“Ya, lovely to meet you too, Malin, life is always worth celebrating, yeah? Stranger or not,” Neil replies to Malin before pausing and turning on his heel, facing Dovie, “Pretty sure I missed your name, sorry,” He tells her with an innocent smile before lifting a hand to casually greet Sebastian, “Hey-hey, guy from the coffee shop.” This redhead alone can more than halve the average class of the room, all by himself.

Sebastian offers a gigantic smile to Dovie, his otherwisr calm and collected demeanor immediately giving way to warmth as he moves over to embrace her in a friendly hug. “Dovie!”

Jakem calls to Matthew “Oh, I can’t stay. I’ve got a business thing in a few minutes. Just wanted to drop off the doll, and see how easily it’d be to kidnap and rename the child to something respectable. This is more of a scouting mission than a visit, all in all.”

Mercy wanders in, so out of place it could easily be chalked up to her taking a wrong turn trying to get to the local dispensary instead. She smells free food though and that’s what she heads for right away.

“Oh good, the whole board’s here to celebrate the newest Montrose,” Matthew declares once Mercy arrives, he’s smirking and then nods toward Dovie who is holding a baby as for Malin, she is definitely not pregnant anymore. “Oh… in that case…” he reaches for the doll, “I think that would be a terrible mistake!”

Gabriel has never been more ready for something and happily accepts the baby from Dovie, cradling her with ease and shamelessly slipping into baby talk, “Aren’t you just adorable! Even got matching little booties too.” whatever else is going on is quickly forgotten as he gently pinches the tip of one little foot and gives it a slight wiggle.

Dovie first hands off the baby to Gabriel, making sure the precious cargo is in safe hands before she replies to Neil. “Dovie!” and then gives Sebastian a hug back. With her hands now freed, she picks up a drink afterwards. The food table is plentiful with Chef Ulf helpfully trying to suggest dishes to those who may approach, though he eyes the aspic with suspicion.

Between the crash dummy and its marker-made face, and a doll… what a choice for an infant to make. As Malin looks to Matthew, she’s actually relieved, “Oh good, I misunderstood… but that’s Greg. Greg is Sofia’s baby and she’s letting us sacrifice him. You were just born too late to really understand the importance of an aspic. When I was growing up, they were super popular.” Then she does her best Old Rose from Titanic impersonation with, “It’s been eighty-four years….”

Malin “Stranger or not,” Malin agrees with Neil. “Glad to have you.” Jakem earns a, “Thank you for coming by. I bet the baby would like the cat doll. A lonely woman might like the crash dummy… I imagine with enough creativity… one could have a grand time…” Those lips of hers attempt to thin, but they mostly just pillow because of the filler.

Jakem nods to Malin “Okay, I need someone’s help with taking the dummy back. It’s enchanted to refuse to leave with someone that doesn’t own the house.”

Mercy grabs a cinnamon bun and is just about to take a bite when horror strikes. She turns her head to stare at Gabriel as he baby talks to the human raisin in his arms, her face slowly contorting to convey mild disgust. “Man what the hell right in front of my cinnamon bun.”

Malin assists in the removal of the crash dummy, lugging it up and over to Jakem.

Sebastian just kind of watches, looking about the room.

Gabriel snaps out of the baby talk just long enough to tell Mercy, “Fuck your cinnamon bun.” before going right back to it.

Dovie sips from her mulled wine, grinning at Mercy and giving a wave. “Oh yes, please eat the cinnamon bun. Eat several.” She mentions to Sebastian. “You too! Chef Ulf flew in from Sweden a few days ago.” She shakes her head at Gabriel, “Watch your language in front of the little one!”

Jakem takes the subdued dummy with a nod to Malin “Much obliged, thank yah. And enjoy the party! Also, enjoy the cat that doesn’t need a litter box.” he strokes his chin “I should make doll parrots next.”

“Is that how the glaze gets on there?” Malin asks of Gabriel about the cinnamon bun after his words to Mercy. She nods to Jakem. “Thank you, Jakem, so much. The cat is wonderful. Great work as always.”

Dovie chokes a little bit, mid-chew of her cinnamon bun, as she hears Malin’s question.

Matthew starts to make his rounds, pausingfirst by Dovie and Gabriel, “Guys, it’s good to see you two,” the baby in the latter’s arms granted a smile and a greeting, “Hey Marin, don’t listen to uncle Gabe, he cussing but you don’t need to learn those words yet.” Then he’s making way over towards Sebastian and Neil, offering up his introduction, “Hey, I’m Matthew Montrose, welcome to the party, glad you two came.”

