Chapter 1: Prologue
Summary:
Initiate Doors OST "Jeff's Jingle"
Chapter Text
Bob groaned in a low tone as he finally reached door 51. The large brass doors shut behind him with a loud slam, the old doors shutting right in the Librarian's face. The locks clicked shut in an anomalous way, leaving the cream tom in the much smaller room. The wooden flooring was crooked, it jutted out around the corners of the room, making it look old.
He stood up from his crouching position, his front right paw pressing against the aged reddish carpet. His ears rose at the sound of...music? All four of his paws met the aged carpet as his dark eyes squinted. It had to be a trick, he told himself as he looked to the two doors ahead of him.
On one side of the room, there were plants in the corners, a closet neatly placed on the wall closest to him, the carpet extending to that door. There was a grandfather clock, which seemed past it's time, which was placed adjacent to the wooden closet. The clock seemed to either show the wrong time, or time had passed a bit too fast for Bob to comprehend. Ignoring his gut feeling, he trotted along the red carpet. His eyes were still adjusting from the dimly lit library, to the almost too bright regular hotel room still.
He avoided looking up from the carpet, his eyes already hurting from the major change in brightness. Bob could even swear he could see some mold forming on the edge of the carpet as he approached the door. Without even thinking clearly, he reached one of his front paws to turn the handle to door 53, the door shooting open.
It was already too late when he backed up, his gray hind legs meeting the carpet as he fell back. A large, pitch-black entity pounced out from the shadows, it's eyes wide and crazed. It's mouth was open in a snarl, revealing a row of razor sharp teeth. Bob let out a screech as the entity's claws tore into his shoulder blades, staring into his bloodshot eyes, and wide pupils, as pain shot through the cream tom's body.
The entity's chops bit down harshly on Bob's gray back, blood dripping from his body as the entity let go. Bob's front paws swatted at the black entity as it retreated back into the room where it came from. The door sign labelled '0053' fell to the ground with a clack, landing in front of Bob's paws.
Scarlet blood dripped down his shoulders, staining his back, shoulder, and neck fur a shade of red. His body felt weakened as he gained his sense of movement back, his paws already moving on their own when he began to pad along the carpet. His paws left bloody footprints in the red carpet, leaving the splotches of blood where he had been attacked as he made his way to the correct door.
Bob stumbled as he attempted to reach a paw towards the handle, pushing it down and opening the door. The music became loud as he opened it, stepping in and tripping over the carpet. He felt his life fading away as he hit the purplish red carpet, seeing a few boxes, which were the same color as the floorboards, stacked up in the corner. He knew it was over when he closed his eyes, blacking out.
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His mouth was open as he breathed heavily and hard, one toe from a large shadowy paw resting on his tongue to keep his mouth open. His dark eyes blinked as he regained his consciousness, seeing the large eyes of the entity before him. His eyes widened in fear, his pupils turning to slits as he jerked away. Adrenaline rushed through his bloodstream, stumbling while he tried to reach an upright position, his tail hitting the boxes he had noticed before blacking out.
"Amigo!"
Bob's blood felt warm once again as he heard a Mexican accent. The shadows which enveloped his thoughts seemed to disappear as the giant cat stepped over the counter of a shop, sitting back down inside the shadows, eyes the only things visible. His eyes darted around for the voice.
"Down here."
He looked down, as if forced to. He was face to face with a, much smaller, cat. The dark flame-colored cat had an unusually long snout, and large yellow eyes placed more on the sides of his head. Bob noticed the earring implanted in the cat's ear, which seemed strange unless somebody else did it for him, but he brushed it off anyways.
"¡Hola! They call me El Goblino. How about ya' introduce yourself?"
El Goblino's posture remained the same as he looked up at Bob. Bob, however, was conflicted. He wasn't in pain anymore, but he didn't want to even try to check for the bite and claw wounds. After a long moment of silence, Bob interrupted a short sentence which El Goblino had tried to formulate.
"Bob."
"Ahh, Bob! You scurried in here so fast, we thought the Macho-duud got out."
Bob's eyes followed El Goblino's pawsteps as he recovered the pill bottle he was going to use on him. The pills were white and a dull brown color. At this point, Bob would take anything to get this anxiety out of his head.
"Sorry y' had to wake up during that, amigo. We were tryna' feed you summa' these."
The red cat rolled over some pills from it, before using his mouth to screw the cap shut again. Bob knew it, this was his safe haven. He crouched down, pain shooting through his shoulders as he picked up the few pills, swallowing them down with ease despite not having any sort of liquid to help. The wince that had formed on his face quickly left when the pills kicked in.
He felt itchy, as if his wounds were quickly healing. It was weird, a warm sensation in the back of his throat following it, itching to escape his flesh. Though, he could easily ignore this, focusing on his surroundings more.
