Syri paced around the bedroom from left to right, her tails wagging side by side as she kept her eyes glued to the floor. Dimryi emerged from the bathroom with a yawn, stretching her arms over her head and arching her back until her muscles stretched to a satisfying level. Looking into the mirror, she opened her mouth and stuck her tongue out before making a few funny faces.
"It's nice to see a reflection without needing to break your back bending over a pond of water with the right lighting. Now I don't need you to hold my hair back for me to get a better look at myself." She smiled, stretching her cheek to catch a glimpse at her fangs. When she was met with silence, she poked her head out the doorway to spy on her sister as she paced around repeatedly. "Hey, I left myself open for you to poke fun at me. No jokes about my face or reflection or anything?"
"Can't talk, thinking." Syri replied coldly.
Disappointed, Dimyri's ears dropped down as she scowled before quietly approaching her. She sat with a light bounce on the mattress, her eyes following Syri moving back and forth until she grew tired of watching.
"I don't know why you're so worked up about this, just get out and talk to her."
"No, not that easy." Syri muttered, pressing her paw against the window glass.
Dimyri rolled her eyes and checked her claws. "You're one of the laziest cat girls I know of but when it comes to this, you actually want to put in some effort? Wow, not even official and already she's turning you into a better woman."
Syri turned around and hissed, causing Dimyri to raise her paws in her defense with a nervous chuckle. "Oh please, like you wouldn't tease me before about my crushes."
Syri huffed and crossed her arms, sitting down in bed with her back turned to her. Dimyri reached for one of her tails and playfully spun it around.
"So, what did you come up with?"
"Well you heard him. Felix said Janette was the one who taught him about dates before he took out Nityri in one."
"She prefers KuliKuli-"
"Whatever! Cutie~Cutie, doesn't matter."
"Well fortunately for you, I went and spoke to Janette about dates." Dimyri smirked, catching Syri as she spun around to face her. "And really it was quite simple."
"You talked to her about dates?"
"Uh-huh, Mother and I both did!"
"Why!?" She cried out.
"Te-he, because your sis cares for you so much! Anyways, it's nothing big really. Small stuff that shows that you care, like a gift! Maybe a pleasant surprise that makes their day, or even making them a present? Human culture is weird but Mom says that's how humanoids work and knowing Aunt Alma... well okay she might not be the best example but still-"
"That's it!" Syri hopped on the bed with her paws shaking with enthusiasm. "I'll cook her up breakfast! That'll catch her attention!"
"Ooooh, swell! Except for the small detail of-oh right, you can't cook." Her sister remined her. "There's no lakes or rivers nearby so trout isn't an option, you gunna go back into the forest and see if you can spy some berries? Mom and I can tell the poisonous ones apart but you're still learning."
"Oh please, how hard could it be? We've heard plenty from Mom, something like placing food stuff over metal stuff and hold them over a fire to get them hot."
"The way you describe that process makes me nervous. Are you really considering this? You don't even know your way around the kitchen."
A thud was heard against the bedroom door, followed by a low growl and the muffled voice of someone grumbling in the other side. The door knob started to turn lightly, twisting inch by inch before fumbling and returning to its original position. Someone cursed before going for a second and third attempt, failing to twist the knob each time. By the fourth attempt, the door finally opened enough for it to push open, only for Na'Vi to reveal herself with her teeth latched tightly around the knob. Nobody said a word as the two sisters stared speechlessly, waiting for Na'Vi to pull herself to her feet and wipe the drool from her mouth before fixing her hair.
"Hi," She mumbled, clearing her throat and keeping a straight face. "These doors were not meant for paws and tails."
"I'd imagine that sis couldn't move around with her mate's help." Syri reminded her, only for Dimyri to clamp her paw over her mouth.
Na'Vi frowned as her tails slammed the door shut behind her. "Grrr, don't remind me. They've made their pairing clear late into the night."
"Yeesh." Dimyri awkwardly shifted her legs around. "Well, Syri here was suggesting cooking breakfast for her crush."
