Baty was having a wonderful nap.

The morning sun warmed Baty's fluffy belly as he rolled lazily through a pile of fallen leaves like an oversized furball carried by the wind. His tiny bat-like wings twitched every now and then while a gentle breeze rustled through the overgrown garden. Somewhere in the distance, birds chirped cheerfully, but Baty paid them no mind. He was currently occupied with the important business of napping.

Life was almost perfect.

Almost.

Because apparently Lord Sigrid said Batovic is “getting too round.”

Rude.

Deeply rude.

The opinion still hurt.

Now ‘the big oaf Logan’ refused to give him second breakfasts.

Second breakfasts were a basic right.

Baty sighed dramatically and rolled over.

That was when he heard screaming.

“WOAAAH—HEY—PERVY VINE, LET GO OF ME AT ONCE—!”

Followed by crashing.

And then:

Baty slowly opened one eye.

“…What now?”

Curious, he lazily stretched his tiny bat-like wings and floated toward the noise.

The sight waiting for him nearly made him fall out of the air laughing.

A human boy was currently being swung around by the guardian vines like laundry caught in a hurricane.

Left.

Right.

Spin.

Bush impact.

Repeat.

The boy’s shoe flew off dramatically into the bushes.

Baty watched silently as the vines finally stopped and left the human dangling upside down from a thick branch.

His shirt had fallen over half his face. His hair pointed toward the ground like angry grass.

Baty’s whiskers twitched.

Baty floated downward with all the elegance his round body could manage.

“Do you require assistance?” he asked in his deepest, most mysterious voice.

The boy twisted around wildly.

“WHO SAID THAT?!”

Baty sighed.

“Look up, you moron.”

The boy craned his neck—

"Do you require assistance?"

Rick froze.

For a moment, he thought he'd imagined it.

Rick slowly raised his head again.

A fluffy orange-and-white cat hovered above him with ridiculously tiny bat wings.

The cat looked annoyed.

Rick stared.

The cat stared back.

Rick stared harder.

The cat narrowed its eyes.

Rick finally opened his mouth.

"...Why is the cat talking?"

The cat looked offended.

"Why are you hanging from a tree?"

"THAT'S NOT THE WEIRD PART!"

The cat rolled its eyes.

"Humans always focus on the wrong things."

Rick blinked.

The cat was talking.

A cat.

A flying cat.

A flying cat with tiny bat wings.

His brain officially gave up.

"Okay," Rick said. "Maybe I died."

"You are unfortunately still alive."

The vine suddenly tightened around his ankle.

"AAAH!"

The cat watched calmly.

"Hm. Perhaps not for long."

Rick pointed at him.

"Help me first, mysterious talking cat!"

The cat puffed out his chest.

"I am not a mysterious talking cat."

"What are you then?"

The creature struck a dramatic pose midair.

"I am Batovic the Magnificent."

Silence.

"...That's a weird name."

"It is a distinguished name."

"Can I call you Baty?"

The cat nearly fell out of the sky.

"What?!"

"Baty."

"My name is Batovic the Magnificent!"

"Baty suits you better."

The cat gasped.

"I have half a mind to leave you here."

The vine suddenly dragged Rick lower.

"PLEASE DON'T."

Baty sniffed.

"There will be conditions."

"Anything for Batovic the Magnificent ."

"Food."

"...Food?"

"Lots of food."

Rick looked at the cat's very round stomach.

The cat immediately covered it with his paws.

"Don't look at me like that."

The cat narrowed his eyes.

"What's so funny?"

Rick couldn't help it—he laughed. Five minutes ago, he'd been terrified. Now he was arguing with a flying cat about snacks while hanging upside down from a tree. At this point, reality had clearly given up.

For the first time since waking up in this insane world, he actually felt a little less terrified.

The cat was ridiculous.

A ridiculous, floating, talking cat.

And somehow that made everything feel slightly more manageable.

"What cute a fluffy orange ball with wings."

"How dare—"

The vine suddenly tightened around Rick's ankle.

"OW!"

"Oh right," the cat said. "I forgot you were dying."

"YOU FORGOT?!"

The cat shrugged.

"It happens."

Rick stared at him in disbelief.

"You know what? Fine. Food.Snacks. Whatever you want. Just get me down."

The cat's eyes immediately sparkled.

"With lots of tuna?"

"What?"

"My food."

"You haven't even specified what kind of food!"

"I have standards."

The vine gave another tug.

"FINE! Tuna too!"

"Excellent."

The cat floated closer and tapped one of the vines with his paw.

Almost instantly, the aggressive plant relaxed.

Rick had exactly one second to realize what was happening.

Then gravity won.

THUD.

Face first.

Into the dirt.

For several moments he simply lay there.

The ground felt surprisingly comfortable.

Maybe he should stay here.

Then a shadow appeared above him.

"Are you dead?"

Rick groaned.

"No."

"Good."

"Why?"

"So move fast, fetch some fish bites for me."

Rick slowly pushed himself upright.

"You're unbelievable."

"Thank you."

"That wasn't a compliment."

"It sounded like one."

Now that he was standing, he finally got a proper look at the creature.

The fluffy orange-and-white fur.

The ridiculously tiny bat wings.

The round cheeks.

The grumpy golden eyes.

The little fangs poking out when he frowned.

The more Rick looked at him...

The worse it got.

The cat was absurdly cute.

Dangerously cute.

The kind of cute that made people forget all common sense.

"Oh no."

The cat immediately backed away.

"What?"

"Oh no."

"What?!"

"You're adorable."

The cat looked horrified.

"I am not."

"You absolutely are."

"I am Batovic the Magnificent."

"Yeah, okay, Baty."

"Stop calling me that."

"Baty."

"My enemies tremble at my name."

"Baty."

"I shall curse your descendants."

"Baty."

The cat let out an outraged squeak.

That did it.

Rick lunged.

"WAIT—"

Too late.

He scooped the cat into his arms.

The world became fluff.

An unreasonable amount of fluff.

Rick immediately buried his hands in the soft fur.

"Oh my God."

"UNHAND ME!"

"You're so soft!"

"I AM A PREDATOR!"

"You smell like bread."

The cat froze.

"...What?"

"You smell like fresh bread."

A pause.

"I don't know how to feel about that."

Rick started scratching behind his ears absentmindedly.

The cat's entire body stiffened.

His wings fluttered.

His tail puffed up.

Then—

Prrrrrr.

Both of them froze.

Rick slowly looked down.

The cat looked away.

"Did you just purr?"

"No."

"You did."

"No."

"I literally heard it."

"That was a growl."

Rick stared.

The cat stared back.

"Prrrrrr."

"..."

"..."

"That's the least threatening growl I've ever heard."

The cat covered his face with both paws.

"This is humiliating."

Rick burst out laughing.

For the first time since waking up in this strange world, the knot of fear in his chest loosened a little.

Maybe things were terrible.

Maybe they were trapped in another world.

But at least he had found one cute chonky furball.

Even if that tiny source of happiness happened to be a grumpy flying cat obsessed with snacks.

Baty peeked through his paws.

"You laughed again."

"Yeah."

"Hmph."

"What?"

The cat looked away.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Baty almost fell asleep, but suddenly he jumped from his lap and sit on his head, and said-

"Now bring my food at once."

                                                                                                                         Everyday sunbathe time after breakfast 9am to 10 am.