When in doubt, pinky out!

Following the success of the Hallows' first ever Harvest Ball, Ember had begun to realize that there was far more to the whole "being a princess" thing than just getting to do whatever she wanted and having wolves fuss over her. Her older sister Bramble had shown her a side of politics and diplomacy she had never known before, and the call for social etiquette those situations demanded. Now it was not like Ember was a heathen or feral or anything of the sort, but socializing and dining with company from other packs and kingdoms had a world of difference between it and eating a casual meal with her family. All of a sudden, those lessons in manners her mother had tried to desperately to drill into her thick skull were beginning to make sense. If she was going to be expected to continue to be the best example of the Hallows and not embarrass her parents, she would need to buckle down and really try to comprehend high class etiquette.

The proper formalities around dining seemed like the best place to start. After all, how much politics was conducted around a dinner table? She had watched her father entertain and cater to a number of their guests with food and wine, so this made the most sense to her. Bringing out a plate of food as a placeholder, Ember set the dish down on the long table the Carpathius family sat at at the head of the Great Hall, then whistled for her raven. The avian flew over with an assortment of silverware clutched in its talons, scattering the utensils across the table in front of her with a reassuring croak. Ember smiled at her faithful feathered friend. "Thank you, Umbra," she thanked her companion, then looked down at the scattered utensils and took a deep breath. Okay, she could do this... She just had to remember how her mother always set the table for them and how she'd watched Bramble greet her guests at the ball.

Paws lifting to begin shuffling about the cutlery, Ember glanced up at the empty chairs around the table, smiling at each of the imaginary wolves she pictured there as she took her seat in her father's large throne. "Thank you all so much for coming tonight," she greeted her phantom guests, dipping her head to a pair of chairs. "Oh, Lady Haydée, it's so nice to see you again! How is Ethne these days?" Gods, it all felt so stuffy and formal, it almost made Ember cringe! She suppressed a snort and looked to another set of empty chairs. "Grandpa Sirius! You're still leading the Armada? Aren't you, like, a thousand years old?" This time, the girl audibly giggled, and her raven gave an exasperated sigh and shook her head. Ember shot a look up at her raven, who once more shook her head no. Okay okay, maybe not the best way to go about socializing...

Ember huffed and tried again. Big smiles, like she meant it. "Hi Grandpa Sirius! How's the weather up north?" She glanced to Umbra, who looked slightly less displeased this time. "Good enough for you?" A defeated croak from the corvid; good enough. "Thank you. Now, as I was saying... I hope everybody is hungry tonight! I've prepared a big meal, so please help yourself to seconds or even thirds! We've got plenty to go around!" Her confidence boosted, Ember glanced down at her place setting—and immediately felt that confidence deflate as she realized she had no idea what was supposed to go where. Shoot! Did the forks go on the left or the right? And why were there three different sizes of spoons?! Who even needed that many spoons? A panic began to grip Ember's chest, making breathing difficult all of a sudden. Oh no, she was going to ruin the dinner party and embarrass the Hallows! All the other packs would think less of them, of her, and her parents were going to be so disappointed in her! She could not let that happen! Think, Ember, think...!

A realization hit Ember all of a sudden. They were wolves. They didn't use silverware! How would they even hold it? Their paws were not capable to such dexterity. They always just ate with their heads in their bowls; heck, even her parents ate like that! Nobody used a fork and knife! Relief washing over her at that dawning knowledge, Ember looked back around the empty table and smiled. "Uh... everybody dig in!" And then the pup face planted herself into her food, devouring it ravenously while Umbra rolled her eyes from her perch in the rafters. And she had been doing so well too... Well, she still had plenty of time to learn as she grew at least.

WC: 801 / 800

"Ember Carpathius"