In the room, there was a modest shop. One of the beams were destroyed, the remains in a pile near to it, it seems they haven't fixed it yet. The board above the shop read "Jeff Ƨhop", the shadowy cat sitting inside the corridor. He assumed that cat was Jeff, though something about them was unsettling. The carpet was rolled up a bit more, stored near a closet which would be useful to hide in.
In each corner, except for the corner he was closest to, there was a plant, a shrub, to be exact. The one from his corner was located closer to Jeff's shop, in front of one of the bookshelves scattered around. There was a cabinet behind a box, which was probably just a table for the small cat. His thoughts were interrupted by El Goblino speaking to Jeff in a more hushed tone, but before he could join the conversation, the small cat spoke up.
"It's safer here, how about you stay here, duud?"
It was a tough decision, and Bob had to voice his opinion.
"I have to get home, though!"
"I don't get it, going deeper is only worse. I haven't been to the reception personally, but if you wanted to leave-"
"Yeah, can't open the elevator doors, so I'm in this hellhole."
El Goblino went quiet, silence filling the room. Though, after some consideration, Bob nodded.
"Alright...I'll stay."
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1.4k words
If this changes a lot, I'm getting used to AO3, and figuring out how to do stuff.
Chapter 2: Chapter 1 - The Library
Summary:
Initiate Doors OST "Unhinged"
Chapter Text
The library was expansive, humid, and warm. The lack of hiding spaces made hunting easy, and every sound seemed to echo. It wasn't hard to guess why an entity lived specifically in it. The bookshelves were taller than a cat would believe possible to climb, a code hidden amongst the books which outsider cats need to find in order to move on from it.
The Librarian was a large she-cat, her fur russet-colored. Her legs seemed to be painted a dull cream color, stripes showing more clearly on these spots. Her pelt was described as a dark, broken blaze, it's color often reflecting to make it seem like the room is on fire itself. Though, that wasn't what she was known for.
She had large scars, her pelt seeming ragged from it. She had large scars covering her eyes, barren of fur on these areas. Her chest and neck had large bone-like structures, which curled around her body and attached to a spine-like structure on her back. Her face was disfigured, she wasn't really attractive at all from it.
Her claws raked against the rusty red carpet, tearing tiny strands from it's neatly woven form. Boredom was normal for her now, figures dancing where her mind could imagine them, her claws sharpened beyond what a normal cat of the hotel's would be. Her blindness prevented her from learning to read the books that surrounded her.
The rain which always spat loudly against the seemingly bulletproof glass windows was annoying and repetitive, her ears ached whenever she focused on it. Though, the twinkling of some of the books was just as bad. High-pitched noises always got her riled up, it sounded like the squeaks of prey, though she was trapped listening to them from her anxiety to leave.
Standing up from her laying position, she began to pad mindlessly. Her ears only perked up when she heard the closet closest to her rustle. The Librarian's paw lightly tapped on one of the two closet doors, feeling it's rough wood as she waited, stepping back.
The doors swung open, and she recognized the mew of her close friend, Jack.
"Ahoy! Hope ye haven't been to bored without me, Librarian."
From her memory, he was a pitch-black tom who had half his head white, one of his eyes white and the other black. She knew he wore a pirate's hat, the feather attached to it always brushed up against her skin when she got close to him. He was very loud on most occasions, it was his job to prevent outsiders from hiding while startling them so they wouldn't hide again.
A smile found it's way onto her disfigured face.
"Thank-you for visiting. Have you come for a book this time?"
The Librarian's deep mew was gentle and caring. Her appearance may be very scary, threatening even. She towered over almost every cat in general. Being so tall, it was expected for her to be much more scrawny than she was. Her body rippled with muscles, her thin fur showing it easily.
"Aye, yer books be the best in the hotel!"
His voice was cheerful, the deep pitch causing his voice to be quieter in the Librarian's ears. It was soothing compared to the loud, or repetitive noises of the hotel, and beyond it.
"Well, don't make too much noise, take whatever you want, just be sure to return them."
She could tell he began to pad away, his tail brushing against her chest, right between the bone-like structure which helped protect her neck. His pawsteps were light, like a mouse who's hiding from a predator. He was perfect to her, but she didn't know what to think. She could hear the rain deafen with her heart beating louder.
Her ears moved as she listened to him moving one of the ladders, positioning it against a shelf and climbing up. The Librarian decided to move towards her desk, her steps making the ground shake a bit just from her walking. She stepped over the broken wood, positioning herself behind the desk. It was a simple one, about the same height as the average outsider cat.
She took a few deep breaths, letting her claws dig into the wooden floor. On any other day, she took to climbing the bookshelves, tearing the carpet, or rearranging items. Sometimes, she'd try and tear the books that kept making the noise, but it only made it louder.
The Librarian always thought about it, why must she go mad for her territory's protection? This has been in the hotel for centuries, she's lived there her entire life. But, there was something keeping her there, something protecting her from the outside.
