Chapter 9: This Chapter Was Fun To Write.

“I am soooo bored.” Topher stares blankly at the weasel across from him. “Mm. Green not yellow, Tri.”

Tri is standing in front of him in a sickly yellow blouse and a lavender suit. “You think so? It does look kind of old lady, doesn’t it?”

He nods, “Oh, and a little brighter of a suit. That colour lavender doesn’t really suit you.”

She sighs, “I know. I’ll put a little more red too, and then it will look better with the green blouse.”

Topher tilts his head to the left, “Hey, how are you going to get past the fact that you look like a thirteen year-old?”

“I’ll show you in a second.” She goes back into the changing room. “Hey Topher, there’s food in the kitchen if you’re really hungry.”

He smiles slightly and gets up off his chair. “Thanks.” The cat walks along the red carpet towards the purple and green kitchen. He finds a box of his favourite cereal on the counter, as well as a bowl and spoon. He opens the fridge and finds a small bottle of milk. It doesn’t have any markings other than an expiry date. “October 9th, 1948?” Topher shakes the bottle gently, “Tri, have you been shopping in the past again?”

The weasel peeks her head into the dining room. “I can’t help it! Everything’s so much cheaper.”

He rolls his eyes. “How long ago did you get this?”

“Just four days ago. Don’t worry, I milked the cow myself.” Tri chuckles.

Topher chuckles too. “You’re amazing.”

She rolls her eyes, “Like I need you to tell me that. Listen, what do you think?”

Tri walks fully into the room. She’s wearing a red-violet dress shirt with a lime green suit, but that’s not what surprises Topher. She also looks around thirty years-old. “What in the name of pineapples?!”

“Pineapples?” Tri raises an eyebrow, “Topher, we need to work on your cussing ability.”

He shakes his head, “You can transform? You never told me that!”

She shrugs, “I read it this morning in my mother’s journal. I’m almost done translating the most recent one.”

Topher sighs. “I’m never asking you for a favour again. You like to give me heart-attacks.” He shudders, “Like an image of the future.”

She sighs, “Topher, relax. You aren’t going to look that bad. At least not here. I’d stop going back to Thalia after you turn fifty.”

He groans, “Great. Thanks.” Glancing over her again, the cat nods. “You look outrageous enough to be famous. What are you going to do?”

“Charm. I’m turning it up to 700.” She morphs further, turning her fur darker brown, and changing her face shape a bit. She grins, “Even going to smile. But just for you, Topher. I don’t normally go this crazy. For anybody.”

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Midnight glances at the door as the thief comes in the door. “Oh. I’ll be with you in a second.”

Topher winces. She knows more than he would like her to, but Tri said that she wasn’t erasing any more memories. Luke must have been yelling at her about that again. “Thanks, Midnight.”

Alan glances into the dining room. He notices that the young visitor is on his own today. “Hey Weed, you know how I said that it was crazy that the weasel girl just appeared?”

The siamese glances up, “Something like that. Why?”

“She was on the roof last night. She slept inside a backpack.” Alan sighs, “I think I might be crazy.”

Weed chuckles. “Are you almost done that movie series? I’ve got another one for you.”

Alan shakes his head. “Weed, there are eight movies. I’ve watched two. And so far they aren’t that good.”

His friend starts chopping up a bowl of carrots. “Trust me, man. They get better.”

“If you say so.” Alan glances up as Midnight walks in. “How’s the front looking?”

Midnight winces, “You might want to take a look at this.”

The cooks follow her out of the kitchen. “What on-”

The dining room is trashed. The tables are askew, and some are even upside down. “Dudes, we have to clean this up before Chef gets here.”

“What is this that you need to clean up before I arrive?” Chef walks up behind them. “Oh.” The cat stares at the messy dining room. “Were you having a party of night last?”

Alan shakes his head. Weed shrugs and does the same. Midnight rolls her eyes. “We were robbed. And I think I know who- Oh, here he is now.”

Topher knocks on the glass door, panic in his eyes. Midnight narrows her eyes. The boy sighs and pushes open the broken door. “Is it gone?”

“Is what gone?” Midnight glares at him.

He flinches. “Listen, I have to find that robot. If I don’t…” Topher looks down sadly. “Like, Tri is going to kill me.”

The waitress pauses and straightens. “Wait, robot?”

He groans. “Her brother built it when he was three. That robot is the only thing she has of his.”

Midnight glances around at the mess. “Could it have done this?”

He follows her glance, noticing the huge mess for the first time. “Xoltla.” He runs through the mess to a slashed X on one of the seats. “Tri is going to kill me!”

“Why did you leave it here?” Midnight follows him. The other cats are staring at them in shock.

Alan asks what they’re all thinking, “Why did you think that he did this, Midnight?”

Topher freezes and turns to stare at the cat behind him. “It’s still a possibility.” Midnight is glaring at him.

The young cat’s face pales. With his eyes, he begs her not to tell them. With his mouth he says, “I. Did. Not. Rob. You.” He makes a fist. “Listen, what I’ve done in the past is in the past, lady. My father could be in prison now for all I’ve heard of him.”

Midnight meets his eyes. “In the past two days? That was pretty fast.”

He stiffens. Reaching a hand into his pocket, he presses a button on a remote. “Shut up.” He turns to the rest of the cats. “I’m so sorry about this mess. If I hadn’t been playing with that robot… Let me help you clean up.” The waitress is still glaring at him, but now her mouth is closed. She starts making frantic motions with her hands. Topher chuckles quietly as he flips a table back onto its feet. “Speak up, Midnight. I can’t hear you.”

