#catsafari

Snow White [wip/part1]

a/n: warning-  MUCH creative license taken

Once upon a time in the Cat Kingdom, there lived a young princess, named after the greek goddess of spring, Persephone. She was rumoured by the townsfolk to be the most beautiful cat in the kingdom, with lustrous fur and soft eyes. And a beautiful personality to match. As she was said to be the kindest, gentlest feline ever to grace the earth. Okay, the rumours on that might have been a little bit exaggerated, but they were mostly true. Persephone was indeed a kind and lovely cat, always doing her best to help anyone in need, and as many a cat said, she was certainly a looker.

Persephone had an uneventful childhood for a future queen. She'd played about with the other kittens in the palace, been taught proper etiquette by her governess, and learnt to walk, talk and speak like a princess. And during that time she grew into a fine young feline.

However, on Persephone's fifteenth birthday, her father passed away as a result of illness, and the Cat Kingdom fell into mourning for two years, after which time the Cat Queen remarried. But in her grief she'd made a terrible choice for a husband, because it turned out the new Cat King was vile and selfish, and much too vain. He wanted all the power for himself, and so poisoned the Cat Queen in her sleep, so he could usrurp the throne.

“At last!” he declared triumphantly, as soon as the crown was placed upon his head at the coronation. “I am the new Cat Queen!”

This was of course met with more than a few confused looks and quite a few titters of amusement.

“Er, King! I meant that I'm the king!” he quickly corrected himself.

Meanwhile, Persephone shook her head and covered her face. If this guy was the Cat Kingdom's new ruler... things were going to be dire. And she didn't hold much hope for the future of the Cat Kingdom.

… however, she should have worried more for herself than for the Kingdom. As it turned out, the new Cat queen – as he had mistakenly called himself – turned out to be a tyrant in the truest sense of the world. He didn't just make the lives of his subjects miserable, he made her life miserable too.

“Scrub the floors Persephone dear,” he would sneer. “freshen the hearth. I want this palace spotless!”

Of course, Persephone tried to argue, tried to fight against the injustice of it all. But she was shot down, threatened with decapitation of her head if she refused to obey the Cat King's orders. And Persephone did quite like her head attached to her body. So she could only sigh and mumble obedience, however begrudging, and took the broom one of the servants passed to her. He then threw some hideous moth eaten rags at her and told her to wear them. Which she did. And then she set about scrubbing the floors. It was a huge palace, so this was going to take some time.

She dunked the scrubbing brush she was given to use into a bucket of soapy water and sighed. Why does the king hate me? She wondered. Oh well. I don't suppose finding out the answer will help me get out from under his paw anytime soon.

She sighed again. Deciding to sing a little song to pass the time she spent scrubbing.

“NO SINGING!” the king yelled from the next room. Persephone sighed, frustrated, wanting nothing more than to throttle him. But she took a deep calming breath and resigned herself to quietly humming a merry tune instead. At least things inside her imagination could be pleasant if reality wasn't.

. . .

As the cat Queen – er, King – retired to his personal chambers, he chuckled to himself.

“Yes, good. That should keep little Persephone busy. Plus she'll work her paws to the bone and have no time to make herself pretty. And then I'll be the prettiest cat in all the land!”

He cackled to himself at the thought of it and swaggered into the room, pulling the cloth cover off his most prized possession; a magic mirror that always told him the truth. A priceless thing really, because he was sure half his court lied to him on a regular basis. It might have had something to do with his tendency for beheading cats... oh well, no matter. Cats were replaceable. They could always make more.

“Ah, magic mirror,” he purred, leaning and pressing his forepaws against the reflective glass. “You never lie to me. Tell me, oh magic mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?”

Oh great Cat King, you may be fair, the voice in the mirror answered him. But the fairest of all is the dainty Persephone, the throne's true heir.

The Cat King scowled. “What?!” he snapped. “Tell me it's a lie!”

Oh great Cat King you know as well as I,” the mirror told him. I am unable to tell a lie.

“This is an outrage!” the Cat King raged. “Just yesterday you told me I was the fairest! Me! Don't tell me that rotten little wench Persephone has usurped my title of most beautiful in a single day!”

