god is big but the forest is bigger

he doesn’t like it inside, with so many people and so much noise, far too many scents all clashing together until it threatens to make his head hurt. he’d given no more than a cursory look to a few buildings (where they keep food, where they talk to each other, one where they just watch his forest) before he’d come outside, instantly taking a deep breath of relief. faces are difficult. he hasn’t recognized a single one yet, but he catches a whiff of scent almost immediately. tracking it down to its source, Thiago catches perhaps the one familiar face he could possibly find in this entire territory. Deni, was it, or Beni? the second, it’s definitely that one. humans are specific about their names; he’d made a special effort to remember how to say his friend’s. he stops when he’s close enough to watch without getting in the way, one arm crossing his chest as he brings the hand of the other in front of his mouth, fingers curling into a loose fist. the wide neck of his loose, thin black tee brushes the slope of his shoulder, his jeans worn and a little too long for his height. his feet are bare; he’d never managed to find shoes he’d liked last time he tried all this. thick brows rise up when he’s addressed, and his lips quirk into a slight smile. it’s reassuring to hear that voice again.           “I would make you jealous.” despite that warning, the younger feline is jogging forward, ready to snatch the ball away from his friend.