"And welcome viewers to a special episode of Firm Chat!"

　　Canned applause played over a set of hidden speakers as Julian smiled into the camera. Lecorondia watched the display without hiding her boredom with the performance. The pre-show spiel held nothing interesting, and he was doing well enough to hide his annoyance that she couldn`t poke at it when they finally put her on.

　　She leaned back on the couch, her tail resting close to Lucy`s leg, so she could nudge her as required. Her companion sat stiffly, hands folded into her lap and back straight, as she stared at Julian with a blank expression. Lecorondia thought she was going for stoic, but in her opinion, the blonde simply appeared ill.

　　A smile tugged at her lips, and she leaned back, her arm resting on the back of the couch as she twisted her body towards the camera. A perfect picture of relaxed casualness. It was her plan for two reasons. The first was that it made an excellent comparison point for when she switched into the weeping pet owner. She knew there wasn`t a chance they would miss the opportunity to post a picture of Erodicilee.

　　For starters, he was so different from any other animal on the planet. That fact alone would be a draw for any show. Combined with the fact that he was the most adorable thing in the entire universe, however? Julian would be a fool to not show him off.

　　The second reason was that it put her at odds with Lucy`s uptight display. A relaxed alien next to a professional government agent would create a clear dichotomy. People could pick who they related to most and, hopefully, find comfort in it.

　　Her gaze flicked around the studio, and she winked at a few of the camera operators. One blushed, and she let her smile grow. Good. That would be the one she turned to if she needed to pull attention.

　　As she studied the room, she found Jerry and Julep standing off to the side and off camera. Her bodyguard had his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed as he glared at anyone who came near. Jerry was the polar opposite, hands in his pocket, while he gave a cheerful smile and a nod to the passersby. She noted that his gaze never left Lucy for long. That pleased her. If something went wrong, it was nice to know she had two allies who wouldn`t mind storming the set.

　　As Julian`s opening speech came to a close, her grin shrank, becoming more camera-ready. This was their time. A quick change of her posture, and she got herself ready to take control of this interview.

　　"And tonight we have two guests, one of whom is out of this world and the other a lot closer to home."

　　Julian`s tone was light and joking as he spoke. However, Lecorondia didn`t miss the way he looked at Lucy. The slight narrowing of his eyes and the way the corners of his mouth dipped meant that, no matter what he said, he was far from pleased with her presence. That was bad. A personal grudge might impede her own plans, and finding Erodicilee, of course.

　　"I`m sure you`ve all watched the video, but I`ll let them re-introduce themselves here tonight. Ladies?"

　　Lecorondia flicked her hair as she glanced towards the camera with her most practiced smile. The operator watched her and nodded, a short sign that it was all in focus. She gave him a grateful wink, which she knew the viewers at home would take as directed at themselves.

　　It would make her seem fun, which some would translate into appearing harmless. An idea she hoped would transfer to Erodicilee. If he was eating things he shouldn`t, she`d need all the help she could get.

　　"Hi everyone," she said, waving as she did. "My name is Lecorondia, and it`s my honor to be here as a representative of the Galactic Government."

　　She was proud of that line. It tied her tighter to those who hung above them and gave her a cover when this got out. Less chance of Kulthurack getting any ideas.

　　Lucy spoke next, her tone firm as though she were reciting lines. "My name is Lucy, and I`m an employee of the Department of Miscellaneous Affairs."

　　"It`s lovely to meet you both," Julian said. "Thanks for coming to the show."

　　Lecorondia opened her mouth to speak, but he cut in ahead of her, adding an edge to his voice.

　　"And thank you, Lucy, for letting the public know of another way our tax dollars are being spent."

　　Next to her, Lucy tensed, and only because of her previous experience did Lecorondia keep her pleasant expression. Her eyes met Julian`s, and the man grinned at her as though proud of the joke. Not that anyone watching would believe that it was. It made her wonder why they`d booked them on this program.

　　Was he a plant? Some form of anti-government mole to give this a veneer of fairness? Or was he simply the only available option? Either way, she knew she`d have to tread carefully and make sure they stayed on task.

　　Lucy opened her mouth to speak, but Lecorondia cut in with a laugh.

　　"You have taxes too? A pity. I thought this planet might be civilized."

　　Julian chuckled, though she noticed the smile didn`t meet his eyes or that his attention wavered from Lucy.

