Isra's bluefire eyes swept the hallway briefly, searching for something that was not there. With a grunt, she turned to inspect another hallway, moving through the entire wing with a series of hisses, growls, and the ticking of her claws. When it seemed she was done looking in every nook and cranny, she retired her search and went straight for the source.

The monstrous feline entered one of the sealed wings and made her way toward a large, fanciful pair of doors decorated with gold filigree. Pushing one of the doors open, her tusked head thrust through the doorway and snorted loudly. The room was dimly lit with softly twinkling lights, and its floor was a mound of pillows. In this mound was a curled shape, yellow and gray, snoring with squeaky raspberries.

"Eggbert," she called lowly, stepping into the room and threatening even to step upon the pillows. "Eggbert, wake up." The tiny creature only curled more, forming a complete ball, its sounds growing muffled and quiet.

The flames of her eyes narrowed.

"Eggbert. It's time for work," she said, and when he continued to sleep, she could feel her shoulders roll with the urge to pounce on him.

"MEEEESTER EGGBERT," hissed one of the snakes, all three of them arching over her back to look at him. "MISSSSTER EGGBERT, IT'SSS TIME FOR WORK!" This time, all three of them chimed in, and the small body before them began to shake side to side to right itself.

Like a snap-band, he popped awake and free from his curled form, broad feet landing with a smack on the ground as his pillows went flying. His tiny eyes were wide and bright, and when they came into focus to find Isra, they welled with big globs of tears.

"Thank you," Isra said quietly to the snakes, and then to Eggbert, "Come on. We're starting to have more visitors now. You should be out there to greet them."

At the mention of visitors, Eggbert's paddle-like tail slapped behind him, his broad butt wiggling with excitement. A chorus of muffled, quick squeaks chattered from his bill.

"Yes, that's right. Visitors. Plural," Isra confirmed, turning to exit his room. "Get your things. Be prepared in the halls—those open to visitors—to greet them, tend to them, you know. The normal stuff."

He shuffled about his pillows to find a small top hat and bow-tie, and then followed Isra through the doorway and down the hall. He waddled quickly to keep up with her broad strides. They parted ways at the grand entrance, and Eggbert waited expectantly in the foyer for these many visitors Isra mentioned.

Haven had decided to explore while her mate remained asleep, hibernating again. She'd come here, having really only gone as far as Leo before stopping her exploration, so she'd advanced to here, Cepheus.

She emerged from the tunnel and took flight, flapping her wings to gain altitude before swooping down, skimming her bottom jaw along the water for a quick drink before letting out a high-pitched cry, the noise echoing all around, giving her a relatively clean picture as she clicked continuously, flying around and around until she'd gained a little map in her head.

The castle had gotten her attention right away, and she'd angled herself towards it once she was situated, rather delighted as she landed in front of the entrance. Perhaps she couldn't see in the traditional sense, but the feeling of this place was grand.

Head held high, she trotted forward, head swiveling about as she clicked and cooed, lowering her head to the ground as she explored the space within. She didn't see Eggbert at first, preferring to take flight once more to hang from the ceiling like a bat, crawling along rather happily, poking her head in nooks and crannies for anything interesting.

"Hello!!", she finally crowed, waddling along on the ceiling as easily as she would on the ground, "Is anyone here?"

Visitors donned in gleaming armor probably didn't roam these halls. At least, that's what Attikias thought as he paced through Cepheus, exploring from his short, short walk through Ursa.

Well. Short was an understatement, but he really did just want to get in and get out quickly. It didn't help that he got lost on the way through it. So, he was here, in some strange place, with his bag at his side and bow over him, his interest piqued by all the newness he'd never seen.

The grand palace walls were the things that caught him the most. Not the doors that lead inside, no- the construction of it drew his hand to drag over its surface, reverent as he studied it. It was all gorgeous.

He wished he could make something like this. A place, stable, for his family to live in, a place without leaky rooves and unwanted visitors. Could he convince his daughters to move here, maybe? The place was gorgeous, Vivilene would love the flowers, and it may give Thalia some muse for her songs. He hummed gently along as he continued, hopes raised as he inspected a pillar.

A grand opening caught his eye, and he slowly made his way to it, marveling at the foyer he found himself in. A voice called, and he responded with a "Hello!" in return, holding a hand up to his mouth as he stared up.

He stopped short as his eye caught another being. Someone... Small. Squishy looking? What were they wearing? "Hello," he repeated again, voice softer this time. Was this a lesser? Nah, a lesser wouldn't have a little hat on it. "Who are you? I'm Attikias." He squatted down to Eggbert's level and held out a hand in greeting, expecting to pat him or... Something.

Madhukar had had to pass by this place when making her way back home from her last chrysalis. She had recently remembered this, and had thus returned for investigative reasons. No other reasons at all really.

She had remembered the uncanny cleanliness of this place. When she'd walked through here the first time in her costume of half-dried mud and leaves, she'd felt rather out of place. She had thought, back then, about taking some plants from here for her disguise, but... the way the swans in the river watched-- targeted with ever eye like they all shared one mind... it was unsettling. Highly suspicious. So she had forgone that attempt.

