Chapter 8: Babysitting and Snapping

The afternoon poured light into the house, as everyone got back from working at the ice cream shop. It had never been a busy day, but some days nearly killed them. It was almost like ice cream took a surge in the winter in popularity.

"How does this happen?" Kyofi asked. "Why would everybody think ice cream is great this time of year?"

Mosor said, "If someone likes ice cream, they'll eat ice cream. We can't complain about having money problems if this keeps up."

"Or about the fact we're entirely irresponsible," Vanos said, and the other concurred. "When was the last time we turns this much profit?" he asked.

Mosor said, "Summer, two years ago. I can remember that lunch rush, because we burned the place down."

"How'd you do that?" Ahmond asked. "That sounds exciting. Did you, do like, a concert or something?"

"No," Vanos said, "We literally burned the place down. That's why the fryer is located away from the drapes."

Kyofi headed back out the door. "Alright, I got my rest, but I got to go. It's time I go out partying for the night."

Ahmond said, "Is it okay for me to invite my friends here, Vanos?"

Vanos said, "I don't know... I'm going to have to go soon and I don't think Mosor can handle all the stress."

"I'll be fine," Mosor told him with a smile, and said, "What's going to be the problem with three kids running around anyway? I already have to deal with you and Kyofi, right?"

Vanos didn't notice the insult initially. When he did, he grimaced. "Anyway, I'll be back in a couple of hours."

"Trying to find a couple of girls," Mosor told him, and he nodded. She waved him away, as she focused on Ahmond.

"Alright, I'll be babysitting you and your two little friends," she said. "You can go and get them."

"I already invited them," Ahmond said, beaming. "Remember what Kyofi always says: It's easier to ask forgiveness than permission." A hyena and crimson walked in, not sure if knocking was necessary as Vanos and Kyofi never closed the door.

What was wrong with these people and not closing doors?

Mosor said, "Right, I don't know if you should do that. You should ask permission anyway." She looked at them all. "But you're all old enough to take care of yourselves, right?" They nodded. "What kind of trouble can you guys get into anyway?"

*

For some reason, Mosor expected lack of peace and quiet. She pictured herself as someone who had to be a great storyteller, bringing coloring books to the physical world. Having to manifest playtime imaginationland by setting up furniture forts.

Turns out forty year-olds were boring. She hadn't heard any ruckus, and none of them came to her.

"Maybe I won't have children," she muttered, feeling a bit forgotten. She went downstairs, into the kitchen. She opened the fridge door, which blasted cool air at her.

Where was that cake she baked? That wasn't for anybody else, but for her. It was nice to do something good for herself, and she took almost an hour to make it.

An hour which Ahmond was going to be paying for. She went back upstairs to the entertainment room, but couldn't see any signs of cake with the three culprits. "Who took the cake?" she asked.

Ahmond asked her, "You mean that cake you made for yourself?" Mosor nodded. "I think that Kyofi ate it." She went back to playing triple player Towers with her friends.

Mosor burst out laughing. "I thought that one of you girls took it. I should have known it was Kyofi." She went out the door, and Ahmond listened to hear Mosor going back down the stairs. Mosor simply must have clung on to any hope for an exciting day.

Ahmond said, "I can't believe she thought I'd eat her cake, which I would, but Kyofi beat me to it."

"You wouldn't have the guts to do it," Lilu said off-handedly. Ahmond stared at her, and Lilu stared back.

"Yes I would."

"No you wouldn't," Lilu said. To avoid further exchange, she said, "If you would, how about you put your money where your mouth is." Lilu placed down three silver coins.

Ahmond glanced warily at the money. Lilu goaded her, "You have a job, I know you can pay." Rosod shrugged and threw in three coins. Ahmond threw in three coins.

"But there's no more cake, what am I supposed to snatch?" Ahmond asked, and Lilu got a devious grin, and thought.

"What about something that's in the same room as Mosor, Ahmond? That makes it more of a challenge, and should be something valuable too."

"I'll take the food she's making!" Ahmond said, and Rosod and Lilu questioned internally the value of that idea.

"Won't she notice?" Lilu asked.

"Are you backing down?" Ahmond asked in a teasing voice, and the two girls shook their heads. "In that case, watch and learn."

