More Than She Can Chew

A chef seen in the kitchen is hard at work, his focused and mismatched eyes keeping track of the ingredients that he is mixing in a large bowl. The foodstuffs begin to mix, eventually creating a nice consistency that is perfect for cake batter, and the whisk he was using to stir them together is scraped against the sides of the metal container to make sure that as much of the delicious smelling mixture as possible stays inside.

"Mm... it looks like a nice batch. I imagine sister will be surprised once she sees the final product," Corlo says to himself with a soft smile, humming as he continues to work on creating a nice cake for Kura's birthday. "Now if nothing goes awry, this should be one of the best I have made."

Unseen to him, a pair of blue eyes peer into the room, a toothy grin hidden behind the doorframe. They watch as he pours the dough into shaped pans, then puts them into the already heated oven before getting to work on creating the icing. Having to stop a giggle, the hidden observer makes careful note of where Corlo is facing.

'Oh my gosh, I can't wait to see what's going to happen,' the hidden individual thinks to themselves, plotting on a way to get the kitchen's sole occupant out. 'A distraction is needed...'

Pulling something out of their pouch, the spy holds the object in her palm before tossing it across the kitchen, the object striking a frying pan that is held onto the wall by a hook and creating a loud bang that rings out sharply.

Corlo jumps in surprise, his eyes widening as he attempts to locate the source of the sound. "W-what!? What was that?" Corlo questions, moving towards the row of cookery hooks, and allowing Alira to quickly and silently enter the room, hurriedly making her way to the large bowl filled with partially mixed icing. "Good gods is this house haunted now...?"

Suppressing another giggle, Alira pulls a small bottle from her vest, pulling the cork stopper from it before pouring the entire bottle's contents into the mixture and fleeing for the door. She manages to get out of the room just in time to avoid being spotted by Corlo, his head turning to look at the doorway.

He shivers softly at the sound of soft tapping sounds that seem to echo around him, not recognizing them as the sound of his sister's footsteps. "...I'm calling for an exorcist..."

Alira continues to make her way down the halls of her family home, laughing openly now that she is no longer in earshot of Corlo, her grin stretching from ear to ear.

"Mission accomplished, hehe. No one can say I don't know how to have fun after tonight," she says to herself, a nearby guard raising an eyebrow as he overhears her statement. They pay each other no mind, though the guard cannot help but wonder what Lucian's daughter meant.

After several more minutes of excited strutting, Alira comes to a stop as she reaches her room, gripping the handle and opening the door before stepping inside. Closing the door behind her, she giggles in excitement at the results of her success. "Happy birthday, sis. I hope you and Ferran have fun, hehe."

Flopping onto her bed with a happy sigh, she begins the hardest part of pulling off a prank; waiting.

+++++++

A few hours later, and it was time to see her plan play out, the mischievous wolf entering the parlor to see the other guests, a small present in her hands. Now wearing a light blue sundress that she was told compliments her eyes, she makes her way to the table that holds several other presents for her sister already, then deposits the red box not seeming out of place.

'Granted, the one who said that was the shopkeep trying to sell it to me, but I'll take the compliment,' Alira thinks to herself, smiling good-naturedly at the attending individuals. 'Kura sure seems to have a lot of friends. Oh yeah...of course, she does. Father introduces her to a lot of his connections, after all...'

Not letting her sudden emotional dip show on her face, Alira makes her way towards the food table, grinning internally at the sight of the pristine cake on the table, the white icing contrasting against the purple tablecloth. 'It would be nice to travel as she does...ah well, Blood Ridge is fun enough, I guess.'

Her father, Lord Lucian, is seen chatting with Lilly and a few other members of the household's workforce, and seems to be giving directions to them. Footsteps draw Alira's attention to the side, her eyes locking onto a large, armor-clad Wolvarian that is approaching her with a stoic and neutral expression, greeting her with a soft bow once he is close enough to speak.

"It is nice to see you again, Lady Alira. You're looking good today, that dress compliments your eyes quite well," the guard says with the same stoic expression on his face, stating this as if it were a simple fact. "I sincerely hope that you enjoy a wonderful evening as well."

"W-well, it's nice to see you too, Rivaldi. Thank you, your armor looks quite nice and polished, as usual."

