Of lost chances, forbidden love and remorse.
It's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.
Films in frame: Past lives, La la land, Fleabag, Normal People, In the mood for love, Atonement, Potrait of a lady on fire, Maurice, Blue Valentine, Her
Who do you think we are then?
PAST LIVES (2023) written and directed by Celine Song
And speaking the ancient tongue is like reaching out and having a chat with history itself, shadows and shimmers of unspoken words bound by time, now escaping through the curve of your lips.
take me back to when I wished on eyelashes, full of childish hope, when I used to ask for toys for christmas.
I find an eyelash now, and wish for everything to turn out okay. I don't believe anymore, but wishing on eyelashes just fills me with longing for what was and what never will be.
Does anybody else ever wonder what the world looked like where they are in the past? Like I'll be sitting at my desk in my home and I'll looked at the walls, all the plastered holes and remember that this place was boarded up and abandoned just a year before I moved in. And I wonder what it looked like before. I can see where the door to the water heater has had boards nailed in to keep it closed I can see the broken part of the door frame that doesn't let the bathroom door close properly, it looks like someone broke it down from the inside. I can see where there was clearly a bathtub instead of the standing shower. I can see the holes the paint tries to cover. I wonder what it looked like before it was renovated, before it was even built. I wonder before my city became a city what it looked like.i live in Nevada and I wonder was this city a desert was there ever a man in his horse who stopped in this very place to just look around and the dirt and sagebrush? Who lived here when it was first built? Who was here before it was abandoned? Did they stare at the same wall as me? Lost in thought? Did they make the hole that is now filled with plaster and paint? Did one of the men who made this city what it is stand here and dream of what would be? Did wild horse or deer walk here before I was here?
maybe someone who remember their past lives, remembers the partners they had?? was thinking about that this night, very curious.
Astro notes - 02
✨️ General Edition ✨️
Air placements could be more "air-headed" and hazy than water placements, specially when they're in places where they feel uncomfortable. this happens because air people's minds never stops and they will zone out all the time if you're not interesting enough to keep their minds on you.
If they also have personal planets in water signs or houses, then they will be kind of dumb too because they will be on their own world all the time. type of people who don't need drugs or alcohol to feel high, just a little bit of music lol
Underveloped leo mars & venus people with other earth/fire placements (specially moon) need to do therapy asap. they need to stop being bad and throwing their anguishes/traumas/bad energies on people who have nothing to do it, and they still do it thinking is not a big deal. You guys can be SO, but SO incredible and genuine people when you want, you shouldn't let your demons get control over you, because you're traumatizing others and losing your inner child slowly
Hi, how are you doing woman with heavy lilith energy? I know you think you'll never find true love and that men will always want to use your for their own pleasures but just know you will be happy in love one day and you're bigger than these negative beings 💖. But always be careful with people's envy in general.
Also, what is it that these women seem to make some insecure men hate them for no reason? Specially if they also have pluto placements These women (maybe subconsciouly) show that they won't lower their head to any trash of a man just bc they are men and i'm here for it. they're the true definition of powerful women when they learn how to use their gifts
Oh. my. God. why people are so freaking obsessed with spreading rumours about women with leo stelliums? leave us aloneeee 😭
People with young souls are such a pain in the ass smh... if you know someone who's a child forever (in the bad sense), this people is probably in her first/second life and they have a long loooong way to learn their lessons
Why do guys with gemini + cancer placements write and act like old men on social media? It's funny but also cute. they also can be such dads sometimes 🥺
Older souls usually get better with other older souls, they might find young souls really shallow or even "dumb". You usually get along more with people who have the same amount of lives as you or a close number
If you have the same amount of lives with someone, you probably feel connected to this person, it may be due to how you'll probably learn similar lessons in this lifetime
Quintiles and biquintiles are very important aspects to look in a synastry. they're as important as trines/sextiles/squares in my opinion
People with 12th house + taurus planets in natal need to be careful with smell addictions (drugs) and cigarettes even more than with alcohol
Venus in 1st house people marry with me now (it's an order 🔪)
I think natal houses are very forgotten when people talk about synastry. I know overlays are important but the natal houses are more because they reflect the native's nature. If you have the same houses in planets with different signs or houses that naturally match each other, it creates an important connection too
Virgo suns are the real clean freaks, virgo risings only look put together they are actually messy
10th, 6th and 2th house overlays in synastry are huge indicators of marriage.
10th house: means admiration, public life, adoration, social status, career you will always find this person cool, you will wanna be seen with her and you will cherish her on her career life, people wil lfind you good together. a power couple
6th house: means routine, everyday life, health & also work. you will care for this person's health and you will be part of her daily life, also cherish her work. a couple who does everything together lol (go to the gym, shower, skin care, cooking, brushin teeth even 😭)
2nd house: means material posessions, gains, sensations. you will gain material posessions when together, you may be posessive of them, you will bring money to the house together, you will be successful. a luck charm couple.
