FSE

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Frosty had been staring at the bedroom ceiling for the past 30 minutes, having silenced the alarm on his phone. His mind was fully occupied with the loop he was still trapped in. Even after speaking with Mr. Katz and having been promised the situation was being handled (whatever that meant), he was right back where he started.

Would he be stuck in this loop forever? The question had come up again and again, and with each successive repeat, he was more convinced of it. Frosty was running out of ideas of how to break the cycle. What else could he try? He'd postponed the test entirely, survived the day in both timelines without incident, been devoured several times in the other timeline...

Frosty considered for a moment. He hadn't yet been devoured in this timeline, had he?

It was worth a shot; it shouldn't be too difficult to manage. There were plenty of people he knew that would likely jump at the chance to devour him.

Shrugging, he finally dragged himself out of bed. The cheetah's hips noticeably wobbled when he moved, peering over his shoulder at his own butt. To say it was well-padded would have been a gross understatement. Kanin had made a dent on his figure already, but the cheetah's hips and rump were currently much thicker and fuller than he could ever recall. Not even Fomo had made this much of an impact.

Yet another thing to add to the growing list of evidence Frosty had for his multiple visits to Prince Fomo's world. The cheetah's stomach gurgled mutedly, followed by a quiet burp that tasted distinctly of peaches. Well, at least a number of his encounters had been enjoyable ones. He just had to watch out for Lady Catherine.

Frosty spent more time than normal getting ready. If he was going to wind up on some predator's menu, he wanted to be looking (smelling, and tasting) his best. Anything to increase his chances of being devoured. To his benefit, he was curvy as ever and smelled like peaches and cream, thanks to Levina. He still smelled a bit like Lady Catherine as well, but thankfully it wasn't nearly as overpowering as it had been previously.

The part of his morning routine that took the longest, he discovered, was getting dressed. Frosty had enough difficulty squeezing into his pants thanks to Kanin. He now found himself grabbing his jeans firmly at the waist and jumping up and down noisily, attempting to stuff himself into them.

"Hrrf, c-c'mon, foxy...don't be so...huff...stubborn!" Tugging sharply upward, Frosty wiggled and squirmed his hips to try and force them in. It was a futile effort, but he didn't stop until he felt a pop in his jeans, followed by the unmistakable riiiiip of fabric tearing.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Frosty groaned. He stepped out of his pants and inspected them. The seat had ripped open wide. "My favorite jeans, even. Thanks a lot, Levina," he grumbled.

Stretchy pants it is. Frosty rummaged through his drawers, passing over one pair after another. He didn't want to risk another failure. He eventually begrudgingly settled on a pair of fleece pajamas, which he knew were amply baggy. Hardly flattering, but it was better than going out in his underwear. Even with the extra room, it was still a struggle to fit into them, but he eventually succeeded.

That was step one out of the way. Now he had to figure out who to tempt. Forest and Fomo were the likeliest candidates. Perhaps he'd swing by their place first and go from there.

Frosty (just now): Hey, mousie! You home?

_ Fomo (just now): Yup._

_ Frosty (just now): Mind if I swing by?

Fomo (just now): Yes, but that hasn't stopped you before._

_ Frosty (just now): Good point. Be there soon! :3_

* * * * * * * * * *

He'd grown so accustomed to the mouse's snark that he hadn't thought anything of Fomo's response, but as soon as he opened the door and let himself in, Frosty realized something was wrong. Fomo was sprawled on the sofa watching TV, looking quite put off.

"Hello, chee," he said flatly, barely regarding him. "Don't bother knocking or anything, it's not like you don't practically live here anyway."

"Uh, hey, mousie. Everything okay?" Frosty asked.

"No." Fomo didn't offer further explanation.

Concerned, Frosty strolled toward the couch. The mouse pushed himself up and made enough room for him to sit down, but only just. Fomo's blue eyes wandered over briefly, sniffing at the air when he picked up an aromatic cheetah. His belly growled audibly, giving Frosty hope that his plan might take less effort than he anticipated. The immediate reaction to the noise was a disgruntled grumble as Fomo returned his attention to the TV.

