Topic: Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

Miranda Bennett

Date: 2013-01-26 14:09 EST
Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice...

The following invitation goes out to all family and friends of Jonathan and Victoria Granger, inviting them to a Baby Shower in honor of Vicki and their Baby Girl-to-be, who is expected to arrive on or around February 14th. The shower will be held at Maple Grove Manor on Sunday, February 3rd, at 2 P.M. RST. This event is for the ladies only. All female friends and family members are invited to attend.

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((This will not be a live event. Details will follow shortly, after which everyone is welcome to post in this thread. Please feel free to join the party! All are welcome! No need for a lengthy post. Just let us know your character is there. And thanks for reading! :) ))

Miranda Bennett

Date: 2013-02-02 11:18 EST
The following details the food, decorations, games, and gifts for Vicki's baby shower. Once the guests have arrived, refreshments and punch will be served, along with a buffet lunch, cake, and coffee. Following that, there will be a few games played, as described below, and then Vicki will open her gifts. Each guest will receive a glass candle votive as a party favor, as well as various game prizes. Please feel free to post whatever you like to this thread. Just have fun with it! :)

Gift Table and Gifts http://i49.tinypic.com/2lxdzeu.jpg

Food, Drink, Goodies, and Cake http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hTfYr6oA2DU/S2x9sM9L5DI/AAAAAAAAAdY/LwyND8uEwE8/s400/DSC00083.JPG

http://www.babyshowersavvy.com/images/delicious-food.jpg

http://www.babyshowerinsides.info/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Candy-baby-shower-decoration-ideas-baby-care-answers.jpg

http://www.marthastewart.com/sites/files/marthastewart.com/images/content/web/recipefinder/recipe1/bever_00027_xl.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_krnOxEVYsBQ/SwxEguvnltI/AAAAAAAAAeg/RHcAlmLYqJI/s1600/P1030911.JPG

Shower Favors http://content.beau-coup.com/product-images/4129/3978/personalized-frosted-glass-votive-baby-shower-candle-favor-400.jpg

Guest Prizes http://www.thirstycake.com/presents%20baby%20shower%20gifts.jpg

Games

Guess the Baby Pictures: Ask for everyone's pictures prior to the baby shower. Have all the pictures in a collage and make lines for people to fill in who they think the babies are out of the girls at the baby shower. See how many people guess right. (Feel free to post a baby picture of your character for this game, if you so desire.)

Baby Scrambler: Another fun baby shower game is to choose around 25 baby related items and scramble the spelling. For instance, pacifier can be changed to reiifpca. Have the women unscramble the words. The one who gets the most right in ten minutes receives a baby shower prize.

Baby Bingo: Prior to opening the baby shower gifts, number each gift on the box starting with one. If you know that 15 people will be attending your shower, pre-print bingo cards with numbers 1 through 15 and randomly place them on 15 cards. When the mommy-to-be decides to open the presents, she grabs the present she wants to open and reads the number out loud. As soon as someone receives Bingo, they win the baby shower game and the baby shower prize.

Mataya

Date: 2013-02-03 19:09 EST
Gift in hand, Mataya arrived with Juno tagging along behind her, both of them wreathed in smiles. Juno hugged the little box close, quite glad to have been given the task of looking after it rather than bouncing around the room as 'Taya was obviously so glad to do.

The gift had been very carefully selected by all three of them - Max, included - although in retrospect 'Taya was fairly sure they probably shouldn't have bought the tiny bracelet charm part of it from a magic shop. There had been entirely too much giggling between Juno and the shopkeeper when that little bit had changed hands, leaving Max and Mataya in no doubt that something mischievous was going on. They could only hope that it didn't have too many difficult consequences.

The first to arrive, they descended on Vicki with friendly familiarity, both including Miranda in their hellos and really rather too enthusiastic excitement about the (hopefully) tame party that was on the cards, settling into seats close to where Vicki was lounging and complaining about her bump. Off-color jokes on the horizon unless someone else came in soon! _____________________ http://cfc.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-set/.sig/BSmry0R2FQMgQHgCKtNQ/cid/71213453/id/Tt_ARj6MQG22R-XfbsFfvA/size/c600x590.jpghttp://cfc.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-set/.sig/XIWK6UTFXO7StJjN8uazmw/cid/71213555/id/-v4wbsWLTASURDBN0SsPuQ/size/c600x614.jpg http://cfc.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-set/.sig/xJkpTj3Bu4vvNk6fxYFQ/cid/71213640/id/uE9RJVIRTwelvM6g8UJe2g/size/c600x637.jpg

Miranda Bennett

Date: 2013-02-03 20:24 EST
With a mischievous giggle, the first of the baby pictures was tacked up on the board. Who the photo belonged to was a mystery, except perhaps to those closest the family. Miranda just couldn't help herself. It was far too tempting an opportunity to embarrass someone she held near and dear.

http://i49.tinypic.com/2wnxl3b.jpg

Once that was accomplished, she sailed into social butterfly mode, greeting the guests with a plethora of fond Darlings! and cheek kisses, making sure to point out the food and drink - both the alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties - and the woman over whom all the fuss was about, hoping to draw Vicki out of her pout with some lighthearted and girlish fun, not the least of which was a few little surprises that had been planned for the day, which Vicki knew nothing about.