The vesta aspects in your chart can indicate how you will feel about your partner in the moment you lose your virginity.
vesta positive aspects to ascendant: you will find your partner expressive, personal, beautiful and you will like it
vesta positive aspects to venus: you will find your partner loving, soft, feminine, beautiful, delicate and you will like it
vesta positive aspects to mars: you will find your partner sexual, masculine, passionate, fiery, fast or aggressive and you will like it
Psyche conjunct personal planets in synastry mutually will make both of them thinking of the other 24/7, they will also feel a mental connection to each other
Venus conjunct ascendant in natal will make the individual very beautiful but they won't see that and hate pictures if they have 12th house placements or the venus is in the 12th house 😭 I wish they could see themselves the way other seem, they would feel more confident (even if they show they are, is just a natural thing for them, it doesn't mean they think they are confident)
Your death in your last past life could show in this lifetime as an inexplicable pain sometimes. I was murdered in my last life by my husband who cut my head off and I feel a pain in the back of my neck when I travel long rides and I rest my head in the seat - is so annoying tbh
Remember you may not have any past life in this world because this could be your first life (that's why you could be a shallow person, but I doubt any first liver would be reading this post, nah, they're probably busy being a kid lol, i kind of see why)
12th house people could naturally attract medium people from a young age without even realizing it, and these medium are also 12th housers/pisceans lol
You will always aspire to be like people who have personal placements in the sign of your north node
People with euterpe (27) in libra positively aspecting personal placements in mercurial or venusian signs, can have a beautiful singing voice, a sweet tone that remembers you of sunshine and freshness, or just a pleasant voice in general, even if it's not good technically. This can also apply to euterpe positively aspecting the venus.
Sagittarius mercuries need to be careful of what they say, they always hurt someone when saying something without even noticing 😟
This is a serious one, tw: murder. I just found out someone made black magic to kill me, and there are 4 obsessor behind me now. Now guess what I have in my lunar return chart? Sun, pluto and mercury in the 8th house. I also have bml in the 8th house and 8° in my solar return chart. Be careful with 8th house planets in solar/lunar return charts guys... (And send good energies to me)
Now this is it! I'll fix this post later, bye! Good night guys Update: I'm not dead and they're gone now <3
A Lloyd caring for a Kai cat.
I would really like to see how @crystalgirl259 will make Lloyd love Kai in his cat form.
I've been trying to write a new chapter for Past Lives, but I've got writer's block!
I tried watching cat videos the other day for an idea but that was a mistake! It was too much cute for any one person to handle!
Please send in some suggestions!
It was pretty late when I woke up and for a second, I forgot where I was. That is until a looked up at the now giant bed and saw my little sister snoring quietly in her sleep. I guess she was my big sister now. Oh boy, that's more awkward than it should be. I closed my eyes as I settled down again, only sleep did not come. Ever since I was reborn as a cat, I had developed problems sleeping. Back at the tea shop, I often spent the nights, prowling around the shop trying to keep entertained.
I usually had a few toys to play with, but it seemed no one had left any of my toys in Nya's room.
With a frustrated sigh, I rolled off the comfy cushion I called I bed and padded across the room. I noticed a pair of tiny dishes in the other corner of the room. They were full of cat food and some of that special kitten milk you could buy from the store. The others must have put them there for me for when I woke up. But I wasn't hungry or thirsty or needed to use that damn litter box, not yet anyway. I was saving that for the first bastard to piss me off.
Peeking out the door, I found the hallway black.
Ever since I was reborn, I was able to see well enough in the dark so the lack of lights was not a problem anymore. My hearing had also improved greatly since my rebirth as a little kitten. I could clearly hear the others snoring in their own rooms. I swore I could hear Jay muttering dozens of different cat names such as 'Mittens', 'Whiskers', and 'Cutie-Fluffy-Baby-Pie'. I swear to the First Spinjizu Master that if he DARED started calling me any of those names I'll shred his precious comic book collection with my claws.
If he didn't get the message after that, then I'll find something else more important to shred.
Snooping down the hallway, I quickly found a closed-door with light streaming from under the doorframe. Curiously, I placed an ear up against the door to see if I could hear anything inside. Faintly I could make out the light tapping of a keyboard. I remembered back when I was a human and how one of us would spend almost all night sorting through the mountains of paperwork the city dumped on us. Glad I won't have to deal with that shit anymore.
Knowing Lloyd was inside, a smirk appeared on my furry face.
Wanting to get back for his attitude earlier that night, I raised my claws to the door and began scratching at the thick wood. Deep cuts were made into the door as the shavings started piling up on the floor around me. From the other side of the door, the typing halted and footsteps were heard storming forward. The door flung open and I was met with the angry face of a ticked-off green ninja.
"What the hell are you doing?" Lloyd growled when he saw the tiny fluff ball looking up at him.
"Nothing," I meowed with a look of fake innocence on my cute little face as I flexed my tiny claws.
"Shouldn't you be asleep, cat?"
"Jeez, I was just sharpening my claws, it's something all cats do!" I meowed loudly, but of course, Lloyd couldn't understand me. When he noticed the wood shavings around me his eyes widen as his head spun around to look at the door, seeing the small, yet deep and oblivious scratching in the bottom of the door. Lloyd growled as he turned his eyes back to me and glared. I just started purring in satisfaction as my tail swished back and forth behind me.
Slamming the scratched door shut again, Lloyd retreated back into the office to finish up his work.
