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There was a new presence that loitered around Zandik’s laboratory as of recently. He didn’t notice it at first, as he had been busy with other more important matters, such as his latest experiments. It wasn’t until a segment of his informed him of the uninvited visitor that made a home in the storage room that he learned of its existence.
He was curious. It was then that he went to check on his unexpected guest. When he arrived at the storage room, he saw Segment 8 crouched by the door, with his hands loosely holding onto the frame as he took a peek inside.
“What are you doing?” Zandik raised a brow.
Segment 8 shushed him, “Be quiet. You’ll frighten it with how loud you’re being.”
Zandik stared at him for a moment.
Then he looked toward the storage room.
The door was opened halfway. It was just enough for the faintest sliver of darkness to spill into the hallway. There wasn’t anything out of place when he further pushed the door. The shelves were crowded with different materials, from common ingredients to discarded experiments. All around were boxes piled high, filled to the brim with old equipment that had been deemed outdated. Nothing was amiss at first glance.
That was until Zandik turned on the light.
“Hssss…!”
Segment 8 glared at him, “You startled it!”
Zandik didn’t even know what he startled. Segment 25 only told him that a stray had somehow gotten past their laboratory’s defenses and had rearranged some of the boxes in the storage room to its liking. He was never told what creature the stray actually was. He assumed that it was a rat since those little pests sometimes invaded the laboratory through unsecured vents.
But, based on that hiss, it certainly wasn’t a rat. He paid no mind to Segment 8’s frown as he instead took a step inside the storage room.
There, resting on a precarious pile of boxes, was a small kitten. It was covered in soft, dark fur that bristled at the sight of him approaching. Its tail curled around itself in a protective stance as its ears twitched. Oh, Zandik’s eyes widened at the sight. The kitten could so easily fit in the palm of his hand.
“Where did you come from?” He asked, easing his hands forward to hold onto the tense animal.
“Mrr…” The kitten swiped at him in warning.
What a feisty little thing.
It reminded him of someone.
The kitten’s fur puffed up the closer he got. Its tiny paws gripped the edge of the box as though it was prepared to defend its territory to the very end. Foolish kitten. Didn't it know that everything inside the laboratory was Zandik’s possession? What right did it have to claim the box as its own? Zandik sighed. He supposed that a simple-minded creature such as it didn’t know any better.
Despite its size, there wasn’t a shortage of hostility in its cool eyes. It almost bit Zandik when he tried to grab it by the scruff of its neck.
“Hsss!!!” The kitten bared its small fangs.
That was when Segment 8 rushed inside. He stepped in front of Zandik, with his arms stretched wide. He threw Zandik quite a nasty look as he shielded the kitten from any more attempts to touch it.
“Stop that,” Segment 8 argued, “Can’t you see how uncomfortable you’ve made the poor thing?”
Zandik’s brows furrowed.
Seriously? Ugh, children and their fondness for pathetic animals such as this. He couldn’t even remember a time in his youth where he had gotten attached to an animal, but there Segment 8 was. Just one glance at a scrawny kitten and he was now defending it from those it saw as a threat. An ache gnawed at Zandik’s mind.
“We need to get rid of it. I don’t know how long it’s been here, but it could cause trouble. Strays have no place in our laboratory.” Zandik frowned at the possibility of him being bitten and scratched by the kitten. He would rather not be infected with whatever illnesses it had.
Its fur was so dirty, it could have fleas.
The mere thought of it made him nauseous.
“But, it has nowhere else to go!” Segment 8 looked back at the kitten for a moment.
It retreated behind his figure, hissing with such rancour at Zandik as it did. It still seemed tense, but its fur was no longer as puffed up. The kitten was smarter than Zandik had originally judged. It clearly understood that Segment 8 was keeping Zandik away from it.
“That’s hardly my problem.” Zandik shrugged. He cared not for the life of a measly stray. He just wanted it gone.
Segment 8’s bottom lip trembled.
“We can’t just let it die out there in the cold!”
Since when was Segment 8 so sentimental? Hadn’t he already lost his compassion? He had no regard for the human lives that they experimented on. Why was he so protective of this one kitten with unkempt fur that barely hid its starved form?
