Wedding Plans

Nao looked out the small window on the downpour outside. Rain drumming on the roof of their cabin. She yawned sleepily, wondering what to do in regards to the wedding ceremony and acquiring the cake, delivery of which got cancelled. Nao snuck up behind her and pounce hugged her, chuckling playfully – “Heya! What’s the gloomy mood all about?” Apsalar stared off into the distance, onto the lake not far from their house – “the cake..” she exclaimed with obvious concern in her tone.

Nao just grinned – “Ah don’t worry about it! We’ll just.. Uhh..” she pondered for a moment before letting go of her beloved and leaning against the window sill – “We’ll just send somebody to fetch it for us! Yeah!” Apsalar sighed – “and who would agree to…” she paused and then exclaimed excitedly – “Ohh why don’t we send out…” a moment of silence “DeNiro!” they both exclaimed in unison and giggled playfully. 

Around the corner, a large bunny, size no smaller than a dog, peeked. His nose sniffed the air as the 2 catgirls sat down calling their pet over – “Come here DeNiro!!” exclaimed Nao. The bunny rounded the corner and approached the couple, his wings, nearly twice the size of his body, dragged on the floor as he walked. The bunny wobbled and then flopped down lazily on the floor beside the 2, receiving loving pats from them, he did not suspect what awaited him 

“DeNiro! We have a mission for you” spoke Nao in a soft, friendly tone. The bunny quickly jumped up to his feet and backed away from them. Apsalar grabbed him by the ear and grinned – “Don’t worry..” Nao continued after her – “It’s just a quick flight, a day away no more! We need you to fetch our wedding cake for the ceremony in 2 days!” DeNiro squinted at them, but a familiar rustle quickly changed his mind as Apsalar took out a treat from her pocket.

And thus the large bunny was sent on an all-important mission of obtaining cake. DeNiro took flight into the downpour outside without a moment’s delay. He flapped his wings with increasing speed and struggle as the feathers got heavy in the rain, still, he was determined to accomplish his mission for the treat was well worth the price! A happy carrot snack bar, no way rabbit DeNiro would miss out on that.

A few hours later, however, his motivation quickly faded, but that’s not the worst thing that happened. As he collapsed exhausted onto the ground and proceeded to walk in the direction of the city of Qora, where, presumably, the best cakes are made. Suddenly, he felt a yank on his ears, then his wings, a hand over his wet fur, a curse, and suddenly a hand grabbed his tail and pulled him. 

The wet, large bunny, found himself hanging by his tail, his wet wings dripping into a box below him. He was held up by the tail, by a magician – “And thus I present to you a …” the magician paused, looked at the winged large bunny he was holding by the tail, then shrieked, and then let go of him. The bunny fell head first into the mysterious box, and found himself blinded by a bright light. 

A day passed, DeNiro did not return. Apsa and Nao set out to search for their missing pet, armed with nothing but their love for each other, and some snack bars to snack on during their journey. City of Qora was but a 2 days walk away, they wished they could fly, they also wished they had means of teleporting, but they didn’t. “I do know a pirate we could ask for a ride if he might be at the port” suggested Nao. Apsa pondered for a moment ‘walk? Or seek a pirate’s help?’

*****Audience Input*****

Vikiridi Mikwel: What shall it be dear audience?

Ashlandis Kahkol: “search for a chcobo caravan?”

Silas Amaren: I mean snackbars and love sounds good to me, I would walk.

Nagisa Shokushu: You can always trust a pirate right?

Saira Merolod: Perhaps the pirate could offer them some help later on… in return for some of their snacks?

Presea Diamond: That’s quite a Trick-y situation

M’iyu Fhey: I wonder how trusty that pirate is…is it a friend or just someone they heard of. I am eager to find out

Presea Diamond: Go for a walk, they deserve it :3

Apsalar Tali: I enjoy walking, pirate seems like trouble

Crashh Boi: Who doesn’t like a nice 2 day walk

Atheris Hispida: Me.

Nao Natsume: ” I don’t mind walking, but we need to find our friend ! i’m sure something happens and it’s better to be fast”

Silas Amaren: Exactly but if you ever happen to meet a pirate don’t forget to keep an eye to eye contact to show them you mean business.