Leaving the office, I continued my prowl through the giant monastery. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything to do in the dark, quiet home so I just wanded back to Nya's room. But my cushion didn't look as warm and comfy as before. I found myself drawn to Nya's bed, but I couldn't climb up, it was too high up. I tried to jump and claw up the bedsheets to reach her, but my little legs wouldn't pull me up. My claws lost their grip on the sheets and I fell to the ground with a light thump.
Even though the sound wasn't loud by any means, Nya awoke with a start.
That scared me for a second, but I quickly remembered that Nya was always a light sleeper. It took her a minute to fully awake, but when she did her sleepy eyes zeroed in on me.
"Nya! Help me! I only have little legs!" I meowed as I started pacing up and down the length of her bed.
"Awe, are you lonely little one?" She cooed softly in between yawns as she bent down and scooped me up in one hand. I started purring as she gently placed me on her pillow and laid her head next to me. I quickly curled up against her neck and she giggled lightly as my fluffy fur tickled her. I started purring lightly as her breathing evened out and she returned to the land of sleep. I soon joined her...
I was so excited as Master Wu carried my cat carrier up the many steps towards the monastery. After packing up all the cat stuff Mystake bought and the tea he had ordered, Wu covered the carrier with a blanket, but there was a small tear in the front, allowing me to see a little bit of the outside world as we walked. I couldn't wait to get back to the rebuilt monastery and see the others again. I've missed them all so much over these last few weeks, especially Nya.
Master Wu didn't say anything as the large gates opened.
As we entered the property, the gates swung close again trapping us inside whether I liked it or not. As Wu stepped into the monastery, I was starting to panic a little inside at the thought of seeing them again. How were they all doing after my death? Were they ever still a team anymore? Would they even want to take care of a kitten? Was Nya alright?! All of a sudden I heard many voices, the voices of my family, all around me as I felt Master Wu gently place the carrier on a table.
I think we're in either the dining room or the kitchen or maybe the living room.
Probably the kitchen because I could smell the sweet scent of Zane's cooking. Oh shit, will I still be able to eat human food?!
"Good evening, Sensei." I heard Zane say as the others gave their own greetings and for a second, I forgot how to breathe. So, they were all still here together. That's something I'm so grateful for.
"Good evening everyone, how are you all doing today?"
"Fine." I heard Lloyd mutter in an almost emotionless voice. Did his voice sound lower? Sounds like our little green ninja's growing up!
"What's under the blanket?" Cole asked and, even though I can't see them, I shrank a little as I felt their eyes all turned to the covered carrier I was in.
"As you all know, I traveled into Ninjago City to collect my order of black tea from Mystake earlier, and she offered us a gift to help us deal with... certain recent events." Master Wu explained and the air was suddenly filled a thick tension. I could almost feel the glare harden on Lloyd's face.
"What is it?" He demanded to know. Knowing it was best not to keep them waiting, Wu quickly pulled off the blanket, opened the carrier, and lifted me out for all the team to see me, but it also let me see them for the first time in over two months. They all looked so different from the last time I'd seen them. Cole's black hair was longer and shaggier, his eyebrows weren't as bushy he had a more relaxed look to his eyes. Jay's hair was more curly and he had light freckles now.
Zane's titanium form now had silver hair in a tall flat-top, crew cut hairstyle with no sideburns.
He had glowing blue eyes, reflective of his robotic nature. Instead of a bob cut, Nya had long black hair kept in a ponytail. She was wearing pale pink lipstick and had small dimples on her cheeks. She also had a beauty mark on her right cheek. Lloyd looked more mature and his blond hair was a little bit longer and his eyes were greener than I remember. But that wasn't what shocked me the most. It was the heavy bags under his eyes like he hadn't slept in weeks.
He and I made eye contact, but it didn't last long.
"Why do you bring that in here?" He spat and I flinched at his tone. What's he got against cats? When I was a little kid he used to bring all kinds of animals back to the Bounty, begging us to let him keep it as a pet. Hell, he's even brought home a spider once! Jay was quick to shut that shit down!
"Mystake has been kind enough to purchase this feline for us in hopes it will help us come to terms with Kai's passing and provide a way to ease our pain." Master Wu explained and everyone slumped slightly in sadness and it pained me to see. I wish I could tell them I was their lost brother Kai.
"I've always wanted a cat!" Jay suddenly squealed loudly before anybody could say anything else. I scowled at the comment and flattered my ears while Nya quietly chuckled next to him. Lloyd growled lowly before storming off. No one made a move to stop him. All of a sudden, Zane took me from Master Wu and I almost flinched when I felt the cold metal of his hands. I am so grateful for having a thick fur coat. Zane's eyes started to glow over me and I realized he was scanning me!
"Hey! What happened to ask permission?!" I hissed, but this only caused Cole to chuckle.
"I don't think he likes that." The noirette smiled as Zane put me on the table.
"He is a nine weeks old Maine Coon kitten, no records of vaccinations or neutering." The nindroid said once he finished scanning me. Again, very rude!
"A main cone?" Jay frowned in confusion.
"The Maine Coon is a large domesticated cat breed; it has a distinctive physical appearance and valuable hunting skills," Zane explained as he pulled up a holography image of an adult Maine Coon cat.
"Awe, you've got a lot of growing to do, don't you?" Jay cooed in an exaggerated baby voice as he picked me up and held me to eye level.
