"Do you think something happened? He should be here by now..."

Rayet looks up from her reader long enough to give Inko her characteristic stare of disinterest. Inko is pouting. Her lips are pursed, and she is unknowingly strangling the strap of her purse. She is not looking at Rayet, which is fine.

"Your shoe is untied." The statement isn't true, Inko isn't even wearing shoes with laces today, but Inko swoops down to double check. She makes a sort of whimpering sound when she realizes that she's been tricked, and pouts up at Rayet. It is a cute pout, not anything like the one before; her right cheek puffing out as she bounces back into an upright position with a huff. It gets her eyes off the arrival board and her mind off of realities, and her hands from wringing on her purse strap. It's going to break if she's not careful. It's churlish, but successful. "It's been five minutes, Inko. Most shuttles arrive late."

Inko looks at Rayet for a moment, then down at her feet, and the puff of her lips this time is not childish or cute.

"You aren't cute when you're sullen." Sullen is not the word Rayet would use to describe Inko at that exact moment. Calling her sullen makes her seem childish, and though Inko can be childish, right now, she is anything but. Regardless, it is a good word to use at that exact moment.

Inko huffs at her. "We can't all be smiles and giggles, all the time, like you, Rayet." Inko is trying to tease her, but Inko is not very good at that. Rayet considers shrugging it off, but instead, she plays along.

"There's always time for improvement if you want lessons." She watches as Inko's eyes go a little wide. She obviously did not expect that Rayet would take her bait, and was unprepared for it. Inko looks back down at the ground, and grips her purse. There is blush on her face, but exactly why it is there, remains a mystery. Rayet is sure Inko isn't embarrassed. Rayet looks back at her reader.

The sigh that escapes Inko's mouth sounds tired. "I thought we were done with these things."

Rayet finds where she left off, placing her eyes squarely on the word she had read before she turned her attention away. She keeps it in sight as she answers. "Wars happen for reasons."

She can feel Inko turn her eyes away from the display, and look at her. "We won the war." This seems to mean, in Inko's head, that they shouldn't be dealing with this sort of thing anymore.

"If Earth won, then Vers lost."

Inko is quiet for a while. She's probably looking back at the ground. Rayet has already finished a page, when she finally speaks again. "I guess both sides don't win a war, even if one gives up."

"That is how things work." Rayet stops reading, and stares at the word she's on for a few seconds. She soaks in Inko's silence, and the distant din of people coming and going in other halls of the air port. Their hall is silent, only the echoes of life reach them here. Such is the world they find themselves in. "He'll be here so-"

Rayet is cut off by an announcement, which informs them that the shuttle has landed. It's the only one coming, so they both know it's the one they're there for. Inko bounces from foot to foot, while Rayet calmly shuts off her reader, places it inside its case, and slips it into Inko's purse. It's big enough for both of them.

The door leading to the shuttle opens, and a few people filter out. They're all in the blue of the UFE, and their numbers are sparse. None of them are Inaho, which is not inherently surprising. He is understandably the last to disembark, as he hobbles along with the cast on his left leg, and the crutch led under his arm pit. His right arm is in a sling, but not in a cast, and despite the injuries, he looks well enough. The other personnel that got off the shuttle are all sort of lingering around, making sure that he gets along fine. They're trying not to be too obvious about their concern. She wonders how many times Inaho blatantly disregarded their offers of assistance. She can hear many stale comments being made about the weather or food, as eyes wander.

Inko either doesn't seem to notice, or doesn't care; she all but runs over to Inaho, inspecting and mothering and being generally concerned for his well being. Rayet does not think that Inaho is at all surprised. Rayet gives them a few moments, before she wanders over.

"I told you that you'd regret going." Her comment isn't biting, but it is matter-of-fact. She does distinctly remember saying almost exactly that three weeks ago when he departed.

Inaho looks at her - Inko still fussing over this and that - and she is not surprised to see interest in his eyes. "Quite the opposite, I found Mars to be fascinating."

Inko deflates almost instantly. "Inaho, please don't make this a regular thing..."

He looks over at Inko, and Rayet can tell that he does not understand what she means, though he does seem to get her general concern. "Travel between Mars and Earth needs to be more consistent to harbor stronger ties."

Rayet almost chuckles. Almost. "Better you than diplomats, or school children." Inko rounds on her with a pleading look on her face at Rayet's comment, but Rayet's eyes are squarely on Inaho. "Both of which want no part of it now."

"Understandably." Is Inaho's only answer.

Inko looks back over at Inaho, and Rayet actually does feel bad that there are tears in her eyes. "You're going to go back, aren't you?" Inaho looks at her, and doesn't say anything. It's enough of a confirmation.

Rayet shrugs. "Next time, you can just steal his crutch and he won't be going anywhere." Which is a clear way of telling Inaho, that he is not going anywhere until the injuries are well mended. That isn't something she's going to compromise on, for Inko's sake.

Inaho looks at her, and cocks his head. "I think that would be in very poor taste."

Rayet shrug, but otherwise ignores his comment. She starts a slow pace to the luggage retrieval, wandering ahead, and allowing Inko and Inaho to have a few moments of solitude. She also glares away the rest of the UFE onlookers as she goes. They didn't do their job right to begin with, it seems a little late for concern.

They find Inaho's orange baggage already set aside when they arrive, and without a word Rayet hoists it up, and waits for the other two. When they catch up to her, something has changed. Inaho's demeanor was light before, now, it is quite serious. She also notices that he is gripping his phone as if he might break it. It's a strange thing for him, and when he notices that she's looking at it, he slips the device into his pocket, and away from her prying eyes.

"Rayet." It is a request and command at the same time. She's grown used to it, but it hasn't happened in a while. "I need to go somewhere." He then turns to Inko. "Sorry, I'll need you to take the bus home."

The look on Inko's face is crestfallen. "But- Inaho!"

He looks over at Inko, and shakes his head. Rayet almost rolls her eyes. "She's taking a taxi home, and you're going to pay me back for it."

Both of them look over at her, Inko with something akin to betrayal, and Inaho with understanding, a hint of mirth, and tension. She's positive that tension isn't meant for her, but now that she's noticed it, it is everywhere, in his eyes, his hands, his neck. Inaho nods. "Yes, I will."