Home. It was a concept Nami hadn't had in a long while, and one she hadn't cared to stop and think too much about. The world was her home, at least in her mind, all the lake and ponds and waterways in between. She came and went where she pleased, but she'd thought long and hard about Hanzo's proposal. His pack needed a good fisher to help provide, and she'd explained her membership might not be permanent but that she'd more than pull her weight in the meantime.

It sounded like a good distraction while she waited for Jynn's treasure-hunting plans to either pan out or not, and the prospect of meeting some new faces was admittedly exciting to her. She wondered if most of the wolves Hanzo had following him were like him, serious and collected in a way she could never be. She just hoped she'd fit in, but if Nami was anything it was friendly to a fault, and she knew she'd put all of her effort into fitting in here and making a good impression on the wolves she met.

As she stepped over the borders she let loose a call for Hanzo to alert him of her presence, provided he hadn't decided against her joining. If she decided to come greet her so be it, but if not that'd be okay too. She just wanted to make herself known, hopeful that someone would decided to see who the newcomer was as she poked around the bay, sniffing at the edge of the sand.

Kuroo was quite distracted by trying to convince Saru to help him weave a new piece of netting. The small monkey was rather stubborn and preferred to spend her days eating and napping in his scruff or the trees that hung over the shores of the bay. He would be persistent though since the bay was always in need of more work. More nets, more traps, more eyes to keep watch. As of late, the dolphins and smaller whales were taking advantage of the fish hanging in the netting and the manatees often got themselves tangled in it. Really, he had his work cut out for him.

"Saru, please. I'll give you a snack after we finish this," Kuroo pleaded with wide pale eyes as he pushed the thick rope in her direction. He had helped Kiriko bring some of the cannabis plants over from the grove and in return, she allowed him to take some of the fibers to use for his new ropes. The strength of the material was wonderful and he was eager to try it out. But Saru still insisted on eating first. Her little chirps and scowls pushed at his weak resolve until Kuroo let out a sigh and tossed the rope off to the side. "Okay fine. Lunch then you help," he narrows his eyes at her as she dances around and hops up onto his head before nestling down right behind his ears.

"Damn monkey," Kuroo whispers under his breath as he stands and turns to head back toward his hut. He is almost there when a calling howl reaches out over the bay. Pausing for a moment, he glances over his piebald should to glance in the direction of the sound. Far off, he sees someone standing there, around the edge of the border. A newcomer? Or a visitor? Kuroo questions this silently as he grabs a bundle of dried fish before taking off in the direction of the caller. His steps are quick until he approaches the woman with a smile and a friendly wag of his tail.

As he nears, something familiar rings a bell in his brain. He has definitely met this woman before. "Nami! What brings you to Tojo-Kai?" His common tongue is accented but understandable. Being around so many that spoke his native language sometimes made it hard to remember that not everyone also spoke it. Placing the bundle of fish down between himself and Nami, Kuroo takes a seat as his tail continues to wag and sweep across the sand. "Please, have a bite to eat if you're hungry. It is not often we get visitors.. or newcomers here," he is hesitant because he does not know that she has agreed to stay and doesn't want to be rude and assume.

Kuroo Shima

Work wasn't really Nami's favorite thing - after all, she'd come to these lands specifically because she wanted to escape responsibility. But her main task in Tojo-Kai would be to fish, to supply her packmates with food, and fishing never seemed like work to her. Especially not when she could do it exactly how she wanted it, and it seemed like that wasn't going to be an issue. As soon as she settled in and found her bearings she'd get right to work, not wanting Hanzo to be disappointed in his decision to let her join.

She hadn't expected to bump into anyone she knew though, so when her eyes landed on Kuroo she found herself grinning like a fool. It'd been a long time since they'd met, but she remembered him nonetheless, not the type to forget those she spent any amount of time with. "Kuroo! I'm glad to see you here," she greeted him earnestly. He offered her a bite to eat and she nodded, not wanting to seem unappreciative. She leaned forward to grab one from his pile, snagging it and taking her first bite before speaking. "Thank you! I'm actually here to stay, at least for a while," she explained. It was nice to see a familiar face, and she hoped it might make settling in a little bit easier for her.

Kuroo has always been patient. It was part of why he was such a great fisher. So he would wait for her to snag a fish and eat some. Listening to her speak, he could not help but let his tail wag in a more excited manner. She was going to be staying?! That meant he would have another friend! And one that enjoyed fishing! His smile was obvious now. "Oh, that's great to hear!" Kuroo's voice is a near chirp as he grabs a fish for himself and takes a bite.

"If you don't mind me asking. What brought you all the way down here?" His head tilts slightly to the side, eyes on Nami as he finishes his fish. In the meantime, his monkey companion, Saru, has climbed down from her perch in his scruff to snag a piece of fish herself before scooting closer to look up at Nami. There is a mischievous smile on the monkey's face. The tamarin is too small to be of any concern, but she was also known to pull pranks... Kuroo quickly looks at the monkey with a scowl. "Apologies, that is Saru. She likes attention and is harmless," he adds with a sheepish smile as he looks back to Nami.

