[It's really a very cute game of fumbled pattycake. Aki is losing somehow, but that isn't stopping it from trying its (polite) best anyway.

By all means Riza's remark could almost qualify as a compliment. In fact, it's alarmingly close enough that Shizuo actually visibly winces a little. Automatically folding in on himself a bit where he's sitting, he shifts to set aside another freed plushy and takes up a new one, averting his eyes all the while and rather thankful for the shades he's currently wearing all of a sudden.]

--Well, that's a surprise, then. [It's almost a mumble, half to himself. He prods at the fabric ear of the cat-shaped harness he's just picked up, twisting it a little between his fingers.] ...But yeah, 'unfortunate'. I'm not a good person for any of those sorts of things.

[Oh, right...he starts on the leash parts now, belatedly.] Guess that's probably a weird thing to say, but it's true.