Her thoughts were cut short by the sound of Jack's pawsteps. He seemed to stand up on his back legs, his front paws resting on the edge of the desk. Two books were placed on the desk, close to the typewriter which she had grabbed out of the pile of furniture a few years ago.
"Could we read together some day, me hearty? I've picked out some good lookin' books."
Jack spoke with confidence lining his mew. The Librarian knew he was smiling wide, just by how he spoke and presented himself.
"I think that'd be lovely, Jack."
The Librarian spoke nicely, a smile on her face.
She was at peace now, with her best friend, in her domain.
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1k words - rarepair lesgoooooooooo
Chapter 3: Chapter 2 - The Rift
Summary:
Initiate DOORS OST "Guiding Light", "Here I Come"
Chapter Text
The walls were littered with inky eyes, the blinking loud but infrequently. The walls for the past 3 rooms were littered with them, as well. Seek laid underneath the floorboards, her body liquified as she spied through the eyes in the rooms. Ever since she was formed in the Hotel, she's been the leader there. It had always been her leading.
Her eye was growing lazy as she struggled to stay awake. Waiting was always boring for her, and it was hard to stay awake when she was resting. Boredom both kept her awake, and very tired. Her eye closed as she drifted off to sleep for another few minutes, but that was enough for her to have slipped away.
She felt the warmth from the rift surround her body. Seek's solidified form seemed to move on it's own as she opened her eye. The usual blue light awaited her awakening, it's movement unnatural and making the room glitter and light up. The red light which her eye emitted was no match for the intense brightness which she was surrounded by.
"Only a fool would believe in you."
Seek muttered, her voice hoarse from his lack of vocalization. It seemed weird for her, as if her voice was not her own. Her eye was locked on the star which floated in front of her face, the form beginning to crack.
"It's always been hard to convince you, Seek."
The familiar voice of the Guiding Light seemed to wrap around her head, as if the area they were in could echo. The shimmering noise which always sounded when she was near this being annoyed her at best. But at worst, she wanted to claw her own ears off, to morph herself into a deafened mess.
She knew what the Guiding Light looked like, a huge ghostly cat, or something to that nature. She couldn't stand it, there was always something wrong with it that unsettled her. The celestial's tail seemed to wrap around her body, her legs and tail covered by it. She didn't dare look, her pitch-black irises focused on the light which floated in The Rift.
"I can tell something is bothering you."
Their voice spoke again. Seek wanted to throw them out a window, but she controlled her anger.
"The dream. What did it mean."
She hissed through her teeth, her ears pinning back against her head. She knew her ears melted back into her body, or at least looked like they did. It took way too long for the being to respond, their tail still wrapped nicely around Seek.
"I am not aware that I gave you a dream."
"Not my dream, The Librarian's."
They, once again, took too long. Heartbeats felt too fast for her body to keep up, the time it felt like being such a small amount for the being.
"It is left for her interpretation, Seek. You must let her find her own legacy, for she has one, just like you."
"I know that! I-"
The old molly cut herself off, closing her eye and wincing visibly. The star had shattered, leaving two remaining floating beside her head. She could feel the Guiding Light's wing gently rub her back.
"Just...we need answers. You gave her a visual dream, and she can't see outside of them."
She stood, forcing herself through their tail.
"You're making a fool out of us, you enjoy toying with my cats, don't you?"
They didn't respond, the shimmering sound just being annoying now. The grimace spread through her body, feeling much worse than the usual tiredness. She slammed one of her front paws down.
"If you're just here to give us false promises, then leave us to rot! I would rather die 10 times over to save my cats over giving them more false promises!"
Her voice was loud. It echoed in the staircase behind them. And yet, she still refused to turn to look at the celestial's form. Seek knew it, they wouldn't respond. She took a few steps forward, leaning to put her nose inside the bright light. She could feel what felt like fire burn through her nose as she closed her eye.
The light steps of outsider cats from above the floorboards woke her from her slumber. Seek's eye closed quickly, looking through the previous room. She had been too late and caught off guard by the cats. As they approached the end of the long hallway, she forced herself to form.
Seek moved as quietly as she could, trying to force herself through the floorboards again. She knew she was getting slower at this when she tried to pull her upper body out. She slammed a paw against the ground, a loud stamping noise echoing around the area.
The outsider cats seemed frozen in shock as she forced herself out of the floorboards, sludge tying her underneath them. She used to not have any issues with this, but it seems like her good luck was running out. She forced her other paw to slam against the floor, the echo hurting her own ears.
This leverage let her form quicker, breaking the ropes of the sludge she was made out of as she forced herself up. Seek knew the shock of the situation wouldn't last until she formed fully, so she was rushing herself. All four of her paws reached the ground as she continued to force herself.
With one last forceful pull, she launched herself away from the ropes. She slipped and lost her balance for a few moments, but she knew he had no time to waste.
Seek's paws slammed against the ground as she launched herself forwards, running towards the cats as fast as she could. It seems as if her semi-good luck in their fear had ran out, because one of them slammed against the door, allowing it to break.
