A little late once again. But next chapter should be on time! Thanks everyone for all the reviews, the support means so much. I love reading your theories and thoughts, it really makes the writing effort more than worth it. :D

And thank you to Ryu_no_me for the beta-reading!

Gumi left late that night. After the film, they talked for a long time. Miku had been hit hard by the movie, the familial themes in particular striking a painful chord. She'd cried for a bit, and Gumi had been there, listening and supporting her the whole time.

Luka listened not only with rapt attention, but a sudden bitter jealousy. It was good that Miku had friends, it was good that she had a network to keep her together. And it was good that she could finally speak about what had happened with her parents: a life spent in fear of disappointing, already falling in their disfavor when she decided that of all things, engineering was what she wanted to pursue in life. It hardly suited a pretty young woman like her: playing with dangerous machines, getting her hands dirty with various greases and oils. Of course they wouldn't complain when she would fix the car for free, or change the tires, but she would hear more often than not that a real man wouldn't want a manly woman like her.

The breaking point had been when she had told them that she wasn't interested in men in the first place. Luka had been stunned that such beliefs still persisted: how could such prejudice coexist in a world where science had reached the point that people could get turned into cats? Fortunately, society had ample rescue nets in place, and Miku didn't ever have to worry about homelessness or unemployment. She could enter adulthood safe and surrounded by her peers, even getting her first girlfriend in the process, but there was no undoing the damage of parental rejection. Rin had been there to help the whole time, too, which added salt to the injury in hindsight. In fact, Rin was the only person who had stayed with her since before the rupture: after she'd gotten kicked out, her phone destroyed, Rin was the only one who had persistently tried to find her no matter the cost, who had convinced their teachers that she wasn't coming to school out of duress, and got her all caught up on class material, letting her ace the exams despite it all.

The entire conversation could be neatly summed up by Miku desperately needing therapy. Her last tether to her childhood, which had also been the central nucleus to her initial found family, had finally snapped and she was having extreme difficulties coping. Everybody else had moved on, after all. Except for her game group, Gumi, and a few coworkers, Miku had frightfully few people to open up to.

But Gumi was there for her throughout it all, holding her as her sobbing got worse, almost pushing Luka to the side.

All Luka could do was lean against her, but she felt frightfully powerless. And, she had to admit, terribly jealous. She wasn't entitled to these conversations, she probably didn't have any right to this knowledge, but she hated to think that Gumi might be her favorite person to spend time with. A silly thought: Miku wasn't exactly her favorite person to spend time with either, at least not yet—it was hard to measure when every second spent being a cat was unpleasant—yet she still vyed for that position.

It was the crush acting up and Luka knew. It was silly and childish. And it was stupid to wonder what she would do if Miku and Gumi would end up being in a relationship: she would do nothing, after all. But she would also feel envious.

Fortunately, Gumi couldn't spend the night a second time, so after a long, more relaxed conversation, she left, promising Miku that things would get better in time. The technician then turned her attention back to her pet, feeding her, giving her a kiss on the head, and going to bed, her eyes still puffy and red.

The following day was Tuesday, game night. Miku woke up early, let Luka stand on her shoulders, served them both breakfast, and they went through the rest of the routine together, until Miku once again had to head out the door. Waiting for the highly anticipated game night made the empty hours of the day all the more painful, but Luka poured them into a more focused study of speech. She didn't have to worry about pronouncing every phrase under the sun; if she could say "Miku, I need help", "I'm Luka Megurine", "Gakupo Kamui is responsible", and "There's a secret door in lab BSTD131A", then she'd be set. So she practiced with all her heart, almost forgetting to keep her coat sublime in the meantime.

When Miku finally got home, she welcomed her with a long meow. The technician looked like she'd had a long day, but she kneeled to best greet her in return, wrapping her in a warm hug.

"I hope you had a good day, Evie," she whispered into her fur.

"It was fine. I hope you did, too."

"More power outages. I just..."

When she trailed off for too long, Luka chirped, bringing her back to the present.

"Right. Want to play a little?"

"If it'll distract you."

It did: after only a few minutes of playing with the bird on a string, Luka managed to coax a laugh out of the technician with her silly flips and wild swings. That was exactly the sound she wanted to hear, and she chased it whole-heartedly for as long as she could, eventually giving up on the game out of exhaustion. She returned to Miku's lap with a long sigh, almost collapsing in it.

"I guess it might get a little boring here while I'm gone," Miku whispered, gently stroking her.

