I went to the amusement park with a spring on my step and food in my hand. A kabob from a stall ran by a wolfish beastkin, unlike me, who had more feline features. Thousand Cuts probably bought the food on appearance alone.

The meat was underdone, it gave normal humans sickness if consumed. With spices that could overwhelm the senses. It was unappetizing, unless accounting for the beastkin’s palette. To me, this was absolutely delicious which made me hate my diet.

I couldn’t eat onions, and apparently grapes, but could eat undercooked foods that a British TV chef would scream at. 90% of my diet had mainly consisted of meat with the little vegetables sprinkled in.

I sank my canines into the meat, a pang of frustration hit me. Stupid tasty meat, why does it have to be so appetizing? Thousand Cuts eating the kabob was going to make her sick..

The last piece of meat fell into my mouth as I threw the skewer into the garbage.

“That was okay,” I said. “I feel much better now that I had something to eat. Now I am ready,” I dusted off my clothes.

Thousand Cuts sat on a bench eating a slice of watermelon, “Good, now we can resume the festivities. You held onto the tickets?” she asked.

“Of course.”

The woman brought out a map of the park,”We are here,” she pointed at the entrance. “If it’s okay with you, I think that it would be best if we go to Falcon's Reach first.”

“It looks like a roller coaster from what I can see.”

“Not just any ordinary roller coaster. It is only the most intense ride of Mamba Market! This is the ultimate attraction for the die hard thrill seeker. The perfect way in testing your resolve. Unless you’re scared that is, that’d be okay as well. Falcon’s Reach means nothing to me, so I’m fine with whatever you choose.”

“Me, scared? Ha! Never. I would be glad to join Falcon's Reach with you,” I assured myself.

“Then let’s make haste, white shroud; while the night burns on!.”

“Huh?,” I struggled as she grabbed my hand. “Not again. Unhand me this instant!”

She ignored my pleas as we headed straight to Falcon’s Reach.

— — —

I stood at the base of a massive steel frame. The roller coaster raised high from where I was standing.

Thousand Cuts practically bounced in line as she stared up in wonder at the metal structure. My ears twitched at the coaster dropping. Screams echoed and distorted from the large frame. Oh, that’s a big drop, I thought No, there’s no way that I am getting on such a questionable ride.

“You're not having second thoughts, are you?” The swordswoman asked. “We can start with something smaller for your first time. There’s no shame in backing out.”

“No, I’m not thinking of getting off… I told you that I would come, and here I am,” I said.

We went onto the cart, there’s 2 people per seat. I sat next to Thousand Cuts. My tail thrashed in the seat. A response that gave myself away.

Quiet down you traitor! My tail simmered down, this however didn’t ease my worries. The roller coaster’s bars fastened, it’s too late to get off.

The pulley system roared to life. The cart jerked in motion.

*Click* *Click* *Click*

The coaster went up the steel frame. My inertia was felt from the speed, it was sickening. My face turned ghostly pale the higher we went up. Near the peak, we saw the entirety of Mamba Market above the noisy machinery.

I can do this, I thought between breaths. I can do this. No, I can’t do this. My hand tightly clasped onto the woman.

“Open your eyes, Mekiko,” Thousand Cuts pierced through the clutter. “You would want to experience thrill to its full extent. Besides, we haven’t got to the best part,” we had yet to reach the drop.

The cart slowed down, teetering off the edge.

No, no, no, nooooo!

The roller coaster dove until the cart reached its peak speed. The gravy weighed me down. The wind pressed down on my ears, I felt every hair. Butter flies are coming from my ears rather than my stomach, a strange sensation. It was unbearable.

Thousand Cuts laughed as we went through the first loop, and every twist and turn. She waved her arms high in the air as the force made my face pale. My ears flattened themselves down due to the pressure.