His eyes warm a bit at the soft smile that graces her lips, though most would not notice, and he gives a nod of agreement, his head tilted to look into her eyes. "Indeed, and thank you for noticing. I take great diligence in my duties, and maintaining my armor is an important part of my duty to protect the household and its inhabitants."

"It's a good look for you. Did you get a fur trim?" she asks, her eyes taking in the details of it with a critical eye, not seeing even a scuff on it. "Ooh, and you even polished it."

'Mm, I do like a wolf in uniform.'

"I did, hehe," he says, a small smile cracking his previously unmoving visage. "I thought it was getting a bit long, so I felt it time for an appointment with the barber."

Looking into his green eyes, she gives an appreciative smile, unknowingly causing him to blush a bit at the attention. "It suits you, truly. Do you think we will have time for our weekly sparring session tomorrow?"

"Short of extreme circumstances, absolutely," Rivaldi confirms with another nod of his head. "You're getting better, though you still need to watch your footwork, hehe."

Alira gives a brighter smile in return, having to stop her tail from wagging softly from excitement at the idea of improving her skills. 'He's a patient teacher, and he always seems to know just how much to hold back. Hehe, I'm surprised father doesn't have him train anyone else.'

"Then I look forward to it, as always. A good evening to you Rivaldi, and I shall see you tomorrow."

"Indeed. A good evening to you as well, Lady Alira," he says with a soft bow, soon rising and turning to converse with other guests, likely off to determine if all is well with them as well. Alira gives a soft wave in farewell, turning to look over the room again for a moment before her attention is drawn by someone tapping a piece of cutlery against a glass.

Spotting Lilly holding a wine glass, Alira frowns softly at the distraction, hoping it doesn't take long so she can wait out the party and leave when her plans come to fruition.

"Could I have everyone's attention for just a moment, please? Thank you all for coming today, and hopefully, no one spilled the beans. Kura and Ferran should be back soon, so I need you all to prepare to wait quietly until she arrives." Several chuckles can be heard throughout the room, a call of heard from an unknown individual, declaring their innocence. "Good to hear, hehe. Now, remember to be as silent as possible, and make sure to surprise the fur off of her."

Lilly's magic begins to gather in her palms, a shimmer flowing over the entire room before the objects and guests start to grow transparent, this not surprising anyone in attendance since they discussed all of this in secret previously.

'Showtime...she better not take too long.'

Rolling her eyes to herself and picking up a small pastry that was just moments before on a serving platter, she takes a bite of the baked treat. She only has to wait a few more moments before the front door opens, and the guest of honor herself enters, stepping inside while her husband stays in the doorway.

"Happy birthday, Kura!" the assembled quests shout as the magic hiding them from sight is lifted, Alira's voice joining the chorus of calls.

'Hehe, happy birthday indeed...'

Taking a step back from the sudden surprise, Kura stumbles before beginning to fall back, causing soft gasps to erupt from some of the assembled individuals. Her back falls against Ferran's chest and stomach, and he wraps his arms around her in a hug to both steady her, and to show his affection for her, a soft smirk on his face. "Happy twenty-first birthday, love. Bet you didn't see this one coming, huh?"

"...y-...you ass!" she exclaims, laughing in amusement and happiness, before turning around, and hugging Ferran, her arms squeezing him affectionately. "You all scared the hell out of me! Hehehe, thank you."

Turning to face the rest of the gathered individuals, Kura smiles lovingly at them, her gratitude clear in her eyes. "Thank you all as well. For the party, for being here, and for..." Kura's words seem to trail off for Alira, her interest in the declaration already dead and buried.

'Ugh, just get on with it... I'm so tired of these long-winded speeches.' Taking another bite of her pastry, she looks at the cake with another internal grin before she chuckles internally. 'This should make up for it, though.'

Ignoring the chatter and bustle of the party around her, Alira simply focuses on making sure that the cake is visible to the rest of the room, humming softly to herself as her eyes scan over her environment. However, she overhears what sounds like the beginning of an argument, with two familiar individuals being at the center of it. 'Again? You two better not mess this up for me! Grr, guess I'll have to play mediator again...'

Making her way over to the two, Alira begins to raise her hands, internally rolling her eyes as she begins to listen to what the conflict is about.

"Oh come on, I only did that once! And it wasn't even the whole cake!" her sister, Teilun replies as she takes a step back, seeming offended by something. "Besides, you ate what was left!"

