Round two, same plan was a go. Ein nodded to Bayo at the confirmation, and then split from him as directed; he remained pacing in front of the alley until he saw Bayo on the other side, and prepared to block the rabbit in once it came hopping toward him. He slowly advanced, head low and fur bristled, hoping to trap it successfully this time instead of letting it get through.

This time it worked! The rabbit scrambled back, but found itself trapped between Ein and Bayo. Except now, Ein had no idea what to do. A single silver eye looked up to the larger pup. He hadn't thought about what should happened if they got this far. Instinct told him they'd be eating it, but then it should be dead, right? Who was supposed to kill it?

He shuffled side to side to keep the rabbit locked between them, waiting for further instruction from Bayo, if any.

@Bayo

Bayo slowly approached, stopping so as to not spook the rabbit, "Okay, so I've never actually caught a rabbit before, but mama said hunting is packs is always easier- anyway! I'm going to go for the throat, because the easiest way to kill something and to prevent it from suffering is that way."

And with that, he lunged, teeth bared as he tried to grab the thing, jaws snapping.

He clamped down on the rabbit's neck and bit down, crunching on the spine and killing it instantly. Gently, he set it down, watching it twitch before stilling.

"... Wow," he said, his tail slowly wagging, "Oh wow- we did it!! Ein we did it!!"

He barked happily and jumped around in a circle, cackling with glee, "My mama's gonna be so proud- but wait, we gotta eat this thing!"

Bayo tore the rabbit in half and offered Ein to pick first, "Here you go, I'll take what you don't want."

He was so proud of them, of their accomplishment. Go team!!

@Einsynt

Ein listened carefully, but immediately he felt his brow lift on one side and his head cock; a quick "Wha—" began to leave his lips, but Bayo had lunged forward to kill the rabbit, and just as he had described, too!

The jackal pup could only stare, his mind churning, tucking away the information and the visual example for future use—on rabbits. Of course. But it was probably good to know that slicing or crunching the throat was the sure way to end something without it suffering. Bayo's excited voice pulled his attention away from the dead animal, and Ein couldn't help but be excited too. He felt the tiniest of twitches in his little tail, a small and secret wag that died the moment Bayo tore the carcass in half. Eugh. Oh no.

Ein stared at the offerings and chose what felt to be at random—the top half—and pulled it close to him.

"Thanks," he said, bending down to sniff, but kept his one eye on Bayo to see what the other pup was gonna do with his half.

@Bayo

Bayo grinned, "You're welcome! Thank you too, I never would have caught it by myself."

He dug into his meal, eating rather neatly, actually. The meat was first, then the innards, and then he grabbed a bone and gnawed on it, tail flopping back and forth.

"Hey Ein!", he said, "I have a family, they're great. They don't look too much like me except for my mom, but we're all similar 'cause we all got these spots and big necks 'n' stuff- anyway do you wanna be my brother? I don't have a brother 'cause my siblings aren't boys or girls and I guess I don't have a sister either..."

He paused in his ramblings, struggling to return to the point he was trying to make.

"But! If you're my brother then we can be family and hunt together, and we don't have to groom but I can share my toys with you, and mama gives the best snuggles 'cause her fur's real thick 'n' warm, she's real nice," Bayo said, bursting into happy little giggled, "I love my mama."

His eyes got all gooey for a moment before he shook his head, "Sorry! I get distracted... how's your rabbit?"

@Einsynt

Ah... you just, went for it then? Ein settled in to try and eat his half as neatly as possible, surprised by how much he enjoyed the taste. It wasn't as awful as it looked, actually! Bayo finished way before him, so when the other started talking, Ein looked up from his meal and licked his lips clean. For some reason, it felt like it would be impolite to talk with a messy or full mouth.

Ein felt his head tilt again. Brother? Sister? What was that? When Bayo paused, the jackal was silent, waiting to see if there was more—and indeed, there was, but it was just as confusing as the rest of the stuff.

A family hunted together? Shared toys? Mama...?

"What uh... is that? All of that stuff?" he asked quietly, ears perking at the final question. "It's pretty good!" His lips pulled into a grin before he went back to eating, ears cupped to hear Bayo's answer.

@Bayo

Bayo paused mid-crunch and contemplated the question.

"A family... is a group of people who are related, but I don't think you hafta be. Friends count, and I've heard about people adopting others into their families," he said, "Family's are super close. They share things, like experiences, stories, food, and comfort too. That last one's the big one."

He crossed his paws, "My family came t' be because my mama gave magic to a buncha stones and made us. So in that way, she's my mama. She loves me and cares for me, and comforts me when I fall. A mouse bit me real good and she took the pain away."

Bayo grinned, showing off the nick in his lip (he thought it was super cool).

"But yeah!! Family's are great- or at least mine is," he said with a smile, tail wagging.

@Einsynt