"There are lots of books and movies about outer space where I'm from," he explains. "It's really neat! I was never as interested in it as some people though." For example, he had never desired to explore space. His interest was in the sky itself, not what was beyond it.

Akito takes an ice cube from his water and lets it melt on his palm, holding it out on the table in a way that lets Plume flutter out of his hood and grab a drink without attracting too much attention.