Ash took a drink at the same time, and exhaled audibly.

"Haaaaah." he said.

"Yeah, yeah it is." he agreed.

"Goes down smooth and warms ya RIGHT up." he commented, swirling the liquid and ice around the glass for a moment, and then taking another drink.

"Wonder how others'll react." he commented.

"Let's face it, her having mana hunter blood in her is bound to create some... rifts, and unease." he mumbled, knowing he was massively understating it.

Ash's eyes darkened when she said that.

"They do? They pay." he said.

"They get to see just why a Fyrane is to be feared." he growled, before clearing his throat.

"Well... assuming I get the chance." he then clarified.

"Desiree is more than capable of defending herself, and I get the feeling Vyn would take matters into her own hands before I had the chance to, should the unthinkable happen." he reasoned.

"So... yeah. Desiree might be more of a handful than people would assume."

"Well, we hire good people." Ash responded.

"I'm sure things will work out." he told her.

"...they better." he muttered.

"Besides, she's only a PART-TIME hunter for now." he then stressed. "I do NOT want this interfering with her schooling and education." he said further.

"I refuse to let this take precedence over her education."

"I know." Ash replied.

"I just... want her to have options." he said, looking at his drink.

"If she wants to be a full-time hunter, so be it." he went on. "I just want her to have other paths opened up to her." he reasoned.

"That's all." he said quietly.

"Just... a life lived with no regrets."

"I'll tell her next time I see her." Ash replied.

"And that IS all I want, I suppose." he went on.

"As long as she's happy." he said further, pausing for a moment, sighing, and then smirking.

"Heh." he chuckled.

"Listen to me." he said.

"Did you ever think we'd be having THIS kind of conversation?" he asked her with a light laugh.

Ash was silent for a moment, and raised an eyebrow.

"Ouch." he said.

"That's really saying something." he told her.

"You don't even have a boyfriend, let alone someone to have a kid with." he said, before pausing.

"Then again, -I- don't have anyone..." he admitted.

"Desiree just sort of... fell into my life."

Ash was silent.

And his eyes widened.

"Wha-wha-WHAT!?" he exclaimed.

"Married!?" he exclaimed further.

"For SIX years!?" he asked even further.

"Holy hell... how... how did you keep it THIS secret?" he asked her.

All Ash could do was blink a few times.

"...ah... ah.... huh." he muttered.

"I... I see." he said.

"W... wow." he mumbled.

"Heh. Some adoptive brother -I- am. Didn't even notice what was right in front of my face." he said, chuckling a little in self-depreciation, as he relaxed in the chair he was sitting in.

"Your everything, huh?" Ash ashed.

"High praise, coming from you." he commented.

"But as long as you're happy." he then said.

"That's all that matters." he reasoned.

"....wait, how often do you spend time with him?" he then asked.

"You rarely take ANY time off from here."

"....well, if you say so." Ash responded.

"I mean, I'll take your word for it." he said.

"I know... jack all about relationships. Never really been in one." he admitted with a shrug.

"Never really... had... time to, I guess." he reasoned.

"Well... okay, but I DID have time to learn to cook..." he then mumbled, thinking about it.

"Guess I was just too busy."