*Flip*
…
“Hmm…”
…
*Flip*
Puro hums as he flips over some pages of his book, resting on his favourite beanbag.
‘This is a good book for Panther to read.’ Puro thinks to himself.
‘AFTER Puro finishes reading it.’ Puro quickly adds in.
Truth be told, Puro feels happy to be home, back in his territory with all of his books intact and the fox still lazing around, and his little orange tree still as healthy as ever.
Not only that, but he has a new friend now! A panther with glowing green marks, an unusual trait for a latex but no less welcoming. Puro is aware that the panther’s name is Neon, but he also likes the idea of referring to her as ‘Panther’.
Back in the aquarium, Puro still couldn’t believe that he heard telepathy from Neon herself, something he had thought to be impossible…and yet somehow…she did.
Puro understands Neon’s strange powers are something that she struggles to control herself, she even blames herself for the conflict between him and Human. He knew it wasn’t her fault, despite the fact he struggles to understand the situation himself.
Afterwards, Puro saw Neon as a lost latex who just wanted to have a friend…and Puro…a lonely latex…identified with that. Ever since then, Puro has taken Neon under his wing and brought her to his home, in hopes to establish some communication with her. Puro decided the best way to communicate was to speak, and the best way to learn? Reading books.
It was difficult at first, communicating to her via gestures to suggest his idea to her but she managed to understand and thus began her journey of learning how to talk.
Unfortunately, Puro quickly realized that the book he was providing was a wee bit too much for Neon to handle. He then resorted to smaller and simpler books, trying to guide her along the way. Luckily, Puro still had an education programme designed to help teach users how to speak, he no longer had any need to use the thing since he already learned how to talk, but Neon could benefit so much from it.
After inserting the disk (along with a few trial and errors to get the programme working), Puro introduced Neon to the strange talking orange, who registered Neon as its new user and began teaching her how to speak.
At first, Neon was terrified of the talking digital orange…but after some encouragement and assurance, Puro managed to get Neon to warm up to it.
‘Neon is doing so well!’ Puro thought to himself.
Sure, Neon still had a long way to go…but hearing Neon speak a new word always brought joy to the black wolf.
Despite all of this…there is still something that troubles him to this day…the very words that Human yelled out to him.
“YOU KILLED HIM!”
What…what does Human mean by that? Was everything he said true? Did he really partake in killing his brother? Everything about it strikes him as odd…it just doesn’t make sense! Puro would NEVER have done such a thing, would he??
‘That’s not Puro…Puro is a good latex! A good latex wolf!’ Puro assures himself, trying to read his book.
Yet the Human’s recollection…the strange behaviour of his kin back in the nest…the Elder’s refusal to entertain his questions about the past…it all points to him being a killer…but is it really true?
The very thought gives Puro heartache.
‘Did Puro really do it?’
Puro recalls something about his latex kin, supposedly whenever a latex assimilates a human host, they gain strength and power…becoming stronger than the average latex. From what he can tell, he is a lot stronger than the other black latex wolves…not to mention that time he didn’t even break a sweat fighting those mean latexes from the aquarium.
All of this meant that Puro must have assimilated a human…there is little else a latex can do to gain strength without resorting to fusing with other latexes.
‘Maybe Human’s words have some truth in them…’ Puro thinks with a whimper.
Unable to focus on the page he is reading, Puro closes the book, leaning back onto his beanbag…gazing at the ceiling…his worst fears seemingly coming true…
‘What should Puro do…?’
He doesn’t know…he just doesn’t know anymore…
He just wants that last chance…one more chance to see Human again…to set things right…that one chance to reclaim that friendship he treasures so much.
…
*Swoosh*
And perhaps…that chance might’ve come sooner than he expected…
----------------------------------------
Stepping into the main library, you find yourself feeling a stronger sense of nostalgia, recalling the events that lead you here to the library for the first time. The white wolf, the cat, the black latex wolves and dragons…even the Elder himself…it feels strange how you view the latexes now compared to when you first met them.
You were so terrified…but now? Honestly they weren’t as bad as you initially made them out to be, funny how much waking up misplaced with no memories could change a person.
You recall your first meeting with Hunter and Scar, when you were first transfurred by them. It was just as scary when you were first transfurred by that cat, you knew nothing back then. So much has changed in just a few days.
