The first canvas was the beach, the sun drawing inspiration to use limbs and tail to recreate its light.

A scribbly circle followed by many stripes for its rays, a little feline stared a little too long, too young to fully comprehend the environment just yet. Her stomach rumbling, she left the area behind, seeking the one familiar berry bush with an array of colours and flavours. Without fail, the waves washed the lines away each time- Initially upsetting the cat, but eventually gifting the opportunity for new, fresh ideas- For this was a fresh start of life, the little feline recalling no earlier memories than these.

The second canvas was the forest and its dirt, the critters sparking a wonder to roam.

From the teeniest caterpillars to the tiniest birds, a harmonious song sung within the shades of the trees. Her array of berries only in bloom for so long, the little feline found herself lost away from the beach. Witnessing creatures out and about, gave her an idea on what to do. Collecting leaves, petals, acorns- A stick proved helpful in navigation, and as a makeshift brush. Marking anything interesting, and anything that had berries, the little feline had moved deeper into the depths of the island.

The third canvas was the floor, eventually table, underneath the first roof over her head.

Roaming around aimlessly was bound to get one noticed. A soft blanket of leaves, owls hooting with the wind, safely tucked away for a night's rest- All of it fading into silence, as the little feline stared into the shade, and something revealed itself. A glowing eye, nearly as blinding as the sun, floating closer to witness the humble abode made by an orphan. No questions asked or heads tilted, followed by a gentle scoop and the odd hum. Dirt of the earth replaced by a wooden foundation. Rain of the skies replaced by a warm fireplace crackle. Leaves of the trees replaced by a soft cotton blanket.

From there on out, the little feline was Chi, and she looked nothing alike her auntie Caint and uncle Driscoll.

— ECCENTRIC UPBRINGINGS —

It took her longer than average to start speaking- Not that Chi would know or mind for far longer, however, as auntie Caint and uncle Driscoll were the only sentient beings she'd met in her life thus far. Unlike her, they didn't seem to have a tail. Or ears. Or noses. Or mouths- Let alone regular anatomy no less, as auntie Caint had a whole six arms. And they could also float above the ground. And they could make art out of air, no canvas, no brush, nothing. Auntie Caint and uncle Driscoll were nothing alike the world or critters seen before- All the more reason for the little feline to be fascinated by their teachings- Or, well, their attempts at raising a youngling from a whole different species.

They didn't need to eat, but Chi did. It was a whole trial and error until they figured just how often mortals needed nourishment. They didn't need to sleep, but Chi did. It was plenty restless nights until they figured that lullabies and bedtime stories knocked mortals out like bricks. They didn't need to play, but Chi did. It was walls scribbled in utter nonsense until they supplied her with paint and canvas. They didn't need to talk, but Chi did. It was lone days in and out until they were more present. They didn't need to explore, but Chi did. And that's where a limit on boundaries was set, for the world was unknown, and the youngling wasn't quite ready for that yet- A conclusion made out of observations on mortal life as a whole.

Thus, for as long as she'd known, Chi lived in a cozy little cottage, hidden within the depths of the island- Alongside the critters and nature of the forest, and occasionally auntie Caint and uncle Driscoll also. A small world it was, but it was familiar, and thereby safe. Spending her days observing this world, drawing as close to its likeness anywhere deemed fit. Whenever auntie Caint and uncle Driscoll returned from their ventures, upon asking, they'd share the wonders of a world beyond this small one- Distances of skies scattered with stars, colours of the rainbow found in planets- A small hope that one day, Chi may be able to see that for herself, too.

A hobby turned into a passion, art was the only thing that kept Chi going day in and out, lest she perish to boredom. A chalk stripe here, a paint stroke there, a plethora of characters and worlds were born from the cat's imagination. Chi desired the world whole as canvas, but it acted as muse instead- A gateway into her craft formed a means of escape, even if temporary- Least to say existence was lonely. Often times she wondered if there were others out there, beyond the small scape of the forest, the island- One's caretakers the only sentient beings around, could only provide enough for so long.

— BESPOKE BUBBLE —

And so, it was shortly after her 15th birthday, that Chi ignored set boundaries for the first time. Venturing further than the forest, seeing more of the island instead of hazy memories from years ago. Were there always more berry bushes than just that one? Did the beach always stretch out this far? Was there always some floating triangular structure that oddly resembled auntie Caint and uncle Driscoll?

As if the timing was right, a sudden wave of magic washed over the island and the seas. A low hum emitted from the structure, slowly becoming louder and louder, radiating a bright glow- Akin to the sun- Akin to the first time Chi saw auntie Caint, and was given a home- A rumbling that shook the entire island, the seas roaring as several structures rose from its depths- Forming a staircase towards a destination unknown in the skies. Questions upon questions formed in the feline's head, wondering how this had gone unnoticed by her for so long.

Not daring to move a single inch, after the rumbling had stopped, something else revealed itself- A black cat hopping down the stairs, their green glowing eyes spotting Chi immediately. In that moment, the small world had its first needle pinched into the bubble.

"What the fuck?" the strange feline exclaimed.

A moment of silence, followed by confusion. "What's a fuck?" 

