this was the plan. okay? follow lee and hatsume to the new land to get some more information on raijin. their father. they had a father! the idea was insane. absolutely insane to him. how could he have lived all these years, ok a few short years, without this information? rather despicable if you asked him. either way, kuroo was interested and wasn't going to say no to an adventure. oh, what an adventure this was already. sopping wet from a far journey over choppy seas, his mottled grey coat stuck out in a horrid fashion. his pale eyes spot a cluster of islands that draw his attention. they appear tropical with clustering of trees that are unfamiliar to him. curious, kuroo beams over at usagi with a grin before climbing up onto an outcropping of rocks. without waiting for his sibling to be a good distance away, kuroo shakes off his salty fur. pretty wildly if he thought so himself. his fur poofs as he takes in another salty breath of ocean air. "ah, bunny, we made it! do ya think the others know we followed them?" kuroo asks as he turns to look at his poofy-tailed brother.

While Kuroo was certainly all sunshine and rainbows about their new situation, Usagi was far from happy. He clambered after his brother, koi-splotched coat equally wet and his expression a twisted scowl. When was he happy, really, though? He was constantly taunted and teased as a pup, with his one ear flopped and tail stubby. Their mother had the worst sense of humor, naming him ‘rabbit’. He’d always believed the two parts of his body would grow as the rest of him did, but here he was, two years old, looking far from dignified. What an utter mess this was, and to make matters worse, he had heard of their absent father using this place as his whereabouts, and the sour male squinted towards the direction of what he perceived to be the mainland.. What a despicable man - turning tail on his kids after having his fun. As if he and Roo were disposable. He’d make sure to find that bastard, and when he did, he’d give him a kick he wouldn’t forget. Anyways, here they were, on this godforsaken island, the sea raging with the same anger that flowed through the koi wolf’s veins as thickly as blood. Angry about this. Angry about their father. Angry about his stupid appearance, and how it made him look rodiculous rather than one to be respected. And he was anything but respected. At his grey-furred brother’s question as to whether Lee and Hatsume would know they followed them, Usagi shrugged, scowl softening as his chartreuse gaze glanced about uncertainly, and tensely, at their unfamiliar surroundings. What the hell were these trees? These plants? It was as if they’d landed on another planet rather than just a different land. "I don’t know, Roo," He murmured, just loud enough for Kuroo to hear over the roaring of the waves "Maybe they’re already waiting for us somewhere.". Shaking himself off, he growled in irritation as his pelt poofed out like his sibling’s. Great. Just great. What a great beginning to this totally not doomed adventure. "Speech"

he could hear his brother climb up on the shore beside him and shake off as well. the spray of their coats littering the ground beneath them, kuroo continued to glance around their new surroundings. one ear tilted toward the grumbling of usagi and he had to laugh. "you're always so sour, bunny," his own jovial tune hiding the fact that he might be nervous about being here. their decision to follow raijin to this new place had been unexpected and sudden. saying goodbye to their mother had been sorrowful, but he hoped one day to go back and see her. forcing himself not to dwell on the past, he let his pale gaze sweep over what was in front of them. these trees were odd and the brush was different. not like that of iga. where the cherry blossoms covered the plains in beautiful pinks and whites. "i guess we should get going and try to find them, yeah?" kuroo asks as he turns a chin to look over at usagi. the sight of his floofed up spotted brother made a chuckle rumble in his own chest, but he held back any noise from his mouth. it wouldn't do any good to rightly piss usagi off now. taking a few steps toward inland, he sighed. "what if we landed in a totally different area?" he says out loud as he lifts his nose to scent the air. the idea that this place might be huge and they could possibly never cross paths with their cousins was an intimidating thought. the idea that they would have to start anew here and create a different life wasn't exactly what he wanted.

