About time I got off my super lazy butt! Fufu…
For Cettie The Mary-Sue Slayer's contest!
Thump, thump.
Etcetera barely glanced down at the small creature that was hitting her leg. The white tabby was taking a wonderful nap underneath a shady tree just outside the Junkyard, with her back to the cool trunk and her legs folded in a criss-cross position. It was a mild summer day, just what the Jellicles needed to relax.
Thump, thump.
Letting out a small groan, Etcetera shifted her weight so that her legs were sticking out in front of her and she crossed her ankles, right foot on top of the other.
THUMP, THUMP.
It seemed that the thumping was getting impatient.
And so, Etcetera opened up her bright green eyes to be greatly amazed and pleased.
There by her thigh, was an itty bitty hedgehog!
The overly excited Tugger fan let out a small squeal and picked up the tiny little gray creature in her hand and examined him. She couldn't help herself it was so darned cute! With its round black eyes, and little pink nose, it was adorable!
Etcetera let out a small sigh. She had to do what the grown-ups would do in this situation. If they were sleeping under a shady tree and awoke to find this silly little animal…
Hide it in a box and name it Earl.
And that's just what Etcetrea was going to do. She was going to have her very own pet! And she would feed it carrots and sausage.
Giggling to herself, Etcetera looked at Earl in the face and petted its back, her fingers avoiding being pricked.
"Come on baby!" Etcetera cooed, suddenly feeling like a mother, "Let's go!"
So she cupped her other hand over Earl and carried him into the Junkyard, straight into her little makeshift den of an old cardboard TV box and a few blankets.
Etcetera settled in the blankets and put Earl in her little music box that she had gotten from Santa Claws that last Christmas.
She looked down at him and giggled at how silly Earl looked with his huge and round black eyes looking up at her wide green ones.
Etcetera smiled down at him and reached back into a corner of her den, and pulled out a carrot, about half the size of her hand, from breakfast that day.
She placed it in the box by Earl, and Earl took interest in that carrot. He turned around from facing Etcetera to munch on the yummy treat.
Etcetera couldn't help it at all. She had to tell someone! But whom should she tell? It would have to be someone she really trusted… someone who wouldn't blurt a secret…
"BOMBALURINA!" Etcetera screamed, running over to the large, sassy scarlet queen.
"What?" Bomba asked, turning around looking at her young companion.
"Guess what I have?" Etcetera sang excitedly, anxious to show this beautiful lady her pet.
"I don't care. Now shoo." Bomba muttered, waving her hands as if to tell her to scat, turning her attention elsewhere.
"But his name is Earl! And he's really cute!" Cetty insisted.
Bombalurina glanced back down at the kitten, then let out a sigh, "fine, bring him over here."
Etcetera let out a squeal of excitement and ran back to her den to get Earl.
Bomba got up and left.
As Etcetera collapsed onto her knees in front of the music box and opened it up, the tiny hedgehog tried to climb out.
"Silly Earl," Etcetera laughed, picking him up in her hand and dashing back out as fast as her legs could carry her.
When she returned to the place she had last seen Bomba, her tummy crashed when she saw that the older queen had left.
That's when she heard her chubby companion come rumbling behind her.
"POUNCIVAL!" Etcetera shrieked, turning around in a flurry of fur and screams.
Astonished, Pouncival flinched and fell backwards into a pile of tin cans.
"LOOKIT!" Etcetera sang excited, hopping up and down, showing Pouncival her little Earl.
The other kitten looked over his belly at the female's little treasure.
"Whoa! A hedgehog!" Pouncival exclaimed, getting up, glaring at the tin cans, and then looking back at the little creature held in Etcetera's hand.
Etcetera giggled and allowed Pouncival to touch Earl.
"Where did you get it?" Pouncival asked curiously, picking it up and holding it close to his face for a close examination.
"Outside the Junkyard! I was sleeping and he came over thump thumpin for attention!"
The patchy young tom laughed as Earl's whiskers tickled his nose. "He's very cute!" Pouncival exclaimed, handing him back over to Etcetera.
"He is!" She giggled.
"So… what are you going to do with it?" Pouncival asked.
"I keep him in my music box," Etcetera answered simply, "and I feed him carrots and sausage."
"Wow," the young tom breathed out, "that's amazing."
"I know. He's a lot of work," Cetty agreed.
Pouncival stared at Earl for a few moments longer, then turned around and bounced away, looking back at the confused Etcetera.
"Come on!" He urged, "Let's go play Maffia!"
Cetty let out a small sigh and glanced down at Earl, then smiled back up at Pouncie.
"Okay!" She sang, "let me put away my baby first!"
And so, Etcetera turned around and dashed over back to her den and settled back down onto her blankets, opened the beautiful music box, and placed the hedgehog inside.
She giggled as it turned around and looked up at her with large eyes. She felt very happy and petted the back of his head with her index finger. Then getting up, she turned around and dashed out of the box to her friend.
Earl watched her with interest.
What a weirdo, Earl thought, rolling his eyes and climbing out of the box, looking around the Junkyard where he now was.
Looking around lazily, Earl found the entrance to the Yard and hobbled away.
TEH END!