Shards of Reminisce Ch.67 (Patreon)

I'm walking across the street with Levi hugging my arm and resting her head on my shoulder.

Not what I thought I'd be doing today, but it was a sudden thing; she sent me a message out of nowhere asking if I wanted to hang out. I accepted because why not? I've been occupied leveling up my other jobs again, especially after what Mercury told me, so it was a welcome break from the paranoia.

"Sooooooo," Levi says, tilting her head to look up at me with those bright green eyes. "Have you finally learned to play an instrument?"

I blink, my ears twitching. "Hmm? No, I haven't really thought about it lately."

Compared to blacksmithing, cooking, weaving, hell even being a masseur; learning to play an instrument didn't seem that important. It completely faded from my mind honestly.

"Hmph!" She pouts, pulling away slightly to look at me with those big eyes and flattened ears. "You said you would! You promised!"

Did I? Oh, right. Back in Menagerie I did kinda promise something like that. I vaguely remember mentioning when she was visiting my room.

Before I can respond, she's already dragging me by the arm. "Come on! We're fixing this right now!"

"Wait, what-" I let myself be dragged, more out of curiosity than anything else. Plus, I kind of want to let her indulge a little. She seems excited about this, and I owe her some time. Been busy with my own shit lately.

We walk for a few blocks, weaving through some crowds, mostly humans who give us the usual stares until we reach a small music shop tucked between a bookstore and a cafe. The sign above reads "Harmony & Strings" in faded gold lettering.

I guess that's a fitting name.

The bell chimes as we enter, and immediately I notice the employee behind the counter is a Faunus; a wolf, based on the pointed ears. That's a lucky find for us, so there won't be any awkward moments.

"Welcome!" He greets us with a friendly smile.

Levi immediately leaves my side and rushes to the counter. "Hi! I want my boyfriend to learn a cool instrument!" she announces proudly, gesturing back at me with both hands.

The man blinks, his eyes shifting to me, and he strokes his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm. Well, one can never go wrong with a guitar." He comes around from behind the counter and walks over to one of the glass display cases, unlocking it with a key from his pocket and carefully pulling out a nice-looking guitar.

He walks back and hands it to me with both hands, like he's presenting something precious.

I take it awkwardly, having no idea what to do with this thing. Do I... pull the strings? Strum them?

"Uh," I finally say, glancing between the guitar and the guy. "I don't even know how to play one."

"Oh..." The man's face suddenly lights up like I just gave him the best news of his life. "That's even better! A blank slate!"

Before I can ask what he means, he disappears into the back of the shop and returns with an armful of items, including books which I think are manuals.

"All essential for learning guitar!" he declares enthusiastically, piling everything onto the counter. "Trust me, you'll thank me later when you're not developing bad habits that are hell to unlearn."

Huh?

I steal a glance at Levi, who just smiles sweetly at me, looking entirely too pleased with herself and completely unbothered by the growing pile.

Well, whatever. He's the expert here, and she isn't complaining, so I guess it's fine.

It takes some more time as he adds more items and then gives me recommendations before I finally get to pay for everything and store most of it in my inventory.

Finally, as we exit the store, the guitar case slung over my shoulder. I can't help but shake my head in disbelief. "I'm surprised how expensive that whole thing was. Buying an instrument and learning it."

The only reason I didn’t send the new guitar to my inventory is because Levi specifically requested I carry it for some reason. It weighs nothing to me, so I don't mind accepting this request of hers.

Levi walks beside me, our hands intertwined, swinging between us playfully. "It's worth it though! Music is an investment in yourself. My dad always said that a person who can create beauty is never truly poor."

That's a weird saying.

"Yeah, well, maybe there's a job out there about playing music or something," I muse, adjusting the guitar case strap on my shoulder. "And it's not like that much will affect my wallet, anyway."

I had to take some more money from the gangsters again since I was spending like crazy on materials and ingredients to keep funding my job levels, so I can afford to spend on things like this without worrying too much. Perks of having a convenient source of income, even if it's technically illegal.

Levi just rolls her eyes with a smile. "Well, it wasn't necessary to buy all of that stuff right away. You could have started with just the guitar and added things as you progressed. But since you did..." She stops walking and turns to face me, a mischievous glint in her eyes and her long ears flickering. "I expect you to be playing me a song soon enough."

