Author's Note: The Toofyverse (Toofy, Drachne, etc.) tends to be serious, dramatic, with long and complicated storylines.
"Everyday Life with Bubbles" is based in the same world, but from the perspective of a nobody. And nothing big will ever happen.
This one is sex-light, and a bit of a tease. Enjoy!
---
Bubbles was standing in line for the best fish seller in the entire capital city. She wasn't the only neko, not even close to it, even though the merchant hadn't had a chance to skin or gut any of them yet.
A white salamander was at the front of the line, their grumpiness making everyone give them a wide berth.
Bubbles tried to recount the fistful of silver she was tightly clutching, glaring around at the other catgirls who might try and pinch it. She wasn't very good at counting money, but it was important.
The best fish here, was two gold each. That was well outside what Bubbles could ever really hope to afford. But the midfish only cost an exorbitant amount of silver, about nine pieces each.
Bubbles struggled with the tiles versus coins aspect of coinage. Tiles were worth more, but she was never quite sure about the exchange rate. She had one tile, and six coins. She was hoping that was enough for a midfish, but she really just couldn't remember.
"I like this one, too."
The catgirl flicked her eyes over to the new arrival, squealed and ran. It was a tall neko, with long flowing black hair and silver catgirl ears. But what Bubbles instantly recognised were the eyes.
Most nekos were born with golden eyes, marking out their magical ability. Halfborns sometimes had eyes from their mongrel breeding. Bubbles' own eyes were closer to a pale yellow than gold. However, there was only one neko with red eyes.
The fucking empress who had eaten the heart of a motherfucking demon and stolen its soul.
Bubbles tail dropped between her legs as she sprinted into the closest alley, and she heard a distant tinkling on the ground. She leaned against a wall and frantically counted her coins again.
She moaned as she realised she'd dropped the tile. No way she'd afford a midfish now. The silver would be long gone by the time she got back to it, and there was no way in the void she was going to try before the empress was gone.
She stuffed her coins into her bra, and slid down the wall to sit and pout.
To the people of this city, Bubbles was a street kitty. It wasn't a term of endearment. She was a neko who couldn't afford a place to live, or chose not to live indoors. Someone who probably worked for one of the street gangs, or begged, or stole, or all three.
Bubbles wasn't really sure how she felt about the title. She did know that it sucked, because now she couldn't afford her fish, which had been going to be her highlight for the day, so now she was trying not to cry.
Trying, and not succeeding.
One of the other nekos at the stall had smelled like they were in heat, which was probably why she was feeling so emotional and not just quiet and glum. Nekos tended to sync their cycles, which probably meant that Bubbles was going to be horny as fuck by the end of the day.
It was rude to go out in public when in heat, because it caused crap like this. However, it wasn't like Bubbles hadn't done it once or twice. Either because she hadn't realised, or because she was on the prowl.
However, Bubbles didn't tend to go into heat regularly.
She was old enough, however she was a virgin. She hadn't chosen a master, and she wanted her first time to be with the person she never wanted to ever leave.
She'd tried prowling for males, but it didn't work out that well for her. As a street kitty, it wasn't like she was anyone's first choice. Which meant she'd met a lot of jerks.
She wasn't interested in someone who just wanted to use her as tilled soil.
Bubbles sniffled, thinking about the fish she wanted, and now couldn't have. Even the midfish was better than most others. She could maybe afford one crappy secondfish from one of the other stallholders, but that wasn't what she wanted.
She wanted his midfish.
She rolled her jaw stubbornly. She didn't really like stealing. Most nekos were good at it, because they could use their magic to disappear, or they could outsprint a horse.
She was too clumsy to run, and too dumb to use her magic properly. Being caught stealing by the guards had taught her that she was a terrible thief.
Also, she did not have a spanking fetish. Not even a little.
She winced, remembering how she'd been left unable to sit down for a week last time. The guards went easy on her, by not tossing her in a prison cell, but they certainly left their reminder behind.
She didn't have the silver for midfish. She didn't have the skill to steal midfish. She wanted her fucking midfish.
That really only left Bubbles with one choice.
Convince someone else to help her pull off a heist.
---
Her tummy was beyond grumbling by the time the jerk she was waiting for finally turned up for his shift at the restaurant.
Bubbles didn't have a lot of friends, and there was no one she could hire to help her filch her midfish. Which meant she had to deal with one of the jerks who always tried to get inside her pants.
