Legoshi was very busy after his talk with Chandler and Charles, as he worked to get what he had said ready.
First, he needed a box. He was able to get one from the family. An old jewelry box no one used anymore, so no one minded if the wolf used it as a trap to capture bugs. Legoshi soon put himself to work on the box. Not by putting any mystery in it, not yet, but by drilling holes on the box.
The holes were need to be sure that the bugs would be able to breathe once they were inside. After all, the very purpose of the trap was to capture the bugs without killing them. This included not letting them suffocate by being lock inside a box without air.
It was a slow process, but Legoshi was making progress. He had to make a pause to have lunch, and everyone once more gathered to eat their food and chat about their day. Legoshi noticed that Charles was absent from the table during lunch. He asked someone where he was, and was inform that the horse had to leave the house due to an urgent call that he received from one of his business partners. He said something about having lunch on the road and coming back later.
Joshua Clawhauser was absent from the table as well, as Melon was quick to observe.
"Hope he is back soon." The hybrid said aloud, to no one in particular. "I really like his company."
This granted him some looks, including from the Manechesters, but no one really said anything to the hybrid about the matter, and everyone simply continued to eat.
Once lunch was over, everyone went their own way, including Legoshi, who went back into working on the box. This time, Melon was there, helping him.
Legoshi was pretty good with bounded fields, especially those on a small scale. He may not be as good as other mages out there, but he was not bad at it. However, when it came to illusions and charms, he was not that good. Melon, however, was more skilled in this kind of thing, even though his focus went mostly to the alchemy he learned from his mother.
Combining the hybrid's skills in illusionism with his own skills in entomancy, they were able to create what Legoshi had intended. The beacon had been centered on the very bottom of the box, and would emit a type of signal, akin to a pheromone, that would attract any and all insects inside the greenhouse. Once they were inside, the bounded field would make sure they would remain inside. It was specifically design to allow movement of the outside into the inside, but not allowing the opposite movement to happen. This way, the bugs would be unable to cross the barrier and leave the box until the bounded field was take down.
It was really a good trap, and it would not have the bugs harmed. This was how Legoshi preferred.
Melon, on the other paw.
"If any bug escapes from this box and comes anywhere near me, I'll be killing it with fire." The hybrid said in all seriousness once the wolf said he planned to keep the box on their bedroom once he was done picking them all from the greenhouse. The hybrid really disliked bugs...
"Thanks for helping me with the trap." Legoshi said, as they both walked through the hallways in direction to the entrance to the greenhouse.
"Hey, we are partners, aren't we?" Melon said to his wolf friend. "We are in this together. Just be sure to give me half of the money you get for this little job."
"Oh?" Legoshi looked at him, "You think I should charge extra for doing this?"
"Of course!" The hybrid said, looking at the wolf as if he was a child who just asked a stupid question. "I mean, you are investing your time and your magecraft in a menial task! Of course you should ask for more money! If you don't, they will start asking you to do more things for them for free! I'm not letting these horses take advantage of you, dude!"
Legoshi had not thought about that. He had just assumed that doing something like that was part of their work. After all, they were hire to "deal with all the problems".
"They only meant the problems related to other mages and the supernatural!" Melon said, looking at the wolf as he spoke his mind. "Asking us to deal with a little bug infestation is like asking a professional assassin to do the dishes! This kind of work is below us! Of course we deserve at least a little extra for doing this kind of thing."
"Well... maybe." Legoshi said, "But still..."
"We are adding this to the bill and that's it." Melon said, his tune making it clear that the conversation was over. "We'll make sure to get this money from them as well before we go for good. Which, by the way, will be in just two weeks from now."
"Two weeks?" Legoshi asked, "So soon?"
"Yeah, it has to be like that." Melon said, as he opened a door on their way and they continued through a hallway. "We have already risked too much by staying for this long. Especially me. So, we are leaving on the next two weeks at most. Just grab all the money we can from the guys for the things we did and make our leave before they catch on."
"But you said they wouldn't." Legoshi said, looking at the hybrid. "You said we would be long gone before they realized anything."
"Yeah, at first I thought that." Melon admitted, "But that Yahya guy is smarter than I thought. The guy keeps looking at me, and it is obvious that he noticed something weird. If we stay too long he may catch on to us."
Legoshi understood the point he hybrid was making. After all, they arrived in there to...
But I didn't wanted to. Legoshi thought to himself. It was Melon who convinced me. He told me that I could not just come here and...
"Besides..." Melon said, "The Foxgrove gal has been giving me weird looks. Definitely not the same ones as her brother. I think she might be on to us already. We better lay low and be careful with her around. According to Josh she cannot read minds like him and his brother, but she is smart. Not surprising, considering she is a famous freelancer."
Legoshi looked at the hybrid as he continued talking.
