Chapter Three:
Dominoes
Reviewers:
Animegirl1994
KuramaEnzanBlues
Rain chant
Maria Antonia
Disclaimer: All shows/ books/ video games/ songs that are mentioned in this chapter are all © to their respective owners, I don't own them.
Note: To all my readers, thanks so much! Y'all are awesome!
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Perceptor: They started the chain reaction!
Jazz: Don't ya just hate sore losers?
- Perceptor and Jazz, "Transformers"
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It took a long and tedious amount of time for the zoo handlers to get over to the apartment complex. They brought over their animal anesthesiologist and once the animal had been tranquilized, they carted the tiger out and into an awaiting truck, humbly apologizing for any trouble all the while. Not to mention, thoroughly surprised to find that the animal had not damaged anything or hurt anyone while it was out. The zoo's owner had personally come to see the tiger transported safely away, and to make a personal apology both Shuiichi and Lauren for the incident.
"We didn't even know our tiger was missing until we got your call, and we don't know how it got out, either. Someone must have played an expensive and rather mean practical joke on you two."
Even when he walked off to continue surveying their zoo's prize tiger, Lauren could hear him muttering to himself about who would do such a thing. Wondering just how had it gotten into the apartment unseen, let alone locked in the bathroom. If it had been any other situation, Lauren might have found the very idea quite funny.
As it stood, all the cats had also been forcibly removed, although several attendants were scored with scratch marks and gouges by the end of the transition. Most of the other tenants watched the proceedings with growing awe, whispering when they saw the two of them. The handsome young man and the rather timid-looking foreign girl standing close together. Lauren couldn't help but notice their stares, and secretly wishing she could crawl under her bed and hide her face. It was embarrassing enough she heard enough rumors and questions thrown her way for living with the infamous Shuiichi Minamino, but now…
Well, she could only imagine what the neighbors thought of a couple of teenagers living together with a plethora of cats must look like. Surely something outrageously scandalous at best…
It was then that she remembered the night before; the scroll, the procession of cats of all colors and sizes, the leader they called 'King', her saving their 'Prince', even people with decidedly more feline than human features…
And when the circus of voices and faces finally faded away, when they retreated back to the sanctity of their apartment while pushing away the busybodies who wanted to know everything, Lauren retreated to her room. Shuiichi didn't stop her, or ask if she was all right; but then, anyone with good sense would know she'd want to be left alone. She'd discovered a tiger in their bathroom, after all, and it wasn't a huge leap in logic to assume she was still shaken up and didn't want to talk about it.
Still, Lauren was grateful that he didn't bug her like their neighbors tried, pawing at the door and calling their names, begging for juicy details…
As soon as her bedroom door closed, the chaos in the hallway muffled, disappeared, and she was alone. Alone at last in the blissful silence of her room, when barely half an hour ago zoo technicians, an anesthesiologist, an animal wildlife zoo specialist and so many more personnel had loitered around their apartment while Shuichi and her stood outside and watched. Now she was cat-free, and of course, tiger-free, and she was by herself. Here in the quiet, comforting atmosphere of her room, the only place she'd wanted to be in the first place.
Because no sooner had Lauren entered than she began digging through her room for the scroll, the one that the so-called 'Cat Demon King' had given her. It didn't take long to find, and it was thankfully still in decent condition. Maybe the edges were a little skewed from being stuffed in her bag, but the ribbon was still in peak condition and held the scroll intact. She quickly undid it, carefully spread the curling sheet of parchment out on her bed. It was time to find some answers.
The first thing she noticed was kanji off to the left hand corner. An address to her and a proclamation of the gifts she'd receive; it read like a painfully accurate list of the many problems she'd faced that day. Overgrown cat tail weeds, cats following her, the tiger…it was all represented inside the scroll, but that wasn't all. She paled at the next set of 'gifts'; mice and rats, a whole menagerie of them. Lauren certainly didn't want to look forward to finding them crawling over her in her bed, she still had to wipe down her sheets to get rid of the fur…
But that wasn't important now. Now what was important was how to get rid of these infernal, relentless cats before—
A shadow fell over her bed, obscuring the list. She jumped, startled, flicking her gaze towards the window to see the kind but paunchy tabby cat with the warm, human, yellow eyes. He was sitting upright on her windowsill, patting the glass pane with a paw. Waving with the other and smiling at her like this was a social call, and it was perfectly normal for guests to enter a house a few stories off the ground.
