She was a wraith of the vivaciously sunshine girl who'd breezed through life before the War; a pale echo of a fading whisper. He knew why. Hotaru had told him while Flora had slept like the dead in the little house in Halo. But when she'd come back to Torchline he'd thought--
Except he hadn't. Not beyond how it impacted Ru, and Tal drew a slow breath and reached up to rub at the back of his neck guiltily. "Um. Hey. You uh... you're not doin' so good, huh?" He winced at the blunt question, but there was no point in asking how she was doing when she looked so... brittle. "Look, I know it's been awhile but... " Ah, hail, he was bad in these sorts of situations. He gave a helpless little shrug and reached out without thinking to stop Boreal from sniffing the place where Flora had been kneeling. "Y'need help with anything? I still have your stuff, if you want it..."
Except he hadn't. Not beyond how it impacted Ru, and Tal drew a slow breath and reached up to rub at the back of his neck guiltily. "Um. Hey. You uh... you're not doin' so good, huh?" He winced at the blunt question, but there was no point in asking how she was doing when she looked so... brittle. "Look, I know it's been awhile but... " Ah, hail, he was bad in these sorts of situations. He gave a helpless little shrug and reached out without thinking to stop Boreal from sniffing the place where Flora had been kneeling. "Y'need help with anything? I still have your stuff, if you want it..."
