Air blew past my face as I power skipped down the hall. Each time I jumped I tried to go as far as I could in a straight line. It was kind of hard to contain myself within the halls. Every once in a while my head would almost hit the ceiling. The whole point of the exercise was to find control. It was a little dangerous but that was expected when one tried to imitate the flight of the majestic buffalo.

I tried braking mid jump by pressing my bare feet on the stone floor, and watched as I slid across the stone. My foot got caught on an uneven crack and I fell forward. “Whoa!”

I came to a stop face down. There was so much pain. When I noticed my nighty had flipped over my back. I quickly got up to rectify it. My face blushed and I looked around to make sure no one saw me. The coast was clear. I wiped my teary eyes. That’s when I noticed all the stones around me. Strange… when did the inside become the outside?

My mouth fell open as my predicament came to bare. There were now large cracks on the floor. They must have been from my take off. “Oops… Shadow is gonna kill me!” She was out shopping right now. If she sees the mess I made she’ll never leave me home alone again! I’ll have to go shopping with her and endure public shame. I really hate having to socialize with so many strangers. The thought of it made me feel constipated.

This is like the time I used mom’s lipstick to draw on the walls! What do I do?! I crotched down hugging my knees waiting for the end of my existence.

I stayed like that for far longer than I should have. A fire lit inside of me and I bounced back up. “No way! I can fix this.” Immediately, I ran around the hallway gathering the stones that had broken off. Some small, others large, always in different shapes. Though, I did manage to find two that looked a little like chicken wings if you squinted hard enough.

I started to stuff them into the cracks trying to reform the original smoothness of the stone floors. As much as I wished it would work it didn’t. I could already feel my butt burning from the pain that was going to be inflicted on me when Shadow came home.

It was only a few days ago that I was bent over her knee for that incident with the microwave. How was I supposed to know you weren’t supposed to put eggs in a microwave! The part that really got me in trouble was when I left it that way for Shadow to find. By the time she realized what I’d done, the whole thing was stuck to the inside. I ended up having to clean it out and she didn’t even let me use cleanse.

Maybe I could use the town building mechanics to fix the floor…. Oh but what if she sees the changes in the logs. All that stuff is documented by the system. I’m so screwed!

I felt tears forming already. What do I do?! What am I thinking! I’m a grown ass man! She’ll just have to deal with it. So I broke the floor big deal! I imagined myself standing up to Shadow. It went well up until she turned into a giant cat monster and swallowed me whole. When did she grow those fangs?! Was that real or just my imagination acting up again? I don't wanna find out!

Coming back to my senses I found myself curled up into a ball. “It’s gonna hurt!” My existential crisis came to a screeching halt when I heard a knock on the door. Was it Shadow!

“Wait… Shadow wouldn’t need to knock.” This was a stranger. Shadow told me not to talk to those. I tried ignoring them but the more they knocked the more dread I felt. This wasn't another centipede dream right? Didn't feel like a dream. I pulled Snowball out of my inventory and gave her a hug for support. It helped a little.

Even after a minute they continued to knock. Maybe I should see who it is? They could be in trouble. Reminds me of when I got multiple calls from the same unknown number.

I got to my feet. Shadow might get mad but I was in trouble either way. What's another nail when you've already got fifty of them in your coffin.

I made my way over and opened the door. There was a girl waiting on the other side. Not sure what age. She looked like a college girl maybe a high school senior. Her hair was white and her eyes were blue. She was dressed like a maid with the addition of a trucker hat. The hat had the words “Top Cat” written on the front in bold white letters. Strange choice of an accessory.

“Hello!” She sounded chipper. Morning people are annoying.

“Uh…. Hi? Who are you?” Why did Shadow have to leave the gate open. Now we have a weird lady camping in our yard. I could kill her. She was technically trespassing on private property. Technically.

“I’m your new roommate.” Roommate? What was she on about? ”Haven't you heard?” her eye’s gave off innocence.

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

“No?” had Shadow invited this girl to come and live here? If so then why! I don’t wanna deal with her. Already my anxiety is bubbling. I gave Snowball a squeeze hiding the lower half of my face behind her head.

“Um…. Well they've arranged for me to live with you.” This girl is suspicious.

“By who’s authority!?” I'm getting to the bottom of this.

Nervously, she looked away avoiding eye contact. “Weeell like the owner or landlord or something.”

“What are you talking about, I am the landlord!” I was just about ready to blast this girl.

“let me in!” She tried to get past me but I blocked her path.

“No! Go away!” I gave her a light shove.

“Whhhhhy?” She visually drooped and her face expression turned into puppy eyes. I almost felt sorry for her.