"So, we better leave within the next two weeks. I'm not even that worried about the family knowing about us. My real worry is that the news will spread to-"
Melon never finished that thought, as he opened the door suddenly, and he was opening a door so they could continue their way. They were greet with the sight of a familiar face, who looked at both of them before smiling.
"Hello, boys." Josh said to the two, and they looked back at him for a few moments. Then Melon smiles back, a seductive smile, and he says, in a voice that is just as seductive:
"Well, hello."
The hybrid stood back and looked at the cheetah, who was looking back at him.
"Seems like you have returned, Mr. Clawhauser. I really missed you during lunch." Melon said, and Josh answered:
"Well, I decided to go for another night at the city. I heard about this bar where mammals go to have fun that works every day. It seemed so charming that I just had to go check on it. I thought that maybe I could find someone who was interesting to spend time with."
"Really?" Melon asked, and they both looked at each other for a few seconds, before Legoshi asked:
"So... did you?"
"Nah." Josh said, shrugging. "The guys in there were not the nicest. It was such a turn down. I really hoped to find some good company to spend some time with."
"What about me?" Melon asked, looking at the cheetah. "Am I not a good company?"
Josh looked at him, smirking.
"Oh, of course you are, Mr. Horne." He said, looking at the hybrid in a way that would make other people uncomfortable. Then he shifted his gaze at Legoshi. "You and your wolf friend."
Legoshi's ears flattened, and a weak whimper escaped his throat as he took a step back. Josh blinked.
"Oh, sorry. Too much?" Josh asked, afraid he may have actually upset the wolf. Melon was quick to dismiss it.
"He is just not used to having people complimenting him." The hybrid said, "Also, he is probably still worried you will peek into his mind and find out his embarrassing secrets. He is very private about things, you know?"
Josh nodded.
"Well, you don't have to worry about it." Josh said, looking at the wolf, "Like I already said, I don't go around peeking on people's heads as I see fit. I know some people can be really uncomfortable with people going inside their heads and finding out their personal information, I know better than to invade people's privacy like that."
"Well, that is certainly a relief for both of us." Melon said, patting the wolf on the shoulder. "After all, one of the reasons why we are good freelancers is because we make sure to keep secret and not go around babbling. Having someone knows details of our past missions might not be good for us.'
"I'll say." Josh said, and then Melon resumed on that seductive voice:
"So, you were saying that you consider me a good company?"
Josh smirk was back.
"Oh, that for sure." He said, looking at the hybrid as he gave a step forward, closing the distance between the two. "In fact, over the last few days, I've come to find your company to be very enjoyable."
"Really?" Melon asked, "As much as the one of the friends you brought in the other day?"
"Certainly." Josh said, "I would certainly enjoy your company a bit more."
"Oh, I would also enjoy your company, Mr. Clawhauser." Melon said, looking at the cheetah up and down, at his brown jacket, white shirt and jeans pants. "Although, it would be more enjoyable if you were using your costume. Do you plan to use it tonight, right?"
Josh's smirk widened even more.
"I'm wearing it right now." He said, looking the hybrid dead in the eyes. "Right under my clothes."
"Is that so?" Melon asked.
For a long moment, they both looked at each other with smirks that could only be describe as "predatory", showing off their pearly white fangs on both of their muzzles. If this was on the old days, they would look like two predators trying to scare the other. Or they would look ready to go into fierce battle where the winner would get to eat the loser alive.
Meanwhile, Legoshi looked at the two, his gaze going from Melon into the cheetah, and he had a growing feeling that he should leave before they actually jumped at each other.
He could nearly feel glad that someone else was coming, as it seemed to be just the excuse he needed to break the... very peculiar tension forming between the two mammals.
"Oh! Charles-sama!"
The cry of the wolf made the two mammals take their eyes from each other and look at the newcomer. Charles, meanwhile, looked like a foal looking like he was caught doing something he was not supposed to.
"You are back!" Legoshi continued, now focusing his attention on the horse. "How was your meeting?"
"W-what?" Charles said, looking at the wolf. "M-meeting?"
"The one you were having with a business partner." Legoshi said, "That was why you left before lunch and stayed out all afternoon."
"O-oh!" Charles said, sounding like he suddenly remembered. "Y-yes! Yes, of course! The meeting..."
"It was okay." The horse said, adjusting his clothes. "Everything went well. We were able to settle some good agreements, and I think I nailed a good contract."
Melon and Josh looked at each other, before turning their attention to him once more.
"Really?" Melon said, looking at the horse. "Looks like you 'nailed' a little more than a contract."
"Huh?" Legoshi said, turning to look at the hybrid, and the horse had his eyes on the leopard-faced gazelle as well.
"Excuse me?"
"Your clothes are messy." The hybrid said, gesturing to the clothes of the horse. His clothes weren't that messy. He had an unbuttoned shirt, which was out of his pants, and it was slightly crumple, but not massively. Still, it didn't looked like he was fully presentable for a "business meeting".
