Tal blinked, feeling the tips of his ears turning red and furiously trying to ignore them as Koa's teasing was paired with a look that--
Well. Suffice to say Tal wasn't used to anyone give him that thorough a once-over and he couldn't stop himself from squirming self-consciously as he settled in beside the Dragoon. The next words out of the Breaker's mouth were more what he was used to, except what he thought was going to be an insult about his hair turned into a compliment he wasn't expecting, and the flush spread from his ears to the back of his neck as Koa plunged onward, blithely short-circuiting the courier who had frozen beside him.
"Wait, wh-- I just... a couple months, er, seasons ago, I think? I didn't-- I don't-- It's not... do y'mean it? About my eyes?" Tal had a rather glazed look on his face as too many compliments overloaded his ability to deflect them, but before his stuttered words could descend any further into gibberish the thunder jolted him back into a semblance of self-awareness.
Boreal had just come from the storm, and though she snorted hard in response to the rattling boom she stood her ground, providing ample coverage for Pip's retreat. Sensing her friend's fear the big dragon crooned, a deep bass rumble that vibrated from her chest almost like a purr.
Tal's scrambled brain reached back to latch onto the mention of the most challenging god he prayed to in a desperate bid to change the subject away from himself, and Koa obliged with an answer that had the courier nodding in cautious understanding, even if he had to suppress a laugh by turning it into a cough at the Frey-dian innuendo. "Uh... yeah. Guess I've called on all of 'em, too, one time or another."
Remembering where they were, Tal glanced around and then ducked his head sheepishly, fingers dipping towards the bag tied securely to his belt. "I've actually got somethin' t'do for Ludo. While we're talkin' d'you mind if I...?"
Well. Suffice to say Tal wasn't used to anyone give him that thorough a once-over and he couldn't stop himself from squirming self-consciously as he settled in beside the Dragoon. The next words out of the Breaker's mouth were more what he was used to, except what he thought was going to be an insult about his hair turned into a compliment he wasn't expecting, and the flush spread from his ears to the back of his neck as Koa plunged onward, blithely short-circuiting the courier who had frozen beside him.
"Wait, wh-- I just... a couple months, er, seasons ago, I think? I didn't-- I don't-- It's not... do y'mean it? About my eyes?" Tal had a rather glazed look on his face as too many compliments overloaded his ability to deflect them, but before his stuttered words could descend any further into gibberish the thunder jolted him back into a semblance of self-awareness.
Boreal had just come from the storm, and though she snorted hard in response to the rattling boom she stood her ground, providing ample coverage for Pip's retreat. Sensing her friend's fear the big dragon crooned, a deep bass rumble that vibrated from her chest almost like a purr.
Tal's scrambled brain reached back to latch onto the mention of the most challenging god he prayed to in a desperate bid to change the subject away from himself, and Koa obliged with an answer that had the courier nodding in cautious understanding, even if he had to suppress a laugh by turning it into a cough at the Frey-dian innuendo. "Uh... yeah. Guess I've called on all of 'em, too, one time or another."
Remembering where they were, Tal glanced around and then ducked his head sheepishly, fingers dipping towards the bag tied securely to his belt. "I've actually got somethin' t'do for Ludo. While we're talkin' d'you mind if I...?"
