behold, heavy is the hand of my own hubris
time to pepper in some dragon,,, for i am like that™
The Gala attendant was half asleep as they recorded down the number of dragons that meandered their ways onto the grounds of the Fortress of Ends. So cozy they were, quilt around their shoulders and a steaming mug of tea before them, that in their dozing they almost didn't notice the proud march of a Smokey Bantam Fangar in front of a small gaggle of dragons and other familiars. It was like the furry purple beast was leading them in, but that'd be absurd. They'd never seen anything close to a cat do anything like that.
~*~
Reggie
Reggie took a deep breath of delightfully cold air as she trotted across the ground, tail held high as a beacon for her dragon friends to follow. It's been a year, but she was finally, finally back. To see places and faces old and new, and to have another fun adventure with a bunch of cool cats.
“Why does it feel like we’re following the cat?” Fortune asked blandly, looking up and over to his left. His question, however, wasn’t to the Imperial a step over and ahead of him, but the Spiral draped loosely over her antlers. Ciphers answered anyways.
“I’m not, but who’d stop Reggie from walking ahead if she wants to? She seems like she’s going the same way we are, anyways.”
“Yeah!” Jaynum jumped in his perch, twisting his sinuous neck to look back at the Mirror. “She probably knows the Fortress better than me, at least. I still get lost every year but Reggie was able to find both of us last time.”
“Wouldn’t be surprised if she’d seen more of the place than we have.”
Fortune hummed, conceding the point. If he pushed further he’d probably get another set of jabs about how it could have been him in the Gala tomfoolery.
Just then, a cluster of cats dashed in front of the group. Crossing the grounds, they turned into the castle and pelted down a hall and out of sight. Reggie turned to look at the dragons behind her and yowled. Jaynum looked down at his familiar and glided from his perch in land in front of her. “Wanna go already?” He ruffled the fur atop her head. Meowing again, the Fangar took off at a trot in the same direction the cats had gone.
“You gotta make a left at the fountain!” Reggie called back to her dragon friends with one last direction before heading after the cats she’d seen. She maybe felt a little bad that she couldn’t be a super good guide for dragons anymore, but she wanted to meet up with all the cats again and that would never happen if she was shepherding her dragons around the whole time. But there were enough of them that they’d keep each other in check and not get lost!
Probably.
Friend could get lost even if he had directions and help.
Still, she had other cats to join with. And as Reggie padded down the halls, a Fortress cat peeled from the crowds, the cats she’d seen earlier following behind them.
“We need your help!” The cat began. “We’re making the biggest quilt ever for the Icewarden, and we’re getting every cat here to lend a paw. There’s a bunch of teams to choose from, too! C’mon!”
Joining the group, Reggie followed the cat deeper into the Fortress and into a very comfy-decorated room where dozens of cats milled around, chattering and separating into groups. They all looked very tempting to join, from what the team leaders had to say… But, ultimately, Reggie picked “Mint Chocolate Robotics.”
Reggie knew robot stuff, after all. Friend made toys and played with them all the time! And she did too, when she could sneak the bits from his pockets or off a shelf that she could climb up on (That being when he would accidentally leave a box too close that she could hop on-- Curse her little Bantam Fangar legs! No graceful kitty leaps!). Luckily, things wouldn’t explode when
she would play with them. Maybe she could be a lot of help to the team since she had experience!
The first hunt had Reggie and three other cats picking their way across the roof of the Fortress. She had wanted to explore the towers-- hopefully without spooky, jangling ghosts this time-- when someone suggested searching the roof for fabrics. There could be flags or tapestries or maybe a guard had lost a scarf up there!
Nope. Only a strange colorful and fuzzy looking cat that appeared from thin air!
Reggie jumped, fur on end, at the startling intrusion. Panic boiled in her belly when she could hear the other cats running away, shouting various versions of the phrase: “Ned, no!!” What did they know about that cat that she didn’t?!
“Hey! Wait up!” She cried after them, scrambling to follow as fast as she could and balking as she watched them leap through a window. She heaved herself through, back paws scrabbling at the sill as Reggie tried to push herself back into the Fortress.
Nothing gained, but nothing lost. Reggie tried to console herself as she meandered back to where the cats had first gathered, trying to catch her breath.
At least the rest of the team seemed to have had better luck than her.
why do i do this to myself?
Pyercé | they/them
Haru | Nyoomzoom!! | Thievery | Ping if replying~
Karkat · Nyoomzoom!! · Thievery · Ping if replying
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