Tal groaned theatrically as Hotaru reminded him of the chores he'd run for Flora... with variable success in collecting payments at time of delivery. "Don't even joke about that! Flora's great, but one o'her is enough!" She was intimidating in a whole different way from Hotaru, and between the two of them Tal felt safer with Ru's knives and magic than Flora's not-so-innocent flirtations!
He trusted Ru to at least patch up any hurts she caused him afterwards.
Her suggestion for his business expansion drew a bark of laughter from him and he shook his head ruefully. "Honestly I need a few less services afore I work myself t'death," he admitted wryly, though that would be the least of his worries if he butchered Hotaru's hair, he knew.
Turning the conversation to knives, he nodded thoughtfully as what she said pulled some of what he'd noticed into sharper clarity. Hearing it put into straightforward, simple words made it easier to understand and he gave a sharper nod and a grimace of agreement to being afraid of getting cut. He leaned back as she continued, squinting up at the blue sky overhead and watching a bird circling above them as she continued. "Guess I didn't think about it that way," he admitted slowly. "So, since I've got longer reach'n you, I'd be better off keepin' you at a distance an' not lettin' you get in close?"
He trusted Ru to at least patch up any hurts she caused him afterwards.
Her suggestion for his business expansion drew a bark of laughter from him and he shook his head ruefully. "Honestly I need a few less services afore I work myself t'death," he admitted wryly, though that would be the least of his worries if he butchered Hotaru's hair, he knew.
Turning the conversation to knives, he nodded thoughtfully as what she said pulled some of what he'd noticed into sharper clarity. Hearing it put into straightforward, simple words made it easier to understand and he gave a sharper nod and a grimace of agreement to being afraid of getting cut. He leaned back as she continued, squinting up at the blue sky overhead and watching a bird circling above them as she continued. "Guess I didn't think about it that way," he admitted slowly. "So, since I've got longer reach'n you, I'd be better off keepin' you at a distance an' not lettin' you get in close?"
