Delusional Devotion

Chapter 1: Cat's Cradle

In a world where monsters of various shapes and sizes lived unconfined and feared by humans, it was only a matter of time before some brave or foolish soul would try to research these monstrous creatures. Wallace Darrell was one such scientist, a man who had been driven purely by curiosity and idle fascination. He'd been warned not to go deep into the forest where the monsters recited, yet the young man did not heed these warnings. He lived in a house just outside that forest, no one could say he wasn't a devoted man, but the people did deem him foolish. Everyday he would venture into that forest, and everyday his appearance would change with the horror he witnessed inside. Bright blue eyes lacking their luster, a youthful face slowly aging with stress, neat black curls growing longer and messier over time, he truly hadn't been prepared to face the monsters within.

Yet, he continued onwards, too stubborn and too intrigued to stop in his work, believing he had already come too far to give up now. Even as he ventured deep into the deepest part of the forest, he did not falter in his mission to learn as much about the monsters that inhabited those woods. Yet nothing could have ever truly prepared Wallace for what fate would throw at him one faithful day. It was no different from any other for Wallace, as he wandered the forest with a notebook and a lantern to find his way. Yet, he could not help be taken off guard by the sleeping form of a cat with dark blue fur, a cat that towered over him even as it laid curled up and sleeping. Wallace took in every detail of the cat creature with interest, noting the light gray ears and the small chunk missing in its left ear, the patchwork vest of all different colors that didn't seem to serve much purpose, yet what truly caught his attention was the monstrous feline's tail. The tail was long and bulged in the center, yet this was not the area of Wallace focus, but rather the way the monsters tail ended in a sharp, hook-like shape, and was shackled down to a canon ball by a chain. "Was this creature imprisoned here?" Wallace briefly thought, but dismissed this line of thought quickly, as who in their right mind would think to try and contain such a large beast?

"You shouldn't wake him up" a woman's voice spoke from behind the monster, giving Wallace a momentary fright as he warily looked for the source of this voice. "Noah doesn't really like being woken up when he's tired, he is a cat after all" the voice giggles, as it seemed to grow closer. By the sweet and friendly tone the voice had given, he did not expect the sight he'd receive as she come into view. From behind the feline a woman approached, or rather a monster with an almost human-like appearance. Her long messy hair was an unnaturally bright red, her skin a much more muted shade, her left arm held no hand but instead a large blade. Her right eye was scratched out with only animalistic claw marks in its wake, while here left seemed to be but a black heart shaped socket with a small red heart shaped pupil. The monster wore a long black dress with multiple colors of hearts at the end of the skirt and sleeves, with stockings that matched and bright red shoes, though at the center of her dress was a dark red bleeding heart with an arrow through it.

Wallace was naturally wary of this creature, as despite her rosy cheeks and bright smile, she still could be a great threat. "Please don't hold anything Noah does against him, he tries his best not to hurt people, but he's still a kitten so he's still learning to control his animalistic urges" the monster explained, using her hand to gently pet the felines head. Something about that sentence only made Wallace more uneasy, not only was this creature unable to resist its violent tendencies, but it was still young, meaning it would only grow bigger over time. "Please don't be scared sir, Noah has a bit of a grumpy face, but he's actually very nice in his own way" the female monster attempts to assure him, though has done little to comfort him in that she herself is not dangerous. "By Noah...I take it that you mean the large cat that you seem quite fond of?" Wallace inquired to the monster, her high pitched giggle was sweet and almost melodic as she nodded her head, "of course, and my name is Clare, it's quite nice to meet you sir" the monster known as Clare introduced. "Wallace Darrell, the pleasure is all mine" Wallace introduced himself, purely out of curtesy, yet he couldn't deny that he was pleasantly surprised by how welcoming the monster seemed, a breath of fresh air when compared to his previous experiences.

The monstrous feline known as Noah gradually stirred, his eyes opening slowly and his slit pupils immediately focused on Wallace. The cat unleashed its many claws, easy to strike at any given moment, and Wallace felt his face pale, believing that this was where his story would end. "Noah it's ok! He's a friendly human" Clare suddenly calls out to him, the feline momentarily seeming surprised, before regaining his neutral expression as he retracts his razor sharp claws. "If you say so Clare" Noah says dismissively, his voice sounding much younger and softer than what Wallace expected from such a large beast. "What brings you to this place, not many humans are foolish enough to venture this far" Noah asked, looking down at Wallace, Clare laying atop one of Noah's paws and looking at Wallace with interest. "I am a researcher, and I conduct research on monsters in order to better understand them...I must admit, you are the first two I've ever...spoken to" he explains, taking note of the intrigue that seems to light up in Clare's eye. "Well you're free to do whatever research you would like with us!" Clare says with an excited giggle, not seeming the least bit worried. "Clare, we don't know what this guy will do, I'm not doing this" Noah disagrees, being much more skeptical of Wallace than his dear friend. "My research is completely safe and harmless...since you're both able to talk, I'd just like to ask a few questions" Wallace tries to assure, yet Noah turns his head in disinterest. "Come on Noah, it could be fun! Please?" Clare pestered, earning a sigh and small nod from the giant feline, Wallace taking notice of how easily she seemed to be able to convince him.

As he would question them, he would notice how Clare's much more bubbly and friendly attitude seemed to pry Noah out of his shell, something he saw great potential in helping with his research in the future. Perhaps with someone who had a more approachable nature than himself, he would be better equipped to acquire the research he was hoping for. "Clare...have you ever considered living among humans?" Wallace asked her, the humanoid monster seeming taken by surprise by such a question. "Not at all, I imagine humans would be quite terrified of me despite looking somewhat human like" Clare answered hun honestly. "Well, I'd like to make you an offer, if you will assist me in my research, then you will be able to live worry free among humans, and everyday will be adventurous" Wallace pitched. Clare seemed to consider it, yet still seemed hesitant as she looked at Noah. "I'll be alright Clare, you should take this opportunity" Noah assured his dear friend, gently nudging Clare in front of Wallace with his large paw. Clare stared at Wallace outstretched hand for a moment, but with little hesitation, shook his hand and nodded with a bright smile across her face. Thus, their partnership began.