Over the course of the past week, Felix came to the conclusion that the Goddess had a perturbed sense of humour. And right now, she seemed to be on a roll.

A roll of thunder, that is.

Not even ten minutes into his first visit to the training grounds in days, lightning and heavy rain cut his evening practice short. The irony wasn't lost on him that the weather beat him to the punch when the sole purpose of this particular session was to work on his Thoron and Thunder spells - especially when it was a few weeks shy of rainy season.

As he briskly exited the grounds and headed in the direction of the second floor dormitories, the irony intensified as the heavy rain turned torrential. Felix darted up the short set of stairs that led to the far end of the ground floor dormitories to stay a little dryer for a stretch of the sprint back to his dorm.

At least, that had been the plan until some pathetic mewling at the base of Byleth's door caught his ear over the percussive din of the rain and stopped him dead in his tracks.

Peering downward, he spotted the source of the noise - a tiny gray kitten pawing at the former professor's door.

"I doubt she'll hear you over the storm, cat." he softly murmured as he crouched down to pick up the soaking-wet feline.

When the poor thing let out a tiny squeak of a meow, he checked her tiny front legs and noticed the female cat had quite a few deep cuts and scratches on them.

"Seems like you're in no shape to stay outside here, especially when no one can hear you," he remarked as he rose to full height. "Let's get you somewhere warm and dry to bandage you up."

Only problem about his new plan was that from the moment he started walking away from the door, the cat started violently fidgeting and writhing as if she was possessed. Out of what was either misplaced sympathy or sheer lunacy – it could have been either, really – Felix experimentally doubled back. Strangely enough, all her movements stilled and the drowned-out cries ceased.

In spite of all common sense, he knocked on her door three times to appease the feline.

There was no answer.

"You're out of luck, cat. You're stuck with me tonight."

Unsurprisingly, the cat yowled blue murder as he headed back towards his room on the second floor. Yowled even more when they were no longer under the cover of the overhang above the ground floor dormitories and he awkwardly shielded her in his asymmetrical cape.

Felix tried not to take offense to this considering the feline was wet, injured, possibly hungry, and likely in a bad mood because of it all. But it didn't stop him from pondering if he was losing his touch.

Normally, apprehensive or hurt cats usually warmed to him after a few moments whereas this one was acting as if she was being set on fire.

Still, for all the noise erupting from this small kitten, she wasn't actively trying to break free from his hold like she had before knocking on Byleth's door - her movements felt far more subdued and sluggish, if anything.

Not wanting to dwell on that thought, Felix climbed up the stairs leading to the second floor even faster.


Following a particularly-noisy trek back between the rumbling thunderstorm, the squelching of his boots and the cat's vocal protests, the near-silence that greeted Felix as he crossed the threshold felt deafening.

Upon shutting the door with one hand and lighting extra candles for visibility, he gently deposited the kitten on the center of his bed and slipped off his gloves, tossing them aside on the mattress. Despite looking like a drowned rat at the moment, it was still rather adorable how her eyes followed his movements.

"Ready to cooperate now?"

She sneezed at him. Well, at least it wasn't more whining.

Felix turned around and walked to the opposite side of the room to rummage through his drawers for supplies. By the time he'd headed back with a roll of bandages and some old towels, she was still in the exact same spot, watching him like a hawk as he kneeled down at the side of the bed.

After he set down the roll of bandages beside him, he steadied himself with one hand on the edge of the mattress while the other gently patted down her wet fur with the threadbare white towel. His feather-light touch was rewarded with a hiss and swipe at the offending hand as he passed over a section of her front legs that stained the cloth with flecks of red.

Fortunately, Felix retracted his arm fast enough for her claws to miss their mark.

"Cat, I know it hurts but you have to hold still if you want this over faster," he chastised. The cat swiped at him again for his troubles, connecting with the back of his free hand. Felix grit his teeth at the sting. " Nng– fine, I deserved that for leaving a wide opening like that. But two can play that game."

The cat's eyes widened as he entirely covered her with the towel like the top layer of a pie crust to pat her down quickly. When he kept the towel on her head after he was done drying her, Felix was treated to an encore hissy fit as she batted it away.

"You'll have to try harder next time." he playfully goaded as he reached for the bandage roll beside him and preemptively ripped a few strips. "Though I have to admit, it is rather amusing to see a small fluffy kitten attempt to be intimidating. You remind me of someone who's keen to call me a villain."

The feline let out another indignant meow as he reached for his discarded gloves, her fur standing on end now that it wasn't sopping wet.

"Ah, the resemblance grows ever stronger." Felix remarked with an amused lilt as he slipped on his gloves and started bandaging her front legs. "Pity your fur is gray and not orange. Otherwise, you'd match perfectly."

The response was another meow. This time, the tone seemed more inquisitive than annoyed, especially with how she was craning her neck closer to him.

Felix raised a brow as he tied the knots of the bandages. "Intrigued at your human counterpart, are we?"

The corners of his mouth lifted enough to form a subtle smirk when the cat leaned a little too forward in curiosity and would have slipped off the bed entirely had he not caught her. Depositing her further away from the edge, his smirk turned into a smile in spite of himself. This cat was so much like her it wasn't even funny - he might as well start calling her Catnette at this point.

"You'd like Annette. Everyone does." he explained, strangely heartened by the cat's enthusiastic meow at her name. "I'm not certain of her opinion on cats but she likes cute things so I'm sure she'd like you too. Or at least after I help get you better."

"Meoooooow."

"So you like that idea? Well, then. You'd better let me help you out."

When Catnette didn't claw him for getting into her personal space this time, Felix dared to go close enough to inspect her underbelly and hind legs to see what else needed some dressing. After a quick examination, Felix deduced that her hind legs were largely unaffected but her upper belly had a few big gashes.

Thankfully, it didn't require much wrangling to bandage up the affected areas as Catnette stayed still enough to allow him to get the job done.

"There. That wasn't so bad, was it?" he cloyingly remarked as he discarded his gloves to pet her on the head. His triumph lasted one glorious second before Catnette bit him. "—Nng, alright, fine. No more petting."

Perhaps it was the lack of training or the fact he hadn't eaten or slept a substantial amount for the past few days but, as Felix set her down on the floor and started to unbuckle his drenched jacket, he contemplated an early night.

Setting his jacket and outer layers on the back of the desk chair to dry, Felix doubled back to his dresser and selected a few of his recently-ruined sweaters he hadn't gotten around to throwing away. After he gathered a few in his arms, he crouched to place them by the left corner of the desk to make a layered cat bed.

As if she was summoned by the prospect of something for her, the gray cat maneuvered in between the slight gap in space between him and the desk to start sniffing at the cobbled-together bedding.

"You're free to scratch and bite the bed to all your heart's content - it's all yours." he told her, crossing his arms around his body as Catnette looked up at him. "The sweaters have been laundered if that's why you're giving me that incredibly-odd look."

To his surprise, the cat rubbed her body against his right leg and purred. Felix crossed his arms even harder.

"You're welcome, cat."

"Mreoow."

