[poppy]

phantom (they/he/it) and minerva (she/her)

Leaving the alley where it had been training the child, Phantom wiped a stray smudge of crimson off their maw. Minerva knew about their occupation and what it had to do on the daily, but she had been sickly lately and it didn't want to frighten her. Even though it doubted she could be scared away at this point. She didn't condone the murdering and stuff, but she was also blind by love. Probably.

Carrying a mouse and a small cluster of wildflowers, it padded down the street. It was far enough away from anyone that may be following them, since they had taken tunnels up until this point. Practically everyone they knew was their enemy or a murderer, and they refused to risk leading anyone to the only cat they cared about. Like their friend with the orchids, she was smart enough not to cause Minerva harm, but she was devious enough to share Phantom's mate's location and ruin it all. Even if Minerva was her aunt, the Orchid had killed her own mate, so Phantom wasn't going to risk anything.

The tall, white furred killer deftly picked their way through a bright green yard, approaching a large pale blue Nofur house with bushes and flowers decorating its side. Suddenly, it's own bouquet felt glaringly inadequate, but before it could stress over it too much, the light swinging of the cat flap on the clean white door on the Nofur house, and a fluffy, silky furred snowshoe cat padded eagerly down the steps and happily hurried down the stone-path to press her forehead into Phantom's chest. "You're late Phanny, I was getting worried." She murmured, brilliant blue eyes fixing on Phantom's limp yellow eyes.

Phantom laid down the gifts and embraced the shorter cat holding his mate close. "Minnie, my flower, my love." It whispered softly, stroking her back. "You have no need to be worried, when have I ever lost a fight?" Minerva shrugged in reply, worry still creasing her brow. Phantom gently nuzzled her and smiled. "My butterfly, have I ever told you you're as beautiful as the moon itself, and the sun is jealous of your radiance? Because I fear I don't tell you enough." Minerva let out a soft, playful snort.

"I do believe it's come up about... 12 thousand times." She wanted them to stop with the poetic, cheeseball compliments, but raised in an animal shelter with no one to love her, no one to make her feel good about herself had taken it's toll, and she both hated and craved the compliments. And Phantom knew it. The massive, slender white cat bent down, picked up the flowers and handled them ceremoniously to its love with a loving smile. They would spend the day and evening with their mate, then slip away after they watched the sunset together. Back to the alley and back to Phantom's murderous self. But for Minnie, they felt the urge for blood slip away to almost nothing.

They only felt the desire to make their love smile. Which she did, oh so beautifully. And Phantom was content. The murderous, psychopathic, manipulative villain who tortured cats to death, murdered cats, trained kids to be killers, kidnapped cats, manipulated cats into following them to certain death, turned to goo at the paws of this lovely housecat. What a strange world.