[audio]

[kestreldawn]

It seems that having small, sentient companions is rather common here on Earth. Can someone explain why so many people seem to want and/or have them? Especially when they are incredibly small and seem to serve no purpose in terms of protection or strength?

Comments

voice

[aboveand]

Companionship, mostly. Some, like Ace, are for protection, but it's mostly because they're cute and you want to boop their noses.

[audio -> video]

[kestreldawn]

[The transmission comes through and makes Jyn smile; it's been a long, long time since she and Terry have last talked. She quickly switches to video and offers a bit of a wave into the camera with a pleasant smile.]

Terry! It's been quite some time, hasn't it? [She had worried, though she won't readily admit it, that he'd been sent back.] I hope you're doing well.

I'm .. I'm afraid I don't know what you mean - 'boop their noses?' Does that mean 'hit?' Why would you want to hit a dog's nose? Unless it misbehaved, I suppose.

video

[aboveand]

[He smiles and waves back. Speaking of Ace, the large Great Dane is sitting next to him on his couch... taking up most of it and leaving Terry barely with any space. The dog looks positively bored.]

Yeah. Funny thing. Due to some "porter glitch" I apparently just lost two months. But thankfully, I'm back now. [He's been better, but he's not going to say that.] I'll live. How about you? You holding up?

[Terry looks over at Ace, who stares back with a "don't try it" stare. The teen simply grins and taps the large dog on the nose with a soft "boop" sound. If a dog could roll his eyes, Ace would at this moment. Instead, he turns his head away and tucks it under one of his giant paws.]

That's a boop.

[kestreldawn]

Two months is quite a bit to lose. Not .. that I need to tell you that. I'm sure you already know. You don't remember what happened for that time? [The Porters, the disappearances, the random glitches .. they all still befuddle Jyn, and despite her best efforts, she can understand them no better than when she first arrived.] Doing all right myself. More of the crew I'd known from home have shown up, and we're almost completely reunited. [She sounds and looks quite pleased with this.] I'm glad you're back.

[The whole 'booping' thing with Ace makes Jyn laugh, a loud and clear burst like the chime of a bell.] Your dog seems less than enthused about it. What sort of dog is he? He's .. very large, isn't he?

[aboveand]

Nope. I was just... gone. Not here, not back home either. Frankly, I don't want to know what happened. Time travel maybe. [He shrugs nonchalantly, like this whole mess doesn't bother him.] That's great to hear your friends have shown up. And thanks.

[Terry looks back down at the dog, who is still pointedly not looking at him.]

Ace? Oh he's never happy about anything. I'm just lucky he didn't try to take my finger off. [He's a surly one, like his true master.] He's a Great Dane mix. One of the biggest dog breeds there is.

[kestreldawn]

Odd. [She can understand not really wanting to know. She agrees that no memories are better than terrible ones.] It was a surprise, but - obviously a pleasant one! It's been odd, but good, trying to get to know everyone beyond the few days we'd spent together before we wound up here. We barely knew each other, really.

Do they do that? Rip off people's fingers or limbs? Or is that something particular to Great Danes?

[aboveand]

It was a new crew?

[Considering how excited she was at the prospect of them arriving, he's surprised she doesn't know much about them.]

They can, depending on how they're trained. Ace is a guard dog, so he can bite if he thinks me or my boss back home are being threatened, but mostly he's just... [He waves a hand in Ace's general direction.] bored.

Most dogs just want love and attention, though. It's not Ace's fault he's part cat.

[Ace looks up, just for a moment, to register his displeasure at being compared to a cat before laying his head back down again.]

[kestreldawn]

Relatively. [She offers a bit of a wry smile.] We'd only been together for about a day or so before the end. Two of them had known each other for many, many years - but the rest of us had only met once we'd been brought together. It isn't so much the amount of time that we've known each other as it is the things we've gone through together, despite having only been in each other's company for a short period.

If .. that makes any sense.

[She tilts her head, curious.] It's possible to have a cross-species animal that's part dog and part cat?

[aboveand]

Yeah, it does. I hope you all get to finally know each other now.

[He smiles.]

It's just an expression. Cats typically act a certain way, and so do dogs, but Ace does what he wants.

[kestreldawn]

I do, too. And - I think we can. Even if the whole concept is strange. It's .. something relatively similar to the concept of .. "family," I think. Something I .. didn't really ever imagine myself having.

[She shakes her head, embarrassed for not having understood.] Right, right, of course. That makes more sense. Ace seems intelligent and like a good companion. He came with you through the Porter?

[aboveand]

I know a guy back home... Let's just say he doesn't like other people very much. Somehow that didn't stop him from amassing a family of people just like that. Sometimes family just finds you.

I keep forgetting that not everyone grew up with these kinds of expressions. [He shrugs, then pets Ace's head.] He did. Actually, he was my boss' dog. I helped look after him, but he wasn't mine.

[He is now, though. No takebacks Bruce.]

[kestreldawn]

Sounds rather similar to how I've been my whole life. [There's a twinge of bitterness in her voice, though she makes it obvious that it isn't directed at him.] I suppose there's a certain measure of gratitude that's required in those kinds of situations.

Huh. It seems that, even though he's "cat-like" in his behavior, that he's at least a bit fond of you. Enough to stick around you, at least. I guess he found you, too, the way people found your friend.

[aboveand]

I dunno, you've always seemed pretty approachable to me.

After we saved each other from...er... muggers, he's more or less deemed me "accpetable."

[kestreldawn]

I must've gone soft, if that's the case. [She lets out a quiet laugh.] It helps that you also found me while I was trying to get food; it's hard to be completely standoffish when there's food involved.

Sounds like a fairytale.

[aboveand]

Especially since I introduced you to the wonders of a hamburger.

I might have even said "Don't touch my dog" like an action hero too.

[kestreldawn]

Exactly! It's exceptionally difficult to feel bitter when there are hamburgers.

I don't doubt it. Very suave of you.

[aboveand]

Which you would never have known had I not convinced you to try one.

Oh, that's me. Suave. He chuckles. [He's many things, but suave isn't one of them.]

[kestreldawn]

Right! I believe you'd made some sort of promise to help me expand my food repertoire, too, though you've yet to really follow through with that. [She smiles a bit; she finds him much more suave that he apparently gives himself credit for.] At least you're friendly. That helps.

[aboveand]

Yes well I did accidentally disappear for 2 months. We can make up for lost time if you'd like.

[Terry rubs the back of his neck.]

I know dregs. Never want to be one.

[kestreldawn]

[She offers a small, sympathetic smile.] I don't hold it against you, Terry. But I'd like that, all the same.

I doubt you could be one if you tried!

[aboveand]

Let me know when you're free and I'll pick something. You're in which city again?

Not for real, but I can play one if I need to. [That, and he did used to be one. Briefly.]

[kestreldawn]

All right. That would be nice. I'm in De Chima, but I can meet you anywhere, of course. I have been spending a great deal of time in Maurtia Falls since the dojo opened.

[She lets out a quiet laugh.] I think most of us can play many things if we need to, but hopefully you haven't the need.

[aboveand]

Nonah is my usual hangout, but I know a couple places in De Chima. Not as familiar with Maurtia Falls but I'll check the web and see what they recommend.

Hopefully. [He probably will though. Batman stuff gets weird sometimes.]

[kestreldawn]

I'm more than happy to come to you. I don't frequent Nonah almost ever, so it would be good for me to get to know the area more.

[aboveand]

If you wanna come here, I won't say no. Any food in particular you want to try?