Work Text:
The General hums to himself as he enters his home.
It is the end of a long work day and he has bought himself a small treat!
A little surprise, if one can actually surprise oneself because knowing beforehand what to expect seems to take away from that.
He has purchased a black and white porcelain mug because the package had looked so inviting. It promised a little surprise panda right in the middle of the mug so he is very excited.
He opens the box and takes out the mug and just as promised there is a panda inside. He looks straight at it so he is not surprised.
He takes another look at the package again and learns he has to pour in liquid first to hide the panda. But he will know it's there, why would he be surprised? Humans are so easily fooled.
He rinses the mug in the kitchen sink and prepares some tea to pour into his new mug. He will enjoy it with some black and white sesame ice cream he has left in the freezer for an occasion such as this.
When the tea is prepared he starts pouring it into the mug slowly, watching the panda disappear until only the head is left. Oh no!
He seems to be in a pickle－an expression used to say you are in trouble and not that you are, in fact, inside a pickle.
If he adds any more liquid the panda will drown.
He sets the tea aside and watches the panda soak in his tea bath and he thinks half a mug is the perfect amount of tea to have.
(The tea ends up getting cold because he is so mesmerized by the bathing panda. He forgets about the ice cream, too.)