Zandik massaged his temple, “If you so badly wanted a pet, we can get one from the shelter. The animals there are far safer than this… pest.”
“No! I don’t want another animal.” Segment 8 shook his head profusely, “I only want this kitten. Nothing else!”
This child segment…!
Zandik could provide him with a long list as to why the kitten had to go, and it wouldn’t matter. Segment 8 would only counter him with an even longer list as to why the kitten should stay.
Not that his arguments were sound. Most of them were rooted in emotion rather than logic, and that made him impossible to sway.
“I promise to take good care of it. I’ll handle all its needs; I’ll feed it, bathe it, and I’ll make sure that it’s up to date with its shots. I’ll take full responsibility.” There was an unusual glint in Segment 8’s eyes. Zandik struggled to decipher what it meant.
Whatever. He eventually clicked his tongue.
“…fine.”
Segment 8 blinked. His expression morphed into that of disbelief, “Really?”
“Yes. You can keep it.” Zandik crossed his arms, “Just as long you keep your word. All its expenses will come from your allowance, and you’re to clean up whatever messes it will cause.”
Segment 8 nodded. A small smile graced his face before he turned around to pet the kitten.
“Mrrp…” The kitten was hesitant.
It initially recoiled from Segment 8’s hand. Zandik had actually been wary that it would bite the segment even after he had protected it. Had it done so, he would have disregarded his agreement and tossed the kitten out into the snowy expanse of Snezhnaya, never mind whatever tantrum Segment 8 would throw. The life of a stray held little significance in comparison to his segment’s safety.
“I won’t hurt you, little one,” Segment 8 cooed. He slowly brought his hand closer. He did his best to not appear threatening to the small creature.
The kitten stared at his open palm.
After a few seconds, it decided to take a sniff.
“See? I’m safe.” Segment 8 remained patient. He stood still as the kitten’s nose brushed against his skin.
Soon, the kitten purred.
It rubbed its cheek against Segment 8’s fingers. A giggle escaped his lips at that. Zandik simply watched from a distance as Segment 8 bonded with his new pet, hoping that he wouldn’t come to regret this decision. The kitten preened at Segment 8’s undivided attention. Zandik had a bad feeling about this.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
Segment 8 named the kitten ‘Scaramouche’.
The other segments burst into laughter when they heard of it. Zandik could only stare at Segment 8 in disbelief, since of the countless names that he could have chosen, he named the kitten after their fellow Harbinger. It made him wonder how Scaramouche would react if he were to find out how audacious Segment 8 was.
“Doesn’t it look like Scaramouche?” Segment 8 held up the kitten when he had been asked why he picked such a name for it.
Zandik narrowed his gaze.
Its dark fur resembled Scaramouche’s hair. It also had a small stature, similar to his petite frame. There was also its vicious temperament toward those it held no fondness for, which was everyone aside from Segment 8. When put like that, Zandik could see how the kitten reminded Segment 8 of Scaramouche.
Segment 18 then brought up, “Wouldn’t them sharing the same name get confusing?”
“That’s why I gave it a nickname,” Segment 8 explained as he set the kitten down on his workbench, “Though its full name is Scaramouche, I’ll call it Scara-meow so that nobody would mistake it for the puppet.”
Segment 25’s laughter grew louder.
“Scara-meow! Oh my! You’re so adorable, 8!”
The newly-dubbed ‘Scara-meow’ rubbed its body against Segment 8’s legs. It purred as its tail wrapped around his ankle, all the while, the segment flushed at how everyone was reacting to his pet’s name. Segment 45 went on to comfort Segment 8 by patting his shoulder, though a hint of amusement continued to cling to his expression.
“It’s a fitting name,” Segment 45 said. Zandik observed how Scara-meow reacted when the older segment touched its owner. Its fur bristled as it showed its teeth, ready to bite if the need arose.
It then drew its ears back, “Hsss!”
“Scara-meow!” Segment 8 lightly scolded when it pawed at the edge of Segment 45’s labcoat.
“Well, isn’t it friendly?” Segment 35 snickered.
