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xp_logsBackdated. The elder Szardos siblings have some bonding time.
Kurt had been monopolised by the children all evening, but as the last of them was carried off to bed, he wandered over with a smile to drop beside Amanda at the fire.
"Enjoying yourself, jel'enedra?"
She tossed the mostly-smoked cigarette into the fire as he sat, out of courtesy to her brother's non-smoking, and gave him a bright smile as she waved the remnants of her nicotine cloud away. "Always," she said, pulling her woolly hat down over her ears some more. "This Christmas lark is always better when you have a family to enjoy it with. You're done being a climbing frame, then?"
"For tonight", was the cheerful response. "No doubt I will be pressed into service again tomorrow, but when little Sofia was falling asleep on my shoulder, it was really time to stop."
"And you love it," she teased. "Never saw one who loved kids as much as you, Blue. I'm surprised you aren't joining the old biddies in hassling Stefan about breeding."
"I do not think there is any need to hassle him about that", he said with a grin. "It may not have come to pass yet, or at least he has not told me so, but it may not be long."
"Not for want of trying, any way," Amanda replied shamelessly. "According to Jimi, they're all over each other like a couple of..."
"Old, established married people, yes?" came the wry question from above as Stefan stepped into the circle of light from the campfire, appearing directly behind his siblings. "If you two insist on gossiping like old mothers, you should try whispering." He circled around to the other side of Amanda, ruffling her hair in the process as he sank down next to her.
Given ruffling her hair meant sliding her hat down over her eyes, Amanda squeaked and flailed a bit before pulling off the hat. "I swear, you're almost as good at the sudden appearance thing as Blue, and you can't even bloody teleport," she complained, smoothing down her hair before replacing the hat and giving Stefan a nudge in the ribs with her elbow. "So, how many times have you been asked about babies tonight?"
At that, he held up his hands in defeat and rolled his eyes. "I have simply lost count. Mirela, however, is ready to stab someone with a carving knife." A grin suddenly appeared, easing the normally solemn face - marriage and responsibility both sat well with their older brother. "I started to divert much of the attention away, however, by accidently mentioning that Kurt seemed to be dating recently."
Kurt sat up straight at that, a fleeting look of horror on his face. "Oh, you did not. Please tell me you did not."
A loud burst of laughter came from Amanda at the statement and at Kurt's reaction. "Oh, that's bloody brilliant, that is. Nice bit of deflection." She nudged Kurt. "You are so doomed, Blue."
"I am", he had to agree resignedly. "Still, at least Monet is not here. I would not want to subject her to that just yet."
Stretching his legs out toward the fire, Stefan laughed a little. "Give it time, little brother, the women in the caravan are relentless, single minded and ruthless." He turned his face towards Amanda and raised an eyebrow. "Traits that I am certain did not get passed on to you..."
That got a patently fake innocent look. "Me? I'm sweetness and light, I am. Sugar and spice and all that other bollocks."
"Of course you are", Kurt chimed in, reaching over to adjust her hat. "Which is why Nico is working with you so much lately."
"Ah, Nico," Stefan remarked, saying the name carefully so as not to stumble too much over the unfamiliarity. "Have you recruited someone else to work with you in the office, Amanda? Or is this something I should plug my ears and pretend I heard nothing and see nothing?"
"Nothing terrible," Amanda replied, looking a little embarrassed herself now. "Nico's a student at the school. Magic type. She's sort of my student, I s'pose you'd call it."
"Our little sister has grown up", Kurt said solemnly. "To have a student of her own, we should be proud."
Stefan reached a hand out and squeezed Amanda's knee. "Which of course we are," he responded warmly. "The years have rushed by quickly, have they not? One day, I was teaching you how to ride your first horse, than the next you were returned to us - and now this. My family is my pride."
That got a full-on blush, Amanda's cheeks burning from more than just the cold air. "Bah, humbug," she said, bumping Stefan with her shoulder. "Keep this up and we'll be making our own family Christmas special."
"Perhaps next year we should invite Angelica and her camera to join us", Kurt said, amused. "She could make one for us, at least from stills."
“Physical evidence that would quickly get passed around from old woman to old woman,” Stefan warned. “Along with the warning that the camera will steal your soul.”
“Ooh, I’m liking this idea better and better,” Amanda chimed in. “Bribery material, brilliant!”