The group sprinted into the next room, ducking underneath a bookshelf which had fallen. The shelf leaned against a reddish couch, giving just enough room for a cat to fit underneath. The area was small, the group having to duck underneath another on the opposite side of the room before shoving through the next door.
Seek's paws met the edge of the couch as she launched himself over it. It only took a few moments for her to slam his front legs against the ground again, launching herself over the next and running into the next room.
She took a left turn around the wall in the middle of the room, her paws making a stamping noise against the ground. She could hear the heavy breathing just beyond the doorway as she jumped through. Before she knew it, she tackled a small dark tortoiseshell tabby cat to the ground, slamming their head into the ground and leaving inky claw-prints in their stomach.
She didn't check to see if the cat was dead, ducking under a bookshelf as she continued to chase the remaining cats. She ducked to the right and went through the next door. The windows were already broken, large hands waving through them to try and catch any cats. She felt the fire beneath her paws before she could realize, jumping and slamming a cat into the next fallen chandelier, breaking even more glass as the cat fell into it.
She leaped over the body, before the next door closed, jamming as it usually did. She slammed a paw against it, repeating it three times in an attempt to break it down. Despite Seek's attempts, she knew she wouldn't get the door open, so she backed off. Her legs hurt already from the sprinting, but tomorrow was another day.
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1.2k words
Chapter 4: Chapter 3 - A Rude Awakening
Summary:
Initiate DOORS OST - N/A
Chapter Text
Seek's pawsteps echoed as she continued to walk, her mouth clamped around one of the outsider cat's neck as she dragged them. She was obviously tired, her singular eye half-open, and her strides lazy.
Ambush was still energetic in his own, the red light which emitted from the fur on his spine and the back of his head looking like extremely long fur. His mouth was clamped around the other intruder cat's neck, his teeth snared in the burnt flesh, hot against his mouth that could burn him if he wasn't careful.
Seek's strides echoed as she stepped, her ragged breaths sounding harder than usual. They both walked in silence, Ambush's steps picking up as he reached the next door, placing a paw on the handle, before walking through the doorway. He paused a few steps in, turning a bit to make sure the elderly entity was keeping up.
"Y'know, you shouldn't be pushing yourself with this."
Ambush spoke, he had a higher-pitched voice, his confidence sky-high. It showed both in his posture, and his voice.
"Put down the body and go back to your domain, you can't keep doing these long walks."
Seek sighed, closing her eye momentarily before placing down the tortoiseshell cat's body. Her head would dip, before she turned on his heel and began to pad back to where she usually rests. Ambush's eyes would flicker as he watched his senior walk away.
He'd sigh as he dragged the burned body onto the tortoiseshell's, dropping it roughly onto the ground. Ambush's lip would pull up as he scowled in disgust. The smell of the burned flesh alone made him sick to his stomach. Just the thought of it would make him faint, too. He hated fire.
"How am I even going to carry these..."
Ambush growled to himself, closing his eyes momentarily, before walking to the next room. He pressed his paw against the tripwire, the lights flickering. He turned himself back, before approaching the bodies once again.
Ambush took a few steps back as he watched the lights shatter. An extra sound of running pawsteps echoed in the area, accompanied by the shrieking of another cat. Though, the source of the shrieking was cut short as the large, gray and black tom caught his front paws on the bodies while trying to stop himself.
Rush nearly faceplanted into the ground, his silvery chin colliding with the soft, red carpet. The black mane, composed mostly of a smoke-like substance, lagged behind his dark gray and black tabby body. The bulky tom pushed himself up after unhooking his front paws from underneath the bodies.
"Really Ambush?"
A wide smile returned to Rush's face, looking down at the paler tom.
"Your fault that you didn't stop."
Ambush's voice was rude, their dark eyes glaring daggers into Rush's larger form. Their height difference made Ambush look tiny, though that was for the better. While Rush was more bulky and physically stronger, Ambush was faster and more lethal.
"Now, we're taking these bodies to the front desk, so we can actually eat something."
Rush chuckled under his breath as he sunk his pearly white teeth into the burned body, picking it up by the neck. Ambush's face contorted into a wince when he saw how easy Rush picked it up. He was less squeamish, Ambush guessed.
Ambush's teeth dug roughly into the tortoiseshell's neck scruff, raising it from the ground. The heaviness of the outsider cat just made it seem fatter, overfed compared to the hotel cats. If Ambush had to take a guess, they were reaching Rush's weight.
He forced himself forward, dashing into the dark room. The light which emitted from his back lighting up the area fully. His paws slapped against the ground as he dashed forwards, he could hear his pawsteps echo in the hallway he found himself in. He could hear Rush's heavier steps behind him, easily carrying at most double his weight.
They at least had some prey for that night. Maybe The Librarian had more luck with hunting today.
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600 words
Chapter 5: Chapter 4 - Welcome, new guy!