His brother’s jovial laugh, and subsequent comment about him being so sour was met with an averted gaze and his typical soft scoff. He knew he was a sour man - he’d always been, the hatred that brewed in his chest starting as an ember when he was mocked for his ear that flopped comically as he moved, or his nub tail that interrupted the grace and dignity of his koi-splotched form. It grew into a roaring flame that licked his bones when their mother told the, about their absent father, and the name scorched his brain. Raijin. He hated him. He hated him for leaving their mother, hated him for leaving behind two lives as if they meant nothing. Leaving Iga themselves was so painful, and the image lf their mother’s tearful face as they left their home would be an image he’d never forget. Like Kuroo, he’d plan to come back and visit her someday. Though that day might never come. Just how far away from home were they? He, too, was unfamiliar with the flora. No doubt the fauna would be a tad different, as well. Not drastically, if this place was anything like Iga in some manner, which it didn’t. He glanced up at the strangely-leaved trees with the thick, tall trunks, a twang of homesickness hitting him from deep within. He missed the cherry blossoms that filled their homeland, the pink petals that fell that they would play in as children; he, Roo, Keri, and Hatsume..all together. But, he wasn’t the mushy, sentimental type. Definitely not. He nodded in response to his brother’s comment about finding their cousins. "Yeah," He murmured. Padding over the rest of the rocky island, he could tell his brother was trying not to burst in laughter as his poofed-out pelt. He shot a fiery look at him, the same look he gave him even when they were young children. Some things never changed. As the two reached inland, Usagi felt the sand sink between his toes as he walked carefully, scanning the region. He took one last look behind them, towards the roaring see. A deep sigh fell from his lips, and offering the horizon one last, slightly saddened glance, he moved forward, focused on their mission. The raging fire steeped in his chest motivated him to keep going. Upon Roo’s inquiry of if they had landed in a totally different area, Usagi glanced about and shrugged. "It’s possible," He said gruffly, his tone its typical coarse, low grumble. It was true - what if the land was even larger than Iga, and they couldn’t find them? He suppressed any concern that tried to brew within him, instead replacing it with determination. "But unless we keep moving, we’ll never find them." It wasn’t entirely true - they’d have to run into each other eventually. Hopefully. "Speech"

it didn't take a lot of convincing for kuroo to follow his brother further inland. moving from the island toward the larger land that lay ahead of them, his pale gaze widened in amazement and curiosity. dismissing his own worries about forever being disconnected from his cousins, he let his eyes roll when usagi mentioned that they needed to get moving. "couldn't we take a break? just for a moment?" kuroo whined slightly, his lower lip pushing out slightly as he shot a puppy-dog-eyed stared toward his typically grumpy brother. what kuroo knew and others didn't was that usagi did have a soft spot in that crinkled little heart of his. "i'm so tired from all this travel," he whined again as he picked up his step to stay shoulder to shoulder with usagi. "plus, can they really get that much farther than us?" his eyes moved away to examine their surroundings. oh, how different this place was compared to iga. so much sand and water and tall trees with big leaves. was the whole place like this?

Usagi paused in his tracks as Kurro pouted about being tired. Couldn’t we take a break? Just for a moment? He looked behind him to see his grey-splotched brother giving him the puppy-dog-eyes, and looking into them he felt a tug at his own chest and sighed in defeat. Man, his brother reslly knew how to get to him, huh? Out of everybody else, even some of his family, his brother was one of the only people who could loosen the thorns aroynd his bitter heart. He cared about him to no bounds - hell, he’d lay his life on the line if it meant Roo could live. Not that he’d ever let them get into such a drastic situation, or so he hoped. This land was foreign, strange, and foreboding. Feeling his brother’s shoulder against his, he realized he did have a point. Their cousins couldn’t have gone that far, if they followed the logic that they all left Iga at about the same time. Though he nor his brother hadn’t had contact with them since their homeland. He grumbled under his breath, but acknowledging that he, too, was a bit sore from all that doggy paddling, he said, "Alright, alright. We’ll find a place to settle for the night, and I’ll try and fetch us something to eat as well." He figured he could rest and at least eat. They were both likely starving by now. He glanced at his brother and then began searching for some hidden alcove to take shelter. Maybe there were some critters here he wouldn’t have to put much effort in to catch. Though the fauna here were..different. Not too different, but he’d adjust his strategies. They’d both have to if they were to survive. "Speech"

the grin that followed his pout was wide and joyous. oh, how he knew the way to his brother's soft spots. growing up, he'd always had a particular way of convincing anyone he met into getting what he wanted. whether it was food or friendship, kuroo was smooth. and when it came to usagi, his brother was wrapped around his paw. prancing a few steps, he chirped happily as his tail wagged. "i knew you'd agree, bunny," he snickered and moved ahead a few steps so he could also contribute to their search for somewhere to rest. his eyes roved over the shoreline until an outcropping that turned into a hill stuck out to him. long shadows drew over the sand as he spotted a cave that would hopefully be large enough for both of them. "i'm sure there's some good saltwater fish in these waters," he mentioned as he nodded his head toward the ebbing waves. "also, i think i see a cave over there," kuroo mentions as he begins to skip toward the alcove. though his muscles were sore from all that doggy paddling, he still had the energy to have fun. because who couldn't have fun when they were in a new place?

