Prompt: "My water broke...no, really."
Or, the prompt my friend and I changed and turned the above into, "Write a character who wouldn't get into/get a baby shower game having their water break and the other women not believing them at first, thinking she's finally getting into the game."
Panne hadn't even really wanted to go to the baby shower, but the only reason that she was going was to quell her curiosity of what a baby shower actually was. Despite the fact that she was a week away from her supposed due date and she didn't want to spend all day on her feet and around other women, she simply couldn't ignore seeing what the hype was about this so-called baby shower.
Now here she was, standing around in a cramped room with other women while they all fussed over Sumia and rubbed her very visibly pregnant belly. She didn't mind the fact that this was happening, she just found it quite bizarre. To celebrate a child which wasn't even tangible yet was something she had never heard of. The day's events got even more bizarre (a thing she didn't think was possible) when it was announced that the games would begin now.
Each person was handed an ice cube with a tiny plastic baby inside of it. The object of the game was to see who's ice would melt first, and whoever's did was to shout that their water had broken. Panne simply stared at the ice cube that Lissa had placed in her open hand, as the others excitedly began chatting about the game.
"This is the greatest baby shower game ever!" Lissa said excitedly, once she had passed an ice cube to everyone and was back to socializing in one of the small groups.
"But why?" Panne asked. "I don't quite understand the concept."
"It's supposed to symbolize the baby in the womb, and once it melts, it's like when a woman's water breaks. Surely you know what that means," Maribelle explained.
"Of course," Panne said. "But what's the point?"
"The point is, it's fun," Robin said. "Friendly gaming competition, you know?"
"Not really."
"Okay, so-"
"That's alright, another explanation isn't necessary," Panne said. "I'll just pretend I get it."
Conversation about the game resumed. Panne was growing steadily bored with letting an ice cube melt in her hand and hear the women talk about babies. A distraction that had been bothering her on and off all that day came back, the feeling in her stomach that something wasn't quite right.
She tried to ignore it, instead trying her hardest to pay attention to the conversations and the game in progress. All of the ice cubes from the women in the group she was in were about half melted, the tiny limbs of the plastic babies beginning to stick out of the icy prisons.
Panne's feelings were confirmed a moment later, and one of the factors that her actual baby would be coming soon happened. The others were distracted with talking and had thus not noticed her distress.
"My water broke," Panne said simply, and they all suddenly looked back to her.
"But Panne, your ice cube isn't completely melted yet! You only can say that once it's all the way," Lissa said. "But I'm glad you're getting into the game more now!"
"No, I mean it," Panne said, a serious look on her face.
"Do we need to explain the game again, Panne?" Lissa asked, looking exasperated at the other woman.
"No, because my water really broke and I should probably be getting to a hospital soon."
The sudden realization of her words hit all the other women at once, and a simultaneous abandonment of the game happened, the women all springing into action in helping to inform her husband and get them on the way to the hospital for the impending birth.
And a little over twelve hours later, baby Yarne was born.