Starting a new tradition all our own

The night following the Bonfire Festival, Clove was feeling a bit restless. She couldn’t place her paw on it, as she was still naive to the depths of her feelings; but knowing that Akito was just beyond her reach, sleeping beneath the same roof of her family’s castle made her belly explode with butterflies, keeping her up into the late hours of the night. Handsome, perfect Akito. So instead of sleeping, she was at her vanity, working on another portrait of him, detailing the texture of his horns. It was no masterpiece, but it was far more accurate than her first attempt. Maybe she could show it to him later. Oh, maybe that would be too embarrassing.

Feeling a rumble in her belly, Clove sets her pen down and decides to take a snack break. Rummaging through her stores, she’s disappointed with her findings. A piece of dried fruit, some berries, a candy. No, she needed something better! Like some dried meat! And with the Bonfire Festival, a surplus was left over from the event. Yes, she was going to go downstairs and raid the pantry. Fluffing up her fur, glancing in the mirror to make sure she looks presentable - what if she ran into Akito!? - Clove slips out of her room, leaving her door cracked and her raven standing guard of her precious portrait.

Winding through the corridors, her footsteps echo faintly against the stone floors. As she passes windows, she glances out into the moonlit courtyard, wondering if Akito was asleep or if she would have some fated encounter with him. Oh, the thought makes her blush! Coming around a bend, she’s descending the stairs that lead to the Great Hall. She reaches the last flight, but movement at the bottom catches her attention, stopping her. She freezes, eyes adjusting to the dim lighting, her heart hammering in her chest. Akito?

No, not Akito. But instead- “Ember!” She exclaims, trying to keep her voice down. She was surprised to see her sister wandering at such a late hour, and she was holding… was that wine? "Ooooooooooo, Ember," She teases, her head cocking slightly to the side, curiosity and confusion shimmering in her gaze. “What are you doing with that?” She’s not accusatory, or even concerned. She’s just curious. Was Ember sneaking wine?

"Sisters"