"I-I had to take the bus to get here!" Charles said, looking at them. "There were too many mammals there, and some of them wouldn't stop bumping on me! Of course my clothes would get like that!"
"Really?" Melon asked, looking at the horse, as he took a step forward. "There were some women with lipstick in there? Because there is some on your shirt collar."
Charles blinked, and then he looked at his shoulder, and saw the red stains on his shirt collar. He was quick to cover it.
"Y-yes." He said, "There was a woman in there, and she bumped hard into me when the bus made a turn."
"Three times?" Josh asked, looking at the two other stains on the shirt, and Charles was quick to answer:
"Yes, three times!" He sounded like he was losing his cool with the mammals. "There were lots of curves, and the bus was not the most stable!"
They looked at the horse, and Melon smirked.
"Charles, why so nervous?" Melon asked him, "Afraid we might say the wrong thing to the missus?"
"Oh, be quiet, you freak!" Charles said, glaring at the hybrid, whose smile didn't wavered on the slightest. He continued to look at the horse, who was glaring at him. However, the look on the hybrid's eyes darkened, and a shiver ran Charles' spine, and he suddenly felt like he had the urge to run from there.
"There is no need to be so rude, Manechester." Josh said, stepping in between the hybrid and the horse. "We are just wondering what you have been really doing this afternoon."
"I was on a business meeting!" Charles said on his defense, glaring at the cheetah now, how looked at him with an "I'm not convinced" expression.
"Charles-sama." Legoshi said. Charles had completely forgotten the wolf was there, until the canine was really close to him, sniffing.
"Did this woman... did she rubbed herself all over you?" Legoshi asked, looking at the horse as he sniffed him. "Because there is feminine smell all over you."
"H-hey!" Charles said, looking at the wolf and giving a step back, but the wolf continued sniffing him.
"And it is only one smell." Legoshi said, "Not many, as if you were on a bus. There is only the smell of this one woman. And the smell of her perfume. It seems like she's been rubbing herself all over you."
"Mind your own business!" The horse said, pushing the wolf away and nearly making Legoshi fall on his butt.
"Oy, horsy." Melon said, glaring at the horse. "Don't push my partner." He warned, but Charles didn't let himself be intimidated this time.
"I told you I was on a meeting!" The horse said at all of them, "I was on a meeting with the business partner, who happened to be a woman! We rode the bus together, and we were standing next to each other, and she bumped in me three times while we were coming back because of the way the bus made curves! She left her lipstick and her perfume on me as we bumped!"
Everyone looked at him, and shared a look among themselves.
"It is truth!" Charles said to all of them.
"Really?" Josh asked, "Because your thoughts say otherwise."
Charles' eyes widened in horror.
"Y-you!" Charles said, backing away. "Get out of my head, you freak!"
"Oh, I'm not on your head." Josh said, walking to him with a smug expression on his face. "If I was, I would know the name of your 'business partner', as well as exactly what kind of 'business' you have nailed with her."
He was smirking as he said that, and Charles could only look at him with an expression that was a mix of terror and outrage, looking like he was trying to remember on how to talk. Meanwhile, Melon was looking at the cheetah.
"I thought you didn't went around readying people's minds." The hybrid said, and the cheetah looked at him, before shrugging.
"Normally I don't. Except when I know they are trying to hide something." The cheetah said, before looking at the horse. "Like Charles here is clearly doing."
"Besides, even if I didn't suspected, I would still get things from him." The cheetah admitted, "He is so nervous that his prana is vibrating like a car engine. Intense vibrations like that can be picked up even when we are not trying. The more agitated a person is, mentally and emotionally speaking, the harder their prana vibrate, and our prana resonates with it. Charles here has a lot of problems to control his emotions, as I noticed it right when I met him."
Josh walked closer to Charles.
"His prana is always vibrating strongly whenever he feels something intense, and it is just not hard to pick up anything from him." Josh leaned closer, looking at the horse in the eyes. "You might as well just start screaming all of your thoughts on top of your lungs."
Charles looked at him, visibly shaking, his mouth opening and closing like a fish on a pond, before he finally was able to find his voice again.
"I-I'm leaving!" Charles said, pushing (nearly shoving) Josh out of his way. "I have to find my wife!"
The three watched as the horse stomped his way away from them. The clop-clop-clop-clop of his hooves resounding quite loudly, as his custom-made horseshoes hit the wooden floor enough to produce sound even through the carpet. After a few seconds, Josh said:
"Well, I guess I'll be going to."
The wolf and hybrid both looked at him.
"I need to find my sister." Josh said, and looked at the hybrid, "But I plan to come back for you later on, hot-stuff." He winked at Melon, before going his way on the very same direction that Charles had just went.
The two mammals continued to look at him, Legoshi still holding the box.
