Surf and Turf Wipe Out (invite)

[Lasair Barnes (DELETED 9516)]

The walk did Lasair good. The more time she spent in the fresh air the more invigorated she became. Whether it was only a high in the rollercoaster of her recent emotions, she would not think on. She would not think of the inevitable crash. No, tonight was not a night that she would think of what she had lost but of what she still had. She still had Esli, and would always have Esli. She had Oliver, the monkey on her shoulder who’d been nothing but a comfort to her. She had Gideon, who was as much a brother to her now as the brother she’d never had. She had Mona, and the little nieces and nephews that she had given birth to. Were they nieces and nephews or just…?

Horrified, it was too late to ask the questions of Esli. What were the children’s names?! Lasair hadn’t wanted to ask before. She’d prayed to God to ask forgiveness of her hurt; whenever she thought of Gideon’s children, she could only think of the child she had lost. She had pushed all children from her mind. They were all about to have dinner together, however, and her lack of knowledge would be remiss. She would have to apologise.

Esli had knocked and was anxious for his brother to answer and Lasair came to herself. The old Lasair was still in there, somewhere; she peeked out from behind the grief every now and again, and now was as good a time as any. She tried the door’s handle and, lo and behold, the door opened! Perhaps because they had been expected.

”We are family, aren’t we?” she asked, pushing the door open to step inside. They were greeted by the scent of food cooking. Meat, she could tell, though she thought nothing of it. Just because she didn’t eat the stuff didn’t mean that others couldn’t, nor would she judge those that did.

”Hello?” she called out. ”It’s just us…”

[Mona McGee]

Mona groaned when she heard the words come out of Gideons mouth that Lasair dosnt eat meat. **** she thought more out of the fact that she wanted this to be special and here she had a whole spread of things that the woman couldn't eat . "Ummm Gideon Ive got some things Ummm what type of Non meat eater is she ... is she the type that will eat fish just not meat ... does she consume Dairy not just meat or is she full fledged I wont have any animal products what so ever touch my mouth types ... ? " Mona was suddenly panicking If it were the latter she was screwed she had used butter in some of the dishes. All of the salad dressing was dairy based but she could whip up a vinaigrette... Ohhh dear god .... Well at least she hadn't made mashed potatoes and just simply baked them ... Crap she had used lard to make the pie crusts She was suddenly going over her entire menu in her head when she heard the knock at the door. She looked at Gideon rummaging in the fridge .... "Don't worry about that .... Ill cover it You go get the door " she looked a bit frantic but smiled and tried to usher him toward the door. Mona started to pull things from the fridge and hoping she could come up with enough for Lasair to have a good meal.

[Esli Barnes]

Lasair was true to what he loved about her. A fiery veiled force that waited for no one or an invitation. While her petite hand made use of the doorknob and comfortably turned it the first signs dinner was about to be served came rolling at them enveloping his senses. His stomach knotted up in delight with the first waves of what effectively made his mouth water. He closed his lips to prevent the natural increased saliva from escaping in response. Instead he swallowed slowly while allowing his body to advance tightly behind Lasair’s as if they were next in line for some reserved table that they were close enough to finally reach. His legs melded to the back of her and the curve of her perfect backside had his right thigh pausing from graduating any further. The woman ahead of him, the one in obvious lead was well aware of his appetite and what it did to him. She was master of it all and handled it well in each and every aspect.

“Not just family, love. We are famished family.“It was hard to keep his position of patience behind her. “It smells incredible in here.” He called out as he followed her in. The scent of meat was not a miss and his bottom lip disappeared briefly between the bite of his merging teeth. “I can’t wait to see what they put together. I am pretty sure Gids knows we have dibs on anything that was grown in the ground and not altered with things that came from anything that had eyes.” His eyes bounced in the direction of what he assumed the meal was being prepped. “You don’t think he forgot, do you?” That was enough for double knots to form in his gut.

His large hands went to his wife’s shoulders placing their loving warm palms over each petite but fiercly capable cap of muscle that rested beneath the white cotton she wore so well. The blue lengths of the skirting hugging her hips licked at the top of his boots planted at each side of her feet. The stance was typical of him and indicative of a man who honored and took the impending  reception of his wife as serious as if the queen herself had arrived to dinner. He leaned down and pressed his lips lightly to the top of her head. For her alone he ignored the growl of his stomach and made sure to wait properly for the appearance of their brother and his mate. A sharp bite to the top of his hand as the wealth of red hair moved in front of his chest reminded him they were not alone. The devious eyes framed with a fur mask and topping two questionable ears appeared.