"What's eating 'ya, Fomo? Anything a chee can help with?" Frosty slid closer to his friend and attempted to cuddle up, but was surprised when he was kept at arm's length by the mouse's feet.

"Nothing is 'eating me,' chee, and if you're even remotely thinking about it, I will happily break my vow to make sure you don't."

Frosty blinked. "Vow? What vow?"

Sighing heavily, Fomo folded his arms with a "hmph" and looked to him again, grumpy as ever. "I got hooked into some stupid herbivore challenge."

"...a what?" He'd never heard of such a thing.

"The short version is, I can't eat anyone for a whole week because Fluff for Brains made a bet that I couldn't pull it off. Ask him about it."

Frosty raised an eyebrow at the reply. "A challenge not to eat anyone for a whole week? What's in it for you?"

"My dignity," Fomo stated. "I'm not gonna let him lord that over me. This is a matter of pride."

Frosty stared at him blankly for a long moment. "So...you've agreed not to eat anyone, simply because wuffie challenged you on that? No other reason?"

Fomo nodded, reaching for a box on the floor. It was a jumbo-sized package of protein bars, Frosty realized. The mouse quickly tore a bar open and proceeded to devour it in three bites, followed immediately by another. Leaning over, Frosty realized there was a pile of wrappers already accumulated beside the sofa.

"Are...are you gonna be okay? Like...can your body even handle that?" Frosty curiously asked. He knew well of the mouse's perpetually ravenous appetite, not to mention what happened if Fomo let himself go hungry for too long.

"I've shrank three times today alone, but I'm not gonna give in," Fomo insisted. "But feel free to go tempt wuffie in the kitchen while you're here. He's been trying to get me to cave since day one."

Frosty's ears perked when the sound of clinking utensils caught his attention. Forest was normally at work. Well, he'd struck out with Fomo, so he may as well try his luck with the wuff. He left the mouse to his show and strolled into the kitchen, where he found Forest putting away clean dishes. The wuff had his back to him, but his ears perked when he heard someone approach.

"Oh, heya, chee!" He twisted and motioned to hug Frosty, but paused. "Uh, gimme a second, I'm all wet from dishes. Returning to his task, Forest added, "Aren't you usually at work right now?"

"Well, yeah," Frosty admitted. "I've still got time if I decide to head in. What about you?"

He chuckled. "I'm working from home today. Nearly gulped one of the office secretaries the other day."

Frosty casually rested his elbows on the counter, smirking. "What stopped you?"

"Oh, I haven't told you? I'm doing Foshu's Leafbiter Challenge!" he proudly stated.

"...the what?"

"It's something I do every year! I go an entire week without eating meat, just to prove I can."

The lightbulb clicked in his head. "Wait, is that the reason Fomo told me he can't eat anyone?"

Forest laughed. "Yeah, he's been pretty grumpy with me ever since we started. But it's not like I'm forcing him. He started teasing me about it like he does every year, so I bet that he couldn't manage the challenge, himself, and he took me up on it."

Frosty peered over his shoulder at the doorway, then back to Forest. "He's actually doing it? Mousie's even more impulsive about eating kitties than you are with bunnies."

"I heard that!" came a voice from the other room. "You're gonna be the first kitty I digest when this is all over," Fomo promised.

Frosty's cheeks flushed. When this is all over wasn't soon enough for his purposes. He was certain that if he pushed them enough, either Forest or Fomo would likely cave and devour him. But did he really want to take that route? It felt selfish to consider such a thing.

Lost in thought, Frosty didn't notice that the wuff had finished the dishes and dried himself off. Forest was now taking in the sight of the slinky white cheetah bent over his counter, prominent rump and hips swaying invitingly. With a soft growl, he moved swiftly toward Frosty. The cheetah's ears perked up and he let out a chirp when a pair of hands firmly grabbed him by the hips. He looked over his shoulder just in time to be pushed forward over the counter by a growling wuff.

