Cat Degeneracy

To be able to broach the topic that I’m originally from earth, that is impossible to achieve. If someone like Donovan were to hear this, they would link my behavior to the anima treatment. Most of my memories are lost, including my old name, so I lack the evidence to back up my claim.

Besides, telling anyway would make me ill-favored. Such an idea makes me physically squirm.

Like, what do I say?

No, what I must do is have pride, I refocused myself. It’s been a few weeks now and I've been too clingy. I have to be respectable, even with the heightened emotions. Yes, to act dignified as to act human, a known experience in my past life.

I hummed in delight as I heard knocking from my door.

“It’s unlocked, like always,” I yelled

A man with striking silver features entered, he was my mentor, Donovan. “Mekiko, nice to see you,” he said. “I stopped by and was wondering if you like to have tea with me.”

An odd request, even for someone like him.

“I would love to, but I have to refuse.”

“You’re being worked up about going outside?”

“I’m not getting worked up!” I protested. “I’m not prepared enough. My hair is a mess and I’m still in my old clothes” I tried to dissuade him.

“We can drink tea in your room, that is what the table I recently brought to your room for.”

“That’s why you set up the table right in front of me? I thought you were being nice!” I was going to throw my hands up in the air.

“What? You think it being for a dining set would make it more chair-i-table?”

“Ok fine… I would like to have some tea with you. You did interrupt me for me to drink leaves,” I stifled my laugh from his pun. I am a gentleman after all.

He called the guards over to set up the table for tea. Their demeanor was different than before, different people entirely than before. “What kind of tea do you prefer?” he asked.

“Chamomile is fine,” my heart skips a beat, to think if I mess this up.

“Careful, it’s hot,” Donovan places a tea cup on the table. He poured hot water from a kettle to both of our cups.

The mentor used his teaspoon to mix some sugar into his beverage. He sips on the remedy. I grabbed my spoon to put sugar in as well. I added a spoonful of sugar in, and another spoonful, and more sugar, and…

Donovan looked at me with a blank expression. I put the sugar away without saying a word. I clung to the hope that I can salvage my impulsive sugar intake. My hand grabbed on the teacup as I took a sip.. I will not lament!

Hot! Hot! Hot!

The cup went back down on the plate, in a dignified manner. I mentally gave myself a thumbs up, saved myself.

“I must say, you do have the proper elegance, like that of a royal,” Donovan laughed. “Although, your face looks rather serious for a person who is supposed to be enjoying tea.”

“Of course I’m being serious,” my ears perked up in alertness. “As a gentleman, I have to take this matter with the utmost respect.”

“That’s a relief. Here I thought that my pupil was being nervous and putting on an act. All in an attempt to look good,” he teased.

My face is going to redden, this is bad. It’s just me and the mentor talking, I shouldn't get so flustered.

My hand laid on the teacup, and it was close to the edge of the table. Perhaps if I were to shove the cup closer to the edge it could… Oh no, I’m too committed. Donovan watched on as I pushed the teacup off the edge. It fell onto the floor.

*Crash!*

The cup shatters into pieces, liquid runs over the floors. Donovan remained silent as I stared in horror as the cup shattered all the pretense that I’ve been putting up.

“-Nya!~” My face reddened as I meowed. “Not that! I mean damn. No, I mean — no, there’s no salvaging this...” I trailed off.

“It’s alright, I wasn’t here for the tea. We get some of the guards to clean that up for you,” my mentor said. “Hey, don’t look so sad, I got a special task for you.”

“Really?”

He pulled out an object from his pocket, a deck of playing cards. The man shuffled the cards before laying them face down. “See this deck of cards, I want you to look at the cards a bit more closely.”

“Are we here to go play Go Fish?” I snarked.

“Very funny. No, not that, but I do want to play a game of sorts. If you win, you can get a reward.”

My eyes sparkled from hearing those words before tempering my expectations,”What is the reward?” I asked.

“It’s a secret for a reason. I’m going to flip the cards and you will try to tell me what each card is. If you win, you get your reward, how’s about that?”

“Okay, this will be easy. You better not go back on your word!” I objected.

“Oh, I won’t, but there’s one problem with your assumption,” he flips over a card. “Can you spot the card?”

