Chapter 50

"I look stupid in this," Agata grumbled. The poor Congo lion was stripped out of his suit, his weapons confiscated just to wear a yellow ballroom gown with his shoulders bared and his mane was tied into a messy bun. Few of the vixens were laughing at him.

Oh yes, they made him wear heels.

"Stop complaining," one of the vixens growled. "You will get your original, boring suits back once the time is up. Your blind friend is almost ready. No sure what Ten has in store for him."

Agata prayed that none of the vixens had their phones so that they could snap a photo of him. He doesn't want the boss or any of the Shishigumi teasing him about wearing a dress!

"I've done it!" Ten announced, walking out of a room with her bushy tail swishing. Agata finally noticed the red vixen and realised that she has an eyepatch over the right eye and wore a red cheongsam. In fact, most of the vixens do along with high heels.

"Where's Arthur?" Agata asked. "He better not be-"

SLAP!

"Shut up, lion!" a younger vixen silenced him. Despite foxes are very petite, their slaps are almost as painful as getting stung by a bee. Ten nodded in approval before snapping her fingers. Agata covered his mouth, trying not to laugh or even gasp at the sudden change of the little Honduran white bat.

Arthur was dressed in a puffy dress with floral patterns. He wore the boots that Agata would expect from a toddler. What stood out was that he was forced to wear a baby blue bonnet with ribbons to be tied to his neck like a bow.

"I think my lack of sight is sparring me from wondering what sort of dress am I in," Arthur showed his toothy grin.

"You look like a baby, Arthur," Agata blurted out before laughing. "At least yours made sense more than mine! Only thing missing is a pacifier!!"

Arthur fluffed up his fur before burying his head in embarrassment. His ears could not poke through the bonnet and that was bothering him greatly. He was thankful that the vixens did not make him wear a corset...

"It was easy for the lion since they have the summer look," Ten told her fellow Inarigumi. She circled the two males, ready to pounce on them.

"But for the bat....it took me almost thirty minutes because I can't tell which season is suitable for him. I've never dealt with bats, a white one nonetheless! His fur is perfect for a winter look but he has those orange-yellow wings and ears that reminded me of spring. His nose is shaped like a fallen leaf in autumn with bits of orange at the muzzle. However, his smile and glassy eyes reminds me of the warm summer that's partially cloudy."

"Um, if I may," Arthur began to speak, his ears twitching for any movement. "That's a very interesting insight on how you would describe us in terms of fashion."

Ten smiled. This bat was different than most male animals who viewed vixens as sexual creatures. She figured that his blindness was the reason for this. She would keep this bat as her personal doll if things went her way.

Arthur opened his mouth to use his clicks. He imagined the vixens were all smiling amongst themselves about him and Agata in dresses. He figured that if this was the final task, he will handle it with care.

"You are not to leave our hideout or else we will harvest your most...valuable assets," one of the vixens purred. Arthur did not need any context to know what they were talking about!

...

In the Inarigumi hideout, Arthur could only waddle in his new dress, which was more difficult than his usual walk. Big wings and a puffy dress were the best to make him stumble.

"I smell different herbs in here," said Agata with a contented sigh. "You recognised any of the smells or hear any plants, Arthur?"

The bat shook his head. His cloudy blue eyes were watery. "I don't hear any plants in here but I hope we don't take the herbs. I don't want to bang the gong while we are here."

Agata tilted his head in confusion. "Bang the gong? I don't see any gongs in here."

"No," Arthur corrected him gently, taking his claw with his two fingers. "Bang the gong is a term back in my old home for a specific drug. It gives you a sense of euphoria but will kill you and permanently gives you sharp anxieties."

Agata nodded as they both explored the hideout while hearing the vixens laugh at them. As much as it is humiliating, Arthur understood that this organisation must have been built based on an oppression they shared with one another.

They must have a resentment for males if they keep hitting him and Arthur all the time.

Arthur was adjusting well in his dolled up dress. He was opening his mouth, not a sound out of him before he waddled his way into one room. Agata was not surprise that the bat's curiosity has led him into the room with a white piano.

"You can't help it, can't you?"

"Oh, I just had the urge," Arthur admitted shyly. "I want to feel the quality of the wood and test it out. I'm sure there's no harm done. I'll stop if they hit me again. I just....I just want to play one song."