Kuroo Shima

Though Nami wasn't really the type to overthink her decisions, her choice to join Tojo-Kai was one she'd deliberated over greatly, and even now she worried it wasn't the right choice. She'd left home trying to flee responsibility, hadn't she? But this place seemed different, and she'd already given Hanzo the heads up that she wasn't planning on settling down here forever. Maybe her time here would be longer than she expected though. At least she'd give it a good, honest try before deciding anything rash.

Her anxiety over her choice was greatly lessened by Kuroo's excitement upon seeing her, and learning she was here to stay.  His good mood was infectious, and she found a smile tugging hard at the corners of her lips. "Well," she started, taking another bite. "I met Hanzo awhile back. Helped him take down a big fish he was struggling with. Said he could use more fishers here, and I've been feeling a little... aimless lately anyway. Figured, why not?" And now that she knew she had at least one friend here, it seemed an even better idea than she'd originally thought.

Nami had no doubt she'd end up making more friends here too, but it was just a matter of how long until they warmed up to her. She was people-pleasing by nature and hadn't ever had trouble making friends before, but maybe the wolves here were different.. though she hoped they were more like Kuroo. "No worries. Hi, Saru! I'm Nami," she repeated her name, out of politeness more than anything, giving a little dip of her head to the tamarin monkey.

Kuroo snacked on his fish as Nami answered his question. It appeared that the Kaicho had a way of gathering wayward souls. While on the outside Hanzo appeared to be standoffish and held everyone at arm's length, Kuroo was beginning to see through that facade. From taking him and his brother in, to Tenshi to Kiriko, to all the others, and now Nami. Yes, he could agree they needed more fishers. The bay was large and doing it by himself was absolutely exhausting, but he had never minded. Maybe Hanzo had another reason. Maybe he did want Tojo-Kai to flourish and grow instead of staying a small and reclusive pack.

"Well, I'm glad your aimlessness has led you here!"  Kuroo said as he noticed the smile on her lips. It would be nice to have another friend around! Especially one that actually enjoyed fishing! "Could you believe that not a lot of wolves enjoy fishing?"  He chuckles before finishing his own piece of fish. His eyes then fall to Saru who chirped happily in response to Nami's introduction before making her way back over to Kuroo. "Oh, now you're going to be shy,"  he laughs again with a soft shake of his head while the tamarin makes her way back up to his scruff.

"Would you like a tour? Has Hattori shown you everything yet?"  Kuroo asks, lifting his gaze back up to Nami.

"Speech"

Wayward soul was an accurate way to put what Nami had been when Hanzo had made an offer for her to join Toko-Kai. She really hadn't expected to settle down anywhere, but life as a loner just wasn't hitting the way it originally had. All the freedom and adventure she could have on her own just wasn't worth the loneliness that accompanied it. Maybe if she'd had a little more luck making friends along the way, but they all seemed to come and go too often to really bring about any real companionship.

Here, though, she knew there would be no shortage of friendship. At this point in her life she would easily trade her complete freedom for that. Especially if her duty here was to do exactly what she liked to do, with no real oversight - at least that was how it seemed to her. "I'm glad too," she admitted easily, her smile only growing with each passing moment. "Hard to imagine it, isn't it?" Nami's orange eyes sparkled with mirth at his comment. She too had trouble believing most wolves didn't enjoy fishing, though she was glad she'd made a friend here in someone who did.

She let out another giggle at the monkey suddenly growing shy. She didn't focus on Saru for long though before Kuroo was inviting her on a tour of the lands, and she nodded eagerly. "Not everything. I'd love a tour!" She agreed, nearly bouncing on the pads of her paws at the prospect. "I've mostly been hanging out around the bay, I haven't gone much further inland yet."

Nami's giggle was adorable. His ears perk slightly at the delightful sound. He can't hide the grin as it spreads across his face and the laugh in his chest that settles easily. Being Nami's friend was easy. And Kuroo couldn't deny that it was nice to finally have someone around who shared a similar interest as he did. As much as his brothers loved him, none of them enjoyed fishing as much as he did. There was something about the way the water looked and the excitement of diving into it that made his heart race and energy surge through him.

Kuroo's tail wags almost furiously behind him now as Nami agrees to a tour. Matching her energy, his paws dance in the sand before taking a few steps north toward the forest. "Well, let's start in the oaks! There's a beautiful clearing with a decent-sized pond," he adds on with a wink. "I really only venture out to the oaks for hunting, but I can't complain," Kuroo adds, his smile softening and body relaxing slightly as he began to walk beside Nami.

-exit bay toward ancient oaks-

"Speech"

If she'd had any doubts about fitting in here, Kuroo made them all fade away. She could fit in just fine, though it'd be easier with a friend by her side. Already she felt herself eager to settle in and get to fishing, knowing just how rewarding it would be to help be part of something bigger than herself again, like when she was young. This time, without all the heavy responsibility and things she'd wanted to run way from. This was a fresh start, and she'd make a name for herself here.

She was just as eager to get to know her new home as Kuroo was to show it to her. She stood, practically hopping on the pads of her paws as she moved to follow him. "Yeah! That sounds good!" She agreed, her excitement genuine and only growing by the second. Nami couldn't help but be intrigued by the pond that he said stood in the oak forest, and she bounced after him without hesitation.

-exit!-