Kat and Mause
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By Mew Mew Mew Poing and Rhombus Ticks
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Mause the Mouse felt special even though he knew he wasn’t.
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As he sipped a cheese shake inside the apartment/storage unit he shared with Kat the Cartoon Cat, he said, “The rent is due, and we don’t have any money.”
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Kat’s image popped onto several of the surface inside the apartment; all four walls, the computer screen, the chair, the bathroom mirror, and the large Kat the Cat Clock that Kat saved as merch from his days with Disney two centuries ago. It was worth more than everything else in the apartment by a factor of ten, but Kat had kept it as a tie to his roots.
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“We could put on a show!” Kat beamed like a small sun, his teeth reflecting his face in smaller shiny images of his own face, which created a mirror in a mirror effect on the screens.
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“You recommend putting on a show for everything. You’re public domain now, so we’d need to generate entirely new content to earn a dime.”
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Kat thought a show could solve all problems from world hunger to finding Mause’s keys. It got old after a while.
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“So, we write new material. You’re a great writer, Mause.”
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“You think everyone is a great writer, Kat. You’re terrible at judging the quality of the script. That’s probably the only reason some of those early cartoons you did were tolerable to you.”
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“I’m very proud of my early work!”
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Kat snarled and smiled at the same time. It was the most catlike thing Mause had seen him do.
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Mause laughed. “Anyway, I’m an artist, not a writer. We need to get a writer.”
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“Then let’s get a writer!”
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“It’s not that easy. We’d need to pay one.”
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Mause had variations of the conversation before. Round and round they went.
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Kat smiled. “We’ll give them exposure!”
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Mause took the virtual mallet Kat gave him for just this occasion and whacked Kat over the head several times. From Mause’s perspective it was a transparent thing of mist and shadows, but it was quite real to Kat, whose head flattened and several stars circled him while his eyes turned into spirals.
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Kat babbled. “dahdahduhduhduh.”
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“What do we not do Kat?” Mause asked patiently.
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Kat sighed. “We don’t exploit artists for exposure?”
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“That’s correct.”
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“Then we’re screwed.” Kat’s ears fell flat, and his floating head sighed dejectedly. “I’m going to be binned. The hardware housing me isn’t replaceable.”
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They were depressed. So, they got drunk and told war stories for an hour then played video games trying to forget the looming deadline. They went out, they got drunk again, which was easy and cheap since Mause didn’t need much booze and Kat could get drunk on digital liquor and he didn’t exactly have refined tastes. It was a great and depressing time. They repeated that routine for nine days until they only had one day left to pay rent.
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Then a miracle happened. Well, that wasn’t quite right... it was an intrusive, highly annoying neighbor going door to door talking about the block party people were having with several contests. The centipede snake lifted twelve of his sneakers, the smell of his feet making Mause want to vomit, but he took the flyer from one of his neighbor’s three fingered gloved hands.
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Block Party, it said, Drinks, dancing and live bands performing. Contests including a talent contest, charades, and a poetry slam. wait... what? Mause checked the writing twice to make sure his eyes weren’t deceiving him and then pushed the protesting centipede snake out of the apartment.
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“Kat! We’re saved!”
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Kat looked up from his digital beer and boggled. “Wha? How?” His two virtual hands spread wide as he tried to ask questions.
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“There’s a poetry contest.”
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Kat beamed. “I’m good at poetry.”
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“I know you are. Let’s get ready.” Mause was very, very happy indeed.
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They put on their best party clothes and left. Kat wore the limited edition NFT Tuxedo he wore in the 2054 Oscars for best short and looked sleek and electric and suave. Mause wore a svelte blue satin robe with leather Moon Boots and a gawdy bulbous green tail ornament that sparkled like a Christmas tree ornament.
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The party decorations were amazing. Someone created handmade paper lanterns that invisible drones held in place by and held by a dozen tiny glowing actual fairies in AR. The entire affair was crafted to encourage uplifted beings as small as Mause or as large as Ozzo the Bear who had his own table full of Psalmon to nom down. It was also exceptionally welcoming to digital beings like Kat with gateways to a dozen different local retirement communities. In the center of it all was a Font of Wisdom spilling memes and content from sacred texts targeted by an ephemeral DI targeted to each guest who chose to live only during the moments of the party so they could serve each guest as decoration and life lessons.
