[Actually, Riku really rather prefers pups – but he’s not about to admit to that to a stranger.

Riku sighs, then reaches up to brush the petal breathing slime off his shoulder before saying:]

They must be some experiment by one of the Natha. Though I have no idea what exactly they are supposed to accomplish.

[They certainly won’t help against the undead dragon frozen in time down on Nysa. Or against anything else for that matter, he’s sure.]