Meanwhile, the Stewart family cats were fully enjoying their wet food banquet.
Meow-ow-ow-ow.
Meow-ow-ow-ow.
Meow-ow-ow-ow.
“Myah myah!” (Canned food really is the best!) said Guan.
“Myah myah!” (I love canned food, but I really wanna try those lickable kitty treats again!) said Zhang.
“Mrrrow myah!” (We’re having tuna today, but tomorrow they’re giving us chicken!) said Liu, using her foresight to tell her sons what their dinner the next day would be.
“Myah mroooowr!” (Yippee!) shouted Guan and Zhang, politely cleaning their faces after their meal as they started dreaming of chicken meals to come.
It was truly peaceful.
“Myah? Mroowr?” As Liu was washing her front paws and watching the others cleaning their soft fur, she stopped. (Hmm? Have you two put on weight?)
“Myah myah myah... Mrowr?!” (No way, that can’t be...) Guan looked at Zhang, Zhang looked at Guan...and both of their eyes widened as they realized it could be. Guan’s black fur made him look sleek and svelte, but his tummy was starting to look...maybe a teensy little bit pudgy. If you got Zhang wet, his fluffy white fur would flatten down to show he was only half his size, but even his collar was getting...maybe a teensy little bit tight.
“Myah myah?” Their portion sizes were the same as always. (Maybe since George and Leonard aren’t here, we’re not playing enough, so we’re not burning enough of our calories?) Liu surmised.
William tended to spend a lot of time reading books, which meant Liu was often lazing about resting next to him. When he was gone, her exercise levels didn’t change at all. She regularly used her foresight ability, so even if she ate the same amount as her sons, she still burned plenty of calories. George and Leonard would always wake up early to train for monster hunting, and Guan and Zhang would actively join in. As such, without the two men around, they were low on exercise.
“Mrowr...” (I’m getting fat...) Guan whimpered. (If I don’t shape up, George is gonna call me a little piggy-kitty. Sorry, piggies, but I just can’t deal with that! I don’t want him to switch me to diet food!)
“Mrowr...” (I’m getting fat...) Zhang whimpered. (If this keeps up, I’ll break my papa’s (bed’s) ribs (springs)... I don’t want that...)
“Myah!” (I’m gonna run around the yard!) Guan said, taking off.
“Myah!” (I’m gonna increase my patrols from meow on!) Zhang said, chasing after Guan.
“Mrowr, mrowr...” (Well, I guess that’s what we’re doing.) Liu said, then headed toward the yard with the other two.
✦ ✦ ✦
Skitter skitter!
The amblypygids had made their home inside a cave on the premises of the Stewart manor. They were all lazing about after having finished their dinner.
Just then, the cats barged in to invite them to a postmeal exercise session. “Mroooowr!”
Skitter skitter!
“Mmmrowr!” The servants are all on vacation, so let’s go to the yard! Zhang said, trying to push them all out of the cave. Given their horrifying shape and size, the Stewart family’s worker’s union (mostly Martha) requested they be put somewhere people didn’t have to see them—hence, the cave.
“Mrowr? Myaaaah!” Being cooped up in this cave all the time is bound to make you all gloomy, right? You gotta get out and stretch your legs sometime! said Liu.
Skitter skitter...
Skitter skitter...
We’re here ’cause we like it, bro... It’s just the right dampness... It’s like, perfect... The amblypygids thought, but their instincts had always told them never to disobey the cats, so they had no choice but to acquiesce.
“Myah!”
Skitter skitter!
“Myah myah!”
Skitter skitter!
“Mroooowr!”
Skitter skitter skitteeeeerrrrr!
That being said, the amblypygids did enjoy exercise. The cats might have only had four legs, but they were quite fast, meaning it was a near herculean task for the amblypygids to catch them when they played tag.
Skitter skitter!
Skitter skitter!
Skitter skitter!
The amblypygids, who were “it” for that round, used their numbers to their advantage and surrounded Guan.
“Myah myah?!” (I’m surrounded!) Guan said, as he looked around him.
“Mrowr mrah?!” (Th-That’s the Wet Food formation!) Zhang said, admiring the amblypygids’ precise formation.
Skitter skitter!
The amblypygids began slowly closing in on Guan.
“Myah... Myah myaaawr!” (You guys are good...but not good enough!) Guan said as he looked up to the sky. He could just jump over a couple of amblypygids!
Skitter skitter! (Oh no you don’t!) The amblypygids said and raised their pedipalps in the air to catch him.
However, just at that moment, Liu’s eyes lit up.
“Myah myah myah myah?!”
Skitter skitter?!
(What’s going on?!) Guan, Zhang, and the amblypygids asked.
“Myah myah... Myah myah myah...” (Something’s coming from the sky...) Liu said.
“Myah myah?” (Something...like what?) asked Guan and Zhang.
“Mroowr mroowr! Myah!” (I don’t know what! Foresight can’t tell you everything, you know!) Liu said.
“Myah myah myah!” (Well, if we don’t know, then we’ll just have to catch it!) Guan said, his eyes all atwinkle.
“Myaaaaah!” (If it’s coming from the sky, then we should go somewhere we can see better!) Zhang said.
Skitter skitter! (We’ll help!) the amblypygids said, all raring to go.
Just then, they all heard a loud boom like a firework going off.
“Myah?” Guan’s ears perked up and he started running in the direction of the sound.
“Myah?” (Here it comes!) Zhang said, and chased after his brother.
“Myah myah myah!” (We don’t know what it is, so be careful!) Liu cried, then took off after the others.
Skitter skitter!
An army of amblypygids followed after.
Giant cats and an army of amblypygids cutting across the Stewart manor’s yard was an exceptionally bizarre sight. Oddly enough, the fact that that firework sound went off while the sun was setting was a saving grace for the amblypygids. After all, if they’d gone out in the daytime, Martha, who was still looking after the manor, would have been able to see them and absolutely pitched a fit.