[Solaria] Delusion by noroikikku.

POV Mururr

I easily climb up a tree without any help. My claws bite into the tree bark and support me firmly enough to take my whole weight. No more being carried like a newborn kitten and unceremoniously hit against branches.

"Chieftess: Welcome back child."

`Purr~ rr~

"Mururr: I have come across another one of its kind, sleeping unguarded and looked at its body laid bare of protection. There really is no coat of fur anywhere except for their heads. They must have all shed it long ago in favour of crafted furs."

"Chieftess: So it is indeed a whole new people and not just one creature. How ...peculiar. `Mmrrr~."

Too long have I not been able to move freely that I don't sit down to speak, but roam around the little treehouse without a care in the world.

"If they truly have tamed an infant Great Balance, Mmr~ I doubt that they are looking to chase us away. No-one can traverse the deepest reaches here and there was never much to take that isn't plentiful elsewhere. Purr~ peaceful travelers with food and trinkets to trade are as welcome as always, regardless of how... ...unique they smell and look."

"Mururr: Yes, eldest mother, I will keep a diligent watch over them."

My figure may not immediately inspire confidence while laying prone on my back and pawing at the dangling bundles of branches and weeds, but I'm sure to be diligent when the time comes. The eldest mother lavished grooming on me and checked for anything wrong with my body. Remarking on the softness and unusual smell of my fur.

'Her senses are much sharper than my own, despite the old age. I was certain that the smell was gone. ...There should be hunting parties, challenging the flood plains, that I can join to regain my lost strength.'

On the other paw, I probably shouldn't be too hasty this time and singe my fur with fire. Gathering food from the first few challenges is a honourable enough deed, so I can ease into it slowly and carefully.

"Mururr: I will challenge the Great Balance once again. Retracing my steps from the very beginning to rekindle my instincts."

"Chieftess: Mmm, good. Don't run up the fire mountain without having any water on you. Take it one paw at a time, together with your kin."

Given one last rub, I'm free to leave and focus on my retraining.

MWTWB by AmaLee

POV Hana

'I'll kick him right between the legs and add a smidge of mana for good measure! Then continue kicking until he stops squirming on the floor.'

In the end, I couldn't not think about the alien cat and ended up staying awake for an hour or two. By the time that he did wake me up, it was too late for an interrogation. I had to rush my morning routine to make it in the nick of time to fulfill my USC duties! I didn't get any free time till all the way into late afternoon!

'And he feigned innocence by claiming that I was pleadingly mumbling to let me sleep for longer! The nerve! The audacity!'

I've had half of my mind made-up to loudly expose the cat to everyone else, but held my tongue. Causing a scene isn't something anyone would appreciate, and I personally don't want to cause any problems for our fledgling group. So once I'm free of my duties and given a simple excuse, I rush out to make him squeal!

For once, he isn't in the kitchen and I have to ask Kate's maid where he is. Vaguely hearing that I should look in his room, I don't stay to chat and fly back downstairs.

"Hana: No running away now asshole! ...Kuhum, Yumi, Risa, good day to you both."

An unexpectedly awkward moment later, I enter the completely silent room and close the door behind me.

"Valentine: See what I was talking about? It was a full-on sexual assault last night. I've barely got away with a single shred of dignity intact and now she wants to take that too."

"Deviant." "Sexual predator."

I'm dumbstruck with indignity at the trash spewing out of his mouth. The other two's comments add salt to injury and a darker shade to my rapidly reddening face. The mere implication that they believe in this bullshit is frying my brain.

"Hana: LIES! I didn't lay a finger on him!"

"Valentine: They know! So how about you don't break down the door to my bedroom while shouting obscenities and join a civilized conversation like a normal person would do? Or is that too much to ask?"

He would have eaten those words were we alone, but with everyone staring at me, I give into the pressure and swallow back my retort.

`Knock! Knock!

"Come in. Ah, Hana! Please, take a seat. Would you like a glass of water or anything else?"

To the subdued snickers of the peanut gallery, I empty the proffered glass of water and swear to pay back this humiliation tenfold when he least expects it.

"Yumi: Anyway! Good job Hana! I'm very dissatisfied that he has kept such cuties a secret! If it's an option, I'm keeping one for myself."

