[audio/action, forward-dated to 10/28]

[werewolfing]

So, uh. I'm pretty sure that a bunch of people know that kid Stanley. He's a really lucky asshole, because he up and freaking disappeared. Went to take a piss and never came back. Just poofed. Great for him, sure.

But he sorta left me with...something. That he'd brought here.

[underneath peter's voice, which is pretty soft and even considering what he's saying, there's what sounds an awful lot like the sound of muffled sniffling.]

Which was big of him and all and fine for right this second, but this is not an ideal long-term arrangement. So if anybody wants to help out with that, it'd be great. I'm in the cafeteria, we can talk.

[anyone who comes to the cafeteria will find peter there with peace, who has cried herself out for the moment and is sucking on peter's hair and falling asleep on his shoulder while he walks her around and rubs her back, singing little snatches of songs in some foreign language. getting to this point was obviously a feat; parts of his hair and the shoulder of his shirt are soaked with toddler tears and snot and his ever-present leather jacket is draped over a chair to save it from the babypocalypse. he doesn't seem that fussed, though, for a seventeen year old boy left with someone else's small child. surprisingly good with kids, this one.

ooc: tempest is going to end up with the baby, but everyone is welcome to fuss or help out.]

Comments

Re: permaction

[werewolfing]

Not sure that wouldn't start up the wailing again. I'm all right for now.

[and he is pretty all right, actually. peter seems to know how to hold a kid, and he's doing the parental side-to-side sway.]

Big extended family. Tissues would be good though. She's a little snot-factory.

[controlledvariable]

[She nods, because while she's mercifully only had to deal with Peace when she was too tired to really wail, she has heard it more than in the distance. The base isn't all that big, after all.]

I'm glad it was you who found her. [Not just because of the big extended family; Peter seems like a good guy.] I'll be back in a sec.

[With a rueful smile, she heads off to get those tissues, coming back in about a minute and holding them out for Peter.

She's a helper.]

[werewolfing]

Got left with her while he went to take a piss, actually, but it could've been worse.

[oh thank god for tissues. it's a little bit awkward since she's mostly asleep and he doesn't quite have the parent skill of doing everything one handed and twisted up entirely down, but he manages to mostly de-snot her face and his neck and shoulder.]

Can't really keep her, though.

[controlledvariable]

A lot worse.

[She likes a lot of the Transports, but that doesn't mean she trusts all of them.

Or even most of them.]

I'd offer, but I've got so much going on with the clinic and training people that I can't really haul a kid around. [She looks like she feels bad about that, if nothing else. She bites her lip, thinking.]

Skyler might be willing to look after her...

[werewolfing]

I hear keeping these things fed and watered and happy is at least a full-time job.

Who's Skyler?

[controlledvariable]

Yeah, there's a reason I gave mine up.

[It's a casual, throwaway sort of comment.

She's been thinking about her own daughter, with how often she seems to be spending time with kids.]

She's from Jesse's world. She's got a baby girl back home, so she'd know what to do.

[werewolfing]

[he blinks, but the surprise is just a flash before he nods. he's spent most of his life on the literal or proverbial wrong side of the tracks, teenaged girls having babies isn't that crazy. not to mention that his girlfriend is pregnant, and not with his kid.]

That might not be bad. She's kinda...well, you know how she is. It'll be an adjustment.

[controlledvariable]

I hate to suggest it for a kid, but I wonder if there's anyone around with magic that might help keep her calm. [a beat, and to clarify:] For her own sake. I've seen kids cry so hard they make themselves sick, and with how attached she was...

[Steph's worried.]

[werewolfing]

She didn't quite get to the puking crying this time, but she probably doesn't understand yet.

Who can do that kind of thing? Tempest, maybe?

[controlledvariable]

The longer he's gone the worst it'll get.

[Because there's "Stan is gone for a while" and "Stan is gone forever", and she doesn't want to be around when the latter realization kicks in.]

I dunno, maybe an empath if there are any around. Or Jesse might have something we could use.

[She might ask him.]

[werewolfing]

Jesse might have what?

