Mary Sue - Coming Home

Chapter 9 - The Feline Felons

"Holy shit!" exclaimed Liara as they walked along the red gravel road toward the OATS. Liara didn't often swear, so the Band was mildly taken aback. She had run off the dirt into the uncut grass toward a colorful object. A toy.

The others soon joined her. She held the doll carefully and with trembling hands. "Marquisse Coldly," she whispered with wonder.

Marquise Coldly was a character from a book series the Band had been obsessed with. It was called the Feline Felons, or FF. In middle school, just as their varying interests, backgrounds, and schedules had been threatening to tear them apart, the Feline Felons book series came out, and the four of them, being some of the only middle schoolers in the district who read for pleasure, were dragged kicking and screaming for the ride of their lives.

The Feline Felons delivered a Robin Hood style story that allowed the kids to see themselves in the characters. Dogs controlled everything in the FF world, and only through stealth, crime, and occasional violence could cats succeed. Later spin-off series confirmed that not all dogs were bad, but that was a good six books in. The FF series was many popular ideas mashed together, but somehow caught the exact zeitgeist to allow the Band of Four to see themselves in the cat heroes.

Perhaps the most successful part of the feline felons series was the fact that the type of cat you were represented the type of person you were. As cats don't have breeds, they simply used fur patterns as designation, including tabbies, tuxedos, calicos, and points. Of course everyone in the band had a different designation which was perfect. Liara was a Tuxedo (clever and methodical, but sometimes cold), and Marquise Coldly was her character.

The doll she now held was part of a series of limited release toys that no one in the Band could have afforded (except perhaps Amelia, who didn't get them out of solidarity). These represented the upward bounds of their ideas of richness, and here was a doll lying out in the dry grass.

There was a rustle from further out, nearer to the small copse of trees. There was another spot of color. "It couldn't be, right?" said Reina. But the Band, save Liara, still clutching the expertly-made Marquise Coldly, moved toward the colorful bundle.

Amelia snatched it up. "Duke Snidely," she exclaimed. Snidely was the villain of the early series, before it was demonstrated that he had a heart of gold at the end of book 3. Amelia, who had suffered in silence as his unforgivable actions had occurred the first three books (even though she identified with him), listened to the others disparage him. But he'd always had a plan, was always right.

Reina was already searching for the next doll in the grass ahead when Destiny said, "This is all a little convenient, right?" but he too looked ahead.

Liara approached from behind, her arms full of the Marquise doll. "You're right, Dusty," she said, her voice cautious, but filled with emotion. "If there's a windowless van at the end of this, I think we should demand proof of puppies before we get in."

Amelia laughed, but Reina was occupied, she'd already found another doll: Prince Boldly, dressed in bright colors and every bit the hero Reina longed to be. Prince Boldly never felt doubt or was forbidden from doing the things he wanted. Prince Boldly was courageous and always on the side of good. Dusty shook his head, though he knew there was a fourth doll out there.

The Band had been steadily approaching the small collection of trees and within were more toys, though of course Baroness Patiently sat in a place of honor. The toys were arranged as if they were paying homage to something, as if they were holding court. There was an eerie stillness, as though the ever present wind and the buzzing of autumn bugs had taken a moment, were holding their breath.

As Destiny approached, the others in a tight group behind him, his eyes looked past Baroness Patiently to the other side of the heap of toys. In the surprisingly deep shadows cast by the trees in the late afternoon lay what looked like a naked teenage girl.