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damned_lounge2011-11-01 03:26 pm
gald_digger) wrote in damned_lounge2011-11-01 03:26 pm
Entry tags:
Oktoberfest '11: Pazu Actually Did Something?
Title: Cats and Comic Sans
Author: Pazu
Word Count: 2121
Rating: PG-13
Character(s): Aguilar, Goku, Kibitoshin, Lily, Okita, Peter Parker, Rita, Snow, Tear, anonymous cat lovers
Pairing(s): Everyone/cats, the purest love there is
Summary: Patients begin to wonder what happened to their furry friends.
Notes: First time ever doing Oktoberfest (despite this being the... fifth year I've been around for it!?), so apologies if I've butchered any characters! I also apologize for Comic Sans. I just had this horrible compulsion to use it.
Cats And Comic Sans
It all started with a simple question, posted to the bulletin board one morning.
Where did all the cats go?
Where did they go? Patients began to wonder.
Come to think of it, yeah!
The military must have taken them somewhere.
... There were cats here?
Do you think they’re okay?
Anyone else think it might be more than coincidence that the cats disappeared right when they started serving mystery mush?
Whether Peter was being sincere or attempting a joke, his comment was not well-received. Many patients, horrified at the very idea, decided to go hungry that day. Others replied with angry notes. Morbid jokes were a staple at Landel’s Institute, but morbid jokes about cats? That was just going too far.
i thik the cats no how to get owt n they al ran away
For some reason, Goku’s insight went ignored by most of the patients. But the voices of worry continued to echo over the bulletin board.
Oh no, the poor cats! Do you think something happened to them?
That weird note had to be a joke. I'm sure they're fine!
I miss the cats...
Some, however, were less concerned.
Is it really such a bad thing that the cats are gone, though?
Aren’t these the same cats that… you know, hurt people?
That was a fair stance to take, wasn’t it? It wasn’t as if Kibitoshin was wishing harm on them, but if the cats were a danger to him and the other patients, wasn’t it better that those terrifying things were gone? The farther away they were, the safer they all were.
But regardless of his intentions, his note was met with fierce hostility by the cat-loving portion of the patient populace, and he quickly scribbled up an apology before bowing out of the discussion.
Amidst the heated debates, inflammatory jokes, accusations of non-cat-lovers being military sympathizers, and despairing patients lamenting the loss of their cuddly companions, one girl watched the conversations unfold with concern. It looked like a lot of people shared Lily’s affection for cats, but it didn’t sound like there was anything they could do to help them. Or was there? She decided to ask.
Can we help the cats?
This gave many of the patients pause. While many were passionate about cats, and were certainly willing to help them… they knew they were essentially powerless against the military. All seemed hopeless, but there was at least one person who wasn’t going to accept that.
Sure we can! It’ll be no sweat. Just leave it to me!
Without a second thought, Snow declared with certainty and determination that there was a way. Everyone would just get discouraged if they kept sitting around and wondering if they could do something. They had to just get out, do what they could, and… things would work out somehow! Unfortunately, not everyone was quite so idealistic.
And what do you think you’re going to do, idiot? There isn’t a single lead to go off of.
Rita, who had been following the conversation since its beginning, finally contributed to the discussion… even if it was just to insult one of the other participants. A closet cat lover herself, she’d been reluctant to say anything… though the truth was that she too was concerned about the disappearances. But what could they do if they couldn’t make a proper plan? Getting all fired up about nothing wasn’t going to help anyone.
Fortunately for everyone, there was one person with an idea to offer. Okita may not have been as passionate about cats as the other patients, but he could appreciate small, cute animals, and his fellow patients’ desire to help them.
I’m not sure if this information will be useful to you, but there is a kennel room on the second floor. If the institute’s cats are being kept anywhere, it might be there.
Of course, that wasn’t a certainty, and Okita made no attempt to present it as such. With more important affairs to attend to that night, leaving that small, uncertain tip was the most he could do. Beyond that, he could only wish them luck.
The response was one of overwhelming positivity. Immediately, plans were made to meet at the top of the stairwell on the west side of the building. Patients who were passionate about all things feline were invited to join the rescue party.