She wasn't called Firecracker for nothing. If Miranda had anything to say about it, this party was going to be all kinds of fun.

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Caroline Granger

Date: 2013-02-04 13:07 EST
Right on time, as always, Caroline waited until Miranda had finished tacking up a picture that made her snort with laughter before adding her own to the board, ready for the game. She had two to add; one that was unmistakeable, and one purely for the entertainment value. There was no way people were going to miss who belonged to which baby pic.

http://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab51/RhyDinLittleTheatre/Humphrey_zps6e008c14.jpghttp://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab51/RhyDinLittleTheatre/Caroline_zps8cb12ec5.jpg

Moving on, she slapped a number onto the present she had brought with her, leaving it on the table with the others already there, and swept into the gathering little crowd, laughing at the resigned smile on Vicki's face. She loved Jon's wife, but there were times when Vicki did make too big a thing out of being the center of attention. She was married to Jon Granger, for goodness' sake! Being in the spotlight was a way of life for her now.

With a hug and a squeeze for Miranda and the mom-to-be, she claimed a glass of punch and sat down to join in the teasing. With Miranda in charge, this was probably going to be a shower to remember. _______________________ http://cfc.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-set/.sig/z3R3CcZyvXe8tBlABB9DPA/cid/71275022/id/Jb9_39rZTdKIabK85ejyOQ/size/c600x650.jpg

Kaylee Bennett

Date: 2013-02-05 15:55 EST
Barely two minutes after Caroline, Kaylee bounced in, stealing a number for her present straightaway. She had no idea what was supposed to go on at a baby shower, but any opportunity to get herself well in there for babysitting duties was always a plus on her list. She already had almost exclusive rights to Jack and Lyneth, and was hoping to add Jon and Vicki's baby girl to that list. And who knew" If Gabi was there, Kaylee might even get first dibs on the twins!

Pausing by the corkboard to snicker at the pictures already up there, she dashed from the room, running upstairs to raid her old bedroom hurriedly before returning in a hail of giggles to tack a couple of her own pictures there. Her brother was never going to forgive her for it, but hey, what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him, right"

http://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab51/RhyDinLittleTheatre/Correy_zps609af95f.jpg http://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab51/RhyDinLittleTheatre/Kaylee_zps7db57d14.jpeg

Then, plate in hand, she attached herself firmly to Juno, who seemed to be the only person there thus far who wasn't chatting to someone else animatedly. The little telepath was certainly guaranteed an entertaining afternoon with Kaylee at her side.

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Correy Granger

Date: 2013-02-05 18:48 EST
Through the grapevine of friends and family, Correy had found out about the baby shower and how it was for the ladies only. He thought nothing of it, really. He was a guy, and things of this nature didn't usually interest him in the least. At least, not until he was talking to one of his fellow students, a girl named Virgina (he called her Little Ginny because she was short and spunky) about baby showers. When Little Ginny described to him what fun it was, and the food....well that was all Correy needed to make up his mind. He was going, and nothing would stop him.

He purchased the dress, shoes, hat and wire rimmed glasses at a second hand store. The wig was borrowed from an old Halloween costume and the stockings were nabbed from a storage closet at the convalescent center he was currently employed at. When the outfit was put together, he was sure that he wouldn't be recognized!

So, perched behind a bush, Correy waited as Corrine. Yes, Corrine the dodgering old auntie that nobody remembered. He thought he'd thought of every possible contingency. He waited, patiently (a huge chore for Correy) until Kaylee went into the house. Then he made his move.

With a box under his arm that was wrapped in gold with broad red velvet ribbon (he had extra Christmas gift wrap that he didn't want to waste!) and a pastel paper bag in his hand, Corinne sneaked up the porch and opened the door to take a peek inside. "Just old auntie Corinne," he used his best high pitched granny voice as he slid his way into the house. His eyes rounded seeing all of the goodies on the table. Nobody seemed to notice him yet, so he felt home free!

That is, until he turned his head to see pictures on a board. Baby pictures that he mostly recognized, a few that he didn't, and one that he couldn't believe was up there. Who had put that picture of him there" It was so embarassing! Drool running down the chin and a silly grin to that cherubic, fat little face. Narrowing his eyes, one finger on the picture, he took in the women assembled. "Kaylee, what?d you do that for?"

Correy had forgotten that he was supposed to be incognito and had yelled over the din in normal tenor voice. "I'm going to get you!"

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Rhiannon Brock

Date: 2013-02-06 07:49 EST
Diaper bag and Baby Girl presents bag in hand, Rhiannon walked in the door and got near the board of pictures just in time to hear the tenor voice coming coming out of the elderly looking person in a dress. She cleared her throat and murmured, "Excuse me, I think your slip is showing."

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Correy Granger

Date: 2013-02-07 18:28 EST
There hadn't been a response from the gathered women, yet. But when he was addressed from behind, he whirled around. The turn was perhaps far too quick for a woman of his supposed age. "What?" He cleared his voice, realizing he'd been speaking in normal tones. "Eh, I mean, thank you, dearie. How embarassing!"

