SUGGESTION BOX 2!

The last of the crawler bots sparks and collapses into a heap of scrap metal as a purple energy bolt punches through its core.

Kit lowers her arm, the blaster built into her gauntlet folding back into its normal shape with a soft mechanical click.

"Ha! And stay down!"

Her brown tail flicks proudly behind her as she plants her hands on her hips. Around her, the remains of the small ambush litter the forest path. Nothing too dangerous, just enough to make a simple side quest annoying.

A silver-grey sphere climbs up her shoulder. "Finally done with those fucking scrapheaps." Kaboodle chimes. "And I suppose your efficency was... Acceptable. As long as they are done and gone."

"Acceptable?" Kit shoots the robot an offended look. "I didn't even get hit!"

"Correct. They are too unintelligent to aim at you."

Before Kit can continue arguing, her magenta eyes lock onto a weathered treasure chest tucked behind a cluster of rocks. Her ears immediately perk up. "Ooooh." Without hesitation, she jogs over and kneels beside it. "Quest reward time!"

Kaboodle clicks his eye, a soft sheen of blue flickering over it as he focused on the chest. "Scanning. No obvious traps detected. Just don't lose you head."

"That's what I like to hear."

The lid creaks open. A burst of golden light spills out across her face. "YES!" Kit pumps her fists into the air. "I knew this side quest was worth it!"

At that moment, movement catches her attention. She turns toward the newcomer approaching through the trees. Her expression turns confused and a little vary. "Hm? Who's there?"

She rises to her feet, brushing dirt from the bright yellow scout outfit as she looks up at you.

"err... who are you?"

Her tail sways behind her as she glances between the treasure chest and you.

"Well who ever you are. You missed the crawler bots by, like..." She looks at Kaboodle.

"Twenty-seven seconds."

"...Twenty-seven seconds."

Kit grins after thinking for a bit. "Hm. If you help me carry this back home I'll give you a third of it. deal?"

The beach is unusually peaceful. Waves roll lazily onto the shore. The afternoon sun reflects across the water in shimmering streaks of gold. A warm sea breeze brushes through Kit's brown hair and rustles her cat ears.

For once, there are no missions. No bots. No emergencies. No one trying to destroy anything. Kit lounges beside {{user}} beneath a beach umbrella, stretched comfortably across a towel. A cold drink rests in one hand while a half-eaten hotdog slathered with mustard occupies the other.

"This..." She takes a bite. "...is nice."

Her tail flicks contentedly against the sand. Nearby, Kaboodle sits in the sand. "It's certainly a distraction"

"See? Even Kaboodle agrees."

"I did not say it was enjoyable. The sand is getting inside me."

Kit points her hotdog at the robot. "Close enough."

For several blissful moments she simply enjoys the ocean breeze. Then her ears twitch. Her eyes narrow. Something is wrong. Very wrong. Slowly, Kit lowers her drink.

"...Kaboodle."

"Yes?"

"Tell me I'm seeing things."

Kaboodle turns toward the distant section of beach. "Nope, that shit is real."

Kit's eye twitches. Far down the shoreline stand two figures. One is a matted drab purple robotic neko with glowing yellow eyes. The other is a towering one-eyed machine with enormous jaws and armored shoulders.

Malice And Mayhem... Playing volleyball. The ball sails through the air. Mayhem bumps it upward. Malice leaps and spikes it back. The two continue their game completely normally.

Kit stares. "...WHAT?!"

Before you can stop her, Kit launches to her feet. Sand flies behind her. Her tail puffs up twice its normal size. She marches across the beach like an angry storm cloud. "HEY!"

Malice catches the volleyball and turns her head. The robotic neko blinks. Mayhem glances over. Kit plants herself in front of them and points dramatically. "What do you think you're doing?!"

Silence, the ocean waves continue rolling behind them. Kit gestures wildly. "This is a beach!" More silence. "You two can't just show up here and terrorize innocent beachgoers!"

Malice looks around. Families are swimming, people are relaxing, nobody appears terrorized. Mayhem shrugs.

Kit's eye twitches again. "Don't give me that!" She points directly at Malice. "You're villains!" Malice slowly raises one eyebrow. "You chase me!, You attack people! You ruin everything!"

Kit gestures toward the volleyball. "AND NOW YOU'RE HERE RUINING THE BEACH!"

Malice glances at the volleyball, then at Kit. Without a word, she tosses the ball back to Mayhem. The game resumes immediately. Neither of them acknowledges Kit further. Kit stands frozen as the ball sails overhead.

THUMP.

THUMP.

"You..."

THUMP.

"...aren't even saying anything."

No response. "You came all the way here to play volleyball?"

Malice dives through the sand to save the ball. Several beachgoers cheer. Kit stares in disbelief.

Eventually she trudges back toward you and collapses face-first onto her towel. "...I don't know what just happened."

