All Souls Get to Be Cuddled

By: D. R. Nyan-chan


Hiromi sighed and reluctantly stroked the top of Beryl’s head as the kitty girl purred.

“See?  She doesn’t mean any harm.  She’s just affectionate.”  Risa nuzzled the nekomimi’s cheek and scratched around her ears.

“That’s a major understatement,” Hiromi said.

“Nyaaa, nyor both sooo wonderful at this,” Beryl said.  All Souls’ Day, a twenty-nine-hour window where the dead could visit the living, had quickly become a cuddly paradise for her.  With so many new faces to glomp, she had been quite busy making sure everyone was feeling welcome.

After giving her latest cuddle buddies each a lick on the nosie, Beryl’s ears perked up and she eagerly skipped away.  Her latest target had just turned a corner and without warning Beryl flew into her and said, “And nyow it’s nyor turn.”

“W-well hello there,” the rose-haired, white-tailed Vareos said with a smile.  Although she hid it well, she was genuinely surprised that she never saw this kitty coming.  “You’re a friendly one.  Cute, too.  I’m Arisa Ashida-No-Uji.  What’s your name?”

“I’m Beryl, the School Pet-nya.”

Arisa hesitantly patted the cuddle-happy Beryl on her back.  “School Pet?  That’s a new one for me.  You seem to be enjoying yourself, though.”

“With so many comfy cuddle buddies, who wouldn’t-nya?  Aren’t nyu going to pet the kitty, too?”

After stroking Beryl’s chin and giving her a quick peck on the cheek, Arisa said, “Well, I’ve got a little bunny to see.  Perhaps we can do this some more later?”

Beryl happily nodded and mewed before giving Arisa one last cuddle.  As Raven’s sister left, Heart of Chaos popped out of Beryl’s shoulder and pointed down the hall.  “Nya?  What is it?” Beryl asked.  “Someone-nyelse to cuddle?”  Heart of Chaos hesitated for a moment before nodding and Beryl rocketed off, pouncing on another visitor and prettying up his clothes in the process before he even realized what hit him.  However, this shocked individual wasn’t the one Beryl’s staff/familiar was indicating.

“…Mistress…Dangerous…” Heart of Chaos said in a telepathic whisper despite knowing that Beryl wouldn’t be able to hear it.  Still, it knew Beryl couldn’t be diverted from her quest.  It pointed Beryl outside, where a sinister presence could be sensed.  Beryl looked around and sniffed the air a bit before looking in the direction Heart of Chaos was pointing.

A black-haired, red-eyed individual wearing archaic noblemen’s robes dyed a deep ebony clung to the shade in the area.  After holding his hand in the sun for a bit, he chuckled and said, “So it’s true.”  After letting out a loud cackle and revealing his vampire fangs, the man said, “So much power in such a tiny place.  How come I’ve never been here before?”

That sinister smile, that dark aura, that deep-seated bloodlust, that strong hatred and desire for revenge, there was one obvious conclusion from Beryl’s perspective: that vampire needed a kitty huggie very, very badly.  The School Pet climbed up a nearby wall and silently made her way to a nearby overhang.  As the vampire looked up in an attempt to adjust his eyes, Beryl landed on top of him with a mewing thud.  “Nyaaa, nyor a little low on nyor warm fuzzies.  I have just the thing for nyu.”

“Unhand me, Mortal!” the vampire shouted.

“Nyow nyow, nyu need to learn what happens when nyu don’t let the warm fuzzies in.”  Beryl then gave the wide-eyed vampire a very passionate Kiss of Happiness. 

It burned; the infusion of positive energy literally burned his lips.  However, the vampire soon noticed something.  This kitty was a literal wellspring of power, a type that he had not seen in a long time.  Chaos, she was flooded with it.  The vampire smiled and patted Beryl on the head.  He then nuzzled her cheek and whispered, “Good kitty.”  Beryl’s neck was wide open.  With his mastery of blood arts, he could extract enough Chaos to satisfy his needs.

*hissssssss*

The vampire stopped short when he noticed Heart of Chaos’s three fangs nanometers away from gouging out his eyes and impaling the roof of his mouth.  Beryl’s weapon/familiar telepathically whispered, “No hurt Mistress!”  The vampire slowly backed his head away; he knew all too well that this creature had him at a severe disadvantage.

Once Beryl’s neck was out of the vampire’s range, Heart of Chaos retracted its fangs and glared.  “…watching you…”  The vampire glared back and sighed.

“Were nyu planning something silly?” Beryl asked.

“Y-you have a very…unusual companion,” the vampire said.

“Nyu can pet her if nyu want,” Beryl said.  “Heart of Chaos is really squishy and fuzzy.”

“I uh, I’ll pass.  I’m Victor, leader of the esteemed von Klausens.  That is, if there are any others left.”

“Nyu don’t have to be so sad, Vicky,” Beryl said.  “I’ll chase it all away with some wonderful kitty huggies.  By the way, I’m Beryl, the School Pet.”

