Saffron was rambling, and Alder didn't mind one bit. He leaned on the fencepost, making no effort to hide his grin as her blush only deepened. She really was cute, wasn't she? Even - no, especially - when she was feeling a bit flustered. It made him want to tease her more, but he didn't want to make her uncomfortable. Additional teasing would have to come along later, then. And he really hoped there would be a later.
"My niece would agree wholeheartedly," he replied instead. "It could be the dead of summer and that kid still wants hot chocolate."
At Saffron's comment, her reasoning for not going to the Dragon with the others, made him nod. "Makes sense, I mean, there's got to be a good mix of rowdy and not-rowdy or else things'd just be boring, right? And us rowdy ones would end up in plenty of trouble." He grinned at her as he adjusted his stance, thinking of all the times Olive and Cypress - who weren't exactly party-poopers but also not half as rowdy as him and his smuggler friends could be - had gotten him out of trouble. Considering his train of thought, Saffron's answer about her brother made him laugh a little.
"Sounds like Oli," he admitted. "Though she's got three years on me'n Cy so you can imagine how much more authority she think she has. She's been our mom and dad both, last couple of years." He cocked his head to the side when Saffron added that her older brother had been gone for awhile, off exploring. Was she lonely? She hadn't mentioned much about her family, but it seemed like she didn't have much - or maybe not much left. "I hope you and he get a chance to see each other sometime soon. Exploring's great and all, but I'm sure he's missing you. I know anytime I'm gone for more than a week or two I start getting homesick, and I'm damn near weepy by the time I make it home." He grinned, unbothered by his admission. It was the truth, after all.
Alder preened a little under Saffron's attention when he spoke of his tangle with the Great Occiva; he hadn't done it on purpose, of course, but if he'd be damned if he didn't brag a little now and then now that it was over and he was still alive. He nodded a little at her comments. "I'd like to pretend I was super manly about it, but truthfully the thing kicked my ass. I was lucky to get away, ended up riding a thestral, not that I can remember much of how that was."
He laughed a little as Saffron's rambling began, taking the cup and drawing a small sip before he said what he'd been thinking all along: "You know, you're awful cute when you do that," he said, more than a little flirtatiously. But, sensing she wasn't comfortable with it, he eased off again as he took another sip. "Fyren are Beast People from... Well, now that I think about it, I'm not even sure they had a name for their planet, since they weren't really spacefaring or nothing. They're sort of a cross between a wolf and a lion, physically, and can take on human forms now and then. Oli's the only one who inherited the form so far, but the rest've definitely got Fyren blood. They're matriarchal," he explained. "which is why all the women wear the pants in my family, and us poor guys just have to hang on for the ride." He laughed at that, obviously joking. It was true Olive, Cypress, Birch, and Effie were strong, opinionated women (even Effie could give you a talking-to that left your ears burning for days when she wanted to), but Fyren society did value their males and he didn't feel oppressed in the least.
Alder's eyebrows went up in a look of surprise as Saffy summoned sparks into her hand, looking impressed. He scooted closer to the fireball so he could check it out. "That's damn fine magic," he said with genuine interest. "Very useful." He sighed comfortably as the fireball warmed the air around them a bit. "My magic's all over the place. Plants and air and objects. I can change into a deer, though, so that's fun."
Alder nodded at Saffy's comment about not being anyone yet. He smiled, not in the same "playfully unrepentant rogue" way he had before, but something more genuine. "I think you're a fine person, Saffron. I'm sure you're going to do good things. You'll have to tell me about them when you do," he said encouragingly.
"I haven't met Dylan before," Alder admitted. "I've heard about him - mostly Danny complaining - but he sounds like a cool person. Maybe you'n he can be friends, in the future." He paused, catching the slight hesitation in her voice when she mentioned Nimueh. Even a newbie like him knew who that was, and what had happened. This time he didn't hesitate, and gave Saffy's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Sorry for your loss. I know we only just met, but if you need someone to talk to... I'm all ears." He smiled, dropping his hand and his gaze for a second. "I figure us with complicated families got to stick together, every once in awhile at least."
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