"Swank place you got here. I like it!" Cresta cruised into the living room without her suitcases. Feline eyes scanned every little detail of the room like she was making a mental checklist, and her furry tail swung back and forth excitedly like she was a dog instead of a cat.
I came to my senses and scrambled to bring her stuff in. They were heavy as hell. So heavy that the wheels didn't do jack shit to lighten the load, and I had to drag them through the door one at a time. I was out of breath by the time I got them both in. Either I needed to lay off the chips and pizza, or this girl was packing some serious muscles on that short, slender body.
"Hey, Cresta—" Shouting her name only got my own echo to respond. The living room was empty. Not a soul in sight except for the ones in the television. "She's gone...? Did I just lose my first tenant?"
She was a cat. Where the hell could she be?
I was about to start panicking when a creaking sound alerted my ears to the ceiling. Cresta was curled around the ceiling fan, curled around the five blades like she was soaking the sun on a beach chair.
"Aw, damn. You weren't supposed to notice. Maybe I'm losing my touch," Cresta said.
"Losing your touch? Were you trying to ambush me?!" I stepped away just in case she and the fan fell.
The netherfolk girl landed gingerly on her feet without making a sound, and then peered at me with twitching ears.
"I wasn't really going to hurt you. You're the caretaker, right? If I so much as lay a finger on you, it's back to Weyera." She laid down on the couch and stretched herself out.
"Weyera… If I remember right, that's the name of your world." I tried to recall as much as I could from the briefing, then mentally smacked myself for having neglected reading the rest of Cresta's dossier that was given to me.
"Caretaker!" Cresta popped in front of me and gave me a scare.
"Oh, god— I can hardly hear you move, let alone breathe. You gotta not sneak up on me like that, or I'm headed for an early grave…" I said, clutching my chest. Her face was so close. Cresta was leaning in too close for my heart to handle. Shoulder-length, curly blonde hair framed a curious face with round, blue eyes. If it weren't for the ears and tail, she could have passed for a human. "By the way, I haven't introduced myself yet. You don't have to call me caretaker. Akira is fine."
Cresta's head cocked to one side and she mouthed my name slowly. "Ah-kee-ra. Akira! Human names from Earth really roll off the tongue."
Lord help me. She's too cute, treating my name like it was an assignment to succeed at. For a former assassin, this cat girl really had the innocent look going for her. Maybe she wasn't all that violent to begin with? I guess my worry was completely unfounded.
"So, Akira. I've been meaning to ask since the moment I got here. There's something I'd like to try," she began, pressing her index fingers together and looking down at her feet while tinted with a shade of blush.
I swallowed hard at her sudden shift in demeanor.
Was this going to be my first flag with Cresta? All the dating sim games I played in the past led to this moment. Shit— don't be nervous, Akira. Be still my beating heart. Stay calm and answer her question properly.
"Mmmmmhh! It's so good!" Cresta munched into her Mega-Sized Special Rocket Burger like it was her last meal.
We took a cab into the city, making a beeline to the nearest burger joint, Rocket Burger. When I was assigned to be caretaker, Professor Markel gave me a tour of the city and this was the first place he treated me to. In retrospect, that bastard treated me here because the food was cheap. At least it was good for its price.
Ketchup dripped down her chin like it was blood she was dining on. Every bite she took was more than she could chew, forcing her to chase it down with a big gulp of soda. Seeing her ears twitch and eyes squeezed shut with delight, hearing her squeal after each bite and the blissful sigh that followed, all made me think she was as much a gourmand as she was a glutton.
I sat across from her and watched in silence, still embarrassed for thinking that she was going to ask about something less than wholesome.
"Are you going to eat that?" she pointed to my untouched fries since her own carton had gone empty.
"Knock yourself out." I pushed it over to her tray.
Instead of eating the fries outright, Cresta sandwiched them between her burger, making it much larger than it was meant to be. She might as well be swallowing her meal whole.
"You really like our fast food that much? I guess coming from your world, this is probably a rare treat." I finally started eating my burger in case she asked for it next.
Cresta patted her chest to knock the food down her pipe so she could talk. "The first time I had a burger was during a ten-day siege on the Cascordian border. Soldiers from your world brought some savoury food with them that smelled amazing. I couldn't believe my taste buds when they shared a burger with me. I swore to survive the war in order to come to earth and have some more!"
