The warmth was more than enough, even if the words were almost as 'eloquent' as Tal's own, and he froze for a moment to savor them before finding a flicker of a smile for his friend, neither wry nor crooked but as brief and bright as the sun peeking out from behind storm clouds before he ducked his head again, ears and back of his neck burning as he pretended to be focused on the remains of his sandwich. "I... yeah. Thanks," he mumbled, too pleased to know what else to say until the topic of conversation became something a little less emotionally complicated.
Well... for a little while, at least.
He nodded in understanding of her decision to avoid the Grounds. "Yeah, I mean, I'm lucky my sisters always have my back," he admitted. "But I can understand that. Th'way things've been here..." He sighed and stabbed a piece of lettuce, the clouds coming back over his expression and he didn't quite manage to hide his wince at the offer, but... hail. It had been long enough now that he nodded slowly. He took his time chewing the leaf before swallowing it and sighing. "I mean. It's not really a good story. I kinda... made an ass o'myself. At th'big bar, there. Ludo had me singin' in public for a quest--" He shuddered at the memory, "--an' Flora had given me somethin' t'drink t'make it go easier. An', well... there was this girl. In th'audience. Someone I... I'd admired for a long ass time. She was strong, an' tough, an' pretty, an'..." He waved his empty fork in a desultory circle before bringing it down in a half-hearted stab at a piece of tomato. "An' as it turned out, really not interested in me. An' instead o' takin' her first 'no' an' droppin' it, I listened t'her pal who said she was just bein' shy, an' I asked again an'... well. She threatened t'pull a knife on me. An' it was in front o' a bunch o'people an'... fuckin' hail, Alys. It was awful," he moaned, dropping his fork and hiding his head in his hands.
Beneath the table Boreal crooned her support, nudging his foot with her nose.
Well... for a little while, at least.
He nodded in understanding of her decision to avoid the Grounds. "Yeah, I mean, I'm lucky my sisters always have my back," he admitted. "But I can understand that. Th'way things've been here..." He sighed and stabbed a piece of lettuce, the clouds coming back over his expression and he didn't quite manage to hide his wince at the offer, but... hail. It had been long enough now that he nodded slowly. He took his time chewing the leaf before swallowing it and sighing. "I mean. It's not really a good story. I kinda... made an ass o'myself. At th'big bar, there. Ludo had me singin' in public for a quest--" He shuddered at the memory, "--an' Flora had given me somethin' t'drink t'make it go easier. An', well... there was this girl. In th'audience. Someone I... I'd admired for a long ass time. She was strong, an' tough, an' pretty, an'..." He waved his empty fork in a desultory circle before bringing it down in a half-hearted stab at a piece of tomato. "An' as it turned out, really not interested in me. An' instead o' takin' her first 'no' an' droppin' it, I listened t'her pal who said she was just bein' shy, an' I asked again an'... well. She threatened t'pull a knife on me. An' it was in front o' a bunch o'people an'... fuckin' hail, Alys. It was awful," he moaned, dropping his fork and hiding his head in his hands.
Beneath the table Boreal crooned her support, nudging his foot with her nose.
