Kitten Kiboodle (2) S07EP11 My Love of The Simple Things

 Carol couldn't get what happened out of her head. It wasn't that Doodle was being a bitch, she was always a bitch when the camera wasn't plastered onto her face so that wasn't exactly new. No, she was thinking about Mum. He was acting strange, moreso than usual. Chrysanthemum was always shy to a fault. In nearly every episode that focused on him he was being pushed around by some other cat who used his naivete and innocence in order to get what they wanted, and weirdly enough he even acted that way off camera as well. Even so he was never that meek. Never quite so empty as the way she saw him the other day.

 She wasn't the only being who could see it. Everycat could see this change in Mum. It was clear. It was right on his body. He was growing more and more thin, wobbly as he walked. His fur thinned in parts, something that was surely causing problems for shooting. She'd seen several passive-aggressive notices from Cinnamon about the issue. Not that she cared about Mum's problems. No.. She cared about how he was looking. He was still acting. He just didn't look the part.

 Carol didn't know why she cared. Standing outside the pink barn straight out of a plastic playset preset she gave a little sigh, scratching the back of her neck. He was a cartoon cat.. Even if he was a cartoon cat she still cared about him. How dumb. Though.. If she was stuck in this rainbow vomit universe she might as well be invested again. The barn door was freshly painted and of course nothing as dangerous as a splinter would be on it so she knocked her knuckles against the center.

 "Hol' up sweetpea!" She heard the cry from inside.. It seemed Lily was still in character right now.

 The cat herself managed to push open the door, probably much lighter than it looked.. Examining how was probably a hopeless task. Right as the tabby caught sight of the human her face fell. "Oh... You." She seemed standoffish but still stepped back, tail curling inward as she silently allowed the human into her shared home. "Whaddya doing here, huh? You know filmin' could start at any second so ya need to make the trip quick before we get the call." She trotted into the kitchen, "you here for some more food? Cat size portions not enough?" It seemed everyone around here believed in pure transaction. Nothing like a pleasure visit could exist.

 Carol just shrugged her shoulders. "I don't think I can eat your food anyway. It just tastes like.. mess." She didn't know how to describe it exactly, but everything tasted.. Weird. Thick and sticking to the roof of her mouth, no flavor but an unpleasant texture. Something she wasn't meant to eat. Still, it seemed to keep her alive. "Though.. I got something to say about your food storage. How's Mum's doing? If you have enough to spare you should give a little more to your brother, don't you think?"

 This just seemed to upset the tabby in front of her whose tail poofed out even as she tried to remain calm. "Mum's.. fine.. What are ya talkin' about. He has plenty of food in his stomach right now. I... There ain't nothing wrong." She was lying. Obviously. "Mum's just bein' a drama queen. It ain't a thing."

 "Where is he right now? I'm guessing he isn't here." If he was she'd probably hear him scrabbling around upstairs in the hopes of hiding away from her. Carol tried more than once to corner Mum and talk to him about his issue but he was way too speedy for her to handle. Damn four legs. "I really think we need to talk to him. Even if you think there's nothing wrong then... It won't hurt, right?"

 Lily seemed to want to do just about anything else right now. She faced away, having a staring contest with a cupboard as she kept quiet. It seemed like she was frozen in place. Trying to calculate a response maybe. Trying to find a way to phrase it in a folksy way, more likely. "...Forest. He's prob'ly in the forest right now. He likes the lake there. We don't have time."

 "I'll be quick. I promise."

 "...I can get 'im. If it really is just for a bit. He could stand to fatten up a bit, I guess." She gave a little shake, "He's fine though. Stupid.. Stupid waste of time. Just.. I'll get 'im to tell ya the EXACT same thing, okay? So you just park your rear somewhere. If this'll get ya off my and Cin's back then I'll do it." She seemed more pissed than actually willing to help. Though.. Cinnamon? How did she factor into this? Everyone got the same food rations, even Carol. So what the hell did Cinnamon have to do with it? Luckily Lily didn't seem to notice her slip-up. She quickly dashed past Carol, making sure to bump against her roughly. "I'll be right back." She was pissed.. but.. Ends meet means?

 Carol waited for a few moments. Seconds really. Cinnamon, huh? If that was a factor in this, there had to be something else going on here. There had to be some clues in the barn. Something she could find. Anything. Anything. Anything.

 Did Carol really care? She might not. She might. She just didn't like the idea of Cinnamon having that kind of power over the other characters. Didn't Cinnamon have enough power already? They had already given her the duty of keeping everyone in line just through mismanagement. This would've never happened if Carol had any say in it. but.. It's not like anyone listened to her. So the human wasted no time pushing her luck. It's not like there was much to see in the barn at first. Nearly every drawer and cabinet was empty. If props weren't needed, they weren't there. The food storage was under the stairs, the only thing that wasn't a function of the show. Catnip, food, other stuff like that. There was.. plenty of it. Mostly food. The nip was running a little low. At least Mum's was.

 Something felt different when she ascended the steps to the second floor. There was a door that instantly caught her attention. Strange, though. She never remembered it being there. Looking back she started to recall every scene set up in this section of the barn.. The door had been there.. but she didn't think the asset was anything other than another way to fill the hall. Was the door ever used? Maybe.. She thought there was someone else here. Both Lily and Mum were young so didn't they have parents? In the pitch meetings there was another character here, right? Still, she didn't quite remember. Something in her mind was telling her there used to be something there and yet she couldn't remember anything about it. It was a shadow. Something.. Maybe?

 Reaching out she gently pushed the door open.

 The only thing there was a rocking chair housing a collapsing 'thing'. It looked like it might've been a cat at some point but it was leaking. A black viscous fluid dripped from every inch of her flesh, drenching the floor and spreading out close to the door. The chair gently rocked, once. Twice. The fluid bubbled at times, but the thing never moved. It sat. Existed. Every dribble onto the floor tainted the wood beneath it, the mess seeming to flow out at an endless pace. Slow but steady. How could all this erupt from this being?

 "Hey!"

 That was a voice she didn't expect. A raised voice. From Mum.

 "GET OUT!"

 It was only now that she noticed that her legs had given out underneath her, her feet dipping ever so lightly into the muck that stuck like glue to her toes. She jerked back, almost in a ball. Mum hopped in front of her, more energy than she expected from someone so hungry looking. "Get out right now! GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!" He babbled, the words a mantra as he finally showed off more catlike behavior. He lept forward and sunk his teeth into her leg, hissing violently around her flesh. Lily just .. Stood behind both of them, her breathing labored and heavy.

 "Mum... Chrysanthemum.. Let her go.. Let her go. Brush your teeth. Let her go. You have to be good. You can't do this. We're going to get in trouble. Oh no.. Oh no no no. We're gonna get in trouble." Robotic. Empty.

 "It's that time again everycat! Extras need to gather now. Everycat else please stay at home and remain still and silent until filming stops. No one likes a Noisy Nelly!

 Tabbytha... Present
 Doodle ... Present
 Snowbell... Present
 Chrysanthemum......... Not Present
 Lily......... Not Present


 Cinnamon........ Present


 Ginger........ Not present.

 Filming will now start. Make them love you."