"Oh, so that is what a Trivet is..." Red said with a slight nod to his head, echoing the nod on Fred who had just learned what it was as well.
"Yep, a trivet is the little things that sit on the table and make sure the pots don't burn through the table cloth." Daphne pointed out. Only knowing that fact due to all the diners and meals that she had to be apart of with her daddy's work. Having to cater to guests and help her mom serve things when share holders or business men were visiting. So, she was familiar with the various names for kitchen equipment and their uses.
Daphne wasn't the best cook in the house, but she could set a mean table spread!
"Yep, some are left from Miss Snowlark, but I got a bunch of our family members as well over the years. But interestingly enough, A pot holder can be a trivet, but a trivet can not always be a pot holder." Shaggy said, sounding all knowledgeable. "Also that the delectable layered dessert is known as a trifle... even though we don't have desert today."
The rest of the room, besides Shaggy and Scooby turned to stare at Velma. Who was taken aback at the accusation in the stares.
"What, I didn't teach him that! This is Shaggy we are taking about. I know diddlysquat when it comes to cooking. I know enough to not burn water, or the house down. But I just learned what a Trivet was as well."
She said hiding behind the pot that she held in her hands, awaiting to place it down on the aforementioned item. Looking at tad bit silly in her outrageous oven mitts that looked like lobster claws growing out of her wrists. They had each grabbed various oven mitts to protect themselves from the heat. And Velma just happened to get the one that made her look like a crustacean.
Chuckles abound they continue to bring in the various pots and containers with food till everything had been brought in the dinning room. The gang rarely used the Dinning room, but would sometimes set it up for group holidays or other important dates. Setting up the plates and silverware, Red noticed that there was an extra placement along with his.
"Oh, is someone else joining us?" Red said indicating the seat with the plate. The rest of the gang looked shocked for a second before lightly laughing and shaking their heads.
"Sorry, it is habit when ever I put down places in the dining room, to put hers down as well." Shaggy apologized to Red, but he shook his head.
"No need, I didn't know her very well, well besides the stories, but I know you guys were close. That was her seat, wasn't it?" Red asked, earning nods from the rest of the gang. Indicating the most ornate of the chairs sitting in the dinning room. 'Her' chair.
"Well, then I hope she will like to join us for some Spaghetti and meatballs. The more the merrier... What was her name again?" Red wondered, directing it towards the rest of them.
"Miss Snowlark. Maude Snowlark. " Fred said a bit glum, thinking about the woman and what she meant to them.
"Well, Cheers to Miss Snowlark, for putting up with all you ninnies all those years ago... " Trying to lighten the mood. He wanted to grab a drink to raise up, but then noticed that there was a serious lack of glassware.
"Wait, is there going to be drinks in this shindig?" Looking about his plate, Red noticed that it was in fact missing any type of cup or other methods for drinking. And the rest of the gang didn't have any either by them.
"Ah, heh heh, I forgot about rule number two. Be right back! Come on Scoob. Give me a hand!" Shaggy quickly got up and dog was quick to follow. Leaving the room to quiet down. Red was getting fidgety, since he wasn't prepared to end up being in the room with them all being sullen. It was supposed to be a fun, and happy holiday. April Fools and all, like all the various holiday decorations littering the dinning room. Regretting quickly about pointing out the chair.
But Red didn't have to fret for long. Mysteriously, one of the decorations fell and bonked Fred on the head. Leaving the room speechless for a second, staring between the ceiling where the decoration must have come unloose from the chandelier where Shaggy had hung it, to the object itself. A small, old looking golden Christmas Star that would normally go on top of the Christmas Tree. Sitting on the table before them.
"..."
Surprising Red, the girls and Fred burst out into laughter at the small ornament. Nudging each other, gesturing at the object and wiping a bit of tears from the corner of their eyes from laughing so hard suddenly. The gloomy bubble popped at the appearance of the small star and bopping of Fred. Breaking the tension in the room to a brighter alternative.
"Don't tell me, that was hers too?" Red was no detective, but he could put two and two together. "Looks like the Lady up there didn't want you guys to sulk today." Though he wasn't sure they would be fan of the idea of ghosts, but it didn't seem to dampen their mood at the idea. If anything, it made them even more happy.
"Pretty sure Maude would have came all this way to smack Fred upside the head for that." Claimed Daphne, wiggling a finger towards Fred. Grinning ear to ear, picking on Fred. Who only nodded in response.