Syri's eyes flashed as she shook her sister's paw from her mouth. "Dimyri!"
"What!? It's super obvious, really." She replied defensively.
"It really is." Na'Vi nodded in agreement, much to Syri's embarrassment.
"Well at least don't say who it is." She mumbled, swinging her tails around.
Na'Vi shrugged. "Likely that Janette woman? It's either her or the one who kicked your butt earlier, which unless you're into that-"
"I am not!" She growled, stomping her paw down. "We were just planning on cooking up breakfast to make a good impression on her."
"What?" Na'Vi turned to Dimyri who nodded in silent agreement. "That's... not a terrible idea actually."
"What!?" Dimyri cried out.
"Right!?" Syri cheered, jumping at the opportunity to gain her support. "Heyyy, let's say you and I go down and try to make them a super yummy precious delicious meal?"
Na'Vi eyed her with suspicion. "If you're suggesting I do this for Nityri, I doubt that will work. She marked that human, you don't force that from a Nekomata."
"Yea what gives, you're not trying to manipulate her are you?" Dimyri asked with a light scowl.
"No, not at all! But remember what Mom said about nature and moving on. Heyyy, you can use this as a method to start over!"
"Start over?" She repeated back.
"Sure!" Syri held her paw with an infectious grin. "This could be your way to get to know her again, the new her!"
"She has been avoiding me since we found her."
"Possibly because you nearly killed her." Dimyri reminded the two.
"We fought but no one was seriously hurt." Na'Vi shot back.
"The bruise near your butt and the shattered glass wall tell a different story."
Syri stepped in between them, blocking Dimyri from Na'Vi's sight. "Moving on! What do you say, want to help me with this thing?"
Na'Vi looked unconvinced, avoiding the young Nekomata's pleading eyes and glancing out the window. It was still quite early as the skies were a bright orange fire from the incoming sunrise. There was still plenty of time and everyone else was still sleeping soundly.
The Nekomata's found themselves running around the kitchen, frantically opening every cabinet and throwing every kitchen utensil they found around the room. Na'Vi nervously held the pan handle between her paws, raising it over the heater with a low fire building from the bottom. Dimyri was flipping a comedically large cookbook laying on her lap, her eyes scanning from one page to the next. Syri was busy making a mess of things, scattering every wooden spoon, boiling pot, and frying pan and laying them over the counter tables.
"Wait wait wait!" Dimyri called out, lifting her paws in the air as the other two turned their eyes on her. "Come on, this is too much. I told you we should have picked something simpler for our first time."
"I told you, if we're going to go we're going to go big! Nothing screams romantic or apologetic like a captivating cake to start the day!" Syri answered back.
"I hate to admit it, but she's right. Read the pages, this thing is growing hot." Na'Vi pleaded.
Dimyri hesitated and glanced between one girl and the other. "I can't be the only one who sees this isn't going well. I say we stop this before it gets any worse, or at least call Mom for her help?"
"Ugh, typical Dee! Always crying for Mommy when things get difficult, thinks she knows it all and can be the boss of everyone. But the moment she finds trouble and has to think for herself, her tails curl up and her lips start to pout and its off to whine and bawl until Mommy comes through to save the day."
"Alright fine, you little shit!" Dimyri huffed, ignoring Syri's smirk before pressing her paw over the wrinkled flat pages spread out before her. "Gods be damned, this is hard to translate."
"Ehh, I thought Auntie taught you how to read and write in their language?" Na'Vi hissed.
"This isn't like that, its got some strange vowels and writings, like "Add a pitch o' ye ole brandy for good tatse, lest it froth, thy fun haseth begun? What the hell is this!?"
"Just read the damn pages and close one eye if it helps you focus!" Syri called out impatiently.
"I'm trying!" Dimyri snapped back, squinting her eyes momentarily. "Okay okay, we need two large eggs it seems."
"What, eggs have a size? What do small and medium look like?" Syri asked, digging into one of the cabinets. "Would any eggs do?"
"Nonsense!" Na'Vi cried out, "More eggs make for a bigger cake, just like a bigger fish feeds more cats!"
