My joints had never felt better. Sure, my mind was all over the place lately, but considering our circumstances, that was par for the course. Bath time had been exactly what I needed, and the conversation with Keke and Ceres had gone over much better than I’d expected. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt them.

With that out of the way, we talked about what to do with the remainder of our day. We checked out of our hotel rooms and settled on visiting the local shops and eateries to see if anything caught our eye. Even if a part of me was glad Cannoli and Ravyn had stayed behind, I would’ve felt like a heel if we didn’t return with some sort of souvenir, especially considering the available merchandise.

To me, Abalone felt like what would happen if you mixed hospitality and nature together. The dirt roads were well-kept but not extravagantly designed. Shop stalls lined the streets, with each of the shopkeeps casually calling for any to come and take a look at their wares. Unlike San Island, these girls didn’t practice the cut-throat business model of getting in your face with a questionable rock of dubious value.

Too bad it felt like a ruse.

Whispers would pass from stall to stall whenever Tristan and I passed by. Glares and wide-eyed stares would follow us from one stretch of the road to the next, sometimes accompanied by the sudden crash of some object and a catgirl’s panicked attempt to clean up whatever mess she just made.

Keke, Ceres, and Ara did their best to stay alert. Ara’s pointed stare was enough to send most of them reeling. A few were particularly courageous, though Ceres and Keke were quick to snatch their wrists before any of them could sneak a touch.

“This is kinda stressful,” I admitted.

“Maybe we should go back into the hotel and just shop around in there,” Keke suggested as she released the wrist of a dainty, green-haired catgirl. The culprit hissed and stuck out her tongue, and Keke responded by smacking the back of one hand into her open palm.

Is that a catgirl warning sign? Or did Keke really just threaten to smack her?

Ara drew a dagger from under her sleeve as her eye caught the stare of someone who’d locked eyes with Tristan. The girl turned on her heel and skittered away, drawing small dust clouds in her wake.

“That seemed a little much,” I grumbled.

“Please do not misunderstand. I do not find protecting the young Master to be a chore. However,” and then Ara turned to look at me, “for the sake of your own enjoyment, I must agree with Keke. Shopping at The Gem of Abalone may be the most beneficial option.”

“As must I, my dear Matt,” Ceres said.

We changed pet names? No more ‘My Lord’?

“I’m not bothered,” Tristan said easily. “This is just the culture.” Then he turned to look at me. “Unless you are, Matt.”

I had to be honest. “Yeah, actually I’m a little uncomfortable. I’m cool shopping at the hotel if you are.”

Tristan and the girls shrugged.

What a relief.

I could feel the stress leaving as soon as we walked through the doors. One of the attendants frowned, then approached.

“Have we done something to upset you, sirs?”

I see we have our priorities set.

I shook my head.

“Not at all,” Tristan said with a smile. “We remembered a few of the gift shops here and simply had to take a look.”

The attendant put a hand to her chest and breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh goodness, I’m glad to hear that.” She stepped to her side and gestured down the hall. “If you follow this hall, it’ll lead you to the strip of shops. Please take your time. We’ll even offer a discount for your continued patronage.”

“Thanks!” Tristan offered a wave and led the way.

While there weren’t very many of them, every shop carried exceptional quality products. One that caught my eye was a shop that specialized in kitten toys. Each of us wandered around the store, and for a rare moment, I was on my own as I perused one of the aisles. There was something I was looking for in particular.

Then I saw it. Two shelf-like extensions boxed in a corner protecting a tall table. And, to put it lightly, the table was bizarre. Like someone had rolled in a tree stump and glued four legs to it. Around the stump were lightning bolts painted in haphazard sizes and shapes in an array of colors. It looked like it’d been thrown together by a child.

Maybe it was, Kelmer. Don’t underestimate the imagination of a child.

Atop the table were stuffed rabbits of every shape and size you could imagine. Fluffy ones, tiny ones, fat ones, some with… eight legs. That last one I had to assume was meant to illustrate the speed of the animal, and not necessarily an accurate depiction of rabbit legs. At least, I hoped so.

