Everyday Life with Bubbles Ch. 15

Author's Note: We're nearly back to it! Bubbles will be back to light-hearted antics, next time.

The catgirl song, "The Sands Beyond", comes from back in Ch. 9, if you want a refresher.

---

Sana took the lead as they entered into the palace halls, being the only one of the three of them that was actually part of the adult industry.

The rushing servants barely spared the three of them a glance as a guard led them down the service corridors. Bubbles clutched Ninaein's hand tightly, putting on her best performing face, smiling and trying to appear confident.

Her bolt upright tail, with all the fur standing on end, might have undercut that a bit.

It also didn't help that she was still wearing exactly nothing under her cloak. Ninaein and Sana had stripped down similarly, to help sell the impression that they were just sex workers, and totally not insane enough to try and seize control of a whole city.

Three cats, a rat, a dragon and a succubus.

Trying to take over an entire city without a rebellion or any kind of backing forces except maybe a bunny that Bubbles wasn't entirely sure was going to mesh with her chaotic troupe who thought about rules and laws as often as they considered the meaning of life.

That the buneko could go toe-to-toe with her salamander was not exactly comforting, either. If Avician decided that Bubbles was more trouble than she was worth, or some kind of evil slut or something, then the catgirl was pretty sure she was going to end up getting severely dead.

The goddess wasn't exactly reliable on the not-getting-hurt, front. Bubbles had the feeling that Luna wouldn't care, even if she died. The Silver Neko would probably even be happy about it. She could claim Bubbles' soul and fuck her whenever she felt like.

Being a divine's plaything sucked.

The goddess might be able to make everyone else seem downright boring, but it was really beginning to not feel worth it. She really, really, didn't want to have to care about other people. All she wanted out of life was to be able to kiss her wives, her Edric, and to be able to eat fish.

Diplomacy, politics, economics and war were not the kind of shit she wanted in her life. She already felt guilty about being responsible for Inny-Inny, and he was a singular soul. Feeling it for an entire plague ravaged city? Royalty sounded like a curse.

She had no problems comprehending how Erientyara had given up her bloodline to be with Sharhalla. Being a doctor's wife instead of a queen sounded positively dream like.

"Stop being depressed." Ninaein snarled under her breath, "Whores always smile. They're looking forward to the fun with their clients. Especially when they aren't."

"Oh, a little resentment works, too." Sana spoke audibly, "Everyone likes a bit of back and forth. Men adore that kind of flirting. Bratting tends to go over well, for those with titles."

Ninaein's aura instantly became one of revolted disgust. Bubbles was glad that she was the only one who could feel her wife's true emotions. She was also curious how the Coiner had managed to train her tail to keep looking happy and playful, when the woman wanted to hurl.

"Do not antagonise the king." The guard in front of them said with an angry tone, before dropping his voice, "Personally... I like brats. But he has a habit of... Killing those who annoy him."

Sana sighed and flicked her tail back and forth, "The king would never ask for us, just because we're cute, sir. She might not be a Temple Companion, but she knows how to make all the dreams come true."

"Does everyone dream of pie? Freshly baked?" Ninaein couldn't help herself, sarcastically poking at the catgirl.

Her sistren smirked and grinned at the thief, "Of course! There's nothing better than to fill the oven with a nice wholemeal dough. Though, she's never been into multigrain. Thankfully, she doubts his majesty will want."

The Coiner swallowed painfully.

Bubbles eyes jerked to her wife, "F-furball?"

"Nope." Ninaein shook her head, squeezing her hand reassuringly. The thief telling her that she wasn't sick, anymore. However, Bubbles was still nervous. She had no idea if the healing spells of a warrior were any good, even if they were a paladin. If any trace remained inside Nina's head...

She blinked back tears and tried to pretend to be happy. She needed to look happy for the jerk who was such a horny git that nobody even questioned three nekos turning up out of nowhere to fuck him.

Three little catgirls, playing in a palace.

"First comes cycle, then comes bracelet." Bubbles lightly sang under her breath, feeling herself relax a little.

"Better be out the window." Ninaein looked at her strangely, not understanding.

"Whores don't get bracelets." Bubbles rolled her yellow eyes. "Not from the titled ones."

"Titled, are the worst." Sana disagreed, "They always fucking propose. Like you want everyday to get their dick, and no gold for it, either. Just smile sweetly, and say you're not allowed, when he says it."

