Fluffy pink tail swished to and fro, the kitsune excitedly fixing one of her latest pranks in place. The moment anyone entered the medicinal building through the front door, it would trigger a string attached to a pot overhead, which would fall directly onto its victim. Shifty fox had already set up a secondary prank in case it faltered, though it needed to be triggered by her hand if it was to work correctly. At first, she hoped not to have to use it. However, after hardly any real contemplation, she admittedly hoped for the chance to use both. How greedy.
After finalizing and light testing of the sly trick, Amora rushed behind a bush adjacent to the building, lying in wait for her prey. A common occurrence to all those in Galeclan.
[attr=class,whocan]Sharps looked at the orange hue painting itself across the sky; most of the day had been burnt on a herbal mixture that just wouldn't coagulate properly for consumption. Thinking on what sort of catalysts or cohesive agents he could find in storage to add to his latest experiment, he strode towards the relevant building, his chin held firmly by his thumb and pointer finger. There were talks of bigger things on the horizon but, until he was briefed specifically on the matter, he felt it best to focus on the tasks at hand. When opening the door to the medicinal stockpile, the faint sound of a string running along piqued his ears. Before he could react, a pot plopped on his head but, due to his height, it hadn't received enough time or distance to shatter upon impact and, instead, simply remained on top of his head. Sharps's ears flicked with very minor irritation.
"Amora, do you want to come and take this pot off of my head or am I keeping it to hold whatever thing I make next in?" he sighed, turning slowly so as to keep the pot balanced on his head, and looked towards the suspiciously excited-looking bush near to the door.
Amora snickered, her eyes bright with mischief as she revealed herself from the bush. While she hadn't expected the giant to be the one to fall for her prank, the results were still amusing enough, her comedic side temporarily satisfied.
"But it makes for you such a good hat! Really, I think you should keep it. They say you're ten times more attractive when showing off your practical skills."
Although kitsune protested its removal, she quickly complied, skipping over and gaily reaching up close and personal for her dishware back. She took her sweet time too, staring up at him a second longer than one would normally be comfortable with for someone so close. Yet, for Amora, that was normal. As was the deliberating thought of whether to trigger the next object in her line of pranks, or to save it for the next poor soul.
[attr=class,whocan]The tall healer stooped somewhat, making Amora's pot reclamation a simpler undertaking; once she began staring for too long, he playfully flicked his ears forward-- the easiest way to catch her attention, or break her trance as it was-- all in good fun, of course. "Ten times more, is that so? I could do with ten times more in several departments, like how much leisure time I have," chuckled Karlsson as he, pulling away briefly, stuck his head in the medicinal building to pick up a few items, and a loose apple someone must have brought in earlier today. Returning to Amora's atmosphere with a half-kneel, Sharps took a large crunch out of the fruit and made a contemplative look. "I have, see, this suspicious feeling that if I tell you that I am not busy, which is indeed true, that I will somehow soon become ten times more busy running around helping you out... That being said..." he paused for humorous suspense, "I am not actually so busy, come to think of it; how lucky for you!"
Taking another crisp bite of the apple, Sharps stood back up and closed up the medicinal storage, not before removing the tiny string and pulley used for Amora's machinations. "This simple machine belongs to you, no? Now, what is it that I will become busy with, on your account?" he sighed amusedly.
Pot in hand, kitsune rocked back and forth on her feet as she momentarily waited for him. She hadn't a clue what he come to retrieve from the building, but she didn't pay too much attention by the time he was out and speaking to her again. What she cared for, however, was his response to her mischievous question.
Given a satisfying answer, she grinned, exposing her hidden canines.
"What a lucky chance."
She echoed, clutching the pot closer to her chest as gears began to turn, plotting her next scheme. Although, she wouldn't get too far into her ideas, having to take back the mechanisms from her last successful project.
"Well, there's two things. I wanted to test some new traps for an idea thing I had! Like, a cool event thing sometime! So far seeing what gets the best reaction and going from there to plot themes. Not that the event thingy is going to be all traps or anything..."
She trailed a bit, yet tried to get him on board with her wacky ideas anyway. Any conversation with her happened to be always long-winded, as she never understood how to get to the point. If one let her, the chatterbox wouldn't stop.
"Ugh, I mean! The next idea I have involves more than just a pot and a string. So. Care to join me? I'm trying to like, think of a spot where we can set it up without getting caught right away, but still prank someone without waiting until sundown, too."
[attr=class,whocan]Sharps stretched his arms, extending long limbs up skyward before letting them sink back down to his sides. Amora's musings held a calming tone to them, whether she knew it or not; just something about the rapid-fire pace of new ideas and curiosities of hers came off as refreshing to listen to, especially when not much input or replying was expected until later. "Testing new traps, for fun? Sounds like it could indeed be fun. You will be testing them on whom, though? he asked, raising am eyebrow as if to politely offer a monkey wrench to his participation; if Amora intended on asking him to knowingly walk into her contraptions, then there were likely five or six new healing item ideas he would, certainly regrettably, have to leave to attend to. Sharps cocked his head with a hint of mischief in his manners.