Correy shook his head, which was a bad mistake. The wig had been loose as it were and it slid sideways to cover half of his made up face. "Oh my, oh dear!" He exclaimed in that granny voice that probably fooled nobody at this point.

Straightening the hair, he offered Rhiannon a smile and then turned to quickly make an escape. He wasn't going to leave without snackies, so he ran towards the bathroom instead. To fix his slip, you see.

Kaylee Bennett

Date: 2013-02-07 18:34 EST
Oh, Kaylee had certainly noticed. Who wouldn't recognize their own brother made up to look like some poor unfortunate drag queen down on his luck" She didn't even need Juno leaning over to tell her who had walked in, although he did rather give himself away with his over-reaction to seeing his baby photo on the board. She'd put her own up there, too!

Glancing around as "Corrine" high-tailed it to the bathroom, she snickered to herself, and raised a hand to wave to Rhiannon in welcome. Didn't know the woman, but hey, everyone was just a friend she hadn't met yet, right"

"C'mon in! Don't mind the mommy over there, she's just a big ol' sulk," she declared cheerfully, earning herself a roll of Vicki's eyes. "Lyneth goes to your school, doesn't she? She likes you, I can tell."

Victoria Granger

Date: 2013-02-08 12:50 EST
"I am not a big old sulk, thank you very much," Vicki countered, making an effort to heave herself into a slightly more dignified position on the couch. She was, in fact, engaged in conversation with Caroline and Mataya, every now and then having her plate or glass refilled by Miranda as she flitted past.

She still wasn't entirely sure what a baby shower was, but at least it didn't look as though she was literally about to be showered in babies, so that was a good sign. As far as she could tell, it was just a fancy name for a girls only tea party. Of course, Correy's unmistakeable entrance put paid to that idea, but he'd made her laugh. She might not always get along with Correy, but the kid did do some crazy stuff sometimes. __________________ http://cfc.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-set/.sig/1OI26TCc5H3EFe8xvzLiFA/cid/71662580/id/PqsX-PC_RKGZgA73-NnpIA/size/c600x546.jpg

Helena King

Date: 2013-02-08 19:23 EST
She was running late - she was always running late - but she couldn't miss this. She ran into Correy on the way to the powder room and stood for a second or two in the hallway, looking like she wasn't quite sure she was awake. Eventually, she wandered towards the sound of voices and the rest of the party, though.

She tacked a picture on the board, on the way:

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Desmond Granger

Date: 2013-02-08 20:52 EST
Desmond knew what a baby shower was, though being a man and never having fathered a child, he had never attended one. He was only there to drop Piper off, or so he claimed.

A little bird named Old Man Granger had spilled the beans about the baby picture game and suggested Des add a photograph to the board of a certain unsuspecting person, even going so far as to supply the photograph, to which Des had heartily agreed.

Slipping away for a moment while everyone was greeting Piper and Lyneth, Des tacked the photograph on the board, snickering mischievously to himself. Someone was about to get a little of their own medicine.

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m23sldKbPw1rozuddo1_400.jpg

Rhiannon Brock

Date: 2013-02-08 21:56 EST
Rhi stifled a giggle fit as Aunt Corinne took off.

"It's my sister's school, actually." Rhiannon smiled at Kaylee. "I teach part time. My specialty is armed combat." She set the bags down to offer to shake Kaylee's hand. " Lyneth's a sweet girl. A little shy, I think, but our Maggie has a way of getting through to other children that we adults don't have." She leaned to whisper to Kaylee, "Please tell me someone knows that party crasher." The man in drag didn't seem like he meant any harm, but there were strange people in the world.

Desmond Granger

Date: 2013-02-09 13:37 EST
"DESMOND GRANGER!"

Des spun around on a heel at the sound of his name being shouted from halfway across the room to find Miranda heading toward him in a hurry, looking like she meant business. He quickly put himself between her and the baby board, so she wouldn't notice the photograph he'd just tacked up there, trying hard not to look suspicious.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded, glaring up at him, hands on her hips, as if he was suspect.

"I was dropping off Piper," he explained, gesturing toward Piper and Lyneth as if to prove his point.

"Oh," she replied with a frown, shoulders drooping as she relaxed a little. "Well, you have to leave. This party is for girls only. No boys allowed."

Desmond laughed, all the guilt evaporating in wake of his amusement. "Uh, I stopped being a boy a long time ago, Miranda."

"Don't be silly, Des," she countered. "Men are just boys with bigger....toys."

"That goes for girls, too," Des remarked, furrowing his brows as he glanced over at the gaggle of women who were giggling like a group of silly schoolgirls. He hoped they weren't giggling about him.

"Seriously, Des," Miranda said, pouting up at him. "You have to go. And take Lyneth with you. This party is for adults only."

Des glanced back at Miranda, eyeing her suspiciously. There were no men allowed and no children either. That could only mean one thing. "I thought this was a baby shower, not a bachelorette party."

"Des," Miranda smiled sweetly back at him, a look of feigned shock on her pretty face. "Would I do something like that?"

"Yes," Desmond replied without hesitation. He wasn't a prosecuting attorney for nothing. He could recognize a guilty conscience from a mile away.

