Case 03 - Chaos at the Museum

--- After another nightshift, a few days after Lesson 2---

It had been a long night, Eireann was tired and just wanted to go home, but a body in a park near a badly maintained pond started the night. Somehow everyone but her got eaten by mosquitos. That was followed by a teen party turned drug overdose or bad stretch and finally a dead hooker in a dumpster rounded off the night.

The small couch in her office looked better and more comfortable by the minute.

The detective decided to visit the Black Cat Cafe, a cappuccino would wake her up enough to drive home, arrive in one piece, and remain awake enough for a shower.

The decision made, Eireann saved the documents, or at least the first drafts of them, before rising to fetch the blessed caffeine.

------

Upon entering Eireann saw a waitress she had not met before.

"Welcome to the Black Cat Cafe, one person?" The girl in the black goth outfit greeted her. Then she inhaled deeply through the nose, as if scenting the air. "Excuse me, but do you know?"

Eireann took a moment to register. "If you mean the spoiled black cat being the owner?"

The waitress stepped closer and smelled her. "Please follow me, I will take you to your booth."

Eireann was not sure what was going on, but she followed anyway, the other patrons were few. But she was led to a booth further at the back, the one she had been in after her hunt.

"Here is the menu. I will return momentarily." The girl was polite but seemed neither starstruck, nor afraid, actually she seemed more amused.

Looking at the menu, Eireann remembered that she was hungry, maybe breakfast would be a good idea, something light so she wouldn't wake starving.

Ham and eggs sounded good, the detective decided, the sushi and sashimi on the menu looked out of place, but considering the owner was a cat, she probably shouldn't be surprised. It did not sound like breakfast to her at all though.

The tired detective was trying not to nod off while waiting for her cappuccino, she wondered who the new girl was, she looked slightly familiar.

"Good morning Eireann, you look practically asleep." Dorea had arrived with the cappuccino and slid into the seat next to the human woman.

When the cat cuddled into her side Eireann petted her and took a sip. "You are such a spoiled kitty."

"Mrrr" The owner of the Black Cat Cafe confirmed with an agreeing purr.

"Long night, going home to sleep before the second night shift today."

"You are in no shape to drive." Dorea observed.

The redhead looked down at the actually taller cat. "I need to shower, sleep, change, eat something, and return to work. It's only a thirty minute ..., actually it is morning, forty-minute drive." Something about what she had just said felt off. "Ahh, I decided to eat here, I'll take ham and eggs with a roll."

"That is forty minutes too much, denied, you are sleeping upstairs." Dorea rose. "I'll order your breakfast."

"What?"

"I own the block. And I officially live on the top floor of the tall skyscraper next door." Dorea declared as she marched off.

Eireann tried to remember the block. The rather nice older building she was currently in the cellar of, was probably 4 floors high. The skyscraper next door however, that was probably some 60 floors, the one on the other side probably a good 100. The apartment complex on the other side of the block was in the 40-story range. "This building seems out of place."

Dorea slid back into the booth and snuggled into the redhead's side again. “I have a nice comfortable daytime apartment here as well, but a luxurious penthouse is simply so much better, especially at night."

"Daytime apartment?" Eireann was confused.

"It's far too bright during the day up there with modern architecture and all that."

The detective felt a memory nagging at her. "Is it a shadow cat thing?"

"Mhm~" Dorea made a happy agreeing sound while rubbing her cheek against Eireann's.

The human poked the cat's cheek. "Needy kitty."

"Actually, the daytime apartment sounds better, it is more comfortable. A nice nest, the penthouse is more for parties and such, I mean pool and all that is present, but it is windy, high up, sunny, and really spacious. I think I should have some things that should fit you somewhere. You are not that much shorter than I am."

"Your ham and eggs, the cat at your side is free of charge, if she gets annoying, just shoo her off." The waitress had returned.

"Hush sis."

"I thought she looked familiar. The skin colour threw me off." The detective finally understood why the waitress seemed familiar. Dorea just felt off with human skin colours, the dark grey, almost black suited the needy cat very well.

"Meet my little sister, Yvonna van Howlers." Dorea pointed at the other cat. "She likes working the dayshift." The cat whined. "How can a shadowcat like mornings, I'll forgive her for waking me this time however."

A stray thought went through the detective’s mind. "Why van Howlers? Isn't that what a more wolfish race might use?"

Both sisters shrugged, showing their relation in the action.

Dorea was the one who spoke up. "Somehow the name was won from a pack of night wolves."

"You can win names?"

"It is more of a title, that became a name." The woman admitted.

"Hmm." Eireann decided that it made as much sense as crafts or jobs becoming names in the human realms. The well-made eggs and bacon were more important though. The eggs were just slightly runny, and the roll fit just right.

Despite her cappuccino the detective felt even more sleepy after her breakfast.

"You are not driving." Dorea warned.

"Need to get home." The redhead replied sleepily.

The frustrated cat decided to take things into her own hands, literally.

Eireann found herself picked up, and carried to the employee entrance by the very determined catwoman.

"Have fun~" Yvonna called out after them.

The detective was about to tell her kidnapper to put her down, when they walked into one shadow, and out of another. It was a comfortable three-story high apartment. The many platforms covered with plush carpets, the hammocks, made the three-story apartment look like a comfortable mix of a cat tree and a parkour course. There were a few ropes that connected some of the higher up platforms, and the fact that some of them held furniture made Eireann's head spin. Looking over she found a very comfortable looking loveseat separated from the platform that held the tv, what looked like game consoles, and a pile of DVDs or games by at least three meters from the one with the love seat. Connecting the two was once again a thick rope.

"I won't be offering the single person bathtub, since I don't trust you not to drown, so shower or double bathtub it is."

Eireann stopped looking around the rather confusing architecture and decided that she would give into the pushy cat.

"Shower, and I am not sleeping up there. Last time I slept in a hammock I woke with back pain, also, I move when I sleep."

"I've got a nice dark nest too." Dorea assured the human woman.

The redhead found herself carried to the top bathroom. Where the shadow cat pushed her inside and then made her way across the platforms looking for a spare nightgown.

Eireann gave up.

------

A nice hot shower later, the woman opened the shower curtain and found a nice nighty made from black silk, and her clothes missing with a note saying "Taken for cleaning"

She slipped into the silky nighty, and wondered if it wasn't more of a negligee.

The woman left the bathroom and stopped on the platform, looking two floors down did not make her feel safe.

"I prepared the bed."

A now naked, grey almost black skinned, and showing her two tails and ears Dorea called out as she scrambled up the wall and climbed to the redhead.

"I need to charge my phone, and I need a place to hang my gun." Eireann said, as she held out the items Dorea had taken out when emptying the pockets.

"Hold them, I have a night stand in my basket." The naked shadowcat picked the human up and one shadow later they were in the furthest corner of the home, in front of a large roofed basket that was basically all bed inside, probably enough for five people, a nightstand, a lamp, and a tiny cooler for drinks.

Eireann placed her items on the nightstand, picked a comfortable pillow, and dropped onto it, pulling one of the blankets closer to cover herself.

After a few moments she leant back against the cat that had snuggled against her back in a big spoon way.

It was lights out.

------

Waking up naked in a dark sweet-smelling bed that wasn't hers was a new experience for Eireann. It was not completely dark, so she saw a little lighter passage to the other room, and a silent shape inching closer to her.

Her first reaction should have been reaching for her gun and demanding answers.

She felt too mellow to do that, instead pulling the blanket a little tighter around her and snuggling into the body pillow she had been hugging. Maybe if she ignored it the shadow would go away.

No such luck, the blanket was lifted, and the shadow was revealed to be a warm female considering the breasts that were pressing into her back.

"Why are we naked?"

"If you weren't before, big sis probably gave you something she made from shadows and dispelled it later."

Eireann pondered for a moment, deciding that her sleepy mind did not understand. "What's the time?"

"It is four in the afternoon."

"I'm going to sleep some more."

"Sure~"

There was a moment of silence.

"Are you going to continue hugging me?"

"Mhm~"

"You are the little sister."

"Mhm~"

"Do I want to know why?"

"It will annoy Dorea."

"I don't wanna know."

"Since you were asleep, or almost asleep. My name is Yvonna."

"I'll try to remember."

Eireann shifted a little, before turning around and pulling the younger cat into an embrace. If they were using her as a pillow, then she was entitled to do the same.

It made perfect sense to her mostly asleep brain.

------

When she woke up again it was to a soothing purring noise that she felt from the warm body curled around her.

The body felt off somehow though.

"Oh, Yvonne?" The sleepy detective mumbled.

"Yvonna~"

"Yvonna."

"Mrrr~"

"So, I stayed over."

"Mrrr~"

"Your sister gave me a nightgown she removed afterwards."

"Mrrr~"

"You are rubbing your face against my breasts."

