Aron had been under the assumption that his resurrection would have been a little more exciting. It wasn’t as if he was anticipating an entire welcoming party, or someone valiantly standing guard at his impromptu grave on the beach, but he expected a bit more than this. He’d thought that, when he clawed his way out of his wet, sandy grave, brushed the feathers off his rotting body, he’d be greeted by a familiar face or two. His old home, a place whose name has long since left his mind, was always a bustling place, and there was sure to be a cat or two milling about on the beach where he was buried.

He’s in the same body, alright, but definitely not the same place. When Aron’s eyes fly open and all the life seeps back into his body, he finds himself in a pool of murky, polluted water. His first breaths are just inhaling mouthfuls of an irradiated marsh and all of its trash. It’s not a pretty sight. It’s a lot to take in at once, especially having just been reborn, and Aron is already feeling a bit overwhelmed. He’s not where he wants to be, he’s just had several gulps of shit water, and he’s fresh out of hell.

Aron is disheveled and dirty, caked with mud, debris, and bits of dried blood clinging to his fur here and there, quite the disgusting little spectacle, but it doesn’t seem like anyone’s concerned with his presence. In fact, there’s not really anyone around to notice him. Or so he thinks. The trees are masked with a thick, musky cloud of fog, and coupled with the fact that it’s the dead of night, it’s difficult to tell if anyone is lurking or not.

He would call out, but when he tries, all that comes out is a pathetic, gravelly little sound. At least he can walk, albeit barely. He might need more time to recover - he had just spent a good six months rotting in hell, and clearly it’s taken a toll on both him and his body. His body is really something, some skeletal, decomposed thing on the verge of coming apart. It’s a wonder he’s even able to maneuver it at all. While Aron can take a few painful, staggering steps, it becomes obvious that he isn’t going to make it far in this. Well, he doesn’t feel like staying dead, but there’s no chance that this body will make it more than five minutes in its current state.

So, like a snake shedding its skin, Aron leaves it behind. At home, as a wandering soul he would have been a tasty snack for things much greater than himself, unseen to the naked eye, but here he finds no such danger. It’s just some gross little wetland, no hungry demons or beings from another realm to prey on him… or so he hopes. His radar might just be out of whack.

He wanders for quite a while. Most of that time is spent unwittingly floating in circles, unable to properly navigate the damn place, but after much trial and error, Aron finds himself drawn in the direction of… what looks like a city. Said city is bustling, full of potential bodies just ripe for the picking. Aron almost feels like he’s peering through a storefront window, eagerly eyeing everyone that passes through him.

There’s a sharp, distant cry. Aron floats curiously towards it, poking his head through the wall of a particular home. Inside he finds a wildcat giving birth, surrounded by concerned friends. That’s it, Aron thinks. He knows what he wants now.

As the last cub comes out, Aron decides then to make his move. He swarms towards the cub as its mother curls around it and the rest of the litter. He finds that there’s hardly any resistance when he assumes control, though the other soul inhabiting the cub isn’t entirely exiled, just put aside. Aron doesn’t think it’s much of an issue now, though he imagines it’ll be a pain in his ass in the near future.

He’s last in line to receive his name from his so-called mother. She takes her time, nuzzling each of her newborn sons, but when she gets to him, she seems off-put. He would say she’s hesitant to even touch him. The leopardess doesn’t reject him, however, just says to the creatures surrounding her, ”This one… gives me a weird vibe.” Her remark is met with soft laughter. They must assume she’s delirious from labor. Despite his “mother’s” remark, Aron makes himself comfortable.