He chucked at her comment about the near nakedness (in his history and opinion) of the people of Torchline. He shrugged some, "It was something." He remembered how red his face had been walking down the streets of the nearby city even before he had gotten sunburned. He was sure the people mocked him as he walked around, eyes wide and bouncing everywhere. Thankfully, he at least was large enough to ward off the thought of robbing him. At least...so far.
His eyebrows knit together, his jaw hardening some. "I have learned that people in this world don't always have such strength when it comes to keeping what they think from becoming what they say." Noah was no stranger to the foot-in-mouth moments in life, but he was near appalled at the thought of people blatantly bringing up Phoebe's sexual choices upon the mention of Frey. His mother, the angel that she was, made sure her sons always acted with respect toward women--even if they didn't deserve it. Really, she wanted her sons to be respectful of all people, but in the harsh world of Halo, respect towards women was not always what they saw from men.
As the dragon relaxed on the beach, Noah's body subconsciously relaxed as well. He did not release it intentionally, but there was a noticeable drop to his shoulder blades that reflected his growing ease in the presence of this woman and her companion. "Halovians are very....hard people. I think that a lot of them have given up hope, living in a place that tries to kill you everyday. It's hard to trust anything when danger lurks every second." He looked out toward the ocean, pulling his heels in some and resting his arms on his knees. "I'm sorry that you weren't welcomed. If I had met you there, it would have been different." The corner of his lip tugged slightly, a smile just barely gracing his features. "I have a younger brother, and between us he is the adventurer. He is the one who...encouraged me to leave Halo."
"Have you always been an explorer, I mean, even before you came here?" He asked, looking back at her. Phoebe was not that old, or at least she did not look that old, and that made it hard to believe that she had lived a nomadic life for very long. But, Noah had already been surprised twice today, so the world could keep throwing that his way.
