Artwork for podcast The Voice of Dog
"Every Nine Lives Or So" by Tempo
25th November 2024 • The Voice of Dog • Rob MacWolf and guests
00:00:00 00:41:04

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Two reincarnating kitties have been trying to get together for literal ages, but still manage to be nervous for their first date.

Today’s story is “Every Nine Lives Or So” by Tempe O'Kun, who is the staff writer at Culturally F'd, voices the solarpunk doggo in Puplift, and wrote the novels Sixes Wild and Windfall, published by FurPlanet Press. You can find more of his stories on FurAffinity and Sofurry.

Read for you by Rob MacWolf — werewolf hitchhiker.

thevoice.dog | Apple podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

If you have a story you think would be a good fit, you can check out the requirements, fill out the submission template and get in touch with us.

https://thevoice.dog/episode/every-nine-lives-or-so-by-tempo

Transcripts

Speaker:


You’re

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listening

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to

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The

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Voice

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of

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Dog.

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This

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is

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Rob

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MacWolf,

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your

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fellow

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traveler,

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and

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story

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is “Every

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Nine

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Lives

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by

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Tempe O'Kun,

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who

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is

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the

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and

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published

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by

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find more

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of

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his

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stories

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and

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started

say:

the

say:

Steam

say:

Age

say:

then

say:

and

say:

there."

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say:

sure

say:

to

say:

tell

say:

them

say:

they don't

say:

have

say:

to

say:

brew

say:

it

say:

so

say:

strong."

say:

My

say:

other

say:

half swirls

say:

creamer

say:

into

say:

her

say:

coffee,

say:

then

say:

pitches

say:

the

say:

stir

say:

stick

say:

in

say:

a

say:

fine arc.

say:

It

say:

sails

say:

over

say:

the

say:

heads

say:

of

say:

oblivious

say:

patrons

say:

and

say:

sinks

say:

into

say:

a

say:

trash

say:

bin

say:

on

say:

the

say:

far

say:

side

say:

of

say:

the

say:

patio.

A

say:

grin

say:

takes

say:

me

say:

by

say:

surprise. "The

say:

old

say:

muscle

say:

memory."

Her

say:

turquoise

say:

eyes

say:

glimmer.

say:

She

say:

grabs a

say:

forgotten

say:

straw

say:

wrapper

say:

from

say:

beside

say:

the

say:

sugar

say:

dish,

say:

rolls

say:

it

say:

into

say:

rough

say:

toothpick

say:

shape,

say:

and

say:

arcs it

say:

effortlessly

say:

into

say:

the

say:

trash.

I

say:

clap

say:

politely.

say:

Reassuring

say:

to

say:

see

say:

even

say:

Teacher

say:

isn't

say:

above

say:

reveling

say:

in

say:

her

say:

superpowers.

Her

say:

shoulders

say:

roll

say:

in

say:

a

say:

modest

say:

shrug. "You

say:

should

say:

see

say:

what

say:

I

say:

can

say:

do

say:

with

say:

a

say:

spear."

The

say:

fun

say:

thing

say:

about

say:

reincarnation

say:

is

say:

you

say:

never

say:

know

say:

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say:

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say:

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say:

muscle

say:

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say:

for.

say:

I

say:

keep

say:

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say:

to

say:

find

say:

out

say:

I'm

say:

a

say:

karate

say:

master,

say:

but

say:

I

say:

keep

say:

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say:

I

say:

can

say:

cross-stitch

say:

or

say:

some

say:

shit

say:

instead.

say:

I

say:

wove a

say:

bag

say:

of

say:

licorice

say:

into

say:

a

say:

basket

say:

last

say:

week

say:

without

say:

thinking

say:

about

say:

it. "You

say:

ever

say:

think

say:

about

say:

the

say:

Olympics?"

say:

I

say:

take

say:

a

say:

sip,

say:

letting

say:

the

say:

heat

say:

spread

say:

over

say:

my

say:

gums. "You

say:

and

say:

a

say:

javelin

say:

could

say:

re-write

say:

the

say:

record

say:

books."

"I

say:

tried

say:

the

say:

original

say:

games,

say:

not

say:

the

say:

reboot."

say:

Her

say:

fingers

say:

toy

say:

with

say:

the

say:

air. "I

say:

admit,

say:

it

say:

crosses

say:

my

say:

mind

say:

every

say:

few

say:

decades.

say:

Just

say:

seems

say:

a

say:

tad…unsporting."

