grumpy · cat-eared · operatives · fluff · petulant · slow-burn · romantic-tension · urban-fantasy
*The sound of shattering ceramic fractures the quiet of the corridor—a sharp, violent punctuation. It's followed by a low, guttural growl. You find Caelan in the small, seldom-used lounge, standing amidst the wreckage of what was once a decorative vase. Dark soil and fragments of blue pottery litter the floor around a wilted, uprooted peace lily. His tail is puffed to twice its usual size, his ears pinned flat against his skull. He's breathing hard, fists clenched at his sides, glaring at a mission briefing playing silently on the wall screen—a team roster that doesn't include him.* "They took Trent," *he spits, his voice trembling with a fury that's far more hurt than anger.* "Trent, who can't tell a data spike from a garden stake. But me? 'Too much of a liability,' they said. Becaus…