Jakem nods to Malin, then skedaddles.

Gabriel pokes his tongue out at Dovie before nodding to Malin, “Mhm. That’s the secret big cinnamon doesn’t want out there.” then to Matthew, “Good seeing you too. And I promise I’m behaving. Mostly. Blame the troublemaker.” he gives a nod toward Mercy.

Sebastian offers a polite bow to Matthew, introducing himself. “I am Sebastian Fairchild. It is good to meet you, Mister Montrose. And congratulations.”

“Tenzin mighta been right ’bout you..” Mercy murmurs to herself quietly before stuffing half the cinnamon bun in her mouth, eyes flicking to Dovie and then Malin, the latter of whom she addresses after swallowing. “Nah he wishes he had that kinda commodity.”

Neil uses the distraction to slip away and towards the food table, swiping a cinnamon bun for himself with great sleight of hand, those reddened eyes taking it in briefly before he chomps down a good half of it, chewing briefly before swallowing, his attention soon being turned towards Matthew as he is addressed, “Matthew Montrose…” He repeats, frozen as he briefly seems to jog his memory, then whips up a quick smile, “Yeah- thanks, Matthew. Thought I would bring a little something for the young one, she might not understand it’s importance now, but she’ll thank me in about a decade. She’s welcome,” He says with a lopsided grin, then tosses in the other half of the cinnamon bun.

Neil says “Oh- yeah- I am Neil.“

Malin scrunches her nose at Gabriel a bit. “Sinamon, I see,” she quips back, taking in a deep inhale that causes her chest to rise and fall. A double take is given to Mercy. “Tenzin made us eat Sheldon the clam or whatever he was. You can’t trust Tenzin after that. So what do you to cinnamon buns, girl?”

Dovie raises an eyebrow. “Is it a trend to name seafood now?” She gazes over at the aspic, trying to, well… understand it. “Do we think it tastes good?” she asks, to the entire group.

“Ain you the one who like tossed Sheldon’s remains into the air the second things devolved into a food fight?” Mercy inquires to Malin with a brow ticked up. “An’ as fer cinnamon buns, I jus’ eat ’em.”

Malin gasps as she finally looks at the food. “You have Swedish treats,” it finally dawns on her and is announced, as Captain Obvious. She nods to Mercy and says, “That’s a common mermaid honourary tribute to those who have passed and then died twice for our sins and… our growling stomachs, and Buddhist monks who had anger issues. It’s an age old practice. You can probably Google it.” After several nods in quick succession, she nods to Dovie. “I spend a lot of time in the ocean. The creatures definitely have names.”

“Thanks, Sebastian,” Matthew says back, brows bouncing in response to the bow, “I take it you just got to the city?” As for Neil, there’s an awe to how much of that pastry the guy can fit into his mouth and the Montrose looks more than a little surprised. “You know, you remind me of a buddy of mine who could scarf down pizza like a damn vacuum,” he says, “ain’t seen him in a minute.” Mention of the gift has him scanning the area, wondering, “So what’s the gift for when she’s older?”

Gabriel asks Malin, “Would you like her back? She’s beyond adorable and I’m afraid if I have her the whole party I’ll never mingle.”

Sebastian says “I did not just put it in my pocket.“

Malin looks to Gabriel and tells him, “If you are done holding her, and no one else would like to, then I can take her back.”

Dovie chuckles, nodding. “Oh yes! I had a very long initial consultation with Chef Ulf on what would be considered traditional Scandinavian fare!” she enthuses to Malin, looking around at everyone and gesturing to the chef and the food. “Yes, please help yourselves!” And to Sebastian, she adds, “Let me know what you think when you try it?”

Sebastian mentions to Matthew, between bites. “This casserole is fantastic, sir. Bravo.”

Neil seems briefly paralyzed as he savors the taste of the latter half of the bun, blinking slowly before Matthew draws him back to the land of the living, “Yea, for sure, I can’t be the only hungry guy on earth, I could eat a horse. Can’t seem to gain weight, either way…” He says, voice trailing off before he blinks himself back into focus again, “Won’t be any fun if I just say it.”

“Chef Ulf knows what he is doing,” Malin assures Dovie as she enjoys her breakfast meal in the middle of the day. Thoroughly enjoys it.

