so very dapper

[temporal_affairs]

The Joker is awfully domestic, in his way. He makes pretty clothes. Nathan's perfectly happy to be a clothes horse for his sartorially-inclined mate. Some of the clothes are distinctly feminine, and Nathan does not wear those, although the Joker could probably talk him into a kilt, even if that's not a Manx thing but only their neighbors.

Comments

[manofmyword]

He shrugs. "Why shouldn't I?"

[temporal_affairs]

"So you don't give him a complex about whether he was wanted or not," says Jasper.

"I can't see that far off when too many people's choices matter to the outcome, but even without that confirmation I hardly think it's inevitable," says Alice.

[manofmyword]

"Did you have a nasty childhood or something?" the Joker inquires. "I did too. Different kind, though."

[temporal_affairs]

"I don't remember enough of my childhood to know," Jasper says frankly. "It's just common sense."

"Not so common, apparently," says Nathan. "Anyway. We've got a kid. We're pleased to have a kid. The kid will be fine. Won't you, kiddo?"

Kerron is waving patterns in the air again, especially a line leading in only one direction from Nathan to the Joker. "Ububv."

[manofmyword]

"Munchkin knows what's up," the Joker observes.

[temporal_affairs]

"Suit yourselves," shrugs Jasper.

Rosalie walks down the hall, and her little Henry is toddling with excellent balance after her. "Hi, all!" she says. "Hi again, Kerron, d'you remember me?"

She gets Kerron's attention, and a big smile.

[manofmyword]

"Awww."

[temporal_affairs]

"It's a baaaaby!" says Henry.

"That's right, that's baby Kerron," Rosalie says, her attention instantly trained fully on her son as soon as he speaks. "He's a little half-vampire like you! He was born yesterday."

"I was born last month," Henry says, nodding to himself.

"Yes, you were," Rosalie says with immense pride.

"I wanna hold the baby," says Henry.

"You'll have to ask his parents," Roaslie says.

"Can I hold the baby," Henry says to Nathan and the Joker dutifully.

[manofmyword]

"Sure," he shrugs.

[temporal_affairs]

Henry trots up and holds out his arms and receives a baby, who is not all that much smaller than him and is still carried with ease. "Hi! I'm Henry!" he says to Kerron. Kerron laughs. Rosalie clasps her hands together and smiles.

[manofmyword]

"Aren't they cute?" the Joker says happily.

[temporal_affairs]

"So cute," Nathan agrees.

"So terribly cute," sighs Rosalie.

"Adorable," agrees Alice, and Jasper nods.

"We're cute," Henry tells Kerron, and Kerron laughs again.

[manofmyword]

He hugs Nathan, because Nathan is there and huggable and this spectacle is giving him many huggy feelings.

[temporal_affairs]

Nathan hugs back. Henry marches in circles, carrying Kerron, who finds the entire scenario utterly hilarious. Eventually he hands off Kerron to the nearest adult - "Here, Aunt Alice, you hold him!" - and runs back to his mother, who picks him up and sits him on her shoulders.

[manofmyword]

The Joker giggles helplessly.

[temporal_affairs]

"I think I'm leaning towards wanting one," Alice says in a not-particularly-private whisper to Jasper.

"Wuthta!" cries Kerron helpfully.

Jasper looks speculatively at the baby, and at Henry.

[manofmyword]

"The more the merrier, right?"

[temporal_affairs]

"Yeah!" Henry agrees.

"I think you'd be wonderful parents," Rosalie says to Alice and Jasper.

"Thanks, Rose," says Alice cheerfully.

[manofmyword]

The Joker grins at Henry.

[temporal_affairs]

Henry grins back, and starts playing with Rosalie's hair, which is in convenient reach. Rosalie rolls her eyes indulgently.

"Maaaaaa," says Kerron.

"I can't tell if he wants you or if he's just making sounds," Nathan says to his mate.

[manofmyword]

"Me either," says the Joker. "You talkin' to me, munchkin?"

[temporal_affairs]

"Ayata kwar," says Kerron.

"I'm going to guess just sounds," says Nathan.

"You can have him anyway, just in case," Alice says, offering Kerron back to the most plausible referent of "ma".

[manofmyword]

"Hiya, munchkin," he says, kissing Kerron's forehead.

[temporal_affairs]

Kerron burbles happily.

"Are you just going to keep calling him 'munchkin' until he tells us whether he likes his name or not?" Nathan asks, amused.

[manofmyword]

"Maaaaaaaybe," says the Joker.