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Snippet
The squad of four police officers in combat gear flooded the apartment.
Jeff held up his hands and cried, “Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! What the fuck are you looking for, man?”
The leader, a man with the name Hargrove above his right breast pocket, lowered his stun riffle. “We are looking for the fugitive, Steve Harrington. He was last recorded in this vicinity.”
Jeff blinked at him for a moment. “Uh... if Eddie brought someone back to the apartment without telling me, I wouldn’t know. We’re not that kind of roommates, you know.”
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“Can you tell me more about the others?” Steve said, moving to sit down on the sofa. And as he sat down, he changed back into his pajamas. “Huh. That’s cool.”
Lucas snorted. “Yeah it is. As for the others, I haven’t met them yet. I was looking for the right person to be the champion of compassion, and I was the last guardian to get their warrior.”
“Oh.” Steve felt a little sick. He was the last one to be chosen. He hated that shit in elementary and it felt worse now.
Lucas waved his hands as he tried to placate Steve. “Not like that! I promise! It wasn’t that you personally was hard to find. Once I honed in on you, it was like lightning. But Vecna chose this place for a reason. People really don’t have compassion around here so all the hatred was acting like a sort of fog, I guess. A miasma of bad emotions that blocked me from finding you.”
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Snippet
Steve twirled it in his hands as he warmed up his wrists. “Moderately so. I mean it can’t be much different from swinging a baseball bat around and I’ve done that a fair few times.”
Lucas nodded. “You’re the last one selected, there are four others each with a virtue and an affinity to an element.”
“So water and what empathy for me?” Steve said still clutching the spiked mace to his chest.
“Compassion,” Lucas corrected. “But eh, close enough I guess.”
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Somehow I missed replying to this one last night. I wrote the words but forgot to post the gif. I hate it when that happens because it throws my numbering off. Oh well.
Hi!! Welcome to this fun little idea I had you can read it here and the reason for Dustin being Puss here!
This is a completed work and will have 5 chapters.
Two major things here. This is NOT based on Shrek's Puss in Boots! He is a long haired tuxedo cat. This is very much based on the original tale. And I used the English Marquess instead of the Italian Marquis de Carabas because it made more sense for the story.
Summary: When Eddie's mom dies he is left with three things a silk bag, a rather small pair of boots, and a cat. Thinking he got the raw end of the deal when his uncles get his home and his mother's mill, he sinks into depression. But he soon learns that those three things have the power to change his fate forever. For the cat is a magical cat and the bag is a magical bag, and the boots? They're for the cat.
~
Elizabeth Wayne lay dying. She knew it wouldn’t be long now. Her husband had ran off when their son Edward was but a lad and couple years ago she had been notified that he died in some bar room brawl. By then Eddie was his own man.
Al’s two brothers would get the mill and the other would get this house. The only thing that Eddie would get was a silk bag, a pair of boots much too small for his feet and a large, curly haired tuxedo cat.
She reached out to her son. “I’m sorry I must leave you with nothing. But your Uncle Teddy is a cruel man and will toss you out before I am even cool in my grave. If it had been your Uncle Wayne, you wouldn’t be treated so. But he was wisely given the mill as he will run it well.”
Eddie came forward and knelt at her side. “It’s okay, Mother. I don’t blame Uncle Teddy. He has a wife and young children. I wouldn’t want someone like me living here either.”
“Don’t talk like that,” Elizabeth murmured. “Like you’re some burden. Because you aren’t. You aren’t your father either. But the cat will take care of you. I promise.”
Eddie nodded as tears streamed down his face. He would tell her anything her last moments. “I know, Mother.”
She cupped his cheek in her palm and then was gone.
Eddie cried and cried until he was sure he become sick from it. Just when he reached the darkest despair, he felt a nudge at his elbow. He looked down to see the cat. His mother had always jokingly called him Puss, but he did have a name once upon a time.
“I’ll be okay, little one,” Eddie muttered as he got achingly to his feet.
He walked over to the pantry and opened it up to find that there wasn’t much left as he had been too busy taking care of his mother in her last days to work.