"Right right, of course."
"Wait a second, this only says two eggs." Dimyri explained, looking at them with concern. "If you add more eggs then we need to add more of everything else."
"Okay, just double it. If we add twice of everything, this will be twice the cake!" Syri cheered, raising a couple eggs between her paws.
"Whatever, just add them into the pan."
Na'Vi pulled the frying pan out from the fire, swinging it to face Syri as she stared at it with confusion.
"Um, how?"
"It just says to break a few eggs of ye ole noggin?" Dimryi added.
Syri shrugged before tossing an egg to Na'Vi, narrowly missing the pan.
splat!
"Ay!" Na'Vi hissed, baring her fangs and glaring at Syri.
"Sorry, let me try again."
splat!
"That one landed, keep it steady."
splat!
"Oops, missed again."
splat!
Dimyri watched dumbfoundedly as her little sister would pitch and throw a third and fourth egg, tossing them into the pan as egg shells and bits of yolk would ooze and drop down from the edges of the pan. "I uh, I'm pretty sure we're doing it wrong."
"How would you know, you ever seen a human do this before?" Syri called out with her paws on her hip.
"No-"
"Maybe the flavor changes depending on how it is served?" Na'Vi mentioned.
"Hey, good thinking! Okay sis, what next?"
Dimyri licked her lips as her face contorted between reading from one funny word to the next, struggling to comprehend this aged source of literature. "Ummm uhh, one and a half cup of flour and powder?"
"That's... odd." Na'Vi turned to look at Syri. "Do humans really eat that stuff for breakfast?"
"Eh, maybe it's a human thing? Mom did say they eat green stuff too." Syri looked around before her eyes caught wind of the pot of flowers hung out on the window sill. "Aha!"
Opening the window and plucking the flower from its roots, she stuffed it into a mug before dumping its contents into the frying pan of soiled egg shells and yolk. Looking around, she found a sac of black powder before digging her paws inside and contributing it into the mixture.
"Easy-peezy," She smiled proudly, dusting off her paws over the pan. "What's next?"
"We need a half cup of milk." Dimyri read, looking back at them.
Syri and Na'Vi shared a puzzled look until Na'Vi spoke up. "Eh, um... I don't think we can ask Mom for that."
"It's been years, maybe if we get a new dad?" Syri asked.
Dimyri shook her head. "We'll just skip that for now."
"Errm, this stuff is getting crazy hot now." Na'Vi reminded them, her paws shakily holding up the frying pan as bits of soil and rose petals popped up and burned to a black crisp with a bed of scrambled egg producing an odd stench causing her to wrinkle her nose. "Bleh, this smells more like it needs a bath."
"Oh water!" Syri clasped her paws together. "We can put in water instead of milk, that will wash out the smell!"
Dimyri looked unconvinced. "Ehhhh-"
But before she could say more, Syri found a pitcher of water and poured it into the pan as a cloud of steam emerged and filled the ceiling.
Na'Vi coughed and turned away. "Ew gross, I can taste it now!"
"Me thinks we should ask mom for help now." Dimyri suggested nervously.
"Nonsense, we have this now and we are so close-AAHHH!" Syri shrieked and jumped back, her tails springing up and her fur growing stiff from their roots like thorns off a the stem of a rose. The outrage caused Na'Vi to raise her paws, accidentally tossing the mixture through the open window. Dimyri slammed the book shut and shot up from her chair, eyes wide open. All three stood frozen in shock as they were met with the guests of everyone else sleeping in the building.
Janette, Emyri, Reta, Felix and KuliKuli were watching from the door frame without saying a word. Janette slowly stepped forward, stepping carefully before hearing a crunch beneath her foot. Lifting her leg, she found a clump of yolk and cracked shell sticking to her slipper. Her mouth was stuck in a wide open position, her eyes dancing around the room looking from one mess to the other before falling on the three Nekomata girls. Dimyri hung her head in shame with the large cook book held against her chest, Na'Vi raised the frying pan to cover her red face as a chunk of charred soil splattered on the kitchen floor, and Syri stood in front of them with a wooden spoon held by each tail, and the empty pitcher of water grasped between her paws.
