by Eric Vall
“Yes, Charles, I wanna give you a hickey, so, so, so many hickies!” Valerie nodded from the floor as she laid on her side, bent her legs against the wall, and then launched herself across the room and into a cartwheel.
“See?” A.B. snickered. “Valerie’s already in agreement.”
“It… it sounds like a pretty good idea,” I snorted as I raised my head and clutched the welder. “But will it work?”
“Charles, think about the alternatives,” the brain sighed. “If you don’t do something about Delphine, two things could happen. Either she makes you sign a contract, and you’re her lover-boy for the rest of your life, or you flat-out refuse, and the old crone has you executed. There isn’t much you can do, it’s a good plan, yes, we agree. If you don’t do it, one of those two things is going to happen, and you know it.”
“What about me?” Valerie asked. “And A.B., what would we do without you? If it weren’t for you, Charles, I wouldn’t exist, and I really, really like existing, especially with you. If Delphine takes you away and makes you her consort, what happens to me?”
“Uh, hello?” A.B. grunted.
“And A.B.,” the feline-woman giggled. “We can’t forget about him, of course.”
“Thank you, Val,” the brain hummed. “At least someone around here takes me into consideration.”
If Delphine forced me to be her consort, what would happen to the two of them? A.B. could probably survive on his own, albeit without a cleaned jar but still. Valerie, on the other hand… I had to be here to take care of her and learn about her. The cat-girl couldn’t live on her own in this society, her brain didn’t work the same way as the aristocrats’. When the blonde looked at me, she saw a man, worthy of love and affection, and when the aristocrat’s looked at me, they only saw a semi-tamed beast, an animal with the ability to speak.
When Valerie looked at me, her wide, oceanic eyes were filled with love and adoration, something I’d never seen or felt before. I wasn’t ready to give all of that up, not now, and not ever. I’d created her, and from the moment she stepped out of compartment C, I swore to protect her.
I rested my gaze on her as Valerie pushed her bare feet underneath the curve of her perfect ass, bent her lean legs, and then launched herself into the air from the floor. The feline-woman twisted in the air with a distant smile on her lips, and then landed perfectly with her arms out at her sides.
She never stopped moving, and she never stopped smiling for me.
I’d created this beauty, brought her to life with my two hands and my machine. I would kill anyone who attempted to take me away from my precious Valerie. The red-hot feeling bundling in my chest was a mystery to me when it first appeared, but over time, I came to know it well. I was in love with the cat-girl, I didn’t know how to put my feelings into words just yet, but I would eventually. It seemed that the feline-woman felt the same way about me, almost instantly, in fact, she’d proclaimed it the moment she’d laid her eyes on me.
“I’ll do it,” I breathed, and the room went eerily silent. “I have to keep myself alive to protect Valerie. I’ll finish the cage, trap a wild animal, and then bring it back here. After that, I’ll prepare myself, maybe shave my face, take a long shower, and get all dressed up. Then, I’ll go to Delphine’s, throw myself at her mercy, beg for a contract, and when she obliges, I’ll convince her to take me upstairs to her room.”
“I wanna come,” Valerie stated as she stopped moving and rested her closed fists on her hips. “I want to help.”
“With Delphine?” I tilted my head.
“With all of it,” the cat-girl replied in a solemn voice. “I want to help you build the cage, trap the beast, and bring it here. I want to be your assistant too, even if it means just cleaning your house or preparing your meals, I want to be good to you, Charles. Let me help you, Charles. Allow me to be your assistant.”
“Hello?” A.B. called. “It is me, the big, beautiful brain who already takes up the position of ‘assistant.’”
“But there’s only so much you can do, A.B.” Valerie turned as she gestured toward my laboratory. “You are an excellent assistant, but you don’t have any arms. You can’t pick up after Charles or do any of those things. I don’t want to hurt your feelings, A.B., but I can take better care of Charles… in more ways than one…”
“Oh-ho-ho,” the brain snickered. “You’re right, Val. You can do some things that I can’t.”