As she explained further, the idea of some lighthearted event appealed more and more; it could be good for morale or something! the warrior knowledge in his brain attested. "I suppose I can help you. Your event idea seems actually very good. And fun. But there are now two things we can get up to, with this other trick you have in mind. What will we attend to first?" an amused Sharps asked. Karlsson was particularly intrigued by the mention of something more technical than her previous pot-and-string concept."Lead the way. I'm with you," he grinned with a low chuckle.
Amora snickered to herself, her ears bouncing as her tail swished from side to side. His inquiry of her target was a valid one, considering how he'd fallen victim to her last plot. Alas, he'd nothing to worry about. Since he'd been hit with the pan, the kitsune was through with him.
"My accomplices hardly become victims while on the job!"
She boasted to him, the movement of her tail shifting into a few short flicks. She began off in another direction, towards their sleeping quarters. During the day, it usually wasn't disturbed.
"Whoever walks into the traps is the target. It's rude to discriminate or pick on someone specifically, you know. But since you'd be aware of each prank, walking into it's your own fault. But yeah, whatever makes the cut will be totally amazingly fun! I'm thinking, like, if we had some actors and costumes and things themed stuff for the event. Even some objectives! Think about it: if a group needs to recover something like a gem from a big rock, but the fall could fall from under them if they're not too careful! Practice made fun, and maybe even spooky.~"
[attr=class,whocan]"I will have to trust your judgement, then." Karlsson strolled casually behind, following wherever she took them; in this case, Amora had hopped and skipped towards the sleeping quarters. Briefly, he worried if she was planning to scatter small pebbles about the space, leading to widespread minor discomforts during slumber. It had been a particularly effective prank in the past; Karlsson recalled having to shift his ankles about endlessly in the futile hopes of achieving a comfortable sleeping position that night. Of course, Amora was innovative, rarely one to rely upon old, used pranks unless they were absolutely classics.
Her explanation of her event as a well-disguised practice piqued Sharps's interest-- it wasn't as though he did much warrior-related things when he didn't have to-- he'd always appreciated the value of practice, in any field really. The number of times he'd been held out of training due to fear of aggravating a recent injury frustrated him during his stints as a warrior. Being a healer allowed for a more free schedule, but he felt onboard with spicing up practice for his fellow clanspeople. "It's true, surviving a lot of traps and pranks can translate to awareness and stamina. Endurance too, perhaps." Karlsson scratched his chin in thought. "There could be a few things, yeah, a few things that would be pretty good, for this. What do we need for the sleeping quarters, though?"
Galeclan was a soft, lush paradise. The dirt paths were embroidered with moss and the foliage in the forest hung greener and fuller than anywhere else. A wall of flowering ivy framed the perimeter of the clan, plants and beads and feathers braided together hanging here and there. Wooden chimes hung from little houses, each a few stories high with wooden bridges connecting them. In the center of the clan was a great clearing, and behind it, watching over the people like a looming guardian stood the Hollow- an enormous, five-story-high building made of stone. Looking like a stand alone tower of a castle, the Hollow was where all of Galeclan slept. Inside it, five enormous bedrooms, each with gargantuan beds. An abundance of luxurious pillows and blankets filled each room from wall to wall. Grand canopies closed around each bed, ornate and delicate tassels hanging off of them. Each story of the Hollow was accessible to all, with the exception of the fifth- Hakon's room. Here, only the leader himself was welcome, along with anyone he may invite (his deputy, usually, was given such honor). The Hollow was a sacred place, the area of community and sanctuary. (If a member wished to sleep alone in their own home, however, they -for the most part- would not be judged. Only slightly gossiped about.)
The clan was lively as ever that day as Amora and Sharps walked through the grounds plotting. A few clansfolk were lounging on the same large overhanging tree branch, each stacked on top of the other. Such as it was in Galeclan. Everyone was close, everyone was welcome to be as openly affectionate as they felt. They had great respect for eachother, as well, never crossing any boundaries one might put up- and if they did? Hakon would see to them. And he'd happily put them in their place.
Before Amora could reach her destination, a white dove suddenly landed on her head with a fluttering of wings. A small, rolled up slip was tied to its leg and red paint was streaked across its back.
You might have heard a pin drop with how silent the surrounding people had grown at the sight, dozens of furry ears perked in Amora's direction and bright eyes staring down the bird like snipers on their mark. The dove sunk it's head back, wishing it hadn't have come.
