The Cat and The Dog.

Jane was on her jog with Valic at her side - who started to sniff around and barked, looking down at the other - but he was calling out the word 'cat?!' Jane looked closer and saw a carrier and became frantic, sliding down the muddy ground and picking him up like a precious child, cradling the cat to her chest and climbing up the muddy wall.

Joshua was barely breathing. His sides rose and fell lightly, and he coughed some water up. To Valic he looked like a Neko, a dead one at that. Mud was all tangled in his hair, ears, and tail and it was all over his clothes. He didn't respond to any touches or attention.

Jane sat down and patted his back until all the water was coughed up, then she tucked the muddy cat in her shirt to get him warmed up while she ran up - Valic keeping pace at her side. It took less than five minutes to get inside, there she sat holding Joshua and running a warm bath for him, she grabbed a laundry basket and set it in the middle of the tub then gently placed him in the warm water and began to clean his fur.

Joshua opened one eye slightly as the warm water touched his skin. He saw blurry figures. He mewed ever so softly, his ribs were obviously felt as Jane washed the sticky mud from his long luscious fur. He gazed over at Valic with his half open eye.

Valic ran out of the room and snatched the treats in his mouth, setting the bag down, Jane dried off a hand and began to feed the cat the treats, being very careful before she resumed cleaning him, running water down his head gently and getting all the dirt and mud from the long white fur. Once clean she put him in a towel and patted him dry, just holding him and feeding him one treat after the other.

Joshua snatched the treats from Jane's hand, one time even nicking her with a tooth. He didn't chew, merely swallowed the delicious treats. He was so desperate, not knowing when his next meal was going to be. He turned away from the one-by-one feeding and dove into the bag, taking three at once and swallowing all of them. He choked for a second then swallowed again, diving for more.

Jane gently pulled him from the bag and began to blow dry his fur, brushing it down with her hands until he was fluffy, then carried him to the kitchen where she placed cat food in a massive bowl and set him down to go shower. Valic padded over, sitting next to the cat and looking at the bent tail. "You can't really notice it."

Joshua ignored Valic, tail flicking. He ate food like there was no tomorrow, which might have been true for him. He choked at least six times, trying to inhale food. It was obvious he was going to eat until he threw up--and he'd just eat again.

"You'll always be fed here, take your time. As soon as that bowl is half empty t'll be filled up again, so chew at least." Valic murmured out while he watched the other eat so desperatly, but he couldn't help but chuckle a little. He walked to the fridge when she wasn't looking and nudged it open to get the pack of tuna out. "Hey, cat."

Joshua lifted his head and stared at the package of food. He jumped over and tore it open with his nails, grabbing one of the fish and chewing it for a few seconds then swallowing. A sick look came on his face and a few seconds later the food made a reappearance. He just ignored it and grabbed another fish, gobbling it up--stomach empty again.

Valic looked at the other and scrunched his nose before shutting the fridge and nuzzling the cat a little, grabbing his scruff and going out the dog door to the back yard. He set him down before he went to the dog house, he came out moments later with a bag of treats.

Joshua gazed back at Valic, he had the food. His stomach growled and he raced through the leaves, jumping up and trying to get the bag. He mewed desperately and tried to reach across Val to the bag--in his Neko form. "Please…I'l ldo anything…"

"Settle down, I'll feed you, just be sure to chew it and take your time. No one will take food away from you." He stated with a soft growl, gently pushing the other down and setting the bag on the ground with a soft sigh, dumping it over.

Joshua began to eat the food quickly, shifting full cat to do so. He continued to eat, taking no breaks to breathe. He swallowed and dove for more, eating until it was obvious he was going to be sick again. He showed no signs of stopping.

Valic pulled the bag away so he couldn't eat anymore, he held out a single treat, holding the bag over his head to keep the other from getting to it. "Chew." He stated firmly to the cat.

Joshua whimpered and dove forward, snatching the treat. No chewing, he just straight up swallowed. He gazed at Valic, wanting more of the treats. He shifted Neko and leaned past Valic, trying to grab the bag.

