"..."
Sienna stretched forward and slid the small poster between her legs.
She felt Ikade shift behind her and leaned forward instinctively, catching herself just in time. The feline turned and rested her chin atop Sienna's head, flattening the Librei's tufts without even the slightest hint of apology.
Calling it a poster was generous. It was really just a flyer, no bigger than a sheet of paper.
Ikade leaned a little farther in, absentmindedly putting more of her weight on Sienna's head while chatting about nothing in particular.
Sienna reached out and took the flyer that had been calling to her.
The paper had a rough, textured surface.
When she tilted it from side to side, the images shifted—odd little visuals stitched together like a collage. Random objects. Snippets of letters. Shapes that almost looked like words, but never fully became them. Most of the text had been blacked out or smeared, which only made Ikade more curious.
Another slip of paper had been printed into it, cursive writing packed so densely that neither of them could ever hope to read it. The background looked like distant terrain seen from high above.
"Is this…a convention or something?"
Their eyes dropped to the fine print at the bottom. A flyer that required an invitation—absurd, really.
Sienna tipped her head back a little and raised a hand, gently covering Ikade's eyes before she could read any farther. With a practiced flick of her fingers, the flyer folded itself into a neat square and disappeared into the purse at her side.
"…It's not for you."
Ikade wriggled, trying and failing to free herself until Sienna finally let go.
"Aww, why not?"
"Some things are better left to innocent minds."
Before Ikade could say anything, she got flicked across the head. Ikade rubbed the spot lightly and stood soon after, mockery slipping into her voice.
"Oh yeah? And who took it from me in the first place?"
All she got in return was an annoyed glare from Sienna, who stood as well, brushed down her pants, then stepped over and smacked her across the back of the head.
Sienna bent down for her purse and tossed it into one of the bags filled with trinkets. She signaled toward the exit with a tilt of her head. The feline followed after, scooping up both their drinks and finishing them within minutes.
They wandered through the busy corridors, some wider than others, some packed tight with shops and kiosks. Every now and then, Ikade would drift a little ahead, only to suddenly slip into a store with unrestrained intent.
Sienna followed along and watched the feline pop back into view wearing something she had no intention of buying, turning this way and that.
A charming dress. A pair of tinted glasses. A hat.
Then a loose outer layer she shrugged on, spinning once in it.
And every single time, Sienna found herself stopping, the rest of the shop dimming into a spotlight for the woman in front of her.
Ikade's lovely smile kept blessing her spirit, her gaze doing more than her words ever could. Yet the more they walked, the more Sienna's eyes kept following—the sway of her hair, the bounce of her fluffy ears,
and the slight squeak in her voice.
Eventually, the crowded stretch gave way to calm, a lingering loamy.
A herbal garden, if not a large one.
The two crossed the threshold and soft air brushed against their skin. The ground rose into glossy retainers, tall enough to sit on.
Greenery filled their eyes. Plants, vines, and leaves arched overhead in a living canopy. Sienna raised her head and traced the artificial light above with her hand.
Then she paused.
She swallowed nothing and lowered her band-aid-littered hand, letting her fingers brush across the leaves in a lingering touch.
Ikade pulled out her phone.
Then she crouched beside anything and everything, snapping photos from one angle to another, catching a couple of people enjoying the atmosphere, leaning in to capture the textures of leaves and petals.
A few strands of her hair slipped over her shoulder, some sticking to the softness of her cheek.
Clck...flash!
Sienna stilled, basking for a moment in the glow reflected from Ikade's phone, lowering her wrist just in time for the feline to turn and face her.
"...Did you just take a picture of me?"
The smile on her face never waivered.
"...no."
Ikade narrowed her eyes, then looked away with a smile.
More walking followed, full of stops and starts, in and out of stores, only to leave empty-handed again and again...
Even so, it was fine.
"Wanna check it out?"
Ikade asked, slurping up the last of some leftover ramen from a clear plastic cup.
The two of them stopped in front of a kiosk planted squarely in the middle of the corridor. A looping movie preview played across the screen, dramatic visuals flashing by while a small line formed to their right, people waiting for whatever showing was up next.
"Might as well."
Ikade followed her to the counter, the two waiting through a painfully boring stretch before finally stepping up to see what movies were playing.
A quick round of rock-paper-scissors decided who would pay. Ikade lost miserably, clicked her tongue, and handed over the money, accepting the tickets with exaggerated disappointment.
The attendant reminded them to secure their bags, stopping them just before they wandered past without doing so. After that, they were waved through.
Inside, they checked their ticket numbers and slipped into the right theater, sinking into the most comfortable seats they could find.
Somewhere around the midpoint, both of them fell asleep.
Only to jolt awake when a particular explosion rattled through the speakers.
Time passed.
The credits rolled, and the two of them walked back out into the movie corridor.
Ikade's ears flicked sharply, and she lifted a hand to rub them—still sore from the relentless explosions. Sienna, on the other hand, answered whatever Ikade was saying with distracted little sounds while stretching out her own stiff body, twisting side to side.
By the time they reached the main corridor, it was even more crowded than before. People moved in thick streams.
Ikade turned to say something then snapped her head to the right.
She barely managed half a step back before someone slammed into her headfirst.
Thud!
Ikade went straight down, landing hard on her ass. Pain shot through Ikade's face, tears welled up in response.
People nearby only spared them a glance before looking straight past the three of them, the crowd swallowing their attention without a second thought.
"The hell's your problem?! You blind, pinche coño?!"
Sienna moved in one clean motion, smacking the woman across the head, her anger burning hotter than the ringing in her own ears. She dropped to a knee immediately after, pulling Ikade upright and catching the flinching tail curled tight around her leg, rubbing it gently.