I picked up one of the stuffed rabbits, who was a bit of a middle grounder among the lot. The little dude was a pale green with bright red eyes. He had his arms held out to his sides like he was expecting a hug. He seemed like the sorta thing Cannoli would buy for herself.

Is any color rarer than the next?

I’d set my sights on seeing a green rabbit if such a rumor was true—there was a hint of truth to every myth after all. But if I had to pick a color for Cannoli, I imagined tried-and-true white was the way to go for a rabbit. Or maybe a pink one.

Maybe those are just the colors I associate with her?

It was time to get Keke’s advice. With the green rabbit in hand, I made my way out of the corner and snaked my way around several shelves and brightly colored tables on the way. “Keke, where are you?”

“Over here!”

A voice to my right called to me. The area I found her in was very bright. It was filled with small wooden toys and objects that I’d expect to see a toddler playing with. Keke seemed to be pretty enamored with a set of tiny chimes. She ran her finger across the hollow pipes and shut her eyes to listen.

“That’s really pretty,” I said as I moved to stand in front of her.

“I think I might buy it,” she admitted. She opened her eyes, but only halfway. “It’s nostalgic.”

“Did you have chimes as a kitten?”

Keke nodded, her attention glued to the object. “I was a troublemaker.”

“Not sure what kid isn’t. I wasn’t the best kid myself.”

Keke turned her head to me. “What were you like as a kid?”

I blinked. I couldn’t recall if anyone had asked me that before. “I got a lot of scrapes and bruises climbing trees, digging in the dirt, looking for dinosaur bones.”

She frowned. “What are dinosaur bones?”

I had to think for a second. “So imagine Buttons, but with horns and large, pointy teeth. And far bigger than us.” I emphasized this by stretching my arms out to my sides.

“Sounds like a Defiled.”

“Defiled got nothing on the dinosaurs. They’re every kid’s favorite creature.”

Keke cupped her elbow between her index and middle fingers. “Sounds a lot like how I was as a kitten.”

“We probably would’ve made good friends.”

“I have no doubt.”

“So then why the chimes?” I asked, pointing to them.

Keke laid the chimes flat in her hand. “They helped me calm down. I’d always get my hands on something I wasn’t supposed to. Whether it was bottles or weird-smelling herbs from Granny Nauka, getting nyapples with Cannoli, finding some strange bug from the dirt, you name it.” Keke breathed a sigh. “I couldn’t sleep. So, Mom got me these.”

“Sounds like you had a great mom.”

“She was the best.” Keke pinched the bridge of her nose, then raised her head before I could ask anything more about the subject. “So, what did you need? Is it about that rabbit?”

“Oh, yeah!” To be honest, I’d nearly forgotten. “I was thinking of a green rabbit as a gift for Cannoli, but I don’t know what colors she likes. Can you help a guy out?”

A smile tugged at one end of Keke’s mouth. “She likes bright colors. That would work, but if it were me? I’d get her a light blue or pink. Those are safer bets.” Keke shrugged and half-laughed. “But she’ll love any of the rabbits you give her. Promise.”

“Thanks, Keke.” I gave her a quick peck on the cheek, and as I turned to leave, she caught me by the hem of my shirt, turning me back around.

“Hey.” She pulled me close, and her lips met mine.

I shut my eyes and returned her embrace, wrapping one arm around her waist. It was slow, warm, and comforting.

Keke drew away, and her mouth opened as if she was about to say something. A pink hue decorated her cheeks, and she twirled a lock of hair around her finger. “Well, off you go!” She cleared her throat. “I’ll be here if you need anything else!”

I smiled. “Thanks, Keke.”

After much deliberation, I settled on a pastel-pink rabbit, just as Keke had suggested. Whether Cannoli liked it or not, I just couldn’t see another color matching her as well. Sure, it was the easy route, but I’d gotten advice from Keke.

We checked out and left the store. Keke was a bit on the quiet side after that, but I knew we all had a lot on our minds. I was glad she bought the chimes, though.

I wonder what her mom was like.