"Melon..." Legoshi said, and the hybrid said:
"He doesn't suspects anything. If he did, he would definitely not be so friendly with us... I think..." He then turned to look at the wolf. "But, we better leave in a week or so, just in case. And I'll be careful with what I think near him. Don't want him finding out on us before we are done."
Legoshi looked at the hybrid.
"So..."
"So we go on with the plan." Melon said, looking at the wolf. "Now, let's get to that greenhouse, you need to put that thing in there and get those bugs."
Euphemia Manechester was not an antisocial mammal. By any means.
Actually, she could be quite sociable when she wanted. She was pleasant, polite, elegant, and could keep up an intelligent conversation for long periods of time. All in all, while not being the "life of the party", she certainly was a mammal who was nice to have around during a party, especially of the sophisticated type, where everyone is drinking wine and talking to each other about one of her father's paintings, which were many.
However, Effie was not the kind who got along with just anyone, as she has always been the kind who preferred companies that were worth of her time. She was not the kind who associated with the wrong kinds of mammals, and she would never waste her time into pointless and harmful relationships, as they would only cause her troubles.
So, she was never the kind that would associate with people who were of the wrong kind.
At least, that was what her father and mother, and perhaps her grandfather as well, thought of her. Which was why they would be quite surprised for seeing her getting so well along with Marceline Foxgrove.
The fox/cheetah hybrid was the type of individual who Effie's parents would consider "the wrong kind of company".
She was a mercenary. Didn't had a pedigree they approved (she wasn't even purebred). She was directly associated with two mammals who they have, so far, not liked one bit.
Still, there Marcy was, talking to Effie as if they were old friends. Effie's parents surely would not like seeing that, if they were anywhere near. Even the smile on Effie's face, something so rare to see on her features, would not convince them that it was a good thing their daughter being so close to that hybrid.
"Have you really done that?" Effie asked to Marcy, "Did it actually happened?"
"You can bet your tailhair it did." Marcy said to her, "The guy was this close of bringing down the entire Eifeline Tower. If I wasn't there then the entire thing would have come down."
Effie looked at the hybrid, quite admired by the story.
"How has something like that never made to the headlines?" The mare asked, looking at the hybrid, and Marcy shrugged as she answered:
"Because the Association didn't wanted to. Back then magecraft was still a secret, so a mage trying to use a spell to eat away metal on one of the greatest metal structures of the planet to bring it down could not make it to the headlines. They had all of the damage he caused fixed, altered the memories of all witnesses and shut up the few news vehicles that tried to cover the story. You gotta hand it to the guys of the Misinformation Department, they really know how to do their stuff. But, you have to admit. It would have been pretty hard for them to cover it up if the tower had actually come down. Which was why it was good I was there to stop that crazy mouse."
Marcy chuckled.
"They even gave me a pretty nice bonus, as a 'symbol of their appreciation for my services'." The hybrid said, "I'm pretty sure that Josh was the one who talked them into doing it. Seriously, I can easily imagine him going to his higher ups and talking it to them until they agreed to give me money just to make him shut up and leave."
The hybrid laughed, and Effie found herself laughing as well. The weird thing was, Effie didn't even knew why she was laughing.
It was probably the thought of Marcy's half-brother doing the thing. However, Effie herself didn't knew Joshua Clawhauser enough to see the humor in it. So, she didn't had much reason to laugh. Still, she somehow felt like laughing along with the hybrid.
It was strange for Effie to laugh without reason. To just laugh along with someone else. Just go along with their laughter. In fact, up until now, the only mammal who had made Effie laugh along like that had been...
"But... how did you figured out he was on the Eifeline Tower?" Effie asked, looking at the hybrid, who looked back at her hybrid. "I mean, you had less than two hours before he would put his plan into motion, and you had no clue."
"Well, I had to go ask to someone else for help." Marcy admitted, "Luckily, Pawris has a lot of resident mage clans. One, in particular, was famous for knowing everything that happened on their city."
"And they did not stopped someone else from trying to bring the Eifeline tower down?"
It was a genuine question. After all, if they lived in Pawris, then they would be worried that someone could destroy their city's most famous landmark.
"They never liked it." Marcy said casually, "from the very beginning, the family was in favor of the tower's demolition. To this day, they still consider the thing an eyesore, and they would probably bring the whole thing down if the decision was up to them. Their boss would've actually given the guy a prize in money for putting the whole thing to the ground."
"I see..." Euphemia said, looking at the hybrid. "Then, how did you convinced him to give you the information you needed?"
"By opening my legs." Marcy said so bluntly and casually that it caught Euphemia completely off guard, and she could do nothing more than to stare at the hybrid, who looked back at her, shrugging.
"I had promised to bring the guy down for my employer before the sunrise." Marcy said, "I already got the payment in advance. I had promised the guy he would not regret it, and I wasn't on the mood for returning the money he gave me. So, I had to do what I needed to get the information."
"So... you just..." Euphemia still had a hard time processing this.
