[ He's no Tango, but Ritsuki will make a decent petting substitute... for now. And here we see Disney Princess Nagano in action with his trademark "I know how to get just about any woodland animal to accept me and then some" technique. ]

Reminds me of a certain someone, [ he murmurs fondly. A twinge of sadness rings clear in his voice, creating some dissonance. ]

I left my son behind when I passed. He's a big ol' Siberian cat. Tango. Fat, orange, spoiled, and the cutest thing to have ever lived on my Earth.

I wish I could still pet him. I hope someone's taking care of him. I...

[ He's still petting, careful and gentle, but droplets begin to stain the sleeve of his robes.

Kaito doesn't dare break away, nor does he look up at Hibiki. In a hushed, broken voice, he speaks. ]

I still have him. Sort of.

He's one of my Tethers.