For all that he was terrible at poker, Tal never quite realized just how much his face gave away of his feelings. So he was surprised when Maea saw through him, jerking a little as his knee was prodded, though in reality it was her perceptive words that sent the real shock through him. "Uh, what? I mean--" He swallowed hard, mentally scrambling to pull his thoughts together. The envy had been with him so long he felt it without conscious words or thoughts, but the way Maea compared it to something concrete of her own made it instantly clear what she'd understood. He didn't try to deny it, at least, when he realized she'd already cut to the heart of the matter. His perennial scowl flashed across his face, armor even more instinctive than what Ludo had given him as he looked down at his booted feet and nodded jerkily, hating the admission even as he made it. "...Yeah. I guess. I... didn't know y'wanted a dragon," he finished lamely. "For what it's worth... Boreal likes y'plenty." It wasn't enough, of course. Wasn't the same, any more than having an item that held magic was the same as being able to wield it from within oneself. But it was all he had to offer, and the dragon in question was perfectly happy to accept and return affection from the Ancient, even if their souls would never be connected on a deeper level.
He might not have needed the warmth of the fire the way Maea did, but the sensation of having some of the ugliness in his heart stripped bare to the world sent its own kind of shiver down Tal's spine, and he shuffled closer to the pale woman's flame as further uncomfortable truths came to light in the chilly Leafchange sunlight.
He listened to Maea's objection with a complicated wrinkle of his nose and brow that might have been mistaken for constipation as he gave it hard consideration and ended up chewing his lip in dawning understanding. "...Oh. Well... thanks for that, then," was all he could come up with at hearing that he got special dispensation, knowing it was lame but not having any silver on his tongue to better gild the words. "An' I don't really know about anything' ulterior. It just... feels like it might help with everythin' goin' t'shit. It'd be great if Dygra an' th'rest o' th'gods would work t'gether against this void stuff, y'know? She doesn't really sound like th'team-buildin' type, but y'could say that about Rae, too." He shrugged awkwardly, then finally raised his eyes to shoot Maea a questioning glance. "Maybe we could ask her?"
At least armor and sparring was something he could help with, and Boreal was more than happy to provide her own assistance in the matter. The dragon leaned into his scratches and then looked from courier to loreseeker with a curious tilt to her head at the request. Tal paused in his attentions to hold out his hand in a gesture that was probably meant to be grand, but all it really meant was that he was no longer scratching his companion's horns. Boreal ducked away from him and padded over to Maea, putting her broad head behind the Ancient and attempting to push her gently towards the courier who stood grinning as he rapped his knuckles against the stony surface of his Vest. "Tada!"
He might not have needed the warmth of the fire the way Maea did, but the sensation of having some of the ugliness in his heart stripped bare to the world sent its own kind of shiver down Tal's spine, and he shuffled closer to the pale woman's flame as further uncomfortable truths came to light in the chilly Leafchange sunlight.
He listened to Maea's objection with a complicated wrinkle of his nose and brow that might have been mistaken for constipation as he gave it hard consideration and ended up chewing his lip in dawning understanding. "...Oh. Well... thanks for that, then," was all he could come up with at hearing that he got special dispensation, knowing it was lame but not having any silver on his tongue to better gild the words. "An' I don't really know about anything' ulterior. It just... feels like it might help with everythin' goin' t'shit. It'd be great if Dygra an' th'rest o' th'gods would work t'gether against this void stuff, y'know? She doesn't really sound like th'team-buildin' type, but y'could say that about Rae, too." He shrugged awkwardly, then finally raised his eyes to shoot Maea a questioning glance. "Maybe we could ask her?"
At least armor and sparring was something he could help with, and Boreal was more than happy to provide her own assistance in the matter. The dragon leaned into his scratches and then looked from courier to loreseeker with a curious tilt to her head at the request. Tal paused in his attentions to hold out his hand in a gesture that was probably meant to be grand, but all it really meant was that he was no longer scratching his companion's horns. Boreal ducked away from him and padded over to Maea, putting her broad head behind the Ancient and attempting to push her gently towards the courier who stood grinning as he rapped his knuckles against the stony surface of his Vest. "Tada!"
