Like a pair of startled deer, the two cautious werewolves gazed into each others' eyes, trying to gauge the other's reaction. Colibri felt self-consciousness wash over her as she saw how graceful and poised Anu stood. Even when she simply stood still, Coli could not look away. If only she had known, she could have prepared herself; her hair was probably a mess from lazing about on that sunning rock, and she was probably smudged with dirt like any gardener. She could only imagine the disappointment slowly spreading into Anu's pale eyes, as she no-doubt realized that without the wine's help, she really was a plain girl, and too young for her to boot. There was still too much distance between them - she wanted to close the gap, she really did, but her footpaws refused to move. Her voice was still trapped in her throat. Anu had paralyzed her, with those soulful blue eyes...
A tiny star-shaped flower peeked up from between Anu's slender fingers, its crimson petals vivid against her light fur. Coli recognized it as a plant with many nicknames, like red chickweed, or a shepherd's weather clock. She knew that the delicate bloom would draw itself shut before a storm, so sensitive it was to the pressure around it. And although her mind told her it shouldn't work quite like that, seeing that the pretty petals were fully open made her feel slightly more relaxed - there would be no stormy weather between them, no more tension than was expected. The tiny barometer would not lie.
She couldn't help herself - a chuckle slipped from her lips, and she quickly covered her mouth, trying to hold in the nervous giggling. "Y-yes... this is m-my garden," she admitted, taking credit for her weeks of work. "It's just w-wildflowers I collected," she swiftly amended. Given time and the proper housing, she could do much more impressive things, she was sure. Breed new petal colours, harvest seeds to grow from scratch. She hadn't really known if Anu liked flowers, especially in the way that Coli herself did. Seeing how enthralled the older femme appeared to be gave her a sudden rush of confidence. They did have more in common than just that night. The Crimson Dreams leader had not even been looking for her, and stumbled upon her anyway. That had to mean something! ...Right?
