Some say that curiosity killed the cat.
Thankfully, there are no cats involved in Kip or Cheeseburger’s existence, so the being’s curiosity concerning the dimension-jumping, animal hoarding human that is Jay was relatively safe.
If popular sayings were to be believed.
Kip materialized just inside the entrance to Jay’s home in an uncharacteristic display of courtesy and looked around, stoic face revealing very little.
“Anybody home? Preferably someone not boring or hostile,” he called out, shifting Cheeseburger so the sloth could more comfortably hang off his neck.
Jay hadn’t been expecting guests today… if she had, the cave might have been in cleaner order… but as it stood, the human’s home here in Lalotai was an absolute disaster area.
The couch was flipped over, and her lamp lay shattered on the floor beside her reading chair. Scuff marks covered the top of the dining room table, and it appeared as if someone had actually tried to dig their way through one of the back walls. Frankly, it looked as if someone or something had been cornered and was scrambling for their very life! Hopefully nothing had happened to the human and her fam-
“WEHI, GET YOUR CARAP-ASS OVER HERE!”
“I DON’T WANNA TAKE A BATH!!!”
Oh. That explained things.
The next second, a blood red crab with a golden-scaled back erupted out of one of the bedrooms, and the ATV-sized monster nearly crashed into Kip as she hastily ran for the exit, without her signature cream shell.
Jay scrambled out after her, looking disheveled and brandishing a large scrub brush before slowing to a stop to catch her breath.
“God… Dammit…” she mumbled as she leaned against the doorframe. “Every single time…”
A much smaller purple crab clung to her shoulder, chittering worriedly over the human. It fretted and fussed, but noticed the visitor before Jay did, and poked at her cheek to get her attention.
“Huh?” Jay asked, suddenly lifting her head. “What? What is it Hope?”
The crab pointed at the god at the doorway.
Jay blinked… froze for a second… then quickly straightened up her posture. “Oh my gosh! I’m sorry! I didn’t see you there! Uh…” She fumbled for words to explain the state of her home, but quickly gave up. Instead, she plastered on a face to pretend as if everything was okay.
