Hermits United~ An RP of Pete's world awesomeness!

John just shook his head at the length of time, amused by the fact that it had taken over fifty years for Lucian to come around asking how best to propose, especially after Mikra had more or less confronted him about it during their last visit. He wondered if the stoic Time Lord had been procrastinating, or else was just too embarrassed to ask for advice on the subject. "She left not two minutes before you arrived," he informed his brother, opening the baby gate and gesturing to a chair before plopping back down on the floor. "I sent her on a spa day. She deserved a special break away from the kids. I'm probably better equipped to help you with proposal advice, anyway, though, since I was the one to propose to her. What sort of questions do you have?"

"er...well...I suppose, first..." he sighed and looked a bit chagrined. "how in blazes did you get the courage to actually do it?" he fidgeted with his necktie again. "the past year I've barely been able to speak to my Lady, I'm afraid she thinks I've gone cold to the whole thing. I haven't, I can assure you, but it downright scares the pants off me. it's such a big step, and, well, in my line of work, it could be so much spitting in the wind, as you know. I'm not sure quite how aware she is of that, though she herself's regenerated, of course. *sigh*...she keeps dropping hints and acting like she's trying to be subtle. and not just for marriage, heavens, no. she is so charmed by your children she wants some time tots of her own. that idea, I'll admit I'm still lukewarm to, at best. I just don't know if I'm really...well, father material, you understand. you--well, theta, I mean--you lot were always better with people, with children, and relationships..."

John listened patiently to Lucian's small speech, before frowning slightly as he formulated a response. "Well, I can certainly say from experience that proposal and marriage is a nerve-wracking step - for anyone, I think. Closeness to one's significant other doesn't seem to make it easier, either - if anything, it seemed to make it worse when it came time for me to marry Rose. Proposing wasn't as difficult, but still, the nerves were most certainly powerful. I think that, once you're confident that person is the right someone, you just... have to make yourself do it, and not worry so much about what could happen in the future. If you wait for yourself to be comfortable, it will never happen." He paused briefly, thinking again, before continuing. "As for children... well. I was terrified before Maggie was born that I would make a terrible father the second time around. Sure, I'd been a father before, and I'd like to think I was a pretty good one... but then, I lost them - lost everyone - when I destroyed my Gallifrey to end the Time War... and I thought that nothing would ever be able to fill the hole they left in my hearts." His voice grew soft, the pain that still lingered evident in his eyes. "I thought I wouldn't be able to bond with any children Rose and I had because of everything I'd lost... but the moment Maggie was born, all that fell away. I'm sure it's not quite as easy with everyone, and it's possible you might feel a little awkward at first, but I don't think you'd make a terrible father, Lucian. Rather the opposite, in fact."

(Well, that took forever. xD)

"you know, Theta has been telling me the same thing for years now," Lucian informed John with a soft smile of thanks. 

Maggie toddled over to her uncle and demanded up, so she could sit in his lap and admire his fancy coat buttons. "daddy you should wear fancy buttons like these," she told him, poking at them. 

"ah, yes, you were wondering about the clothes? I know I do normally wear robes, but I decided to research 20th century earth and propose to her here. she does love the earth so. in fact, my Lady has been requesting permission to go fully undercover for about three months, as a human. I've been begging her to reconsider, of course. humans are far more delicate than we are. I can't bear the thought of her getting hurt." he was looking down at maggie as he talked now, rather than at john, and had his hands wrapped gently around her sides to hold her securely. he was also bouncing his knee slightly, perhaps from nerves, but the tot seemed to like it just the same. his mannerisms overall indicated he'd been around children a lot lately, probably practising, if anything. "oh, and another thing, before I forget. would you and the missus care to come to the ceremony, when we do get married? it would mean a lot to both of us to have all our house there, and you are of lungbarrow on the official records."

John gave a soft huff of amusement at Maggie's suggestion, taking note of Lucian's actions towards her as he talked, his small smile growing. "Yes, of course we'd love to come!" he exclaimed, smile broadening to a grin. "Wouldn't miss it for the world. We'd just need to find a suitable sitter for the children... and I'm not sure I trust Rose's mum can handle all three of them..." In fact, he most certainly did not trust she could handle them all - any Time Lord would have trouble keeping up with them at their most energetic, never mind a human - but he didn't want to sound too negative in front of Lucian, especially considering his fears about becoming a father himself.

(I mean, theoretically, they could leave in the TARDIS and arrive back mere seconds later, but. -shrugs- xD)

"you could bring them along," he suggested. "I'm sure the younger members of our house wouldn't mind a few extra time tots running about. or, we could always find them a small room full of toys in the TARDIS to occupy them if you're worried about leaving them home." Lucian saw no way that could possibly go wrong...

(...Lucian, your inexperience in these matters is showing... x'D Unless that was facetiousness. Which is also possible. I can't tell xD)

John (and Spot xD) had considered that, but didn't know if Lucian was keen on kids being present for the ceremony, based on his wording. "We could do that, yeah. I think it would be good for them to see where half of their lineage - more or less - comes from. Not sure I'd want to leave them unattended anywhere on the TARDIS, though... That sounds... dangerous..." He gave a nervous giggle, rubbing the back of his neck and glancing to the boys in particular.

