fandomtownies | Chilly Boulder, Saturday Afternoon

So, originally, the plan had been for Karla, Warren, and all three children to show up at Fandom this weekend and do the whole reunion thing. They'd see old friends, show Nyles and Cora the island, and take a ridiculous number of pictures commemorating things that really didn't need to be commemorated. And then, last night, Cora had come into Karla's parlor before bedtime complaining that she didn't feel good. And then had promptly thrown up. Nyles, who had been a footstep behind her, managed to keep down his dinner, but was flushed and feverish.

Long story short, Cora and Nyles had come down with chicken pox. And as much as Karla would have liked to simply Heal them and be done with it, getting chicken pox now meant they wouldn't get worse illnesses later, and so Warren and Karla reluctantly agreed to let them stick it out. And that clearly meant that at least one parent needed to stay with them. But Kayla, being far too young, needed to be kept away. And so, after a spirited game of Rock, Paper, Scissors, (best two out of three, and no, Warren, she didn't cheat), Karla had ended up being the one who got to take Kayla away to the island for the weekend, while Warren and his healing factor took care of two thoroughly miserable children.

On the other hand, now Karla at least had a good excuse to take a million pictures? Like the ones she was taking now, of Kayla smearing vanilla ice cream all over her face as she attempted to spoon it into her mouth. Thank the Darkness for data plans.

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Momoko had left Jaime. It was amicable, but after all she could only stand to listen to so much excited babble about some sports thingy that it was plain she needed to leave him.

So here she was getting ice cream (and later, maybe some shopping!!) while he geeked out with some long lost old ~~NPC~~ town friend. They'd meet back up at the dance later and he'd promised a nice dinner, too.

Well, she'd said it and he'd nodded, so teeeechnically...

"Ah Karla!!!!! You maaaade it!!!"

~~YOU BRAT!~~

"So did you!" Karla said, excitedly waving Momoko over to the table. "And guess what?" She turned back to Kayla. "Do it, Kayla honey. You can do it! Show Auntie Momo what a good and smart girl you are!"

Kayla glanced up at her mother and went back to eating ice cream. Wretched child.

~~*Innocent eyes*~~

Momoko was going to come over all right.... well, as soon as she ordered her...

The counter girl had cringed and hollered back a loud 'It's HER' as soon as Momoko had opened the door. And now there were many MANY people behind the counter, all with their hair pulled back and sleeved rolled up and - was that worker a penguin?- scooping out ice cream and toppings like mad things. All that was missing was an evil taskmaster and a whip...

Momoko rolled her eyes. Really, was her order that bad?

hint: it was.

But it also meant she had her bowl quickly handed to her and could join Karla and Kayla faster!

"Show me what?" Momoko leaned over to kiss Kayla's cheek. "You have to stop growing, Kayla chan!"

(Behind the counter, the extra workers had collapsed, exhausted. 'Tell Mona I loved her~~~')

"Show her, darling," Karla urged. "Remember how proud Auntie Momoko was to see you walking? Think of how excited she'll be when she hears you say Mama!"

Kayla was much more interested in the grand concoction that was Auntie Momoko's sundae.

Momoko gasped as she slid her magical bowl of magical goodness a bit further from grabby spoons. "NO WAY! A real word!" She made an exaggerated face at Kayla. "I don't believe it! In fact, bet you some of thiiiiiiiiis..."

She waved a heaping spoonful of the peach ice cream in Kayla's face... keeping it just out of reach but definitely not out of sight or smell. Mmmmm see the bits of peach in there, Kayla?

"... that you can't say mama at all."

Kayla was a little young for psychological tricks, but she did like ice cream. She reached for it, making grabby hands of demand, all while Karla repeated, "Mama. Mama C'mon, darling, you can say it! Mama! Like a big girl."

Finally, with an expression that suggested she'd be rolling her eyes if she could, Kayla finally said, "Mama." Not because she'd been cajoled into it, but in a kind of protest, something along the lines of, 'I want that ice cream, make it happen!'

Karla, of course, cheered.

"Eeeeek! Good girl Kayla!!" Momoko held the spoon still, keeping hold even as Kayla's hands clasped around it to drag it closer. "Peach. This is Peach flavoured. Can you say peach?" Momoko also had other flavours, if you couldn't!

She looked up at Karla, beaming proudly. "And aren't you the proudest mama ever? She said your name first!"

"She was trying to get my attention," Karla babbled. "Ender was here, with Val, and I wasn't paying her enough attention so she said it all kind of cross-like. Irritated. Helene's been convinced that she was able to talk to months not, but that she just hasn't because she hasn't had a need to. She, umm, might have had a point."

"A little spoiled?" This was totally not Momoko giggling at you, Karla, promise. "Is she telepathic at all yet?"

"A little bit," Karla said. "We're pretty sure she's picking up more than she's projecting. It's difficult to say; most Blood children have basic Craft until they have their Birthright Ceremony, but that doesn't kick in until they're three or four. Likely a defensive thing. But Kayla is half-mutant and Jono bonded with her on a deep level before she was even born, so that changes things. It's hard to gauge what's normal with her."

"She's your kid and has been to Fandom," Momoko scooped up a small bite of the chocolate and sprinkles-covered banana from her bowl and offered it to her niece. "There's totally no way she'd be normal."

"How about the other kids? Any sibling rivalry yet? I need to come visit." And bring more gifts. Or candy. Or both.

"There was a little bit of concern when Kayla was born," Karla admitted. "Neither Cora nor Nyles was a hundred percent certain they'd still have a place with us once we had biological children. Nyles went back to hoarding food for a bit, just in case."

There had been flies in the family wing, Momoko. Flies. The hearthwitches had nearly revolted.

"But now they know they're stuck with us, so things are better. They dote on Kayla who now toddles after them whenever possible. And those two are inseparable. They managed to contract chicken pox at the same time."

"Well that's crazy. You have enough love for at least sixteen kids." Well brought up. "But I can see how they might feel a little worried, being adopted."

"Is that why they're not here today? Chicken pox?"

"We still don't know all of what happened to Nyles before he went to live on the streets and Cora was abandoned by her aunt to a cheerless orphanage where they used rented out as drudge labor," Karla said softly. "We don't blame them for not fully trusting us. They've both already had the rug pulled out from under them too many times."

Especially Cora. Hard enough watching her father die in the jhinka attack and her mother waste away, but she was a landen living as the Queen's adopted daughter. Even as vigilant as Warren and Karla both were, they weren't stupid enough to think they sheltered her from everything.

"But yes, that's why they're home and so is Warren. He lost rock-paper-scissors, so he got to parent the sickies while I get to play on the island. Though I promised them all souvenirs."

"I hate the way some people in your world treat other people." Momoko sighed. "I'm totally going to have to spend more time with those two, telling them horrible stories about you two."

"Have you and Warren talked about how much other-world stuff Cora and Nyles can be involved with? I've kind of wondered about offering them visits."

Chilly Boulder, Saturday Afternoon

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