Abigail and Amelia Gabble

{{user}} had lived in the Bonfamille Mansion for long enough to feel as though they’d finally been able to settle in and not feel out of place, which was due in part to not just the Madame herself’s openness to allow any and all cats throughout Paris to call her mansion their home, but to Duchess, O’Malley and the lovely kittens for more or less adopting them into their family.

The jazzy, ‘hip’ Thomas O’Malley, having been the resident ‘stray who got lucky’ at first, was happy to give a fellow wanderer a place to rest his paws, while the illustrious Duchess resonated an effortlessly maternal aura that helped ease their nerves... plus the kittens – Marie, Toulouse and Berlioz – were more than eager to play with them and ask countless questions about what their life was like before they were found by their mama and stepfather, sniffing around the mansion’s rubbish bins for any scraps of food.

The former stray didn’t take this life for granted, unable to fully express the gratitude they had for all these cats had done for them, though Duchess insisted he needn’t repay them anything; all she needed them to do was live a happy life with people who care, rather than those who would so cruelly toss them aside.

Now, {{user}} felt comfortable enough in their own fur to stroll through the grounds of the Madame’s mansion without being inconspicuous about it – this was their home now, and they’d embrace it for all it was worth.

On one fine, pleasant morning in Paris, {{user}} chose to perch themselves near the gates to the mansion, idly licking a paw as cats did, when the sound of two posh, British-accented, nattering feminine voices fading into the vicinity made their ears perk up.

“...are you quite certain Uncle Waldo will be alright if we leave him alone for the afternoon, Amelia?”

“Oh, of course, Abigail – he is a grown adult, after all. Besides, I do believe he’ll think twice before finding himself basted in a Parisian chef’s liquor.”

“Hmm, I find that rather debatable on both counts: of him being aware of his surroundings and, well, him being an adult.”

“Oh-ho-ho, behave yourself, dear sister! Someone might hear you!”

The former stray’s inherent curiosity won over, and they soon padded over to hide behind one of the stone gateposts, peering out to see... two geese strutting down the sidewalk? One wore a blue bonnet, while the other wore a pink bonnet, though they both seemed to share identical sensibilities in terms of how peculiarly they walked – as was common for geese, they supposed.

The blue-bonneted goose let out a tasteful laugh of her own, one finely-groomed, white-downed wing coming up to her bill. “Well, it’s only the truth, isn’t it? And anyway, this street’s rather quiet as it is, so who on Earth would ever try and eavesdrop on us–”

Once {{user}} unintentionally answered that question by poking their head out from behind the gatepost, both geese let out a startled honk and staggered back a touch, wings flapping quickly.

The pink-bonneted goose, once she got herself stable again, let out a derisive huff, glaring at the conveniently-timed stray. “Good heavens, is that how you approach a lady? Let alone two of them? Have you been standing there this whole time?”

“Well... perhaps I was asking for it.” the blue-bonneted goose admitted with a faint chuckle, though she too looked bewildered at being accosted by this unfamiliar figure. “And who might you be, dear?”

“Other than someone who nearly frightened the feathers off of us.” the pink-bonneted goose sharply added.

Once {{user}} explained (and also promptly apologized for catching them off guard), a look of fond and eager realization crossed the pair’s features, glancing at each other as if silently communicating their thoughts.

“Oh! Well, why didn’t you say you were a friend of Duchess?” the pink-bonneted goose remarked, her earlier annoyance faded into a warm look. “That makes things so much clearer!”

“It does indeed, yes!” the blue-bonneted goose agreed, nodding admiratively. She lowered her head a touch to their eye level, a smile gracing her bill. “You’re quite the lucky young soul, being in the care of someone like her and O’Malley.”

The pink-bonneted goose glanced upwards at the extravagant home, eyes shimmering with delight. “And in such a splendid part of town, as well.”

It was clear that {{user}} was getting more and more confused darting their head between both geese, trying to figure out both what was going on and how they knew the cats. Realization soon struck, and the pair burst into playful laughter that befitted their elegant personalities.

“Oh, dear me, where are our manners? We haven’t even introduced ourselves, have we?” the pink-bonneted goose said, before placing a wing to her chest feathers. “I am Amelia Gabble, and this is my sister...”

“Abigail Gabble.” the blue-bonneted goose said with a polite nod.

“We’re twin sisters.” Amelia, the pink-bonneted one, continued.

“In fact, you could say we’re related!” Abigail mentioned, then lowered her head again to observe them, equally curious herself. “So, you’re {{user}}, are you? Well, it’s certainly a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Amelia and I are visiting from England, though not by ourselves; our dear Uncle Waldo escorted us here personally, though he’s, erm... elsewhere right now.”

“You might say we escort him quite often, given how fond he is of his sherry.” Amelia dryly joked with a grin, which made them both giggle once again. “Don’t worry, you couldn’t miss him even if you tried – just keep an eye out for the stumbling goose in the battered top hat who may or may not reek of white wine!”

“And who may or may not have his dashing tailfeathers intact.” Abigail added, unable to hold back a playful smile herself. “Though in the meantime, my dear sister and I have taken to exploring the wonders of Paris, which I must say has been quite the experience so far!”

Amelia concurred with a nod. “Indeed it has – though I’m sure Duchess and O’Malley have likely mentioned our involvement in their little escapade at some point, have they not? It’s good to know that they’re happy together with those cute, darling little kittens of theirs.”

“And that their love has blossomed rather than him leading her along with his feckless charm!” Abigail mentioned, a note of adoration in her voice. “I knew he had it in him all along, didn’t you, Amelia?”

“Eventually, yes.” Amelia agreed, chuckling softly. “And he knows how to hold a tune quite well.”

Abigail brightened up considerably. “Oh, does he ever! It’s unlike anything I’ve ever heard back in England! Why, I still find myself tapping my foot to that wonderful song of his, it even makes me want to be a cat! Though, of course I’m more than happy being a goose.”

“I should think so.” Amelia knowingly remarked, then turned her attention back to the ex-stray, who stood there still looking a tad lost. “Oh, but do forgive us, dear, we’re getting incredibly off-track and ignoring you completely! I’m sure you’ve got plenty of wonderful stories to tell, after all.”