Sy was the first friend Chi made, from what she jokingly calls 'the outer world'. After that first encounter, Chi dared leave the confinements of known territory more, going on adventures piloted by her first friend- Also curious about this world, as both felines were rather unfamiliar with what it had to offer- Albeit due to different reasons. A plethora of these escapades would add more and more pressure onto the bubble that made Chi's small world.

It turned out she wasn't quite the only one. It turned out there were more beings like her, not just nature and critters. It turned out there were multiple cottages and buildings built on other islands on the seas. It turned out there were other types of flora and fauna on other islands in the skies. It turned out a world with a whole lot of distance to cover, way more than Chi could've possibly ever dreamt of. The curiosity returned her desire to explore in full force, reflecting discoveries and inspirations within her art tenfold.

In the shades, however, a seeping disdain crept up over the years, the more Chi saw of this outer world- Yet nothing of it was ever mentioned. It wasn't as if auntie Caint and uncle Driscoll, Divine entities, couldn't understand anyway. Upon discovery of her ventures, there were no explosions no outrages no consequences no nothing- Merely a charm in the shape of a necklace, meant for protection. One that Chi would repeatedly leave at the house, for she didn't need it- The outer world that presented itself, wasn't dangerous or daunting at all- It was welcoming her with open arms, as if calling her home.

And so, on the premise of a happier life, Chi eventually left without a word.

Neither auntie nor uncle came looking for her, nor did she hear anything from them at all.

It was heartbreakingly and beautifully silent all the same.

— MAGICAL REVELATIONS —

Eventually, the bubble shrunk to nothing but an anecdote of the past. The first few years fresh into the new world, Chi spent it as Sy's roommate- Both going on adventures, expanding their knowledge of all there was in their own ways. Where Sy wanted to invent like a crazed scientist, Chi wanted to capture its beauty on canvas. It turned out she wasn't quite the only one, and it made her happy to find others whom shared similar interests- It made her happy to learn from other walks of life- It made her happy to connect with strangers turning friends- It made her happy to know the feeling of being alive.

Renewing into a bright, bubbly artist, Chi's works spread around the region, customers visiting from islands away to describe commissions in great detail- To a point where it was her livelihood, and Chi was happy to keep going on as a freelancer for anyone desiring art. Getting her own place, neighbouring to Sy's, most of it was undoubtedly transformed into a creative workshop, allowing Chi to create with plenty of mediums at disposal. Interlacing the world with the ideas brewing in her imagination- The feline was finally able to truly let the art strokes flow wherever and however she wanted, of whatever she wanted.

The characters and worlds she drew them in, had grown alongside her over the years as well- Having their own personalities, their own days, their own existences- It was as if Chi was truly there to witness her creation come to life- Until the day came that her drawings literally started moving on their own, and Chi let out the loudest shriek possible- Sy undoubtedly stormed in a few seconds later to see what the ruckus was all about.

The slight moves of limbs, that Chi swore she didn't erase and edit. The slight changes of expressions, that Chi swore the execution was off of. The slight mutations of markings, that Chi swore were her markers drying out. It explained all the tiny odds and ends in her art over the past few months, as a 2D scribble was now waving back at Chi and her friend. The feline drew something new, on a different piece of paper- And that too, slowly came to life, stretching its- their- scribbles into neater structures for the convenience of animation.

It brewed a question that could only be, probably, answered by two beings Chi admittedly hadn't thought of in a long while. After avoiding the original small world as if a hazardous territory, for ~5 years, Chi stepped down the staircase structure seeking answers- It was as it had all remained as it was. The waves moving sand on the beach the same- The hidden paths in and out of the forest the same- The looming, humming triangular structure the same- The scribbled on, run down cottage still the same- Yet the beings had changed in her time away, as much as the feline had.

Beyond a possible explanation of 'her passion unknowingly pouring magic into her craft', the feline reluctantly agreed to more future visits- That turned easier for all parties involved, the more they went on. Remembrances of the past, intentions despite executions, explanations of every single little thing- Eventually Chi found she forgave auntie Caint and uncle Driscoll, for they were trying despite it all. Thankfully it resulted in no bonds sour, but better ones from there on out. They were amongst the few to witness the magical results of Chi's art, as she stepped into Moondawn for the first time a few months after.

A masterpiece created from her craft, Moondawn was a way from the real into the imaginary. Anything she drew turned tangible, whether in the realm itself or through the traditional pen 'n paper- Yet at the same time, Moondawn seemed to expand itself with new areas to explore, new critters to watch, new beings to befriend. While Chi initially ventured these fantastical areas on her own, soon she'd take friends and loved ones along, for it was quite literally a whole new dimension.

Plenty of times the feline had wondered of a world greater than her own, beyond the edges of her own- And there was, in the shape of other islands and other inhabitants and a whole civilisation beyond the bubble- And beyond the reaches of this region, were myths and legends of another continent on the planet, never seen by anyone from here- Yet the desire to explore those unknown areas became an afterthought, as Moondawn was ever changing, expanding with each new spark of inspiration, its wonders even more magical than the real.

The world had always been her muse, and that wouldn't change anytime soon.

To have her own world as canvas, meant infinitely more to Chi than what was ever imaginable, tangible or drawable.