"Mrrr~"

"Are you two marking me?"

"Mrrr~"

"This is clearly something I don't understand, is it?"

"You are taking it way better than I expected? I mean having two naked catgirls rubbing all over you."

"Ever since the wild hunt, I feel … sort of disconnected from reality?"

"You really led it? I thought Dorea was telling tales."

"And it almost killed me, Zaria had to patch me up, and considering my suspicions about her, that probably means a lot."

The catgirl stopped, like went full stop. "She had to take care of you?"

"Something about mental strain? Most of that night is flashes of memory."

The shadow cat rolled the human onto her back, then straddled her and started checking her over. "Pulse low, but you are pretty relaxed and just woke. Any memory issues?"

"I somehow forget things that don't seem important anymore?"

"Any changes in behaviour?"

"I am not freaking out despite a cute catgirl straddling me?"

"Any changes in sense of taste, hearing, sight, smell, or sense of touch?"

"Feeling your bodies against me is much more pleasant than I expected? It doesn't bother me either." Eireann wondered about something. "So, are you learning to be a nurse or a doctor?"

"No changing the topic." The shadowcat chided. "And I am still a schoolgirl."

Eireann felt the smile despite it being too dark to see it.

"Oh, dear me, the police are abusing their power, spending time with a naked schoolgirl in bed."

The detective did the logical thing. She pulled the schoolgirl's face into her chest to shut her up.

Action done, and the catgirl switching from trying to talk back to nuzzling the chest, the woman realized that it had not been such a good idea after all.

At least the catgirl stopped firing questions at her that she was not sure how to respond to.

She would have to get in contact with the white one sometime, if it didn't change in a few days.

And she needed a shower, the probably worried catgirl had started tongue bathing and examining her.

------

Getting Yvonna to stop had been difficult, getting to the shower had needed some ear scratching, but keeping the cat out of the shower had needed threatening telling Dorea about the tongue bath.

Her clothes had been washed and ironed, and had a business card in a pocket she was going to inspect later.

Downstairs in the Black Cat Cafe, Eireann found herself beset by a shocked Dorea, who was doing her best to mask her sister's scent with her own. The detective actually had to stop the frantic catgirl from stripping her.

Having the rather tall woman use her lap as a pillow and nuzzling the bare stomach since her shirt got pushed up, was ticklish. Eireann decided that not wearing a skirt was a good idea, being naked in a bed was one thing, having a beautiful woman stick her head up her skirt? That would probably count towards 'indecent exposure' or 'engaging in sexual acts in public'.

Placating the kitty was not easy.

"Next time I'll give you a tongue bath. I'll make sure to lick every spot properly."

"Next time?" Eireann had just heard something dangerous.

"Of course, what time do you get off work? I'll prepare breakfast."

"I slept well; I should be able to get home tomorrow."

"Denied!"

"In theory my shift ends around seven."

"What do you want for breakfast?"

"Surprise me?" Eireann spoke without thinking as she tried to get away from the wet and rough tongue trailing up her belly. "Stop that!" She caught the tongue with her fingers.

"Mah togue!"

"We are in public, so behave."

"Gin prrvit?"

"If you are good."

The catgirl seemed satisfied and gave Eireann's cheek a wet kiss, before bouncing off.

"That 'speak before thinking' thing is getting annoying." Eireann realized as she wiped her hand in a paper towel.

Finally, the food and Dorea arrived. Eating with a needy woman became a long affair since Dorea insisted on feeding her, at least until one of the two evening waitresses came to drag the shameless cat off back to work. Who in their right mind tried to strip someone in public?

Eireann finished her lunch or dinner and felt satisfied. The fish had been really good, even if she was not a fish lover normally.

"You seem satisfied, my Lady." It was the fangirling waitress.

"Yes, I normally don't like fish that much, but it was really good."

"I will tell my sister."

"Your sister?"

"Who better to check on the quality of fish than a mermaid? She is the cook; I am the waitress."

The detective decided it made as much sense as anything else did on the Otherside. A mermaid cook that specializes in fish seemed like sushi waiting to happen.

Didn't mermaids need water actually?

Eireann decided to stop thinking about it.

The next issue had been talking the waitress into being allowed to pay.

"Take it up with the owner." Was the amused reply.

Dorea had tried to argue against Eireann having to pay since she had more or less forced the human to stay over.

Eireann had countered that not being allowed to pay made her feel awkward.

In the end the detective won, much to the amusement of the other guests.

------

Not having to drive to work was a novelty, as well as having so much time meant that Eireann was almost an hour early.

It was rather unusual for her. That meant she had some time to burn, so she strolled to the second floor, where the labs were.

It was also where her big sister was working.

She looked around the labs. Forensics were the ones that were meant to figure out what had gone on, she was the one to get an overlook and interview the people. Though the line was a little blurry.

She approached her target, a redhead with freckles like her who was peering at a set of beakers and frowning. She had no idea what the green, yellow, and sort of muddy grey colours meant at all. "If you want me to shoot them for being suspicious then just tell me."

"Eeep!"

"Or I could always arrest them and drag them into interrogation."

The unamused glare showed that the attempt at cop humour had failed.

Then came a cute confused frown. "You are early!" The big sister accused the little sister.

"What?"

"You are early! I always check your shifts, and you don't start anytime soon!"

"Wow, calm down Fi!" Eireann placated her older sister, Fionnuala. "I slept over at a …" the detective realized she had no idea how to categorize hers and Dorea's relationship.

The suspicious look Fionnuala gave her little sister was very telling. "Make sure to use protection."

Eireann knew she was blushing, why did she think visiting her sister was a good idea.

"You already slept with him!"

"Her actually." The detective corrected before she could stop herself.

The older sister stopped for a moment. "I thought you were straight?"

"Somehow I ended up not going home yesterday, and then she insisted on me staying over, then woke with her sister not long ago."

"Sisters?" The lab technician looked at her detective sister, then at her beakers, and wondered when the world stopped making any sense.

"I am not sure myself what is going on." Eireann admitted. "How is Isabelle?"

Fionnuala debated for a moment if she should accept the change in topic.

"She finally made friends. One seems a little clingy, the other is weird."

"Weird?"

"Owns a shrine with a hot spring and insists on feeding her meat."

"What?" The shrine made the detective suspicious.

"How the girl keeps her figure despite eating so much meat, I have no idea. Not that the other one is much better. Though seeing Isabelle with the clingy one is funny, it's like watching an owner trying to fend off a playful puppy demanding attention." Fionnuala smiled as she remembered the clingy girl exploring their flat curiously and following Isabelle around. "Though I have to admit even when it is not meat, that shrine maiden is a better cook than me and really looks a lot like those from her mangas."

Eireann did not panic, but was really uncomfortable. "Is that shrine maiden by any chance a really pretty albino?"

"Oh, you met her."

The detective wondered if she was feeling doom, relief, fear, or something else as she wondered what to do about this. "I have met that headache."

"Eh?"

"Long story, I will explain once I talk to her."

The big sister gave her little sister one of those "Explain now!" looks.

"I met her on the job? Not sure if I can talk about it." Eireann checked the time, half an hour left till her shift meant that she could not use that as an excuse.

"Oh right, she was with Isabelle at that party where the teens got slaughtered. I banned Isabelle from going to such things, the traces we found … any leads?"

"I can't talk about it?" Eireann tried to deflect, while wondering what she had missed, clearly, she had to speak to Zaria about many things.

"So, you know something!"

"Maybe?"

"Eireann Mc Glytch, you better not keep anything important from me!" It showed that the Irish mother was protective of her little one.

"Isabelle is safe, safer then should be possible, I promise, but unless you have Code Purple or Code White clearance, I can't talk about it!"

"Wait, what does Code Purple have to do with that?" Fionnuala had stumbled across that more than once. A lab result did not make sense and returned code Purple, then people came, gathered everything, and walked off with it. For a toxicologist who lived from things making sense, it was very suspicious.

"It is probably a Code Purple and Code White case."

"What is a Code White?"

"You know Code Purple?"

"I am not cleared for it."

"Code White is one step higher."

"So, you are saying that my little girl stumbled into something very classified?"

"Yes, maybe … look, I will try to check a bit more, I think I know whom to ask too, but Isabelle is safe, and she possibly can't talk about it to you for certain reasons. Want me to talk to her and make sure?"

The mother seemed to sag a little. "Fine, you and your girlfriends are coming over for dinner tomorrow."

"She owns a cafe; she does the late shift."

"Then we are coming over tomorrow."

The detective decided to give up. She was honestly afraid of Dorea's reaction at having to meet the family. Probably ecstatic.

"See you tomorrow little sister and stay safe." Fionnuala gave her little sister a tight hug.

For Eireann it felt more like a "you can't run" message.

