He had wandered out into the night seeking solitude, he'd thought. It hurt too much, beneath the numbness, being around his blood sisters who didn't understand what he had seen. His subconscious had known better, however. Feet and dragon both had led him to Hotaru's door. Someone who understood the raw pain of loss and the guilt of surviving. And, though he hadn't known it at the time, someone who needed him, when he had needed to have a purpose and a kindred soul to cling to, even if just for a few hours.
Her voice bled on the plea and his heart broke again as between them they pulled the door open and slipped inside. Boreal shook the snow from her scales and whuffed a warm breath over Hotaru's hip before she padded on quiet talons back towards Flora's room to stand guard over the Valkyrie's daughter.
Tal closed and locked the door one-handed, keeping the other wrapped firmly around Hotaru lest she unravel and fade into the shadows if he didn't assure himself that she was still there, still real. "C'mon," he murmured, pulling he gently towards the fireplace. "You're almost frozen solid. Warm up. An' if you fall asleep out here, that's okay too." He wasn't used to carrying anyone. He wasn't used to being strong enough. But he figured he could manage it the short distance to her room, if he had to.
Her voice bled on the plea and his heart broke again as between them they pulled the door open and slipped inside. Boreal shook the snow from her scales and whuffed a warm breath over Hotaru's hip before she padded on quiet talons back towards Flora's room to stand guard over the Valkyrie's daughter.
Tal closed and locked the door one-handed, keeping the other wrapped firmly around Hotaru lest she unravel and fade into the shadows if he didn't assure himself that she was still there, still real. "C'mon," he murmured, pulling he gently towards the fireplace. "You're almost frozen solid. Warm up. An' if you fall asleep out here, that's okay too." He wasn't used to carrying anyone. He wasn't used to being strong enough. But he figured he could manage it the short distance to her room, if he had to.