"Hey, it was not like it was my idea." The hybrid said, "I told the guy that it was really important for me to find out where the mammal I was looking for was and what he planned. I may have thrown the word 'anything', and he took it a bit too seriously."
The most impressive of it all was the fact that the hybrid spoke about it on the most casual way.
"Anyway, it was not the first time I had to go to bed with someone because of a job." Marcy admitted, what only added to the amazement of the mare who heard it all.
"I see..." Effie said, looking away, as she imagined what the hybrid had to do in order to get her job done. She also wondered if she has had to do other things to be able to get her next payment...
"It must have been a lot of money." Effie said, causing the hybrid to look at her.
"I mean, if you were willing to go to bed with some random man in order to get paid..."
She was trying her best to be polite. However, with a theme like that, it was hard to have politeness, as it was very easy to have the words come out wrong in a moment like that, which was why Effie was currently choosing her own with a lot of care.
"Oh, it was." Marcy said, "But I already slept with other guys for less." She admitted without a hint of guilt, what caused Effie to look at her once more. She was surprised that the hybrid, as a woman, would admit something like that without any shame. However, what she said next surprised her even more:
"But, it was not with him I went to bed with. It was with his wife."
For a moment, Effie even thought she had misunderstood that. However, she only took a couple seconds to convince herself that she had understood it perfectly.
"His... wife?"
"While he watched." Marcy said, "They were a nice couple. Both very polite, but most French are. They even offered me wine when we were done. Had to decline, because I had to rush to the Eifeline tower to catch the guy."
Effie said nothing, and just continued to look at the hybrid. Her expression was one of bewilderment. Marcy took it as a bad sign.
"Sorry, was it too much?" Marcy said, "Yeah, it wouldn't be the first time that I speak more than I should about certain things. Sometimes I forget that most families are not like the Clawhausers."
Effie still said nothing in return to the hybrid, but Marcy spoke:
"You know, in the Clawhauser household, 'the talk' was never a taboo." The hybrid explained. "I mean, I've already had 'the talk' with my mother while she was still alive. But I also had it more times after I came to live with the Clawhausers. And I had other talks too. Most of them directly related to 'the talk'. Seriously, I was still a virgin at sixteen, but I knew more about sex than women twice my age."
Effie just continued looking at her.
"Yeah, very few things were taboo on our family." Marcy said, "And I'm not only talking about sex-stuff. The Clawhausers are very progressive with a lot of things. From the use of technology to the way they interact with other families."
Effie looked at her, and she nodded.
"I see..." She said simply, "Well, compared to a family like that, I guess that mine ends up seeming prudish."
"A little bit." Marcy admitted. "But, that is all about perspective."
Effie looked at her.
"'Normal' is a very relative term." Marcy explained to the mare. "Well, the most obvious example would be that of magecraft. For a family of mages, who has lived with this kind of thing their entire lives, it is normal. Everyone on the family uses magecraft, and you have lessons on it all the time. There is no reason why you would think of magecraft as strange, or as not being normal, unlike a person who grew up in a family of non-mages."
A very logical thinking, Effie had to admit.
"It is the same thing when you are raised on a liberal family, like the Clawhausers." Marcy concluded. "We were open to talk about anything. We talked about sex and all of its complications, about politics, about religion, about our favorite shows and movies. We also talked about all of the rapists and cubophiles out there, as well as about the enemy mages who would love to kill us just for being involved with the Clawhauser name, and why they made it important for us to be careful. We even talked about death. All of those things were important, and all of them meant something. So, we had no reason why we should not talk about those things. This is just how we are. Or, most of us, anyway."
Effie once more remained silent, and she seemed like she was processing what she had just heard.
"With my family is the opposite." Effie finally said after a brief silence, causing Marcy to look at her.
"There were a lot of taboos." Effie explained, "Lots of things that should never be spoke, unless it was in whisper. Lots of things that, if spoken aloud, could only land you in trouble. And there were things that..."
She hesitated. Marcy looked at her with a cocked ear and a raised eyebrow, as she noticed how her breath quickened on the most subtle of ways.
Was she... chocking back a sob?
"There were things... that just shouldn't be spoken." Effie concluded, in a neutral voice. "Not out loud. Not in whispers. Not in any kind of situation, or with anyone. Those things should just never be spoken, under any circumstance. They just... shouldn't."
For a long moment, Marcy just looked at the mare.
"Not even with your own family?"
Effie looked up, to meet the eyes of the hybrid.
"Especially with my own family." She said, looking at the hybrid, "It was forbidden. It has always been. The only moment when those things were talk about, was when it was to make clear they would never be accept. And there would be consequences..."
Marcy looked at the mare, who looked back at her. Neither of them said anything, as they just continued to look at each other. Two women having a moment when they could understand each other better than any man could.
"Effie..." Marcy said, reaching out and placing a paw on the mare's shoulder. Supportingly. Comfortingly.