---
Night fell, and many darted from their rooms, having prepared in advance. A small crowd quickly formed in the hall at the top of the staircase as the search party gathered together. Among them were several who had either read or participated in the bulletin discussion; Lily, Rita, Rapunzel, Tear, and Peter—well, Spiderman, as he was in costume—had all made haste in coming to the meeting place. Snow was the last to arrive, ascending the stairs to find the two blondes looking over the costumed boy with curiosity, Tear, standing watch with all the discipline of a good soldier, and Rita, watching him with a firm glare.
“Hey guys! So this is the rescue crew, huh? Hope I didn’t keep you waiting,” Snow was casual and pleasant as he greeted the group, though he soon took note of the redhead who was glaring at him. “Oh hey, you’re here too? I wouldn’t have guessed you were a cat person.”
Rita’s face reddened. So what if she liked cats? No—more importantly, it wasn’t anyone’s business if she liked them or not! “I just came to make sure the rest of you don’t screw this up,” she replied, her tone forceful. No one bothered arguing with her.
“Are we going to find the cats now?” Lily asked, her eyes hopeful.
Snow’s attention snapped back to the smaller girl. “Of course!” he replied without hesitation, sounding completely sure of their success. And what heroic rescue wouldn’t be complete without a rallying speech to get their blood pumping? “All right, folks! Follow me! The military might want you to think we can’t help those cats, but we’ll show them wrong! Tonight, we’re gonna be heroes!”
“Can you just stop talking?” Rita interjected. “I’m getting embarrassed just from being near you.”
Snow flashed the redhead an easy grin that told her he hadn’t taken a single bit of offense to her words, despite her intent to insult. “Right! This isn’t the time for talking—it’s time to take action!” He pumped his fist in the air, aiming to motivate the others. Rapunzel enthusiastically mimicked the motion to show that she was totally on board. Others glanced around and slowly raised their fists too, unsure of whether it was more awkward to join or to stand around idly.
With that, they were off, with Snow taking the lead. Fortunately, some had thought to bring their maps, as their self-appointed leader hadn’t. It wasn’t long before the group had busted through the Decontamination Room and made their way through to the Experimental Treatments Laboratory.
All that was left was the door to the kennels. This was the moment of truth.
Snow charged forward, slamming his large body into the door. A few repeats, and soon the hinge was busted, allowing the group through.
What awaited them was a room lined with cages, many full of grotesque-looking creatures. For a moment, it seemed that their efforts had been for naught, but their hopes were lifted when they heard the sound of meowing at the far end of the room. They hurried over to see, but what they found was… not quite what they had been hoping for.
“These are cats!?” Rapunzel was bouncing with excitement. She rushed right over to one of the cages, got a big look at the mewling furballs… and then took a step back, a confused look on her face. “… They look really different from the books.”
“They were transformed,” Tear explained, facing the creatures with a frown that may have betrayed a hint of disappointment. “They take on this appearance at night.”
Many of the patients among the group had known this might happen, but they hadn’t wanted to admit it. Now, they were faced with a difficult situation. How could they rescue animals that had been transformed into such twisted creatures? Was it even wise to do so? Several uneasy glances were exchanged.
“Uh, guys?” While everyone was busy being uncomfortable, Peter had spotted something that looked noteworthy, over in a corner of the room. He waved the others over. “You might want to take a look at this. I don’t want to say ‘I told you so,’ but…” No, in fact, he really, really didn’t want to say that in this situation.
Because what he found was a shelf fitted with various tools, some seemingly appropriate for butchering… and most damning of all, a meat grinder stained with blood. It looked like it had been used recently. The other patients’ faces paled. Seeing those tools in close proximity to the cats… It couldn’t mean…
“W-we shouldn’t jump to conclusions,” Tear admonished the others, hoping to spare the younger girls from any terrifying mental thoughts. She didn’t want to consider it herself… There had to be something to prove this was all a mistake. Looking around, she spotted a clipboard attached to one of the cages. The melodist walked over, picked it up, and began to read its contents.
There was a long pause as everyone waited in eager silence… and then the color seemed to drain from Tear’s face as well.
“So, uh… what’s it say?” Snow asked, since no one else was speaking up.
