Act 1, Scene 3: Something With Cats and Dogs

Setting: Zoe's apartment. It's nice. Bright. Colorful. She's got a big comfy bed. Living Room and kitchen are combined into one room, American style. Lots of photos of herself and her friends pinned to the fridge. A "red umbrella fund" poster. Two framed pictures on the wall. A table [2, 2nd] with cat grass and some oopsies. A webcam with a big ring light is mounted on the laptop. There's a small bathroom next door [1]. Another door [7] leads to the outside.
Stage setupNameComment
Backdrop
Left: Apartment
Middle: Apartment
Right: Apartment
On 2nd rail
bed[5, 2nd] with 2 cushions and a plushie
laptop2ndVoice
On playrail
table[2, 2nd] a plant and oopsies on top
webcam2ndVoice
Hand props & personal props
bandageRangarigon Robin
handkerchiefAiko
Ooopsieso'wolfthings Zoe can push off the edge when she is bored (on the table)
Special effects
PreRec
Voice:
RoleActorHandsVoicePuppetCostume
ZoePano'wolf, Luno, FyxZoe
RyanLynardKayjayRyan
RobinEisfuchsReesaSilverclaw2 blood patches
PartTime
Intro**00:00 **
Dialogue**00:00 **
**Scene Total****00:00 **

TECH PREROLL [EMOJI_TOILET_ROLL]

%LIG% LX-0099 Work Light OFF (Static Playbacks)

%LIG% LX-1300 STANDBY for GO:

%MIX% Check Levels
%MIX% Unmute Desk

%MIX% Puppeteer1: ON


%ATT% STBY Stage left [1, off]: Ryan

%ATT% STBY Stage right [7, off]: Robin

%ATT% Zoe on the bed in [5, 2nd]

DIALOG

%AMB% AMB-1301 - Boring Room Tone

%MUS% MUS-1301 - Music Cue 01

%HND% Curtain - open

%LIG% LX-1301 Lights on, warm white CTO, incandescent lamp

%ACT% Zoe is sitting on the bed [5,2nd], working at her laptop

%SND% SND-1301 - Sound of a hair dryer, then gets switched off

%ACT% Ryan comes in from the bathroom [1], all fluffy

Ryan: "Oh! You're awake! I thought you'd never get up."

Zoe: "Cats can sleep up to 18 hours per day!"

Ryan: "Seriously?"

Zoe (laughs): "Well, wouldn't you, if you could?"

Ryan: "Totally. If only my back would let me."

%SND% SND-1302 - Bones Cracking

%ACT% Ryan stretches and his bones crackle and pop

Zoe: "You didn't have to sleep on the floor. There's plenty of space for two in my bed. And the mattress is the most expensive thing I own!"

%MUS% MUS-1302 - Music Cue 02

Ryan: "You are one needy kitty!"

Zoe: "Seriously, I thought you liked cats!"

Ryan: "I do! Like, really. But ... we barely know each other."

Zoe: "Since when is that an excuse for a dog?"

Ryan: "I also thought the last thing you need after last night is a smelly old wolf drooling on your pillow."

%ACT% Zoe laughs

%ACT% Zoe sticks her cold nose right under Ryan's armpit

%ACT% Ryan eeks!

%ACT% Zoe sniffsniffsniffs

Zoe: "Now that you are showered, you actually smell quite nice."

Ryan: "Twice even. And I used the cat shampoo."

Zoe: "It'll make your fur allll shiny and fluffy."

%ACT% Zoe purrs, and cuddle rubs against Ryan, again running her paw through his chest fluff.

%ACT% Ryan can't resist that show of affection, but still doesn't feel like he deserves it

%ACT% Ryan leans into Zoe, and then casually pushes her back at arms length, looking her straight in the face

%MUS% MUS-1303 - Music Cue 03

Ryan: "You're cute. And I'm glad I was there to help when you needed it. But I'm afraid it's time for me to move on."

Zoe: "Where to?"

Ryan: "I don't know. I came back here to figure something out but I think that was a mistake."

Zoe: "Ohhh, so you are from here!"

%ACT% Ryan gulps

Ryan: "Oh, uh ... that was a while ago. A lifetime ago."

Zoe (giggles): "You look like I just asked you to marry me. Why is the big brave wolf suddenly so shy?"

%MUS% MUS-1304 - Music Cue 04

Ryan: "I burned through my monthly allowance of courage yesterday."

Zoe: "What made you do it?"

Ryan: "The screaming injustice. Fucking cop thinks he's untouchable. He was about to rape you. I couldn't just stand there and watch. I bet everything on my privilege as a member of the canine master race. And it was scary how well that worked."

%MUS% MUS-1305 - Music Cue 05

Zoe: "Aww, and here I thought you did it for me!"

Ryan: "Eh ... uhm ..."

%ACT% Zoe snorts

Ryan: "Damn, Zoe, stop steamrolling me like that!"

