Part 1 - And so it begins

Part 1 - And so it begins

Part 1 - And so it begins. by Game Master (GM)
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For four days, it has rained, with only the shortest of breaks in the weather.

Today, though, has been better. Shortly before dawn, as those who were about at that hour can confirm, the rain stopped, and the clouds had scattered and faded. By the time most of the humans were out of bed, the sky had been mostly clear, and it remained that way all day.

Now it is late afternoon, and the gardens are drying out nicely under the rays of the early June sun. The air smells fresh, and everything seems clean and new.

In the garden of 14 Montgomery Close, the Meeting Place is in use for the first time since the rain started. The dark roof of the shed absorbs the heat of the sun, becoming pleasantly warm, and its current occupants take full advantage, basking in the afternoon.

Of all the local cats, only Antonio has been missing for much of the day, though others have come and gone throughout the day, leaving and returning as their own business required. At the moment, all except the ginger Tom are there.

Over on her own territory, Priscilla starts barking, but stops after a couple of yaps, as if even she is feeling too lazy to do much, on such a pleasant day.

A few moments later, there is a scrambling sound from the Climbing Tree, and the errant Antonio appears, ascending the tree quickly and springing on to the roof.

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by OGMO
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OGMO opens one eye, peering at Antonio curiously as he comes up. After a moment, she says,

"if I were very sure
I have seen the proudest stars
the mountains they are silent folk
when you come tonight."

She lets her tail twitch lazily, giving the ginger an expectant look, awaiting the answer to her question.

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Miss Kitty
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At the sound of another cat joining the roof, Miss Kitty lazily opens a gentle eye from her languid position in the warm sun. The horrid rains had kept her from the sun for far too long. She had watched the rains from her afghan on the back of the couch, wishing and hoping and waiting for them to disappear. Fortunately, her humans had been good to her as always, not forcing her out into the wretched water.

So this day, when the sun finally shone his brilliant glow once more, Miss Kitty had eagerly made her way to the Meeting Place. She staked her claim near the edge where her head could roll over and watch their surroundings.

Through half-closed eyes, she watches Antonio bound from the tree, landing in agitated excitement. Normally, she would dismiss the cat’s behavior as normal for the Tom, but his body and movements showed signs of worry.

Miss Kitty’s eyes open fully and she pushes herself up, stretching first her front paws out in front of her and then her back paws behind her. She gives Leon and Syd a glance as she sits properly, tail wound around her. After OGMO speaks in her cryptic way, Miss Kitty cocks her head to the side and asks the ginger, “What is it, Antonio? The Twin Evils* chasing you?”

* Miss Kitty’s term for the two Dobermans in 13.

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Syd
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Syd sits crouched near the far western edge of the roof, looking back toward the house across the backyard as if he were an ancient gargoyle. He watches as Autumn talks on her cellphone and baby Evilynn stares back at him through the sliding glass door. The warmth of the afternoon sun feels heaven sent after so many days of gray dampness, and Syd purrs contendedly, enjoying every moment of it. Antonios sudden entrance causes Syd to turn his head on full alert, his wide blue eyes looking curiously toward his orange friend as he sits up and asks with a yawn,
" Whoa, easy there Antony... what has your hackles in such an uproar?"

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Leon
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The rain hadn’t stopped Leon from being here every day, little kept him in when he could be out. That and it was not far; his yard was right next door to this one. He didn’t need to stay very long any night before he knew nothing would be happening.

His first thought of the evening was that it was about time he wasn’t the only one there.

Now he sits stretched out in his most comfortable position; hind legs tucked in and front paws stretched out in front; looking much like a ceramic figure or the sphinx in Cairo.

That is until Tony jumps onto the roof of small shed.

Leon slowly opens one eye, but then closes it again when the others question the rambunctious cat about his apparent excitement over something. He quietly waits to hear what is up; sure it will not be long before he finds out.

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Mister Pig (NPC)
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Mister Pig, sprawled across the warm roof, regards Antonio's sudden arrival with some concern. He sits up, and adds his own voice to the chorus of questions, "Have they been throwing things at you again?"

Mister Pig is aware that Antonio has problems with the some of the humans at the Pizzeria.

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Antonio
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Once up on the roof, Antonio grins like he usually do - in a cocky and self-confident way - as he looks at all the ladies first and greets them with his typical flick on the tip of his tail.