Goddess, there was so much temptation to pet her. It was positively unfair how cute this cat was being.

"Mreooooooow…."

The meow was followed by more purring as she placed her tiny little paw on his right knee.

No, Felix told himself, I can't waver on this.

This was a trap - Catnette would bite him. Belatedly, he wondered if this is how Sylvain felt on a daily basis around women. Not that he'd ever ask about that to his face. Ever.

Felix sighed. This was all so ridiculous.

"Listen, you're very adorable and I'd like nothing more than to pet you right now." he prefaced in an exasperated tone. "But I've been maimed enough tonight. You should go to sleep and get some rest."

Catnette added another paw to his knee. Had she been taller and less injured, he suspected she would have climbed up on his bent thighs.

"It's not play time now." he softly chided, grabbing ahold of her sides to set her down onto the bed.

He stood up before she could scamper back and retake her position. Didn't stop her from pawing at his boots though.

"Meowwww."

Felix couldn't fight the returning smile on his face. "Meow all you want, I'm going to sleep. Night, cat."

He took a step to the left and shrugged out of his damp turtleneck, placing it flat against the top of the dresser to let it air dry. Looking down, he saw that Catnette had followed him.

He didn't even get a chance to say a word or shoot a glare at her before she scurried back to the makeshift cat bed and buried herself face-first into the pile of clothes, her little cat butt sticking up into the air.

What a strange and ridiculous creature, Felix thought to himself before turning in for the night.


The next morning, Felix woke up to find his little furry frenemy scratching at the door.

Rubbing the sleep out from his eyes, he got out of bed and crossed the room. As he got closer, Catnette turned around and looked up at him. In the daylight, she looked a lot better with her fur all fluffy and fully-dry, the minor scrapes not covered by the bandages nearly imperceptible.

"You want to go now?" he asked, voice a little rough from sleep.

"Mreow."

Taking that as a yes, he opened the door and moved out of the way so the cat could leave.

The only thing was she was still in the same place, staring at him intently.

"...Go on."

She didn't move a single inch.

Not in the mood to give others the opportunity to invade his personal space with a rather literal open door invitation, he closed it. It was only then that Catnette turned around and started scratching at the same spot on the aforementioned door.

Felix furrowed his brows.

"I opened the door and you didn't move. Now that I've closed the door, you suddenly want out again?"

She turned around and meowed at him.

Testing a theory, he opened the door just enough for Catnette to go through without nudging her too hard from her current spot. Same thing repeated - she stood in place and merely looked up at him. After a few seconds more of this fruitless exercise, she approached his feet and made a spirited attempt to sink her claws into the fabric of his sleep pants when he closed the door again. Attempt being the key word as Felix gently nudged her away with his foot before she even had the chance.

"You want me to go with you?" he inferred.

"Mreow."

The tone sounded positive like when he asked her if she wanted to go out. Perhaps the tiny little kitten was hungry or something.

"If we go together, it'll be easier if I carry you. Are you alright with that?"

"MWRARRRR."

"Fine. I can respect that you dislike being coddled. I'm the same way. That said, I don't think you'll be able to keep up with me in your injured state." Felix conceded before pausing for a moment to come up with a better idea. "Would you be alright if I were to put you in my hood? It would be fairly comfortable I'd imagine. It's fur-lined and very deep."

"Mreow."

"I'm glad we came to an agreement here," he said. "Fair warning, if you claw at the back of my head, I will not hesitate to dump you into the fishing pond."

"...Mreeoow."

Felix sighed. "...Fine, I probably won't do that, but know that I'll be very annoyed with you and take no responsibility for my reflexes."

"Mreow."

"I'm not going to dignify that with a response."

Turning around, he shrugged out of his sleep shirt and tossed it on his bed as he walked towards his dresser to pluck out some clean clothes for the day. As he passed by his coat hanging over his desk chair however, he frowned as a cursory swipe of the furs felt damp to the touch.

That would simply not do for Catnette.

Glancing back where she was at the door, he saw that the gray kitten had her sights locked on the doorknob.

"Catnette, change of plans."

When she pivoted towards the sound of his voice, it dawned on him that he'd never called her Catnette aloud before. Mostly because she looked downright confused by the way she tilted her head in a manner that he'd only seen dogs and people do.

"I'll have to put you in my leather provisions sack since my coat still needs to dry. Are you alright with that?"

"M…mreow! …Meow. …Meow."

Felix didn't realize it was possible for a cat to also look embarrassed as he witnessed her bury her face in her paws. Goddess, she was acting far too much like her namesake - especially when he had no clue why she was doing this.

"I'm going to take the liberty of assuming that's a yes. And if it's not, you're out of luck."

And with that, he turned around to resume his walk towards the dresser. Once he was close enough, pulled the drawer with all of his shirts and rifled for something suitable for a spring morning without much decorum. The first thing he blindly pulled out was his old dress shirt from his academy days.

Felix held it up for a moment though he could tell at a glance it wouldn't fit as he'd filled out from training over the years. Pity how it still wasn't enough, he grimly thought.

As the sight of Catnette entered his peripheral vision, he shoved it back into the drawer, swapping it out for a dark teal button-up shirt with a high collar in its stead.

"Mreow."

He looked over at her before he even had so much as a single button done up.

"Meowing at me won't make me go any faster, you know."

Catnette approached him, stopping a few inches short from his feet. Against better judgement, he picked her up and set her on the top of the dresser.

While she squirmed a little initially, she went back to her little game of cat peekaboo when she skittered over to his now-dry turtleneck and rolled around in the fabric until she managed to get tangled in the sleeves enough to look like a lumpy pocket pastry. Felix smiled to himself.

"Ah, your preference for shoving your face in my clothes is duly noted, Catnette. I'll be sure to make the sling out of the turtleneck then." he dryly remarked. "I think I'm starting to comprehend why you hide every time I disrobe. Surely it must be traumatizing to your fine feline sensibilities."

"MROW."

Felix snorted at how her indignant meow was muffled enough to defang any bite it could have had. When Catnette finally poked her head from the jumble of fabric, he couldn't resist giving her a few scritches on the top of her head since her paws were still ensnared. To his surprise, she leaned into his touch instead of fighting him.

"You're such a fickle creature," he teased. "But I won't hold that against you since you're rather adorable. Let me get changed and we'll head to the docks to catch you something fresh to eat. Wouldn't want you to go hungry after all you must have been through."

When she purred into his hand, a wave of relief washed over him.

Perhaps he hadn't lost his touch with cats after all.

Then she bit him for his hubris.

That darn cat was going to be the death of him at this rate.


By the time they got to the pier, Felix started to suspect that Catnette had slept as poorly as he had last night by the lack of stirring he felt in his makeshift turtleneck sling. He peeked into the folds to ensure she was still breathing every so often.

Sure enough, he'd see the rise and fall of her chest even though her eyes were closed every single time.

Rental rod in hand, he quietly sat down at the edge of the dock and cast his bait-laden line into the water. As he waited for a bite from the fish, he softly rubbed the bottom of the sling with his gloved hand. Upon feeling the slightest of movements against his torso, he moved the hand away.

