Hannibal's house (in which Jono is probably still on Cloud 9), Sunday evening

[sharp_as_knives]

It really had been a lovely trip, but it had brought up a few questions. Now that they were back home, Hannibal had some phone calls to make. (Jono did, too, but he was still what passed for "giddy" for him, so Hannibal had a feeling his calls would be waiting till later.)

So, he retired to the study with the list of off-island people they'd sent announcements to, prepared to call as many as he could to verify they'd actually gotten them.



[OOC: Open post! If you want Hannibal to have called you, he will!]

Comments

[glacial_queen]

Jono had warned Hannibal to take the phone away from his ear after telling her that, right? If he hadn't, it was his fault that Hannibal's eardrum was now bleeding down his head, not Karla's. Because her reaction was entirely as expected.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy!!!"

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal pulled it away quickly enough to only get a little ringing in that ear, luckily.

He laughed and waited for her to finish. "I take it you're pleased?"

[glacial_queen]

"Are you kidding?!" Karla demanded. "I'm thrilled! Where's your idiot partner that I can squee at him, too!"

"Mama, why you so loud?" Kayla's voice was faint, but still managed to convey imperiousness.

"Because your Uncle Hannibal and Uncle Jono are getting married!"

"Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!" Kayla said, clapping her hands. "...What's that?"

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal chuckled at Kayla. "Jono is in the other room; we went hang-gliding today, and I'm fairly certain he's still floating. But you must tell me if there are dates we cannot use for the wedding. We very much hope to have you there."

[glacial_queen]

"That's right you do," Karla sniffed. "I've read your Earth fairytales about what happens when the witch isn't invited to the grand event. I'm not saying I'd show up and start cursing everyone, but I've met me and the possibility is there."

Kayla was prancing about singing "Married! Married! Married!" Her wings fluttering in rhythm. Karla was just going to have to take a moment and snap a picture, sending it to Jono and Hannibal both.

"And--anytime that's not in the next few weeks, probably. Kayla's little brother is due in about six weeks for me, so the end of...March? For you? And I'd prefer not to have to travel with an absolute newborn if I don't have to."

Let her lose the babyweight, Hannibal, so she could look amazing in her dress and make up for the last few months of swelling and stretch marks.

[sharp_as_knives]

"We've barely begun to plan yet, so that shouldn't be a problem." Hannibal took a moment to look at the photo she'd sent. "I see Kayla is growing and finally taking after her father as well."

[glacial_queen]

"You can say finally," Karla objected. "I say she could have waited a little longer so they weren't molting at the same goddamn time. Actually, if you were really in tune with my sanity levels, you would have called then. I eventually took Kayla to another planet entirely."

[sharp_as_knives]

"I am psychiatric, not psychic," Hannibal teased. "You can always call, though. She made it through well enough, I take it?"

[glacial_queen]

"Oh yes," Karla said with an aggrieved sigh. "Apart from some crying and a bit of a fever, she came through it fine. It was like teething all over again. Her father, on the other hand..."

Molt had never been Warren's best time. Molting while his daughter was fledging had been an...experience.

"Kayla got to accompany me to Naboo, because of the two of them, I wanted to travel with the one who whined less."

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal made a sympathetic noise. "You should bring her for a visit. Summer or earlier. We would love to see you both."

[glacial_queen]

"Once the little one is settled in, that sounds like an excellent idea," Karla said warmly. "I'm a little wary of sending her too soon? I don't want her to feel like he was born and she had to go away, but perhaps when she's adjusted a bit and wants a break from being a big sister."

[sharp_as_knives]

"We're not keeping her until she's grown," Hannibal said, laughing. He'd seen Kayla and Nommy together. "But if you bring her and yourself both, I can feed you both. Or I might even be persuaded to let Jono use my kitchen to cook for you."

[glacial_queen]

"If you don't think Jono won't find a way to wrangle keeping her for at least a week, then you don't know your fiance as well as you think you do," Karla laughed.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal chuckled. "He can try. I have faith in our combined ability to resist him."

[glacial_queen]

"Tell me more about how I'm not going to send my child off for a lovely weeklong trip to visit two of her favorite uncles while I enjoy two weeks of having only one child under five?" Karla said, simples deep.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal laughed. "I see now - I'm being betrayed for a few weeks of quiet. I would say it's terribly rude, but I can hardly blame you. Still, when you're ready, perhaps you could spend a day or weekend. Long enough for us both to cook for you and catch up a bit before you leave her in our care. Did you know we have a sauna now?"

[glacial_queen]

"Darling, for a few weeks of quiet, I'd betray my whole damn Court and call it good," Karla laughed. "Besides. Think of how happy Jono will be!"

Karla was shameless and had no qualms about it.

"Oooh, a sauna! That will be appreciated when I'm allowed to go back in one! And the onsen..."

[sharp_as_knives]

"You didn't hear his squealing all the way in Glacia when you sent that picture? I'm shocked," Hannibal said. "He will be thrilled, yes. And you're welcome to use the sauna at any time - Jono can distract Kayla, and you and I can gossip terribly."

[glacial_queen]

"That's what that was," Karla said, snapping her fingers. "I just assumed Kayla had found a new, higher-pitch to annoy the Scelties with. Should have known better."

She shifted in the rocking chair, trying to find a new, more comfortable position. It was a fruitless endeavor, but she couldn't help it.

"And you know exactly how to sweet talk me. I don't suppose you know any recipes off-hand that one can eat in the sauna without melting while engaging in terribly salacious gossip?"

[sharp_as_knives]

"Meat pastries and fruits with chocolate dip," Hannibal suggested immediately.

"You're getting to the stage where it's all uncomfortable?" he asked, hearing something of it in her voice.



[Bedtime for me! SP okay?]

[glacial_queen]

"And then some," she admitted. "We're in the final month and I'm not that big of a frame to be resting all this extra weight on."

"Mama fat!"

"Thank you, darling, that was a very helpful comment."

"Welcome!"

"How old are children when they start understanding sarcasm?" Karla asked.

[Niiiiiiight]

[sharp_as_knives]

"Anywhere from five to twelve," Hannibal said. "Given that she's your child, I would expect the lower end of that, if only as a survival mechanism."

[glacial_queen]

"Your fiance--" and yes she added extra-emphasis to that, absolutely "--started talking to her in the womb. I'm a little concerned she doesn't understand it already!"

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal chuckled. "I doubt Jono was sarcastic to her then. I wouldn't worry."

[glacial_queen]

"Whereas I'm certain Jono was sarcastic simply by existing and Kayla was probably able to pluck the concept right from his brain," Karla said with a laugh. "Maybe he just couched it in so much Cockney, she's still translating it or something."