Selecting a Target

Art strolled around the facility, like he did every day. He hated the cameras observing him everywhere he went, but it was important that he got to know this place inside out. This included the placement of said cameras, but various other things as well, like getting to know the patrol routes the security guys took, who worked on what days and in what areas, which kids were arriving and moving out, which keeper every kid was assigned to, how the kids were behaving, what areas of the facility were busy and which were quiet during certain times and so on. Yes, there was much to be learned here.

Art knew he couldn't do much until he got out, but he felt he could use all the info he could possibly gather so it could be used against them at a later date. His observing skills also helped him spot the Companions unhappy to be here and those insecure and looking for something to hold onto, which he was more than willing to provide and in return open their eyes to the truth of this place, this prison. 

He was halfway done with his current round when he spotted an attractive feline Companion, domestic collar type. She had this innocent look about her and something told Art he should stick around a bit longer and watch her.

--

Rat was wandering the halls, like he always did when his keeper was gone, not that the man knew he was leaving his room. If Keeper had his way, the muskrat would stay in his room and do his boring book stuff all the time. Keeper was starting to make a habit of not being there for snack time and it had started bothering the boy. He hated the sounds his tummy made when he didn't get his snacks, but there had to be a reason why Keeper was gone. Oh, well. He knew his way to the room with the yummy things, now, so he could just sneak in there and get something to eat when he needed to.

The boy tried to figure out what the yummy smells were this time. It kinda smelled sweet like the red things he'd found last time. He hoped there were more of those. They were really good.

His tummy was growling so loud, he barely noticed anything around him. All he could hear were the gurgles that said he needed to find food.

--

Ocelot spotted a young muskrat Companion wandering around the halls on the way to the playroom. She always enjoyed interacting with the Littles, they were always up for playing and with her fancy for acting, roleplaying, costumes and all that it always came in handy. Even though this child wasn't in the playroom he seemed very friendly and she didn't see any harm in approaching him, perhaps he was up for some imaginary adventures.

She happily skipped over to where he was, walking up next to him when she reached the boy. "Hi! I'm Ocelot. Who are you?" she introduced herself with a happy smile. "Would you like to hang out? It's so boring to be alone, don't you think?"

--

Art watched as she approached a Youngling, kindly smiling and seemingly not having a care in the world. She obviously didn't realize not all the children were nice and friendly, just randomly walking up to one for no good reason wasn't something he'd recommend but this girl didn't seem aware of the dangers. He was walking just close enough to hear her commenting about how she disliked being alone. So far, so good. His instincts may have been right about this one, she looked promising so far. With a barely there grin on his face he followed behind the pair, making sure not to draw attention to himself and simply observe and listen to what was happening in front of him.

--

The boy's ear twitched slightly as the girl-Companion talked to him. He nearly froze, tensing up a little, but he didn't bother to come to a complete standstill. If she was gonna tell Keeper where he was, why bother talking to him? Still, he was ready to run if he needed to. He hoped he didn't have to. He'd rather save his energy for getting out of the room with yummy things. Rat still hadn't bothered to ask Keeper about it. He didn't want to get caught.

Glancing to the girl-Companion, he managed a small smile, "My keeper calls me Rat..."

He thought for a moment, not sure if he wanted her to come with him or not. Maybe she could help him carry more yummy stuff back to his room, though! He really liked that idea. If he could bring back more yummy stuff, then he could share with Wadjet and Sobek! Sobek always got a little mean if Rat tried to eat without feeding him. "... you can hang out if you want. I don't mind."

--

Ocelot's smile disappeared a bit at the not so enthusiastic response she received, but it was a positive one anyway so she would not let it affect her too much. Perhaps he was just shy. He seemed rather young still, so that wouldn't be too strange. She herself wasn't really one for random chatter either, which was why she often played a character or chose other activities that one could chat about, simply hanging out wasn't something she was very practiced at but the boy seemed quite determined to get somewhere. Her smile back in place now she happily continued walking with him. If he had an idea where he was going that meant they were gonna do something, right? She wouldn't have to worry about making smalltalk then and she wouldn't be alone either, this was good so far. "Let's hang out then. Were you going somewhere?"