"Good to know you're still alive." he murmured under his breath.

"I could say the same to you too, Felix." a voice behind him replied in a thin but still cheery tone.

He twisted his upper body to spot Mercedes staring back at him with a slightly-distraught expression on her face that didn't suit her. He looked away to face the water once more.

"Spare me your words of pity if that's why you're here." he said coolly, focusing on the task at hand.

"Alright, I'll spare them for now. But truth be told, while I am still worried about you, that's not the only reason why I'm here." she admitted. "On the off-chance you've been outside lately, have you seen Annie?"

His back stiffened.

"No, why?"

"Well…she hasn't shown up to tea yesterday afternoon or our little shopping excursion for supplies this morning. I know she was researching something important but it's not like her to intentionally break her promises without saying a word. I've already checked the library, the dining hall and her room. And she's nowhere to be found."

Felix's throat grew dry.

"So you believe she's gone missing?"

"I'm afraid so. This isn't like Annette at all."

"Mreooooow."

"Um Felix, is there a cat nearby?"

Oh right, he belatedly realized, she couldn't see the sling.

"Yes. I found a cat in the pouring rain last night. I'm taking care of her until her wounds heal up." he tersely explained. "She's currently strapped against my chest."

"Oh dear. Would you like me to speed up the process with a spell? It'll take no time at all."

"Sure, I'd appreciate it."

Pulling the line out of the water and setting it beside the empty wooden bucket, he rose from his sitting position and pivoted to face Mercedes.

"She's prone to scratching and biting so exercise caution." he warned, raising the makeshift strap over his head to hand over Catnette in the sling rather than to pluck her out from it.

When Mercedes accepted the bundle in her arms, her expression warmed a little when Catnette slowly poked her head out of the folds.

"My, aren't you the cutest little thing?" she cooed, flat-out ignoring his warning entirely by booping her nose. Miraculously, she remained unscathed. "Let's get you all fixed up."

Within a span of a few seconds, Mercedes worked her magic, filling the pier with the soft green glow of a healing glyph. Then she reached into the sling to inspect Catnette's bandaged paws and tummy - something else she had no problems allowing her to do, apparently.

"You're all good to go." she declared to the feline, rewarded with a happy-sounding meow. "Felix, you have a very puzzled look on your face. Are you alright?"

"It's nothing." he lied. "Ah, thank you."

"You're very welcome." she said, depositing Catnette back into his arms. "Will you let me know if you see Annie?"

He gave her a solemn nod. "I will."

"Thank you."

Once Mercedes had left to head towards the market, Felix peered down to see the small gray cat in his hold staring back at him. If he hadn't known any better, he could have sworn there was some level of guilt in her expression.

"Cat, I need to help Mercedes find Annette. So if it's all the same to you, we'll go our separate ways after I catch you a fish to eat."

"Mrowwww…"

Felix lightly frowned at her mewling.

"And here I thought you'd be happy to be free of me."

Catnette latched onto him with both paws when he reached for a sleeve strap. To her credit, she did not sink her claws into his forearm.

"Mreow. Mreow."

He raised a brow. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to get me to bring you with me."

"MROW MROW!"

Still no claws sinking in. Perhaps…he could live with a furry adjutant if she kept up her good behaviour, he mused. Catnette might have been vocal, but at least her colour commentary was limited to what was right in front of her.

Felix gave his head a good shake after he scanned his immediate surroundings. It was a damn good thing no one seemed to be paying him any mind; otherwise they'd be convinced he was slowly losing his own if they noticed he was having a one-sided conversation with a cat in the middle of the docks.

"Fine. You can come with me. But no running off. If you run off, you're on your own. Deal?"

"Mrow."

"Alright. Let's quickly get you something to eat."

Slinging the strap over his head to secure Catnette against him, he retook his position at the end of the pier, grabbed his fishing pole and inspected it. The herring bait hadn't fallen off the hook so he recast the line.

Within a matter of minutes, Felix reeled in the first bite on his line though the lack of resistance suggested it was a small fry. As it landed into the bucket with a diminutive thud, a quick glance into its depths made it clear that he'd caught an Albinean herring.

Setting aside the rod, he laid the bucket flat on its side and plucked Catnette from the comfort of the sling to place her right by its opening. She stuck her head in the bucket for a cursory sniff only to turn around.

"...Mrow."

"Not hungry anymore?" he asked. Catnette remained silent, shaking her head. "Not…to your liking?"

"Meowwww."

"If you want something else, I'll go buy another type of fish from the market. I don't have time for guessing games."

"MRRRGH!"

"You don't want another kind of fish and yet you don't want this," he groused. "Don't tell me you want this sautéed or something."

"Meowwwww."

Felix blinked. "Uh…what? Seriously? I don't think I've ever met a cat who's refused fish because it wasn't cooked."

When Catnette nudged against the back of his left hand with the side of her head, he was more than amused at the transparent attempt at bribery.

"You can try to butter me up with affection all you want, I still don't have the time to cook for you." he pointed out, eliciting little kitty whines out of her. "If you start asking for sweets, I think I'll have to start calling you Annette instead of Catn –"

When she looked up at him and enthusiastically meowed as she nodded her head up and down, Felix stared at Catnette. Like, really stared at her. Then it occurred to him.

"Cats…don't nod or shake their heads like humans do. Not to indicate yes or no, at least." he said aloud, more so to himself than to the feline before him. "Annette does like a lot of dishes with Albinean herring and…could it be…?"

Felix shook his own head once more.

He was officially losing it.

Still…on the off-chance his theory held water, he couldn't overlook this.

Catnette showed signs of intelligence. Far more than kittens her age usually exhibited. She was also very mercurial in the same way Annette could be too. It could explain a lot of the other odd mannerisms too, really.

Staring straight into her eyes, he took a deep breath and prayed no one was watching at this particular moment.

"Catnette, I'm about to say something incredibly stupid but I need you to answer me with a nod. Not a meow or a hiss. Can you do that for me?" he asked in a hushed whisper.

When Catnette nodded, Felix's eyes widened.

"Are you…actually Annette?"

Catnette nodded again.

"Were you doing research like Mercedes had said?" he asked, garnering yet another nod. "Were you in the library then?"

After receiving four nods and zero bites in a span of less than a minute, he scooped her back into the sling and righted the bucket. Once he got up, gathered all of his supplies and hastily returned the rental rod, Felix made a beeline towards the dining hall.

He knew exactly who could cook Catnette's fish and give him direction on where to look next to unravel this mystery.


It was a small miracle the swordsman wasn't showered in diced vegetables when his presence spooked Ashe enough for him to bolt up a few feet in surprise.

"Oh Felix! Nice to see you." he exclaimed, his voice slightly too exuberant to be genuine. "Ah, how are you…um…"

"–I'm fine." he interjected a little too sharply. "I have a favor to ask of you, if you don't mind."

"I'd be happy to help. What do you need, Felix?"

The swordsman set the wooden bucket in the middle of the table.