------

When one policeman dropped his coffee and plastered himself against the wall with a whine, staring at her wide-eyed when she approached the coffee pot, Eireann just knew that it had something to do with the Otherside.

"Yes?" The detective wondered how to address that. "Dog?"

"Yes!"

That was going nowhere. "I am not a cat. I just spend time with some." That really was an understatement, but she was not going to explain how she had slept with two shadowcats snuggling her.

"Of course, ma'am!" Panicked nodding went with the response.

It was clearly one of those days.

------

In her office the reports from the morning got reworked when someone she couldn't name interrupted her.

"Schoolgirl in room 4. Clawed someone's face off who according to her assaulted her, then bashed him with a frying pan before hiding in a tree. He claims she invited him in, they were getting cosy when she 'went monster' on him and ripped his face off. Here is the file. The father is on his way."

Eireann glared at the new file, she was currently working on three cases and now another dropped in her lap.

She picked it up and skimmed through the pages.

A 25-year-old adult from two states over, without a job here had nothing in common with a 15-year-old schoolgirl. Aside from a possible internet relationship.

Seeing the nervous schoolgirl looking around frantically made her decide not to wait on the father, she was just going to try to calm her down. Not that she was very good at that.

"Hello, I am detective Eireann Mc Glytch. I am not here to ask questions or anything, want water or something?"

The girl flinched at first, before visibly trying to calm herself with a few deep breaths.

That was when the girl went wide-eyed and hissed.

"Oh." Eireann stopped. That changed things a lot. "Back Cat Cafe ring a bell?"

The girl nodded.

"The owner ring a bell too?" The detective remembered the little sister. "Or her sister."

The girl warily nodded. "You are marked." She observed.

"Pushy cats." Eireann replied as if it explained everything, and it did.

"Why don't we make ourselves comfortable in my office until your father arrives?" The detective offered. "Code Purple, continuation in my office in private, someone please bring her father once he arrives."

Leading a blood splattered girl through the station to her office felt weird and gathered more than one surprised glance.

At her office Eireann waved the girl at a chair and plopped into her own chair. "Now we relax until your father arrives." she tried to calm the probable catgirl that was looking around curiously. "And we will have to file two reports, one that will be the truth, the other that will be more something that the public can read."

"?" The girl made a confused noise.

"Can't write in the official report that you went cat and clawed his face. It will be something like 'scratched face in self-defence'."

"Ahh, say, do you have a younger sister?" The catgirl asked the detective.

"No?"

"Isabelle Mc Glytch?" The schoolgirl clarified. "She is in the year below me."

"That's my niece."

"So, you are into felines, and she is into canines?"

Clearly, she needed to have a long talk with her niece. "That sounds like something I can tease her with, tell me more. And the feline thing, just happened?"

The catgirl stuck out her chest, something that lost a lot of effect considering the blood splatter on the shirt she was wearing.

"You don't know she is hanging out with a wolf puppy and … her?"

"Her?" Eireann had a suspicion. "You mean Zaria?"

The flinch was enough to confirm that her niece was hanging out with someone who made the impossible possible.

"I have met Zaria, but you said canines, so who else?"

"She has that wolf puppy hanging all over her, I think her name was Sammy?"

"Affectionate puppy?"

"Probably going to be like you and your cats soon."

Eireann blushed at the memories actually. Now awake and rested the whole thing had a rather romantic and erotic feeling to it. "Cats' tongues are rough."

The girl blushed.

Eireann looked away. "At least she is taking it slowly, I guess I should ask Zaria what she is doing to my niece sometime."

"You can't just ask her!"

"I have her number."

"Really?"

"Really!"

"Wow!"

"We met when she killed a hellhound before my eyes. It would have killed me, and then met later again, I have been meaning to call her, but you know stress, overtime and all that." The detective smirked. "Affectionate, pushy cats with rough tongues."

The catgirl blushed again.

The redhead wondered if she was really flirting with a catgirl schoolgirl that was covered with drops of blood.

A knock came on the door then a man stormed in without waiting. "What are you doing with my daughter! How can you treat her like this!"

"Dad!" The catgirl complained.

The policeman who had brought the man simply closed the door, not wanting to have anything to do with this mess.

"Don't worry kitten, I will get you out of here in no time. Then I will sue them for treating you like a criminal.

"Dad, scent her, now!" The schoolgirl hissed at her father.

The man stopped and sniffed toward the detective who was preparing herself for another overprotective parent. Then he hid behind the potted plant in the corner peeking from behind it at the human woman.

"Is he always prone to overreacting like that?" The human asked the catgirl.

The catgirl sighed and slumped. "Yes, I am sorry about him."

"I took her to my office since … well I guess I have experience with felines?" She only realized how that sounded when the girl blushed again. "I mean the Otherside. Now sit, and I will explain how this works."

The man carefully sat, clearly really to bolt at any moment.

That meant that Eireann decided to talk more to the girl, who seemed more sensible than her father, then with the adult.

How there were going to be two reports. One official with everything explained at human standards, a second one with the real story.

Long story short: Catherine had returned home and heard someone unfamiliar approach. When he'd barged in and tried to push her down, she'd gone cat and had clawed his face - a forensic technician had already collected the samples - before she'd run. He'd followed before getting a heavy frying pan to the face in the kitchen downstairs. The girl then rushed to her room to collect her phone, before leaving through the window. She'd then raced across the roof and jumped into a tree to hide while she called the police. Once the police arrived, they proceeded to arrest the man who'd still been looking for her inside the house while bleeding all over the floor.

"Why the tree?" Eireann wondered.

"It's high up, from there I could get to the garden, the neighbours garden, and back on the roof."

The detective nodded in approval and made a note. "That is more sensible than I am used to actually."

The catgirl preened much to the discomfort of the nervous father.

An occurrence outside with calls to "stop" made everyone look towards the door.

The door that was opened and a familiar albino strolled in, shifting casually out of the way of a policeman that was grabbing for her.

"Hello Eri, I have a robbery soon in progress for you."

The father realized just who had walked in, and jumped over Eireann's desk to hide behind it. Luckily the daughter had been exposed to the albino at school only shifted aside a little while keeping track of the white kitsune.

"Damn it Zaria! I have work to do here, you can't just barge in!" the detective complained.

"Actually, I can and I did~" the kitsune gave the catgirl a look over. "You are a year above me?"

"Go, close the door, I will deal with it." The detective ordered the cop.

"Sure, as you want." He was not paid enough to deal with someone who managed to avoid 5 cops trying to stop her.

"Yes?" The focus of the kitsune's attention replied now even more nervously.

"So, what happened?" The white-haired menace asked the human woman.

"Guy attacked her, she clawed him, hit him with a pan, then hid in a tree until the police came."

"Good girl, you can stay over at my place until the smell has been cleared out." Zaria pulled a business card from her sleeve and handed it to the girl. "I'll skip the cat in tree jokes this time."

"What are you talking about?" The detective wondered.

"It will take a really good cleaning until the smell of the man and the blood are gone from her home; she wouldn't feel safe there."

The catgirl flinched.

"Oh right, the noses." Eireann observed.

"Speaking of smells, so you and a pair of shadowy sisters?"

"Zaria! Not now!"

"Right, we have idiots going to try to rob the cursed item exhibit at the museum, right now they are preparing, having infiltrated as staff for the event."

"That's stupid." the catgirl mumbled, then blushed when everyone looked her way. "I mean she" the girl pointed at Zaria "cursed a banana peel there, and cursed items are never good."

Eireann had trouble believing that. "You cursed a banana peel?"

"You heard about people slipping on banana peels, I wanted to see it. It is a little too effective?" Zaria replied amused.

"The teacher slipped." The schoolgirl added.

"He deserved it." The albino replied without remorse.

"And how do you know that it is going to be a robbery?" Eireann tried to keep the topic on track.

"More people then hired were present, and an unscheduled delivery caused the curator to become suspicious, he called me, I read someone's mind."

It made sense, sort of.

"I guess that is as good an explanation as any, I'll get a team on standby, then you can take me there. I think the reports can be signed, I will have a female technician get your shirt and skirt. I can only offer a rather unisize replacement for now."

Zaria pulled a white blouse and a white skirt from her sleeve and dropped it on the desk.

"Or you can take hers." Eireann printed the document and handed it to the girl, who signed it, and then to the father who was still hiding behind her desk.

Once both versions were signed, she filed one copy, then took the other to the chief.

The chief was not happy that a normal schoolgirl was not normal, even less happy that a robbery was going to happen that would probably cause a mess and was completely Otherside, that meant he needed a team that was Code Purple cleared to make arrests. He was very happy however to get the albino out of his station, and told Eireann to take as much time as she needed.

It was an unspoken "Get her out of my station and don't bring her back!"

------

The car ride was rather quiet until "Soooo, rough tongues?"

"Be quiet you, what are you doing with my niece?"