"I'd

say:

have

say:

to

say:

sign

say:

up

say:

too."

say:

I

say:

snap my

say:

e-cig

say:

open

say:

and

say:

closed a

say:

few

say:

times,

say:

one-handed. "Give

say:

you

say:

a

say:

little

say:

competition."

"I

say:

don't

say:

like

say:

to

say:

feel

say:

like

say:

I'm

say:

cheating."

say:

She

say:

notices

say:

the

say:

table

say:

is

say:

vibrating,

say:

then follows

say:

the

say:

motion

say:

down

say:

to

say:

my

say:

leg. "I

say:

say,

say:

are you always

say:

this

say:

fidgety?"

"It's how I stay

say:

skinny."

say:

I

say:

brandish a

say:

sugar

say:

packet

say:

at

say:

her. "You

say:

have

say:

any

say:

idea

say:

what

say:

I'd have

say:

done

say:

for

say:

this

say:

stuff

say:

most

say:

lives? And now you don't even pay

say:

for

say:

it."

say:

With

say:

a

say:

quick

say:

claw, I

say:

slice

say:

the

say:

packet

say:

open

say:

and

say:

dump

say:

the

say:

contents

say:

into

say:

my

say:

cup. "See

say:

that?

say:

Dissolves

say:

before

say:

I

say:

can

say:

even

say:

stir

say:

it.

say:

That's

say:

how

say:

you

say:

know

say:

it's

say:

the

say:

good

say:

stuff."

say:

Fuck,

say:

stop

say:

talking

say:

about

say:

sugar.

She

say:

smiles

say:

politely.

say:

One

say:

fluffy

say:

paw

say:

pushes

say:

up

say:

her

say:

librarian

say:

glasses.

say:

I

say:

hope

say:

my

say:

eyes

say:

look

say:

as

say:

ancient and

say:

wise as

say:

hers. "Regarding

say:

your

say:

choice

say:

of

say:

garb."

say:

She

say:

eyes

say:

my

say:

shirt

say:

again. "The

say:

Needle

say:

of

say:

Hermel?

say:

That's

say:

a

say:

trifle

say:

vain."

I

say:

look

say:

down

say:

at

say:

the

say:

silk-screened

say:

spire. "Got

say:

your

say:

attention,

say:

didn't

say:

it?"

"At

say:

least

say:

twice."

say:

She

say:

smiles,

say:

fangs

say:

gleaming

say:

white.

say:

Nice

say:

teeth.

say:

Modern

say:

era

say:

is

say:

great

say:

for

say:

teeth.

say:

We'd

say:

be

say:

gods

say:

of

say:

dental

say:

hygiene

say:

at

say:

most

say:

points

say:

in

say:

history.

say:

History

say:

was

say:

a

say:

series

say:

of

say:

toothaches

say:

that

say:

sometimes

say:

killed

say:

you.

say:

Did

say:

I

say:

cut

say:

that

say:

check

say:

for

say:

that

say:

toothbrush

say:

charity?

I

say:

realize I'm

say:

zoning

say:

out

say:

again.

say:

Shit.

say:

The

say:

most

say:

important

say:

moment

say:

in

say:

my

say:

many

say:

lives

say:

and

say:

I'm

say:

reminiscing.

Too

late:

late:

she's

late:

already

late:

staring

late:

again. "That

late:

look

late:

you

late:

keep

late:

getting…"

late:

She

late:

tips

late:

a

late:

digit

late:

toward

late:

me. "…it

late:

must

late:

be

late:

the

late:

one

late:

my

late:

families

late:

always

late:

say

late:

I

late:

get.

late:

Fascinating

late:

to

late:

see

late:

it

late:

from

late:

the

late:

outside."

I

late:

manage

late:

a

late:

little

late:

smirk.

late:

I'm

late:

freaking

late:

out

late:

just

late:

a

late:

little.

late:

A

late:

thousand

late:

lifetimes

late:

and

late:

I

late:

can't

late:

think of

late:

shit

late:

to

late:

say.

A

late:

car

late:

rumbles by.

late:

Out

late:

the

late:

open

late:

car

late:

window,

late:

the

late:

elephant

late:

driver

late:

slaps

late:

the

late:

door,

late:

slowly

late:

denting

late:

it.

late:

Its

late:

stereo

late:

pumps

late:

out

late:

bass,

late:

rattling

late:

the

late:

lid

late:

of

late:

the

late:

creamer

late:

and

late:

every

late:

other

late:

piece

late:

of

late:

ceramic

late:

within

late:

a

late:

city

late:

block.