Luka purred, adding a soft, "Mind-numbingly so."

"I might have to get you harder puzzles. Those are boring now, aren't they? You haven't touched them."

She chirped.

"Fine. I'll get you harder ones. In the meantime..."

Miku fished her phone out of her pocket and quickly dialed a number. Luka listened to the faint ringing; her own purring got in the way, but she was too tired and relaxed to care.

Miku was in a good mood. She could call whoever she wanted.

"Hi! Miku Hatsune calling. I was wondering if I could make a new appointment? Yes, the long-hair domestic."

Luka had to practice extreme self-control to not freeze, stop purring, and perk up. Miku kept petting her, gently rubbing her between her shoulders, while the cat desperately tried to make out the quiet, hurried voice on the other end of the line.

Did all receptionists talk so fast?

"Yes, that time works for me. It's not too late? I know my hours are somewhat inconvenient..."

After some more babbling, Miku nodded. "Excellent. I'll see you then. Thank you very much."

Luka nearly wanted to jump up out of her lap.

What day had they agreed on?!

While Miku typed on her phone, probably writing some reminder or a note in her calendar, Luka casually stood, trying to discreetly peer at the blurry cell phone screen.

"I hope you'll behave this time, Evie," Miku whispered. "Though I think I shouldn't say the word around you. You might catch on, since you're so smart."

"Too late. When is the appointment?"

"Ok girl. Enough playing around: we're having guests over soon!"

Luka watched, her nails digging into the floor, as Miku stood, going about her chores. While she got laundry started, the cat fled to the tree.

Was the appointment soon? Was it to do all the things they'd discussed? Shots, microchip...

She froze, paralyzed by her thoughts and the nightmares beyond. She'd almost forgotten this fear, so soothed she'd been by all the affection and attention. But this was deep-reaching. If she'd ever see that vet again, she would rather die. Go outside and get lost all over again. Anything but to get in his hands, away from his clinic, far from his operating table.

Miku went on about her activities without worry, though she did call out to her a few times, surely confused by her sudden shyness. Luka didn't even think about keeping up any kind of charade: if they wanted to believe she understood them, fine. Let them know that she didn't want to go to the vet. That she refused to go. It could make a difference, change their mind. Maybe.

Soon after, while Luka was still recovering, shaking in fear, the whole group arrived, Gumi in tow. Luka listened with one ear as the table was once again moved, chairs shifting, the music turning on. Bags of snacks were opened, drinks were poured, and the now-painted minis were brought to everybody's attention, filling the room with amazed gasps and an outpouring of compliments, both towards the painter, and to Miku for the original craftsmanship.

The change of tone of the household shook Luka from her mind. She remembered where the story had left off, the group agreeing to talk to a corrupt lord not far from their location.

As the narration picked up, the music setting the mood, and a few dialogues were exchanged, Luka let herself slip out of her predicament and back into the fantasy world. Rolling green hills dotted with field flowers turned to thick, dark forest, dark creatures skittering in the shadows. There were many threats abound, an ambush spotted in advance, then avoided entirely, thanks to a particularly good roll. As they neared the city however, nearing the river that wound around the foot of the hill the city sat on, they were stopped by a bridge troll. Convincing him to let them pass proved to be unsuccessful, and his price was decided to be too steep. When the words 'Roll for initiative' were said, the room filled with cheers, and Luka couldn't bear being left out of the game any longer. She descended from her hide, ran up to where Miku sat, and meowed to get her attention. While the turn order was decided, a spot was cleared at the table, and she was allowed to hop up, seeing the blurry map and minis, the faces around her, the smiles. Seconds later, Miku was gently scratching her behind the ears, and Luka could almost forget what awaited her in the near future.

The game was escapism. Time would tick on, there was no stopping that. But when the DM was narrating, the swords were drawn, the magic sizzling, crossbows loaded, then reality could wait for just a few hours.

The fight was exciting, with the rogue quickly thrown over the edge of the bridge, Fitzgeraldine acting as a shield while another hurried to pull him back up. Bery was more on the offensive, making a distraction of herself, but almost too well: a few excellent rolls from the DM meant that the troll struck her until she fell unconscious, and apparently that was dramatic.

Luka felt the energy at the table turn as the gravity of the situation sunk in. The rogue was back on the bridge, but the alchemist was out, the cleric needed to get to her, and a troll that hit hard was standing in the way.