“Oliver. You will behave.” Of course he would. Lasair was with. What could he possibly get away with? Esli’s eyes bounced to the living space ahead then back down the monkey on his wife’s shoulder. There was no question how serious he was...except in Oliver’s mind. All of which the walnut size brain registered both the words and tone that delivered them as a challenge. “I know what you are thinking. I mean it.”

[Gideon Barnes (DELETED 8781)]

How could he have forgotten? Gideon chalked it up to still trying to recoup from having three kids under the age of six months, and other things. Gideon wasn't a handyman in the least bit, but he tried to fix the few things that didn't require too much time and effort in the house he finally decided on and bought for his family. Family. This time last year, Gideon wouldn't have thought much of the word, or believed it would apply to him, but here he was. God had put an amazing woman in his path, and then blessed him three fold.

Still in the apron, looking slightly frantic himself, Gideon nodded his head and then pressed his lips to the top of Mona's forehead. "I'm sure anything you whip up, she'll appreciate." He said in encouragement, before heading out of the kitchen to greet the other part of his family. Life was good. Better than good.

"Brother. Sister!" Gideon said, pleased to see the woman up and about and here. When Mona had suggested this dinner, he had his reservations and held off on the idea for a few weeks, given the personal loss his brother and sister experienced. When was a good time? He never knew the answer and never really thought any time was a good time to force them to be social after such a tragedy, but Gideon and Mona wanted them to know that they had people who cared. People who had their backs should they need it and people who wanted to help them through this as much as they could. "And Oliver." Gideon glanced at the monkey, grinning. the creature was almost as human as anyone standing in the living room. "Mona is making something--good." He wasn't sure what to say, because he wasn't sure just what they had in their fridge and freezer, but surely something being sometimes they made their own baby food from vegetables picked up at the grocery store. Carrots seemed to be the best thing made by Gideon, given the babies ate those just fine. Peas was still an acquired taste, he figured. "And...I've got grill duty...anyone want a beer, water, juice, or..." Gideon trailed off, sure he could find something to accommodate anyone's taste tonight.

[Lasair Barnes (DELETED 9516)]

Lasair lifted her gaze to Esli and shrugged. She, too, could smell the meat and it did nothing to stir her appetite. When had she last had something to eat? She was already so starved that she felt sick, and the scent of cooked meat did nothing to help the churning in her gut.

Lasair couldn’t reassure Esli that his brother wouldn’t have forgotten. Truth was, over all the years that she had been vegetarian and all the people she’d come to know, all the friends that they had made, the simple fact that they were vegetarian was pretty easy to forget. How often had she been offered a piece of pizza with salami on it, or a chicken nugget from a bucket of similar nuggets? Only for her friends to flush red and apologise, as if they’d tried to offer a delicious piece of a long dead relative. There were no guarantees, brother or not.

With Esli standing behind her, Lasair leaned back. Her back against his torso, she was comfortable there. Safe. They were in his brother’s home, a family home. She resisted the urge to turn around, to curl her fingers into his shirt and bury her face into his chest. To hide there, away from everything and everyone.

The urge was banished as Gideon joined them, all happiness and good cheer. Lasair smiled and stepped forward, though not without Esli’s fingers clutched in her own. ”Water will be fine, Gideon, thank you,” she said, pulling the man into half a greeting hug and pressing a friendly peck to his cheek.

[Mona McGee]

Ok Mona had a salad and potatoes ... That was a start. She threw open the cabinet door and started rummaging through the cans... Beans she pulled down a couple of cans an opened them Kidney bean salad was a quick and good fix. Hopefully Lasair liked them... she chopped cut and mixed . Then she grabbed a sweet potato and started the task of peeling and chopping it . Nobody could pass up fried sweet potatoes and she had vegetable oil. She pushed back a bit of hair that had fallen into her face as she saw Gideon coming back into the kitchen to get the drinks . " Hey Don't give Lasair any of the Hourderves they have cheese and crab in them Does she eat fish?" Mona knew some vegetarians did Hell she didn't know the rules she had eaten meat all her life and there wasn't any part of a animal that went to waste in her mothers house. She smiled at Gideon.

[Esli Barnes]

Esli knew that Gideon not in the kitchen meant that the one who was likely had what it took to keep him happy and well fed enough to stay out of the way. As soon as the greetings were out of the way and beverages were offered Esli managed to make his request with ease.