"Hanging out, watching her puppy following her, and how the herd is starting to approach."

"The puppy is a dog?"

"Wolf~"

"What is the herd?"

"Big chested girls and cowgirls."

"What?" Eireann was not sure she had heard correctly.

"All-natural E or higher girls, most of them are cowgirls."

"And they follow my niece?"

"They are starting to, the wolf puppy happened after she fed her."

"Somehow I am sure this is your fault."

"She fed her."

"Still your fault."

"I made the meat she fed. You can't blame your pussies on me though, that is all your fault."

Eireann tried to find a way to deny that, but she had spoiled Dorea. "What does ‘marked’ mean?"

"There are various types, the one you have means 'Mine' or 'My Mate'."

"Wait what?"

"Somehow you caught her interest enough, probably didn't object and now you are claimed. Speaks a lot for her that she did that despite my imprint on you."

"We will have to sit down and you will have to explain it a lot better than that!"

"Why do people fall in love?" Zaria shrugged. "Same logic."

"And my niece?"

"Met her at a pool party, then saved her from getting fucked by jocks and being splattered by an eldritch horror."

"You mean that party …" Naturally she had heard that her niece had been there through her office connections.

"Jocks had drugged a classmate, Isabelle was there due to falling asleep or something, I was there because of free booze."

"I'd say something about the booze, but considering you are you; I will refrain." After a moment curiosity took over. "Can you even get drunk?"

"Almost impossible, I have to drink pure alcohol and a lot of it, and I mean the 98.1% variety."

"That sounds disgusting."

"Yep, so I drink for the taste."

"So, I have a pair of amorous cats after me?"

"Very amorous from the smell."

"Any tips?"

"Enjoy the rough tongues?"

"Not helping."

"Rub under the chin and the belly, nibbling on the ears helps, as does massaging near the base of the tail and they like love bites most of the time or small scratches."

Eireann turned red at the rather frank description.

"Back to my niece."

"She fed a hungry puppy my cooking, puppy attached herself to Isabelle, and during the museum trip she showed no negative emotions towards the herd."

"You make it sound so simple! What herd are you talking about, those cowgirls you mentioned before?"

"It is actually? Naturally I skipped some parts, but at its base, it is simple. The herd are the cowgirls and almost cowgirls."

"Anything else I should know? And what is an almost cowgirl?"

"I met Isabelle before you, and that was why I checked your name in your wallet when you looked so familiar, and an almost cowgirl is a very big breasted girl who is placid and calm like a real cowgirl."

"You have no sense of privacy."

"I am dressed! I prefer nude though."

"Zaria!"

"What?"

"Stop that!"

"Not happening, I am having fun."

Eireann wondered what deity she had offended to have deserved the teasing she was getting.

"Besides, you are the one who managed to seduce two rough tongues."

The detective really hoped they would arrive at the museum soon.

------

As it was an unmarked car, they stopped a few streets away, and then Zaria teleported them inside. Eireann was not sure if seeing the scenery change suddenly was something she liked.

"Greetings, you must be the detective Lady Kairan has spoken off, I am the owner of this museum and the curator, feel free to call me the Lich or Mr Aedys." A smaller Arabic looking man greeted the human detective. "Are you related to Isabelle Mc Glytch?"

Another person from the Otherside that knew her niece. "Hello, Detective Eireann Mc Glytch, I am her aunt."

The two shook hands.

It was clearly the security office, only aside from the many normal screens that showed various images of the museum, there were several polished mirrors present as well.

"Scrying Mirrors." the Lich explained.

"Out of curiosity, aren't liches dried out usually?"

"Your niece asked the same thing, Modern beauty products are really marvellous, naturally I require more skin moisturizer than a classroom full of young ladies."

That reply honestly seemed weirder than any other yet. Maybe she was getting used to it.

"Lady Kairan if you will."

The albino grew fox ears and a tail, then waved at the mirrors. One now showed a truck, another two men seemingly trimming a bush, another a group of men standing near several boxes smoking under a 'no smoking' sign, and the last two men were seen walking through a hallway.

"That's nice, magic I guess?" The detective asked.

"A simple scrying spell." The kitsune confirmed and ignored the 'are you real' looks she was getting from the three male members present.

The trio and the two security guards observed the happenings.

The cleaning crew finished up, and the museum was emptying itself aside of security and the robbers.

"I count eight suspicious people?" The detective asked, already mentally preparing herself for an annoying fight. The two patrol cars she had on standby were clearly not sufficient.

Zaria ignored any possible concerns. "Don't worry, I doubt more than a few of them will be left in any shape to fight."

"That does not fill me with confidence." The detective replied. "What do you have in that exhibit anyway?"

The Lich helpfully handed over a brochure and tickets for two people.

Eireann spent a few minutes browsing the brochure before she glared at the pair. "You really have a gate to hell here?"

"I made it invulnerable to anything less than a nuclear strike." Zaria replied, sounding far more relaxed than she should.

"I would ask how you know how much that needs, but I am afraid I won't like the answer."

The Lich made a phone call. Afterwards he explained to the two. "I told everybody to go home, it wouldn't do for them to become collateral damage, the further away from that banana peel they are the happier they are."

Eireann wondered what the issue was.

"Since the exhibit started, and including the setting up, we have had around two hundred incidents. With that damned banana peel being over three quarters of that." The Lich wiped his face with a handkerchief. "At least that one is only annoying. We lost the walking stick for a day when the one carrying it got lost in the cellar. A worker decided to wear the crown, it took us two hours to clean that mess up. Why one of the electricians was walking barefoot I have no idea, but at least he found the Lego for us."

"That sounds … chaotic?" The detective started to inch away from the ranting Lich.

"If I weren't already dead then this exhibit would have given me a heart attack."

"It was time for an exhibit again, the Vatican is not helping with all the stuff they got locked away." Zaria complained. "Eireann, as an information for you, cursed items are meant to be used, if you lock too much away, seal them too tightly, something will go wrong."

"Actually, Lady Kairan, let me borrow that mirror later, I know a cult that deserves to die." The Lich remembered.

"Want me to do it instead? Less risk of demons running around eating people."

The detective in Eireann was screaming at her to get more info and to get that cult arrested, that small voice that didn't exist until recently told her that 'death by stupid' was a good way to get rid of the rubbish. Robbing the museum meant jail, robbing a cursed exhibit meant being stupid.

"No, I think showing them in their last minutes what they are praying to is a nice touch."

But those two were ruthless. "I think they will start to move soon; it is getting dark too." The lone human decided to interrupt.

"Who wants some coffee? I could go and fetch some." Zaria asked.

"One of Dorea's cappuccinos please."

"Those that good?" The Lich wondered.

"She is dating the owner."

"I am not dating her!"

"Would be bad to cheat on her then." The undead realized.

"Getting a cappuccino from a different place does not count as cheating!" The marked human decided to defend herself.

"Maybe she is just in it for the caffeine?" Zaria seemed disappointed. "The rough tongue got dumped for a drink, you are such a disappointment."

"I did not dump her!"

"Aha!"

"I didn't even know what was going on … I should probably be shocked, but somehow all I feel is that they are comfortable." It made no sense how something in her had changed. "Now explain why I am perfectly comfortable having two cats, or rather women, rubbing all over me? Or why do I seem to get more and more cases like this? Or why I seem to have an easier time figuring out what is supernatural and what is not?"

Zaria approached a whiteboard that stood in the office and all that was written on it erased itself as she approached. "The last is the easiest. You now know about it, so you stop making up excuses for it." The kitsune made a notation on the whiteboard that read: 'Knowledge => acknowledge'. "The second question is a little more complex, but can be explained with a simple 'the supernatural sticks together'. If you are a coroner you get dead bodies, if you are a cop you get to see more crimes, if you are aware or touched, you get more such cases. After all birds of a feather stick together."

"But I am a normal human!"

The sceptic looks from Zaria, the Lich, and the two security officers made the detective feel rather insecure about her race. "I think I'd know if I weren't human anymore."

"You are human." Zaria wrote 'human' on the whiteboard, then she made two arrows, one leading to 'normal and boring' and one to 'touched or aware'. "Now normal humans are boring, they explain everything away and their minds don't want to know. I can walk in fluffy form down a street and almost everyone will think 'great costume'."

Eireann had to admit that sounded about right and would have been a normal reaction for her as well.

"Now the animal races and other non-magicals, they are just a little different genetically, that is why crossbreeding works, they are aware naturally of the magical stuff. So, all non-magicals can learn magic, how well depends on the person. They can smell that your two cats marked you, and the scent tells them that it is from strong cats."

"They are not mine!"

