"Yeah, well... good job, then," Tal grumbled sarcastically, sticking his tongue out at Hotaru's back in a very mature manner. She might have been safe from his temper but not from his awkward sass as he struggled (and failed) to match her effortless banter while also trying to wrangle a dragon into acting as a bloodhound.
The successful apprehension of their quarry had him sighing in relief, especially if it meant getting out of the creepy Labyrinth sooner rather than later. Squatting beside the little plant, he pointed it out to Boreal, who sniffed it curiously and then opened her mouth to try for a taste. The courier hurriedly reached out to push her head aside with an exasperated, scolding huff (though not a surprised one) and she cast him a look of wounded dignity, as if to imply that she was innocent of all wrongdoing even though he had just caught her in the act.
"Find more'n maybe - maybe - y'can try one," he finally promised her as the dragon leaned heavily against Alys's thigh, seeking shameless sympathy from her friend. She looked up and crooned affectionately at the woman's teasing, then put her blunt nose to the ground and started sniffing. Tal followed in her wake, sharp-eyed and ready to stop her from chomping on their desired herbs before they could collect enough. The pair of man and dragon soon had a solid half dozen and only the last clump disappeared down Boreal's pale gullet before Tal could stop her.
"...Well, we just won't tell the girls, yeah?" he whispered to her in resignation as she sat back on her haunches and let out a happy, smoky burp.
The successful apprehension of their quarry had him sighing in relief, especially if it meant getting out of the creepy Labyrinth sooner rather than later. Squatting beside the little plant, he pointed it out to Boreal, who sniffed it curiously and then opened her mouth to try for a taste. The courier hurriedly reached out to push her head aside with an exasperated, scolding huff (though not a surprised one) and she cast him a look of wounded dignity, as if to imply that she was innocent of all wrongdoing even though he had just caught her in the act.
"Find more'n maybe - maybe - y'can try one," he finally promised her as the dragon leaned heavily against Alys's thigh, seeking shameless sympathy from her friend. She looked up and crooned affectionately at the woman's teasing, then put her blunt nose to the ground and started sniffing. Tal followed in her wake, sharp-eyed and ready to stop her from chomping on their desired herbs before they could collect enough. The pair of man and dragon soon had a solid half dozen and only the last clump disappeared down Boreal's pale gullet before Tal could stop her.
"...Well, we just won't tell the girls, yeah?" he whispered to her in resignation as she sat back on her haunches and let out a happy, smoky burp.