Summary:
Initiate DOORS OST "I'm behind you", "Dread's Theme"
Chapter Text
Halt crouched themselves down as they prepared to gnaw into the burned outsider cat. They closed their eyes as they pulled flesh away from the cat, chewing the overcooked outside. Their claws were digging into the floorboards, but they tried not to leave any claw marks.
"How is.. how is it, Mx Halt?"
Dread spoke up, nervousness lining their voice as they watched Halt eat. Halt swallowed their mouthful, the bitter taste lingering on their tongue as they forced it down.
"You don't need to be so professional, kit."
Halt's voice was laid back, a smile rising on their face.
"It's a bit bitter, but it's still edible."
They answered their question, before biting back down on the cooked prey. The blue cat's teeth were tough, tearing the leathery skin easily. Though their chewing took much longer than usual. Dread's pale fur brushed up against the cold ground, their claws digging into the wood as they bit into the hard flesh. With a wince, they tore some away, chewing and swallowing.
Dread's dark eyes would squint, their teeth digging back into the outsider cat's back. The bitter taste made them wince, but they were hungry enough to continue eating. Though, Dread flinched when the door to Door 0001 flew open. They turned their head to look, the large black tom known for being a trickster ducking through the doorway, and entering.
Dupe's muscular frame made him more menacing, his pace amble and slow. Dread's heart pounded in their chest, fear clawing at every inch of their body. They cowered back, their eyes locked on the cat which walked over. Dupe crouched next to Dread, taking a large bite out of the burned outsider cat.
"So, what's the name you came up with, new guy?"
Dupe's voice wasn't as threatening as his appearance made him seem. It was scratchy, and seemed dry, definitely not helped by the dry and bitter flesh.
"Uhm....Dread."
Dread mustered up a response, their hackles standing on end. Dupe simply laughed, pushing them with one paw.
"Don't be such a kit! You haven't even met everybody, I'm not even scary!"
Dupe's dismissive behavior seemed normal, a natural response from the tomcat. Halt's sigh just further proved it, their glowing eyes locked onto Dupe as they chewed their food. Dread's rabbit-like ears pinned back, their body steadied themselves back in place.
"...Alright"
Dread muttered, leaning back down to continue eating. Dupe only laughed, before going back to take another large bite.
"Don't terrorize the new cat, hotshot."
Halt scolded, the cat's eyes narrowing towards the dark tom. Dupe's bloodshot eyes stared right at Halt, the blue glow from the light blue-gray cat illuminating the room in a light glow, despite the lights still being on. Dupe reached a clawed paw out, pushing Halt's nose down.
"Live a little, Halty! We're entities for Light's sake!"
Halt swung up one of their own, shoving Dupe's away.
"You should know better now, tom."
Dread watched the two bicker back and forth, cautiously taking another bite. 'What is this, a playground argument?' Dread's eyes alternated from looking towards Halt, and looking towards Dupe. 'Maybe this place isn't as bad as I thought.'
Chapter 6: Chapter 5 - Anger
Summary:
Initiate DOORS OST N/A
Chapter Text
"What do ye mean it went missin'?!"
Jack's yell echoed throughout the room, the lights flickering with the intensity of the tom's voice. His ears may have not been pinned due to his hat, but he was certainly angry. The loud pattering of the rain against the large windows was annoying, because it just made it harder to hear each other. Rush sighed, his ears falling back as Jack's eyes narrowed, his lips pulled back to show his teeth. The black lion-like gib's face dropped, his pupils avoiding eye-contact with the younger cat. Rush raised a paw when Jack shoved one of his own into Rush's mane. Rush definitely felt pressured into speaking now.
"Well excuse me, I ain't as young as I used to be, buddy!"
Rush's voice was lined with an offended tone, his ears pinning back. He stared right at Jack's face, both seeing and feeling his anger. It seeped through the air, bleeding fury into the stuffy room. The whipping of Jack's tail was audible, too.
"And I told ye, we need the extra food."
Jack growled, his claws trying to dig into Rush's mane. In the back of his throat, Rush could hear his growling, boiling over it's usual limit.
"Could you quit your caterwauling? It's getting annoying."
Rush kept his cool, despite the odds of being attacked by the tom. His eyes were locked onto Jack's face. From the stitched eyepatch over one eye, to the white marking on his face.
"I know we have an extra flower in the pot, but for the light's sake, you're acting like a rogue!"
Rush pushed Jack's paw down, feeling his claws running through his mane's fur. It felt like mere heartbeats between Rush's action and Jack's next, a hard smack hitting Rush's cheek.
He hissed in pain, feeling Jack's claws dig through his short face fur. The smaller tom's claws dug through his skin, feeling pain shoot through his nerves as he was smacked. He took a few steps back, looking down for a few moments.
Blood seeped through his dark fur, pooling at the ends of the strands to form a small patch. He breathed heavily for a few moments, shaking his head to blink away the pain.
"Oh you little insolent..."
