Tal mumbled something wordless at the gratitude, but his scowl eased a little. He reached for the vodka jug to pour himself another shot as Sah began to speak but his hand jerked a little at the mention of Aino's name. He was too much a native of Halo to spill a drop, but the liquid sloshed perilously close to the rim before he steadied it. The courier swallowed hard, glancing briefly up as the other man's voice cracked and then away again to grant Sah what dignity he could.
He didn't interrupt, just sipped the cold, fiery liquid slowly and let the Advisor talk, getting it all out. A grimace creased his brow at the white dragon's appearance; a little twitch of guilt and memory. After Sah finished he reached over to pour the other glass full again.
'Well. Fuck," he said quietly. "I can see why you-- she-- you all are... yeah." He sat back and rubbed the back of his neck with one hand, frowning down at the same spot on the desk that Sah was.
"When I met Delia she was makin' a lantern for Aino." The words spilled out abruptly; uncertain whether or not he should be sharing, but he needed to say something to fill the silence. "For th'Festival. Said she'd been missing a year and thought she was already... yeah. Anyways. She blamed herself for Aino disappearin' back then. An' while we were talkin' about her a white dragon flew over the Citadel..." He swallowed a larger sip of vodka than he'd intended and his eyes burned as he tried not to cough on it.
"I... look. I'm just sayin'... maybe there's nothing anyone could have done. If all the demigods on Caido had been there it might not have been enough to save her." Not the best comfort, but Tal was new at this and he was trying his best.
He didn't interrupt, just sipped the cold, fiery liquid slowly and let the Advisor talk, getting it all out. A grimace creased his brow at the white dragon's appearance; a little twitch of guilt and memory. After Sah finished he reached over to pour the other glass full again.
'Well. Fuck," he said quietly. "I can see why you-- she-- you all are... yeah." He sat back and rubbed the back of his neck with one hand, frowning down at the same spot on the desk that Sah was.
"When I met Delia she was makin' a lantern for Aino." The words spilled out abruptly; uncertain whether or not he should be sharing, but he needed to say something to fill the silence. "For th'Festival. Said she'd been missing a year and thought she was already... yeah. Anyways. She blamed herself for Aino disappearin' back then. An' while we were talkin' about her a white dragon flew over the Citadel..." He swallowed a larger sip of vodka than he'd intended and his eyes burned as he tried not to cough on it.
"I... look. I'm just sayin'... maybe there's nothing anyone could have done. If all the demigods on Caido had been there it might not have been enough to save her." Not the best comfort, but Tal was new at this and he was trying his best.
