"Well." I say thoughtfully when she pauses. I don't know if I'm supposed to notice her glancing at me, but I do all the same, and I assume she's waiting for some kind of response or reaction. I grin at her. "Rules, huh? That makes sense, I mean. Keep the blood strong or whatever. That explains the Shiba line, of course, going back... eighteen generations?"

I cross my arms behind my head as we walk, turning another corner. I'm letting her lead the way, since she seemed to have a much more focused errand to run than me. "But that still leaves me questioning how my brother managed to find it within himself. And what that... might mean for me."