42. Bonus
Bonus
Luna
Humans. Utterly ridiculous creatures.
I watch as my three pets sprawl on the floor, their naked bodies tangled together in a most undignified manner. The air is thick with strange scents—sweat, blood, and that musky odor they produce when engaging in their bizarre mating rituals. How completely uncivilized.
I settle myself a safe distance away, wrapping my tail neatly around my paws. Really, they should know better than to carry on like this in my presence. I am royalty, after all. Such debauchery has no place in the court of Queen Luna.
My smallest pet, Rayne, notices me first. She dissolves into a fit of giggles, her body shaking in a most unseemly fashion. Does she not realize how ridiculous she looks, covered in dried blood and writhing about on the floor?
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty," she manages to gasp out between bouts of laughter. "We'll try to keep our depraved human activities to a minimum in your presence."
At least she has the decency to apologize, though her tone lacks the proper reverence. I narrow my eyes, fixing her with my most withering stare. Let her feel the full weight of my disapproval.
Do they have no shame? No sense of decorum? I'm a royal creature, descended from the sacred cats of Egypt. I shouldn't have to witness such... debauchery.
They're talking now, their voices low and affectionate. I catch something about "treats" and "toys," which piques my interest despite my disgust. Perhaps there's hope for them yet.
I turn my back on them, focusing instead on grooming my beautiful fur. Let them see what real grace and elegance looks like.
My two larger pets have odd fur, all patchy and colorful. I've tried grooming them before, but it never comes off. Maybe they both needs a proper tongue bath.
These humans truly have no sense of proper etiquette. Here I am, forced to witness their unseemly behavior, and now they also have the audacity to ignore my dinner time which has long passed? Unacceptable.
I rise gracefully to my paws, stretching languidly to remind them of my feline perfection. My claws extend, tiny daggers of gleaming ivory, as I flex my toes against the hardwood floor. Perhaps a gentle reminder of my displeasure is in order.
With silent steps, I approach the tangled mass of limbs that is my trio of pets. They remain oblivious to my presence, lost in their own little world of soft touches and whispered words. How rude. Do they not realize that I, Queen Luna, require their full attention?
I pause at the edge of their little cuddle puddle, tail swishing in irritation. The smallest one, Rayne, has her back to me. Her pale skin is marred by drying streaks of red—honestly, these humans and their messy habits. It's almost as bad as when they insist on "bathing" in that strange waterfall room instead of properly grooming themselves with their tongues like civilized creatures.
Well, if they won't acknowledge me of their own accord, I'll simply have to take matters into my own paws.
With precise aim, I extend one paw and delicately press my claws against Rayne's exposed back. Not hard enough to break the skin—I'm not a savage, after all—but just enough to make my presence known. The effect is immediate and most satisfying.
Rayne yelps, her body jerking in surprise. The sudden movement causes a chain reaction among my other two pets. The one called Knox raises his head, those strange hazel eyes of his scanning the room for potential threats. River, ever the more excitable of the two, actually scrambles to his feet, nearly tripping over his own gangly limbs in the process.
I watch their antics with regal disdain, my tail swishing lazily behind me. Honestly, you'd think they'd never felt the gentle caress of claws before. Such drama queens, the lot of them.
"Luna!" Rayne exclaims, twisting around to face me. Her sapphire eyes are wide with surprise. "What was that for?"
I fix her with my most imperious stare. Really, do I need to explain myself? I am Queen Luna, ruler of this domain. My word—or in this case, my claw—is law.
I meet her gaze steadily, unimpressed by her indignation. With deliberate slowness, I retract my claws and begin to groom my paw, as if to say, "Oh, was that your back? How careless of me." Let her interpret that as she will.
The largest one, Knox, chuckles as he sits up. "I think Her Majesty is reminding us of our duties," he says, his voice still rough from their earlier activities. His large hand reaches out to scratch behind my ears. I allow it this time, magnanimous ruler that I am, and even deign to lean into his touch. His fingers are pleasantly warm and he now knows just the right spot to scratch. Perhaps I'll keep this one around after all. After all, he was the one who brought that delightful catnip pouch earlier.
River, the lanky one with the blue eyes lighter than my first pet, scrambles to his feet. His movements are jerky and uncoordinated compared to my feline grace. How these humans manage to function with such clumsy bodies is beyond me.
"Oh shit, we forgot to feed Luna!" River exclaims, his voice tinged with a mixture of guilt and alarm. At least one of them has some sense of priorities.
I watch with regal amusement as River hurries towards the kitchen, nearly tripping over his own feet in his haste. The sound of cabinet doors opening and closing, followed by the telltale rattle of my food container, fills the air. It seems my little reminder has had the desired effect. Discipline does work, it seems. I'll remember this tactic for future use.