"Risa: It's not an option outside of extreme extenuating circumstances. They are... people and shall be treated as such. Furthermore, I don't think that this should be shared with the others straight away. It's best to let Valentine continue gathering information and deciphering their language. Once communication isn't an issue, then we can join the action."

"Yumi: There are giant kittens within arm's reach! Bring me one to pet and cuddle with!"

Somehow, I'm late to the party and everyone else is already deep in discussion. Wanting to set things straight, I loudly protest further divergence from the core of the issue at hand.

"Hana: Wait, wait, wait, wait! Shouldn't we be accusing him of going behind our backs? Isn't that the main point here?"

"Yumi: Hhmm~? Well, kind of, but not really? I mean, he's the one responsible for the gates and I don't see any apparent danger from that particular gate address. Objectively, I can see the need for a buffer period before informing us of the situation in this particular case. Despite wanting to cuddle in a kitty pile!"

"Risa: We need to exercise prudence in such delicate matters. Violently storming in and shouting at them isn't anywhere close to an ideal approach, in my humble opinion."

The pointed remark isn't lost on me, and I'm not too keen on sending everyone on a planet with possibility hostile intelligent inhabitants on it. A lone scout that can reliably and quickly learn their language is possibly the best option available to us. I feel pressured to give up some ground and I do so, partially.

"Hana: Maybe this time it turned out to be a somewhat positive outcome, but rules and procedures will have to be put down in writing. A complete information vacuum is as dangerous as information oversaturation. The excuse: "they are adorable kittens", only works once! I'm not budging on this one!"

'How am I on the defensive here?! Shouldn't we be acting as a solid, unified front on these important matters? Spilling the beans to the rest might cause even more tension between our groups. Fuck.'

We can't afford to have infighting and mistrust festering among the core groups. Especially not over a seemingly small issue of some cats.

"Valentine: Timewise, I'm looking at around the end of March. That is to say, two or three more weeks to establish mutual trust and a working communications channel. I'm honestly not sure how to create a dictionary for human to cat and vise versa. So, my best bet is to upgrade the HQ as fast as possible and hope for a useful feature to become available. This is supposed to be a restaurant, and communication is a vital part of the process. There MUST be something useful further down the line."

"Yumi: Some simple gestures would do for now. Recording basic phrases and commonly used sentences would be a good idea too. Who knows, maybe someone else has a talent like Mari does and can effortlessly understand cats. Hehe~ it is possible that the special someone is ME! So bring out the kitty~!"

We politely ignore Yumi's plea and draw up a simple agreement to talk to our respective groups in advance of introducing the alien cats. I don't forget to silently curse the asshole that has put me into this situation.

As we come to an agreement, I fight desperately to keep my expression neutral and ask the burning question.

"Hana: Now that this cat business is settled. Risa, I was wondering if I could join in on your sparring sessions? The dungeon mobs are lacking a spark to fight creatively, and I'd love to see you in action without any distractions."

"Risa: Hm?... Sure, why not? It's a good workout and observing different styles helps one to grow stronger."

'Oh, you can observe as much as you want. I'll put on one hell of a show!'

"Hana: I'll be sure to put my back into it!"

Hiding my anticipation behind a polite smile, I avoid making eye contact with my future punching bag. For this, I'll work with twice the effort and make sure to have plenty of free time. Payback will be painful and bloody.

'Yes, no pain no gain. It can't be helped if one wants to get stronger.'

"Yumi: Alrighty! Sign me up too! I haven't sparred with anyone good for quite awhile. For now though, we should actually get going and join the celebration upstairs. I'm sure that you two don't want to miss out on all the food and fun!"

Without complaints, we join the small gathering upstairs. There isn't really much celebrating going on, mostly people talking in small groups and kicking back to relax after a hard day of work. Predictably, my longer than expected delay didn't go unnoticed.

"Mari: Anything the matter, Hana?"

"Hana: Oh...well, Yumi and I are joining Risa's sparring sessions when there is some free time. It's... a change of pace, so to say."

"Meiko: I'd love to spar with Yumi myself. Perhaps, I can find a window of opportunity in the evenings too?"

