cont. || @dalt3dr1nks
“Ah— no, not terribly often, I’m afraid. I only leave the castle to see them and their families once a month.” Otherwise, well, work most often took precedence, but he doesn’t see fit to mention that. It could very well spiral into uncomfortable observations. Instead, Natori studies the photo Nen hands him with the slightest of smiles playing at one corner of his muzzle, one which is tempered somewhat by this younger visage of Nen appearing quite distraught.
Distantly, he recalls Nen’s tale from the other day— that the youngster’s older brother had assisted in his flight from home. Now that he has a face to put to the story, he finds he’s gripped somewhat by a bloom of affection for the other (...perhaps ridiculously, considering they’ve never met).
“Being the elder, I would hope he had,” Natori says without thinking, and then, dismayed, realizing it sounds perhaps like he’s minimizing the eldest’s devoted hard work, he hastily adds, “That is— it’s rather a relief to hear that— that he’s been such a stalwart for you, ha.”
