Cat

 

It’s hard not to worry, watching those four walk out the door into another dangerous mission. I know they can handle themselves, but…it’s not easy out there, I can attest to that. Still, worrying will do my arm no good, better to have faith and leave it at that. I believe in them. Speaking of believing in…

“So, Coyo,” I begin, turning to face the chimera who sits awkwardly at the table, seemingly waiting for my attention, almost immediately twisting themselves to look at me as I speak up, tail wagging adorably, “looks like someone’s ready for walkies.”

Their antennae droop and their screen brightens with a green blush, Coyotl huffing and standing up, trying to wrap their tail around their leg to control it, and failing horribly.

“...Curse this body. How difficult it has become to shield others from my emotions.”

“Aw, babe,” I say with a smirk, walking over and patting the chimera on the back. “You’re fine to let your feelings be known here, y’know. It’s cute, honestly.”

“O-oh, hush, you…” they sigh, already walking towards the door. “To answer your question: yes, I am ready.”

“Oh, woe is a lonely snake~” Niamh sings, earning herself an eye roll from me and Coyo.

“If Coyo OKs it, you’re free to join us, y’know,” I tell her, tail swishing with playful frustration. 

Looking to Coyotl, I watch them withdraw a bit, holding one claw in another anxiously. “I-if she is comfortable with me. I know we have a…possibly discomforting history with one another.”

This gets a chuckle out of the serpent, who closes her newspaper at last and rests it on the dining table, standing up with a…provocative stretch before slithering over to a blushing Coyotl and resting her claws on her shoulders from behind.

“Now now, little witch, there’s no discomfort between the two of us~ I know you’ve lived through an unfortunate situation, so I bear no ill will towards you, even if you’re holding my darling little spark captive~”

Equal parts comforting and disconcerting, Coyotl tenses up somewhat with another sigh, though I find myself curious now.

“Little spark? You mean Yom?”

Niamh hums a little ‘mhm~’ and Coyotl nods, reaching into her cloak and rummaging through its depths.

“Somehow, our favourite channel over here managed to elude my prying gaze for a whole month despite repeated visits to the Inkton Manor, but considering I couldn’t find her anywhere else, it only made sense to me that where one was missing, so was the other.”

As if on queue, Coyotl pulls a small bottle from their cloak, and within…a small little Yom sits, looking up before sighing with embarrassment.

“Before you ask,” the chimera begins quicker than I can get a word in, “no, I am unable to free her at the moment. After a month of silence from her, we agreed upon a binding contract, in exchange for…my acceptance of Ascension.”

“A shaky acceptance it would seem, hmm~?” Niamh jeers playfully, though Coyo simply nods in bitter resignation.

“So, what are the rules of the contract then?” I ask, Yom and I exchanging waves as she is returned to her hiding place.

“Ah…well…” Coyo stammers, hugging their arms, “The conditions of her freedom are…true acceptance of my identity, as the Goddess phrased it, or…”

The chimera takes a deep breath.

“...My demise.”

“Ah…”

The room becomes dimmer at the mention of Coyotl’s death, but they shake their head and return their gaze to me, determination staring me back.

“But…I am resolved to accept myself now. Difficult as I am finding it…”

“Well,” I jump in, giving Coyo a bright smile, “why don’t we get started on that, then? Help you feel more comfortable being yourself in Aspen Town.”

The chimera’s face lights up at the prospect, nodding even as Niamh presses herself into their back, arms slipping around their waist, forcing a blush out of them.

“Well, I, for one, have been cooped up in this remastered shack for too long~ I see no reason to not join you lot if there are no objections~”

“As objectionable as you are,” I tease the snake, booping her on the nose and getting a cute little blep for my troubles, “I wouldn’t mind having you around. Coyo?”

The chimera nods, looking a bit awkward within Niamh’s arms. They seem to be having a bit of trouble getting themselves to move in her embrace, prompting me to open up the front door and drag the serpent out by the tail.

“Ohhh nooooo~”

Stupid silly snake.

“Come along, Coyo! Let’s get you right and fully acclimatized!”

 

Something really nice to see is Coyotl striding through the forest path with much more confidence than previously seen, though, they still pause to let us point the right way here and there. Confidence is one thing, but sense of direction? It’s no problem though, I’m happy to show them the way.

They do seem to falter somewhat as we make it into town, but a paw on their shoulder helps them along, moving us on into the heart of town, only just now realizing…I didn’t really bring us out here with a plan, did I?

“So, Coyo,” I start, as if this had been part of the outing all along, “what do you feel up to doing? I don’t wanna push you to do anything you’re not totally comfy with.”

“Ah…”

The chimera stops, then steps off to the side of the road, claw holding their chin while their antennae twitch.