"What on earth is going on?" Janette asked in a low voice, causing Syri to shiver nervously.
"Hehe, surprised? We were um, well I was... hey!" She waved over her, looking at Felix. "Is this what a date is? Remember, the date?"
Felix blinked and shook his head, blushing as KuliKuli looked at him with a raised brow. "Leave me out of this."
Emyri's eye twitched as she stepped in and rubbed her tired face. "Girls... what... happened?"
"It's a long story." Dimyri replied back.
"It was their idea." Na'Vi muttered, catching a glare from her friends.
Syri huffed and looked around. "I mean it's not that bad... we were cooking! ...Right?"
Janette looked around one more time before catching the dried paste coating the edges of the window sill. Peeking through, she spotted the clumped messy mix that they were cooking up. "What the hells am I looking at, the spawn of Satan?"
"It's a cake!" Syri beamed.
Janette turned and gave her an empty stare, devoid of any expression and emotion. When she brushed past her, she took a deep breath and calmly walked into the crowd huddled around the door frame as they parted for her without a word. She paused without turning back.
"It's too soon for me to deal with this so I'm going for a walk. When I come back, this better be spotless or I'm going to have three asses to hang above the chimney. Make it fast."
"Uhhhhh," Syri tried to respond but choked on her words, watching Janette step away and leaving her. She turned back to face the mess they made and sunk to her knees. "This wasn't a good date, was it?"
"I don't think so, no." Her sister patted her on the head,
Na'Vi's lip quivered when she locked eyes with KuliKuli only for her to walk out of the room with everyone else. With a defeated sigh, she too fell to her knees and dropped the pan. "Well, let's get to cleaning then."
"Honestly we got off easy, I was worried about what Mom would do if anything-" Dimyri sneered.
"What made you think I left?" Emyri's voice asked her from behind, sending a deathly chill rattling her bones as she shrunk into her cat form and hid under the kitchen table.
Syri paced around the bedroom from left to right, her tails wagging side by side as she kept her eyes glued to the floor. Dimryi emerged from the bathroom with a yawn, stretching her arms over her head and arching her back until her muscles stretched to a satisfying level. Looking into the mirror, she opened her mouth and stuck her tongue out before making a few funny faces.
"It's nice to see a reflection without needing to break your back bending over a pond of water with the right lighting. Now I don't need you to hold my hair back for me to get a better look at myself." She smiled, stretching her cheek to catch a glimpse at her fangs. When she was met with silence, she poked her head out the doorway to spy on her sister as she paced around repeatedly. "Hey, I left myself open for you to poke fun at me. No jokes about my face or reflection or anything?"
"Can't talk, thinking." Syri replied coldly.
Disappointed, Dimyri's ears dropped down as she scowled before quietly approaching her. She sat with a light bounce on the mattress, her eyes following Syri moving back and forth until she grew tired of watching.
"I don't know why you're so worked up about this, just get out and talk to her."
"No, not that easy." Syri muttered, pressing her paw against the window glass.
Dimyri rolled her eyes and checked her claws. "You're one of the laziest cat girls I know of but when it comes to this, you actually want to put in some effort? Wow, not even official and already she's turning you into a better woman."
Syri turned around and hissed, causing Dimyri to raise her paws in her defense with a nervous chuckle. "Oh please, like you wouldn't tease me before about my crushes."
Syri huffed and crossed her arms, sitting down in bed with her back turned to her. Dimyri reached for one of her tails and playfully spun it around.
"So, what did you come up with?"
"Well you heard him. Felix said Janette was the one who taught him about dates before he took out Nityri in one."
"She prefers KuliKuli-"
"Whatever! Cutie~Cutie, doesn't matter."
"Well fortunately for you, I went and spoke to Janette about dates." Dimyri smirked, catching Syri as she spun around to face her. "And really it was quite simple."
"You talked to her about dates?"
"Uh-huh, Mother and I both did!"
"Why!?" She cried out.