"Yep, that or grab my ear if she could and lecture me about it. I can still remember how that felt. She had a grip on her!" Fred chuckled, rubbing his earlobe in memory.
"I'll just put this here." Velma got up and took the star to then place it lightly upon the plate by the vacant chair. While Red was expecting her to been more against the idea of their house being haunted, she instead had a small private looking smile between the star her herself. Giving it an affectionate stroke before placing it and returning to her seat.
"Not sure if Shaggy would be freaked out if Maude came back to haunt us, or if he would kidnap the spook to show her all the recipes that he has made since she left. Expanding on the cookbook she left with him." Daphne admitted to the rest. Feeling bad if that had been the case. Unless she had been around all along, and would know the crazy things that had happened in her house since she had left.
"What about my recipes?" Shaggy chimed in as he entered the room. Which earned a few more snickers.
"What you got there Shaggy? That isn't a cup." Red leaned to look at the man, but it just seemed like he had a plastic bag full of liquid. But how the heck were they supposed to drink out of that?
"Heh, Rule number 2, No cups, bowls or Tupperware..." Fishing out a smaller bag from his other bigger bag, he held out a small container of liquid. It wiggled in his hands as he presented it for all to see. "But Ziploc isn't breaking the rules!"
"Oh."
"I see."
"Interesting."
"So, that is what you meant."
Replied the others, as Shaggy passed out the various colored baggies. The bags had a small bit of tape that said what flavor was contained inside. Fruit punch, apple and grape were a few that Red noticed. Taking the Fruit punch for himself.
"Sorry Daph, but there isn't a good way to put some coffee into these guys, so you'll have to settle for something else." Shaggy pointed out, hefting one of the bags.
"Oh god yeah. I can totally understand." Daphne said, plucking the purple grape for her own. Totally not on color alone, surely.
"I don't think they make a Ziploc graded for hot drinks yet." She said with a laugh.
"Yeah, they have yet to make a Ziploc rated for Lava." Velma snorted, making fun of just how hot Daphne likes her coffee. Unsure how the woman hasn't scalded her throat with how quickly she can down a cup after the liquid had reached peak brewing temperature. Having seen her down a cup and go for seconds as soon as the coffee had been ready. Maybe she could do a study on thermodynamics... on Daphne and her coffee consumption. But she doubted the coffee would last long enough to be tested, around Daphne in the morning.
"Pity." Daphne rolled with it. "... How are we supposed to drink these anyway? Do we open the bag and sip, or go all Capri Sun on it? And if that is the case, where would be the straws?"
"Rah Tah!" Moving to take center stage, Scooby fanned out a collection of silly looking straws, and a few normal ones as well. He himself had a pair that were glasses, that left the straw at a convenient sipping level, though not sure how easy it would be to have in into a bag.
"Drink as you like! But you got to use the baggies. No like' cheating with a cup." Shaggy remarked, nodding and taking a triple looped straw for himself.
Once everyone had their own drinks, and choose their straws to try stabbing into the bags... Shaggy and Scooby moved to start serving the meatballs and spaghetti, asking for each of the members to provide him with their flavor choices they wanted to try. Leaving each of them with a pile of brightly colored mounds of each plate. Once each person was served, Shaggy made sure to make his own plate, while Scooby disappeared to gather up the spaghetti from the tree. Making a huge pile of food, towering over him as he wandered back. Barely able to see his ears peeking over the top of the hill of Pasta and impastas, until he claimed his own seat and then loaded up a ring of various colored meatballs to encircle his plate where he could.
Standing up, Shaggy tried to tap his cream colored plastic pie server against the squishy side of the ziplock to gather everyone's attention. But unlock a fork against a drinking glass, liquid filled plastic sandwich bags did little to ring out Shaggy's intentions. So, instead. He taped the plastic utensil against the metal of his pizza cutter, making the small bit of metal ting out and get everyone's attention.
"Welcome to Mystery Inc's First annual, Hilaria Feast and Festivities! I am glad you all could like' make it! I would like to start the meal by saying some Grace..."
Slightly bowing their heads, Shaggy skipped formalities and went straight for it!
"Open the mouth, between the gums. Look out, stomach. Here it comes!"
"...R'amen!" Nodded Scooby, earning some chuckles from the rest of the gang, though Red was a bit more confused but just went with it.
When in Rome, and all of that.
"...Let's eat!"