Abbernathy and the Cat Kingdom

(10) -Good Adults, Bad Advice-

Culpepper Tells' fish cannery was a mammoth building of enhanced steel and black stone. Smoke stacks reminded Abby of dragon's breath as coils of blue-tinted smoke rose into the sky. Being so close to the Fragilli, the air here smelled of salt, seaweed, and rancid fish guts.

Poppy Mayweather grimaced as she stepped out of the carriage, her nose upturned and wrinkled as she sniffed the air in disdain. Too focused on the stench, the girl paid no mind to the pool of stagnant, golden liquid at her feet. Poppy's expensive mughound mule went right through the water, splashing Poppy's tights and the hem of her dress. 

She shrieked and hurled herself into the carriage in her shock, setting off Ritz's internal defense alarm. Abby chuckled as Poppy's cheeks burned with embarrassment.

"It's not polite," Mimi whispered, pinching Abby's arm. "Laughing like that. You were raised better."

Abby shrugged. "Miss Rainbow Undies doesn't deserve my politeness."

Confusion colored the old woman's cheeks at the mention of Poppy Mayweather's private underthings. Made uncomfortable and unsure by Abby's openness, Mimi reached into her basket to smooth out the gingham lining. Abby giggled at the woman's uneasiness before eyeing the large, empty basket.

"What's that for?"

"It's for your party, ma--Miss."

Margo lumbered toward Abby and Mimi like a drunken bear. Baskets hung off her arms, two on the left, one on the right. She reminded Abby of a Burla tree burdened with gull nests.

Abby frowned. The birthday party. Her birthday party. It had already caused so many problems and the stupid thing hadn't even begun yet.

She rolled her eyes. Thanks party, I'll be sure to never turn a year older ever again.

"So anything exciting happen in the carriage?" Mimi shot Abby one of her weathered, mischievous smiles.

Abby hated when those smiles were flung her way. They always stood for something gross. Abby might have been young, but she was old enough to see how the adults made googly-eyes whenever her and Crum were together. They thought Abby liked Crum. She did not like Crum.

"Ritz acted up. Stirred up quite the blizzard," she started, watching Lucy weave in and out of her legs. "We also got to see Poppy's underthings," she said, watching as Mimi's face returned to that shade of tomato red. Both maids raised their eyebrows, mouths agape."Poppy's a big fan of rainbows and here I thought her undies would be as plain and boring as she is."

"Goodness, child," Mimi started, straightening out her collar. "It's okay to lie about things like that."

Abby eyed the maid. "I don't think you should be telling a child it's okay to lie."

Mimi smiled and hooked her arm about Abby's waist. "Oh, what's the point. You'll lie whether or not I give you the okay. Besides, I thought the great Abby Tells wasn't a kid but some mighty adventurer?"

"I am!" Abby exclaimed, but as she watched Poppy and Polly smooth out the wrinkles on their expensive silk coats, she corrected herself. "Or at least, I will be. Some day. I won't be a lady like them. I'll swim the falls, traipse across the fabled lands of glass beaches and sail the frozen seas-"

"Sounds like a load of horse dung to me," Mimi said, dismissing Abby's claims with a shake of her head. Abby looked back and forth between the two maids. If Poppy could enjoy such colorful underwear than couldn't it be possible that such places existed?

Magick existed. Monsters existed. Girls who liked Crum existed. Anything should have been possible.

"I believe those places exist," Margo spoke up, nudging Abby in the shoulder, "And if you set your mind to it, you'll trek across every inch of ground, climb every mountain, and uncover all the secrets that remain buried, waiting for little adventurers like yourself to discover them. Never stop trying."