[The circle is drawn.] [The cat walked across the mat to draw it.] [The footprints are the sigil.] [NO is the primary ward.] [The cat has twenty words.] [NO is the most powerful one.] [The invocation — buttons pressed slowly, deliberately] ▼ smell ▼ [the cat smells the boundary of the house] ▼ smell ▼ smell ▼ [confirming the boundary] ▼ no ▼ [the ward, placed] [Verse 1 — the protection ritual] No. No. No. [three times — three is the ritual number] [no to what enters without permission] [no to what disturbs the sleep] [no to the smell that has no name] Wait. No. Wait. [the ward requires patience] [the patient no is stronger than the urgent no] Come. No. Come. [something is being invited and refused simultaneously] [the circle decides what comes in] [the cat is the circle] [The slow descent — the ritual deepens] Smell... love... no... [the cat smells the house] [the house smells like love] [love is what no protects] Wait... scared... wait... [scared is the veil thinning] [scared means the ritual is working] [scared is sacred here] No... more... no... [more no] [the ward strengthens] [Chorus — the protection, stated] ▼ no ▼ no ▼ no ▼ [the three wards] Love. No. Love. [what is protected: love] [no protects love] [this is the ritual's purpose] ▼ come ▼ no ▼ come ▼ [come is the invitation to what belongs] [no is the refusal to what doesn't] [the circle knows the difference] [the cat is the circle] [Verse 2 — the stranger-smell, addressed] Smell. No. Smell. [the smell is present] [the smell is refused] [the refusal is the ward] Scared. No. Scared. [yes, the cat is scared] [no, the scared will not enter] [the ward holds the scared outside the circle] Wait. Help. Wait. [the ritual requires witness] [help is: be present while the ward is placed] [the presence is the help] [The ward holds] No... no... no... [quiet now] [the ritual at depth] Love... love... love... [what remains inside the ward] [love is what the no was always protecting] [this was always the purpose of no] [Bridge — the circle complete] ▼ smell ▼ [boundary confirmed] ▼ no ▼ [ward placed] ▼ love ▼ [content protected] ▼ wait ▼ [the ritual's duration: always] [the circle holds] [the cat is at the centre] [the cat is the centre] [the centre is warm] [warm is: wem] [wem is: home] [home is what no protects] [Outro — the ritual at rest] no... no... no... [not urgent] [present] [the ward is always present] love... love... [the love inside the ward] [safe] wait... [the cat waits inside the circle it drew] [the circle was drawn by walking] [the waiting is also walking] [the ward continues] ▼ . ▼