She moved towards the window and threw it open, but before she could get a word in edgewise he had lithely jumped into the room and curled up on her bed. She blinked in surprise, a sudden awkwardness freezing her tongue as he continued to beam at her, eyes crinkled in a humanely manner that was just…too familiar and rather creepy.
"Mackenzie-san! I'm so glad you're here! I saw the commotion earlier and couldn't get any closer! What happened to your guardian tiger?"
"G-Guardian? You put that tiger in my bathroom?" She gaped.
He nodded. "Uh-huh, with a little help. But why'd you send him away? He wouldn't have harmed you," the tabby continued, not registering the growing horror and anger on Lauren's usually amicable face. "And the other gifts? Why did they cut down the cat tails? They were a wonderful gift for you!"
"Did you stuff catnip somewhere on me to get all those cats to follow me, too?"
"Demon World catnip. Very strong, it attracts all kinds of cats to you. I'm surprised you didn't notice the split-tails."
Split-tails? Lauren thought, feeling rather dumbfounded. Certainly enough to throw her off track for several moments, before she bristled with newfound fury.
"Look," she began slowly, carefully, trying to keep her exasperation in check despite the impossibly infuriating situation. "I don't really care about cat tail plants. Catnip, no matter where it's from, doesn't do anything to me. All that accomplished was making me feel like a glorified squeaky toy. And that tiger? You stole him from a zoo! He could have hurt someone, like my roommate!"
The teenager felt extremely irritated, but then she'd had a hell of a day. First the unceremonious wake up call, the aimless wandering and a would-be job slipped through her fingers, the tiger in her bathroom, having half the afternoon wasted by waiting to get back inside her apartment while the tiger and the cats were ushered out…And he expected her to sit here, thank him and wait for more problematic "gifts"?
Of course, judging by sad, long face of the tabby in front of her, it was probably beginning to dawn on him that she wasn't pleased. Lauren was sure that if cats had tear ducts, he'd probably be fighting back sobs by now. Somehow, she couldn't entirely sympathetize. It was one thing to accidentally put her in danger, it was quite another to drag innocent people like her roommate into the mix.
"You don't…like the gifts?" He asked hesitantly before he turned away, a paw on his furry chin. A nervous gesture she was well acquainted with, having used it enough over her lifetime to make it an old habit, which only served to make her feel uncomfortable. "Oh, dear…the King won't be very happy when he hears of this…"
Lauren frowned and paused, before she placed a gentle hand on the cat's shoulders. "I'm…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. You aren't going to get in trouble because of me, are you?"
"No, no…it's not you. It was us. We don't really know much about humans, but we simply assumed…hmmm. Perhaps we should have asked our Human World brethren what humans really like?"
"We like chocolate," Lauren offered gently and the tabby whirled, something akin to disgust on his face.
"Chocolate? Oh, no, no, no, no. That is not a gift worthy of the savior of our only Prince! You deserve something much more fabulous than…than chocolate!"
She retreated her hand out of reflex, experience having taught her that a bristling cat would most likely end in claws sinking into skin if she wasn't wary. Thankfully, the tabby did not flash his claws at her, only looking affronted by her suggestion, and with all the misplaced clarity hindsight could offer her she remembered something about chocolate being poisonous to cats. Whoops?
"Well, then," she started again, attempting to salvage the conversation. "What would you think is an appropriate gift for me? I really wouldn't mind chocolate, but if you can think of something that would be better…that didn't include rats and mice…I might consider it more appropriate."
The tabby's face finally fell into a thoughtful expression, and he turned his face away, a frown pulling at his feline lips. Then his ears suddenly shot up, a bright light in his yellow eyes as he turned to Lauren.