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Kat and Mause mingled. Mause floated on a small custom drone printed just for him so he could float up in the faces of the Zel the lion, K424111-Stella McDonald the Antique War Machine, Zen Master, and of course the honored guest of the party, Matilda Florence, the human/balloon hybrid. It felt like a Sapience Day celebration, but that was what made it special; it was a special party made special for them. Karen 2000 was the perfect host and evolved to help each of their needs as they needed them.
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Every guest had a perfect favor that matched their personality and costume, and a special drink made just for them. It helped everyone blend in and feel warm and welcomed. Karen 2000 anticipated everyone’s needs perfectly and when someone looked uncomfortable, bored, or alone, she moved over and pointed out someone for them to talk to or something for them to do, except for Lud the Cyber Rhino who enjoyed not having anyone interact with him in any way. He was an introverted loner.
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After an exceptional beginning and middle, the Kat and Mause lined up for the poetry contest. They both agreed to enter, since Mause believed if he gave a mediocre performance right before Kat, it might enhance what he did. It seemed a great idea at the time, but Echolalia Tinnitus, the world-famous Dolphin poet, was apparently good friends with Bill the regular human who sold hotdogs at a stand up the street and was staying with him as a house guest. That wasn’t a deal killer by itself, but Echolalia got in line right behind Kat!
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“So do you think we’ll win?” Kat asked.
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“You better,” Mause said.
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“I’m sure we will.”
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“You better,” Mause said.
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He was lighthearted about how he said it, but deadly serious all the same. Kat would have to go to a low rez studio and wouldn’t even be able to think at that level, and Mause would need to move back in with his parents. That couldn’t happen. Could. Not. Happen.
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Echolalia heard them speaking and patted Mause on the back. “I’m sure you’ll do fine.”
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The sympathy in her voice convinced Mause that she was sympathetic, which relieved him greatly. Echolalia could win this thing easily but if she deliberately gave an off performance, then Kat could work his magic.
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Bit by bit, the line crawled forward. Some poems were admirable, some were abominable. Mause clapped politely and with heart at each one, since it took a lot of bravery to get up there and bare your soul before everyone. He knew he wasn’t a good poet, but he’d risk quiet disapproval to help Kat.
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Eventually, it was Mause’s turn. It was down to the last three people, and he knew he was the least qualified person left. He took a deep breath and read his poem.
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The wide-open fields are gray,
And the harvest is low this year.
Grandma and Grandma
Have short drooping whiskers
They take their time to check every nook of the farm.
Sweeping and dusting and feeding the hens
Quite sure they won’t make it through the winter
So, they hold hands
And spend each day together,
Knowing this time is likely to be their last together.
Accepting the grimness of death.
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Mause stopped and watched as the audience absorbed his poem. After a short moment they warmly clapped, and the analysis bots spun colors and webs around it to indicate audience mood and resonance with the net at large. People seemed to genuinely like it, which surprised Mause to no end, but given what had already been presented, he wouldn’t win. That wasn’t the point, he was setting things up for Kat.
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Kat looked nervous and hiccupped. He always did that when the pressure was enormous, but everyone knew how good a performer he was, so they waited politely. Eventually, he asked for a glass of water, even if it was digital water, and drank it That still didn’t do the trick, so he asked someone to surprise him. That still didn’t do the trick and by the third glass of water he still hiccupped until Mause lost his temper and shouted at the top of his lungs.
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“Would you just start already?!”
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That, apparently, did the trick as Kat grinned maniacally and started his verse.
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I am a Kat that likes to dance
And I sing for my supper
I move and sing and fly and joke
And my mood is quite the upper
I’ll brighten your day
And make you smile
And make you want me
To linger a while
And think about all the things that used to be
A better yesterday
Back today
Like sunlight through the clouds
And we all sing together
It’s the wisdom of crowds
We all sing together
We are all free
We all sing together
We are all free
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Everyone politely clapped It wasn’t bad. Mause wasn’t sure why Kat had done it, but it wasn’t his strongest performance. Mause had seen him sing happy, joyful songs that brought the house down and long, tear jerking ballads, but this was almost…whimsical. What had he been thinking?
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Echolalia got up and sang in a resonant golden haunted holy voice.
