Lorne gets Pressed into Physical Labor

Lorne glanced behind herself, double checking that Barnaby was distracted. He was, the anxious cat was pacing around, scanning the wide halls for if there was anyone approaching that might take his precious treasures. With this reassurance, Lorn let out a disgusted huff.

The items, piled in a sad corner, were more than a little grimy, and stood out to her as stuck in the past. They weren’t being kept for their utility, but rather what they meant to the big folk.

Lorn grabbed ahold of a thimble that could be a cup, or a stool, or a vase or- Barnaby hovered over her.

“H-hey! Be careful with that!”

Or as a just as an important item of significance to a dead cat. Lorne took a deep breath. There were other trinkets in the mansion, there was only one Barnaby. She pasted on a smile and looked up at him.

“Hey, don’t worry about it Barney! That’s what we Minikin do! We have to be able to carry a whole bunch of items all at once.” She gave him a cheeky wink.

Then she stuffed the thimble under her left armpit, reaching down to grab the clock gear and a…. hm. Cheese fork? A small one at least. Honestly even a bit too small for her to use as a trident, even if she didn’t already have her trusty butcher’s blade propped up on the wall.

The items secure, she began to trot over to the large clock across the room. It was a long journey, especially for having such short legs, but it was hardly dangerous. Lorne hummed tunelessly, letting her ears flop about more than usual for fun.

Barnaby followed her impatiently, twisting in on himself in the air. He kept looking back at where the rest of his stash, as well as scanning all directions, probably looking for another cat. Or Minikin, Lorne wasn’t sure.

Finally, she reached the clock and carefully divested herself of the treasures. She looked back up at the ghost.

“Is there a particular way that you want them to be organized? Or placed?” She gave a pat to the thimble as she spoke.

Barnaby flicked an ear, then swished his tail as he looked all around them once more.

“Yes, yes, I do have a way. Now, be careful, okay? I want the thimble in first, yes that makes sense,” He murmured to himself. “Then the gear, flat on the floor, then the button- oh wait, no, that is still back with the rest of the items…” He looked back again, his whiskers fluttering nervously.

“Oh well, that’s okay!” Lorne attempted to calm him down. “I can just put these here now and organize when everything is over here!” She placed the gear and fork behind the clock, then dropped to all fours to scurry back to Barnaby’s trinkets.

“Ech,” Barnaby grunted.

Lorne stopped scampering to stand upright and send a glare his way.

“Oh, what’s your problem now?” She sighed. Working with these cats just could never be easy, could it?

Barnaby had his ears pinned back, looking away from her, lashing his tail a bit.

“Well, it’s going to take an awfully long time for you to carry two or three things at a time, won’t it?” He complained.

Lorn pinched the bridge of her nose between two claws. Don’t get upset with him girl, it’s not worth it.

“Well, if I carry more than I might accidentally damage one of your items,” Not that she actually would, she was very good at transport! But he would hover and whine that she was scratching his precious pieces if she did. “And there isn’t exactly another way to carry everything.” She perched her paws on her hips and tapped one foot against the ground. She could already be on her way back if he hadn’t pitched a fit!

“Well…” Barnaby had fallen out of his defensive stance to tap a claw against his chin. “I do have a little Minikin cart that you could use to carry everything across! It’s just right over there in that corner!” He pointed a mere few feet from his old hiding spot to where a large marble plinth likely hid said cart.

Lorne valiantly attempted to keep her thoughts to herself, but a noise like a balloon being stepped on still escaped her.

“Great.”

“Yeah!” Barnaby chirped. “Then you can get all my important things over here nice and easy! Quick too! I don’t want anyone else coming and taking all of my important finds!”

She was so going to steal that thimble.