"So, you are theirs." Zaria made new arrows from 'aware' to 'knows, acknowledges, can learn magic, marked by scent' and from 'touched' to 'imprinted, marked, chosen, magical, hero, supernatural'. "Touched is more complex. Like that catgirl you met, there are those that aside from the shapeshift artifacts needed for human society will never see something really magical. The touched ones go past that, they are in touch with the true supernatural. As racist as it sounds, the non-magical races are simply homo sapiens Felidae, homo sapiens lupus and so on. Closer to humans in shape and sentience then to their original animal counterparts, but still with additional features and instincts. Above that are the 'blessed races' or 'magical races."

"Like Lady Kairan or me." The Lich added helpfully. "In my case I was a human magician before I became a lich, Lady Kairan simply makes no sense, she is so magical that whatever her original race was, she is simply magic now and her shape is probably by choice."

"It is pretty much by choice. I like my tails."

"Wait tails?"

Zaria grew 8 more tails. "They are just a little impractical, I only have them out at home. A step above that are the powers, all those that can grant magic or command others fall into this. Gods, myself fall into this, and you too. You are a minor power, you commanded a wild hunt, it would have killed you but you survived with my help, that puts you under me, but puts you above many others despite having no supernatural powers at all. So, a non-magical commands powerful supernaturals, the irony is real."

"But I don't command others!"

"You can, especially those that ran with you are more inclined to listen to you. And well, everyone who can feel the magic, the power, or has higher senses, will treat you differently."

The detective took a chair and slumped down.

Zaria came over and patted the arm. "Don't worry, enjoy the rough tongues and live as you want and can. Don't overdo it and you will be fine. Now cappuccino for you?"

"And how does that tie in with Dorea?" The detective with the shaken worldview asked.

"Her and her sister know you, they can feel it since they are highly supernatural. That the two shadowcats are all over you, is just a mix of liking you and not having to keep secrets, and you have always smelled pleasantly."

"I'll take a cappuccino too, if it is that good, I have to try it, it's just a bit far away."

The two security men ordered black coffees and Zaria teleported away.

The Lich stared at the spot the kitsune had disappeared from. "Don't worry about it. Whatever happens it is your choice. And as for Lady Kairan, even on the supernatural side she is unique and above pretty much everyone. She prays to Tamano no Mae but at the same time could easily become a greater goddess of her own. She just doesn't want to bother with that."

"So overly powerful and not caring for the power?"

"Oh, she cares, but sees no merit in ruling and riches as long as she is comfortable. She prefers living comfortably and avoiding bothersome things." The Lich tried to explain.

"She works a lot for someone like that."

"Considering what would happen if she left them unchecked?"

Eireann imagined demons running around freely and shuddered. She wondered if she still had some trauma from that hellhound charging at her.

------

A few minutes later Zaria returned, popping back into reality holding a tablet with four cups on it.

"Your orders are ready, a cappuccino in the cup with the black heart for our detective; as a warning, I think Dorea kissed the rim for an indirect kiss. A cappuccino in a Black Cat Cafe cup for our lich, and two black coffees in Black Cat Cafe mugs for the security. That one waitress is rather prone to panicking?"

"Oh her, I have no idea what her issue is." The detective took a sip while ignoring the warning.

"She is a rabbit; they are rather skittish."

The human tried to imagine the waitress with bunny ears and thought that it would work. "Floppy or standing ears?"

"I like your priorities, floppy ears."

One of the guards interrupted further conversation. "I think they are starting to move."

The four gathered and started watching with interest.

They saw two men on the inside come from their hiding places and unlock the main door to the exhibit. Meanwhile the truck was driven through the garden to the doors leading outside where the outside kitchen was. Inside they opened the exit door of the exhibit and then disabled the alarm on the doors leading outside.

One man remained in the truck. One stood by the doors probably as a guard, the other guard went to the entrance of the exhibit and stood there. The two guards were visibly armed.

Five other men were visibly surprised that the doors to the rooms were unlocked.

"No use in locking and then having to replace the locks." The Lich explained.

While they spread out to open all available doors there was already the first victim, he slipped on a banana peel.

The Lich erased the whiteboard Then made a note "Banana Peel: 1" He pulled out his phone and called someone again. "Betting is closed, as suspected the banana peel was the first one to claim a victim."

Eireann watched in morbid fascination as the victim kicked the banana peel and couldn't believe her eyes when it slid out the door, into the opposite room, and right under the foot of another burglar.

"Correction, it already claimed a second victim."

"They are betting?" The detective wondered.

"Probably things like what item will be triggered, how many accidents there will be, if everyone survives and such things." Zaria replied while watching her creation claim another victim after the second had slipped. This one stepped on it however instead of slipping he slid comically on it and crashed into an exhibit.

As he finally stopped on the floor the item, he slid into, fluttered down and landed on his head.

"Yeehaaw!"

------

"I thought slipping scenes in movies were overdone, now seeing this I can officially admit that reality is stranger than fiction." The detective muttered in utter disbelief.

"Hehe, the show is just starting~" Zaria laughed evilly.

The Lich was taking notes on the whiteboard meanwhile, he had bets riding on the progress of the robbery.

------

In the 'Outside and Nature' part of the exhibit the watering-can got its case opened. The other robber opened the weapons and religion part then went to fetch the trolleys from the truck.

In the other room the man lying near the door shushed his companion who had called out loudly.

Then more cases got unlocked and the items prepared for pickup.

------

"Shouldn't there be alarms?" Eireann wondered.

"Oh, they disabled the public lines, the secure ones they didn't realize that they exist." The Lich made a note on the whiteboard. "Sloppy amateurs."

Eireann stared at the screens and mirrors and decided to relax in her chair, maybe she should ask the Lich where he had gotten it from, it was really comfortable.

And watching a live robbery as entertainment was funny.

------

"Yeehaaw!"

"Damn it! Shut the fucking hell up!"

"I dunno what came over me."

"Take the stupid hat off!"

"Don't dis the hat!"

The quarrel was going strong.

In the 'Outside and Nature' section the watering-can was placed on the trolley, and the walking stick was taken out of its case.

A few moments later the robber with the trolley realized that his companion had not placed the item next to the can. "Hey, what are you doing? Where did you go?"

"Over here? I must have looked away or something, I am next to the bed." Came the reply from the other room.

"Stop that shit, we got work to do!"

"Coming!"

In the other room the veil was box boxed, the top hat got packaged, and the tie got folded and stashed. The hat of common sense got placed in a box too.

In the other room the raincoat got folded and placed for delivery, the fishing pole however got a reaction. Or rather the opposite since the robber sat on the trolley and imagined himself relaxing and fishing under a tree, despite having never fished before.
"That sounds like a good way to spend the afternoon."

"Where are you? I am next to a painting that is hanging askew."

"I'll ignore him, getting lost in a museum, who hired that idiot." The fishing robber felt nicely relaxed.

In the room that had once held the banana peel a robber was admiring the hot ladies in the porn magazine. He had dutifully increased the banana counter by three, then had gotten distracted by the other artifacts.

Much to his dissatisfaction, no matter how hot or exposed the ladies were, it failed to get a reaction below.

------

"This looks more and more like a bad comedy. Only in one room any work is getting done, one is reading a porn mag, one is pretending to fish, and the last one is walking in circles." Eireann then realized something. "Pan to the cowboy hat exhibit." She ordered a security guard.

After checking the displayed picture, she dropped a bombshell. "The banana peel is gone."

"It should still be in the exhibit, I hope. Last time I lost track of it in southern Spain, I had to track it to Norway." Zaria admitted.

"You what?"

"It was still easier than the time it escaped in Peru and ended up in Canada."

Eireann looked at her cappuccino and wished for something stronger. "Ouch, that had to hurt." She commented on the action on a mirror.

------

In the cursed weapons exhibit the boomerang had gotten stashed safely, the dagger of accidents however had slipped from its sheath and when trying to catch it the robber had managed to grip it by the blade, slicing through the glove and into the palm of the right hand.

Luckily each room had a well maintained and filled first aid kit.

For obvious reasons naturally.

Several curses later, the thief had finished removing his glove, bandaging his hand, and was wiping blood off the floor. He had the feeling he wasn't getting paid enough for this.

In another room one of the men was confused. "What the hell is a tsundere?"

Another was wondering why the tankard was supposedly cursed. "If it's cheap and it works, then it's fine?"

Items were prone to confusing people when not used.

"Yeehaaw!" Someone really liked the cowboy hat.

In the 'Home and Inside' exhibit a confused man sat on a cursed bed, in his hand was an elegant walking stick. For some reason he couldn't find the exit, he always saw it past several exhibits, but he never managed to get closer. He was sure he had walked past that painting five times already.

He placed the stick on the bed. "I might as well prepare this room for collection." He mumbled, as he rose and got to work. "Hey, I am going to prepare this room meanwhile, how is it going over there?"

Roused from his almost nap the fishing without water robber got startled. He quickly placed the fishing rod down, he had cursed his colleague for being unprofessional, and then had almost fallen asleep holding a fishing rod. "I'll be done soon."

