[PRP] Walking in Winter Underland (A Cheshire Gathering) FIN

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

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Prompt:
Wintertime in the Kawani is in full swing, and February is no exception! A strong snowstorm and cold front has blown into the lands, blanketing much of the land in white. Some areas have completely been overwhelmed by snow--and places that are typically warmer or never see the stuff have also been covered in the white stuff.

How is your Soquili handling this snowstorm? Were they caught unaware? Are they experiencing snow for the first time, or are they used to it? What do they do now that they're living in a winter wonderland?

This is something of a "private" RP for the Underland Cheshires to react to the above prompt and visit with relatives. I will try to update to post images for all participants in the first post.

Owners Invited: Silver, Luna, Kyai, Vis, Mythi, Leena, Riri, Phail, Odet  

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

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It was cool and dark in the den, which was common enough. Sunken into the earth beneath some of the greatest ancient trees in their territory, the sleeping cavern was half cave and half burrow, the branch and packed-dirt walls were only lit by small clusters of glowing mushrooms scattered about. But with dense moss bedding and even some gleefully purchased textiles, there was slightly more of a chill than usual to the air. The creep of cold bit right to the bone, which something of a shorter nibble on some than others. Esfir Lahal was one such someone, even coiled on the deep moss carpet and surrounded by the warm figures of her kin. The elder half of the apothecary twins felt a shiver of cold creep up her spine and stirred away, quivering from nose to tail for a moment.

Esfir gave a half-stretch, grumbling as she encountered the warmth of sleeping siblings each time she tried to reach out a paw or even her tail. They were neither far enough nor close enough to her to be of help, not enough room to stretch or enough presence to keep her warm against whatever chill wind was waiting outside. She blinked sleepy eyes open, scowling through the strands of her forelock at the coiled figures in the den with her.

To her back she was sure was yet more of her numerous siblings, but in front of her she could clearly make out the coiled figures of her brother Shahrivar and, surprisingly, the shocking white and raspberry pelt of Rumple Minze, one of her cousins. Rum certainly hadn't been there when she'd gone to sleep, then again, most of the boys had not. She had made the winding journey from the Traveling Reenactment Faire's resting home, content in the deal she had struck for her and her sister Valeria Skelzie's booth. Come the next travel leg, they'd be merrily vending their ingredients and brews.

But that was a topic worth purring over for another time. (And she would, because it was a job well done and Esfir was not one for letting such a chance to celebrate her cleverness pass by.) For now, she was awake and chilled, and with no desire to wake her sleeping siblings or cousin for entertainment, it would fall to her to get up and go in search of some. With a sigh, Esfir rocked to her belly and then folded her paws under her, hesitating for a moment before she slowly made her way to her feet. Clicking her teeth softly to herself, a self-soothing gesture, she wound and twisted her way through the belly of the den, and the curvy entry path that ended to block the worst of the wind and weather. Each step she took toward the exit brought on a bit more chill of the wind and the outside the world, until she hesitated in the shadow of the doorway and gave another shiver from nose to tail.

"What in the name of tea time is going on with the weather?" She mumbled, catching sight of a lashing tail and reluctantly stepping out of the den to see Blu lingering by one of the gnarled trunks favored by the Cheshire Clan for climbing. "Blu, did you rescue an Ice Princess?"

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Esfir Lahal Wordcount: 552

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BluRazberry Jinx ParTea had spent most of the evening dosing on his favorite outlook branch, a thick bough of an oak that was high enough so as to escape the notice from most passersby, and on an ancient tree that was offset enough from the main path that he could play lookout and not have to act as a greeter. It was, by his definition, a perfect place to keep an eye on who came and went in the Underlands. But consequently, it was even better for napping due to being out of the reach and notice of most of his siblings.

