Carpathia IV: Episode 115 - Catnip
Andrast, Amenaru's house
Day passed into evening, the entire time spent catching up and eating take-out. As the evening progressed, Kit became more comfortable with his surroundings, though he was still not quite in sync yet with the rambunctiousness of the Pendergast household. Sylvar, on the other hand, took to the lively environment quickly.
Once it was time for bed, Amenaru took Sylvar upstairs to show him to the guest room in the northeast wing. Though small, barely big enough for a bed, a wardrobe, and a nightstand, Sylvar was delighted, particularly with the picture windows offering an expansive view of the landscape beyond.
With Sylvar comfortable in this room, Amenaru and Kit crossed the hall to his room. He opened the door and gestured for Kit to enter first. From what Kit could see, Amenaru's room was the same as the guest room with one glaring omission. Where the bed was in Sylvar's room, there was only a chaise in Amenaru's.
Kit: No beds?
Amenaru pointed up at a large hole in the ceiling with a ladder descending from it.
Amenaru: Upstairs. No windows up there, though. Only vents for fresh air. It's still comfortable even if there's not much to look at.
Kit: I see. This is a nice place to read or work.
Amenaru: Yeah, I like to sit on the chaise and read comics. Shall we?
Amenaru dropped his suitcase on the floor and scurried up the ladder. Once he was up there, he poked his head into the hole and held out his hand.
Amenaru: I'll take the bags and then you can come up.
Kit passed both his and Amenaru's bags up the hole one by one and then climbed the ladder himself. The upstairs bedroom was significantly more spacious, spanning one side of the back end of the house to the other. On one side was the bed, and a very large one at that, big enough for three people with room to spare. Along the walls going to the other side was a mishmash of wardrobes, shelves, a computer, and a drum kit with plenty of space left over. As Amenaru said, there were no windows and it was clear that they were up into the roof section of the house.
Kit: This seems like a strange design to me. Are all Carpathian houses like this?
Amenaru: Ha! Probably just ours, especially the bit with the ladder. There are stairs, but you have to go through Ramses's room and then circle around to here to use that. I only use that when I have to carry heavy stuff. Anyway, you need a shower?
Kit: I'm fine right now, thanks.
Amenaru: I'll have one, then. Just make yourself as comfortable as you like.
As much as Amenaru wanted to linger in the shower, he hurried himself along so as not to leave Kit feeling awkward, alone, in his bedroom for too long on his first night. After hurrying through his shower, he wasted no time drying his hair and brushing his teeth.
Amenaru: Are you sure you don't want to take a shower? It's nice and...MREYOW!
On the runabout, Kit slept naked the every night, which was certainly not a complaint in the slightest. There was something, however, about a teasing, titillating bit of eveningwear and even moreso when it's completely unexpected.
Kit: No good? I'm afraid that, besides a few uniforms, these are the only clothes I have that survived the sinking. The sheets on the runabout were so nice I didn't need to wear anything for sleeping.
Amenaru's focus shifted from titillation to concern, though he was still very much titillated.
Amenaru: Oh, I'm glad you told me that. Take whatever you like from my wardrobes and drawers! If you want, we can go shopping tomorrow and you can pick out anything you like.
Kit: I'd like that.
Amenaru: Speaking of tomorrow, it's easier for me to do the boring, bureaucratic stuff, like renewing my driver's license, while I'm here rather than out at Polaris. I want to do it tomorrow morning so that I can get it out of the way as quickly as possible. You can come with me if you want or you can stay here. Up to you. I'll understand if you don't want to. I should be back around lunchtime.
Kit: I can stay here. I have some things to take care of related to Tokkastra. I can do that with my tablet.
Amenaru struggled with both relief and disappointment, as it would be nice to have Kit with him, but it would also be a lousy way for him to spend his first day, or any day, on Andrast. Nevertheless, tomorrow was tomorrow and tonight is tonight. Amenaru tossed his bath towel aside in preparation for pre-bedtime exercise.
The next day, Amenaru awoke early and after giving Kit a kiss goodbye, he set out to do all the boring things. Indeed they were boring, standing in lines and sitting around waiting for his name to be called, all for a brief bit of bureaucratic rubber stamping that took all of five minutes. Some things, Amenaru thought, never change no matter how much society and technology progresses.