Indeed she has oh great King Cat, the mirror said. It might be because you're getting fat.

The Cat King raged and blustered. “Drat and boulderdash!” he cursed. “Something must be done about this!”

He turned around and crossed his arms, thinking hard. Wracking his brain for ideas. “Hmmm... aha! I've got it!” he exclaimed. “Guards!” he called as he threw open the door. “Fetch me my huntsman! I have a little task for him.”

“At once, my liege!” the guard bowed, and quickly ran away to do his king's bidding. Meanwhile the Cat King chuckled ominously.

Masha / @givingupthemashaghost

1. Natori trying to wrangle a smartphone away from Natoru because they won’t stop taking pictures of Embarrassing Things (TM) 2. Anything involving Muta and Natori interacting and not being happy about it. Bonus points for a “Trapped in an elevator” type of plot. 3. Anything regarding the now retired Cat King and Natori getting a “divorce” over something trivial, and Natori being scandalized people keep calling it a “divorce”. Bonus points if it’s written like a romantic comedy, with all the cliches and drama, but missing the actual romance. 4. Natori teaching Lune how to do a Royal Thing that eventually ends with Lune giving Natori Good Advice (Good Advice can be life altering or trivial, dealer’s choice) 5. Dreamland/Wonderland AU ft. Natori trying to find his way home, lies down, and finds out it was all a dream. Alternative version can be with Haru or Lune as main character and everyone else in humorous roles.

Ro / @adalhied-prime

1. Something for a Lune/Yuki “Ella Enchanted” type AU, guest starring Persephone and Louise if possible 2. Space Pirates/ Treasure Planet AU, based on Ro’s “A Sea of Stars” fic 3. Bureau Mission gone awry, maybe DnD characters and the campaign has gone off the rails, anything works. Make it light hearted and shippy. 4. Any continuation of Ro’s TCR fics, try your hand at it and have fun!

Helen / Cat / @catsafarithewriter

1. Supernatural Housemates 2. Lost Ladies (either their adventures or the Bureau meeting them) 3. Haru and/or Hiromi as witches 4. Monsterhunters! 5. Pokemon AU (either as Pokemon or people living in the Pokemon world)

Casandravus / @mommacomms

(Best found on Discord!)

1. “Tis a land of nightmares and dreamscapes...” 2. A time for peace. 3. “It’s us - what else could go wrong?” 4. Favorite Cartoon AU 5. “Anything short of “no” indicates you have permission to do the thing!” 6. Ka-boom!

Athens / @letterstoathens

1. Wormhole AU where the Bureau find themselves at Comic Con on Earth in the future after their film has been released and becomes wildly successful. Now, they must pretend to be extremely dedicated cosplayers. 2. Fantasy AU! Lord of the Rings, Dragon Age, Skyrim, GO CRAZY! 3. Great British Bake-Off AU 4. Hogwarts AU or Percy Jackson AU

Greenie / @greenleaf14

(Best found on Discord!)

1. Christmas Special of some kind with Haru and Baron! (Bonus points if they have a dance!) 2. Toto and Muta shenanigans! 3. Wildcard!

YarningChick

(Best found on Discord and FF.net!)

1. Nutcracker 2. Childhood Sweethearts 3. How a different film would have careened off course if the TCR cast/characters starred in it instead!

Dee-Dee / @deedee-sunflowers

1. The Bureau meets a witch/ Baba Yaga 2.  A quiet night in 3. Girls/Guys Night Out!

Wolfie / @wolfiethewriter

1. Bureau family fluff 2. A Very Bureau X-Mas 3. Something inspired by “The Baron’s Apprentice” (Wolfie’s fic) 4. A Christmas Carol as told/featured by the Bureau!

Cat / @cat-with-a-keyboard

A head poked in, taking a glance around the room. She clicked off the flashlight and opened the door further, stepping out from the dark graveyard into the granite building.

“Looks empty,” she called out, “wait, scratch that, it’s completely empty.”

“Probably for the best, considering what we’re investigating,” a voice told her as they swooped by, the crow flapping into place by the bust of the youngest child.

“Are we sure we aren’t just looking for normal cats, Toto?” Haru whined again, swinging her arms to gesture around the mausoleum.