“Wait, what,” I looked at the card, faced up. Yet the card is blank, there’s nothing on it!

“It’s a card with a number or a symbol on the paper,” Donovan played coy. “You said that this would be an easy game. You surely can’t be going back on your word now? Only a blind man cannot see what the card represents, right?”

“No, I can see what the truth lies! And you’re nothing but a liar. Deceiving me into believing that they're cards when every card is blank! When in reality all you did is set me up for failure, so that I can play into your sick little game.”

“I can assure you that these cards have value to them. My eyes can see the cards quite clearly, such as this one being an ace. And this one,” he flips another blank card, “being a queen. Hmm, this is unusual.”

“What’s usual?” I tilted my head.

“Some superstition,” he quickly tucks the 2 cards back into the deck. “What I mean to say is that you failed to see the cards. Although, I could give you another chance, on one condition,” he raised a finger.

“No, this is an unfair game, I don’t see why I should play,” I huffed on him.

“But what if I were to say if this time there is no time limit, and you can do it on your off-time?”

“I’m listening.”

“Inside the 52 cards, I’ve hidden an extra card inside of the deck. I want you to find the card and point out what it is.”

“That’s not fair, I cannot tell you for the life of me one single card, let alone the mysterious card that you happen to place.”

“It is more of a question of when than if you could. Any IMPERIAL can tell what is in there, it’s a matter of maintaining the proper focus to see beyond the lines. Here, take the. I’ll be gone for a couple of days. Look at it when I’m gone.”

“You’re going to be safe, now are you?” I paused

“It’s nothing too dangerous, just some rebellion that needs to be quelled. I’ll be okay,” he reassured me.

“If that’s how it is, Donovan. I take you up on your offer,” I pocketed the deck away.

— — —

Well, it is the time of night again. I stayed up looking at the dark sky. I didn’t sleep well, and I knew that I was going to stay up if left to my own devices.

I should get up.

I looked into the mirror to see white eyes staring back. They reflect into the half-light, cat-like as they are. My fair reflection mends with my white hair and triangular ears. I recall that everytime I touch them, I am hit with a wave of intense senses. I can’t allow people to touch them, it was the weakness of a beastkin.

Just what am I?

My complexion looks back with tired eyes. Staying here isn’t good for me, I thought. Getting fresh air would greatly improve my sleep. Yet, I am reluctant to leave. What if people were to see me? Perhaps another way then?

The moonlight shines in the sky, dark as night time will ever be, so what if I were to sneak out? It’s not like I was acting wrongly, or doing illegal activities, so it’d be fine. All I wanted to do is to go out for a stroll without anyone seeing me.

I steered my head clear, ready to leave. My reluctance still sticks onto me, that bedroom was the only place I knew since my transmigration, it is the world to me. Yet it is a band aid that had to be ripped off. It was nothing more than a festering dependency.

My eyes adjusted to the darkness. A reminder of being beastkin now.

I nevigated myself around the various rooms around the facility. The moment I heard footsteps, I paused. The sound seemed to be going away, good. My heart is palpitating in my chest. My heart can’t take it if they catch me. I’m in the clear, I’m supposed to sigh in relief.

Yet that never came into fruition. It feels like there are eyes staring back on my head.

My animal eyes stared into the darkness, there’s not a soul around. So quiet that all that is heard is the gentle wind blowing rustling through the trees.

Unless humans can be quieter than trees, I am overthinking this, I thought. Yet the strange events are always kept on the front of my mind.

The door leading to the exit is not far away. I am almost relieved to be done with this eariness.

The stars illuminated above the sky. I breathed out a sigh of relief, the relief never came. The sky is still beautiful. The stars shine on my eyes, they soothe my emotions. Perhaps sneaking out here was worth it.

“To be a shroud in the darkness, I admire your dedication. Although your heart lacks the darkness to be around the shadows,” a hand touches me on my shoulder.

“-Nya!~” I exclaimed.

…yet nothing happened, no, I’m not in danger.

*Sigh* I should really get rid of the impulsive meowing.

A woman touches me from behind. Her hair is like her eyes, black as the night abyss. Blending into the dark environment. She wore the same uniform as Donovan, although her armor was much bulkier. She wore an eyepatch that she wore an eyepatch on left eye.