Valic held them higher and soon stood up, "I said to chew it." Valic instructed, handing him another treat to chew, "If you chew this - you get more. If you don't, then there will be no more until we go inside."

Joshua's stomach was begging him to stop. But he didn't listen, leaning forward and trying to snatch the morsal away and just swallow it. His tiny stomach wasn't used to all the food so it was swollen against his tiny body. Queenie was sitting on the fence, already there was another male Khao Manee beside her. They glared at Joshua and turned away, jumping down with tails flicking.

Valic zipped up the bag and hid it before patting the cat's head gently, "You don't need anymore actually." He murmured, poking the now bloated belly of the other cat.

Joshua whined softly and sniffed Valic, trying to find the treats. His body was telling him to ho lay in the sun and just relax with a full belly but he didn't quite know how to do so.

{Time skip~?}

(Sure~)

Joshua opened his eyes. He had managed to doze off…but in his sleep Val had dropped him in a leaf pile. He shot up and began to frantically lick leaves out of his silky white fluffy fur. The small cat glared at Valic.

Valic looked from his dog house and gave a sinker before walking over, lifting him by his scruff, and carrying him to the dog house. "You won't get clean licking in that pile." He muttered and started to pick them out of unreachable places.

Joshua hissed and pressed his back to the corner of the doghouse, which caused cobwebs and leaves to get on his pelt. His ears flattened. Sure, he was being his usual self, but something seemed…odd about him. No, not him…his scent. Believable or not, he had the female cat's mating cycle and was on it right now.

Valic growled and stood up, grabbing him by his scruff again and taking a seat in the dog bed cornering the cat so he couldn't escape while he picked out leaf bits - which wasn't a lot surprisingly - and pulled the cobwebs out. "So troublesome you are."

Joshua lowered his body to the ground and growled low, claws out. He was ready to defend himself. His eyes gazed untrustingly back at Valic, his every sense told him that this dog was going to try and breed him or something--but that was just his cycle speakings. It was against ancient code for dogs and cats to be together anyways.

Valic growled when the other struggled a little and forced him to keep still whenever he resisted or tried to move - even if Valic hadn't picked up directly on the other's cycle, instincts had. "Stops being stubborn, I'm just getting the leafs out of your fur, now turn over."

Joshua growled but flipped over to show his leafy belly. His claws were out, ready to slash and claw to get away if he needed to. He mewed and ears flattened, unsure about this.

Valic picked the leafs and cobwebs from the other's fur with pursed lips, rather focused on his given task. Once he finished he gave the cat a scratch to the belly and sat back in the bed, allowing him to leaving when he pleased.

Joshua gazed out at the porch, where he wanted to go. But at least eight feet of leaf stood between them. He sighed and ducked back inside the house. Suddenly there was the yowl of a stray cat, the skinny black alley cat had picked up on Joshua's scent--unaware he was a male.

Valic was a little confused and pulled the other back into the dog house and in the dog bed on the hidden side where a baggy of cat treats sat. He took the yowl as a threat to the new cat in the yard.

Joshua wrapped his tail around himself. No one understood why he had those cycles, but he was super rare. The skinny black cat was sitting on the fence, sniffing the air. It was heavily laced with the smell of dog, but Joshua was in there too. He hissed down at Valic, as a half Neko he was skinny with torn black clothing, black ears and a tail. "So, dog…"

Valic snarled at the other, large canines bared, "Go away, cat." He barked at the black creature perched on his fence, he stepped one paw out - a big threat that he would dart out and attack whatever was on the fence. But he was also protecting what was in his dog house. And whatever went in that dog house was his - only his.

The cat wiggled his butt and jumped up on a tree, out of reach. He was just above the doghouse. "I can wait you out, I know you have a she-cat in there--what're you going to do? Dogs and cats can't breed--just hand her over and I won't come back." Joshua lashed his tail side to side, he'd never breed with a street cat.

"There isn't a she-cat in here." Valic snapped at the cat, tail high and ears down, the fur on the back of his neck ruffled and on edge. "I have a he-cat in here but that's it now leave before I bite your throat."