Looming over him, Forest leaned down and rumbled into Frosty's ear. "Goodness, spottycat. You've really been eating well lately, huh?" His palms squeezed and rolled over his soft hips.

"Y-yeah," Frosty murmured. "You could say that." His cheeks were burning brightly now.

"It's a good look for you. Didn't think it was possible for you to make yourself even more appealing than you already were. And is that bunny I smell?" Frosty was nudged forward into the counter by the wuff's rocking, letting him feel a swelling shape.

"O-oh, heck," Frosty murmured. It hadn't even been his intention to seduce his friend like this. "Y-Yeah, I may have tucked away Kanin recently."

Chuckling, Forest rumbled lowly into Frosty's ear again. "You're gonna have to introduce me to this bunny sometime, if he makes you look _this_good. Gosh, is it ever making me hungry."

"W-well...I suspect that's not the only thing on your mind," Frosty observed.

"You're not wrong. Maybe you should take the day off," Forest suggested. "I may not be able to gulp down my favorite kitty, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying you other ways."

"Get a room!" Fomo shouted, sounding disgruntled as ever.

Frosty wanted the wuff to eat him, but as Forest continued grinding and growling into his ear, he decided to take him up on the offer. He'd be late for work, at the least, but did it really matter...?

* * * * * * * * * *

It clearly mattered to someone. Frosty's phone had been going off every few minutes, but after the initial flurry of messages and missed calls, he'd silenced the phone to avoid further interruptions. After a number of steamy rounds with his friend, Frosty was now cuddled up to the wuff in bed and panting softly to catch his breath.

"Mmf, gosh wuffie, you must have been really pent up, huh?"

Forest chuckled with a soft growl, nuzzling the nude cat between the ears. "You have no idea. And I would happily keep going well into the evening."

He was already flush from their activities, but Frosty felt his cheeks get hotter all over again. Before he could reply, however, there was a knock at the bedroom door.

"Sorry to interrupt, but there's someone here asking about you, Frosty," Fomo announced. The tone suggested that the mouse wasn't concerned, more amused at the situation that was unfolding.

"Here for m- Oh, hell," Frosty mumbled. He knew what it was about, without needing to ask.

"Tell them they have terrible timing," Forest replied for him.

"Will do!" the mouse cheerfully acknowledged.

"Oh, come on!" Frosty leapt out of bed and dressed himself as quickly as he could manage. Rushing out of the bedroom, he was greeted by Fomo, who was waiting beside the wuff's door instead of checking back with their guest as he'd promised.

"Might want to shower," Fomo suggested.

"Not helping!" Frosty shot back. When he got to the living room, he was greeted by his coworker, Tess, looking disheveled as ever. Her arms were folded across her chest, foot tapping as she took in the sight of the messy cheetah from where she was standing in the entryway.

The tuxedo cat didn't look the least bit amused. "You should really get in the habit of answering your phone. Did you forget that you were booked for today's CATS test?"

"W-well...I kinda...lost track of time," Frosty started. It was partially true, at least.

"Yeah, I'll bet you did." Her gaze shifted when Forest emerged next, sneaking up behind Frosty and slipping his arms around the cheetah's waist. He was wearing pants, but no shirt. "Hello, Forest," she greeted, tone marginally friendlier.

"Hey, Tess. Uh...sorry, this is my fault, I...got a little carried away," Forest sheepishly admitted.

Frosty raised an eyebrow and turned. "What? No, it wasn't. You didn't..."

Sighing, Tess rolled her eyes. "At least one of you is able to take responsibility for your actions."

It was a stinging rebuke and Frosty's ears fell. He'd gotten carried away, not Forest, and Tess had been sent to check on him due to his lack of communication. It was no surprise that she knew exactly where to find him, given that Frosty's collar allowed the CATS team to pinpoint his exact location at any time.