Glancing over at "Oh", his nickname for OGMO, he laughs quietly and winks in the way only a cat can. He is not the biggest of cats, but he has a reputation for being a fighter, and although he prefers to not fight other cats he never backs down. It is all in his upbringing, he claims, and since he has lived on the streets all his life he has not had a too comfortable life.

"Settle waaay down, baaaad cats, no need t'panic! Right on! Ah' am here now, afta' all."

"Ladies! Lookin' as baaaad as ever, puh'haps some bit betta' still, if possible! Me-ow!" he says and sits down to wash himself a little as if he not at all has anything to tell them about. After a moment he stops and looks around at the other.

"Oh, right, mos' fo'gots. Our baaaad old homey gots sump'n t'tell us all, so's it be lucky we is all here, be it not?" he purrs with a slight grin and turns around to call out "It's safe, brave one, ya' kin come!"

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Game Master (GM)
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From somewhere in the shadows, longer grass and tangled weeds, at the base of the Climbing Tree, a small, nervous voice replies, "I ain't comin' outta here until I gets me some insurances that I'll be safe while they hears me out, see?"

There is a faint rustling, and then the voice again, "You's all gots ter promise me that ya won't try ta kill me, cos I gots sumthin' ya all gonna wanna hear, see?"

Mister Pig glances around at his companions on the roof, and mutters, "Oh great, it's Murray. There goes the neighbourhood."

"I heard that. I gots me ears, ya know! If ya don't wanna hear me out, I can leave."

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by OGMO
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OGMO stands, and inclines her head solemnly towards the voice.

"He speaks not well
shines the last age, the next with hope is seen
beautiful, tragical faces
I have come into the desert because my soul is athirst," she says.

Perhaps comfortingly.

Or something.

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Miss Kitty
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Finally the agitated Tony speaks, though now he sports a carefree attitude, even stopping to bathe. Miss Kitty’s tilted head drops slightly, “Come on, out with it. Don’t keep us in suspense.”

And he does, calling down to someone on the ground. Miss Kitty rises, stretches her front paws before her and with tail flicked high in the air, and walks to the edge of the roof. She peers down at the rat. Her ears perk forward and her eyes diminish to mere slits. On the heals of Mr. Pig’s and OGMO’s (again seriously cryptic) words, Miss Kitty chastises the creature, “You best not keep us felines waiting, Murray.” Her sweet kitty voice carries just a hint of a threatening undercurrent. “Get your skinny tail up here.”

With that, Miss Kitty gives the little rat her own ‘gotcha’ smile and turns abruptly to take her place back in the sun where she slowly finds just the right place to sit with her tail once again wrapped about her front paws.

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Mister Pig (NPC)
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Mister Pig looks a little shame-faced, but it isn't clear whether it's because he was overheard by the rat, or because of what he's about to do... He strolls to the edge of the roof, and settles down again, with his paws all tucked underneath him.

"Very well. Murray the Snitch... "

"Hey! Just plain 'Murray' will do! I gots feelin's, as well as ears, ya know."

"... I swear upon my tail that I won't harm you, while you speak here, today."

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Syd
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" You have my word I wont touch you." Syd says from his place at the far edge of the roof. He sees baby Evilynn turn away from the door, and then rises, padding silently across the roof to peer down over the edge near the climbing tree. " You wouldnt be much fun anyway. Too slow, too clumsy." A bird flitters into the tree, chirps once and then takes flight again, immediately drawing Syds attention to the branches overhead. Birds were his forte and a challenge he relished in. Rats always left a bad taste in his mouth. " Come on out and tell us whats on your mind."

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Leon
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Leon yawns widely. His stomach is presently full and he's not really in the mood for rat anyway. The gray and white stands and stretches and then retakes his position before he adds to the sentiments of the group concerning the creature speaking to them, "I'm not hungry for rat myself. You'll not be molested by me, at least not tonight."

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Murray the Snitch (NPC)
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"An' I already gots da other guy's promise."

There is a scrabbling sound, and a movement, and Murray the Snitch hurries up the tree, until he is above the shed, and then out onto a branch, further and further out, parallel to the edge of the roof, until the thin branch starts to sag beneath him.

Once out there, convinced that he is beyond the reach of any of the cats, he stops, and regards them.

"Ya all knows me, I'm good at sneakin' about, an' I gots good ears. Anyways, late las' night, I was lookin' roun' da trash at that 'ouse with da little dog, an' I hears a sound, see? So straight off, I ducks under da place, through a hole under da back porch."

"An' I watches, 'cos ya never know when ya'll find out sumthin' useful."