“Are you sure that you want to do this?” I asked. “It’s going to be dangerous, Valerie.”
“I want to do it, Charles,” the feline-woman assured. “I want to be the one you can depend on. I want to do everything for you… I love you.”
“Val… I don’t know.” I whispered as I sat back and rested the welder against the cold stone floor.
“You’re going to need an extra set of hands,” the blonde argued as she grinned. “I’ll help you get the next creature, and I’ll help you wrangle Delphine. You can’t do all this stuff by yourself, you created me, so lean on me, okay? I’m here to help… in any way.”
Heat bloomed across my face at her implication, but I couldn’t help but smile, so I raised my head as my hands curled into closed fists.
“Alright,” I smirked with a nod. “I could use your help, I just need you to be on your toes and to do everything I ask, okay?”
“Oh, Charles,” Valerie purred as she lowered herself to the ground, and prowled closer on her hands and knees. “All you have to do is ask, and I’ll do whatever you want.”
“Ohhhh,” I breathed as I scrambled backward. “T-That’s not what I meant, but thank you.”
Valerie giggled, stopped moving, and then flopped down onto her back right in front of me. The cat-girl made me so goddamn nervous, I never knew what she was going to say or do next, and it set me on edge. Not that I didn’t enjoy it, the more she looked at me and reacted this way toward me, the more I wanted her. Each time she touched me or brushed past, I thought about how nice it would be to slip off her bodysuit and press my lips to her soft, taut flesh. She may have been my creation, but I was still a man with needs and desires. I thought about it more often than I would’ve liked to admit, and each time her oceanic eyes met mine, it seemed she was thinking it, too.
“Sooo?” the feline-woman whispered as she wriggled closer. “We going to get to work? Let’s turn that evil woman into a lovely little sis for me!”
“Yes.” I cleared my throat as I snatched up the welder and moved away from Valerie.
“Yes, yes,” A.B. tutted. “Valerie, I bestow upon you the position as assistant-assistant but don’t get too cocky, I’m still the head assistant.”
“Of course, A.B!” Valerie wriggled and raised both of her arms over her head with a yawn.
“No napping on the job, Assistant,” I chided through a smile. “Come help me with the welder, and if you behave, I’ll show you how to use it.”
“Ooooo!” Valerie cried as she jumped to her feet. “I’m coming.”
I retrieved a second mask from the cabinet and helped place it over Valerie’s ears. The feline giggled and wriggled under my touch as I used the back of my palm, pressed them down against her hair, and then fitted the mask into place.
“Now, lower the mask, and we can get started,” I instructed and reached for the contraptions ON button.
“Why?” the cat-girl wriggled closer.
“Well, for one, to protect your eyes in case something comes loose and flies at your face,” I informed her. “And second, this flame burns incredibly hot, and it can hurt your eyes if you concentrate on it for too long.”
“I love how you explain things to me, Charles.” Valerie simpered as she rubbed against my shoulder. “You are so nice.”
“Watch out,” I chuckled as I stopped her mask from bumping into my chin.
“Sorry.” The feline-woman giggled as she reached for the mask, and then lowered it over her gorgeous features.
I followed suit and snapped my mask down over my f
ace. I pushed the ON button to the welder, and it thrummed to life under my hands as I leaned forward. Valerie leaned in close over my shoulder and watched intently as I worked, and I finished the seam of the second-longest side of the cage in one go, and then moved on to the other two.
The cat-girl didn’t move or even seem to breathe as she hung over my shoulder. Through her mask, her large eyes followed along with each of my movements intently, and when I finished the second to last side, I offered her the welder.
“Really?” Valerie called through the mask.
“Here, let me help you,” I stated as I handed the welder over and moved into position behind her.
I wrapped my arms over her shoulders, pressed my stomach to her back, and guided her nervous hands. At first, Valerie pulled away with a low whimper as sparks exploded up from the metal, but then I squeezed her body to me.
“It’s alright,” I shouted over the noise. “It’s scary at first, but once you get used to it, you’ll be fine.”
