"Mm, still not getting the best start though. Like stumbling at the beginning of a footrace," he sighs, sniffing softly and reaching down to seek out the dog's head again, running his fingers along behind the ears.

"I like being able to talk to people, here. It's always one conflict after another back home. Never time to really do what you like for the sake of it. If you're not fighting something, you're not a very good asset," Mac remarks, tone a bit petulant. It wasn't that he didn't feel any degree of honor, but he did envy the common man his freedom and hobbies. Now? He was as free as he pleased, though he wasn't doing anything all that different. Whether because he was so stuck in routine or genuinely liked those things he couldn't say.

"I appreciate your indulgence," he adds after a moment of thought, arching a brow and inclining his head with respectful acknowledgment. Inessa didn't have to give him the time of day, if she preferred.