"Do you want to talk about something?"
For a long moment, it seemed that Euphemia was not going to answer. The mare only looked back at the hybrid, who continued to look at her waiting for an answer. After nearly ten seconds, Euphemia finally spoke:
"Charles cheats on me."
Marcy said nothing, and just continued to look at the mare as she spoke.
"No one else in my family knows, but I do. I know he cheats on me. I've known all along. He does it ever since our first week of marriage."
"What a jerk." Marcy said, as it was all she could think of.
"He is a jerk for a lot of reasons." Euphemia admitted, "Cheating on me is just one of them. He never hid from me he went out with other girls, and he doesn't plans to. He makes it perfectly clear to me."
Marcy listened, and then she said:
"And you don't plan to tell your family?" She asked, "Nor divorce him?"
Effie's look turned to the ground, and she just shook her head "no".
"Because it would disappoint your family?" Marcy asked, as it seemed to be the case here. Then Effie rose her eyes to look at the hybrid once more.
"Because I cheat on him too." Effie said, surprising the hybrid. "And Charles has proof of it."
The conversation would have progressed, if it was not for the door directly at their left opening.
"Will you stop following me!?"
"I'm not following you. I'm just going on the same direction as you."
The two females looked over, to see two familiar males walking into their direction.
"Ah, Euphemia!" Charles said, looking at his wife, and he looked at the hybrid by her side, with a paw on her shoulder.
"What's happening here?" Charles asked, looking at the two girls. There was a brief silence, before Euphemia said:
"Just two ladies having a conversation."
She gently reached for Marcy's paw and pushed it off her shoulder in the most polite way.
"And, how was your business meeting, darling?"
Charles was silent for a moment, and both cheetah and hybrid could notice him flinch in the most subtle way, before recomposing himself, and saying:
"It went pretty well." He seemed very composed as he spoke that, almost as if he was talking to a stranger on a party rather than his own wife. "Now would you mind come with me? I believe we can find a more suitable company than the one in here."
Euphemia said nothing in return, but she walked to her husband and put an arm around his'. Soon, the two horses were walking off, leaving the two siblings behind. Euphemia seemed totally impassive when she walked with her husband, but she cast a subtle glance at Marcy, and the hybrid could swear she could see sadness on the eyes of the mare, as well as a form of gratefulness. Nearly as if she was silently saying "thank you for listening", before departing arm-in-arm with the man she was married to.
Josh stood by Marcy's side, and the horses disappeared through another door.
"That guy is up to something." Josh said, and Marcy answered:
"I know. He cheats on Euphemia, she just told me."
"Yeah, I figured it was that." Josh said, "So, is she divorcing him?"
"She can't." Marcy said, "Charles has evidence that she is cheating on him as well. I guess he is using it to blackmail her into staying married to him. She doesn't wants her family finding out, it seems."
"What a butthole." Josh said, looking at the door through which the two disappeared. It was clear that he looked like he wanted to say more, but Marcy cut him by looking at him and saying:
"I thought you were only going to come back for dinner."
"Change in plans." The cheetah said, looking at his sister. "The guys on the club were totally not worth my time."
This was what it was need for the two to forget the thing they were talking and focus on the subject of Josh's frustrating visit to the city. It was so natural for the two half-siblings to talk to each other, after having lived together for so long.
Hard to believe that, on the first time they meet each other, both him and his twin were avoiding her like the plague.
The Clawhausers were open-minded, and they didn't judge others for most things. She was welcomed with open arms on that house by everyone, including the servants, and she was made at home there. However, her half-siblings all avoided her and didn't wanted to be near her. She felt like an intruder, by the way they treated her.
However, all of that was past. Those were memories from a bad period that lasted very briefly and they all left in the past.
They all accepted and loved her, and she loved all of them back. She would always be there for her siblings whenever they needed her, and she would never allow anyone to hurt them ever again.
As Josh and Marcy go their way, they both decide to go to the kitchen to see if they could grab a bite before it was dinnertime. Now, where was the path to that kitchen again?
Was it left, right and then go in front? Or right, go in front and then take the left?
It was easy to get lost on that house, even though it was smaller than their's...
"...I still want extra security." The dark horse said as he walked through the door, looking down at the pair of smaller mammals.
Marcy and Josh stopped on their tracks, just as did Yahya Manechester, and Judy and Nick as well, as they were walking right by the horse's side.
"Oh, hi." Josh said, looking at them. "Look, we are trying to get to the kitchen; could you guys tell us where it is?"
The three mammals looked at the cheetah, and then Judy stepped forward.
"Joshua Clawhauser." She said, causing the cheetah to look down at her.
"Yes?"
"I need to have a word with you." Judy said, with a seriousness that surprised the muscular feline.
"Oh?" He sad, surprised by how serious the little bunny was. "About what?"
