Lords And Ladies (2.9)

“This is not good, this is not good at all.  This place seems hard to defend.”

“Well, with the front door open all day...”

“It has to be open.  It’s a public library.”

“Why would you keep something like this open?  Anyone could walk in and steal shit.  Or burn it down.”

“It’s called freedom, Bobby.  This library is a place of freedom.  Can you smell the freedom?  I can smell it, and it smells-”

“Like old books?”

“Exactly.  The oft-forgotten smell of Old World democracy.  Ahhh.”

“Hey, guys?  I think the Librarian’s calmed down.”

“Great.”

Kitty had finally stopped screaming some time ago, controlling her breathing and trying to relax in the minutes since.

There were now, she notices, five heavily armed strangers hanging out in the front hall.  They were all wearing badges.

“Um, excuse me,” says Kitty, raising a finger gingerly.  “Hey.  Um.  What’s going on?”

“We’ve been assigned to the Library’s day watch,” says Lincoln.

“...Ah,” says Kitty, not at all reassured or satisfied by that answer.  She glances down at where a few minutes earlier a dead body had been, until the police had dragged it off somewhere and scrubbed down the desk.

“We were told to come here ahead of the staff.  Good thing we did too, miss, or otherwise...”

“Staff?” says Kitty.  “Staff?  What staff? There is no staff!”

“Staff incoming,” says a woman with a shaved head, as she and a Chinese Shark - apparently the officer named Bobby - open both sides of a door.  Lincoln turns.

“Y’all can come in now!” he shouts.  “Situation’s been resolved.”

People seem to flow in from outside. Their ethnicities are all over the place, primarily Asian and Middle Eastern countries.  Every single one of them was wearing those ridiculous/fashionable cat headbands, which Kitty had learned apparently were only instated a few generations ago by a relative of hers with a severe interest in fursuits.

“Who are all these people?” says Kitty, as they walk in and mill about in the front hall.  Many of them held luggage.

“Staff,” says Richard, arms folded.

“Who’s in charge here?  Is it the guy impersonating a United States President?  I feel like I need to talk to someone in charge.”

Lincoln looks at Richard.

Richard looks at Lincoln.

Lincoln shrugs and calls out.  “Hey, boss lady!   Miss Kitten wants to talk to you.”

A woman turns from the crowd of alleged staff and strides forward with her chin held high.  She looks...Nothing like Kitty expected.

Most of her body was concealed.  Not by traditional body armor, or a police uniform, no; the only sign of that was a badge pinned to her chest.  What she did have was a fuzzy pink jacket, with equally pink pants, boots, and gloves (the latter two of which had a little fuzzy trim where they met her other clothes).   The jacket’s hood was presently pulled down, revealing thin, straight hair about shoulder length.  Thin, straight, pink hair.

Two pistols were strapped to a holster around her waist.  A third, smaller gun was strapped to her chest.

She stops in front of the desk, and bows.  “Jenna Crescel, at your service my Lady.”

Kitty blinks.  “Nice boob gun.”

Officer Jenna looks as if Kitty has just shot her grandmother.  “W-what?”

Lincoln leans in.  “Ix-nay on the est-chay.”

“Erm, sorry.  I mean...Uh...What’s happening?”

Jenna relaxes a little, her shoulders dropping.  She lets out a relieved sigh. “Miss,as I understand it, Lady Tiger has been pushing for various reforms to the Library in the Court all week.  She wanted you and the Library put under armed guard both day and night for the foreseeable future, and help hired from the Tiger community.  She brought Ladies Wolf and Raven over to her side and, well, that was that.  Lady Wolf sent the orders down the line, and, well.  Here we are, on order from Captain Isabella Faust-”

“What!”

“-to protect you.  As a Tiger, I am also here to help you coordinate things and act as a bodyguard.  If there’s anything we can do for you or help you with, just let me know.  I am your right hand.”

“...Okay, good to know.”