"Te-he, because your sis cares for you so much! Anyways, it's nothing big really. Small stuff that shows that you care, like a gift! Maybe a pleasant surprise that makes their day, or even making them a present? Human culture is weird but Mom says that's how humanoids work and knowing Aunt Alma... well okay she might not be the best example but still-"
"That's it!" Syri hopped on the bed with her paws shaking with enthusiasm. "I'll cook her up breakfast! That'll catch her attention!"
"Ooooh, swell! Except for the small detail of-oh right, you can't cook." Her sister remined her. "There's no lakes or rivers nearby so trout isn't an option, you gunna go back into the forest and see if you can spy some berries? Mom and I can tell the poisonous ones apart but you're still learning."
"Oh please, how hard could it be? We've heard plenty from Mom, something like placing food stuff over metal stuff and hold them over a fire to get them hot."
"The way you describe that process makes me nervous. Are you really considering this? You don't even know your way around the kitchen."
A thud was heard against the bedroom door, followed by a low growl and the muffled voice of someone grumbling in the other side. The door knob started to turn lightly, twisting inch by inch before fumbling and returning to its original position. Someone cursed before going for a second and third attempt, failing to twist the knob each time. By the fourth attempt, the door finally opened enough for it to push open, only for Na'Vi to reveal herself with her teeth latched tightly around the knob. Nobody said a word as the two sisters stared speechlessly, waiting for Na'Vi to pull herself to her feet and wipe the drool from her mouth before fixing her hair.
"Hi," She mumbled, clearing her throat and keeping a straight face. "These doors were not meant for paws and tails."
"I'd imagine that sis couldn't move around with her mate's help." Syri reminded her, only for Dimyri to clamp her paw over her mouth.
Na'Vi frowned as her tails slammed the door shut behind her. "Grrr, don't remind me. They've made their pairing clear late into the night."
"Yeesh." Dimyri awkwardly shifted her legs around. "Well, Syri here was suggesting cooking breakfast for her crush."
Syri's eyes flashed as she shook her sister's paw from her mouth. "Dimyri!"
"What!? It's super obvious, really." She replied defensively.
"It really is." Na'Vi nodded in agreement, much to Syri's embarrassment.
"Well at least don't say who it is." She mumbled, swinging her tails around.
Na'Vi shrugged. "Likely that Janette woman? It's either her or the one who kicked your butt earlier, which unless you're into that-"
"I am not!" She growled, stomping her paw down. "We were just planning on cooking up breakfast to make a good impression on her."
"What?" Na'Vi turned to Dimyri who nodded in silent agreement. "That's... not a terrible idea actually."
"What!?" Dimyri cried out.
"Right!?" Syri cheered, jumping at the opportunity to gain her support. "Heyyy, let's say you and I go down and try to make them a super yummy precious delicious meal?"
Na'Vi eyed her with suspicion. "If you're suggesting I do this for Nityri, I doubt that will work. She marked that human, you don't force that from a Nekomata."
"Yea what gives, you're not trying to manipulate her are you?" Dimyri asked with a light scowl.
"No, not at all! But remember what Mom said about nature and moving on. Heyyy, you can use this as a method to start over!"
"Start over?" She repeated back.
"Sure!" Syri held her paw with an infectious grin. "This could be your way to get to know her again, the new her!"
"She has been avoiding me since we found her."
"Possibly because you nearly killed her." Dimyri reminded the two.
"We fought but no one was seriously hurt." Na'Vi shot back.
"The bruise near your butt and the shattered glass wall tell a different story."
Syri stepped in between them, blocking Dimyri from Na'Vi's sight. "Moving on! What do you say, want to help me with this thing?"
Na'Vi looked unconvinced, avoiding the young Nekomata's pleading eyes and glancing out the window. It was still quite early as the skies were a bright orange fire from the incoming sunrise. There was still plenty of time and everyone else was still sleeping soundly.
