Fiction: Familiars Extras
Snow
Cal watched the kittens playing in the snow. He knew that once they were cold, he'd have his arms full of kittens whining about the fact that snow was cold and wet. For now though, the kittens were making a mess of the backyard as they tunnelled, pounced and wrestled in the snow. Cal loved watching the boys play with such fierce joy. Giving in to the urge, he threw on coat, mitts and boots and joined his boys in the backyard.
By the time the kittens were tired, Teddy was ready for them with hot chocolate and dryer-warmed towels.
Spider
“No.” Cal did his best not to look at what Teddy and the boys had brought home. “No.”
“But Cal....”
“No.” Cal cut off Teddy's words. “I don't care, that thing is not staying.”
Cal could see the boys' pleading eyes but ignored them. Cal would do anything for his boys, but not this.
“But Cal, it's magical.” Teddy said holding up the clear plastic container that held a colourful spider.
“I apologize if it's a he not an it or a thing, but it can't stay here. Take it to Ranel or Amur.”
“No, it's not a familiar, but it is magical. Aramis spotted it at the pet store. It seems Aramis can see magical energies. That's a rare talent...” Teddy shook his head as he stopped himself from going on a further tangent. “I was hoping to study it more to see just what's magical about it.”
“I don't care. I will let most things into this house, a spider is not one of them. Especially one that size.” Cal shuddered at the sight of the spider. “No.”
Cal looked down at the paw on his leg. Athos, Porthos and Aramis all sat at his feet and looked up at him with pleading eyes. Cal looked back up at Teddy who had the same pleading look on his face.
Cal knew he had to stand his ground, or some day something worse would end up in his house. Although he had no idea what was worse than a spider the length of his thumb that was as colourful as a peacock's feather.
“No.” Cal turned on his heel, saying over his shoulder as he walked away. “That thing leaves or I do. I will not sleep in a house with a spider.”
Teddy glanced down at the kittens staring up at him. “Sorry boys, looks like I'm taking this to Amur.”
Squirrel
For the past week, Porthos had refused to go outside. He sat at the door and watched his brothers as they played and tumbled in the backyard. Or followed Cal around as he attempted to get some housework done until Cal couldn't stand the sad kitten eyes and picked Porthos up to give him some scritches and attention.
The one time Cal tried to force Porthos outside, Porthos had sat staring through the closed door before freaking out and jumping at the door to get inside. Cal didn't try to force Porthos outside again, no matter how worried he was.
Cal brought the matter up with Teddy. Teddy wasn't worried, instead just saying to let Porthos be. Teddy changed his mind when Cal showed him the video he had shot of Porthos freaking out at the door. Phone calls to Sam, Warne, Bazaar (and therefore Duke), and Hugh brought no new knowledge.
Athos and Aramis weren't speaking.
At his wit's end, Cal decided to try taking Porthos outside once more, but this time Cal would join him. So Cal opened the door and let the other two boys scamper out. When Porthos sat down to watch, Cal picked him up and stepped outside holding tightly to Porthos so he couldn't get away. Porthos only clung tightly to Cal so Cal decided to sit down on the patio and see if he could get Porthos to get off his lap.
No matter what Cal tried, Porthos climbed back into his lap whenever Cal put him down on the patio. Cal decided to try something different. He picked up Porthos then stood. Making sure he had a good hold on Porthos in case Porthos decided to try and escape, Cal started wandering around the back yard. Everything was going fine, even if Porthos was still clinging tightly, until Cal reached the far corner.
There must have been an invisible territory line that Cal couldn't sense since the other two kittens who were following him around the yard, plopped down and pawed at Cal's feet as Cal took another step forward.
As Cal unknowingly crossed that line, a small squirrel rushed out from under a tree chittering away. Porthos freaked out and Cal had no choice but to let go and watch Porthos streak away from him towards the house. The squirrel continued to yell at Cal as only squirrels can. Cal's first instinct was to back away but this was his yard and the squirrel was obviously the reason why Porthos refused to go outside on his own.
Cal took a deep breath and step forward intending to scare the squirrel away. The squirrel started chittering even louder and shocked Cal by gathering up a stone and throwing it at him. Cal quickly took a couple steps back. Instead of calming down, the squirrel got more aggressive and followed Cal.
Athos and Aramis who had been watching took off towards the house.
Cal tried to stay calm but after a couple more stones were thrown his way, he quickly followed his boys to the house.
Teddy came upstairs to find four shaking, scared people curled up together on the couch. None of them were willing to go into the backyard for weeks until Teddy put up a 'no squirrel' barrier.