Arthur sighed, praying for this hour to end. He has to mentally prepare himself for class and the amount of homework he will receive. Plus, he hoped he could make up for lost time with Haru, Aoba, Mizuchi...

The Honduran white bat sighed. He flexed his fingers and his hand-wings before testing out the keys of the piano. He wanted to play how he felt about this whole experience. His exposure to the dark side of carnivore-adult life. He realised that no matter what happens, he can't judge who could eat what.

Nor change the fact that as adults, they seemed to have make questionable decisions that not even they themselves can comprehend.

Oh, it felt so good to play an instrument again! Arthur's mind was already flowing with creative juices and making up a scenario. Though, stringing words were a lot harder than playing a tune he can recall by ear.

Little did he know that he has attracted an audience besides Agata in the room.

...

Dr Kirk's ears perked up when he faintly heard something. Sounded like a melody but he wouldn't know from which era or genre.

Despite being a bat of science, arts such as music and films were very universal. He loves to mix a bit of both in his field of study.

"Kirk?" Gouhin shook the bat's shoulder gently. "You spaced out for the last ten minutes. No pun intended but what's eating you."

"I hear someone playing music," Dr Kirk opened his mouth to use his inaudible clicks. He was trying to locate where the source of the sound was coming from.

"Um...I don't hear anything," said Legosi slowly.

"Me neither," Aoba agreed. "But you can track down anything from far, Dr Kirk?"

"Oh yes!" the old Honduran white bat nodded. "Our echolocations are use to search for things while we have big ears like these to listen to the sounds. I'm hearing a piano but I don't know the song. It could be him. And it's almost three kilometres from where we are!"

Without any explanation, Dr Kirk took off into the sky, making the other three carnivores watch him in bafflement. They could hear the chatters of the other carnivores died down as the white bat flew over them.

"What's up with them?" asked Aoba to Gouhin. "They looked scared of Dr Kirk."

"Those idiots think that he's a ghost bat," explained the giant panda. "They looked the same except Honduran white bats have leaf-shaped noses and are fat."

...

Arthur was so in-tune that the sound of clapping made him fall over the seat he was on.

The poor bat was so unprepared for an unexpected audience that he began to fluff his fur to make himself look bigger. Hell, he's already puffy in the dress he was wearing!

"I-I'm sorry," he stuttered. "I-I found this room and I c-couldn't help but play. Just to relieve stress! Please, I won't do it again!"

"No, no," Ten silenced him. She approached the bat and placed her paw on his furry head. Arthur thought that the vixen's paw was delicate but soft. "You played beautifully."

There were murmurs of agreement amongst the other vixens. Agata watched, in case these tempting vixens were going in for the kill. Ten sat next to Arthur, who was trembling. She was about to conclude about how even blind males feel nervous around vixens until...

"Sorry," Arthur apologise again. "Having an unexpected audience catches me off guard. So, is it okay?"

"More than okay," she told him gently. "Is this what you like? Playing music with your heart out?"

Arthur nodded. But he was wondering about something. "Ms Ten....with your permission, can I feel your face?"

This made the vixen stiffen her posture. Arthur explained that he wants to know what she 'looks' like in his perspective. Reluctantly, the head of the Inarigumi guided his hand-wing towards her face.

Arthur traced her face, trying to figure out how does Ten 'look' like with his rough estimation. Her facial structure was that of a typical red fox but he could feel something over her right eye. His expression softened.

"You lost your eye too?" he asked, ironic since he was born blind.

"I did," Ten nodded. " An accident with a male I once loved. I gave him my all and it crushed from there. I don't know why I am telling a child like you about this but since you've been with other organisations, you might as well know."

Arthur listened attentively, his feet kicking involuntarily.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang from outside. Arthur wrapped his wings around himself to calm down.

"Inarigumi!" a growling voice shouted from outside. "Open up! We know you have him in there!"

Agata brought Arthur close to him.

"We know you have Dr Kirk's son in there!"

Arthur's cloudy blue eyes widened with shock. "Dad?"

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Author's Note: If any of you guys want to draw fan art of Arthur or this story, please feel free to do so! I would love to see what kind of art you guys can do.

I have a little question: Who wants me to make a smut of Arthur x Mizuchi?