No work meant no money, no money meant no food.
He grabbed the last bit of stale bread and bit of cheese nearing the end of its life and cut a bit off for the cat.
The cat batted at it for a moment before it meowed at him. Only the meow sounded like actual words.
“Save it for yourself, master,” the cat said, “I can catch mice well enough for my own dinner.”
Eddie leapt to his feet. “Holy shit! You can talk!”
The cat laughed. “For a great many a year, yes. You just hadn’t paid attention until now.”
“Just how old are you?” Eddie asked, the question blurting from his lips before he could stop to think about it.
“Older than you would believe,” the cat said with a chuckle. “But I’m afraid we don’t have time for pleasantries. You’ll need to finish that food, and then contact someone to collect your mother. God rest her soul.”
Eddie nodded and hurried to do as he was told.
“The first thing I must do is find you shelter,” the cat said with a heavy sigh. “If you’ll give me the boots and the silk bag, I’ll be as quick as I can.”
A thousand questions ran through Eddie’s head, but the one that came out of his mouth was, “What do I call you? I’m not calling you Puss. Not even the tiniest bit sorry.”
The cat grinned. “I’ve been called many names, I am merely the Master Cat. But if you must call me something, Dustin will do.”
Eddie blinked at him for a moment. “Well Master Cat, Dustin it is.” Then he stood up and got the sack and boots. “I was going to sell them to see if I could get enough money to at least rent a room, but if you think you can do better with them, be my guest.”
Dustin took them silently and pulled the boots on his feet, fitting perfectly. He slung the bag over his shoulder and then stood on his hind legs like a human.
“Uh...” Eddie said dumbly. “How long have you been able to do that?” Then he shook his head. “Never mind, stupid question really. You’re weird. And I like that.”
Dustin smiled up at him and then took a deep bow. “Thank you, my lord. I will be on my way, but will be back tomorrow at dawn.”
Eddie nodded, but as the cat made for the door, he leapt to his feet. “Wait a moment!” he cried.
The cat stopped and turned to him. Eddie picked up a hat from one of his mom’s porcelain dolls and placed it on Dustin’s head.
“There we go!” Eddie said proudly. “You can’t go out without a hat.”
Dustin touched the rim reverently and then nodded, before he slipped out of the door and into the night.
Then Eddie got to work sending out messages to the doctor, the undertaker, and the lawyer.
The first and the last were there as soon as they could. The doctor declared her dead as the lawyer went over all the things that would be sold before his uncle, Teddy took residence.
It didn’t amount to much, but it would buy him lodging and food for awhile. Not a long while, but hopefully long enough to find his own place, and even work.
He had been apprenticed to a luthier before his mother got sick, but he doubted his old master would take him back. Especially with no one to pay for his lodging and food.
The undertaker had arrived shortly after the lawyer left, and the two of them took away the remains of Elizabeth Munson, leaving Eddie alone for the first time in far, far too long.
He laid in his own bed–well, it’s wasn’t really his anymore. But he laid in bed and cried himself to sleep.
~
Come morning, there was a soft scratching noise at the front door, and it took Eddie a moment to realize it must of have been the cat. He got on his feet and staggered to the door in a daze.
Eddie rubbed his eyes wearily and opened the door. Dawn pierced his sleep-addled brain as Dustin scampered in, kicking the door closed behind him.
“I have secured us lodging in a small hut down the way from the woman churns the butter and makes the cream,” Dustin said brightly, taking off his hat and laying down his sack.
He began to pull out fresh bread and cheese and handed it over to Eddie for his breakfast. Then he pulled out a bottle of milk and set it front of him.
“This is quite the breakfast, my friend,” Eddie said, gobbling down the meal with relish, savoring each bite as if it was the ambrosia of the gods. “Thank you.”
Dustin bowed low. “It is my pleasure. I think it is best that we make haste and leave before your brother arrives. The lawyer, will be here to take care of everything. I will see to that once you are settled in your new lodgings.”
Eddie nodded and did as he was told.
As he followed the cat, who was running all fours, boots and all, down the pathway to the diary maid’s house, he was struck by the fact that he should find all this ridiculous. Just doing whatever a cat said.