“Uhm…perhaps…nothing with too many people,” they answer, looking around them at all the passers by, awkwardly waving back at those that greet them. “I’ve…never been one for larger gatherings.”

“I getcha! I feel the same, really,” I tell them, patting them on the back before turning to the serpent trailing behind us. “Any suggestions…?”

My voice trails off as I look Niamh up and down with a confused squint.

“Ain’t you cold?” I ask her, noting that she’s in the same hooded tubetop she’s been known for since we first met. She shrugs, of course.

“I’m actually quite hot, I’ll have you know~”

Ugh. At least she gets a chuckle out of my unamused stare.

“Hmhm~ Regardless of my unparalleled charm, wit, and sexual appeal,” she boasts, hips moving along with the saucy way her tail swings with her words, “I was going to suggest we grab a +1 for a little jam sesh~”

Hmm. Turning back to Coyotl, I give them a head tilt.

“You care much for playing music?”

“Ah. Well…”

They hold their arms in each hand, glancing away before sighing.

“I would be lying if I were to say the thought had not crossed my mind in the past, but I do not exactly have much experience. My family detested the noise, and after their passing, I never had the confidence to pick anything up myself.”

Aw, poor thing. Paw on their shoulder, I give them a shake and a smile.

“I’d be happy to sweep you away with a song, if that’d help. Plus, you’ve got your soul song now, I’m sure that’s gotta help in some manner, right Nia?”

The snake smiles and nods, slithering between Coyo and I to wrap her arms around our shoulders.

“Quite so! If anything will help you to get comfortable in this pretty new form of yours, letting the song in your heart sing freely is it~”

Coyo seems to have some reservations, but shakes their head and looks on with determination.

“Okay. I can do that.”

“Hell yeah! So, what’cha gonna play?” I ask, starting to feel kinda excited myself. “I’m good for keyboard and vocals. Nia?”

“I can fill~ I’m quite the virtuoso, if I do say so myself~” the serpent boasts, to which I’d be rolling my eyes harder if it didn’t make things easier for us here and now. Thus, attention is turned back to Coyotl, their claws locked with one another as they tense up.

“...It is…somewhat embarrassing…” they say, taking a deep breath and releasing their grip on themselves, instead digging their claws into the folds of their cloak. “But…I would like to play the drums.”

“Oh yeah?” I grin, reaching up and ruffling their static hair, only to pull my paw back and find it extra fuzzy. “I think that’s awesome! It’s not embarrassing at all, y’know! I’d pegged ya for a bass player, but you’d look super good on a drum kit.”

“You think so…?” they ask, seeming inspired by my confidence in them. “I-I mean, I care not for ‘looking super good,’ but…thank you.”

My grin only widens for Coyo as I step back, making sure to tap Niamh on the rump with my static charged paw and watching her yip and flick her snake tongue at me playfully.

“Now the question that remains,” I begin, stepping in front of the other two with my paws on my hips, “who do we recruit?”

Now comes the trouble. Who would Coyo be comfortable playing with…?

…

There’s a person standing next to me I’m just now noticing.

Looking up at us is a little plant lady we’re all quite familiar with.

“I am Bomba.”

Yeah, that’s Bomba.

“Master Bomba!” Coyotl exclaims, standing upright immediately, to which Bomba nods. “To what do we owe the honour…?”

I swear, between the last moment I was looking at her and the next, she just materialized a barky guitar with cherry blossoms atop it, staring up at us without another word.

“...Did you just happen to overhear us talking about playing music together?” I ponder more to myself than anyone else, but the girl with cherry blossom hair nods to answer the question as well.

“Isn’t she just the most convenient little thing~?” Niamh coos, earning herself a very, very unamused stare from Bomba below, to which the serpent shrugs. “Ah, well, you can’t charm ‘em all~”

While we have a band in tow, there unfortunately lies one last problem, that being: finding a place to play without disturbance, to which the only solution I can think of lies in…

 

“Hahaha, well well well, if it ain’t my favourite Cat and Kitten.”

“Hello, Jam,” I grumble, standing at his front door where he leans against the frame smugly.

“Aw, you don’t seem too happy to see your best bud in the whole world!” he chirps, only making the experience all the more grating. “C’mon, you musta came here for a reason, yeah? Spit it out, I’m sure I can soothe whatever ails you.”

With a sigh and a shake of my head, I begrudgingly ask the octopus for a favour.

“You’re the only person I know personally that’d probably have some kind of sound-proof room, and we’re looking for a place where we can play music in peace.”

“Ahaha, ohhh, and now she needs my help.”

Can’t stand this bitch.