"Mari: I believe that these two weeks will be fine, but after that we might get swamped with the festival oversight. You two should take some time off while we have the option to do so."

'Damn. I almost forgot about the choral festival. Thankfully, it won't be that big of a hurdle... I hope.'

We separate soon after and mingle with other students. Staying as our usual group makes it difficult for anyone new to approach and we are actively working on strengthening the bonds between everyone, not just us three, so we make sure to walk around and exchange a few words.

While chatting with some people nearby, I spy a lone figure hiding away from the rest. Seeing my counterparts from the ASC, I walk over without reservation, planning to drag her out to socialize more.

"Hana: Mitsuko! It's good to have you with us!"

"Mitsuko: Y-Yes!"

'...Oh great. Why is she like this again?'

At the visible tension, I hold back from reflexively dropping my smile. There shouldn't be any tension running between those present, so her behaviour is worrying.

"Hana: Relax, Mitsuko. You seemed fine being in the dungeon, so there is no need to be stressed around friends. No-one is going to bite you."

"Mitsuko: That's because there were only slimes at that time! Round, squishy blobs that eat grass and roll around like cute rabbits! Not the deranged nightmares of death that lurk below! I jumped away in fright at the sight of a banana in the cafeteria and knocked into someone. Then the food trays got involved, and a second later there were over twenty people covered in food and tangled up on the floor!"

'So Kate took her out for some quick power leveling? Huh. Those ambushing things do make one jump at shadows sometimes, can't fault her for not being used to it so soon.'

"Hana: Eh. Slimes, bananas, minibus sized crocodiles, same thing. If you don't like fighting ...how about taking on diplomatic relations? I'm fairly positive that we haven't decided on anyone to take up that position. You could be the representative of humanity when interacting with other intelligent species. Heck, you can safely practice it on that guy!"

I pointed at the kitchen with my thumb, but got only a frown in return. I expected her to chuckle, or become wide-eyed, or something more exaggerated. A frown wasn't what I had expected at all. Helpfully, she elaborates on it in a whisper.

"Mitsuko: Kate told me that you have lied about him being an alien and that he is actually just an unfortunate human. Trapped here by some unknown but all-powerful alien scientists."

"Hana: He... ... ...I mean... I was there...and...when... ."

I'm incapable of forming a coherent sentence, stumbling over my words before falling silent.

'I was there when he died. I saw him being... "reborn". He... isn't?... is?... human? Right? ...Why would an ordinary human walk into a hopeless battle just to... die? It's a... terrifying process... .'

"Please excuse me... I need a drink."

I suddenly feel dizzy from looking back at what had happened and what almost had come to pass. It's far easier to not think about any of it. We jump in, defeat some game-like monsters, and get out. Put in the work, get tangible benefits in return, rinse and repeat. Nice and simple.

'WTF am I even doing?'

I take a corner seat and nurse a drink that has floated down to my table on its own. The bitter taste of alcohol helps to pull my head out of the clouds and down to the dirty earth.

I recall the "incident" and that I was happy to turn away from the fallout. It was easier to follow along and do nothing. Even easier to act like it never happened, pretending that we haven't overstepped and that he hasn't straight up told us to leave him alone.

'Hana. What the fuck are you doing? ...Getting angry that my unwelcomed presence isn't instantly recognized as the best thing to ever happen in his entire life, of course. ...Well Hana, I think that you may be an idiot. ...That did sound very idiotic, I won't lie, and considering my recent activities, that observation does hold some merit.'

Suddenly coming face to face with your own inadequacy is a major bummer, only dulled by the steady stream of floating drinks.

I honestly tell those who approach me, that I've gotten stuck in my head and need a moment to think things over. We've all had our moments of an epiphany or a sudden thought consuming a good chunk of the day, so I'm allowed to remain unbothered for the most part.

'Fuck. Why is life so complicated? It all used to be so straightforward just a year ago... .'

It suddenly feels like I've lost my footing. There is no laid out paths to follow, instead, there is an open sea of possibilities stretching far and wide. Choices and consequences that are real and painfully tangible. It's frightening to look elsewhere but at my own feet.

"Mari: ...Hana, talk to me. What is wrong?"

