(no subject)

[mendanddefend_archive]

Bob hasn't been around in a while. Let's rectify that, shall we?

Anyone walking from the Front Door to the Bar will pass by a blue-skinned man with a plate of chips in front of him and a README file in hand.

Anyone who happens to glance at said file over his shoulder will find it to be the sprite equivalent of What To Expect When You're Expecting.

...hey, come on, they don't have anything comparable to 'What to expect when your wife is expecting.' He had to make do.

[ooc: As always, open for tags until it disappears from the front page.]

Comments

[forgoodorforawesome]

Here, have a wrestleman. "Hey Bob. What's shakin'?" He notices the book. "Oh, you sly— ow! The Che~eat!?" Sure enough, he's been elbowed in the ribs by his dog rat, who mehs at him. "Uh, that is, congratulations, man."

[mendanddefend_archive]

"What?" Bob glances up. "Oh. Hey, Strong Bad. Thanks."

[forgoodorforawesome]

"You're welcome. So, apart from that, how it's goin'?"

[mendanddefend_archive]

A wry smile. "If you think there is any 'apart from that,' you obviously haven't dealt with a lot of pregnant women."

[forgoodorforawesome]

"Not really. I mean, I was pretty little when my baby brother was born, and Marzipan's the only girl in Free Country these-a-days. So she keeps you busy?"

[mendanddefend_archive]

"Ohhh yeah. Mostly with keeping her from keeping herself too busy." A beat. "If that makes sense."

[forgoodorforawesome]

"I think so, yeah. It's like, you want a bouncin' baby, but you don't want it gettin' bounced too much, amirite?"

[nothawkingbird.livejournal.com]

Somebody was deep in thought.

Kate couldn't help peering over.

"Wait, what are you reading?"

[mendanddefend_archive]

"A README file on pregnancy and child care," says Bob. "Hi. Have we met?"

[nothawkingbird.livejournal.com]

"I don't think so, I'm Kate." She smiled and offered her hand out.

"Why a computer file on it and not a book?"

[mendanddefend_archive]

"I'm Bob. Nice to meat you." He shakes the offered hand. "And this is a book, for me."

[nothawkingbird.livejournal.com]

The texture was a little strange, but she was used to people in costumes, aliens and mutants so it was only vaguely noticed.

"Really? Are you from a computer, like an AI? My friend Vision's like that."

[mendanddefend_archive]

Bob beams. For once, somebody gets it without Bob having to spell everything out!

"Like an AI, yeah. I'm not technically one myself.":

[eight_or_eleven]

Blue-skinned people she's seen before, but not a sprite.

"You'll put lines in your face if you concentrate any harder."

[mendanddefend_archive]

"Mh, I'm old enough now to have earned that," murmurs Bob without looking up.

[eight_or_eleven]

What will make Bob look up? Utani getting to know one of the sentient peoples of the bar in a "hey that's my personal space you're invading!" way?

"You might be," she says vaguely, more amused at the lioness' definition of "meet and greet".

[mendanddefend_archive]

Yeah, that'll do it.

It'll also make Bob jump hard enough to tip his chair over backward.

"GYAUGH!"

[eight_or_eleven]

"I'm sorry; she's new, and has yet to learn her way about people."

Yeah, Utani doesn't quite know proper manners; she wasn't being raised to spend life with an anthropomorphic personification.

"Utani," the admonishment begins, "curiosity is good, but not when it scares others."

I am sorry, she says to both Bob and Strength, in that order, with a leonine answer to an embarrassed look.

[mendanddefend_archive]

Bob blinks at the white lion a couple of times before responding.

"...that's okay. Um. Who are you?" This last is directed at both the lion and the woman.

[a1enzo]

"BOB!" cries a peregrine falcon fledgling, diving straight at him.

[mendanddefend_archive]

Bob whirls around and braces himself for the inevitable charge of the green cadet.

Instead, he gets... a bird? Which gets, in return, a stare of incomprehension.

[a1enzo]

Hey, he should've known something was weird when he couldn't scan the kid coming.

The bird, fortunately, chooses to land on Bob's shoulder rather than concuss itself on his armour. It settles sideways, gripping the gold bit on the shoulder. "Look what Belar did to me, isn't it awesome?" it chatters in his ear. "Have you seen him, I need him to change me back pretty soon. I hope I can try it again, though, flying with wings feels rad! What does it feel like when you fly?"

[mendanddefend_archive]

He should have, yes, but this is Bob we're talking about.

Bob cranes his neck to try to see the bird perched on his shoulder. "Why did Belar turn you into a bird?" he asks, somewhat accusingly.

[a1enzo]

"I needed to find Hex and I couldn't get through the jungle on my boogie baud."

[mendanddefend_archive]

"...what??"