Granted, his sisters usually were off to make their own fun these days; Devora in particular was often busy as the Clan's liaison and the official Underland Tea Vendor at The Traveling Reenactment Faire. In between juggling those tasks, there was also the matter of her two paramours. Blu didn't even want to get involved in all that, personally; just so long as his sisters were happy he was content to leave them to their own affairs.
With them otherwise occupied, and his cousins the sort to wander in search of mischief, there had been a bit of an empty nest sort of feeling around the herd a while back, which perhaps had accounted for the arrival of new cousins and then more siblings. There was now a veritable clattering of young siblings and cousins practically under paw each time he turned around. Drowsing on his favorite branch was a nice little getaway when he could manage it.

If worse came to worse, his cousin Zinger knew where he was most likely to be found, but short of that it was likely the majority of the goings-on in the herd would be fine without Blu being involved. He always made sure to wander through when he vacated the spot, visiting with his kin to check in on what he had missed and ensure they felt no need to hunt him down just because it seemed like he'd been missing for a time. In the wee hours of the morning, he had shuffled back to the heart of the herd, bid aunts and his mother good morning, and visited with some of the herd members that were just stirring, as well as those retiring after being awake all night. Somewhere along the way they'd all scattered again, and Blu had been left alone to his thoughts and to consider the creeping chill that was beginning to wind its way through the woods and draw claws through his coat.

Now it was evident that the cold had struck hard and fast, and outside the immediate tangle of trees that made the heart of the herd lands, there was snow even in the forest itself. Not as dense a carpet as that which lay outside of the trees, but a foot or two in some areas, thick and white and crunching under paw. Unable to resist the temptation of the white carpet of fluff, Blu reached a paw out and pressed it into the snow for a moment, holding it until the urge to shiver made him lift his leg and withdraw it, grinning at the pawprint left behind. Esfir's somewhat-sulky question made him chuckle, shooting a glance back to watch her approach.

"Not me, I'm afraid." He countered with a shake of her head. "What about you? Break an Ice Monarch's heart when you spurned their advances and came home? Are they showing us their chilling fury, and then soon will send an envoy to demand your paw in marriage before they let our lands thaw? If Mother will not marry you away for advantage, I'm sure one of us might be purrsuaded."

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BluRazberry Jinx ParTea Wordcount: 623

 

[Lunadriel]

Kazamir half felt the air cool to his back side. Trying to ignore it by curling his tail in closer where the now empty void of one less body was. Dreams disturbed and interrupted as the unwelcome temperature change threatened to pull him awake. A most defiant grumble gurgled up his throat as he tried to adjust and stay asleep. The moment of sleep bidding him goodbye no matter how hard he tried to keep it. The always grinning smile on his face, near faded to a flat line. Opening one eye, he peered about through his rough and scruffy hair. Sitting up, his hat crunched to his head. It is no small wonder, how it always stayed on his head. Perhaps the hair had grown into it's shape, to help retain it's position. Inhaling deep, the slightly chilled and earthy air, he decided to follow whomever woke him.

KC is not one to pay attention to his surroundings too hard, and likely stepped on one or two family members as he got up to leave. Giving a loooong dramatic stretch, he set off towards the caves exit. As said, KC didn't pay attention to the smaller details. The increasing cold air went unnoticed. As he approached the exit to their dormitory, he could hear a set of voices, muffled, as they traveled to his ears. Of course he'd recognize Esfir's voice. Likely the culprit for him leaving dreamland earlier than he would of liked. He heard something about a marriage. Not a game he had heard of before. Did the game have a name?

As he exited the burrow, his eternal grin grew. "What game is this?" he called out to no one in particular, in reply to the white that tumbled across the ground, patched in piles beneath the holes in the canopy above. Walking over the the closest snow drift that BlueRazberry stood near, he leaned over and gave it a quizzical sniff. Not the first time he had seen snow, but before only flurries had reached this far under the trees. Seeing the perfect print in the snow that Blue had left, KC enthusiastically stomped his foot right next to it. Then pulled his paw away, quite pleased with the result.