"If you keep that voice, I will scratch you," I growled, but Jay didn't seem to notice.
"He's really ours? Can he stay in my room? Wait, what's his name?!" He screeched, almost horrified that he didn't know my name.
"Please call me Kai! PLEASE!" I begged, but all they heard was a series of meows.
"Noisy little furball, isn't he?" Nya smiled as she started scratching me behind the ear. It was really nice and I started purring, causing everyone to awe and coo at me even more.
"There will be plenty of time to discuss names, for now though, I suggest we find a place for this sleepy kitten to sleep and where to place his items." Master Wu said, holding up the bag full of my kitten stuff Mystake had bought. That was all Jay needed to hear because he was suddenly carrying me out of the dining room and gave me a grand tour of the new monastery. I kept an eye out for Lloyd, but I didn't see or hear him. Jay continued to quickly carry me throughout the entire monastery, showing me all the many rooms and electronic gizmos they had added to the new building.
Twenty minutes later, I had seen the entire mansion but still had no clue where anything was as the place was so big and the tour was so quick.
We returned to the living room, where Master Wu, Nya, and Zane were waiting. I wanted to spend more time with my family, but for some reason, I was struggling to keep my eyes open. I suddenly let out a loud yawn, showing off my little, sharp teeth.
"Where is the kitten to sleep, Sensei?" Zane asked, noticing how tired I looked.
"Mystake provided a cat cushion for him and a litter box." He replied and I flinched when he mentioned that goddamn litter box. Using it was so humiliating! I wish I could use the toilet, but even if I could climb up, I was so small that there was a good chance of falling into the toilet bowl. Using a litter box might be embarrassing, but death by drowning in a toilet was even worse! After a short debate, it was decided that I'd be sleeping in Nya's room, which I was grateful for.
I wouldn't be able to sleep with Jay staring at me all night.
We went into Nya's room and my cushion was placed at the foot of her bed and my litter box was tucked into the far corner for me to use in the night. Jay reluctantly placed me on the cushion after Nya ordered him to let me sleep. As soon as I made contact with it, I curled up into a little ball and snuggled deep into my little cloud of heaven. I could hear the others talking, but I didn't pay attention as I drifted off into a peaceful sleep. I was finally home...
AN: Right people, start sending me names for a male, moody, dark brown, Maine Coon kitten! The one I like the most will be the one I use!
A week passed since Mystake adopted me from the pet store and that creepy tea lady showed no sign that she knew who I was. She hadn't given me a new name or called me by my old one. I tried talking to her, even though it only came out as little meows, and she just smiled at me and started petting me. It was really nice living with her. She provided me with toys, food, special milk for cats, and a warm cushion next to the counter to nap on.
Every customer who saw me thought I was adorable and would always pet and play with me while they waited for Mystake to pack their teas.
Some people only came into the store just to see me and give me treats. Yep, this was a nice life for a cat. Unfortunately, it wasn't as perfect as it first appeared. I know some of the strays I saw would kill to be in my spot, but all I wanted was to be with my family. My human family. Sadly I didn't know where they were, using a flying boat almost all the time didn't help either. I did get a break, however. During my time as a kitten I learned that the guys had rebuilt the monastery but even though I knew the way there, I couldn't go.
I had to stay inside because I hadn't had my shots or been fixed yet.
Despite all the toys, I quickly found myself being bored from having to stay inside all the time. It didn't help matters that a few stay cats would often stop by and prowl on the street in plain view of me. I have no idea what they wanted, but the way they look at me creeps me out. The weekend rolled around and I heard Mystake talking to a regular about how the shop would be closed down while she was away. The customer had asked her what she was going to do with me and that old woman just smiled and said it was taken care of.
She better not try and leave me in one of those kennels or I'll shred her ugly curtains.
It would probably be an improvement and would be great for my claws. After a few hours of napping on the couch in the down room, I absentmindedly noticed the door to the tea shop open. I barely paid attention to Mystake as she spoke. Instead, my attention was drawn to the window and the bird that was flying around outside it. I kept my eyes trained on the bird while licking my lips. It was like I was completely powerless to resist the flapping wings of a stupid bird.
I could hear someone saying something to Mystake, but I was now batting the window trying to get at the bird.
There was a small gap between the couch and the window, however, making me have to lean across to reach the glass. Leaning too far, I toppled onto the floor. It is officially a lie. Cats do not always land on their feet. This caused me to finally snap out of that trance that horrid bird had placed on me and realized I knew the voice of the new customer. Like a bullet, I shot out the backroom and into the store, almost running into the customer's leg.
I immediately recognized the long white beard.
"SENSEI!" I meowed loudly, but of course, Master Wu didn't understand me.
"Hello, there little one." He greeted me with a small smile as he bent down and started petting me. He must have been here to buy some tea, judging by the four boxes of teas waiting on the counter. It was then I saw how tired and sad he looked. That made sense. I did die and I remembered how we were all depressed when Zane died. "I was not aware you adopted a cat." He said to the old lady as he picked me up so I could see her. More importantly, I could see her smile.
The same smile she had when she was about to put a bitchy Karen in their place.
That smile told me she was planning something.
"He is not mine."
"Really? Then who does he belong to?" Master Wu asked as he started scratching under my chin, causing me to start purring loudly.
