Susan and Blaire: Chapter 4 (Patreon)

It was a slow morning in the cottage. The mistress of the house was outside tending to affairs that the other occupant didn’t quite grasp. It was fine for him to be out of the loop; he had something else to attend to today, anyway.

Blaire the mouse stood himself tall atop a tabletop off to the side in the living room. He stood before a mirror; to the homeowner, it was a simple hand-mirror, but for the mouse it was practically life-size. He grimaced as he looked himself over in his fresh set of wizard robes. He adjusted his little cone-hat several times; his ears wiggled in the little slits provided for them.

Blaire felt so strange in this outfit. Sure, he’d agreed to wear them instead of the old rags he was used to… but that didn’t make him feel any less silly.

After adjusting his hat one last time, Blaire finally decided to get started on his training. He walked across the tabletop to a little desk set up for him. He picked up his micro-sized computer tablet, and held it carefully in both hands. He used his thumb to click on an icon that was marked for him to study from that day. So, Blaire sat down and read from the bold-print notes, while also occasionally glancing at a training dummy across the tabletop (She sure did provide a lot of stuff for him.)

The magic Blaire was to start with today was something called “levitation.” The idea was that he could move things around in mid-air from far across the way. But he was only supposed to try lifting the training dummy, and even then only a little bit up and around.

Still, Blaire couldn’t help but feeling a bit excited. It was his first time learning to use magic, and his little tail wagged as he thought about the ability to lift things up and around. So he studied the notes several times over to make sure he understood what to do. And after half an hour of reading and re-reading, Blaire picked up a little wooden toothpick from his counter. The toothpick was marked with teeny little runes along the shaft, and dulled and fitted with a handle on one end; a perfect makeshift magic wand for a little mouse. Blaire could practically see sparks flying from the pointer end as he stood up to wave it around.

I can almost even FEEL the magic,Blaire thought with a smile. He held the wand carefully in his right hand and swayed it about to get used to the weight. Now… let’s see if I can get that dummy levitating.

Blaire faced toward the dummy and prepared the spell just as the reading material said. He swished the wand about, and gave it a flick as sparks flew out.

The dummy rattled and shook in place… and then nothing happened.

Blaire frowned at that; he did the swish and flick again, this time pointed more firmly at the dummy. The dummy rattled… and that was that. He rubbed his face with his free hand, and then redid his stance before trying again.

And try again he did. And again… and again… and AGAIN. For several minutes the mouse tried to make the dummy levitate, but it barely did so much as shake in place. Blaire felt frustration building in his chest; he felt compelled to snap his wand in two before throwing the pieces at the dummy…

“Blaire!” called the chipper voice of the homeowner. “I’m home!”

Blaire gasped and let go of his wand. He turned and looked toward the front door as Susan the black cat strode through it. She was wearing her dark witch robes and rimmed hat, same as always. She put down a basket on one of her chairs, put her hat on a wall-hook, and walked into the living room with a sway in her hips. Her eyes beamed when she spotted Blaire, and walked right toward him.

“Hey, little guy.” She said as she pulled her macro-sized tablet out of a bag on her shoulder. “How’s the training going?”

Blaire sighed and shook his head as he put down his magic wand and picked up his tablet to type.

Blaire: Not very good.

“Oh?” Susan’s ears drooped. “What’s wrong?”

Blaire: I can’t get the hang of levitation.

“Don’t give up right the start of your practice, little guy.” Blaire smiled. She pulled out her own wand and pointed it at a nearby chair. “Here, just watch me.”

She swished and flicked the wand… and the chair began to rattle. It lifted upward right into the air, where it hung like a balloon. Susan then motioned with her wand toward herself, and the chair came right over. The cat grinned as she lifted up her hefty rear and plopped it right down on the chair, bringing it to the floor.

“There, see?” Susan chuckled as she put one leg over the other. “Now you try again.”