As she went down, Lilu muttered, "She's an idiot." She pursued Ahmond, excited to discover what glorious ways Ahmond's mess up.

Mosor had a few burgers plated. They rested on a table, and Ahmond slunk in. Soon as Mosor reached in the cabinets for hot pepper, Ahmond jumped onto the table and flipped the burgers over. They fell to the floor.

"I didn't expect that," Ahmond admitted.

Mosor looked down at her and asked, "What are you doing?" Ahmond kept her mouth shut, and Mosor got down on all fours.

Lilu said, "She took a bet she could take the food you had. We tried to talk her out of it, but she wouldn't listen to reason. She's a bad girl."

Mosor growled. "I am allowed to eat! What is everyone's newfound obsession with making sure I don't eat!"

"To be fair, you are pretty skinny," Ahmond said. "I was thinking slender, but maybe a bit on the scrawny side honestly."

"Scrawny?" Mosor asked, as she stared down and listened to Ahmond. "I'm not scrawny, I'm simply small."

Ahmond said, "I mean, you should be eating a lot more, you don't look that healthy. The floor's clean, you could eat off of that."

Mosor blinked, as Ahmond wasn't sure what was wrong with her statement. Then Mosor figured she wasn't that high and mighty, and ate off the floor.

*

Ahmond grumbled as she was stuck in her room. It was a quick punishment set by Mosor for being a brat.

Lilu said, "Glad she hasn't kicked us out yet." Mosor didn't like the gambling, thinking it was irresponsible, dangerous, and more importantly, simply a bad bet to take anyway. "Time to play double or nothing."

Ahmond felt a bead of sweat on her forehead. "Guys, usually if I get in trouble and get sent to my room, things only get worse on."

Rosod said, "That's the problem, you play it safe, or you play it stupid." Ahmond felt a nerve struck at being called stupid, but let her continue her speech. "If you need results, you have to take a few risks."

Rosod and Lilu placed down six coins, and Ahmond begrudgingly placed down six coins as well. "Wait, if two of you are betting against me, do I have to double the bet?" she asked.

"To be honest, I think we'd make a profit regardless of how much we bet," Lilu said. "But anyway, how about we go out and mess with my mother?"

"You mean a big, hyena queen?" Ahmond asked, her tail twitching nervously. "No, no, I don't think that's necessary."

"Come on, it's always funny to get her angry. She's always angry at something I do anyway." The mood darkened, for a flash. "But you escape the room, we go and meet some hyenas. And make my mom mad."

Ahmond said, "I guess." She opened the door and walked downstairs, because it wasn't like Mosor was exactly watching them. They sauntered on their way to the hyena district of the country Wysdom.

*

Ahmond walked the streets warily. Any step took cautious approach. She noticed the big male hyena she saw a few days ago, and he was posted out in front of the palace doors. Karv, was his name apparently, and he was the biggest hyena she ever saw. Well, biggest male, since females were typically bigger.

Rosod said, "Maybe we can get him instead. I mean, come on, messing with a big guy, I know a few things about that." Ahmond shook her head. Rosod stared at her.

Ahmond said, "Do you guys not know what being ripped apart is? Hyenas have the strongest jaws on probably any land mammal. If he bites us, he'll rip our arms off!"

"No, he'll rip your arms off," Lilu said. "If he harms a princess, he's officially getting in trouble, count on that."

"Are we doing it then?" Rosod asked.

"No, you guys are doing it," Lilu said. "I'm simply going to watch." Rosod and Ahmond shot her incredulous looks. But since Ahmond took the bet, it was her responsibility to deal with him.

Ahmond went up to him, and Karv stared at her. "Do you have something to say?" Ahmond blanked out, and he asked, "Well?"

Ahmond hadn't figured anything out, and improv wasn't her strong suit. Karv said, "Kid, I don't have all day."

"Yes you do," Ahmond said, "you have to have all day. It's not like you're going to die in two hours."

Karv blinked at being sassed by Ahmond. But it was the thing she did best. "Besides that, you're pretty big. Who's going to force you to do anything? I would think you had your head in the clouds as a kid because your head is easily reaching outer space right now. I think the moon orbits around it."

The hyena leaned forward and growled at her but settled himself down, flat on the ground. "You better give me one good reason to not rip your little face off."