Stepping onto the carpet floor, you gaze upon the shelves of books with a few overgrown trees, recalling the events of your time at the library. Neon places a paw on your shoulder, grabbing your attention.
‘Wolf is this way.’
You nod in acknowledgement, heading towards the heart of the library, leaning forward…peering from behind the bookshelf…to see Puro himself. Puro is currently lying his back on the beanbag, with a book discarded not too far from him…doesn’t seem like he is in the mood to read.
You see the conflict, the guilt and a sense of displacement…a latex wolf who doesn’t know what to do anymore.
But then, at the corner of his eye, he spots you.
Leaning up from his beanbag, you can see his eyes widen…
*FLOOF*
His fur puffs out, his tail wagging slowly almost as if he seems…hopeful.
“Human? Is that really you?”
This is it…it’s now or never.
“Yeah…it’s me.”
The second you say those words, you can see a small spark in his eyes.
“H-human, you came back…you really came back. Puro thought he would never see his human friend again! P-Puro wanted to…Puro doesn’t even know what to say. Puro is troubled about what you said back in the aquarium.”
You want to stay close to the bookshelf, but Neon gently nudges you, giving you an assuring smile. With Neon’s support, you step out from the bookshelf, preparing yourself to meet Puro face to face.
Puro twiddles his paws, seemingly nervous or uncertain about something.
“Human, Puro has to know…was everything that you said back at the aquarium true? D-did Puro really assimilate Human’s own brother?” Puro asks, tears threatening to break through his eyes.
“I-It bothers Puro so much! Puro always wanted to be a good latex wolf! But the thought about it scares Puro! Human…are you sure it is exactly what you remembered? And please tell the truth…Puro must know…” Puro whimpers, his ears drooping backwards against his head.
You grit your teeth, uncertain if you should tell him the truth…
“You really don’t remember anything Puro?”
“About what?”
“Your past.”
“Human…no matter what Puro does…Puro will never be able to recall his past…it is forever lost to Puro…the Elder is sure of that…does this mean that I…?”
You struggle to come up with the words, but the silence is all Puro needs to know, slowly whimpering in despair.
“Oh…”
Puro quietly whines in guilt, tears starting to drip from his eyes. You feel guilty for letting Puro cry like that, struggling to say something to calm him down. Thankfully Neon comes and sits by your side, giving you the motivation you need to speak up.
“Puro…”
“H-human…Puro is so sorry! Puro isn’t like that! He is not like that! Puro is not that bad wolf! Puro is a good wolf! What happened at the aquarium was an accident! Puro didn’t want to hurt you! Puro didn’t want to assimilate you! It was all by mistake!” Puro cries out, his large tail curling in front of him.
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“Puro wait-”
“Puro is a good wolf! Puro swears it! Puro doesn’t know why he would do such a thing but Puro is-”
“Puro!” You say more firmly, placing a hand on his knees to grab his attention.
“Please calm down…let me explain…You are not a bad latex. There is actually more to it than we thought.”
Puro calms down slightly, still sniffling as he tries to dry his tears.
“Human? W-what do you mean?”
“I…*Sigh* Where do I even begin?” you lean back in thought as you try to get your thoughts together.
“It turns out back then…back before the riot, before we were frozen in the stasis pod. It turned out that we were good friends back then.”
Puro blinks in surprise.
“Human and Puro…were friends? Already?”
“I’m just as surprised as you are.”
“B-but if we were friends why would Puro do these horrible things? I still don’t understand…” Puro whimpers.
“It was a…complicated situation. It was a tough call you made back then. I remembered that I was with my brother back in the riot, but he got… scratched in the process. We both knew that he got infected but I insisted on finding Dr K to help cure him. Unfortunately, we were on the clock since we had to both avoid the rampaging latexes and the gas that was slowly covering the institute.”
“You knew?”
“I wanted to give him a chance…it didn’t sit right with me when my brother had a chance to survive, however small it might have been. We eventually had to hide in the maintenance tunnels, trying to figure out our next move, but we ran out of time. My brother was about to infect me as well…but you came by…you knew the situation and had to put a stop to it. You saved my life…”
“Human…”
“I was so upset when you did it, I wanted nothing but to get away from you but you still came and protected me, stopping a latex when it had me cornered. You tried to convince me to let you help me, but I was just so mad at you…hurt even. I said some things that I…regret now, saying that I should’ve never been your friend.”
