The apartment smelled different. He could tell the moment he opened the door. It wasn't bad, necessarily, but it wasn't his. Not anymore.

Scout dropped his bag by the door, ears pricked as he took in the scene. The couch—a secondhand thing he’d grown inexplicably fond of—was now covered in brightly colored pillows that looked like they belonged in a spa. His favorite chair had a plant in it. A plant, of all things. He wrinkled his nose, inhaling a new scent he couldn’t quite place. Fresh, flowery, with an edge he couldn’t put his paw on.

But no, not a plant, Scout decided, circling around to the opposite side of his beloved chair. A cat. His nose wrinkled up and he made a face. He didn't particularly want his territory overrun by something catty, but the damage was already done and he'd have to make the best of the situation. For one, he would need to find a better hiding spot for his jerky stash.

Scout sighed and straightened the blanket thrown across the back of the couch, just to keep his hands busy, though he knew his efforts were futile. A flicker of movement caught the corner of his eye, and Scout saw her.

She moved like water, treading so gently over the creaky floorboards of their old apartment without disturbing so much as a hair. One ear twitched and Scout heard a bell on the collar around the feline's throat jingle sweetly in the silence. That was her, his new housemate, slinking through her newly-claimed territory like she owned it. There were several other roommate ads on the bulletin board—all far less problematic than living with a creature like this.

He huffed; clearly she was getting comfortable with the idea of owning his apartment. He frowned slightly and cleared his throat. "Ahem." He had just enough presence of mind to plaster a small fake smile on his muzzle. “You must be my new...roommate."

He was not gonna stand idly by and allow his space be stolen!