He quickly stashed away the next two items, an older fashioned raincoat and a pair of comfortable looking boots.

The camping light however seemed to be plugged in somewhere.

He switched it on as a test, and it lit up, he left it active since more light was nice, under the pedestal for it was a cable space that was dark, so he decided to use the camping light to shine into the space underneath the floor.

[add mosquito sound here]

The robber looked around. He knew that sound, it was one of the annoying bloodsuckers.

[add mosquito sound here]

It sounded like more than one too, it seemed that the crawlspace below had an infestation. At least he saw his target, he tried to pull it closer, but had to slap at his ear when the sound came too close for his liking.

This caused his hat to fall into the cable space and bounce off a cable holder and out of reach.

"Well shit." not only had he lost his hat, but he saw a large mosquito flying straight for his face. His frantically waving caused him to fall into the crawl space underneath the floor and his leg got entangled in the lamp's cable which caused him to pull it with him.

------

"We lost one." Eireann observed when she saw one of the museum intruders fall into the camping lamps pedestal.

The Lich searched through a printout. "Seems nobody made a bet like that."

"I don't think anyone could have expected that, seeing things like that happen to idiots feels really satisfying."

"You are just saying that because your banana peel already caused three accidents." Eireann was not going to admit she was having fun. "I spotted it, at the weapon exhibit, near the guns."

"They are not loaded, but the cursed one is known to have fired anyway." The Lich stared at one of the screens. "Maybe we should call a paramedic too?"

------

In the 'Precious and Jewellery' section one of the robbers decided to put on a gold watch, he'd place it back later but a heavy old gold watch was something he had never worn before, and probably would never wear again, he wanted to savour the moment.

The cowboy did the same to the gold ring, the beautiful gold band was finely crafted and attention grabbing with its beautiful golden sheen.

The thief with the gold watch saw the crown, he did not package it immediately. He decided to try it on.

His colleague meanwhile was trying to break into the display case of the 'Silver Mirror of Hell'. The only thing damaged was his arms from hitting something indestructible with a crowbar.

------

"That is that mirror you made bomb proof?" Eireann really wished for some popcorn.

Watching one of the clown troupe, as she started calling them, standing in front of a vanity mirror and adjusting his face mask, the jacket, straightening his pants and always finding something else really needed snacks.

Then came the shot, the guards ran inside, and the others ran for the weapons exhibit.

"I guess I should call for some support now." The detective picked up her phone.

"Before they were sloppy, now in a hurry they will be even sloppier." Zaria remarked.

"And I thought you said it was unloaded?" The cop asked the Lich.

"What can I say, it is a very cursed item." Then he frowned. "I will need more cleaning staff in the morning."

Eireann stared at the screens in morbid fascination as a flock of pigeons and ravens flew in through the open doors and into the exhibit, and started relieving themselves with incredible accuracy onto the crown wearer.

"I think I will have to call biohazard. Since nobody will want to touch that one, maybe the FBI can lend me two of their people." Eireann dialled that number again.

------

"Fuck, you forget guarding, help us gather everything, you help him onto the truck. The time for subtlety is over."

One was wounded, another was shit on by birds that were watching them.

"I swear we are cursed." The ring bearer cried out.

"Yeehaaw!" The cowboy replied.

"Boss, it's gone!"

"What is gone?"

"The banana peel!"

"I swear we are all cursed."

"I saw shadows watching in a mirror."

"Stop that shit, get the stuff, then we get our money!"

------

"Things go wrong when they do it slowly, now they want to do it quickly?" For the detective greed versus safety was logical conclusion, it seemed that for these gentlemen it was not
The logical choice.

"Has someone seen my banana peel?"

"I hope it got lost."

"It got lost in your museum."

"I hope it reappears soon."

Eireann pondered the mayhem a simple banana peel was causing, though calling it simple considering who made it, seemed wrong.

------

Since it was a rush job now, the easy items were being packed for transport.

This caused a certain Lego piece to fall to the floor, bounce, and slip into the boot of the unlucky member of the troupe.

He jumped, stumbled, and fell face first into the die set. Which rolled rather low.

The result caused him to grab onto the next best thing on the cart, which didn't work and the 'baseball bat of groinstrike' proved that it was dangerous even without ammunition.
It was a man down situation.

The 'mirror of shadows' made everyone looking at it unwilling to approach it. The burglar that picked up the walking stick found himself in the cinema with no idea how he got there.

His unlucky companion slipped on a banana peel, managed to turn the night lamp on, and promptly fell asleep half lying across the bed with his face in the pillow.

One of the guards was slowly carrying the kitchen knife, as if it were to stab him at any moment.

In another room a repeat was happening. "Oh man, even if we can't take you with us, I'd love to have a hot babe like you." A certain someone had the not very bright idea of groping the succubus statue.

------

"Eireann, remember that guy, he is now possessed by a succubus, if you want her to talk, and she has access to all his memories, just tell her that a full confession will see her locked away in a prison of lonely pent-up men."

"Eww." The detective had no misgivings of what succubus and prison entailed.

"I'll be right back; I'll stick the truck to the ground." Zaria faded from view.

The detective looked to the Lich who was scribbling on the whiteboard like mad. She decided to wait for the source of chaos to get her answer.

When Zaria faded back into the visible spectrum the human woman asked. "Let me guess, sticking the truck to the ground means it isn't going anywhere?"

"Pretty much, it's more probable it will rip off parts of its wheels than move."

------

Naturally the chaos didn't stop there.

One of the gang found himself victim to the 'hypnotic clock' and with everyone occupied, there was nobody to save him from it.

In the weapons exhibit someone was posing with the shield, feeling invulnerable made him forget to hurry.

That was when the police arrived.

In a panic guns were pulled out and a certain someone hid behind the shield.

The driver was caught easily.

------

"Zaria, I need to get there. These guys know about the Otherside, but they don't know how armed the bandits are."

"Sweet, in that case I can play too." Zaria seemed to perk up.

Grabbing Eireann's hand the two teleported to the truck.

------

"We got both sides covered, according to the museum guard, who decided to stay out of the way, there are only two ways in or out of that exhibit. Naturally there is a crawl space beneath, but in that case, they will probably get hopelessly lost." A policeman reported to his superior.

"Really cursed items, I mean I didn't believe in such things before, but now I can see robbing that as plain stupidity." The superior responded.

"Oh shit!"

"What?" The superior asked.

"The rat whisperer is here, and she brought her with her!"

The policeman turned and looked, then he turned pale.

"What's with the little girl?" A policeman on the other side of the door asked.

His college smacked him. "Shh, never ever piss that one off!"

"What?"

"She throws cars when annoyed, damn she heard us."

"Detective." The senior officer greeted Eireann.

"Good evening. Any wounded on our side?" She asked in response.

"No wounded yet, is that …" He looked at Zaria who waved at him from next to the redhead.

"Whatever you are thinking she is worse." Eireann replied while peering down the hall. "Oh, and tell the men to watch out for a banana peel, it probably won't help, but it's better to be warned."

"Banana peel?" He wasn't sure he wanted to know.

Zaria opened her mouth.

"Not now Zaria."

Zaria closed her mouth.

"Honestly your banana peel worries me more than the armed robbers."

"It will be fine, probably, after all none of them got themselves killed yet."

"We should take them alive, before something gets them." The detective ignored the part of her that was saying 'serves them right'.

When Zaria entered the hallway after passing through the curtain that was blocking the entrance she simply followed, much to the confusion of two of the four policemen.

"Stop or we will shoot" One of the robbers called out to the two women.

Which they ignored and continued walking.

A shot was fired.

Zaria caught the bullet in front of Eireann's chest. "Do you have an evidence bag?" She asked the taller women.

The woman pulled one from her jacket and held it open. Zaria dropped the projectile inside. "It's a 9mm." The woman identified.

"And they are trigger-happy."

"I'd try to shoot them, but I am afraid of hitting something I shouldn't and annoying it."

"This is why I like you; you are way more sensible about things like this then most people. I guess it runs in the family."

"I really need to have a long chat with Isabelle, I managed to worry my sister."

Zaria casually caught a few more bullets and dumped them into the bag. "How did you do that?"

"I may have let it slip that I know some classified information concerning that party?"

"Why does that matter?"

"My sis, her mother works in the lab, a floor above me."

"Ohh … she isn't cleared, is she?"

"No, she is not."

"The clearing part is easy, just exposure to fluffy me is enough. Since she works in the lab, what is she like?"

"I think she should take that well?"

"Think she will approve of you dating two rough tongues?"

"She wants to meet them."

Zaria started laughing so hard she had to brace herself against the wall. It didn't stop her from catching a burst of bullets from the rifle. "I have to see that. Maybe I should ask Isabelle to introduce her herd to you two at the same time?"