“Christopher Penita! What is the meaning of this?” Tri stands in the doorway, her eyes and fur bright red. “He’s gone, isn’t he? And… why did you shut up Midnight?”

Topher winces, “Tri… It’s hard to-”

“Topher, I’ve been listening in off and on. Didn’t I tell you not to touch Dig’s robot? I trusted you.” She clenches her teeth. “I’ll talk to Midnight. You’d better find Pezt and get me back that robot.”

He nods and runs out of the restaurant. Alan steps in between Tri and Midnight. “Why do you need to talk to Midnight? About what?”

Tri sighs, and the colour in her eyes fades to normal. “Her mother.”

The waitress gasps, or as well as she can with her mouth shut. She shakes her head madly. Alan shrugs. “Well, be nice to her. She’s part of our business here,”

Midnight makes muffled screaming noises. Tri rolls her eyes. “Come on, Midnight. Listen, I just want to ask you some questions.” The cat winces, but follows Tri out. As soon as they leave earshot, the weasel turns around. “Hold still. If you move, this will hurt.” She grabs Midnight’s mouth.

“What the-!” The cat pulls away in shock. “Oh. Thanks.”

Tri rolls her eyes. “You have a way of saying ‘thanks’ that makes it sound like ‘jump in a lake.’”

Midnight crosses her arms. “What did you do to my mom?”

After staring at her for a couple seconds, Tri asks, “Why in the universe would you think I did something to your mother? I don’t hurt people unless they deserve it, genius.”

“Oh. Then why-?” The waitress breaks off as Tri hands her a photo.

The weasel sighs, “I didn’t hurt your mother, Midnight. Remember Topher’s father?” The cat nods, staring at the photo in shock. “Well, somehow he found out that you know where the stolen exhibit went.”


Midnight drops the photo and runs in the direction of her house. Tri follows close behind. The photo hits the ground, turning face up. It's of Midnight's mother tied up to an Egyptian statue of a young girl.


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Thalia

So I'm taking a one-post break from my story to write out this explanation.

Thalia is a dimension that is often used as a bridge between other dimensions. But first, some background.

Taygetans come from Thalia. They are a species that is able to transform into other forms, although they have only two primary forms. One is their human form, and the other is their animal form. There are at least seven Taygetan families. Cats, Dogs, Bears, Reptiles, Fish, Sea, Safari, and Australian.

But, more Thalian history. Thalia used to be a sleepy little town sort of dimension. No cars, everyone walked everywhere, small shops, everywhere. In all entirety, Thalia is about the size of Japan, but shaped exactly like a square.

But then a Taygetan named Dudley Rosseforp woke up one morning and decided to create a time machine. He wound up accidentally ripping a portal into our dimension after many years of research.

After talking to many government officials and other red tape stuff, Dudley was given permission to use this portal formula as a way to restore Thalia's economy. He worked with Thalia's many scientists to open the Aisle Of Portals with openings into many other dimensions, opening the former sleepy isolated dimension into the hub of inter-dimensional travel.

With coffee shops and bookstores and bakeries and restaurants and hotels open to money from all the different dimensions open, Thalia soon blossomed into a place where people went to relax and be "off camera" for a while, or a pass-through place while going to visit other dimensions.

Rosseforp started on another project. Cloning. Unfortunately, his first successful clone was evil. He named it Disaster. Outraged, the original Disaster stole the formula for cloning and vanished before Rosseforp could have him taken by the authorities. Using that formula (and several Taygetans who turned evil and joined him) he created the new family Disasters.

Taygetans have special abilities, following a pattern. There are six powers that every Taygetan has, then they get four each from the family (Except Disasters. They get the same powers of the Taygetan they were cloned from) and one from the animal, the one individual power.

For example, Topher's powers are: Genius, Transform, Strength, Speed, Senses, "Knowledge of Emotions," Climb, Invisibility, Night Vision, Flight, Agility, and Time. (Topher is a domestic cat.)

Most of those are pretty self explanatory. "Knowledge of Emotions" is the power to read what people are feeling or thinking. Some Taygetans have a stronger version of this power as well called Thought. Thought enables Taygetans to go inside other people's minds and actually read their memories and see what they are seeing.

Time is the power to freeze time. It varies in strength from Taygetan to Taygetan. It is also a very rare power.

Another character of mine, Mary-Anne Parson, is also Taygetan. Here are her powers: Genius, Transform, Strength, Speed, Senses, "Knowledge of Emotions" Climb, Night Vision, Invisibility, Flight, Water and Force. (Mary-Anne is a Tiger.)

Force is the power to stretch your strength through space to touch or grab objects in places out of your reach by focusing your mind on that object (or person.)

So that's the powers. Amazing that I haven't written down exact powers for anyone not in the Cat family...

Taygetan necklaces. I think that this is the last subject of this explanation. Thalia is still pretty small. The government allows only Taygetans to have apartments. So, every Taygetan gets a key-chip when they register with Thalia. They can get it placed into a pre-made Taygetan pendant, or make one themselves. Each key-chip is the license of ownership and key to an apartment. Each apartment is about the size of a door, and one foot deep. But they're actually quite roomy once you get inside them. Thalians are masters of Space Distortion technology, and each square inch on the outside is a square foot on the inside. Also, the entire ceiling is the front door, and once you close it after you, the gravity shifts to the back wall, making it the floor.

Taygetan Symbol

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