[It might not be cultural differences, exactly, because there had been other scouts besides Lalli, would have been other scouts besides him even if he'd been trained. There wasn't any special reason to train him to be a scout, and he knows as well as his grandmother had that he wasn't suited to it.
Practical.
The entire train of thought is derailed, though, when Reynir suddenly looks at him and starts radiating fondness and affection, smiling at him like a human ray of sunshine. Reynir asks him if he doesn't see how incredible he is, and Onni snorts, shaking his head.]
I'm not. I'm just me.
[No one is better than anyone else, really, at least as far as he's concerned. Everyone has talents. Reynir leans against him again, presses himself in against Onni's side again and rests his head on his shoulder, their hands still together. Reynir mentions that he doesn't think Onni and Lalli look too much alike, that they have the same mannerisms and like sweet things, and Onni feels that pang of sadness again. He misses Lalli. Not in the same gut-wrenching end-of-the-world way that he misses Tuuri, but he misses him all the same. Lalli is difficult sometimes, but Onni knows he's difficult himself sometimes, and even for all his difficulties, Lalli is a good boy who works hard, and Onni loves him.]
There's no such thing as being too fond of sweets.
[Very matter-of-fact, and yet his voice has the faintest tremble to it, because he misses Tuuri and he misses Lalli and he misses his mother and father and grandmother and aunts and uncles and even Hilja.]
I don't know. I wouldn't say it's okay. I miss them.
no subject
Practical.
The entire train of thought is derailed, though, when Reynir suddenly looks at him and starts radiating fondness and affection, smiling at him like a human ray of sunshine. Reynir asks him if he doesn't see how incredible he is, and Onni snorts, shaking his head.]
I'm not. I'm just me.
[No one is better than anyone else, really, at least as far as he's concerned. Everyone has talents. Reynir leans against him again, presses himself in against Onni's side again and rests his head on his shoulder, their hands still together. Reynir mentions that he doesn't think Onni and Lalli look too much alike, that they have the same mannerisms and like sweet things, and Onni feels that pang of sadness again. He misses Lalli. Not in the same gut-wrenching end-of-the-world way that he misses Tuuri, but he misses him all the same. Lalli is difficult sometimes, but Onni knows he's difficult himself sometimes, and even for all his difficulties, Lalli is a good boy who works hard, and Onni loves him.]
There's no such thing as being too fond of sweets.
[Very matter-of-fact, and yet his voice has the faintest tremble to it, because he misses Tuuri and he misses Lalli and he misses his mother and father and grandmother and aunts and uncles and even Hilja.]
I don't know. I wouldn't say it's okay. I miss them.