"Are you telling me my niece is dating a herd of cowgirls?"

"No, she is not, not yet anyway. She still smells single."

Eireann did not feel calmed at all. "You are saying not yet!"

"There is her puppy that will grow up, and the herd sees her as someone dependable."

"My niece is getting a harem." It was one of those situations where 1 + 1 = 5 for the detective.

"I am out of ammo!"

"Shh, you idiot, don't tell them."

"Wait, I'll use the boomerang."

Eireann looked at the bullet bag, it was getting rather heavy.

A wooden boomerang zipped past her when one of the robbers stepped out of cover, then it returned past Zaria, something that should have been impossible in the rather confined hallway, then it flew past the robber, who didn't manage to catch it. It made another impossible turn and struck the man in the back.

"I'm hit!" He cried out as he fell over.

Eireann pulled out her brochure in morbid curiosity. "Found it, 'Boomerang of Backstrike', it's a cursed souvenir."

"They didn't like tourists taking their weapons for fun, it happens with weapons that are made to be used instead of shown off. Revenge of the smith." Zaria explained.

The robber rolled painfully back into cover.

"I should be drawing my gun, but somehow it feels pretty useless." Eireann pondered for a little, then she took out her sidearm.

"This is the police, your escape routes have been blocked off, drop your weapons and come out with your hands above your heads. If you don’t, I will not be held responsible for any further damage happening to you." The detective asked Zaria. "Do you think I should tell them to stop before they kill themselves?"

"I don't think they picked up anything lethal." Zaria mumbled. "Painful, annoying, dangerous sure, but nothing that is instantly lethal."

"I guess we need to save them from themselves then." Eireann called out again. "So, are you coming out?"

"No, we can't miss you at this distance." One of the robbers jumped out with a machine gun, and started firing.

Eireann looked at the quickly filling bag. "I think I need a bigger bag?"

"Permission to knock them out? Or do you need to warn them again?" Zaria asked curiously.

"Last chance. 5, 4, …"

The shooting intensified, with the detective realizing that the bag was melting from the hot bullets.

"3, 2, you know what, I don't care anymore. Get them."

In a very anticlimactic move, all the robbers in sight dropped to the ground.

"It's a sleep spell." Zaria explained.

"The shield protected me!" they heard a voice from around the corner.

Eireann handed the bag to Zaria, who quickly restored it to pristine, but still very full condition. The detective checked the brochure. "A shield that makes the user think they are invincible?"

"Yes, naturally they are not, but it is an effective curse."

The woman sighed at the weirdness, then she called out to the policemen who were still in hiding. "Come out, we got goons to pack, don't move them too strongly since they are asleep."

Zaria looked around. "We have three missing ones, one is in the weapons exhibit, behind his shield, one I can feel in the home section, and one seems to be in the cinema?" She peered into each room. "And the banana peel is on the loose."

"Damn." Eireann decided not to move. She had seen what that menace could do and intended to stay put until she knew exactly where it was.

She saw six of the eight cops approaching with drawn guns.

"So, this is what a supernatural case with action is like? Watch from a safe distance then pick up the mess?"

"Not really, my first one almost had me eaten by a hellhound." Eireann commented. "And don't touch any of the exhibits, they are cursed."

"It's not a curse! The shield will protect me!"

The old-timer looked into the weapons exhibit, saw the man covering behind a shield, then pulled out his taser and shocked the fool into unconsciousness. "I got the next one."

Another spent his time whistling happily as he handcuffed one goon after the other.

"Here you go." Eireann handed the bullet bag to one that strayed too close to her. "No clue how to label that yet, but those were shot at us."

The cop looked from the bag to Zaria who was removing a ring from one of the robbers. "There are times where logic and common sense don't work. This is one of them." He approached the robbers. "I say we let them sleep till the CSIs arrive and photograaaaa…"

He slipped on the yellow menace and lost his grip on the bag which went sailing and then spilled spectacularly across the floor.

"Ouch!"

"Zaria, get that please?" Eireann almost begged.

In the cinema a policeman found himself faced with a weird situation.

"I'll confess, but get me out of here, I can't find the exit." The robber holding a walking stick cried out.

"Sure, put the stick aside first, then lie down and I'll get you out once you are handcuffed."

"Thank you!" The relieved robber complied happily. He had spent the last half hour in the dark cinema which was only lit by the emergency lights.

In another room a policeman decided to stay away from the robber who was sleeping half on top of a Victorian bed. Whatever had gotten to that one, he wanted no part of it. "A little help here, I got someone sleeping on exhibits. I don't want to catch whatever has gotten to him."

In the middle Eireann was looking into the precious room and towards the ceiling. "Zaria, I hope you have a way to get those birds out, or I will have to call animal control."

"Give me a moment to put my banana peel back, then I will talk them into leaving."

"She speaks pigeon, crow, and such?" Someone wondered.

"I'd be more surprised if she didn't." Eireann commented while she took care to step past the spilled bullets. "I'd feel much safer if you'd take the banana away. How long are they going to sleep?" Eireann stopped as she watched a policeman lead a crying robber past her, and from the mumblings clearly crying from relief. "What happened to that one?"

"He had a walking stick, not touching that. Seems he has been lost in the dark cinema." The cop replied.

Eireann debated for a moment. "Zaria, I think we have that walking stick of the lost in the movie theatre, can you get it?"

"Why me?"

"You are the only one that won't get lost."

"True."

"I'll call the CSI unit; I need more brochures." She didn't want the CSI unit to touch anything that might get them lost or hurt.

------

The sleeping failed robbers had been left where they were. The items they had worn were set down separately by Zaria.

The birds had left the building but were waiting for another chance in the trees in the garden.

The banana peel claimed another victim.

The CSI unit had arrived, they were cleared for purple and a few knew about white.

The discussion about evidence vs exhibit had the Lich gleefully point out that the CSIs were not equipped to handle cursed items.

That the banana peel introduced itself personally to two members of the unit proved his point. Further proof was one falling asleep holding the fishing rod, one running from mosquitoes, and another trying to straighten that painting.

Eireann actually went and reminded them of the brochure and to take it seriously.

After the bullets had been collected, and the sleeping robbers from the hall were taken away the lamp was turned off in the home exhibit, the robber woke to being already handcuffed and surrounded by cops.

He actually ran, managed to lose a shoe and fell prey to the Lego piece that nobody knew where it had come from. When his wild cursing hopping landed him on slippery and yellow, nobody was surprised any more.

"That thing is a menace to everything that exists!" Eireann declared from the other end of the room, no way she was getting closer.

"I wonder if it only does that to humans?" A younger policeman wondered.

Zaria snickered. "Dragons look really stupid when they slip."

That quickly killed most of the curiosity.

Though some wanted to see what that looked like.

"Can someone help me with that guy? He has been staring at the clock for the last half hour."

"I lost track of the banana peel! We are doomed!"

"ZZzzz"

"He looks comfy, but why is he fishing when there is no water in sight?"

"I swear something in that mirror is moving!"

Actually, the members of the law were not much better than the robbers in some regards.

"Fingerprint the epic shield, I need to borrow it for the next time I need to print the zoo!"

"Medic! I got a knife stuck in my foot … my foot is now evidence I guess?"

"I swear that thing is cursed and it cursed me!"

"Everything here is cursed, so shut up!"

"I wanna go home!" Eireann complained.

Then she slipped.

------

Finally, back at the station Eireann ordered a strong cappuccino from the Black Cat Cafe, no way she was going to spend the night without a small pick me up.

Especially since that thing had escaped containment and was currently on the loose, with Zaria tracking it.

Now she was about to interrogate her first target.

"What the hell!" Her target screamed after taking a good look at her. "Why do you have her all over you and then you are marked too?"

"Oh right, you are the possessed one." Eireann thought herself very lucky.

"And you hang out with that one!"

"Let's cut the bullshit then, you write down everything you know, did, and I will do my best to stuff you into prison with a lot of strong lonely men for the next ten years."

The man looked thoughtful. "Would it help if I write stuff about the others too?"

Eireann shook her head. "No, all that would do is get you a reduction of time served." She went to the door and had someone fetch a wastepaper basket. "Naturally if we find something we can't use as evidence but can be used to track down evidence, nobody will be able to say that it is something you did."

"I need a lot of paper!" The man looked Eireann up and down. "I guess I know why she and the horny kitties like you. If you were a man, I'd be all over you."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

There was a knock on the door. "Detective Mc Glytch, tall, hot and sexy is delivering a cappuccino, watch out, I think that one is a schoolgirl."

The redhead guessed that Dorea was stuck working, so the little sister, that she had again forgotten the name of, was doing the delivery.

"Your order~"

"You look like you are having fun." Eireann commented dryly while frantically wracking her brain for a name.

