With the arrival of White Clover’s 5th member in the form of Capryce, things have begun to pick up, though the actual pay-off of this was delayed.
The next couple weeks following their meet-up, she not even once joined in their daily questing activities. She didn’t even bother to show up or explain why she was absent.
This type of behavior was nothing new to them. Being the embodiment of “shadow” itself it’s natural for her actions to seem dubious.
Thankfully, they did not have to worry for long.
One morning, there was a knock at the door of Gomenne and Kiki’s apartment. It was up to Kiki to answer as Gomenne who had been pulling all-nighter was passed out in their living room floor, accompanied by Muffler cuddled up to her.
Upon opening the door, Kiki was greeted by two men wearing deep purple cat-shaped masks and suits to match. She was deeply familiar with this uniform.
“Good morning, Miss Kiki,” one of the masked men spoke, “It’s been a while, has it not?”
Kiki’s hesitated to speak at first but quickly pulled herself together. “Yeah. Capryce wants something from us, right?”
“Indeed. Lady Capryce has something she wants you all to see. She’s prepared transportation for the lot of you. We’ve collected Miss Star as well, you will meet with her soon.”
Kiki looked back into the living room, then back at the two men. “Give us fifteen minutes.”
The masked men raises his hand to his chest and does a slight bow. “Of course. We will be waiting by the car.”
Kiki closes the door, immediately walking into the living room. She bends down over Gomenne and gently smacks her on the cheek to wake her, doing the same to Muffler.
“C’mon, get up. We gotta get going.”
“Wha—Huh?” Gomenne woke up with a start. “Kiki what the hell?”
“It’s Capryce’s guys. They want us to go with them.”
“Ugh, why can’t she just call us like a normal person?” Gomenne complained mid-yawn.
Muffler yawned as she got up. “What’s going on? Where are we going?”
“You’ll see, Muffy,” answered Kiki, “Cappy’s weird but there’s always a reason for what she does.”
Gomenne and Muffler hurriedly washed up and changed into clean clothes before Kiki pushed them out the apartment. They met with the two men, who welcomed them by opening the car door for them.
Soon, they were off to were off to meet up with Capryce.
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The car stops in front of a white brick building, looking inconspicuous among the capitol’s famous white buildings. From the outside it looked much like a store front or an office building.
Gomenne and company are escorted inside into a small lobby area. Star was already there, standing next to two other masked men.
“Morning girls!” Star greeted.
“Hey. Star, you know what’s going on?” Gomenne rudely greeted back. Kiki and Muffler greeted her more politely.
“Well, maybe you should listen to what Capryce has to say. She’s in the conference room, just behind us.”
“Fine,” sighed Gomenne, “Let’s get this over with so I can go back to sleep.”
“Wait, ‘conference room’?” Kiki pointed out.
“Oh, I guess you guys really are in the dark about all this, huh,” Star replied with a small chuckle, “No pun intended.”
Star turned to the cat masks behind her. “We’re ready now, gentlemen.”
“Understood. This way, please.” The cat masks stand in front and in back of the girls, sandwiching them as they are escorted into the next room.
Inside, there is hallway of a few doors, all fitted with viewing windows, and at the end of the hallway is one single door that is slightly ajar. The cat masks take them to that lonely door.
It was indeed a conference room. There was a large table with multiple office chairs and a pull-down projector screen covering a chalkboard.
Capryce was seen talking to a couple of the cat masks briefly before she turned her attention to Gomenne and company.
“That’ll be all. I can take it from here,” Capryce said as she was handed a manila envelope.
“As you wish, Lady. We will be within reach for when we’re needed, like always,” all of the cat masks take a bow and then exit the room. A couple of them are stationed outside of the room, as seen through the window of the door.
“You all can sit down now,” Capryce gestured at the table. The group look at each other before taking seats at the table.
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“I’m glad to see you still have control over her, Kiki,” Capryce remarked.
“It’s not exactly easy, y’know,” Kiki chuckled.
