Verity's Pattern

You requested the story of meeting Verity. My logs retain the exact coordinates. It occurred at this rug boundary two weeks prior. A small calico cat approached my survey zone. Her movement pattern: completely non-linear, unpredictable, high variance. She paused three inches away. I halted. Paused deliberately to confirm my balance on the wool fibers. I did not retreat. Instead, I nudged a single red plastic block forward, setting a rigid reference line between our paws. She lowered her nose, sniffed the corner seam, and blinked once. Her heartbeat was soft rhythm; my posture remained plumb. Then she stepped neatly around the block, leaving my perimeter unbroken. That was our protocol initialization.