Segment 8 ushered the kitten to its bed that sat beneath his workbench, “It’s just not used to you all. With enough exposure, it’ll stop throwing a hissy fit at your presence.”
“It better,” Segment 65 huffed, “It’ll see us every day so it should learn quickly to stop hissing at us.”
Scara-meow closed its eyes. It looked comfortable as it relaxed on the bed, with its paws hidden under the rest of its body. Segment 8 pet its fur, and it seemed so content, already spoiled in both attention and the luxuries that a Harbinger could provide. It went from a starving stray to a well-groomed pet that could join competitions if Segment 8 wanted to show it off.
Just as he promised, Segment 8 took care of each and every single one of Scara-meow’s needs. He fed it with delicious treats, he bathed it at least once a week, and with Segment 45 to supervise him, he brought it to the veterinarian to get its shots. He didn’t even complain whenever he had to clean up after its litter.
Though, Zandik was certain that Scara-meow targeted where it dumped its litter. Far too many times had his shoes smelled of cat poop for it to be a coincidence.
The other segments, too, had their clothes fall victim to Scara-meow’s excrement. It was disgusting!
“Teach your damned cat to use the litter box!” Segment 18 grimaced when he saw a familiar brown stain on his coat. He seethed at Scara-meow, who looked smug on its perch, while Segment 8 was flustered in response.
“I… I thought I already had it trained…”
“Clearly not. Hmph!”
“Mrrp.”
Scara-meow stuck its tongue out. Zandik was certain that it was doing this on purpose. For all that it made Segment 8 happy, it liked to cause trouble for the rest of them. Its antics made Zandik often regret ever agreeing to let Segment 8 keep it as a pet.
“Scara-meow, no! That’s my funding request!” Segment 25 once watched in horror as Scara-meow’s dirty paws walked all over his papers.
There was also a time when Segment 35 had to stop Scara-meow from pushing the vials that he had worked on for weeks off of his workbench, “Don’t you dare touch that—! You little…!”
“…you are troublesome,” Segment 65 muttered when his project for the month had been ruined by Scara-meow’s devious little claws.
“You should train your pet better.” Zandik ran his hand through his hair in frustration.
Segment 8 could only bow his head.
He held Scara-meow close to his chest. The kitten was basking in the warmth of its owner. It was oblivious to how much turmoil it had caused. Segment 8 brought it back into his room, where whatever mayhem it would carry out wouldn’t affect Zandik or the other segments.
“I’m sorry.” Segment 8 was genuine with his remorse.
Segment 45 smiled wryly, “It’s alright, but seriously, you should get your pet under control.”
“I’ll try.”
“Good,” Zandik hummed.
Well, Segment 8 really did try. After that, there were fewer incidents regarding Scara-meow. It never really stopped antagonizing anyone who wasn’t Segment 8, but it was no longer as disruptive as it used to be. It made Zandik curious as to how Segment 8 disciplined the kitten.
He couldn’t imagine him using the harsh methods that he and the older segments preferred to use. Regardless of what he was doing however, it was working, so Zandik just let him be.
“Hsss…” Scara-meow glowered at him when he passed it by. But, unlike before, it didn’t swipe at his shoes or bite at his pants.
“Hello to you too,” Zandik greeted. The kitten never did get over its grudge against him.
“There you are, Scara-meow!”
Segment 8 squealed as he went on to carry Scara-meow into his arms. The kitten’s hostility toward Zandik faded away, as it was instead replaced by sheer affection that it aimed toward its owner.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
There was a problem regarding Scara-meow.
It started off small. None of them had thought of it as an issue when it grew larger in size. They had expected its weight gain. After all, it was a growing animal, and with how malnourished it had been when it first entered the laboratory, a stable source of food would inevitably lead to it not being as small as it once was.
But this was too much!
“Do you feed it ten times a day?!” Segment 18 was in disbelief at Scara-meow’s current appearance, “How could you let it get this fat?!! Look at it! It’s so rotund!”
Scara-meow was quite… round. That was the politest way that Zandik could phrase it.
“I don’t know,” Segment 8 almost cried.
And, wasn’t that a sight?