Rush threatened, pulling back his lips to show his teeth.
"Do ye believe me now, ye scallywag?!"
Jack's voice was still just as bitter as previously spoken. Simply daring Rush to do something about it. Though, Rush took a few deep breaths to calm himself. Surely, he isn't going to continue like that...
"Alright, I get it. You're worried about her not being able to eat enough. I'm sorry for missing one, too."
Rush spat, looking down at Jack with a scornful look in his dark eyes. Jack was still enraged, his tail twitching side to side to show it. Rush continued,
"But you're so paranoid about her, Jack, every single time!"
His meow was loud, taking a few steps forward to get back in his face.
"All you do is talk about the Librarian! Librarian this, Librarian that, it's like you're in love with the damn gal."
Jack bared his teeth once again, growling as if that'd make him more threatening. His claws dug into the floorboards, slicing the spruce wood that was underneath their paws.
"Oh ye just enjoy being a pain in my tail, ain'tcha?"
Jack's voice was filled with venom, pulling his paw off the ground to prepare another swipe. Though, he put it back down, turning to walk away from the argument. He pushed open the unlocked room's door, shoving through and disappearing into the hall behind it.
Huh... Rush thought to himself, the tip of his tail twitching. I guess I was right. He chuckled, turning his head to look at the windows.
It was surprising how the Hotel hadn't flooded yet, the rain constantly sputtering against the windows. Not once in his years of life had it stopped raining, hailing, or snowing. Maybe during the day it did, but he hasn't witnessed it yet. A crack of lightning shot across the sky, Rush's eyes squinting to accommodate the sudden light. It had painted the sky blue for a few moments, and it looked beautiful to him. Thunder roared only a second later, they were in the eye of the storm, and it was expected.
The weather, it was something he enjoyed. From splashing in the puddles in the Courtyard with his colony-mates, to rolling in the snow when it's cold out. If the sun didn't melt away all of the snow during the day, he might just bury himself in it. The nice memories played out in his head, calming his nerves from the argument. It was easily vanishing from his head, a smile crossing his face. He didn't even realize he still had those injuries to his face.
Chapter 7: Chapter Negative 1 - The ROOMS
Summary:
Initiate DOORS OST - "Curious Light"
Chapter Text
The Multi-Monster frowned, his eyes narrowing at the nearly unlit exit door. Aside from his natural glow, there wasn't any light in the room anyways. The golden "EXIT" plate was fairly easily seen, despite the lights barely, or not working past door 100.
The weirdness of the exit doors always caught him off guard every time he saw them, him and his mate keeping the kits away from them. The fear of what was outside, he guessed. The door was near the same color as his red fur, just more brown. He could hear what sounded like water outside, alongside that cruel yellow glow's sound.
Oh how he hated that yellow glow, the light never helped. Almost as if mocking them, their upper-worldly appearance would never show itself normally. It's only shown itself to force a name upon them, what kind of name even was "A-60"? His claws dug into the blue office carpet, his tail twitching.
His face suddenly switched once again, blindness clawing at his left eye, forcing it closed. It had became normal now, it was why he called himself the "Multi-Monster". Every time he needed to focus, it seemed like he'd switch.
Multi would flinch, his hackles rising as he caught the gaze of the other entity. Happy Squiggle, his mate, had snuck up on him. The sight of her had calmed him down, seeing the happy face markings on her face in the darkness.
"Multi, I think we need to speak."
Her mew was sad, her ears falling back. He could immediately tell something was off, only momentarily getting distracted by the two kittens waddling over to his paws. He glanced down, gently petting the small black kit closest to his paw. A-150, that's the stupid name the celestial gave it. The other was A-180.
"I think they need to go. They can't stay here, there's not enough food for all of us. Plus, their conditions...what if we can't properly care for them.."
His blood practically ran cold, he knew full well she was right, but it still sent pain through his heart. He glanced down at the two kits, seeing their small bodies pressed against him. The two black fluffy blobs stood out very clearly against his glowing red fur.
"I...understand."
His voice broke with grief, he wasn't even sure the two kits understood, more happy to cuddle up to his body. Multi's head ran with thoughts, each step of it's movement feeling like needles of grief. He ran one of his toes across one of the kits, breathing deeply.
"I'll..."
He paused, looking back at Happy Squiggle.
"I'll take them. I'll come back eventually, just when they're safe."
He'd grab the faintly pinkish kit by the scruff before standing up. Squiggle nodded, a small smile on her face.
"Stay safe."
She took a few steps forward, touching her nose to his, before stepping back. He smiled back at her, nudging the remaining kit towards the door. He used his shoulder to push through the door. The golden light seemed to surround him, blinding him almost completely. He could barely see his own nose.
--
He felt his weight being lifted, his paws feeling the small kit beneath him, and his mouth holding onto the other. It was until he came to that he realized he couldn't breathe. Panic shot through his mind, his eye forcing itself open.