Usagi rolled his eyes as his brother jumped around, joining the search for a den. Yeah, and he was the bunny of the family. It was just so annoying that his brother knew his soft spots - and boy were they hard to reach for anybody, really. Years of bullying and being mocked for appearance and his fiery spouts of rage left his heart cold and hardened, surrounded by sharp thorns, but Kuroo managed to slip past the thorns and into the core. Part of him was ticked about it. He didn’t enjoy being led about by someone so adept at charming others, and then in turn applying those same tricks on him. Yet, at the same time, he was his brother. On this strange, foreign land they’d come across, they were all they had. Usagi wasn’t the sappy sort, but he’d shed blood if it meant his brother was unscathed. He was deeply rooted to him, a bond forged between siblings at birth that they’d honed throughout their lives thus far. Such a bond could never break at this point. Still, brother were brothers, and they got on each other’s nerves. Well, moreso Roo on his nerves - nothing he did really seemed to phase his larger sibling. Kuroo mentioned finding them some fish, and upon closer inspection with his chartruse gaze, they’d come across a cave. Well, would you look at that. Sometimes things just fell into place, didn’t they? It was as if this new world was attempting to lure them in already. He couldn’t help but be a bit suspicious, but then again, he always seemed on guard. As his oh-so-tired brother skipped towards the alcove, Usagi followed suit, still-wet coat with its koi splotches shimmering in the glow of the sun above them. "You certainly have energy for someone so tired from all our travelling," He remarked sourly, in his typical fashion. At least it wasn’t too cold or hot here, but mild like on Iga. He’d make the most of it for now, even if a scowl permanently etched his lips. "Speech"

a chuckle leaves him as bunny mentions that he sure did appear to have more energy. looking back at his brother, kuroo winked with a flashing smile before trotting down the hill and over toward the sandy beach. tucked away, the cave dripped with fresh water from the ceiling. it's dark confines weren't the most comforting, but it would help hide them away for the night. turning his chin, he looked out at the horizon where the sun began to set. "wanna fish in the morning?" he asks before bounding closer to the cave's opening. pausing at the entrance, kuroo peers inside with his lightly colored gaze. "heellllooo! anyone in here?" the splotched grey-coated boy calls out. making sure there weren't any predators in there before walking side, he notices that the sand doesn't stop. thankfully, they'd have a soft spot to sleep in for the night. turning to face usagi, he smiles again. "well, we do have some daylight left. we could fish a bit?" kuroo asks with a swish of his tail.

Usagi glanced into the cave as his brother did, peering into its entrance from the outside. He looked constantly bitter, as if nothing was ever enough, but even his brother knew he was picky nor dainty. If he needed to sleep in a sandy alcove and hunt fish - even if he refused to hunt the graceful fish that swam the still waters at home - then he’d do it. They didn’t know how long they’d be without food, anyways. Not that this place lacked any resources. He watched a red crab skitter by, and he furrowed his brow in confusion. They didn’t really have a lot of crabs in Iga, and seldom saw them. Before he could answer Kuroo’s inquiry about fishing in the morning as the sun began to sink beneath the horizon, his sibling ran towards the cave’s mouth. He quirked a brow as his brother peered into it and called out, as if someone was living there. Though it wasn’t an uncomfortable place to reside for the time being, Usagi couldn’t imagine anyone living out their lives by the ocean. Though, if one thought about it, the alcove provided plenty of sea life to feed on, and the sun was just right, and the cave was deep enough to avoid the elements or any unwelcome visitors. And just deep enough for him and Kuroo to curl up when the day was done. His brother’s inquiry about fishing now received a brief "Sure, let’s go." He didn’t need to tell his brother he was starving, quite frankly. When he was hungry, he tended to speak even less than he usually did. And the anger that always surged about him like a red aura became almost white-hot with repressed grouchiness. His brother was right to go fishing now, if he could reas him like a book he’d know it was the right decision not to wait. Usagi wasted no time trotting towards the edge of the waters, testing his skills. He was a decent hunter in Iga, but an even better fighter. "Speech"

kuroo knew his brother was growing cranky by the minute by the lack of words spoken. maybe his high energy was getting annoying. or maybe his floppy-eared, bunny-tailed brother was simply hungry. yet, growing up with the other boy taught him not to get disheartened by the lack of tenderness. keeping his cheerful smile on his lips, he turned away from the interior of the cave toward the outside. light reflecting off the water sparkled like the rivers of iga and kuroo suddenly felt homesick. would they ever be able to go back? forcing himself not to dwell on irrelevant things, he watched the crab scuttle by with curiosity. the clawed creature looked cool, but kuroo wasn't stupid enough to chase after it. the last thing he needed was to get pinched by that thing. rushing past usagi as they approached the shoreline, his paws skittered to a halt at the edge of the lapping waves. chilly water washed over his paws as he peered into the crystal clear depths. kuroo's body grew still as he focused on the swimming shadows beneath the surface. moving with calculated steps, kuroo knew he was perhaps a better hunter than his brother, but truly not as great a fighter. he preferred going after things that didn't often fight back. lowering his chin so it barely hovered over the surface, he stood frozen in a depth up to his chest. his tail swished slowly as he let his gaze follow the fish below. muscles twitching as he fought to keep himself still, kuroo dipped his head beneath the water in one fell breath. lashing out with open jaws, when he resurfaced, a decent-sized fish was between his teeth. "thee it'th eathy," he rumbled with a full mouth, careful not to pierce the fish too much.

