Sal's POV
"In a blink, it will be all gone."
Sal murmured, his words faded into the darkness.
With a little sigh, Sal looked up, to see Rosa's bulging eyes staring directly at him, rolling up and down as a scanner, analyzing him. Waking up from his depressing state of mind, Sal felt the hair on his scalp tickling, his fur standing on its ends.
"I'm really sorry Rosa! I'm bad at talking, I shouldn't have said all that."
With his face burning, he shook his head, the head bobbed around slowly.
"Hmm, you're right," Rosa replied.
"You shouldn't have said all of that."
"After all, you simply just met me. Despite us being talking buddies doesn't mean you can say all of that."
Sal's head drooped, like a flower wilting into a brown mush.
"But then again, that's the purpose of practicing, isn't it?"
Rosa raised her head to the flickering stars. Despite branches and branches of foliage above them, there were still some gleaming gems peaking in.
"Sal, here's a piece of advice."
"Even though you may not be as agile as a jaguar or as fast as a harpy eagle, you may not be as attractive as the various birds, or as smart as the different monkeys, that's because you are simply a sloth."
"I can see something in you that makes you an interesting sloth."
"So, don't belittle yourself. You should strive for improvement, don't mope around."
"No animal likes the weak."
"Don't forget, the number one rule of the rainforest…"
Before Rosa could finish her sentence, Sal unconsciously opened his mouth.
"Survival of the fittest!"
Without realizing it, the corner of Rosa's mouth raised up.
"But…" Sal murmured, his long, thick neck craned towards the ground, "I'm not fit at all. What can these noodle arms even do?"
Sal raised one of his arms up. Only the width of a small fruit tree and a length of around two feet long, there was no muscle, just a lot of layers of gray and white fur, like an old and frail human.
"But aren't you surviving right now?" Craning her neck, Rosa hopped up to a branch, closing the distance between them.
Sal was going to continue on, but Rosa's neon orange little toe pressed against Sal's lips.
"Ssh, Sal, you aren't going anywhere being this nervous."
"Don't forget why I'm here."
"We're here to be talking buddies, not self-deprecating. That isn't the most pleasant introductory conversation."
Like pouring rain, Sal slumped his body.
"Sorry, these conversations aren't good to say in the beginning."
With a meek smile, Sal scratched his head with his long claws apologetically.
"You know what, Rosa, since I made you uncomfortable, you can make me uncomfortable!"
"...Are you sure?"
"Absolutely, that's, y'know, how we'll make it even. Hey, we could even learn more about each other!"
Sal grinned, his claws drawing over the grooves in the tree bark, up and down, up and down.
"If that's the case…" Rosa spoke, and her voice became more and more serious.
Sal felt a shiver go up his spine, the end of his fur felt itchy and electrifying. His survival instincts were kicking in, blearing inside of him as he started to dig his claws into the bark.
Maybe it was a hallucination or the bedazzled night sky, Sal swore he saw stars in Rosa's eyes.
Due to Rosa's small head and gigantic, bloodshot eyes, the proportions on her face made her look a little…cute?
A thin line running through her lower head gave her a mouth, coupled with her large eyes seemingly pouring out light and glitter, Rosa suddenly leaned forward, craning her head up to Sal.
"How do you manage to hold in all that poop?"