Episode One Hundred and Fifty-Two: Gift for the Cat

“Of course, better than the coffee beans,” I said as she snuggled close, still wearing the space bag and the soft sweater.

“Good,” she chirped softly. Her head snuggled close to my neck, and it felt like a heated blanket before she pulled away. “Speaker awesome!”

“I’m glad you like the present.”

“I’ll be placing an order for several of those as well,” said Lady Twilight. “I’d like one for my library.”

Liluth nodded. “I know the world that some Elves went to have technology, but I know little about it. I wish I’d learned more, now.”

“Well, I know it wasn’t to my world…” I said with a shrug. “But I can help you find things to solve certain problems.”

I thought of the Cat’s gift, and smiled.

“I know that look,” whispered Lady Twilight.

“Hey Indigo, can you grab that small gold package and take it over to the Cat?”

Indigo frantically nodded before climbing down my shoulder and retrieving the package from under the tree. It wasn’t very big or heavy, and she handled it easily.

She approached the Cat and the conversation that Lord Bennit, Alas, and he were having before dropping it in front of him.

The Cat paused, then glanced at me with his head tilted. 

Indigo then helped him with the wrapping paper, revealing a small controller.

“What is this?” he asked as everyone went quiet.

“Hey Betty, can you do the secret thing?” I asked, drawing everyone's attention.

A white screen slowly unraveled from the ceiling in front of the fireplace.

“Hit the play button,” I added.

The Cat pressed a button on the remote, and a movie started playing. It involved hobbits, a ranger and a ring. Everyone went quiet, staring at the screen in shock.

“What is this magic?” asked Liluth.

“It’s a movie. A way to tell stories on my world. This is a favorite of mine.”

The Cat’s eyes glowed in the light as they stayed fixated on the screen.

I pulled some candy out of my stocking and got comfortable. 

Indigo moved to Lord Bennit’s lap, who sat closer to the screen. 

The sound came from hidden speakers that Betty had put in various locations. The shop had done all of the heavy lifting. I’d bought the screen projector and the speakers, and explained what needed to happen based on the instructions that came with them. Somehow they were attached in the right places, and it sounded and looked fantastic. I didn’t look too closely to figure it out.

As a wizard appeared on screen, I chuckled to myself thinking about how magic worked in the movies versus in the shop, or on other worlds. 

Once the first movie finished, all everyone could talk about was the Elven city and how realistic it was.

“I bet Elves might be like that on other worlds,” said Liluth as she sat down at the dining room table. “Strange that they are all good at archery.”

“Yes, it’s like saying all dragons breathe fire,” replied Lord Bennit.

I chuckled as I snagged a lid off the first serving plate.

Underneath, a giant pan of lasagna smelled amazing. Steam drifted up and the melted cheese on top appeared perfect. I quickly cut slices before adding one to my plate and adding a slice to the Cat’s plate beside me. 

Then I passed the serving tray to Lady Twilight, who added some to Indigo’s plate.

Rolls were passed around, as well as salad, roasted veggies, and mini meatballs.

In my house, we roasted meats for this meal, but for last-minute ordering this would do. Cookies were always the dessert, though everyone had made a dent in them on the coffee table before we’d opened our stockings. I wasn’t sure much remained besides crumbs. I knew I’d eaten two brownies without thinking about it. They were just so good. 

Not to mention, I always snacked while watching a movie. I couldn’t help it.

“Do wizards act like that?” asked Indigo.

“The only wizard I know acts like that,” answered Lady Twilight. “He is very snobby. Not my favorite person at all.”

“I can’t believe they don’t have a bard,” added Alas. “Someone to sing stories, keep them on track and heal injuries. All adventuring parties need one.”

“At least they have a ranger who knows the lands,” said Lord Bennit. “But the interpretation of dwarves is strange.”

“What are actual dwarves like?” I asked, before I tasted the lasagna.

“Smart fighters who usually use some sort of earth magic, but not always. Some can turn their skin to rock as a defensive measure. The ones I know the best are scholars looking to get access to our Clans' resources.”

“They are always asking to visit my library,” grumbled Lady Twilight. “I had to ban several who wanted to borrow books.”

She shook her head, making Indigo giggle.

“I saw a dwarf. They tried to show me magic.” She turned to look at me. “Your magic is better.”

“I’ve been practicing and trying new things with my magic.” 

“More flying games?” she asked, while fluttering her wings.

I chuckled. “Not right now, we have yummy food to eat.”

The salad had a dressing on it that had a little spice, and I ate several large bites trying to figure out the flavors.

“This food is tasty,” said Lord Bennit. “What is the pasta called?”

“It’s lasagna, made with a meat sauce, with only a little spice. Some people make it much hotter, but I like that this one highlights the other ingredients.”

He nodded several times and took a second serving. “I like it.”

“Grandpa cooks. He made me food when I visited.”

“You like cooking?” asked Alas. “I seem to burn everything.”

“Somehow, even water, if I remember correctly,” added Liluth.

“Water burns?” asked Indigo, stopping mid bite with sauce and cheese all over her snout. “How?”

“You need to get it hot enough to evaporate,” explained Lady Twilight. “Like, if you leave the kettle on too long, you can burn the kettle.”

“Strange,” mumbled the little dragon before going back to her plate.

The Cat’s plate emptied first, but he didn’t ask for me. He just sat, watching the conversations at the table.

“Are holidays like this at your home?” he asked quietly.

“More hectic, with so many people. This is nice and calm, relaxing almost.” I wondered how everyone’s holiday back home was going, but didn’t look at my phone. Living in the now was too important. While this wasn’t my birth family, this was my family too, and they deserved for me to be here with them.