A wind chilled through the air, biting at his bones. "Wow, did someone make a Winter Witch angry by dumping tea in her cauldron?" he proclaimed as he finally realized how cold it actually is.  

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

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"What about me what?" Esfir asked archly as she settled at her brother's side. "What use would I have for an Ice Princess?"

His jokes about the hypothetical 'Ice Monarch' earned him a warning snap of her teeth, and the suggestion that he might marry her off for advantage earned him a warning glare and a growl. "You try to marry me off to a strange herd for your own advantage, and Mother will forever be wondering what befell her first son. Perhaps I will leave your hat somewhere to be found, solace for her and a warning to our siblings."

The arrival of KC was of little surprise to her, he had been one of the ones she'd left behind in the den and with the biting chill of the wind was growing more insistent. Soon enough she was sure more siblings and cousins would follow if only to take stock of matters and then huddle away somewhere warm. She tilted her head to flash a bright eye at him and gave a greeting nod. "Brother."

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"What would one call a weather game, I wonder? A game of flurries, perhaps," Blu pondered, squinting up at the tree branches overhead and scowling when snowflakes settled on his muzzle. "A chilling game, at any rate. One that invited itself right to our doorstep, rather than having the courtesy of remaining outside of the woods and waiting for us to come to play it."

He watched KC stomp a print into the snow beside his own dainty mark, grinning when snow sloughed in all directions. "I'm sure that hassling a Winter Witch would be entertaining to a great many of us, Kazimir... we do always like challenges and games. But I rather doubt any of us would want to waste good tea to do it. Then again, if Devora was unhappy with her crop or a recent trade, it's very possible she might have thrown it with no care for where it landed. I guess we could blame her for such a harsh change in the weather, it might even be true."

He grinned at the thought of his sister, and of the temper she'd likely show him if she knew he were suggesting such things.

 

[Silver Metallic Dragon]

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“I don’t know what I’m more offended by, darling brother, that you think I have anything to do with this dreadful weather, or that I would grow a crop of tea that I found offensive enough to haphazardly discard in such a manner.”


Winding her way through the mass of trees, roots, and snow, the eldest of Queen Katya’s children appeared moments after her voice could be heard. Devora shot Blu a dry look as she ducked under a low branch, shaking snow from her back. “You keep this up and I’ll keep my latest tea creation to myself and the youngest among us.” Grinning widely at him, Devi nodded her head at the bag at her hip. “If there is anything this weather is good for, it’s enjoying a warm cup of tea and honey!”


Spotting her younger siblings, Devi purred a greeting at KC and nuzzled Esfir. “Hello darlings. I come bearing cardamom and cinnamon tea, with honey provided by my honey Fal.” The princess could barely smother the lovesick smile that broke out across her face at the mention of one of her males. She hated having to leave he and Esa, but she did have responsibilities within the herd, and absence makes the heart grow fonder as they say. “He and Esa send their greetings, they’re having to fortify the hives from this hideous snow… I figured this was as good a time as any to come back and tend to my duties here.” Leaning close to Esfir, Devi lowered her voice and smirked. “Plus, I got out of manual labor.” Winking, the mare flicked Blu with her tail and beckoned him and KC to follow her.


“Come on boys, Esfir, let’s get out of this weather and make some tea. Auntie Oksana will be along shortly, she was checking the royal roses and topiaries for damage. Heavens forbid she gets finished and there not be tea!”

Devora Tumbang WC: 321

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With a huff, Oksana shuffled her way along the whimsical path, trudging through the thick blanket of snow. The strength of this storm caught everyone by surprise, causing the mad scramble from the herd to protect the crops, the roses, and he sisters beloved carnivorous plants the day before. She had checked on them with Katya earlier in the day, and thankfully they all appeared to have come though the nightmare unscathed. Sana was about 87% sure that her sister would rather loose several of her biological children before she lost those plants, and Sana was positive that all 5 of her sisters (herself included) would be sacrificed if it meant keeping those little devils alive.


