Archive of Our Own ^beta

“Wait, where’s Pâté going to sleep?“ Imogen suddenly sat back up as all of them lay on the ground, arranging themselves around her, getting ready to drift off to sleep under the Sun Tree and the starry night sky. At the mention of her wanting to spend the night sleeping at the base of the Sun Tree, all her friends had so kindly offered to forgo their lavish accommodation in the Whitestone Castle, to camp outside with her. 

“Uh...that is a good question.” She followed Imogen in sitting up and patted the soft lump on her head gently. “I suppose he could stay in my — ”

“No, not in your hair, Laudna.” Imogen let out a small sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. “He has to go somewhere else.”

“Oh.”

Look, it’s one thing when he was still literally just a dead rat on the night stand or in the dollhouse. But I am absolutely drawing the line at him being in your hair while we’re sleeping! You know I love you, Laudna, but I’m not cuddling with you if Pâté remains in your hair!

“Oh, I don’t mind sleeping in between ya three beauties!” There was a low cackle and the said puppet-turned-familiar crawled out from under her hair and onto her shoulder, before lifting himself up, his adorable bony little wings flapping in the air.

“Especially you, beautiful lady,” Pâté turned his raven skull around 180 degrees to look at Fearne, “why, just the thought of snuggling in between those warm, ample bosoms is already giving me a chub — ”

“All-right, Pâté!  I think that’s a little too much information for all of us.” Laudna quickly grabbed hold of Pâté’s long beak, pulling him down from the air and immediately hissed out, “Where’s the dollhouse?!”

“I’ve got it. I’ve got it,” Ashton sighed and opened the hole, reaching in and taking out the wooden house that Chetney had made for Pâté and Sashimi.

“Alright, in you go.” Laudna hastily stuffed Pâté into the house and closed the door.

“There, problem solved!” She dusted off both her hands, flashing a bright smile at her friends. “Shall we all go to sleep now?”

The next moment, several loud bumps, followed by some really disturbing cackles, started to emerge out of the dollhouse.

She turned stiffly to look at the dollhouse, the smile still plastered on her face.

“Oh Sashimi, how I have missed you, my lover~ Oh, your ass~ Ah~ Oh~ Caviar darling, don’t be impatient, you’ll get your turn soon.” 

“Oh boy,” Orym muttered softly, with a raised brow.

“They…sound like they’re having fun,” Fresh Cut Grass tilted their metal head ever so slightly, while Ashton just nodded in agreement, a hand covering their mouth, looking extremely entertained and also mildly disturbed at the same time.

“Yes, oh how lovely! They love each other all so much! Such a well-deserved reunion!” Fearne said, putting a hand to her chest, her eyes shimmering with tears.

“Well, products made by CPOP are meant to last, so you don’t have to worry about the dollhouse collapsing halfway through the night. The structure is strong enough to take what Pâté’s got to give and it sounds like he’s got a lot to give,” Chetney commented, wagging his eyebrows.

As if in response, the dollhouse started to shake violently as she looked on, horrified at whatever was happening inside of it.

Laudna.

“I think... maybe we should probably give them a little more privacy.” She let out a nervous chuckle, and hurriedly tucked the dollhouse under her arm and started to walk swiftly away from the Sun Tree, throwing a “I’ll be right back!” over her shoulder.

Once she was sure she was out of earshot of her friends, she quickly placed the dollhouse gently on the ground and crouched down next to it.

“Pâté!” she hissed in a loud whisper.

There were a few more disturbing bumps before the dollhouse finally stopped moving. 

“Yeah…?“ A familiar deep voice sounded from within.

“At least use some protection! Don’t make Sashimi give birth to another rock again! Or Caviar, for that matter!“

“I make no promises.”

The dollhouse started shaking again.