[PS: (Feb-24) After some consideration, the longer episodes [previous] are divided to parts to fit the web standards and to be easier for reader to enjoy.]
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As the (static effect?) slowly disappeared: the protagonist, the mercenary and the scientist (awakened?) back to the day…
They were still standing on that park plaza. It was the same day and maybe the same time before the (black out?). But that unnatural snow on some places, had already melted down. Plus some poodles were leaking onto gutters witch were taking that excess water out of the walking area. Somehow it worked very well to dry the pathways.
Currently, the party or team, were dull blank as if they were stunned or in something like a shock. The were looking at the grand master in front of them as he put away his wide coal pitch black sun glasses and ('men in black' suspicious level) high tech metal (flash light?) stick whit some controls, into corners of his clothing. Then he sigh massaging his dead tired eyes. "Okay... It will be like this… I will be not dealing with yours PTSD. [Post-traumatic stress disorder] In this mater you need a help from professional. Second, Shinde put out his ultimate and release on you a full potential of his choral." He pointed behind his back with his thumb finger as if he was hitchhiking a ride. There was that group of that black robed peoples.
The trio look at that direction and saw how relaxed those people were. They were like a real cast from some musical, film making crew, concert organizers crew, or what ever; who just finished they job and called it a day. Shinde the legendary leader, was praising his group whit his bad-ass boss deep voice: "God job everyone, we nailed it." He was like a some company boss after the work project has been done. Some of them were using a towel to sweep they sweat, other were stretching they limbs and some were literally packing they stuff as if they were truthfully preparing to leave.
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But the four eye man regain the party attention when he tiredly sighed again and the trio look at him obediently blankly. "Listen to me! How to say it?… I will not say it was an exceptionally horribly bad, that will be not true. But some art is truly not for everyone. Especially when someone refuse accept the fact that they deviant art work become a dangerous mental weapon. It was so strong for you, that you whit crying eyes had begged me for a miracle. So for the next time, when you saw a Shinde to group up for an official choral: cover you ears or just get out of there." Whit a blank expression, he for few second stare at them, as the trio was stared back at him, not moving or talking like stunned. So he rolled his eyes. "It always take like a minute until it sink in."
The only one who was curiously out of pace was indeed the protagonist, who was looking around confused. Then something catch is attention. Something that was specifically oddly on this entire situation. He pin point his stare at place where the Grand Master hide that metallic stick. He even raised his finger to point at it.
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The tired man dint even need to hear that question to figure out what that boy wanted to know. But he frowned in denial. "That toy is not strong enough to be able to explain of your current state. Don't expect a simple answer to the main questions of your current life. Plus there is a possibility that you state is only a temporal matter. I telling you: That you just must wait until there will be an opportunity for an expert from guild to look at you. And I mean: the expert will look at all of you. Not exceptions!"
The scientist only now truly wake up. "Oh, wait! What?… Now I understand what happened... How many times it has already been? And I told myself to newer again… Damn. But if we went through it again, then:... Maybe the brain of our boy finally give up."
The third from the trio start to waking up to, as he stretches his big body. "Obviously something else fook up our boy. Because someone who have an entire fat website dedicated to map his own history, will not bother to lie saying he doesn't do it. He will just throw to your face his fat bibliography book, with a line to figure it yourself. I still have the scar from it. Because I wasn't ready to how massive that release was." [size of book or a volume...]
Those two [scientist and mercenary] groan in annoyance trying to shake the (heavy thoughts?) from they heads, and the other two [protagonist and Grand Master] just watch them.
This delay give an opportunity for Shinde the legendary leader, to walk over to the party. Obviously there was no hint of hostility between the man whit glasses and the person in black cloak. "So, how it was? The performance."
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Grand Master just look at him and his voice had a noticeable hint of sarcasm. "Terrific. They ended up in tears." [pun: amazing/ fantastic or dreadful/ terrible]
But that Shinde got excited. "Finally. By the power of friendship in art, they harts were moved beyond my expectations."
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But the OP man averted his eyes. "Ye-- yea~ah... The were complete shattered by the level of art, on which they had not jet been ready. Listen, for the next time you will do it, tune it down on half. I understand that sometime an extreme is necessary to break the ice, but an OP move is not always the best solution." Suddenly he got for a moment quite desperate. "I don't believe we have this conversation." So, he look around to find anything to change the subject. But he got a dead tired or depressed expression when his eyes drop at place where the cat-girl was supposed to stand. She was not there and the only thing left after her was this pile of that (full fancy wintry coat robe set from fine tailored fur). Someone will try to say that she managed to escape the 'Shine choral'. But this kitty was so fast on its escape, that she slips out from the entire dress, hat and boots; without unbutton a single button or zipper. So the Grand Master approached the pile, he crouched down and put his hands in. After a moment of searching he pull from that pile of luxurious dress: a cat. As he pick her up, this silver feline stretched her paws and yawned after a good midday nape. This guy was lacking any expression of emotions. He was like a dead inside. "Look at her: how innocent she is. Not a drop of concerns or worry. I think that I experiencing this thing called a jealousy."
