Opticians, pharmacies, hearing aids and healthcare supplies, clothing outlets selling the newest rags which were extensively treated to look tatty. An... odd. From food to cellphones I didn't find a single store not part of a national chain and they all seemed to cater for either the very young or the extremely old. Not quite fitting either class, I settled for watching people instead. At least they weren't mass-produced. Yet."Bert, I watched you walking up and down twice now. Surely there is. But it's never been in circumstances like this. It's two in the morning in a strange apartment and Jade is completely and gloriously naked as she passes me in the hall with her head turned to examine the wall.Of course, I'm not in much better shape I suppose. The little pink nightie I snatched up from the foot of the bed when I got up to go to the bathroom doesn't even cover all of my butt. Not to mention that I didn't fasten it and even if I had the filmy lacework of the material seems. I have no idea what it was we were once supposed to guard as that was more than ten thousand years ago, and the information wasn’t passed on to my mother or me.’‘We had hoped when the settlement ships came here over five thousand years ago, they would tell us why the Queen of our pride is compelled to live on this island. I can never leave here, but members of my pride can under specific circumstances.’‘Six times now, in my memories, we have split the pride so we could expand across this. " Mary was relieved when Rav didn't turn hatchling and fuss at her. Mary watched Bitsy fly over to a small mirror and fuss with her hair and her clothes, "you look just dandy, Bitsy, it ain't your clothes he's come to see." Bitsy laughed but was watching the door.Hearing the footsteps outside the door, Mary quickly put Rav down on his bed, The door was flung open and Brand strode in, grinning at everyone. Bitsy flew into his arms, rubbing her cheek against his, touching his face. Brand held her.