"Have you seen Olivia?" Miranda asked, quickly changing the subject and turning to search the small group of women for a particular face.

"I'm sorry....Olivia?" Des asked, unsure who she was talking about. The name was vaguely familiar, but he was pretty sure she wasn't anyone he'd met personally.

"Olivia....Jonathan's assistant," she explained, standing on her tiptoes to look over the gathered group. "She's supposed to be bringing a surprise."

"No," he replied. "I haven't seen Jon either. What kind of surprise?"

"The kind of surprise that's none of your business." She sighed dramatically, as she turned back around, frowning up at him. "I chased Jon out earlier." She leaned in, lowering her voice as if to share a secret. "I wish he'd have taken Humphrey with him."

Des narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously. "You're up to something."

"Well, of course, I am, silly man," she laughed, eyes dancing with mischief. "It's a party. What fun would a party be without a few surprises" Those surprises just aren't meant for you," she said, jabbing a meticulously manicured finger against his chest with a grin. "Now, be a good boy and skedaddle," she said, tugging him toward the door and giving his rear an affectionate pat to send him on his way.

"Oh, and Des, darling?" she added, almost as an afterthought, smiling sweetly back at him as she turned to greet another guest. "Take Corrine with you," she instructed, putting an emphasis on the name for some reason, and nodding her head toward an elderly woman who looked more than a little out of place.

Corrine" There'd been no Corrine Granger in any of the family photo albums he'd been shown. He scanned the room, looking at each face in turn, recognizing some, but not all. His gaze at last settled on the elderly woman whose wig had slipped to one side and who was obviously not what she seemed, and he found himself chuckling in amusement. Corrine, indeed.

But before he could collect the rooster in hen's clothing, he had to say his goodbyes to Piper and gather up Lyneth to leave.

Piper Granger

Date: 2013-02-10 11:59 EST
Lyneth had, naturally, preceded Piper into the baby shower, proudly clutching her half of their present as she scurried over to the mommy-to-be, completely ignoring the game that had been set up for the presents in the first place. As Vicki drew the tiny girl into her lap, exclaiming with a smile over the potted violets that were thrust under her nose, Piper entered at a slightly more sedate pace, caught sight of the look on Miranda's face, dropped a kiss on Des' cheek, and got away from him before his cousin descended to make her views known.

http://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab51/RhyDinLittleTheatre/Piper_zps0206853c.jpg

Baby picture on the board, embarrassing though it was, and a number on the other half of the present, she then proceeded to say hello to everyone who was there - of them all, the only ones she didn't know in some way were Mataya and Juno, who were quick to correct this oversight in their own unique way. It took two goes to work out what was wrong with 'Aunt Corrine', which resulted in a mild explosion of spluttering laughter as she slipped past Correy to greet Rhiannon and pry Lyneth off Vicki's lap. The little girl was a bit of a handful at the best of times; Piper couldn't imagine how uncomfortable it must be to have a nearly due bump and a toddler on your lap.

"So where's the baby you're gonna shower?" Lynnie asked curiously as Piper freed the mum-to-be from her daughter.

Piper chuckled softly. "In Vicki's tummy," she told the little girl, pointing as said bump obligingly shifted itself visibly. "This is a girls' only sort of celebration before the baby is born and Vicki's too tired to be able to deal with it."

Lyneth's mouth formed a tiny 'o' as she considered this, fascinated by the movement under Vicki's dress. "Can I have one of those, Mummy?" ___________________________ http://cfc.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-set/.sig/5Qr3nmJQ3jnReoxav0hYw/cid/71799995/id/777wvGpmSq_egzWk6jDacQ/size/c600x622.jpg

Gabrielle Bradford

Date: 2013-02-10 12:00 EST
Behind Des and Miranda's little spat came the quietest Granger, hugging a small box of goodies to her chest. Gabi hesitated in the doorway, tentatively tacking up her own baby photo - the challenge there was to work out which one was her, since there were three of them in the thing - before looking around once again. It seemed very crowded in here, and one look at Vicki betrayed to the shyest Granger that she was very nearly the same size as the imminent mommy to be. How big was Gabi going to be before she dropped her twins, she wondered worriedly, skipping out of the way before Miranda took her by the arm and dragged her inside. She loved her aunt, but Miran had some strange ideas about bringing Gabrielle out of herself.

http://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab51/RhyDinLittleTheatre/Gabi_zps4102bd22.jpeg

A quick circuit of the room divested her of the present she had brought and provided her with food and a drink, and a moment later she had sat herself down next to Helena with a shy smile, greeting her cousin warmly. _____________________ http://cfc.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-set/.sig/k26fx9YkGvWMYc2UUEc7Q/cid/71802342/id/IVVa3gAASRG43Xgz1l1V7Q/size/c600x729.jpg

Olivia Storm

Date: 2013-02-10 12:10 EST
It wasn't every day you were invited to a baby shower in honor of your employer's wife, who insisted you were part of the family despite the fact that you rarely made any kind of impact on her life. Liv hadn't been entirely sure about coming today, until Miranda had called her with a proposition she hadn't been able to refuse. So, with her gift under one arm and the surprise in hand, she made her way into Maple Grove, audible from the hallway before she entered the room.