The guard stumbled half a step, and Bubbles smelled a hint of guilt on the man.

The Coiner smiled softly, "Oh, she doesn't know about that. Smiling all the time can mean they keep asking. Ninaein could get what she wanted, when she wanted. But no one asks to keep her around, forever. Not unless they're crazy."

Bubbles trod on the woman's toes, and smiled sweetly as she did it.

Ninaein gave a half-laugh and squeezed her hand.

A thought occurred to the blonde, "Nina guilted her into the Rock Den thing. Tail down. Ears flat... Bubbles thought no one able to fake that crap. But Nina can, can't she?"

"So can Sana." The whore said, and smiled sweetly back at both of them, "And now is not time for domestic. We're working, remember?"

"Teach Bubbles, one day." She glared at her sistren, "She got some vengeance that she owes Nina. She also still owes her for the kitsune thing."

Ninaein grinned at her, "The temple was so much fun. But Bubbles also still owes Nina a song, too."

"Bubbles lost Jackie's earrings." The neko mumbled glumly, "Had to leave those behind. Does Nina remember those? She wore them to Rock Den. Bubbles called them lucky."

"Stop with the nostalgia, kittens." Sana interrupted more harshly, "Sheesh. She doesn't know why she has to have the amateurs with her. This is for king."

"Kings like the tighter ones." Ninaein kept up appearances, whilst also taking the opportunity to sneer at Sana about her profession.

Bubbles shrugged, "Been while since she did anything to man things. Luna isn't one for foreplay, and she's aching for her Edric. She might leave the cocksucking to the suck up."

"Like you'd know what you're doing." Sana scoffed, playing into the back and forth, "You don't blow out a cock like a lantern."

The guard chuckled softly, "You three been working together, long?"

"Sana only met them a few days ago." The neko shook her head, "But... She likes them. Well, the blonde one."

"Fuck you, too. Sweetie." Ninaein said with a strong and ingenuous warmth.

Bubbles rolled her eyes at the two of them, and sang out softly, her voice calm but firm. "We may love a human, we may bed an orc, we will fight the kitsune. But always... Always! Our hearts belong..."

Sana and Ninaein joined in, neither of them having a clue what pitch even was, "To the sands beyond."

Bubbles giggled, "Nekos are nekan. We all sistren, in the ends."

The thief squeezed her hand again, and Bubbles realised she'd just used the song that she usually only sang when Ninaein was feeling down. Not coping, and unable to hide it behind her usual gruff exterior.

Probably not the best choice, for the here and now, when they were actually attempting something as insane as stealing an entire city. Or rather, instead of conquering or stealing it, holding it to ransom.

That was the Coiner's idea.

The goddess might claim anything and everything, but they had to work with what they had. So, they would infiltrate the palace, and turn the king into a hostage, and have the city pay to get rid of the cats who didn't even want to be there in the first place.

Pay to get them to safely leave the city, which could get them all out safely, if the plan went off without a hitch. Bubbles didn't think any plan could, but she was also aware that Ninaein never told anyone the whole plan, and the bitch had lied to her completely about the Rock Den heist.

Of course, the plan also didn't just involve the three of them.

---

The guard paused outside a huge set of doors, and bowed to a formally dressed individual. That one was kitsune. He stank as badly as any fox, and when he looked over them, the hatred rolled out like he'd been dancing in a silage pit.

He wasn't at all like her drinking friend.

The three catgirls curtsied politely, and then Sana put her hands behind her back and innocently swayed back and forth. Her tail was bolt upright and terrified, but her smile had Bubbles convinced that she was a sweet kitten.

The fox bared his teeth and emitted a horrible growl that made every hair on Bubbles' entire body stand on end. She clutched Ninaein's hand, and saw the thief carefully tucking a coin back inside the sleeve of her cloak.

Sana let out a whine, and her knees knocked together. Bubbles buried a laugh as she smelled the disdain from her sistren. The blonde stammered, "Sh-she d-doesn't th-think king is... Is into... G-golden sh-showers. C-can he n-not growl at her? Pwease?"

"You're early." The man sniffed arrogantly, "The whores aren't expected for another hour."

"W-we like to play." Sana said innocently.

Ninaein made an annoyed face, letting go of Bubbles and crossing her arms. She sneered, "Look, stupid fox. We're here to make your stupid boss happy. Which means he'll treat you less like a useless bag of hot air. Either we can make him happy, or we can give him an excuse to think about Tammamo de Mao. Your choice, asshole."