Little scientist drops her UwU face mask that she just manage to put on, making this really unladylike sour expression of (What?) at the soul dead guy and then she starts angrily yelling. "Dad?!!- are you serious?!! How can exists anything?: that can push you to a point where the pressure of harsh reality drive you out of yours emotions?!! Or are you finally preparing to hit you senile period?!! Just remember: who do you think you are?!!" As if she realized that he will not bother to defend himself, she stop all her yelling and hold her breath. She was turning red from all that angrily puffing. It was not just an ordinary blushing from boiling blood, but her entire skin was turning into color of red. Someone can say that she was like a lizard whit red scales. No! The process give an expression that she will soon turn into a fire spitting red dragon. Maybe someone can say: that he saw an illusion, how trail of (hot smoke?) was leaking from her nostrils.
Protagonist itself got this (What the hell?!) shock, just from the fact that she call him a dad without any teasing. Then he pull out his eyes wide, when she got onto this outburst. Maybe his mind was playing a tricks on him, but at this moment he doesn't had a feeling like she was messing whit anyone. Then a third (What the hell?!) come, when he finally realize that the cat-girl is gone. As he glanced at the silver cat his thoughts got stuck on a theory that (There is no way! That he will be feed on a nonsense such as; That the woman turned into a small animal!)
Before the main guy had a chance to express his idea, the mercenary advanced to the lost boy. As he placed his big hand on his shoulder in somehow parental or similar understanding way, the other guy look at him. Then both of them look at the Grand Master.
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The (dead inside?) man was gently petting the cat in a self-mental care way as if she was a therapeutic helper. Conveniently the cat was toward him friendly, clingy and submissive, like if she was his pet, plus she was purring. As the trio exchanged glances, the big guy was doing those (Give her to him!) gestures and other (obvious?) hints to convinced the four eye. Few seconds passed, but the man whit cat got that message. "Oh… Do you want to hold this pussy?" [cat] Seeing how that question take the boy aback and how the big man reacted (Finally!), he gently pushed that feline onto the MC arms.
Of course the cat is cat whit her own mind and preferences, so the moment she was pushed into his arms: She felt his helpless or hesitation and curled herself into a ball, after she decided to take an another nap. She only occasionally twisted one of her ears, which made his heart (melting?).
This make the protagonist to agree whit himself, that he is completely lost and don't get anything from the nonsense that's going around. It was a safe assumption for him, that because of his rare condition, they are heavy messing whit him for they own amusement. But still there were questions that needed to be answered: Like what the heck was with that Ferris wheel? Or the alien looking laser? And why they wanted him to be the one who press the trigger? And were those people a good guys in the first place? They make that roller-coaster pretty dangerous. But in his state, he make a mistake when he without a proper thought look at the lilliputian. He even make this hiss of: (Oh shit!).
It was all because this tricky woman, still furious and (red?); she seems like she was only waiting for the right trigger, to open her (hidden dragon mouth?) and chop [bite] on someone. She was staring at MC like a little brat who was throwing a tantrum because she doesn't like the situation. But then she realize something very important and got confused. "Oh?" It was more like if some kind of switch, had flipped inside her and her aggression including bad mod was gone. In that realization, her eyes and expression clearly show how hard she was thinking about something. The (smoke and her red colored skin?) withdraw and her face lit up bit by bit, until she was beaming like a sunflower. She figured out, that he was practically asking her to give him an answer whit explanation. But he dint spoke up that question aloud as if he wasn't honest whit his feelings. This endless possibility to BS [bull shitting] him without a hesitation, was for her a to much juicy bait to not bite proudly into it. Her eyes wide up so much, that those legendary (sparkles in eyes) has been seen in her stare of amazed child at the mysteriously wonderful gift from gods. She was for now overflowing whit joy and expectations.
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The MC look around to get some help from others... But, the rest of the gang just stand there, watching silently and do nothing; as if they all waited for (him) to make a the first move. Even the scientist was impatiently trembling on place as she was eager to hear the famous (What?) line from him: She expect it so much that she was trembling unstoppable like if she was reaching some kind of seizure and mental breakdown in one go. It start to look that she will get hurt if nothing will be do it whit, so the protagonist had no choice but to speak up. "Are You okay?"
She stop trembling, taking a deep breath, only to start speaking rapidly fast as someone who just have to much ideas but to little time to talk. She raise up a first finger. "Its a fact that cats having a very light sleep as an evolution trait to face unexpected threats and ambushes. The proverb saying that the cats are never truly asleep because they are always partially awake. And sleeping cat is a lie. Its a neat cheat to escape some mind blowing shit that draining humans sanity."
She raised a second finger. "That lead us into a question, if you had ever imagine: (How it will look if yours clingy pet kitty will evolve into cute cat-girl?) We can imagine; that certain OP moron who wanted to better understand her kitty, just do that. Hoping for (imoto - oni~i chan) fun [younger sister older brother], he forced that evolution on her. It worked for a few years wonderfully as they were living together happily. But the cute innocent girl grow up into a sexy woman. Then the realization that even her tastes matured; make some illusions and harts to break."
