Midnight Manor, Room 1-A, Saturday morning.

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

Arden woke up shivering. Somebody had left the verandah door open, even though it was very cold out and she didn't seem to have a scrap of blanket. The door was going to remain a mystery, but the blankets were easily solved - there was a lump made up of blanket and bright red hair curled up next to her.

"Hey," she hissed, poking the blanket lump. She was trying to stay quiet, because she didn't want the grownups to hear her making a fuss. "Hey, those are mine!" She reached for the edge of the blanket and started tugging. "You can't hog them all, I'm cold, too!"

[For the snatchy blanket hog, but also open!]

Comments

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"Yeah, but donuts are sweet and covered in sprinkles and stuff for kids!" Arden explained. "And bagels don't have fun colors or sugar or anything, so they're like for grownups. But you can eat any of them, it's fine."

Beat.

"What's nut butter?"

[hasaknightjob]

"A spread made from nuts," Steven explained. "Have you heard of peanut butter? That's one."

[pocketpretzels]

"What's doughnuts?" Llewellyn asked.

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"Oh. I never thought of peanut butter as butter," Arden said and now she has a very mistaken idea of how peanut butter is made. "Donuts are circles with holes in the middle like bagels, but they're sweet! You can get glaze on 'em, or chocolate, or powdered sugar, or sprinkles!"

[hasaknightjob]

"Perhaps donuts as a treat for later?" Steven asked. Yes, some had donuts for breakfast but he suspected that would not be a wise route to take with children. "In the afternoon, maybe?"

[pocketpretzels]

Llewellyn's eyes got wider and wider with each type of doughnut that Arden described. "I would like to try one," he agreed.

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"Yeah, they're really tasty!" Arden said. "Better than bagels."

Because she was a child and therefore the sweeter something was, the better. Everyone knew that.

[pocketpretzels]

"Better than?" Llewellyn asked skeptically.

[hasaknightjob]

"Depends on what one is in the mood for, I imagine," Steven said. "They're both good in their own ways, I think."

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"They're real sweet!" Arden said.

Which might end up being too sweet for a child who had not grown up on processed sugar, but that was definitely outside of Arden's locus of knowledge.

"Like cakes with holes in 'em!"

[pocketpretzels]

"I do like cake," Llewellyn said, thoughtfully.

[hasaknightjob]

"We could experiment later?" Steven suggested. "In the afternoon, perhaps?"

He knew that might feel like ages to a child but he did have vague hopes that breakfast could be something somewhat nutritional.

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"We have donuts after church on Sunday mornings," Arden noted. You know. Just saying.

[pocketpretzels]

"But that's tomorrow," Llewellyn pointed out. "That's even further than afternoon!"

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"No, no! I meant that donuts can be had in the mornings!" Arden said, eyes very wide.

[pocketpretzels]

"But Steven already bringed things for breakfast," Llewellyn pointed out. "We should have that."

[hasaknightjob]

"Er - yes," Steven said, not entirely certain the best way to handle this. "There's bagels and fruit and things to have with them downstairs if you would like them for breakfast. And if those don't appeal then we can find something else so no one goes hungry."

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"Oh, yes, sorry!" Arden said. "I was just excited about donuts! I don't mean to be ungrateful!"

Please don't send her back.

[pocketpretzels]

Llewellyn nodded. "We eat what we have."

Which isn't actually what Steven had said, either.

[hasaknightjob]

"It's all right," Steven assured the both of them. "Of course donuts are very exciting. I - "

Steven decided the children didn't need to be bothered with hearing how he didn't know if anyone else would be small that weekend and that's why he'd gone with ordering something for all ages. "Er, I put them down in the dining room if you'd like them. And do you remember the all purpose room? That's set up as a playroom as well, just like last time you were here."

[pocketpretzels]

"That was fun," Llewellyn said, beaming. "We don't have anything like that at home!"

Rich children with backyards to play in might have a swing, of course. But he had no such thing.

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"Oh! It is still the same way from the last time? With the castle and the things?" Her eyes were very, very wide. "I would like to go play!"

[hasaknightjob]

"It is!" Steven told her. "Midnight remembered what you both asked for last time. Though you can make changes if you like, of course. Er - just in there. Rest of the building will be staying as it is."

[pocketpretzels]

"D'you want to ask the other boy if he wants to come?" Llewellyn asked Arden.

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"Yeah, cause otherwise he might spend the whole day napping in my room, stealing my blankets," Arden huffed, tiny hands on tiny hips. She climbed back up on the bed and poked at Cal. "Hey!" she said. "Hey, magic Jedi boy, you gotta get up and come play with us!"