Puro looks down, his ears following the conversation closely.
“You were so hurt, but I just didn’t care at that point. I wanted to get out there and survive the riot on my own, but you stopped me from doing so. You said that you made a promise to my brother…a promise that you would keep me safe, even if it meant sacrificing our friendship. You then transfurred me…to keep me safe from myself. I remember feeling sad the moment before I blacked out.” A small tear starts to leak from your own, feeling guilty of being ungrateful…however bitter it may be.
“But…at the aquarium…Puro could have hurt you…”
You pause to give it some thought recalling the events from both the aquarium and your memory from the riot.
“Actually…maybe not…When you were transfurring me back at the aquarium, it felt a lot… if not exactly like when you transfurred me back during the riot.”
Puro looks up to you, bringing his paws in front of him, examining them to give them some thought.
“Human…back at the aquarium…when we first fought. Puro had felt a sudden rush, as though Puro’s instincts had taken hold of Puro, telling him what to do. Puro felt the urge to act, to hurry…to stop you. It’s not like Puro had any malicious intent but Puro felt desperate, hurt even…do…do you think Puro did it…because he wanted to stop you from hurting yourself? Just like you described from your memory?”
You recall the first time you met Puro…how shy he was during your first encounter with you, how much he wanted to support you and comfort you…how he tried to save you from Trixie when she still was obsessed. How he promises that he will not be a bad latex wolf, his desire to be the best that he can be.
…
…
“Yeah…I guess so.”
Puro’s eyes snap open, his tail slowly wagging…hope uplifting him.
“Really Human? Are you certain that Puro is a good latex? Do you think Human and Puro can be friends again?”
You nod.
Puro’s starts to lightly cry…not in despair…but in relief…happy to be given another chance.
“Human…thank you…thank you for giving this lonely wolf another chance. Puro promises that he will be the best wolf he can be. Puro promises to be a good friend to Human!”
Seeing Puro in much better spirits brings you a sense of relief, a sense of weight being lifted from the shoulders by the guilt of hating him.
“Well human, what do we do now? If Puro recalls correctly, Human wants to leave the institute, does Human still want to do that?”
You bit your lip, recalling your insecurity about leaving the institute.
“I’m still thinking about it. Why?”
“Well Puro has been thinking. Maybe it might not be such a great idea to leave the institute after all.”
This did not slip past you.
“Why not?”
“I mean, as exciting as it seems to go outside the institute. Puro realizes that he doesn’t actually know what he would do if he were to get out. Where should we go? What should we do? We don’t know what to do, even Panther is terrified of leaving the institute. She didn’t even know what a book was! Do you know how much that terrified Puro??”
You look up to see Neon, her glowing green marks glowing slightly.
‘Library safe. Latexes here are different, more interesting than in the jungle. Outside world seems lonely.’
“Human, Puro is thinking that maybe Human can live here with us? Human, Puro and panther!”
“Live here with you guys?”
“Yes! Think about it, Human. What would Human do when he gets outside? It might be lonely and scary out there, not to mention there are feral and dangerous latexes. Isn’t it safer for Human to stay here rather than go out there? Human seems to be making friends with the latexes here. Like the spider guardian! And that leaf dragon! Latexes here seem fond of Human. Sure there are some mean ones but there are some who are nice! Like Puro and Panther!”
“I, I don’t know-”
“And human-”
Puro speaks up, his ears showing worry and concern as his ears flop backwards.
“Puro is scared of losing Human. What happens if Human gets caught by a feral latex? Human might disappear forever, never to be seen again. If something were to happen to Human, it would break Puro’s heart.” Puro says with a whimper.
‘Wolf told Neon about evil latexes. Neon doesn’t want to lose special friend to evil latexes.’
Listening to Puro’s suggestion, you take the time to ponder.
Puro is right about the feral latexes and Dr K made it very clear how easy it is for one to assimilate a human, barely requiring any effort. All they need is something simple as one scratch. If you get caught by one, no one would come to save you. You would be lost to them forever.
You recall how quickly you had been transfurred from the day you stepped out of the stasis pod. Even if that tabby Ming didn’t get you, the black latex wolves or dragons would have. Even if you somehow got past them, you would be still far from done, you had been transfurred so many times…if they were a feral latex, you would be long dead by now.