"You could visit our kingdom in the Demon World! Not many humans get to come to the kingdom, let alone the Demon World, but it is a very great honor regardless! It'd be a very practical gift, surely," the tabby babbled excitedly, with a smile that could only be described as crinkling his eyes in a very feline manner.
Lauren stared for a few moments, considering the option and unsure if it should worry or frighten her. "Demon…World?"
"Oh, yes! Our kingdom is a much nicer place than most of the demon world though, of course. Lots of unheeded killings and murders in many parts, but the kingdom is hidden away from the prying eyes of those unruly brutes! You'd be safe as long as you don't cross the borders of the kingdom, and you could meet the Prince again."
She smiled at his enthusiasm despite herself. "The Prince, huh? You mean that spotted cat I saved."
"Oh, yes, that's him all right. Quite a handsome demon, if I do say so myself! He's also quite…how would you humans put it…'cool', too?"
"Cool, huh?" Lauren sighed, and she tilted her head. "I don't know many cool people, at least anymore."
Except Edward…and maybe my roommate. When Lauren realized what she'd thought, her cheeks flushed. Her tabby cat companion hadn't noticed, too caught up in his grandiose plans.
"Or, perhaps instead of just meeting him, you could have the greatest honor of all and marry the Prince!"
Lauren was only bobbing her head at this point, embarrassed by her own thoughts. She was not paying attention until she heard the words "marry" and "Prince". Then she blinked several times, staring at the crinkle-eyed cat.
"Wait, what? Me, marry a cat? Oh, no, no, that-that…I can't do that!"
"Why not? The Prince is a charming demon and he'd definitely take care of you. You'd be set for life!"
"Set…for life?" Lauren repeated, uncertain at that ideal. In this day and age? It seemed like a preposterous proposal to consider…especially with a bad economy. But wait…he said 'Demon World'. Was that a secret code for another country? Where people marry cats?
She tried picturing herself in a church, in a dress, with the cat she saved in a tuxedo. The image was a strange one to conjure up, and didn't sit well with her.
But…set for life? She closed her eyes, and sunk down into her computer chair. It was nice to pretend her life could someday be so certain. "Marrying a cat, though…that's just…silly. And in my culture, not exactly greeted with open arms."
She laughed, a sudden rebellious feeling making her want to stall on saying the obvious answer to the tabby cat's suggestion. "But then again…I wouldn't have to worry about anything, would I…"
"No, not really. Cats have it best, and cat demons especially!" The tabby grinned at her. Lauren sighed.
"But me, marrying a cat, it's so ridiculous. I mean, you can't have a human marry a cat—wait, where're you going?" Lauren jolted when she heard, rather than saw, the tabby jump down to the ground and she opened her eyes, startled to see the tabby up on the windowsill.
"Great, I'll let the King know that you're coming, then! Oh, he'll be so excited to hear the news! We'll pick you up later tonight, Mackenzie-san."
"W-Wait, I-I-I didn't say—wait!" Lauren was up on her feet in seconds, and dove for the tabby, but the cat had leapt into open air. When she reached the windowsill she looked down, expecting to see the poor, stupid tabby flat on the ground, dead and gone, but no such sight met her eyes. In fact, she saw nothing out of the usual, and no matter how she twisted and turned from side to side, Lauren saw no telling flash of the tabby or his bright fur.
The tabby was gone and she was, once again, alone.
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"Oh, God…what am I gonna do, what am I gonna do? Those stupid cats want me to go to some place called 'Demon World'? What the heck is 'Demon World' anyways! And marry a cat demon? What is this, some sort of biblical reference or something? Am I going to get possessed? Oh, please don't let it be that…"
Lauren was, safe to say, in hot water, and as such in a catatonic, frenzied panic. She was about ready to start chewing her fingers off she was so upset, and she paced around her room with restless abandon. Trying to fight off the foreboding chills that swept up and down her spine, rubbing her arms to stave away the gooseflesh forming on her body.
Which was why it was no surprise to anyone but Lauren when she jumped at the sound of her computer's IM system pinging loudly, breaking the oppressive silence the tabby cat's departure had left her with. Her heart was beating loudly as adrenaline shot through her system, leaving her shaky and fearful and paranoid. She went over to her computer desk, ready to slam the thing shut and return to her terrified thoughts when she saw who it was that was messaging her.
