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Rana looks a little surprised that you would be so blunt—but after a moment, she nods.

"Well, yeah, that's kind of what I thought. I just kind of hoped I'd see him again before college. I get it if he's not really into parties, but—last year a bunch of us made all these plans for what we'd do the summer after we graduated, and I don't think I've even seen Tobias once. Hopefully I'll see him at the protest tomorrow, anyway—and you too, if you want!"

She smiles and glances around at the gathered guests. Eventually, she seems to notice something near the back of the room and turns to you with a questioning look.

"Have you met Mr. Ambrose yet? I feel like he'd want to say hi to everyone who's here."

You reply that you haven't, and at once Rana leads you through the gathered crowd towards the back of the busy (with both people and things) living room. There, sitting beneath a large window that overlooks a pretty yard full of flower bushes, you see an elderly man with a nearly white mustache and a small greyhound at his feet talking with a few guests—amongst whom you see Rana's Aunt Dina herself, holding a glass of champagne.

The elderly man is laughing softly as he says something to Dina and pats the greyhound on the head at the same time—and although he seems to be enjoying the day, you notice that he looks a little tired at the same time.

When Dina notices her niece standing nearby, she looks up and smiles warmly. When she sees you as well, she seems pleasantly surprised.

"Hi, Aunt Dina—sorry, Mr. Ambrose, I didn't mean to interrupt! I just wanted to give Huknock a chance to say hi."

"Oh, don't worry about interrupting me," Mr. Ambrose says with a wave of his hand. "Heaven only knows what I was rambling on about, probably boring your aunt to tears. At least nobody can tell me to shut up on my birthday, right?"

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