Blaire shrugged as he picked up his wand again. He did exactly as Susan did; the swish and a flick in a fluid motion, all while focusing right on the training dummy. The dummy rattled in place a bit… but did nothing else. The mouse scowled and crossed his arms angrily before turning away from it.

“Hey, don’t be like that, little guy…” Susan lightly prodded him in the shoulder. “Just because you didn’t get it right away, doesn’t mean you never will. You just need to keep practicing.”

With a pout, Blaire picked up his tablet and typed out a message.

Blaire: Why do I have to start with levitation anyway? Why can’t I try something like fireballs or lightning?”

Susan’s ear flicked, and she snorted as she put her hands at her sides. “Firstly, Mr. Grumpy, you’re not ready to toss flames and bolts all around my cottage. Secondly, they don’t have nearly enough of the same practical application as levitation.”

The mouse looked away and sneered as he typed another message.

Blaire: And just what kind of Praktal Apple-kation is there for levitating?

“Well,” Susan said mischievously, “for starters…”

Blaire heard a swish and a flick behind his head… and then, suddenly, he felt his feet leave the floor. The mouse reflexively squeaked as he looked down and saw himself floating upward into the air. He swung his legs wildly as he clung to his wand and tablet for dear life. Blaire kept floating upward… right past Susan’s wicked grin, and up into the air. It wasn’t until he was floating around above the cat’s head, that he realized she’d had her wand pointed at him the entire time.

“The Levitation spell can be used to lift up a wide range of objects; the smaller, the easier…” Susan’s eyes sparkled as she licked her lips. “Like little snacks.”

Blaire flailed in place as he scrambled to type something on his tablet.

Blaire: Don’t eat me Susan!

“Practice more with your levitation, and maybe I won’t.” She said playfully as she relaxed in her chair. She picked up the training dummy and placed it atop her snout. “Here; bring it up off my nose and up to the top of my head, and I’ll put you back down.”

The mouse typed a little less frantically.

Blaire: How many tries do I get?

“As many as you need.” Susan nodded. “But if you get angry again, it’s snack time. Okay?”

Blaire gasped, and then sighed in defeat. Knowing Susan, she’d probably gobble him up anyway. It wouldn’t be the first time… but it seemed like she was insisting that he get the hang of this levitation thing. So, after carefully grasping the tablet in one hand, the mouse picked up his wand again and cautiously pointed it down at the dummy on Susan’s snout.

Here goes… He thought as he did the swish and flick. Come on… lift.

The dummy rattled… and stayed in place. So Blaire tried again. The dummy rattled a little more… and stayed in place. The mouse sucked in a breath; he could feel his anger building. But he didn’t feel like taking a trip to Susan’s belly again so soon, so he took a deep breath and tried to concentrate.

Susan watched with a patient smile as the mouse tried multiple times to lift the dummy of her nose. A half a dozen attempts had come and gone with little success, making her scratch her chin in thought.

“Say, Blaire,” She looked him in the eyes. “Maybe you’re using the wrong hand.”

Blaire put his wand down to type a confused reply.

Blaire: But I’m trying to do it exactly how you showed me.

“Well, maybe it was TOO exact.” Susan continued. “I use my right hand with my wand, because that’s my dominant writing hand. Maybe you should be using YOUR dominant hand, too.”

The mouse squeaked uneasily, and looked down at his two hands as they clutched his belongings. With a shrug, he moved his wand into his left hand, and then carefully focused on the dummy once again. He did a swish, and a flick…

The dummy rattled, rattled some more… and went UP.

Blaire could hardly believe his eyes; the training dummy lifted up off of Susan’s nose! And when he moved his wand, the dummy followed! It was working! The magic was working! Blaire squeaked and pumped his fist in the air triumphantly..!

…losing his grip on his wand in the process. It nearly slipped through his fingers, making him scramble to catch it. This resulted in the loss of control on the levitation, meaning the dummy fell out of the air…

…And bonked Susan between the eyes.