Ahmond said, "It's not my fault. Besides that, you have holes in your vest, in your own official uniform."

Karv's eyes widened, but a quick lookover told him he had no holes. "I don't have any holes in my uniform!"

"Then how'd you get your legs into it?" she asked. "Someone must be feeling pretty self-conscious," with a sing-song voice towards the end.

Karv said, "You're mince-meat, brat!" Ahmond turned around and took off running. She went in Rosod's path, and Rosod ran with Ahmond.

"Why'd you come my way!? I could have lived my entire life happy for all I know!" Rosod said, both running faster than their legs could reasonably run.

Don't trip, don't trip, don't trip, the mantra in their heads played, like a choir at their final sing-off in a tournament. Don't trip, don't trip, don't trip.

Ahmond said, "I needed the company." Rosod patted her on the back as much as she could, feeling true friendship in her final seconds of life, while deadly hyena fangs snapped at their heels.

Rosod skidded as did Ahmond before they fell off a cliff. Quick reaction time allowed them to notice they had run off a place and missed the stairs literally only a few feet away due to tunnel vision. They were headed for a large body of water, and it was likely a fountain.

Didn't fountains have marble lining the floors? Ahmond found the answer as she did an inverted cannonball into the fountain. Also known as bonking her nugget. Dires had been strong, and that was likely the only reason she wasn't dead yet.

Both girls climbed out. But Karv came down the stone steps, swerved towards them, still angry.

A brown wolf jumped in the water, her tail waved angrily. Karv paused in his tracks as Mosor growled at him, and fended him off.

With a bit of hesitation, Karv told her, "Ma'am, I need you to step aside for a moment. I've been chasing these two."

"I know, and I'm the one tasked with taking care of them. Now if you'll allow me, I've got a few words to say."

She turned to Ahmond, and Ahmond came up to her tail wagging. Mosor placed a paw down on Ahmond's head and yanked up Ahmond's tail. She gave quick, powerful whacks to Ahmond's bottom.

Ahmond read off a litany of pained noises. "What are you doing!?" No wise question, she knew what she did.

Mosor kept it up and ceased the spanking only after reddening Ahmond's behind more than it usually was at any point.

Karv took a few steps back. "I guess she got dealt with." He walked back up the steps, and

Rosod collapsed against the fountain.

Nobody got to her or Lilu. Maybe it was time to split before Mosor got any funny ideas. She turned and ran off.

*

"How was babysitting?" Vanos asked. He snickered to himself as he bandaged up Ahmond's head. Mosor was in the same room, sitting on the couch.

"They were actually pretty boring," Mosor said. "Simply being dumb kids, who are getting grounded."

Ahmond said, "You don't understand how strong peer pressure is! It was like, magnetic and everything."

With a laugh, Kyofi said, "You did a number on Ahmond's backside, you know. I didn't think you had it in you."

Mosor said, "You leave your room after being told to stay in it, then you get punished like that." She pointed her snout in the air, feeling a bit superior. "That's why, as a child, I never got punished like you two."

Kyofi said, "Yeah, mom was always smacking me, I think. Can't remember, she might have beat the memories of that out." Vanos laughed.

Ahmond said, "Yeah, well when I'm older, I'll be smacking all of you!" The three growled at her, and she rested back.

"It's nice to have a more peaceful day," Kyofi said. "Put that down in The Firefly Diary. Don't think you'll get credit for Empathy, but it's worth a shot."

Vanos said, "I'll make a case for it." Everyone listened to him. "It's more a lesson Ahmond learned. Simply because someone is empathetic and sensitive doesn't mean they're weak. She never snapped, only gradually progressing her mood. She prevented herself from being taken advantage of, and that's a type of self-empathy, where you make sure to care for yourself and your own mental well-being."

Kyofi said, "I can see that, and we learn more about each other's qualities, quicker we can get to cracking down on the book."

Mosor opened The Firefly Diary and began writing. Her vines glowed, and Vanos' did too. Both nodded at each other to acknowledge their powers, but she blinked and did a doubletake as she could have sworn Ahmond's vines glowed too.

Ahmond didn't have vines, what was she thinking? She went back to writing in the diary, that way Lhyna could read the tale later.

The moon rose over the land, and she thought to herself, maybe it was time to check in on how everyone was doing now?