Bearclaw Valley dancing with the devil

a good, suburban upbringing. two parent household, he supposed, burying a laugh deep down inside of his lungs. casual. evien opening only as much as was good, was polite. merrick had his paw within the crack now, holding, holding for a moment before he began to level it open.
"i was born here, in this valley. i've come home," he declared, tipping a wink to evien, followed by an unblinking stare that caressed the slim shoulders and unwarring demeanour of the man. "a medic, huh," the boy went on, pausing to scrape a passing tree with his claws. 
"plants don't interest me. however," and here merrick stopped dead, tonguetip caught thoughtfully between his teeth, single eye lanternlit and glinting with something diamond-hard and coalblack,
"you do."