[ota] blood or water, it's all the same

[sirforawhile]

It's been going on for months. The quakes are over and don't seem to be starting up again any time soon, and there's no sign of any other disaster. Iggy just wants to move out of Heart Castle and go home. Unfortunately, as the rest of the family is adamant that the kids remain at the castle, he cannot. Or, well, he's not allowed to. Because poor little kids, even teenagers old enough to babysit their own siblings and cousins, need to be supervised. Even if some of them are already adults by the standards of the Deck.

Which is, of course, piffle. So he's put his foot down and packed his things and gone back to the Xiu house.

The Xiu house will not have him. So, alas, he is wandering the streets of the Town, box of belongings on one shoulder and dragging a monstrous suitcase behind him. Or maybe he's sitting down on a bench somewhere. Take pity on him, folk of the Deck.

[ooc: he will ultimately wind up at Alasdair's place, so offers of a home are welcome but will not be accepted for varying reasons.]

Comments

Anyone else can be before this?

[dreamsofwords]

It wasn't the sight he expected to see after talking to Riley on the swings, that was for sure, Alasdair thought as he paused on his front walk and shifted his messenger bag on his shoulder.

"First you bring me an envelope of nonsensical numbers," okay the numbers are probably sensical to someone who knows what they're looking at. "And now - running away from home?"

He's kidding, Iggy. Let him unlock the door and get that box.

o7

[sirforawhile]

He'll get a puzzled look for the remark about the envelope, but any real confusion is overpowered by the aura of sadness. Well, mostly sadness. He's just a little too indignant to be completely sad.

"Can't run if I've been booted first."

[dreamsofwords]

"...They kicked you out?" That is certainly, he thought, something he would have never expected from the Xius, and he frowns as he picks up the box and kicks the door the rest of the way open so they can get inside.

"Why'd they do that, for god's sake?"

[sirforawhile]

His hair gets a frustrated ruffle before he gets up, dragging the suitcase in behind him. It's barely slim enough to fit through the door.

"Well. Y'know how the kids've been living in the castle, and I got shipped off with them? Apparently just because there's nothing going on now doesn't mean there won't be anything in future." There's an aborted, exasperated gesture before he returns his hand to the task of pulling. "Which, okay, it's fair enough. But the older ones can take care of themselves and their sibs. They shouldn't need me."

[dreamsofwords]

Alasdair's brows go up a bit at that, and he heads down the hall to the spare bedroom - the one he hadn't turned into a library. "Yeah, okay," he says. "But you aren't their parents. If they're so worried about that, shouldn't they consider moving to the Castle themselves?" Instead of shoving it all on Iggy. Filial duty was one thing, but sometimes he felt like Iggy went way above and beyond.

He sets the box on the floor. "I've got plenty of room," he says, "if you need to stay a while."

[sirforawhile]

"They're too busy revelling in the months-long novelty of a child-free house to bother. It's pretty much- wow, you're the ones who decided to procreate, so take some fucking responsibility." He runs his hand through his hair again, leaning in the doorway.

"Uh- thanks for letting me stay. I just realised, I didn't even ask."

[dreamsofwords]

"Seriously. Did you try putting it that way?" Not that he thought it would get a good initial reaction, but maybe it would kick all of the brothers and sisters in the ass, something that seemed a little bit necessary.

"It's not a problem. Elani doesn't stay over all that often what with the Jack-duties, so..." Though he should probably send her a text message warning her. "It'll be fun or something. Want a drink?"

[heartvestment]

"Hey, Iggy." Edie drops into the seat next to him, just slightly concerned. "You okay?"

[sirforawhile]

He looks up from his absent drumming fingers on the box and shrugs his shoulders, slouching a little more. "Uh. Kind of? In all points except the residence checkbox. Oh, and the relationship checkbox, but we all know that one's optional."

[heartvestment]

"Uh-huh. Totally optional." She pulls a sisterly arm around his shoulder. "What do you mean, residence? Did you... get kicked out?"

[sirforawhile]

"Pretty much. I can't go back home without the kids, but they want the kids to stay at the castle. And I'm not staying at the castle any longer, Edie, swear to god." One hand comes up to rub at his temple. "They have adult supervision. They don't need me."

[heartvestment]

"Do you have the money to buy a place in Town?" She asks logically. "Or- do you need to move in with someone?"

[sirforawhile]

"I--" He catches himself before his first thought makes it out, and he shakes his head slowly, gnawing on his lip. "I've- probably got enough offhand, but finding somewhere right away is- it'd be difficult."

[grrranimals]

Of course Tess sees him. Like calls to like or something similar. She grins lopsidedly and reaches for the suitcase. She doesn't take hold, mind. Never know when some male might have a testosterone fit.

"Outwardly mobile, are you? How'd that go?"

[sirforawhile]

He raises an eyebrow at her and then lets go of the suitcase. If she manages to catch it, it will be heavier than she's expecting. He's in the sort of mood to be vindictive to anyone near enough to take the brunt.

"Ready to make a bet?"

[grrranimals]

"Never take sucker odds," she tells him. The suitcase doesn't dip one inch as her hand catches hold. She may be little, but she is mighty. She spends far too much time dealing with one-ton animals.

"Didn't go well, hmmm? How can you abandon them?" The last comes out in whiny sing-song.

[sirforawhile]

"Oh, they noticed Stage One, where I abandon the kids at the castle," he says airily, half-applauding her strength and stepping away. "Stage Two has been executed, where I stealthily depart while they're yelling. We'll just have to see if Stage Three, where they assume I've gone back to the castle but actually I haven't, is successful." That's how.

[grrranimals]

"They'll suss you out. There's no escape. It's like Jehovah's Witnesses. Hey! Maybe if you wore black robes and shook a cat at them? No? It was worth a thought. At least Allie'll eat better now." Thank god her job that takes up too much of her time to make her a truly viable babysitter.

[sirforawhile]

Clearly he made a poor career choice. He should have gone with something like field accountant, too far from home and too often occupied to continue overdoing his uncle duties. "I could fake out like I've joined a cult. They'd cut ties ASAP."

Faces made at feeding friends don't necessarily contradict the statement of feeding friends.

[butneverbreak]

She's got other things on her mind. She's got other questions she needs to ask him. She's got much more reasonable heels on than her usual high spikes because there's been a good deal more running from point A to point B these last few days.

But this... bears a moment.

"Run away from home, sweetheart?"

[sirforawhile]

"Yeah, you got me," he deadpans, stopping to heft his box carefully. "Unfortunately there wasn't a cloth big enough or a stick strong enough for the old fortuneseeker look. So I'm going non-traditionalist this time round."

[butneverbreak]

"To anywhere in particular?" Not that she was offering. Or going to be a good mother about this development. "Or was this more of an 'out the window, into the lawn' situation?"

[sirforawhile]

"'Out the door before they notice because they're too busy using their voices to full volume', more like." He does his best to sound flippant about that, though the twist of his mouth says otherwise. "I figure Allie'd let me in. Just a couple of weeks, maybe."

[butneverbreak]

That sounds both like a plan and like a general move in the right direction. Her smile is a little tight, but there's absolutely a spark of approval behind it.

"Let me know when I owe you a house-warming gift."

[sirforawhile]

"I'll drop an invite off for you."

He bites his lip, struck by a sudden thought, dropping his head onto his hand to cover his face. "Uh- I might be working in finances full time, if this gets to, y'know. The family firm."