"He's yours."
"EXCUSE ME?!" He cried, almost dropping me.
"HEY! WATCH IT!" I hissed angrily as I dug my claws into his hand that was holding me. This caused him to put me down but I remained close, almost sitting on his foot, staring up at him with my big green eyes.
"Mystake, I can not take this animal! The Ninjas are not in the best place at this moment to take care of this kitten."
"That is not a problem; cats can bathe themselves and will keep your new monastery rodent-free." She explained. Yeah, rats were a bit of the problem back when we all lived at the monetary all those years ago. I vividly remember waking up to the sound of Cole and Jay shrieking at the sight of a rat in the bathroom. "Cats are also more low-maintenance and independent as they mature."
"Yeah Master Wu! I'm independent!" I meowed as I made to run and jump on my cushion, only to trip and fall over. Fuck these damn little legs and paws! Thankfully neither human seemed to notice.
"I'm sorry, but none of us are mentally ready to care for this infant creature, not so soon after... Kai..." He trailed as he slightly lowered his head and closed his eyes tightly. I instantly regretted hissing at him. I looked around and brought my sensei a small bell ball Mystake had bought me to play with. I started batting it around and tried to look as cute as possible to cheer him it. It seemed to work because he let out a weak laugh after a few minutes.
"Owning a cat can bring unconditional love and companionship and can be an extremely rewarding relationship." She continued. "Having a feline friend can also help to relieve stress and improve your heart health." She finished and I could almost hear the gears turning in Master Wu's mind. After a few minutes, Master Wu looked at me, sighed, and looked back at Mystake.
"Very well; I will adopt this kitten."...
I held in a growl as I glared all the hell and fury I could muster towards the beagle across the room. That drooly face asshole was always taunting me, I'm sure of it, and no, it's not just because I'm a cat now. With more effort than I wanted, I managed to tear my gaze from that mangy mutt and turned my attention to Bella and her husband Harry as they did their work around the pet store. During my time here, I learned that I was reborn as a Maine Coon kitten.
I was part of a litter of twelve to a mother cat called Audrey and we were all just over eight weeks old now.
We were living in Bella and Harry's family pet store called Animal Crackers. It was a pretty small store but was almost bursting at the seams with stuff. They sold tons of pet supplies like bowls, toys, beds, and offered pet grooming. They even sold their own homemade pet treats. Bella gave us some and, even though I would never openly admitted, they tasted like tiny pieces of heaven in biscuits. They also sold almost a dozen different pets here.
Most were small animals like hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, rats, budgies, and a few large tanks filled with many colorful fishes.
There were two other cat families in the store and that fucking beagle was the only dog here. Now we were eight weeks old, the lovely couple was putting me and the other kittens up for sale. Four of the other kittens had already been sold, so now there were only eight of us left, but the cage was still pretty cramped. Not that I didn't care about my new brothers and sisters, though. We all got on really well and played together all day, every day.
I almost laughed as I recalled some of the other pets yelling about us to our momma cat for chasing and playing with balls of yarn and loud squeaky toys.
But I knew it wouldn't last forever. The litter was growing smaller and smaller every day. I vividly remembered Bella taking pictures of us to put on the company website in hopes it would help us get adopted faster and she forgot to turn the flash off on the first three times. My eyes still hurt remembering it.
"HEY!" I cried as one of my new siblings suddenly tackled me. I quickly regained my senses and wished I still had my fire powers. It was the demon spawn I had the misfortune of calling my sister. Unlike Nya, this blonde, blue-eyed bitch was a monster. She stole everyone's food, destroyed all our toys, and attacked anyone she wanted. She was probably the only thing I hated more than that stupid beagle. Apparently, I was her new target for today.
"PISS OFF YOU PEST!" I hissed as I tried swatting her.
"MAKE ME!" She meowed loudly before she tried to bite me. As we rolled around and fought, neither of us heard the cage opening until a pair of hands picked us up and separated us. I looked up and saw Harry had picked us up.
"What's wrong?" Bella asked her husband as she approached them.
"These two were scrapping again and I had to intervene." He replied and Bella sighed as she took me from Harry. Good, the further away from that bitch of a sister the better. I missed Nya.
"I wonder what they were fighting about." She said as she stroked my head with her finger. I couldn't help purring, it was so relaxing.
"They were probably just play fighting and it got a bit rough," Harry suggested and I could swear my cat sister was smirking. She was the only blond kitten in our litter, the rest of us were dark brown, and Harry loved to spoil her. "Why didn't Audrey stop them?"
"To be fair Harry, she has got six other kittens to care for, that's why we had to hand rear some of them," Bella replied. Before either of them could say anything else, the bell rang as the door suddenly opened, signaling a new customer had entered the store. Both humans turned, allowing me to see a person wearing a conical straw hat walking over to the owners. For a split second, I thought it was Master Wu. Then the person lifted their head and disappointment filling my tiny, fluffy body when I saw it was Mystake.
She eyed me for a few seconds, before looking up at Bella.
"Can we help you, Miss?" Bella asked in her best customer service voice.
"Yes, I would like to adopt this kitten." She said and pointed at me. Does she know who I am?
"Are you sure? Wouldn't you like to have a look at the other kittens?" Harry suggested but Mystake shook her head.
