Discussion at the Dinner Table
"Let's see…bills…bills…bills…let's open this one…$60 for causing public disturbance…$120 for holding up an intersection…$230 for displeasing the mayor's daughter, good lord…"
Cat grumbled as he tossed yet another fraudulent letter to the ground, it was another set of three they had received in under a week. The feline pressed his head against the table in exasperation and rubbed his temples in an attempt to soothe his already frazzled nerves.
"It's always us, init…and by us, I mean mostly me…" Cat murmured as he looked at another letter, "how petty can one be with these, lookit this; 'weirdos busted for disrupting neighborhood party', oh, BOI, I wonder who that's referring to."
The yellow feline crumpled the letter up into a ball and threw it towards the kitchen, where an instant clatter was heard coming from the other room.
"I got it!" Came a shrill voice, Cat wincing as he heard what sounded like pots and pans making contact with the floor.
"Hoooooo, not again", the feline muttered, reluctantly getting up from his seat to survey just what kind of mess Dog had gotten himself into. Sure enough, Cat found his twin lying on the ground with several pans surrounding him, the canine having caught the paper ball in his mouth. "Dog, you do know that we eat in here, right?"
"YHMM, I KMM, CMH", Dog muffled through the ball before spitting it out to talk normally, "yeah, I know, Cat, but you know that I can't resist a ball."
"Apparently not even paper balls I crumpled out of frustration", replied Cat with a roll of his eyes, "mind being a dear and helping me clean up this mess?"
"Oh, sure thing!" Dog chirped, instantly rising to his feet. Cat sometimes envied how Dog could remain so optimistic even in the strangest of circumstances, but didn't feel like pressing the matter as the twins set to work organizing the pans back on the rank. "By the way, what did we get in the mail?"
"The usual; fined for being alive as always, though it's safe to say we know who's the more destructive out of us", Cat replied as he looked through the cabinet in search of what they'd be having for dinner.
"Are you sure about that?" Dog quizzed, "cuz I know of a certain someone who might be stronger than they think."
"Yeah, well, that only happens in a miracle, and even then, I'd be lucky enough to make it out in one piece", said Cat, clearly not sharing the jest.
"You know, it wouldn't hurt if you took a break from being a sourpuss", Dog replied as he pulled out some meat from the fridge, ready to cook.
"Hahaha, sourpuss, I get it", Cat fakelaughed as he handed Dog a bottle of spices, "well, my apologies, brother, I'm afraid I can't be as chirpy and cheerful as you when we might as well be living in a war zone."
"You can be real dramatic sometimes, you know that?" Dog murmured with a roll of his eyes, shaking the pan slightly to balance the heat of the meat. "Then again, maybe you like being such."
"Well, need to kill time somehow", Cat replied sarcastically, "besides, you know I'm not wrong when I say it, we're not exactly the most popular people in this town…or in general."
"I mean…yeah, you might be right there, but hey, some people like us", Dog reproached, "even if they're few in between."
"Wow, that's the smartest thing you've said in ages", Cat 'complimented' as he took the buns out from the fridge, and caught the quirked brow Dog was shooting at him, "okay, I'll toss you a bone, you're not wrong there."
"A compliment from you? That's high praise, from a guy with high standards", Dog grinned as he flipped two patties over with a pair of tongs.
"Well, I happen to be someone who feels like there's more out there beyond what he has", replied Cat, setting a centerpiece in the middle of the table, "if I had it my way, I'd consider moving someplace that offered a more progressive mindset."
"You sure you're not just saying that because another one of your schemes blew up in your face?" Dog quizzed as he turned off the stove.
"I'll have you know that's not what brought this upon", Cat scoffed with his arms crossed at his hips, "I'm just saying in general, don't you think there's more we could be doing than settling for such low standards? I know I'd wanna be somewhere I don't have to worry being harassed by a gang of greaseballs or a literal infestation from down below."
"Caaaaaaat?" Dog cooed in a tone that instantly caught his brother's attention.
"What?" Cat quizzed, his whiskers twitching slightly.
"Do you need me to do it?" Dog asked, a sly grin spreading across his face. Cat cleared his throat, taken aback.
"Um, no, I'm fine, I'm not that stressed out", the feline faltered, internally cursing at how hasty his response had been.
"You sure about that? Why not take a seat and let me assist?" Dog replied, wiggling his fingers about. Cat tried to think of an excuse, but found that he really had nothing to say against this. With a heavy sigh, he sat down on the chair and tried to ease himself as the feline felt the canine's fingers rubbing down his shoulder. Dog smiled as he heard Cat purring beneath him, that was a sign his brother was starting to relax.
"Haaaaaaaaa…" Cat sighed in pleasure.
"Wonder why you were hesitant before", Dog mused, "is it because you think I might be too rough on you?"
"Well, that is how it started with you", Cat replied, "but I will give credit where it's due, you've been improving as of late. Perhaps my intelligence has started rubbing off on you."
"Maybe not enough for me to become smarter than you", replied Dog cheekily, "people would get real confused then."
"Honestly, I wouldn't mind screwing with other people more often, they treat us, namely me, like public enemy number one, who's to say we couldn't get our own back?" Cat quizzed as Dog rubbed his temples.
"You know that's only gonna bring temporary pleasure, and I'm supposed to be dumb enough not to know that", Dog quipped, catching Cat slightly off guard with his brother's tone.
"Huh, you're really not as absentminded when you want to be", the feline noted.
"Well, there's nothing stopping that side of me coming out more often if you want", the canine suggested.
"I mean, I wouldn't mind seeing more of that…then again, at the moment, I think I want Dog as I know him", Cat grinned as his brother only beamed back, followed by a scritch behind his ears, "now, about dinner…"
