Sunday, Momoko's Back Yard, El Paso Texas

[heromaniac]

The weather was fine, mid-60s with no rain and a slight breeze. The backyard at Mrs Wilson's was big enough, though, that Momoko had set up a tent in case anyone from the colder climates decided that it was too warm. The rest of the yard was decorated in banners and streamers and balloons. Mostly green, though there was some pink sneaking through

Comments

MINGLE AND ARRIVE!!

[heromaniac]

Take a name tag! Yes those are actually pacifiers.

Re: MINGLE AND ARRIVE!!

[glacial_queen]

"Do I need to take a nametag?" Karla asked, grinning at all the adorable little touches that Momoko had included. "Or can everyone just look at my stomach and guess?"

RE: Re: MINGLE AND ARRIVE!!

[heromaniac]

"KAAARLAAAAAA!!" A Momoko covered in ribbons and streamers was heading your way for a hug, Karla!

Was it still possible to hug you?

Re: MINGLE AND ARRIVE!!

[glacial_queen]

Hug? Yes! Both possible and encouraged! Tackleglomp? Thaaaat was probably a bad idea--if for no other reason than because Karla wasn't certain it was even still possible for her to get up from a completely prone position.

Being 32 weeks along was trying enough when it came to pulling herself up out of chairs and the like. She wasn't sure she'd win a battle against the ground, if it came right down to it.

Fortunately, being 32 weeks along did not hinder her ability to squeal. Or her volume. "Momokooooooo!" Her grin was brilliant, like a second sun. "Look at this place! It's amazing! Thank you so much!"

Food!

[heromaniac]

Catered by Doctor Lecter, so be nice!

[Please wait until the food is pinged in!]

Appetizers

[never_dull]

When everyone arrived, there would be a number of things set out in small dishes or as finger-food.

Cucumber limeade
Prickly pear, orange, and mint salad
Gougères
Fig and olive tapenade with goat cheese, served with a dense homemade bread based off a medieval recipe (thank you, Bob)
Rich cream scones served with citrus butter
And for those of you who can't wait for the cake, Earl grey pots de creme

Re: Appetizers

[trigons_child]

Please excuse Raven while she savored the appetizers. She was still trying to get the phantom aftertaste of bugs out of her mouth.

RE: Re: Appetizers

[never_dull]

Hannibal watched her for a moment, then reached to put one hand on her back. "How are you doing today? Ghostly hallucinations all gone?"

Presents!

[heromaniac]

Ping in with your present(s)!
Once Karla or Warren opens them,
everyone feel free to toss in reactions!

RE: Presents!

[never_dull]

Sitting on the table was a stuffed lamb. Named Truffle. From Barney's.

Tied around its neck with a neat bow was a card that read:

Karla and Warren,
Congratulations. My gift to you both is an ultrasound and MRI I've arranged for, at your convenience.

My gift to the child, when it comes time, will be healthy and fresh baby food delivered in batches.

I will let the three of you fight over the plush toy.

With affection,

Hannibal

Re: Presents!

[glacial_queen]

"Truffle is mine!" Karla declared, after reading the card. She reached over and hugged the plushy lamb tightly, her fingers sinking into the soft fabric. She held the card up so Warren could read it, trying not to bounce. "When can we schedule the ultrasound? How soon?"

RE: Re: Presents!

[never_dull]

"Whenever you like," Hannibal answered. "As soon as tomorrow, or any time in the next weeks. Although remember there are holidays coming up there, so certain days might require a bit more notice than others."

GAME: Guess the Baby Food

[heromaniac]

There are about a dozen various flavors of baby food in jars, each with no label. Grab a spoon and start sampling! No prizes, unless you count the bottled water available at the end of the table.

Re: GAME: Guess the Baby Food

[furnaceface]

Jono was obviously not going to play this one. Jono was going to stand back, eye the baby food, and find himself having one of those rare moments where he was actually relieved to not be able to play this one.

That... looked nasty. He was pretty certain that one over there was peaches, but then again, it could've been carrots, or some other mystery meat that was an unnatural shade of orange that probably didn't belong in nature.

Apparently it didn't take much to make him thankful to have no mouth, these days.

RE: Re: GAME: Guess the Baby Food

[tokyocityextras]

Okay Jono. Then you will have to have Mama and Papa Akatsutsumi standing next to you while they sampled the jars.

You know, the two who were the LEAST mentally shielded at the whole party? And they were thinking really hard about the flavours, Jono.

"Papa? Say aaaaah." Kuriko Akatsutsumi finished her taste and then lifted another spoonfull to her husband. "Does this taste like stewed beets and rice in cherry sauce?"

Re: GAME: Guess the Baby Food

[furnaceface]

Ah.

Ah yes, there it was, and it was all Jono could do to keep from shuddering visibly.

Dear god, why.

He was going to be inching away, now. To... somewhere else. Preferably the exact opposite side of the yard. Maybe beside somebody who was eating Hannibal's cooking. He needed to purge stewed beets from his memory forever.

GAME: ID the Non-Fandom Weird

[heromaniac]

There's a table with a few items a parent-to-be never knew they'd need. The items are sitting out, no labels or packaging... Guess the item's purpose! And yes, Karla, you're taking them home. Even the... whatever this is.

Re: GAME: ID the Non-Fandom Weird

[glacial_queen]

Karla was just looking at all of the items in confusion. "Hell's fire and Mother Night, I'm going to be the worst parent," she groaned. "I don't know any of these things!"

One of them looked like a torture device and the other like swaddling cloth for a child with no limbs. She was...pretty sure?...neither of those guesses were correct.

Was the first one really pretty, designer puke bags?

RE: Re: GAME: ID the Non-Fandom Weird

[tokyocityextras]

Kakiko Akatsutsumi laughed from behind Karla. "I think that's the point of the game, Karla-chan." She reached for the multi-coloured spiky thing, turning it over and over. "Not that you're a bad parent, but that we don't know what these things are."

"And as long as you love the child you'll be nothing but the best parent, so don't worry." About that, at least. There were enough real things to worry about.

She hefted the object a little. "Do you suppose it's to hold yarn while you knit?"

Re: GAME: ID the Non-Fandom Weird

[glacial_queen]

Karla paled and turned panicky eyes back to Mrs. Akatsutsumi. "Do I really have to knit?" she asked. "Because I've been trying and I'm terrible at it! I tried to make a baby sweater and I forgot to include a neckhole and my socks are never the same size and I can't purl to save my life."

If being a good mother involved knitting, Karla and the baby were both doooooomed.