"No, go in there ....Not yet!"

Still giggling from whatever had occurred out there, Jon's P.A. slipped inside, queuing up behind a blonde Granger to pin two more photos on the wall. One was, naturally, of herself. The other was a wonderful picture of someone who was either going to laugh or be indignant when he saw it. Either way, it was a winning picture.

http://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab51/RhyDinLittleTheatre/LivLucy_zps687168ee.jpg http://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab51/RhyDinLittleTheatre/Johnny_zps12ff0b22.jpg

Number on present, drink in hand, she tipped Miranda a wink, and squeezed herself down onto the couch on the other side of Juno, recognizing another slightly lost soul in the gathering. At least they knew each other through the theater. As she settled in, Liv snickered softly to herself. She couldn't wait to see the big surprise unveiled.

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Kaylee Bennett

Date: 2013-02-10 12:51 EST
Pausing in mid-conversation to seize Lyneth and deliver a whole bunch of tickles and raspberries, Kaylee grinned cheerfully at Rhi's question, rolling her eyes. "Oh, don't mind him, he's my brother," she explained, not at all abashed at giving Correy away given how bad a job he'd made at blending in. "He should have been born a girl anyway. The dude is a complete queen!"

Glancing up as others finally made their appearance, she reeled off a list of names to go with the faces for the benefit of Rhiannon and Juno, including her own greetings for them in the long schpeel, and released Lyneth to go running off to Des, who was waiting to take her away.

Correy Granger

Date: 2013-02-10 13:43 EST
Corrine had snuck from the washroom, quite unsuccessfully, into the main room. He, no she was busily feeding her face with dainty cookies and had even obtained a fizzy drink that tickled her nose before she was spotted again! She was about to make a break for it again when he heard his sister say his real name.

"Dang it, Kay," he growled impishly as he sauntered over in the most manly stroll he could muster. Throwing one arm around his sister's shoulders, he planted a kiss that left Pearlescent Pink lipstick upon her cheek. "Love ya, even though you're a tattletale," he teased.

Letting his sister go, he gave an upnod to Des. He really didn't know him, had only heard whispers, but family was family. "S'up, dude?" He grinned his grin and extended his hand. "Think they're kicking us out. Better go while we still have 'nads intact." Of course, this is all said with the thick old lady goop on his face, gray haired wig askew and slip showing under a floral print dress. Some lady!

Desmond Granger

Date: 2013-02-10 14:45 EST
Desmond ducked his head in hopes of avoiding being seen by Kaylee for some odd reason that only he knew as he made his way toward the door, scooping Lyneth up on the way. The scowl on his face was quickly replaced with a bright grin as he swept the little girl off her feet and into his arms. "How's my girl?" he asked, brushing a fond kiss against her cheek. "Ready for some ice cream?" he continued with a sly smile and a waggle of eyebrows, as though they were about to do something naughty.

The tiny girl squealed happily as she was swept off her feet, already promised a treat to make up for the fact that Kaylee and Piper and Vicki were having a party without her. Clinging onto Des, she grinned happily. "Ice cream, yes! Can I have choklit an' sawburries?" Even as she asked this, her turquoise gaze slid to the unconvincing elderly woman standing beside them. Her head tilted in vague confusion. "Des ....why is that boy wearing a icky dress?"

The smile on his face faded as he overheard an unfamiliar voice and swung his gaze toward the man masquerading as an old woman. He looked Corrine over, recognizing very little from the family photographs, but the eyes. Correy, he thought to himself, putting two and two together and identifying the young man.

Unable to offer a handshake in return as his arms were full of Lyneth, Des looked Correy over before giving him a slightly stern reply. "Ixnay on the nadsay," he muttered under his breath, rolling his eyes toward Lyneth to indicate there was a child present, adding quickly so as to change the subject and not seem too unfriendly. "We're going for ice cream. Want to come along?"

Correy Granger

Date: 2013-02-10 14:56 EST
Correy dropped his arm, fully aware of the impossibility of a hand shake. Maybe some other time. He grinned his grin and reached to gently pop Lynnie on her cute little button nose. "Oh, right! Ixnay!" He nodded sagely, that wig coming loose to cover his eyes.

He slid the wig back with a toss of of his head that nearly sent the wig flying across the room. "Sure, I'll go," he agreed, quickly. Correy had an enormous sweet tooth and whether it was cookies at a shower or ice cream with his still unknown cousin, it was all good to him. Well, except one thing. "You're paying, right?"

His smile broadened and he took a step back to take in an appraising look up and down Des. He didn't know this cousin, and wanted to get a good look. Well, that was his excuse anyway. Pleased with what he saw, he gave a nod and stepped towards the door. "Come on, you yummy stack of pancakes," he chuckled and stepped outside.

Desmond Granger

Date: 2013-02-10 16:05 EST
"Yes, I'm paying," Des replied, finding it an odd question, considering he'd just invited the young man along, not to mention he knew for a fact that money wasn't an issue when it came to his family members.