Usagi learned to hunt the same way his brother had - they were taught in calm waters, of course, not the choppy, rolling waves that lapped their limbs. The koi-splotched wolf waded in behind his brother, the scowl still etched on his lips and brow furrowed as he attempted to concentrate. Despite its ever restless movement, the water reminded of home, as it reminded Kuroo. A pang of that same homesickness his brother felt ached within his soft, emotional heart, but it was so deeply tucked within a cold exterior that nobody could notice what he was truly feeling inside. Not even his sibling. As per usual, Usagi was a closed book when it came to any emotion except anger and irritation. Chartruse eyes scanned the water, the two brothers almost identical in approach. However, what Usagi lacked was patience. Patience in hunting, particularly fish and other sea creatures, was key. The fiery-tempered male rushed into things without thinking much of what could happen after. It landed him into a spot of trouble here and there as a child, and his short fuse was a mere burnt wick at this point. Great stamina and drive for a battlefield, but not for the hunting grounds. As a silver-speckled fish waded carefully by his legs, Usagi struck his head underwater, jaws open to catch the thing. As he clamped down, a sudden rush of the tide made his toes slip, and with a frustrayed yell, he was pulled under the waves for a few seconds. As the tide lowered again, his brother would certainly have a laugh at the awkward spectacle; the male’s charcoal and scarlet coat was soaked, yet again, his flopped ear dripping pathetically as he stood there, a tiny fish in his jaws. For Roo it’d be great dun, but Bunny wasn’t having it. "Speech"

the orange and white striped fish between his teeth spluttered a few times before going limp. knowing it would only make for a good snack, he turned his rosy pale gaze over to his brother. bunny wasn't the most patient of wolves, but he didn't lack skill either. careful not to disturb the water too much, kuroo took a few steps so that he could fling his catch over toward the shore. when he turned around, he caught the moment usagi was being dragged under the surface. his eyes widened in fear and amusement as he waited for usagi to resurface. stifling a laugh behind closed lips, his gaze crinkled at the sight of his dripping wet brother. though, he had still been successful with a small fish between his own jaws. "you're not so bad!" kuroo called out with a small giggle. "patience is a virtue, bunny," he said with a wink before turning back to wade a bit deeper into the choppy waters. turning his attention back toward the clear waters below, he waited in silence to catch another fish. sure, it would be fun to continue poking fun at his brother, but they had food to catch.

Usagi offered a crabby ‘harrumph’, muffled due to the small but modestly-sized fish in his jaws. Of course his brother found the whole event quite entertaining, but all he got out of it was a soaking, heavy pelt and an attitude twice soured. Still, he did get a fish out of it, and whatever he could catch would be an extra meal in their bellies. Just as his grey-splotched brother had done, the male swung his head to toss the dead fish onto the shore next to the other one, essentially beginning a pile of more fish to come. As Kuroo mentioned the virtue of patience, the koi-spotted wolf sighed in an exasperated manner, wading into the deeper waters with his sibling. "Patience a virtue? For you, maybe. This isn’t my thing." Fishing wasn’t his favorite, but what had to be done, well, had to be done. He wasn’t the prissy sort anyways. Wallowing into the depths, he soon found the sand at the bottom harder to reach, meaning the fish around here were bound to get bigger. "Speech"

kuroo couldn't help but chuckle at his brother's crappy attitude. while he never quite understood why usagi had always been a grump, that's what he knew his brother as. assuming it would never change, kuroo took it to heart to find the softest spots of his brother's chilly exterior. "i'm sure there's some big, bad wolves around here for you to tackle," he commented with a wink in his brother's direction. others may have thought they preferred the company of women, kuroo would bet that usagi was just like him. females were for friends, males on the other hand were a different story. bringing his attention back around to water that pushed against his chest, he focused his gaze below the surface. thankfully, like the waters at home, these appeared clear and easy to see the colorful fins darting around. carefully, he took another step deeper. his eyes were on a particularly quick swimmer with long fins and stripes of black and white. flicking both ears forward and leaving his jaws slightly agape, he held frozen until the perfect moment.