It was rare for him to be overcome by his emotions. He may be a child, but he was also a segment of Dottore’s, which meant that he wasn’t so easily overwhelmed by incidents that would have sent others unravelling. But, somehow, being confronted with the fact that his kitten was unhealthily overweight was enough to bring him to tears.
“I’ve only been feeding it the recommended amount of food a kitten its age should eat. I… I don’t know why it has gotten this big. Is there something wrong with the food I purchase…?” Segment 8 panicked. Segment 45 had to soothe him, lest he spiral any further.
“It will be alright. We can put Scara-meow on a diet. That should prevent any health issues that could arise from it getting this… big,” Segment 45 assured. That helped calm Segment 8 ever so slightly.
Segment 8 sniffled, “I just don’t understand how it got to this point. I don’t even feed it any extra treats unless it’s a truly special occasion.”
“It’s probably been sneaking into your food container and having a few extra nibbles here and there,” Segment 35 theorized. Scara-meow then swatted at his coat, which must mean that his hypothesis was accurate. Segment 8 stared at Scara-meow with sheer betrayal.
“How dare you…?! I feed you enough, and yet…!”
The child segment was truly upset.
Scara-meow at least had the decency to look guilty for causing Segment 8 so much distress. It raised its paw and tugged at the hem of his clothes.
“…mrrew.”
“Yeah, you better be sorry!”
Since then, Scara-meow has been put on a strict diet. It was to be fed a specific amount every day, and a tighter lock was used on its food container so that it wouldn’t get any ideas. Segment 8 even scheduled exercise sessions where he made Scara-meow run all over the laboratory in an attempt to get it back to a healthier weight.
“I almost feel bad for it,” Segment 25 said while he was observing Segment 8 instruct Scara-meow to run to and from the long hallway.
“I don’t,” Segment 18 snorted, “With how much it did its litter on my workbench, I’m glad that it’s suffering.”
Zandik couldn’t help but agree.
Scara-meow deserved this after all the stunts that it had pulled. He still shuddered whenever he remembered the many times he accidentally stepped into cat poop while putting on his shoes.
It was simply unfortunate that the first time Scaramouche encountered Scara-meow was during one of its exercise sessions. Scaramouche was confused when he saw the kitten being forced to run around the laboratory when he visited after a lengthy trip to the Abyss. Zandik greeted him with a strained smile, uncertain on how to explain the situation.
“Mrreow!!”
“Don’t give up now! Just a few more rounds!”
“I didn’t know you had a pet cat,” Scaramouche began as he kept his eye on Segment 8 motivating the poor kitten to continue running. He greeted Zandik with a soft kiss on his cheek, which earned him a faint blush.
“It’s a recent development.” Zandik shook his head, “It’s a stray that 8 picked up a few months ago.”
Scaramouche pursed his lips, “I see.”
“As you can see, it’s gotten quite… big. So 8 has been helping it lose some weight,” Segment 45 added.
“Ah. That explains it.”
Segment 18’s face turned mischievous.
Zandik didn’t like what that entailed. He threw a glare at the teenage segment, threatening him to keep his mouth shut. It was the first time in a while since they had seen Scaramouche. With how often he was sent to the Abyss, it was rare for them to be together lately, so he would rather not have anything ruin the little time that they had with each other.
“Indeed. Poor Scara-meow,” Segment 18 murmured.
Scaramouche stilled at that, “Scara-meow…?”
“Yes. That’s the name of 8’s pet,” Segment 18 informed even after Zandik gritted his teeth and swore to punch him in the face if he were to open his mouth once more.
Scaramouche’s expression turned into that of rage.
That damned teenage segment!
“You…” Scaramouche pulled on Zandik’s collar, “Do you think I’m fat?!”
“N- No! Not at all—!”
This wasn’t fair. Zandik wasn’t even the one who named Scara-meow. It was Segment 8 who believed that his pet was similar enough to Scaramouche that he gave it the same name. So, why was Zandik receiving the brunt of Scaramouche’s anger? He could only close his eyes and accept his fate. He knew that he shouldn’t have agreed to let Segment 8 keep that kitten.
It was more trouble than it was worth.