AN: This is the first answer to the Cartoon Challenge over on livejournal in SentinelThurs.
Title: Seeing Things
By Marns AKA Bumpkin
Rated PG (or utterly silly)
Gen
(Wordcount: 600)
Jim stared in fascinated horror at the sleek black form prowling towards him. Now the horror he was feeling wasn't due to what was coming his way - he was no stranger to seeing a black panther in odd settings - no, the horror was because this particular version of the apparition seemed to be visible to more than just him. It apparently was visible to all and sundry, as was evidenced by the panicked screams and mass exodus as people ran to get out of it's way. Of course none of the tumult and furor it was causing seemed to bother the approaching beast, it's eyes were locked with Jim's and nothing was shaking that piercing gaze. Or it's implacable advance. Then Jim caught sight of three forms cutting through the fleeing rabble with his peripheral vision, two young men and a - bear? What the hell?
Jim was feeling hopelessly confused. He had no idea what was going on, but he hoped things might be cleared up soon as one of the approaching males was his partner, Blair. But it turned out Blair's help wasn't needed after all though, because just as Blair had skidded to a stop beside Jim the other young man had skidded to a stop himself. His goal obvious as he flung his arms around the neck of the large black cat while he said crossly,
"Bagheera, what has gotten into you? Why did you take off like that?"
The bear had managed by this time to also reach the panther's side and he reached out and bopped the panther on the head with one of his large plate-like paws. That's when things got surreal for Jim and Blair, even as inured to the weird as they were simply because of who and what they were.
The bear spoke and the panther answered him!
"Bagheera, you old sour puss, just what did you think you were doing?"
The cat, Bagheera, finally seemed to be able to turn away from Jim and looked at his 'friends'?
"Baloo? Mowgli? What are you two doing here?
He sat down and curled his tail around his forepaws attempting to look regal, but still only looking abashed.
"Looking for you Bagheera, you just disappeared on us. This was supposed to be a 'family' vacation." Mowgli said with exasperation.
The large grey bear scratched unselfconsciously at his hindquarters and looked around. He broke into the scolding session by asking the two dumbfounded Cascade cops in front of him,
"Hey, uh... is there some place in this here man-village where we can hang out, you know... get a bite to eat? Without causing any more of a fuss, cause you know, fuss like this is just plumb bad for the digestion."
Jim and Blair were at a loss, but still somehow managed to give directions to a market Mowgli could go into to bring food back out for his friends. Then still feeling dumbfounded and shell-shocked they watched the strange trio walk away.
The trio's conversation floated back to them where they stood, "Baggy ol' buddy, what had you so interested that you ditched us to go into the man village like that?"
"That man, the tall one with no fur, he had this familial feel about him, felt almost 'catty' if you will."
The bear guffawed, "'Catty', oh Bagheera, Bagheera... we just can't take you out of the jungle can we? Next thing you know you'll be saying the one with the curly fur is really one of the wolf-brothers in a man's body."
"We-e-ell, now that you mention it…"
-end-