Valerie’s head turned, tilted, and then gazed over her shoulder through the mask. Her eyes were wide and frightened, but softened when I gave her a reassuring smile.
“You can do this,” I told her. “I know it.”
“I can do it,” the feline echoed with a nod. “I can do it.”
Valerie’s hand moved forward with the blazing welder in her hands and pressed the flame against the metal. The cat-girl worked slowly at first with me coming along behind her, but her confidence grew the more she worked at it. Before long, we moved on to the final seam, and I loosened my grip on her.
“No,” Valerie stated as she whipped her head around. “Stay with me, your presence helps me… plus, I like it when you touch me like that.”
I grunted, cleared my throat, and tried to ignore the burning heat of embarrassment as it reached the tips of my ears. I scooted closer, replaced my arms, and held her tightly as I guided her hands. The cat-girl made painstakingly slow progress on the last seam, and I wasn’t sure if it was because she wanted to do a good job or if she wanted to stay positioned like this for a while longer. Though I had to admit, I wanted to touch her like this for as long as I was allowed, and I relished the warmth of her back pressed against my chest.
Valerie turned off the welder, rested it against the stone floor, and leaned forward to admire her work. The feline-woman turned with a broad smile, flushed cheeks, and sparkles in her eyes.
My heart pounded just from looking at her, and I instinctively pulled away from her beauty.
“Charles?” the cat-girl faltered.
“Sorry,” I grunted with a wave of my hand.
“Did I do something wrong?” Valerie pouted as she rested her hands in her lap.
“N-No, not at all,” I tittered. “I just get nervous sometimes… when you’re that close.”
“You don’t like it?” the cat-girl sulked as she hung her head.
“No.” I shook my head. “No, it’s not that…”
“Maybe he needs immersion therapy.” A.B. chuckled.
“Don’t, A.B,” I warned.
“What’s immersion therapy?” Valerie asked as she turned and gazed toward the tank. “I’ve never heard those words before.”
“Well, out west, there was this female doctor who came up with this idea,” A.B explained. “That if you’re forced to deal with what makes you anxious or… nervous in this situation, you’ll get used to it and won’t see it as a threat anymore.”
“Ohhhh,” Valerie nodded. “I see, so, if I get real close to Charles a lot, he’ll get used to me. Okay! Let’s try it now!”
“Please don--”
My words cut off as Valerie launched herself forward and slammed into my chest. I flew backward onto the cold stone with my eyes squeezed tightly shut. Pain throbbed in my lower back, pressure beat on top of my chest from the weight of the feline-woman.
“Come on, Charles,” Valerie giggled. “Look at me, I know you want to look. You’ve told me before that you enjoy looking at me.”
I slowly opened my eyes and gazed up at the gorgeous woman lying on top of me. Valerie’s ash-blonde hair created a thick, wavy curtain around our faces, and her oceanic blue eyes glittered with happiness. Her large, perfect breasts pressed into my chest, her chocolate-brown tail wrapped itself around my lower leg and her plump, rosy lips pressed together in a line as she suppressed giggles.
In my society, it was almost illegal to stare at a woman for more than ten seconds out on the street, and I counted off the numbers in my head. Valerie tilted her head curiously, sniffed at the air, and then brought her face closer to mine.
“Val…” I murmured.
“Charles.” The cat-girl purred back.
“Please,” I stammered as my face heated up even more. “Please get off of me.”
“Am I hurting you?” Valerie asked with a crooked eyebrow.
“No,” I muttered as my member hardened in my trousers. “But you’re not exactly making it comfortable for me either.”
“So, am I hurting you or not?” the feline-woman twitched her right ear. “Or am I making you nervous?”
“…nervous,” I admitted.
“Then, no,” Valerie purred into my ear.
“Please, Valerie,” I begged as I attempted to wiggle out from underneath her. “Y-You’re a lady, and I’m a gentleman, and this is im--”
“This isn’t improper, Charles.” Valerie shook her head. “I love you, I want to be close to you… touch you all over and feel what it’s like to be touched by you. Is that so bad?”