Toto gave a short laugh, tilting his head in her direction.

“Cats may be fast, but one disappearing before the groundskeeper’s eyes is a little much,” he replied, laughing again as Haru huffed.

“Honestly, I'm just willing to bet this whole thing is a wild cat chase.”

“Not goose?”

“Don’t be silly, geese are terrible enough without paranormal involvement.”

The pair shared a look, before breaking down into laughter, the sound echoing from the marble. Haru wiped a tear away from her face, walking a slow circle around the building.

“I mean, honestly, Toto, the things he tells us to go investigate,” Haru griped, lightly kicking a column that served absolutely no purpose.

“Haru…”

“I mean it! I mean, seriously, ghost cats? What’s next? Ghost turtles?”

“I hear they’re especially crafty.”

“Funny, but you’re not getting a laugh out of me, Mr. Funny Crow.”

Toto gave her a sheepish grin, one that sent a little ping through her heart. She turned away, running her fingers over the walls, looking for some sort of seam or hidden passage. She told herself that at least, to keep from arguing with herself over if feathers counted for…

The silence they fell into was comfortable, but primed. Toto knew her feelings, knew the anger and conflict she felt over their situation. Not their general one, but the one forcing them to investigate a clear deadend. A certain Cat Doll.

“Honestly, what did I even do to him? I just needed help,” she eventually told Toto, voice caught somewhere between angry and defeated. He didn’t like the sound of it.

“He… Changed, when he went missing, Haru. He told me a little bit, but I don’t know any more than you,” he said, apologetic.

She looked at him, their eyes meeting halfway and a million miles apart. She knew he knew more. He knew that. She wanted answers so badly, but knew the exact one. Knew the very obvious answer that frustrated her.

He had met her in that other world. And he walked away burned.

“What did I do?” she asked again, but to no one in particular.

Maybe to that cat sitting on the coffin that wasn’t there before.

“Holy sh-!”

“Watch out!”

The world slowed for seconds. Toto took off towards her. She threw her flashlight. The lights flickered, the cat’s head slowly cocking. Its flesh bubbled.

Toto transformed mid air, and pinned both of them to the floor as black ichor surged from the cat. Even as the air slowly stilled, and what he knew to be infected magic slunk away to hide, Toto didn’t stop covering Haru with his body. The uncut quartz nicked her cheek, the necklace it hung from now more visible against Toto’s human form.

“Well that,” she said as Toto leaned back to let her sit up, “was spooky as hell.”

“I think you’d prefer the ghost turtles now.”

“No thanks, I hear they’re especially crafty.”

They both go to laugh, but the tangled mess of emotions and life-or-death adrenaline catches in their throats and puts it at the bottom of their stomachs. They both stay on the floor, low and quiet, hoping maybe it’d keep whatever caught them from coming back.

“The one mission…” she mumbled angrily.

“The one damn mission he sends me on that’s supposed to be a cat-chase and it turns out it’s actually full of danger.”

“He’s always had that sort of luck and timing,” Toto offers, but this time neither offer even a twitch of the lips for that light jab. He drops the attempts at humor.

“What’s our plan?”

“Don’t get gooed by explosive ghost cats?” Haru offers hesitantly, shrugging at Toto’s side eye. “Leave me alone, this is the first time in a while doing a mission without some Cat Doll telling me I’m messing up.”

“No reason to be out of practice, Haru.”

“Okay, are we going to keep up this banter and flirting all night, or are you going to focus?”

They both laugh a brief second, Haru’s hand moving to cover her mouth before adjusting to scratching at her neck. Okay, she just said that. Toto laughed. She laughed. Jokes, funny, ha ha, right?

There was another cat.

“Fuck!”

She yanked Toto back, pulling him out of the line of fire. Her shoes scrambled against the marble floor, and they fell back against the mausoleum door. The explosion splattered across the sides of the coffins, shooting upwards rather than around.

Before the black magic could disappear, more cats appeared, heads cocking to the side.

One by the tallest window, one on each of coffins, and a final one sitting in front of them. The one before them lashed its tail, eyes two different colors. One a bit too human to be a cat’s eye.