Victor rolled his eyes in contempt.  “Of course…”  After glancing once more at the constantly glaring Heart of Chaos, Victor said, “Uh, perhaps we could go for…a walk?”  Heart of Chaos immediately hissed at Victor, who scowled back and asked, “What’s your problem?”

“…no trick Mistress!...No alone!...”

Victor let out a quiet grumble.  Somehow, this thing was able to read his mind.  His only relief was that unlike him, Beryl didn’t seem to be aware of Heart of Chaos’s telepathy.  Instead, the School Pet had excitedly pulled out a pink leash.  Utterly confused, Victor asked, “Uh, what’s that for?”

“Nyu offered to take me for a walkie.”

“Y-you’re a kinky kitty, aren’t you?”

Beryl nodded.  “That’s what a lot of people tell me-nya.”

Victor rolled his eyes.  “You don’t know what that means, do you?”

Beryl giggled.  “Of course I do.  It means I really like kitty huggies-nya.”
 
Victor glanced at the distrustful Heart of Chaos and shuddered.  He stiffly walked forward before a sudden dizzy spell caused him to stumble.

“Are nyu okay?” Beryl asked as she helped prop him up.

“Uh, yeah.  Th-that kiss must still be affecting me.”

“It always guarantees a smile-nya.”

“Among other things…” Victor quietly mumbled.  “So, where to?”

“Anywhere nyu want,” Beryl said with a giggle and a glint in her eye.  “But first, I need to give nyu something.”

===========================

Akemi opened the door to her office and immediately noticed something was amiss.  She felt an intense dark power radiating from under her desk and said, “I know you’re there.  Come on out.”

“At least let me keep some shred of dignity, Woman,” Victor said in a shaky voice as he tossed away a disintegrating totem.  “No man should have to be subjected to what I just went through, especially one of my stature.  At least let me disappear in peace.”

“How long have you been hiding there?” Akemi asked. “Which student are you related to?”

Victor grumbled and didn’t reply.  After several seconds of silence, Akemi tilted her head and asked, “Would it have something to do with Beryl?  Cute kitty teacher, says she’s the School Pet, likes to put guys like you in pretty dresses?”

Victor slowly rose up from the desk with a very displeased expression.  He wore a pretty pink lace bonnet, evening gloves, and white stockings that went along very well with his frilly pink Lolita dress, plethora of ribbons, and heeled platform shoes.  “That kitty is dangerous.”

“She means well,” Akemi said.  “She doesn’t do anything out of malice.  Besides, even her father tends to end up dolled up when he visits.”

Victor let out a small chuckle.  “Hmph, that fool.  At least I know he’s suffering in some form.  Should’ve just reduced her to a mana battery from the start.  She houses too much Chaos to be controlled by any other means.”

“Who are you?“

“Victor von Klausen.  You might say I’m Beryl’s grandfather,” Victor said.  “Not a trace of vampire within her, though.  No idea how Aschen pulled that one off.”

“Aschen?”

Victor looked at the floor and groaned in frustration.  “Aschen von Klausen, my…son, so to speak.  An enhanced vampire with a huge streak of ungratefulness and the reason I’m here now.”

“Odd, I heard Beryl’s father was a nekomimi like she was,” Akemi said.  “He apparently resembles the current head of the Moriarty family, though.”

“Moriarty?”  Victor broke into a huge chuckle.  “Those wimpy eyesores are still around?  Since when were they actually able to present a threat?”

“It’s probably been a very long time since you passed away,” Akemi said before sitting down to catch her breath.

A sinister smile appeared on Victor’s face.  “I know you’re a guide for the dead, probably the very one that allows me to exist here.”  His hands approached the exhausted Akemi’s throat.  “But in your current state, I could wring the life from you and use it to bring forth my revival.”  Victor sighed and slumped into one of the other chairs.  “Or rather, I could if it wasn’t for your partner waiting in the wings.  I’m still not able to counter that one yet.”

“Y-you know Raven?”

“Is that another alias?” Victor asked.

“It’s…complicated,” Akemi said.

“I never could figure that creature out.”  Victor stared at his hand and noticed it starting to fade.  “Hmm, it seems my time is almost up, just like that winged nuisance said.  So, is Raven still posting random ‘Kick Me’ signs?”

Akemi raised her eyebrow in confusion.  “That would be very out of character for her.”

“Her?  Wait a minute, can Raven transform into anything at will?  Doesn’t she have screaming wings with eyes?”

“No.”

The semitransparent Victor sighed in frustration.  “Never mind, seems this Raven of yours isn’t who I was thinking of.  Can you answer something else?  My granddaughter, that cat, does she know about her vampiric heritage?”

“She’s never mentioned anything beyond bedtime stories,” Akemi said.  “I hear about her kitty culture from time to time, though.”

“Aschen probably kept it from her.”  Victor’s voice started to fade to an echo.  “Never really understood what that one was thinking either…”  A few seconds later, Akemi was alone in her office.