He turned his orange eyes to the Coiner slowly, and lifted his top lift, sneering, "Did you just threaten me, cat?"

"Ew. Gross. You've got something in your teeth." Ninaein pulled her head back, "What is that? Pigeon? Are you seriously that poor? Did no one teach you how to save your silver?"

His tail dropped immediately to the ground. The man glared at her, and crossed his arms uncomfortably, clearly avoiding trying to touch his mouth to confirm that his teeth actually were clean. Clean and so white and shiny that Bubbles was pretty sure she could see a reflection in them.

The kitsune shifted on his feet, "You have been sentenced to death, cat. The order of the empress, still stands."

"Speaking of death, what is up with your breath? Ninaein is standing five paces away and it just... Reeks. Like... Really bad. Are you sick? Have you been throwing up or something?" The thief turned up her nose.

Sana rubbed at her eyes tiredly.

"Get rid of them." The kitsune addressed the guard, glaring angrily.

Bubbles frowned, "Mmm... She doesn't think that's good idea. She knows that the Nina can be a little rude... But she also thinks that maybe um... King not be very happy if he can't have his fun. He might um... Take it out on someone. Like the butler who always by his side, just trying to help."

The human guard, for his part, was struggling quite hard not to burst out laughing at the Coiner's antics. Which Bubbles was figuring wasn't just her girl being her usual self, but had to have some kind of plan behind it. Not necessarily a good plan, but a plan.

"If this is the kind of help he gives out, when all the king wants is someone to scratch a horny itch, then Ninaein thinks he might need to hire... Well, she was going to say a helping hand. But he just said he wanted to kill the helping hands." Ninaein doubled-down.

The butler or whatever closed the distance to Ninaein, poking her roughly in the boob, "I'm this fucking -"

He was cut off with a yelp, as the thief snagged his wrist and twisted it painfully. Her other hand, however, reached through his silk shirt and snagged a tiny silver locket. Ninaein popped it open and made a face, "Oh gods, she's sorry. She had no idea he was cursed to live with such an ugly creature. It was kind of him to marry a freaking lamia."

"She's human, you bitch!" The fox backhanded Ninaein as he flew to his feet in a rage.

"Seriously?" Ninaein's tail and ears were twitching in anger from the hit, but she wasn't changing her tactics. "If she's really not this ugly, he should have begged his boss to kill the artist for being so damn insulting."

The kitsune went to hit her again, when the guard stepped up, "Enough. No damaging the goods. Just send them in, already. You can always deal with her afterwards."

The man sneered, but turned and opened the door for them. The three catgirls walked by him and into the luxurious room. Sana slinking along in embarrassment, Ninaein bouncing happily on her toes, and Bubbles trying not to scratch her head, as she wondered what in the void that had all been about.

"Your royal highness, may I present today's offerings?"

A tubby lard ball, lying in a blue silk shirt and nothing else at all, sat up on the end of his bed. He scratched idly at his bellybutton, and then tossed something gross to the floor. "Hmm? Oh! Goody! They finally managed to find me some nekos, did they? Give the temple some extra coin."

"Of course, your grace." The butler bowed out of the room, shooting a last glare at Ninaein.

As the door closed, the thief burst out laughing, and briefly tossed a coin before tucking it back into the sleeve of her cloak. "Gods, that was easy."

"Did you cut him, when you took the locket?" Sana said accusingly.

"Just a scratch." Ninaein smirked.

Bubbles winced, "How long before he dead?"

"The poison? Oh... Five or six seconds?" Ninaein shrugged, and to emphasise their point, there was a gasp and thud from outside the room. The thief skipped over to the door, and pulled a wire from her hair, and started fiddling with the lock.

"What... Is this?" The confused fat man asked the catgirls in his room.

Sana shrugged, "Are we bedding him, now? Or has Ninaein changed her plan, again?"

"Never planned to touch him." The thief replied, focusing on the lock, "Sana can, if she really wants. But he's even grosser than she thought he'd be."

"Then... What are we doing?"

"Hostage." Ninaein yawned.

Bubbles rubbed her eyes tiredly, and then smiled sweetly at the king. Who she had to figure was anything but innocent if he was paying extra just to get a few whores that were probably refugees fleeing an actual genocide. Her pale yellow eyes glowed, "She's sorry. But she needs him to stay where he is, and stay quiet, or she's going to fireball the entire room."