"What I saw was some of them Boggins, meetin' up in da yard, but they don't see me. An' I hears what they was talkin' about." he pauses then, as if to guage the audience's reaction, before continuing.

"Seems like they was laughin' about some cat. They never said no name, except they called da poor sap Fatty and Stupid. From what I could make out, they knows sumthin' about this cat, an' it's sumthin' that puts da cat in danger, an da people it protects."

"Da only reason they didn't use it yet, is that they wants ta make the cat suffer, an' they's still figgerin' out da best way ta do it."

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Syd
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Syd stretches and yawns, his sleek black fur shining in the dappled sunlight of the afternoon sun. He is concerned about the news the rat brings, but is inwardly happy that he is not one of the larger cats in the gathering. He looks to OGMO and Mr. Pig, the two most likely candidates, then back to the rat precariously perched like a bird on the limb. " They didnt happen to mention what they knew, did they?"

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Miss Kitty
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While Murray babbles on, Miss Kitty proceeds to lick a paw and then rub the paw down her face, over and over. One can never be too clean. But at the mention of a particular cat, one of their own, she stops and points her ears up.

Her head turns to OGMO, who was neither fat nor stupid but was certainly large and difficult to understand. In fact, Miss Kitty had been terribly intimidated by the large cat with the unusual ears when they first came in contact, it had taken quite a long time to feel comfortable around her. But she had proven herself and Miss Kitty now trusts her implicitly. Well, as much as one cat can trust another.

Alarmed, but staying quite still, Miss Kitty turns again to the rat to hear the answer to Syd’s question and add one of her own, “Or anything about how long until they want to do… whatever it is they’ll wind up doing? A time table or place perhaps? Think carefully and remember.”

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Murray the Snitch (NPC)
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"All I hears them sayin' was that they knows da bigest secret about da cat, but they still had ta work out what ta do with it. Soon's they got sumthin' REAL good, then they'll make their move."

The rat considers for a moment, then adds, "But they don't got no organised plan yet. Ya knows what Boggins's like. None too smart, most of 'em."

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Miss Kitty
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Miss Kitty jumps to her feet, the hair on her back bristling upwards. She lowers her head and hisses at the rat, but backs further away showing it isn’t Murray which has her up in arms.

The secret name. But how? How could anyone let that slip?

Perhaps the Boggins were wrong and they actually knew nothing at all. Her fur lowers slightly, though she’s still in a state of fear and readiness. Her head turns to face Leon. “Is it possible?”

Her head turns to glance at all the others, “If the Boggins are right, and they’ve found something… dangerous, then we need to find out who it’s about.” She turns lastly to OGMO, “They are stupid creatures; they could be calling any one of us by silly names, but you are the largest, O. Think, has anything strange happened lately?”

She glances around at all of them, “To any of us?”

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by OGMO
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Truth to tell, it wouldn't be wholly unjustified to call OGMO fat - it was certainly a part of her size. But she could hardly fathom the creature stupid enough to call her stupid, so surely they meant Mister Pig.

But...Priscilla's yard? This took place there? That was in her territory. (Well, to be sure, there was no one else of significance to claim it.) To be told of goings on so close to her own home by a rat...occurances that might even be important...a low growl rumbles out of her throat. Approaching Murray slowly, she gives him a solemn nod, even as she contemplates Miss Kitty's question. Had there been anything unusual recently?

To the rat, she speaks.
"If the words you speak ring true,
My promise have you won.
No tooth nor claw shall I offer you,
Until next turning of the moon.

Remain unseen, and you may feed,
Within bounds of my home;
But lurk alone or not at all.
My promise binds to but one rat,
Or it holds for none."

Rhyming. Among the simplest forms of poetry, often beneath her, but something lesser minds could comprehend. If he still looked confused, she supposed she'd have to resort to doggerel.

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Mister Pig (NPC)
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Mister Pig looks distinctly worried, as various eyes turn in his direction.

"Oh! I see. The rat says that the Boggins refer to this poor unfortunate cat as 'Fatty' and 'Stupid', and probably other unpleasant names as well, such as 'Stinky', and everybody just assumes they mean me?"

"Fine, I suppose I'm learning what my friends and neighbours think of me."

He seems a tad upset.

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Leon
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Leon sits up more while the others are discussing the issue. Attention turning to two of his companions in particular due to the Bogins' desription of it.

"It would be ridiculous," He says, "to assume which of us was meant by the terms used. The ignorant Boggins do not likely know the difference or would call any of us the same. We must assume they could have been speaking of any of us."

