He'd brought some vegetables, fresh from the Greenhouse, and a still-hot loaf of bread from the baker his sisters preferred, and Boreal had brought a chunk of ursur tusk that she carried happily in her mouth the whole way to Hotaru's house. He had his Dagger at his waist and a reminder to fulfill the last of Frey's tasks for it, and he was almost smiling as he trotted down the street with his ingredients.
"Hey, Ru," the courier called, cheerful at the thought of spending an evening together with his best friend - friends, he mentally added at Boreal's amused warning huff - as he pushed the screen door open to let the dragon sashay in. She headed towards the hearth to settle down and gnaw on her chew toy, full from her own earlier dinner and leaving the humans to their own devices.
Tal, on the other hand, noted the Valkyrie's subdued greeting and shadowed eyes from the moment she said his name. He wasn't always the most observant person - it could be argued that he was usually on the far end of the scale - but when it came to people he cared about and was close to he was notably less dense. Seeing Hotaru less then perfectly-coifed and artfully attired might have been a subtle compliment... but in his experience it usually meant something far less fortunate.
"Hey--" he said again, smile fading as he searched that familiar face for a long moment before he bent to loosen his boots and slip out of them at the entry. Padding over with his bags of greens and bread he dropped them carelessly on the first open counter space he passed and opened his arms. "Can I get a hello hug?"
"Hey, Ru," the courier called, cheerful at the thought of spending an evening together with his best friend - friends, he mentally added at Boreal's amused warning huff - as he pushed the screen door open to let the dragon sashay in. She headed towards the hearth to settle down and gnaw on her chew toy, full from her own earlier dinner and leaving the humans to their own devices.
Tal, on the other hand, noted the Valkyrie's subdued greeting and shadowed eyes from the moment she said his name. He wasn't always the most observant person - it could be argued that he was usually on the far end of the scale - but when it came to people he cared about and was close to he was notably less dense. Seeing Hotaru less then perfectly-coifed and artfully attired might have been a subtle compliment... but in his experience it usually meant something far less fortunate.
"Hey--" he said again, smile fading as he searched that familiar face for a long moment before he bent to loosen his boots and slip out of them at the entry. Padding over with his bags of greens and bread he dropped them carelessly on the first open counter space he passed and opened his arms. "Can I get a hello hug?"