Amenaru arrived home with all the bureaucratic nonsense completed and nothing to worry about besides planning fun things to do for the next several weeks. Just off to the right of the front door, he found his dad and Sylvar in the kitchen, which looked like someone stepped on a landmine full of herbs and spices within.
James: Hey, they you are! Did you get all your stuff done?
Amenaru: I did, thankfully. Looking forward to a lot of goofing off. What are you two doing with this big mess anyway?
James held his meat cleaver aloft as though he had just slain a wicked beast with it.
James: We're making dinner!
Amenaru scrunched up his face beneath his wiggly, skeptical ears.
Amenaru: Dinner? It's barely past noon.
James: Well, you know... Sylvar came downstairs hungry so I suggested we make lunch together. We were having so much fun together and then one thing lead to another. We just sort of kept going with it. Besides, the meat's gotta marinade, doesn't it?
Amenaru: Can't argue with that and I'm glad you two are having fun.
Sylvar: This is lots of fun! I've never cooked for enjoyment before. Just for survival. Protein bread, boiled vegetables, and meat seared on a power conduit of we were lucky to get some. The food on the Shadowdancer was good, but it's interesting to cook properly, isn't it?
Amenaru: I'm looking forward to what you come up with.
Sylvar: Oh! Would you like a roast beef sandwich? We did manage to make lunch before we started on the brisket.
Amenaru: That sounds good! I am a bit hungry. I haven't had anything besides the waffle I heated up this morning.
Sylvar turned and when he came back around, he held a platter in his hand piled high with sandwiches.
Sylvar: We might have gotten a little carried away.
Amenaru took a sandwich and just before he had a bite, noticed the meat inside and studied it carefully.
Amenaru: This is really sliced thin. It's like paper.
James put his cleaver on the wood block and wrapped his arm around Sylvar.
James: Sylvar is a wizard with the knife.
Amenaru took a bite of his sandwich and immediately noticed just how succulent and flavorful the meat was.
Amenaru: Wow, this is really good!
Sylvar pumped his fist in the air in celebration.
Sylvar: He likes it!
James: I told you that you're good. People underestimate the difference it makes to slice meat properly. Sylvar gets it.
While Amenaru ate his sandwich, thoughts turned to Kit. So far, he hadn't seen him since he got back.
Amenaru: Has Kit been down?
James: Yeah, he was here. He came down about an hour after you left and got himself a cucumber sandwich and an apple. Then your mother came down and they went upstairs together.
Amenaru: I suppose they can't have gotten into too much trouble in just a few hours. I'll call out.
Amenaru put his hands around his mouth and pointed his head to the upstairs.
Amenaru: Kit! I'm back!
Almost immediately, he heard a response. It sort of sounded like Kit, but something was off, besides the sing-songy tone of his voice.
Kit: 🎵 Coming my little choochky-poop! 🎵
Amenaru shook his head, wondering if there might be something wrong with his ears. A moment later, he flushed, and slowly looked over at his dad and Sylvar, both of whom had big, silly grins on their faces.
James: Never heard that one before!
Amenaru: I swear it's the first time I've heard it too.
Kit came staggering down the stairs, bumping his shoulders into the walls as he came, looking like he might fall down. He was wearing one of Amenaru's t-shirts and a pair of his jeans, but the telling part of the problem was the green flecks spread around his shoulders, chest, and, most importantly, face. The slurred speech that escaped his lips after confirmed his suspicions.
Kit: Your mosher and I were watshing shomeshing called bashketball and eating shomeshing called catnip.
Amenaru: Kit... Are you high?!?
Kit thrust his finger into the air righteously and indignantly.
Kit: I am engashing in qwawity time wish your mosher!
Amenaru balled up his fists at his sides and shouted up at the ceiling.
Amenaru: MOM!!!
Kit: Evidently, it includesh copioush farting!
To be continued...
Interested in dressing up Kit like that or mixing and matching four other outfits? The new $10 Patreon tier has you covered! You'll get access to the Kit dress-up PSD file and future updates!
Commissioned art in this episode from:
AvareonArt
Zelbunnii
Less_End
Thatwildmary
Colourbrand