"A he-cat? On a cycle? Well gender doesn't matter to me, sex is sex." The alley cat licked his jaws. "What do you care so much anyway?" He caught sight of the fluffy white bundle of fur and purred softly, his black tail wrapping over his paws. "And a pedigree…can't wait to ruin the lineage…"

Valic snarled and waved the tail over the smaller bundle, hiding it off from sight now. "Whatever steps foot in this dog house is mine." He growled out viciously before ducking back in and spinning in a circle, coiling up with the fluffy rare white cat in the center of the dog's curl.

Joshua was full cat, and gazed out as the alley cat hissed and turned to bound away. The fight wasn't worth it. He sat up and flattened his ears, a sign of relief right now. He steppe out of the cuddle and gazed down at the leaves. He hesitantly stepped a paw into the pile.

Valic got up and walked over to hover since that one black cat had rubbed his fur the wrong way, glaring out at the cat while he stayed in place by Joshua's side.

Joshua stepped into the leaves, sniffing. His tail flicked side to side, and he gazed back at Valic. Suddenly like he had a 5-Hour Energy, he shot away, zipping across the backyard like he was injected with adrenaline. He suddenly stopped and gazed back at Valic, a leaf clinging onto his head. The way his wide eyes stared at Valic and his legs were tense--it was obvious that he was up for a game of chase. He had never played before.

Valic would wait for the black cat to get in his yard, and as soon as that happened then he would get serious - but right now the other wanted to play. Valic lowered his body to the ground, butt wiggling a little with a wagging tail - darting over to the other.

Joshua waited until Valic was only a few seconds away and then turned, dashing away with a surprising speed. He bounded on top of the porch and then down, racing towards the doghouse. He dove inside and spun around for a few seconds, then raced out and began to climb up a tree. His tail with the crooked tip lashed side to side and he gazed down, claws digging into the tree. His tail was in biting range of Valic.

Valic ran after the other with a growl, his tail wagging as he darted around like a rocket - lagging in speed since the other was faster. He reached up and -gently- bit the other's tail, pulling him down enough and grabbing him by the scruff.

Joshua twisted around as Valic bit his scruff and hissed, trying to wiggle free and growled. Of course it was still a part of the game. He managed to twist free and raced back towards the house, pawing at the door madly, as if trying to get in. But Jane was probably still in her shower, so he would be caught by the dog. Unless...he shifted into a Neko and with surprising grace, jumped onto the barrier around the porch. He jumped from there to the roof and smirked, Valic was too big and clumsy to make up here, even as a Neko.

Valic took a seat and sneezed a little and shook his fluffy head before looking up at the other, "I guess I'm going inside alone then." He sang out, knowing how to get inside with the small key on his collar.

Joshua just yawned and gazed down. He knew how to keep Valic outside. "What if that alley cat comes back, you just can't leave me alone up here." He purred, tail flicking side to side. He didn't know that the black cat was actually on the other side of the roof, ready to attack. Valic couldn't get up here, and he knew that. The black cat slowly crept forward, making himself visible to Val but not to Joshua.

"Get off the roof." Valic said, no longer playful, he was serious - the fur on the back of his neck stood up and instantly the dog started barking at the black cat, trying to get on the roof but wasn't able to. He was - of course - barking for the black cat to get away before he crawls his fluffy dog ass up on the roof.

Joshua glanced to the side and eyes went wide at the sight of the cat. He hissed, all his fluffy white fur sticking out. He unsheathed his claws and jumped down, into Valic's arms. He glared up at the alley cat, who was glaring--his fun had been ruined. The little Neko's tail flicked side to side. "Inside."

Valic gripped onto the other cat and went up to the door - as a neko - and unlocked it with his collar before getting in and setting the other down, he walked around the house and cleaned up any messed before he walked to the couch and jumped up, sprawling and taking his seat with a soft sigh.

Joshua locked the door and frowned at all the leaf bits caught in his fur. He sighed and began to pick them out, one by one. He just dropped them on the floor without a care, usually he got a bath but Jane was a bit busy right now. He sighed and gazed at the door--the black cat was gazing inside, Joshua's scent was driving him mad.