The boarded up windows and dilapidated masonry would have been spooky if there had not been an infectious beat emanating from within. Jean and Beardface followed Felix under a loose floorboard into the beat up and upbeat building. It was dark. Felix had no trouble finding his way (Cat Eyes: +4 to vision). Beardface blindly rammed his face into a wall.
"Keep your head low just there!" Felix called too late. Beardface bit back the frustration and massaged his bruised brain. Jean then proceeded to hit her head in the exact same spot.
The music grew louder. It was real toe-tapping stuff. Jean couldn't help but bob her head to the beat, although it's also possible that she was mildly concussed. Felix held out a paw to stop them. He was looking up at the source of the music. Up above them several cats were jumping and jiving along with the beat, each playing an instrument. One of them was singing in a husky, strong and hypnotic voice. Felix was dancing along to the music now too. Jean couldn't help but join in. Beardface was reluctant at first but Jean grabbed his hands and channeled the beat! The music was magical. Jean felt a scurrying by her feet as some mice crawled out of some unknown dark place and began to dance too. A solitary bat sitting on the roof was flapping its wings in tune with the music. Two geese even waddled in and began to goose step jovially. A place once unworthy of consideration became a musical haven for all! The music continued for quite some time although it felt as though no time passed at all for those present. The final note was spine tingling and seemed to echo thru the hearts and souls of everyone within the crumbling walls. There was a pause and a deep communal sigh. Then, with the spell broken, several of the cats bounded after the mice and geese. The angel-voiced cat walked calmly thru the chaos towards them.
"Good morning Trubbleclutsh, what's new? I don't suppose you've decided to take me up on my offer." the singing cat said.
"Trouble what?" Jean queried.
"One of my names." Felix elucidated.
The singer hopped in front of Felix. Her fur was long, brownish-grey and warm looking. A gem on her forehead sparkled with the same pounamu glow as her eyes.
"Sorry, Skitty." Felix said. "I'm actually here with some friends of mine. We're looking for someone."
"Ah yes! It's not often we get humans down here but the music calls. Eventually, we all come."
"I can't deny your voice, Skitty." Felix introduced Jean and Beardface and then the singer cat introduced herself.
"I'm Skitty Kitty. You can call me Skitty for short but you needn't bother I never was all that tall to begin with." she said. Jean laughed, there was something comforting in Skitty's nature.
A fire crackled in the background. Skitty hopped onto a small coffee table that balanced quite well considering it was missing a leg. She shooed two tortoiseshell cats off the well-scratched couch and beckoned the others to sit down. The throw was threadbare. A ginger tabby gave them a mildly interested look and then returned to his nap atop a dusty old cupboard. There was a scratching sound as a cat, curly-haired, climbed up the cupboard to join the aloof ginger tabby who wasn't happy about it. Jean flinched under the lapis lazuli-stare of a seal point cat who had until recently been tuning a piano. Beardface remained stoic when a nonchalant flat-faced cat strolled onto his lap and relaxed. A serious dark-grey cat hopped onto Jean's shoulder and eyed her curiously, blinking its emeralds. Skitty licked Felix's head.
"So, you've come looking for Valiant?" she said.
"We heard that Flockboast is where he was last seen."
"And that rumour is mostly on the money. He was in Flockboast but more specifically Flock."
"Flock?" Jean queried.
"A desert dweller." Skitty said. "I can hear the sand rattling in your chest."
"Uh..." Jean didn't know what to say to this. She nervously checked that her scarf was still covering her ear.
"If Flockboast is the puddle, Flock is the rain cloud." Skitty said enigmatically. Felix nodded his head solemnly, Harold (bowtie) wobbled.
"I don't suppose you know a way we could get in?" Felix asked.
"All you'll have to do, my dear Trubbleclutsh, is land on your feet." Skitty said smiling slightly. "Ranaweyt, be a darling and show them the way." The cat on Jean's shoulder bowed his head."I owe you one, Skitty." Felix said but Skitty had already begun singing again. It was truly a shame to leave.
As they walked off to their next destination Jean turned to Beardface.
"I thought you couldn't say kitty." she said.
"Don't fret. It's cool when they say it." Beardface reassured her.
Skitty Kitty Theme: No Regrets - Billie Holiday
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