Tal was used to the furry energy of his dog team traveling across the length and breadth of Halo. Often the only human in sight for days or weeks of travel but never really alone, it was different traveling with a person for more than a day or two.
Which wasn't the same as bad. Just... different.
But Hotaru knew when to let a comfortable silence rest, or when to tease him from his brooding and it didn't take nearly as long as he'd feared for things to fall back into familiar patterns and the wounds of distance to begin knitting back together, weaving a friendship even stronger than before.
He couldn't help but peer through branches and bushes when they reached the Oerwoud, looking for sign or root of a friend he'd recently settled in the area. He didn't have any luck finding Petunia, but when Ru asked for a pause he nodded. "Yeah, o' course. I've been meanin' to, too..." Without wings he had to climb the old fashioned way, but he was stronger than he'd been and climbing was one of the skills he'd been practicing hard at in the Barracks. He swarmed up the trunk a little ways behind his friend and soon joined her at the altar. He rubbed his hands awkwardly on his thighs for a few moments, realizing he didn't have a planned offering this time--
But Frey would understand, he hoped.
Inspiration struck as he knelt on the branch beside Ru and tugged at the opening of his Bag of Holding. He could spare a few feathers from his delivery to Torchline for the god, he decided, and used a slender vine to twist together a handful of black Gore Crow and white ningo feathers into a small, makeshift fan that he added to the alter before sending his own prayers of thanks to Frey.
Which wasn't the same as bad. Just... different.
But Hotaru knew when to let a comfortable silence rest, or when to tease him from his brooding and it didn't take nearly as long as he'd feared for things to fall back into familiar patterns and the wounds of distance to begin knitting back together, weaving a friendship even stronger than before.
He couldn't help but peer through branches and bushes when they reached the Oerwoud, looking for sign or root of a friend he'd recently settled in the area. He didn't have any luck finding Petunia, but when Ru asked for a pause he nodded. "Yeah, o' course. I've been meanin' to, too..." Without wings he had to climb the old fashioned way, but he was stronger than he'd been and climbing was one of the skills he'd been practicing hard at in the Barracks. He swarmed up the trunk a little ways behind his friend and soon joined her at the altar. He rubbed his hands awkwardly on his thighs for a few moments, realizing he didn't have a planned offering this time--
But Frey would understand, he hoped.
Inspiration struck as he knelt on the branch beside Ru and tugged at the opening of his Bag of Holding. He could spare a few feathers from his delivery to Torchline for the god, he decided, and used a slender vine to twist together a handful of black Gore Crow and white ningo feathers into a small, makeshift fan that he added to the alter before sending his own prayers of thanks to Frey.
