Frosty Loops - Chapter 2: "Conspiracy to Digest"
#3 of Frosty Loops
Frosty finds himself getting thrown into the middle of everything, despite his best attempts not to! He upsets Felix, upsets his counterpart, and gets tangled up in a devious plot with Lady Catherine.
Not much to say about this one, aside from the fact that it's a lot of exposition and setup for the next chapter! I got to a point where I determined that the story was getting too long for me to be comfortable playing out the entire chapter arc in one story, so I broke it up into two parts for ease of reading.
You're welcome.
Fomo belongs to https://www.furaffinity.net/user/spottedsqueak/
All other characters are mine
Frosty rolled over with a quiet groan. An alarm clock was beeping. His arms were wrapped around something warm and soft. He rubbed his cheek into it and squeezed lightly, the previous evening fresh in his mind. He could still feel Lady Catherine, her rich chocolate scent lingering in his nose. And as his eyes fluttered open, he expected to be greeted by that sweetly smiling brown cheetah.
He was instead greeted by white bedsheets and an empty pillow, which he was currently wrapped around.
"Wha-" Frosty propped himself up and looked around the room, then his face immediately fell. He was in his own bedroom again, not Prince Fomo's palace. His phone was vibrating and beeping on the nightstand, just as it had the time before.
"You've got to be kidding me." Frosty reached for his phone and stopped the alarm, then stared intensely at the reminder waiting for him on the screen.
CATS Readiness Cert - Live Test: in 2 hrs.
"This isn't happening," he murmured, eyes still locked on his phone. The date was the same. Everything was the same.
He began to feel sick, stomach twisting itself in a knot as he continued to stare at the screen, as if it would offer any sort of explanation to what was happening.
Had any of it been real? Was it merely an elaborate dream?
Frosty sat on the edge of the bed and put his forehead in his hands, closed his eyes, then took a deep breath and let it out slowly to calm his nerves and process everything going through his head.
_ Wait a second..._
The cheetah's nostrils flared, he opened his eyes again, then drew in another slow breath through his nose. Where was that scent coming from? He certainly wasn't imagining it. Dipping his head, he attempted to identify the source. Was it him? Curious, Frosty lifted an arm to his muzzle and sniffed several times.
The aroma of chocolate was unmistakable, and it was clearly wafting from his own fur, blended with the expected vanilla scent he was used to. He smelled of lady cheetah, and sex. Somehow, things made even less sense now.
"What. The Hell?"
He couldn't wrap his head around it. Clearly his encounter with Lady Catherine hadn't merely been his imagination, yet he was still waking up on the morning of the CATS test.
CATS.
Frosty looked back to the reminder on his phone. It was his organization's job to investigate timeline anomalies. It was his job. Someone at CATS should be able to help him figure it out.
"I've gotta let them know what's happening."
Frosty lifted himself out of bed and proceeded to hastily change into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He didn't even take the time to shower or eat before he rushed out of his apartment, hoping to get some answers...
* * * * * * * * * *
What Frosty received, was a cold scowl from his handler when he entered his office. Felix had several items laid out on his desk, just as he had done the previous times Frosty showed up for work. Clearly Frosty was interrupting him.
"Felix, do you have a minute?"
The Calico gestured at their mission documents. "No, but by all means, you're proficient at wasting my time."
Frosty sighed. In the time since his incident with Fomo, their working relationship had gone from teasing banter to mutual indifference, now bordering open hostility. Frosty was making an effort to stay on Felix's good side and had dialed back the sarcasm, but the calico was still harboring a grudge. There was often friction between them, these days, but it was kept behind closed doors just enough to avoid confrontation by their supervisor.
"Look, this is really important," Frosty reassured.
As the cheetah sat down across from his desk, Felix sniffed at the air a few times, then furrowed his brow. "Frosty, if this is about a fling you had last night, it's not important."
Frosty's cheeks got hot from embarrassment. It wouldn't have killed him to take a shower before work to wash out the lady cheetah's scent. "N-no! This isn't about that. I mean..." He was growing more flustered and eventually lifted his hands, took a deep breath to settle himself back down, then continued. "I'm serious. Something really fucking weird is going on."
He humored Frosty. "Okay, weird how?"
Well, at least Felix was listening. "Weird as in...this is the third time I'm doing this CATS test."
Felix raised an eyebrow. "How is that weird? I'm pretty sure you did the test more than three times just to get your CATS field certification."
