Queenpins 2: The Big Brass Ballad of Kronii Ouro

Friends in High and Low Places

After the whole bloody incident in the marble quarry, the prison guards finally did their fucking jobs and dispersed us inmates. They rounded up the inmates and brought us all back to Block B in a hurry, hoping that we'd all cool off in the falling rain.

The guards took away Chief Ninomae and her posse of plucky, misfit cops aside too. I'm guessing they'd spin it as something they did for 'their protection', but I know those off-beats well enough to know that they don't need protection.

They have more than their fair share of experience with riots. I've seen it with my own eyes, of course.

Heh, and I know that they were the best damn cops in this whole damn prison. Better than either Ravencroft or Enma, at least. Way better.

How the hell did they know I was here, though? And why are they here, so far away from The City?

I didn't have the time to ask.

In the chaos of it all, the guards just threw us back into our cells. They didn't even let us take a shower or get out of our muddy, squelching work boots or anything. All that was waiting for us in my cell was yesterday's clothes. It wasn't pristine, but it was dry.

A quick sniff of it, though, made me think otherwise. Eugh.

Before I could decide whether or not yesterday's clothes were still salvageable, though, the frantic guards brought another person back into my cell.

The lioness, Botan Shishiro.

She grinned at me.

"Hey there, friend." Botan started, "Seems you're still alive."

"Same to you." I answered, smirking back at her, "Wet. But alive."

"Hah! Truth." Botan guffawed.

As she laughed, I shuddered where I stood and sneezed!

A-CHOOO!

Botan's expression became serious in a heartbeat.

Just as the guards moved to close our cell, Botan swiftly grabbed one of them by the collar and pulled her close to her face. Then, she spoke with her gruff, heavily accented growl, "Hey there, copper. My friend and I could use some fresh clothes. Be a dear and get us some, yeah? Towels too."

The prison guard's face went pale. None of her fellow guards dared to come to her aid, so the guard nodded sheepishly and scurried off. She returned with everything Botan 'asked' her for and skittered away as quickly as she came.

"Go get changed." Botan urged me, "You'll catch a cold."

"Sure, sure."

Botan and I stripped off our damp, dirty clothes and changed into our new fresh changes of clothes. While we took off our clothes, I paused and fell silent as Botan took everything off: knickers, brazier, everything! Without any hesitation whatsoever.

Plus, now unobstructed by her shirt or the straps of her bra, I got a good look at the lioness' broad back and the tattoo that sprawled out on her rippling muscles.

"Hot damn."

I knew that Botan had muscles, but she was built like a machine!

The tattoos on her back were Pekolandese letters written around something that looked like a fuse bomb with lion ears. I don't really know Pekolandese so I didn't know what all that stuff said, but it looked pretty cool.

Just as I was thinking this, Botan's own cat ears twitched and her lion's tail swished behind her towards me like a snapping whip. She probably noticed my gaze - and my jaw that had dropped down to the ground.