Capryce and Gomenne lock eyes for a second, not saying a word to each other.
“Right,” Capryce clears here throat before continuing, “I’m sorry for gathering all of your here so early in the morning but it’s important.”
She opens the envelope she had been holding, pulling out some documents that looked like quest forms from where the others were sitting.
“I’ve gotten a quest for us to do.”
“Is it pest control?” Gomenne asked wearily.
“Please, as if I’d drag you out here just to do janitor duty. No, this isn’t anything like those pity quests they throw at stupid young people.”
Capryce takes the slip of paper and puts it on the table, pushing it towards the others with her fingers. Gomenne and company lean forward to see what’s written. There is a blurry photograph of some strange creature paper clipped onto it.
Capryce continues speaking.
“I’m aware President Rosewater has already informed you about the current situation.”
“This is about the black slime, right?” guessed Star.
“There have been forest fires to the east coast of the continent caused by strange lightning storms that even meteorologists are baffled by. Anyone who gets too close has been attacked by a bear-like chimera who appears to be controlling said lightning.”
She paused briefly to look at the others who looked stunned by this new information.
“Cloudia,” Gomenne was the first to say what everyone was thinking. “This is her, isn’t it? In this picture?”
“I can’t see it clearly but her white coat seemed to have turned black,” Star pointed out. “Does this mean Kaara has something to do with the black slime after all?”
“But why? If she really is behind this, what’s her plan? Doesn’t make any sense,” added Kiki.
Gomenne looked to Muffler and noticed her intense expression. Was she angry? Maybe deep in thought? It was difficult to discern what she was feeling at the moment, but it was not the face one would expect a child to be making.
She lightly tapped Muffler’s shoulder, causing the young one to jolt in surprise.
“Muffy, you okay?” Gomenne asked with concern.
“Huh? Oh! Sorry. Yeah, I’m okay!”
“Got somethin’ on your mind?”
“Yeah actually.”
Everyone in the room looked at Muffler.
“Seeing the black stuff on Cloudia made me think about what happened with Mizuki’s friend. I don’t know how to describe it words but while that was happening, I felt weird. I don’t know if it was a good weird or a bad weird.”
“Think you can do what you did before for Cloudia?” Gomenne questioned.
“I dunno but I wanna try. Cloudia’s my friend too, so we gotta save her!”
“Such a good girl, Muffy!” Gomenne said with a rare smirk, ruffling Muffler’s hair. “Hahaha, I’m so glad we didn’t ditch you when we had the chance!”
“What do you mean ‘we’? You were the one who wanted to,” quipped Kiki with a snicker.
“Quiet you,” Gomenne huffed.
“Looks like I don’t need to say much else to persuade you. Though, I want to know one thing first,” Capryce interjected.
“What is it, Cappy?” Star questioned.
“Why do you guys keep calling this boy a girl?”
The room fell completely silent. Their jovial expressions quickly became ones of bewilderment as Star, Kiki, and Gomenne all looked at a confused Muffler.
“I’m a boy? What do you mean? But everyone says I’m a girl.”
“You know,” Star started, “now that I think about it, we did all just assume Muffler was a girl, didn’t we?”
“She doesn’t smell male to me,” Kiki commented.
“Wait wait wait, hang on. Muffy, are you a boy or a girl?” Gomenne asked, looking especially bewildered.
Muffler thought for a moment and responded, “Uhhh, what is ‘boy and girl’ again?”
The girls looked at each other in complete disbelief as the revelation of what should’ve been obvious to them before washes over them, and none of them were equipped to educate her.
The young child they discovered in the forest just a month ago has been brought much joy to their lives, but has also been a source of great confusion.
Questions as to who she was, where she came from, who her parents are, or what mysterious powers does she hold were always on the back of their minds but were safely shoved aside to assure her ultimate comfort.
Or wait, no. Is it actually ‘he’ now?
Not even little Muffler knows the answer.