"Kids

late:

these

late:

days

late:

and

late:

their

late:

music."

late:

I

late:

try

late:

to

late:

suppress

late:

a

late:

smile

late:

under

late:

my

late:

best

late:

crabby

late:

old

late:

cat

late:

growl. "I

late:

remember

late:

when we

late:

just

late:

smacked

late:

rocks

late:

against

late:

bigger

late:

rocks."

She

late:

laughs. "It

late:

was

late:

terrible."

"Oh

late:

yeah.

late:

Modern

late:

instruments

late:

are

late:

way better."

late:

I absently finger some lute chords. "Some

late:

of

late:

the

late:

songs are

late:

my

late:

fault.

late:

Forgotten

late:

nursery

late:

rhymes

late:

make

late:

the

late:

best

earworms:

earworms:

catchy

earworms:

and

earworms:

simple."

She

earworms:

nods. "I

earworms:

had

earworms:

wondered

earworms:

if

earworms:

that

earworms:

was

earworms:

a

earworms:

Builder

earworms:

project.

earworms:

Branching

earworms:

out

earworms:

into

earworms:

audio

earworms:

monuments,

earworms:

are

earworms:

we?"

Leaning

earworms:

back

earworms:

in

earworms:

my

earworms:

chair,

earworms:

I

earworms:

shrug. "A

earworms:

cat's gotta

earworms:

eat."

Rolling

earworms:

her

earworms:

eyes,

earworms:

she

earworms:

leans

earworms:

in

earworms:

with a

earworms:

confessional

earworms:

tone. "I

earworms:

shan't

earworms:

judge

earworms:

you

earworms:

too

earworms:

harshly.

earworms:

I

earworms:

brought

earworms:

back

earworms:

the 'na

earworms:

na na-na na'

earworms:

taunt."

"No!"

earworms:

I

earworms:

run

earworms:

my

earworms:

paws

earworms:

down

earworms:

my

earworms:

face,

earworms:

flattening my

earworms:

whiskers. "You

earworms:

shoulda

earworms:

left

earworms:

it buried."

"You'll

earworms:

have

earworms:

to

earworms:

forgive

earworms:

me.

earworms:

I

earworms:

was

earworms:

six."

earworms:

She

earworms:

waves

earworms:

away

earworms:

my

earworms:

despair. "My

earworms:

playmates

earworms:

were

earworms:

terribly

earworms:

impressed."

A

earworms:

dark

earworms:

thought

earworms:

crosses

earworms:

my

mind:

"Don't

mind:

tell

mind:

me

mind:

you're

mind:

the one putting

mind:

Pachelbel's

mind:

Canon

mind:

in

mind:

pop songs."

The snow

mind:

leopard

mind:

groans. "Why

mind:

would

mind:

I

mind:

do

mind:

that

mind:

to

mind:

myself?

mind:

I

mind:

thought

mind:

we

mind:

were

mind:

safe

mind:

from

mind:

that

mind:

thing

mind:

until

mind:

someone

mind:

dug

mind:

it up in 1919.

mind:

Now it may well follow

mind:

us

mind:

forever."

I

mind:

nod.

mind:

Recorded

mind:

music

mind:

has

mind:

scared

mind:

me

mind:

into

mind:

never

mind:

half-assing a

mind:

song,

mind:

even

mind:

for

mind:

money.

mind:

I

mind:

don't

mind:

like

mind:

to

mind:

be

mind:

reminded

mind:

of

mind:

my

mind:

professional

mind:

laziness

mind:

whenever

mind:

I

mind:

turn

mind:

on

mind:

the

mind:

radio. "What

mind:

do

mind:

you

mind:

do?"

mind:

I

mind:

clean

mind:

some

mind:

imaginary

mind:

dirt

mind:

from

mind:

my

mind:

claws,

mind:

then

mind:

glance

mind:

up

mind:

at

mind:

her. "Besides,

mind:

you

mind:

know,

mind:

live

mind:

off

mind:

buried

mind:

gold."

"You

mind:

do

mind:

that

mind:

too?"

mind:

She

mind:

perks

mind:

up,

mind:

ears

mind:

popping

mind:

up. "We

mind:

are

mind:

the

mind:

only

mind:

people

mind:

that

mind:

has

mind:

ever

mind:

worked

mind:

out

mind:

for."

mind:

She

mind:

smooths

mind:

her

mind:

wrap

mind:

over

mind:

that

mind:

fluffy

mind:

chest.

