Astrael's fingers twitched toward his sword hilt, hand ready to strike. One clean cut to the throat and the feline would be nothing more than a pelt and a set of claws for sale.
But then… the beast tilted its head.
Its enormous golden eyes softened, pupils widening into round pools that caught the morning light. Its ears perked forward in a way that was absurdly… domestic, and it let out the smallest, most pitiful mrrp he had ever heard from something with fangs longer than his fingers.
Astrael froze mid-step, brows knitting. "…Seriously?"
The feline crouched lower, tucking its claws away, and gave a slow, deliberate blink, the kind cats used when they were trying to say they trusted you. Its tail swayed lazily, no longer in a threat display, and it even rolled slightly onto its side, exposing its stomach.
Astrael's expression went flat. "…That's cheating."
