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"Mama? Where're they?" Quixana craned his neck as he tried to see if their invited company had appeared at the doors of PlaySpace yet. It was hard to see far enough and he seemed loathe to abandon his seat on the spring-mounted horse he was perched on in order to see better. Courage huffed in response to both his question and his reluctance and took it upon herself to pace another foot closer to the door. Quixana wrinkled his nose. "Courage, back. Please."

Cressida motioned towards the lioness cub as well, laughing softly. "Yes, Courage," she echoed. "Please come back. It was hard enough to get permission for you to come in here as it was. They seem to think that you're a really, really big housecat."

The look of dismay that Courage gave Cressida at that announcement was clear enough for her even without the benefit of the words that echoed in Quixana's head. I am not a housecat! How can they mistake me for that?

Grinning, the Forgotten rubbed her head as she came closer. "Poor Courage," he sighed. "We know. A real kitty's coming with Lysium." The little girl's name was said with great care, the strange syllables rolled around on his tongue. "Lil Shiver."

"It is and, better yet, it's amazingly mischief-proof," Cressida replied with a giggle as she slipped from her chair to crouch in front of Lysium. She touched the little girl's cheek ever so lightly. "Hello, sweetheart. I'm glad you came. Quixana and Courage have been looking forward to this." Then she stood and Faiga was granted a luminous smile and her hand. "I didn't know if you would want anything so I told the waitress to come back in a bit. Not that they have an extensive selection here," she added. "I thought maybe we could get something small for the children to share."

Meanwhile, politely ignoring his mother's discussion with the other adult present, Quixana slipped from his horse and padded over to Lysium. Then he bowed; he was getting more stable with the gesture and it was very nearly fluid now. "Hello, Lysium," he said. "Hello, Shiver."

Courage gave a rumbly hello of her own and then promptly laid down as if inviting Shiver to come closer. Hello, little one! Are we going to play again?

"I think I saw chicken fingers on the menu. Those are relatively... Stress-free." Cressida retook her seat, legs crossing beneath her long skirt. Then she motioned for Faiga to join her. "Shiver and Courage might even like them."

You did? Courage tilted her head, then nodded. You did! We're all growing now. It's such a relief. Reaching out with a paw, she came within a hairsbreadth of Shiver's ears before rolling back onto her stomach and stretching lazily. Being little isn't very much use.

Overhearing his daemon's words, Quixana laughed. "Silly Courage," he threw over his shoulder at her before refocusing all of his attention on the dark-haired little girl in front of him. "And no bows," he corrected gently. "You're a lady. Like Mama. You cur'sey." He screwed up his face in thought, nose wrinkling. Then he brightened, relaxed, and motioned to Lysium's skirts. "Take your dress," he instructed, "and kinda hold it out and bow. Not like me, though. I'm a man, see?" He repeated his bow. "I go like this."

Quixana stared at her with big brown eyes, looking absolutely torn between horror and confusion. "No, no," he answered quickly. "Can't be a man." He paused as her face fell. "See, you're pretty." He made a vague motion to her hair and face and dress. "Pretty," he repeated. "Pretty like Mama."

Cressida discreetely hid her amused smile behind a hand.

"Women're good, too. Good as men. Just..." Quixana screwed up his face, searching for the words. He looked helplessly towards his mother.

"Just different," she supplied helpfully. "That's what the world's tiniest male feminist is trying to say, sweetheart."

Courage rolled her head to look in the toddlers' direction lazily as she obligingly showed her stomach to Shiver. She's right. Except girls are even better. Quixana stuck his tongue out at her but then he nodded slowly as she bared her teeth in a feline grin.

Of course you will. Courage abruptly got to her feet again and padded over to push her nose into Shiver's tummy teasingly. So will I. Let's go play now, though, okay?

Xana held out his hand to Lysium. "Wanna play in the balls?" he asked politely. "They're all kinds of colors."

Of course. I'll ask Quixana to throw them for us. He does that for me at home all of the time. He has a good arm. Courage nearly leapt towards the ball pit, glad to be moving and happy for company. Terror was not at all her sort of playmate though she was always, of course, polite and affectionate. Terror was, sort of, her sibling. In a way.

"Alllll colors!" Quixana agreed cheerfully. "What's your fav'rite color?" Tugging her hand a bit, he lead her to the pit and then let go so he could clamber over the soft padded side to step down into it. Then he held out his hand again. "Want help?" he offered.

Spotting Shiver flounder a bit, Quixana half-reached for him. Then he remembered his manners and instead dragged Lysium over towards her daemon as if to indicate that she ought to rescue him. "Black and star-colored like Shiver, right? Shiver's neat," he announced. "Cats are the bestest."

Courage rumbled with laughter but clearly could only agree with his assessment, knowing that, to him, she was still just another cat. A very big cat but still a cat. Ducking her head a bit, she managed to push her nose under a bright red ball and flip it towards the children. Ask Lysium to throw, please, she asked Quixana. We want to play.

Quixana laughed and applauded Lysium's throw. It hadn't been at all impressive but he seemed pleased nonetheless by her attempt. Courage, on the other hand, neatly rolled and made a big show of retrieving it for the little girl. Delicately, she dropped it at Lysium's feet... Where it promptly got lost amongst all of the other balls.

Bending, Quixana dug around to find a green ball and held it up. "Shiver wanna get this?" he asked. Then he tossed it in a gentle arc.