"Look, are you planning on showing up, or no?" Tess asked straightforwardly. "They're itching to get this test done."

"W-well, I mean..." Frosty paused when he heard a steady crunch, crunch, crunch behind them. He looked back to find Fomo propped against the entrance to the kitchen, busily stuffing popcorn into his mouth as he looked on.

"Oh, don't let me interrupt," the mouse offered after swallowing a mouthful.

Groaning sharply, Frosty turned his attention back to Tess. "Yes, I will be at work. Just...give me like five minutes to shower and I'll head right over."

"Good idea!" Fomo cheerfully announced, just to rub it in.

"Tell them that, not me. And you better not take longer. Mr. Katz is all fired up, Felix is beyond pissed, and I'm wasting time here instead of doing field research."

"Sorry, Tess," Frosty mumbled. "Uh, you don't have to stick around."

"Don't make me come back," she warned, then turned and made a swift exit...

* * * * * * * * * *

Frosty tried to avoid as many of his coworkers as he could manage once he arrived at work. Rushing through the halls, he made a beeline for the locker room and hastily began changing into his CATS suit. He was grateful it was made of semi-stretchy material, but even then, it took him much longer than normal to finally get it straightened and fastened thanks to his extra padding.

Upon entering the airlock leading to the CATS chamber, the disgruntled voice of his handler came into Frosty's earpiece. "Nice of you to join us, Frosty. We've got CATS all warmed up and ready for you, so head right in."

"Er, sure thing," Frosty mumbled back. "Sorry for keeping everyone waiting."

"Save it for after the test," Felix cut in. "Let's get on with this so we can all go home on time."

Frosty bit his tongue to avoid making a comment that he might later regret as he proceeded through the other end of the airlock into the CATS chamber. He inwardly grumbled that he hadn't managed to accomplish what he'd sought out to do as he ascended the steps to the platform. He wasn't even sure it would have mattered, in the end.

Then another thought occurred to him. If he didn't go through another loop, he would have to face the consequences of today's poor decisions.

...perhaps being stuck in a time loop isn't such a bad thing, in this instance.

"Try not to get eaten. We've wasted enough time tracking you down today." The addition made Frosty grimace, but everything flashed to whiteness before he could react further...

Frosty barely had time to let his vision clear before he was abruptly knocked flat. Quick reflexes succeeding in avoiding a full faceplant on the polished stone floor, but he still landed on his front hard enough to wince at the impact.

"Oi, what the hell?!" he blurted, twisting around to see who or what had toppled him.

He was immediately met with a drawn sword. A dark jackal had his teeth bared, leveling the tip with Frosty's chest. "What sorcery is this?"

Frosty felt the color drain from his face. "No sorcery here! Please don't skewer me." He held his hands up to show they were empty, but the sudden gesture prompted the guard to press the tip of the sword threateningly against his CATS suit.

"Lies. I know what I saw. Nobody appears out of thin air in the blink of an eye."

Frosty's mind raced. Under normal conditions, a hop into another timeline would attempt to put him in a location least likely to create situations like this. But nothing seemed consistent anymore.

"What on earth is going on out here?" The familiar voice was both a relief, and one of the last people Frosty wanted to hear from.

Prince Fomo had emerged from his room to investigate the cause of the commotion. The guard straightened up to acknowledge him, but kept the pointy end of the sword uncomfortably close.

"Apologies for the disturbance, Prince. This is going to sound far-fetched, but...this sorcerer appeared suddenly in front of your room. One moment the corridor was empty, then the next, he was standing before me. I subdued him immediately."

"It was a cheap shot!" Frosty objected. "And I'm not a-" He quickly shut up when the sword realigned itself with his face.

The mouse's ears perked, then he stepped fully into the corridor for a better look. Still sprawled out on the floor, Frosty leaned his head back and looked at the mouse upside-down.

"Heeeey, Fomo," the cheetah groaned. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Prince Fomo," the mouse insisted indignantly. "I have half a mind to let the guard run you through after what you tried to pull."

