Moonspear for my father to come and find me like he said

arcturus nodded alongside moriko, pleased that she took his light criticism kindly. in his eyes, she was not an unworthy competitor -- and he wished to help guide her in a way that chased away whatever demons she had about her own self-worth.

his ear was half-turned to moriko as she continued, a scarlet blush gradually rising to his cheeks. thank god for dark fur, for arcturus was suddenly quite bashful -- he didn't even mind being compared to a honeysuckle, even if it was uncharacteristic of a male to be likened to a flower.. he was more tickled by the fact she had mentioned eye-catching. EGO STROKED!

all the same he was terribly abashed by the compliment, partially because he did not know if he deserved a slew of them, and partially because this was unfamiliar terrain for the ostrega -- it opened up a path of vulnerability that both daunted and enlivened him. "um... thank you," he started, feeling inadequate in how he handled such high accolades. he felt silly, but to hell with it -- "i really like hanging out with you." what started first as awkward fumbling became something straight from the heart, and arcturus was surprised midspeech to see how easily the words were distracted. "you're funny and clever, and i like that you're always keeping me on my toes and showing me new ways to do things. it's..." he breathed in deep, feeling a peace settle across his thrumming heart: "it's a good change."

Her face began to feel hot as a blush streaked across her cheeks, hopefully unnoticable, but her lighter fur didn't help with that. She turned to look at him, shyly as she gave a stupid little smile, the kind that makes your eyes squint momentarily, and would even reveal dimples. Her tail flopped happily a bit as she began to feel, special? confident..? admired..?

" I enjoy your company to." She stepped a bit closer, tilting her head as she looked at him fondly. "Even just being in your prescence brings me comfort and overall, pleasantness." As she said this the wind ruffled through her fur slightly,but she wish it hadn't, as it ruffled her already messy fur slightly more.

Still she was worried about appearance. Somehow, his softer words made his image even more attractive. And her slightly more nervous of hers.