Lancelian Starwalker: walk

**********

Hastily the young couple, armed with their love, set out on an adventure to find their pet! They filled their waterskins with crystal clear water from the lake in their backyard. And ventured on. The first few hours went pretty casually without any unusual events. By the 5th hour, Nao demanded Apsa to carry her for she was tired. By the end of the 7th hour, the 2 were clinging onto each other saying they were carrying one another, which was flawed logic but helped them walk onwards. 

By hour 9 they heard a rustle in the bushes. From behind the bush, a shape emerged – “greetings traveler” she spoke in a soft tone – “what brings you here into my forest?” Apsa squinted at the shape with a familiar voice who hid her face with an oversized hood. Nao flopped down on her butt and let out an exhausted sigh – “Ahhh! We’re tired! I knew we should’ve asked the pirates to bring us there! Where can we rest?” she asked the person with a familiar voice. 

The person smiled a sly smirk, bearing her fangs at the 2 catgirls before her – “ah, you ‘could’ use my hut I guess, if you dare” suggested the suspicious stranger. Apsa and Nao exchanged looks. “No” said Apsa. “Sure” said Nao. They exchanged looks and then changed their answers “Sure” smiled Apsa. “No thanks” suggested Nao. 

They exchanged looks again and chuckled “We’re fine” said Nao as she got back up, taking Apsalar’s hand into her own and then tugging her to come along – “let us be on our way” Apsa was quick to follow, and thus the 2 left the stranger behind and went onwards. As the 2 made it out of the forest and the dusk began to set, they sought a place to rest and found a large, black box beside a tree. 

It seemed to stand upright and wouldn’t move a millimeter no matter how hard they tried. The 2 were suspicious of the strange, large, trolley-sized black box. Shall they seek another place? Or sleep beside the mysterious box?

*****Audience Input*****

Rapu Riverstone: That’s a very particular size measurement.

Leona Lucifra: “Trolley sized”, huh? What a peculiar comparison.

M’iyu Fhey: Trolley? *hiss*

Vodil Calmacil: necessity is well and good nao but it pales in comparison to matters of principle

M’iyu Fhey: We don’t like trolleys

Rapu Riverstone: We don’t?

Rapu Riverstone: Oh I see

Atheris Hispida: The box seems inviting enough.

Silas Amaren: I just think this box is a crate.

Atheris Hispida: I mean, who can resist a good box?

Leona Lucifra: A natural thing for you to say.

Help Me: A trolley-sized box is not a trolley! I vote for the box.

Nith’ira Kaz’ior: Trolleys are always fun!

Vodil Calmacil: cat + box = science

Presea Diamond: Yeahh, don’t trust trolley sized… anything

Silas Amaren: A box is just the second-best shape.

Vodil Calmacil: if they fits in the box they sits in the box

**********

And so the 2 catgirls climbed on top the large black box beside the tree and opened it up. Inside, to their surprise they found nothing… It was just a big, great empty black box. Not throughout the night, sounds of horrors haunted their dreams! They heard, the sounds of trolleys running on tracks! The 2 barely got any rest that night. Apsa claimed to have had her tail touched at night, and Nao said she felt her ears getting rubbed!

Morning came, and the 2 were about to leap out of the box after a night of horrors and strange experiences when suddenly, the floor opened up and they fell through it. Blinded by a bright light. DeNiro wandered the grassy lands of the island on which he found himself for what felt like days, or maybe weeks. At least the grass and flowers were delicious, he thought to himself.  

On day 3? Or maybe hour 3, he wasn’t sure anymore, his belly full of delicious flowers and plants, DeNiro took flight in search of the way off the island. A few hours of flight still no land in sight, he found himself crash landing onto a pirate’s face in a crow’s nest. “Rabbit ah..AAAA!!” shouted the pirate in the crow’s nest as a big, winged rabbit flew into his face, almost toppling him over the railing of the crows nest. 

Upon meeting the crew and getting hay fed to him, DeNiro thought he found a new home. When the crew tried to find out what his goal or destination were, they were surprised to learn that bunnies were not that great at explanations. They sailed onwards and DeNiro got to listen to their stories “once upon yee time! We took a young lad, a chef, aboard! He needed ta hunt ye great white shark!” 

Deniro found their tales surprisingly interesting, and a couple of days later, found himself walking off at the port a few hours walking from the hut where he, and his 2 cat girl owners lived. He mustered his courage and took flight once more. Discovering they were no longer at home, he remembered his original task of obtaining the wedding cake, and took flight once more! 

