yggdrasil

For a moment, he pictured how Katja might react to his new friend -- and what they planned to do together. Surely her face would be as stoic as ever, her expression set as though carved from stone itself, though he was an expert at reading the subtleties of her expressions. The slightest quiver of her lips, or a quick aversion of her gaze could speak volumes. His own face was far more easy to read. Especially now, with his wide, amused grin that he didn't bother to contain.

Valentine's confirmation made him chuckle in glee. "It is not always easy to find others with such interests," he'd begin, his words a bit hurried as excitement took over him. It seemed the realization had sobered him slightly, and his paws moved with more fluidity as he stood and shuffled away from Valentine. He agreed to join him and his grin would widen further, his tail flicking behind him gleefully.

"It was..." he spun around, sniffing at the air, as though trying to remember which way he'd came. "This way!" He'd begin to hurry in that direction quickly, glancing behind him to ensure that Valentine was following, though soon he was nearly running in the direction he had intended.

It didn't take long for him to come to the spot he'd spent some time in earlier, a handful of minutes at best. He slowed to a halt, panting slightly, as his eyes searched the foliage. His eyes rested on a small bunch of plants, from which sprouted plain white flowers and dark green leaves. "Have you ever tried these?" he'd ask, a hint of desperation in his tones as he glanced from the plant to Valentine, and back. Hells Bells, they called it, though there was nothing hellish about this plant. His eyes would sparkle as he leaned forward to grab one of the plant's leaves between his teeth and begin to gnaw on it gingerly.