Leon stands and then moves right over to the edge of the shed where Murray hangs precariously from the branch. "I make the same offer as OGMO, You, "The word is emphasized, and the meaning is clear that he means only Murray, "will be safe in my yard. Until you do something to change my current opinion of you. I don't much care for the taste of your likes anyway. If you can bring any further news of the creatures' plans you may even find a few tidbits left beneath the bushes."

The cat turns then and returns to his previous spot. "We will need more information before we can properly proceed. The question is; How to obtain it?"

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Murray the Snitch (NPC)
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"So... let's see if I got this right," the rat's nose twitches as it looks from Leon to OGMO, and back again. "What ya sayin' is that da two of ya will leave me alone, as long as I don't do nuthin' ta get under ya skin? So it'd be, like, more than just today."

"I'm likin' da sound of that."

Murray starts rubbing his disturbingly human paws together, and washing, "Any of da rest of ya want to offer da same deal."

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Mister Pig (NPC)
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"Very well." adds Mister Pig, though a little sullenly, "But if you come around here calling cats rude names again, that will count as something which gets under my skin."

"I am... I mean, cats, in general, are not fat and stupid. Or stinky."

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Antonio
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Apart from having been excited over something to share with the others, Antonio is cool where he sits, listening and glancing at the others as they all talk.

"Sounds likes dey is up t'no baaaad as usual. Oh, and, Murray, yeah, ya' should mind whut ya' is sayin', we might slip down too oderwise, if ya' dig mah' drift! Right on!"

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Miss Kitty
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Her hackles laid back down, Miss Kitty shifted to a position facing slightly away, out towards the trees as she listened to everyone. Her sensibilities were miffed since her question was ignored (her take on the situation, of course) and in fact, two of their kind made assumptions of the rest of them that she had clearly already said might not be true. Or something along those lines. She’s not quite sure what’s she’s annoyed with anymore, but it must be something important.

She disdainfully bathes and listens while pretending to ignore them. She didn’t actually know how to get more information except to go prowling around, but she wasn’t going to admit she had no ideas. Perhaps the prowling would be a good idea…

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Syd
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Syd catches Miss Kittys scent on the breeze and perhaps her thoughts as well. Sniffing the wind and looking to her with a nod, he says, " We should all do a little Boggin hunting tonight." He looks out to the branch so precariously bent under the weight of the rat and adds, " Apparently Murray has told us all he knows, so we now we need to take the offensive. Rough a few of them up for more info while giving the impression that we know of their plans and have counter-measures already in place." He crouches low to the roofline, fighting the urge to leap the distance and tackle the furry little rat-tailed bird from its perch...

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Murray the Snitch (NPC)
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Murray starts to edge back along the branch, his repulsive tail spiraling around it, to aid in his balance. "Well, I's told yas all I knows, so I can't tell ya no more, an' dat's da truth."

He reaches the junction with the tree trunk, and pauses, "Oh, an' if ya do start ta lean on da Boggins, fer more info, I'd be grateful if ya di'n't mention my name. I can deal with cats, but Boggins never keeps ta their promises, see, so I's got no way ta protect myself from them."

He continues down the trunk, but while still half way up, he suddenly leaps clear, falling into the long grass and weeds, to vanish.

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Leon
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Leon waits until he’s fairly sure that the Murray is gone. "I don’t really trust the RaT" He beigins, "Could be he is part of the plan, but I wanted him to go away sure that we took him at his word. I want proof of the story."

He pauses for just a moment to scratch the tip... well, the flat edge of his left ear. Once in a while the thing still itched like it was healing. Every now and then he would think the thing was growing back.

Looking around at the others, and figuring that no one else was gong to suggest it, he asks, "What are the chances that the creatures will do their planning in the same yard tonight? They are not too smart, and they think they are safe in the yard with the yipping fur pile. At least one of us should be there waiting if they should return tonight."

Leon then returns to that comfortable position and waits patiently to see anyone else has to add, although it was obvious that when he said 'one of us,' that he meant himself. He wasn't likely to let Priscilla worry him. On the other hand, the place was right next to OGMO's and she might feel it was her responsibility to do the investigating in that area. He wouldn't interfere if that turned out to be the case; there were other places on Montgomery Close where Boggins would feel safe.