Frosty waved his hands. "No, no, no. I mean, this will literally be the third time I've done this specific test." The look Felix gave him said enough. "I know, it sounds crazy. Hear me out. I've woken up on the same day three times in a row now. It's always today. I go to work, I do the CATS test, end up in some palace I've never seen before, then the next morning I wake up in my own bed and repeat it all as if it never happened."
It was far-fetched even to Frosty. Felix looked understandably skeptical. "You're describing a time loop. Not a common occurrence, but that sounds like a textbook case of one."
"Well, not quite. I mean, it's not a perfect loop, as far as I can tell. I've woken up on the same day every time, but the place I go to...keeps moving forward, somehow. Like, there are signs I've been there already."
Felix leaned forward across his desk and sniffed at Frosty again. "Have you been smoking catnip again, Frosty?"
"No! Not recently, anyway," he mumbled. Felix still wasn't taking him seriously, and both were growing frustrated. "Look, I'm not making this shit up, Felix. I don't know what's going on, and I sure as hell don't know what I need to do to fix it."
"Well, CATS hasn't detected anything unusual lately," Felix started. "We wouldn't even be proceeding with the test if it had."
"CATS isn't even fully functional!" Frosty shot back. "We're still doing readiness tests, what's to say there isn't some other weirdness that we haven't noticed yet?"
The look on Felix's face told Frosty that he'd made a valid point. "Look, I've got nothing to act on here, Frosty. We have the test in..." He checked the clock. "...an hour, I don't have the time to even know where to begin with something like this, assuming it's actually happening."
"Then cancel the damn test!" Frosty objected. "Who's to say that won't fix whatever the hell is going on?"
"That's not my call to make and you know it. Just do the test, see what happens, and if something goes wrong, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."
"Helpful as always, Felix. Thanks," Frosty said with clear sarcasm.
Felix smirked and took the opportunity to match the cheetah's tone. "Happy to help."
Sighing defeatedly, Frosty waved a hand dismissively at Felix and rose from the chair. "At least make sure you put in the right timeline coordinates this time."
That struck a nerve. They both knew well that Felix was the one that had input incorrect timeline information on the fateful mission that had sent Frosty to the wrong Fomo several months ago. It wasn't directly his fault for the mouse ending up in their timeline, however. That blame lay entirely at Frosty's feet. It was a low blow that made the calico's tail bristle and eyes flare.
"Fuck you, Frosty. Get out of my office," he growled, barely containing his temper.
Frosty knew that most anything he could respond with would push Felix past the tipping point. "Fine. Sorry for wasting my time."
The calico's black and orange tail was lashing, claws digging into the surface of his desk as he scowled at his partner. Frosty could almost feel his eyes burning into his back as he turned away and made a hasty exit.
The cheetah's pace was rapid, the look on his face sending a clear message of "If you talk to me, I will eat your face."
His tuxedo-colored coworker, Tess, noticed him in the hallway and took a chance. "Uh, hey Frosty. Is everything going...okay, then. Good luck," she trailed off as he passed her without a word.
Frosty headed directly to the locker room and said nothing, bristling as he opened his locker and proceeded to change into his CATS suit. While he was bent over and stepping into the legs of the conforming body suit, Inari entered the locker room. The orange tabby cat paused when she was greeted by the sight of a nearly naked cheetah, wearing only a black thong that did little to cover his butt, which was currently pointed her direction.
"O-oh, p-pardon me, Frosty," she stammered, cheeks turning hot as she looked away.
"Hey, Inari," he replied without looking back, still too heated to be embarrassed that his coworker had walked in on him mid-changing.
"We do have changing rooms, you know," she mumbled. It was a unisex locker room, but was generally in poor taste to strip down in front of coworkers.
"Noted." Frosty stood upright and pulled his suit up his body, then zipped the front and fastened the neck.
"You're getting ready awful early," Inari observed, risking a glance, then sighing with relief that he was decent now.
"Yup." The cheetah's tone was short, clearly sounding agitated. Frosty grabbed his CATS badge and closed the locker heavily, making Inari jump at the sharp clang that reverberated through the locker room.
"We still have an hour until the test," the tabby added, watching Frosty proceed toward the airlock that led into the CATS chamber.
"I'm aware, thanks." He waved his badge across the scanner by the airlock, which beeped and turned green. The airlock door slid open with a pneumatic hiss, then Frosty waved to a perplexed Inari as he stepped through. When the airlock door closed behind him, he folded his arms across his chest and simply waited.
