Stavanger Bay harsher times than these

he watched her with a squint to his usually merry gaze, the lines under his eyes pinched with skepticism. she said something he had no earthly idea the meaning of, but he naturally assumed it was a compliment. he puffed his chest a little, lidding his gaze with a sweep of his eyelashes in a gesture of cocky assurance.

but then she did something unexpected; she violated his space. he rose to his feet almost instantly, neck arched and fur lifted; what little hair he had along his spine stood up in rough edges. "oi! wot gives?" he half-shouted, swing himself around to face her fully.