His eyebrows furrowed further in slight annoyance as the young man gave him a very obvious once over. Fortunately, Caroline had been good enough to brief him on each of the family members whose photographs she'd shown him, and he was aware of this particular cousin's sexual preferences, but that did nothing to assuage Des' discomfort. He'd been ogled before, usually by those of the female persuasion, and it always made him feel like a piece of Grade A Beef being sized up in a butcher shop.

Lyneth glanced between Correy and Des, a small frown decorating her brows as she attempted to make sense of what had been said and done. "Des isn't pancakes, he's goin' to be my new daddy," she declared at the top of her lungs, reaching out to tug on Correy's wig. "And I'm hungry," was added as she looked back at Des. "Ice cream!"

Saved from the awkwardness of the moment by the little girl at his hip, Desmond laughed, brushing his nose against hers affectionately. "You're always hungry!" he replied with a grin, falling into step again and leading the way to the door. "Come along, RuPaul," he said to Correy. "Somebody wants ice cream!"

And with that said, he and Lyneth headed out, in search of Rhy'Din's finest ice cream shoppe, leaving the ladies to their own devices.

Miranda Bennett

Date: 2013-02-10 20:17 EST
Spying Olivia's arrival, Miranda suddenly hurried out of the room to check on something - or more accurately, someone. When she at last returned a few minutes later, Desmond, Lyneth, and "Corrine" had left. A quick headcount told her nearly everyone who had RSVP'd had arrived, and though there might be a few late stragglers, it was time to get the party underway.

But before that could happen, the last thing she had to do was tack one final photograph that had been slipped to her by Humphrey earlier that day up on the baby board. Miranda had a pretty good idea where Humphrey had gotten his hands on that particular photo and just hoped it wouldn't embarrass a certain attendee to see it added to the ever-growing board of embarrassingly adorable photographs.

http://i48.tinypic.com/2m6vds1.jpg

Just as she was about to turn to the guests and get the party started, she spied a very familiar photograph on the board and gasped in surprise, scowling in annoyance and grumbling under her breath, "Desmond Granger, I'll get you for this."

She snatched that particular picture - an old crinkled black and white photo of a baby girl - from the board and slipped it behind her back as she turned to face the gathering, a dimpled Granger grin on her pretty face. "Now that we've chased the boys away, let's have a little fun, shall we?"

Johnny Storm

Date: 2013-02-12 17:18 EST
"Is there a fire, Mr Storm?" A man's voice asked as Johnny slinked out of the library on his way toward the main room where the shower guests were gathered. He was dressed in his fireman's gear, which consisted of a bright yellow slicker, black pants with suspenders, black rubber boots, and a fire hat.

"Uh, no, sir," Johnny replied, turning to find Old Man Granger eying him suspiciously, one hand gripping his cane and looking as if he wasn't afraid to smack Johnny with it. "I, uh..." Johnny pointed a finger in the general direction of the party.

"Yes?" Humphrey asked, waiting patiently for an explanation.

"Miranda....She asked me to....That is....I..." Johnny stammered guiltily, looking like the cat that had just swallowed the canary.

Humphrey tried not to smirk. He was enjoying making the kid squirm, even if the poor guy didn't really deserve it. "Oh, I see. This was Miranda's idea," he continued with a straight face.

"Yes, sir," Johnny replied. "I, uh....I'll just be going then," he said, assuming that was what Humphrey wanted.

The Old Man snorted. "You'll do nothing of the sort." The tiniest of smirks appeared on his crinkled face, his old eyes sparkling with mischief. "I want you to do something for me," he said, leaning in conspiratorially to whisper in Johnny's ear.

Johnny listened, his face breaking into a smile and nodding in acknowledgement. A few minutes later, he was breaking through the doorway to the main room to greet the women who were gathered for the party, interrupting their game of Baby Scrambler.

"Hello, ladies!" he exclaimed with a wide grin. "Would anyone like to see my hose?"

http://cfc.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-set/.sig/REr7IPpjLPgeaLTWdfLnQ/cid/72170277/id/Pph_z-J_R62qgk75LipLtA/size/c600x378.jpg

Victoria Granger

Date: 2013-02-12 17:24 EST
Thankfully for the continued health of Ms Miranda Granger, Vicki hadn't noticed that her own baby likeness had been added to the board, engrossed in the task of unscrambling the names of various baby things. "Pacifier?" she declared at one point, laughing. "How the hell am I supposed to know that' We call them dummies back at home."

As Piper and Liv piped up in agreement, showing solidarity from the other English ladies in the room, the redheaded mother to be looked up at the sound of a male voice intruding on this "ladies only" party. And there was Johnny Storm, dressed in his best fireman's outfit, grinning like a loon. She burst out laughing as a cheer went up from, predictably enough, the couch containing Mataya and Kaylee.

"That all depends, Johnny-kins," Vicki chuckled at the unexpected arrival. "What do you intend to do with it?"

Olivia Storm

Date: 2013-02-12 17:30 EST
Hearing her fiance behind her, Liv turned to look over at him, and almost instantly a deep, deep blush spread over her face. She hadn't pried into why Miranda had wanted him to come to the shower, but he hadn't even dropped a hint that this was the reason! Still, she couldn't exactly hide away, not among this somewhat rowdy crowd of suddenly excitable females, reduced to laughing helplessly at Vicki's answer to Johnny's entrance.