She looks so cool, but how dare she be so indulgent.

“You got a lot of nerve sneaking up on me like that. Explain yourself!” I demanded, ignoring the fact that I made a cute meow moments ago.

“Your ignorance precedes you,” the strange woman said. “For my reasoning goes beyond mere means. While you are merely shrouded in the night, I am the power that envelopes in the darkness! I go way beyond, to %1000 of human limit,” she poses, posing for the world to see.

“But the percentages can only go up %100,” is this woman insane?

“I go beyond limits,” she scoffs, “for I am the Phantom of the Night, The Power in the Shadows, and The Gloom in the Dusk, but most call me Thousand Cuts.”

“I didn't ask your name!”

“Yet I know yours, Mekiko.”

“What?” I could barely keep track of the conversation.

“I’ve been eavesdropping, and you’re the catboy that everyone’s talking about,” she stated.

Yeah, It’d be hard to mistake me for anything else, I reluctantly admitted.

Thousand Cuts strikes another pose as if waiting for admiration. I blink at her, unsure of what to do or if I should go back to bed.

“I have decided, we’re friends now,” she declared.

"As much as friendship is appealing and all, it is getting late and I have to get back to bed,” I said.

“Nonsense, the night is nigh and we have barely begun the initiation yet. I can tell by the way you move that you are a fellow practitioner of darkness, although you have much to learn.”

“Okay, what’s your authority?”

“Hmph, you don’t know? See this insignia? I am a 2nd class IMPERIAL. And naturally, you should be showing respect to your seniors,” she showed me an insignia with 2 stars on her duster.

“I don’t know what a 2nd class is and quite frankly I could care less,” I stated.

“You don’t know? Like you’ve been living under a rock? Everyone in this city knows what 2nd, 1st, and even 3rd class is.”

“Of course I don’t know, I have amnesia!” I blurted out. “Oh no, I said the quiet part out loud,” I softly said.

‘Oh,” she paused. “It’s the anima treatment, it’s always the anima treatment. No, I now can’t let you leave alone. It is my job as a senior to guide their juniors.”

“There are other opinions that aren't yours. Like ‘how I want to leave’.”

“You can’t be trusted alone, you need my guidance,” she declared.

“I don’t need your guidance, you are untrustworthy yourself.”

“On what hubris you got to make such a misguided accusation?’

“Hmm, I don’t know,” I said sarcastically. “Could it be the fact that a woman has been invading my personal space? Or maybe the fact that her claims of darkness is over exaggerated nonsense? Oh I know, it possibly could be that her breaches have gotten too big for her duster.”

“You dare? I know that my power strikes as true as my blade.”

“I do in fact dare, and I say that you’re nothing but a fraud.”

“Let’s make a wager then.”

“A wager now? I can barely understand what you are talking about half the time!” My eyes narrow. Although my body stays firm, my tail flicks rapidly side of side, damn tail. “I had enough, you’re all talk! You and your over the top dramatics! I don’t have time for this, especially not for your weird ‘initiations’.”

A slight breeze hangs out in the air. My mouth hung in the air, “but… what are we wagering?” My voice seethed in reluctance.

“Ah, so the catboy shows his claws after all,” she covered her eyepatch with her hand. “The wager is simple, I dazzle you with a grand display of my ultimate power. If your heart remains firm then I will admit defeat and I will do anything you wish of me. But if I win, you must become my appearance in the shadows, learning the true arts of darkness.

I swear I imagined her eyes flash under that eyepatch before her hands.

“Becoming your apprentice, You now want me to become your apprentice. I don’t even know what that means!” I said out of exasperation. ”Although, if it gets you to leave me alone — then fine! And I could also make you get rid of those ridiculous poses as well.”

“Then it is decided! Our bout has been struck! Come on Mekiko, let’s make haste. This will be the night where your arrogance has been tempered by Thousand Cuts!”

“Nya?”

Thousand cuts grabbed a hold on my hand. Going off to an unknown direction.

“Hey, quit it. You can’t touch my.. Wait, wah!’ Although I protested, my resistance would be considered meek.