--

Art's grin turned into a slight smirk. So far he was totally on the mark about this girl. The boy was a Stray collar, not the best type to randomly approach, he would have understood her choice better had he been a Domestic, but she didn't seem to have thought it through at all. His somewhat distant response was to be expected, but the feline either didn't notice or didn't care as she just kept smiling and walking with him. She genuinely seemed to think he was nice, although Art hadn't really seen anything so far that would let him agree with her. The muskrat hadn't done anything to prove the contrary either, but still.. He wondered what the other child was up to and how his new object of interest would respond.

--

Rat nodded, keeping a steady pace to where he knew the room with yummy things was. His tummy was still growling at him for not having food yet, but he'd be okay until he got there. "Uh-huh. There's a place with lots of yummy stuff."

He took a deep breath, trying to figure out what sort of yummy stuff they had there. It always smelled good, whatever it was. The muskrat hoped they had more of those shiny red things. Maybe Ocelot could reach them and he wouldn't make a mess this time. He felt a little bad for leaving a mess last time, but he couldn't let himself be caught by Keeper. That just wouldn't do any good.

--

Ocelot's eyes sparkled at his comment. That sounded rather exciting! She didn't know what place the boy was talking about, but he seemed confident enough so he'd probably been there before. "Sounds lovely. What sorts of yummy things? Are they being handed out somewhere? I have never heard of it!" New things often arrived at the facility, so it wasn't that surprising, but she still wondered where it could be. A new item being donated wasn't unheard of, but a brandnew area opening, surely that would have been announced, wouldn't it? Oh well, she would just trust the boy and then everything would work out just fine, she was sure of it. He was nice to her, so that meant he was honest and could be trusted, right?

--

Art had to hold back his laughter. Was she really that naive? He could already feel where this was going.. Young kid wandering around the halls, feeling hungry, not as much of a good kid as a Domestic might be, it was so obvious. And of course Art knew the facility's layout very well so combining those thoughts with the actual way the muskrat Companion seemed to be heading he was very sure that this was a non scheduled after hours trip to the cafeteria, sneaking in to grab some snacks. Yet what was oh so obvious to him didn't seem to occur to the pretty feline girl at all and it amused him greatly. He couldn't wait to see how this one would play out.

--

Rat thought for a moment, slowing his pace a bit. "Well, there's these shiny red things. The shiny stuff doesn't taste good, but they got white inside and it's all mushy and sweet. That part's really good. There's probly some other stuff in there, too, but I dunno."

The last time he was there, he hadn't really had a chance to look around much. When he accidentally pulled the bowl full of red things down, he kinda just tried to run. Rat didn't want Keeper to get mad at him for not being in his room, but he was so hungry. He didn't want to have to wait for Keeper to get there. If Keeper was busy, then he'd just have to find food, himself.

--

Ocelot thought long and hard when hearing his description, but couldn't quite figure out what he was talking about. But he said it was yummy, so she was willing to try. And if she didn't like it she would just go with one of the other things they had, like the boy suggested. So she kept walking with him, smiling at him kindly, being glad she had found someone that befriended her so easily that he already wanted to share his discovery with her. "I don't think I've had those, but I'd love to try some! Are we almost there yet?"

--

Rat pulled her along, heading to the room full of yummy things. He couldn't wait to get there so he could get some of the yummy stuff! There had to be some stuff he could take back to Sobek and Wadjet, too. Wadjet was always really nice when she ate, but Sobek was mean if he didn't get enough to eat. He hoped Ocelot could help him carry some stuff back for them.

He got to the door to the room of yummy stuff and grinned. It smelled really good in there! He could smell some stuff like the shiny red things, but there was more in there, too! What was all that stuff? The muskrat hoped he could try some of all of it.

--

Art knew they were almost at their destination and the grin was now permanently featured on his face. The girl still seemed rather clueless, he expected she knew the way to the cafetaria but she had obviously not yet figured out that this was where the boy was taking them. He couldn't quite believe how naive she was, but it was convenient.

They arrived at last and Art pushed himself into the shadows the now opened door provided to ensure he kept hidden and once they were inside he quickly slipped in after them, taking advantance of the fact that the lights were off when the place was closed so he could easily stay out of sight. Now began the fun part, observing her response to the boy's plan, because not even she could be naive enough to not figure it out now.

