Tal had never seen a sea panther, either, and his nose wrinkled in consternation but he stayed quiet, listening to Hotaru's description. Tree predators, huh? "Gonna be hard to see 'em until they're too close for comfort," he admitted, reaching up to adjust the Goggles nervously. But just because he couldn't see them...
Staring back at Hotaru, his eyes were drawn to the feline ears that now graced her head and his eyes widened. A quick grin betrayed his flash of inspiration before he tilted his head, eyes going distant behind the glass of his Goggles.
Boreal raised her head from where she laid beside him and sniffed the air before rumbling a draconic mutter to herself and rising to shake off the jungle's dampness. Like a ghost in the deep shadows beneath the canopy, the pale dragon paced to a nearby tree and sank her claws into it before beginning a painstaking climb up to the lowest branches. Her own senses, far keener than Tal's, stretched out into the night, seeking the musk of a cat or the tread of a heavy paw over slippery leaves.
Though she was out of sight, man and dragon swiveled their heads as one and liveliness returned to Tal's gaze as he focused his own eyes through the goggles properly, though he kept a light connection with Boreal as the cat approached. He didn't dare make a sound, but he reached out to squeeze Hotaru's hand to let her know the game was afoot.
Apaw.
...Close enough.
Staring back at Hotaru, his eyes were drawn to the feline ears that now graced her head and his eyes widened. A quick grin betrayed his flash of inspiration before he tilted his head, eyes going distant behind the glass of his Goggles.
Boreal raised her head from where she laid beside him and sniffed the air before rumbling a draconic mutter to herself and rising to shake off the jungle's dampness. Like a ghost in the deep shadows beneath the canopy, the pale dragon paced to a nearby tree and sank her claws into it before beginning a painstaking climb up to the lowest branches. Her own senses, far keener than Tal's, stretched out into the night, seeking the musk of a cat or the tread of a heavy paw over slippery leaves.
Though she was out of sight, man and dragon swiveled their heads as one and liveliness returned to Tal's gaze as he focused his own eyes through the goggles properly, though he kept a light connection with Boreal as the cat approached. He didn't dare make a sound, but he reached out to squeeze Hotaru's hand to let her know the game was afoot.
Apaw.
...Close enough.