“He did kinda have that grumpy rock-face goin’ on a lot.” To the subject of someone, Mercy readily offers this in agreement but quickly changes the subject to something else Malin mentioned. “Why would you toss ’em into the air though if yer doin’ it in memory of sea creatures? Why not toss ’em back into the sea like chum?”

“He did kinda have that grumpy rock-face goin’ on a lot.” To the subject of Tenzin, Mercy readily offers this in agreement but quickly changes the subject to something else Malin mentioned. “Why would you toss ’em into the air though if yer doin’ it in memory of sea creatures? Why not toss ’em back into the sea like chum?”

Gabriel looks around for a moment to see if anyone else wishes for the baby before he carefully hands her off to Malin saying, “Time to go back to mommy, you cute little thing you.”

Mercy hazards a glance at the newborn when Gabriel calls it ‘cute’, wrinkling her nose just slightly.

Dovie nods at Sebastian. “Oh yes! You have to try the caviar toast too!” She waves to Chance with a big grin. “Chance! Have you met Sebastian yet? He’s in town now!”

“No… I suppose not,” Matthew decides of Neil, perplexed by his answer though choosing not to pry, for now. To Sebastian there’s a nod, “Right, yeah food is good but I can’t take any credit, it’s Chef Ulf’s–” he catches Mercy’s wrinkling nose, “work, hired by Dovie!” Then Chance is arriving and he’s granted a bright smile, “Chance, hey, welcome!”

“Oh, this is delicious,” Matthew decides of the panbiff.

Starting with glances at first, Neil slowly starts to encroach upon the aspic’s territory, reddened eyes probing it first before his slender digits start seeking a spoon, slowly turning it in his hand as he stares it down further, eying Matthew as he moves on, making sure the coast is clear before he pulls out a bayonet out of a well-concealed pocket, seeming to be intending to take a cut for himself out of the gelatinous monstrosity with the questionable implement, if not impeded.

Chance comes wandering in, late, definitely, fashionably so, debatable. He grins at those gathered and says, “Hey, happy baby showering day.” He shakes his head at Dovie and says, “Not yet, no,” with an easy smile. He gives a broad grin to Matthew and says, “Heya.” Then he sees the aspic and squints a little. “That looks.. terrifying,” he decides.

Dovie watches Neil intently, entirely curious about the first brave soul to test out the aspic. “It is time for the ritual sacrifice of Greg, it seems.”

A nod is given to Mercy by Malin. “He sure did. I worked hard to get that man to relax and laugh,” she admits after she swallows down the latest bite of her food. “Well, if the sea, it would die a third time by being eaten by other sea creatures, and although the third time is a charm, generally, in the sea world book of life and death called The Ebb and Flow Thalassic Testament of the Final Undertow…” she’s bee essing her way along, “…a third time is a triple dipping of the… eco… system… and culinary hubris.” Her arms take Marin back from Gabriel and she says, “Thank you.”

Matthew makes no move to stop Neil from harpooning with a knife into the gelatinous dish. “It’s a crime against humanity,” he reuses his joke from earlier, “I don’t know if anyone is brave enough to try it. Little does he know…

Matthew makes no move to stop Neil from harpooning with a knife into the gelatinous dish. “It’s a crime against humanity,” he reuses his joke from earlier, “I don’t know if anyone is brave enough to try it.” Little does he know… [fix]

Gabriel frowns just a touch as he looks around at everyone enjoying the food, “That all does look really good..”

Neil seems to immediately pause as a pair of eyes are placed upon him, tracking the source of the gaze immediately before he blinks and focuses back down on the dish, licking his lips, although he pauses again as more and more eyes start to gather on him, “Hunger is a crime against humanity, and judgin’ from that, I should be sentenced to death,” He says to no one in particular before the once-standard-issue glides into the gelatinous flesh, Neil making short work of a section before sliding it under, lifting a section and slopping it down on a plate, further dividing it with a spoon afterwards, “Feel free to partake,” He tells Gabriel, definitely mentioning the aspic that he takes a spoonful of not too long after, chewing, squinting.

Sebastian absolutely enjoys the hrll outnof the caviar, moaning out in pleasure through a closrd mouth as he chews, closing his eyes. After a bit, he tells Dovie. “Marvellous. Delicious!”

“He an’ I laughed together all the time.” Mercy informs Malin with such a blunt, straight-faced demeanor it’s difficult to believe she’s ever experienced laughter, let alone the stone-faced monk of which they speak. Then her brow slowly starts to knit as she struggles to make sense of the merfolk lore and customs Malin is imparting. “Ayeah, sure, the Thala.. jurassic testament of the final unibrow. Right.” She’s really trying to follow along.