The only reason you are still here is because they can’t assimilate you. In fact they even talk and behave like a real person, would a feral latex do that? Unlikely. Not only that, you can find safety in the walls of the institute with latexes like Puro, Neon, Weaver and Leevo and many other latexes you have met along on your journey.
And there is Trixie, the snow leopard that you have a complex relationship with. It's not that you hate her, far from it actually, she is Ellie afterall.
‘Man I’m really glad I had that talk with Dr. K and Teyla.’
There is also the matter of confronting your own parents…even if you can ‘call’ them as your parents. You are just not so sure about seeing them right now but at the same time you can’t just leave them here. Considering what Teyla said they could very well recognise you and possibly be searching for you.
‘I am not looking forward to it… for now.’
Perhaps one day you could confront them about it but definitely not now, you still have plenty of memories you need to remember.
And lastly, there is no real rush in going outside the institute. Why leave in a hurry? You have all the time in the world and a lot of catching up to do, especially with Dr. K and with Puro or ‘Purziko’ as you recall by his original name.
With all of that being said, Puro’s suggestion doesn’t seem like such a bad idea after all.
“You know Puro? You’re right. There is no rush for me to leave the institute.”
“H-human is staying?” Puro asks, his eyes sparkling with joy and hope.
‘Human friend staying?’ Neon’s telepathic voice rings out in your mind.
“Yeah, there is no point for me to leave th-”
“YES!”
Puro lets out a heartfelt cry, startling you and Neon.
“Human! Puro is glad you felt the same way! Hey! Maybe Human can help Puro teach Panther how to read and speak?”
“W-what??”
“Human can speak just like Puro! Human can help Panther learn to speak!”
“But I don’t know how to teach!”
“But Human can speak like a human!”
“That’s because I am human!”
“Exactly!”
“But that doesn’t mean I can teach!”
“But Human is a natural!”
“Puro! That is not how-!”
You and Puro playfully argue while Neon watches you both bicker, her glowing green patterns glow warmly.
‘Wolf and human friends again.’
----------------------------------------
‘Some things never change.’ Dr K thinks as he watches through the monitor, its feed displaying Colin and Puro having a friendly talk.
Dr. K pulls away from the monitor, reaching into a drawer by his desk to pull out a book. Flipping over to a blank page, he takes out a pen and starts to write:
Entry 198:
An unexpected development after my last entry.
Despite what seems to be an unlikely event, I had recently discovered that one of the Institute residents ‘Colin’ had survived the riot.
It turns out that Colin was stuck in a stasis pod for the last three years and it was by chance that he was released via emergency protocol (It turns out one of the pups had chewed a wire that was connected to the stasis chamber).
While he is still human, unfortunately he lost most, if not all of his memories. Although he is making a steady recovery he had a rather rough meeting with the ‘locals’ of the institute. Not only that I had discovered that even Purziko is alive, just renamed as Puro (I still haven’t forgiven myself for not noticing that sooner).
Like Colin, Puro too has lost all of his memories and he doesn’t seem to recall anything at all and Colin remembers having a rough history with him. He recalls when Puro is forced to assimilate his own brother for his own safety.
Colin was firmly aware of the danger his brother poses to him of being infected and assimilated, he naturally wanted his brother’s survival.
After some time, he talked to me about it and decided to confront Puro about this matter. Although he still doesn’t recall anything he still felt genuine guilt about it, right now as of writing this entry they seem to rekindle their friendship just like before.
Dr K pauses in thought, contemplating before continuing:
Sarah has yet to hear the good news about Colin, I’m sure she will be delighted to hear that her ‘assistant’ had survived the riot. I am not sure when she will return from her expedition but I’m not worried.
According to the footage, he doesn’t seem keen on leaving the institute, preferring the company of the latexes despite how odd they may seem to him. Perhaps he has grown to like these strange creatures, he does seem curious about them as they are to him.
A fascinating development.
A human being woken up with no memory in a building with goo-animals everywhere. It’s probably a good thing that he loves animals.
I will post further updates on Colin’s recovery and interactions.
And with the final stroke of the pen, Dr. K closes the book, resuming his watch on the monitors as he sees Colin reading a book with Puro and a panther latex, seemingly guiding her on how to read.
‘Welcome back Colin.’
The End.