⌚ New Experiences

22. The Other Toy

This chapter isn't dedicated to anyone. This is the regular chapter-every-day that I push myself to release. So you don't need to thank anyone for this, but if you liked having 10 extra chapters today, because that's the number of people sending me a dollar or more on Patreon each month, maybe you'd consider supporting me too? Look for kittyangel on Patreon, and you too can make me post an extra chapter every month... and even decide which story you'd most like me to work on!

Thank you!

Spanky stared at Dawn trying to figure out what he had missed. His sister's fur was a little mussed where Mommy had been stroking her, but otherwise he couldn't see anything out of the ordinary.

"You look cute as ever," he shrugged.

"This is incredible," Dawn let out the most piercing sound he'd ever heard a cub make. Even a baby, he couldn't imagine being so shrill. "It doesn't seem fair, but I guess that's what he wanted. I wish he could have... changed me while he's still old enough. But oh, are you going to do the same to me?" Her voice was rising again, going from disappointment to overflowing excitement in seconds as she shrieked: "Ooh, ooh, can you do me next? Do me!"

"This is different," Lulu laughed, reaching down and picking up the yo-yo from the side of the bed. "So eager! So, is there anything you'd like to try? Want to pick one of the things we talked about, or want me to surprise you?"

"Everything!" Dawn was visibly bouncing on her knees, like she was about to leap off the bed. "What Spanky wants. Or everything, or anything!"

"Okay. But what first? Any preference? No? Well, you asked for it." She held out the yo-yo, and Spanky turned away automatically. He had found out with some embarrassment that once the yellow spiral started spinning, he couldn't take his eyes off it. And if Dawn was so–

Spanky looked back, wanting to confirm what he thought he'd seen from the corner of his eye, just as the blue toy started to spin. It lit up as it descended the string, presumably with some kind of dynamo inside it. The stars that lit up on the side were interspersed with a complex pattern of stickers. They might be tracing a spiral, but a second later Spanky realised that the same dots might be placed along a different spiral, in the opposite direction. There were at least three spirals in there, made out of the same points. They shifted in and out of focus as the speed and direction of the spin changed, and some of the stickers were spirals by themselves. Spanky could see right away why it was so hard to take your eyes off the little plastic disc.

Dawn's eyes were glued to it as it spun. Up and down, down and up. Her head tilted too, but a little too slow, so her beak always reached the bottom of its path a half second after the flashing yo-yo.

"You're following it, aren't you?" Lulu asked. "Just nod to say you agree. You're so focused on the spinning spirals, your head goes up and down as it does. Nodding, agreeing with everything we say. And you're so focused on the spiral, you don't even notice what you're agreeing to. You don't hear these words, but you will find yourself doing exactly what we say even if you don't know why."

Spanky listened, and watched Dawn's head go up and down. She didn't react at all, just kept going with her slow-motion nod. He started wondering if he normally looked so vacant and dopey when one of their Mommys dangled the special spinning spiral in front of his face. It would explain their laughing. He knew he was a big boy now, though. He could watch it going up and down, and wonder about the pattern of the spirals. But at the same time, if he wanted to, he could look at Dawn, and how mesmerised she was, and laugh at the thought that with that yo-yo, he could make her do whatever he wanted.