He wasn't expecting to hear another voice - much less this voice - in the middle of the swamp and Tal jumped a little as he had a moment's fright that a ghost was playing tricks on him.
When he turned around it wasn't a ghost; but it might as well have been. Pale eyes brightened and his scowl lifted for a heartbeat before he remembered that he was a little mad at the Valkyrie. It returned in full force as Boreal padded over to rumble a far more sincere and honest welcome to Hotaru; something her bonded was, for some reason, too proud to do.
Well, she'd do it for him, then.
The broad head butted gently against Hotaru's ribs with a pleased croon while Tal tried to cross his arms and failed as the spear got in the way and he had to scramble to keep the skull from falling off the top of it. His cheeks warmed uncomfortably at the mistake and he huffed and looked away because, yeah, he totally meant to do that. "Oh, hey, Ru. I'm trying to find a..." Yeah, he wasn't going to pronounce that right, and didn't even try. "A skull crab... thing."
Pale eyes snuck a wounded glance back at the Valkyrie, trying to be inconspicuous about it. "What about you? Where've you been?" And nope, the last word definitely didn't have a hint of wounded betrayal in it.
When he turned around it wasn't a ghost; but it might as well have been. Pale eyes brightened and his scowl lifted for a heartbeat before he remembered that he was a little mad at the Valkyrie. It returned in full force as Boreal padded over to rumble a far more sincere and honest welcome to Hotaru; something her bonded was, for some reason, too proud to do.
Well, she'd do it for him, then.
The broad head butted gently against Hotaru's ribs with a pleased croon while Tal tried to cross his arms and failed as the spear got in the way and he had to scramble to keep the skull from falling off the top of it. His cheeks warmed uncomfortably at the mistake and he huffed and looked away because, yeah, he totally meant to do that. "Oh, hey, Ru. I'm trying to find a..." Yeah, he wasn't going to pronounce that right, and didn't even try. "A skull crab... thing."
Pale eyes snuck a wounded glance back at the Valkyrie, trying to be inconspicuous about it. "What about you? Where've you been?" And nope, the last word definitely didn't have a hint of wounded betrayal in it.