No, no! He thought, using his paws to shove himself and the kits up. Or at least, he hoped he was going up. He was using his strength to shove himself up, his ears pinned against his head. He saw bubbles every time he swiped his paws up, the tom was convinced he was getting somewhere.
He inhaled sharply through his nose as his head broke the surface, shoving the kits above his body. The mewls he could faintly hear practically broke him. Multi moved underneath them, forcing his paws to keep moving towards land.
Everything was blurry, maybe the water irritated his eyes, or adrenaline was making him too panicked. Either way, he collapsed as soon as he pulled himself onto the dark gray stone bricks. Multi's paws wrapped around the two kits, taking his time licking their faces. He could hear their whimpers, smell their fear, he felt like he betrayed them. Rain poured down, just getting him more wet. He was sheltering the two from it.
Shaking water from his ears, he spoke.
"You two are so brave...it's okay. We're okay now..."
He purred. He didn't know where exactly they were, but like any father would, he wanted to calm them. The place they would end up in, he was sure it would keep them safe.
Multi-Monster mustered up strength, pushing himself off the cold bricks and back onto his paws. He was unsteady, but he managed. He needed to look strong for them, after all.
Without a word, he wrapped his mouth around his more fluffy kitten, lifting it up off the ground. They were all drenched in water, rain pouring down on them.
"Come on."
He nudged the small pinkish kit forward, letting it take a step onto the staircase. He shielded them both, making his way up them. This was nothing like the office.
In all the endless rooms shrouded in darkness, he's never even seen a structure like this that wasn't bolted down. Hell, he hadn't seen a structure specifically like it, period. It almost seemed unnatural to him.
Moonlight glistened over them, highlighting patterns he had never noticed on his own kits. How A-150 had dark gray fur and black stripes, and how A-180 was much brighter than he expected.
He looked up at the building ahead, squinting his eyes at the bright lights. How they lit up the area even more, and how yellow they were. He was used to the blue lighting of the Office, so it made his head hurt.
As they reached the top, he took a few strides forward, placing a paw on the wooden double-doors. He tried to shove them open, but alas, they were locked. Just our luck, he thought, stepping back to shield the small kit behind him with his tail.
Multi-Monster placed back down the kit, letting it stand itself up on the wet bricks. He needed a plan, and before they all froze. His eye darted left and right, moving back to take a better look.
There it was, a gate. All he needed to do was make sure he could jump it.
"Alright...come on, I found a way in."
He kept his tone calm, starting to move towards it. He heard the small, quick pawsteps of the small kittens behind him, overgrown claws clacking against the stones in the grassy ground.
It was weird, spiky blades of green carpet clawing into his paw pads. It didn't hurt, it just felt weird. As they approached the fence, he put his paws on the white metal.
Multi used his strength to hop up onto the top, feeling the unsteady chain wall become a bit flimsy. Adrenaline coursed through his body once again as he felt the door open, causing him to lose his balance and fall. His paws hit the ground, the adrenaline leaving his body just as fast as it came.
He turned around, seeing the kits already behind him. They looked miserable, so he started walking. They definitely were keeping up though.
He felt a pang of anger as he saw the familiar golden glow. The same light which had refused to help them in the past. Though, the enclosed box the doorway lead to was much more appealing than the pouring rain.
As he pushed the kits in first, he only wondered. How was he going to get back?
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Words - 1310
Chapter 8: Chapter 6 - The Library (2)
Summary:
Initiate Doors OST "Unhinged"
Chapter Text
Dread was watching Ambush, seeing how his tail twitched as he practically glared through their eyes. From his broad shoulders, to his strong paws, he looked tense. They could even feel his negative attitude from where they were sitting
With how scared they were acting towards Ambush, he probably thought they weren't going to make it past the full moon. Dread even had a height advantage, not really an award-worthy feat, but still noticeable. Their eyes were locked on each other's, Dread swallowing back a gulp.
"If that cat is rearranging their hallway again, I'm gutting them."
Ambush growled, his lips pulling back. Dread hummed in understanding, a cold sweat drawing over the back of their head. Ambush pushed himself up, swiftly walking past Dread, towards the next door.
Without much care, he continued to walk, not caring about Dread following him. He avoided the tripwires which would usually trigger attacks. The sun was shining through the windows, the lights almost all off to not blind anybody with weaker eyes. Dread wasn't too used to the light yet, it irritated their eyes.
His claws were already out by the next room. They caught sight of the large double-doors of the Library. Books covered the wall next to it, and a desk was placed adjacent to it. Ambush took no care to the desk, walking around it.
Ambush huffed, his hackles underneath the light rising as he shoved one of the doors open. He harshly inhaled, but that didn't help warn Dread in how thick the air was. It was thick with the smell of dust, making Dread's nose tingle and itch.
He didn't look back at Dread as they followed him in, letting the door slam closed. It looked amazing, bookshelves stacked as high as they could see, dull color differences from the books standing out almost perfectly. It looked beautiful, bathed in sunlight from the large windows on the left side of the room. They opened their mouth to taste the air, pausing their steps to assess it.