"I don't believe it ..." She shook her head, almost managing to hide her face before looking up with sparkling, proud eyes. Everyone here was about to get a good look at what she cuddled up to every night. What was embarrassing about that?

Rhiannon Brock

Date: 2013-02-12 23:47 EST
Rhiannon heard Johnny's question and started giggling like a schoolgirl. She'd come to think of him as an older brother. This was going to be interesting.

Johnny Storm

Date: 2013-02-13 13:48 EST
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Johnny replied with a smirk, spying a few familiar faces in the small crowd, not the least of whom was his girlfriend-recently-turned fiancee, Olivia. He hoped she wouldn't be too angry with him later for his latest stunt, for which Miranda was mostly to blame.

The point was not, after all, to offer himself up to the women in attendance, but to get them worked up for their own significant others, himself being one of them. Whether he got some sugar when he got home or a scolding from Liv remained to be seen, but he couldn't worry about that right now. He had ten bucks riding on a bet with Old Man Granger, and Johnny had no intentions of losing that bet.

"Maestro, music!" he called, snapping his fingers and accidentally producing a small flame, which he quickly smothered with a slightly embarrassed chuckle and a muttered apology. The sound of the late Freddie Mercury's voice came through the speakers loud and clear, singing a tune Johnny had claimed for his own, which started slow but quickly shifted tempo.

Tonight I'm gonna have myself a real good time I feel alive and the world it's turning inside out Yeah! I'm floating around in ecstasy So don't stop me now, don't stop me 'Cause I'm having a good time, having a good time...

There wasn't a shy bone in Johnny's body, and he soaked up the attention like the showman he was. He joined in, echoing Freddie's crystal clear voice in a slightly-off key harmony that earned him a few winces from his audience, but he hardly noticed and even if he had, he wouldn't have cared. He was having too much fun.

He turned his attention first to Vicki, for whom the party was being thrown, grinning down at her as he leaned close, singing along to the song and tweaking her nose before plucking the fire hat from his head to plop it on hers with a cheeky wink.

I'm a shooting star leaping through the skies Like a tiger defying the laws of gravity I'm a racing car passing by like Lady Godiva I'm gonna go, go, go There's no stopping me!

Climbing onto the couch between Vicki and Caroline, Johnny stood on the back of the couch above the women, arms flung wide, like he was King of the Mountain, singing at the top of his lungs.

I'm burning through the skies, yeah! Two hundred degrees That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit I'm traveling at the speed of light I wanna make a supersonic woman of you....

He pointed a finger at the women gathered, extending an arm and moving it sideways to take them all in, before flinging his yellow fireman coat off, baring his shoulders, exposing a pair of suspenders, and tossing the coat behind him to the ladies on the couch, as he swooped onto the floor, just a hint of flame at his bare back.

Don't stop me now, I'm having such a good time I'm having a ball, don't stop me now If you wanna have a good time, just give me a call Don't stop me now, cause I'm having a good time Don't stop me now, yes, I'm having a good time I don't want to stop at all!

((For those unfamiliar with the song referenced above, here's a link: Don't Stop Me Now - Queen))

Mataya

Date: 2013-02-15 15:04 EST
Well, that was certainly one way to make a baby shower memorable! Mataya couldn't remember the last time she'd had this much fun sober and fully clothed, and if her whooping cheers were anything to go by, she wasn't shy about letting people know. Oh, she knew, in a vague sort of way, that this Johnny must be Liv's Johnny, but that didn't stop her from taking full advantage of the stripping superhero to get a nice squeeze of his backside in as he shimmied past, to the mortification of her daughter.

Kaylee Bennett

Date: 2013-02-15 15:10 EST
Well, if Mataya was going to get handsy, then so was Kaylee. And this being Kaylee, she never did anything halfway. She had a brief moment of hoping that Marc Franco's spies weren't anywhere in the vicinity before leaping up with a cheerful snicker and gleefully humping Johnny Storm's leg as Caroline cackled at her cousin for the sheer gall.

Thankfully for Johnny - and possibly Kaylee, given the look that had flashed in Liv's eyes for a moment there - Caroline was pretty quick to rescue the hero-cvm-stripper, thumping her younger cousin back on the couch with a laugh, a bigger glass of punch, and the admonition to "Sit, and stay."

"Oh, I'm staying, all right," Kaylee crowed merrily, leaning over Rhiannon to tug on Liv's sleeve. "I can't believe you get full rights to that. Marry him quick before he gets it all off!"

Johnny Storm

Date: 2013-02-17 14:41 EST
Johnny laughed at Mataya and Kaylee's antics and would have remarked on Kaylee's comment to Liv, if he wasn't so busy gyrating to the music. He slid one suspender down off an arm, followed by the other, and stepped out of his fire pants, somehow managing to do it in time with the music. He swung the pants around by the suspenders and flung them into the midst of the group, not caring where they wound up.

Clad only in boxers and rubber boots, he found his way over to Miranda. He had ten bucks riding on a bet with Old Man Granger that he could make her blush, and he intended to cash in on that bet.

