Inaho couldn't say he was unhappy when their simple lunch, morphed into lunch, then shopping. As they had conversed, it had become apparent that Inko and Rayet had not yet gone shopping on the island. Inaho then plainly admitted shopping was something they really should do.

Like many other small islands in Japan, the one that had become his new residence had not been devastated during the war. Such small islands hadn't seemed to matter to the Orbital Knights, and though abandoned, often had sustained minimal to no damage. That had made it an ideal spot to house Slaine at the very onset of peace. There had been no need to construct a structure to suit their needs, the one they were using had already existed. They'd needed to make a few adjustments, but the structure had been there for quite a while.

Ironically, it was now remote places that people flocked to; staking claims to buildings and homes before the government could rush in and figure out who owned what, and who was still alive to own what. It had become quite the issue, but it did result in a few interesting phenomenon. Shopping, happened to be one of them. Most urban centers were largely decimated during the war, and money to feed people was scarce, let alone money to start rebuilding. Thus, where large cities had once been the epicenters of commerce, they now dealt in goods out of trailer trucks and makeshift shelters, and markets. None of which were very reliable. It was now the remote towns and islands that housed a great deal of selection, and best imitated the whole pre-war shopping experience. This was simply because they had the infrastructure, and stability to support what had once been a normal economic system.

That meant, quite oddly, that the small, sparsely populated island that he now lived in, had a much larger selection of goods for sale, and a better atmosphere than many large cities. It was a situation he expected to shift once the larger urban centers really started working on their infrastructures again. For now, people were flocking to claim abandoned property as their own. That wasn't to say that many things were available, but production had started up again shortly after the war, and more luxury goods were starting to filter into the system. Things were more expensive now for laymen, but for military personnel, there really wasn't a lot on the market they couldn't afford.

That all equated to the very strange instance that they found themselves in. Inko and Rayet had plenty of money to spend, and it was only here, out in the middle of nowhere, that they had a good variety of things to spend that money on.

Inaho had expected that they had already spent time in the island's shopping district. It was with some surprise on his part, that he learned they had in fact waited for him. He wasn't exactly sure how that made him feel, other than 'bad', which was a relatively vague term for something his sister would have been able to name, with accuracy, in an instant. That, made him feel even worse.

And that was how he found himself, in a clothing store, looking at his phone. He'd already selected a few sweaters to purchase, and was waiting for Inko and Lucia to try things on. Next to him, Rayet was sitting impatiently. She leaned over to steal a glance at his phone in her impatience, and he wondered if she had gotten better at reading kanji. He then quickly remembered he hadn't messaged Calm in Japanese to begin with.

She frowned, but at the message sprawled across his phone, not at him. "You're lonely?" She accused, and the statement only held disbelief. There was none of the softness that Yuki would have put in there and none of the resignation that might have been in Inko's tone. Rayet was just critical.

"No." He answered quickly. It was only a few seconds to late, that he realized his answer was too short. Did Rayet know him well enough to notice? "Hypothetical means based on or serving as a general hypothesis without conclusive data."

Rayet rolled her eyes. "Okay, so you know someone who can't make friends, has a lot of time on their hands, and has money to do what they want. And you are somehow interested in fixing that situation, so you're asking for help, in a text message, to someone you don't talk to on a regular basis anymore. That's what you want me to believe?"

His pause only seemed to bolster her argument. "Your conjecture as to my motives is inconsequential." He paused again. "Calm is a male friend of similar age to me. It is my understanding that males typically converse much less than females, and thus our limited interactions recently is neither abnormal, nor should be considered irregular behavior."

She looked at him strangely for a few seconds. "You know you do that, right? Pull out big words when you don't want to lie, but don't want to tell the truth either."

He continued to look at his phone. "If I do use sesquipedalian tactics, it is not intentional." And that was a true statement. Did he use words he didn't think Rayet would know to deflect her? It wasn't his normal tactic, was it? He looked over at her. "I'm sorry. Thank you for your concern. I am not lonely."

She blinked at him for a few seconds, then narrowed her eyes. "You're hiding things."

"I am very sincere. Please do not worry about me." He looked her right in the eye, and she looked right back at him, before she sighed in irritation.

"As if." She motioned back to his phone with her head. "You going to take that advice? I've heard of Terran pets, but not the other thing."

He looked back at his phone, glad that she had also done the same. Somehow, he didn't like her looking at him so harshly. "It's a video game which simulates catching and training fictional animals. Certainly a fictional animal would be easier to care for, but I doubt it would elicit a deep emotional response such as an actual animal would." Inaho answered.

She looked at him as if he'd grown a second head. He looked back at her because it seemed the proper thing to do, despite his discomfort. He hoped she didn't notice. "Do you want a deep emotional response?"

He paused at her question, and mulled over his own answer, and what exactly he could say to her. Omitting information was much easier for him than outright lying. "There is someone at work who is deeply troubled. I feel some form of emotional connection to another living thing could help his mental state."

