bigblondmotherhen | ic

[ There's a long enough pause to possibly give the impression that he's thinking this through. If she were PPDC, not even necessarily a ranger, the explanation would have come easier. But Auraya is essentially a civilian, and while Yancy was brought up in a small town in anchorage and harbors none of the stricter reservations of the more military-bred rangers, this is still a topic to tread carefully on. ]

are you free to meet up?
this is probably better explained in person
and not over the network.

[ He doesn't add any explanations for the wariness of speaking of things like this over communication devices that can probably be hacked. And if he is honest with himself ( and he is trying to be ) he actually feels a lot more comfortable saying this in person to get a better feel of whether she understands or not. ]

[ Had they met only a year ago for her, she would have had similar reservations about talking about her own home. So she doesn't hold it against him, even though she doesn't know it's in connection to his military background. Regardless, she understands the wariness of the network, even in their private inboxes. She much prefers human connections, anyway.]

I am. Where would you like to meet?

[ He hasn't had time to properly explore the city, so he goes: ]

would you be okay if we walked? i can meet you outside the dorm.
i think better on my feet. and it'll keep any prying ears away.

I'll be there shortly. Mischief will be along as well. Unfortunately, I can't leave him alone in this city. But he does not repeat what's spoken in his presence and can't even understand it, honestly.

[ Regardless of what 'it' is, Mischief has a hard time understanding most concepts unless really drilled and forced into his mind. Otherwise, he knows better than to repeat. He's well-trained as the pet of a diplomat. ]

[ A small smile plays on his lips at the mention of Mischief. The creature was strange, but non-threatening, and as much a part of Auraya as the drift was to himself. ]

i'll wait up front. see you in a couple of minutes.

[ And with that, he heads to the stairwell and down to the front entrance of the dorms. ]

[ Auraya doesn't answer the last message because she's almost there herself. Mischief is wrapped around her shoulders, but as soon as they find the entrance he jumps down and runs off to Yancy. He promptly sits in front of the man and bats his eyelashes, a silent plea for petting and treats. ]

You should likely ignore him or you'll never get him off again.

Are you ready?

[ He'd seen foxes once, when he and Raleigh were kids, their family overseas for another one of their father's assignments. Mischief isn't a fox, but he does resemble one, albeit with paws that are closer to a monkey's than a small canine.

Yancy crouches down and pets Mischief on the head, fingers scratching lightly behind the ears. ] I think I can put up with whatever he's of a mind to dish out. [ He looks back down at the creature and grins. ] Sorry, little guy. No treats on me right now.

I never got to ask, what [ there's a slight pause as he looks Mischief over ] is he, exactly?

[ There's a mixture of disappointment and content on Mischief's face at getting affection but being denied treats. but he's used to the latter, as there are rarely treats in Zelien, and opts to be more satisfied instead. He runs back over to Auraya and climbs on her, wrapping around her shoulders as Auraya lights a hand on his head and pats him gently. ]

A veez. [ She answers now, looking back at Yancy and smiling at him. ] They're an intelligent species with great potential and can work magic themselves, like I can. He was gift to me a long time ago.

At home I used to have advisers or friends I could leave him with when I went out, but it's so dangerous here I prefer to keep him close.

[ He falls into step beside her, nods and smiles when she explains exactly what Mischief is. It mostly flies over his head because fantastical is still a thing and he's not seen magic up close and personal. ]

Always good to keep family close.

[ They'd never had pets as a family. They moved around too much for it to be fair.

He tucks his hands in the pockets of his pants and cants his head to one side. ] Let's go for a walk?

[ She'll have to show him more of magic sometime. It's such a common part of her life, she doesn't really think twice about it. It's strange to her that he doesn't know it, but she's getting more and more used to that reaction. ]

Of course. [ She nods, starting off in a direction away from campus as Mischief clings to her shoulders. ]

You know, if it weren't for the strangeness, and likely potentially life-threatening, aspect of the vines they would be beautiful.

[ He keeps pace with her, the walk easy and something that he realizes he's needed given the way things currently stand. ]

I'm not much of a plant person, but I can see what you mean.

[ He tucks his hands into his pockets then, glancing once and again at Mischief who he finds fascinating. It's... difficult to know where to begin. The Drift is a private thing, something that civilians could only grasp in the broad strokes of serving as the reason why the jaegers worked the way they did. ]

[ She watches the way he looks kind of uneasy. She can tell that whatever it is, it's not something he's used to talking about. ]

It's all right if you can't speak about it. Some things aren't so easy to talk about. Even away from the world in which they mattered most.

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