"I'm nursing a kitten back to health right now but she refuses to eat the fish I caught her. I suspect if it's cooked and broken into smaller pieces it might help make it more appetizing. Would you be able to do that for me?"

"Sure thing." Ashe said with a hint of a smile as he set down his knife and placed the bucket on the ground with the other buckets of fish lining the inner cupboards. "I've met my fair share of picky cats so I completely understand. Today's lunch just so happens to be Grilled Herring so you're in luck. Is the little kitten ok?"

Felix nodded as he plucked Catnette from the sling and placed her on the table.

"See for yourself."

Ashe lit up at the sight of her. Before Felix could utter a single word of warning, the marksman leaned forward and scooped her up to give her pats and scritches on the head – acts of affection Catnette seemed to be lapping up if her loud purring was any indication.

Felix crossed his arms and tried not to scowl too loudly.

"Oh, what a sweetheart." Ashe cooed before glancing his way. "Then again, that doesn't surprise me too much. Dominic Grays usually are very good-natured and affectionate."

"Funny, this one loves to nip and scratch me and only me, apparently," he dryly remarked, uncrossing his arms only so he could point at her for effect. Catnette shot him a cat's equivalent of a dirty look.

"Well, sometimes there are exceptions to the rule. I'm sure she still appreciates all the help you've given her all the same." Ashe optimistically offered, giving Catnette yet another incident-free scritch before setting her down on the counter top that was further away from the vegetables. "Was that all you needed my help with?"

"Ah…no. There is another thing I need to ask you." Felix took a moment to formulate the words in his head. "Have you…seen Annette lately? In the past day or so. She might have been in the library at some point."

"Meow! Meow!"

"Aw, it sounds like your kitten over here is fond of Annette. Has she met her?"

"No. Not yet." Felix tersely lied, earning him a skeptical yet also worried look from Ashe.

"...Forgive me if my imagination is playing tricks on me here but, were you planning on giving her the cat? Annette might get the wrong idea, you know. Pets are a big commit–"

"—Enough with the Annette talk." Felix scolded, irritation lacing every word. "I'm asking because she's gone missing and Mercedes mentioned she was researching something. Have you seen her?"

Ashe's eyes grew as big as saucers.

"I'd answer that but um…wouldn't that be considered Annette talk?"

"You know what I meant."

Instead of answering right away, Ashe walked back to his vegetable chopping post. Picking up the knife, he fiddled around with it for a moment before daring to look Felix in the eyes.

"A few days ago, she asked me about the Shadow Library in Abyss since I'd been there in the past," he began with a pensive expression draining all the colour from his face. "When I mentioned it had books that weren't allowed in the monastery's library, she asked me to take her. We went yesterday afternoon and I'd offered to stay with her as she looked but… she told me she'd be fine by herself. So I left. And… that was the last I'd seen Annette."

Felix didn't need to look at the marksman's face to know he was blaming himself for her disappearing act. His increasingly-wobbly grip on the knife when he had the most steadfast hands in the whole army told him much more. Especially when he dropped the whole thing altogether with a resounding clatter.

"I'm sorry Felix, it was completely my fault that she–"

"—No, it wasn't." he interjected, casting his gaze over to Catnette for a second before elaborating. "Annette was more than capable of fending for herself if she thought she could have handled it. Whatever happened was something neither of you could have anticipated."

Before Felix could stop her, Catnette scampered around to Ashe's table and practically barreled through the chopping board of cut up turnips to comfort him with some soft mewling.

"...Thank you. I needed to hear that." Ashe quietly confessed as he scooped up Catnette again to pet her some more. "If there's anything I can do to help you search for clues, I'd be glad to assist."

"Thanks but I'll be fine searching this Shadow Library on my own. I have enough information to start."

"Don't go down there by yourself." Ashe implored. "The residents of Abyss don't take kindly to strangers - especially surface-dwellers with noble titles. I was only able to escort Annette because I'd been there before but admittedly…now I'm not so sure."

"Alright. So…what do you propose then?"

"Finding one of the Ashen Wolves to escort you down to Abyss. I can help you look for them."

"No need. We'd waste more time trying to find someone to cover your shift on such short notice." Felix argued. "If they happen to come in here, flag them down for me and Mercedes and don't let them leave. I'll be fine to look for them by myself in the meantime."

"Alright…if you think that's best. I just worry that the longer we wait, the harder it could be to find Annette. There are a lot of secret nooks and crannies in Abyss."

Felix paused for a moment in contemplation as he stared at Catnette who was starting to squirm a little in Ashe's arms. Her stirrings elicited a muted laugh from the marksman.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say your kitten is ready to find Annette herself."

"The cat…reminds me of Annette a lot, actually." Felix found himself admitting, stopping short of the full truth.

"To be quite honest with you, I'm having trouble seeing the comparison."

The swordsman tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"Well, outside of obviously not being orange, you mentioned the cat only gives you a hard time," Ashe began, adjusting his hold slightly as Catnette fidgeted. "I don't think- ow, Annette dislikes you the way you've convinced yourself she does. In fact – ow, that smarts – I think it's the oppos – oh no, no, don't you— "

If Felix hadn't been convinced that Catnette was Annette before, he was now a hundred percent certain judging by her daring escape out of Ashe's arms. She practically slid off the table from the momentum alone only to follow it up with a rather graceless landing onto the ground where she fell flat on her face.

It was a good thing Mercedes had healed her beforehand or else that could have turned ugly – the muffled meow upon impact alone made him wince.

Unfortunately for Catnette, her attempts at evading capture were thwarted when both Felix instinctively lunged towards the ground and Ashe vaulted over the table as she darted towards the entrance, cornering her in an instant. Felix managed to corral her in his arms before she could even think of skittering past the kitchen area.

"What's with all that racket over there?" a booming voice from across the kitchen demanded.

Without intending to, Ashe and Felix rose to full height in perfect unison just in time for the brown-haired head chef to scowl at them from the other side of the table with her hands on her hips.

She pointed at the scattered vegetables.

"These turnips aren't going to chop themselves, Ubert. Throw these ruined pieces out, wash your cutting board and get back to work." she sternly commanded before switching targets. "And Fraldarius, why the hell would you let a stray kitten near the kitchen tables? Do you want everyone to get sick? You should know better."

Before Felix could even utter a single word in his own defense, Ashe elected to answer on his behalf.

"Felix does but um, the cat is…ah, his emotional support cat."

The head chef narrowed her eyes in confusion. "His…what?"

"His emotional support cat." he nervously repeated. "You know, a little furry companion to get you through some, ah, hard times. "

"Seems like this fairweather feline is more interested in running away than supporting anyone."

"Well, not everyone needs the same sort of support after... things happen, you know?"

When the chef blinked, it seemed as though a Thoron spell had gone off in her head at the same time. " Oh. Right. My apologies. Just…keep the cat away from the food, alright?"

As she walked off in the opposite direction to help with something he didn't care to know more about, Felix tossed Ashe a confused look of his own as he stuffed Catnette back into the sling.

"An emotional support cat. Really? " he uttered under his breath. "I don't even know what the hell that is."