The cart slowed down at the last bend. Okay, it’s finally over, I thought. It wasn’t as bad as I initially thought. It wasn’t great, but not terrible. At least I did nothing embarrassing, I thought

Thousand Cuts looked satisfied as we were getting off. More satisfied than what she should be. Why is she like that? That’s when I noticed that my arms were wrapped around her. I’ve been hugging her this whole time! Even now, I’m still holding her tight!

my ears and tail shot up as I rapidly let go from my grasp. I coughed to relieve the tension.

“That was amazing, White Shroud! You were astonishing back there. To see such breathtaking heights, what a night!” she hummed.

I tried to speak, but the words refused to form in my tongue. I wanted to bury my face — but not into Thousand Cuts, anywhere but her. My face burned up from thinking of such thoughts.

I spent the next 10 minutes covering my face.

“I bought a memento for this occasion,” she held out black-and-white photo of us going down. “Look at your face, I would say that you look rather cute holding onto me like that.”

“Nya!~, it’s not like… give me that!,” I reached towards the picture, but she raised the snapshot as I clawed at the photograph.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

My small stature made it impossible to reach without jumping. No, I’m far too dignified to be acting desperate.

“Hmph, be like that then,” I cross my arms at her.

“Yeah, we should probably stop for now. When important activities hang in the night, we have other places to cross.”

— — —

I shifted my fingers in the various items for sale, knick-knacks; and junk alike. To put it nicely, these items weren’t worth the tag stamped on them.

“Hey, White Shroud, try them on,” Thousand Cuts snuck up to set a commodity on my face.

My vision darkened as the world became less vibrant. The dim glass that I was looking through made the world less intense, the people less crowded.

I pulled the object from my face to see sunglasses. Its round and big frame gives a friendlier appearance. Styled in White as in purity — that also describes my hair, oddly specific.

“These glasses look great on you. I say that you look cuter than usual,” she said.

“I’m not cute, take that back!” I pointed at her.

“Ha, I always keep my word!”

“When don't you ever do you ever?” I retorted

“Never, that’s how,” she leaned in closer. “No offense, but your eyes give you away. It's okay when you're currently unknown, but it's going to become a huge problem when you become popular. In the future, I see if getting contacts will be better rather than the potion’s abysmal effects.

“You make it sound like it’s a question of when,” I paled.

“I guarantee it. Even as we speak, you probably gained the attention from valuable interests,” she nodded.

“Like who?”

“The Department of Propaganda.”

Of course they have a ridiculous department, I sighed.

“...Look, as much as I am flattered that you’re willing to buy me this; I have to decline,” I gave her back the glasses. “Even I know that the stores in these places are always overpriced.”

She turned her head, “you’re telling me this, like I don’t know. The sunglasses look good on you. It'd be a shame if I didn't get them for you. Besides, I'm an operative, remember? I have enough crowns on me to last a lifetime.”

“If you say it like that… Then okay, I guess that I can keep them.”

“That’s great! You’re not going to regret this”

“I’m regretting my choice now,” I muttered.

“You do know that you are smiling right now, right?”

God damn it.

— — —

The rides, stores, and scenery were impeccable for what is called “Heart of the Slums”. There was not a can in sight. There was a priority when it came to cleanliness.

After our verbal bouts had passed, we entered the section with the amusement park games. Ring toss, lucky ducks, and the likes; yet I was looking for a game less fluke dependent.

One such game caught my eye. A ladder made of rope that the participant had to traverse. It was right up my alley.

“No beastkin allowed, read the plaque,” a muscular man pointed at a wooden plate.

“Who are you to dictate what I can or cannot do? I demand to know your reason,” I accused him of racism.

“Look, I have nothing against you. It is that if I let every beastkin in, I would have long gone out of business. Facts are facts.”

That was a… perfectly reasonable answer. Reasonable as in its perfectness. Perfect as if reasonable.

“White Shroud, why are you sulking,” Thousand Cuts sat on the bench, next to me.

“I'm not sulking! I'm, uh, being pensive,” I said softly.

