Lucky Rabbit

Pandy hopped backwards, but not fast enough. The kitten’s needle-like claws sank into her haunches as she turned to run.

-3 LF

-5 LF

-3 LF

Ouch! Those claws were sharper than she’d thought, and while she could kick Miss Cupcakes away using her powerful back legs, she was afraid it could seriously injure the cat. Still, she’d allowed her rabbit instincts to make her turn away, so now she only had one response available.

Balancing on her forepaws, Pandy kicked backwards as hard as she could. She felt her fluffy feet impact the kitten’s equally fluffy face, and wished she could see if she’d inflicted any damage. How much LF could a small kitten have? Ten? Fifteen at most? In Gacha Love, the weakest monster was the House Mouse, which could only take three points of damage.

Miss Cupcakes hissed furiously, this time latching onto Pandy’s rear with her teeth. Overhead, chairs were being thrust back, and Geraldine was on her hands and knees, grabbing for her cat, while Thaniel reached for Pandy.

“Oh, goodness!” Lady Alice said, lifting her skirts. Pandy was directly in front of her by now, and had an excellent view of the dainty slippers that covered her feet, as well as pretty, plump legs and lacy bloomers that came to her knees. Sadly, there was no sign of either miniature assassins or a stash of contraband confections.

“Bunny, come back!” called Thaniel. His shoulder bumped against Geraldine’s, and the girl pushed him away, glaring.

“Miss Cupcakes, leave that filthy creature alone,” Geraldine snapped, and Cupcakes actually hesitated for a moment before biting down even harder.

-3 LF

-5 LF

Oh no. At this rate, Pandy’s tail was going to come off again, and there’d be no way to explain how it grew back. It was bad enough that she was definitely short some large clumps of fur that would expose any scratches and bite marks the kitten had managed to inflict. This needed to end, and it needed to end now.

Geraldine grabbed at Miss Cupcakes, and the kitten’s teeth slipped off of Pandy’s rump. Pandy took advantage of her moment of freedom to whip around, meeting the cat’s wild yellow gaze with her own hopefully terrifying red one. The cat seemed unimpressed, swiping a paw toward Pandy with the claws bared in all their pointy glory.

Pandy thought as hard as she could. She didn’t really want to hurt the feline. In her past life, she would have melted over the adorable little fluffball. But she only had three skills, and Bite seemed like the one that would be most effective, while also being the lowest level. Hopefully enough to hurt without damaging the creature.

Bite successful. 20% experience gained towards next level.

If Pandy’s teeth hadn’t been firmly embedded in Cupcake’s dainty pink toe-beans, she would have tumbled backwards in shock. The skill had actually worked? And worse, she now had a mouth full of blood, which was the second most disgusting thing she’d ever tasted, after that time Jeanette Carter’s big brother swapped her kool-aid for beer when she was eight.

+3 Corruption Points for Mutilating a Defender of the Realm

+5 Corruption Points for Drinking the Blood of a Defender of the Realm

Wait, mutilating? And how was this kitten a Defender of the Realm? That was the title given to Clara and her partner after they fought the demon army. Because of course there was a demon army, which was entirely Killian’s fault, not that he would admit it.

Firm hands closed around Pandy’s belly, and she was scooped up, paws dangling. She spat out as much of the blood as she could, which no doubt stained the fur around her mouth and made her look like a Vorpal Rabbit, out to slaughter and ravage the countryside.

Meanwhile, Miss Cupcakes was yowling pitifully, holding up her bleeding paw so Geraldine and Lady Clara could coo over it. Dalton pulled a pristine white handkerchief from his pocket and wrapped it around the injured paw, all the while calling for Becca to fetch the doctor. As Geraldine turned away, clutching the kitten to her chest, Cupcakes stared balefully over the girl’s shoulder, and Pandy knew this wasn’t over.

Lian – because of course it was Lian who’d picked up Pandy – dangled her over the table as if she was a raisin cookie that had fallen on the floor. He opened his mouth to say something, but Thaniel reached out, grabbing Pandy away from him and cradling her to his chest in an unintended mirror of the way Geraldine held Miss Cupcakes.

“Are you all right, Bunny?” Thaniel asked, turning Pandy so he could examine her rear. “You’re all scratched up!” His arms closed around Pandy again, and he turned his own glare on the kitten and her mistress.

Lian sighed, crouching beside his brother, though he gave Pandy a warning glance from those cold, villainous eyes. “It’s all right,” he said almost gently. “I’m sure she’ll be just fine.”

