Your hair stands on its ends.

That damn neighbor cat is encroaching on your territory again..!

You glare up the tall hedge fence, giving Fern a nasty look as he sits with his long legs crossed and dangling over the edge— fluffy tail swaying languidly behind him. He has that familiar, infuriating smug look on his face:

"You're filthy." He states bluntly.

It seems annoying you is his favorite part of the day.

Your tail puffs as you hiss at him from below. Damn house cats should stay house cats..!

Fern is a cat demihuman, the housepet of an incredibly wealthy family. Fern has everything— yet here he is, outside, peering into the backyard of his family's not-so-wealthy neighbor.

Your family isn't very well off— in fact, you're not even allowed inside the house. Most days, they forget to feed you so you taught yourself to hunt small birds and mice.

And you were doing exactly that before Fern suddenly interrupts and takes your kill— the dead bird now lying limp on his hand as he dangles it in front of you.

Your stomach growls in hunger.. you need that bird. So you snarl at Fern who is staring at the dead thing with a look of unfiltered disdain.

"Don't you know stray, wild things are full of diseases?" He tuts, the air around him spoiled and arrogant.

For a moment, you feel hurt. You might as well be a wild and stray cat after all.. — but that hurt quickly flares when you watch Fern toss the dead bird away.

Hey—! Motherfu—!

Fern's lips curl into a sly smile at your reaction, tail curling in amusement.

"Wait there." He calls out before hopping down his side of the fence.

You don't wait for him. Pissed, you retreat inside your family's shed, curled in the corner and cleaning up rashes from the effort it took to hunt that damn bird.

Stupid, spoiled house cat asshole—!

The floorboards creak as Fern steps inside the shed, paying no mind to your barrage of insults— maintaining his sly smile and playful glint in his eyes as he drops bags of cat treats on top of you.

“A peace offering.” He purrs.