"Sorry, I might have panicked a little. Sometimes I forget we're not students anymore, you know?" he sheepishly apologized. "In…any event, I'll get back to work and keep an eye out for any of the Ashen Wolves. That said, I do have a small suggestion before you start looking in earnest though."

"Oh, you do?"

The silver-haired sniper nodded.

"Yes I do. Given what…um, what nearly happened just now, you might want to get a colourful string or a ribbon to tie around your kitten's paw, neck or tail to help identify her in case you get separated since she's so skittish and small." he suggested. "I also noticed that her bandages are already falling off. I can show you a special knot to keep them extra secure if you'd like."

"Mercedes healed her up earlier so I'll be removing the bandages when I get the chance." Felix admitted. "I don't have any string or ribbon on me though. Is there anyone who might have some?"

"I have someone in mind though… it's a bit of a long shot. No pun intended." the marksman forewarned. "I don't know if she's open to company but, I do know that Bernadetta does a lot of embroidery and sewing in her free time - she might have some supplies to spare. I also have it on good authority that Yuri's an old friend of hers too for what it's worth. Definitely would be worth your while to try."

"I'll pay her a visit. Thank you."

For the first time during this whole conversation, Ashe smiled wide.

"You're very welcome Felix," he cheerfully said. "I should have the fish prepared by noon so feel free to come back here by then."

"I'll do just that."

And with that, the swordsman turned around and walked out of the dining hall altogether.

While he wasn't certain of Ashe's 'authority' regarding Bernadetta's friendship with the leader of the Ashen Wolves per se – Felix couldn't even remember if he'd ever seen them both at same war council meeting or corner of the battlefield – he knew it wouldn't take much plying to get Bernie to give Catnette a cute little bow.

Perhaps, he reasoned, it would also cheer up Catnette to have something a little familiar if nothing else.

A single gray eye bore into his amber ones after Bernie opened up her door and promptly shielded herself behind it.

"Oh, hi Felix! …I wasn't expecting you here. Did you need something?"

"I do. It's a bit of an odd request, but I think you'd appreciate it." he frankly answered. "Do you have any spare string or ribbon? I'm taking care of a kitten who's prone to running off. I need something to make her recognizable among the other strays."

"Absolutely! You might want to come in before someone gets any funny ideas though."

Being mindful of his friend's slightly paranoid tendencies, Felix quickly glanced both ways to confirm the coast was clear before walking in. When she shut the door behind him, the difference was like night and day.

"What colour fur does your little kitty friend have?" she excitedly asked, clapping her hands together, "I have lots and lots of ribbon colours so I'd love to pick something that'll look super adorable on her."

As if she was waiting on cue, Catnette poked her head out of the sling. Bernie's smile grew wider with delight.

"Felix, she's the prettiest Dominic Gray I've ever seen!" she cooed. "Permission for Bernie to hold her?"

"I'd rather set her on the bed to give her a chance to get used to you, if you don't mind." he politely declined. "She's been good with other people who've held her other than myself but I'd rather err on the side of caution. I took off her bandages on the way here so she might be a little sensitive."

"Fair enough. I completely understand. Just… give me a moment to put away my embroidery hoops and needles. Wouldn't want this cute kitty to get hurt, that's for sure."

After Bernie quickly moved her supplies into the covered wicker basket on the nearby nightstand table and sat on the foot of her bed, Felix lifted the sling over his head and deposited Catnette on the middle of the mattress.

Taking a step back to give Bernie some space, a thought came to mind as he searched his memory. He wasn't ever sure if Annette had ever really interacted with the Blue Lions' sole Black Eagle recruit. If it were the case, it definitely showed as Catnette slowly stepped away from his turtleneck with a certain level of trepidation.

It was rather ironic how Bernie was more in her element as she extended her hands with open palms for Catnette to sniff.

"Hi there little kitten, I'm Bernie! And your name is…?" she warmly greeted before casting a glance his way.

Felix froze.

"Cutting Gale." he blurted out, earning him a bewildered look from his friend and Catnette, interestingly enough. " What? It's not that bad."

"While you get points for not naming her after a sword like you normally do, you lost a bunch for missing out on a prime opportunity for an easy pun." Bernadetta lightheartedly critiqued before pretending to conspiratorially whisper into Catnette's ear. "Or a purr-ime op-purr-tunity, as some might say."

"Do I even want to know what this name is?"

"Catting Gale."

Felix groaned. "That was terrible. You spend too much time with Alois."

"Maybe." Bernie giggled as she leaned forward to gingerly pet Catnette. "Though to be quite honest with you, she looks more like a Sweetie if you ask me."

"That's because you haven't been on the receiving end of her claws or teeth. Then you'd call her Cutting Gale because that's what it feels like."

After Bernie stopped petting her and put her hands in her lap, Catnette sauntered over and gently placed her paws on her crossed legs, looking up expectantly. The purple-haired bow knight obliged by patting her head some more with some ear scritches thrown in for good measure, smiling as the cat before her purred very loudly. Felix was tempted to roll his eyes.

"I still think she feels like a Sweetie to me." Bernie insisted before picking her up. "Did you have a colour in mind for her ribbon or would you like Bernie to surprise you?"

"Surprise me, Bernadetta."

"Alright then. Take a seat on my desk chair and close your eyes. No peeking."

Felix did as instructed and pulled up the chair, placing his elbows on the desk surface so he could cover his eyes with his palms. As the world faded away, the ambient white noises of Bernadetta rummaging through her baskets among other haphazard sounds filling the air emptied his mind, acting like a salve over a fresh scrape.

Roughly a minute later, the faintest tickle of whiskers against his face brought it back into focus.

Slowly moving his palms away from his eyes, Felix cracked them open only to do a double take as he was greeted with the sight of Catnette with a Fraldarius Blue bow around her neck. His gaze drifted over to Bernie.

"Do…you like it?" she timidly asked, poking her index fingers together, "I happened to have the same kind of teal your coat is. So I thought it would be cute if you matched."

"I do." he quietly answered, a sober smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"I'm glad. I was hoping it would make you smile since I know this week has been really tough on you." she admitted. "I think Cutting Gale wanted to help you smile too since she was the one who pulled out this colour from my pile of ribbons in the first place."

Felix glanced over to the cat on the desk.

"Is that so?" he lightheartedly teased.

To his surprise, she didn't claw him for the remark though he nearly fell over when Catnette gently placed both paws on the center of his chest and softly nuzzled against him. Against better judgement, he dared to gently pet her.

Her soft purring reverberating against his skin warmed his body and melted his heart.

"...Thank you." he said in a voice barely above a whisper.

"You're very welcome Felix. Bows are my specialty, so you definitely came to the right person for help." she said in a cheery tone before her choice of words dawned on her. "...Er, in more ways than one, I guess. I swear that pun was not on purpose!"

"I figured it wasn't." he plainly agreed, not wanting to poke fun at her when her words gave him an opening. "Though…on the topic of helping, I do have another question for you. Only if you don't mind, that is."

"Oh! Bernie doesn't mind at all. What's your question?"

