it's fun to break hearts

Castiel had explored what felt like every nook and cranny of Alacritia so far, and still he had not found his mother. Didn't help that he remembered nothing of Valhalla nowadays - how long had it been since he was last here? A year? Long enough that none of this was really familiar. Some of it still had some semblance of familiarity, but none of of it really comforted Castiel. Really it just reminded him of how long it had been since he'd last seen his family. His father was dead; his mother and sisters somewhere close but not close enough. It was frustrating, to say the least.

The white male's ears twitched in irritation as he glowered at the ground, hoping that that it would reveal some sort of sign that would lead to his family. Father, what would you have done? Castiel found himself wondering inwardly, breathing a soft sigh. It was only when the voice of another reached his ears that Castiel stirred from his reverie, really looking at where he was putting his paws for the first time. There was a girl in front of him, and for a second his heart stilled as he thought that it might by Lyric or Surreal, but as quickly as his excitement grew it was gone when he realized that this wolf was nothing more than a stranger.

Still, it wasn't in Castiel's nature to be impolite. "Hardly, Miss. It's as natural as anything else out here." Castiel spoke easily, voice even despite the sudden disappointment that dominated his thoughts. "The name's Castiel, by the way." With that, the white male settled back on his haunches, ignoring the dirt and ash that swirled into his pelt as soon as he moved. He was unconcerned by their dreary surroundings - he had seen similar things in his journeys, and there wasn't much to be worried about here. And there was nothing interesting either. His family was obviously not here, and it was likely that Castiel would be on his way soon enough. But there was no harm in having a small conversation, right?

"Speech"