The door behind them slammed into their backs, forcing them forward. They went to land on the cat, their bodies landing on marble flooring. All the cats disappeared, the black magic slinking into the shadows.

A tall, ginger man stepped into the building, looking between the two lying on the floor. His expression was impassive, offering a hand to Toto to help him up, his words only directed towards him.

“Are you alright, old friend? Looks like I found you in the knick of time,” he said, swiping at supposed dirt on Toto’s shoulder.

“I’m fine, too, Humbug,” Haru groaned, sitting up and rubbing the back of her head.

“Humbug” froze, giving Toto a moment to escape from his tight grasp and head towards Haru. He knelt down, pressing gently fingers around where Haru had touched. She winced, hissing in protest when he continued to search.

“You’re tough as nails, Haru, Baron and I knew you were fine,” Toto told her, shooting a warning glance at their third. He briefly held his hands up in surrender, glancing between the two.

Toto kept his eyes on Haru, searching for injury or any touch of black magic. Haru glanced between Toto and Baron, narrowing her eyes at the later. She seemed a little too preoccupied with the former, though.

Baron kept his eyes on the two of them.

Muta, entering after (as a cat, not a human), surveyed the situation, and caught what most wouldn’t see. Baron’s grip tightened on the cane. Throat bobbed nervously. Eyes followed the same path Toto’s hands took, double checking what he found.

Expression just barely hiding the concern and worry he had for the young woman on the floor.

“What did you guys find, anyways?” Haru suddenly asked, pushing Toto away. She grabbed the top of the coffin, hauling herself up to be at chin-level with the men around her. (A fact she was always a bit salty about).

“Bupkis,” Muta responded, watching Baron’s expression fall into unflappable cool. “The groundskeeper’s house had nothing, and the crypt we wandered into had actual dead people.”

“I’d take corpses over exploding cats at this point,” Haru responded, chills running up her spine at the thought.

“You would until their ghosts start yelling at you for trespassing,” Muta countered, nodding towards Baron. “In German, too.”

The others looked at the Cat Creation turned man. He at least allowed himself to turn pink in the ears.

“They were… Quite angry.”

“Great, so real ghosts, cat-ghosts, what else are we to expect from here?”

“Ghost turtles?” Toto prompted, nudging Haru. She gave a small grin. The joy melted off her face, replaced with horrified bewilderment.

“Oh my fucking-!”

A little turtle sat on the window sill across from her, eyeing the others. Its head cocked to the left.

The Cat King, with wild fur and bulging eyes she could see halfway across the world, hadn’t let the other leave his side. Instead, he beckoned and called to any within his sight, within his reach, pulling them and purring deep into their ears to admire his prize.

No one looked comfortable, so close to the mad King with no sight of his reasonable son nearby. In the hopes to appease the demanding cat, and being released from his grip, they always fell over themselves, admiring the “object” of their King’s affection.

Her stomach rolled at the thought of pushing her way to the front again, of feeling the tight grip of the King’s paw on her arm. Who did she think she was, anyways? A hero? An adventurer? Someone with an ounce of bravery, and a dash of luck? She was just some teenager, with a clumsy streak a tripping mile long. Of all the people she knew, or even heard of, they’d all be better suited to stage a rescue.

Even those people would be better at controlling the whiskers lengthening on her face, or the ominous ache she felt at the base of her spine. No one would be so hopelessly frightened and lost like her.

She started to retreat back, letting the crowd surge around her and pull the sight of the King and the other man out of sight. Just as a body began to twist in front of her, fluffy fur so close she could feel it slide through her too-long teeth, he turned.

Green eyes scanned through the crowds. Impassive, bored, disinterested. Ever the stoic oak she had been told he was made of. He locked eyes with her, enough she thought he could tell why exactly she was here, before they glazed and continued their search through the crowds.

She couldn’t give up now. Not when he looked so desperate for an escape, not when the Cat King couldn’t help but purr every time he called the other “it”, especially not when she had come this far and gotten this close.

Her body was closing the distance long before her mind could fathom the situation. She knew in that instant, just like how she knew when the moving truck came roaring down the street. She wanted to curl in, but forced her spine to stand ramrod straight. She buried her shaking hands in the folds of her skirt, clenched her chattering teeth into a smile. Focused entirely on the one standing between her and home.

