a slice of paradise

A quiet lull spread through the maze as the larger of the brothers made sure to follow their Kaicho. Even though they had been in the maze for a bit now, this new area seemed to pop up out of nowhere. If it had not belonged to Tojo, why had they not seen it before? Questions crossed his mind as their companionable silence stretched between the trio. Traveling down the path as he took in the different turns that were unknown to him so far, his eyes widened when the scent of wisteria began to envelop him.

What was this place? Kuroo paused in his tracks as he peered around. Sunlight barely filtered through as tall grass tickled at his legs. Gone was the smell of the ocean, the well-worn dirt paths, the calm and safety of a place he knew. Letting Hattori take a few steps ahead of them as the sound of scrabbling paws on rocks made his ears tilt forward, Kuroo inhaled a breath. It smelled like home. It looked like home. The dilapidated building was so close in resemblance to the ones back near Iga. The feline eyes that peered out from the shadows at them were haunting but familiar.

Even the sound of the trickling fountain tumbling at the edge of the large koi pond made his heart skip a beat. Unable to resist and feeling that Hattori had been given his moment to take it in, Kuroo stepped forward. Lining the edges with rocks, the murky surface gave way to showcase the variety of koi gliding below. The whole area was beautiful, elegant, and serene. Those were the only words he could come up with but knew it wasn't enough to describe the beauty this sanctuary held. Smiling gently to himself as he began to make his way around the pond and closer to the small building, he made sure not to disturb any of the cats that watched safely from a distance.

"Speech"