stuck in the playpen

Kaizen turned, his expression pinching as his sister licked his shoulder before bouncing away. Why she trying to cheer him up? Lure him into playing, chasing after her? He wasn't quite sure if he was in the mood for that. He huffed, brows furrowing as he stared at the bamboo wall, saw how she'd dishevelled the younger shoots by pushing through them, some leaves twisted from their natural position.

"I don't want to play, Asahi." He told her, though not unkindly. He wasn't mad at her, or any of his other siblings even, but he wasn't quite sure what to do with the energy he had bottled up. Frustration and upset, a tangle he wasn't equipped to sit down and take the time to unravel.