He was fun, when he wasn't trying to convince her to give up her cherry to him.
She liked drinking with him, and playing games in the street with him. They'd scammed a few people together when they were young and reckless, after Bubbles had got her hands on some loaded dice.
After the guards had beaten them for that, Jackie had the dice turned into earrings for her. She kept them safe in her little alcove above the baker's shop, where she slept, with the rest of her treasures.
He paused as he was walking by her, tying his apron around his waist, "Eh... Bubbles? Don't usually see you here, this early, kit. What's up?"
"Call her a kit, again."
He shrugged, "Well, you're in a bad mood, and I'm running late. I'll talk to you later, sexy."
"Wait!" Bubbles said and pawed at one of her ears and sighed. "She... She needs a favour. She... Wants something."
The human's brown eyes lit up, and he smirked, "Oh? This sounds fun."
"She's not fucking you." Bubbles glared and sighed. She took one quick look around the room and then whispered, "There's something she needs stolen. She can't afford it."
Jackie sat down beside her at the table, grinning, "Well, things just got exciting. What do you want, sexy?"
"Fish. Specifically, Rogar's midfish." She whispered nervously.
He drummed his fingers on the tabletop, "Ah. Yeah, that shit's expensive. But he does always have a ton of street cats lining up to buy even his leftovers."
"That's secondfish. She wants midfish." Bubbles correct him with irritation. Stupid human unable to tell the difference between leftovers and mid-quality product.
Jackie shrugged, "Sure. Uh... I'm a bit busy, as much fun as it sounds. I really need to work, today. Flat broke. But there is someone I know who might make a deal with you, but you won't like it."
"She wants it." Bubbles moaned desperately, sticking out her bottom lip.
He nodded and patted her head, "I hear you, Bub. I hear you... Anyways, Veronique would be up for it, I think."
She hissed at him for touching her head, for treating her like he owned her. Yet, that was the way he always treated her. It was annoying as crap, but he was still a decent enough friend so she tolerated it. Barely.
Bubbles then processed what he had said and muttered slowly, "Veronique? You mean... Oh, gods. He doesn't mean Veron, does he?"
"Oh, he does." Jackie chuckled and stood up, "She's hanging out down the Quarter, or has been most mornings. But not a lot of clients. She'll probably ask for something in kind, though."
"Veron wants to fuck her almost as bad as the Jackie does!" Bubbles moaned loudly, ears going flat, "Damn crossdresser is going to at least demand a blowjob."
Jackie shrugged, "Ever given one?"
"You know fucking well that Bubbles hasn't even kissed anyone because you're all jerks." She stuck her nose in the air.
The human was unconcerned, "Remain untouched, or get your fish, sexy. I need to get to the kitchen. Love you, Bub."
"Fuck you." She muttered angrily as he moved away.
The catgirl sat there for a minute, strongly considering going back to her alcove and sulking for the rest of the day. If anyone could sulk and refuse to do something, it was a neko.
The bakery would just be throwing out the loaves from the day before, and the owner generally tossed a piece of sugarloaf up to her if he could spare it.
She could suck on that and cry as she mourned the fish she wouldn't be eating because she was a klutz and the empress was fucking scary.
Bubbles slammed a hand on the table in irritation and walked out of the tavern.
---
The Quarter, as it was locally called, was not quite the seediest part of the city, but it certainly wasn't anywhere you went without knowing how to deal with a cutpurse.
There were more whorehouses than houses, and more gang enforcers than there were guards. You were stepping into a place that had its own laws, and its own ever-shifting borders between the faceless corruptions that enforced them.
Bubbles walked with her tail uncomfortably curled in so tight it was rubbing on her girl bits. Her ears were constantly on the swivel, and she was counting the coins pressed into her bra. The thieves here were good.
"Hey, kitty, looking for a good time?" An elf, with a face like a tauran sat on it, approached her, putting a hand to her elbow. Bubbles pulled away with an angry hiss.
She hated the Quarter. Way too many whores, with way too low standards. But... Everyone just wants to put something in their stomach.
She spotted Veron easily enough.
The guy had used to corner her in the tavern, most nights. He'd even walked in on her in the lady's room a couple dozen times. She half-suspected he had a peeing fetish by the way he'd cornered her when she was midstream.
However, she wasn't sure when, but recently Veron had decided he could get more clients if he wore a skirt and called himself Veronique. It wasn't a lifestyle choice, it was an economic one.