Her roses appeared to have survived as well, a great relief to the leader of the royal gardeners. She worked hard shaping those things just so, and it would have been a terrible fate to have to start fresh in the spring. Devora’s teas had survived unscathed as well, the princess was just about as attached to her tea bushes as her mother to the carnivorous plants. She would happily sacrifice Blu and Zinger and use their pelts to keep the plants warm. Chuckling, Oksana crested the hill before the entrance to their den, winding her way carefully down the path to the warmth that awaited her. Devora had bribed her with tea and honey to assist her with inspecting the crops, and she hoped the water was at least boiling when she arrived.


Hearing the laughter of her nieces and nephews, Sana paused and grinned. Their happiness warmed her heart and made all the danger and stress they had suffered to make this haven happen all worth it. They deserved this, and she was glad she and her sisters were able to provide it. Perking at the mention of her name, she laughed outright.


“You’re right, first princess! I’m finished and I’d like that tea you promised me!”

Oksana Abalone WC: 325  

[Lunadriel]

KC flipped his tail at Devora, with a barely audible crack from the exposed bones. A return greeting as he dipped his head to her. He perked up at the promise of tea. Cardamom and cinnamon tea happened to be his absolute favorite! Especially when paired with a bit of cracked black pepper. The spiced warm blend had a earthy feel that replenished ones soul. Before she even finished beckoning him to follow, he padded over to stand front and center, ready to go. "Please make sure to steep mine extra long! It's so cold, I could bathe in your tea to get warm. A tea hotspring! Before you object, I promise to not drink the bath water. " he said in jest with a raised paw. As if him drinking it would be the only issue with him bathing in her tea. He would stew in the tea like one of Devi's spices. Surely not taint it by bathing in that much tea! One might think him a little vacant in his mind, but KC just liked to challenge others and not always placate them with what they wanted to hear.

As they turned down the trail, he would on occasion, stomp on a tantalizing pile of snow. The muffled crunch almost as satisfying as stepping on brown leaves in fall. When a bit of the snow stuck between his toes, he grinned, and flicked it behind him. Eyes wide, grin even wider, hoping a bit of it hit Blu. Just enough to get his attention. He shrugged and pretended nothing happened, greeting his mothers sister with a tip of his head.  

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

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"Well I think it is always safe to say, stranger things have happened." Blu teased Devora gently, flicking his ears as he shook off the snow clinging to his coat. "Afterall, as the saying goes, I have been known to believe as many as six impossible things before breakfast."

Her threat to withhold tea made him fold his ears down and back, giving her an entreating look without his customary grin. "Well now, there's no cause to be quite so mean as that! Withholding tea is a step too far, especially when the weather is so dull and dreary as this."

Considering how she was already threatening him with tea -or the lack there of- Blu wisely kept his maw shut with regards to mentions of Falmari and the lovesick look on his sister's face when she mentioned him. The fact that he and Esa kept his sister in such good humor was to their credit, but it was a brother's place to tease his sister about her paramour and Blu took that seriously. Except for when tea was on the line.

"A wise decision on your part, to leave your honeys' in the snow while you come have tea with us." He cheerfully observed, chuckling at the slap of her tail and drifting out of her way so she and KC could retreat inside.

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"Aunty!" Esfir clacked her jaws happily at the arrival of her beloved aunt Oksana, her carnivorous plants perking up at the approach. Snicker, the parasitic plant that was perched behind her ear, mumbled a greeting. Meanwhile, Snack, at the base of her tail, seemed to be dosing, giving off soft snoring noises now and again. Snack was the pickier of the two, and this flash-winter weather especially had upset the flora, resulting in sullen silence, more sleep than usual, and a begrudgingly ravenous appetite.

Esfir left Snack to their sleep and nosed Oksana's cheek as the older mare passed, affectionately brushing past KC with her usual catlike grace as she headed back toward the warmth of their shelter.

