some hcs about my portrayal of the cat king
while i will refer to him as thomas, it is not the name they were given upon creation. the same way the endless have several names across various languages and cultures, so too does the cat king. thomas is simply what heβs chosen for himself these days, though very few outside of their family currently know it. for all intents and purposes, unless heβs specifically said otherwise, refer to him as (the) cat king.
and while weβre on the subject, β tom cat β as a descriptor for a rakish male cat was inspired by him in the 1700s, not the other way around thank you.
his parents are desire ( of the endless ) and bast ( egyptian cat goddess ). he inherited his domain over cats from his mother and his hedonism / the embodiment of pleasure from the other. if he had to put a name to what he is in a way mortal minds will understand, he can be considered a type of demigod, though 'roguishly handsome trickster cat king' will usually suffice.
while he is powerful in his own right and can easily dominate lesser magical beings, they donβt have nearly as much power as a full manifestation / god and in fact has grown rather weak in their current isolated state. in this regard, he takes more after his mother. like her, his abilities are closely linked to cats and his power correspond directly to their worship. were he to move somewhere with an overly abundant cat population, a large city perhaps, his powers would grow more in strength. however, they enjoy being in a small town where itβs easy to maintain complete control. as he said himself - heβs a lover, not a fighter.
as a cat king, all mortal felines fall under thomasβ reign. however, even the cat king himself must answer to the king of cats - his uncle, dream of the endless. a cat king rules a physical kingdom and takes care of their subjects within while the king of cats guides their dreams and shepherds them along his domain. thomas may be aloof and defiant but they respects their uncle ( as much as a cat can respect anyone, anyway ).
his relationship with his family is complicated, as all relationships with gods are. he was raised by bast since he was a kitten and is very much a mamaβs boy. she taught him about their world, about their history and power, and scruffed him when he was naughty ( which was often ). she is the one who instilled him with a softer side very few get to see. on the other hand, their relationship with desire is ... rougher. they will dote on him and praise his promiscuity, swap stories of pleasure and yearning, then strike him down should he grow too bold. they are civil towards one another, as thomas makes it a point not to get on their bad side if he can help it - but it is not always avoidable. heβs certainly gotten his heart broken too many times when desire decides to get involved, which is part of why heβs content to waste his potential in a small town. itβs easier to hide your loneliness when you donβt think about what your missing.