[the only thing peter is aware jesse has is drugs]

[controlledvariable]

[She tries to be careful about telling people what Jesse can do, but since he made a network post about it, she knows it's not necessarily a secret.

And she doubts Peter would hurt him over it.]

He can take people's powers and give 'em to someone else, I think he grabbed a bunch over in the United Earth, so...

[Since he gave Saul regeneration

Which sure does work with more than just injuries.]

[werewolfing]

[and he looks relieved, so her bets are probably pretty safe.]

As much as that has far-reaching creepy implications, the other option was much weirder. Yeah, that'd be good. This whole thing's kind of a clusterfuck, but it's not Peace's fault.

[controlledvariable]

He won't use it on any Transports against their will, unless they're hurting someone.

[Just to... make sure Peter knows, since he's one of those people with powers.]

I'll ask him in a bit. And is there anything else I can do for you while you've got her? Even if you just want a cup of tea or something.

[Since he's got his arms full of toddler.]

[werewolfing]

That's good. He seems like a pretty good guy.

[peter's certainly not gonna judge the whole drug thing, considering. he looks thoughtful a moment, considering whether he needs anything.]

Water would be awesome, and aspirin or something. Kid's got lungs and they were aimed right at my ear.

[controlledvariable]

He's-- Yeah, he is.

[She adores Jesse, but her feelings about his goodness are still complicated.

Water and aspirin are easier to deal with, so she nods.]

I'll go grab you some, anything else?

[Because if not, she's going to disappear and come back a few minutes later with a bottle of water and her utility belt.]

[werewolfing]

I'm good.

[while steph goes to get stuff, peter's just going to make a circuit of the cafeteria, because peace seems to stay more settled when he's moving but swaying is getting old. if she sneaks up on him, she'll catch him singing some sort of lullabyish song into peace's hair in a language that's definitely not english. his voice isn't excellent, but it's on pitch and passable. the baby doesn't hate it, at least, since she's finally passed out for real.]

[controlledvariable]

[She doesn't quite sneak up on him, but she does catch that singing. And she notices Peace is asleep, so her voice is soft as she screws the lid of the water bottle and holds it out for Peter.]

It helps, huh?

[Steph figured it out when she first met Peace, singing to her to keep her calm through a shower.]

[werewolfing]

Thanks.

[he takes the water bottle with a rueful little smile and takes a few swallows before letting out a relieved breath. babysitting is apparently thirsty work.]

Yeah, helps some. Maybe her people were musicians.

[controlledvariable]

Maybe, I never really asked much about what her life in Exsilium was like. Stanley didn't really cope with losing the city.

[So she tried to avoid talking about it.

She fishes a bottle of asirin out of her utility belt, tips two pills into her hand, and holds them out for Peter. She'll take the water bottle back if he needs her to, since one arm is occupied with Peace.]

[werewolfing]

Yeah, never seemed like a thing to bring up. Doesn't really matter right now anyway.

[he considers trying to juggle water and pills, but in the end he hands her the bottle, chucks the aspirin in his mouth and then takes the bottle back to chase it with another swallow of water.]

Ever heard her talk? I haven't, but that doesn't mean much.

[controlledvariable]

Guess not.

[Since they're dead and Stanley is gone. This is so fucked up.]

A little bit, she's got a problem with her ear, though. And whatever she spoke back home wasn't quite English, so there's a bit of a language gap.

[werewolfing]

[about ten kinds of fucked up and nothing at all to do about it. peter kind of wants to be mad about it, but there's no point. all anyone can do is take care of the kid, who doesn't deserve any of this.]

Thought it might be something like that. Didn't seem to matter what I said as long as I said it pretty enough.

[he sighs.]

Whoever she ends up with, probably gonna point them at you, unless there's someone better. I haven't spent that much time with her.

[controlledvariable]

She gets the basics, like dinner and nap time.

[Which makes it a little bit easier, but it's still tricky.]

I'm okay with that. I brought her some toys, so hopefully she thinks of me as a friend.

[Hopefully.]

[werewolfing]

Oh, sweet, toys? Probably should raid Stanley's room for her things.