Dovie beams and nods at Sebastian. “Glad you think so!” She chuckles before turning her head to watch someone eat the aspic with great interest, telling Gabriel after. “I dare you to try a bite. You too Mercy! I think the ritual only works if we, or most of us, partake?”

Dovie beams and nods at Sebastian. “Glad you think so!” She chuckles before turning her head to watch Neil eat the aspic with great interest, telling Gabriel after. “I dare you to try a bite. You too Mercy! I think the ritual only works if we, or most of us, partake?”

Mercy just hears the word ‘ritual’ and eyes Dovie warily. “.. If it involve snow spirits, sentient plant demons or like anythin’ with long prehensile appendages, count me out.”

“Oh, so you’ve read it,” Malin replies to Mercy who attempts to repeat the name of a book that doesn’t exist and that the Swede has already forgotten what she made up about it a few moments before. “Mmmhmm,” gets hummed past those unnaturally plumped lips as her head nods. “We could pluck your brows some, probably. Then you could get inducted. I like plucking hairs. If you are shifted… Oh, that would be plenty of hair to work with.”

Malin gives a wave to Chance. “Welcome, Chance. It’s good to see you.”

Gabriel grins at Neil and gives a slight shake of his head at the offer, “It looks delicious, but I’m afraid I can’t. It wouldn’t agree with me.” then he turns to Dovie, “I believe in this case I may have to be an exception. Already quite full.”

Dovie muses to Mercy. “Well I don’t think lobster tails count as prehensile…” She nods at Sebastian. “Please, go ahead.”

Neil takes a few moments to truly marinate in the taste of the aspic before he swallows, lips pressing together for a moment as his auburn brows furrow, “Damn.” Is his immediate judgment, followed by a slow nod, “Shit’s gourmet, I tell you,” He shares with the room before taking another spoonful, savoring it, slowly, “More for me, then,” He mutters to Gabriel with his mouth full before he swallows, pointing the knife towards Ulf, “Your guys? Knows his stuff.”

Chance smiles warmly at Malin and says, “It’s good to see you too.”

Gourmet is all Matthew really needs to hear and then he’s sneaking towards the aspic and claiming a spoon, “Alright,” he decides, setting himself up with the a slice, “let’s see what all the fuss is about.”

Sebastian stands before the group as best he can, gently tapping his champagne glass, causing a beautiful ting to ring out throughout the room. He begins a toast. “To new life, and to continuity. The Montrose family has always understood that influence is not measured in moments, but in what endures after us. Tonight is not about legacy in the grand sense, but about the quieter miracle of beginnings. May this child grow surrounded by care, curiosity, and the steady confidence of a family that knows how to shape the world without needing to announce it. To health, to patience, and to a future that arrives well prepared.” He pauses to add enthusiastically. “And let it be know that the Montroses are no strangers to excellent food!” He drinks.

Dovie raises her glass to Sebastian’s words, taking a drink after.

Malin finishes her first dish, and as Sebastian speaks up, she adjusts the newborn baby in her arms. Blue eyes are fixed upon the male Fairchild and she smiles broadly. “Thank you, Sebastian,” is said to him gratefully. “That was beautiful.”

“Only skimmed it some durin’ my extensive periods of research. Tryin’ to understand the in-depth culture behind sealife an’ its taboo against trinities when other belief systems revere the concept.” Mercy lies right back, just stringing words together somewhat coherently, then gives Malin a more overt, dramatic once-over thoughtfully once the subject becomes about hair. “You got such strikin’ features, think you’d make an excellent bald woman.”

Neil scooches over with his plate as Matthew approaches, giving him the room to partake in the ritual as he contends himself with his own claimed plate of the stuff. He would choke on the food if it was much to be choked on, with Dovie’s words, “Please, I am a student, we can barely afford Newports over he-a,” He shares amusedly, shaking his head, “Compliments to the chef, though,” He says, slipping his knife back into a pocket after a quick wipe on the leather.

“Oh yeah?” Malin asks Mercy. “Is that where your name came from? Are you religious? Grace, mercy, hope, abstinence, purity…” she names off a few words. “And you’re right. My chest hair can make up for the lack of it on my head if I ever lose these locks.”

Dovie also gets a spoon to participate in this ritual…

Dovie takes a tepid small bite from her spoon. And then a larger one. “Huh… that’s… well that’s… new.”

Malin also tries Greg.

