Chapter 61 – Charlotte’s Threads
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Cat

 

With a frown sullied by the gently falling snow, I pull one leg over the other and keep my arms crossed as we sit on the snowy bench just outside of the tailor’s.

“So?”

Coyotl continues to twiddle their thumbs, slumped over sitting next to me and groaning.

“So what?”

Sighing, my hands reach up and rest behind my head.

“You can’t just keep borrowing my clothes. We gotta find something for you to wear, from somewhere you won’t scoff at everything.”

They take their turn to cross their arms and look away.

“It isn’t my fault everything in there was so simple and boring.”

“Ugh, come ON,” I groan, throwing myself onto my feet and turning to look down at the chimera. “I don’t even want to know what you used to wear if you call that simple and boring. Taylor’s got better stuff than basically anywhere in Monorise!”

Erk. Maybe I’m being a bit harsh, evident by the way they slump down more in their seat.

“I had it imported or custom made. Or both. I’m sorry for having a more refined taste than city folk or country people.”

And now I feel less bad. Still, we gotta figure something out.

“Okay, where should we shop, fancy pants? Railsent is out of the picture, but we might be able to blend into the crowd of Monorise a bit easier…”

That earns an immediate headshake from the chimera.

“I’d like to avoid the streets of Monorise after the last time I walked that coal path.”

Ahh, right. That doesn’t leave us with many options however, unless my contact has my back. Pulling out my phone, I realize I, once again, have no need to actually message him as a shadow creeps and rises up from underneath the bench.

“You rang~?”

“GAH--”

For once, it’s not me freaking out at Jay. Coyotl leaps up from the bench and reaches into their cloak, stopping only as I place a paw on their shoulder.

“I kinda wish I had an excuse to give you a ring one of these days.”

The bird leans against the wall of the building and brings his hands up behind his head with a grin.

“Of all people, I didn’t expect you to be getting on a knee for me. Maybe you could have found one if you’d kept raiding magical people’s houses.”

“Trust me,” I scoff, “I’m not interested in more Radiant Raids, but I’d still take one over your greasy feather hand in marriage.”

We laugh at one another, much to Coyotl’s confusion.

“The hell are you even doing here, dickhead?” I finally prod, stepping forward and leaning over the bench with my paws clinging at its edges.

“Business as usual,” he offers with a shrug. “Boss wanted an eye on you after you left looking, and I quote, ‘like your comfort character just got killed off.’”

A bitter wave of emotions washes over me, thinking back to that very feeling and rolling my eyes.

“That doesn’t seem very Liz-like. What, did she think I was gonna do something stupid and she’d lose her prize kitty?”

“I dunno, kitty, that woman is kinda in love with you.”

Ugh.

“If the way she acts around me is lovesickness, please find her a doctor. This ain’t healthy for anybody involved.”

The bird snickers at me and looks up at the snowy sky.

“Siccing a doctor on her would probably end in a worse fate for the doctor if anything. Probably not worth risking it.”

My brow furrows as a stupid thought passes by. Maybe it would be worth it. I shake that thought away, however, knowing that getting hung up on the rat would only sour my day more.

“So, ya gonna tell me what to do or what, kitty?”

Focusing back on Jay, I notice his brow raised at my scrunched up face, prompting me to put my poker face back up.

“Didn’t take you to be a bottom, but maybe brat suits you.”

“I’m a service top,” he tweets at me with a jovial anger.

“Whatever. Coyo over here,” I begin, throwing my thumb back to point at the chimera, “is having trouble finding fancy enough clothing. Know anywhere in Subterfuge we could solve this lil’ dilemma?”

 

 

“Charlotte’s Threads…”

I mumble to myself while scrolling through my phone, looking for information on this supposed fantastic boutique as Coyotl and I wander off to the edge of Aspen Town once more.

“Man, there’s, like, nothing online about this place. Then again, it’s in Subterfuge, and apparently pretty new. Still…”

Sighing and shoving my phone back into my pocket, I glance over at Coyotl once we’ve found ourselves about to exit down, then back at the long road ahead of us.

“Say, you wouldn’t happen to have any artifacts on you that could get us to Monorise without having to hoof it?”

 The chimera perks up at my curiosity, the look in their glowing eyes making them look as though they’ve been waiting for a moment like this.

“I’m so glad you asked,” they chuckle to themselves, hands flying into the depths of their cloak. “WHEELS OF FORTUNE!!”

With that dramatically announced, they throw two nondescript rings that begin to glow the same green as Coyotl’s eyes before a series of chains manifest around each and connect the two. Each chain spins and twists around the others and itself, becoming increasingly more complex before glowing even brighter, the mass of magical steel becoming a formless light before bursting, then dropping onto the ground with a great big CRASH. Even Coyotl jumps from the noise despite summoning the damn thing…

In the wake of the light, we find a motorcycle formed of chain and steel, some kind of magical discharge billowing out of the exhausts in the form of green smoke. Coyotl steps closer to it and feels its exterior over, looking more surprised than I.

“Didn’t take you for the motorcycle type,” I smirk, earning me a scoff from the chimera.

“I am taking advantage of my freedom from responsibility and judgement.”