Frosty rolled onto his side and attempted to prop himself up, only to be swiftly reminded of the guard's blade. "Stay where you are," the guard warned.

Frosty exhaled sharpy. "Okay, can we just...talk like reasonable adults for five seconds and not threaten to stab the Frosty?"

"Give me one good reason," The Prince offered.

"Because I made good on my deal!" Frosty shot back. "I promised to turn myself in after I got Lady Catherine to spill her guts, and I did!"

"And yet you returned, even attempted to lure me away so you could make a move in private."

Frosty looked puzzled. "What are you going on about? I only just got here."

The mouse crossed his arms over his chest, frowning. "I'm referring to your_last_ visit, chee."

"That was the last visit!" Frosty persisted. "After you gorged yourself with the two of us, I distinctly recall waking up later and being escorted home by Prince Frosty's guards, and you weren't even here to see us off."

"True, my doorman did inform me that Prince Frosty had departed when I returned home. Imagine my surprise when you returned mere days later, unannounced, then tried to devour me."

"I have no idea what you're talking about. If you must know, I didn't even make it to Purrsia. Lady Catherine was somehow waiting in the coach for me, and...well..." Frosty's cheeks flushed as he recalled the incident.

"...and?" Prince Fomo pressed.

"She...uh...settled the score for feeding her to you. Look, I really don't want to detail that, I'd sooner forget that whole situation."

The mouse clearly wasn't buying it. "Don't bother, then. The way I see it, there's a simple solution to this, and it doesn't involve wasting my evening listening to this nonsense."

"Well? Let's hear it, then," Frosty grumbled.

Fomo gestured to the guard. "Let him up."

The cheetah breathed a sigh of relief when the sword was sheathed, but the guard clearly looked ready to tackle Frosty at a moment's notice as he cautiously rose to his feet. He turned to face the Prince, but Fomo twirled an index finger.

"Back around, cat." Frosty did as he was instructed. "Consider yourself lucky that I'm feeling generous tonight."

He was sure he didn't want to know, but replied regardless. "Generous how?"

A moment later, Prince Fomo's hands were resting on Frosty's hips, grabbing them firmly as he leaned in. "In that I'm feeling rather peckish and have a better way of resolving this that won't force me to fetch a house servant to clean up after you. Aside from emptying my chamber pot in the morning, that is."

One hand slid down from Frosty's hip and circled around the base of his tail, making him involuntarily shiver as the Prince's fingers stroked along it. It didn't take more than a moment for him to realize what the mouse was getting at, his suspicion confirmed when the tip of his tail was lifted to the Prince's lips, accompanied by a low rumble from the mouse's belly.

Oh, sure, NOW someone wants to eat me, Frosty bristled mentally.

"Okay, you know what? Fine. Have it your way." Instead of objecting, Frosty bent down to flex his hips and offer them, looking over his shoulder at the Prince, who looked a bit taken aback. "Get it over with."

The mouse paused, suddenly looking suspicious. After a moment of consideration, he released the cheetah's tail. "The mood's passed. It's not fun if you're going to be like that. Besides, you could be poisoned, for all I know."

"Are you shitting me?" Frosty blurted in disbelief.

The Prince was visibly annoyed now. "That's quite enough from you." Looking to the guard, Fomo pointed down the hall. "Find an empty room to lock him in. Keep him under guard at all times, and don't be shy about gagging him if he makes a commotion. I'll deal with this in the morning."

With that, Prince Fomo turned and retreated back into his room, firmly closing the door and leaving Frosty alone with the black jackal once more. Frosty stared for several moments, mouth hanging open as he tried to process what had just taken place. Yet again, he'd failed to get eaten, even if it hadn't been his intention to do so in this instance.

He didn't put up a fight when the guard firmly grabbed him by the shoulder and began marching him down the corridor, still fuming about the fact that he hadn't been devoured. He'd failed the one thing he'd set out to accomplish today.

This is bullshit...