--

Ocelot watched him push open the door to the cafetaria. She followed him, although a bit hesistant, until they were inside and she noticed no one was there and the lights were off. So there wasn't any food given away here. "Are you sure this is the right place? There doesn't seem to be anyone around.. I don't think we're allowed to be in here." she mentioned carefully, hoping not to upset the other child. She didn't like breaking rules or getting into trouble and she was sure being inside the cafeteria outside of the set meal times would mean both of these things. Maybe there was a good reason they were here though, maybe they had just arrived early or the boy had mixed up the days. He seemed nice, so she would await his response before jumping to conclusions. After all, nice kids didn't break into the cafeteria so she was sure he had to have a good reason.

--

He shook his head, looking around for the different foods, "I been here before. It's okay."

The muskrat went over to the tables, peeking up onto them for the goodies that were there. Rat could smell the red things. They were really sweet and he really liked them. He pulled a few down, wondering if Wadjet and Sobek would like these things, too. The boy really wasn't sure what all they liked. They ate a lot of different things, so he'd just have to figure out what they liked the best. Looking over to Ocelot, he smiled, "I didn't get in trouble last time, so it's okay."

--

Ocelot thought about his words. If he had been here before and his Keeper had known then perhaps he had permission. Otherwise his statement would make no sense, telling your Keeper you went somewhere that you weren't allowed to go would surely get you into trouble and he said he had not gotten into trouble. "Well if your Keeper said it's okay I suppose that makes it okay then. But my Keeper doesn't know, are you sure I can be in here as well?"

She knew some kids had different rules, like the nocturnal Companions who could wander around during Lights Out. Her animal was nocturnal as well so she had been told of this rule, but the facility was such a quiet place at night that she preferred to stick to the regular schedule instead of obtaining the permission to wander about all alone in the dark.

This was not a rule she had been told about nor had she been given permission like the rat boy had, but that must mean he also knew the specific rules on this subject so he would be able to tell her if this was okay. So far he made perfect sense so she assumed it would be fine, otherwise why would they be here?

--

Art was rather familiar with the whole ''do whatever you want, just don't get caught" way of going about things so he recognized the true meaning of boy's words, but the Ocelot girl had clearly misinterpreted his message and somehow now believed he had permission to be here. Oh, how very naive of her. It filled the african wild dog boy with glee to know she was so easily fooled and so trusting. It could be viewed as stupitidy but he chose to look at it as a useful quality.

He was aware of the fact that, in a way, it conflicted with his beliefs, because he wanted everyone to see the reality of this place and he knew he wouldn't be waiting around to see if she would ever figure it out for herself, no, he would be telling her the truth and he knew she wouldn't be hard to convince. The pretty feline would have no trouble believing in the rose tinted image the facility tried to paint of this place and their existence, so he was sure that she had no idea about the truth but he couldn't really hold that against her. He had been around here for a while and knew he was outnumbered by the many staff members constantly trying to ensure the false image stayed alive.

He knew children were still being shaped by their surroundings so he could understand why the ones that weren't realists could easily be fooled by the evil workers around. And then of course there were the types of children that were still very young and only cared about playing. Or the ones that lashed out against anyone and everyone and he couldn't use those kids to assist him for fear of being discovered. Really, the naive type had its benefits because while they might be easy to fool by the staff it would be just as easy to make them believe the truth he had discovered so long ago and have them become aware of all the negative things, or the reality as Art preffered to call it, because that's just what it was.

He knew at first it would just be his influence, but once the children he convinced grew older they would truely believe what he had made them see and in a way that made him their savior so he didn't feel bad about charming and manipulating other kids sometimes. He didn't really see any reason to feel guilty, preparing them to face reality instead of waiting for them all to end up messed up and lost in the outside world wasn't a crime. The facility also manipulated the kids so he was just using their own methods against them, that was only fair after all and at least he had a good reason for doing so. The idiots in charge of this corporation were just doing it for the fame and money, not caring that they messed up so many lives and pretending they cared about what happened to the Companions, but Art knew better.

