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As she poked him in the nose, he blinked in surprise, not expecting the action. He pulled his head back, confused, but her cheery words and giggles actually worked well to make him feel a bit better. A slight smile crept to his maw and he laughed a short laugh. She sat down next to him, and the hybrid youth suddenly found himself glad for the company. Panda seemed nice, and this sure beat sitting around, wallowing all alone. His eyes briefly turned to her bag as she settled it on the ground, wondering what could be in there to make all those noises.
The woman went on to describe her rank and the place she lived inside the howling caverns of Anathema. Papa had gone over the ranking system a few times with him and his sister, but Jackson had hardly paid it much mind. But he supposed now that he was getting older, he would really have to start paying attention to such things. So he tucked the title of “Furcas” and its significance away into his memories. He wished he had a real, adult rank to tell Panda about too, but as he was still within the puppy ranks, he kept quiet. He didn’t want her to think any less of him for it. “I live farther in the caves, with my dad and my sister, Agony,” he said instead, imitating her nodding as he spoke.
When she asked about what he was doing our here alone, he hesitated at first. “Well, it’s just…” Beneath his fur, a slight blush colored his cheeks, and he shifted his gaze away nervously. How could he explain? He felt embarrassed to explain this to the fully grown woman. It made him feel childish, and if there was anything the boy wanted most in the world, it was to be recognized as an adult. He was too stubborn to admit that he still had a bit of growing to do, both physically and mentally. The hybrid boy sighed, blue eyes turned back over to Panda. “It’s just, I still can’t shift. My dad says I’m old enough, but I can’t do it. I thought if I came out here by myself, maybe I could concentrate better or something…” His floppy ears pulled back slightly out of distress and embarrassment.