Open Vulpinsula & Surroundings The Docks The Age of Machining

Kaii Nashirou

Rating: Able Seabeast
Engineer's Mate
Gentry: Gentlebeast
Urk Expedition Service Badge
Character Biography
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(OOC: This is an open thread built upon Swift and Kaii exploring and fooling around the Naval workshop and all the tools within.)

Today was a rather special day for Kaii. It was a free day. One he had no plans for, duties or jobs inbound, just nothing. He however had an idea how to spend it, and it would be in the workshop, working the tools. This time however for his own project and his own pleasure, which obviously made a whole lot of difference when compared to doing the same, just with given tasks.

Getting up from his bedding, Kaii didn't haste with his morning routines. He did his morning kata, added some more training by cleaning up some more of the rubble, cleaned his fur and groomed it. Then he clothed up and finally he was ready to leave the very improvised shelter he called home. All in all it was a mansion, just one razed to the ground and abandoned for about thirteen years.

The marble fox did go around the overgrown terrain that surrounded it. It was his lot and he was responsible for it after all. After finding no problems, making sure that the crypt was still well sealed, being the only place that somehow survived the war, and checking out what fences still stood, Kaii moved on and left this place to walk into the Slups, seeking a place to eat something.

Passing them, he had plethora of options, but Kaii, despite his love for experimentation, liked some consistencies. He opted to go for one place that offered what was decently close to the Fyadoran food he remembered from his kithood while staying affordable for a beast of common wealth.

After sating his hunger, he started padding purposefully towards the Imperial Docks, aiming to visit one of the many workshops that were present there for naval works. He never did so just after eating. Usually he had some other task or odd job to do first. Now however, he was aiming straight there, knowing that he had full right to use their tools and equipment, as long as it was for naval purposes. His usual excuse of "Refining the engine parts" worked well as most beasts had little clue what his mechanisms were for.

Lost in his mind, pondering on what project he should work on today, somewhere in the Trenches he snapped out at the sound of the hammer hitting the anvil. It was one familiar to Kaii, because it was weird. Master blacksmith under which Swift was working really liked to cause reverb for some reason.

Opting to see his friend, Kaii stepped to the alleyway that ended with a smithy. One where the platinum fox was working at. Kaii came closer and entered it. He was an usual, making sure that Swift could earn that extra gilder when Kaii needed something done. And since the local Smith was busy, Kaii just asked with no hesitation.

"Swift? Are you there today?"
 
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The forge had been lively at dawn, bellows wheezing and iron groaning under the one-eyed weasel’s steady paw. Swifttail had spent the hours before breakfast hauling firewood, sweeping ash into bins, and fetching water... tedious tasks, but honest work. He didn’t mind. Not when it bought him a pallet upstairs and kept him in the weasel’s good graces.

But the day soured quick. By mid-morning, the last of the coke had been shoveled into the fire, and the heat guttered out in a hiss of sparks. The weasel cursed the name of his supplier loud enough to rattle the rafters, spitting fury about broken schedules and feckless dockhands. No fuel meant no forge, and no forge meant no coin in his purse. Swifttail was waved off with an irritable flick of claws, told to make himself scarce until the next load arrived.

It was a strange kind of freedom, sudden and undeserved. Swifttail had lingered upstairs, pacing the creaking boards of his little loft, ears still ringing with the weasel’s tirade. For once, he had nothing to do but stare at the street below.

That was when a familiar voice drifted up from the alley, calling into the smithy with easy confidence. Swifttail’s ears twitched at once, the sound cutting clean through the boredom. A grin tugged at the corner of his muzzle before he even thought to move. He crossed the loft in two quick strides and shoved the shutters wide.

The window creaked as it swung outward, and a platinum-furred muzzle poked through. Swifttail leaned out, brushing a forearm across his brow. His tunic was rumpled from a morning spent hauling firewood and sweeping soot, and a stray lock of fur stuck up where he’d run a damp paw through it.

When his eyes landed on the marble fox below, the weariness fell away in an instant. His ears perked and a grin split his muzzle.

"Kaii, mate! What are ye doin’ here!?" he called, voice bright with surprise, tail tip flicking behind him in excitement.
 
After waving his paw to ever enthusiastic Swifttail, Kaii to couldn't hold his tail from slightly wagging. Not that he tried to now, he had no need to lock emotions today so far so he allowed them to be. He was already thrilled at the prospect of what he will be doing today and now, with added joy of seeing a friendly muzzle, it was adding up to make his mood far better than usual.

Thus with soft look and a small but honest smile, Kaii replied. "Greetings Swift! I for once come not to ask for another 'impossible' connector as your kind and respectful master would call them. I have a free day, thus I have decided to do some prototyping at the naval workshop. Just so happens your place was along the path I had chosen today, thus I have stopped by to see how are you faring."

Then he realised that talking to a beast in a window with such warm voice could be seen in a weird way by some. Yet Swifttail had a lover already and Kaii wanted no misconceptions here, so he requested politely. "Do you mind coming down? It will be easier to converse that way!"
 
"Aye! One moment!" Swift called back, voice carrying down from the loft.

The floorboards above creaked as he hurried across them, then a scrape of boots on wood as he swung onto the ladder. He didn’t bother with careful steps, instead choosing to ride the poles down in a rush, landing with a thump that stirred up a cloud of dust from the smithy floor.

He broke into a grin as he stepped out into the daylight, brushing soot from his tunic as he crossed to Kaii. Whatever weariness lingered from the morning’s chores was gone, replaced by a bright spark in his eyes.