Shortly after, he discovered the same black box, sniffed the air, smelled his owners in it, and leaped inside. The box closed up and shrunk and shrunk and eventually, it disappeared. He was blinded by a bright light once more, and then, another bright light, a spotlight, as he hung by his ears, held up by a magician – “And thus! I present to you a..” the magician paused, shrieked, but this time did not let go of the mysterious bunny he was holding up. 

The audience clapped and cheered, and the magician stared at the strange, large bunny with big wings, hanging by the ears. He looked inside his box, reached inside of it, felt something warm, heard a gasp, a moan, and then a hiss, someone scratched his hand. He yanked it out, shocked, the bunny, heard a familiar hiss of 1 of his owners, and tried to break away from the hold but failed miserably. The magician put the bunny carefully onto the table, and the bunny quickly leaped back into the box, but nothing happened. 

Nothing happened… The bunny turned in the box several times and then sat down, disappointed. The curtains closed to the sound of applause, the show was over. “Who was that touching you!??” demanded Nao as she angrily stared at Aspa’s tail that was touched by a strange hand that appeared out of nowhere a moment ago. Apsa swung her tail side to side in an annoyed fashion – “I don’t KNOW!” she shuddered before gasping again, this time, not from someone touching her tail though

Before her stood a grand, tall figure. She blinked in disbelief at the statue of a big, thick god, holding up a giant round rock above his head. “Whoa, he’s got giant..” Nao looked at the statue and hissed at her-  “Shhh! Don’t say it!” Upon further look around, the realized they stood in some strange temple. It was an ancient temple, with several, huge statues decorating its massive walls. 

They ventured out, to find themselves standing amid ruins of an ancient civilization, and then, an annoyed tone reached them from behind “And whom are you to be?” They turned to see a fluffy Persian cat sitting on the ground behind them, licking his paw. Nao smiled – “OH MY GOD A KITTY!” the cat growled – “Says YOU!” Apsalar chuckled quietly at the remark. 

Upon further explanation, the cat told them to follow him, and took them to a ruined house that had a black box inside 1 of the rooms “These boxes are like..” he pondered for a moment – “Like inter-dimensional gateways for us, cats” he explained “I am a hunter, I seek these boxes out, the 1 you encountered is the 1 I seek! Come now, we mustn’t let any other innocent kitties get teleported away from their home by the black boxes” 

Upon jumping inside the couch-sized box, the Persian cat spoke some words in an ancient language that neither Nao or Apsa could understand, though, Apsa could’ve sworn she heard him say ‘fluffy ears and catnap’ but she wasn’t sure. They shortly after, found themselves sitting inside the large black box by the tree once more. 

The cat sniffed the box – “mmh, another victim fell pray to the interdimensional black boxes… I must rescue him, you 2 stay here” said the cat in a smug tone. The 2 catgirls did as they were instructed and ended up cuddling the night away beside the tree. The cat returned at the break of dawn, dragging a large bunny by the ears out of the box. The bunny, at the same time, was holding desperately onto a plate of cake, otherworldly cake, with his wings wrapped around the plate in a protective manner. 

Apsalar and Nao jumped up when they saw their pet DeNiro getting dragged out of the black box – “DeNiro!!” They ran up to the cat and the bunny “Where have you been?” asked Nao as she looked at the box – “Oh, did you also? You poor thing!” the cat leaped back onto the box and yawns – “Well! I take this artifact now, farewell you catgirls, and take good care of the bun!” 

After providing DeNiro with the promised snack bar made of carrots of happiness, and taking the strange, alien-looking cake with them, they went back to their house. “Sooo, did we miss our wedding or not?” Nao shrugged – “I wonder what day it is… feels like it took us a week to find DeNiro” They safely returned to their cabin, a long swim in the lake to freshen up, they learned that in their world, they were only gone a day, and their wedding is still on the day after.

The guests were pleasantly surprised by the out worldly cake the couple managed to obtain, but suspicions arose when they were asked ‘where’ they obtained said cake. Insisting it was a special order by the city of Qora, which the guests didn’t buy. And thus, the mystery of black boxes remained unsolved. And to this day, to everyone’s surprise, Nao and Apsalar still jump into every black box they come across. Mayhaps in hopes of getting their ears rubbed, or maybe, to go on another adventure.