"Me jodiste el momento! You!"
"Ow—! I'm okay…ow."
Ikade lifted her eyes past Sienna, locking onto the woman rubbing the top of her head and glaring right back.
Once Sienna made sure Ikade could stand on her own, she turned and marched up to the idiot, grabbing the woman by the collar and hauling her up until her feet barely touched the floor, forcing her onto her toes.
The Mustelan woman flinched hard and threw one arm up defensively, the other fumbling at Sierra's wrist as she tried to pry herself free without much success.
Footsteps rushed in from somewhere ahead. Sienna caught the sound first, glancing past the woman's shoulder.
The woman followed her gaze, turning her head the same way.
"I'm fine, okay?" Ikade said quickly. "You don't need to grab her—see? I'm okay."
Ikade glanced at the people who had stopped to watch the scene unfold. A few had already lifted their phones. She shot them the sharpest glare she could manage, her ears pinning back, daring them to keep recording.
Then she stepped closer to Sienna and tapped her shoulder.
Now would have been the moment to really notice Ikade's outfit in full—a plain sweater thrown over a long-sleeved shirt, a thicker jacket layered over both. A simple black skirt finished it off, paired with a cap that failed completely to hide her ears poking through the top.
Sienna looked over her shoulder and met Ikade's eyes. A bead of sweat slipped down her back. She had no interest in being on the receiving end of that look again.
"Hey—let her go, okay?" Ikade said, tugging at her arm.
The woman dropped instantly, like a puppet with its strings cut. She jolted on impact and grabbed at her lower back just as a few people shoved past them, rushing forward without slowing.
Their faces carried that same mix of focus and apathy, already done with whatever had happened before they were even past it, not truly paying attention at all.
"was zur…"
Sienna leaned in, ignoring whatever the woman was trying to say. She brought her mouth close to the newcomer's fluffy ear and murmured something low enough that only she could hear.
The idiot nodded rapidly, a nervous smile stretching across her face.
Then, in what felt like the blink of an eye—
all three of them were sitting at a small table.
The cafeteria buzzed around them, overlapping voices and clattering trays filling the background. Ikade stayed close to Sienna's side while the woman across from them fidgeted with her food, her utensils making more noise than anything else.
The woman had somewhat round ears perched high on her head, their tips black and gray with clean white fur inside. Her hair was short, a dirty wheat color with faint traces of black, curling softly at the ends.
"We're done here, right? I already apologized."
She was shut down immediately with a— "No."
Ikade sighed, her head drooping. This time, she looked the woman over properly, from the black tank tucked beneath a half-zipped jacket to the simple shorts and tights she wore.
The unfamiliar face scooted her chair back another inch, the wooden legs screeching against the floor. The Mustela lifted one arm halfway across her chest, hesitating before she spoke.
"Your not a—kidnapper right? Its againsht the law you know?"
Sienna closed her eyes for a moment, then sighed.
"What was your name again?"
"Eh? How could you forget already? Is your memory that unforgiving?"
Her tone came out blunt, though her expression held more confusion than offense. She poked at the meat on her plate without looking.
"Eva." She said, suddenly looking straight into her with a polite smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "You can call me Eva."
"Alright then." Sienna straightened, resting her arms on the table, pushing her empty plate to the center.
"What'd you do to get them chasing after you?"
Eva took a bite out of her still full meal, then hurried to swallow, letting out a rough breath when the food finally went down.
"Why would I tell you? We don't know each other."
Her choppy accent broke the rhythm of her words, but it was still easy enough to follow.
Her expression settled into quiet thought as she took another bite of whatever sat in front of her, chewing slowly before finally speaking.
"Mhmm…a student. I'm on vacation, if that satisfies your curiosity."
The three of them sat in silence after that. Time drifted by while Eva finished her food piece by piece, the noise of the cafeteria swallowing everything else.
Eva stood up some time later, wiping down her face with a napkin.
She looked down, reaching into her pocket and placing down a hundred dollar bill on the table. Speaking one last time before disappearing into the misty noise.
"Goodbye."
Sienna offered no words in return, the mood souring soon after.
"She's a terrible liar."
She added a second later, standing up and grabbing their bags of purchased trinkets. Ikade let out a weary sigh, picked up the bill, and slipped it into her purse.
They carried their empty trays back to the return counter, stacking them into a wobbling tower.
Metal clinked against ceramic when they slid the pile forward. Someone on cleaning duty approached, gave them a brief nod, then lifted the entire stack in one smooth motion and vanished without so much as a word.
Sienna shifted the weight of the bags on her arm and turned toward the exit. Ikade followed without comment, their footsteps becoming the only thing either of them really noticed.
By the time they made it back to their room, the noise had become too much, even after being softened by the many turns and corridors. Setting the bags down near the wall, Ikade kicked off her shoes and flopped onto the couch without ceremony, sinking into it and drawing in deep breaths.
Closing the door behind her, darkness sliced into the room like a blade, broken only by the guiding light coming from the window. The depressing scenery beyond did little to ease their mood, the blanket of gray clouds leaving everything touched with blue.
Sienna quickly changed her shoes, rolling her feet to work out the soreness.
Fuu...
Walking up, she threw herself on top of Ikade, who squealed. Sienna ignored the unkind words and focused on slowing her own heart, feeling a weak tap against her leg.
ggrrnn…
A feline's meal.
Sienna went still and listened closely, pressing her ear to Ikade's back and feeling the soft rhythm beneath it.
I don't… I don't even feel angry anymore. I'm just…tired.
Closing her eyes, her breathing grew quieter than it had been the nights before. She wrapped her arms around Ikade, then her legs too.
...Just let me steal some more sleep...