversation back onto York.]

[encryptedlock]

[Well, on the other hand, for all he knows people just haven't been trying hard enough. They'd always used birth control, anyway.]

I do. And it means a hell of a lot to me to see her again.

They--they love us unconditionally, you know?

[youfallback]

[Well maybe someday they'll try harder. For now, though, Carolina will be more than a little suspicious of the Castle's intentions.]

Without even knowing us?

[encryptedlock]

[Yeah, and he's not really ready to risk something happening without planning - even if it would give him Jack and Laura for real.]

They seem like they already know us, is the thing.

[youfallback]

[Carolina stares over at York for a couple moments before glancing back out at the children.]

Laura, would you come here for a second?

[encryptedlock]

Kay! [The little girl comes over to the blanket, with Jack trailing curiously behind her. York bribes the little boy with a packet of fruit snacks while Carolina talks to his daughter.]

What is it?

[youfallback]

[Carolina reaches for Laura's hands, her expression turning a little serious despite her attempts to keep her tone light.]

You know where Mommy and Daddy work? [Correcting,] Who Mommy and Daddy used to work for?

[encryptedlock]

[Her face screws up in concentration.]

Daddy's a secret agent. Mommy's a princess! Not sure what you do, Stepmommy.

[York blinks. Well, okay then.]

[youfallback]

[Oh. Well. Thanks for that Castle.

Carolina furrows her eyebrows slightly but nods. Stepmommy. Well. She hadn't been fooling herself, but still.]

Stepmommy [she feels uncomfortable just saying it] is a secret agent like Daddy.

[And, for a moment she realizes that Tex was also probably Stepmommy, which makes a certain bit of jealousy flare up in Carolina.]

[encryptedlock]

[Laura claps her hands.] You have shining armor too? [Jack looks up, eyes wide. He might maybe want super cool armor and his own glowing person when he grows up some day.]

Yes, honey, she does too. Remember, I told you girls can be knights just like boys?

[Both kids nod.]

[youfallback]

Where Stepmommy and Daddy work, there are a lot of girl-knights.

[encryptedlock]

But I'm a princess, so I don't need to be a knight.

[York ruffles her hair playfully, which gets a little shriek.]

Well, that's what Mommy and me are here for. To protect you. And maybe Jack, when he gets big and strong?

[youfallback]

I'm sure Jack will be bigger than his dad once he starts growing. [Grinning between Jack and York.]

[encryptedlock]

What? No way, man.

[He winks at Jack, who giggles.]

Show me those muscles, little man.

[Jack flexes his little arm, which really shows no visible difference. But York nods.]

Well, maybe.

[youfallback]

[Carolina laughs lightly at their theatrics, leaning back just slightly on the blanket.]

He's definitely on his way.

[encryptedlock]

That's my boy.

[Nevermind that he never had a boy until today.]

[youfallback]

[Carolina reaches over for Jack and sets him on her shoulders.]

See, now he's taller than his dad.

[encryptedlock]

Hey!

[Laura just laughs and tugs at Jack's feet.]

Jack's the tallest ever!

[youfallback]

[Carolina makes sure to keep a firm grip on Jack, especially as he clamors around her head, laughing loudly.]

Daddy has some growing to do.

[encryptedlock]

The only growing Daddy's going to do is to get fat from all this castle food.

[Though he grabs some fruit snacks from the pack he'd brought down and hands some to Laura, speaking of food.]

[youfallback]

[Jack squirms around on her shoulders, so Carolina sets him down. However, once he's down more at eye level, he pokes York's abdomen, as if there were already some fat there.]

See, Mommy, he's growing. [Best kid ever. Of all time.]

[encryptedlock]

[York bats at Jack playfully. Clearly, this kid is out to get him.]

Aw, come on. Daddy exercises.

[youfallback]

[Jack giggles and bats right back, grinning like a fiend as Carolina lightly lifts him out of reach.] Come on, you two.