Blaire froze in horror, while the cat grumbled. She rubbed her snout, and then looked up at the mouse with an annoyed look. The mouse’s eyes darted left and right, and he quickly typed up a response on his table.

Blaire: Well… at least I managed to do it?

“Hmph…” Susan raised an eyebrow as she read his reply, and then she put down her table to focus on him. “But there’s still one more dummy floating in the air that needs taking care of.”

The mouse gulped, while the cat licked her lips. She widened her jaws and stuck her tongue out as Blaire slowly floated down toward her throat. The mouse’s limbs flailed around; he almost dropped his tablet and wand. Blaire grabbed his tablet and tried to speak to her, but by the time he grabbed it, Susan’s jaws clamped shut around him.

Blaire: SUSAN WAIT! I’M SORRY!

Susan rolled her eyes upon reading that. She simply tilted her head back and gulped the mouse right down. But he didn’t go very far down her throat; the cat still had her magic wand pointed at him, even as he formed a bulge in her throat.

Susan turned to look in the mirror on the wall, and she chuckled as she looked at the lump in her throat. She put a finger on the bulge, and she used her wand to move him up and down several times.

“Quite the practical application of levitation, isn’t it?” Susan asked playfully; her voice surrounded the mouse, who lightly gripped his ears. “I can make a little mouse float up and down.”

Blaire worriedly typed a reply on his tablet, but by the time it reached Susan’s messenger app, she’d already let the mouse continue his descent into her belly. Susan gave a little burp, and rubbed her stomach as she lifted the tablet up to her eyes.

Blaire: Please let me out.

Susan gave a sigh, and began to type a reply back to the mouse; she wanted to relax her voice by this point…

Meanwhile, Blaire sat in the dark, murky stomach, with the light of his tablet keeping things illuminated. He grumbled as he read the response on the tablet.

Susan: If you want out, float your way out. Use your wand to make the mousie go up, up, up! Otherwise, you’ll be taking the scenic route. The choice is yours. =-P

Blaire put his tablet down and sighed. He fished around in the murky pool for his little wand, which he found eventually covered in some ambiguous thing Susan had eaten earlier while she was out. He grimaced as he wiped it clean, before holding it firmly in his left hand. Blaire adjusted his hat, held his tablet snugly to his chest, and pointed his wand at himself.

Get me out of here, He thought. He did a swish, and a flick…

And found himself rising up out of the murky pool.

On the outside, Susan still had her hand on her belly as she sat on her couch. She felt a little lump leave her throat, and felt a bulge forming in her throat as it ascented. And then…

“BURP!”

Out the mouse flew from her throat. Susan watched in amazement as the mouse was sent flying upward toward the ceiling. Blaire crashed with a grunt, letting his tablet and wand slip from his hands in the process.

Susan gasped and quickly grabbed her own wand up again. She pointed it at the tablet, little wand, and the mouse all in turn, stopping them before they freefell back down.

“Oops.” Susan chuckled awkwardly. She flicked her wand and brought Blaire and his belongings slowly downward. “I’ll admit; that was my fault that time.”

Susan held her hand up, and Blaire and his belongings landed with a gentle plop. She then brought Blaire up to her cheek, which she hugged him against. Blaire blushed as he picked up his tablet to type a response.

Blaire: Am I done practicing for today?

“Yeah, I’d say practice time is over…” Susan’s eyes beamed. “And Playtime is just starting.”

Blaire’s eyes widened, and his cheeks flushed red as he typed again.

Blaire: And what game did you have in mind today?

“Well, I’ve still all wound up from working today. It’s time to get some exercise in…” She looked down at Blaire with a mischievous grin. “And it’s time to hone your skill at hiding.”

Blaire: So, another game of Cat and Mouse.

The cat purred in delight, while the mouse simply sighed and shook his head.

“Alrighty, times to follow the rules.” Susan snickered as she held the mouse away from her face. “Name your prize if you manage to avoid getting caught this time.”

Blaire scratched his chin in thought, before snapping his fingers as an idea came to mind.