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Miss Kitty
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Her head turns toward Syd at the nod and his words. Miss Kitty isn’t much of a fighter, but the thought of some excitement shimmers across her skin. She slowly rises, stretches, and walks around to sit near Syd, “Boggin hunting,” just testing the sound of it; it sounds quite satisfying.

Though Miss Kitty hadn’t promised the rat free reign of her own back yard (after all, Mrs. Betty detests rats), she does offer some assurance, “Certainly, I will not mention your name. You are far to useful.” And that’s that.

The rat leaves, prompting Leon to speak again. Miss Kitty’s head turns to watch him, her tail softly wrapping about her front paws once again. “That makes sense. There might also be other groups of boggins speaking in unknown places.”

Suddenly feeling very daring, she lifts her head with fire in her blue eyes and announces, “Tonight, I shall stalk the yard of the Twin Evils and see if any show up there.” Normally, she wouldn’t go within two yards of those vicious dogs, but something about the long days of sleeping while it rained has her itching to do something. Something impressive. Something stupid.

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Mister Pig (NPC)
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With Murray gone, Mister Pig's anger at the rat's rudeness seems to evaporate, to be replaced by sorrow.

He slumps down on the roof, his expression one of sadness and despair. "This is terrible. Boggins have a cat's secret name, which means that he can do nothing to harm them. Terrible."

"I... he can't even see those Boggins any more. And his magic won't work on them! This is a disaster. Even if they do nothing with it, they are forever safe from him, and if they spread the name around, then more and more of them will be protected from that cat."

And then, it is as if a sudden, shocking realisation strikes home... "The cat's humans would not be safe!"

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by OGMO
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OGMO listens, occasionally blinking her agreement with the others.

"Last midnight
moonlight deep and tender
shadows lay along broadway
what spiteful chance steals unawares
the rain was over, and the brilliant air," she says, finally.

She looks to Leon, and gives a slow nod, inviting him to come lurk in what Priscilla would probably call `her' yard, together. If they did mean OGMO, and they did have her Name, then she wouldn't be able to see them even if they were there...which would make spying on them rather difficult. Better to hunt in pairs for now.

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Antonio
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Sauntering up to Mister Pig, Antonio, had he been a human, would have put a hand on the shoulder of the big pig, er, cat, and grinned at him knowingly. Now, since he is just a cat, he simply grins.

"Say, Mista' Pig, ya' seem t'know sump'n about dis all here. You's would not happen t'know de cat in quesshun, would ya', o' even -- de Kin' fo'bid -- be dat cat?" he asks not so subtly and winks, nudges and chuckles at poor Mister Pig.

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Syd
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" Ogmo has the right of it. We should hunt in pairs, none of us wants to risk being alone with the Boggins on the off chance that it is our name." He looks with a blink to Miss Kitty and adds, " I'll work with you tonight Prowler, we can meet at moonrise in the bushes just left of the front of their house." Syd had tangled with the dobermans across the street before and he knew Miss Kitty would need the back up...

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Mister Pig (NPC)
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"What? What are you saying?" Mister Pig blusters at Antonio, "Why would you ask that? First that... that rat comes here and insults me... er... insults this unfortunate cat, and now you are asking if it's me."

"Do you think of me as 'Fatty', 'Stupid', 'Stinky' and 'Bonehead'? Is that it?"

He pauses in his tirade, thinking, then adds, "Er... that is... if the Boggins call this other cat 'Bonehead'... I have no idea whether they do or not. But it seems like the sort of thing they would say to... this other cat. And... and... "

He seems to wind down from his outburst, shrinking in on himself, until finally, he says, quietly, in a voice filled with misery, "My name is Mister Pig. I am called Shadow Dancer. I am not fat, or stupid, or stinky, or a bonehead." And then, louder, "But I... I... I have this friend... yes, that's it, a friend... who has had his Secret Name stolen."

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Syd
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Syd sits on full alert as Mr. Pig explodes in his tirade of embarassment watching the whole episode with wide blue eyes. It is the last of this, the miserably quiet part, that causes Syd to shake his head with pity. " And just how did your, ...friend, come by this unfortunate circumstance? A cats secret name is rarely spoken, even by the cat who owns it." he asks gently. It seems Mr. Pig may be their prime candidate.

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Leon
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Leon turns now to Mister Pig, it now being quite obvious who the cat in question is.

But he does not say anything or accuse him. Instead he asks the other, "Lets not any of us throw any more accusations around or call each other these names, shall we. Please tell us, my friend Shadow Dancer, about this friend of yours, I too would like to know how he managed to have his secret name stolen?"