"Hana: Haa... I honestly don't know, but I think that the insanity of our situation finally crashed onto me. Trailblazing sounds great on paper. It's fucking scary if you think about it. Monsters, magic, death, aliens, it's too much, you know? It was never this much shit all at once. I'm lost and don't want to look around to find out where I am. ... I'm not drunk, ok?"

'The glass in my hand was refilled only a few times... that I've seen. I couldn't have drunk more than three glasses in total, so it's fine.'

"Mari: We were rushing, weren't we? Trying to take as much as possible before graduation. It's no surprise that we can get a bit disoriented after such an exhausting dead sprint to the goal. Once the third years have calmed down, we will slow down and reorganize. There will be a whole year before the next graduation ceremony, so we'll take it at a more leisurely pace. ...By that time we will have our own little army on standby, ready to go through hell and back for each of its members."

'An army does sound reliable.'

"I'm even more happy that there will be a greater safety margin. With the steady influx of mana, we will have the freedom to be extremely picky. No need to suffer on a dangerous world if we can save up for a week and try a different address. Acceptable risks WILL BE brought down to a minimum."

"Hana: You are worried because off Chiyo. Your sister will become inseparapable and we can't go ou getting hUrt?"

My mouth feels sluggish, so I empty another glass to get that feeling out and listen some more to Mari, talking about our future. It's comforting to have someone who is confident that everything will be fine. I yearn to have that unshakeable confidence and boldly walk through tribulations, coming out a better person for it.

'A cool and collected beauty. Yeah, I should do that! Unflappable!'

The rest of the evening is spent in good company, and I even said thanks to the chef on my way out!

POV Valentine

"Valentine: What the hell is wrong with that one today? Oh, and I'm charging extra for the good stuff."

'I was spot on when I said that she is a horrible drunk. The angry cat turned into a hugging menace after a sip of alcohol. Thank the stars that I wasn't jumped by anyone accusing me of foul play, this time around. Plus I'm making a tidy profit for the drinks served.'

"Mari: Yes, yes, just write down what was served, and we will pay for it. Hana looked to be struggling with inner turmoil and needed an outlet, so I'm not complaining."

'Was it about the cats? Strange woman, getting worked up over nothing. They are neither cat girls nor sex slaves! ...I better start doing a routine scan of the HQ in the evening and locking down the portals for the night behind an admin lock.'

"Valentine: Well, I'm not getting involved. My vacation is still ongoing, so I'm more focused on reading and watching whatever catches my eye."

'And preparing to reap a fuckton of points next month.'

"Mari: ...Don't strain your back from all the work. It must be very difficult to push it onto others."

And once again, I'm seen as a filthy spawn of the abyss that should be killed with extreme level of violence.

"Valentine: I'm here right now, aren't I? And when I'm out, Kei only needs to assemble the dishes for the most part. She's not as afraid of hard work as you might imagine, your Royal Highness. Us plebeians have to work from early in our years."

We share a glare, each one not budging from our respective arguments. I hold the high ground, as the girl in question has thrown her full support behind me. Only very spoiled rich kids have the freedom to complain about two hours of daily work that are paid as if they were twenty hours instead.

"Mari: Fine. She won't have to do so much when you open up the restaurant to the rest of the students. Our chosen staff will do the heavy lifting, and she can be relegated to a supporting role."

'He~he~he~he. Eri will absolutely love the hard work, and I'll kick back in my rocking chair. Lovely.'

"Valentine: If you say so. Well, I'll be supervising anyway, so you don't have to worry about it."

I relish in my minuscule victory. Was it not for the "child kidnapping" perpetrated by her flock, it would have been a mind-numbing boredom out here. I might have grown desperate and gone recklessly searching for some fantasy species out there. It's much more fun to poke the self-restrained bear without getting out of bed, so to say.

As a courteous host, I diligently escort them all out, leaving the cleaning duties to the maid. I'm on vacation, so dishwashing is too bothersome. Besides, I have helped cooking for this little gathering, so I've done my share of work for the day.

"Manga, crisps and cider. All check. `YAWN~. Yes, I need some intense relaxation."

My Name (Wearing Me Out) - Shinedown