Zoe: "You're just a very hard nut to crack. What you did was amazing, I'm forever in your debt, you can trust me!"

Ryan: "I do."

Zoe: "So did staring at my fluffy naked ass have at least a little bit to do with it?"

%ACT% Zoe shoves her ass towards him and slaps it.

%ACT% Ryan gulps and stares longingly at the lovely ass in front of him while retreating towards [1]

Ryan: "Uh ... the ... the screaming injustice!"

%MUS% MUS-1306 - Music Cue 06

%ACT% Zoe sees him edging toward the door, so she changes the topic to distract him

Zoe: "So why did you leave?"

Ryan: "A series of bad choices and a nasty breakup. Getting fired helped."

Zoe: "Your job?"

Ryan: "Yeah. Used to work security. Got tired of the abuse and politics." 

Zoe: "Damn! That sounds rough!"

Ryan: "So what's *your* deal?"

Zoe: "Robin found me after MY series of bad choices. Now I've got the best job in Cat City. I live here for free and I get to keep the tips."

Ryan: "Any ambitions for the future?"

Zoe: "Yeah, sure! It would be great to dance on a bigger stage one day. When they let cats perform legit. When pigs fly. For now at least I do what I love. And Robin does an amazing job keeping everyone together."

Ryan: "Judging from last night, that's not an easy job."

Zoe: "Oh hell no. The city's trying everything to drive us out of here. If we don't put up a fight it's going to be the end of our neighborhood."

%MUS% MUS-1307 - Music Cue 07

Ryan: "It's always the same story, isn't it?"

Zoe: "That's why I had hoped you could stay for a while. Those cops will be back. With weaponized bureaucrats in tow. We could really use a canine like you on the team right now. You get it. And you're not just a dog, you're a motherfucking wolf! What you say matters."

%MUS% MUS-1308 - Music Cue 08

Ryan: "I don't think it's that easy ..."

Zoe: "Robin said she needs help at the bar anyway. You can stay here at my place. Maybe just for a while, to see how things work out? And again, no need to sleep on the floor. Cuddles are included for free."

%MUS% MUS-1309 - Music Cue 09

Ryan: "The way you say this makes me feel like a freeloader. Won't I be taking space away from your ... paying customers?"

Zoe: "I don't have THAT kind of customers. The only thing I do from time to time is a bit of camming for my online fans. But since Robin came up with the scratching-post-and-cat-toys routine, the work at the bar has been paying well enough, so I only do it when I feel like it."

Ryan: "Doesn't the whole striptease thing feel, like, super degrading?"

Zoe: "No, actually it's super empowering. That stage is my kingdom, and I decide where people keep their dirty paws."

%SND% SND-1303 - The door buzzer rings frenetically

Zoe: "What the hell?"

%MUS% MUS-1310 - Music Cue 10

%ACT% Zoe walks to the door in [7] and opens

%SND% SND-1304 - The door opens

%ACT% Robin barges in, crying. Her fur is all ruffled up, and there's still blood on her face. 

Zoe: "Oh my god! Robin! What has happened to you?"

%ACT% Zoe grabs Robin and guides her to [4].

Robin: "It was Chief Cross! We got into an argument, and he decided to arrest me."

Zoe: "You did WHAT?"

Robin: "I did nothing. But he just kept screaming STOP RESISTING, and threw me to the ground. In front of everybody watching. Nobody said anything. Fucking NOBODY."

Zoe: "You look terrible. We need to clean that up."

%ACT% Zoe grabs a handkerchief from *somewhere*

Robin: "I don't know what I was thinking ..."

Zoe: "Hold still."

%ACT% Zoe cleans Robin's wound with a handkerchief

%ACT% Zoe covers Robin's wound with a bandage

Robin: "Ouch! Aaargh!"

%ACT% Robin looks up at Ryan, again seeing something

Zoe: "There we go, that looks much better."

Robin: "Geez, I swear I've seen your face someplace before."

Ryan (trying to distract Robin): "Okay, here's the first rule when dealing with cops: Don't speak to them unless you absolutely have to."

Robin: "You seem to know an awful lot about cops."

%MUS% MUS-1311 - Music Cue 11

Ryan: "More than I like to. Comes with the type of work I used to do."

Robin: "Zoe, did you get to ask him yet?"

Ryan: "Yes, she did. And I don't know. I'm not the knight in shining armor you seem to think I am."

Robin: "But do you think you can work a bar?"

Ryan: "Maybe ..."

Robin: "Great. Your shift starts at six. Don't forget to put a proper shirt on."

Ryan: "Uhm ... what?"

%MUS% MUS-1312 - Music Cue 12

Zoe (laughs): "Congratulations. You've just been adopted. Your days in the pound are finally over."

Ryan: "Goddamn cats ..."

%MUS% MUS-1312 - STOP
%AMB% AMB-1312 - STOP

%LIG% LX-0099 Lights out

%HND% Curtain - close

%LIG% LX-0099 Work Light ON