"Mine; I haven't discussed him with Val-kun." He'll turn that disclosure over in his mind later. "Oh--some of the people act like they want to fight and then start having tea," he laughs. "It's funny, but I just thought Gaav-dono wouldn't enjoy that outcome as much."
"Yareyare, Gaav-dono, my Lord Mother took me back to her," he smiles. "I won't be changing ages again unless She wants me to. Besides," he adds, tugging at a lock of his lavender hair, smile going rueful, "I already went grey when Zelas-sama took me. It used to be nearly black, when I was human."
"Well, I just wanted to say it," he says, leaning against the tree. "To be clear. Val-kun was, saa, you know how it goes; he wanted blood and he wanted it from everyone involved." His hand spreads out along the tree bark, feeling its slow, seeping pulse. "It was... really a problem without your presence, Gaav-dono. Even if we were what the yellow-bellies say we are, and had no feeling but hunger and no morals, it was clearly going to be a bad problem; we saw that, then. I--" his throat closes, eyes hot and brightening, requiring him to blink damply. "She's far away from all that, now and here, but I'm really afraid for her, Gaav-dono," he says, very quietly. "I was afraid for her then, even if I hadn't cared otherwise. Two on the land is no balance at all."