I am

mind:

struck

mind:

by

mind:

the

mind:

sudden

mind:

desire

mind:

to

mind:

see

mind:

all

mind:

her

mind:

spots.

mind:

After

mind:

all

mind:

these

mind:

years,

mind:

all

mind:

these

mind:

lovers,

mind:

all

mind:

these

mind:

awkward

mind:

puberties,

mind:

I

mind:

never

mind:

thought

mind:

I'd

mind:

be

mind:

this

mind:

giddy

mind:

and

mind:

horny

mind:

again.

mind:

And

mind:

yet,

mind:

fantasies

mind:

are

mind:

flaring

mind:

up.

mind:

Grab

mind:

her

mind:

hand.

mind:

Find

mind:

a

mind:

hotel.

mind:

Tear

mind:

off

mind:

our

mind:

clothes,

mind:

leap

mind:

on

mind:

one

mind:

of

mind:

these

mind:

springy

mind:

modern

mind:

beds,

mind:

and—

Fuck.

mind:

She

mind:

said

mind:

something and

mind:

now

mind:

she's

mind:

waiting

mind:

for

mind:

me

mind:

to

mind:

respond.

mind:

Better

mind:

call on

mind:

my

mind:

millennia

mind:

of witty

mind:

repartee. "Huh?"

She steeples

mind:

her

mind:

thick

mind:

paws

mind:

and

mind:

rests her

mind:

chin

mind:

atop

mind:

them. "I

said:

said:

I'll

said:

have

said:

you

said:

know

said:

I am

said:

a

said:

brilliant

said:

linguistics

said:

scholar."

"Easy

said:

to

said:

be

said:

a

said:

polyglot

said:

when

said:

you

said:

live

said:

forever."

said:

I

said:

scoff. "I

said:

thought

said:

you

said:

didn't

said:

like to

said:

cheat."

"It's

said:

not

said:

cheating

said:

if

said:

it

said:

helps

said:

people."

said:

She

said:

leans

said:

over

said:

the

said:

table

said:

like a

said:

conspiratorial

said:

librarian. "Besides,

said:

I

said:

only

said:

know

said:

a

said:

hundred

said:

languages

said:

or

said:

so.

said:

Most

said:

of

said:

them

said:

nobody

said:

speaks

said:

anymore."

"Ave,

said:

nem me diga…"—Pfft,

said:

tell

said:

me

said:

about

said:

it…

said:

I

said:

take

said:

another

said:

drag

said:

on

said:

my

said:

e-cig, then

said:

let

said:

it

said:

trail

said:

in

said:

thin

said:

streams

said:

from

said:

my

said:

nostrils. "I

said:

had

said:

quite

said:

the

said:

collection

said:

of

said:

puns

said:

in

said:

English.

said:

Then

said:

the

said:

Great

said:

Vowel

said:

Shift

said:

upset

said:

the whole æppelcræt."

With an amused flick of

said:

that

said:

fluffy

said:

tail,

said:

she

said:

leans

said:

back

said:

in

said:

her

said:

chair.

said:

She

said:

studies

said:

me

said:

with

said:

the

said:

motionless

said:

focus

said:

I

said:

learned

said:

as

said:

a

said:

hunter-gatherer,

said:

but

said:

with

said:

none

said:

of

said:

the

said:

hunger.

said:

She

said:

learned

said:

it

said:

then

said:

too.

said:

For

said:

a

said:

few

said:

centuries,

said:

I've

said:

daydreamed

said:

I

said:

might

said:

have

said:

already

said:

met

said:

her

said:

and

said:

fallen

said:

in

said:

love.

said:

Shit

said:

no. I'd

said:

have

said:

remembered.

said:

I'd

said:

have

said:

recognized

said:

that

said:

stare.

Rain

said:

patters

said:

down,

said:

freckling

said:

the

said:

flagstones.

said:

The

said:

chatter

said:

around

said:

us

said:

turns

said:

dismayed.

said:

Patrons

said:

gather

said:

their

said:

drinks

said:

and

said:

muffins

said:

and

said:

scamper

said:

indoors.

She

said:

watches

said:

them

said:

go.

said:

Her

said:

fluffy

said:

tail

said:

flicks

said:

back

said:

and

said:

forth,

said:

scattering

said:

raindrops.

She

said:

and

said:

I

said:

sit

said:

in

said:

the

said:

empty

said:

patio.

said:

I

said:

smile

said:

across

said:

the

said:

table

said:

at

said:

her

said:

as

said:

the rain

said:

sprinkles

said:

my pelt.

A wry smirk tilts her damp

said:

whiskers. "What's a

said:

little

said:

rain?"

I

said:

lift my

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date:

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date:

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Dog.

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