“Okay, what got you so ‘pensive’,” she teased.

“It is about the games. There’s nothing good that I could participate in, besides the obvious games of chance.”

“If you wanted one of the prizes, I could easily buy you one at Mamba Market.”

“Getting a prize has nothing to do with my plight,” despite how much I wanted a stuffed animal. “I had a chance to express my skills, and that was taken from me before I could try.”

“Eh. even the luck based games become trivial with enough skill. I wouldn't overthink this if I were you. I say do not muddle your mind with such trivialities.”

“And I would say that your mind is filled with delusions.”

“Please, my mind is as clear as my blade.”

— — —

Back at the entrance, Thousand Cuts left with a sense of joy, and I held onto my sunglasses closely.

She spun around, she raised her arms in the air.

“Rides, roller coasters galore. What a time to live, and laugh,” she said. “Yet with all good moments, they will never last. So, without ado, we must wave goodbye with a heartfelt farewell!”

“Soliloquy, Thousand Cuts is ruining the moment for me and the entirety of Mamba Market.”

“I blend in the shadows, stalk in the far off minds of society. There will never be a way for you to change Thousand Cuts’ revolve.”

I stopped to stare at her, “it’s a soliloquy, you're not supposed to hear me. I would expect with all your theatrics that there was some overlap.”

“I didn't know that you liked theater so much.”

“Please, I enjoy the fruits of all high culture.”

“I will make sure that we go to the theater in the future then.”

“no, no, no, that won’t be necessary,” My hands waved in the air.

I resisted the urge to cover my face. I felt my face heat up the more she looked into my face. Hide my face or not, reading me was easy.

“Why don’t you want to go?” She smirked. “You said you liked high culture.”

“It's that, uh, I prefer going alone,” my tail twitched.

“Why? You don't like me?”

As I was about to say yes, water forms in the corners of my eyes. “I… I don't mind being around you,” I reluctantly let go of lying to her.

“Ha! So you do see me as a friend!”

“But I didn't… fine, whatever. If I go to the theater with you, will you promise to drop it?”

“I will never go back on my word,” she smiled. “And I have to say; white shroud, seeing you squirm like that makes you look…”

“Don't you dare say it! Don’t you dare!” I stomped my feet.

“I think you look…”

“I’m warning you.” I pointed to her.

“Cute.”

“–Nya!~” I closed my mouth with both my palms before I meowed again.

“Hehehe, so you were threatening to meow at me.”

“You have to be so mean to me!”

“Aside from that, there is one more place that we’re going to last.”

As I heard that; I took a deep breath, “I refuse.”

“Huh?”

“I refuse, simply as that. Spending one night with you isn't going to make me fully trust you. What you did back on the train is unforgivable. You can either tell me where we are going, or bring me back home,” I told her.

That made her pause. I watched as she deflated her body.

“... I want to go into a bar,” she said.

“It seems more than a bar from how you’re saying it,” I walked closer to the woman.

“Yes, it’s more. The location is on the edge of Mamba Market, — a place I haven't been to in a while,” she said in a somber tone.

“So, you want to go there to drink.”

“More of a way to catch up with old acquaintances I haven't seen in a while.”

“Do they mean much to you?”

To my surprise, she shook her head, “No, just one person, the bartender. To bury the hatchet as a way to speak.”

“No, I can't go with you. I am out of my depth with this one.”

“Yeah, it was a stupid idea now that I said it out loud. It was awful of me to force you to come all the way out here,” she lowered her head.

“Thousand Cuts,” I placed my hand on her shoulder, “my time with you wasn’t all that awful, I had fun at the park.”

“So you do admit that you enjoyed my presence,” she said with a passion. “You passed the initiation, and now I can say that you’re my apprentice. White Shroud, you are going to go far into the path of darkness.

Sigh, “Always have to ruin the moment for me. Just take me back home before you give me another migraine.”

“I wouldn't have it any other way!” she beamed at me.