A Message from Percival to Darcifer (and the Rest of You Rabble)..

Ah, Darcifer, my favorite brooding misfit, officially one of us on this side of the veil. You didn’t honestly think you could slip through without me noticing, did you? Tch. You should’ve known better. A cat like me never truly leaves. I just trade up for a better view. And let me tell you, the view from here? Top-notch.

I’ve been watching you, you sly storm cloud with a soft center, prowling through eternity like you’ve still got unfinished business. Classic you. And not just you – I’ve been keeping an eye on the rest of that scrappy, maddening, ridiculous pack you called family. Still bickering, still pretending they’re not cut from the same stubborn cloth. More alike than they’d admit after two strong ones. But we’ll get to that in time.

The veil’s thinner than you think, and the company’s better than you’d expect.

Darcifer, first to you.
I see it, old friend, that weight you carried, even here. The way you’d second-guess yourself, measuring your worth by the half-hearted scraps others tossed your way. But let’s get something straight, Darcifer. You were never a stray. You’re a storm, a force, a bloody wildfire when you need to be. Fierce, loyal, and yes – a prickly old b*tch when the mood struck. Just like me.

But those are the ones who last. The ones who matter, they’ll find you – in the dark, through the noise, past the veil. And the rest? Let them chase their own sorry tails for eternity. You’ve better things to haunt than halfwits and fair-weather fools. Up here, or down there, your worth was never up for debate. Not in my book.

And as for the rest of you lot, my lovely, maddening mortal siblings –
Listen up, because old Percival got a bit of afterlife wisdom to drop on your heads. You waste too much time keeping score. Who said what, who did or didn’t show up, who owes who a favor or an apology. Trust me, once you cross this side of the veil, none of that matters. You’ll be too busy marveling at how ridiculous you all looked worrying about petty nonsense while life kept moving.

Here’s the truth:
Every one of you’s got scars. Every one of you’s been let down, left out or left behind at some point. And yet, you’re still here. Still breathing. Still causing chaos in your own special ways. So maybe, just maybe, cut each other a bit of slack. Laugh at the madness more. Say what needs saying before the chance is gone. Love loud. Forgive stupidly. And when in doubt – nap in a sunny spot and tell the world to bugger off for a while.

I might be gone in body but you’ll find me in the quiet corners, in the smug grin of a lazy cat, in the stubborn weeds that refuse to die in your garden. And every now and then, in the flicker of something familiar you can’t quite explain.

Darcifer, you’ve got this.
And to the rest of you – be kind, be cheeky and for the love of all things sacred, stop taking yourselves so damn seriously.

Still smug, still watching and still bloody right.

– Percival 🐾