Arcus // ATEEZ ✔

16: the cat that breathes fire

"I think that's what we've been told since just now, that it is indeed, your cat. No one is refuting that," Seonghwa mentions. "No one is claiming that it's not yours."

"Ah, ah." Jongho snaps his fingers before putting up a forefinger. "Not 'it'. You may refer to our girl as a 'she'. She's very sensitive about people calling her 'it'. So Your Highnesses," he nods to Hongjoong, "and Your Majesty, we - and that includes Byeol - would appreciate it a lot if you use 'her'."

"She's pretty..." Narae says subconsciously.

"Thank you! Finally, someone who respects our cat." San claps his hands. He bares his sharp canine teeth, looking more like the cat he owns.

"...but I still don't understand on how we're going to get to Opal's Bay with her help."

Byeol has not finished licking her bottom, completely ignoring the scrutinizing eyes of the humans around her. She yawns widely before lying on her back, legs bent and body squirming. She gives a loud and fierce meow, which automatically makes Jongho reach out his hand to scratch her belly. After a few satisfied purrs, Jongho stops scratching and her head plops back to the ground, her whiskers twitching and mouth bared in a happy grin.

"Well she's happy," Yeosang muses as he kneels to touch the cat too, but Byeol quickly bares her teeth before attempting to bite his hand. "Ah-"

"She's a bit hostile with strangers but no worries, we told her that all of you are our good friends and we'll get her accustomed to your scents. Now, Byeol," San carries up an initially-protesting Byeol, letting her body stretch like a slinky due to gravity as he shoves her into each of their faces. "These are our friends that we told you about. You have the handsome king Hongjoong, then the friendly water prince Yunho, this grumpy prince Seonghwa, the pretty ice princess Mingi, the-"

"Amazing," Wooyoung whispers.

"-annoying prince Wooyoung, the gorgeous fire prince Yeosang and last but not least, our most beautiful, wonderful, amazing, astonishing-"

"I think that's enough of descriptions for my fiancée ," Hongjoong emphasizes.

"-princess Narae. So who do you like the most, Byeol? I'm your favourite brother, aren't I- wait, Byeol stop struggling-"

Byeol jumps out of San's grip and lands in a shocked Narae's arms, immediately burying herself in the princess' embrace. The princess giggles as she pets the cat, in which the latter is purring with satisfaction.

"So... Narae is her favourite. Noted," Jongho utters. San is pouting while mentioning about how Byeol has betrayed him.

"But do you name every one of your pet Byeol?" Yunho's eyes roll upwards, trying to remember something. "Pretty sure you had a rabbit called Byeol, and then an iguana... named Byeol. Was there a goldfish too..."

"Thank you," Jongho says smugly as he fake bows. "For noticing that. But we only have one pet, and that's Byeol."

"I get it now!" Wooyoung shouts. "Your pet can shapeshift."

"Spot on. Byeol, please show them," San twirls his hand as he gestures towards Byeol.

Byeol jumps out of Narae's arms, then sits on the ground obediently. But she only meows incessantly while rubbing her head against Jongho's leg furiously.

Jongho frowns. "You had your breakfast just now, what do you mean you can't shapeshift because you're hungry?"

Byeol does a low growl before attempting to bite his finger off.

"Ah, alright! San, take out the canned fish we brought and give it to her."

San scrambles towards their belongings, his movements getting faster with every second Byeol attempts to bite his leg and finally, he cracks open the can and throws it to the ground with a high-pitched yelp. Byeol pounces on the can, gobbling up what there is without complaint while the royals watch on, their positions stripped off by the one truly in power - the cat. The clock ticks as they wait patiently for the cat to finish.