that_oldsaying | A Corner of the Park, Thursday Afternoon

They were having a tea party!

... which was honestly a rather frequent thing, between her and Mabel, but Alluka didn't mind.

What was different was that it had been a nice enough day that Mabel had suggested they take it all outside, so they'd brought a blanket down to the park, along with all the things they needed--or so they'd thought.

She had her new friends lined up around their 'table' (they were still learning the art of how to tea party properly), her fancy party hat and boa on, and surveyed their offerings seriously.

"Mabel," she said, "do you think we're missing anything? We've got tea, sugar, milk, chocolate, cookies..."

... This was not the healthiest of tea parties, no.

Mabel	Mabel, meanwhile, was wearing the fanciest sweater with a big smiling teapot on it that she could knit up for the occasion, and was already halfway to her feet upon the realization that they were missing something important. "Flowers! We're missing flowers for the table! But I think I saw some just down the path, I can run and get them super fast." She paused to lean down to look at Waddles, solemnly. "Hold down the fort while I'm away?" Waddles... blinked slowly up at Mabel, and then resumed snuffling at the sugar.
Alluka	Alluka's laugh was bright and happy. "I'll make sure he does!" she said, waving as Mabel ran off. She held up her flower to the tea. "See," she said, lifting the cup up. "It's hot, so you have to be careful." Her flower promised it would be. "Don't worry," Alluka said. "I drink most of it, along with Mabel. It's not good for toys to have too much, you see." All that fabric got in the way!
Tsubone	A shadow appeared across the blanket. It was a large shadow. "Alluka-sama," Tsubone said without fanfare. "It is time for you to go home." She was a tall woman, older, with a monocle and her hair up in twin braids. She was dressed as what she was: a butler of the Zoldyck family.
Alluka	Alluka blinked and looked up (and up). "Tsubone!" she said... not entirely happily, but it was clear that she recognized and knew the woman. She waved up at her and gestured to their set up. "Did, did you want to stay for tea? My, my friends would like to meet you!" There were an awful lot of things Alluka didn't know, but she knew what her daddy's favourite butler showing up meant. But maybe if she didn't listen, it wouldn't have to happen?
Tsubone	Tsubone crouched down, careful not to disturb the tea party, and smiled at Alluka. It was a gentle, grandmotherly smile--and for good reason. Tsubone was a grandmother. She liked kids. "Your family has been worried about you, Alluka-sama. It is time you stopped worrying them and came home, don't you think?" Her smile grew. "You don't want to be a bad girl, do you?"
Alluka	"N-No," Alluka admitted, looking down and setting her flower under her cushion so that it wouldn't get upset by this conversation. She looked back at Tsubone, who was far too close and said: "But, but I'm being good here, Tsubone! Can't I stay? Please? I'm even in my room, still, since I never left through a door! I'm not bad! I want to stay here!"
Tsubone	"Your father has said you must come home," Tsubone said regretfully. "I am sorry, Alluka-sama."
Alluka	"Huh, wha--" Alluka didn't see what knocked her unconscious. She just collapsed, knocking her tea all over the place, and soaking their blanket.
Tsubone	Tsubone picked Alluka up and slung her over her shoulder. She did it rather gently, all things considered, but she did it, and stood. She spoke into her phone. "Alluka-sama has been retrieved. She will be home within the hour." For a moment, she was quiet, then she said, "Yes, Silva-sama."
Mabel	Mabel had found the flowers! She was darn proud of herself, too. It wasn't easy to find many flowers this time of year, but there were at least some crocuses and snowdrops out, and she was holding them aloft proudly as she made her way back to the-- She paused on the path for a moment, a few startled looking ducks making a break for it and impeding her progress. But the words she heard from down the way had her dropping the flowers and tripping on past them without a second thought. "Freeze! Nobody takes my roomie without going through me first!" The fact that she was basically eye-to-eye with this kidnapper's ankle didn't seem to register with her, no.
Tsubone	Tsubone had heard Mabel coming of course, and had done nothing but finish her call and hang up. As the girl came flying over she did nothing but put her phone away and look down. And down. Look, it was quite a distance here. "Alluka-sama needs to go home," Tsubone said calmly. "This does not concern you, child."
Mabel	"This is Alluka's home," Mabel insisted, gesturing with one hand to herself, and then around the park. "She has toys and clothes and a job and classes and friends here! I'm her friend! And that's why it totally concerns me!" That's right, Mabel. Appeal to the tender mercy of the giant woman's left knee.
Tsubone	The knee had no mercy, the knee knew no mercy! "This is not Alluka-sama's home," Tsubone said simply. There was no need for menace, or for anger, or for power, even. Not against a girl as powerless as this. Like Alluka-sama, this girl would never see what it was that hit her.
Mabel	And by the time Mabel woke up again, they were gone. The first thing Mabel did - the very first thing - was tear around the park in the hopes that maybe it was a bad dream. It mostly just led to a few scandalized ducks and a trampled flower or two. But the tea party was still set out for them to enjoy, and there was a bump on her head that hurt pretty fiercely. The second thing Mabel did? Was go running for the dorms. "Help! Somebody, help!"
Ringo	People yelling help were going to get Ringo's attention if she was in the vicinity kind of no matter what. When the person doing said yelling was someone she knew? Well, instead of continuing on her way back to the dorm, Ringo spun and leaned into her her ATs, almost managing to crash into the running form of Mabel.
Mabel	"Ohmygosh!" A person she knew! Who knew Alluka! YES. GOOD. RESCUE WAS AT HAND. "Ringo! Ringo, it's terrible! There was a giant! At the park! With the most amazing hair! And Alluka and I were having a tea party and I went to get flowers and the giant!!" She was flapping her arms around, as though maybe this would help her articulate better. "She was holding Alluka and she said she needed to go home and BLARG." Yes, blarg. This was very much a blarg situation.
Ringo	Ringo blinked, trying to keep up with Mabel. She, um, wasn't doing a great job of it. But she did pick up something important! "Something happened to Alluka?"
Mabel	"They took her," Mabel squawked, waving her arms around some more, for emphasis. "This really big woman had her and gave me a bump on the head and I think they're going to put her back into that room!" Which was a way worse fate than spending all of her time in the room that they lived in together currently. The giant hadn't even taken Mr. Bubbles along to keep Alluka company.
Ringo	Oh. Oh. "How long ago?" Ringo asked, her own words starting to come faster as adrenaline began pumping through her system. Because this was bad.
Mabel	"It... it couldn't have been that long! I don't know how long I was out for, but Waddles didn't have enough time to eat all the sugar, maybe twenty minutes? What time is it?" She was... flapping some more. If she kept this up, she might just take off. And if all of that coupled with the squawking... Well, if Mabel had anything else to go by, they were going to have to find somebody who could translate from magpie. Great timing, Fandom.
Ringo	"Wha--?" Ringo stared. Dang it, Fandom! Mabel had been telling her something important! "Um. Try not to get into too much trouble?" Because that was helpful and detailed advice. And she was giving it to a magpie. Really, Ringo kind of felt like she should do something to make sure that Mabel was safe and cared-for in her new actually-a-bird state, but if they were less than an hour behind Alluka's kidnapper, then there was no time to lose. With one final glance over her shoulder, Ringo spun and headed back toward the dorms at top speed.
Mabel	And really, like Mabel was going to miss out on this? Her roommate had been kidnapped! With another squawk for good measure, Mabel flew along behind.