So far he had opened the eyes of a couple of children around, but he hadn't really found someone that could stay by his side and assist him in his quest to actually take down the entire corporation once he got out of the facility, but he had a feeling this girl might be the right one for the job. He couldn't rush making this decision, he knew it would be an important one that could very well influence the success or failure of his entire mission, but he had a good feeling about this so far. He was going to keep an eye on this girl for now, get to know her and then decide if she was the right one like he suspected she might be. For now it was too soon to tell for sure, but soon he would know and he would be able to act accordingly.

--

Rat nodded at her question. Why couldn't she be in here? They weren't getting in trouble or anything, so it was okay. Besides, Keeper wasn't around to bring him something to eat and his tummy was growling at him for it. He had to eat and that meant he had to have food and if Keeper wasn't around to get it for him, then he'd have to get it, himself.

His tummy gave another, somewhat loud growl as he looked at the foods. "It's okay 'cause we gotta have food. If you don't eat, you get sick, so it's okay to get food so we don't get hungry and get sick."

It made perfect sense to him. As long as Keeper didn't get mad at him, he could do whatever he needed to. This way, Keeper could focus on whatever other things were keeping him from visiting the muskrat. It had to be important, whatever it was, so he didn't want to bother his keeper over something he could handle, himself.

--

Ocelot slowly nodded at the rat boy's words. That actually made a lot of sense! Of course it was very important that they all stayed healthy and he was right, food was neccessary for that. This must be allowed then, she decided. After all, why wouldn't it be? Surely the Keepers didn't want them to become sick and of course they wanted them to eat well, she was always being prodded to finish her plate of food completely before she could leave to play so it was very logical, she had no idea why she had not thought of it herself.

"Well, alright then." she looked down at the food the boy had pulled down. "In that case, can I try one? I don't think I've tried one before and if you say they are yummy I'd love to try one!"

--

Art had to hold in his laughter. That young boy was rather smart, very clever reasoning. And with a naive Companion like this feline girl it would of course not be hard to sell. Yup, she bought it, like he expected. It was so very easy, even if the boy had made a convincing argument, many would still be suspicious of being in a closed off empty area without a Keeper, yet this girl was so easily talked into believing it was all fine. Art was sure they weren't actually allowed to be in here and wouldn't have believed the kid, but he would remember this, it was a pretty good test to execute if he found another Companion that needed to be tested on their ability to see the truth. So far this one looked very promising.

--

The rat boy nodded and handed her one of the red things. They were really good when you took away the red parts to get the mushy white stuff.  He grinned up at her, waiting to see what she thought of them. He hoped she liked them, too, but it was okay if she didn't. There were lots of other foods there, too. The muskrat wasn't sure what else he might like, though. Lots of the foods there smelled good. Maybe he should take a little of everything so if he and Sobek and Wadjet didn't want the red things, they'd have other stuff, too. That seemed like a good idea to him.

--

Ocelot looked at the red item with a curious look on her face. It was too big to be candy and didn't look like the yucky veggies they made her eat. They defenitely weren't potatoes and sadly not meat either. She couldn't remember having one before, or seeing one before, but if she didn't try it she would never know if they were as yummy as the rat boy said so she simply closed her eyes and took a bite. It tasted like.. well, she wasn't sure. It was somewhat sweet, somewhat sour, the outside was crunchy but the inside was fresh. How interesting! "These things are kind of awesome." she decided. "I have no idea what they are, but they should totally serve them to us more often, much better than those veggies we always have to eat. And I bet they are healthy too!"

--

Art didn't think he would learn much more from this meeting, but decided to stick around for just a bit longer. Knowing what she liked might help him score some points with her later, but he wasn't going to stick around too long if nothing interesting happened, he could spend his time much better by going back to his room and plotting his next move. Also, figuring out what room she lived in. That seemed like a good plan too, it would make it easier to follow her around and he could make sure to 'accidentally' run into her often. He could wait until they left and follow her out, but she might not go to her room right away and he couldn't stay unnoticed trailing after her in the hallways all day long so he might be better off searching on his own. Art knew the facility well enough and although the Domestic hallways were the largest there were usually signs outside the doors that listed who lived there so it wouldn't be too hard.

--

Rat grinned, watching her. He knew they were yummy. Those shiny red things were his favorite and he always loved seeing them in the cafeteria. "They're fruit things. Pinkie told me what they are, but I forgot the word. All I know is they're yummy!"

