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Alicia giggled as she looked out the window at the sunset; it was one of the few things she liked to do after school and homework.
Kasumi sighed as she dried herself off with a fluffy towel before she got dressed in the white tee shirt and jeans Merida had left behind for her. She tilted her head as she stepped out of the bathroom, tilting her head as her curly red hair hung around her shoulders, stopping midway down her back.
Merrick rolled his eyes at Kaen's words. "Says the guy who, with little more than a few strawberries and fresh spring water, can make a drink that would make Pepsi and Coca-Cola go out of business within a year from jealousy," he said dryly, seeing his surrogate uncle snort. He cocked an eyebrow as Jess pulled out the dessert he'd made earlier. "It's been a while, Cellarhog," he said with amusement.
Kaen tilted his head, not surprised. "In my experience, it is often those who are the most humble that is the most skilled," he said with amusement, though he rolled his eyes at Merrick's words. He chuckled at Merrick's not-so-subtle reference to his former position at the Abbey few knew existed.
Jess giggled at Merrick's dry but amused tone. "He's right, you know," she said with a laugh as she leaned against the fridge before she sniffed, noticing the scents of fresh peaches, strawberries, and blueberries when Mariamma opened the door. She noticed a 9x13 pan that had something creamy with a thin layer of brown sugar on top that radiated the scents. She also noticed the subtle scent of graham crackers beneath everything else. "Who did this?" she said with interest, tugging it out of the fridge. She caught Kaen's surprised look from the corner of her eye and knew it wasn't his. She realized that her mouth was watering from the scents, though she hid it well.

Kasumi half closed her eyes, concentrating as a momentary aura of crimson edged with gold flickered around her before she abruptly vanished, the only sign she'd been there being the way the damp towel she'd hung over the bar swayed.
Merrick smiled slightly. "You really didn't think that all I was doing those years with you and the others was learning about the various recipes for drinks, eh?" he said with amusement. "I wouldn't worry about it, imouto," he said as Jess spoke, deliberately using the Japanese term for 'little sister'.
Kaen hummed in his throat, the sound faintly like a mix between a purr and a growl. "I am not that surprised, considering your talent with pies," he said with amused thoughtfulness.
Jess tilted her head to one side, exhaling slowly. "I'm sure you suspect... that we're different," she said quietly.

Kasumi tilted her head as she slipped in behind Constance, her footfalls nearly silent. "Boo!" she said suddenly and loudly. "What's the fun in slipping away, Merida, when you may see something you don't expect?" she said with a laugh.
Merrick jumped slightly when his mother suddenly spoke behind Constance.
Kaen tilted his head before he jumped slightly when Kasumi spoke suddenly, the illusion unraveling around him to reveal his true form. His arms gained spines on it that laid back towards his shoulders and somewhat shaggy brown fur. He also had rounded brown ears and a short muzzle instead of the human nose he'd had before. Calluses covered his fingers and palms, which for the most part seemed mainly human except for the dull, earthy brown color of them. He also had short quarter inch claws on the tips of his fingers.
Jess jerked, her red hair flickering as she shifted forms back to her natural form, her tail curled up even with her shoulders as her fine reddish brown fur covered most of her body beneath her clothes. Unlike Hobbs, she didn't have claws, but fine fingernails not unlike that of a human. In both of their cases, their physical height didn't change at all.

Kasumi tilted her head as if thinking, though she was still grinning from Constance's reaction. "Isn't that the stick-in-the-mud girl?" she said absently; she thought she knew who Merida was referring to.
Merrick tilted his head."That was that high speed movement trick, hai?" he said absently, seeing his mother nod almost as if she were thinking of something else. He cocked his head as he saw the old Cellarhog shudder. "I know how you feel about foxes, old man. Fortunately, neither my mother nor I are like those," he said wryly, shifting his weight fractionally.
Kaen shuddered slightly, wary of Kasumi as the scent of foxes was strong around her.
Jess blinked when Merrick spoke, wondering what he was talking about."It's relaxing to reveal our natural forms," she said wryly with a teasing tone.

Kasumi giggled, tilting her head. "I think I have a few ideas, some that are fairly startling if you don't expect them," she said with a grin. To anyone that didn't know her well, it seemed to be a slightly evil smile even though her natural prankster tendencies shone through more often than not.
Merrick exhaled."You see, Constance, when I was learning from him and Jess, we had some rather unpleasant experiences with a vixen that kidnapped children to use as her personal slaves and used some rather nasty rats as her foot soldiers, among them were Hobbs' nephew and neice as well as Jess' son," he said to Constance.
Kaen exhaled, blinking as Merrick spoke.
Jess giggled. "Fortunately we were able to get the Dibbuns back safely," she said wryly with a teasing tone.

Kasumi grinned after a moment, half turning towards Merida. Almost the moment she did, a series of bangs from a short string of firecrackers followed from the hallway behind Constance, meant to startle her.
Merrick jerked slightly, surprised by the firecrackers going off. His ears rang after the first few before he concentrated, noticing the sound dulled in the process.
Kaen tilted his head as he pulled out a pair of hollow gourds, tossing one to Constance and the other to Merrick. The sloshing sounds made it obvious what they were: cordials of some sort of drink.
Jess sobered after a few seconds. "It wasn't easy, though. Goodbeasts died to get them back," she said slowly.

Kasumi saw the look Constance shot her way before the other girl grinned. I can tell we're going to be friends, she thought as she laughed softly.
Merrick blinked as he caught it, the cork popping free as he caught a whiff of a strongly nutty scent with an undertone of fresh peaches. "Tell me," he started, a slow grin flickering over his face as the elder hedgehog grinned suddenly.
Kaen grinned as he nodded."Aye, lad, it is me ol' October Ale we used ta use every Fall Feast," he said with amusement.
Jess blinked, but smiled slightly. There were some that became famous for their cordials, and Cellarhog Hobbs was one of the best and one that was very much looked up to, especially for his October Ale.

Kasumi pressed her finger to her lips as she spotted Carolyn sitting at a table in the library, her eyes flickering to Merida as she grinned. She tugged out a small slip of paper and tied it to a small metallic ball bearing before she lightly lobbed it, letting it roll beneath the table Carolyn sat at. She giggled as she tilted her head, watching the whoopee cushion she'd taped, unnoticed, to the back of Carolyn's chair. She had also tied the woman's shoelaces to the legs of the table. She flicked her hand, forefinger and middle fingers extended. At that moment, the tag let out a loud sound like an air horn suddenly along with a burst of multicolored confetti.
Merrick chuckled as he flicked one finger before the same small plate Constance had left in his room with the extra piece of cake materialized in his hand. He slid it to Jess, who blinked as her fingertips brushed it.
Kaen tilted his head with interest before he picked up a fork and tried the cake. He exhaled in surprise, a low growl slipping from deep in his throat."Very impressive. You managed to work with the creaminess of the meadowcream while adding undertones of blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries. I can genuinely say it isn't easy to tread the line with cakes with keeping them moist, but firm. You, though, did very well with that,"
Jess too tried the cake, inhaling sharply in pleasure. "Damn, that's delicious," she murmured, unconsciously mirroring exactly what Merrick himself had said a short time before.