Blaire: If I win, you teach me how to cast a fireball.

“Hmm, feeling rather daring today…” The cat raised an eyebrow. “I’ll just be sure to win this game, then.”

Blaire: Now, what do you get if YOU win?”

“What I want is simple…” Susan grinned from ear to ear. “If I win, I get to take you out on a date with me.”

Blaire’s eyes went wide, and his cheeks flushed pink. Susan giggled at the sight, while the mouse typed quickly on his tablet.

Blaire: A date?!

“Yep. That’s my prize; you come with me for a romantic outing on the town… completed with EVERYTHING that entails.”

Susan blew Blaire a few exaggerated kisses, which made the mouse shake in his robes. He couldn’t believe what a tease the cat was being; he pulled his hat down over his face to hide how pink it was turning.

“I’ll bet you just want to throw in the towel right away, so we can get going for some fun.” Susan snickered.

Blaire took a deep breath and tried to compose himself. He then readjusted his hat and picked up the tablet to get to typing.

Blaire; I still really want to learn how to cast a fireball.

“Hmm…” Susan pursed her lips. “In that case… you’d better win the came of Cat and Mouse, little guy.”

The cat placed the mouse down on the floor, before she waved her wand about at the furniture in the living room. Everything rattled and shook as the various chairs and tables lifted themselves up and scooted backward to open up more of the floor. Soon there was a great wide square; plenty of space for the pudgy cat to run around in. She then placed Blaire down on the floor, before plucking up his wand and tablet.

“Just like always; no magic.” She declared as she placed hers and Blaire’s wands down on a nearby tabletop. The mouse simply nodded silently as backed up several paces, while the cat placed the two tablets down on another little table. She then kept her back facing away from the mouse as she picked up a little alarm clock.

“Five minutes aught to be enough time…” The cat’s tail wiggled excitedly as she set the clock. Once it started ticking, she placed it down and turned around to face Blaire. Susan put on a playful smirk, as she got down onto all fours on the carpet. Blaire took a deep breath as he took several more paces away from her.

“Ready or not…” Susan wiggled her rear about. “Here I come!”

The cat gave a big meow as she pounced forward. Immediately the mouse took off into a run as her big hands came down right where he stood a moment ago. Blaire didn’t look back as he made a run for it.

Despite some instincts screaming for Blaire to go hiding under the couch or behind a shelf, Blaire forced himself to stay within the perimeter of the carpet; going outside was against the rules for both of them. There was also no biting or clawing… but Susan insisted that licking was perfectly allowed. It took a few games for Blaire to realize there wasn’t any REAL danger in this game… and yet there was always that hungry look in Susan’s eyes as she gave chase.

The carpet shook quite a bit as the cat bounded after the mouse. He was nearly knocked off his feet several times as she attempted to catch him in her hands. And whenever he had the nerve to look back, he could see Susan giving an exaggerated lick of her lips.

A minute had gone by, and Susan had chased Blaire in nearly a full circle of the carpet. She kept trying to pounce on him, though he evaded her fingers several times. That always got a chuckle out of the cat, and she meowed as she continued the chase. Blaire, meanwhile, couldn’t help but feel a bit of his own excitement. There was something strangely thrilling about running as fast as he could from the cat. Every time he dodged one of her grasps, he felt the urge to squeak.

Two minutes had gone by. Two and a half. Three minutes.

By this point, Blaire was starting to feel quite the burn in his little muscles. He could hear Susan panting as she did her best to keep up the chase; this was quite a bit of exercise for the both of them. Both cat and mouse began slowing their speed as each one struggled to keep going.

“I’m gonna getcha…” Susan said between pants. “Any moment now… you’ll be all mine, mousie.”

Blaire panted as well, as he thought up several witty quips that he wished he could reply to her with. Part of him was tempted to change his mind and ask if magic could help him speak…

But then he remembered that fireball spell he wanted to learn, so he reached within himself for the last vestiges of energy he could use to keep running. He dodged around her hands, though one of her fingers lightly brushed his ear. It tickled, but he shook his head and kept running.