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Mister Pig (NPC)
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His head bowed, and his eyes fixed firmly on his own paws, Mister Pig, starts to speak, "It was a dream. Somebody came up to my friend in a dream and told him that he could find a thing that was lost, if he went to a certain place in the Kingdom of Dreams, and said his Secret Name, and named the thing that was lost. At first he didn't believe it, but it preyed on his mind for days."

"Eventually desperation drove him to it. He so desperately wanted the lost thing back, and he went to that place, and he whispered his Secret Name, very quietly, and named the thing he had lost."

"The lost thing was never returned, but when he woke up, he could hear Boggins taunting him, though he couldn't see them. They called... my friend all those horrid names, and more besides, and said how they would tell every Boggin they met his Secret Name, and show them how to find the house where the cat couldn't hurt them."

Throughout this speech, Mister Pig has slumped lower and lower, until the tip of his nose almost touches his paws now... and he whispers, "I didn't know that I talk in my sleep."

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Miss Kitty
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Mr. Pig seems to have a breakdown. Miss Kitty alarmingly watches him speak of the repercussions of which they are all aware. She blinks a few times, but doesn’t respond; she’s quite confused.

OGMO and Syd put forth further plans and Miss Kitty, still lost as to Mr. Pig’s outburst, nods at the sleek black cat. But it is Antonio who breaks her from her state. Mr. Pig seems to be the cat in question. And Antonio is sniggering at him. After the poor cat’s further outbursts, Miss Kitty rises and quietly moves to Mr. Pig’s side. With a slight rumble emanating from her chest, she leans down and twice licks his forehead.

“We will get through this by all pitching in and figuring out what to do.” She sounds more sure than she feels; how does a cat get back their secret name? Is it possible to get a new one, by the King of Cats perhaps? Is there a way to find out all the boggins who know it and eliminate them all?

She sighs and glances about the rooftop, remaining at the forlorn cat’s side. “It seems this problem has two sides: We need to protect this cat and his family as well as solve the problem of the stolen secret name. I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Antonio
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As Mist er Pig starts to blurt out what Antonio suspects, he nudges him gently and just nods, listening to his story.

"Come on, Mista' Pig. What it is, Mama! You's know ah' duzn't dink dat uh ya'" he says as the other cat complains about being called those names, and ignores that Mister Pig adds another name to the list. He knew that Mister Pig would be unable to tell lies, as that is not his strong suite.

As it turns out to be a "friend", Antonio nods sagely says quietly, "It be baaaad dat yo' homey gots ya' t'help him, since ya' gots all uh us..."

"Yeah man, indeed, no one shall call any sucka else dojiggers, unless dat any sucka else be a boggin, uh course, but ah' prefa' to slices dem t'bits," he says with a grin as Leon speaks.

Then, as Miss Kitty comes up and gives her idea about the King of the Cats, he grins at her and nods. "Exactly! Right on! Tell yo' homey not t'wo'ry, since we is on de case!"

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Mister Pig (NPC)
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"Yes, the King of the Cats will know what to do!" Mister Pig sits up hopefully, then slumps a little again.

"But I know that the King of the Cats lives in the Dream, and that the road to his house is long and dangerous. I don't know if I... if my friend can make the journey alone."

He falls silent, gazing at each of his companions in turn, and his resolve seems to grow, as he does so. He sits up straighter, tail flicking, and ears erect. "And I have a confession to make. This will probably surprise you all, but... there is no friend. He was merely a cunning deception on my part, because I was ashamed of my foolish mistake. I am the cat who lost his Secret Name."

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Antonio
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"Whut? You's? No, ah' wuz plum jokin' befo'e, sho' manly. Slap mah fro! Oh boy, ya' had me goin' fo' dat one, Mista' Pig, ah' wuz about t'ax' yo' homeys dojigger and all," Antonio says with a gasp and gives Mister Pig a distrusting glance, as if to say 'can he really be that deceptive?' while he of course only did so to spare Mister Pig any further embarrassment.

"I would gots looked da damn right honkyfool dere, ah' would!" he says and shakes his head. "So, we is off t'dream some bit den! Right on! It be hard wo'k, sleepin', but some sucka gots'ta do it!"

He starts to peddle around as if he could make the roof more comfortable, and as if he cared if it was or not. Used to sleeping on all manners of junk since he was a little kitten, Antonio's concern for comfort was limited to not having things thrown at him while sleeping, since it would put him in a bad mood, eager to slice whoever threw whatever at him.