　　"I`m sorry to disappoint," he said cheerfully. "I hope you`ve had some highlights on your trip?"

　　"Of course, the scenery is beautiful here." Lecorondia featured, as though trying to encompass everywhere she`d been. "Plus, I have to admit, the people here are as well."

　　At that, she winked at him, an unsubtle invitation to flirt; however, she felt it never hurt to be blunt with the natives. If he was anything like Arnold, she half expected someone to call cut while he went to calm down. Instead, his smile was warm.

　　"I`m not surprised you think so. It wouldn`t be beyond our prime minister to offer a bribe of this sort."

　　Julien`s smug expression made sure neither missed the implication as he leaned back in his chair. Lucy rose, but Lecorondia wrapped her tail around her ankle. Across the set, Julep had placed a large hand on Jerry`s shoulder, keeping him in place. The older man`s smile hadn`t changed, but the way he stared at the host made her wonder if he planned on tying him to a chair.

　　She`d pay to see it. Julian`s attention turned to her, and it was obvious he was expecting a response. Fine. He`d get one he`d never forget. Her forked tongue flashed out of her mouth for a single instant, and his eyes widened. Not enough someone watching would notice, but she saw it, and so did Lucy.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

　　"I`m not sure what you`re implying? Lucy here has been nothing but helpful. If your government`s strategy is to ply me with competent workers, then I must say they`ve done an excellent job. I can see why you put them in charge."

　　Lecorondia made a point to stress the word you, as if to pin the blame on the affair entirely on his shoulders. Across the set, Jerry relaxed a touch.

　　"I can say that it`s been a pleasure working with Lecorondia here." Lucy added with a nod.

　　"Well," Julian started as he tugged at the neck of his shirt. "What part of this is work?"

　　The screen onset switched on, and Lecorondia turned with feigned interest to watch the screen. It showed a short section of the video of Arnold on the couch, breathing heavily, as the two government agents fussed over him. She could have sighed. This attack was so basic.

　　"Would you care to explain what happened here, then?"

　　Lecorondia`s tail hadn`t left Lucy`s ankle, but she didn`t need to squeeze again. Her tone was firm, as though she`d rehearsed this question. Any trace of her nerves had fled.

　　"We were worried about his safety. Upon visiting the home, the owner suffered an asthma attack. As you can see, we are administering to him."

　　Julian didn`t quite sneer. "So you`re paramedics now?"

　　"Of course not, but—"

　　"So you were trying to mitigate the damage you caused?"

　　"I caused," Lecorondia broke in, and she gave a flirtatious wink to the camera. "My presence was a bit too much for the poor man to handle."

　　One of the crew members chuckled, and Julian shot them a glare. It made her wonder how much of this they were going to have to leave on the cutting room floor. When the laughter subsided, Julian turned to her.

　　"You`re at fault?" His tone was kinder now, though he was still holding a general air of hostility.

　　With a nod, she gestured to herself, moving her hand slowly down her body. "What can I say? The man is a fanatic, and having such a fine specimen show up on his doorstep? Well, I should have proceeded with caution."

　　That got more laughs, and Julian cracked an unconvincing smile. The return grin she sent was far more genuine. This was fun. He moved right along, clearly unsure how to respond to that. The video sped up, stopping on an image she knew was coming up soon. As it did, she raised her hands to her mouth and let out a choked sob.

　　Erodicilee`s visage filled the screen. His fur dripped with water, and his eyes were wide and terrified. Perfect. They`d picked the single image where he appeared as unthreatening as possible. That would make her story far easier to sell.

　　"Erodicilee, my baby," she said, letting the words drop out of her mouth as though she were desperately trying to hold them back.

　　Her shoulders shook, and she made certain the crew had the camera glued to her. The public would eat this up.

　　"You mentioned to the homeowner that he`s your pet, correct?" Julian asked.

　　Lecorondia nodded, a single tear sliding down her cheek. "Y-yes. He`s my darling boy."

　　"Can you tell us about him?" Julian motioned toward the screen. "He`s adorable."

　　"Isn`t he just? I`ve had him by my side for such a long time. He was a gift, my darling boy."

　　"Can you tell us about his name?"

　　Julian`s tone held no traces of irritation or desire for a gotcha. Now he sounded as though he sincerely wanted to know. She didn`t trust it, but she loved answering this question. The looks she received were always fantastic.

　　"Not a direct translation," Lecorondia said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "But it would be something like The Walking Fluff."

