“Aah, that was really good food. Momo do you eat like this every day?” (Ochaco)

“Hm? Yeah? Why?” (Momo)

“Oh you poor girl. Too used to luxury to understand us commoners.” (Mina)

“Ribbit. You even prepared a meal for me, thank you Momo.” (Tsu)

I smile at the girls. My palate is long destroyed by the indulgence of luxury food from my own world. Even though my body does not remember, my mind does, but it was a really good meal.

Momo turns around and looks straight at me. “So I was thinking we could all take a bath before going to bed, but are you going to be okay? I’m not really sure what happens to you regarding your instincts around Yuki, but I can sort of imagine.”

I look over at said girl, and her ears are twitching. Curses, of course she heard everything. I let out a sigh. “I’ll be fine.”

“Hey Luxie, try not to leer too much, Kay?” Mina calls out to me with a sadistic tone.

“Mina you do know that’s insensitive? Just because she’s gay doesn’t mean she’s going to jump on every girl you know?” (Kyoka)

Mina just looks at me. “I know, our resident Kitty knows I’m only yanking her chain.”

I roll my eyes at my new nickname. Oh how the mighty Empress has fallen.

A few minutes later we’re all in the bath, and I’m leaning backwards letting out a content sigh as I catch myself purring. You know what? This is purr-worthy. The bath is big enough to be called a pool. All of us are in here, yet we still have room to move around.

“Luxie can I try washing your tail?” (Momo)

I look at Momo, the sincerity in her eyes. I think she just likes cute and fluffy, if her room is anything to go by. I mean, who has that many plushies? Still, I don’t think she realises the implications of that question. I only allow my mother to touch my tail.

“Momo you shouldn’t be asking that. I know you don’t understand. Ears are sort of okay-ish between friends, but even that is on the edge. Tail is a no-go. A tail to us felines is almost as sensitive as the more...private parts of our body. It’s not in the same sexual manner, but it is equally as intimate and requires immense trust.” (Yuki)

“Oh...I’m sorry Luxie, I wasn’t aware.” (Momo)

I pat the taller girl’s head. “I know, I also didn’t explain it properly. You can do my hair and ears if you want to.”

She lets out a smile. “Okay!”

The next five minutes are pure bliss, and I don’t even care at how loud I’m purring. Her hair washing technique is heavenly. The way she scratches my scalp, handles my ears with care, it’s pure bliss. To think the day would come when this great Empress would not curse her feline instincts.

“By the way, Yuki. Your name…” (Toru)

“Hm? Oh, you noticed? Yeah Yuki means snow, and Hyo means leopard. My name is literally my mutation.”

Wait. Snow Leopard. CURSES. I knew I recognised that name.

Materialising my rapier, I throw a gust of wind to push her to the edge of the bath, only to keep her arms down with wind pressure as I point my rapier at her throat. 

I let out a growl filled with bloodlust. “Why are you here?”

She only smiles at me. “Ah, so you figured it out. As expected of a Regalia.” (Yuki)

“Luxie? Why are you attacking Yuki? What’s going on?” (Momo)

“This particular cat is supposed to be behind locked bars, in Tartarus.”

“Tartarus? Yuki? What?” (Ochaco)

“Do you want to explain, or shall I? Leopard.”

Her smile fades and her expression turns sad. “I did something the government didn’t agree with, so I was branded a villain and placed behind bars in Tartarus, where I’ve been for the past year.” (Yuki)

“Wait, but then why are you here? As a student at UA?” (Mina)

“A certain individual needed me for a job. At first I thought it would be easy, but now I realise how wrong I was. Screw that job, this is a lot more fun.” (Yuki)

A certain individual? Oh.

“He didn’t…”

Yuki’s grin is back, but it’s twisted, ferocious, manic. “Oh he did.”