“It’s a schedule. Breakfast, lunch, dinner… that’s all I can make out.”
Even with a mask on, Peter’s disgust was quite visible. “You mean… this is for real? We’ve been eating ground kittens all this time?” He’d suspected it, but… was this real life? It had to be a nightmare.
“Eating them!?” Now that they’d come out and said it, Lily looked horrified.
Rapunzel looked similarly disturbed, but she balled her hands into fists and looked back to the mewling monsters. “W… we can’t just leave them like this! Even if they look like monsters now, that isn’t their fault! They don’t deserve… that!”
The others had to agree. Monsters or no, these were still cats, and they were victims of the institute! And even those who were concerned about what the monster cats might do once released had to admit: they sure didn’t want any more of these on their plates. Their literal breakfast plates.
“Then it’s decided. We’ll let them out,” Snow announced, crossing his arms with a sense of finality.
“Won’t they just attack us?” a very skeptical Rita had to ask.
“I’m sure they’ll be able to tell we’re helping them! All the cats I've read about were really smart,” Rapunzel assured her. Everyone else seemed to decide that that was good enough for them. They were taking a risk, sure, but it was for the cats. That was what was truly important.
As was becoming routine for the group, Snow was given the most dangerous job, which was to actually open the cages. He counted to three, then opened the first latch, allowing the door to swing wide open. To their surprise and relief, the cats that poured out of the cage really did seem to acknowledge their assistance, and without another glance, they darted out the open door of the kennel room.
Next came the second cage, then another, and soon all the cats were free. The group watched with satisfaction as the swarm of mutant felines scrambled across the floor, raced out the open doorway…
…and then proceeded to maul many of the other patients throughout the institute.
---
Aguilar sat at his desk, a palm firmly pressed against his forehead. He had been monitoring the patients through the night, with the ‘rescue party’ being no exception. Disappointment was a feeling he was accustomed to, and he’d certainly experienced it multiple times with this facility’s batch of subjects. But for so many subjects to be so self-destructive for such a foolish purpose… it made him wonder if taking hold of the institute had been for the best. Perhaps it would have been better off demolished.
“Permission to speak, sir?” a soldier standing guard in his office began cautiously, receiving only a silent stare in response. “… Don’t you think we should tell them the meat processor and meal schedule are for the animals’ meals, and not for the subjects’?”
“No,” came the sharp reply. “We will not dignify this with a response.”
Author: Pazu
Word Count: 2121
Rating: PG-13
Character(s): Aguilar, Goku, Kibitoshin, Lily, Okita, Peter Parker, Rita, Snow, Tear, anonymous cat lovers
Pairing(s): Everyone/cats, the purest love there is
Summary: Patients begin to wonder what happened to their furry friends.
Notes: First time ever doing Oktoberfest (despite this being the... fifth year I've been around for it!?), so apologies if I've butchered any characters! I also apologize for Comic Sans. I just had this horrible compulsion to use it.
It all started with a simple question, posted to the bulletin board one morning.
Where did they go? Patients began to wonder.
The military must have taken them somewhere.
... There were cats here?
Do you think they’re okay?
Anyone else think it might be more than coincidence that the cats disappeared right when they started serving mystery mush?
Whether Peter was being sincere or attempting a joke, his comment was not well-received. Many patients, horrified at the very idea, decided to go hungry that day. Others replied with angry notes. Morbid jokes were a staple at Landel’s Institute, but morbid jokes about cats? That was just going too far.
For some reason, Goku’s insight went ignored by most of the patients. But the voices of worry continued to echo over the bulletin board.
That weird note had to be a joke. I'm sure they're fine!
I miss the cats...
Some, however, were less concerned.
Aren’t these the same cats that… you know, hurt people?
That was a fair stance to take, wasn’t it? It wasn’t as if Kibitoshin was wishing harm on them, but if the cats were a danger to him and the other patients, wasn’t it better that those terrifying things were gone? The farther away they were, the safer they all were.
But regardless of his intentions, his note was met with fierce hostility by the cat-loving portion of the patient populace, and he quickly scribbled up an apology before bowing out of the discussion.