Kurt had been monopolised by the children all evening, but as the last of them was carried off to bed, he wandered over with a smile to drop beside Amanda at the fire.
"Enjoying yourself, jel'enedra?"
She tossed the mostly-smoked cigarette into the fire as he sat, out of courtesy to her brother's non-smoking, and gave him a bright smile as she waved the remnants of her nicotine cloud away. "Always," she said, pulling her woolly hat down over her ears some more. "This Christmas lark is always better when you have a family to enjoy it with. You're done being a climbing frame, then?"
"For tonight", was the cheerful response. "No doubt I will be pressed into service again tomorrow, but when little Sofia was falling asleep on my shoulder, it was really time to stop."
"And you love it," she teased. "Never saw one who loved kids as much as you, Blue. I'm surprised you aren't joining the old biddies in hassling Stefan about breeding."
"I do not think there is any need to hassle him about that", he said with a grin. "It may not have come to pass yet, or at least he has not told me so, but it may not be long."
"Not for want of trying, any way," Amanda replied shamelessly. "According to Jimi, they're all over each other like a couple of..."
"Old, established married people, yes?" came the wry question from above as Stefan stepped into the circle of light from the campfire, appearing directly behind his siblings. "If you two insist on gossiping like old mothers, you should try whispering." He circled around to the other side of Amanda, ruffling her hair in the process as he sank down next to her.
Given ruffling her hair meant sliding her hat down over her eyes, Amanda squeaked and flailed a bit before pulling off the hat. "I swear, you're almost as good at the sudden appearance thing as Blue, and you can't even bloody teleport," she complained, smoothing down her hair before replacing the hat and giving Stefan a nudge in the ribs with her elbow. "So, how many times have you been asked about babies tonight?"
At that, he held up his hands in defeat and rolled his eyes. "I have simply lost count. Mirela, however, is ready to stab someone with a carving knife." A grin suddenly appeared, easing the normally solemn face - marriage and responsibility both sat well with their older brother. "I started to divert much of the attention away, however, by accidently mentioning that Kurt seemed to be dating recently."
Kurt sat up straight at that, a fleeting look of horror on his face. "Oh, you did not. Please tell me you did not."
A loud burst of laughter came from Amanda at the statement and at Kurt's reaction. "Oh, that's bloody brilliant, that is. Nice bit of deflection." She nudged Kurt. "You are so doomed, Blue."
"I am", he had to agree resignedly. "Still, at least Monet is not here. I would not want to subject her to that just yet."
Stretching his legs out toward the fire, Stefan laughed a little. "Give it time, little brother, the women in the caravan are relentless, single minded and ruthless." He turned his face towards Amanda and raised an eyebrow. "Traits that I am certain did not get passed on to you..."
That got a patently fake innocent look. "Me? I'm sweetness and light, I am. Sugar and spice and all that other bollocks."
"Of course you are", Kurt chimed in, reaching over to adjust her hat. "Which is why Nico is working with you so much lately."
"Ah, Nico," Stefan remarked, saying the name carefully so as not to stumble too much over the unfamiliarity. "Have you recruited someone else to work with you in the office, Amanda? Or is this something I should plug my ears and pretend I heard nothing and see nothing?"
"Nothing terrible," Amanda replied, looking a little embarrassed herself now. "Nico's a student at the school. Magic type. She's sort of my student, I s'pose you'd call it."
"Our little sister has grown up", Kurt said solemnly. "To have a student of her own, we should be proud."
Stefan reached a hand out and squeezed Amanda's knee. "Which of course we are," he responded warmly. "The years have rushed by quickly, have they not? One day, I was teaching you how to ride your first horse, than the next you were returned to us - and now this. My family is my pride."
That got a full-on blush, Amanda's cheeks burning from more than just the cold air. "Bah, humbug," she said, bumping Stefan with her shoulder. "Keep this up and we'll be making our own family Christmas special."
"Perhaps next year we should invite Angelica and her camera to join us", Kurt said, amused. "She could make one for us, at least from stills."
“Physical evidence that would quickly get passed around from old woman to old woman,” Stefan warned. “Along with the warning that the camera will steal your soul.”
“Ooh, I’m liking this idea better and better,” Amanda chimed in. “Bribery material, brilliant!”