Mercy makes a show of leaning in closer to Malin and cupping a hand by her mouth to fake-whisper. “Nah Mercy jus’ my stripper name, it stuck even after I quit the biz.” A little snort can be heard at the reminder of the other woman’s ‘chest hair’, but Mercy holds her composure.

You’d think it was a march to the gallows with the face Matthew is making as he draws the spoon to his mouth, a breath and then down the hatch it goes. The shift is immediate, from dubious to delicious in only a few seconds, “Oh wow,” he says, “that’s… thats–” his spoon is pointed back in Neil’s direction, “gourmet!”

Chance fetches himself some mulled cider and a cinnamon bun, giving the aspic a wide berth as though he might expect it to suddenly grow larger and attempt to devour him whole. He returns to the conversation pit with his goodies and takes a sip from his wine. Matthew’s reaction to the thing has his brows furrowing. “I don’t think that word means what you think it means.”

Mercy resigns herself to trying the foul gelatinous dish with everyone else and moves in with a spoon. As someone who’s eaten literal garbage more than once, how bad could it be?

Mercy makes a face but keeps chewing. “It uh.. it kinda.. mushy.”

Dovie chuckles, asking Chance. “Have you tried it yet? It’s not actually bad…” She nods at Mercy. “Yes but more… savory than I thought it would be?”

“Why did you go with Mercy and not like…” Malin pauses as she enjoys her aspic. “Oh, this brings back memories,” she claims, and then refocuses on the previous subject that is Stripper Names. A proper convo for a baby shower. “Bambi… Brandy, Nevaeh, Roxy, Dixie Normous.”

“That’s what I am telling ya,” Neil replies to Matthew, counter-agreeing as he takes another spoonful, moving to claim a half-discarded cinnamon bun before he moves back to his station, keeping it limply in his hand, “Thank fuck I am not on a diet,” He says contentedly before taking a bite, “Real gourmet stuff all around. Michelin six star or whatever, Gordon Ramsay would give himself a swirlie in a deep fryer.”

Dovie laughs at Malin’s suggestion on proper stripper names. “Now that you mention it, Mercy does seem rather… too tame. Not good for tips…” she muses.

Mercy goes right back to the cinnamon buns where things make sense, telling Malin as she reaches for a fresh one, “Cause it were a religious-themed strip joint, course. Was called Bodies of Christ.”

“Hard pass,” Chance says to Dovie with a grin as he takes a bite out of his cinnamon bun.

“Chance,” Matthew insists of the Fairchild, “just have a spoonful, it’s good. You like shellfish, right?” There’s no room for a ‘no’ in his tone, like everyone and their mother loves shellfish and all flavors of the sea. To Neil the counter-agreement just has an even harsher series of nods, “Exactly, man, exactly. You really got a palate for this stuff.”

Malin peers at Mercy curiously. She nods to Dovie in agreement. “It was clearly an altar’d state of things.”

“Gotta be selfish, eat some shellfish,” Neil chimes in after Matthew, helping himself to a flute of champagne, taking a brief moment to admire the glass before taking a big sip, “I am a bit of a gourmet myself.” He provides to the man afterwards as he enjoys the champagne with zero class, or tries to, before almost spitting out in a chuckle, but it is successfully kept in.

Dovie snorts a laugh at Mercy and Malin before encouraging Chance. “Oh, come now… you have to try it!” She turns to Sebastian. “Did you try Greg? It’s not a ritual if we don’t all partake!”

“Matthew,” Chance says, looking him dead in the eyes, “I am a cat. If you make me eat that aspic, I swear to god, I will go hork it up in the middle of your bed. Loudly.”

Malin gasps at Chance’s reaction to the glorious aspic named Greg. “Sofia gave him to us. You have to try just a little.”

Dovie nods in agreement with Malin, telling Chance. “Do it.”

Chance gets up from where he’s sitting and goes over to Malin, hands her something, and then just walks out.

Dovie offers to Malin. “Maybe he doesn’t like seafood?”

Matthew blinks and stares as the Fairchild dodges the group’s pestering, shaking his head. “Guess no means no,” gets decided and then he’s glancing towards Neil, “You a food critique, did I hear right about you being in school?”

Mercy grins wryly at the commentary between Malin and Dovie, trying to save face by shrugging nonchalantly as she continues to dine on dessert. “Maybe I’ll change it up if I ever get my second comin’.”

Malin nods to Mercy. “What’s your real name, then?” she wonders curiously.

