The catgirl was weightless and shaking in my arms, like a dying breeze rattling round an evergreen glade. I strode out of the club and into the covered coach staging area, directing my hazel gaze at one of the valets on duty there. He caught my eye and snapped to attention, giving the nekojin in my arms a quizzical look.

“Prepare one of these coaches for us,” I ordered, nodding at the row of horse stalls.

“Which is yours?” He asked, raising a blond eyebrow.

“That one,” I picked the fanciest, frilliest looking carriage in hopes that it would also be the fastest.

“And the ticket for your horses, sir?”

“My what?” The only thing containing more poison than Ayaka’s body was my tone.

“The ticket… that you got… when you dropped your horses off, sir.” The valet said, gesturing at a pile of used up tickets on the desk.

I shouldered the fancily carved coach’s door open and laid Ayaka inside. She looked up at me.

“If you..a Thayne what are you? Really-cough- of fucking?”

“That’s right,” I whispered, laying a soothing hand on her brow. “I’m the Thayne of Fucking.”

I turned away from her and approached the valet, allowing the torchlight to lick at the Y-shaped scars on my cheeks. The young man gulped, perhaps recognizing me, or perhaps just interpreting my body language.

“Just prepare the bloody horses for us,” I growled. “Or you’ll get the same thing I gave the club owner.” I clapped my hands so hard and so fast that the valet jumped, and raced to secure a pair of horses to the carriage. I moved back to Ayaka, looking down at the catgirl as she lay on the ornately painted floor.

“You know…” She said, “I pray and pray and pray but hold no connection with any deity… they’re all.. P-pussies.”

I smiled and held her hand. “You may change your mind about that soon enough.”

She looked confused, her lips trembling to form another question.

“Why is it so cold?” Before I could answer, she went on. “Why are you red?” She lifted a shaking hand to touch my face, raking against the stubble on my cheek. “You look better in blue.”

“Hush now,” I said, and then leaned out to check on the valet. He had almost secured a pair of dappled geldings to the front of the carriage. “Get a move on, and there’s a gold crown in it for you!” I called. I leaned back to the trembling nekojin. “Where we’re going,” I said, “everything is in blue.”