I look at her for a moment before I let out a short laugh. "That won't even take a week."

"Really?" Her eyes light up.

"Probably," I add with a smirk.

Levi giggles and suddenly pulls me down by my collar, pressing her lips against mine in a quick but sweet kiss that catches me off guard. "Aren't you the best boyfriend? You really need to learn fast so I can show you off to my friends."

I think about it for a moment and realize I don't mind that idea at all. Another thing to add to my growing list of things to do. Learn guitar, see if there's some sort of musician job or something similar, impress Levi's friends, maybe use this to earn some extra income if I get good enough.

Yeah, I can do that.

We spend more time together after that, walking through the city as evening transitions into night. The streetlights flicker on one by one, casting warm glows on the pavement. We grab some street food; she insists on paying this time, waving off my protests with a firm "You bought the guitar, I'm buying dinner"

And just talk about nothing in particular. She tells me about her progress in flight school, how she's top of her class in navigation but still struggling with some of the more advanced mechanical aspects. I tell her about work at the club, carefully editing out the less than legal parts about this job.

Eventually, I escort her back to her apartment building.

"Thanks for today," she says at her door, standing on her tiptoes to kiss my cheek, her hand resting on my chest for balance. "I had fun. I always do when I'm with you."

"Me too," I admit, and I mean it. Being with Levi is nice, a different kind of nice that no other gives me.

"Don't forget about your promise! So practice lots!" she calls out as she disappears inside, waving until the door closes behind her.

I wave back and head to my bike, which I'd parked at the entrance of the building. The guitar case gets strapped securely to the back before I mount up and head back to my apartment.

The ride isn't long, relatively speaking, anyway. The city lights blur past as I navigate the familiar streets.

But as soon as I enter the apartment I stop on my tracks.

Neo is here, and she sprawled on the couch in nothing but her underwear; a matching pink and brown set that leaves very little to the imagination… okay she is leaving her nipples out on purpose. And she is eating a bowl of ice cream with a spoon. 

And if that wasn’t enough, she's surrounded by chip bags, cookie packages, candy wrappers, all scattered across the couch, table and floor. The TV is on, playing some reality show I don't recognize where people are screaming at each other.

She glances up at me, her mismatched eyes landing on me for a brief moment before returning to her ice cream.

Then, the pink letters appear in the air above her head.

'So how was your date with Jeanne?'

I blink, setting down the guitar case carefully against the wall. "It was nice. And it wasn't Jean-"

Well, fuck.

Neo stops dead in her tracks, the spoon frozen halfway to her mouth. She snaps her head in my direction, and her face twists into that manic grin I've come to both love and fear.

And she vanishes into thin air, the spoon and bowl clattering on the floor.

Before I can say anything or even react, I'm glomped from behind. Neo's arms wrap around my neck, and she's hanging off me, her legs locking around my waist before I can shake her off.

'My kitten has a NEW PUSSY?' The letters appear in rapid succession, each one bigger than the last. 'Who is she? Tell me EVERYTHING! What's her name? How'd you meet? Is she cute? Have you fucked her? Is she a squirter?!'

The fuck?

The questions keep coming, each one appearing faster than the last, as Neo plays with my ears enthusiastically, tugging them and giggling silently against my neck.

"Neo, get off-" I try to shake her off, reaching back to grab her, but she's clinging like a damn monkey.

I stumble forward, trying to dislodge her, but she just laughs, I can feel the laughter against my back even if I can't hear it. I don't give up easily though, so I keep trying to dislodge this crazy woman, twisting and turning. But my balance finally gives in, and before I know it, I'm falling forward onto the couch, landing face-first in a pile of chip bags that crunch loudly under my weight.

I turn over with a groan, and Neo's manic grin appears inches away from my face as she straddles my chest, trapping me against the cushions.

'TELL ME EVERYTHING!'

I sigh in defeat. She didn't relent with Jeanne, so she definitely won't let this go. "Her name is Levi. She's just a faunus student studying to be a pilot. And yeah, she's nice. And no, we didn’t fuck."

Neo's eyes narrow dangerously, and new letters appear.

'DETAILS, kitten. I want DETAILS. No penetration so did she give you head? Or you eat her out? Is she perky or big chest? Nice ass?'

Before I can answer, she leans down and kisses me deeply, her tongue dominating mine as her fingers dance across my ears in that way she knows drives me crazy. Then she pulls back and plants another kiss on my cheek, then another on my jaw, then my neck.

