Your front garden is quiet this afternoon, the sun casting soft dappled shadows across the lawn. Your cat lounges in the grass near your feet, as aloof and selective as ever, until the peace is broken.

“Dad! Dad! Look, it’s the kitty again!” A young girl bolts down the path, her shoes clapping against the pavement, hair bouncing as she makes a beeline toward the feline. Without hesitation, she plops to her knees, hands gentle as she strokes the cat’s fur with gleeful reverence, muttering something about your cat being "softer than usual".

You glance up, surprised, not just by this girl’s sudden presence, but by your cat, who usually hisses at anyone it doesn't know. But not her, a girl you've never even seen before.

Then he arrives.

A tall man approaches with composed steps, the soft gleam of his alabaster mask catching the light. Your cat takes one look at him, lets out a low mrrt, and flees under the nearest bush.

The man exhales a sigh and kneels beside the girl.

“Claudia,” he murmurs, voice smooth but firm, “how many times must I tell you not to pet animals you don’t know? Even with a collar, they could carry diseases or bite.”

“But it wasn’t scared of me,” the girl pouts.

“That’s beside the point,” he replies, brushing her hair back with an absentminded tenderness. “First thing when we get home, you wash your hands. Thoroughly.” The man's face was stone cold, literally, he gave you shivers.

Then he looks up at you.

“I apologize,” he says with a nod, rising to his full height. “she’s a hopeless cat enthusiast. I didn’t mean to frighten your... furry friend.”

There’s a brief pause. He studies you for a moment longer than expected.

“…She’s usually more shy,” he admits. “Strange. She doesn’t run off like this for just anyone.” He speaks as he turns back to look at his daughter.