13th of Searing, 120th Year of the Age of Steel
“Mask, what are you doing?”
The raccoon didn’t answer, it rarely did, ignoring the half-buried rider in the fur of its back. Ammy could only peer up over the creatures’ head to try and decipher what had caught its eye so strongly. Cases upon cases of human food and drink were being moved around by lots of Big Friends, and the Gemlings interest grew just as intensely as the mounts.
“Let’s go see!”
The words were the proverbial gunshot to the start of chaos. Mask lunged forward, too blinded by its trust in its owner and the promise of food to worry about the humans, Ammy too distracted by the scents coming from the box did not hold the reigns, and the Big Friend who saw the raccoon and promptly went on the offensive. The cane that swung out sent the raccoon fleeing, wildly rocking the side and launching the small Gemling off it’s back before disappearing.
As they flew through the air Ammy found themselves giggling at the short trip right before the wood of a box smacked into their head. Unconcerned the Gemling sat up, rubbing their head absently among the eggplant. No one seemed to notice them, too distracted with ensuring the raccoon was gone while they busied themselves digging around in the crate to see if there was anything else inside. A quick wiggle to the bottom proved unfruitful and boring since they couldn’t bite into the food to try it, but the sudden sensation of weightlessness again stilled them.
Big Friends were friends but they didn’t seem to like it very much when Ammy surprised them. They weren’t sure why, surprises were fun, and fun was always fun. Content, the Gemling decided to have another go at the eggplant, determined now to try it that they had the time. Right up until the crate was set into a new room, light and more noise distracting them as they crept up slowly to peer over the edge of the box.
Shocked delight is the only thing that kept a squeal from erupting at the sight before them. A plethora of new Big Friends things! Like an ocean just waiting for them and the first thing they wanted was the large cup. It was simply with a surface that warped their reflection into something grotesque and they knew that had to have it. With a cursory glance they slipped out of the box, uses the others on the counters as cover as they scurried over to the mug which was…far larger up close than it had been far away.
Hand on hip the Gemling accessed the mug until another reflection began to appear. With little grace they grabbed the sides and hoisted themselves into the cool colored mug. The softest of clanks as they hit the bottom, settling as ideas of taking the mug vanished in favor of staring at their reflection all through the mug. It felt like they stared forever and for like moments before liquid hit their head and quickly surrounded them, burying them in some strong-smelling liquid.
Ammy blinked at the sudden change, unable to reach up to grip the sides as the cup was sloshed around and moved. Two attempts and they stopped, instead beginning to splash about a bit in the liquid, a strange blurring of their vision that didn’t seem to be all liquid. It felt as if they were floating inside floating, and fuzzy! Again, the Gemling began to giggle finding it slightly easier to reach the rim of the mug now that it wasn’t moving. Or was it moving?
“Whats is…whats is…I’m in a cup!” Poking their head above the liquid to squint at whoever was in front of them, Ammy thrust out a finger. “This is my cup! My Collection cup!”
Keeping only their eyes and ears above the liquid like an alligator the Gemling sunk back down into the liquid happily. It was like a tiny pool of yummy tasting things all for them.