"Because it was my birthday cake! I swear if you touch this cake...grr..." Corlo says as he narrows his eyes, and Alira takes the chance to cut between the two, patting them both on the shoulder.

"Come on, guys! This is a party, you can relax! Don't worry, as long as Kura gets to have some, it's no big deal, right?" she says with a grin, flashing it at both of her siblings. Corlo grumbles softly to himself, waving a hand dismissively after a moment, and dropping the subject. Teilun decides to stick her tongue out at Corlo, then ruffles his hair, getting a yelp in response before he tries to stop her.

"Stop t-that! Hey! Not the hair, Tei!" he shouts, failing to grasp his sister's hand before she pulls it away. Corlo then tries to reach for Teilun's hair, making her giggle before stepping back, her eyes narrowed with visible humor in them.

"Gotta catch me if you want to do that, slowpoke. Hehehe, hope you weren't on one of your walks in the forest today!" she declares with a cheer before fleeing from her irate brother, his growls heard as he pursues her.

The black-furred, blue-eyed wolf is left to her own devices for the moment, sighing softly as she watches Corlo chase after Teilun like an angry mutt. Failing to notice Kura approaching her, Alira gives a soft yelp when a hand lays on her shoulder. "Don't feel bad, Alira. You know how those two are. They'll be cracking jokes and making fun of everyone else instead of each other soon enough."

'Oh...it's her.'

Alira looks up at her much taller sibling, seeming a bit frustrated, but nods her head with a soft sigh. "I just don't want them to break anything like they did with Riktor's party. Dad was...angry, putting it mildly. That bed was a gift from a Panthar general after dad helped heal some 'previously incurable' illness in his daughter. Turns out their court physician went senile and couldn't recognize grey pox."

'Not like half of their nobles aren't senile too.'

"Eugh...if I ever become so old that I forget something that basic, please shoot me," Kura says with a look of mild disgust, and Alira nods her head a bit, shivering softly.

"Unless something dumb happens, then I'll get there first... Oh, try some cake! It smelled great when it was baking, and Corlo used your favourite fruit flavor for the icing!" she says as she heads back to the food table and cuts the cake, which when placed on the plate is revealed to be a nice, red color, the white icing seeming rather thick. Licking her lips, Kura takes the offered plate with a smile and a quick word of thanks, though before she can use a fork to spear a piece of the baked treat, a friendly, rolling voice is heard behind her. "Kura, darling! I must say, this is quite a nice party. Your family really went all out, hm?"

'No! Guess I'll have to wait a bit longer...'

Kura's attention turns to Sinca, the Paragon having shown up a while ago, and Alira grumbles in her head as she realizes the conversation might last a while.

'Mm...this might not be as easy as I thought... With this much attention on her, she might not eat any until later, and then I'll be stuck here until that happens.'

Noticing that Sinca is cutting herself a slice of cake, Alira gulps internally, realizing that her prank might wind up getting blown out of proportions with the kinds of guests that are present.

"It's the first time I have been able to attend a normal party for quite a long time, and I fully intend to enjoy it," Sinca says with a smile, seeming grateful for the distraction from her duties.

Alira gives a toothy grin at Sinca, watching as she separates a small piece from her own cake, then eats it, humming in delight as she chews. Pausing for a moment to give a thumbs up, Alira looks at Kura, missing the pausing in Sinca's chewing, and the raised brow at her plate. "Speaking of which, we all got you some presents, too. You'll know which one's mine when you open it, hehe."

'And I'll make you look just a bit less perfect when you do.'

Kura gives a playful smirk, taking the fork back into her hand.and taking some cake onto it. Seeing this, Sinca's eyes widen a fraction of an inch, and she quickly swallows what's in her mouth as Kura speaks, getting ready to eat a bite of her baked treat. "Let me guess, you got another gag gift. I'm looking forward to it, like every year. Mm, this cake looks good."

'Can't even pretend to act like she's surprised...damn, she needs to relax. Jokes on her, though. The present isn't the gag gift, hehe.'

"So!" Sinca declares, drawing Kura's attention from the cake, the fork soon resting back on the plate, much to Alira's half-hidden disappointment. "How is your husband doing these days?"

'Fuck! Damn it all! She knows...how does she know!?'