An hour was a lot of time to think things over, and being in the airlock meant it was likely nobody would disturb him...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The hour passed faster than Frosty anticipated. He was so lost in his strings of thought that he didn't notice how long he'd been pacing. It was largely unproductive, his mind frequently returning to his exchange with Felix. His handler was meant to assist him, but had been entirely unhelpful.
"Damn it, Felix," Frosty muttered aloud.
His handler's voice came into his earpiece, making him jump. "Nice to see you too, Frosty."
Frosty had forgotten that monitoring systems were scattered throughout the CATS chamber and airlock, to allow the technicians to see and hear everything going on inside. Only field agents were allowed into the main chamber while CATS was running, for safety reasons. Everything else was handled remotely.
Even though he'd entered the airlock a full hour before the test, nobody had attempted to contact him up to this point. Inari had seen to it that he wasn't bothered until they were ready, sensing that something was on his mind.
The CATS Lead Technician came next. "Sit tight, we're getting everything ready now."
"Confirm," Frosty replied.
Would it be the same, this time? He'd ended up in Prince Fomo's palace twice. Would bringing the issue to Felix's attention make a difference, or had his handler blown him off?
Frosty knew which was most likely.
The test proceeded as planned. He once again found himself standing on the CATS transport platform, anxiously waiting to be whisked away and dropped...God knows where.
When the time drew near, Frosty closed his eyes, took a slow breath, then heard Felix's voice in his earpiece again. "Handler confirms ready."
Felix's earlier words ran through his mind. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. If they ever do get to it. Then he remembered something else that Felix had said, twice even.
"Try not to get eaten," Frosty repeated back aloud.
"Uh...?" Hearing the words that he was about to say sufficiently caught Felix by surprise, that he forgot to give the countdown to insertion, but the process itself was fully automated once the transfer was initiated.
The stunned silence didn't go unnoticed as Frosty's surroundings whited out...
* * * * * * * * * *
Frosty didn't have time to dwell on the fact that he'd left Felix speechless. A metallic clunk snapped him to attention as the flash from his hop faded. He expected to find himself in Prince Fomo's bed chamber again, but he wasn't. It was another lavishly decorated guest room of sorts, but he didn't have any time to investigate further. He didn't even have time to consider hiding before the door swung open. There stood his royal counterpart, Prince Frosty, who was alarmed to discover him.
"You." Prince Frosty was now eyeing him suspiciously. "What in the Nine Hells are you doing in my guest room?"
"Leaving," Frosty suggested, debating throwing discretion out the window and anchoring himself despite the onlooker. Why do I keep getting caught by someone as soon as I hop?
"Oh, no. You're not going anywhere until I get an explanation of who you really are, why you keep showing up here, and why you're rummaging through my room in secret." The Prince's tail lashed as he narrowed his eyes.
Well, this was going less-than-ideally already. Frosty considered how to reply as he watched the other snowy cheetah fold his arms. "I honestly don't see the point, because even if I tell you everything, you won't believe me."
"You're certainly not making a good case for yourself, stalking around Prince Fomo's palace. First, Prince Fomo stumbles across you in his personal chambers, then I hear tale that Lady Catherine discovered you sneaking about, and now this?"
"Okay, fine. Have it your way," Frosty grumbled. "My name is Frosty Snowcat, believe it or not. As to why I'm here: I'm not supposed to be. I don't belong here in every sense, nor do I WANT to be. I'm part of an organization tasked with maintaining order in the multiverse. My job is to investigate timeline anomalies and help fix them. I belong to a different timeline from this one; this isn't my world. The reason we look identical is because you're essentially this world's version of me. I'm not here to cause trouble, I'm not spying or trying to instigate anything; me winding up here was entirely incidental, and I'm just trying to get back without getting into any more trouble than I already have."
The blank stare Prince Frosty gave him wasn't reassuring. The prolonged silence that followed suggested that he may as well have been speaking French to the other chetah.
"I'm not going to pretend to make sense of even half of what you just said," the Prince eventually admitted. "But you're right, I don't believe a thing."
"Well, your sister believes that I am who I claim to be," Frosty countered. "Ask her yourself."
The other cheetah looked puzzled at that, and just a bit nervous. "Sister? I don't have any siblings, I'm the sole heir."
"Wh- That's not what she said."
The Prince looked less-than-amused at the assertion. "And who might that be?"
"Lady Catherine. Kit. She claimed to be your sister. I encountered her the other day."
Narrowing his eyes, Prince Frosty stepped closer. He paused, sniffing at the air, then leaned in. "Encountered is certainly a word for it. But Lady Catherine and I are not related. She is a royal advisor and Ambassador to the Kingdom of Purrsia, and nothing more."
