He looks sober at that thought, but then smiles again and blushes a bit at the praise, giving thanks for the gift of such an elder sister as this.

Then he gets to his feet and walks around the table to hug her, feeling a little regretful and just a tiny bit apprehensive. "Thank you, Auspex. I have to go. The other members of my unit want to throw me a going away party. But I'll come back as soon as I'm able."