Kura's eyes sparkle a bit at the mention of Ferran, her smile growing. "He's doing wonderfully, as a matter of fact. He and I went shopping for some supplies we may need soon. We're going to need to create some heirs, so I picked out some clothes and other things that are required."

'Lucky you...'

Sinca winces internally, and Kura goes to take a bite of the cake after speaking, then glances over along with the rest of the room as a loud clatter of wood on stone is heard, groans of pain originating from Teilung and Corlo. The two somehow wound up laying atop a chair, and each other, the pose seeming quite uncomfortable. A few more chairs can also be seen laying on the stone tile floor, knocked over in their play fighting. Giving a soft shrug once she sees the two stand up seeming no worse for wear, Kura goes to take a bite once again, much to Sinca's growing concern.

'Yes...yes...yes!'

"Lord Lucian! T-there's important news!"

'Noooo!'

The opening door, along with the call from the messenger draws the attention of everyone in the room, with the exception of Alira, who is too frustrated by her thwarted plans to pay attention, Sinca noticing after a moment with a soft smirk.

'Oh come on...I just want a bit of harmless fun!'

"Father, what is the matter?" Kura asks as she approaches her father and draws Alira's attention again, the younger sibling placing the plate of cake on a table as she passes it. "Is there trouble?"

"Mm...well, Riktor is being quite a trouble maker, as usual. It appears he has run into a bit of a problem during a patrol." Lucian explains with a soft shake of his head. "Not enough to be of concern, but we should send a few more troops to assist."

'Wait...Riktor is in trouble? Maybe I could go help hi-'

"Sir Lucian, I would like to volunteer Kura for this endeavor. There is something that she will need to find to progress her training, and this is a prime opportunity to do so." Sinca speaks as she steps forwards, drawing a brief look of surprise from the family patriarch, and a stunned look from Alira.

'I-I...but why!? Why always her...?' Alira thinks to herself as she begins to make her way to a different part of the parlor, drowning out the sounds of conversation and discussion with her thoughts. 'Of course she gets the glory, and of course they pick her instead...just like she got a mate first too...'

A soft sigh escapes her lips, and she jumps a bit in surprise as an armored finger gently taps her shoulder. Quickly turning around, she finds herself looking at a suit of metal armor, and must look up to meet the eyes of the guard standing before her. "H-...hello."

"Hello to you as well, Lady Alira. It's a fine day today, is it not?" he asks, a small plate of cake in his hand, taking a bite after speaking. His grey can be seen on his helmetless face, the Vampirican male seeming like the friendly sort.

"Er...yes, I suppose it is," Alira says with an air of guardedness that she keeps well hidden from the armored male before her. "Though I wish my sister could stay...this party won't be the same without her..."

He nods his head, seeming to think she is responding well to him so far, his smile growing a bit. "Indeed. At such a lovely party, it's hard not to have a good time. The decorations are almost as nice as the ones in attendance."

'Is he...?'

"Well, perhaps you should be talking to the guest of honor if you want to enjoy the party more. Perhaps you could even convince her to stay," Alira responds with a barely hidden tone of irritation, causing his smile to drop into a look of mild concern, seeming apologetic.

"I w-would prefer to speak with you, honestly. None of the guard really know Lady Kura, besides a few of the officers, miss. I simply meant to complement the room design, a-and...well, you. I meant no disrespect."

Alira's eyes widen a bit in surprise, and her dark fur helps to hide the soft blush that grows on her face, her voice growing softer. "Me? Well...I appreciate your compliment, in that case."

'There's...no way he means that. D-definitely not.'

"I merely speak the truth, my lady. Though...I should ask, is something the matter? You have been mostly spending your time on your own." With a soft look of concern on his face, he looks into her eyes, his perception surprising her. He gives a soft, disarming chuckle, rubbing the back of his head with a hand. "I don't mean to pry, I simply hope I can help."

'H-he...noticed? No one's ever noticed that before...'

"N-nothing of importance, don't worry. Erm...my apologies, but I'm not sure we have met before."

He gives a sheepish smile, nodding his head a bit before giving a casual salute. "Private Second Class, Clyde Mistrunner. A pleasure to meet you, my lady." Dropping the salute a moment later, he smiles warmly at her, taking another bite of his cake, which Alira takes note of.

'You know...even if Kura isn't here...I might still get something nice out of this.'