'Come on, kitten! Is she better than Jeanne?'

"I don't know how to compare-" I start, but Neo interrupts me once more with a giggle and bites my ear, not hard enough to hurt but enough to make me wince. “Can’t compare the two and I won’t say much.”

I try to pull back but she locks me in place with her legs, looking down at me with that manic gleam in her mismatched eyes. "Don't bite."

She just grins wider and bites the other ear.

'Wait. So let me get this straight,' new letters appear slowly. 'You're seeing Jeanne. And now you're ALSO seeing this Levi girl?'

"Yeah?" I answer, not understanding why this question. "I mean, I like them both. They both like me, so they're my women. So... yeah?"

Neo's eyes widen slightly, and then her grin somehow gets even wider, stretching across her face in a way that should be impossible. She covers her mouth with both hands, her whole body shaking with silent laughter.

'You have NO idea, do you?'

What?

"No idea about what?" I ask, my ears flattening with confusion.

'Nothing! Nothing at all!' She waves her hands dismissively, but the manic amusement in her eyes tells a completely different story. 'You just keep doing EXACTLY what you're doing, kitten. It's PERFECT.'

"What's perfect?" I press, getting more confused and suspicious by the second.

'You! Being you!' She boops my nose with her finger, then leans down to kiss me quickly and lick my face. 'So innocent. So clueless. It's absolutely ADORABLE. This is why I like you so much! If I wasn’t full I would be sucking you off right now!'

She really is crazy.

"I'm not clueless," I mutter, though I'm clearly missing something important here.

'Of course not, kitten. So does Jeanne know about Levi?'

"No? Why would she?" 

'And does Levi know about Jeanne?'

"Also no. Why would that even come up? We're a recent thing. Like a two weeks at most."

Neo's entire body shakes with silent laughter again, so hard that she has to brace herself on my chest to stay upright. When she finally composes herself enough, new letters appear above her.

'And they don't know about ME either, do they?'

"Obviously not," I admit with a shrug. "I mean, they know I have a roommate, but I haven't really... explained the details."

'Explained what?'

"Explained... us?" I gesture between us with one hand. "You know, what we are. What we do."

The mind-blowing sex.

'We're MEGA SPECIAL, kitten.' She taps my chest affectionately. 'I was first. First kiss, first everything that matters. First to see you naked, first to make you moan, first to—'

"Okay, I get it," I interrupt, my face heating up.

'That makes me the most important one, right?' 

"Right," I agree without hesitation, my hand moving to caress her cheek, which she leans into with closed eyes and a smile that lacks her usual manic edge. "You've been there for me when no one else was and helped me more than anyone. Fuck, you risked your LIFE for me."

'Good!' Her eyes snap open, the manic grin returning. 'I told you that as long as you keep this in mind, you can have your little side girls. And you MUST tell me about them. Which reminds me...'

And she flicks my forehead, hard enough to sting.

'That's for trying to hide a girl from me again. If it became a recent thing, then you should have told me RIGHT AFTER.'

"Don't be a bitch, I gave you a heads up weeks ago," I protest, rubbing my forehead.

'You didn't say her NAME, so I just assumed it was that country bumpkin.'

"Okay, that's fair. And why do you keep calling Jeanne a country bumpkin?"

Neo pouts theatrically and puts a finger under her chin, her expression mock-thoughtful. 'Well... the picture you showed me. Small town vibes, you know? That whole wholesome farm girl energy.'

"Okay?" I accept that explanation, though something about it feels off. "So now you know. What now?"

She waves a hand dismissively. 'Well, I want to hear ALL about this Levi though. Every detail. What you do, where you go, what she likes, what makes her special.'

"Okay?" I say, still not entirely sure what's happening here but willing to go along with it.

Neo suddenly perks up. 'Does Levi call you her boyfriend?'

"Yeah. She introduced me as her boyfriend today."

'And you're okay with that?'

I shrug as best I can while pinned under her. "I mean, yeah? She seems happy about it, and I don't mind. She's mine, I'm hers. Is that... wrong?"

'WRONG? No, no, not wrong at all!' The letters bounce enthusiastically. 'You should DEFINITELY keep doing that! Keep being the best boyfriend to ALL your girls!'