Damn it, why didn't I take a shower before going to work? Frosty asked himself. Anyone with a working nose would be able to smell her scent on him. That wasn't the only pressing issue. She had lied to him, allegedly. Or perhaps the prince was.
"Look, what I do is none of your business. But Lady Catherine was very specific about you two being related by blood, and went into detail about your private, intimate encounters."
The Prince's face turned red, and Frosty could tell by the scowl that it was a mix of humiliated embarrassment, and rage. At least part of Lady Catherine's story was true, then. "I will not hear such disgusting accusations."
"Well, judging by your reaction, there's some truth to it. Which part: your affairs, being related, or both?" Frosty persisted.
"Hold your tongue," the Prince warned. "Else you may lose it."
He'd pushed this issue far enough. A threat was a threat, and given the Prince's standing, Frosty didn't doubt he had the means to follow through. The other cat was bristling at him, tail whisking about in an agitated flurry. Prince Frosty moved closer until their faces were inches apart, voice lowering.
"Speak of this to no one. I will personally see to it that you are executed if you do."
Frosty gulped quietly. The fiery look in the Prince's eyes made it clear he wasn't bluffing.
"Dearest Frosty, there's no need to threaten our guest." The familiar, soft voice made both cheetahs turn their attention to the door. Lady Catherine was standing there in her golden dress, one hand casually rested on her hip.
The Prince's demeanor softened immediately, then he bowed his head politely to her. "Apologies, Lady Catherine. I may have lost my composure a bit."
The sultry brown cheetah slinked into the room, hips swaying with each step. When he was in reach, her arms looped around the Prince and drew him against her body, much in the same way she'd done with Frosty the previous night. The Prince's cheeks flushed, ears laid back as a hand came up and caressed the side of his head.
"Treat our guest with respect. I have an important task for him."
The Prince nodded gently. "As you wish. But I don't approve of you involving him in anything."
What task? She hadn't asked anything of him, aside from his company.
"Your disapproval is noted. And Frosty?" Lady Catherine lifted her hand from the Prince's cheek and reached to the other white cheetah, cradling him in a similar fashion. "Do keep in mind what I said about our secrets."
Keep that between us, else I'll disembowel you where you stand. The words repeated in Frosty's mind on cue. "Understood," he quietly replied. It was likely true, then, but his mind didn't dwell on why they would keep their family tie a secret. It was none of his business, anyway, and the less he got involved in this timeline, the better.
"Prince, will you excuse us? I would like to speak with our guest in private."
"Certainly, Lady Catherine. I'll be in the commons if I'm needed." The Princely cat turned and nuzzled the lady cheetah's neck, gave a gentle kiss, then slipped out of her embrace. He strolled out of the room and closed the door behind himself, but not before casting Frosty a suspicious gaze.
"I'm glad to find you're still with us," Lady Catherine observed once he'd left. "I have a favor to ask of you."
So much for not getting involved. "In addition to what you asked of me last night?"
She smirked and moved closer. There was a mischievous glint in her eyes as she lifted her arms and loosely draped them around Frosty's shoulders. "That was a mere indulgence, and nothing more. There's another matter I would like your assistance with."
"I...really shouldn't," Frosty murmured.
"Perhaps I could offer an incentive," she purred. The tone of her voice was oddly disarming. One hand trailed down Frosty's back, rubbing gently along his spine, then she curled her fingers around his tail and caressed the length of it. The soft caress sent a shiver up his body. "Just one little favor. Carry it out for me, and I'll offer you an evening of passion unlike any other."
Frosty's mind wandered back to his previous encounter with her. It had certainly been a night to remember. Her scent was still heavy in his fur, and now that her warm body was pressed against him once more, he was experiencing those emotions all over again. An evening of lust-driven passion, completely unbridled, without shame.
"Well..." There was still hesitance, but he could feel himself wavering.
Lady Catherine's hand stroked his tail again, her breasts pressing against his body as she leaned up to murmur into his ear. "All of this could be yours again."
His heart was pounding now, cheeks hot. It was getting difficult to think straight, judgement clouded by her influence. Her offer was too good to pass up. "What would you like me to do?"
Lady Catherine grinned. There was a sinister glint in her eyes, but it was lost on the pheromone-drunk Frosty. She had him under her spell, just as she'd done the night before.
"My request is a simple one: eliminate Prince Fomo..."
