Katakuri's presence was warmly welcomed by the townsfolk who worshiped him. He was grateful that their faith in his family had not faltered after Big Mom's hunger pains over the wedding cake. They started to emerge from their hiding places, feeling safe and confident in his ability to protect them from the intruder. "Look! It's the Minister of Flour, Katakuri!" Yelled one citizen enthusiastically pointing up at the tall man. "Yes! He's here to save us!" Yelled another. "He will chase away the ghost! We love you Katakuri!" They all started to chant his name and yell their praises.
Perona blushed. No way, she thought. What a cute name! Her eyes grew wide with wonder. "K-Kitty! Kittycurry!" She beamed up at him barely able to contain her joy. "No," Katakuri said quickly and plainly. So quickly, it was almost as though he were expecting to have to correct her. Kittycurry! That was the cutest name she'd ever heard and she would certainly name her next plushie after him. It would have to be a teddy bear, of course. With the same colored plush as his brilliant purply/red hair. Kittycurry Bear could also wear spikes and leather, because that's just how cute Mr. Kittycurry Bear is! She needed to find a shop RIGHT NOW before she forgot the plushie bear idea. "I have to go!" Perona exclaimed with urgency. And she turned and ran. Katakuri raised an eyebrow at her and watched her run away. He breathed in and out slowly, calmly. 'You run,' he thought, 'because I allow it, little doll.' Thought he could see into the future, he was curious as to what she'd do next. He watched and waited in his usual calm, cool demeanor.
After a bit, Perona was certain she'd lost the big, scary Kittycurry. She poked her head into every shop window. They've got to sell toys here somewhere! Every window she poked her head into, she made a ghoulishly grizzly face to terrify its occupants. Then she'd giggle and move onto the next. Come on Donut Town, don't let me down, she thought. Finally she came to a beautiful cottage-looking shop, like something from a fairytale. The window was flush with all kinds of toys, some made of pastries! Donut pull-along toys, donut baby ring stackers, lollypop rattles with sprinkles inside. And there, in the corner of the shop, she saw it. It was the ugliest bear she'd ever seen! But it was also the only bear in the shop, so it would have to do. She through open the door and ran in, ignoring the protests of the people around her. She held the bear in her hands. It was soft and pillowy, like a pastry. And it smelled amazing. But there wasn't a tear on him. No defects at all. He was 'perfect' which was disgusting, and ugly! He was a perfectly ugly bear! "Its okay Kittycurry Bear! I'll fix you!" She stroked the bear's ears between her fingers. The color of the bear was all wrong. It was pure white, like powdered sugar. That was also fixable. She left the shop without paying for the bear. She was a pirate after all…
She ran around the town, punching holes into donuts. She fisted donut bench after donut bench, no, nothing, empty. She needed the jelly filled kind! Don't worry Kittycurry Bear! I will save you! "You're a crazy person!" She heard a child yell at her. Perona turned towards the kid, "JELLY!" She yelled at the kid. "Where's the strawberry jelly!?" Her big eyes staring down the poor child with intense ferocity. "Ahhh!" The kid screamed, "Behind the town!" She nodded and smiled then patted the kid's head, "Thank you!" She chimed. "Katakuri help! She went that way!" Perona heard the kid scream as she ran. Snitch, she thought. She ran past and behind the town, then she came to a whole river of strawberry jam that snaked its way around the back side of the town. She jumped up and down and threw bear into the air. "Yay Kittycurry Boo! Its time to DIEEE!" She giggled, "I mean dye! Your hair, silly!" She pushed the bear into the stream and rubbed it, trying to get the color to stick. "I drown you bear, you will rise again! Rise now bear! Rise as a Zombie Pirate!" She pulled the bear out of the stream, he was a lovely shade, but was it exactly right? She wasn't sure, she'd have to see Kittycurry again and compare.
When Perona turned around, Katakuri was standing behind her, waiting. Was he stalking her? She took a few steps closer to him and held up the bear. It was hard to tell, as it was getting dark, but it looked about right. She looked at the bear, and back at Karakuri, and back to the bear and nodded. "It's perfect!" She smiled. Katakuri clenched his jaw. Was she making fun of him? How dare she ridicule a Charlotte, he thought. Was she stupid? She was so very small and so easily breakable. He could back hand her effortlessly and end her life, right here, right now. She should know what happens to anyone who dared insult his family. "He's not done yet," she said, talking to herself, ignoring the growing rage Katakuri emitted. "I need black paint, but where in Donut Land is black paint," she sighed, still very much talking to herself. The way she ignored him annoyed him, no one ignored him. He was respected by everyone. People went out of their way to serve him.
