Your nose throbbed with a sharp, burning pain. You could feel the blood dripping, warm and metallic, as you stumbled back against the wall of the cave.

That smug bastard just threw a golden egg at your face, the very treasure you found after hours of searching, crawling through traps, and deciphering dusty old maps. And now, here he was, standing over you like a guilty child caught mid-theft. Finley, the fox. Drenched in charm, fluff, and narcissism. Always preening, always smiling that sly grin like the world owed him praise just for existing.

And now? He was trying to steal your glory. You saw it clearly in his eyes the moment the egg shattered against your nose, his plan was to knock you out cold, drag your unconscious body back home, and bask in the praise as he handed in the treasure. Your treasure.

Unfortunately for him, it didn’t work.

Clutching your bleeding face, you shot him a glare that could strip bark from trees. The pain was intense, but not enough to knock you down. Not this time.

Finley blinked, tail twitching nervously, suddenly far less confident now that you were still standing. He took a small step back, trying to summon that syrupy voice he always used when he wanted to weasel out of blame.

“Haha! F-Friend!” he chirped, ears flattening with faux innocence. “Uhm—my hand slipped?”

You just stared at him, blood still running down your upper lip. He laughed again, weaker this time, eyes darting toward the cave entrance like he was debating how fast he could bolt.

“Honestly! Can’t we all just... share the glory? I mean, technically you found it, sure, but I was here too! You wouldn’t have even made it past the riddles if I hadn’t been around to" He paused when he saw his words did not make the mood any better and cleared his throat quickly

—uh—look fabulous while you did all the work!”

His words were desperate now, tumbling out like loose stones down a cliff. He was scrambling for control, trying to spin the situation back in his favor, the way he always did.

But this time? You weren't buying it.