"oh, nonsense, I'm sure it would turn out fine," he soothed with a small smirk. "surely they're too small to cause as much trouble as theta did at this size!" maggie gave what could almost be called an evil smirk at his words. "I'm afraid I don't really want them at the ceremony venue, but they could stay at the house, with the other young members of our house, as I said."

John raised his eyebrows incredulously as he stared at his brother, glancing down to Maggie in time to notice her apparently evil smirk, then back up to Lucian. "I wouldn't count on it; I am, after all, essentially Theta from another universe - albeit part human - and they are my children... perhaps a bit more so than I'd ever hoped for..." He gave another nervous giggle, shaking his head. "That might work out alright, though there would have to be adults to watch them, of course. I'd have to ask Rose to make sure it's okay with her, though."

"oh, that's right, she's not here. well, I suppose you could call her?" he mused, then shook his head a second later. "best not. now, john, is there anything I can help you to do? ask away, I don't mind. it's only fair that I reward you for the advice you've given me."

John hesitated, really not wanting to call and interrupt Rose unless absolutely necessary - and this certainly wasn't absolutely necessary. He was glad when Lucian quickly shook his head, though he hesitated again as his brother asked if there was anything he could help him with. "Well... I really can't think of anything... ...unless you wanted to stick around and get some more practice wrangling kids..." He chuckled, looking pointedly at Maggie, still sitting on Lucian's lap.

"hmm...I suppose I can help with that," Lucian mused, offering a soft smile to his niece. "I've been trying to practice, but is it wrong of me to admit that I've been taking extra shifts at work now and then to get out of my Lady's family functions? Oakdown has quite a large younger population compared to Lungbarrow. four time tots, I believe, and they're all fairly closely related to her, so she invites me over to help care for them. practice, you know. it doesn't take a blind man to see she expects to have one of her own by this time next year...or fifty years ago, I suppose," he offered a nervous laugh

(I was unaware you had posted. Sorry. T_T

For shame, Lucian! I would definitely do the same XD)

"Lucian!" John exclaimed in dismay, giggling. "Really, though, I can understand. I can even relate, just a little, though for different reasons. When I first came to this universe, it was difficult for me to be around Rose's brother, Tony. Living this much more domestic life was hard enough - I could no longer avoid facing everything I lost with my Gallifrey - but having to live with a child was even harder." His eyes clouded over with memories. "In any case, it's understandable that you would feel uncomfortable interacting with her younger family members, as you've always been uncomfortable around children in general. All I can say is, it's... different when you have your own. It might be difficult for you at first, but I do think you'll warm into it nicely, Lucian. You've already come quite a ways." He offered his brother a smile, glancing to Maggie, still on his lap.

"yes...I suppose I have, haven't I?" lucian mused, looking down to the delighted tot for himself, who gave him a winning smile. "she's wrought a mighty change in these old lodestones theta says I have instead of hearts. I suppose I knew there was something special about her the day we met, but I just thought maybe she was destined to do some great thing in history...I didn't realize it would be my timeline she would be changing so completely..." he chuckled and smoothed maggie's flyaway hair a little. "My Lady's not the only one excited about time tots. theta's been pushy about the subject too. he seems to think it's high time he got some nieces and nephews for himself. or maybe he stands to cash in on a bet. who knows with him!"

John's eyes sparkled with warmth as Lucian spoke of his fondness for Mikra. "She's certainly special, indeed," he agreed, "and the daughter of my childhood best friend - or at least, my best friend in my universe - as well; who would've thought? It will be lovely to have her as part of the family... though I suppose, in a way, she always was - even before I learned she was Koschei's daughter..." He gave a huff of laughter. "Well... I can't say as I'm not excited by the prospect, as well, but I don't think I would ever go that far with it!" He shook his head. "In any case, you shouldn't rush these things, of course - especially not for other people. Though, at the same time, you can't exactly wait forever, either. I suppose, again, it's all about finding a balance - deciding when the time is right for you."

lucian sighed a little. "yes, well, I suppose I'll never be ready. but then again, everything I've learned tells me it's not something you're ever really ready for, now is it?" he offered a knowing smile and maggie tugged his sleeve and asked for a story. "a story? and  what sort of a story do you want to hear from me, little one?"

"what do you do for work, uncle loo-shun? I wanna hear about your craziest day at work!" she said, bouncing a little and grinning at him

"No... I suppose it really isn't," John agreed, glancing fondly over to the boys, who were, surprisingly, behaving themselves for the time being, and then back to Maggie as she asked for a story. He giggled a little at the request. "This should be interesting," he commented amusedly, looking to Lucian with glimmering eyes, intrigued to learn about his brother's 'craziest day at work' almost as much as his daughter.

"er, well now, perhaps not the craziest, my dear, that might be a little too much for the likes of you," he told her as she continued to bounce in excitement and chirp "story! story!" "buuuut, I can tell you about the day I accidentally met your parents, I suppose," he glanced to john and quickly added, "sugar-coated, of course."

"Ah... well. That indeed was a crazy day - for everyone involved," John agreed with a slight, nervous giggle. "Sure, why not?" He hoped that Lucian would indeed 'sugarcoat' things, as he wasn't sure Maggie needed to know all the details about what and how it had happened, and genuinely wasn't keen on hearing said things repeated himself. It wasn't the best memory he had, certainly, and certainly hadn't been his - or Lucian's - finest moment...