Cal watched the kittens playing in the snow. He knew that once they were cold, he'd have his arms full of kittens whining about the fact that snow was cold and wet. For now though, the kittens were making a mess of the backyard as they tunnelled, pounced and wrestled in the snow. Cal loved watching the boys play with such fierce joy. Giving in to the urge, he threw on coat, mitts and boots and joined his boys in the backyard.
By the time the kittens were tired, Teddy was ready for them with hot chocolate and dryer-warmed towels.
Spider
“No.” Cal did his best not to look at what Teddy and the boys had brought home. “No.”
“But Cal....”
“No.” Cal cut off Teddy's words. “I don't care, that thing is not staying.”
Cal could see the boys' pleading eyes but ignored them. Cal would do anything for his boys, but not this.
“But Cal, it's magical.” Teddy said holding up the clear plastic container that held a colourful spider.
“I apologize if it's a he not an it or a thing, but it can't stay here. Take it to Ranel or Amur.”
“No, it's not a familiar, but it is magical. Aramis spotted it at the pet store. It seems Aramis can see magical energies. That's a rare talent...” Teddy shook his head as he stopped himself from going on a further tangent. “I was hoping to study it more to see just what's magical about it.”
“I don't care. I will let most things into this house, a spider is not one of them. Especially one that size.” Cal shuddered at the sight of the spider. “No.”
Cal looked down at the paw on his leg. Athos, Porthos and Aramis all sat at his feet and looked up at him with pleading eyes. Cal looked back up at Teddy who had the same pleading look on his face.
Cal knew he had to stand his ground, or some day something worse would end up in his house. Although he had no idea what was worse than a spider the length of his thumb that was as colourful as a peacock's feather.
“No.” Cal turned on his heel, saying over his shoulder as he walked away. “That thing leaves or I do. I will not sleep in a house with a spider.”
Teddy glanced down at the kittens staring up at him. “Sorry boys, looks like I'm taking this to Amur.”
Squirrel
For the past week, Porthos had refused to go outside. He sat at the door and watched his brothers as they played and tumbled in the backyard. Or followed Cal around as he attempted to get some housework done until Cal couldn't stand the sad kitten eyes and picked Porthos up to give him some scritches and attention.
The one time Cal tried to force Porthos outside, Porthos had sat staring through the closed door before freaking out and jumping at the door to get inside. Cal didn't try to force Porthos outside again, no matter how worried he was.
Cal brought the matter up with Teddy. Teddy wasn't worried, instead just saying to let Porthos be. Teddy changed his mind when Cal showed him the video he had shot of Porthos freaking out at the door. Phone calls to Sam, Warne, Bazaar (and therefore Duke), and Hugh brought no new knowledge.
Athos and Aramis weren't speaking.
At his wit's end, Cal decided to try taking Porthos outside once more, but this time Cal would join him. So Cal opened the door and let the other two boys scamper out. When Porthos sat down to watch, Cal picked him up and stepped outside holding tightly to Porthos so he couldn't get away. Porthos only clung tightly to Cal so Cal decided to sit down on the patio and see if he could get Porthos to get off his lap.
No matter what Cal tried, Porthos climbed back into his lap whenever Cal put him down on the patio. Cal decided to try something different. He picked up Porthos then stood. Making sure he had a good hold on Porthos in case Porthos decided to try and escape, Cal started wandering around the back yard. Everything was going fine, even if Porthos was still clinging tightly, until Cal reached the far corner.
There must have been an invisible territory line that Cal couldn't sense since the other two kittens who were following him around the yard, plopped down and pawed at Cal's feet as Cal took another step forward.
As Cal unknowingly crossed that line, a small squirrel rushed out from under a tree chittering away. Porthos freaked out and Cal had no choice but to let go and watch Porthos streak away from him towards the house. The squirrel continued to yell at Cal as only squirrels can. Cal's first instinct was to back away but this was his yard and the squirrel was obviously the reason why Porthos refused to go outside on his own.
Cal took a deep breath and step forward intending to scare the squirrel away. The squirrel started chittering even louder and shocked Cal by gathering up a stone and throwing it at him. Cal quickly took a couple steps back. Instead of calming down, the squirrel got more aggressive and followed Cal.
Athos and Aramis who had been watching took off towards the house.
Cal tried to stay calm but after a couple more stones were thrown his way, he quickly followed his boys to the house.
Teddy came upstairs to find four shaking, scared people curled up together on the couch. None of them were willing to go into the backyard for weeks until Teddy put up a 'no squirrel' barrier.