Month: July 2018

Family Meal

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Today, we’ve got family coming over! Gram, aunt Miranda and our cousin Nolan, all at once! I am beyond excited as I haven’t seen aunt Miranda and Nolan in ages, and though I love my younger siblings, I’m looking forward to actually getting to know my older cousin. I’m hoping we finally become friends!

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I might have been a little overzealous in table-decorating, but as I said, I’m taking this lunch seriously. Everything had better be perfect!

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For example, I was the one to remind Mom that we needed to get tofu-based, fake turkey for Gram. The twins complain about it not being real meat the whole day, and I don’t trust Mom enough not to prepare it myself, but it’s worth it.

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Cyril, in typical teenager fashion, absolutely has to take a selfie before we start the meal.

I may or may not have confiscated his phone thanks to my Older Sister Authority.

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Here we are, all eight of us, and as I planned, everything is flawless. Somehow the tofu smells really good. Even Gram makes a comment on the quality of the food, and I feel my heart explode with pride.

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And, perhaps more importantly, even the twins have nothing to say about the taste.

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Some great-grandma/great-grandchild time. Gram and I were close when I was a wee little one, and now that I’m an adult, I want to deepen that bond, and learn everything she has to teach me. She must have so many stories to tell, so many things she knows about the world, and about our own family! She’s been alive to see five of all fourteen of us Stewarts heirs alive!

You know I need to know everything about it all.

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I’m about to start quizzing her when Nolan pulls up a chair in front of me. “So cousin, he said. How have things been since your prom?”

“Well I don’t need to hide behind my big cousin in social events anymore! But then again I don’t go to social events anymore.”

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Quickly, Nolan and I start getting along like old best friends. He’s everything I hoped, and I’m glad we finally can finally make up for all of the estranged, vaguely cordial years.

Gram watches over that, and I can practically read the amused “Youth!” she’s holding back from saying on her face.

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The thing with parties is you have to clean up after. I sure as heck wasn’t going to let Gram, aunt Miranda, Nolan or my parents do it, and the twins, those little devils, have ran off to hide somewhere. So I’m taking care of it.

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It’s fine, though. Nolan stuck around and we get to enjoy some more time together on the swings as the sun sets. The weather is getting cooler, yet I feel all warm inside.

You know I’m not exactly a social butterfly, but I love being around family almost as much as I love exploring a good (very) old tomb.

The Life of a Cat

My name is Nounou. I run like the wind and explore the universe. There’s a whole world outside of that big house the humans call home, and it’s mine, all mine. All mine to explore. I knew my kingdom had to be more than that San Myshuno apartment!

I am the explorer of worlds and piles of dirt. Bow before my grace.

Loladorada is my friend, but she’s also very different from me. She says she’s been on the other side of the world, and now she’s content staying safe and well-fed inside. I don’t know if I believe her. She talks about walking human-shaped skeletons and blessings and curses and I think she’s just a show-off. Also, how dare she imply my kingdom is boring.

Lola does love food a whole lot. She always watches the Human in Chief when she cooks. And today, in particular. It’s a special day for the humans, they plan on having people over. It means we’ll have more opportunities for snatching food off the floor.

I’m a kind ruler and I let Loladorada have dominion over the dinner table. Most of the time, and as long as she promises to alert me when there’s something interesting on it.

A Welcoming Home

That first leaf has barely had time to fall, and already we got the house all prepped and ready. Let it be known the Stewarts family won’t welcome the first winds of autumn without a properly decorated abode.

We got together as a family and despite the arguments about which shade of acorn exactly we wanted to hang above the door, we arrived at a result we all loved, ready to welcome friends and family into our comfy little home.

Mom’s friend Charlotte is the first to visit.

She was expected! Mom has been talking about her visiting for days now. They see each other so rarely. She says Dad and her still haven’t properly been introduced to their children, Patience and What’s-Her-Name.

I know Patience, though. She was in my class in high school and she was a brat who managed to convince the whole class she was some type of angel.

Yeah, the angel wings tattooed on her back didn’t fool me. She had little respect for me and my C average, and I didn’t care for her little clique of heart-eyed boys who followed her around like poodles.

That being said, we always remained civil to each other, out of love for our respective mothers. They would be broken-hearted to ever learn their kids didn’t get along. Even though I can’t figure out why, Mom and Charlotte are still the best of besties after all these years.

Cleo has the theory that mom and her might have also been brats when they were younger.

Guess as an archeologist that’s the only thing about history I’d rather not look into too much…