The Nekomata's found themselves running around the kitchen, frantically opening every cabinet and throwing every kitchen utensil they found around the room. Na'Vi nervously held the pan handle between her paws, raising it over the heater with a low fire building from the bottom. Dimyri was flipping a comedically large cookbook laying on her lap, her eyes scanning from one page to the next. Syri was busy making a mess of things, scattering every wooden spoon, boiling pot, and frying pan and laying them over the counter tables.
"Wait wait wait!" Dimyri called out, lifting her paws in the air as the other two turned their eyes on her. "Come on, this is too much. I told you we should have picked something simpler for our first time."
"I told you, if we're going to go we're going to go big! Nothing screams romantic or apologetic like a captivating cake to start the day!" Syri answered back.
"I hate to admit it, but she's right. Read the pages, this thing is growing hot." Na'Vi pleaded.
Dimyri hesitated and glanced between one girl and the other. "I can't be the only one who sees this isn't going well. I say we stop this before it gets any worse, or at least call Mom for her help?"
"Ugh, typical Dee! Always crying for Mommy when things get difficult, thinks she knows it all and can be the boss of everyone. But the moment she finds trouble and has to think for herself, her tails curl up and her lips start to pout and its off to whine and bawl until Mommy comes through to save the day."
"Alright fine, you little shit!" Dimyri huffed, ignoring Syri's smirk before pressing her paw over the wrinkled flat pages spread out before her. "Gods be damned, this is hard to translate."
"Ehh, I thought Auntie taught you how to read and write in their language?" Na'Vi hissed.
"This isn't like that, its got some strange vowels and writings, like "Add a pitch o' ye ole brandy for good tatse, lest it froth, thy fun haseth begun? What the hell is this!?"
"Just read the damn pages and close one eye if it helps you focus!" Syri called out impatiently.
"I'm trying!" Dimyri snapped back, squinting her eyes momentarily. "Okay okay, we need two large eggs it seems."
"What, eggs have a size? What do small and medium look like?" Syri asked, digging into one of the cabinets. "Would any eggs do?"
"Nonsense!" Na'Vi cried out, "More eggs make for a bigger cake, just like a bigger fish feeds more cats!"
"Right right, of course."
"Wait a second, this only says two eggs." Dimyri explained, looking at them with concern. "If you add more eggs then we need to add more of everything else."
"Okay, just double it. If we add twice of everything, this will be twice the cake!" Syri cheered, raising a couple eggs between her paws.
"Whatever, just add them into the pan."
Na'Vi pulled the frying pan out from the fire, swinging it to face Syri as she stared at it with confusion.
"Um, how?"
"It just says to break a few eggs of ye ole noggin?" Dimryi added.
Syri shrugged before tossing an egg to Na'Vi, narrowly missing the pan.
splat!
"Ay!" Na'Vi hissed, baring her fangs and glaring at Syri.
"Sorry, let me try again."
splat!
"That one landed, keep it steady."
splat!
"Oops, missed again."
splat!
Dimyri watched dumbfoundedly as her little sister would pitch and throw a third and fourth egg, tossing them into the pan as egg shells and bits of yolk would ooze and drop down from the edges of the pan. "I uh, I'm pretty sure we're doing it wrong."
"How would you know, you ever seen a human do this before?" Syri called out with her paws on her hip.
"No-"
"Maybe the flavor changes depending on how it is served?" Na'Vi mentioned.
"Hey, good thinking! Okay sis, what next?"
Dimyri licked her lips as her face contorted between reading from one funny word to the next, struggling to comprehend this aged source of literature. "Ummm uhh, one and a half cup of flour and powder?"
"That's... odd." Na'Vi turned to look at Syri. "Do humans really eat that stuff for breakfast?"
"Eh, maybe it's a human thing? Mom did say they eat green stuff too." Syri looked around before her eyes caught wind of the pot of flowers hung out on the window sill. "Aha!"
Opening the window and plucking the flower from its roots, she stuffed it into a mug before dumping its contents into the frying pan of soiled egg shells and yolk. Looking around, she found a sac of black powder before digging her paws inside and contributing it into the mixture.
"Easy-peezy," She smiled proudly, dusting off her paws over the pan. "What's next?"
