A cute, meaningful piece by mentalstar, who does wonderful feline faces.

Kendra is of the city-building civilized domestic cats, an Abyssinian of an ancient House, a learned librarian and linguist. Koda is an honorable warrior of the Viking-like northern lynxes. Her people are taught to not trust them, that they're too wild, that they embrace their instincts instead of properly suppressing them.

Kendra is very much her own cat, and is not one to follow society's strict rules. Koda, too, thinks all cats are cats, they all share the same spirit, and he'd like the domestics to let that shared inner nature, the inexplicable felinity that guides their bodies in the hunt be explored instead of always denying it.

They're best friends. It's utterly forbidden for domestics and lynxes to have a relationship. Koda has to be very careful to not endanger Kendra's career in a courtly society of gossip. But when they're alone together and can truly relax?

That's when there's laughter, teasing, affection, when they can both just be...cats. Together.

Here, she's laughing because his long lynx cheekruff is tickling her forehead. She's amused by those.

Art by  mentalstar