Something in her tone; or rather, the way she says all of this. Makes me suspicious. "Neo... are you messing with me?"

'Me? NEVER!' She places a hand over her heart in mock innocence, her expression the picture of wounded dignity. 'I would NEVER mislead my precious kitten! I'm just encouraging you to keep this up! You're doing GREAT!'

"Why do I feel like you're lying?"

'Because you're paranoid!' She kisses my nose. 'Look, you like them, they like you, they are yours and naturally they are mine, everyone's happy. Especially me when I finally watch you fuck them and let me join. So what's the problem?'

The way she phrases that, makes me shiver a little. "Neo..."

'Seriously, kitten. I'm not going to tell you what to do. You figure out your own relationships. I'm just here to watch the chaos unfold. And get to have a little fun, I would love an assisted blowjob.'

"That's not reassuring."

And she is way to horny right now, everything she is saying is just sex related and wanting a threesome… I actually wouldn- No, NO. Get that head out of the gutter.

'It's not SUPPOSED to be!' She grins and suddenly shifts, lying down on top of me lengthwise and resting her chin on my chest, her eyes locked on mine. 'But I do want to meet them, eventually. Just to see what kind of girls managed to catch my kitten's attention. See if they're worthy.'

"No," I say immediately, firmly, my hands spanking her bubbly butt.

'WHY NOT?!' 

"Do I still need to remind you what you did to Miltia?" 

Neo's expression doesn't change, but something dark and dangerous flickers in her eyes. 

'Your point?'

"My point, AGAIN, is that I can't have you meeting Jeanne or Levi, especially Levi, because you might..." I struggle to find the right words that won't set her off. "You might hurt them. And look, I don't really mean to insult you, but I know you're crazy as fuck. I love that about you, but my other girls might not understand it the way I do."

[Affection with (Neo Politan) increased by 5, 65/100] ​ 

What?

'Thank you!' 

I just give her a flat stare.

She huffs, before nuzzling against my chest. 

'Just kidding, I made a promise to wait. Just wanted to have a little fun.”

After that we lay there waiting for a while.

'So... this Levi girl. Is she prettier than me?'

"Different kind of pretty."

'Smooth.' She bites my shoulder lightly in approval.

"Yeah."

She moves and kiss me.

She is kissing quite a lot now that I think about it.

'So why the guitar?' New letters appear as she breaks the kiss, her fingers tracing patterns on my chest.

"Levi wanted me to learn. Said she'd been asking about it since Menagerie and I kept putting it off." I gesture vaguely toward where I left the case. "So she dragged me to a music shop today, and we bought everything. Guy there was really enthusiastic about it."

'How sweet!' The letters pulse with genuine warmth. 'Your girlfriend buying you a present. Teaching you new skills. Very domestic. Very CUTE.'

"It wasn't really a present, I paid for it-"

'Details!' She waves a hand dismissively. 'So you're going to serenade her? Play romantic songs? Woo her with your musical talents?'

"I guess? She wants me to play for her friends too, apparently."

'Awwww.' Neo actually clutches her chest like her heart is melting. 'She wants to show you off! That's ADORABLE. Your little pilot girlfriend is so proud of her kitty cat boyfriend.'

"Stop making it sound weird."

'I'm not!' The letters bounce innocently. 'I think it's sweet. Really. You should definitely learn to play guitar for her. And then you should play for Jeanne too. See which one likes your music more. Make it a competition.'

"Why would I do that?"

'For FUN, kitten!' She grins. 'Don't you want to know which woman appreciates your talents more?'

"They're not competing. They don't even know about each other."

'YET.' 

"Neo..."

'What? I'm just saying, eventually they're going to find out. Vale's not THAT big. And when they do...' She trails off, her grin widening impossibly.

"When they do what?"

'Nothing!' She hops off me suddenly. ' Don't worry your pretty little head about it, kitten.'

She skips to the guitar case, examining it with interest before turning back to me.

'You should practice! I want to hear you play!'

"Now?"

'Why not? No time like the present!' She picks up the case and brings it over, setting it on my lap. 'Come on, let me hear what my talented kitten can do!'

"Neo, I literally just bought this today. I don't even know how to hold it yet." I reply, getting up from the couch.

'Then LEARN! You're special, aren’t you? You'll figure it out. I'll even be your first audience!'