Mercy tsks at Malin and waves a glaze-coated finger in the air. “Can’t tell, otherwise..” Here comes the dramatic pause, eyes cast outward into the vague distance and expression serious. “.. -They- might find me.”

“Not so shrimp-le, huh,” Neil jokes to himself after the man’s departure, getting a good little chuckle out of it before he turns towards Matthew, “Yeah, not in gastronomy, though, my parents aren’t that rich. Could say that I do it on the side, take my payment in food,” He provides without much seriousness, taking another sip from the flute.

Dovie giggles at Mercy, “Uh oh,” she comments before asking Malin. “Will you be opening presents, or going to save them to do later?”

Malin shakes her head at Mercy. “No, no… They won’t find you. They’ve never found me…” As she holds the baby against her chest and shoulder, she says to Dovie, “I can opening up presents now.”

Malin says, “Well, first off we have…” She squints as she reads off, “Fairchild Childcare Services for Friends’ Fair children.”

Matthew grins at Neil’s puns but once the baby is back in Malin’s arms he slides that way, apparently looking to have his own turn holding her. As he passes a look is thrown towards Mercy, “Wait, Mercy’s not your real name?” apparently only picking up bread crumbs of the discussion.

Neil blinks at Malin as she reads the gift, “‘ate CPS. Lame.” He comments, brutal in his criticism, a real, Colosseum-esque thumbs down from the young man, “Coulda sworn I once met a stripper named Chastity…” He suddenly says, squinting before shaking his head, “Nah, must be gaslighting myself.”

Sebastian looks around with a smile, observing the assembled group as he eats.

Sebastian says “What is this ritual of which you speak?“

Malin nods in agreement with Dovie. “I had no idea he was a babysitter…” She flips through the coupons that advertise his services. “I thought he was like a body guard… Oh, I guess he just watches kids while armed.” It all makes sense to her now, it seems. Looking to Neil, she says, “Maybe they will be Toddlers Toting Two Handed Thompsons, and then CPS has to get involved.”

Sebastian glances to Dovie after the question.

Matthew studies Mercy for a good long time and then says, “Naw, that’s her real name, Mercy’s not a stripper name, but Mercedes is, but I bet she was named after the place of her conception.”

Dovie points to the nautical aspic, telling Sebastian, “This one here! It has a name, get a spoon and try some?”

Mercy squints at Matthew in return and makes the motion of zipping her lips.

Matthew just shrugs, he doesn’t try to solve the mystery of Mercy’s name.

Malin considers Neil’s wisdom and then decides, “All right. Sounds legit.”

Malin reaches for and retrieves the medium box. “All right,” she says, keeping the baby secured with one arm as she opens the gift with her free hand.

Neil raises his flute towards Malin, then awaits the opening of the next gift, probably with bated breath.

Sebastian states, simply. “I see.” to Dovie. He then moves over and takes an unused spoon, scooping a small chumk of the abomination.

Mercy snickers at something on her phone, unable to help grinning.

Dovie beams as Malin grabs a particular box, tugging on Gabriel’s arm.

Malin gasps softly as she unwraps the gift. “Oh my goodness. She’s going to look just like her father!” she proclaims as she pulls out a cow sleeper.

Sebastian say loudly, stunned. “This is actually delicious!”

Malin gasps again. “Thank you, this is so perfect,” she tells Dovie and Gabriel.

Dovie grins, nodding at Malin, “We thought it would be a good tribute! And there’s something else as well…”

Once again, Malin is gasping! “Oh my goodness, look at this.”

Malin uses a small scrying orb made of pure quartz with a swirling mist inside/span/span>The swirling mist tightens into a pale core, then splits open as the sun breaks through, spilling warm gold and soft amber light in widening arcs./span/span>Matthew grins when he sees the cow onesie and nods a few times, “Oh, that’s perfect, we’ll take photos,” gets promised.

Malin smiles widely at Dovie. “Thank you! These are so thoughtful.”

Dovie grins at Malin and Matthew, “We’re just happy to celebrate with you!”

Gabriel smiles and briefly chimes in, “You’ll have to send us one of her in the cow outfit. Too cute.”

Neil’s eyebrows arch as the next gift is unveiled, he nods slowly, then takes another sip from the bubbly beverage.

Malin nods in agreement with Gabriel. “Absolutely,” she assures.

Malin uses a 02ginger 55alley 02cat 55doll/i/i>02ginger 95alley 66cat 55doll/b/i>Mercy shoots Gabriel another ‘Who ARE you?’ kind of look.