"I will take water as well, Brother. If you have a few ice cubes to spare I will take them." He nodded satisfied in a little hydration for starters before they would dine for the first time as an recently expanded family thanks to God's blessings with triplets. His hand stayed with his wife's and was about to rise to his lips when he paused to catch Gideon before he disappeared from view. "Not sure if you have read up much on the reports of local water contamination but since you are city fed here do you by chance have bottled water? I prefer my wife to be spared exposure to anything that has managed to survive on city maintained lead pipes over the last three decades."

Esli glanced around suddenly. He knew the place was far from thirty years old. The pipes he was referring to were those farther than the property itself. He didn't even trust the pipes in the rolling beast they lived in. A kiss was placed to the top of Lasair's hand. He met her eyes with his because it was the confirmation he needed to find out if he sounded as off as he currently felt in what he just said.

"Pretty sure my brother knew what I meant." He looked at her hopefully. "We can show them what nifty organizers those empty bottles make later. Maybe Mona needs a few window micro-gardens? Who would have thought the bottles could be heat shaped into something totally different." It was then that the blur of fur that was Oliver disappeared in a streak of motion into what may or may not be a hallway? It was too hard to figure out from where the paladin was currently standing. "And that is why he is going to bed without his half of the mango tonight." Esli shook his head in disapproval. "I almost feel sorry for him if Gids finds him getting into anything he isn't supposed to be."

[Gideon Barnes (DELETED 8781)]

Did Lass eat fish? Gideon shook his head at the question. Pretty sure she didn't. "Alright." Truth was, he still needed to familiarize himself with how both his family members ate. Was one stricter on their perceptions on what they should and shouldn't eat, or did they both not eat the same things? He ran a hand through his hair.

"We've got a fair bit of bottled water. For-" He trailed off, not wanting to say, 'the babies,' due to the recent turn of things. "I've got you both covered." He assured them with a nod of his head, more than understanding what his brother meant. He wasn't nearly as scientifically driven as it seemed his brother had grown to be over the years, but it made sense. Maybe they should all be drinking bottled water. He would suggest it to Mona later, or while they were at dinner.

"Lass! Don't eat anything yet!" Gideon bellowed from the kitchen as he grabbed a jug of bottled water from the fridge and set it on the counter. "Relax." He said as he grabbed two plastic tumblers from the shelf of cups and then stopped to watch Mona working fast and furious. "We'll figure it out. They won't die from eating a late dinner if need be." He reassured Mona before moving over and placing a kiss on the top of her head. "this was a good idea. Having everyone important to me under one roof." He nodded, accepting her idea to have a dinner, even if it was starting out patchy, at their home. "Let me get them that water." He said with a snap of his fingers, opening the jug and pouring two glasses of it. He put the jug back in the fridge, then grabbed both cups with each hand and returned to the main living area.

[Lasair Barnes (DELETED 9516)]

Tap water would have been absolutely fine, Lasair might have reasoned – she and Esli had lived in places that offered far worse than Harper Rock could. This was Western civilization and, aside from those few places in the US that were being completely ignored, clean water was a given. Cleanish, anyway, with most people’s bowels having consumed it all their lives and thus able to withstand whatever nasties it might contain.

Lasair rolled her eyes at Esli though the smile remained steadfast upon her lips. ”It was one time, love. It wasn’t pretty, but if it were to happen again, Gideon has a toilet and I’m sure he and Mona aren’t offended by bodily movements…” she said. She assumed Esli was referring to that one time she’d had a bad bacterial reaction and her body was deadest on rejecting every single scrap of nutrient still being processed by gut, bowel, and intestine.

She tried to peer around Esli as Gideon shouted to her that she shouldn’t eat anything. Lasair frowned. Esli had asked, previously, if Gideon had forgotten – she was starting to think that he had. And not just about her, either.

”Thank you,” she said as Gideon returned and she took the cup of water from him. Oliver had disappeared and Gideon’s reappearance had halted Lasair in her tracks, wondering if she should go after him. She took a few mouthfuls and gulped them gratefully – she was parched, bordering on dehydrated.

”I’ll go find Oliver. He’s run off and it’s probably not good to let him wander…” she said, gaze passing between the two men. She might have made some joke about the food, and her guess that things had gone awry in the kitchen, but the joke died on her tongue. She didn’t have it in her just yet. She passed her cup to Esli to hold for a moment while she wandered off to find their erstwhile monkey.