Four minutes; the final stretch was here. Blaire just had to keep it up for a little while longer, and that fireball spell would be his. He made another turn around the corner, and kept pushing himself to run. And just behind him, Susan reeled back and leaped forward to make another big pounce…

Just as Blaire’s ankle jerked to the side and sent him sprawling to the floor in a sudden stop…

WHAM!

Everything was covered in darkness, and the world shook. Blaire felt smothered on all sides as an immense weight came down atop him. Up above, he could feel Susan’s body vibrating as her body settled into the floor. There was a purr, followed by a grunt in confusion.

“Blaire?” The cat asked. “Where’d are you…?”

The world shifted as Susan picked herself up off the floor. Blaire shook a bit as he felt pinned to something rather tightly. Once the cat was standing upright, the both of them finally realized what had happened…

When Susan pounced, her belly landed atop the mouse, and he was stuck to it. With a snicker, the cat gently peeled the mouse off of her stomach, and brought him up to her face.

“Gotcha.” Susan declared. “Looks like I win the game.”

The mouse silently groaned as he grabbed his head; he’d come so close to winning only to almost literally trip at the finish line. And just as he thought of that, the alarm went off, cementing how he’d failed.

Susan walked over to the clock and shut the alarm off. She then picked up Blaire’s tablet and handed it to him whilst patting him on the head with a finger.

“Welp, time to get you ready for our date.” Susan chuckled.

The cat picked up her wand and pointed it at the mouse. With a flourish of her wrist, there came a flash of light. When Blaire looked down, he found that his magical robes and hat were replaced by a fancy suit with a matching tie.

“There you go; all nice and dashing.” The cat said happily. “Now, for myself…”

Susan pointed her wand at her black dress and did another flourish. After another flash of light, Susan’s dress turned bright red, and her hat disappeared. She also was suddenly wearing a pair of earrings, and had purple lipsticks on her lips.

“So… how do I look?” The cat took a particular pose and smirked down at Blaire. She gave a wink and puckered her lips for a moment.

Once again, Blaire felt weak in the knees. His face blushed bright red, and he put his hands awkwardly behind his back, which resulted in him not being able to type a reply.

“Heh, I guess I’ve left you too stunned to gawk.” Susan snickered. She walked over to her table and picked up a big purse. “But let’s not stand around here; there’s a lovely place in town that’s perfect for folks like you and me.”

The cat walked over and offered Blaire a hand and a smile. The mouse sat down in her palm while clutching his tablet to his chest. Susan carefully moved him over to the purse’s flap, which she opened before carefully putting him down inside. Blaire found himself crouching down next to lipstick, a mirror, and some kind of book. Blaire looked up to see the cat smiling happily down at him.

“You look so cute down there.” She sighed. “I could carry you around like this all day.”

Blaire blushed again as he typed up a reply on his tablet.

Blaire: It’s kind of like a mouse hole.

“Kind of… in a way.” The cat snickered as she slowly closed the flap on the purse. “I’ll let you out of there when we get home.”

Blaire: What about my wand?

The next response came from the tablet.

Susan: You can get it back AFTER dinner. And if you’re a good mousie… I might just teach you that fireball spell. :P

Blaire smiled at that, and he settled into sitting down as Susan carried him off. He had to admit; getting a chance to get out of the house was exactly what he needed. And if he got to finally learn that new spell, then today was going to be a pretty great day indeed!

As the mouse relaxed and enjoyed the trip, Susan stepped out of her cottage and closed the door behind herself. After locking it, the cat held out a hand and summoned one her her outside brooms right into her grasp. She hopped atop it and purred as she took off into the sky, all too eager to get her date going.

But as the cat left… she didn’t notice two little pairs of eyes watching her from inside a bush. The eyes kept looking as the witch vanished over the trees. And then, after making absolutely sure she was long gone…

Two little mice stepped out of the bush, and began looking for their way inside.