“Also, I need to use your desk.”

“...Okay?  Go ahead.”

“Thank you, ma’am.  I appreciate it.”

Jenna proceeds to hop up onto the desk, turning around and looking at the servants.  She whistles to attract attention.

.A polished metal tail hangs in front of Kitty’s face.  After a moment of confusion she realizes it’s going into Jenna’s clothing.  It swishes back and forth, almost realistically.

“Listen up, everyone!  We’ve already had one attack today, so we’re on high alert.  I doubt they’ll try again, but that’s no excuse.  We’ve got to get settled in as quickly as possible.  Kitchen staff, we found an old but still functional large kitchen and quarters in the basement on our initial sweep, get down there and scrub it clean.  There’s a whole unused floor up top, so I want some of you up there checking it out.  See if we can convert that into something.  The assistant Librarians should talk to Kitty, figure out where everything is.  Bob, I want you to set a sniper’s nest up on the roof.”

“Gotcha.”

“Richard, Lincoln, Zoe, you’re on patrol.  Keep an eye on the front and back exits at all times.  I’ll stay with Lady Kitten, try to help her get acclimated.  Got that?  Dismissed!”

The crowd disperses.  A small group of them approaches Kitty.

One of them appears to be a middle aged woman with pale skin.   She’s wearing a dress with a knee length skirt and boots and, somewhat more strikingly, a long flowing cloak.  Gray eyes peer out from under the cloak, but there’s a gentle, knowing smile there.  Curiously enough, Kitty notices that two long, braided blonde pigtails hanging from underneath either side of the cloak’s hood.  Other than her skin color suggesting various European descents, Kitty can’t place much about her ethnicity or tribe.

Standing further away is a tanned white woman, around Kitty’s age, in a floppy beret covering shoulder length (and very straight) brown hair. Kitty can see her unusual white lipstick even from behind the desk, as well as her slightly scuffed looking black slippers.  She watches everyone in the front hall like a field mouse ready for the end, a slight frown on her face.

She appears to be trying to hide behind a much taller woman, who seems very familiar-”Evangeline?” gasps Kitty, genuinely surprised.

She smiles and waves at Kitty, still dressed as if a gothic formal dinner party might break out at any moment.  “I said I’d visit.”

“Is that an axe?”  Kitty says, pointing at the sharp weapon she’s hoisting over her shoulder.

“Yep.  They said I should probably come armed.  Of course, I told them that was silly, we’d have plenty of protection.”

“...Right.”

“I have full faith in the police department.”

“Um.  All right then.  Glad to have you aboard.”

“Oh, yes,” says Eva, waving a hand towards the other two woman.  “I met these two at your sister’s  place.   She gave us a bit of a briefing on the Library, you know.”

“That’s good?”

Eva smiles enthusiastically.  “That’s Anastasia over there.”

The middle aged woman nods.  “Pleased to meet you, Lady Kitten.  I have plenty of experience with books.”

“Oh, good.”

“And  the girl is Nicolette.”  She frowns.  “I think she’s a street orphan.”

“Oh...”  Kitty waves sheepishly.  The girl stares at the hand, then waves sheepishly back.

“Um, sorry to hear that, Nicolette,” offers Kitty.  “Um, I’m sure you’ll fit in well here.  Oh, I know!  Any books you particularly like...?” Kitty says, in a rising hopeful tone.

Nicolette frowns more deeply, rubbing her arm.

“...I’ve said something wrong,” Kitty says quickly.  “Um, I am so sorry-”

“She’s mute,” says Eva.

“...Oh.”  Nicolette nods with embarrassment, as Kitty rubs her neck with some embarrassment of her own.  “Well, that’s all right.”

“So, boss,” says Eva, winking.  “What are your orders?”

“Orders?”

“What do you want them to do?” says Jenna, causing Kitty to jump a little before she remembers her presence.  “They’re your assistants.”

“Oh.  Um...”