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Kuraokami scans the brush for any sign of her sister. She was just there, right beside her, it’s not like Kenta could have just disappeared! Her sister was always running off, if it weren’t for the fact that Kuraokami was quite fond of the little rat, she would have done something about it.
Kuraokami had tried to teach her little sister some manners when they were both cubs, but her lessons on saying “please” and “thank you” had just ended in Kenta telling her she looked like a “sock puppet”, whatever that was. And, when she tried to teach her sister the art of diplomacy, Kenta had somehow managed to create a small monopoly, and got banned from their little game. It was actually quite funny.
Her train of thought is interrupted as something slams into her side, knocking her off her paws. She slams into the dirt, something pinning her down to the ground. It takes her a few seconds for her eyes to catch up to her brain, but when she finally registers what is on top of her, she gasps.
“Got you!” The little annoyance grins, like they’re still cubs. Her smile never really changed, even after years had passed. It was so cute, and something Kuraokami teased her about relentlessly.
“Kenta!” She fights the urge to groan, of course her little sister would do something like this. “We’re supposed to be looking for somewhere to sleep, why are you playing around?”
“You’re just mad because you lost” Her sister says, as if she isn’t listening at all. Kuraokami tries to be annoyed at her, but she just can’t find it in herself. “Besides, it’s like we’ll die if we sleep under the stars again.”
“Yes, well, those clouds look like rain.” Kuraokami defends, gesturing at the sky above them. The clouds are indeed heavy with the promise of a storm. If not long lasting, then raging and fast, surely to leave them sopping wet in its wake.” It will be less “sleeping under the stars” and more “sleeping in the rain”, which I am not too fond of.”
“You’re such a prude” Kenta rolls her eyes, though Kuraokami knows that there is no malice behind the actions. Her sister has always been a snarky, sassy drama queen about everything. This is par for the course. Kenta is lucky that she is fond of this little game.
“I’m not a prude, its just that while I was brought up, you were dragged.” It isn’t the best comeback, but it is enough to have Kenta upping her theatrics, which was the intended reaction. While Kenta is busy rolling around on the floor, Kuraokami can look for somewhere to sleep.
She turns her back on her sister, half listening as she searches. There’s a small bush that they could maybe sleep under, but it wouldn’t provide much shelter. She pokes at its branches, watching a few leaves flutter to the ground.
She approaches a tree, but there are so few leaves left on it that it would be better to just sleep out in the open, at that rate.
Then, she spots it; tucked away in the base of one of the many mountains surrounding the valley they were passing through, was a small den entrance.
She pads up to the thing, poking around. It smells faintly of strange lions, but the scent is faded with time. No one has lived here for a long time. Perfect for them to spend the night in.
“Yes, yes, how terrible of me.” She sighs, catching the tail-end of Kenta’s rant as she returns. “Now come on, I found somewhere!”
This has Kenta on her feet again, obediently following her as she retraces her steps back to the den. For a second, she thinks she might have lost her way, but then she spots the familiar sight of the bush, and the tree, and she knows that she is going the right way.
Kenta pushes in front of her when they reach the den, crawling inside before Kuraokami can, like it’s some sort of race. It’s not a race. Kuraokami never agreed to a race. She does not compete against others, and it is not because she doesn’t like losing! She is above things like that, that’s all.
Kuraokami manages to squeeze in after her sister, finding that she has already claimed the right side of the den. Well, Kuraokami will do just fine on the left side. A perfect fit! She does not have room to circle before laying down, but thats quite alright. A roof over their head is all they need. Even if said roof is attached to a den so cramped that their paws end up touching each other as they sleep.
Kuraokami settles in for the night, beside her sister. Just like old times. And, she hopes, just like she will do in the future, wherever they end up.
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