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Leon
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It was not a surprise to Leon that it was indeed Mister Pig that was the subject. He'd had the feeling since his reaction to the rat repeating the names the bogins had used for the cat in question.

Then the subject suddenly turns, and that turn looses Leon for a moment or three. Somehow it seems Mister Pig had gotten it into his head that the solution was to take his case to the King of the Cats. If every cat that ever had a problem thought first to bring those problems to the King... Which is why it was known to be a difficult and testing journey. That was an option to think about when others had failed, not the first option that should be tried.

Leon thinks about this for a while before he speaks, "Maybe, if after we see what else can be done first and we cannot solve this problem ourselves, then we might investigate trying to make the journey to see our King. The trip is difficult, and it is so to keep every cat from bothering the King with trivial matters."

Leon twitches his left ear, it's itching again, but he refuses to scratch at it.

"I’m not saying that your problem is trivial Mister Pig, but I think you need to try and solve it on your own first. If you cannot solve it, even with our help, Then we will decide if we should bring the problem to others."

Leon does not say it, but he thinks that running to the King of the Cats before they even try anything else... He himself is not about to let someone else solve his problems for him unless he discovers that he can't solve the problem himself.

Leon thinks that the King will ask them what they had tried before coming to him, of course he'd already know the answer because he knows everything. That or the trip to see him would be that much more difficult because it was chosen first rather than after they had tried to solve the problem themselves.

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Miss Kitty
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Mr. Pig seems to take no comfort in her ministrations, so Miss Kitty simply sits nearby. She attempts to discern Antonio’s language, and gets the gist of it, if not the actual words. The boy needs to some schooling. She gives the Tom a smile for all his enthusiasm; at least he wasn’t one to mope about like some.

Mr. Pig also seems pleased with the idea of taking the problem up with the King of Cats, even if the voyage proves perilous.

His confession draws a tiny grin before she swallows it away. Miss Kitty doubts there’s a cat on the roof who doesn’t know it was Mr. Pig all along, but there’s no sense hurting his feelings. She turns her head to look directly at him, blinks twice, and responds with just a touch of shock, “Really? No… really? Well, you are the cunning one, aren’t you?”

More incomprehensible words from the ginger follow before Leon shoots down the idea of bothering the King. Miss Kitty frowns at the grey and white. “As far as I know, there are only two ways to get rid of the problem,” she sits up just a bit taller as she goes into a teaching mode. “One, visit the King of the Cats. And two, kill every single boggin who knows the name… but really, that seems unwieldy since we have no idea how many know of it.”

Her thoughts turn devilish, I think someone’s afraid of the dream world… The silver tabby’s tail wags twice as she waits for more responses.

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by OGMO
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"Darkest, strangest mystery
a pen of steel
gone before us
the light withdrawn
when a deed is done for freedom
the endless, foolish merriment of stars," OGMO states, finishing with a glance towards the sky, though only one star can be seen during the day. Unwilling to pretend at surprise at Mister's `revelation', she is also in favor of seeking his answer in the Dreamlands...though she hopes that while protection is gone from Mister's family, and those of anyone who travels with him, others will stay to make the extra effort needed to watch over the humans.

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Leon
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Perhaps Leon had been being stubborn at first; he never liked the idea of getting help and preferred to meet his own problems head on. But now that Miss Kitty states the two choices open to them he sees that they may have no choice. To dispose of every Bogin that knew Mister Pig’s Secret Name?

The task sounded daunting and likely impossible so Leon listens to Miss Kitty’s lesson, or more practically, realizes that he was being stubborn. He thought there might be a third choice, but he had no idea what that choice might be.

Leon looks at Miss Kitty and says simply, “Then again, I may have been... incorrect.” and there is a slight nod of his head to let her know that her lesson had sunk in.

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Mister Pig (NPC)
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"Yes! The King of the Cats will help! He has to... " Mister Pig definitely seems happier now.

The journey to see the King of the Cats is known to be difficult, but those who make the trip are invariably pleased with the results of their trek. Even if it takes hours or days, because it is the Dream, the time which flows in the real world seldom matches that experienced by the dreamer.

With luck, they could see the King, get the whole, horrible business sorted out, and be back in time for dinner.

"Surely he would not leave a cat to suffer?"

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Miss Kitty
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Just when she thinks OGMO’s poetry starts to make sense, another one rolls out and over her head, swooshing fur in the process. Miss Kitty blinks twice. The large cat has always seemed wise, so even if the tabby cannot understand the poem, she knows it must be filled with wisdom.

