The curious little X'hyrok-hh's head swung to and fro, anything in hir field of vision becoming an object of interest as shi toddled with arms outstretched towards what the adults referred to as the "kitchen." As shi brought hirself closer to the place where food was prepared, hir eyes went wide when shi saw it: the white monolithic portal from which food was summoned. The magic of this cold realm beyond the monolith and how to access it apparently hinged on the handles that, for all intents & purposes, served the exact same function as the fabled "doorknob" devices that accessed like realms of fantasy, yet for some reason this realm was a minuscule box filled with a myriad of shelves and the aforementioned food items. Hir index finger went to hir chin as shi tugged on hir bottom lip, curiosity getting the better of hir as shi got closer and closer, hir heart beating in hir chest as its mere presence filled hir with an anxiety only ever felt by unfamiliar noises, location, and people from beyond the circle of acquaintances shi could trust.

"Whoa," Shi would mutter in bewilderment, "This thing is WAAAAAY bigger up close than I thought it was!" ***

"Yup," An unfamiliar voice responded, forcing Ish'va to survey hir surroundings, whipping hir head to and fro until hir eyes would lock with a blue-eyed, dusty-brown feline 'taur cub with short black headfur. "The adults call it a...ree-fridge-err-ate-or...at least...I THINK that's what it's called. I've also heard them call it a fridge for short."

"Isn't that where food comes from? I want food! GIMME FOOD!!" Ish'va wailed as shi rubbed hir rumbly tummy. Before shi could shout out another word, Dusty clamped hir mouth shut with both hands.

"Clam up, chowder-for-brains! You WANT the adults to know what we're up to?" Dusty hissed in reply.

Ish'va shook hir head and let out a muffled, "Mm-mmm." Once Dusty let go of hir mouth, shi would watch as Dusty would rear back, standing up on hir hind-legs to give hirself some extra height, making hir look like shi was over half as tall as the tall black, big-bellied Myra. Shi tilted hir head to one side when Dusty suddenly gasped and excitedly pointed up to a yellowing jar that said in big, bright, red letters: COOKIES. "What?" Ish'va asked with a giddy bounce in hir step and a smile on hir face, "What'd you find? Tell me! Tell me! TELL ME!!"

Dusty squeaked before whipping around to growl out Ish'va. "What did I just say!? Can it, dumb-dumb!"

Ish'va pouted before turning hir head to one side and muttering beneath hir breath, "You don't have to shout...or be rude."

Dusty's eye twitched before shi slapped hirself in the face and groaned in frustration, "Oh for the love of-... Look! See that up there? That's the GOOD stuff. You WANT the good stuff, don'tcha?"

Ish'va nodded and toddled from side-to-side in place, "Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! I want good stuff! Gimme the good stuff! Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! I want COOKIES! Whatever they are I WANT 'em!"

"Then follow my lead..." Dusty said with a cheeky grin before shi vanished instantaneously, making Ish'va gasp, staring slack-jawed, until shi would hear hir voice beckoning from up above the white monolith shi called a fridge. "Yoohoo! Up here, dumby-face!"

Ish'va's mouth dropped as shi waddled up to the "fridge" and pressed up against it, hugging as much as shi could whilst looking up towards Dusty and stammering in disbelief, "Wh-wh-wh-what!? H-h-huh!? How'd you do that!? How come you can do that and I can't!? Show me how to do the thing you just did or I'm telling mommy & daddy!"

Dusty made a show of thinking, leading Ish'va to believe shi was considering teaching the poor baby X'hyrok-hh hir secret mystical technique of moving from one place to another, until that cheeky grin crossed hir muzzle once more and shi'd wave hir hand in dismissal, "Naaaah! I don't think I will! Now go on, then. Up ya go, stupid! Come on, you can do it!" Shi would giggle manically as shi watched Ish'va try in vain, hopping in place and holding hir freakish 3-fingered hand up in a hopeless attempt to reach hir from way up high...higher than some of the adults' heights. "Aww...giving up so soon? Come on...you want these...you want the good stuff? The sacred cookie?" Shi lifted up the lid on the jar and set it aside before taking a chocolate-chip, circular, sugary confection out of the ceramic container and bringing it up close to hir nose, making a big show of inhaling deeply of its infectiously-sweet scent.

