Kaizen was frustrated, bordering on upset, really. After the incident with the hunting dogs, he'd been essentially grounded, forbade for even stepping a single paw outside the Maze. He sort of understood why Hattori had been so furious-not in that raging shouting sort of way, just a coldness like Kaizen had been shoved head first under freezing water. The rules were set in place for a reason and if one of his other siblings had tried the same thing he would have happily scoffed and told them so.

He just felt...stupid, in hindsight he couldn't even work out why he'd thought it was a good idea.

Pacing back and forth in the communal area, a neat little grove near the centre of the maze, he knew full well he was being watched. One of his Father's companions had been tasked with ensuring he didn't wander off again, that they'd been given approval to use force if need be. Not that Kaizen thought it would ever come to that. His expression was taut, brows furrowed in a very Hattori manner, but his tail found itself curled between his hind legs. Too damn emotive.


服部改善

table coding by bunni ♥

Not the littlest of his sisters, but certainly the quietest, Asahi wove her way through the bamboo. She liked to stick to the maze and so far did not enjoy venturing very far beyond it.

She hadn't caught the reason why her brother was bothered and not dashing off to the edge of bamboo as he had before, but she figured he was restless and by the look of their father's companion keeping an eye on him, he was stuck here.

She wanted to ask what was wrong, why he was all tense and pacing and restless. Instead, she silently bounded out of the bamboo toward him, licked his shoulder as she dashed by, and fled back into the bamboo, fumbling over a rock as she did so. Can't catch her!

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.

table coding by bunni ♥

He grumped at her, and it made her retreat away from him stall out. He didn't want to play, and it seemed like she couldn't goad him into it. Curiously, she stopped and looked over her shoulder at him, before the rest of her body followed suit. She crept slowly back toward him, her head low and tilted akilter. As if asking him why he was trapped and cranky.

Pale white paws took her to his side and she tried to offer him comfort by sitting next to him, crouched with her elbows propped under her. Molten golden eyes looked up at him with the question. What's wrong Kaizen? If anything she was a great listener. She never interrupted, but she also didn't usually offer advice either.

Kaizen had never been good with words, nor emotions for that matter. He'd only wanted to help and in the moment it felt like he was doing something important, that it was a task only he could handle, but in hindsight...Kaizen felt embarrassed, and though logically he knew his sister of all people wouldn't judge him for any of this he just-

Kaizen exhaled, didn't want to sit and think about what he'd done. Maybe it might be worth making himself busy, distracting himself with work.

"I'm going to craft a rabbit snare, do you want to join me?"He suggested, thinking that the supplies were nearby, hidden in one of the caches amongst the bamboo walls.