[PRP] This way is that way or is it the other way? Eir x Kit

[Nisshou H]

Kittredge grinned to herself as she pawed at the strange pile of objects before her. She had found them this morning by a human’s fire and hadn’t a clue what they were. The humans had been looking at them intently as though they held some strange secrets that only the humans could see. She certainly couldn’t. They looked like thin pieces of tree bark but they were bound in thick leather. She could smell the leather; she knew the scent of hide well no matter where it came from. Why they used it to wrap up bits of thin tree was beyond her, and what were the weird black marks all over the bark?

She batted one of the set with a paw and marveled when pages scattered out of it. She did it again and was rewarded with more pages. Kit’s grin widened until it threatened to consume her entire face.

“Treacle, Cream Puff, I know what these are now!” She declared boldly to the mouse and rabbit who were both busy with cleaning up Kit’s teapot and cups. They glanced at her but did nothing to indicate that they were particularly interested in what she said. “These are toys!” She shouted before knocking the entire pile over with great exuberance.

The books scattered in every direction and Kit followed after them batting them with her paws and knocking them into the air to snap at them with eager jaws. She tittered happily at her new game. She would have to share these marvelous things with her sisters; they would be most thrilled by them.

She had only been playing for a few minutes when she suddenly froze and stared out into the darkening area. Her oversized ears twitched this way and that as her pupils dilated. She scented the air just to be certain before bursting into laughter. Something was heading her way. Oh the day was not yet done and there was still plenty of fun to be had.

“Stop!” She shouted at her companions. “We have guests coming! They must have tea!” The overgrown Cheshire darted back to her makeshift table -a large stump- and started setting things up for another tea party forgetting that she had already drank all the tea.

“Now we must make them feel welcome so that they will stay and play and then leave and bring us back many cakes to say ‘thank you!’” Kittredge said settling into her place at the head of the stump. “Now, with your best singing voices!”

Kittredge cleared her throat and began singing one of her favorite tunes, “Twas brillig, and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe!” She was enjoying the song so much that she scarcely noticed that she was the only one singing. It would be a pleasant welcome for their guest regardless.

AstoriaFallen

Evidently my muses are not as dead as I had feared.

 

[Nisshou H]

Kittredge continued her merry singing until a real beauty strolled into view. She was as white as a dinner dish with long golden flight feathers.

The Cheshire cat grinned wider and purred, “Hello Birdy!” With a flick of her tail and no hesitation she bounded over the tree stump that was her table and wound her way over to their guest. She had no need to wind her way anywhere, there were no obstacles in the way but since when did a Cheshire need to make sense in the way they moved? “You are just in time for tea! Take a place at my table and I will continue regaling you with my song!” It was only proper that guests receive the best of care and entertainment while in her care.

“Where was I?” Kittredge paused as she tried to remember where she had left off. It had been somewhere nearing the end. “Ah yes! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"
He chortled in his joy. 'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe! All mimsy were the borogoves, and the mome raths outgrabe!” She concluded her song with a short bow and an ear to ear smile.

AstoriaFallen

 

[Nisshou H]

AstoriaFallen

“You aren’t?” Kittredge asked with a curious tilt of her head. “Shall I sing it again? You’ll know it much better the second time through!” She didn’t immediately start singing again; it would be impolite to repeat the song without invitation. If she started an entirely new song that would be a different story altogether! While she waited for her invitation, which she was certain would come the song was a very entertaining one, she set about pouring the tea.

Taking the teapot clumsily in both paws she turned it over to pour tea out of the spout. Ordinarily this awkward motion resulted in tea going absolutely everywhere. Today the tea didn’t go anywhere. She stared at the pot expectantly but nothing came out of it no matter how she turned it. Confused and concerned she set the pot back down and swatted the lid off. Peeking in through the top she saw nothing but the bottom.

“Oh dear. It seems the tea has run away.” She said regretfully. “I don’t suppose it went past you on its way out?”  

[Nisshou H]

AstoriaFallen

Kittredge's grin vanished from her face in an instant at the other mare's suggestion. "W-water?" Her jaw slackened rather like she had just been struck across the face. "You can't have water at a tea party! You must have TEA!" She eased her front paws off the stump and padded her way closer to the other mare. "Otherwise it would be called a Water Party would it not? How wrong!" The young Cheshire's tail was coiling and uncoiling like a bizarre corkscrew and different sections of it seemed to be fading in and out of sight at any given moment.

"You, tiny shadow!" She said directing her attention to the white eyed pronghorn for the first time. "I know you must not want to be seen, being shadow, but please tell Ms. Birdy that a Water Party sounds dreadful! She may listen to us both better than one of me!"  

[Nisshou H]

AstoriaFallen

Kittredge stared at the white mare unblinking for an unprecedented amount of time before her face split into the widest grin it could manage. It stretched from ear to ear almost literally, such grins were Cheshire specialties and only a Cheshire could pull it off half as well as she did if she were to say so herself.

"We CAN make tea!" She exclaimed passionately. Kittredge didn't know what kind of magical pouch this mare had that she just happened to have tea leaves with her but she was pleased by the development. "Does your dear pouch also have water in it? Walking to get the water would be as much fun as a Water Party." The grin on her face didn't falter even though her voice took on a sour note. She hadn't brought any ingredients with her to make the tea itself. She had simply brought the ready made tea with her from the human's fire. If one were to be technical about it she had stolen the human's tea from them and only placed it in her own pot. The humans hadn't been around to care about her taking their weird things so they also wouldn't have cared about her taking their drink.

"We can always send your shadow to get us water while we set the places. Then we won't have to walk anywhere. It detaches right?"  

[Nisshou H]

AstoriaFallen

Kit's lips twitched slightly. It seemed the magical production of the tea herbs would be the only good news. "It is far." Kittredge sighed leaning herself against a tree in a dramatic fashion. Her grin was slowly shrinking but the natural curve would never vanish entirely. She had never heard of a shadow being too young to go far away before. Though she had also never seen a shadow take on a physical form before now. Perhaps shadows made real had different rules than the shadows that stayed on the ground.

"I suppose we must get our own water. Unless Creampuff wants to get it." Kittredge glanced hopefully at her waistcoat wearing rabbit. He turned away dutifully pretending not to hear his mistress. Kit wasn't really used to having to do her own chores yet having once been considered royalty. A lack of servants had left her needing to do more and more simple tasks. She missed the days of being spoiled rotten and only getting to do things she enjoyed, like eating cake and fighting the soldiers.

"Fine." She huffed taking her weight off the tree and taking up her tea pot. "You and Treacle better have the table set when we come back though." She turned to the other mare and her shadow. "The water is this way." Her words were garbled around the handle but she didn't seem to care. She just paced off into the woods swiftly and daintily as cats are known to do.