The catty smirk was a clear response. "I get to deliver to you, while my sister is stuck slaving at the cafe~" The black-haired girl smiled amused and took the opportunity to rub against Eireann.

She finally remembered the name. "Not now Yvonna, besides stop teasing your sister."

"Long night?"

"If I say: cursed item exhibit, white and fluffy, and a robbery in the exhibit; would you be surprised it feels like a long night. Oh, watch out we have a banana peel on the loose."

Yvonna hissed in a very feline way. "That menace is in this city? I hope I can get some time off, maybe off school too. Maybe I can convince Dorea to close the cafe for a while."

"It's not that bad, Zaria is currently hunting it down."

"She created that menace, and she is not afraid to use it I heard."

"What are you talking about?"

"There may have been a meeting about overthrowing humanity some decades ago I heard. She got annoyed and left while leaving that menace there."

Eireann couldn't resist the giggle, she scratched the paranoid girl under her chin. "I'll drop by in the morning, somehow I have the feeling that if I don't, Dorea is going to kidnap me."

"That might make her stop fretting, though she already planned to pick you up, what time do you finish up?" Yvonna asked the detective.

"In theory I should finish around seven. I think I already told Dorea."

"That is me asking, not her, unfortunately I'll beat school tomorrow."

"Do I want to know how old you are?"

"Probably not?"

"Off you go, have fun at school."

The catgirl in disguise gave Eireann another squeeze and then darted off.

"So … schoolgirl?" Another detective asked looking sternly at the redhead.

"Yes, teasing her older sister by flirting with me."

There was a pause. "So, you and her older sister?"

"Maybe? I don't know. She is the owner of the Black Cat Cafe."

The male detective nodded; he had heard that rumour. "Didn't know you were into women?"

"Not sure I am into anything actually." Eireann shrugged. "If I start dating anyone, that is none of your business. And I get enough of that from Fionnuala so butt out."

"You are the one with a schoolgirl all over you."

"Mr married twice and has a lover on the side."

"What?"

"Worst kept secret ever." The woman informed him. "The only thing the rumour mill is not sure is if you have one or two lovers."

In the background the two detectives heard. "I am betting ten on the redhead." "20 on the double married guy, he is used to pain." "Put me down for 10 on her, anyone who can deal with sisters has my vote."

"I think some people are bored." The male detective observed.

"I agree they can go and fetch the other suspects from the museum robbery." The female detective glared at the betting ones.

"I heard that the robbery was messy?"

"For them anyway."

"Mc Glytch, I have a suit for you in your office." Came the welcome interruption.

"I need to go, have fun with your lover."

"Go and enjoy your schoolgirl."

The two detectives glared at each other.

------

"CIA." The suit greeted the detective as she entered her office. "You didn't collect the items from the museum as evidence."

Eireann wondered what it was about. "I am not taking those into custody. After all, the lab is not equipped to handle such items. Besides the mayor was at that exhibit and seemed proud of it. Never mind Code White owns several of them."

"They are still evidence."

"And we have permission to revisit the museum and check out whatever artifacts we need."

It was clear the suit was not happy. "If you want some items, I can always ask her to drop some off. I think I'll need a waiver signed to remove all responsibility in case of death." Eireann made a mental note to inform the Lich and Zaria that someone from the CIA wanted to take their items. "If you want, I can always call her right now?"

"Good day Detective Mc Glytch." The suit evacuated the office.

Eireann decided to send a message to Zaria and Yuki, whoever that actually was. She'd leave informing the Lich to Zaria in this case.

------

The rest of the night was spent interrogating the robbers, the possessed one having spent the night writing enough that Eireann suspected several old burglary cases were going to be closed as well.

There was also an assault case in a disco, with drugs involved.

It was morning when she leant back and had the feeling she had forgotten something.

Honestly, she was too tired to care.

"Good morning~" Yvonna had come and offered her a nice still warm cappuccino.

"You are spoiling me." Eireann ignored the way several arrivals from the morning shift were peering into the office though the open door. "I thought Dorea wanted to pick me up?"

"She was busy preparing breakfast when I left, I hope you like crepes." Yvonna fixed Eireann's shirt collar. "You look exhausted. I think she should be here soon."

"Long night. So, you came to tease her by showing you came first?"

"Simply wave the business card and the cappuccino at the guard and tell it's for you, and they let me in. I got a lot of stares though?"

"I'll explain later I guess, long story short, they are not sure I am dating your sister, you, or both."

"Both sounds fun."

"You are such a tease."

"I am not if I intend to deliver."

"It's too early for this." Eireann sighed. She was not as dead on her feet as the day before, but calling her awake was generous. "My sister wants to meet you two."

"Sure~"

A motivated schoolgirl in the morning was too much to handle after a night shift.

------

It was finally seven and she could clock out, that meant it was time to deposit her main sidearm and the spare magazines in the locker. She checked and cleaned her gun before reassembling it. She had forgotten that while shift end was at seven, the afterwards took a lot of time too.

"Are you sure you should handle your gun mostly asleep?" Dorea's voice came from the door. "I wanted to bring a cappuccino, but then I found a note telling me that that thieving cat decided to go ahead."

"Hush you, your sister is a tease."

"You can't smell it, but she is interested."

"I can't, so I can plead cluelessness."

Dorea hugged the smaller detective, making sure to go for maximum contact.

"Not at the station." Eireann shifted the affectionate shadowcat to her back where she was not in the way. "Are you going to let me go home?"

"No chance."

"Pushy needy cat."

"Mhm~ <3"

"I'm going to put my main gun away."

"Two guns?"

"For some reason. That means you have to let go."

"Don't want to."

"Dorea!"

"Fine!"

------

After being escorted out to the parking lot, Eireann couldn't help but compare the sleek matte black expensive sports car to her own cheap but comfortable ride.
"Is that an F-Type Jaguar?"

"Yes, it is the perfect excuse to arrive quickly in places further away."

Something nagged at the redhead as she sat down in the comfortable leather seat of the sleek sports car. "Oh right, my sister wants to meet you and your sister tonight. Since I said that you have to work, she decided we will be visiting your cafe."

Dorea started the car and was silent as she left the parking lot. Once they were on the street she decided to clarify. "Does she know?"

"I am not sure what it is exactly you are hinting at, but I guess you mean the Otherside? Then no, she is not cleared for it."

"You could always invite her, if she explains everything, then nobody will be able to complain."

"How do I explain to my sister that the albino friend of my niece is a disaster on two legs?"

Dorea opened her mouth, then closed it. That required a little more thought. "Just tell her that she is pure chaos pretending to be normal?"

"I guess I should invite the puppy too."

"What puppy?"

"Seems my niece attracted a puppy."

"A puppy?"

"And the herd if Zaria is right."

"Wait, your niece attracted the attention of the herd? How large is she?"

"How large? What do you mean? Oh, just a B."

"I hope she isn't allergic to milk."

"What do you mean allergic to milk?"

"Cowgirls lactate."

Eireann decided that once again everything was taking a weird turn.

------

At the cafe Dorea ushered Eireann into a seat and disappeared into the kitchen.

The Detective sipped her cocoa while pondering the expected meeting between the cats and her family.

Remembering something she pulled out her phone and sent the address to Fionnuala so her sister knew where to go. She saw no way to talk to her niece first. It was almost giving her a headache.

"You are thinking too hard." The mermaid waitress said as she walked past.

Maybe she really was. Probably a bad habit from work. A stray thought made her invite Zaria, maybe Dorea was right, dump it on the random one, and maybe it won't all go down in a blaze.

After sending the detective wondered if it had been such a good idea.

Then a stack of crepes arrived with Dorea who slipped into the seat next to her and took it upon her to serve the sweet breakfast. Crepe with chocolate sauce, strawberry jam, and several other jams.

"So, you actually cook." Eireann observed.

"I like meat and sweet things."

"Somehow seems to fit you."

The pair ate in silence, both having had a long night.

Dorea forced the detective upstairs again after breakfast.

Eireann felt too exhausted to complain.

After the shower she looked at the black nightgown that had been handed to her. "Is this shadow again?"

"Yes?"

The detective dropped the thing. "If you really want to date, or whatever your kind calls it, me. I haven't dated since high school, and was pretty convinced I am straight till recently. I have a temper, my work hours suck, and my apartment is a mess. Now I am too tired to have a long talk about it, and I have no idea what to do with you."

"Do whatever you want, take it slow, take it fast. I don't mind."

"Any idea how serious your sister is?"

"Serious probably, she is not the type to joke."

"So, I am dating or something, a pair of affectionate sisters …" Eireann decided to sleep on it. "If we have time, we will talk about it before meeting my sister."

"Sleep well~" The taller female turned dark, the natural skin colour being perfect for the night.

"Two tails, but looks natural."

"You are staring at my butt."

"Oh, shut up."

The warm body pressed against her was comforting.