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Blu stepped aside to let the ladies pass, coiling back on himself to turn toward shelter. However, as KC trode the path from time to time he'd stomp in a pile of snow he seemed to find irresistible, and then he would fling his paw to cast the snow aside. The first two Blu managed to dodge, the third sloshed right in his ear, and the fourth hit him on the nose.

"Kazimir." He rumbled warningly, giving his brother a sulky look. "You're going to get one of Aunty's prize roses across your backside, thorns and all, if you don't stop with the snow slinging. Let's just get back to the den and make some tea with everyone intact, shall we?"

 

[Lunadriel]

"Oh my paws!" KC exclaimed at Blu's threat with a grin. His grin lessened as he got serious for a moment. "Or rather, my back I should say. Then again, it might make a nice addition to my greenery. Minus the thorns and the hurt." he paused. "I might get a prickly stick but you'd have to face to face the consequences for plucking one of the royal roses!" KC imagined his aunt might be madder than a jabberwocky for that action. But then again, they were all mad here. He coiled back from the thought, not wanting Blu to get hurt. Or well, loosing tea! That threat had already been made once. The threat could return! KC imagined it all in a matter of seconds, grinned and plodded along into the tunnel. "Very well, very well. Tea for you, tea for me. Perhaps some snacks?" The volume of his voice raising at the word 'snacks' hoping his sister heard him, or his aunt. Whoever could magically procure some delicious treats to go with the tea.  

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

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Blu eyed the guilty paws as his brother exclaimed, noticing some lingering slush still caught in KC's royal-colored coat. It made it seem like his markings went all the way down to his toes, though Blu know they cut off around his ankles. Still, between the white swirling markings and the swirls of ice and snow clinging to the plush coat, Kazamir looked almost like he'd been dancing out in the snowfall before it turned into a blizzard... or perhaps after, if it had tapered off to a light snow and a dancing wind.

"Your backside, in any case," Blu grumbled with hidden humor, though the threat of consequences (and Aunt Oksana's wrath) was not exactly a laughing manner. "Ah. well, yes... there is that."

A moment or two of silence descended as the siblings contemplated the royal rose garden and the consequences that would ensue from disrupting it. It would likely not be as terrible as if someone attacked the carnivorous plants, Blu would be the first to concede, but Oksana's wrath could be fearsome... And if Devora felt like danger to the roses would upset her Beekeeping Boyfriend, or threaten her tea trade... Well, that would be the last anyone heard of the Underland brothers. KC and Blu and probably Shah for good measure would be quietly gotten rid of, or loudly gotten rid of, as the ladies' tempers decided.

"You make a good point." He mumbled with a wince at the thoughts whirling through his head. When KC's attention drifted back to Devora and Oksana, Blu let it, drifting ahead of them to walk beside his young sister. "Perhaps I shall stay up here, where I am less likely to get into mischief."

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"You might be less likely to get into trouble here," Esfir intoned thoughtfully. "But the chances are never zero."

The rustling of her plant made her tilt her head, her forelock sliding to one side to flash a brightly glowing eye in a hue that matched the furthest tips of her mane. "Snicker says you were contemplating harm to the Royal Roses, and then their kin. I will remind you that they are Mama's favorite, and mine... And Shah is fond of them too. If it seems they are too chilled, there are plenty of hides we could harvest to keep them warm. But if it's mischief you seek, one of them might be yours."

 

[Silver Metallic Dragon]

Setting about with proper tea preparations, Devora half-listened to the chatter of her brothers and sister, chuckling at Blu. “Blu, my sweet, sweet brother… I do not joke about tea. You keep your hide right, and I will never deny you tea.” Throwing a smirk over her shoulder, the flesh of her face dripping along with the movement, the crown princess placed the satchel of leaves into the large teapot at her feet.