Amid trying to explain her plan, she felt the light weight of something atop her head, unsteady in its landing. Goosebumps ran down her arms, the rest of her body stiffening as piercing eyes tracked the prey above her. It'd been smart to land on the one non-neko of the clan, although she hadn't yet realized it'd been a deliberate decision by the messenger.
"H-Huh? What?"
She blinked in surprise, reaching for the intruder before giving it a pat. It felt small, and soft— like feathers. It had to be, if it came from above.
“Shaaaarps, it chose me.”
Hearts in her eyes momentarily switched to stars as they spun circles with her imagination in tow. For a second, she felt special. Cautious and slow as she tilted her head, Kitsune cupped the winged creature and brought it into her arms, rubbing her face up against its delicate self. Until she felt something a bit rougher.
“Oh, huh. Um… parchment?”
She removed the slip from the dove and held it out to Sharps, continuing to rub her face along her prey. Amora was known to play with her food.
[attr=class,whocan]"Hm?" Sharps's eyebrows raised slowly and gently, like gulls catching an updraft of warm air-- a convenient comparison, given the bird that had just landed on Amora's head. Standing still and watching the curious interaction from above, he contemplated why such a dove might have arrived now. Doves like these, bearing an ominous red stripe, were sent with specific purposes in mind, leaving Sharps with more questions than answers-- at least until Hakon could get eyes on the attached message, wherever it was.
So deep in thought was Karlsson that, when Amora noted the parchment's presence, he could only nod with an pre-occupied look on his face. A short glance back to her showed how enamored she was with the bird, for reasons a little more than just cuteness or its choice of landing location. "You can hold onto it, Amora, but you cannot eat it or do anything else to it. This dove and its message need to, basically, make it to Hakon," Sharps sighed, placing extra emphasis and volume on the name of their clan leader in the hopes that Hakon would hear the summons. Something itched in the back of Karlsson's mind, telling him he might be asked to do warrior tasks once more-- completely disrupting the new round of healing item testing he had planned-- such was life following the news brought by a red-striped pigeon, at least in theory.
As if on cue, the large wooden doors of the Hollow swung open and Hakon stepped out. A few people hurried up to him and rubbed their faces on his side as he passed (for his head was too far above their own for a traditional nuzzle). He was dressed in a loose black robe that hung at his shoulders casually, and black trousers, an outfit for a day of leisure. "I'll take that please, Amora." The man said as he approached the two, his long pale arm stretching out from a flowing sleeve. Hakon's ears flattened subconsciously as he inspected the dove, giving the red paint a thorough lookover before setting the bird back on Amora's head and taking the paper. Unrolling it delicately, he held it up to his face and read the tiny message.
Hair on the end of his long tail stood up a bit as he scrolled his eyes over it a few times, making sure he wasn't seeing it wrong.
Fuck. A whole clan dead. Maelstrom, at that. The most violent of the four western clans.
Hakon lowered the message, leaning his head back and letting out a loooong exhale through his nose. He hadn't even noticed that he'd been holding his breath. His garnet eyes watched the trees fondly for a moment before looking back down at everyone.
"Something has happened." His dark voice boomed loudly, vibrating the ground beneath their feet. "Everyone in the Hollow, first floor. Now."
As Sharps hadn't taken the paper from her hand, she continued to hold onto it instead, messing with its edges as she balanced the dove, pot, and note together.
"I won't eat it."
She stubbornly pouted from his accusation towards her intent, thus gently resting her head on the bird as she grumbled to herself. That lasted for only a second, however, as Hakon stepped foot outside the Hollow.
Amora's attention immediately shifted with the leader's appearance, as did her mood. Hearts quickly returned to her eyes; animal-like features betraying any attempt at hiding her anticipation. The intensity of her gaze drawn up at him hinted more than mere admiration, rather, obsession-- nevertheless, she moved as instructed: offering up the dove and paper without opposition.
"Here."
As Hakon's ears flattened, kitsune shot the lion a concerned glance before the dove was once again placed atop her. The safest place for it, surely, considering it was still being eyed by those who loomed some yards away. He took his time reading over the note, again and again, as far as she could tell. Another red flag.
Startled from the booming echo of his voice, she slid closer to Sharps, wide-eyed and on edge. 'Something has happened.' wasn't something light. Not when combined with the easy assumption that another clan sent the bird and message to them. Assuring that the dove was still safely atop her, she scooped it up with a hand and brought it down by her neck, allowing for it to hide within the fuzzy fur of her haori. Hidden from sight, it'd have a better chance to avoid being dinner. Lucky; she promised not to eat it.
"I'm gonna keep it."
She declared aloud, keeping to her assistant's side as they made their way towards the Hollow. She continued to plot on their way, trying to keep the blissful unawareness positive for as long as possible.
"It could be, like... one of the effects or something. A ghost bird! Use some lighting and make its shadow huge to scare some people. Or even give it a task. You saw-- I think it works good with those! Hmm, I wonder if it has a name."