In fact, this time, she would be avoiding that river altogether. Also this time, she would be avoiding the mud of her costume. Yes, that would make it harder to function as an actual disguise, but she wanted to "fit in" better here. As if her haphazardly thrown together costume could really "fit in" anywhere but-- but--! Whatever!!! She was trying!!!!

Despite the lack of mud to hold it together, her skill with pulling the flora and fungi around her seemed to be... actually pretty good this time. Was the mud actually hindering her or was she getting... better at this?? Whatever the case, she was honestly impressed with the work.

Time to enter that big ol' fancy building over there, which she would certainly look like some kind of pygmy swamp monster standing inside of!

Madhukar entered the foyer, light footed and cautious, taking note that two others were already here. One on the... ceiling... okay... and the other closer to a-- oh, guess there were three! Seeing the one squatting beside the yellow-and-gray creature made Madhukar's eyes get wider (not that anyone could tell through the wooden mask) -- it they walked on two paws like how she was probably supposed to! Except they looked far more... used to it than she did.

And that third one... Madhukar liked its their little hat. She didn't speak to say such a thing -- didn't even move her head or either paw in greeting -- but at least she was here as a witness for... whatever this would turn out to be.

Think "Speak"

GOOD COSTUME ROLL MEANS:
- Face obscured (roughly cut wooden mask)
- Chest mostly obscured
- Hands/paws mostly unrecognizable
- Legs obscured
- Lots of dangling plant matter than never actually touches the floor!

NOTE: Madhukar is not wearing mud in this thread. DO NOT mention any mud on her please.

The little baby bird was strutting along the garden path as usual, when he noticed the palace had opened its doors.

How curious.

He waltzed up to the palace and sauntered through the doors. As he walked into the foyer, an odd band of strangers stood before him.

There's someone hanging from the ceiling, which they definitely should not be doing in a place like this. And there's someone with a bow slung on them as if they have just come back from a hunt. Don't they know that that is quite uncivil? And then there's a creature covered in plants and mud with a rather unsettling face but... Something about her charmed Remus. He had no qualms.

And then there was a creature in bow tie and top hat; someone of class!

"What are you all doing here?" The little Remus called out at everyone except Mr. Eggbert. Mr. Eggbert was perfect, as always.

"What are you doing here with your bow and your plants? And why are you on the ceiling?!" He wasn't really supposed to be yelling in a place like this, but he didn't care about his own manners at the moment.

The indignant little fluff ball stood defiantly over (or more under, really) the group.

This was the farthest Abra had ever really been from Polaris, and she was fascinated- the previous room had been very cold- way too cold- but this room was just pretty! Pretty in a weird way she hadn't really ever seen before, but pretty nonetheless! She'd barely explored the room, however, when she saw a gathering of gembound, and of course she bee-lined straight towards it.

The first thing she noticed, out of all the strange creatures, was "Oooh! You have a thingy on your head like me!" She tapped her nails against her hat-shaped gemstone, smiling at the duck-insect hybrid. "Yours looks different than mine though- I like it! Fancy!" She looked around and- Oh! There were a bunch of other gembound! She should say hi to them too- it'd be rude to just ignore them.

She started with the tall purple one, "Hi! I'm Abra!" She'd reach out a hand and- Oh! He actually had a hand to shake! Seeing as how Attikias was already crouched down with his hand out, she'd simply grab his hand with one of her much smaller ones and shake it. She'd hold out her hand to Madhuakar too- if the handshake went unshaken, she'd simply pull back her hand, looking somewhat dejected.

Regardless of whether their handshake was accepted, they just HAD to admire her outfit. "I like your moss! and plants! It's very.. green!" She'd reach out to poke at a dangling bit of plant matter, as if she hadn't seen a plant before (which wasn't entirely untrue- she certainly hadn't been to a cave like Eridanus or Pegasus)

She'd look over at the loud little bird- perhaps the only one here as loud as themself- "Oh, Hello!" She'd offer him a hand to shake as well, despite the fact the peacock did not have any hands. She'd listen to his very loud, demanding questions, before answering"Oh, Uh- I dunno! I'm here because there's a bunch of other people here!" She'd listen to the rest, their expression becoming confused as he mentioned "Someone on the ceiling?" They'd give the angry little puffball of a bird a quizzical look, before looking up at the ceiling herself.

With a surprise squeak, she'd jump a little, before looking into the looming creature's lack of eyes. "Um! Hi up there! What are you doing on the ceiling?" Maybe it was comfortable- Abra had never been on a ceiling themself- but it had certainly given her quite the scare.

"Anyways..." She trailed off for a second as if she'd forgotten what she was going to say whilst greeting everyone, before continuing just as enthusiastically as before, "I can do magic! I'm very good at it! Wanna see?" Without waiting for an answer, she'd attempt to cast a spell. After a second, a bright blue fiery wisp would pop into being in front of her. "Ta daaaah!" She'd grin widely, tail waving excited behind her as she waited for the crowd's reaction.