In the beat of silence that followed, Devora heard the words that drove a shiver across her flesh hard and sharp. Oh no… not the roses. Frozen in place for a moment, true terror crossed her face. Whipping her head around, Devi made a desperate attempt to dissuade the conversation between her siblings, paw lifted off the ground, making a slashing gesture across her throat. She would rather tangle with a hive of those rather nasty bees her love had mentioned than the wrath that was about to befall the princes of Underland.

Hanging her head, Devora shook out her mane a gave a small huff of breath. Aunty had worked tirelessly to keep those roses alive and intact, and even the first mention of harm befalling them would send her into a tizzy. Her mother had been rushing to protect her carnivorous plants, which meant her Aunt had been just as involved. The royal gardener had gotten very little rest the past day or so, which added to her stress level. While they weren’t the carnivorous plants, the Queen and most of her siblings adored those roses… gods help the souls who would lay a paw on a single petal.

She was going to miss her brothers.


Oksana often considered herself a peaceful soul, kind, and calm. Few things truly angered her, but when her anger was unleashed? Bless the souls who got in the way. She’s been chatting idly with Esfir, standing a few paces behind Devora and the tea pot. She thought one of the boys made mention of her roses, but neither would be so stupid, would they? They should know that she would happily skin every male in this cave to keep those roses alive, and she would have her sister’s blessings. As long as she provided a hide for her carnivorous plants, that is.

The silence that followed Esifr’s comment was heavy, and it gave Oksana a moment to plot their deaths. Slow and painful? Quick and easy?...decisions, decisions. Turning slowly, Oksana caught her eldest niece's attempt to save her brothers from the corner of her eye, but it was too late. Their fate sealed. Katya would understand…There were other princes. She wanted more children. It would be fine, the deaths of these two.

Leveling her nephews with a look to chase the hair off your hide, Oksana paused, extending the painful silence a few more moments. Let them think about their ends before it came.

“I’m sorry, my darling nephews… You planned on doing what with my roses?”  

[Lunadriel]

KC slid down the tunnel into their burrow, loosing traction on a patch of smooth ground with his icey paws. He caught himself quickly, only loosing his footing for a moment. As he traversed on, taking to Blu, he felt the air change and things go silent. Kazamir looked around, and eye peeking out from under the tussle of purple and white hair. His gaze made eye contact with Devora.

"Oh me oh my, oh me oh my. What should we do?" he whispered in song to Blu, but loud enough for all to hear. For Blu wasn't even standing by him anymore, and KC hadn't even noticed. "No one would dare touch the roses. But to say so in jest, perhaps is also worthy of death?" his smile changed to a deep, comical frown. Almost as if he didn't know how to frown, and well, this is the first time he tried! As he spoke, he got lower and lower to the ground, paws crawling their way between Devora and Oksana. "Might I have a dying request for tea? Since it shall be the last time I have any!" He said as he went belly up in front of them, his grin returning, but now upside down. The squished hat on his head a pillow beneath his dramatic pose. KC curled his neck around, so his body made a U shape. Completely submissive.  

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

Blu gave his sister a frantic look, trying to telegraph 'quick break out the tea' with a complicated pattern of eyebrow movement and ear-flicking. It's unlikely that she could understand the exact wording he was trying to sign, but she could surely read the meaning and the desperation.

His not-so-subtle communication with his sister was interrupted by the sudden loss of KC, the younger male slipping on his ice-covered paws and almost tumbling out of sight, safe in the depths of the den. The displacement of his paws resulted in an awkward skittering and then he was talking, and Blu had no idea.

"An ill-advised jest, Aunty, with no real harm ever truly coming to your roses or mother's most precious carnivorous plants." He offered gamely, watching as KC practically melted into a puddle at Oksana and Devora's paws and looked rather cute doing it. He might just get away with it. "Do forgive us? Or at least delay sentencing until after tea and cakes? Last meals are a part of such proceedings, as I recall."  

