Breaking In, Shaping Up

As he suspected, Valkyrie was unperturbed by his use of her much-hated pet name. Had it been anyone else she may have been offended, but since it was him and his goal was to annoy her, how could she been anything other than amused?

She grinned up at him and then a point to look chagrined as he corrected her. "Oh, my bad," she said in a tone that made it clear she wasn't at all sorry. "Daisies, valerian, they all look the same to me."

Determined to be a pain, Valkyrie sat down hard beside Deion and flopped her hind legs out in front of her so that one paw hung over the hole he'd been digging. Her tone serious despite her playful attempt to annoy him, she said, "I was beginning to think I wouldn't see you again."