Pandy bobbed her head. She would, indeed, be just fine. There had been a lot of red numbers floating around, but she was certain she’d only taken fifteen or twenty points of damage. In fact…. She did a quick check and found her LF sitting at negative twenty-seven. That was…worse than she’d thought, but still less than when she’d lost her tail and broken her back, so she was confident that she’d recover soon enough. It was too bad she couldn’t just use Corruption Points to-

Use Three (3) Corruption Points to cast Minor Heal?

Yes! Yes, she definitely- Oh. No, actually, that would be a very bad idea. Lian was looking directly at her, and while Thaniel’s age and love for her would convince him he’d only imagined the wounds, Lian definitely wasn’t as gullible. But it was too late.

Minor Heal successful. 100% experience gained towards next level. Minor Heal is now Level 1.

Pandy’s butt tingled, making her wiggle, and Thaniel clutched her tighter. That was good, since the little boy’s arm should be blocking everyone’s view of Pandy’s posterior. She checked her Status to see how much health she’d actually recovered.

Name: Pandy

Species: Rabbit (Deceased)

Age: 24

LF: -7/0

Mana: 0/0

Stats

Strength: 3 Intelligence: 12 Agility: 10Skills

Hop: Lv. 8 (12.5%) Bite: Lv. 5 (20%) Scratch: Lv. 7 Minor Heal: Lv. 1Corruption Points: 24

Negative seven. Up twenty from where she’d been only a moment before, but not yet completely healed. That was probably good, since anyone checking might just believe the injuries had looked worse than they actually were. Plus, she now had one more confirmation that this world was the same as the one in Gacha Love. The first spell the protagonist, Clara, learned was Minor Heal, and it always healed up to twenty points of damage.

Geraldine, Miss Cupcakes, Lady Alice, and Dalton had left the room, leaving Lian, Thaniel, Becca, and Captain Reedsley behind. The Captain looked distinctly harried, and was rubbing his temples as if his head hurt.

The pretty table and chairs were all in disarray, with spilled tea and soggy crumpets lying next to wilting flowers that had fallen from an overturned vase. Pandy bemusedly noted that the flowers looked tastier than the scattered lavender tuiles.

“Father?” a soft, girlish voice spoke. “I’m terribly sorry. I didn’t think it would be a problem if I came home a bit early.”

Everyone turned to look back at the door, where a teenage girl with black curls and sky-blue eyes peered in. Clara Reedsley stepped into the room, fingers tangled in the skirts that ended around her shins, revealing white stockings and black boots that buttoned up her ankle.

She looked like the ‘Clara’ from Gacha Love’s promotional materials, though one of the attractions of the game was the vast number of options for her appearance. The game was originally Japanese, and this Clara could have stepped from the pages of a manga. She was impossibly lovely, with pink cheeks, a rosebud mouth, and eyes that probably should have seemed far too large but instead added to her delicate charm.

Captain Reedsley managed a smile that almost looked genuine and held out his hand for his older daughter. “No, no, my dear. I’m afraid Geraldine’s kitten was simply unable to overcome her instincts. I’m certain it would have happened eventually.”

Pandy was sure he was right. Miss Cupcakes had had it in for Pandy from the moment she saw her. Clara’s sudden appearance might have given the kitten an opportunity, but there was no doubt in Pandy’s mind that the feline would have attempted bunny-cide in the near future.

Clara nodded, and her hands released her skirt. She lifted her eyes, peering at Lian through thick black lashes as her father continued to speak. “Lord Killian, may I introduce my daughter, Clara? Clara, this is Lord Killian, Viscount Dunning, and his younger brother, Nathaniel. I believe Thaniel’s pet is named Bunny.”

The young Clara, who had to be only twelve or thirteen at this point, smiled as she bobbed a curtsey. “I’m pleased to meet you both.”

Any other teenage boy would have melted beneath that look, but Lian was made of sterner stuff. He was, after all, meant to be the only male capable of resisting Clara’s innocent wiles for a full year. His eyes were watchful and cold as he accepted Clara’s fingers and gave her the barest bow.

“My pleasure,” he said, before dismissing her. Turning back to Lord Captain Reedsley, Lian stiffly said, “Would someone be able to show us to our rooms now? I’m sure my brother needs some rest, and we should see to…Bunny.”

“Oh, I can do that!” Clara said brightly. She waggled her fingers. “I’m a Light mage, you see. I can even summon a Luminaris elemental. It’ll clean up those scratches in no time.”

