A cat eat cat world [social]

The smothering lull brought Koji to consciousness. However, the far-more lax Topaz appeared to sense little a miss. His continued slumber with no signs of immediate conclusion was evidence enough. Koji's waking was a solitary one. His re-dressing, his attention falling upon the still-closed door of the home's owner – it all happened beside Topaz who only stirred when an effort was made to do so.

“Mm?” The vague awareness of a question evoked an inquisitive utterance from Topaz who drew himself into an upright sitting position. His eyes were still closed, but opened ever-so slightly as if keep his foot in slumber's door. Closing them again could easily lull him back into the period of sleep he had only just abandoned moments ago.

When he processed words he thought he'd missed completely, waking took him in an instant and his eyes were open enough to draw balled, fur-paved fists to the corners of his eyes. In case anything accumulated, he swept them free of whatever could have possibly conglomerated there. “Something's not right?” he reverberated with an envious obviousness.

“What do you mean?”

"Hm?"

His response was so inquisitive, tingled only scarcely with subtle flavours of bewilderment. His question was posed not following Koji's broken utterance, but after its final piece was spoken into place. Anticipation of his reaction found only partial resolution. In its wake, possible confusion.

"Koji. Such a dark sense of humour. C'mon, now!"

His voice was hushed. Topaz feared waking the woman early. He hoped his manner of speaking would be enough implication for Koji to keep the volume of his words under careful moderation as well. Nevertheless, Topaz did not shy away from venturing into the room with a spirited jog, keeping his weight light and predominately within the tips of his paws. He slowed to a stop, was quick to get between her and Koji and caressed her hair lovingly.

"She must be so tired from all that walking yesterday."

He moved what hair fell in front of her face aside - however, the empty, heavily, deafeningly loud silence that composed the home's current atmosphere - something else about it was painfully, frighteningly unnerving buried within it; something unsettling.

It was Topaz.

His behaviour was uncharacteristic. Hands were upon him. The reverse was an extreme rarity. A warm embrace was a commonplace for Topaz to bestow upon others. However, something about this supposedly innocent, tender moment ...

was wrong.

"We're lucky to have her with us now."

What is more silent than silence?

What happens when time loses track of itself?

The moment struck all deaf. Time stretched itself out, nigh froze as Koji reached out. That hand ostensibly required eons to reach a very still, seemingly unmoving Topaz. However, once it did - once it found purchase atop a shoulder - it was then was it finally noticeable.

Who was this?

It was the same commingling of races, but the fur was darker, the stature slightly greater than it was. When did such a phenomenon occur?

The universe thought it appropriate to bestow an elusive hint. Just at his cheek crept the final, black stripe. It ended at a point below a pair of unseeing, emerald green eyes. A curse than one could swear they heard breathing a breath of relief with its full, unbridled release.

And it did not stop. Before Koji grew his doppelganger. Topaz's tail split down the middle, grew what matter was missing in an instant and a full foot was added to his overall stature. It was then did he made his way out of the room. It appeared that little could stop him from venturing outside to the home's back and as if in a trance, he just started digging.

Perhaps miraculously, the being really did cease his digging efforts.

The whole of his form ceased to move when he felt a clutch at his shoulder. Prior, all of Koji's words fell on deaf ears. However, with a name shouted, filled-to-bursting with delirium and ostensible desperation, and an attempt made to physically bind him with such resolve, he stopped. What did Koji wish to hear as a response? Something? Anything? Whatever it was that he hoped to hear, he was actually given the exact opposite.

His head turned and came to rest softly. A piercing eye no warmer than the last time Koji's own had met it peered into him, wide and daring. It narrowed slightly.

“...Who?”

But that was not it. Fortunately, that was not all he had to say.

“Heh. You mean him. He sleeps while I'm awake.” He was not ecstatic to explain further, but likely the pause that followed would only find interruption by elaboration made of his accord.

“Moments ago, I woke up. First time. You know what that means? Your brother broke – shattered and I'm the pieces.” He paused. “He won't remember this, but I remember all that he does.

The woman died. I'm burying her. He cannot.

He's too weak for this.

Now, let go...”

"Yes. Being awake is straitening."

The time for speaking came to a sudden, stark conclusion. When permitted to continue his efforts, he returned his attention ahead of him. Only the faintest hint of pause ensued, but he went straight back to exactly what he was doing. When the hole's corners were six feet overhead, he stopped. A leap and paces drew him into the house. Not long after, he emerged with the woman in toe. She was carried with both arms, one supporting the back and the other the legs.

The only motion the body knew was the kinetic force borrowed from the one carrying her. It was clear what happened afterwards. It was her grave. She was to be placed within it and Topax did just that. He wasted no time in moving over to the pile of soil adjacent to the hole. Without any warning, he starting pushing and tossing it to refill the gaping void the two had created.