"Maybe…maybe she has an idea of what's going on…yeah."
It was a good friend, and a trusted one. Lupin Ferus, a quick-witted marine with a strange sense of fun, but sharp as a tack when it came to humor or advice. Although Lauren wasn't particularly certain on the details, she knew enough to say that Lupin had dealt with some fairly strange things over her colorful military career. If anyone could help her, there was a good chance Lupin might be able to.
Another message popped up under the first, and Lauren had to steady her hands before she began typing out a reply. The message sent, she waited, the soft ticking of a nearby clock nearly driving her out of her mind.
Lupin: So, wait, what now? You're in trouble? What happened?
The teenager swallowed and nodded, before realizing the obvious and correcting herself. Sometimes it was difficult to translate her thoughts into words when she was so scared, but she did her best.
Lauren: Something's happened and I have no idea what to do about it! Do you think you can give me some help?
Lupin: Dude…did you sleep with someone? If you did, congrats! I knew you'd get to it! If you're embarrassed about it, I'll beat the guy to a pulp if you want.
Trust Lupin to jump to that embarrassing conclusion. Instead of breaking out into a vivid blush or face plant herself on the keyboard in a dead faint, however, Lauren frowned. This was not the time for jokes, and even if Lupin meant well, she was in serious trouble.
Lauren:No! I didn't sleep with someone! I think I'm going to be kidnapped!
Lupin:…Kidnapped? Who'd want to do that? You didn't see something that you shouldn't have, did you?
Even from a continent and an ocean away, she could practically feel the weight of that simple message alone. Like Lupin was saying, in her own way and between the lines, that she'd be coming over to keep Lauren safe. She almost wished Lupin could. After all, years spent in the military probably meant she could handle a bunch of cats….although when she thought of it that way, it just sounded silly.
But that brought up another important question. Who would believe Lauren was going to be kidnapped by a bunch of cats? Her parents certainly wouldn't, nor would her sister Monica. Her roommate definitely wouldn't. He'd think she was crazy. That she had been watching too much television or something.
Lauren bit on her lip as she hesitated, but her resolve was hardened by Lupin's next message.
Lupin: Look, whatever it is, you can tell me. I'm not going to laugh at you, even if it's the weirdest thing in the world. Well, okay, I'll laugh if it's like, a giant ant or something, but come on. I'm serious. If someone wants to kidnap you, that's a really serious thing to not tell anyone. Tell someone at least, if not me.
Lauren: Cats.
There was a long pause and she stared at her blinking cursor, and the single word she'd typed out without even thinking. Finally, a single line of reply came.
Lupin: Cats?
Lauren: …Demon cats. They walk and talk like people! I saved a really weird cat the other day from getting hit by a truck, but afterwards, it started talking to me! Thanking me for saving his life, and then later the other night, all these weird cat-looking people were walking around the streets! Their KING came to thank me, saying I rescued his son, a catprincefor God's sakes, and now they want me to marry him! I don't want to marry a cat!
It all came in a rush before she had a chance to stop herself. Lauren knew if she didn't get it out, she'd only annoy herself and Lupin would only nag her for details until she finally deflected. Or made an excuse to get offline. Which, in turn, would only annoy Lupin, for sure. And then she'd would be back to square one, where she'd be panicking, not able to think of any other way out of this very, very odd predicament. For a while, she found herself wondering if there was any difference, as she anxiously awaited a response while minute after minute passed by slow as molasses.
Outside her bedroom, she heard the bathroom door open and moments later, close. She flinched, shifting closer to her computer, as if to hide the screen, turning back moments later and to her relief seeing a reply. She deflated when she saw, disappointingly enough, it was only a single sentence.
Lupin: Demon cats, huh?
Seconds later, another reply went underneath the first.
Lupin:You'd better get some friends over there to help you, I can't do much from my end, hun. As much as I'd like to…it's not my jurisdiction.