One corner of Lian’s mouth twitched in what Pandy was pretty sure was annoyance, but he was perfectly polite when he said, “No, thank you. I’m also a Light mage, you see.”

Pandy thought she could see Clara’s infatuation spark to life right before her eyes. Light mages were as rare as Dark mages, and she’d never met one before. Pandy was certain of that, because when she met Killian in the game, she’d said as much. Of course, by then, Killian had been thoroughly corrupted, and used his demon to pretend he was still a Light mage. It was part of why he avoided Clara whenever possible.

“Oh,” Clara gushed, “I’ve never met another Light mage before.” And there it was. There was a bit more gush and quite a lot less lady-like reserve in the words than when she said them in the game, and this time she didn’t stop there.

“Do you attend Kestrel? Geraldine and I have private tutors, but I’ve begged and begged, and Father says I may go to Condor when I turn sixteen. I do hope to see you there. Or perhaps we’ll become friends while you’re visiting, and-”

She clapped a hand to her mouth, lovely eyes widening. “Oh, but Mother said you’re here while your father’s death is being investigated. How dreadful. Of course you’ll be wanting your privacy.”

“Yes,” Lian said, “we will.” He turned back to Lord Reedsley, leaving Clara with a lovely view of his shoulder. “Our rooms?”

Becca had returned at some point, and now Captain Reedsley gestured for her to come closer. “Becca, please take Lord Killian and young Master Thaniel to whichever rooms Lady Alice had prepared for them.”

Becca bobbed a curtsey, and smiled at Lian and Thaniel. She was older than Cassie, the maid who’d supposedly watched Thaniel at home, but not by much. If she was eighteen, Pandy would eat her tail. If she could find it.

“This way, then, my lords,” the young woman said cheerfully, leading them out past Clara with a glance that absolutely wasn’t one of triumph. Was it possible that the maid didn’t like her young mistress? Surely not. Clara was supposed to be everyone’s favorite person. Though honestly she didn’t even have that many lines in the game, and most of them were innocuous at best. The player was supposed to be able to imagine themselves in her place, after all, so giving her too much personality was unnecessary and even counter-productive.

From her position in Thaniel’s arms, Pandy couldn’t see nearly as well as she would have liked. The Reedsleys’ home was done in neutral shades, with mostly dark wood, and there was a distinct feeling of comfortable wear about the place. Pandy did catch a glimpse of the library, which looked exactly as it had in the game, but of course they didn’t linger, and then they were standing in front of a pair of dark wooden doors.

“Lady Alice gave Lord Killian the blue room,” Becca said, gesturing to the door on the right. “And Master Nathaniel gets the yellow room. There’s a door connecting them, so you don’t have to go out in the hall to pass back and forth. When Lady Alice’s friends visit, she usually gives them the blue room, and their children the yellow.”

She clamped her mouth shut, as if realizing this was probably more information than she’d really needed to offer, and opened the first door. Pandy could see immediately why it was called the blue room, because everything in it was either entirely or mostly blue. It was also distinctly feminine, with lace and flowers everywhere, and a pretty little blue-stained table with a mirror where a lady could sit to have her hair and makeup done.

Lian had no reaction at all to the pretty room, merely striding over to a door half-hidden behind a blue and white wall-hanging. Opening it, he peered through, then gave a satisfied nod. “Will our things be brought up soon?” he asked.

“Oh, you didn’t have much, so it’s all been put away already,” she said, gesturing toward a closed wardrobe and dresser. “We’ve taken most of your clothes to be steamed and pressed, but your night things are in the dresser. Dalton will make sure you have a fresh suit and your shoes are shined before dinner. There’s also a basin of water so you can wash up, if you don’t have any cleaning charms.”

If Pandy hadn’t played Gacha Love, she wasn’t sure she’d have known just how irritated this made Lian. But the way his lips pinched together while his brows lifted was exactly what he did right before he insulted someone in such a way that half the time they didn’t even know they’d been insulted.

To her surprise, he didn’t tell Becca exactly what he was thinking, and instead nodded his head politely. “My thanks. Though for future reference, I prefer that no one else handles my things.”

Becca’s brown eyes grew large, and she gave another of those short curtsies. “I’ll inform Dalton, my lord.”

“Good,” Lian said, then stood there, staring at her. Eventually, the maid seemed to realize she’d been dismissed, and bobbed up and down once more before leaving the room. The moment the door clicked shut behind her, Lian turned to Thaniel.

“Now,” he said, “why don’t you give me the rabbit while you go clean up? You have blood on your shirt.”