"Drive faster!"
"I will not!"
"But, we must get there faster!"
"I don't even think they are open this early. We may have to wait outside anyway. Would you calm down?"
"NO! I must see the animals now!"
Syr rolled her eyes at Kitty, whose behavior had been beyond childish since she had learned about her impromptu trip to the animal café. Sitting on the passenger seat, the small Asian girl pointlessly tried to look farther down the road as if that would take her closer to the cake shop faster. She was known to be excitable, but this time it was a severe case.
This surprise had flicked a switch inside her brain. Staying home and being lazy was something she has been mainly doing because nothing was appealing outside her little cat girl world; it was either too uninteresting, like going out shopping, or too complicated, like finding a job and making money. But the opportunity of going out to play with real animals while having breakfast was exactly the kind of unexpected activity that had the potential to motivate her. Her current nervosity showed how veridic that was.
"Hey, Kitty. Why are you so pumped about going there? I knew you liked animals, but... That much?"
"I'm not sure... When I was little, my father and mother used to take me to a petting zoo. That was my favorite thing in the world. I could play with the rabbits, feed them, and play with the baby sheep... Have you ever done that, Syr?"
"Yes, I did. Aunt Michelle took me to a petting zoo once for Easter."
"And?"
"They were just small animals... I don't know. They were cute, I guess."
"Cute? They are all so ADORABLE. You must be broken for not being thrilled about going to the animal café with me."
"Oh... I am, Kitty, I am. But not for the reasons you might think."
"What does that even mean? What are you hiding from me?"
Since they have left the house, Syr repeatedly sent blurry messages to her friend, more than likely on purpose. The apparent goal was to confuse Kitty and, perhaps, prepare her for something bigger than she envisioned. The small cat girl was smart, but she still couldn't figure out the suspicious attitude her roleplaying expert friend imposed upon her.
Nothing has worked so far. Kitty had stared at Syr from very close, trying to make her crack and tell the truth. She had even tried to hug her and lick her neck, which had only resulted in a hand in the face pushing her back to her seat. It was useless; Syr just wouldn't give away her secrets.
As the car rolled down the road, Kitty asked the same questions all over again.
"So, are you sure there is a raccoon there? Clara said there was a raccoon."
"Yes, they do. But it's not there all the time. I told you, you have to manage your expectations."
"But, I MUST pet the raccoon! Or else I'll be super sad!"
"If she is not there, we can come back another time."
"SHE?"
"..."
"What do you mean by SHE?"
"The raccoon is a female. I know that much."
"You seem to know an awful lot about the animals they have?"
"Remember, Kitty. The owner is my client. We talk on a regular basis. I've been there too once."
"Is it a big place?"
"No. It's fairly small. It's a small lounge. So you can interact with the animals easily."
"Are the waitresses cute? Clara and Misti were, so, are they waitresses?"
"I'm not sure. You'll see once we get there, I suppose."
Unsurprisingly, Kitty had now shifted her attention to the two cute girls she knew worked there. They had visited her home a while ago to do business with Syr, but she had not managed to pull a lot of details out of them, not for the lack of trying; that Clara girl had a serious problem expressing herself. Did she behave like that because she was shy or because she was trying to hide something? Since Syr clearly hid something, the latter seemed more plausible.
A nasty, nasty thought ran through Kitty's head for an instant, though. What if Syr, Clara, and Misti had not told her much about the café because they feared she would cause trouble? She was aware of her own personality. Playful, childish, and sometimes a bit too intense. For the first time in a long time, Kitty wondered if she had gone too far with this kind of behavior. Perhaps it would be worth considering rebalancing her energy level and relaxing her most annoying behavior.
She sank a bit in her seat when she revisited in her head what she had done to her friends during the past month when refusing to take off her latex suit. It was mainly to be playful, but was it possible that she had hurt her friends a little by going too far? Erika was delighted to spank her every time she broke a rule, but Mark and Syr were more "normal" in general and wouldn't do the same. All of a sudden, Kitty felt a bit selfish.
"Hey... Syr..."
"Yes? What is it?"
"... I'm sorry."
"Sorry? For what? You did nothing wrong."
"Well, I've been a bit annoying recently."
"Annoying? Why would you say that?"
"You know... My... behavior. Sometimes I do extreme things... but I don't mean bad. I'm just... having fun."
"Aaah. We all know that, Kitty. But, yes, you made Master Mark anxious recently. He cares about your well-being a lot, you know. He just doesn't want you to harm yourself with your games."
"Oh, I know that. But he always lets me do all I want. And sometimes, I go too far because he will never say no."
"I don't think it's your fault, Kitty. Master Mark has to learn how to handle you better."
"Uh? Handle me better?"
"Yes. At times, he can be... spineless."
"OH MY GOD! Did you just say that, Syr?"
"... Please, don't tell him I told you that."
"NEVER! But I want to hear more!"
"Well, you know... Sometimes I wish Master Mark would be more... masterly. But he doesn't seem to like that too much."
"Oh, and this is why you blackmailed him this morning? Because you wanted to go on a trip with him during which he would treat you like a slave?"
"You make my idea sound terrible... but yes. That was part of it."
"Niiice!"
That last bit of conversation cheered Kitty right back up. Not only did she not feel nearly as guilty for having caused Mark some healthy distress, but her friend had validated that she wasn't the sole responsible person for the recent chaos at the house. It was great to have a friend like Syr, who could bring in a different perspective on things.
The car slowly made its way downtown, where the café was apparently located. Looking left and right for a parking spot, they finally decided to get inside an underground lot. It was simpler than trying to decipher the numerous parking signs out on the street, and with a long-term parking spot, they wouldn't feel pressured to leave if they had a good time and wanted to extend their stay.
After exiting the car and slamming the door behind herself, Kitty discovered something remarkable about underground garages. She began yelling like a mad girl...
"SYR IS A PERVERT!"
