It’s not every day that Maxine treats her squealing little variables with anything resembling respect or care. But once in a while, she gets her hands on someone special, someone deserving of extraordinary treatment.

Today she received a gift from her dearest friend and fellow feline shrinking enthusiast, Amanda: one very small and very timid Camilla. She could feel the poor thing shivering with fright through her gloved metal fingers as cold coiled around that tiny torso. Such a pitiful tiger oozing dread at the sight of a mouse sent Maxine’s spine tinging with malign delight – inspiration! What boundless possibilities!

“How’d you know?” Maxine inquired, throwing her friend wide eyes and a knowing look. “She’s exactly what I’ve been looking for.”

Amanda cheekily replied, “Oh, you know. I had a feeling.”

Maxine smiled. Not the kind of deranged grin a mad scientist sprouts, or the mocking sneer of some malevolent god that stretches across the sky over their cowering world of expendable worshippers. But a genuine, cheerful smile.

Amanda is the only one Maxine has encountered and spared from her psychotic definition of science. Amanda has been there for her, smothered her in nothing but boundless compassion and unconditional love when everyone else has done everything but. Trusting anyone anymore is a dim prospect, but Amanda has helped remind her that sometimes people aren’t always out to get her and can be nice to her without an ulterior motive. It helps that they’re both into shrinking giant pests down to size.

And she kinda likes her. A lot.

Yet ambiguous desire hasn’t stopped Maxine from considering subterfuge. In fact, she’s contemplated shrinking Amanda. Repeatedly. After all, a shrink ray – as clichéd that weary trope may be – is still potent technology. And the geek in her is very interested in ripping it apart and incorporating that into her many contraptions. It shouldn’t be too difficult to swipe it from Amanda when her guard is down during one of their sleep-overs. On the other hand, trigger-happy Amanda isn’t afraid of using it. And even if Maxine got the upper hand, Amanda might even enjoy getting shrunk by the genius. Hopefully that doesn’t awaken anything in either of them.

But all that can wait. Amanda’s puny pet is too good to simply crush under fist and foot. Camillia deserves extra attention.

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A wonderful birthday gift from the lovely  mattythemouse thank you so so much <3

Art by Brian Reynolds on twitter! / View on FA here: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/56363429/

Amanda and Camilla belong to  mattythemouse

Maxine belongs to me