He gathered as much of the red things as he could, then filled what was left of the empty space in his folded-up smock with whatever else he could find. There was lots of other stuff, though he didn't like the green stuff. Keeper always made him eat that stuff and he wasn't going to if he didn't have to.

--

"They are." Ocelot said in agreement, smiling happily while taking another bite of the food. Then the watched as the rat started to collect as much food as he possible could carry. Why was he doing that? Was that okay? He hadn't said anything about this before, had he? "Wait.. What are you doing?" she asked bewildered. "I get why we can come in here now, but I doubt you're allowed to take them all back to your room. Can't you just come back here when you're hungry?" she questioned. "I really don't want to get in trouble!" she added, looking a bit stressed out.

--

Art smiled. Good thing he had decided to stay, because it looked like things just got interesting again. He didn't think the boy would try taking this many items, but it was amusing to watch and he noticed how easily confused the Ocelot became. He made a mental note to be careful of that once the time came to approach her himself. For now he was going to watch and see how this played out, expecting the rat boy to come up with another clever response that would easily calm down the feline girl again and perhaps even gain him some assistance.

--

The muskrat tried to adjust his load of fruits and other things, "Well, I got pets that gotta eat, too, and they can't come in here. And 'sides. Keeper makes me study in my room and sometimes I can't come get stuff to eat, then. He makes me stay 'till all the book stuff is done and sometimes I get really hungry, but I can't come in here 'cause I'm not done with my book stuff. So if I have some in my room, then I can do my book stuff and still get food, too."

It made perfect sense to him, so it should be okay with her, too. If he couldn't leave his room to get food, then he could get sick from not eating. Well, usually Keeper only made him stay in there for a little bit, but still! That was enough to make his tummy mad at him for not having food and that just wasn't good.

--

Ocelot considered his words. Didn't the Keeper provide food for his pets? She had expected they would, but perhaps it made sense that they didn't. They were his pets, not his Keepers, so providing their food may very well be part of his lessons. It was a pretty good way to teach a child responsibility, she reckoned, and she was sure the Keeper would step in if a child neglected its pet. This muskrat boy was quite mature for his age and clever too! She never gave things much thought, mostly just accepted whatever it was they taught her, but he seemed to come up with very smart things on his own and she admired the quality. "That makes sense I suppose. Should I help you carry them?" she offered politely.

--

Art noticed it took her a bit longer to reply this time, but he couldn't spy a trace of doubt on her face. He wasn't sure what went on in her mind, he hadn't observed her quite long enough yet to make accurate guesses, but her reply went along with the boy easy enough so he didn't think there was anything to worry about. However, if he was judging the situation correctly they were wrapping things up in here which meant they would be heading back out the door soon. Art decided he knew enough about her for now and this was his cue to get out before they noticed him and his plan would be ruined completely. He would be seeking her out again soon enough. Peaking back over his shoulder once more to make sure they didn't spot him as he made his exit, the boy slipped right out the door again to return to his own room where he could have some peace and quiet to think over the encounter and decide what steps to take next.

--

Rat's ear flicked slightly when he heard someone moving not too far from them. He didn't want to get caught and get in trouble and stuff, but he wanted to get the snacks back to his room. Sobek and Wadjet were there waiting for him, anyway, and he had to go see if they made a mess. He'd probably get in more trouble for leaving them alone to make a mess than sneaking out to get snacks.

He shook his head a little, wrapping the hem of his smock around the foods. That would work like a good basket. "I can carry 'em. It's okay. I think I got enough for Sobek and Wadjet and I won't get in trouble for going to get food when Keeper wants me studying."

The boy nodded at that. It seemed to make sense, so he started back to his room. "You should come, too, though, 'cause I can't open the doors with all the carrying..."

---

Ocelot readily greed with him and they left the cafeteria. They made their way back to the dorms, slowly because of all the food Rat was carrying. They said goodbye at the doorway of Rat's room and parted ways with plans to meet up again in the future. Happy to have made a new friend, Ocelot went back to her own room and thus came an end to their little adventure for now. But little did she know, Ocelot's story was just about to begin...