"We need a half cup of milk." Dimyri read, looking back at them.
Syri and Na'Vi shared a puzzled look until Na'Vi spoke up. "Eh, um... I don't think we can ask Mom for that."
"It's been years, maybe if we get a new dad?" Syri asked.
Dimyri shook her head. "We'll just skip that for now."
"Errm, this stuff is getting crazy hot now." Na'Vi reminded them, her paws shakily holding up the frying pan as bits of soil and rose petals popped up and burned to a black crisp with a bed of scrambled egg producing an odd stench causing her to wrinkle her nose. "Bleh, this smells more like it needs a bath."
"Oh water!" Syri clasped her paws together. "We can put in water instead of milk, that will wash out the smell!"
Dimyri looked unconvinced. "Ehhhh-"
But before she could say more, Syri found a pitcher of water and poured it into the pan as a cloud of steam emerged and filled the ceiling.
Na'Vi coughed and turned away. "Ew gross, I can taste it now!"
"Me thinks we should ask mom for help now." Dimyri suggested nervously.
"Nonsense, we have this now and we are so close-AAHHH!" Syri shrieked and jumped back, her tails springing up and her fur growing stiff from their roots like thorns off a the stem of a rose. The outrage caused Na'Vi to raise her paws, accidentally tossing the mixture through the open window. Dimyri slammed the book shut and shot up from her chair, eyes wide open. All three stood frozen in shock as they were met with the guests of everyone else sleeping in the building.
Janette, Emyri, Reta, Felix and KuliKuli were watching from the door frame without saying a word. Janette slowly stepped forward, stepping carefully before hearing a crunch beneath her foot. Lifting her leg, she found a clump of yolk and cracked shell sticking to her slipper. Her mouth was stuck in a wide open position, her eyes dancing around the room looking from one mess to the other before falling on the three Nekomata girls. Dimyri hung her head in shame with the large cook book held against her chest, Na'Vi raised the frying pan to cover her red face as a chunk of charred soil splattered on the kitchen floor, and Syri stood in front of them with a wooden spoon held by each tail, and the empty pitcher of water grasped between her paws.
"What on earth is going on?" Janette asked in a low voice, causing Syri to shiver nervously.
"Hehe, surprised? We were um, well I was... hey!" She waved over her, looking at Felix. "Is this what a date is? Remember, the date?"
Felix blinked and shook his head, blushing as KuliKuli looked at him with a raised brow. "Leave me out of this."
Emyri's eye twitched as she stepped in and rubbed her tired face. "Girls... what... happened?"
"It's a long story." Dimyri replied back.
"It was their idea." Na'Vi muttered, catching a glare from her friends.
Syri huffed and looked around. "I mean it's not that bad... we were cooking! ...Right?"
Janette looked around one more time before catching the dried paste coating the edges of the window sill. Peeking through, she spotted the clumped messy mix that they were cooking up. "What the hells am I looking at, the spawn of Satan?"
"It's a cake!" Syri beamed.
Janette turned and gave her an empty stare, devoid of any expression and emotion. When she brushed past her, she took a deep breath and calmly walked into the crowd huddled around the door frame as they parted for her without a word. She paused without turning back.
"It's too soon for me to deal with this so I'm going for a walk. When I come back, this better be spotless or I'm going to have three asses to hang above the chimney. Make it fast."
"Uhhhhh," Syri tried to respond but choked on her words, watching Janette step away and leaving her. She turned back to face the mess they made and sunk to her knees. "This wasn't a good date, was it?"
"I don't think so, no." Her sister patted her on the head,
Na'Vi's lip quivered when she locked eyes with KuliKuli only for her to walk out of the room with everyone else. With a defeated sigh, she too fell to her knees and dropped the pan. "Well, let's get to cleaning then."
"Honestly we got off easy, I was worried about what Mom would do if anything-" Dimyri sneered.
"What made you think I left?" Emyri's voice asked her from behind, sending a deathly chill rattling her bones as she shrunk into her cat form and hid under the kitchen table.
