- Jun 15, 2023
- 98
- 7
- 8
die with memories , not dreams .
︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶
/ tw : brief mentions of physical & mental abuse
The bi-colored tom flinched, watching his father pace back and forth, teeth bared, head snapping to stare at his son, gaze set ablaze. Oh. He did something wrong, didn’t he? Kaede blinked languidly, head lowered in silent submission, but that only made his father’s temper flare brighter, stalking forward to land a hefty slap to Kaede’s fawn-colored cheek, drawing beads of blood. “Do not bow down, you insolent child!” He sneered, nostrils flaring, towering over Kaede. “You must not show weakness! Why must you continue to fail me time and time again?” He sighed, pressing a paw to his face, weary. “Why must I be stuck with such an incompetent son?”
Kaede frowned. But I’m not. He had brought two big rabbits into camp, but instead of congratulating him as the others did, his father scolded him for not bringing more. More. Always more. Nothing made his father proud, but the child side of him wanted to please his father, even if he came back battered and bruised. “Sorry, Father.” He rumbled, peering up at his father who huffed.
“Your apologizes mean nothing if you cannot act on them.” His father sneered. A clawed grasp reached forward, tugging the bi-colored forward, closer and closer to the river bed. “I could kill you right where you stand, boy.” Without warning, his father shoved his head into the frigid waters, drawing a startled gasp, taking in a mouthful of water.
“Look!” His father snarled, ignoring the spasm of his bi-colored son’s body, pulling on his scruff, head bursting out from the water with a choked wheeze. “This! This is failure!” He sneered. Kaede sputtered, dual-toned blown wide, staring at the rippling water, heart threatening to beat out of his chest. Failure? Kaede blinked through the droplets, coughing. He said nothing as Father pulled away, claws ripping at the ground with sputtered hisses, yelling for the bi-colored tom to get up.
He clambered to his feet, pivoting to stare at his father’s darkened frame. With a shake of his helm, Kaede squared his shoulders, head held high, dual-toned optics narrowed. I will be nothing more than a disappointment to you. He mused, optics sad. He wanted nothing more than to prove that he wasn’t a screw-up, but all his father would ever see was someone who murdered his mate and children.
Kaede sucked in a shaky breath. “What is it you wish for me to do?” He would ask, tone steady despite the tremor of his paws.
Father huffed. “You bring shame to me, boy.” Kaede flinched. Alright. He should have expected this. Father was never one for saying what he wanted, attacking with insults. Is he still disappointed with my catch? The bi-colored tom glanced at the water briefly, ignoring the sharp thrum of his cheek, minuscule against the many other injuries Kaede obtained.
Did he want him to catch fish? Couldn’t he have asked? It would have been easier than … shoving his head in the water. Now his nostrils burned in tandem with the rawness of his throat. “I won’t disappoint you, Father.” Oh. That made him angrier. He blinked, head cocked. What did I say? Should he have smiled? No. He tried that earlier and Father nearly choked him right where he stood.
Kaede turned, staring at the crystal waters that had taken so much from them. He glanced over his shoulder at Father who sneered. “Don’t come back until you’ve caught five fish. Otherwise, you’ll truly be a disappointment to this colony.” With that, his father whipped around, no doubt returning to the colony.
“Alright.” He murmured, turning to stare at the water with furrowed brows with little to no knowledge of how to hunt fish. How could a cat hunt such slippery things that moved too fast in the water? Kaede was never lucky when he was out, knee-deep in the river, claws swiping through the water, slow but sure, still unable to catch anything but the knicks of tails.
Will this make you proud?
The bi-colored tom flinched, watching his father pace back and forth, teeth bared, head snapping to stare at his son, gaze set ablaze. Oh. He did something wrong, didn’t he? Kaede blinked languidly, head lowered in silent submission, but that only made his father’s temper flare brighter, stalking forward to land a hefty slap to Kaede’s fawn-colored cheek, drawing beads of blood. “Do not bow down, you insolent child!” He sneered, nostrils flaring, towering over Kaede. “You must not show weakness! Why must you continue to fail me time and time again?” He sighed, pressing a paw to his face, weary. “Why must I be stuck with such an incompetent son?”
Kaede frowned. But I’m not. He had brought two big rabbits into camp, but instead of congratulating him as the others did, his father scolded him for not bringing more. More. Always more. Nothing made his father proud, but the child side of him wanted to please his father, even if he came back battered and bruised. “Sorry, Father.” He rumbled, peering up at his father who huffed.
“Your apologizes mean nothing if you cannot act on them.” His father sneered. A clawed grasp reached forward, tugging the bi-colored forward, closer and closer to the river bed. “I could kill you right where you stand, boy.” Without warning, his father shoved his head into the frigid waters, drawing a startled gasp, taking in a mouthful of water.
“Look!” His father snarled, ignoring the spasm of his bi-colored son’s body, pulling on his scruff, head bursting out from the water with a choked wheeze. “This! This is failure!” He sneered. Kaede sputtered, dual-toned blown wide, staring at the rippling water, heart threatening to beat out of his chest. Failure? Kaede blinked through the droplets, coughing. He said nothing as Father pulled away, claws ripping at the ground with sputtered hisses, yelling for the bi-colored tom to get up.
He clambered to his feet, pivoting to stare at his father’s darkened frame. With a shake of his helm, Kaede squared his shoulders, head held high, dual-toned optics narrowed. I will be nothing more than a disappointment to you. He mused, optics sad. He wanted nothing more than to prove that he wasn’t a screw-up, but all his father would ever see was someone who murdered his mate and children.
Kaede sucked in a shaky breath. “What is it you wish for me to do?” He would ask, tone steady despite the tremor of his paws.
Father huffed. “You bring shame to me, boy.” Kaede flinched. Alright. He should have expected this. Father was never one for saying what he wanted, attacking with insults. Is he still disappointed with my catch? The bi-colored tom glanced at the water briefly, ignoring the sharp thrum of his cheek, minuscule against the many other injuries Kaede obtained.
Did he want him to catch fish? Couldn’t he have asked? It would have been easier than … shoving his head in the water. Now his nostrils burned in tandem with the rawness of his throat. “I won’t disappoint you, Father.” Oh. That made him angrier. He blinked, head cocked. What did I say? Should he have smiled? No. He tried that earlier and Father nearly choked him right where he stood.
Kaede turned, staring at the crystal waters that had taken so much from them. He glanced over his shoulder at Father who sneered. “Don’t come back until you’ve caught five fish. Otherwise, you’ll truly be a disappointment to this colony.” With that, his father whipped around, no doubt returning to the colony.
“Alright.” He murmured, turning to stare at the water with furrowed brows with little to no knowledge of how to hunt fish. How could a cat hunt such slippery things that moved too fast in the water? Kaede was never lucky when he was out, knee-deep in the river, claws swiping through the water, slow but sure, still unable to catch anything but the knicks of tails.
Will this make you proud?
thought speech