The threat of castration might have been avoided, but Tal's scowl returned in full force as he was laughed at. Boreal watched them both with reptilian amusement, balancing a feather on the end of her blunt snout while her companion ground his teeth in annoyance. "Hmph!" Was his well-reasoned reply, unable to splutter out a coherent retort past the redness of his cheeks that was definitely a result of the cold night wind, and nothing more.
Hotaru's explanation dumped ice water on his temper a few moments later, however, and he looked stricken at the revelation. "Oh... I... 'm sorry," he muttered uncomfortably, at a loss for words for a different reason. He reached up to rub the back of his neck awkwardly through his furs. "Dunno how it'd feel... not having a home to go back to." Even if it was filled with annoying older sisters. Or maybe especially because of it. "Um. Do you... need a ride back to the Citadel?" Tal made his graceless offer as he glanced back over at Hotaru with guilty eyes. "Or are you waiting for Frey to uh." He wiggled his gloved fingers. "Do something with your rocks?"
Tal smoothly changed the topic once again.
Hotaru's explanation dumped ice water on his temper a few moments later, however, and he looked stricken at the revelation. "Oh... I... 'm sorry," he muttered uncomfortably, at a loss for words for a different reason. He reached up to rub the back of his neck awkwardly through his furs. "Dunno how it'd feel... not having a home to go back to." Even if it was filled with annoying older sisters. Or maybe especially because of it. "Um. Do you... need a ride back to the Citadel?" Tal made his graceless offer as he glanced back over at Hotaru with guilty eyes. "Or are you waiting for Frey to uh." He wiggled his gloved fingers. "Do something with your rocks?"
Tal smoothly changed the topic once again.