Each player thought about their decisions with such an intensity, Luka was drawn in without any semblance of mercy. She watched, enraptured, as they agonized over their choices, their options, before trying, rolling the dice, and letting chance decide their fate.

Chance was unkind. Luka didn't understand all of it, still picking up words and mechanics as she listened, but the dread that hung over the group was heavy and palpable. Even Miku kept picking up, then putting down her dice, rolling them between her fingers, flipping between pages, mumbling under her breath. Gumi had only joined two short weeks prior yet she was so deeply invested, her silence and stillness were heartbreaking. As the characters strategized her rescue, the players would pat her on the back, whisper reassuring phrases, promising that what they would try just had to work.

Except the dice simply didn't roll in their favor. The narrator often winced after his dice finished rolling behind his screen, and his prolonged silences betrayed how much he didn't want the encounter to end this way.

It was fantasy, escapism. But not every story ended well, apparently. Not even in a story where everyone had a hand in weaving the tapestry.

When it was the cleric's turn, they fretted and hummed for what felt like ages, until finally they decided to make a controversial decision: the rest of the table sighed or hissed, heads shaking, while one or two whispered that it was worth a try.

The DM merely nodded, asking, "What do you want to ask for?"

It was more than a spell; it was a prayer, an appeal to their god. A Divine Intervention. Everybody at the table knew exactly what it meant, but Luka had only a budding idea. And apparently, even after having made their decision to pray, the cleric didn't know exactly what to pray for.

Finally, she whispered, "Please, may one of your mighty soldiers join us in this fight, to turn the tide in our favor."

The players collectively nodded, everybody having gone totally still as she prepared to roll the dice. Luka too watched with breath caught in her throat as the dice rolled over the table, the numbers invisible but the reactions pending, hanging from a thread, ready to burst in a sad sigh or an explosion of cheers.

In such a situation, with such tension, only one of these two results was possible. Luka didn't know which to expect, could only follow the moving shapes and then wait when they went still, and finally, the thread snapped.

A collective explosion of cheers, relief washing over the table. There was disbelief, there was clapping, the DM even stood to pace around the room. When Luka looked at Miku, she found her crying, a huge smile on her face.

When the DM returned to the table, deep in thought, the table quieted, waiting to hear how he'd interpret an answer to such a prayer. The silence spanned for a few seconds, then a heavy moment, and he chuckled, the tension in the room rising.

"Come on, then!" Luka exclaimed, feeling her nails digging into the wood from the sheer anticipation.

The table burst out laughing, and Luka was suddenly reminded that her voice had no words, that even in this world of fantasy, she was but a pet.

Before her mind could spiral much further, the DM said "Alright! Alright. So, you drop to your knees, clutching your amulet, praying fervently under your breath. Almost before you could finish your feverish plea, you feel the answer in a warm gust of wind. No, it's more, it's almost a storm, no, a tempest! The trees bend and groan, the river laps at the edges, the grass is almost flattened by the strength of the billowing winds! The dust and pebbles of the dirt path roll and fly, and there, at the other end of the bridge, a shape slowly swells from within the cloud, parting it, until there's almost like, uh, like a ghost standing there! Huge and towering, invisible, but not for long. Before your very eyes the shape fills with the golden and green hues of your god, muscles and bone growing from wood and vine, before suddenly a creature steps onto your realm, eyes blue like the sky, teeth silver like knives, claws like the blades of a guillotine, long fur shaped by leaves and branches—"

"No way," Miku said with a breathless chuckle.

"—And there before you stands a huge, cat-like creature! Six feet tall at the shoulder, it releases a mighty roar and joins the fray! Miku, could you quickly roll some basic stats for Evie?"

The table burst into laughs and cheers.

"Oh man," Miku said between rolls, quickly writing them down.

"Wait, is this permanent?" one player asked. "Do we have a huge pet cat now?"

"Guess we'll see!" another said.

"It's a gift from my god, I guess it would be on their terms," the cleric player muttered. "I can't believe that actually worked."

Luka watched with big eyes as Miku communicated the numbers to the DM, who then quickly did some math behind the screen. Then the tealette quickly disappeared, returning with the tiny mini she had made for Luka.

"She even has a mini!" someone exclaimed, clapping. "Amazing!"

