Feathers mean fear and trauma! Va doesn't want to see Vash scared and hurt, that sounds awful. The purring kicks up and he snuggles closer to keep the boy nice and calm.

The plantling mentioning food does seem to make it a little excited, too. Va can eat anything! Meat is good, vegetables are good, catching a worm larvae and eating it raw is good. Hell, it has chewed on drywall a few times, it wasn't bad.

At least Va is really easy to talk to as Vash chats about the food back on the ship, making little curious chirps.

"Vaa."