She nods sagely at the Lynxette.

Catching Leon’s gaze, Miss Kitty gives him her full attention. Her eyes squinch down in pleasure as she returns his nod. Turning to Mr. Pig, she soothes, “No, of course not. He must be as benevolent as he is famous. Certainly.” Her voice brooks no arguments to the contrary.

“There’s no time to lose; too much is at stake. Traversing dreams does not take up much of our real time, but do all get to go? Or do some stay back to guard the humans?” She knew it would be folly for them all to attend Mr. Pig’s quest, but she so dearly wants to meet the King. However, if she should get chosen to be left behind, she shall do it. With dignity.

Or at least a semblance of dignity as she bats at some string to console herself.

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Antonio
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When Miss Kitty looks at him and smiles, Antonio fires of a big grin of his own and winks at the female feline.

As "Oh" says another strange thing, he looks over at her, though, and says, "Goat, ya' need t'learn t'talk propuh'ly so's cats kin dig it ya', even if ya' is sayin' nonsense! Right on!"

"Sho' man, no time t'wuzte! Right on! As fo' de Dream, heck, reality be a lot tougher, trust me, ah' know!" he continues as some seem to hesitate about going into the dream.

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Syd
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Syd listens to the conversation with casual indifference, seemingly more interested in the rustling of the leaves overhead by the breeze than by any concerns for felines or humans. He stops studying the branches long enough to say somewhat distractedly, " I will do whatever is needed to help Shadowdancer. If it means walking the paths of a dream, or standing watch outside Gemmas window for a week, I will help. Reality or dream it makes no difference, as long as we take action soon before the Boggins get their shit together." A cricket down below hops away from the shed, and Syd is crouched to watch intently, once again settling into listening rather than speaking.

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Mister Pig (NPC)
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"We should all go. I don't believe we can stop the Boggins here."

Mister Pig, filled now with excitement and newly bolstered courage, rather than panic and brain-freezing fear, says, thoughtfully.

"We have different strengths, and different viewpoints. The more of those differences we can apply to the tests, the better the chance that we will be able to pass them."

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by OGMO
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OGMO nods sagely. She doesn't entirely like the idea of leaving the entire block unguarded, even for a night, but if boggins did take advantage of their absence to sink their claws into their people...well, it took time for a boggin to gain strength. More time than they would - probably - be gone.

"I dreamt rarely
By the nannygoats of the bird
Drowning savagely on the lazy street
On thoughts of eyes
Where salmon lie quietly
And all the warm goosefield speak and lie," she says, voicing her approval of the plan.

Really.

Besides; she likes the Land of Dreams.

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Miss Kitty
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The consensus brings a happy decision: they would all go into Dream. Miss Kitty gracefully (to her eyes, in reality, she flops) lies down on her back, rolling her belly up in supreme happiness and trust. “We all go?” A soft rumbling sound emanates from her throat. “I think I can live with that.”

Suddenly, she twists her body around and up into a sitting position again. “So when and where?” She really needs to learn some subtlety with her excitement.

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Mister Pig (NPC)
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"Here and now would be good." Mister Pig answers, with a critical look at the sky. "The day is warm and bright. Ideal for sleeping well, and dreaming pleasant dreams."

With that, he lays down, tucking his paws beneath him, and closes his eyes...

"If only that blasted Priscilla would stop yip-yip-yipping... " he grumbles sleepily.

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Antonio
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"To de Dream and Beyond!" Antonio exclaims and stretches out as far as he can, falls over on the side and curls up into a tight little ball before relaxing and letting out a long sigh - seemingly fast asleep already.

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Leon
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Leon watches as the others choose their most comfortable position to sleep. It seems it was decided that they'd all go; he's not sure he likes the idea of none staying.

He's already in his most comfortable position, as usual. Leon watches and waits. He'll be the last one to close his eyes.

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by OGMO
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OGMO gives a small nod to Leon, silently agreeing that he is among the best to watch over them in the waking world while they settle in.

She then chooses herself a spot that, though in a sunbeam now, will be shaded soon; she circles it thrice widdershins, and then lays down, curling her tail over her eyes.

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Re: Part 1 - And so it begins. by Miss Kitty
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Miss Kitty’s eyes half shut in sheer satisfaction that she will not have to stay behind. None of them will! A clear spot with unobstructed sunshine provides her place of rest as she curls up, her head slightly tilting up.

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