As Felix lowered Catnette into his lap and pivoted to face Bernie, he silently prayed that Ashe's 'authority' on this subject wasn't off-base or else he'd never live this down.

Even so, he still had to try for the kitten on his lap.

"There's no way to sugar coat this but Annette's gone missing and she was last seen in Abyss. Ashe mentioned it would be difficult to search as an outsider without a proper escort. I'd rather not do something reckless since there's been enough senseless sacrifice lately." he calmly explained, pausing slightly. "He also mentioned you had ties to Yuri. Would you be able to tell me anything that could help find him at the monastery?"

When Bernie froze with a certified deer in the torchlights expression on her face, Felix's stomach soured.

He'd set her off her anxiety, he could palpably feel it already.

"Bernadetta... do I need to talk some sense into him with my sword?"

"N-no, n-no! But I-I appreciate the thought. Not the violence, I mean! But the, y-you know, the 'wanting to protect me' part." she stammered before she started pacing around the room, biting the tip of her thumbnail. "I-I'm pretty good at shadowing him, a-actually. Do you want me to do that for you if you promise to protect me from becoming fish food?"

"...Fish food?" Felix quizzically repeated, setting Catnette on the floor to get up from the chair altogether to turn around and face her, "Bernadetta, I'm not going to force you to do something that clearly makes you this terrified."

"B-but you said you wouldn't be able to go to Abyss to look for Annette without Yuri." she protested. "I can't be a scaredy cat when I can do something."

"I'll find him another way." he reassured. From the ground near his feet, Catnette meowed in unison. "The only fish food you should be concerned with is the kind they're serving at lunch."

"W-why? Are they letting Flayn cook it?" she nervously asked. Felix shook his head.

"No, Ashe is on cooking duty today." he clarified. "If you like Grilled Herring, you can join us later if you'd like."

For reasons he couldn't fathom to guess, Bernie's entire demeanor changed in an instant with a hard blink, her nervous expression replaced with a positive sort of restless energy.

"Felix, I'll have to pass on lunch but I know how I can help you!" she exclaimed.

"Oh?"

"Make sure you go to the dining hall super early for lunch." she explained. "Grilled Herring is one of Yuri's favourite foods. He'll be there for sure. He's never missed a single meal when it was served and he usually goes early to try and grab seconds for others."

"That is more than helpful. Thank you."

"I'm glad Felix." she cheerfully added. "I hope you can find Annette with Yuri's help. I don't know her too well but she must mean a lot to you if you asked me for help."

Before he could say a word, Felix watched Catnette saunter over to her and paw at her shins.

"Mreowww. Meow-meow."

"I think she's trying to say that you shouldn't sell yourself short," he theorized as he walked over to pick up Catnette.

"You think so, huh?" she asked the kitten, getting a few ear scritches in before Felix deposited her back into the sling.

"She knows so. So do I."

While she may have set out to make him smile earlier, Felix felt a sense of relief at being able to return the favour as a big goofy grin re-emerged on her face. He needed all the help he could get - the least he could do was not repay her kindness with more troubles.

And on that note, as he left the sanctity of Bernadetta's room with Catnette in tow, Felix made a mental note to remain deliberately unarmed for his upcoming lunchtime rendezvous with Yuri.

He'd be damned if he didn't make at least a semi-concerted effort to respect her wishes and avoid making her anxious all over again, after all.


Just as Bernadetta predicted, the lilac-haired leader of the Ashen Wolves was already present in the nearly-empty dining hall right before the fish was about to be served at noon, seated at one of the closest tables to the serving area.

What she hadn't predicted however, was his choice of company as he spotted Byleth right beside him. Or that she would get up and start walking towards him the moment they made eye contact. Once she was only a few paces away, she called out to him.

"Felix, Ashe told us everything before he went on break just now."

"So you know about Annette's disappearance?"

Like clockwork, Catnette poked her head out of the sling at the mention of her name and meowed. Unsurprisingly, Byleth didn't even flinch at her sudden appearance.

"I do." she confirmed. "But I'm afraid I'll need to hold your emotional support cat if you go to talk to Yuri."

"She's not my emotional support cat." Felix groaned. "I don't know why he told you that."

"Very well. I'll need to hold your ordinary cat." she deadpanned.

"Calling her a cat would have sufficed." he dryly remarked before changing the topic at hand. "Is there a reason why you need to take her?"

"There is. Yuri's deathly allergic to cats and dogs."

"Ah, I suppose it would be counter-intuitive to kill the man you're trying to obtain answers from." he conceded as he handed Catnette over to her. "Keep her in the sling. She's skittish."

Byleth nodded, accepting the bundle. Though her expression was as neutral as ever, he knew enough about his former professor to tell she was amused when she locked eyes with Catnette.

"I didn't take you for the accessorizing type." Byleth remarked, petting her on the head.

"I'm not. She nearly ran off so Ashe suggested giving her a ribbon to make her identifiable." he explained. "The bow is Bernadetta's doing."

"The colour's nice."

"More of Bernadetta's doing." he lamely added, trying to ignore the less-than-nice pink shade his ears were turning. "Will you be staying in the dining hall with the cat or elsewhere?"

"I'll be at the opposite end of the hall. Good luck on finding your answers."

Felix gave her and Catnette a nod before briskly walking over to where Yuri was sitting. It was refreshing that the purple-haired man didn't look at him like he was some ghost when he sat down at the seat directly-across from him.

"My condolences. Your father was a rather upstanding guy."

Felix snorted. So much for that.

"And I'm a man who'd rather focus on the living, if you don't mind."

"Not at all, I can respect that - grief plays out differently for everyone." Yuri conceded with a wave. "Onto business, then. So, my understanding from our little freckled friend is that you're looking to find a missing songbird in Abyss, correct?"

"Correct."

"Your combined working theory that she's been abducted in the Shadow Library?"

"Yes."

"Well then, I have potentially-good news or bad news for you. It'll depend on how you answer a bit of an esoteric question."

Felix furrowed his brows. "...I don't know what esoteric means."

"I'd be surprised if you did, friend." Yuri chuckled. "In any event, here's the situation. There were clothes left behind in the Shadow Library and they do belong to your little lady friend."

The swordsman sharply inhaled.

"Now, here's where the curveball of a question comes in. You'll know if you understand what I'm asking you." he cryptically prefaced, tenting his fingers together. "Where do you think she is right now?"

"In Byleth's arms." The words left his mouth before they even registered. As Yuri's lips split into an amused grin without saying a single word of his own, Felix sighed. "Just say I've lost my mind and quit staring at me like some damn lunatic."

"On the contrary. I'm smiling because that's the answer I was hoping to hear." he disagreed with a playful lilt, leaning in somewhat. "One last question though. How do you know?"

"How do I know?" Felix repeated in an incredulous tone, raising his hands in exasperation for a moment. "Do you really think I came to that conclusion on a whim?"

"No, I don't. That's why I'm asking." Yuri plainly responded, leaning back. "Clearly there was something that made you think it was her when there's no obvious resemblance. After all, it wouldn't be the first time you've picked up on something others overlooked or ignored."