"No, I must have this one please." She repeated. Bella and Harry shared a look before Bella sighed as she took my sister from her husband and placed us both back in the cage. After making sure the cage was properly locked, she led Mystake to the office to fill out the necessary paperwork and payment while Harry did his rounds around the store. That blond pest hissed at me one last time before wandering off to annoy our other brothers and sisters.
"Well done my kitten, I'm so happy that you're going to your forever home." My momma cat, Audrey, purred as she started my head and back. I purred as I leaned into her touch.
"Momma, how come you don't give us names?" I suddenly asked. All my time as a kitten, I had never heard her call any of us by a name. Audrey paused to think for a moment before she finally answered.
"It's not my place to give you a name, that is for your humans to decide." She said and I frowned. What about stray cats? Before I could ask her, however, Bella returned with Mystake. The old tea lady had a shopping bag that was filled with cat stuff for me. Bella unlocked the cage and I was quickly picked up. I gave my cat family one last look before I was gently placed in a plastic pet carrier. A blanket was placed over the carrier, covering me in total darkness.
I heard Bella gave Mystake some last-minute advice about how to help a kitten adjust to a new home.
Then I felt Mystake begin to walk and soon I heard the loud noises of the outside world. Even though I had a strong feeling Mystake knew something and was hopefully taking me back to my real family, a part of me would miss the pet store and my cat family, mainly my momma cat. Except for my kitten sister. She was literally the worst...
The first thing I realized when I came back to my senses was that I can't see. I could hear all kinds of noises around me, but the loudest sound was faint, high-pitched meowing that sounded like it was right next to me. I must be near lots of cats. I could also that feel my body was different. It felt like my arms were replaced with legs and at first, I thought I was naked until a realized my body felt really hairy. I quickly remembered what the First Spinjitzu Master said about how I might not be human.
So I must be some kind of newborn baby animal.
Before I could try and open my eyes something around my size suddenly shoved into me, knocking me onto my side. I tried to roll over, but something soft and wiggly was blocking my way and my four legs didn't feel strong enough to push whatever was in my way out of the way. It didn't help that I could open my eyes to see anything around me. I could feel movement all around me, but, as much as I hate to admit it, I was still scared and confused.
Just as I was about to go into a full-on panic mood, I felt something weird on my head and down my back.
It felt like a sandpaper brush running down my back. Instead of feeling weird, it felt comforting and relaxing. I recognized that this was a tongue of a mother cat and I was surrounded by a litter of kittens. A large one by the sound of it. I almost gasped when I realized she was a full-grown cat and I must have been her kitten. Well... this is awkward. She must be my new mother now, but how the fuck am I gonna explain to her that I used to be human and was reborn as one of her babies?
The next thing I knew, the mother cat's chin was rested gently atop my head.
After a brief moment, a soothing purr that thundered comfortingly in my ears reverberated through my very being. Some part of me, deep down, knew exactly what she was doing to me. She was doing the same exact thing that she would do as if I were a scared baby that was in need of comfort from my mother. Technically, that's exactly what I was, but I couldn't bring myself to care about that. For once, I accepted the fact that I desperately needed this.
All of a sudden I felt somebody pick me up and away from the cramped, comforting warmth from the litter and my momma cat.
I could feel that it was a human holding me, and they either had really big hands or I was really tiny because I could literally fit in their hand. Now I was panicking. I tried calling for my momma cat, but I couldn't hear her doing anything to stop the human holding me. My cries for help sounded exactly like little kitten meows and it was so frustrating to deal with. I was suddenly wrapped up into something soft and tight that was warm and comforting, but I wanted to go back to the little.
Wait, why am I saying that?
"How old is he again?" The person holding me asked. Who was that? Where am I? I don't recognize who the voice belonged to.
"Three weeks." Another man replied.
"That long?! He looks like about a day old!" A third man burst out. All the commotion was really stressing me out and with a final attempt, my eyes finally cracked open and I looked up to a man with black hair looking down at me.
"Aw! He's finally opened his eyes!" The black-haired man squealed in delight. I couldn't stop myself from letting out small whimpers as if I was going to cry. I saw three different men around me. Who was this man that was holding me? I didn't like it and the shouting was scaring me. I started squirming around in the man's hand and tried to scratch at the man's hand with my tiny claws, but the soft and tight thing made it almost impossible.
"Here give him to me." The second voice said when he saw how agitated I was becoming.
"Here." The one holding me said instantly. Whoever was holding me now belonged to a person who sounded caring and kind. Who was he? He held on to me as he gently uncurled the tight blanket and patted carefully, barely a flutter, tapped on my back, three soft beats at a time.
"Shhh... Shhh... It's alright, it's alright." He soothed as I felt three soft taps on my back. Who was this? I looked up to see who was this new person. Even though I didn't know who this was, I knew this man would never hurt me. I trusted him. The small beats on me made me feel safer. I liked it.
"Wow, he really likes you." The third man hummed. I turned my head to see the other men and felt fear again. Who were they? Would they hurt me?
"It's okay, these men won't hurt you." The second man hushed and I turned my head back to the one with kindness in his voice and buries myself deeper in something soft and warm.