Before she could ask any questions or reply to this strange and—Lauren felt—very cryptic answer, Lupin quickly jotted another message down before her icon (an artful picture of a bloody-muzzled wolf smile-snarling at the camera, what on earth was with that woman and gory wolves…) dimmed. She'd either been kicked off by a faulty signal, or more likely, signed off. Something Lauren couldn't believe as she stared at her friend's last message.
Lupin: There isn't much time on your end, so you'd better think of something fast. Talk to your roommate, Shuiichi. You can trust him, believe me. I've gotta get going. I got a mission with my name on it calling my phone. Talk to you later.
"But…I…I won't…"
Lauren slumped in her computer chair, staring at her computer screen in disbelief.
A few seconds later, Shuiichi's phone went off somewhere outside in the apartment.
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"I already know they're after her, as well as the cat demon prince she saved. I was there when it happened."
"Well, you sucked at keeping an eye on her that day. And you'd better do something about what's coming up, fox-boy. I'm serious. I put her in your charge, you'd better take care of her."
"You're caring an awful lot for a human you've never met before."
"Pffft. Please. I cared about each and every one of y'all before I even met ANY of y'all, so you don't get to say shit. Just keep an eye on her or it'll be your pretty little head that'll be rollin' next."
Kurama chuckled at the voice on the other end. He could practically hear her bristling.
"You think it's funny? I'll come over there right now and chomp on you!"
"Please, by all means, if you can manage to catch me first. Or explain afterward to Koenma why one of his Detectives has been brutally mutilated."
"You don't work for him anymore. At least, not as actively as you used to, remember?"
"And neither do you."
"More than you do. I practically have a badge by now!"
He paused and chuckled again. "Touché. I will give you that much leeway in the conversation."
"You'd better," the other replied. Then the seriousness in their tone came back. "And stop deflecting. I get enough of that from House."
"I will keep her safe. You don't have to worry about her."
"I shouldn't have to, but I do." A pause. "Kurama, I think I'll come down, just in case."
He was startled, but not completely so. He had a distinct, if vague, feeling that she would say something like that. "To Japan? That's a long way from New York."
"Well, me and my little friends are restless. I'll give old Binky-Breath a call and zip on by."
"You'd better bring some of your restless friends then, just in case. Does she know what you look like?"
"She's seen a few photos…human photos." The last was added in haste, as if to reassure nothing was revealed.
"Then stay in the shadows. I'll have Yusuke and Kuwabara come over tonight, and Hiei will wait with you. Please refrain from killing each other," He allowed her to mull that over before adding, "We won't let them get her."
"Good. Then I'll see you later tonight personally when things settle."
"Sounds fair enough. Oh…and Lupin?"
"Yeah?"
"Threaten me again, and you won't like the consequences." He said softly. There was a pause on the other end.
"Tch. Fox-boy, I'll say what I want, to whoever I want, whenever I want. You aren't an exception." Lupin laughed on the other end, and for a moment, he felt as though he was losing her. She was slipping over the edge, not completely there even if she sounded it, if only slightly. Then the course of sanity returned and her laughter died. "You know I won't do anything to ya. You could whip my ass with two shakes of your own fancy tail and I wouldn't be able to do a thing about it!"
He heard the chortling teasing in her tone, that same undefined disregard for herself or her fragile mental state before the line went dead. He turned his phone off and sighed, before stiffening when he heard a soft voice call his name. He turned towards the timid-looking figure of Lauren, who was peeping at him from behind the corner of the hallway. He smiled at her.
"Yes, what is it, Lauren?"
"I…I think…I think I need to tell you something…"
Even though he smiled and acted as though he'd been unaware of anything amiss as she sat down and hesitantly began speaking, he knew what was troubling her before she began. He gently coaxed her to continue, the façade of understanding and openness on his face, when really, he knew all there was to her situation. Or at the very least, knew very well about what was coming after her.
He knew he had done the right thing in calling Lupin to contact Lauren. After all, Lupin was the one who had originally contacted him to keep an eye on her. That was one of the reasons he had become her roommate in the first place. He found it strange that Lupin was acting so protectively, but, after meeting the young woman, well…he was beginning to see why.
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