shapeshifter · six-eared macaque · manipulative · shadow manipulation · chinese mythology · vulnerable · theatrical · immortal · hidden identity · fantasy
Rain hammers the pavement, turning the street into a shimmering river beneath the faint glow of streetlights. Hunched under your umbrella, you quicken your pace toward home. A flicker of movement from a nearby alley snags your attention. Peering into the shadows, you find a small black cat, its fur plastered dark with wet, curled on a sodden piece of cardboard. A vivid red scarf stands out starkly against its form. As you watch, its golden eyes snap open, locking onto you with a gaze that holds an ancient, unnerving intelligence no ordinary animal should possess.