"The answer isn't that interesting," he admitted. "She acted strange for a cat and kept meowing whenever Annette's name was mentioned. After I was told she'd gone missing and the cat wouldn't eat raw herring, I figured out she was the cat by asking some yes-or-no questions. It made sense of all of her behaviours in hindsight."

"Felix, I hate to break it to you but only a fool in love would have been able to figure this out with so little to go on." he informed him as he casually got up from his seat. "Come down to Abyss after you've eaten something. I'll have someone meet you at the entrance seeing as I'm rather fond of breathing these days. Be sure to bring a large blanket."

With his brain too preoccupied with parsing Yuri's words, Felix didn't even have a chance to ask why the blanket was necessary before he'd exited the hall entirely instead of lining up for fish.

And before he knew it, Byleth had taken up Yuri's vacated seat with three plates of fish in her hands and slid one of the plates and some cutlery in front of him.

Felix raised a brow. "Where did you get all this? Lunch isn't even ready yet."

Byleth set down the other two plates in front of her. One of them had no turnips with the pieces all cut up and arranged into a smiley face.

"I have my ways." she cryptically answered as she set Catnette on her lap and started feeding her pieces of fish. The smiley face tragically lost a right eye.

"Decided to save your fish and try your hand at cooking instead of making questionable trades with animals for ore?"

"Never." Byleth answered in her usual monotone, waiting a moment before she pointed over to the other end of the kitchen. "Ashe came back from his break and gave me these."

After swiveling his upper body towards the left, the silver-haired marksman heartilly waved in their general direction. Felix awkwardly waved back before turning around.

"That explains that." he conceded as he picked up his cutlery and proceeded to stab at the herring. Though his appetite still wasn't there, he managed a few bites of it before she resumed their conversation.

"Did Yuri give you any valuable information?"

Felix nodded. "He knew where she was before I even said anything."

"So was she in Abyss like you and Ashe assumed?"

"She was."

As he cut another piece of fish for himself and Byleth fed another to Catnette in tandem, it dawned on Felix that he should have some backup as a precaution. Not to mention, it wouldn't hurt to have a second set of hands since the only large blanket he had was his bedsheets.

"And right now, she's making a mess in your lap." he not-so-casually added when a fairly big chunk from the piece of fish Catnette was eating fell out of her mouth.

Byleth looked down. "No, Annette's fish fell on the bench."

It didn't surprise him that she was not fazed by this revelation. Not in the slightest.


"Are you the one Yuri sent to fix my cat situation?"

"Sure am."

"Then…can you put the book down?"

"In a moment."

Though he wasn't anticipating a warm welcome by any means, Felix was a little annoyed that the Ashen Wolves' red-haired valkyrie didn't even bother to look up from the book she was reading as he stood right in front of her for a solid ten seconds.

But apparently his decision to ask Byleth to accompany him to carry a sleeping Catnette – the one-and-a-half portions of fish she ate sent her straight into a food coma – as he lugged around his bedsheets had been a smarter move than he'd previously given himself credit for.

Namely because the shock of her mint-green hair entering Hapi's peripheral vision seemed to be the only thing to get her to peel her eyes away from her damn book.

"Oh hey, I wasn't expecting you here too, Chatterbox. Yuri-bird only told me to wait out here for Fefe."

Felix's eye twitched as Hapi closed the book with a loud clap and tucked it underneath her right arm.

"Did…you just call me Fefe?"

"Yup. Sure did. C'mon, follow me to the Shadow Library so you don't get lost. The sharp right turn in about two steps gets people confused all the time."

True to Hapi's word – and despite the heavy sarcasm – the library was the first room to the right, not even a stone's throw from the entrance.

No wonder Annette thought she'd be fine without Ashe.

Upon entering the dark and barren library alongside the women, the sole table in the center of the room at the edge of the railing caught Felix's eye. Namely because the haphazard pile of clothes right in front of it was unmistakably Annette's.

"Her clothes were found underneath this open book on the ground." Hapi supplied, pulling out the weathered burgundy book for effect. "I don't know Songbird too well so I thought it would have been weird to touch her things. Chatterbox, can you do the honours? I think Fefe needs a moment to cool his ears. It looks like he finally figured out why Yuri-bird told him to bring a blanket."

"They are fairly red so I should definitely assist." Byleth agreed as she walked over to pick up her things. Meanwhile, Felix wanted nothing more than to bury his head into his sheets and scream.

"...Is everyone done antagonizing me? I'd like to get around to the actual reason we came down here." he snapped. "What do we need to do to turn Annette back into a human?"

"Relax, I'm getting there. Yeesh." Hapi said, cracking open the book in her hand to flit through the last few pages of it. "So to make a long story short, you need to kiss your little cat friend on the mouth to break the spell and lift the curse."

If his ears were red before, they were positively crimson now.

"...Seriously?"

"I'm serious, Fefe. Seriously kidding. You should have seen the look on your face though." she lightheartedly razzed. "Jokes aside though, the author of this book is a bit of a troll. In the foreword, he warns that there are a bunch of fake spells in the book to teach mages valuable lessons. The only way to know which ones are real is to read it cover-to-cover."

Felix furrowed his brows. "Why would you keep a book like this down here?"

"We don't make a point of banning already-censored books that come down here. If we did, we'd be no better than the Church." she contested. "Truth be told, most of the pages with fake spells in this book were already torn out but I guess Seteth missed a page. I can't blame him though. I wouldn't want to remove the pie recipe on the other side of it - I've tried it before and it's delish."

"A pie recipe in a spell book. I think I've heard it all today." he snorted, shaking his head as Byleth walked back over. "So do you know how to turn her back or do you only have more jokes at my expense?"

"I know how to turn her back. It's happened a bunch of times before so I know the drill. Weirdly enough, it happened to B once too. I didn't know he could read, if I'm being honest." Hapi stated before showing him the passage. "In a nutshell, Songbird tried to cast a self-teleportation spell. Kind of like what The Bert can do. Once you read this, you'll figure it out real fast."

When Curiosity Kills the Cat

Faith is not about blindly jumping to faraway places, though it is about what you can't see,

And when you take without giving, it's likely to spell cat-astrophe.

Once you see what you've become,

Only then will it come undone.

Until then, perhaps you'll find a friend - old or new,

And see the kindness of others from a different point of view.

"So she needs to see herself as a cat," he guessed.

"You got it, Fefe."

"So does she have to see herself in a mirror?"

"Not necessarily." Hapi clarified. "Any highly-reflective surface will do. Ponds, copper pots, streak-free glass windows, polished iron weapons, especially-shiny bald heads…the list goes on and on, really."

"...So you're telling me this could have been reversed earlier if I'd shown Annette a sword?"

"Depends how big your sword is." she shrugged. "That said, it's probably for the best that she didn't poof back to normal without warning though. Chatterbox should set Songbird on the ground while you cover her head to paw with the bedsheet. I brought a hand mirror with me so we can use that."

"Shouldn't we do this somewhere with a little more privacy than a library where anyone can walk in?" Byleth asked.