Josh asked that question, but he had a feeling he already knew. And he was right, as she asked him about the package, and about its presence on the mansion.
This was a topic that she was really attaining herself to ever since the previous night. However, more than that, she also wanted to know if there was "anything else she may need to know and he was not sharing". Yahya seemed like he wanted to know that either.
"It is already very concerning the fact you didn't told anyone you had such an important item in your power when coming to my house." The dark horse said to the cheetah, "And this proved to be critical, as the item itself ended up producing the result of someone else coming to get the item, what put mammals in danger. Namely, your own brother."
"Now, if there is any other information you are upholding that could represent a danger to others in this mansion, now would be a good time to say it." Yahya concluded, looking at the cheetah with crossed arms. "If you don't, and this later proves to be a problem, then we will have no choice but to hold you responsible for any danger and harm that may befall anyone in this household."
Josh looked at the horse, and then he looked down at the two officers.
"Well, you heard him." Nick said, shrugging, while Judy looked like she fully agreed. Josh only looked at them and then at his sister. She shrugged t him. Josh then turned his attention back to the three mammals.
"Well, I totally understand your point." Josh said, and the horse, fox and bunny all looked back at him.
"So, you will share all the information with us from now on?"
Josh looked at the horse, crossing his arms and them said loud and clear:
"No."
"No!?" Judy said, looking at the cheetah.
"Okay, may we know why?" Nick asked, and the cheetah looked back at them.
"Because it is not important." The cheetah said, and Yahya looked at him.
"And who has decided that?" The horse said, making the cheetah now look at him. "You, by any chance?"
"At this moment, yes." The cheetah said, looking back at the horse. "I have thought about this, and I have decided that the information I have not shared with you is not relevant. I mean, it kind of is, but it would make no difference if you know it or not. So, I decided that there is no need for you guys to know."
The three just looked at them with varying expressions, from the annoyed inquiring from Nick to the shocked outrage from Judy. Even Yahya, with his seemingly expressionless expression, clearly didn't really liked hearing this.
"You better say something else now or they will gang you up." Marcy warned her brother, who had already noticed this.
"Look, it is not that I don't want to share anything with you guys." Josh said, "Is just that there is a lot of things that are still sensitive information on the World of Magecraft. Things that we don't want the big public to find out just yet."
"Like what?" Yahya asked, "That the disaster of Fangtropolis was caused by some kind of mechanism, which's one of the pieces currently is on Zootopia, and that a mage criminal organization is after it for their own reasons? Possibly to try and rebuild said mechanism?"
That was a very well formulated question, and everyone around wanted to hear just what would be Josh's answer for that.
"That would be an example." Josh said, and the horse continued to look at him with crossed arms. Josh sighed.
"Look, I know how important it is to be honest." Josh said, "Believe me, this is a thing I value as well. But, and I am speaking this as a mage myself, we mages have been living in secret for a long time. We learned to keep to ourselves and not share things with others, even other mages. This is just how we have been for centuries now, and this can't change overnight only because we have been exposed."
Yahya looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Hey, we are mages." Josh said, as if this was a reasonable justification. "We are mammals of mystery and secrets. There are still a lot more things that haven't been reveal, and they won't be for a while, if the Council can have it their way. Seriously, you should hear some of the rumors that have been going around on headquarters lately."
Yahya continued looking at the cheetah, and then he spoke:
"So, since you are a mage, you will keep holding back information for us until you have no choice but to reveal them. Is that right?"
Yahya looked intently at the cheetah, and so were the two cops, waiting to see what he would say next.
"Yes and no." Josh said, and Yahya continued to look at him with an inquiring gaze.
"I am a mage." Josh said, "But I'm also an enforcer. As an enforcer, I work for protecting the innocent and serving justice."
"I may keep secrets, but this is mostly because I know some things need to remain secret for now." Josh said, looking at the horse, and then at the two cops nearby. "But, make no mistake. I'm not selfish enough to just keep secrets of this means people will get hurt. On the moment I think that people are in danger, and that keeping a secret would put them in more danger, you can be sure that I'll be telling you everything that is relevant at the moment."
He looked back at Yahya.
"You can have my word as a Clawhauser in this."
"And you can believe on the word of a Clawhauser." Marcy chipped in, looking at the horse, who had eyes on both her and her brother, thanks to his wide range of vision.
There was a bit of silence following those words, before Yahya said:
"I'll be holding onto you for that, Clawhauser."
"Is that a promise, big guy?" The cheetah said, giving him bedroom eyes. "Because I would very much like that."
Nick blinked. Judy looked at the cheetah with a "seriously" expression. Yahya's ear twitched.
"Meanwhile..." The horse continued, "I would very much enjoy extra security on the object you are currently guarding. Perhaps by placing it in an actual safe. As well as putting some of my personnel to guard it. Like they are guarding the dungeons were Clawde and Sheppard are."