“Look, I’ll owe you one, alright?” I plead, crossing my arms and swishing my tail with an agitated swing. “Just don’t get overzealous about it.”

“Actually, this works out perfectly,” he says so sing-song-ly. “I was gonna ask you about a favour, but if we can make the exchange here and now, neither of us need to worry about something hanging over the other’s head.”

My eyebrow raises, and my suspicion with it.

“And what exactly were you looking to ask of me…?”

The sea creature rolls his shoulder and whips out his phone, scrolling through for a second before glancing back up at me.

“I got a text from Poison earlier, or as you might know them–”

“Sue-Zee, yeah, I know.”

His eyes go wide for a moment before glazing over to a more serious stare.

“Cool, no dramatic reveals necessary. Basically, there’s been a change of plans, and they won’t be available for the big event tonight.”

This seafood fiend just loves saying things I need to choke an elaboration out of him for any context.

“Care to enlighten me on this ‘big event?’”

He actually seems somewhat tired for once, sighing and flipping his tentacle hair out of his face.

“A protest. To punctuate the Subterfuge Liberation.”

“Huh?”

He returns to his smug demeanor, rolling his eyes unnecessarily at my surprise.

“Maybe you’d have been invited if you stepped out of your woodsy shack a bit more.”

“Oh, shut the fuck up and give me the details.”

He holds up his tendril hands defensively, still smiling.

“Alright alright, getting mixed signals here, but alright. In front of town hall, we’ve been organizing a protest for about the last month, eventually getting tied up with events underground once you and the rat started putting things in motion. To keep up the pressure, as I’m sure the folks at the top of Monorise can feel the tremors below, we’re protesting as the last shake up happens today…the one Sue-Zee is pushing themselves to the limit to see done.”

“...And there’s no way they’ll have it in them to push through a protest after dealing with Hal,” I conclude for the octopus, who shoots me a finger gun and a lazy grin.

“I ain’t asking you to do any fighting, but I know you’ve got a knack for inspiring people,” Jam tells me, putting his phone away and standing up straight. “And without our beloved leader, I’ve got a bad feeling about how things may go, especially with tensions running high in the city.”

I shut my eyes and furrow my brow, tapping my footpaw with a groaning hum escaping my lips.

“...And you were gonna drop this on me regardless of us asking for a casual favour, huh?”

A devious smirk curls under the octopus’ long tentacle bangs.

“Maybe I knew you wouldn’t say no regardless.”

Fucker.

“...Alright, fine. Gimme a time.”

“8PM. I’ll see you there,” he says, stepping aside and allowing us in, pointing to the basement stairs. With that, he walks off to his kitchen, leaving us to loosen the tension after such a serious conversation.

“...Are you sure you’re going to be alright, Cat?” Coyotl asks as we descend the stairs and find ourselves in a cramped little stony room, layered with sound-reducing padding all around. “What with your arm and all…”

Shrug.

“I’ve gotta feel out my limits, what better a place than one where I might not even need to fight?” “I explain, pulling up a chair while the chimera sits on a spinning stool. “Plus…well, for one thing, I’m doing it for Sue-Zee. The other thing is…”

I pull my paw up to my chest, holding the twilight necklace in the palm of my paw.

“This may be something I have to do. Again, just gotta be wary of my limits.”

Which gives me an idea. Putting the necklace down and pulling out my phone, I make a quick text to a friend who may be able to help ease the burden.

“Anyways, we ready to rock?”

 

Nods all around the room. Bomba tunes her guitar, pulling a root from it and plugging it into a nearby amp, while Niamh flicks her wrist and summons a cloud, shaping it and freezing it over before making the strings of her bass out of lightning. Coyotl, meanwhile, sits there, a bit paralyzed.

“You alright, Coyo?” I ask, standing up and drawing the shape of a keytar in the air with a glowing paw, summoning my own instrument.

“Ah– Yes, I am fine. Just…”

…Thinking about it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Coyotl do any magic without the use of an artifact.

“Not sure how to do it?”

“N-no!” they answer abruptly before shaking their head, a glowing green blush obscuring their screen. “I-I mean…m…maybe…”

Hmm…I step over and pat them on the shoulder, giving them a smile.

“You could always use Wheels of Fortune, couldn’t you?”

“...This is true…but…”

“But you’d like to know how to do it. I getcha,” I console them with a pat on the back. “What is your power exactly? Maybe we can guide you in the right direction.”

“Ah…well…you see…” they mumble, claws in their lap as they shuffle in their seat anxiously. “It is…Static. Static by…Chains.”

“Ooo, quite metal, isn’t it~?” Niamh coos, earning her a shush from me and finding myself getting a giggle in return.

“I’ve noticed the chains quite a bit. Why not try and guide them with your hands?”