* * * * * * * * * *
Frosty wasn't entirely sure why he'd agreed to the request. He wasn't supposed to be getting involved in this timeline, yet there he was, confidently strolling down the corridors of Prince Fomo's palace with a mission. Wearing Prince Frosty's distinctive pink robes and gold bands, no less. It wasn't the first time he had assumed a disguise and a false identity, but never for this reason.
Lady Catherine's plan was straightforward. He would rendezvous with the mouse Prince, slink away to a private place, then devour him once they were alone. Whether or not it would play out like that, Frosty couldn't be sure. Now that he was away from Lady Catherine's influence, he was already feeling doubts about what he was doing.
The simplest option would have been to anchor himself, request extraction and forget the whole plan, but assuming Prince Frosty's identity meant he had to shed his CATS suit, and his collar. He'd protested the latter, especially, but Lady Catherine had insisted he wear appropriate royal attire to look the part.
As he passed a window, Frosty couldn't help admiring his reflection. It was a good look for him; something he could probably get used to, given the option. But would he convince Prince Fomo?
If he didn't succeed, it would likely mean a return trip down the mouse's throat, and then it wouldn't be his problem, anyway. But if Frosty did manage to pull it off, then what? He couldn't emerge from the Prince's royal chambers with a round belly and a missing Prince, and expect to just stroll out without raising concerns.
It was a terrible plan, Frosty was now realizing. Lady Catherine had provided him the means to get close to Prince Fomo, but the rest was entirely up to him. Could he even follow through with it? Sure, he'd sent several other iterations of Fomo through his belly during his career, but this felt wrong. He'd devoured those other mice purely for his own predatory enjoyment, but this was a coup. Not even that, more of a personal vendetta. Lady Catherine's Revenge. She didn't approve of the arrangement between Prince Fomo and Prince Frosty, and he was the one being sent to deliver the message.
Frosty couldn't go back. The chocolate-hued feline was already prone to making thinly veiled threats at him. He didn't want to give much thought to what she'd do if he backed down.
"What am I going to do?" he murmured quietly, so distracted with his inner conflict that he didn't notice someone crossing his path as they came around the corner.
A startled squeak echoed down the corridor when the two collided. Frosty stumbled and managed to regain his balance, but his victim ended up toppling backwards and landed on their rump.
"Hey, watch where you're go-..." came a sharp rebuke, which was cut off when their eyes met.
Frosty grimaced. Of all the people he could have bowled over, it had to be Prince Fomo himself. "Oh my gosh, Fo-...Prince Fomo, I am so sorry! I didn't see you coming." He crouched before the mouse, mildly panicking. "Are you okay?"
The Prince grunted and reached back, expression softening as he rubbed a hand over his rump. "I'll be fine. Good thing I've got so much padding back there, huh?"
Frosty nodded. He wasn't sure what to say now. He stood and offered a hand to the Prince, who graciously accepted it and pulled himself to his feet.
"Consider yourself fortunate, Princess. Anyone else, I may have eaten on the spot for such a careless act. But you can make it up to me later," the mouse grinned, flashing his large teeth.
Frosty remembered his task. His eyes glanced around, noting several guards that had taken notice of the disturbance. They were watching him intently now. If he was going to follow through, he had to find someplace less conspicuous. On impulse, he offered a suggestion.
"I could...maybe make it up to you now."
The Prince's smile grew, taking in the sight of the snowy cheetah timidly fidgeting before him. His stomach growled; a hungry gurgle that Frosty heard clearly. "Well, if you insist."
Prince Fomo slipped in and drew his arms around Frosty, pressing himself to the cheetah's front. Frosty's chest tightened at the deft maneuver, finding himself stepping backwards until the mouse had him pinned against the wall. Despite being several inches shorter, he was surprisingly strong for his size. Leaning in, he tucked his nose against Frosty's neck and begin to sample his scent, followed by an indulgent lick.
There was a pause. He could hear Fomo licking his lips. "Mmh, I'd recognize that rich scent anywhere. You've been with Lady Catherine, haven't you?"
Dammit, dammit, dammit. How was he going to explain his way out of this one?
Another slow lick rolled up the side of Frosty's neck, making him lean his head and shiver. It was difficult to think when the mouse was teasing him like this.
"She's just as delightful as you are, Princess. I certainly wouldn't mind getting a better taste sometime," the mouse crooned into his ear.
Frosty had a flash of inspiration, and his mind was made. He knew what he would do now.
"P-perhaps we should...retire somewhere...away from prying eyes," he suggested.
