Work Text:
Dà Qìng stood silent in his corner by the Dried Fish Symbol, observing the others in the cave. It was something cats were extraordinarily good at that no one seemed to remember, which suited him just fine.
He watched as Lǎo Chǔ placed the puppet on the string around Xiǎo Guō’s neck, and let it settle against his chest.
A memory, an old, old memory, wound through his mind like smoke. Something he had never truly forgotten. Lǎo Zhào’s hands placing a chain around his own neck, the weight of the bells he still carried settling into place like a missing piece.
He shifted on his feet slightly, and felt the bells, warm from his skin, shift in answer. Lǎo Chǔ and Xiǎo Guō were locked together in an intense gaze, clearly oblivious to anyone else around them in this moment. ”Obey. Remember.”.
The words Lǎo Zhào had said drifted to the surface; a whisper of the past.
One day you will find someone you want to follow, want to guard. Whether human or cat, love is what makes us greater. You will understand it then.
“Enough.”
Lǎo Zhào in the present broke the spell, reminding them all of the task at hand.
Dà Qìng reached up and brushed the bells with his fingertips, the memory already fading.
Yes, Lǎo Zhào. My master. You were right.