Zib's Kid

Chapter 7

There weren't many people at Lackadaisy yet.
Rocky and Ivy had nearly the whole floor for themselves, to run around and hide under the tables and whatnot. At some point, two figures walked in through the door and made their way to the bar. Ivy halted the game to introduce her new friend to the two most dangerous gunmen in the bootlegging industry at the time.

"Why is there another child here?" asked Mordecai. Viktor merely raised a brow as he stared the new kitten down. Rocky seemed to sense danger, if only because the hulking wall of a man could fall over him at any moment and crush him, but Ivy was holding onto his sleeves and jumping around him with such confidence, such infectious glee, that he decided being friendly was worth a try.

"Hi..." he said, and Viktor furrowed his snout with a hum that sounded a lot like a growl. Rocky just stood in front of him, tail puffed out as Ivy kept telling Viktor all about him.

When Zib came out to check on the situation his own fur bristled. He reminded himself to take deep breaths and walked slowly towards a nearby booth.

Viktor was an intimidating figure for obvious reasons, but there was something about Mordecai that truly irked him. He didn't like that Atlas had hired someone so young to do the dirty work. He couldn't tell if Mordecai seemed younger or older than he was. He just tried not to think about it whenever the young man walked nearby, in the company of Viktor, acting like he didn't care for anything, always right next to Atlas or two steps behind him.

"Relax honey," a familiar voice appeared next to him, "you're looking more unkempt than usual."

Zib sighed and sat across from her at the booth, keeping an eye on the encounter that was happening in the distance.

"You worry a lot for that kid."
"Mhm. Sure, I'm the odd one out."

Mitzi gave him an odd look, but he didn't notice.

"It's just not like you being so tense."
"Mhm." Zib shrugged his shoulders. She half sighed, half grunted. "Anything new on the front?"
"Hm... Wait, I'm usually at the back, you know? What do you mean?" he looked at her. She was sitting in that entrancing way, like she was posing for a Mucha poster, looking at the side with her sparkling dress and her legs crossed in an impatient gesture. Only now Zib noticed she seemed to be twitching, though he couldn't decide why.

"I could ask you that. What's in the front?"

Her beautiful, ever-classy expression turned a bit bothered, and he knew. He knew because he had known her for years, better than anyone else. Something was up.

"What is it?"
"Hm."
"Mitzi," he sat forward towards her, "out with it. Did something happen?"
"Mhm. You are one to ask."

Zib tilted his head in wonder. Was she upset at him? Why? He tried to remember. He had been rather busy and distracted lately, they both had been. Why would she be upset?

"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Ugh, you are impossible."
"Why?"
"You really have no idea?"
"Well, enlighten me."
"Ugh!"

She stood up, her beautiful sparkly dress and her feather boa moving around her like in a Klimt inspired dream. Zib stayed seated as he waited for her to decide whether she would pace away, or stay and let it out. Finally, she stood in front of him and asked.

"Did you cheat on me?"

"What?"
"Did you ever cheat on me?"
"...What?"
"Zib. Be honest. Tell me."

Zib's eyes had grown three sizes. His ears tilted back from shock alone. He looked at her like she was in the process of transforming into a pink dolphin.

"What?"
"Zib, focus! I'm not gonna be mad, I just wanna know."

She was serious. Honest to God serious. He couldn't wrap his mind around it.