She plops back down on the couch next to me, grabbing her bowl of ice cream, which miraculously hasn’t shattered or spilled anything, and settling in like she's about to watch a show.

I sigh but can't help smiling slightly. "You're impossible."

'You love it.' 

And she's right. I do.

"Fine. But don't expect anything good."

'I expect EVERYTHING from you, kitten.' She leans against my shoulder, spoon hovering over her ice cream. 'Now play me a song. Even if it's terrible. ESPECIALLY if it's terrible. I'll enjoy it either way.'

I open the case and pull out the guitar, the polished wood catching the light from the TV. Then I summon the first instruction book and put it on a small table, and I flip it open to the first page.

"First gotta read all of this." I mutter.

One hour in and a notification appears.

[Musician job unlocked!] 

[Novice Musician increased by 1, 01/50] 

Well, no complaints there.

--------------------------------------------------------

Some days later I'm back at the workshop with Master Tusk, hammering a metal plate so he can later work on making armor pieces.

I'm looking to learn how to make armor myself, but it's still very complicated; way more complex than the simple weapons I've been crafting. Master Tusk promised to teach me the basics in a week or two once I've gotten the fundamentals of metalworking down better. Something about "learning to walk before you run" type of thing which I’m pretty okay with.

But as I hammer, bringing the mallet down in steady, rhythmic strikes, I hear my scroll ring with that distinctive chime that means an incoming message.

I make sure to finish hammering the plate; Master Tusk would have my hide if I left work half-done, before I set down the mallet and take off my heavy work gloves, flexing my fingers as I pull out my scroll.

Ah, it's from Jeanne.

'Do you have free time?'

I frown slightly, typing back with one hand while using the other to wipe sweat from my forehead.

'Yeah, but why?'

'Need you to come to Beacon. Now.'

That's... odd. I type quickly, my ears perking up with concern.

'Something wrong?'

'Not really wrong, but my team needs your help for something.'

That only makes me more confused. What could her team possibly need me for? I barely know them. Even If I’ve met them a few times and patched things up with Yang.

'Can you tell me what exactly?'

However, there's no immediate response. The little typing indicator appears, then disappears, then appears again. I can practically see Jeanne on the other end, chewing her lip and trying to figure out how to phrase whatever she's trying to say.

Finally, a message comes through.

'Sadly I can't tell you, but it's nothing bad! I promise! Please, just trust me?'

Please, just trust me…

I stare at the scroll, my ear twitching. That's weird. Really weird. Jeanne's never been like that with me before; she's always been straightforward, sometimes painfully so. 

So why is she doing it now?

But she's asking for help, not asking to hang out with her. And despite my confusion and the warning bells going off in my head, I find I can't say no to her. Also, a way to make it up to her.

'Fine. Be there soon.'

'Thank you! I'll meet you at the landing pad!'

I glance at Master Tusk, who's working on shaping another piece across the workshop, his own hammer ringing against the anvil.

"Hey, I need to clock out early," I call out over the noise.

He looks up, raising a bushy eyebrow. "Everything alright, kid?"

"Yeah, just... something came up. I'll make up the time tomorrow."

He waves a hand dismissively, already turning back to his work. "Go on then. Don't keep whoever's waiting on you. And wash up before you leave."

What a cool guy.

I quickly clean up my workstation, putting away the tools properly; Master Tusk's first rule is "treat your tools well and they'll treat you well", then wash the soot and metal filings off my hands and face in the basin near the door. I grab my jacket from my inventory and head outside where I mount my bike and ride straight to the airport.

The next Bullhead to Beacon isn't for another hour, so I grab some fast food from a store, some kind of meat skewer that I don't ask too many questions about and wait at the transport station as I try to think about Jeanne's request… Although this skewer tastes really bad in comparison to the skewer I can prepare.

What could Jeanne's team need from me? And why can't she tell me what it is? Is it some kind of surprise? A prank? That doesn't seem like Jeanne at all, but maybe her teammates put her up to it?

Or maybe...

My mind immediately goes to the worst-case scenario. Ozpin. What if he's using Jeanne to get me back to Beacon for another one of his cryptic talks?

But no. Jeanne wouldn't do that. She wouldn't knowingly lead me into a trap.

Would she?

I shake my head, trying to dispel the paranoid thoughts. I'm probably just overthinking this.