“I don't know you go away!” She seemed to change tactics angrily pouting. It was cute but I still wasn’t letting her come in. What if she’s a murder hobo. Those clothes probably weren’t even hers. Who wears a trucker hat with a maid dress. She must of killed a maid and some other poor soul.

“let me in I live here nyow.” Nyow? In response I ignited a fire ball suspending it mid air.

“Ah, wait, wait, wait, wait!” I held the fire ball firm allowing it to crackle in the open air. “You’d do yourself a huuuuuge favor… if you let me in.”

“Go on.” She stopped cowering and stood up straight.

“You seeeee… I’m not just any ordinary girl. There’s… there’s a huuuuuge secret. Underneath this hat.” She tore her hat away revealing a pair of white cat ears. At the same time her tail dangled behind her poking out the bottom of her dress.

“so…” normally I’d be gushing over her tail but this wasn't the time. I was wondering why she hid them to begin with.

She let out an angry noise. “It’s not a costume! These ears are real. Look! I can move them.” She managed to wiggle them around making what I could only describe as cat girl noises. “Nya, nya”

They looked real but what did that have to do with anything. I already have a cat girl. Although this one is white like Snowball. I was still unimpressed. A few “nya” sounds are nothing compared to what I caught Shadow doing the other day. She was perched on the roof chirping at a bird. It was precious.

“You can touch them if you don't believe me.” I was about to agree to it when I remembered how Mantis tried to kidnap me. He lured me in with candy then snatched me up like I was a doll. I wasn’t falling for silly tricks like that…. again. I shook my head.

“Please go away.” I tried to close the door but she blocked it with her foot!

“Whhhhhhhy! Don't you watch anime?” She was persistent. Maybe I should blast her. I moved the fire ball between us and she backed off. I couldn't close the door just yet since the fire ball was in the way.

“What…what if I get down on my knees and make this pose.” She did so resting her knees and her left fist on the ground while holding up her other fist in a paw like shape. She made another nya sound to express her charm stat.

It looked like charm didn't have much effect on me. Most likely because my charm stat was higher. Did this girl even know she had a charm stat? She held the pose far longer than she had to. Like telling a joke and not being sure if people understood it or not.

“Doesn’t… doesn't this make you feel a little weak?” Maybe she did know what charm was and was trying to brainwash me with cuteness. I wasn’t falling for it.

“Nope. You should leave before Shadow gets back.” She was in shock. Maybe this was the first time her little charm trick didn't work on someone.

“You are…… unusually strong willed. Freaking weirdo.” How was I the weirdo? She's the one doing all that weird stuff in front of a child. I’d put her in my dungeon if it wasn't for the fact that it would make Mantis happy.

“Go away already or I’ll cook and feed you to the hole!” My fire ball grew in size and the hole stirred at the mention of a meal. I kind of regret acknowledging it.

“wa-wa-wait!” She waved her fake paws around.

I sighed. “You have something else you want to tell me?” I really didn't want to kill her but I was also afraid I might get kidnapped again. Especially if Shadow finds out. Really should of minded my own business. I should go wake Luka up so she can deal with it. Then again she’s actually a kid. Not to mention this girls charm might actually work on her.

“Look. I didn't come here to rob you or anything….” She pulled a cardboard box out of her inventory and placed it on the ground. Then crawled inside. On the front of the box we’re the words “adopt me” written in black ink.

“I just really, really, really need a place to sleep. I don't want to be out here on my own. I… don’t have anywhere else to go.” This felt like another trick. Who carries around an adopt me box and pulls it out mid conversation so seamlessly. That had to be practiced. I think she was serious though.

“Sounds rough.” She didn't grasp my sarcasm.

“Can I please stay here? Just for tonight.” I let out a grown. “please, oh please, please, please, please, please, please, pleeeeeease.” She begged.

It's not like she can actually steal from us. I also don't feel like she has any ulterior motives. “Okay fine but only for a night.”

“Huh?….. Oh, okay. Thank you!” She sounded so grateful. Her box vanished along with my fire ball. I opened the door all the way and she came inside. Now what do I do about the floor.

“This place is a dump.” Excuse me! I let her stay for free and that's what she says to me!

She pulled out a broom and started to sweep the hallway. I wasn’t sure how I should respond. On one hand she called this place a dump. On the other she was helping me clean up. That's when I noticed it. The stone chunks were disappearing. The cracks slowly started to fill in and smooth out. What was this?

The cat girl started humming as she worked. I checked her stats and realized she was an NPC with the maid profession. I didn't know they had the power to fix stuff like that. She was done within minutes.

“There we go! Is there any other parts of the property that need cleaning, Shujin-sama?” I shook my head. I wasn’t expecting her to Dr. Seuss everything. Maybe I should hire her. She wasn't one of my NPCs but that wasn't a problem. I could easily brand her.