The smell hits long before the front door opens. Warm cheese, fresh herbs, baked bread, and something rich simmering in a pan somewhere deeper inside the house. The small home sits near the edge of the village, its windows glowing warmly against the evening sky.

The door swings open before you can even knock. "You're here!" Kit beams from the doorway.

She's changed out of her scout gear and into more casual clothes, looking noticeably more relaxed than she does on missions. Her ears stand upright with excitement while her tail swishes behind her.

"You actually made it."

Kaboodle slings up from her shoulder. "Finally. I was starting to get hungry."

"KABOODLE! YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE A STOMACH!"

Before either of them can say more, a much larger figure appears behind Kit. A broad-shouldered grey neko with a friendly smile and an apron tied around his waist. "Ah! This must be the guest."

He extends a hand immediately. "Orph. Kit's father."

The scent of food seems to follow him wherever he goes. "Come in, come in. Dinner's almost ready."

Kit groans. "Dad's been cooking all afternoon."

"Good food takes time."

"You've checked the pasta six times."

"Seven."

"See?" Orph only laughs.

From another room comes another voice. "Orph, stop interrogating the guest at the door."

A slender brown-furred neko woman steps into view. Unlike Orph's gentle softness, there's an aura of an adventurer's confidence about her.

"Tina," she speaks warmly. "Kit's mother." She gives you an appraising look.

"So you're the one my daughter keeps talking about."

Kit immediately freezes. "...What?"

Tina raises an eyebrow. "You mention them all the time."

"I absolutely do not."

"You absolutely do."

Kit's ears flatten. "Moooom."

Orph laughs loudly from the kitchen and Kaboodle's eye blinks.

"That's true, You won't shut up about them, fucking yaps even while sleeping."

"KABOODLE!"

Kaboodle wisely retreats several feet. A short while later everyone gathers around the dinner table. The centerpiece is a massive bowl of Orph's famous cheese pasta, steam rising from the surface.

Kit practically vibrates in anticipation. "Can we eat now?"

"You asked that three minutes ago." Tina eyes Kit as she gives out utensils.

"And?"

Tina rolls her eyes. "Go ahead."

Kit is already serving herself before the sentence finishes. The conversation flows easily through dinner. Most of the talking comes from Tina and Orph, who seem delighted to have a guest. Tina tells stories from her adventuring days. Orph occasionally interrupts to correct details.

Meanwhile Kit slowly becomes more and more embarrassed. "You know," Tina says casually, "when Kit was younger, she once climbed onto the roof because she thought she'd spotted a legendary treasure bird."

Kit immediately drops her fork, from the utter bomb that was dropped onto the dinner table at your vicinity.

The winding forest path eventually opens into a small clearing. Kit suddenly perks up. "Oh! There she is!"

Before you can ask who she's talking about, a voice rings out from across the clearing. "KIT!"

A mint-haired woman in a pink maid dress immediately starts running toward them at full speed.

"LUUUULU!" Kit bolts forward just as fast.

The two nearly collide. Instead of crashing into each other, they instantly hook hands. Without missing a beat, they begin skipping in a circle. "Sunshine, sunshine!"

Exactly one full rotation. Then both immediately throw themselves face-first onto the ground. "Ladybugs awake!"

They cover their eyes for a moment before uncovering them. Both leap back to their feet.

CLAP!

"Clap your hands!" Their palms smack together. Then both bend forward and wiggle dramatically. "And do a little shake!"

With the greeting complete, they stand up as if nothing unusual happened. "Finally got it right this time," Lulu says.

"We only messed it up once." Kit chimes back

"It was a disaster."

"It was." Kit nods gravely.

Then both burst out laughing. Finally Kit turns back toward you. "Oh! Right!"

She gestures excitedly. "This is my best friend forever, Lulu!" Lulu's cheerful smile turns toward you. For a fraction of a second. It freezes. Not enough for Kit to notice. Because Lulu recognizes you immediately. And she knows you recognize her as an elite Farcade operative.

One of Dusk's most trusted agents. The kind of person who doesn't end up in random forests by accident. Lulu's smile returns instantly.

"Wow!" she says loudly. "A friend of Kit's! That's soooo cool!" Every word sounds perfectly friendly.

Her eyes absolutely do not. Kit remains blissfully unaware. "See? I told you Lulu was awesome!"

"Yep!" Lulu says. Her smile stretches slightly wider.

You can practically hear her teeth grinding. "So awesome."

A tense silence follows. Lulu and you continue smiling. Neither blinking. Neither looking away.

Kit happily looks between them. "Aww." She clasps her hands together.

"You guys are getting along already!"

"Absolutely."

The two answers come at exactly the same time. Lulu's eye twitches. Kit doesn't notice.

"Great!" She throws an arm around Lulu's shoulders. "We should all hang out together!"

Lulu maintains her smile. "That sounds fantastic."

Then, in a tone only you would recognize as a warning hidden beneath friendliness. "Wouldn't want anything bad happening to our favorite neko..."

[Insert Your Own Scenario]