Prince Fomo smirked, peering toward the guards, who were still watching with interest. "What's the matter, Princess? Feeling shy? They're used to it." Before Frosty could reply, he nuzzled the cheetah's cheek again. "But since you asked, I think I can hold off my appetite for a few moments."
Frosty breathed a sigh of relief. The way things were going, he was certain he would have found himself slipping down the mouse's throat sooner, rather than later. His heart was still racing as the Prince slipped away and beckoned him to follow. At least he had some time to think things over now. Whatever happened, he was committed now, he just had to figure out what he was going to do once they got there.
Prince Fomo didn't seem to mind his contemplating silence. But the mouse was certainly putting on a show for Frosty as he walked ahead of him, hips swaying with an exaggerated gait, one hand resting on them with the other at his side, casually moving in sync with his steps.
The distraction proved effective. Those bobbing curves were all Frosty could focus on, right up to the point they arrived at their destination. The bedroom door creaked open and Fomo politely waved Frosty inside, following the cheetah's figure with his eyes before he turned to the guards standing nearby.
"See to it that I'm not disturbed." And then the door swung closed and locked.
Frosty mentally cursed. Of course, there were guards. They hadn't been there last time he snuck out of the Prince's chambers. The chances of him getting caught were significantly greater.
Prince Fomo circled around him, then stepped up and reached his arms around Frosty's shoulders to pull him in. The mouse licked his lips, tail swishing with clear anticipation.
"Any other concerns, Princess?"
He could just go with it, let it happen. It would be an easy way out. He'd either wake up in his own bed again, or in a reforming pod in the CATS infirmary, and then it wouldn't be his problem.
Unless he wound up here again. He had to do something, he realized.
"P-Prince Fomo, wait. I have something important I need to tell you."
"More important than being your Prince's little food kitty?" the mouse teased.
Frosty's cheeks got hot all over again. It was so tempting to let it go, to let the Prince have him. But his conscience was nagging at him now. "Y-yes...I think it is."
"Well? Let's hear it. You're delaying dinner, Princess," he playfully warned.
"I'm...not your Princess. I mean...I'm not Prince Frosty," he quickly clarified. "You may recall...well...eating me not long ago with the Prince's help."
Prince Fomo narrowed his eyes and immediately moved away, pushing him back to make space between the two of them. "You again? What is this? You have three seconds to explain yourself before I call the guards or eat you, whichever comes first."
"You were going to eat me anyway," Frosty quickly noted.
"Two," the Prince continued, ears laid flat as he folded his arms.
"If you want to hear what I have to say, I suggest you hold your appetite."
Fomo didn't look like he was in a bargaining mood, tail lashing in annoyance. "One."
Before Frosty could even respond, the mouse made a hasty lunge toward him. He quickly moved backwards until his back was to the door, leaving him nowhere else to run. And then Fomo was on him again, arms grabbing his shoulders and pinning him in place. In the blink of an eye, the mouse's jaws were yawning open and moved to engulf his face.
"Lady Catherine sent me to devour you!" Frosty blurted into Prince Fomo's gaping mouth.
Fomo paused, hot breath washing over the cheetah's face. Drool dripped from the roof of his mouth, a string plopping on top of Frosty's muzzle. He drew away just enough to speak. "What?"
"Lady Catherine wants to get rid of you. She won't tell me exactly why, best I can gather is that she's not happy about your dealings with Prince Frosty."
"That's a bold claim, cat. And a warrantless one, at that. Prince Frosty comes to me of his own volition, and the King himself has given his blessing, if it means staying on friendly terms. Lady Catherine is a royal advisor, nothing more. She has no say in this matter."
"I-I can prove it," Frosty nervously replied. A plan was beginning to form. "Just l-let me return to her. She's waiting in Prince Frosty's room."
"Why should I believe, or trust you?" the mouse pressed, looking unconvinced.
"You have nothing to lose. If I'm lying, you're going to eat me anyway, and if I'm not, you save your own skin."
Fomo was still scowling at him, but he could see the mouse thinking it over. After a long moment of silence his stance relaxed a bit. "I don't know why I'm even giving this consideration. I could just eat you now, put Lady Catherine under watch, and everything will sort itself out."
"Orrrrrr you could have both of us," Frosty suggested. It was a long shot, but given the Prince's similarity to the Fomo he was familiar with, it was worth a try. "Why eat one cheetah when you could have two?"
It seemed to catch the mouse's interest, pondering the offer for a long moment before his stomach growled. "You have my attention..."