"Heh. You're in luck coming to this country. It's pretty infamous for having all kinds of fast food joints with thousands of different kinds of burgers," I explained.
She listened with vested interest, leaning across the table and with both ears facing directly at me. Her eyes sparkled when I told her— what was probably not an exaggeration— about burgers here.
"I have a new mission in life— to eat as many burgers as I can in your world!" she declared.
"Well… let's keep it in moderation so you can live past 40," I said.
Once Cresta had her fill, she begged me to buy her a couple more to eat later. It was for the best since the dormitory fridge was empty, and all I had was leftover pizza. Once we got back, I should order some groceries delivered to the dorm.
The pedestrian signal turned green, but just as we were about to cross, a car ran a red and blared the horn. I barely stepped back in time to avoid getting hit.
"Geez. Watch where you're going!" I shouted, but the vehicle was long gone. "Cresta, you alright?"
Cresta wasn't right behind me anymore. She had hidden herself behind a trash can, hands pressing down her ears, fur standing on end, and trembling all over. I rushed over to see what was wrong.
"It's okay! You're fine. The car's long gone now," I said quietly.
She opened her eyes, saw me, and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Not used to cars?" I asked.
"I'm fine! Just… caught off guard," she answered.
That was a forced answer if I ever heard one. Cresta was right behind me, so I was in more danger of getting hit by the car than she was. Then what spooked her? The car honking? I was sure I had read this somewhere in the dossier and forgot.
There was a clothing store across the street that gave me an idea. I took her across and had her wait outside for a minute.
"Try this." I put a pair of puffy ear muffs, where the band was elastic enough to bend into a good shape to fit on her feline ears. She looked silly and out of place, but it should be able to dull harsh noises like horns.
"You knew right away I couldn't handle loud noises?" she asked, staring up at me with those big, round eyes.
"Well, it didn't take a lot of thinking. I figured it wasn't a topic you wanted to get into, but I could at least do something to help, no questions asked or discussions had. Besides, you're my first tenant. It's my job to take care of you," I said, hoping my tiny act wasn't being too nosy.
She giggled to herself, rubbed the ear muffs on her head, and swayed back and forth like her tail swung.
"Thanks, Akira." She grinned, flashing a toothy smile.
Cresta wanted to take the long way home. Earth was a new place to her, and she wanted to take in as much of the sights as she could. Even if there wasn't much to see. The dorm was a twenty minute walk. If I wasn't walking with her, this would have been unbearable for a shut-in like me.
"What made you want to come to Earth? You can't possibly be serious about burgers being the reason, right?" I asked.
"With the Calamitous War over and demons no longer a threat Granieda had no need for assassins anymore. So, High-King Tarcosa dismissed me from service," she answered.
"Wait, you served in a bloody war only to have your king give you the boot at the end?" It blew my mind because it sounded like she did a lot for her people.
Cresta shook her head. "It wasn't like that! Tarcosa just wanted me to lead a different life. Now I'm out here enjoying delicious food with you!"
Her humor was infectious. But if she agreed with her king that this was for the best, who was I to disagree?
"I gotta be honest though. Seeing you stuff your face with burgers made it hard to believe you could be a disciplined assassin," I teased.
"Hey! I was one of the best in my unit!" She pouted.
A shady-looking dude with a beanie and heavy gray jacket on was on a collision course with me and Cresta, showing no intention of moving. Another guy behind us had snuck up close without me noticing.
Were we about to get jumped in broad daylight? Shit, I wasn't prepared for this at all. With Cresta right next to me, I couldn't just take off running.
The guy in front suddenly made a mad dash towards us.
"Cresta, get behind me!" I put my arms out to protect her just as both men pulled out pocket knives.
However, the incident was over the moment I blinked. By the time they reached us, their knives clattered to the ground. Cresta had her nails— no, claws pressed against their jugulars. Neither of them dared breathe for fear of puncturing their throats.
"I'd walk away if I were you, punks." Cresta growled menacingly.
"She's a netherfolk! Run!"
They didn't look back running away. She retracted her claws and clapped her hands, then gave me a thumbs' up. "I might not have a king to serve anymore, but as long as you keep those burgers coming, I'll protect you with my life."
My very first otherworldly tenant was a cat girl— and she was also an assassin.