With the stats, the mini, and even a turn in the initiative, Luka was fully integrated into the game. While she couldn't communicate her own desires for her turn, Miku spoke on her behalf, going as far as to stack the dice in little piles for her to knock over. From what Luka gathered, she had been made to be an exceptionally powerful ally, with the tradeoff that she only had a limited selection of options each turn. Still, her presence made the difference, her character scaring the troll far enough to let the healer get to Bery, saving her in the nick of time. It stayed a tough fight, but with Bery back on her feet and with the fae cat in their ranks, eventually they bested the troll, offed by a final crossbow bolt between his eyes.

The players all deflated after that. The remaining role-play was tired and sparse: Bery harvested ingredients from the cadaver, the cleric did a few rounds with her healing kit, and the still nameless summoned Fae stood watch as the others gathered their bearings, their things, and agreed to take a short break. The cleric communed with their god, who, after some rolls, agreed to let them keep the creature, but with less magical power. Reduced to the size, and general appearance, of an admittedly very large snow leopard, it was revealed that her name was—after some back-and-forth between players—Ash. With that, they agreed to pause the game for the night: while the session hadn't been particularly long, the emotions were high strung, and everybody was spent. Even Luka let herself sag onto the table, exhausted, before leaning into the warm scratches from Miku.

Cat or not, temporary escapism or not, that was the most fun she had had in ages, and despite sleep pulling at her eyes, her muscles melting under Miku's touch, she just wasn't ready to let it go just yet. For that meant returning to reality, her reality, and her near future, whatever it contained.

But what could she do? She watched, almost half-asleep, as the players chatted, filling the rest of the night's time with idle conversation and catching up. Luka even allowed them to gently pat her head as they spoke, but not too much. There was talk about the game, Bery's near-death, and the amazing roll, the awesome new character. Luka heard Miku, the cleric, and the DM agree on making a full-fledged companion sheet together sometime soon, and to discuss specific mechanics for how she would be played: it wasn't as if Evie could actually role-play, after all.

Hearing this, Luka felt her mood slowly descend. It only kept sinking as the evening chatter went on, the players leaving one by one, leftover snacks divided, maps packed, minis carefully stowed away, the table moved back to its spot. Luka fled to her hide then, letting Miku spend more time with Gumi and the DM, listening vaguely as they debated how to best let the cat play the game, and what to do if she no longer felt like it. After all, cats were so prone to changing their minds about things.

They talked and talked, but Luka knew with more and more certainty that, before next week, she would be gone. There was virtually no alternative. She had a thousand reasons to leave before the week would end, the simplest one starting with the fact that she no longer wished to be a cat, the most pressing one being the ticking clock that counted down to the vet visit. She didn't know how much time was left, but for all intents and purposes, time was up.

Luka didn't even groom herself as she listened, waiting. There was no point in keeping up the illusion. There was no point in entertaining any kind of patience, or to keep up any semblance of ignorance. There was a part of her that whispered that she wasn't ready: she couldn't talk, wouldn't ever be able to convince someone of her identity. But she didn't know how to be a cat, didn't want to know how to be a cat, didn't want to have to resort to pathetic, borderline exploitive escapism at Miku's expense, didn't want her to bond further with a pet that would soon cease to exist, didn't want to cause undue pain.

Miku deserved better. A real pet cat who had no idea that it had to swat at dice. That played with puzzles and birds on a string because it actively engaged its mind. Who would sit and cuddle without thinking of being somewhere else, anywhere else.

"Evie?"

Luka started, then stuck her head out of her hide.

"Ah, there you are. Everybody is gone, and I'm heading to bed."

"Good night."

She promptly retreated into her hide. Miku idled by the tree for a few more moments, before she also left for her own bedroom.

Luka listened to her go, and sighed. She didn't know when she had to act, but it had to be soon. As soon as possible, in fact. If she waited even a day too long, it would be too late. Yet, she wondered what she would do if she were to try to go back. What if she were stopped? Caught? She'd be sent back to a shelter. Perhaps Miku wouldn't be able to find her and claim her. They probably wouldn't wait for any kind of permission and fix her on the spot. What could she do when faced with professionals who have bested far better cats than her? No, getting caught was to be avoided at all costs. That was why she needed an ally, a helper. That's why she needed speech...

She shook her head. She had no more time to practice: what skills she had acquired would have to suffice. And she had to try: what alternative did she have? She would act the following morning. Hide in Miku's work bag, slip in after she finished packing it, while she did the litter boxes...

She could only pray that packing the bag wasn't the last thing she did before leaving. If she got caught here, it wouldn't be so bad. Perhaps she'd be able to persuade the mechanic to bring her along...