"I've been gone for a few seconds and someone disturbs them? I thought I said she needs peace and calm to take care of her litter?" A new voice, a female voice, was heard and it sounded angry. Was she mad at me?
"It's okay Bella, he's fine now." The man holding him said, still patting me. I hated this, I didn't know who these people were, and were they talking about me?
"What's with the bottle?" The first man asked.
"Audrey doesn't have enough nipples to feed them all, so I'm gonna have to hand-rear a couple of them." The woman, Bella, explained. "I added the minerals the vets gave us in the formula, this should fill him up." She said, sounding happy now. Slowly moving my head to the new find the sound, I forgot my fear and frustration about the men. As soon as I saw her, I knew she would never hurt me either. She carried something in her arms and gave it to the man holding me.
I don't know how, but I knew that whenever someone had that thing they would give it to me to drink, and it was always tasty.
I wanted that thing with the tasty in it but the warm and soft thing held me in place. It was a blanket. I watched every movement of the thing in the man's hand, eager to taste my tasty. The man held me in one hand and placed the thing in my eager mouth. Yes, it was good! I wanted more! Moving out of my blanket, I started chugging my tasty and barely noticed my right front leg moving on instincts as I drank the delicious formula.
"Woah, slowly, little one." Said the man with a light chuckle and pulled the thing away from me. I felt something fall through me and the man placed the thing back in my mouth. It was so good, what was this stuff? Was it called tasty? Yes, I would call it tasty.
"Awww, he must have been hungry." Someone said but I ignored him and continued to have my tasty. I felt my eyes fall down but I wanted more.
"Awww, is the little kitten tired again?" Bella said, rubbing her fingers on the back of my head.
"There we go, all done." The man suddenly said and my thing was released from my mouth. I was too tired to suck more of my tasty and huddled closer to the man holding me. Something wiped my mouth and I felt the man place me on his chest and I felt something patting my back. I groaned in discomfort before a small burp cleared my belly.
"There we go, all better now." Bella soothed softly.
"Go back sleep little one." The man said as he placed me back with the litter. My littermates hugged me close and I felt my momma cat giving me a couple of licks before moving on to her other fussy kittens. I was tired again, yawning before I curled tight in the group of fluffy bodies as I drifted to sleep...
Kai groaned as he opened his amber eyes and slowly sat up. His head was very fuzzy on what happened. He couldn't remember what it was that happened. After a few minutes, all the memories came back to him. He had caused an explosion at the warehouse and it took him here, wherever here was. He looked around some more and found everything very foggy and cloudy and the wind was ruffling his hair around. He looked at what he was wearing.
It looked red Egyptian clothing pharaohs wore.
He decided to look around some more to see if he could find anybody. He got up and started walking to find someone. The place looked deserted. He found out as soon as he started walking that he wasn't wearing any shoes. He still walked on anyway. After a while, he came to a bright blue river. The river was sparkling and looked like if you drank from it, it would taste like candy. He stepped over the river by walking on the stones that were there.
They were arranged so that someone could walk over the river.
He started walking on and he eventually came to a giant wall that looked like water or fog. He saw someone next to it. It was a girl who had her head was down so he tapped her shoulder and she looked up. She had brown wavy hair that flowed past her shoulders and stunning blue eyes. Her outfit was just like Kai's, only it did have some jewelry and stuff on it.
"Where are you traveling to?" She asked as she looked at him.
"Uh..." He started, not sure what was happening.
"I am Elise, the spirit that aids wandering souls to their final resting place."
"Um, excuse me but, what is this wall here?" He asked and they both looked to the wall.
"Oh that, well, that's the crossover to the other side."
"I don't understand."
"When someone passes away and they do not regret anything or have everything finished with their lives, they come here to this wall and cross over; all you have to do is step through the wall."
"But, I'm not ready to go! I still need to stay here!"
"Well, that is not really in my place to decide." She told him sympathetically. "I just guide the people to the other side."
"Please, I have to go back! I need to protect my family! Can't you talk to the person in charge of something?" He begged.
"I can not decide this stuff, the gods have to decide." She replied and Kai fell to his knees.
"Please, I need to stay here." He whispered as tears welled up in his eyes. "I won't do anything bad, I just need to stay here." He pleaded desperately as the tears started to roll down his cheeks. The girl's eyes softened and saddened at this.
"You promise?" Another voice said. Kai stopped and looked up and the girl was shocked.
"It's the First Spinjitzu Master." She gasped and quickly got on her knees and bowed to them. Kai also bowed down, not sure what else to do.
"No need to bow Master of Fire, I heard what you were saying; I also heard what your family was saying."
"You did?" He asked as he slowly stood up.
"Yes, and it seems you are still needed in the real world."
"I must go back." He insisted. "Please, I need to be with my family again."
"Very well, you may go back, and you will have your own body." The First Spinjitzu Master said after a moment of silence. "However, there is one condition for this to happen." He added before Kai could celebrate.
"What is it? I'll do anything."
"You will have to start life all over again."
"What?!" He screeched so loud the girl flinched.
"We cannot just give you a body of your age." The First Spinjitzu Master replied. "You will have to start life all over again, and you might not be human; we can not predict that."
