"Sure," Ryouma said, shovelling two of the odder-looking pancakes onto the box lid. One was topped with dried squid and whole baby octopi; the other, from the smell, was probably kimchi and something else equally rancid. "Eat your heart out. Leave the talking to the big kids."

Kuromaru seemed quite happy to be left out of the big-kid-party, so long as he got okonomiyaki. Ryouma shook his head and investigated the other options. The 'safe' ones involved dried fish flakes, shrimp, shredded pork, scallions, and cheese. He stole a slice of pork-and-cheese and dripped congealed cheese in his lap with the first bite. The taste of something that wasn't field rations or convenience-store snacks was totally worth it. He swallowed with difficulty, licked his fingers, and reached for another.

"I'm guessing asking what 'getting like this' involves is gonna lead off into something bizarrely awesome. Do Inuzuka boy dogs, uh, go into heat, too? Or is there some matchmaking disease going around the vet should know about? Reiko's always trying to set me up with her friends, but I didn't think that was contagious." He'd sparked a grin; he eyed her over his third slice, trying to decide how hard to push. Where her boundaries lay. Hell, where his were, now...

He didn't glance over his shoulder.

"Or's it just 'cause I'm alpha now and so we oughta be making babies for him to bully? Which gets me kind of worried about what's going on when he's alpha, by the way," he added severely. "You said he's got like this before..."