"Fireball...?" The man said incredulously, "That's... A high level spell, isn't it? Not many people can cast like that."

Sana sat down beside the man, patting his thigh, "She's really very sorry about this. She is. But... Well, you see crazy neko with the dark hair? She's with the Coiner's Guild. He's heard of them, right?"

"Oh, fuck me." He flinched, "Even the Empress couldn't deal with you lot. I'm paid up, dues and all. No debts. What the fuck does the Guild want with me?"

Ninaein finished locking the door, and turned around lazily. She stretched her arms over her head, "Oh, it feels good to be working, again. She would prefer he didn't call for his guards. But he can, if he really wants. She has a rather pissy red salamander watching for a mobilisation, looking for an excuse to break his barracks."

"I'm not trying to antagonise anyone." The king held up his hands, "I pay the Guild. So we don't have situations like this. Tell me what you want, and I'll try and ease your path."

"She wants your crown." Ninaein smiled at him, golden eyes lighting up in the determined way that usually made Bubbles go looking for a chamberpot. "She might settle for your life. Or your gold. How about we say... A hundred bars of platinum?"

"Oh fuck. You've gone rogue." The man cringed, his double chin wagging.

Sana patted his knee sympathetically, "Sana really is a whore, if it's any consolation. But... These other two really aren't. The king, if he survives, should really think about putting a safer process in place than the girls turning up at the palace doors. The mistress in charge is used to arranging things like that. Lots of lords make hires. Ladies, too, of course."

"Bubbles is a bard!" She announced, feeling the tension of the situation getting to her. She flushed red as everyone stared at her, and she gave an embarrassed shrug. "Just... Saying..."

Ninaein kissed her cheek, "You still owe Nina her song, from the Den. She hopes that it's a good one, by now."

"Bubbles will sing it for her Nina, the same day that Nina admits she likes pretending to be a foxgirl when she's getting fucked." Bubbles stuck out her tongue.

The thief's ears went bolt upright and her cheeks went a bright red, she opened and closed her mouth several times, and then spun around to glare at the king again. Growling under her breath, "Fucking bards and fucking mockery."

"Hundred platinum bars." Ninaein growled angrily, tossing a knife lightly, "Fanhalla is the home of ore. His mines produce a hundred bars worth, a day."

"More like ten thousand, a day." The king shrugged, "You're right. I could pay you a hundred bars, and I wouldn't have to even inform the Council it had gone missing... Usually. Unfortunately, today... Today, I have paladins from the temple taking an audit. Inventorying every bar, every tile and coin, down to the last clip of copper."

Bubbles tried not to be obvious as the surprise hit her. If Ninaein had sent Avician to the vault, already... Then why in the fuck were the three of them up here, threatening the king and holding him to ransom?

The buneko probably wouldn't be up for a heist. She was way too legalistic about things, but if Inny-Inny had gone with her, then the boy could steal an absolute shitload of platinum. More than enough for them to comfortably live on the road to the homeland.

She knew that Ninaein's plans were often convoluted. Bubbles had been a distraction whilst the thief robbed the casino blind. An honest player, playing her hardest and thinking that she had a bunch of people bending luck in her favour.

However, she really could not see any sense in sending one of their strongest members off. Avician probably was sitting down and inventorying the entire freaking vault. The king probably would end up with a report detailing every last clip.

"Do... Any of you have a master?" The king asked carefully.

Sana sighed longingly, leaning her head onto the man's shoulder, "No... No. She dreams about it sometimes. A man strong enough to hold her. Willing to put up with her when she acts out. Happy to share her with an endless string of lovers... This one has no master."

"She's mine." Ninaein gestured towards Bubbles with her knife boredly, "What's your point, human?"

"The Council are mine. I may be king, and allowed to go my own way, most of the time. However, the true power in Fanhalla lies with the Legislative Council. They vote to approve laws. I only get to sign off on them. I can make a ruling to reject a law, but I don't get to actually create them." He spelled it out, "It's a system of governance put in place by the Traitor Emperor, and Empress Twenty Four only made things more difficult. The entire human empire is run this way."

Ninaein nodded slowly, "So... He's saying... They're holding the wrong prick to ransom."

The man gave a small shrug, still looking nervous.

The thief nodded slowly, "The human is stupid. If you're actually useless, Ninaein is just going to slit your throat and move on. She's got no qualms about death. He wouldn't be her first."