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It was a fall night, crisp and cool even in a place like Tale, and Isaia had been very good for a number of weeks. Their mother was due to come in any day now, after all, and the last thing he wanted was to be in trouble when she showed up... which meant chores had been done with only the bare minimum of whinging and complaint, and he hadn't pulled Zadia's hair or badgered Lioe, and really he was being very, very good.

But there were limits that a natural troublemaker such as himself could be pushed to, and really it had been so long since he'd pulled a good prank, and he'd worked so hard to get it ready. Their father had been on standby for a pregnant mother due to give birth, and had warned his children that since none of their extended family was here, if he had to go for the birth he would trust the three of them to be very good and stay inside and NOT go out.

He'd been preparing for over a week now - and the day had finally come. Uquin kissed them all on their foreheads and presented a hasty dinner for them before he left - and then he was gone, leaving Zadia in charge as the oldest.

Immediately, Isaia ate his meal with barely contained glee, then murmured his excuses and went off to his and Lioe's bedroom, scronuging around with something outside the window quickly before he brother could come catch him. Then - innocently as you please, he returned to the sitting room and flopped down to sit with his siblings again, making sure to keep his limbs still so his excitement didn't betray him.

"Did you get enough food, Lioe? I can share." Isaia said, innocently.

Something wasn't right.

Zadia was suspicious everyday that Isaia went without starting something. At first she just thought that maybe he'd eaten some bad berries or maybe papa had talked to him again, but now....now she couldn't keep from watching him. He better not mess this up for me or papa won't leave me in charge again! She was the oldest, after all, and it was about time she got to act like it!

Lifting a forkful of food to her lips, she kept munching on it when Isaia came back, but he was almost too happy. Still, she looked to Lioe and shook her head once she'd swallowed. "No, I'm full...." Thoughts trailing once again to the trouble maker she pursed her lips. "What did you do?"

Lioe nodded and started building a new pile on his plate. Eyes sliding over to Isaia, he couldn't help a light smirk. "You're always up to something," he teased. There was always something going on between his siblings! "Just gotta wait and see." Without paying much attention, he finally took another scoop of his meal to eat. He would clear his plate and then he could get back to- Lioe's train of thought derailed suddenly, his eyes and nose scrunching up with an unexpected flavor. He smacked his lips and squinted at his plate. Had those flakes always been there? "I think the ceiling is dropping stuff," he warned, pushing his plate away with a suspicious look upward.

[3/7]

Isaia bit his lip, hard, to keep from laughing when Lioe immediately made a face. It was just some of the tea their dad drank, so he knew it was safe - but it tasted bitter as heck! He'd made that mistake before! Zadia, of course, was quick to blame Isaia, who feigned turning back from where he'd been washing his plate in a basin, eyebrows raised in faux surprise. "Oh? Me-- I didn't--" Of course, the whole point here WAS to get caught, so his tone was blatantly fake and see through.

Thankfully, before Zadia could jump down his throat, his Plan went into action - and a loud, scraping sound erupted from the tree below them. Then, after a beat, it started again - a scratching and creaking that sounded like when wind storms went through the forest.

It was dark outside already - too dark for them to look outside the window and see that it was Ishtu, their dad's aldabuck, tugging treats out of a bundle Isaia had dangled from his window, thus dragging a series of branches against the tree trunk. The initial noise had startled the aldabuck, but ultimately the delicious treats won out and he went back for more.

"What's that?" Isaia asked, instead, feigning a scared look.

"Yes, you did! It had to be yo-"

Scraaaappppppeeee.

Zadia's pupils dilated at the sound and for a moment the pushy little girl was stunned into silence. "Wha-what do you mean, what's that?! You better stop doing....whatever it is your doing, Isaia, it isn't funny." It was just the wind, right? Branches, like Lioe said? Or some kind of stupid joke Isaia was pulling on them.

Then she heard it again and she nervously looked around the room, subconsciously searching for the source. When she looked back and saw Isaia's own scared look Zadia took a half step closer to Lioe.

With each hair-raising scrape, Lioe felt his confidence fade. He readily accepted Isaia's hand and checked to see if Zadia was close enough to grab as well. However, he still had a plate in his hand. He was not about to go near that window, now!

A witu?! His eyes widened with fear now that the concept of a wild witu climbing the walls was in his head. Could he see it out there in the branches?? He let out a panicked whimper and threw the plate straight out the window in an impulsive offering. "Don't eat us!"

[5/7]

They really thought it was a witu! But - on top of that, Lioe just-- just!! Isaia smothered his hands over his mouth, which his siblings seemed to take as him quelling a scream - because even ZADIA was freaking out, and for his prank to have gotten to HER too--

Then she all but threw herself under the table, and Isaia just couldn't take it anymore. He burst into laughter, tears pricking at his eyes as he doubled over, pointing at Zadia gleefully. "Oh-- you-- you really thought-- haha!! It's-- There's no witu!! It's just ISHTU--" Their father's aldabuck. Still, Isaia could only clutch his middle as he helplessly laughed, snorting without any sort of grace.

It was worth his sister (and probably even Lioe) getting mad at him -- but! At least he hadn't dragged the prank out longer than he already had... right?