Val accepts the help, but towers over Merlin by the time she's back on her feet. She wipes her eyes thoroughly before answering his question. Well, sort of answering it. "I saw her again and I just, like, wanted so badly to—I don't know!" Val gestures incoherently.
"It was definitely her! I saw her in that weird whatever place we got dumped in on Halloween. She even had Holland's mint tin!" Val's voice goes up an octave as she brings up the very important mint tin. "I mean, actually, this means a lot about where we went, but also... God, who's taking care of Carlotta?"
Merlin has never been adept at dealing with feelings -- not his and not other people's -- so he remains quiet as Val attempts to explain the situation, not knowing what to say but getting increasingly irate with this mystery girl who bailed on his housemate. Right up until the mention of the mint tin.
The raccoon, he realizes, dumbfounded. She's talking about the raccoon. He glances down at the mess of scattered trash that had come out of the toppled bin and then out toward the trees and then back again. Admittedly...this makes a lot more sense. He bristles a bit at his own misunderstanding, but pushes that faint embarrassment aside for now. There are at least a few more important things to think about.
"I mean...is the mint tin that distinct? Are you sure?" he asks, tone earnest. It's an actual question; he's not trying to prove a point. "...And for what it's worth, raccoons are pretty good at taking care of themselves. Resourceful as hell, you know?"
"How many extremely adorable and fat raccoons carrying around mint tins do you see around here?!" Valkyrie demands, and then immediately looks plaintive again. "I bet she just eats junk food from trash cans. That's where I keep finding her! She needs a decent meal, Merlin. Humans are rapidly encroaching on the natural habitat of wild animals like raccoons!"
The expression on Merlin's face makes it clear that he's unconvinced. He's seen a lot of fat raccoons and people toss mint tins into the trash all the time; a coincidence like that is far from impossible. Before he can argue back, though, Val's expression takes a turn for the pitiful again and he feels a pang of...something that stops him. He sighs, looking toward the woods again and then back. She's not wrong about humans encroaching on natural habitats, at least. And while that's survivable for animals like raccoons, it's certainly not ideal.
"...So what do you want to do, then?" he returns, looking up at the girl expectantly, "Try to find her?"
Val hops a little from foot to foot with newly found exciting. "Yes!"
And just like that, she hooks her arm through Merlin's and starts pulling him into the crowds. "We need to search all the trashcans! Maybe we could even come back tomorrow night when it's not as loud. I mean, the trashcans will still be full, but there'll probably be a lot less screaming."
Empathy for his friend or not, Val yanking him along and resolutely proposing that they dig through all of the trash cans is enough to make Merlin regret coming to check on her. Almost. He makes a groan of protest, but quickly falls into step to avoid being yanked off his feet. "We should get some food first," he returns begrudgingly, "So if we find her we have something to offer and she won't just run away again."
CAROUSEL: Val and Merlin and Not Carlotta
"It was definitely her! I saw her in that weird whatever place we got dumped in on Halloween. She even had Holland's mint tin!" Val's voice goes up an octave as she brings up the very important mint tin. "I mean, actually, this means a lot about where we went, but also... God, who's taking care of Carlotta?"
CAROUSEL: Val and Merlin and Not Carlotta
The raccoon, he realizes, dumbfounded. She's talking about the raccoon. He glances down at the mess of scattered trash that had come out of the toppled bin and then out toward the trees and then back again. Admittedly...this makes a lot more sense. He bristles a bit at his own misunderstanding, but pushes that faint embarrassment aside for now. There are at least a few more important things to think about.
"I mean...is the mint tin that distinct? Are you sure?" he asks, tone earnest. It's an actual question; he's not trying to prove a point. "...And for what it's worth, raccoons are pretty good at taking care of themselves. Resourceful as hell, you know?"
CAROUSEL: Val and Merlin and Not Carlotta
CAROUSEL: Val and Merlin and Not Carlotta
"...So what do you want to do, then?" he returns, looking up at the girl expectantly, "Try to find her?"
CAROUSEL: Val and Merlin and Not Carlotta
And just like that, she hooks her arm through Merlin's and starts pulling him into the crowds. "We need to search all the trashcans! Maybe we could even come back tomorrow night when it's not as loud. I mean, the trashcans will still be full, but there'll probably be a lot less screaming."
CAROUSEL: Val and Merlin and Not Carlotta