"Oh." At the little noise, he looked up at her, and noticed that she was looking away. He couldn't tell what she was thinking but she looked like there was something happening in her head. He had no idea what to think of it, until she looked back at him, and was a lot more relaxed for some reason. Her eyes no longer unnerved him. Perhaps she had accepted his answer for the half truth it was. "I guess, then. Always thought Terran pets would be messy. They're cute, but I don't really understand the idea of pets anyway."

Inaho nodded. "Dogs are universally popular for their dedication, loyalty and usefulness. They need consistent exercise to stay healthy, can be assertive, affectionate members of the family, and are known to defend their masters without question."

Rayet shrugged. "Sounds useful?"

"In this situation, perhaps not." He paused, thinking of how a dog would react if the guards manhandled Slaine. It would likely have to be put down, which would be far more detrimental should Slaine become attached. "Defense is not something this coworker needs, and he himself does not get consistent exercise. I don't think his personal habits would change to suit a dog's needs."

"Alright," Rayet shrugged, and tilted her head. "so not a dog. What else?"

He paused for only a beat."There are a variety of smaller pets that would be very possible outcomes, but I think a cat is a good choice."

"They're cute." The answer was bland. He wondered if Rayet was really interested in the conversation, or if she was humoring him. He could never tell with her.

"They are small, and able to slip into various places, but are generally reliable to return to where they consider home. They are clean animals for the most part, and need little maintenance. If there is a pest problem within the living space, they could even learn to feed themselves given the proper time to do so." He hadn't noticed any such thing, but if anyone would catch it, a cat would. "They are also rather lethargic, and enjoy sleeping large parts of the day, but can be playful and affectionate in youth. I believe if those things are encouraged, allowing for variables of individual personalities, it is possible that a cat can be as affectionate as dog without the demand for consistent exercise or amusement."

She gave him a look he couldn't place. "Sound like you've already made up your mind."

"About what?" Inaho turned, and there was Lucia, walking towards them, with clothes in hand. She handed the dress she'd tried on back to the attendant with a soft thank you, then walked over to the two of them.

"Pets." Rayet answered. She motioned with her head over towards Inaho. "He's thinking of getting a pet for a co-worker, of all things." Rayet shrugged, but he wasn't looking at Rayet.

Those green eyes were on him, and the woman in front of him knew instantly what he was thinking. "A bird." She said quietly. She looked sad, but she was still smiling. Her green eyes churned. "I think birds are lovely, amazing animals."

Inaho probably sat there blinking at her for too long. So long that Rayet waved obnoxiously in front of his face, and mentioned something before he spoke again. He wasn't actually sure how he found his voice, but he did. "Birds are often chosen for their aesthetic beauty and lovely voices. They are animals that tend to require high maintenance and care, with an exponentially large range of needs depending on the species. There are few guarantees that a bird will not fly away, unless it is consistently caged, or its wings are habitually clipped by someone with the knowledge to do so and not injure the animal in the process. Without its wings, it cannot be expected to be capable of self reliance. There is a general misconception that birds are fragile, and will die quickly, but this is due to general mistreatment that they often receive. In fact, many bird species that live in optimal environments can live for many, many years. They are not an ideal pet for anyone not interested in a long term commitment. A great deal of research must be done into the type of bird, the temperament, and the dietary needs. A bird is a poor choice for those unprepared. "

It had been the wrong thing to say, and he'd known it only a few seconds after starting, but he'd kept going. Her face fell rapidly, and he wasn't exactly sure why. There were quite a few possibilities. He couldn't decide if he really wanted to know all of them or not. But once he'd started the statement, he knew he couldn't stop, and he hadn't. It was the truth, and she had never shied away from his truths, even if she didn't like them. Such harmless statements about birds worth as domestic pets, should not have elicited such a response. It was so obvious, that even Rayet picked up on it. She didn't stop him either though, just looked at Lucia with those critical eyes.

"Oh." Lucia said, and it sounded like she wanted to cry. "I guess you're right. I probably do feel that way about birds for their aesthetic, and the beauty of their voices." She looked up at him. "Of course birds would prefer to be free, than caged. I didn't realize that you had to clip their wings to make them stay. How foolish of me."

He had no words. He didn't even know how this conversation had gotten so emotional for her, over a seemingly inconsequential subject. There was a lot more going on than he was getting, and he had no idea where to even start with it.

Rayet beat him to the punch. "Ignorance isn't the same as being stupid, unless you let it make you do something stupid."

Lucia nodded, and smiled at Rayet, but it wasn't a happy smile.

Inko showed up at that moment, showing off the dress she was trying on. Everyone made their comments, and told Inko how wonderful it looked on her how she'd picked the right color, and how the price was quite reasonable. Inko then beamed, and bounded back to the dressing room, pleased and blushing at the responses. They did not resume the conversation.