Vasili and siblings —

---

"Come on, ya little shits."

His father's voice was familiar as it echoed through the walls of their familial den. And if Heh knew his father, the summons would be quick. And the consequence of inaction would be far more bothersome than actually doing whatever the thing was that father wanted.

Ugh.

It was too hot to be summoned.

Heh, however unhurried, would ultimately choose to obey (he liked all his limbs attached). The boy's large frame lifted from the pile of monochrome and red siblings, the gold of his fur glittering as he crested the den into the open air of the jungle. His dual-toned gaze would squint gently against the sun, following the figure of his father toward the beach. The waves roared. The sun glittered. The volcano sighed in the distance.

The birds moved with the change of breeze. The smell of salt mingled with sulfur as the tide shifted lower.

And Heh observed.

"First one to find me the coolest shell or rock on the beach wins."

Heh would turn toward his father, slowing as his clumsy, large paws sank into the uneven sand. And with all the seriousness of a child's voice, he would muster a curious retaliation: Win what? It was important to know, afterall, for it would ultimately dictate how much effort Heh put into this activity.

---

Kek's body hurt. As he grew, his rapid growth made his joints ache in a way most unpleasant. Walking hurt, jogging hurt, running hurt. Even sleeping hurt if she lay too long on one side. And, it was hot. Terribly hot, but too aimless to do anything about it, Kek just lay there until they were told otherwise. Vasili's call was enough for them to get onto protesting limbs. Kek might have whined about it to begin with, but there was a strange sort of resilience within the pup, and they just... got used to it.

He still hung back, however, content to let his siblings trail after their father more closely, stretching out his legs slowly at his own pace. The breeze was nice, and so was the shade, untethered to the stuffy den. Kek liked walks, even if it sort of hurt to move. It continued following its family contently, up until they broke the treeline and his paws hit sand.

A slight hesitation, a stutter in her gait, and a moment where she flattened her ears to her skull was the only indication she gave, before she continued onwards. The glittering blue of the ocean should be something that brought them joy, but instead, they refused to touch the circle of wet sand that surrounded the island, effectively trapped, even if they didn't realise it. They had told no one except Kauket about their run-in with Cairo, and it would likely stay that way.

Kek might have obeyed with no question, keen to obey, keen to impress, but Heh's inquiry made her pause, curious. What would they win?