The King didn’t bother to hide the way his eyes flicked, pulling over every drape of the pale yellow dress until she almost thought she didn’t actually have anything on. She curtsied, bowed her head low the way the white cat had shown her before. The King didn’t even notice when she stepped on her own hem and nearly tripped.

“Well, hello there babe,” came the trademark pur, slinking down her skin like a thin film of oil. Her smile tightened, incling her head at the King.

“Your Majesty, an honor and a pleasure to stand before you,” she responded, repeating the exact same words she’d been practicing for an hour. Her gaze flickered between the two, sparing a glance when a shadow fell over the stained glass roof.

“No need for silly formalities, babe, as the pleasure is all mine to present you my prize.”

His grin was eager, starved for attention that he could never stop feasting on. She smiled, turned her face the “prize” standing grimly beside the King. She scanned over every part of him, the manacles upon his wrists, the collar faintly surging with purple light, the mask pulled over his face to lock his jaw in place. She couldn’t meet his eyes again, choosing to hover right where she thought his chin would be.

“One of a kind, and shows it too,” the King pressed, moving to sidle into her side. She felt him wrap around her shoulders, paw playing idly with the loose strands of hair she kept down. She swallowed, nearly stamping her foot to keep her knees from giving out.

She was so disgusted.

“Truly, a sight to see,” she mustered up, pretending her step away from the King was an excuse to examine a different side of him. She glanced up, took stock of what little of the other’s expression she could see. Eyes were narrowed at her, almost accusing, almost too fearful to even dare consider hoping for a rescue.

She hoped she put every thought, every little assurance-  I’m here to help, I see you as a person, The others haven’t left you, I’m here to help, I’m h e r e - but the King matched her step, and she had to melt under the feel of his paw, the ruffle of his fur. She glanced at him again, and those eyes saw nothing of her, only anger and fear.

“What do you plan on doing with,” she choked on the question, the one word, “it?”

“Haven’t you ever heard of Creations, babe?” he assaulted her ears with the eager pur. “Immortal things, magic and some such. I’ve got myself a real treat here babe. An immortal bodyguard, soldier, assassin.”

The manacles rattled, the shackled one jerking back as muffled protests came through. The King rolled his eyes, producing a remote from- god don’t think about how he’s not wearing clothes, Haru!!

“That’s enough of you scaring my gorgeous guest,” the King snarled, a light hum coming from the remote, prompting a similar sound from the collar.

The reaction was instant. The room went quiet with the sound, the party pausing as they bared witness to the King’s cruelty. The collar remained as it was, humming along with the remote, but it’s victim reacted violently. His body seized, claws tearing through the remains of his gloves to claw at the perfect gold. The purple tinted his skin a similar shade, slowly creeping wood rising from the spot the collar was clasped around his throat.

She could see each individual vein, every muscle as they climbed their leisure way up his neck, turning his chin to solid wood, the same effect reaching lower as she noticed his shoulders locking in place. For a brief, panicked moment, she feared his lungs would turn and he’d suffocate under the weight of his own lungs turned against him.

She slammed a hand over the remote, muffling the humming. The collar’s effects rescinded, recalled back to their source faster than they spread. The King pouted, but placed a paw on her cheek instead of lashing out.

“Sorry babe, forgot you ladies have such delicate minds.”

She gave a sheepish grin, grip tight around the remote, the hum vibrating up her arm. She pressed herself against the arm, slowly working her fingers- fingers! Not paws!- under the Cat King’s hold.

“Forgive me, sir, but such an image was truly frightful,” she told him, another shadow pass across her face from the roof above. Her heart pounded, blood rushing to her face.

“Might I try a dance with it?”

The King paused, bulging eyes sliding together to narrow at her. Her stomach flopped, but her smile was big, her cheeks flushed. She angled herself in front of him, swiping her thumb over his paw. She nearly had it...

“Surely,” she bit her bottom lip, fighting the grimace when he took notice, “it could never compare to such an amazing dancer as you. Why don’t we all have a laugh at such a… A… Foolish thing.”