Rolling my eyes, I stride on over to the vehicle and pat at its seat.

“Well your responsibility now is to get us to Monorise safely. C’mon.”

They sigh and nod, hauling their ass onto the seat somewhat awkwardly before getting comfortable enough for me to take a seat right behind them, placing my paws on their shoulders and feeling them tense up.

“Somethin’ the matter, Coyo?”

“I, uhh…” they begin to mumble, seeming somewhat flustered, “I am fine. I am just...not used to...others being so close.”

Ah ha ha. Poor thing. I give their shoulders a pat before sliding my paws down and around their waist, holding on tight to them.

“Unless you’ve got an artifact that makes a sidecar, you’ll have to get comfy. I promise I won’t burn ya, I’ve found people find my warmth pretty cozy in fact.”

Coyotl breathes out a heavy and embarrassed sigh, revving up the bike to distract themselves.

“I will hold you to that, then.”

With that, they send us speeding off towards the city.

 

“Hey Coyo, how do you keep your hood up even while going this fast?”

“...I...I don’t...actually know…”

 

The ride isn’t too bad, to be honest. Must be the ‘fortune” part of the wheels, I’m guessing. Once we find ourselves within walking distance of Monorise, they take the bike apart and we take our usual route into Subterfuge, now paying more attention to all the houses and stores along the subway path.

“I wonder…”

My murmur catches Coyotl’s attention, the chimera looking to me with a tilt of their head.

“Is something on your mind?”

With a hand to my chin, I sigh. “I wonder how different things would have been if Fox and I had found a home here instead of Railsent. Would we still have been the ones Yombroila called out to? Maybe we would have been sent to the Inkton Manor on a much more serious mission than petty thievery.”

I shake my head at the thought, however.

“Not like what-ifs will lead us anywhere besides in circles. In the end, I’m happy that things turned out like they did. As much as it would’ve been nice for this responsibility to have been put on someone else’s shoulders so Fox and I could live a normal life, I’m sure this fire in me wouldn’t have settled for sitting by idly.”

Looking at my companion, I see them looking off into the distance, nodding along thoughtfully.

“All we can do now is deal with the consequences of the actions we have made, and those of the many who came before us.”

I nod at them this time, feeling as though they had more reason to entertain such a thought outside of my own musing.

Walking these dim halls, we find ourselves mostly undisturbed, at most receiving a curious glance from various passerbys, some of which even seem to have a light shining within them. Part of me wants to stop and offer Ascension to them on the spot, but I’m not entirely sure how comfortable I feel heralding such a responsibility just yet. At the very least, I’d like to feel my way around a bit more back in Aspen Town before approaching strangers with such a life changing proposition.

Further and further we delve into Subterfuge until we begin to near the end of the road, only then noticing a rather new looking shop sticking out of the wall like a clean thumb off a sore hand. Charlotte’s Threads...Giving Coyotl a pat on the back, I usher them towards the entrance, taking the form of a patchwork cave with a rustic little house front built into the opening. If that wasn’t feeling suspiciously familiar enough as is, the moment we open the door, or rather, the moment the door is opened for us, I’m given all the confirmation I need.

“...Hello, Annette.”

So instead of returning to the Radiant World as I’d suspected, the Fallen Daughters appear to have taken up shelter within the depths of Subterfuge, setting up a rinky dink little clothing shop made of the fabric woven to form Geppette’s webbed forest. Clothing and accessories hang from the webs of each tree, little spectral spiders holding up signs just below to indicate the price. An odd sight after having lived in Aspen Town for a month.

Around the store, Fallen Daughters make do, whether they are tending to the orderliness of the store, busying themselves with the making of the fabric and clothes themselves, or simply lounging about on their phones or with a book or a game. The entire vibe feels like a patchwork of store and home, much like how many of the daughters are dressed.

As I take it all in, Annette pulls me by the paw, dragging me deeper into the web as Coyotl keeps up, seeming to want to stay behind me at all costs.

“Is it too late to go back to Aspen Town and accept whatever clothes they have there…?”

I find it hard to answer Coyotl’s worries being tugged away as I am, though I can see they are more off put by this place than I, their eyes darting around as though they are hearing voices from every corner of the store. Remembering just how the Fallen Daughters work, that might just be the case.

Soon enough, Annette finds no more reason to drag me around, giving me a pat on the back that feels a bit too strong to be entirely friendly before dancing away, leaving Coyotl and I before the check-out desk, behind which we find not just the manager...but her bed.

 

“Ah...I was wondering when I would have the pleasure of seeing you again, Miss Kitten.”

Pulling herself out of bed, the old spider adjusts her wig and carefully steps closer, smiling at me, then giving a curious glance at Coyotl.

“...My my. We could have saved so much trouble had you accepted my offer from the start, my dear…”

Eh? I turn to Coyotl in turn, eyebrow raised at the nervous looking chimera.

“I’m sorry, do you two know each other…?”

All that earns me is a chuckle from Geppette and a groan from Coyotl, no real answers to be found.

“What might I call you now, dear?”

“I need clothes.”

