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username: reyligion
name: Soseki
link to thread: n/a - will make if won
prompt:
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i - origin
"My earliest days were spent in a box, wriggling against my three littermates atop a damp towel. I heard roaring every few hours; a pounding, rushing noise that made my feeble body quiver. I still remember how it felt to this day. When I first opened my eyes, I saw slivers of light filtering from the five holes punched haphazardly into the lid."
The cat gave you a sheepish grin. " 'Course, I could have spent the rest of my life there in that box. It was cold, damp, and... we were hungry. Our only windows to the outside world were those breathing holes. If that box had never been opened, that would have been the end of it for us."
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ii - childhood
"Evan was a nice man; I suppose that's what you'd expect from a veterinarian, though. He was the closest I ever had to a father, and he was an exceptional one. He raised me and my siblings in his small, porcelain-white bathroom; he fed us and kept us warm, and in return we trashed his rug." He paused for a moment to flex his claws, dryly emphasizing his words. "We loved him dearly, even on the day he took us to the shelter."
His sour voice betrayed a hint of bittersweetness. "I do understand that he wanted us to go to good homes. Sometimes, though, I wish I could have stayed in touch with my siblings. We didn't even have real names yet."
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iii - separation
A short pause followed, as the cat appeared lost in thought. "I can remember them," he murmured. "I remember precisely what they looked like, but I never knew their names. I miss my only brother. His fur was as white as the bubbles atop ocean waves. He was the last of my siblings to get adopted." He looked down at his own paws. "The last before me."
"When they took him away, I learned what loneliness felt like. Not only was Evan gone, so were all my siblings. My claustrophobic little enclosure was all that was left." The cat then straightened up, ruffling his wings. "But then came Annie."
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iv - family
"Annie was short and chubby with a face full of freckles and a gap between her front teeth." The cat chuckled. "I don't think I could ever forget her. Her hugs were soft as feathers, and her warmth enveloped me like a blanket. You could tell that I was her first cat, because she was curious but cautious, loving but reckless. She was everything to me."
"I remember what her mother said. 'You picked the cat, so I get to pick the name.' That's where I got the name Soseki, from a book she was reading." Soseki held a paw up to his chest. "Me. From that point on, I had a name. A name that Annie would call me by whenever she wanted to play. A name that her mother would say when it was mealtime. A name," he said, beaming, "for me to just be me."
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v - wandering
"I must have spent over a year with that family; over a year filled to the brim with catnip, snuggles and claw trimming." His eyes grew misty. "But I suppose all good things must come to an end. It was a confusing whirlwind of events for little Soseki. I didn't understand why the house was suddenly so barren and empty until they put me in my carrier and took me across the country on the way to their new house."
"At one point, they stopped the car at a rest area, and Annie's father opened the door. He didn't realize that she had let me out of the carrier, and when I saw the way out, I... I bolted." His voice was solemn. "Looking back, I can still feel how disoriented I was at the time. Everything felt so sudden, I was overwhelmed. I'd love to say that things could have been different, but truthfully, they wouldn't have." He pawed at the earth. "I ran and ran until my legs gave out, never looking back. When I realized I was lost, I had to fend for myself. I hated being so alone."
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vi - fields
"I don't like to talk about the month I spent on the road, all alone like that. So I'll just talk about the next turn my life took," he declared, fiddling with his own claws. "You see, I never really learned to hunt. I doubt chasing after my siblings' tails counts, anyway. I'm sure you can imagine how scrawny I was when I first met Genki."
"Genki had white fur with black patches. He was a round and pudgy cat whose muzzle was graying with age. He had a voice that was rough like sand beneath your paws, but his heart was made of gold. When he found me in the corn fields, dazed and frightened, he led me to the barn where he lived." A smile tugged at Soseki's lips. "Now I always associate the fields with his voice. He taught me how to hunt, weaving his way through the grass in search of unsuspecting rats. Even the middle-aged farmer and his eldest son took notice of how he looked out for me. I think they were just happy that he found someone to care for."
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vii - waters
"Although Genki didn't mind the humans, he was always wary of them. Me?" Soseki let out a soft chuckle. "I've lived with them all my life. When rats reached the farmer's house, I was the one to take care of them. Thomas, the son, basically claimed me as his own. Let me sleep on his ragged quilt and everything, snuggled right up against his pillow. When he left the farm to start fishing down the river, I tagged along."
"Though I loved Thomas dearly, I feared I would not be able to adjust. The metal flooring was cold and unfamiliar after my days on the farmlands, and I missed the crowing of chickens in the distance and the baying of the cows, and... I missed Genki too. But as I lay there, the great machine below me roared to life. A thrumming that took me back to the days at the train station." He looked embarrassed. "I could never explain it, but it always brought me peace."
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viii - lighthouse
"I learned that Thomas loved the open waters more than he loved the rolling hills of the farmlands. I spent years with him." He looked wistful. "But trip after trip, my joints began to ache. I was growing old, and he was aware of it. He took me on our last boat ride one day. I can never forget the humid breeze batting away at my fur and whiskers. The engine's low hum drowned out Thomas' gruff voice, but I could remember his words: we're going someplace new."
"Down the river we went, until we reached the open sea. I don't think I've ever seen a place so beautiful before. From that day on, we lived beside the cliffs. Thomas tended to the lighthouse while I kept him company. The waves would chase each other to and fro, their echoes once again reminding me of my childhood.
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ix - the fall
"Life there was peaceful." Soseki drew a breath. "The fresh air was good for my lungs, and there was always fish aplenty. I even loved chasing the seagulls, even if I never got to them, heh. Genki would have been disappointed in me. But in retrospect, perhaps the cliffs weren't the best place for a rickety old cat."
"I don't remember much of that day. I remember the clouds on the horizon growing ever larger, ever darker. I remember the thunder, the howling winds and the rain that came down in heaps. I remember running down the cliff, trying to reach home, safety, Thomas. The last thing I remember was my paws slipping, and the beat that my heart skipped. The last thing I remember was the fall."
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x - epilogue
The winged tom fell silent for a moment. He looked shaken. "To be honest," he murmured gravely, "I often wonder whether I'm dead or alive." Birds chirp in the distance, and he welcomes nature's quiet interruption. "I woke up with these wings and a memory that almost never fails me. I remember every word, every face, every moment."
"I look back and I remember each of my nine lives. I learned so much. I learned about kindness, loss, fear... and of course, I learned about love." He smiled. "I was a lucky cat. I don't know what happened when I fell, but that doesn't really matter, now, does it?"
"Besides," he laughs, "I'm still here, and still telling you this story. I've learned so much throughout my years. The least I could do is pass it on to others. If even one part of my life resonates with you, then I'm happy. No one deserves to feel unwelcome."
[ 1500 / 1500 ]
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credits:
chapter 4 "family" art by goddess sword, background by shaun montero
chapter 6 "fields" art and chapter 8 "lighthouse" art by mistcat
all other art pieces featured in this form were done by me
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