For hours, Marsh listened to Antabitha like a follower to a relentless preacher. Her stories were all over the place and she seemed like she still had a lot to say. This was the first time anyone had ever take interest engaging in a conversation with her, which pretty much explains why she’s being such a chatterbox when Marsh tried talking to her.
“And you know, I never get along with those Popsiclops. We’ve met countless of times already, but they would always chase me away even when I have something to offer. Those grumpy creatures sure aren’t friendly. Anyway…” When Antabitha turned to look at Marsh, she noticed that he had a special book on hand. “…oh, are you interested in that?” She asks, finally giving Marsh his turn in this one-sided conversation.
Marsh flinched, he thought she’d never finish talking. “A-Ah, yes. I have a lot of question I’d like to ask… Tabby, you’re an ant. You come from the outside world, so surely you know many things that I don’t.” He said with such hope and fascination.
Marsh always wanted to know more about the world outside the Sweet Kingdom, and he’ll never let this kind of chance pass by.
"Riiiight..." Antabitha grimaced unnoticeably, she quickly changed the topic when the food was done, “Won’t you look at that, supper’s ready! Marsh, you go ahead and call your friend so we can all eat together.”
This disappointed Marsh that she didn't respond to his question, but his stomach was already rumbling so he had no complaint. "Okay, sure." He simply answered, and he goes to call for Choco.
He checked in the living room and got a little startled when he can't find Choco there. Though he felt relieved right after he checked the room where Choco had been previously resting at, he's on the bed and wrapped in a blanket facing the wall, Marsh thought he would go crazy and run off through the harsh storm by himself.
Marsh sat on the corner of the bed and gave Choco a nudge, "Dude, come on. Supper's ready."
Choco didn't bother turning his head to look at him, he still has that bitter taste in his mouth after Marsh chose to be friendly with his worst nightmare. "I've no appetite to dine with an ant." He stated.
"Oh come on, I know you're hungry. Tabby cooked us a warm meal."
"Great! Now you're acquainted with that people-eater." Choco scoffed.
"Don't call her that! Tabby's a nice friendly ant. Just get up and eat with us."
"You don't get to tell me what to do, Marsh. I'll decide on my own, so I'd rather starve to death here!" Choco said in a stubborn manner.
This got Marsh upset, he recalled all the time he had taken care of Choco, only for him to be treated with such sass and attitude. He got up and scoffed at him, "Fine, your grace. Have it your way." He got out of the room and slam the door shut.
Marsh didn't have the time to deal with Choco. Right now, he's way too absorbed on fulfilling his goal, to learn more about the outside world. He went back to Tabby's company and got himself seated on the dining table, "My friend won't be joining us today, he still feels a little under the weather." He reasoned.
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As much as Tabby appreciate Marsh's kind words, she already heard what Choco said through the thin walls of this house. Still, she gave him a bowl of hot cocoa with springkles and little marshmallow berries."That's fine, there's more on the stove if he feels like eating."
Marsh takes a sip of the hot cocoa, and got a bit emotional since it was his first decent meal in a while. "Hmm, this is good stuff!" He almost cried from joy.
It made Antabitha smile to hear him enjoy the meal she made, "Thanks! Nobody has ever complimented the food I make before. Not that I had anyone to share these meals to begin with." She chuckled.
Her tone may have sounded cheerful, but Marsh felt a little sorry for Antabitha. He realized that she must've been living in seclusion all her life, and that this might be the first time she had someone to talk to and eat with.
His eyes glanced at the book on the table. Nevermind the outside world, Marsh can always ask about those stuff later. For now, he had to make it up for Antabitha after they treated her badly earlier.
"So, Tabby, is there any other ant around here except for you?" He asks.
"Hm? Oh, as far as I know, I'm the only one left of my kind!..." Antabitha's smile faded and sighed in a sad way, Marsh wanted to hit himself for giving her a gloomy mood, but then she continued to talk, recalling the story of her people.
"Yeah, it's pretty sad and lonely knowing that I'm the only ant left in this world... though this might be the punishment I have to live with as an ant myself." She puts down her spoon, her shoulder drooping, "The ant tribe has done an endless stream of crimes, they would go kingdom to kingdom, terrorize and devour everyone in their way. Eventually they met their doom after they lost against the Sweet Kingdom army, they all died and left me behind as a child... that's why I swore I'll never eat a living person like the ant-tribe did."
On the other side of the wall, Choco can clearly hear her story. He felt bad for her as well, but his sister's words continue to echoe in the back of his head; "Never trust an ant no matter what."
Back when Choco was a little chocolate chip, he would often cause trouble at the duchy to the point where everything looked like it was swept by a hurricane. Servants always go to Choco's older sister for help whenever they need someone to control their little master.
Then his sister would make him sit on her lap and tell stories about ants that likes to eat naughty children, though one day, the hyper and stubborn little Choco asked, "But what if I try to make friends with an ant? Won't they play with me instead of eating me?"
"Ahaha!" his sister laughed, "No." She pressed.
"But I probably don't even taste good," Little Choco licked himself acted nauseous, "blargh!—See!?"
"You sure don't, but ants have a different taste from our people, little brother. They'll eat anything, and I mean ANYTHING." She even brought out a book that illustrates the horrible things that the ant-tribe has done.
Every picture little Choco saw, the more his fear of ants grow. "AAAHHH!!" He screamed as he saw the picture of an ant biting off a person's head.
"This is why you should never trust an ant no matter what..." his sister reminded, and Choco's flashbacks ends there.
He wanted to stay true to those words, but seeing how kind and friendly Antabitha is acting towards them, he can't help but think that maybe not all ants are the same, at the very least Antabitha.
He may be hesitantly thinking about trusting Antabitha, but his stomach sure had a great influence on him, the smell of the freshly made hot cocoa made his stomach rumble. "I'm so hungry..." he said rubbing his belly,
"Oh well, I can just sleep this off." He said to himself and goes back to bed, though his door opened for a moment and the wonderful hot cocoa scent grew stronger. He turns his head to look who entered the room, but all he saw was a bowl of hot cocoa with a small note near the door.
He got up and checked what the note says;
Take your time.
— Marsh
"Hmph!" He was still upset with Marsh choosing a stranger over him, but he wasn't able to resist the hot cocoa. He takes a sip and a tear rolled down his cheeks, it was also his first decent meal in a while, and this reminded how he loved to eat the freshly served hot cocoa for his appetizer back at the duchy. "I miss home..." he sighed and continues to eat the cocoa.
That night, they all turned in to bed. Marsh gets to sleep on the couch, while Antabitha sleeps on the carpet with a bunch of stuffed pillow and used her white fur coat as a blanket. Marsh got curious about the fur and asked, "Where did you get that coat?"
"This old thing? Let's say it's from a very special person." Antabitha giggled.
"Special person, you say? Is it from a lover?" He wondered.
"Silly boy. Go to sleep already, we still have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."
Marsh yawned, "Alright, goodnight, Tabby."
Antabitha smiled after hearing someone bid her good night, it has been a while since she heard that. "Good night, kid." And for the very first time, she had a good sleep where she was void of the crippling emptiness of her secluded life.