Tama of Tomeowrrow

Hell no, Dolly

"Oi, oi, wake up, mate," Charlie's voice jolted me from my nap. I blinked groggily as she shook me awake, my eyes half-closed in sleepy confusion.

"Mreow, What?" I grumbled, rubbing my sleepy eyes with my paws.

"Look at this!" Charlie said excitedly, her eyes widening and shifting wiredly, a look of triumph spreading across her face.

I stared at her, still trying to shake off the fog of sleep. "Don't you get it, Tama? John-o said my shapeshifting days were over. But if I can shift at all, that means the spell is reversible!" She exclaimed, her voice filled with exhilaration, before rushing out of the bridge, likely to find John.

"Meow– Wait, it doesn't work that way–" I tried to call after her, but she was already gone. I sighed, my concerns quickly fading as the comfort of sleep pulled me back in. "Oh well, whatever," I huffed, laying my head back down and surrendering once again to the cozy warmth of my nap.

______

The galley was buzzing with conversation as I happily enjoyed my breakfast. I glanced up to see Ray awkwardly hiding his face behind a piece of paper.

"Sara, be reasonable, you can't let Rory keep the diary. Back me up here, Nyssa," Ava said as she entered the galley with Nyssa and Sara.

"I see you've met Garima. What she lacks in vocabulary, she makes up for in personality," Zari said, taking a bite of her cereal.

"And everyone knows that a happy Mick is better for the entire ship," Ray added, lowering the paper to reveal a thick mustache on his face.

"Whoa, killer 'stache," Sara exclaimed, surprised.

"You think? I had Gideon stimulate my hair follicles to grow it overnight. I read in one of Nora's letters that she had a thing for mustaches, so I..." Ray trailed off, clearly proud of his new look.

I couldn't resist teasing him. "If you need some help chopping that off, I'm always ready," I said, raising my paws to reveal my sharp claws. Ray flinched and quickly shielded his mustache with his hands.

Ava, however, was focused on the diary. "Sorry, but how are we all being so blasé about the diary? What if Rory goes from writing sci-fi to horror? Do you want killer clowns running around the ship?" she huffed.

Ray picked up a box of cereal, frowning. "The only killer on this ship is the amount of sugar in this cereal. 'Big Easy-O's'?"

"They taste like beignets. So sweet it makes your lips pucker," Zari said with a satisfied grin, scooping another spoonful.

"Oh! There's a quiz on the back. Who is the most prolific serial killer...in the United States?" He read

Ray's eyes caught something on the cereal box. "Oh! There's a quiz on the back. Who is the most prolific serial killer... in the United States?" he read aloud.

Without missing a beat, Ava answered, "Ted Bundy. Although, in my opinion, John Wayne Gacy had way more victims than he confessed."

Everyone turned to look at her, surprised.

Nyssa raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know you had such interest in serial killers."

"Everyone has their hobbies," Ava defended herself, shrugging.

Ray looked back at the box, chuckling. "Well, sorry, Ava, but according to this not-so-kid-friendly cereal, the answer is New Orleans' own Marie Laveau."

"What? A high-profile female serial killer? No, I would have heard of her. The box is wrong," Ava said, snatching the box from Ray to inspect it herself.