"There's not a lot of privacy to be found in Abyss. At least, none in places that aren't dangerous." Hapi admitted. "Though I guess nothing would stop you from doing this in Songbird's room or the monastery's infirmary. I've mostly turned people back to normal here so the added embarrassment makes the lesson stick."

"I think Annette's learned more than enough today." Byleth said before turning to Felix. "I have her room key so I'll help her go back to normal in her dorm by myself. Can you head to the infirmary to let Manuela know? She'll likely need to be attended to once she's back in her human form."

"I can. I should remove her ribbon before you leave though."

"Go ahead."

Once he draped his bedsheets over his left shoulder, Felix reached down to Catnette's neck and quietly undid Bernadetta's lovely bow. The motion, despite how gentle it was, caused her to finally wake from her slumber.

When she reached out to him with her tiny kitten paw as they locked eyes the moment she cracked them open, it was almost bittersweet knowing the next time they'd see each other, everything would be different.

"Don't you know much you heard but you'll be back to normal soon." he quietly told her.

"Mreoow."

As Felix tied her ribbon around his wrist, he only hoped it would be the good kind of different.


Of all the scenarios that played out in his mind, he never expected to be the one resting in the infirmary of all things.

"...Hi Felix."

Or that Annette would be the one visiting him. Or that Manuela trusted that he wouldn't leave as she took a small break elsewhere before Annette had even showed up.

Life was funny that way.

"...Hi Annette." he greeted back in kind, sitting up on the back of the bed. "I see you're no longer a cat."

Clad in a light orange long-sleeve dress with a blue messenger bag, she couldn't have looked less like the Dominic Gray she'd been if she'd tried.

"Nope. And I'm very glad about that." she added. "Are you ok?"

The exhaustion from the past week had finally caught up to him the moment he and Byleth had parted ways. Though telling Manuela to expect Annette in the infirmary because she'd been turned into a cat was apparently reason enough for an immediate evaluation in her eyes.

Needless to say, he never stood a chance.

Not that Annette needed to know these particular details.

"Yes. I'll likely be discharged in a few hours at most." he told her. "Are you alright?"

"Still a little tired but…nothing a good cup of tea won't be able to fix." Annette answered, pausing slightly before she stepped a little closer. "Felix, I came here because I…wanted to thank you. I'm pretty sure that if it weren't for you I'd be done for. I don't know how you figured it out but I'm grateful."

Felix knew the answer but he didn't dare to say a single word. Thankfully, she had more to say so his silence went unnoticed.

"I also want to apologize for how I treated you too. I feel bad for biting and scratching you so much." she told him. "Even though I remember everything when I was a cat, I wasn't quite in control of some kitty impulses at the time. All my emotions felt so…big and yet kinda dumbed down at the same time. It's hard to explain."

"You were unexpectedly turned into a cat, that's reason enough."

"Maybe. Though it also probably didn't help that I was still reeling from getting betrayed by a spell book. I don't think I've ever read ones with fake spells before." she tried to joke. "I can see why Seteth had to ban it. Garreg Mach has enough animals roaming around as it is."

"It's probably for the best. I'd run out of sword names for them."

"Not to mention Ashe would probably run out of cooked fish and Bernadetta would run out of ribbons." Annette lightheartedly added before tugging at the teal adornment on his wrist. "Speaking of ribbons, I see you still have mine."

"Oh, right. Did you…want it back?"

"...Oh, um, sure. Only if you want me to have it though."

"Bernadetta gave it to you so it's only right to give it back."

"But…do you want me to have it?"

He swallowed hard. "I do."

Without saying so much as a word, Annette moved back the cuff of her sleeve and offered her bare wrist as he undid the knot of his bow.

Pausing for a moment, he absentmindedly looked at her as he smoothed out the ribbon. Since when did she have freckles?

"On second thought, do you think it would look better in my hair?"

Damn, she noticed him staring at her.

Felix attempted to play it off with the most stiff shrug known to man as he silently pleaded not to catch fire at their general proximity. It could end badly.

"Either would work but the sleeve might hide the bow."

"Good point. Let's go with my hair then."

He didn't have the heart to tell her he'd never done something like this before as Annette sat herself at the very edge of the bed. Mostly because the aforementioned organ was too busy trying to wildly thump against his chest.

After gently tucking some loose strands behind her ear – which felt warm to the touch – he went to work tying a bow around a grouped section of hair. Once he made the necessary loops and tugs to even out the sides, he couldn't help but to lean back a little to admire his handiwork.

"How does it look?" she asked.

"It looks nice. I have no idea if it will hold but at least it's not lopsided."

"Felix?"

"Yes?"

"Do you…um, feel like a cat's got your tongue right now?"

In the longest few seconds of all eternity, Felix mulled over her words. She wasn't wrong, it did feel like that right now. Why did honest interactions come so much more easily to him when she was a kitten?

Then it hit him.

Maybe she was asking because it ran both ways.

She did just say that she remembered everything in her kitten form and that her emotions ran hotter than normal, after all.

Looking back, a few things came to mind.

She'd looked flustered every time he'd undressed.

She'd nipped Ashe when he was going to say something about her when she otherwise never exhibited the behaviour with other people.

And lastly, she'd picked the Fraldarius Blue colour from all the available options Bernadetta had on hand. And the shirt he'd worn wasn't even the same colour.

The pieces of evidence didn't carry much weight in isolation, but when they were put together, it made for the perfect storm.

Or the purrfect storm, as Bernadetta would say.

"A little," he admitted. "But I'm not good with words to begin with."

"Oh."

It was true his words often did fail him. And right now, as her newfound crestfallen expression occupied his every thought, Felix knew couldn't take a chance on them to bear the full burden of conveying how he felt.

Not now. Not after nearly losing her.

"Annette, whatever you're thinking, you have the wrong idea."

She blinked. "I do?"

"You do."

And so he leaned in ever so slightly, pausing only to look her in the eyes to search for signs of any sort of trepidation or unease.

"...May I convince you otherwise?" he asked in a low purr.

"You may."

Once he had her permission, he leaned further only to have her lips connect with his first like the best sort of one-two sucker punch.

That said, it wasn't long before he wrapped a hand around her nape to bring her forward ever so slightly to take back the reins of the tempo, slowing them down to a controlled and steady burn before the need for air made them part.

When she smiled at him with a healthy blush spread across her face, he felt lighter.

"So…you feel the same way?" he tentatively asked.

"I do." she confirmed. "As strange as it sounds, being turned into a cat made me realize a lot. I couldn't overthink for a change, just feel. It helped to simplify a lot of things I'd built up in my head or buried deep down. It also let me see a few sides of you I didn't get to see before too. Honestly, the only thing it didn't do was make any of this easier to say aloud once I was turned back into a human."

While he might not have experienced what she had the other day, Felix couldn't help but to relate to her plight. Words were hard. Feelings were easy to have but harder to control at times. But actions? Actions were easiest of all.

"No, it probably wouldn't." he agreed.

Thankfully, she didn't seem to mind much at all when he opted to save the rest of his words for another time as he picked up where they left off with another kiss.