Ish'va whimpered as shi began slamming hir palms against the fridge, hoping to bring Dusty back down to hir level. "H-hey! Stop making fun of me! Come on! That's not fair! How come you can get up there and I can't!? Tell me how to do that poofy thing you just did RIGHT NOW! TELL ME!! TELL ME!! TELL ME!! TELL MEEE-YEEEEEEEE!!"

"Nope," came Dusty's terse, impish response before shi chomped down on the cookie in hir hand, making Ish'va audibly gasp and whimper as tears started forming in hir eyes. After finishing with hir mouth-full of cookie, Dusty would make a show out of teasing Ish'va some more, "Ya know, I'd tell you how to do the poofy thing, but thing is, I don't even know how I do it! I just kinda...imagine a place I wanna be, and 'POOF!' I'm there. If you can't do it, just means you're not tryin' hard enough, wimpy-dip! So 'PBBBLLLLLTTTHHH!'" Dusty finished by sticking hir tongue out and blowing a raspberry at Ish'va.

Finally, Ish'va balled hir hands in to fists as shi recalled the times shi had opened the "doors" all around the "house" and shi started leaning back against hir tail, setting hir sights on Dusty's dangling, noodly tail. "Oh yeah? I'll show you you no-good, cookie-stealing, MEANY-HEAD!"

Dusty was about to eat another chunk of hir cookie when shi suddenly found hir tail being gripped tightly in Ish'va's bigger hands. "Gyach! Hey-... WHOA!! Let go of me, you big OAF!! OOMPH!! MY COOKIES!! MIIIIINNNEEE!!" Shi yowled as shi wrapped hir arms around as much of the precious urn as shi could, trying desperately to hold on, but within moments, shi found the X'hyrok-hh baby's strength to be overpowering and shi suddenly tumbled down to the floor with a heavy "WHUMP!!" followed immediately after by a heart-wrenching, shattering "CRASH!!" Tears filled both cubs' eyes as they surveyed the crumbly remains of both the jar and the cookies it once held. Dusty gasped when Ish'va noisily began sobbing. "W-w-w-wait! Nononono! I was just-... I was just kidding about all that stuff I said earlier! Please don't cry! PLEASE DON'T-...!!" Dusty's ears went far back and hir tail fluffed up out of fear when Ish'va tossed hir head back and howled with anguish, tears pouring out of hir eyes. Shortly after, Dusty could feel it: the rushed heavy-set thumping of an adult's paws. Shi heard it, too: the concern laced in its voice as it wondered to itself, "What was that?" If the voice didn't sound familiar, like...it sounded exactly like hir mommy's, then the scent approaching made hir fur stand on end and caused hir heart to launch in to hir throat: it was Snowrose's!

Dusty whimpered and began to panic...until shi remembered the technique that got hir in to this mess in the first place and decided to use it to make tracks, vanishing from this present reality and winding up back in the bedroom shi shared with the other babies. For the briefest moment, shi felt safe...but as shi stared down at hirself shi would take note of some very troubling, incriminating details: chocolate stains on hir hands, pelt, paws, and shirt. "Uh-oh..." Shi muttered beneath hir breath.

"KA'RIIN DUSTARIA!! KITCHEN!! NOW, YOUNG LADY!!" Snowrose's enraged bellowing could be heard from beyond the door and it made Dusty's blood run cold. The jig was up...



Uh-oh...oh Dusty...what a scamp you are! XD
***All the dialogue between Ish'va & Dusty is translated from their original languages...as in...they HAVE no language: mostly incoherent baby babble-talk! They're babies...duh! X3

Chakats Snowrose & Ka'Riin Dustaria, Ish'va, and the X'hyrok-hh race all belong to me,  Chakat_Snowrose!
And this ADORABLE piece was done by  Jailbird! =^.^=