"I bet!" Tal snorted at the description of La Verbena proved to be succinct but evocative to a fellow pilot. He at least knew better than to guess at her turning speed when the wind caught her foliage just wrong. A ship like that didn't need raw speed when she had class, and Everest seemed like a calm and confident hand to steer such a temperamental lady through the most flirtatious of breezes with barely a ruffle of her petticoats.
Too bad he wasn't as perceptive when it came to talking about other humans. At least Everest didn't seem to mind the foot that Tal had just managed to put in his mouth, though he'd clearly noticed. Tal had the grace to wince, but his fellow aviator glossed over the slip with more grace than the courier could summon, even if it took him a little longer than it should have to realize what was being implied.
"Huh? ...Oh! Yeah, he's always been into plants, hasn't he? Guess that's a marketable skill these days." Not that Tal had seen so much as a hint of a Rose or a Lily, despite his own attempts to search for them on more than one occasion.
But it wasn't really Mateo that he wanted to talk about. Tal lead the way back to the dock, checking the time by the sun and doing a quick calculation in his head. "Halo, uh... hasn't been my home port for a couple years now," he admitted, mostly hiding the old, tired discomfort of the question. "I'm based out o' King's End these days. Say, how about we get a drink while we're talkin'? Unless you gotta get goin'...?" And somewhat to his surprise, he hoped that Everest didn't have anywhere else to be at the moment. He was easy to chat with, and Tal appreciated the chance to talk shop with a fellow flyer.
Too bad he wasn't as perceptive when it came to talking about other humans. At least Everest didn't seem to mind the foot that Tal had just managed to put in his mouth, though he'd clearly noticed. Tal had the grace to wince, but his fellow aviator glossed over the slip with more grace than the courier could summon, even if it took him a little longer than it should have to realize what was being implied.
"Huh? ...Oh! Yeah, he's always been into plants, hasn't he? Guess that's a marketable skill these days." Not that Tal had seen so much as a hint of a Rose or a Lily, despite his own attempts to search for them on more than one occasion.
But it wasn't really Mateo that he wanted to talk about. Tal lead the way back to the dock, checking the time by the sun and doing a quick calculation in his head. "Halo, uh... hasn't been my home port for a couple years now," he admitted, mostly hiding the old, tired discomfort of the question. "I'm based out o' King's End these days. Say, how about we get a drink while we're talkin'? Unless you gotta get goin'...?" And somewhat to his surprise, he hoped that Everest didn't have anywhere else to be at the moment. He was easy to chat with, and Tal appreciated the chance to talk shop with a fellow flyer.
