Silver Claws, Silver Tongue | SKK

Prologue

The ADA-- well, those who were paying attention-- watched curiously as the cat glared at Dazai, two pale eyes narrowing into angry slits. It hissed again, now bristling. "Why does the thing hate me?!" Dazai cried, sitting up straighter and tensing slightly, as though readying himself to bolt if necessary.

"Are we going to keep it here?" Kenji asked, bending over the desk to stare lovingly at the cat. It sent him a glare that was only slightly less cold than the one it had sent to Dazai, but Kenji just laughed, his smile not dimming at all. "Aww, it's so cute!"

"It's demon spawn," Dazai muttered.

"I was hoping we could keep it here," Atsushi admitted. "It looks like a stray-- we weren't able to find any trace of a collar, and I mean . . . well, he's sort of mean now, but I'm sure we'll grow on him!" Kyouka nodded eagerly along.

Kenji hummed, running a hand over the cat's head. Surprisingly, it didn't try to bite him, only moved its head away a little and gave another dignified huff. Kenji straightened back up to glance up at Atsushi, an apologetic smile crossing his lips. "I mean, it's cute and all, but I dunno if the president will let us keep a cat."

Apparently, Kunikida had suddenly grown ears. He looked sharply up from his desk, a horrified expression on his face. "There's a cat in the building? We have to get it out of here-- now!"

Atsushi quickly ran over to Kenji, who picked the cat up and deposited it-- mewling and writhing-- in his arms. He clutched it protectively to his chest. "What? W-why? Are you allergic, Kunikida?"

"No, but the president won't let us give the damn thing away if he sees it around here, even if it causes more trouble than it's worth," the blonde man grumbled, pushing up his glasses with a finger. He glanced around the room as though divulging a great and terrible secret. "He'll get attached, and then we'll never be able to get rid of it. Quick, give it to me. I'll throw it out of the window."

At that, the cat gave a spectacular screech and began clawing furiously at Atsushi's shirt. Atsushi yelped as a sharp claw sliced through his shirt and into his collarbone, the cat scrambling onto his shoulders, curling around his neck to hiss angrily at Kunikida. The bristling tail thumped against his shoulder and flicked across his ear, making him shiver.

". . . I-I don't think that's a good idea," Atsushi stammered. "He really doesn't seem to want to--"

"Sorry to say, I think it's a wonderful idea, and I have seniority. Give the cat to me. I'll get rid of it." He frowned at the tabby and it glared right back, stretching out a paw, curling its claws out towards him as if to say, come close to me. Come on, I dare you.

Kenji stepped between Atsushi and Kunikida, holding out a hand to stop Kunikida from coming closer. "I know it'll probably be fine--" probably? That's a three-story drop! Atsushi thought, and the cat, as though reading his thoughts, hissed in agreement. "--but that's still really mean. It didn't do anything wrong, you know!"

"Are you kidding?!" Kunikida sputtered. "That-- that thing just attacked Atsushi!"

"Yeah, cuz you threatened to throw him out a window," Ranpo muttered under his breath, voice muffled by the lollipop he now had stuck in his mouth. He smirked at Kunikida. "Maybe if you were nicer to the cat, it'd be nicer to you."

"I don't-- that doesn't make any-- it's a cat, it can't understand me!" Kunikida said, exasperated. The cat meowed huffily, and Atsushi grinned, reaching up to try and scratch behind its ears. It could definitely understand him.

After a moment of thinking, Kunikida let out a defeated sigh. "Alright. Fine. we can keep it-- for a little while. But I want all of you to know that I'm not looking after it when it turns into a house cat."