1 x 1 with Fern

[Boomer]

"I-I'm okay." she said quickly, more focused on fixing her coat than anything right now. The pup finally smoothed out her coat, then looked to Birch. "I'm okay." she said, feeling a bit more calm now, "We can keep going." Alessa stepped onto the ground, then looked around for a moment. "I must admit, that water was colder than I expected." she added softly, feeling a little embarrassed about falling. She hoped that Birch didn't see the burn scars, or at least if he did, they weren't visible for long.

[fern fawn]

[ • Birch • ]

He nodded to her answer, glad that she was okay. While he had noticed the scars across her fur, it had been for such a short moment that he wasn't quite sure they'd been there at all. He was curious about them, but knew better than to ask. "It shouldn't be too much further." he assured, flashing a smile before turning and heading forward once more. Birch leaned down as he walked to snatch a small cluster of baby's breath flowers as he passed them, looking down to them as he spoke. "What's your favorite thing to do?" He picked the flowers off one by one and dropped them to the ground.

[Boomer]

Alessa walked with him as she calmly sighed. She was glad he didn't ask her about the burn scars; she didn't feel like going into detail about it right now. As Birch picked the flowers, Alessa glanced over to look at them. "I'd say drawing is my favorite thing to do." she murmured, giving a nod. She pushed some hair out of her eyes, then stood up straight. "What's your favorite thing to do?" she asked. Alessa had a feeling his answer would be "exploring" or something close to it.

[fern fawn]

( Sorry I wasn't on yesterday; I got unexpectedly busy. )

[ • Birch • ]

The pup gave a small nod to Alessa's answer, his gaze still lowered to the tiny flowers, only occasionally flicking upward to make sure he wasn't going to trip over anything. He knew this walk by heart, was so confident that he thought he could do it with his eyes closed. "I guess...being out here." he answered, finally throwing the remainder of the plant off to the side and glancing back at her with a smile. Soon, he slowed his pace, turned slightly, and resumed as normal. It only took a few more minutes for the pair to arrive in a very small field, clear of trees, but still partially shaded by the growth on the outer perimeter. Birch happily walked to the middle, passing several pots with various plants. With very little knowledge on caring for them, it'd be a shock that they were still living, were it not for his ability. The field itself held a variety of flowers, with tall, healthy grass that rose to the knee.

[Boomer]

OOC: It's okay!
BIC:
"I knew you'd say that." she murmured, smiling and shaking her head. Alessa was quiet for the rest of the walk, until they got to the field. She awed at the flowers that grew all around them. "I've got to sketch this too..." she whispered. Alessa stepped towards the middle of the field, then bent down to look at the potted flowers. "Are these your flowers?" she asked, "How come you grow them out here?"

[fern fawn]

[ • Birch • ]

Birch turned back to her as she questioned him about the potted flowers. Some of the pots held ferns, some blooming plants, and some that he wasn't even sure what they were. He gave a light shrug, setting down near the middle of the field and running his paws through the tall grass. "They grow better out here." he stated simply, which was true. The canine didn't realize it was simply because his mood was always better out here. Back at the orphanage, every time his mood would turn sour, the plants were affected. "Nobody else comes out here either, so they can't hurt them."

[Boomer]

"Oh, I see..." she murmured, sitting next to him, "That makes sense." Alessa enjoyed the gentle breeze that rustled the grass. It was calming and relaxing out here. "How long have you known about this place?" she asked. Alessa gently ran her paw through the grass, then laid on her back. She stared up at the clouds, a small smile on her face. She wished that she could come back to the field again; she truly liked it out here. "Thank you for showing me..." she whispered, turning to Birch.

[fern fawn]

[ • Birch • ]

He thought over her question, laying in the grass next to her. His feet were facing the opposite direction, with his head a few feet to the side of hers. The grass seemed even longer this way, and he enjoyed the way it gently breezed over his fur. "A few weeks into coming here I think." Realizing she may not know how long that was, he added to it. "So, a few years." He smiled as she thanked him, gazing up at the partially clouded sky. "You can come here whenever you want, just please don't tell the others."

[Boomer]

"You've been here for years?" she echoed, a little surprised, "You're so nice... I don't understand why you'd be here for so long." Alessa had no idea how foster care or adoption worked. She then shook her head a little. "I won't tell." she said quietly, "You're the only friend I need, besides Scarlett of course." Alessa simply enjoyed laying in the field and looking at the sky with Birch; she was glad she wasn't alone on her first day at the orphanage. "What time do we have to start heading back?" she asked quietly, "I can sort of tell time by where the sun is."

[fern fawn]

[ • Birch • ]

Birch couldn't help but frown slightly at her words, his gaze remaining on the clouds. He watched them as they slowly drifted by, remaining silent for a few moments. While he was friendly around the other kids, he was normally sullen and silent around adults, which was likely the reason for not getting adopted. "It's...different with adults." he stated simply. The young canine turned his head to look back towards Alessa as she mentioned Scarlett, his gaze landing on the toy. He opened his mouth to ask her about it, but she spoke before he was able to. "Probably around noon; lunch is at 12:30."