Honk honk 1: Chenventure beginnings

[spinningorange]

[Action A, Morning, 458 Stone Street, housemates only] (Housemates be warned, you now have a fluffy new resident to feed! This double-tailed black cat is currently in the backyard, walking in circles as if she were uneasy, which she very much is at this point. Waking up in a tiny, cramped little house that was far from her cozy kotatsu. This was

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Action A

[nanocerancowboy]

[Have a CAST poking his head out the back porch door at the sound of talking.]

Can I help ya'll?

[He's obviously looking for a person as the source of the soliloquy, considering that he glances at Chen's cat form once in his scan of the backyard, but seems to disregard her.]

[nanocerancowboy]

[Gat is looking over his shoulder again, watching the drone head off to bug Aurica and Dakki for a moment.]

Funny, she didn't say a word about you talkin' ...

[This is the first time he's seen how a drone behaves around captives made into "pets."]

[spinningorange]

You're right; I spoke loud enough for her to hear me, didn't I? Was she ignoring me?

(It was strange that she had no reaction to Chen speaking. Gat did, didn't he? There was a lot about drones that she didn't know...)

[nanocerancowboy]

[Gat is still watching the droned Euphemia walk off as Chen replies. He shakes his head slowly, just as confused as she is.]

I ain't sure. First time I've seen how a drone acts around talkin' animals.

[He turns to look back at Chen.]

Maybe it's jus' more of th' town forcin' its perception on th' folks it brainwashes. When me an' my coworker first arrived, we found out a lot about what we're "supposed" to do in th' town by askin' 'em questions.

[spinningorange]

Talking to those lifeless creatures...that must not have been fun.

I probably won't get any answers that easily; if she won't listen to me, then the others won't. Either way, I wouldn't want to talk to them anyway. Do they make you and the others do a lot around here?

(Good thing Chen took up that pet slot; her stubbornness would get her droned faster than you can say "run around with these poptarts!")

[nanocerancowboy]

They do, yeah. Most folks th' town captures have to work a job or go to school dependin' on how old they are. Apparently th' town selected me to be a firefighter. Town ordinace says you can't spend more'n three days off th' job or else you'll get brainwashed. Same with skippin' school if you're a kid.

Dakki, though, she got stuck with takin' care of th' house, accordin' to th' drone kids. She's been good about gettin' 'em to help with things around th' house.

[spinningorange]

How would the brainwashing even work? Do they poison you or something? Can anyone even feel it happen?

What's it like living with the drones, anyway? Doesn't it get too creepy to put up with them?

(Curious Chen is curious; feel free to stop her question bombardment at anytime.)

[nanocerancowboy]

Where I'm from we've got machines that act like these here drones, so th' experience ain't completely foreign to me. On th' other hand, we're dealin' with folks who've been brainwashed into actin' like this ...

[Gat shakes his head slightly.]

Anyhow, they always act upbeat an' happy no matter what's goin' on. They don't take notice of folks sufferin' or in pain. That alone can get disconcertin'.

[Like how the drones didn't care at all when Dakki nearly sliced her throat open during the Milkman's antics.]

Otherwise, we get along jus' fine with 'em.

[He then considers Chen's other question.]

As for th' dronin' ... Well, I had it happen to me when one of th' folks in charge of th' town took over as th' chief of police for a week.

It ain't pleasant. It's like bein' trapped in your own body. You can see what's goin' on. You're watchin' an' hearin' yourself do an' say things you'd never say, but you have no control. An' it all happened in th' blink of an eye.

[spinningorange]

They don't seem to notice talking cats, either. I guess I'll be avoiding them, then; they can't brainwash me for ignoring them, can they?

(Ugh, the droning...Chen begins to shudder as Gat describes to her what it's like to be a drone. The horrible thought of forcibly being something you're not made the neko's eyes widen in horror; it's a brainwashing that retains one's consciousness...manipulation at its finest. Chen now finds herself clinging to Gat's leg for comfort.)

Nyaaa! I don't wanna get droned!

[nanocerancowboy]

I don't think so. I've heard some folks actually tie 'em up and leave 'em in closets an' nobody ever gets punished for doin' that, but ... I think that kinda thing is too cruel. They're already sufferin' enough, losin' control of their bodies.

I've been told that this dronin' can happen at random, for no reason. Wish I knew why.

[spinningorange]

(Chen was never a fan of torture, so hearing about people doing so to the drones was discomforting. Could those who weren't really alive, the real drones, even be tortured? She may not have liked the idea, but she hasn't exactly learned to tolerate the drones quite yet.)

At random? But isn't it weird that it could happen to anyone just walking around town and not always as punishment? Maybe this town's just too backwards for me...

[nanocerancowboy]

[Gat nods in agreement.]

I ain't got a clue why th' folks runnin' this town are doin' half th' things they do.

[Although his attention shifts slightly, as if looking Chen over.]

By th' way-were you always a talkin' cat, before Mayfield took ya?

[spinningorange]

(She nods to the question.)

Yup, I've always been able to talk. I was even able to fly and use black magic! Mayfield took that and my real form away, though. Is it possible to get them back?

[nanocerancowboy]

You mean you ain't a cat back home?

[Gat tilts his head slightly. The way he does it gives the impression that he's perplexed.]

Odd. Never met someone that got turned into an animal by th' town. Me an' my coworker woke up as humans, an' she's still in a human body right now.

Though if'n I can get my normal body back, then I reckon anything you've lost'll come back to ya in time, too.

[spinningorange]

I am a cat, but not exactly a cat. It's, umm...it's more human-like than cat-like, but I'm still a cat! Just not this much of a cat...

(She was beginning to confuse herself at this point.)

Hopefully, I can; it will be easier to just show what I look like instead of trying to describe it.

[nanocerancowboy]

[A beat.]

So you're some kinda animal-human hybrid?

[Gat nods for a second, as if in recognition.]

I'm familiar with folks like that. We call 'em Beasts where I'm from.