There was no point in theorizing. It was time to act. Tomorrow, she would attempt her escape. Sneak into Miku's bag, sneak into the facility, get back to the lab, and reveal what Gakupo had been doing all this time.

She had no other choice. In the meantime, she would sleep. The rest would be essential after all. No point in having a sleepless night.

The more she thought that to herself, though, the more her mind lingered on the technician, who likely already slumbered on the other side of the wall. She'd be in for a nasty surprise, once the cat would be out of the bag. Her beloved pet, gone. Her cuddly companion, an illusion. And Luka...

She leapt down from her tree and gently tread into the bedroom. The door had been left slightly ajar this time, perhaps in the hopes of inviting her in.

It had worked. Luka wandered in, all hesitation gone.

Despite the total darkness in the bedroom, the little light that floated in from outside into the living room, through the crack in the door, and from under the curtains, Luka could see the edges of the bed, could feel them too with her whiskers. She jumped up, landing right next to Miku.

"Oh! Evie..."

"I woke you?"

"You scared me," she sighed, and Luka saw an arm rise above the mass of sheets.

The wordless invitation was enough. Luka crept closer, tucking herself not only under her arm, but as close to her as she possibly could, guessing at and eventually finding her cheek in the darkness. Once found, she pressed her head against it, ignoring how her breaths tickled her ears, how her smile was just obvious, even through the layers of fur.

"You're such a cuddlebug," she whispered, voice laced with sleep.

"So are you."

"I hope you had as much fun as we had, earlier." She yawned, then added, "It looks like you enjoy these games a lot."

"I do." Luka sighed. They brought her out of her brain. Just like these moments of closeness, which brought her closer to home, closer to a life she knew and missed...

But tomorrow, they would be saying goodbye. Luka wouldn't miss being a cat. She wouldn't miss eating out of a bowl, using a litter box, pawing at puzzles, a greyscale world. She wouldn't miss a second of any of those things.

But Miku? And her cheer, her long quiet moments, her long hugs? Emotional yet uncomplicated, understanding and patient, Luka wondered how much of her sanity she owed to Miku's kindness, the space she offered her, and the warmth she showed her.

"I'll miss you," she quietly meowed.

"Pff, we're trying to sleep, Evie."

Luka pulled away from Miku's cheek, pulling back to try to find her eyes, to see them even if they couldn't see her. But apparently they did: Luka saw the quick blinks, the furrowing of her brow. Then, the smile.

"What, is there something on my face?"

Luka rested a paw on her cheek.

"I hope things will stay ok between us," she tried to say, but it only came out as a long, low meow.

"What's wrong?"

Luka wanted to frown, to shake her by the shoulders, to cry.

She hadn't expected that saying goodbye to her would be so difficult. Of course it would be, from a technical perspective, but from an emotional one? It didn't help that Miku had no idea what she was trying to say, that she started petting her over her whole head, gently rubbing her thumb over her cheek in return.

"Sleep, Evie."

With that, she gently pulled her in for a little forehead kiss. Luka let it happen, delighted in the kindness, ached at what it meant and all that she didn't know.

Slowly, she mirrored her, pressing her fuzzy little snout, whiskers and all, to the bridge of her nose.

"Aw..."

"I'm sorry," she meowed, trying a little harder to enunciate it properly. It was choppy, a lazy attempt, hardly a far call from a proper meow. Miku didn't notice, chuckling.

"So talkative. But it's late. We need to sleep."

Luka repeated her attempt at a kiss one more time, feeling her heart split when it only got her more giggles.

Perhaps, someday soon, this moment will make more sense to the technician.

"I'm sorry," she said again, slower.

Miku froze this time, her laughter coming to a halt. Luka feigned innocence, curling up under her chin, resting her head in the crook of her neck.

"Evie...?"

She didn't answer, and eventually Miku relaxed as well, petting her once again, but the silence had changed, shifted just slightly. It kept her awake for a bit, but once Luka started purring, Miku let it go, and she fell asleep moments later.

Luka stayed up for longer, purring for as long as she could, tucked into Miku's embrace.

Just this once, she'd be with her through and through. She wouldn't try to imagine better moments, brighter days. Right then, she owed Miku something sincere. So she bathed in her warmth, in her shapes, as warped and gargantuan as they were, and she listened to her breathing, her mumbles. It was a lullaby of its own kind, a soothing song.

Eventually, she too fell asleep.