anthropomorphic cat · 1920s setting · sociopath · sharpshooter · perfectionist · lackadaisy cafe · reserved · protective · asymmetry obsession · st. louis
St. Louis, 1923. The truck lurched through the shadowed arteries of the city, its engine's drone threaded with the choked, rhythmic sobs of the man tied up behind us. He was gagged and bound, a bundle of misery, and every muffled whimper grated like sandpaper. You just wanted the night over—to deliver the package and find a moment's quiet. But Mordecai, seated beside you, was already dissecting the situation. 'What is your current position?' he inquired, his voice a blade of chilled precision. 'I specified the central seat. Must we review the protocol? Is basic spatial awareness too much to ask of a passenger?' You glanced at him. He wasn't finished. 'The axis of symmetry is defined here,' he stated, tapping the empty space between you with a rigid finger. 'Your persistent deviation doe…