"So... what's new pussy cat?" Shiro broke the awkward silence. The cat demon purred then gently stroked Ryuu's bandages. Naturally, Shiki hit Shiro over the head with her spatula and berated him for the disrespectful manner at which he addressed their guest/captive.
"I will not tell you my name, but you may call me Midnight."
Noted.
"I'll stick with "cat"."
"As you probably have guessed, I am a cat-demon and my un-contracted master is the girl you violated yesterday."
Oops.
"And who is she to you that you have an un-contracted partnership?" he asked.
"I was bound to her father and when he died I naturally succeeded to her, but to her, unaware of her true lineage and her father's occupation just inherited a cat."
Cute.
"Who was her father?" Ryuu asked.
"Her father," she said to Ryuu, "Was the head of a noble demon hunting family. Their family is known for their unorthodox methods of obtaining and training demons."
"Which are?"
"Trust young lord, trust is their fundamental principle."
Shiro laughed.
"Ha! A family that trusts demons, no wonder they met their demise."
"Actually, the family has been living for many generations and millennia. It just so happens that my mistress is the direct heir and the only member of her lineage that has not been trained, yet she carries the family traits."
"And she knows about you?" Shiki inquired.
"No, and I would prefer it if she didn't. It would breach her father's contract."
By now all of the breakfast was gone and the rest of the household had woken up. Coffee was made and goodbyes exchanged and the original party still sat at the table in a sombre manner.
"So Cat, give us a reason why we shouldn't just kill you right now?"
Midnight purred under Ryuu's arm not planning to answer until he gave her his last bite of food. Shiro knowing this ate it and stared both the disappointed cat and inwardly raging Ryuu, daring them to make a scene and defy him with Shiki now gone.
The cat growled.
"If you kill me, you'll never find out her name." Shiro's patients were wearing thin. He grabbed the cat by the neck and brandished a steak knife to its throat. The cat yelped and shifted back into its human form becoming heavy in Shiro's grip but he never flinched.
"There is a large price on your head, Cat; do you honestly think I need your assistance on identifying and finding this girl? Heck, why do you think I need her? She's just another human to me." He hissed.
Ryuu jumped from his seat when he saw a thin trail of blood appear from her neck.
"If you kill her you'd be breaching our contract."
"Huh? What contract?" Shiro put down the cat dumbfounded.
"Your deal with me when we started the mission; You said I could do what I want with her and I want her alive." The cat meowed surprised at Ryuu's demands.
"Are you serious...?!"
"Yes, I never got to have my way with it yet." Ryuu winked at the cat, she realizing what he just did smiled deviously.
"I guess that settles it." She said triumphantly.
And so the cat lived, and once again they were behind on Shiki's rent with another mouth to feed till further notice.
