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He wasn’t sure where the little mice had come from, only that they had shown up. It wasn’t often that Emerson could be see in broad daylight out in the park, but his pawmi had seemed more antsy than the dedenne who usually accompanied him at work.[break][break]

So lunch in the park it was.[break][break]

The next thing he knew, Lolo had trotted back up to his bench with the mice in tow: not a tandemaus, but a smaller pair. “You must be split up, huh? Where’s the rest of you?” Lowering his sandwich, Emerson looked around to find no one particularly frantic— not until a voice came from behind minutes later.[break][break]

“Oh! Are they yours? I don’t mind, it’s okay. Lolo probably distracted them a bit, so sorry about that!” he babbled the response nervously, though his own hand flapped dismissively at Callan Young ’s own apology. Lolo, at the mention, lifted a friendly, plump paw in greeting.[break][break]

“I’m just glad they were found. It’s never nice to see a maushold broken apart.” The poor parents were probably beside themselves until now.

[break][break]

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Emerson’s head tilts, glance shifting around the park with sudden, nervous suspicion. “Oh. I guess I…hadn’t thought about that. No problem.” Would someone really yoink the little guys in broad daylight? Would they even be seen, given how tiny they are? Em definitely wouldn’t have noticed them, if Lolo hadn’t started playing with them.[break][break]

He’d never considered it, but he also doesn’t go out of his way to socialize too often, either, sooooo…[break][break]

Lolo herself is clearly enjoying the attention, though. The pawmi chirps when the high five is returned, and then curiously sniffs at the little mousey family one by one. When the candy is offered, she turns it in her paws, ears twitching as the wrapping crinkles with each movement.[break][break]

“Ah, Sorry, I’m Emerson,” he fumbles to set his lunchbox to the side and hastily stands to return the handshake. “Nice to meet you. Lolo definitely seems glad to have, as well.”

[break][break]

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“Socialism is its name? That’s clever,” he says with a laugh then shakes his head. “It’s fine, though. I don’t mind.”[break][break]

It takes him a moment— you know, for it to click. The weird sense of familiarity that he’d only just registered. “Oh, you’re Callan Callan,” he blurts before he can stop himself. From Teravolt. “I listen to you guys when I’m—“ hacking shit, “er, working.”[break][break]

And that’s right around when Em realizes that he’s completely sidestepped the other’s question. His face is quick to go a bright red that rivals his hair. “Which is, tech-work, I mean! Sorry, IT. I’m in IT.” He points across the park toward the lot where his dumb geek van is parked.

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“Oh, that’s pretty rad, though!” he replied with a short laugh, creeping out of his shell for a brief moment. He shook his head, “Nah, I don’t care.” Not that Callan waited for much of an answer, but Em really didn’t care. It wasn’t like he never smoked, after all.[break][break]

Wow, lil ol’ him, meeting a member of Teravolt out in the park of all places? Who woulda thought? Not Em! “Yeah, ‘course! Well earned praise. Your stuff is legit.” His face reddened, at the reaction to his own job, which he didn’t really think was all that special. He looked down at the playing mice. “Uhhh, mostly I troubleshoot shit and fox stuff for people, but yeah I guess I’d say I have a handle on all that..too.” And also breaking through firewalls and creating back doors for later manipulation, but that was Em’s little secret.[break][break]

Rust colored eyes snapped back toward Callan wide with surprise at the question asked of him. Brows lifting, he pointed a finger back at himself in a silent, “Me?”[break][break]

Callan Young wanted to pick his brain? Insanity!

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Ohhhhh fix, he’d definitely meant fix and had gotten tongue tied. Though…that kinda worked too on the less legal front. He did outfox a lot of systems and snatch stuff for people who had been conned and wanted their data and creative content back. “Its good you have a solid team. Sound tech is a league all its own.”[break][break]

At the explanation, Em nods slowly then slowly increases to a quicker pace in understanding. He’s just a little starstruck, that’s all.[break][break]

“Oh okay. Well…in that case,” he hummed, head tilting to the side as he squinted in thought, “I think going back to your roots is what I’d enjoy. FA>FO really is, uh, pretty golden. I-in my opinion!” Sure, lots of people like to expand their range, but it was something special, if Em was being honest.[break][break]

He smiles back. Still wondering if this is happening as the other starts to say his goodbyes. “Yeah, uh, same! Likewise, Callan” His hand lifts in an only semi-awkward wave as Lolo extends both of her own lil paws skyward

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