Chapter Ten: A Bachelor's Pad
Father Hashio bit back a laugh, kneeling down next to the girl to touch her shoulder.
"Please, don't be like that, Haru. Didn't you mean what you said, about him being nice?"
"Yes, but… still!" She shook her head in humiliation. "Well, at least this means that he got away all right."
"With your help, I gathered."
She nodded slowly.
"I finished repaying the cats for their help yesterday. Seiji can be a cruel bargainer, when he knows I'm in a hurry."
The father sighed and shook his head.
"Still, Baron would like to see you, and thank you for your assistance. I think he wanted to apologize as well."
She straightened up, and looked at the priest with confusion.
"For what?"
"Toto said that Baron hurt your feelings pretty badly."
The brunette turned a little pink, and looked down at her feet.
"He didn't know he was doing it. How was he supposed to know about my issues with Louise? Who's Toto anyway?"
Father Hashio's mouth flapped open and closed for a while.
"Maybe… if I just showed you, everything would make sense. Will you come?"
Haru sighed.
"Sure, why not?"
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Friar Nashi watched the two walk down the corridor, his beady black eyes gleaming. He just knew that everyone's beloved priest was hiding something big. Who was this 'baron' anyway?
The gypsy girl and priest turned a corner, making the nosy man run after them, and look around. He growled loudly with exasperation of being foiled once more.
Father Hashio always disappeared around this corner without a trace. What was his secret?!
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Father Hashio firmly kept one arm around the girl's shoulders, and one hand over her mouth. Her eyes sparkled with panic, since the priest only did this kind of thing when she was in danger.
"Please don't make a sound," he said softly as huffy footsteps stomped down the hallway they were just in, before the father grabbed the girl and wheeled her into a hidden nook in the wall.
"I have to be careful, or the others will find out how to find Baron."
Realizing how serious the secret was, the girl nodded around his bulky hand. He kissed her hair softly before reaching out of the nook to pound a certain stone deeper into the wall. The wall behind the two immediately fell away for two precious seconds, which the old priest used to drag the girl through the hole before it closed again.
Father Hashio smiled a little guiltily, releasing the brunette.
"Sorry about that, Haru. Come along." He started walking down the narrow pathway. Haru watched him go before slowly following.
'Am I doing the right thing? Why am I so scared?' Biting her lip, she doubled the pace until she was two steps behind the priest, and started climbing the winding wooden staircase, which appeared to be two stories high, at least.
"Did you make it before us, Baron?" Father Hashio called up the staircase, towards the opening.
"Yes, Father. By two minutes," a familiar voice called back.
"Show off," the priest grumbled, coming out first, and leaning back to give Haru a hand. She took it, wondering what she would see when she came out.
Her old friend pulled her through the top of the staircase, into a fairly big room. The slim brunette looked around, a little surprised that it was so homey. There was little furniture, a couch in the middle of the room (a familiar white cat comatose on the worn cushions), with a small bed in the far side. A large cupboard lined one wall, as well as a modest bookshelf, which contained maybe ten books. Shunted off to the side of the cupboard was a long curtain, which probably hid a modest bed built into the wall.
There was also a desk, which was covered with neatly stacked sheets of paper, as well as a few small ink jars and pens.
'So this is what a bachelor's pad looks like. Strange; I always pictured something a little messier than this.'
Suddenly, she looked at the figure next to the modest fireplace, who was placing a pot of water over the growing flames. Baron was looking at her, and smiling softly. He had switched out of his dark outfit in favor of a light gray suit, although he had left the coat and hat off, hanging them on the nearby coat rack. Was this his Sunday best?
"The tea won't be ready for a while. It's a pleasure to see you again, Miss Haru."
"Likewise," she said, studying him, now that she knew his cat features were genuine.
It was so strange. Here was a one-of-a-kind man, lost between the human and cat worlds. Her cousin was still having nightmares about him forcing that kiss from her, but…
A small smile crept onto her lips.
"You still don't look all that terrifying to me. Sorry, Baron."
He looked at her in surprise, but then chuckled softly.
"Nice to know someone thinks that way. Please, take a seat." He gestured towards the couch, which the priest was already making himself comfortable in, next to the white cat, who was growling himself into consciousness. Haru slowly walked over, and sat herself on the other side of the white cat. With one hand, she reached over and started scratching his brown ear softly, making him purr.
"Is this Toto?" she asked. The priest and half-cat started laughing while the fat feline started growling.
"No way in heck am I that birdbrain! I'm Muta, for your information!"
Before Haru could defend herself against his fury, a dark crow flew in from the window, cackling evilly.
"Although 'Buta' would suit you better, Lard Ball."
"Lard Ball?!" The cat pounced off the couch in order to start trying to catch the bird, who was having a little too much fun playing keep-away with himself, occasionally taking a swipe at the fat cat's fur and making him howl with frustration. Haru's mouth fell open a little, watching the two fight, but the priest and half-cat weren't reacting at all.
"Why was Friar Nashi accosting you, Miss Haru?" Baron asked curiously. The slim brunette tore her eyes from the cat and crow to answer.
"He's convinced that I'm a witch bent on destroying the church, despite the evidence to the contrary. Uh, Father Hashio, aren't you going to say something about brotherly love to those two?" 'The crow is talking! The crow is talking?!'
The priest snorted indelicately.
"I stopped getting involved with their fights when Muta was still a kitten. Take my advice, just ignore them when they do that."
She nodded, and looked at Baron again, feeling a little nervous.
"Just wondering, but…" How could she ask this politely?
"Why am I a half-cat?" he asked, smiling softly, sitting on a chair fairly close to her. The girl nodded, making the half-cat sigh sadly.
"I wish I knew, so I would know who to go after."
"Well, have you looked into the Cat Kingdom?" the brunette asked curiously. "This looks like something from there."
Baron looked at her sharply.
"Cat Kingdom?"