MHA #6, Late Saturday Morning

[arboreal_priestess]

As a rule, Prices didn't RSVP to things. All that did was let your enemies know where you were going to be at any given day or time. So when an invitation for a weekend on the island showed up in Oregon (and not sent by Verity), there had been no indication that it had been received, never mind decided upon.

And, just because they were paranoid safety-conscious, they'd skipped the first day of festivities, figuring anyone keeping tabs on them would note their absence and decide they weren't going to show up.

But, let's be real. No true cryptozoologist would pass up visiting an island with gremlins, alots, and teal deer in it, especially an island right next to what might be the only surviving male dragon in the world. That, added to the possibility of annoying their sister and/or cousin? Made Parents' Weekend an event not to be missed.

"I'm telling you," Antimony complained quietly as they walked down the hallway, "it's not yet noon. Verity's not even gonna be awake yet."

"Oh, I'm pretty sure she will be," Sarah said, biting back a grin. "She's got the mice, remember?"

"And I'm telling you, I don't trust that smile," Alex said before knocking briskly on the door of Number Six.

[Specifically for one, but open!]

Comments

[precise_priestess]

"Wow, okay, you're not sublimating any kind of aggression into that knifework or anything," Antimony noted.

This was your reminder than of the Price siblings, Verity was the dumb one.

[firstofitskind]

Yeah, but Verity clearly had the upper hand on Antimony, at least, when it came to knowing when to stop needling. That was definitely something.

"It wasn't a particularly enjoyable time of my life," was all Liam offered. Given that it had ended with him dying on top of the whole failure-to-save-everyone thing.

[precise_priestess]

Whole papers could be written about Antimony's psychological profile and most of them would start with the phrase 'acting out.'

"So then what were the aliens like?" she asked. "Or is that why you didn't like your job? Are you some kind of weird alien hater?"

The rest would probably say something like 'likes poking people's buttons.'

[firstofitskind]

"Complicated," Liam said. "The Taelons were complicated, the situation was complicated. They were manipulating humanity for their own purposes, because they were scared of death, and in the end, none of it really mattered." Into the pan the eggs went, and Liam let the egg set before he dumped in the filling, folded the egg over, and then slid the whole thing on to a plate which he held out for Antimony.

[precise_priestess]

"Because they were an evolutionary dead end," Antimony said, accepting the omelette. She tried it, decided she liked it, and continued eating, watching him the whole time.

"So why Verity? Got a thing for Barbie dolls?"

"I can still hear you!"

"And I still mean you to!"

[firstofitskind]

Liam just smirked, before turning back to the stove to finish making breakfast for the others. "She shared her weapons with me."

They'd been made of foam and plastic at the time, but details.

[precise_priestess]

"Okay, actually, that's the most romantic thing I've ever heard," Antimony said softly.

[arboreal_priestess]

"What is?" Verity asked, coming into the kitchen to wrap her arm around Liam's waist. "Oh, gave her the first omelette, I see. Trying to earn brownie point with food? I hate that that works."

[firstofitskind]

"She's also the one who followed me in to the kitchen," Liam pointed out, some of the tension melting from his frame as he leaned in to her touch. "Next one's yours."

[god_of_scales_and_silence]

"Wait but what about me?" Alex asked, wandering in. "Do I have to come in here and wrap my arms around you, too? Because I'm prepared to do that in exchange for breakfast."

[firstofitskind]

Okay, was it terrible that Liam allowed himself a moment to picture that? Because Alex's arms were- well. They were nice arms.

"No," he said, a blush creeping up on his cheeks. Apparently the ability to make that happen was a Price family trait as well. Hooray. "No. You're good. No hugs required."

[arboreal_priestess]

Verity noticed that blush with an internal hmmm.

"Are you sure?" she asked, all innocence. "Because Alex is a really good hugger. Years of experience. I think getting held in exchange for an omelette is a very fair trade."

[firstofitskind]

Congratulations, Sarah, you were no longer The Worst. That title had officially passed to Verity, for now.

"Very sure," he said quickly. "Because if I demanded one from Alex, then I'd have to demand one from Antimony, and I'm fairly certain she'd rather spontaneously combust." Look at that logic!

Plus, while it may have been a nice mental image, the idea of actually touching someone who was, essentially, a stranger, was just... nope.

[cryptidsandkinfolk]

Sarah wandered over the the fridge to see if Verity had any orange juice and cayanne pepper to drink. "I think I should be the next person to get an omelette," she declared, "because I'm the only one not trolling Liam, either by accident or on purpose."

[god_of_scales_and_silence]

"Wait, we're trolling Liam now?" Alex asked, confused. "I just want breakfast."

[cryptidsandkinfolk]

"Verity is, because she's now The Worst," Sarah replied, now digging through the sad little spice rack that sat on Verity's counter. All the cousins kept cayenne pepper handy for when Sarah or Grandma Baker visited. "But I'm sure the orgasms make up for it."

At that, all the Prices were booing at her, throwing balled up napkins and dirty looks. None of them seemed remotely surprised though.

Familial trolling, a proud Price tradition.

[firstofitskind]

Tsk, Sarah, and you'd been doing so well at not being The Worst.

"Just for that, you get yours last," Liam decided, handing Verity her plate.

[cryptidsandkinfolk]

Sarah winked at him, stirring a heart spoonful of pepper into her OJ. "Or maybe I should get the next one," she pointed out. "Then I'll be too busy eating to keep making commentary."

[god_of_scales_and_silence]

"But then I'll be last," Alex complained. "And that's not fair, I've been the good one. As usual," he added to Liam. "Not that the competition is all that stiff, considering."

He gestured to the women in the kitchen, all three of whom were wearing mischievous smiles.

"Not my fault I make a compelling argument," Sarah said.

[firstofitskind]

"First of all," Liam said, pointing at Sarah. "You're a telepath. Of all of us here, you're the one best equipped to keep talking even with their mouth full."

Well, possibly excluding Liam given skin-to-skin contact via his hands, but as he was wearing gloves and there was only one person here he'd do that with anyway, sort of a moot point.

"Second," he turned to Alex, "Technically, I'd be the last one, regardless. But here you go." Because he actually had a pretty good point about being the most well-behaved.

[god_of_scales_and_silence]

"Ha," Alex said to Sarah, smug with his plate of omelette in hand. "Hope you're not too hungry."

[cryptidsandkinfolk]

"That's fine," Sarah said, grinning at him back while the color seeped from her eyes. "Hope you like earworms."

And then everyone in the kitchen got the video of Baby Shark in their head. *Baby shark doot doo doo doot doo.*

[arboreal_priestess]

"No fair! No fair!" Verity protested, waving her hands. "Stay good, Sarah! Stay good! Stop using your powers for evil! Y-People ethics!"

[firstofitskind]

Okay this was... clearly one of those internet meme things that no one had shown Liam yet. In any case, hopefully she'd stop now that Liam was handing over a plate.

"I'm not sure what that was about, and I don't really want to ask," he admitted.

[precise_priestess]

"Do you live under a rock?" Antimony asked. "Does Verity keep you locked away in a room where you don't have access to the outside world? Blink twice if you need help."