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And the rain comes down
Under the water
The rain still comes down
You can feel it on your face
Just beneath the beautiful waves
And you feel like its crying
Just a little
For all the things you did
And you know
Just a little
Like all the things you did
That it’s worth it
Just a little
Just to see you smile
One last time.
One last time.
One last time.
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At first it sounded like she sang some hit pop song, but it wasn’t. It was the most amazing thing to come out of any organic sound making apparatus since the dawn of time. Everyone cheered. It was a compulsion; it was a miasmic crescendo that caused the entire block party to jump with literal joy as their legs possessed them and forced them to shock the rest of their still stunned forms to stand and watch. Their minds were literally scooped out with a melon baller, swirled around, then put back in with two doses of butter scotch and a side of lemon.
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It was really that damn good.
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Eventually the applause died down and people moved to the next organized event, but Kat and Mause moved over to the side from the party. It was obvious that they lost, and frankly, neither of them had any spirit to celebrate.
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“Why did you recite such a weird poem?” Mause asked.
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Kat shrugged. “It seemed the right thing to do at the time?”
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Mause wanted to be angry, but frankly Kat at his best would never have beat Echolalia now that he’d seen her perform live.
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Mause said, “Can you stay a little longer for social niceties? I’m too depressed to stay.”
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“Of course, my friend. Of course.”
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Mause could tell Kat wasn’t enthusiastic either but he could go through the motions much better than Mause. So, he went back and had some cheese wine. Normal mice enjoyed nuts, fruits, and berries more, but the strain developed for Mause’s ancestors had thought a fixation with actual cheese would be hilarious and the family found it wrong to tamper with their own genetics just to remove a human joke.
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Mause went home and put himself to bed. He wanted to get drunk, but since he was going to have to find a new job, likely tomorrow, he knew he needed to be quite sober. Instead, he did his best not to think at all. That didn’t work, and the despair became so intense that he wept quiet dignified tears knowing he would have to part from his friend but at least they had tried their best.
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There was a loud clattering and argument downstairs involving multiple voices. At first, he thought it was an extension of the party, but there weren’t enough voices for that. Then he thought some of the neighbors might be having a shouting match, but they sounded more happy than sad. Mause did his best to tune it out, but they got closer and closer until he realized it was Kat and Echolalia happily chattering back and forth. For a brief moment, rage at the inability to hide from the world filled Mause until he realized the potential hope such a thing offered; though strangely to him thisit also enacted a brief moment of rage.
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Mause was in a curious place, he didn’t want to yell at Kat on what might be their last night together, or be rude to Echolalia when she hadn’t done anything wrong, but he couldn’t ignore his grief, either. Ignoring his feelings wasn’t a part of who he was. So, he carefully stood up, walked to the smaller door in the apartment, and cracked it open to see what was going on Kat and Echolalia were flirting, of all things How could that coupling possibly work? But the chemistry was undeniable, nonetheless.
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“What’s up?” Mause asked, wiping his eyes as if tired to hide the tears in his eyes.
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“Echolalia has offered me a chance to MC her next show. It’s a paying gig.” Kat was ecstatic.
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“I loved the way he gave off that poem. He has an old timey, authentic vibe but still keeps things light and fun, ya know?” Echolalia swayed and looked up to the heavens and orbital strata. She was quite clearly drunk.
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“That’s wonderful,” Mause said, doing his best effort to put on a positive face. He’d been the one to keep all his siblings happy when they needed it, so that was a skill he knew very well.
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“Congratulations!” It was good news, though for some reason he couldn’t explain, Mause was very sad inside.
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Kat knew his friend well, but clearly wasn’t picking up on the sadness. “It’s a one-time gig, but it will be enough for us to keep the lights on, do the show and then, who knows what will happen. Everything is turning around, just like I told you it would! You put positive energy out there and the universe picks up on that and gives it back to you.”
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Mause wasn’t so sure about that. This was one job, and then they were back in the raffle ticket spinner of life; but it was something. It was another day, and it was another length of time together with his best friend. He smiled with the them and they chatted the night away. Somehow, they would find a way. Mause wanted to tell himself that everything would turn out alright, but deep down, he didn’t think it would. But he also smiled a little and told himself that even if it didn’t work out with the happy ending, it did today, and that was enough for today.
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