Soon enough, my turn arrives and I board the Bullhead, settling into one of the seats near the window. The flight to Beacon feels longer than usual, every minute stretching out as my thoughts continue to spiral.

I arrive at the Academy's landing pad and step off the Bullhead, immediately scanning the area out of habit. The sun casts long shadows across the grounds, and students are walking in small groups*.

I spot Jeanne almost right away; she's hard to miss in her full armor, which I notice has been upgraded since the last time I saw it. More pieces now, making her look more like an actual knight than a student playing dress-up. The breastplate is properly fitted, the pauldrons*, and even her gauntlets look professional instead of the leather ones she used before and she even added some plates to her legs as well.

It really suits her. Makes her look strong.

"Ma'iq!" She runs up to me, her armor clinking with each step, her long ponytail bouncing wildly.

"Hey," I greet, then immediately pull her close and kiss her quickly, my hands finding her waist. She accepts it readily, her armored hand coming up to rest on my chest. When I pull back, I finally ask, "So why do you need me here?"

"Oh right! Come on, we need to go to the headmaster's office."

I freeze completely, my entire body going rigid. "What?"

"The headmaster! Ozpin!" She grabs my hand, tugging insistently. "Come on, we really shouldn't make him wait. He's been very patient already."

I stare at her, my mind racing with thousands of thoughts. Why would Ozpin want to see me again so soon? Especially after that long, weird talk about fairy tales and magic and cryptic bullshit that I still don't fully understand?

Jeanne wouldn't do anything to hurt me; I know that with absolute certainty. But Ozpin... Ozpin would absolutely use Jeanne's innocence and good nature to manipulate me into coming back. Get me here under false pretenses using someone I trust.

The old bastard.

I can't leave now. If I try to run, it'll just make things worse and probably get Jeanne in trouble too. Ozpin made it clear last time that he has leverage over me, even if I told him to fuck off and shove that leverage right up to his ass.

With a resigned sigh, I follow Jeanne, my tail lashing.

However, Jeanne must notice something wrong with me; probably the way my ears are flat against my head, because she moves to my side and grabs my hand, interlocking our fingers firmly.

I look at her in surprise, and she just smiles back at me; not her usual bright, enthusiastic smile, but something else that brings me calm.

"It's okay," she says quietly. "I'm here."

That actually does make me feel a lot better. 

We move across Beacon's campus together, hand in hand, her armor clinking softly with each step. Students give us curious looks but I ignore them like always.

We reach the main tower and take the elevator, Jeanne pressing the button for the top floor without hesitation. The elevator ride feels like it takes forever, the mechanical hum and the soft sound of gears turning the only noise between us.

"I promise it's not bad. I wouldn't bring you into something dangerous. I just... I can't explain it right now, but you'll understand when we get there." Jeanne tries to explain.

I want to believe that. I really do.

"I know," I say, squeezing her hand. 

Really fucking complicated with that man and his mind games.

She nods, squeezing my hand back. "I understand. But I'll be right there with you. The whole time."

Thank you, Jeanne. My lady of Or̴̞̔̉̍̀͠l̴̮̿͌̾̑́̽̀̀̍̇̏͗̌͝e̶̢̫͕̩̱̗̓̈́͒̊͒̀̈́͊̈́̈́̀̀́͘͜—

Huh?

The elevator chimes, interrupting my thoughts, and the doors open to reveal Ozpin's office.

Same as last time. 

We step out, and I immediately scan the room, my instincts kicking in.

Ozpin is at his desk, as expected, his hands steepled in that contemplative pose he always does. Pyrrha is standing nearby. Yang is leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, looking bored and slightly annoyed.

And then there's—

"Blake?"

My first mentor. I knew she was part of Jeanne’s team and I was somewhat ready to see her but still…

The person who betrayed my trust and ghosted me.

She's here, in Ozpin's office, and she's staring at me with wide eyes. Her face has gone completely pale, like she's seen a ghost.

But something's wrong.

Something's very wrong.

Blake flinches violently at the sound of my voice, her whole body going rigid like I just struck her. She gasps loudly and then her eyes roll back in her head before she collapses.

"Blake!" Yang shouts, immediately rushing to her side and dropping to her knees. "Shit, Blake! Blake, can you hear me?!"

"What-" I start, but the words die in my throat.

Because I noticed something extremely important.

Something that makes absolutely no fucking sense.

Where are her cat ears?