"Why are you here," he asked, though he already knew the answer. "My bear needed to be that color," she said pointing to Katakuri's hair. He blushed, though, with his scarf, she'd never know. "No, why are you here, in Totto Land?" He repeated. "Oh," she began but he interrupted. "You heard big mom was gone and thought you'd come here and claim her territory for your own? Is that what you're saying?" He accused. "No! No that's not it," she said trying to save face, "I did read that she wouldn't be here and I anticipated your defenses would be down, yes. And that did make it quite easy to enter this territory…" She started. Katakuri glared at her, "You're not helping your case." Perona gasped and stuttered, "B-but I'd always dreamt of coming here! I've always dreamt of living in a wonderland. And racing down that hill in a donut was a lot of fun!" She grinned. "You crushed a whole family of peanuts," he said goomily. "I didn't realize they were alive…" She shrugged innocently. And it seemed to be working, because his facial expression looked less harsh. She could totally talk her way out of this one! "Your ghosts are scaring the children," he continued. "That can't be helped," she said through her teeth, "Who are you anyways and what do you do here?" She asked.
She walked up to him and poked his leg, expecting him to be made out of candy or donuts or something. "Awww!" She said, pouting, "You're just a regular guy!" She sounded disappointed. She puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms disapprovingly, still holding onto her new bear. He didn't know why he cared what she thought. She didn't mean anything. She didn't matter. He outstretched his long arm which took up almost the entire space between them and he dropped a donut shaped mochi out of his hand. He did it, because he knew the face she'd make after he did, and he liked it. "What is it?" She said curiously as she dropped to her knees to poke at the blob on the ground. It was squishy. Was it edible? Everything else here was… She took a chunk out of it and smelled it then licked it. She gasped, "Ohhh my! Yummy! It's delicious! You're a mochi man! Yummy Mochi Man! You're delicious!" She grinned. "I'm not Mochi Man," he scoffed, "I'm Katakuri." Perona squealed, "Kitty Curry! Your mochi is so yummy!" If he were a different man he would have shifted uncomfortably, but he was the second son of Big Mom, a Sweet Commander, Minister of Flour, he would not allow this girl to rile him up. "That's not my-" he started. "Kitty you're so cute," Perona said, "come ride donuts with me!"
Katakuri loved donuts. Riding donuts down the hill did sound fun. BUt he wasn't the donut riding kind of a guy. No ever. He held out his hands and a copious amount of mochi filled the space. Perona took a few steps back, waiting in awe, wondering what would happen next. He constructed a little house, what was little to him was big to Perona. He build it up right around her, there was nowhere to escape to. Under Perona's feet the ground had disappeared and was replaced by colorless mochi. Donut Land was gone, she was now in Mochi Land. She tried to walk around the house but the floor was still shaky and uneven from the construction as the mochi stretched into all sorts of things. There was a bed big enough to fit Katakuri, tables, chairs.. They were all so big. She felt so small, like she was in a giant's home. Then after he was satisfied, the mochi magic stopped. Perona walked over to the table, which was at eye level. She stepped up onto her tippy toes and took a big bite out of the table. "Stop it," Katakuri ordered and he reshaped the table. Perona turned around towards him with a mouth full of mochi she said, "Mm could-na elp mm self." Then she swallowed and gasped like she'd just come up for air after being rescued from the ocean. He watched her swallow his mochi. He enjoyed it too much. The way she enjoyed, even savored something he made for her. Katakuri's pants tightened uncomfortably.
"Am I stuck here now? In your mochi home?" She asked, "I'm not entirely complaining… but I wanted to see Chocolate Island too." Katakuri turned towards the wall, "Cocao Island." Perona sighed, maybe her fun was at an end. She didn't even have anything to finish her Kittycurry Bear up. "I'm still hungry," she whined. "How?" He asked, "You ate half the town. Do you realize the mess I have to clean up because of you?" Perona blushed and hid her bear behind her back. She rocked back and forth on her feet cutely. "I want a bagel sandwich and hot cocoa," she pouted her very best and very cutest Ghost Princess pout. Katakuri's eyes narrowed as he glanced over his shoulder at the display. He finished up his house with a large mochi mirror. And with that, his dollhouse for his doll was complete. "Keep an eye on her Brulee," he said into the mirror and then he dissolved himself through the house and vanished. Well that was weird, she thought.