Amidst the heated debates, inflammatory jokes, accusations of non-cat-lovers being military sympathizers, and despairing patients lamenting the loss of their cuddly companions, one girl watched the conversations unfold with concern. It looked like a lot of people shared Lily’s affection for cats, but it didn’t sound like there was anything they could do to help them. Or was there? She decided to ask.
This gave many of the patients pause. While many were passionate about cats, and were certainly willing to help them… they knew they were essentially powerless against the military. All seemed hopeless, but there was at least one person who wasn’t going to accept that.
Without a second thought, Snow declared with certainty and determination that there was a way. Everyone would just get discouraged if they kept sitting around and wondering if they could do something. They had to just get out, do what they could, and… things would work out somehow! Unfortunately, not everyone was quite so idealistic.
Rita, who had been following the conversation since its beginning, finally contributed to the discussion… even if it was just to insult one of the other participants. A closet cat lover herself, she’d been reluctant to say anything… though the truth was that she too was concerned about the disappearances. But what could they do if they couldn’t make a proper plan? Getting all fired up about nothing wasn’t going to help anyone.
Fortunately for everyone, there was one person with an idea to offer. Okita may not have been as passionate about cats as the other patients, but he could appreciate small, cute animals, and his fellow patients’ desire to help them.
Of course, that wasn’t a certainty, and Okita made no attempt to present it as such. With more important affairs to attend to that night, leaving that small, uncertain tip was the most he could do. Beyond that, he could only wish them luck.
The response was one of overwhelming positivity. Immediately, plans were made to meet at the top of the stairwell on the west side of the building. Patients who were passionate about all things feline were invited to join the rescue party.
---
Night fell, and many darted from their rooms, having prepared in advance. A small crowd quickly formed in the hall at the top of the staircase as the search party gathered together. Among them were several who had either read or participated in the bulletin discussion; Lily, Rita, Rapunzel, Tear, and Peter—well, Spiderman, as he was in costume—had all made haste in coming to the meeting place. Snow was the last to arrive, ascending the stairs to find the two blondes looking over the costumed boy with curiosity, Tear, standing watch with all the discipline of a good soldier, and Rita, watching him with a firm glare.
“Hey guys! So this is the rescue crew, huh? Hope I didn’t keep you waiting,” Snow was casual and pleasant as he greeted the group, though he soon took note of the redhead who was glaring at him. “Oh hey, you’re here too? I wouldn’t have guessed you were a cat person.”
Rita’s face reddened. So what if she liked cats? No—more importantly, it wasn’t anyone’s business if she liked them or not! “I just came to make sure the rest of you don’t screw this up,” she replied, her tone forceful. No one bothered arguing with her.
“Are we going to find the cats now?” Lily asked, her eyes hopeful.
Snow’s attention snapped back to the smaller girl. “Of course!” he replied without hesitation, sounding completely sure of their success. And what heroic rescue wouldn’t be complete without a rallying speech to get their blood pumping? “All right, folks! Follow me! The military might want you to think we can’t help those cats, but we’ll show them wrong! Tonight, we’re gonna be heroes!”
“Can you just stop talking?” Rita interjected. “I’m getting embarrassed just from being near you.”
Snow flashed the redhead an easy grin that told her he hadn’t taken a single bit of offense to her words, despite her intent to insult. “Right! This isn’t the time for talking—it’s time to take action!” He pumped his fist in the air, aiming to motivate the others. Rapunzel enthusiastically mimicked the motion to show that she was totally on board. Others glanced around and slowly raised their fists too, unsure of whether it was more awkward to join or to stand around idly.
With that, they were off, with Snow taking the lead. Fortunately, some had thought to bring their maps, as their self-appointed leader hadn’t. It wasn’t long before the group had busted through the Decontamination Room and made their way through to the Experimental Treatments Laboratory.
All that was left was the door to the kennels. This was the moment of truth.
Snow charged forward, slamming his large body into the door. A few repeats, and soon the hinge was busted, allowing the group through.
What awaited them was a room lined with cages, many full of grotesque-looking creatures. For a moment, it seemed that their efforts had been for naught, but their hopes were lifted when they heard the sound of meowing at the far end of the room. They hurried over to see, but what they found was… not quite what they had been hoping for.