She raised a third finger. "Because of previous and emotionally very intense and terrific experience, that happened few minutes ago and we don't recall it; our kitty panicked and make the (last second escape). She changed into her previous form. But, this was a double edged sword. Because when she forced herself to transform back to the cat, even her human like mind reverted into the cat like one. So, as she now having a cat brain, she is unable to process that she shall turn back to human. For that, she is stuck as a cat and cannot do her work anymore. No one can tell for how long. But don't desperate! The only way to get our kitty baby back to us is: That you will fill up her hart whit a passionate love that is beyond parent offspring scale. If you will talk to her, take care about her and guild her to be more as cat, to want more that cat can do or be: then maybe… maybe... She will eventually or accidentally, re-evolve back to her former self. But nobody will ever know how long it will take. Or if it ever happen."
She raised fourth finger. "Maybe you asking: (How is something like this even possible?) Then I have a control question for you. Haven't you newer hear about spiritual partners? A mysterious magical creatures resembling animals? An agents of (good?) who giving to naive or pure girls a magical powers? An angelic like entity who recruit them on a noble quest, providing a guidance and an opportunity to a second life full of adrenaline and adventure? All in a holly order for them to act as a magical girls?... Did you never heard about those battle thirsty exhibitionist girls in a questionable costumes? Then, imagine they retirement program for those overgrow fairies!"
She raised a sixth finger on a single hand... Wait! What?… When she had the time to sneak in her other hand? Whit that extra finger sneaked between the rest, she caused an unnecessary confusion. "Even if the daddy will say:…" She little modified the pinch on her voice to sound more like a male: *"No! She is literally a cat that become-- evolve, into a cat-girl. Don't expect from her any deeper human feeling like a love or hatred... And don't ask me for any further details! I still fell that scratches..."*
She take a deep breath, inhaling lots of air to her lungs as if she was preparing for a grand finale. She even pointed her point finger directly to his face. "Then I will say this!: Can you imagine that after some time, on certain occasion, in your room; when you will talk to our kitty the furry ball as she was napping in her cat basket bed… When you will having this nostalgia reminiscing speaking about the date you two had. You will especially spoke up a wish, that you are praying for an opportunity for another date whit her (sexy tsundere version), to tell her how much you miss her and such. Then… You will overhear how some bag hit the floor. You will turn back… to see: that there is standing cat-girl kitty in her dress… having this tomato red face as she was observing you for a few minutes. Because she realize that you had been thinking that the silver feline is actually her… After some stuttering, she will explain that back at the themed park, she used a substitute teleportation to swap whit one of her underlings back at homeland. And because our real kitty is a cat-goddesses who left the cat temple, to explore the world; it take her some time when she was able to left again and reach us… She tried to explain that it was actually you, that she wanted to see. But she bite her own tongue, she hide her tomato face, and as her legs lost the strength to hold her standing; she slip down onto the floor... And as the setting sun create an incredible colorful scenery of light and shadows inside that room; she having red ears, she only manage to mumble something as:…"
She modified her voice to sound like the cat-girl in a love-struck blush, struggling to express her pure hart feelings. *"If you truly mean it… then I suppose… that we should."*
Then this scientist make a jumpy step back to spread her palms like an entertainer in (Ta da~a!) victory gesture. She glanced at his face whit a finishing shout: "And that's is: a newly unlocked secret romantic route, that you shall pick up!!" She freeze in that posture, breathing heavily and awaiting a reaction from the protagonist.
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But it was the grand-master who was back to his (tired man) itself… no, he look less tired and maybe pleased whit a light smile. "Okay, you got me. That was a good one."
Before waiting another commentary she added whit trembling voice, hardly keeping herself together. "I having a serious withdraw effect from missing my favorite show. Do anybody know how hard is for a (shut-in nerd) to be this long outside? The other lab rats will distance me."
Without any delay the glassed man steps in. He gently take the silver cat from the MC hands and push it into the lilliputian arms. The girl itself starts to pet the cat fur in self therapeutic way as if she reach a point of burn-out from overworking. Looking like she is in a shock or dead inside, someone can say that she truly needed this.
Somehow the mercenary observed the scientist whit a (carved in stone) serious expression and don't pay much attention to others.
Shinde the legendary leader, was standing there without speaking a word, observing them, not making any expression; but someone will ques that he was this (Oh shit! Everything is screwed up! I shall fook myself out off here!) thoughts. Or he just don't care at all and let them had this show.
That left the lost protagonist and his personal feeling that somehow he still missing something. Plus he got a suspicion that this team, if we can call it that, is breaking apart. Maybe it was all connected to what the small woman says about the weird snow, when it was melting down. Especially when no one stated exactly what will happen to that supposed overcharged micro jammers when they changed they state from snow to water or air.
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[Notes]
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disorder that develops in some people who have experienced a shocking, scary, or dangerous event. It is natural to feel afraid during and after a traumatic situation. Fear triggers many split-second changes in the body to help defend against danger or to avoid it.