Apex Predator

Lammergeier IV

Thank you for the birthday wishes!! I'm sorry I couldn't say thank you to everyone individually, my social battery is forever 10% :') I really do appreciate it though.

Also hip hip hooray for my fellow July babies! And June babies! And August babies! And every month babies! You are all my babies and I love you.

Beta:

(≧ڡ≦*)

The pretty cat-ant had popped many of Miwa's clones. It let out tinkling laughter every time her clone disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Are you having fun?" asked one of Miwa's clones.

"I think I nyam," said the cat-ant with a Cheshire smile.

"It's fun watching you," said the clone.

Indeed. The chimera ant did not exude any type of malice. Or, rather, the type of aura that naturally leaked from it was a dead-ringer for Kurama's default presence albeit at a much tamer comparison. Feitan had a similar bloodlust, but Feitan actively sought hurting others. And, you know, he was human, so his bloodlust could really only be so intense. Kurama, and now that cat-ant, were creatures made up of something not from that world. Their presence was alien.

The cat-ant was on the same wavelength as Kurama, but nowhere near as intense.

Still, for Miwa who took great comfort in Kurama, anything that reminded her of him instantly endeared her.

While the feline creature pounced upon the clones, it did so with the type of playfulness Miwa expected to find in kittens. It did not pay much attention to the clone that blatantly walked behind it, finding greater entertainment in hunting the ones that ran away or hid.

"How nyamy of you are there?" asked the cat.

"Right now? Not that many left," she answered. "Although I could pop them all now."

"Nyo, nyo. Keep running, I love the chase."

"All of them?"

"You," said the cat, "can keep talking to me. Tell me about nyowself."

"M-Me?" The clone's eyes widened. "You want to actually talk?"

"It's not like I'd get any information from nyowr dead body."

The clone nodded in understanding. "It's hard to make the dead talk."

"Ri-ight?"

"Okay," said the clone. "How about we exchange names?"

"Names," repeated the cat with a laugh. "I see. Neferpitō. That is the name the queen gave me.

"I'm Miwa," she introduced with a small curtsy. She was pleasantly surprised with how civil the pretty creature was. If they were capable—and most importantly willing—to converse with Miwa, then there was a chance they did not have to be enemies. In fact, there was a chance they could even become her friends, like Kurama. Miwa found she quite enjoyed making friends. "Um... I like your tail."

Neferpitō waved their tail as they found another one of Miwa's clones. Miwa's clones had stopped trying to run away, and instead started to hide. When Neferpitō found one, it made a funny face at the cat ant before popping. Some faces made Neferpitō laugh, the cat-ant clearly delighting in the hunt.

"This is called hide and seek," Miwa told them.

"Hide and seek," repeated the chimera ant.

"It's a game friends play."