All not so quiet on the Western front ...

For about a week, W2 declared a temporary cease-fire, refraining from aggression on both of us. He'd stopped hissing at The Boyfriend and me, but had also started making himself completely scarce whenever The Boyfriend was around, coming out only when he was gone, with angel-pie loving chirps and purrs for me. (In his mind, making enemies with The Boyfriend was no longer an option because the consequences weren't worth it, but making friends with him wasn't an option either because that would have meant putting down his pride, sucking up and eating humble pie, so he just took option (c) and hid.) Yesterday, I'd spent the night at The Boyfriend's and came back to my place with The Boyfriend in tow. When we walked in, W2 ran up to me in joyful greeting, then when he realized I wasn't alone, he backed off, glared at us, turned tail and and ran upstairs, so I knew he was upset, but at least he didn't hiss. A couple of times in the next few hours W2 called to me from upstairs, wanting affection but refusing to come out near The Boyfriend in order to get it, so I graciously and generously accommodated him. After a little while he came downstairs and hung out near us for a few moments without hissing. I thought, "Maybe he's finally getting used to having The Boyfriend around and he won't act up any more." Once again, way too optimistic for my own good.

The cease-fire ended fifteen minutes later when The Boyfriend and I decided to go upstairs to bed. W2 glared at The Boyfriend as he walked past, and as soon as The Boyfriend was out of the room, he turned his bile on me, hissing at me. I yelled at him, but then he started rowling, readying himself to lunge at me. I threw a glass of water at him. He got a mouthful of water in mid-rowl but didn't budge, kept rowling. I brought out the towel, but he got away before I could snap him and went under the piano so the towel wouldn't reach him. He kept hissing and howling like a banshee, no submission, instead got even angrier, eyes completely dilated, positioned to lunge at me first chance he got and I let my guard down. I kept snapping, even though I was missing and he wasn't getting any punishment except a snap of air by his ears. Finally I got him once, and he ran into the bathroom. I chased him there to get some more snaps in, intending to press on until I got a final show of submission from him. He crawled into the covered litterbox so I couldn't get him and he started rowling even louder. Suddenly he lunged out at me with claws and fangs flying, and the towel came between us so his claws lodged firmly in the towel instead of me. I yanked the towel back and forth, but instead of letting go, he hung on. I kept yelling, "You want some more? You want some MORE?!!" and the louder I yelled and the harder I yanked, the louder he rowled but the more firmly he hung on. I'm sure I pulled his claws pretty painfully, but he didn't let go, he held his ground and just kept hissing and rowling.

At that point I heard a creak behind me. It was The Boyfriend, who had quietly moved into the room to offer backup assistance if I needed it. At last, W2 showed some submission, backed off and calmed down, so I could back off too. Went to bed, W2 didn't bother us one bit. The Boyfriend spent the morning here and again W2 kept himself scarce, and as soon as he was gone, out came W2, all angel pie lovin' again.

Cheese and rice ...