　　A series of awws came from the crew, and Jerry barked out a laugh. Lucy looked at her with the perfect blend of bewilderment and annoyance, as though she couldn`t believe the sheer audacity. Lecorondia didn`t blame her. It was on the nose, but it was perfect.

　　"You can`t be serious?" Her tone matched her face, and Lecorondia nodded.

　　"I am. Isn`t it perfect?"

　　"It. yes," Julian said, as though not sure how to answer that himself.

　　Inwardly, she laughed. Whatever stride or point he`d been building up looked as though it had fled the scene. Then she saw the producer that Jerry had talked to lean in and whisper something. Julian`s eyes flicked to the prompter.

　　"A fantastic name. But odd, isn`t it?"

　　"How so?" Lecorondia flicked to the prompter as well, her eyes narrowing as she read the next line.

　　Julian smiled as the image changed. "Because of how dangerous he is."

　　This time, Erodicilee was running, eyes wide in anger and mouth open in a silent snarl. Anger and menace radiated from the photo, and this time Lucy`s hand kept her from rising. How dare he implicate her darling this way! As though he were some kind of menace.

　　"He attacked Arnold, did he not?" Julian continued, as though he hadn`t noticed the shift. "And from what you said about searching for him outside, I take it he`s lost somewhere? How did that happen?"

　　Lucy caught her gaze as he spoke, and she knew they both understood the message loud and clear: How was it her fault? Lecorondia was about to answer when Lucy did something she didn`t expect. She tossed her directly into the line of fire.

　　"Our department only got involved after Arnold sent us that photo," Lucy said, a faux-calm in her voice. "So far, we`ve been doing what we can and warning those who might be affected."

　　Lecorondia turned to stare before Julian pulled at her attention. "So, how did he get lost then, ambassador?"

　　Mockery laced his words, and she smiled at him with the thinnest veneer of civility.

　　"My removal from the scene was because of a safety protocol that could not catch him in time. If anyone is to be blamed, it`s the man who took the picture."

　　"So you`re blaming an Australian citizen for taking pictures on public land?" He leaned forward, a predator who smelled prey.

　　She didn`t rise to the obvious bait.

　　"I`m blaming a man who messed around with things he didn`t understand. His camera flash scared my poor baby. He`s an animal; he didn`t know." Lecorondia let the hurt enter her voice.

　　Julian looked unbelievably smug. "A dangerous animal."

　　"Aren`t they all?" Lecorondia shot back. "From what I`m given to understand, you should be used to that by now."

　　"That is true. In that case, I`m sure our viewers would love to know what the plan is for getting him back?" His attention returned to Lucy once more, apparently having gotten what he wanted from her.

　　She could have cursed him, but she bit her tongue as she listened to Lucy`s answer.

　　"We are searching all his known locations. If you have seen him, I urge you to leave him alone and report it to your local authorities."

　　"Because he`s dangerous?" Julian pressed.

　　Lucy shook her head. "Because, Mr. Moore, he`s lost and scared, and we don`t want anyone to get hurt."

　　"Well, if he`s harmless, it shouldn`t be an issue." He framed it like a question, but it didn`t fool Lecorondia.

　　The man wanted this to be a scandal, and he didn`t care about the consequences. It was a rating-hungry move that would have impressed her if she wasn`t the target.

　　"My baby has done nothing wrong, nothing." She looked at the camera and let loose the waterworks. Tears flooded down her face, and she let shivers consume her.

　　Even Lecorondia knew it was over the top, but she didn`t have many cards to play. She needed sympathy—an outpouring of support from everyone who watched the program when it aired. If she didn`t, then Kulthurack would get his way and everyone was doomed.

　　"All I want to do is find him. Please. Please, if you see him, let me know?" Her words came out racked with sobs, and she spotted the producer making a slashing motion with their hand. A cut? Good. This could only get worse from here.

　　"And I hope you find him," Julian said. "This has been Firm Chat, and we hope to see you at the same place next week."

　　As soon as Lecorondia saw the cameras switch off, she stopped crying. A smile crossed her face as she looked at Julian, who was glaring daggers at Lucy. Jerry was stomping over, fists balled.

　　She sat back, ready to watch a different show. While she did, her attention drifted to the screen, where an image of Erodicilee still showed itself. Lecorondia hoped that wherever he was, he wasn`t causing too many problems.