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.
