One of the old outbuildings near his work-in-progress greenhouse was home to a flooded basement, which was constantly replenished by rainwater that tumbled down the stairs uninterrupted during storms. Which made it prime fodder for him to cultivate into a delightful habitat for some new friends! The gawky youngster had been spending most of his days in chilly water up to his belly, rearranging the substrate to his liking. The slimy leaf litter was difficult to move, but the sound it made as it slopped back into the water more than made up for the trouble. Some time in the past few days, he'd pilfered a bucket from the waterline that had been previously used to hold fish. Right now, it was brimming with sticks and gunk that he didn't like for a variety of reasons. This needed to be just right for its new inhabitants, after all. A choice home, far better than the silly ponds and lakes outside. A few tiny crabs already scuttled about, avoiding his clumsy paws while he worked. The little clouded pup was, to his credit, very mindful of their presence. He made sure there was no one hanging out under the water before he heaved a rock into place, or dropped a few waterlogged branches into a corner. By midday, his tummy was rumbling, and so he hauled his waterlogged body up the slippery stone stairway. Pale eyes blinked blearily at the sunlight that filtered through the light cloud cover, thoroughly gloomy but not nearly dark enough to portent a storm of any kind. The greyscale pup wandered over the cool sand towards the more inhabited area of the island, searching for a sibling to bully into a quick hunt for some fresh meat, or persuade to help him steal something from the storage room to eat instead. Cal or Sid might be willing to help him, of he wanted to submit to a bit of roughhousing the whole time. If he could find one of his siblings quickly enough, then he could tell them all about his latest developments on the makeshift aquarium in the basement. That was just a bonus though, and he wouldn't tell any of the adults about it. Didn't want them to spoil the fun by talking about things like danger, or hazards, or how animals needed sunlight, blah blah blah.. "Nimbus" raindrops by sqdpxl

Out of all of her siblings, Nimbus was one of the few that got the least of her bullying. He was smart. Making himself busy at every moment of the day. Whether it be in the damp basement or out in one of the buildings out back, she actually hardly ever saw him. Which is why it surprised her when she did see him that day. Moseying along the beach with not much else to do, Cal kicked at sand and rocks. Feeling the gritty grains get stuck between her toes, she doesn't look up until the wind brings his scent over to her. Pausing in step, she watches for a moment.

Hm, what was he up to? Calliope may have gotten a slight curious streak from their father. Approaching Nimbus, Calliope's remains unwaveringly bored for now. "Nim, anything interesting today?" She requests the information, there is no avoiding her now as she looms over him.

"Speech"

All at once, there's his sister. Cal got their parents genes, without a doubt. She towers over him, and has since they were barely waddling out of the den for the first time. Nimbus, to his credit, couldn't care less that he's a runty little thing by comparison. He loves all of his siblings, and is happy for them no matter what. He beamed up at her, damp grey tail wagging gleefully. "Working on the pit today, but I want lunch now." he told her with a shrug. He looked around to make sure there weren't any adults who could overhear his plans for the day, and found no one nearby. "If you wanna come hunting, we can go back to the pit after! I've got some crabs in there already, I think it's almost ready for more creatures!" he couldn't keep the excitement from his voice, practically vibrating with emotion. "I was thinking about.." he paused, brow furrowed as he considered his options. Calliope was probably way better at hunting than him already, so he didn't want to look like an idiot with his choice of prey. "maybe one of those little deer that hang out around that watering hole near the middle of the island? The ones with the weird little teeth." he broached the option tentatively, wondering if Cal would be up for that. After all, they were very different kids already. "Nimbus" raindrops by sqdpxl

Calliope listens with a cant of her. For as much of a bitch as she appeared to be, there would always be a soft spot for her siblings. A matter of patience she held whenever they spoke. It was the least she could do for them since ya know, they were siblings after all. One brow raises as he mentions the pit and crabs he's collected. More creatures too? Like what? She wants to ask, but refrains. Not today, maybe another she'd let Nim prattle on about his little aquarium of monsters.

Hunting though was more in her wheelhouse of capabilities. Her lips can't hide the little grin that grows as he mentions the little dear that hangout near the watering hole. Those odd creatures would definitely be small enough for them to hunt! Calliope gives Nim a nod of her head and her creepily charming smile. "Brilliant, Nim, lead the way!" She sing-songs, turning in the direction where the watering hole was on the island. Even though she too knew where it was, she figured since it was his idea, he could be the leader this time.

"Speech"