He pressed the remote fully into her hand, grin slick with an intent she refused to name. He spun her around, let her face her partner, let her hold the remote in shaking hands.

“I do love making fools of my toys. He tries anything, babe, you don’t be afraid of using it against him,” he rumbled in her ear, fur puffing against her will. He lifted her arm, let the remote dangle in front of his green, green eyes, and she felt her heart go out to him.

He lunged against the chains, and even she couldn’t help flinching back. But just out of reach.

The King called for guards, ordering a place on the floor cleared big enough to dance, the manacles and muzzle removed, but the collar still shined against the Kingdom’s ever-present noon sun. She was pushed and shoved and spun until the world was a blur of adrenaline and tuxedo cats.

And then he was standing before her.

And then she was looking right at him.

And then he was holding her hand, jerkily pulling her close.

And then that ache at the base of her spine truly became a tail, and her cheeks were hot, and there went those precious fingers.

He didn’t make a move for the remote between their hands- paws? Hands??? Paw-hands?!- realizing how deep the crowds went, and how close the guards were from practically breathing the air he exhaled.

Still, so close to him, even at eyes glaring straight ahead, even as his hand gripped hers too tight, even as she forgot for a moment she was a human girl, with a human life, and other humans just past a maze and up a tower waiting for her…

“Wow, you’re cool,” she breathed, startling the both of them.

His grip became a vice, claws threatening her the slightest bit. He didn’t seem to understand, or just on edge and surprised enough he felt unsafe. She swallowed, tried to take the words she just said back past her tongue and down to her lungs.

“A foolish “Creature” such as myself shouldn’t be so… Interesting, to you.”

His voice made her knees give out, though that may have also been the fact that she tripped over both their shoes and he had to convert their move into a dip instead.

“I’m sorry, I just-.”

“-Had to appease the King, just had to play along, just had to pretend, yes, I’ve heard it all before,” he cut her off, voice flat and bitter, but she noticed the little niggling voice, the little part that whispered and nagged.

‘Are you even alive?’

“Doesn’t stop it all from hurting,” she mumbled, but he didn’t respond, eyes moving to stare past her again.

“Why would you even care? I’m nothing but an object to all of you,” he hissed. Her heart jerked, and she really looked at him.

Not at his chest, or his chin, or just past all of it to the top of his ear.

Mint green.

“But all I see you as is Baron,” she spilled out.

He stopped her dead in their tracks, daring her to break away and prove him right. Her heart pounded against her ribs, and yet even as the Cat King shouted and demanded to know what they were doing, she focused on him. Nothing else mattered.

The ceiling above darkened, blocking the noon day sun.

Her heart roared, but relief still took out her knees.

“Oh thank God I got us in the right spot.”

And stained glass rained down upon them.

----

He never thought the sight of Crow soldiers, or Muta swinging from the palace chandelier would bring him to tears, but he also thought saving some human girl would just be the good deed of the day, job well done, a cup of tea for himself.

He thought she had looked familiar, catching sight of her across the ballroom, and worried his efforts were in vain. Yet the way she held herself, forced confidence, oozing over the King, and calling him… He saw red and that was the extent of his thought process.

Then he saw purple, fading to black, and just as he caught his breath back, he was being forced to dance.

He wasn’t entirely out of date with slang, but being called “cool” wasn’t exactly a priority, not with a life threatening and magic killing collar sapping away at his strength.

“But all I see you as is Baron,” she said, shattering his world.

Pretty literally, actually, if he felt the need to point out the poetic irony.

(He always did. It was truly perfect).

Chaos erupted as the calvary truly arrived, and without thinking, he threw himself over her to clock the glass shards. She mumbled something under her breath, but over the roar of everything, he couldn’t be bothered to care much past her and their dance.

Even as the sounds of Crows versus Cats echoed through the building.

“Baron, let’s go!”

Her hand- oh back to hand, huh- gripped his, the remote settle between their palms. She dragged him away, towards a back table filled to the brim with feast. Cat Guards chased after, surrounding the pair. She yanked his arm, pulling him onto the table, putting height and distance between them and danger.

A wing buzzed the tops of their heads, distracting the cats, long enough for a being of pure mass to roar their way onto them. They collapsed like dominos, each struggling against the weight of the others.

