After wandering around, pondering the merits of a creative production versus a well funded one, Taka stumbled upon the ship store. His curiosity led him inside. There was a lot that he thought would make a good souvenir for any of his family.
A new fountain pen for his father - the old man loved the things. Said they were classical. Some of the books would definitely have interested his mother, especially the one about ikebana.
At-chan would definitely want one of the swords on display. The lump loved anything sharp and shiny. But it cost a bit more than what Taka was willing to spend at the moment.
And while browsing the candy section, he found something worth indulging in. Candied orange pieces. Both Miko-chan and himself loved candied oranges, which were rare on their home world. He picked up a bag and examined how much was in it. A fair amount but there was no guarantee he would not go through the entire thing before the end of this tour. Finally, he decided he wouldd buy a bag or two for Tomiko when the tour ended - they would be fresher and he would be less tempted to eat them.
Clothing and mugs did not interest him. The Type 28 pistols on sale were obviously more for decorative rather than any real combat purpose. Good for scaring civilians, not Mishhu. A loud bang to be sure but not as loud as what Taka could do, given the right tools.
Then, behind the cashier's counter, he saw what he needed for the plan that had begun formulating. A mischievous grin spread across his face. Yes, it was a good plan, worth the trouble for the hilarity it would cause. Assuming he could get anyone aboard the Aeon drunk enough. He quickly paid the cashier for two large bottles of sake, each 750ml and the bag of candied oranges. 65KS well spent, in Taka's opinion. His purchases were put into a paper bag.
He left the store to put the new loot with the rest of his belongings, still grinning madly. As Taka was walking back, he saw, well, first he saw a man walking around in swim trunks. On a space station. The sight confuzzled him, requiring several moments of gawking and blinking to confirm that his eyes were functioning. The young man had red eyes and a scar on his face. Scarface was younger than Taka, obviously still in his teens.
But Scarface's companion was none other than Arai-san. So Scarface was the other fellow assigned to the Aeon. No time like the present to jump into an awkward situation!
"Yo, Arai-san, Scarface-san!" Taka called out, waving with his free hand.