Halt was here! That's what they were sure of. Another two cats were also here. One smelled similar to Ambush, except with a more salty smell.
The other was more pungent, smelling almost rotten. It was unique, staining the library with it's scent. It clung to the air, and made them wince slightly.
Though, their thoughts were cut short by a squeak coming from wherever Ambush had walked off to. It was followed by chuckles and giggles by more than one cat. Dread followed in Ambush's pawsteps, emerging past a bookshelf to see what had happened.
Ambush had his paws pinning Halt down, a small smile on their face. As Dread predicted, there were two other cats there.
One looked similar to Ambush, but larger. Dread could estimate he was as tall as a closet, his black fur almost shadow-like. He wore a large pirate captain's hat, the feather looked a bit out of place, but stuck firmly to the hat.
But the other cat, she sent a shiver down their spine. Her fur was intact, the ticked and mottled pattern visible despite the scars and patches of missing fur. The gnarly sight was bone-chilling, even more so how she was still alive.
Her face was disfigured, her eyesockets barren. The skin visble was a light color, like their own, but obviously more bright. But, it wasn't her eyes which unsettled them the most.
It was her jaw, how her tongue hanged out of the missing part of it. At least half was missing, in fact. They could feel their heart racing through their ears. Her teeth were huge, and sharp. She could easily snap their head off with one bite, they were sure of it.
They turned their attention back to Ambush and Halt. Halt may have been bigger than Ambush, but Ambush was pushing them down. They could see his claws in their chest fur.
"You were meant to meet us, you bird-brain."
Ambush's voice was threatening, lined withan aura of malice. The tip of his tail was twitching, showing his anger.
Halt raised one of their paws, shoving it into Ambush's face. They shoved him back, getting onto their paws again.
"Haha, don't take it so seriously."
Halt was surprisingly relaxed, despite Ambush's looking like he was itching to dig into their chest. It made Dread feel uneasy, how much Ambush looked like he wanted to kill them.
They swallowed back an anxious breath, drawing some unwanted attention to themselves. Though, they didn't really realize it until they heard the loud voice of the black tom.
"Ahoy!"
Dread was startled, their eyes locking onto him. He had a warm smile on his face, his teeth showing in it. All the attention was on them now, causing anxiety to well it's way back into their stomach.
With a few quick pawsteps, Dread walked over to the group. It was quite awkward, their heart was practically beating out of their chest. They could feel it in their ears, and in each step they had taken.
But before they even spoke up, their words were caught in their chest. It was like the worst type of bug was lodged in their windpipe. It just barely blocked them from speaking, their stomach swelling with anxiety. No, no! Not now! Their mind felt hazy, panicked, and just plain terrible.
"Oh, hey Dread!"
Dread's anxiety only peaked at the mention of their name. Halt's mew was more hushed than the last time they spoke to them. The name they had panicked and said only feeling more natural now. Before they even knew it, the bug had released it's grip inside their windpipe, releasing their voice.
"Ah...h-hello."
They'd stutter out a greeting, gosh, they felt terrible. Their greeting was absolutely terrible, they could have done one that was better. They were already beating themselves up for it. They must have sounded so stupid to the others, their voice was definitely wobbly and unconfident.
"Welcome to the colony, Dread."
Their breath was caught once again in their throat, the she-cat had spoken up. She had a deep voice, it was quite unexpected for her to have sounded like that.
Halt moved back near her, putting a paw on top of a leaf which she used to be holding. Their anxiety was palpable, creating thick air around their head.
Dread swallowed their anxiety, approaching the group. They felt awkward, especially around the strangers.
"The name's Jack!"
Jack put one of his white paws to his chest, running it through his fur. After introducing himself, he'd point his paw in the direction of the she-cat.
"This be the Librarian, one of our leaders. And by her name, she lives here in the library."
The brief introduction was informative enough for Dread. They could pick up on the subtle changes in the Librarian's cheek skin, the color darkening a bit. Do they have something going on? Dread couldn't help but ask themselves.
The Librarian leaned in, sniffing at their pelt. If she wasn't so big, they would have been more calm with it. They were tense, their hackles raised from the unwanted contact. When she pulled away, they let out a small breath they had been holding.
"Your heart's racing, is everything alright?"
Of course, she had to put them on the spot. Their stutters quite audible from the silence.
"Uhm- uh- s-sorry, jus- uhm. Just a bit- just a bit anxious, meeting- uh... meeting new cats."
Despite Dread's stutters, it seems like their excuse was bought. The Librarian took a few careful steps back, nodding her head once.
"Of course, take your time."
*Warm welcoming, but why?* Dread asked themselves. *There has to be a catch, I can feel it.*
Eclipse reader (Guest) on Chapter 8 Mon 02 Dec 2024 08:59AM UTC
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