She mused, her voice calm in nature. As usual, her ears betrayed her, half-flattened. When the two had finally found a bed to await the news, Amora was quick to pounce and lay on him, finding comfort in the tall yet temporary assistant. If he wanted space, all he needed to do was ask.
[attr=class,whocan]Sensing Amora's apprehension as to the dove's safety, Karlsson looked the other way as she kept the bird close and safe with her coat; the other clan members received a subtle staredown from Sharps as if to reiterate the kitsune's claim to the avian animal. "First floor, already here. Very convenient," Sharps nodded and said with a clear and matter-of-fact air. To Hakon, he offered a light, casual bow before finding a spot in the Hollow to relax. Some pillows found themselves shifted off to the side, to better accommodate the tall lion and also afford space for the kitsune who followed. Sharps squinted for a moment, watching as most of the clan descended from upper levels of the structure to the first; he wished he'd brought another apple from the stockpile room-- a healthy snack while awaiting what was certain to be status quo-altering news sounded rather pleasant. Hanging out with Amora and her new feathered friend was nice as well, he noted to himself with the softly-hidden beginnings of a half-smile.
Her idea about how to involve their dove acquaintance in their upcoming plot or production split into a couple different fun ideas; oh, how such a frightful flight when one least expected it could train quick sprints into the unprepared, Sharps snickered quietly to himself. All settled into a bed, he kept his breaths gentle and rhythmic-- the ideal combination for helping to relax someone laying atop you, he'd learned before. Though Amora continued thinking mischievous mechanisms aloud, her ears, like Hakon's just earlier, had lowered to evince some kind of unease. On the contrary, Sharps's ears hadn't faltered even once and, in fact, perked sharply upwards when Hakon called for an assembly. Shrinking away from the moment, no matter what constituted 'the moment', had never been a trait of Sharps. Even if he were to be returned to warrior duty as a result of whatever news would come, Sharps felt confident that he and his clan members would persevere and claim victory-- in whatever manner 'victory' represented.
Hoping to diffuse Amora's tension, Karlsson quickly contributed to her existing thoughts on the dove, "If it doesn't give us its name, you'll have to give it one of your own creation, basically. If it will be helping us out, I feel like referring to it as just 'Bird, Bird' is a little bit impersonal, no? I welcome our feathered friend aboard, in any case. But yes, it would do well with a nice name from you." He smiled and exhaled soothingly, stretching out his long limbs on the plush bed.
With long, calm strides, Hakon made his way back into the Hollow. Clan members herded around him as he chose a bed to sit on, excitedly wrapping their tails around his arms and legs and murmuring with curiosity. As the cats began to settle in, lying on top of each other and under mountains of pillows, the leader looked around at them with a tender smile. "Fair morning." He started, to which a great deal of them responded 'Fair morning!' in return. Beneath the smile and warm company, Hakon's body felt cold. It was no secret that Galeclan was one of the smallest villages in Lalonia. His entire life he knew they could be wiped out, had another clan found the will for it. And now it seemed that someone had.
"An urgent message was received just now, from Insignious Zervas- Lord of Tempestclan." Hakon said, "Relaying that Maelstromclan, led by his brother Apollo Zervas, has been destroyed in a monumental massacre. Down to the last child." Before the panic could set in, the leader continued. "We all know Maelstromclan's reputation. It is possible they picked this fight, and reaped the consequences." His ears turned back slightly as his memories swirled with all of the times Maelstromclan -in it's younger years- had hurt his endangered people. Stealing them. Trafficking them. Losing the enemy clan was no loss to Hakon, only a concerning sign of what may be on the horizon. "However, with the possibility that something more is going on, I will be attending a meeting with Insignious, and Dante Aphelion of Infernoclan, in two days where we will further discuss the situation." "From now until further notice, stay away from the north-west side of the border. No one is to leave the village after sunset. No one." Hakon growled, eyeing a few of the more stubborn clanmates with a sharp, threatening glance. "Pranks are forbidden as well." He added, his dark red pupils finding Amora in the crowd. "If anyone sees anything unusual, tell me or Bast immediately."
"..Dismissed." The leader said, giving them all a nod. As the people stretched and began to fluster about, Hakon stayed where he sat. He placed his head in one of his hands, his eyes staring hard at the silk bed sheets but his thoughts in a deep, dark place.
Fluffy pink tail swished to and fro, the kitsune excitedly fixing one of her latest pranks in place. The moment anyone entered the medicinal building through the front door, it would trigger a string attached to a pot overhead, which would fall directly onto its victim. Shifty fox had already set up a secondary prank in case it faltered, though it needed to be triggered by her hand if it was to work correctly. At first, she hoped not to have to use it. However, after hardly any real contemplation, she admittedly hoped for the chance to use both. How greedy.