[Silver Metallic Dragon]

This moment would be rather comical, if not for the homicidal rage radiating off her normally mild-mannered Aunt. Perhaps if they could defuse the murderous impulse of her aunt, this would make a fantastic story to tell Blu and KC's future children. Subtly shifting on her paws, Devora slid the teapot out in front of her, while placing a few more inches between herself and her aunt. She certainly had no interest in dying today, not when there is tea involved.

Watching her younger brother all but melt at her and Oksana's paws, Devora had to turn her head to smother her laughter. KC was far too cute for his own good, and may just save himself and Blu in the process.

Chortling, Devora tossed her head. "Come now Auntie...ha...they certainly don't mean to threaten the roses." Coughing to disguise her laughter, the princess slid the teapot and cups in front of the rapidly calming elder in their midst.

Unable to hold her laugher any longer, Devora burst into a fit of giggled, gently batting at KCs head. "Look at him Auntie. He's adorable! You can't be mad at that face."

The terror that befell both of her nephews' faces had made the entire act worth it, if Oksana was being honest. She had absolutely meant to terrify the pair, but the reactions were quite opposite of what she was expecting. Watching KC tumbled down into the den head over tea kettle was one thing, but then he proceeded to turn into rather adorable goo at their feet. They'll have to work on that whole 'feline grace' thing...

Blu's obvious and frantic facials at his older sister were expected, as much grief as he gave Devora, he was well aware his sister would protect him if push came to shove. Not that Oksana was actually going to harm either male... maybe. As Devora moved the tea and cakes into her line of vision, Oksana kept her narrowed gaze upon both males.

Coughing, Oksana dissolved into laughter, grinning the familiar family grin to both. "You both are lucky you're cute, that's all I can say. Up up KC, you can't have tea and cakes on your back. You're forgiven yes, eat. Devora and your mother would both be upset if I ended your existence. They'd have to move those bags of fertilizer themselves and you know how your sister feels about hard labor."  

[Lunadriel]

The indigo paws gave small twitches, to add to his display. Anything to get out of trouble. He gave a huffed, airy laugh when he succeeded in quelling her wrath. This had been a great game! One he thoroughly enjoyed. Even after the all clear broke in the air, he laid there still. Truth be told, his back-bone-spikes had wedged in the ground. KC grunted as he wormed from side to side to loosen himself. Luckily he hadn't been laying on one of the carpets that decorated the floor, or he might of had more graveling to do for puncturing one! As he managed to roll back over, he stretched, then padded over to where the tea was.

"Mmmm, I do love cake with my tea. Thank you so much for sparing my life, so that I might enjoy these delectables." he practically purred out. As he reached down, ready to scoop a nibble. The cake vanished from in front of him! KC had his own plant that lived on his back, and had been dormant this entire time. As usual, it rarely moved about. That is, until there was something it wanted! Snip had nipped the cake for himself, and curled away in the air like a snake. KC gasped at it. "Guddler! I would of shared." he pouted at the thief. Snip retreated into the ivy and thorns, taking it's prize back to it's green nest. KC poked around, trying to get it back. The burrow echoed as he continued to banter with it.

Winter may have came, but it didn't stop those of Underland from having tea and cake! Or just tea in KC's case.  

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

Blu grinned at the sound of his sister and aunt laughing at him and KC, and likely the humorous expressions they had both made. There was nothing better than tea and cakes with family, he personally thought, so the fact that they had left the winter wonderland behind for their own everyday wonderland was just fine by him. The arrival of more of their family in from the cold prompted another flurry of greetings and laughter and the chime of teapots and teacups, which were surely the best sort of sounds.

"Thank you Devi, and Aunty, for your hard work and your mercy today." He offered with a grin. "Now it is time for tea! To us, the wonderous Underland!"

Watching KC's plant snap up a bit of cake before his brother got the chance made him join in the laughter, and he quietly slid his cake over toward his younger brother when it seemed everyone was suitably distracted. The snow could stay outside, they had everything they needed right there.

[ FIN ]