[Ilpholin's Residence]

Adir's voice loses some of it's bluster, and he visibly deflates when Ilpholin seems so... disappointed? Unsettled? The stag's eyes search her face as he speaks. "I-I am. I was. This wasn't a deliberate thing," he tries to explain. The stag reaches up and rubs the back of his head, the motion doing interesting things to his bare arms and stout chest. "None of the changes came up in my interview. The Empress didn't even hint that I was going to end up looking like, uh," he waves his hand down. "Like this."

"I'm sorry if this is cruddy. I know I don't look like me. Me me. I keep worrying Sakura is thinking the same thing, and... and I just don't know," Adir lowers his gaze. His ears perk when she mentions protein. "Well, uh, yeah, duh. I'm not a total amateur, you know." Not even close, really, but he was hoping Ilpholin was far enough above his current level that he would still have something to gain here.

[Eastside]

Sticks descends, dropping to a height of a story or two above the tallest buildings. He just follows the renegades at a close distance, for this round.

[The Empress' Estate - The Frescots]

"I know, hon. Only kidding," Adir says quietly, turning his head this way and that. He touches his jaw for a second where whiteish stubble has started to grow and then flicks his eyes to Sakura. His voice is a soft married-couple murmur. "Sort of. A little bit scared. Worried what the kids will think. What about you?"