Johnny tossed a conspiratorial wink at Liv, as if to say, "Don't worry, honey. It's you I love."

Smiling like a madman, Johnny stopped in front of Miranda and slid his arms around her waist, pulling her close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from his body.

"Oh, Johnny! You're so hot!" Miranda declared, giggling like a schoolgirl, feeling just a little tipsy from one too many glasses of punch.

"Wanna see just how hot?" The Human Torch replied, waggling his brows mischievously as he tipped her backwards, leaning close, his lips mere inches from hers, wondering when the last time was she'd been kissed, properly or otherwise.

He was just about to do the deed, just to get her flustered enough to blush, when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye - a photograph that was just a little too familiar.

"LIVVIE!" he shrieked. "What is that doing there?" He let go of Miranda, dropping her on her rear on the floor with a loud thump, and marched over to the bulletin board in his boots and shorts to snatch his own baby picture from the board, turning an accusatory glare at his fiancee. "Window!" he demanded, and with the flick of a finger, the photograph went up in flames.

"I think I'm in love," Miranda declared with a sigh from the floor, fanning herself with a hand. From the flush on the woman's face, it looked like Johnny had at least won his bet.

Olivia Storm

Date: 2013-02-17 14:48 EST
Slightly mollified by Johnny's wink in her direction, Liv relaxed a little bit as Kaylee was manhandled away from him, only to stare in incredulous disbelief as he then turned his apparently amorous intentions onto Miranda. Now that was a scenario she couldn't have predicted. Just the sight of the older woman going up in giggles was enough to send a raucous round of laughter through the gathered Grangers. Until that "LIVVIE!" rang out, and Miranda went down with a thump.

Snorting with laughter, Liv just about managed to keep a straight face as her boyfriend snatched his highly embarrassing baby photo from the board and sent it up in flames, secure in the knowledge that Sue and Reed had many more where that had come from, and jumped to her feet, ignoring the teasing from the other women as she skipped to the window and pushed it open. "Oh, shush," she waved a hand at the laughing faces torn between watching Johnny strip and taking notes on how under the thumb she was. "He'll get his payback when we get home." Brown eyes winked across as Johnny as if to say, "Won't I, darling?"

Johnny Storm

Date: 2013-02-17 14:56 EST
Johnny glared back at Liv as if to say, "You'll get something anyway," but instead of a reply, he offered Miranda a hand to help her to her feet, and then without another word, he turned to flame and like a streak of lightning shot through the window and up into the sky, faster than Superman.

"Now, that's a man," Miranda muttered with a sigh as she watched him fly off, just a teensy bit jealous of Olivia's good fortune.

"Now, where were we, girls?" she asked as she turned her attention back to the gathering, without missing a beat, as if nothing out of the ordinary had just happened. "Oh, I know! It's time to open presents!" And get a refill of punch. She was going to have one hell of a headache in the morning, but right now, she was having too much fun to care.

Victoria Granger

Date: 2013-02-17 15:02 EST
Vicki hadn't stopped laughing since Johnny had first come in, the sound of her chuckling only growing in volume when Miranda became the victim of her own silly surprise. Why hadn't anyone told her baby showers were just on the cusp of being naughty girls' nights out"

As Johnny accelerated away and Miranda made an attempt to look as though she hadn't just suffered through an acute case of lust at first sight - and failed, of course - the redhead sat up, finding herself pretty quickly ushered over to the table where the presents had been left. "Can't I just pick them up in a random order and not open them?" she offered hopefully, only to be drowned out by Piper.

"Of course not!" the dark-haired woman laughed. "You don't let us gush over you very often, suck it up, Red."

Sticking her tongue out at the English Piper, Vicki reached down for a random gift, calling out the number as the ladies around her pulled out their bingo cards, and rolled her eyes. "Miranda, at some point in the next, oh, twenty years, I'm going to offer up retribution for this," she threatened cheerfully.

Miranda Bennett

Date: 2013-02-17 15:23 EST
Miranda chuckled at Vicki's idle threat. There was no way she was settling down any time soon. She was having far too much fun for that. She refilled her punch glass and plunked herself down in an overstuffed chair, crossing one silk-covered leg over the other.

"Victoria, darling. Let's not forget you're the one having the baby. At least, for now." She swung a pointed glance over at Gabi, who was possibly the next on Miranda's list of victims.

It had been a good couple of months. She had managed to play matchmaker for Piper and Desmond, and that seemed to be working out well. Desmond was on the verge of moving permanently to Rhy'Din, and it was all because of one teensy introduction at the Granger Christmas gig. The gears in her head were turning on an idea for a new line of mens' apparel and fragrance. She had thought to ask Jonathan to model for her, but now she was leaning more toward snagging that hot piece of man Olivia was engaged to. If Johnny couldn't convince millions of men - and more importantly, their women - that they needed to dress just like him, no one could.

Yes, everything was going swimmingly well. Now, if she could just find someone suitable for Gabrielle and Helena, she could rest easy.

Miranda smiled as she took a sip of her drink and watched Vicki open her gifts. The shower had been a success. Life was good. It didn't get much better than this, at least for now.