But Dustin hadn’t steered him wrong yet and it was nice not having to think at the moment. He was distraught with the death of the only parent who had loved him and it was all he could think about it.
Mrs. Henderson was waiting for him at the door of the small cottage he would be renting from her.
It had a bed, a table, a chair, and small kitchen. It was barely large enough for Eddie, but it was shelter and he wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
“Thank you,” he muttered, his clothes and small possessions in the Dustin’s bag. “I’ll be able to pay you at the first of the month.”
Mrs. Henderson nodded. “Just whenever you can, sweetie. You’ve got a good cat there, he’ll take care you. Don’t you worry about a thing.”
She bent down and started petting Dustin until he was limp and purring. She kissed his forehead. “You take care of each other, and I’ll be just over there.” And pointed to a nice cottage just across the way.
Eddie and Dustin nodded and they went inside their new home. As Dustin started emptying his sack, Eddie just went slack with relief, falling to his knees sobbing with the grief of everything that had happened.
Dustin came up to him and just sat down beside him, purring. Nothing else, just purring. Eddie put his hand on the cat’s head and just sobbed until every last ounce of grief and pain poured out of him.
When Eddie’s sobs had slackened to dry hiccups, Dustin nudged his head with his head until Eddie got to his feet.
He stumbled over to the chair and sat down with a huff, throwing his head back. “God, Dustin. It hasn’t even been a full day since she died and I can’t imagine my life without her. She was the only person whoever loved me for me.”
Dustin hopped up onto the table and rubbed his head against Eddie’s. “It’ll be all right, Master. I have figured out worst conundrums then this. I cannot bring your mother, back nor can I replace her in your heart. But I will find someone who will love you for you. It will take some time, but have no fear, by the end of this year, you will have everything you every dreamed about having.”
Eddie gulped and shook his head. “How can you do these things? Are you magical cat? A witch or wizard in animal form? Something else that looks like a cat? Why are you doing these things?”
Dustin sat down and looked up at Eddie calculatingly. “Long ago, an ancestor of yours saved my life and I promised that for each of my nine lives I would bring each generation to prosperity. What they do with that prosperity is up to them. Your father squandered all he had so it went to his brothers. But your grandfather made a thriving industry. Your great grandfather was a successful sea merchant. And so on and so forth. As for what I am? I told you. I am merely the Master Cat. I am clever, smart, and wily as a fox.”
Eddie frowned, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “So you just go up to people and trick them into doing what you want them to?”
Dustin laughed. “That is a very succinct way to put it, but yes. I will always look out for you so when I ask you to something, no matter how strange, you’ll do it. Because it will work out. On my honor as a Master Cat.”
Eddie eyed the curly furred, black and white creature and then nodded. “You have a deal.”
Dustin grinned. “Oh trust me, I have a lot more than that.”
Eddie cocked his head to the side in confusion.
“I have a plan,” the cat said wickedly. “And you are in for a very wild ride.”
its 2026 i cannot handle any more fucking "author A obviously ripped off author B" discourse by people Who Have Only Seen the work of author B and admit themselves that they have no further knowledge of the literary landscape they are moving in. like.
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Snippet
“Oh hell no,” Steve huffed and took his hand.
Eddie gulped but refused to look down. “I have flight bike in the garage, we just have to scale roughly twenty-three flights of stairs. And I’m afraid of heights.”
Steve looked down at the streets below and then back up to Eddie. “Right. You’re going to have to do a lot of trusting of someone who has pretty much made your life a living hell, so why?”
“Because I believe you and the truth should be told.”
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Snippet
Steve let out a giggle as he landed gently. “Wow!”
Lucas tilted his head to the side. “Huh. That wasn’t what I was expecting. It must be a holdover from my last warrior. She was into really cutesy stuff. I could change it for you if it makes you uncomfortable.”
Steve held the spiked mace to his chest and shook his head. “No, no. I like it.”
Lucas raised an eyebrow, but wisely chose not comment on it. “Right so I’m assuming you know how to weld that?”