“Uhm…well, you see, the thing is…”

Coyotl bites the bullet, shaking their head and letting it get all staticy…chains made of white noise beginning to slither out of their face oh my Goddess.

“I-is that painful?!”

They shake their head, pulling out the chains and forming a ring with each link, each loop glowing before a drum manifests out of them until a whole kit is formed, the last of the chain sputtering out of Coyo’s face as it returns to normal.

“...I…I am sorry you had to witness that.”

“Oh, no no no!” I exclaim, shaking my head and paws. “I was more so worried about you. I can see why you’ve avoided using it until now, though, jeez…But hey, you’ve got your instrument now!”

I look around the room, everyone else seeming about ready to start playing, then turning back to Coyotl, paw on their shoulder once more.

“Y’ain’t gotta worry about jumping in right away, just start playing once you’re feeling ready!”

The chimera closes their eyes and nods, clenching their claws and finding a pair of staticy drum sticks appearing within, earning them a smile from me as I stand up and grab the microphone with its stand in the middle of the room.

“Peak Divide, anybody?”

Bomba nods and Niamh whistles in affirmation, leaving only Coyotl without an answer, being overtaken with nerves. This prompts the serpent to slither up behind the chimera, arms coming around their waist once more with her chest pressed up against their back.

“You should be sitting up straight, but without stiffness, and should feel comfortable. Don’t ever let yourself become tense~”

Coyotl groans, the frivolity of the snake at least managing to help ease their tension in exchange for flustered annoyance.

“Are you relaxed? You should be you know~”

Rolling my eyes, I spare Coyotl any more teasing from the temptuous one with a count in.

“Let’s kick it up with Mirror then, everybody! One! Two!”

 

The song usually starts with the drums, but it’s not a big deal to count myself in, starting off the melody before Bomba begins to join, Niamh patiently waiting until she can begin plucking away along with us.

“Staring at a miiiirror of myseeeelf~ All I seeeee is someone else~ Call my name and ask for help~”

“I~ Feel~ Fine~”

Can’t help but turn and smile at Niamh as she backs up my vocals, that sweet serpent voice echoing behind mine so gently.

“Wondering why I can’t recognize~ The look I see in my own eyes~ They tear up but I feel fine~”

“I~ Feel~ So~ Fine~”

It almost feels quieter without the beat of a drum pushing us on, but it gives Coyo more space to psych themselves up.

“Thiiiis can’t be where I– am~ I know we’re not broken just yet~”

It starts with a simple banging of the bassdrum easing the chimera in, getting a feel for the rhythm, letting the melody swirl around them.

“So let’s begin~”

“To start again~”

“I won’t let this be where we end~”

My ears twitch as I hear them push themselves just a bit further.

“I’ll give you this to make our world~ brand~ new~”

Letting the music not just embrace them, but fill them, whirling within their soul, and–!

“Despite the daaaaark out there~ There’s a liiiiiight we share~”

It’s hesitant, but looking over at them, I can see just how focused Coyotl is on their work.

“That cuts through all of the doubt we tell ourselves we can’t bear~”

Even if it’s somewhat stiff, even if they’re tense and nervous and worried, I can see and feel the spark of their song lighting up.

“Give your vooooice a shout~ Your soul waaaaants to be loud~ Don’t be scared of drowning out the crowd and hearing your new sound~”

I’m practically telling that line to Coyo, and something seems to break through, a slight hiccup followed by a newfound intensity!

“Every time I look back in the mirror~ Missing pieces reappear~ The parts of me I couldn’t hear~”

“Now~ I~ Am~ Fine~”

From the looks of it, the way the sound waves ripple through their screen, it seems like they’re actually singing along, or at least doing the equivalent of lip syncing for a TV head.

“So let’s pretend~”

“Until the end~”

“That maybe we could win this~ Nobody but us can say we’re finished~”

The whole room feels so in tune with one another, Coyotl following along, Niamh dancing by our sides, Bomba almost fighting with my vocals, giving it all an added intensity that binds us and keeps us moving.

“Thiiiis iiiiis~ Where we aaaare noooow~ And weeee’re noooot~ Stopping heeeeere~”

This is nice. This is really good, actually. I don’t even know Bomba all too well, but just through this, I feel like I get her a bit more, the entire band feeling each other’s movements through music.

“This priiiiiison’s~ now a battleground~ And we’ll shooooow them~ what they fear~”

 

“Despite the daaaaaark out there~ There’s a liiiiiight we share~ That cuts through all of the doubt we tell ourselves that we can’t bear~

“Give your voooooice a shout~ Your soul waaaants to be loud~ Don’t be scared of drowning out the crowd and hearing your new sound~”