"What? But-"
"Do not worry Master of Fire, you will remember all you did in your past life, no matter what form you inhabit, and you will reincarnate until your purpose is fulfilled; that is your condition." The First Spinjitzu Master explained. "If you stay here, you won't see them again, at least not for a long time, if you do decide to go back, you get to be with them, but as a child and probably not the same creature as you were in your past life, so which one do you decide?" He asked.
Kai was shocked at this condition.
He thought about it. If he didn't go, he would probably never see them again for decades. If he did go back, he would be with them again, but he will be a child and most likely not human anymore. He had to choose fast. If he did go, he would get to be with his family again and Lloyd still needed him. Lloyd and the others would probably have to act like a parent to him, but his little brother still needed him and he still needed all of them. He made his decision.
"I want to go back."
"Very well, you have agreed to the condition?" The First Spinjitzu Master smiled.
"Yes, I have."
"Very well then." He nodded opened up a portal. "Go through this portal and you know what happens next."
"Okay, see you later." He smiled and stepped into the portal. Everything flashed before his eyes, but he held on to the thought of seeing his friends again...
Kai growled in frustration as he faced the Mechanic as best as he could alone. The Mechanic had recently escaped from prison and had rounded up some other escapees to go on a robbing spree of dozens of tech stores all around Ninjago. It didn't take Nya and Zane too long to figure out that the Mechanic was attempting to construct a type of bomb that was sold very highly on the black market. After almost six weeks of none stop chasing, the Ninja managed to track the Mechanic to an abandoned warehouse at the docks.
Unfortunately, the Mechanic wasn't alone.
All the fugitives he had recruited were there as well to ensure their boss wasn't disturbed while finishing the bomb. While his team fought against the criminals, Kai had somehow managed to sneak past them all. He considered staying to help the others but a look from Lloyd told him what to do and he ran through the docks and into the warehouse. He found the Mechanic alone with a half-constructed bomb, surrounded by hundreds of boxes containing many different things.
As soon as he saw the red ninja, he smirked and armed his blaster's arm.
"Well well well, we meet again Fire Ninja." He cackled as they faced off. The Mechanic blasted a big fire blast while Kai blasted his own fire blasts. They were at a stalemate. Kai was still weak from the ordeal but he had to think of something fast. His eyes caught sight of boxes full of old fireworks. He suddenly had an idea but it was very, very risky, but he was ready for anything. He stood up and put his hands in front of him. He let all his fire gather and blasted it all to the dozens of boxes full of fireworks.
The Mechanic's eyes widened when he saw what Kai just did.
He tried to shoot the red ninja, but it was too late. The Mechanic immediately ran and jumped out the nearest window, but Kai was too far away from any nearby exits to escape the incoming flames.
"I'm sorry guys." The brunette said out loud as his fire hit the boxes. It was enough to get to destroy the device and the warehouse.
"No! I was so close!" The Mechanic shouted as a massive explosion occurred while he stood at a safe distance. It was enough to cloud the entire docks. The rest of the Ninja saw the big explosion and they hoped everyone was alright. Eventually, the smoke cleared and they saw everything clearly.
"You did it, Kai," Lloyd said, proud of his unofficial big brother. All the Ninjas started looking around for their hotheaded brother but they couldn't find him. Lloyd was starting to grow worried. He looked around more and he started growing more worried. He eventually found Kai laying on the ground. "Kai!" He shouted as he ran up to the brunette. His amber eyes were closed. Lloyd tried to shake him awake but when he touched his shoulder, he drew back sharply.
He gasped as he felt that Kai's skin was very cold.
Because Kai was the Master of Fire, he was almost always like a human furnace so the fact that he was so cold sent alarm bells ringing loudly in Lloyd's mind.
"Kai?" He started calling Kai as if in a trance. "No Kai, don't do this." He pleaded as he picked up Kai's head but he still received no movement. Lloyd's eyes started to water and he held back the urge to cry. Maybe Kai was overly exhausted or something. Lloyd's eyes started overflowing with tears. "No Kai, please don't leave!" He shouted. Still nothing. Lloyd started crying, then he realized something else. Kai didn't have a pulse. Lloyd stared in shock, then his tears grew more forcefully as Kai's tanned skin began to grow grey and his lips turned blue.
"KAI, NO! NO!" He screamed as if Kai could hear his voice. He held on to Kai as if that would re-start his heart. Lloyd's body became racked with sobs. He started sobbing uncontrollably and hysterically as he was shouting to the sky. "KAI, PLEASE COME BACK! PLEASE!" He shouted to the heavens hoping someone would hear his cry, but nothing happened. He continued to sob both uncontrollably and hysterically on the ground as the others found him.
As soon as they realized what had happened, they all broke down.
Nya was the worst. She fell to the ground, with only Jay holding her up, as she howled and sobbed louder than anyone believed she could be. But no amount of crying and begging would undo this. Kai Ash Smith was dead...
4/9/24
inspired by a guy walking by on the street. no, he was not surrounded by balloons. but ai thought he was and i think that's nice.
I can't imagine how empty she felt on that short walk home, after this hug. I can imagine that she felt full of possibilities, what ifs, and lost opportunities... and the weight of that feels like hollowness.
ok so I did a meditation yesterday (link) and as much as it didn't work when it comes to shifting, I kinda got some past life memories from it, and now I'm just kinda aching for it