“These are cats!?” Rapunzel was bouncing with excitement. She rushed right over to one of the cages, got a big look at the mewling furballs… and then took a step back, a confused look on her face. “… They look really different from the books.”
“They were transformed,” Tear explained, facing the creatures with a frown that may have betrayed a hint of disappointment. “They take on this appearance at night.”
Many of the patients among the group had known this might happen, but they hadn’t wanted to admit it. Now, they were faced with a difficult situation. How could they rescue animals that had been transformed into such twisted creatures? Was it even wise to do so? Several uneasy glances were exchanged.
“Uh, guys?” While everyone was busy being uncomfortable, Peter had spotted something that looked noteworthy, over in a corner of the room. He waved the others over. “You might want to take a look at this. I don’t want to say ‘I told you so,’ but…” No, in fact, he really, really didn’t want to say that in this situation.
Because what he found was a shelf fitted with various tools, some seemingly appropriate for butchering… and most damning of all, a meat grinder stained with blood. It looked like it had been used recently. The other patients’ faces paled. Seeing those tools in close proximity to the cats… It couldn’t mean…
“W-we shouldn’t jump to conclusions,” Tear admonished the others, hoping to spare the younger girls from any terrifying mental thoughts. She didn’t want to consider it herself… There had to be something to prove this was all a mistake. Looking around, she spotted a clipboard attached to one of the cages. The melodist walked over, picked it up, and began to read its contents.
There was a long pause as everyone waited in eager silence… and then the color seemed to drain from Tear’s face as well.
“So, uh… what’s it say?” Snow asked, since no one else was speaking up.
“It’s a schedule. Breakfast, lunch, dinner… that’s all I can make out.”
Even with a mask on, Peter’s disgust was quite visible. “You mean… this is for real? We’ve been eating ground kittens all this time?” He’d suspected it, but… was this real life? It had to be a nightmare.
“Eating them!?” Now that they’d come out and said it, Lily looked horrified.
Rapunzel looked similarly disturbed, but she balled her hands into fists and looked back to the mewling monsters. “W… we can’t just leave them like this! Even if they look like monsters now, that isn’t their fault! They don’t deserve… that!”
The others had to agree. Monsters or no, these were still cats, and they were victims of the institute! And even those who were concerned about what the monster cats might do once released had to admit: they sure didn’t want any more of these on their plates. Their literal breakfast plates.
“Then it’s decided. We’ll let them out,” Snow announced, crossing his arms with a sense of finality.
“Won’t they just attack us?” a very skeptical Rita had to ask.
“I’m sure they’ll be able to tell we’re helping them! All the cats I've read about were really smart,” Rapunzel assured her. Everyone else seemed to decide that that was good enough for them. They were taking a risk, sure, but it was for the cats. That was what was truly important.
As was becoming routine for the group, Snow was given the most dangerous job, which was to actually open the cages. He counted to three, then opened the first latch, allowing the door to swing wide open. To their surprise and relief, the cats that poured out of the cage really did seem to acknowledge their assistance, and without another glance, they darted out the open door of the kennel room.
Next came the second cage, then another, and soon all the cats were free. The group watched with satisfaction as the swarm of mutant felines scrambled across the floor, raced out the open doorway…
…and then proceeded to maul many of the other patients throughout the institute.
---
Aguilar sat at his desk, a palm firmly pressed against his forehead. He had been monitoring the patients through the night, with the ‘rescue party’ being no exception. Disappointment was a feeling he was accustomed to, and he’d certainly experienced it multiple times with this facility’s batch of subjects. But for so many subjects to be so self-destructive for such a foolish purpose… it made him wonder if taking hold of the institute had been for the best. Perhaps it would have been better off demolished.
“Permission to speak, sir?” a soldier standing guard in his office began cautiously, receiving only a silent stare in response. “… Don’t you think we should tell them the meat processor and meal schedule are for the animals’ meals, and not for the subjects’?”
“No,” came the sharp reply. “We will not dignify this with a response.”
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no subject
ANYWAY! It was really cute Pazu!! And nice Comic Sans addition :-)) very chic o/!
no subject
Can Rita and Tear live this down?