“N-No.” I struggled out. “I like it too, Valerie…”
“Then, let’s just enjoy it for a moment.” The cat-girl sighed. “Then we can get back to work. Okay?”
Valerie lowered herself, rested her head against my chest, and snuggled into me. I felt as if I couldn’t breathe, not because she was on top of me but because of the growing erection in my trousers. I’d never been so attracted to a woman in my life, not that I could act on my attraction in a seemingly ordinary way, but even then, I rarely found any of the aristocrats beautiful.
The cat-girl was open and warm with me, and it made my heart feel as if it were about to burst. But I had to admit, all of her attention and affection did make me uncomfortable, no other woman had treated me this way, so I wasn’t used to it.
Valerie lifted her head, and her natural scent filled my nostrils. She smelled fresh and clean, vaguely floral with undertones of black currant and orchid. It was intoxicating and mesmerizing, I almost felt drunk from the scent alone, and that was alarming.
“Don’t we have a project to finish?” A.B asked from the corner. “I know this is all very romantic, but time’s wasting away and… we don’t have a lot of time before Delphine shows up to whisk Charles away to a life of servitude.”
“He’s right, you know?” I snickered.
“Phooey,” Valerie cried as she rolled off of me. “I wanted to touch Charles for a little longer… we’ll just have to do more immersion therapy later on.”
“Do it on your own time,” A.B. laughed. “We’ve got shit to do. Get to work, Scientist!”
“Of course.” I sighed, sat up, and rested my elbows on my knees as I waited for my erection to go away. I breathed through my nose, glanced over at Valerie as the cat-girl pawed at something underneath the far cabinet, and chuckled. I shook my head, hopped to my feet, and crossed toward the nearly finished cage. Then I grabbed the bars, turned it on its side, and glanced around the room for a plain sheet of metal for the bottom. I planned to give the cage wheels so it would make it easier getting it in and out of the wagon, but I’d have to dig through my spare parts to find them.
“Do you need more help?” Valerie asked as she flopped onto her side and gazed up at me with a small smile.
“Yes,” I sighed. “But it’s nothing I can’t handle, hell, I built my machine all by myself, I think I can handle the floor and some wheels.”
“But, I want to help, Charles.” The cat-g
irl stated as she scrambled to her feet. “Let me help. I’m your assistant, put me to good use!”
“Yeah, Charles,” A.B. snorted. “Put her to good use.”
I snapped my head in the brain’s direction, and he exploded into a fit of giggles. I rolled my eyes, turned my head, and gazed down at Valerie as she clung to my elbow.
“What can I do?” the cat-girl grinned. “Let me help!”
“Fine, go upstairs to my closet, find yourself a disguise, and prepare yourself for our mission,” I instructed her. “We leave at midnight.”
Chapter Eight
“Cage,” I stated as I tied off the folded metal structure onto the sides of the wagon.
“Check.” Valerie giggled.
“Rope and tranquilizers?” I asked over my shoulder.
“Check, check!” the cat-girl grinned.
“The wagon is prepped and ready to go,” I breathed as I tucked our smaller supplies in beside the rest.
“This is so exciting, Charles.” Valerie giggled as she hopped up onto the back of the wagon, perched precariously on the metal cage, and then leaped onto the driver’s seat.
“Yeahhh,” I sighed as I ran a hand through my mussed hair. “Exciting.”
“What’s wrong?” the cat-girl smiled. “You look kind of glum. Did I do something wrong?”
“No.” I shook my head. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Val, I’m just stressed. I’m so worried that something in this plan will go wrong. The warden and his men will be out in full force at this time of night; we have to be on high alert the entire time.”
“Warden?” the feline-woman chirped. “What’s a warden? I’ve never heard you say that word before, it sounds kind of fun. Waaaar-deeeen.”
“He’s a horrible man,” I snorted. “Another lackey of the Duchess. She practically owns everyone in this town, and they do everything she commands.”
“So, then,” Valerie purred as she rolled over, scooted to the edge of the seat, and leaned in close. “What does this ‘warden’ do?”