Josh looked at him for a few moments, and then he shrugged.
"Sure, it's your house." Josh said very casually, as he simply acknowledge the request of the horse and decided to let him have it. "I think it is safer on my box, but you can have it in your safe if it will make you feel better."
"It would make me feel better if that thing was not on this city." Yahya admitted, "But since that's not possible, I'll only make sure it will be safer."
"Totally fine by me." Josh said, placing his paws on his pockets. "This leaves me free to think on other, more pressing matters."
"Such as?" Yahya inquired, to what Josh answered:
"Seeing if I can figure out the solution for the murder game."
He then turned to Nick and Judy.
"You guys have any theories on it? I have a few of my own."
He talked with the cops about it, with his sister soon joining the conversation. Judy thought that the sudden change in subject did not sit well, but it seemed that the cheetah was not interested in talking more on the subject of the object and of any information he was not sharing.
Yahya noticed that too, because he simply snorted, and was ready to turn and leave, when he caught sight of a servant coming through a door and then gesturing to him as soon as he saw him.
"Ah, master Yahya." The llama butler said as he walked to the horse, who acknowledged his presence.
"Fernand." The horse said, as the other mammals took knowledge of the presence of the servant as well.
"I was looking for you, sir." The llama said.
"Did something happened?" Yahya asked, "And who is that with you?"
The servant was followed by this badger dressed in plain white clothing, who followed him with a blank, nearly bored, expression.
"He is the reason why I was looking for you sir." The llama said, as he stopped and gestured to the badger. "This gentlemammal says he wants to talk to you, sir. As well as with Mr. Joshua Clawhauser, and with the cops as well."
Yahya looked at him with a raised eyebrow. The badger only looked back at him with an empty gaze. His eyes were practically soulless as he stared back at the horse.
"Right... about?" The horse asked the badger directly, and the smaller predator continued to look at him for a few seconds, before bowing slightly as he took a paw to his chest and lowered his head.
"I have come in name of the Wilde clan." The badger said, surprising the ones present. "I am here to make an invitation to you."
"Invitation?" Judy asked, looking at the newcomer. "To what?"
"You are invited for tea at the Wilde Manor." The badger said to them, still bowing his head. "The invitation was extended by Noah Wilde himself, and he expects to have your company for tea by the five p.m. He would be much pleased if you could be there. I shall take you there, if you will follow me."
The mammals all looked at the badger, who lifted his head and looked expectantly at them with his serious, emotionless expression.
"Are we being invited for tea?" Nick asked, "For real?"
"Yes." The badger answered, in a nearly mechanical fashion. The mammals continued to look at him.
"An invitation from the Wilde clan." Marcy said, looking at them. "This extends to me as well?"
"The invitation is extended to those who want to answer it." The badger said. "Noah Wilde would very much enjoy company for tea."
"Would he?" Nick asked, looking at the guy. He couldn't help but think there was something off about him, but he couldn't quite place his finger on what...
"And, who are you?" Judy asked, looking at the badger. "Are you their butler or something?"
"I serve the Wilde clan."
"Yeah, we kinda figured that out." Nick said, looking at him. "But, what is your name, dude?"
"I have come in name of the Wilde clan."
Nick looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Judy was about to ask another question, when Josh stopped her.
"I don't think this guy will give much better answers than this." The cheetah was looking at the bunny, who now looked back at him as he shrugged. "We might as well just go with him."
"What?" Judy asked.
"Little rule among mages." Josh said, looking at the bunny, "If the second owner of the place you are in asks you to come to their house, you go."
Then then added:
"And if you are in Zootopia, and the invitation comes from one of the three clans. You definitely go."
"But we don't know him." Judy protested, gesturing to the badger. "I mean, we don't know if he actually work for the Wilde. We cannot just take his word to it."
"She is right." The horse said, looking at the badger. "After all, you haven't even told is your name."
"I have come in name of the Wilde clan." The badger said once more, looking at the horse. "Please, come with me. Noah Wilde insists on your company for the five p.m. tea."
The way the badger had said "insists" certainly made the horse raise an eyebrow.
"Trust me, he is in there for the Wilde." Josh said, as he looked at them. "No one would be stupid enough to use the name of the clan as their own on their own turf."
The mammals looked at the cheetah, before the badger's voice once more made them look his way.
"Please, come with me." He repeated, "Noah Wilde is waiting you for the tea."
Judy and Nick shared a look.
"Ooooookay? Look, is not that we don't want to go." Nick said, looking at the badger, "But, is just that it is... four-forty now." Nick said as he checked on his watch. "So, ae you expecting us to just rush in there to their house? I mean, they should have thought of asking with a bit earlier. I mean, we will be having a game by the time night falls, and we cannot really just drop everything and go to their home as if it was just across the street."
"Yes we can." Josh said, surprising the fox. "The Wilde Manor is just a twenty minute walk away."