Muta rose to his feet, shooting a grin at the girl. He noticed she stood in front of him, arms shaking, but extended out so she could be his shield.

The gesture did tricks to his heart.

“Great technique, Muta,” she laughed, a touch hysterically, but he wouldn’t hold it against her. Not when he felt the same way.

He didn’t listen for Muta’s response, noticing the same crow- Toto he recognizes, circling back down towards them.

“Toto, old friend!” he shouted out, listening to the wicked laughter of the other.

“Good thing I had a few buddies looking for a good fight, hey, Baron!” he cawed out, tone light, but he never came down low enough to land.

“Haru, Haru down here!”

The pair jerked, a white cat tugging at the girl’s- Haru, her name is Haru and she saved both you and the Prince, and you never learned her name?- dress. Haru lept off the table, kneeling down next to the cat, and gestured for him to follow.

“Yuki, thank goodness! All the exits you told me about are blocked or too far away, what do we do?” Haru babbled, gripping the other’s paws.

“Not all of them! Here,” Yuki gave a grunt, hefting up a wooden hatch to reveal a slide down below.

“Wait,” Baron stopped, holding Haru in place before she could proceed down the slide, “this leads in the opposite direction of the Maze, away from the Human Entrance.”

Haru froze, glancing at Yuki, but the latter didn’t bat an eyelash.

“You’re really short on time. Lune,” Yuki flushed at his name, interesting, “and I found an old portal in disrepair. It’ll take you to the Cat’s Paw Lake, but it’s better than nothing.”

He and Haru shared a glance, but Haru merely looked determined. She tugged the dress up and off, revealing jeans and a t-shirt just underneath. He calmed his rather harrowed heart, touching the collar on his neck.

“Wait-!”

Yuki took the remote from Haru, pressing the front of it to a spot just above where his artery would be. The collar hummed lightly, clicking open and dropping to the ground.

“Now, go!”

Yuki gave him a shove, and down he went.

----

Haru could finally breathe as Baron began down the slide. She knew she’d have to follow after, but she took one last look at Yuki.

“You’ll come back right?” she asked hopefully.

Yuki smiled, softly, sadly, sweetly.

“If the King doesn’t realize what I’ve done, and Lune comes back soon. But you will, somehow, see me again, Haru.”

Haru smiled, launching herself down the slide next.

All thoughts of the ball were wiped clean with the crash of glass. She was still scared as all hell, she would never lie about that. Yet now, her only focus was on getting Baron home. Maybe he’ll realize no good deed goes unpunished, a lesson she’d been told he needed to learn for a while.

But what was her lesson, the thought popped briefly.

‘I’m capable of a lot more than I thought I could be,’ she found herself surprised to realize. But self evaluation could be saved for another day. Especially considered she had just landed on top of the one she’s supposed to be saving.

Since when did mint become such an overwhelming color?

‘Feelings are not an option, Haru, focus. Besides, Machida,’ she ordered to herself. Wasn’t it unprofessional to develop a crush on your client?

She stood up, offering a hand to Baron. He eyed it, slipping his fingers into her palm, letting her pull him up.

“Just for the record,” he started, clearing his throat, dusting off his clothes.

“You could have staged your own rescue?” she offered, starting off down the corridor. She caught a glimpse of an embarrassed smile, and thought seeing him a bit more cheerful, and more in his element, was nice.

“Well, obviously. A member of the Bureau must always be prepared.”

“How does one prepare for “kidnapping by cat”?”

“With newly gained prior experience.”

She laughed.

“Well, just for the record Baron, I think you could have done without this experience.”

“Just for the record, Miss Haru, I have no regrets over this situation. Though I apologize for getting you into this situation.”

She paused, turned to look at him. His ears dropped a little, shoulders hunched as he tried to feel less guilty. She smiled, gently pat his shoulder.

“Just for the record, I don’t regret saving you. Or Lune. I got to have this cool adventure, didn’t I?  Who knows, maybe I’ll go write a book.”

He smiled, fumbling for words. He never fumbled for words.

“Miss Haru, I-.”

“Just for the record?” she supplied, cheekily.

“Yes, pardon me, just for the record, I feel-...”