Welcome to Gaia! ::

After they all came back to Earth—came home—home? Was it home? Was it right to call it home anymore, when his true home, his birth home, had finally been cleansed, if not fully repaired? Too many thoughts swirled in his head… It exhausted him. Everything had happened so much that day, that he slept for a full day before waking even once, and even then, it was only to tend to a desperate bodily need before sleeping for a few more hours yet.

Eventually, he shakily stood, stomach growling something fierce. He felt weak, yet also… somehow restored. Like a long-broken piece of him had finally healed—or maybe more like… He'd finally removed a rotting tooth, and now the true healing process could begin.

Todd padded into the kitchen, fuzzy, grippy socks decorated with little wolves (not true Chrysocyon, but he liked them well enough, felt cousin enough to him) expending more effort to keep him upright than his own body.

"Zac," he mumbled, rubbing at his eyes, "Zac, okay? Before-day… Ehn, yesterday... Scary. Very. Zac okay? Hungry?"

Todd's nose twitched and his sleepy ears perked up at hearing that Zac had worried for him. Tried to wake him (thought it was ultimately in vain). Todd loved his best friend, packmate, pack leader, so much.

"Todd okay," he said, the smells of food dispelling more and more of the sleepiness.

He rubbed his eyes and yawned, tongue sticking out like a dog's. He washed his hands and ignored the way his stomach finally roared to life with annoying, hungry growls. He was already doing something about that, thank you for your input, stomach.

He stopped, suddenly, tail and ears going erect, the water from the faucet gushing over his soapy hands.

He was annoyed at feeling hungry. He had plans to eat food. Until this day, the day after finally cleaning his planet of the Chaos, despite two years of consistent food access on Earth, he'd always felt at least mild anxiety every time he got hungry.

Today... Today he was just annoyed. Today he felt secure in the knowledge food was here, and he could have it, and his packmate, pack leader, would ensure he was fed after his ordeal. Today, no more anxiety lingered in his chest from the growling in his gut.

Today, he felt whole and happy and hale.

"Todd," he said slowly as his brain kickstarted again and he finished rinsing his hands, "Todd feels... fantastic. Hungry, yes, but good."

He turned wide eyes full of wonder to Zac. "Todd feel almost perfect."

Todd grinned, mischief lurking in his smile, only giving Zac about half a second to know that Todd was about to do something. He launched himself at his best friend and hugged him tightly, tail wagging like crazy.

"This. Now, Todd perfect," he whispered, nosing Zac's head. Joy practically flooded his system.

Truly, nothing could be better than this.