Coyotl seems more tense than ever, resulting in this awkward little encounter in which I feel the need to intervene.

“Coyotl, they/she. Their Ascension was less gracious than mine or Fox’s, so they’re borrowing my clothes for now, but something of their own would be nice.”

“My my,” the spider chuckles, holding a spindly hand over their mouth, “I had heard there was much happening above and within the depths, but to have the fortune of tending to the mystery herself? Please, take your time browsing~”

“Actually,” I pipe up, stopping Geppette before the old spider can return to bed, “Coyo here has got some pretty peculiar tastes. I think it might be best to fit them personally.”

Stepping behind my companion, I rest my paws on their shoulders and give them a reassuring squeeze.

“Just tell ‘em what you have in mind and we can get you done up real quick. Then we go home, alright?”

It takes a moment for Coyotl to even let out a sigh, nodding and stepping forward out of my grasp.

“I require the pinnacle of functionality and style,” they start, already earning themself a groan from me, “I care not for presentation of masculinity or femininity. Only that my appearance properly displays my professional nature and practiced prowess, while aiding in the performance of such power.”

“My my, she wants to eat her cake too, does she?”

Coyotl huffs, their frustration at Geppette’s comment distracting them from the four Fallen Daughters approaching them from behind and the sides, resulting in an angry gasp as the girls begin to observe and measure the chimera.

“Wh-- B-be careful, you curs! Have you no class?!”

“No need to be rude, Coyotl,” the spider yawns. “My children have only the best intentions for you. The less you struggle, the easier you will fit in, yes?”

The chimera relents begrudgingly, allowing themself to be whisked away by the dolls, leaving me to brandish my wallet and approach Geppette.

“Estimate on cost?”

Surprisingly, the spider shakes her head.

“Nothing. It’s for free~”

Cocking an eyebrow, I blink at the old bat incredulously.

“Free? Oh no, I’ve seen the price of things down here,” I say, asserting myself with a shake of my wallet at the spider. “You’re gonna take my damn money cuz I ain’t got anything to do with it in Aspen Town anyways.”

Geppette smiles up at me and yawns once more, pulling out a small book from behind the counter and flipping through it before glancing over at the girls busy at work on Coyotl. Nodding contently, she begins writing something down and sketching something above it.

“You’re a good soul, Miss Kitten,” she muses with a smile, making me groan.

“Just name your price, puppet maker.”

 

With the transaction processed, I waltz my way on out of Charlotte’s Threads and wait outside with my back to the wall, scrolling through my phone idly until a little blue blur catches my attention from the corner of my eye. Apparently I can’t escape her completely, as evident by the little spectral rat squeaking at my feet. It’s just one rat at least. Nudging my foot forward, I give the little thing a good angle to climb up my leg before scooping it up into my paws.

“You are awfully cute without that queen sized tumor chortling behind your back, y’know.”

The little rat puts their hands on their hips as best as a rat can and shakes their toosh at me with a squeak before I start tickling at its belly, filling the tunnel with small rat noises and ultimately bringing my attention to the depth of the subway. It’s hard not to grimace remembering what exactly awaits us at the bottom of these rails, even if we can avoid it in the day, it seems like nobody knows enough about it to be completely sure that it won’t just enrage and charge through whenever it likes. If our last adventure took us to the skies to face God, it wouldn’t surprise me if our trip to the underworld takes us to meet Satan themself at the end of this hellish road.

This train of thought thankfully comes to a screeching halt as the rat in my palm leaps off to make way for the chimera stepping out of the store looking mighty slick.

“Those girls are awfully talented if they were able to make your grand vision a reality, eh?”

There’s a funny mixture of bravado and bashfulness to Coyotl’s stance, clearly loving the outfit, but having trouble loving themself in it, at least, that’s what it looks like from personal experience. They shove my neatly folded clothes into my arms, allowing me to get a good look at them in all their new glory.

The Fallen Daughters look to have extended their Cloak of Holding from their waist down to their thighs rather seamlessly, the cape flowing around Coyotl’s fancy looking dress quite neatly. Actually, it’s more like a mix of a dress on the lower half and a dress shirt up top, ending in short sleeves with a gap between their biceps and elbows before flowing into some detached sleeves looking similar to the ends of their dress. As for their lower half, they’ve got some simple boy shorts underneath and, most surprising to me, very form fitting boots with some major heels, really encapsulating that combination of fancy and functional that they were looking for.

“...Are you done gawking for whatever audience is watching from behind those wide eyes, or must I present myself further?”

“Hey, we’re all pretty furries here, ain’t we? I can appreciate a slick lady, and you’re free to stare back.”

Maybe my grin is a bit too shit-eating, but seeing Coyotl fidget and stammer is worth it.

“S-silence. We should be returning to Aspen Town now.”

“Oh, now you wanna take charge?” I snark, pushing myself off the wall and stepping towards the brighter side of Subterfuge. “I can push you along some more if you’d like. Hell, I can easily carry you in one arm if you so desire.”

“Wh-why are you like this?!” they burst out, blushing furiously at me. “Let’s go!”

Snickering and hopping alongside the frustrated and flustered chimera, I see to that we get home without too many more distractions.

8