"Surely ye didn’t come ’ere t’ jus’ say hi, mate!" he laughed, reaching out a paw in greeting.
 
Taking his friend's paw into a firm shake, Kaii followed by patting Swift's shoulder with the other one.

"As much as I know I can be overly pragmatic, I did honestly took this small detour to just see you."

He spoke genuinely, after all he did anticipate that Swift would be hard at work this time. Whatever was it that gave him a break was however a welcome addition, one that actively made Kaii consider his next words.

"However if you insist of me being grounded in rationale again..." The marble fox added with a playful squint of his eyes. "Say, is it that you have a break? Or are you perchance done with work for today. If it is the latter, you could join to me to do some work that is more aligned with your skill set."

Kaii let go of his friend. And pointed down the road. "It is not far from here to the Imperial Docks anyway. So if you just have a break, you can still join me. I have a batch of ideas to prepare and for sure I could use your skilled paws, even just for a while." He then lowered his voice and moved his muzzle closer to Swift's ear, whispering. "And I want to help you to sate that itch of artisanship. It is a shame you are not trusted with hammer here as much as you should have been."
 
Swifttail barked a laugh at the marble fox’s quip, ears tipping back with amusement.
"Nah, mate, I’d rather see you smile!" he teased, still grinning as he shook his head.

At Kaii’s question, his expression softened, tail flicking once as he explained,
"Forge ran outta coke this mornin’. Supplier’s not due ‘til tomorrow, so Clinker’s been cursin’ up n’ down the rafters. Means I’ve got the rarest of treasures...an unexpected day off!"

The offer of the docks caught him mid-thought. His ears pricked tall, eyes widening with sudden, boyish energy.
"Gates, did I ‘it me head on the way down? This sounds like a dream, mate!"

He didn’t get more than that out before the shop door slammed behind them. Clinker Rottail emerged, fur bristling, his one good eye flashing murder as he muttered curses about suppliers, shipments, and useless dockhands. He stopped short when he saw Swifttail lingering outside.

"Oi! I though’ I tolds ye ta be off!" the weasel snapped, voice rough as gravel. "Git up in yer loft or scram!"

Swifttail winced, ears pinning back, then cast Kaii a quick look. His grin returned, sharp and conspiratorial.
"Don’t need ta tell me twice… Let’s get outta here!"
 
Kaii gave a sharp nod to the weasel before gesturing Swifttail to follow him. After walking away just enough so that Mr.Rottail would for sure not be able to hear them, the marble fox's expression stilled as he very plainly stated. "This bastard deserves not an ounce of your help."

After shaking his head, his muzzle softened again. He started going over the more mundane topics of what happened to them since the last time they spoke. The two todds were for sure looking like a pair mismatched by their clothing alone, yet their conversation was almost brotherly.

Soon they have passed the walls protecting the military part of the port, their badges from Urk, as heavy as they were, not just physically, enough of a proof to grant them easy entry. After crossing the district, they got to the docks themselves. Here, Kaii went to the largest machine shop. They did have to prove they were both engineers from The Hide to enter, but once they did, the two were welcomed into the giant hall filled with newest and most advanced tools and machines known to beasts.

The air smelled of lubricants and fillings as countless lathes, drills, metal shears and kneaders. The room itself was hot from many forges, blowtorches and furnaces. Here, all metal parts for any ship could be made, fixed or redone. This was an engineer's playground.

And Kaii couldn't be more excited now, his tail was truly wagging, his expression was almost ecstatic, which in case of this fox was once in a blue moon event.

"I love the smell of progress in the morning..." Kaii said before turning to Swift. "Have you been to this place Swift?" He asked with kit-like excitation dancing in his eyes.
 
Swifttail gave a small, solemn nod at Kaii’s sharp words. He couldn’t deny the truth of them. Clinker had given him a roof, but little else; the loft above the shop was the only berth he’d managed to find during shore leave, and he’d clung to it even if it meant sweeping floors instead of shaping steel.

Still, as they walked, his muzzle softened. Their talk slipped into the familiar rhythm of shared stories and small jests, the kind of easy back-and-forth that made the hours feel shorter. For all their differences in bearing, they might as well have been brothers.

When the walls of the military quarter rose ahead, Swift felt his stomach tighten. He slowed, ears tucking as the sight of armed sentries and iron gates stirred old unease. But Kaii strode forward with such calm certainty that Swift found himself following close at his side. Their badges from Urk opened the way without question. The guards waved them right on through.

By the time they reached the machine hall itself, Swift’s doubts had dissolved into astonishment. Heat, hammer, and hiss filled the cavernous space, every corner alive with invention. Rows of lathes, drills, and shears gleamed under lantern light, while the hiss of torches and the roar of furnaces gave the air its own living pulse.

His ears perked high, eyes wide as a kit’s. He turned in a slow circle, taking it all in with a grin stretching wide across his muzzle.

"Oh, Kaii… This is the most incredible place I’ve ever seen!" he breathed, tail flicking as if it might carry him off the ground. "I didn’t know such wonders even existed!"
 
With a warm chuckle, Kaii gestured Swifttail to follow him deeper into the hall. As they navigated between the other engineers that navy had employed, Kaii explained to his friend with unconstrained enthusiasm what he knew.

“I have not seen the Innovation-owned industries, but I do believe this is the most advanced workshop in the whole Harbour! Made specifically to supply all the parts for newly modernised ships.”

The excitement shared between two todds was akin to what two regular kits would show when presented with tastiest of treats or most interesting toys. Something that did not go amiss by other beasts working at the site. Kaii for sure cared not as much for looks of those who associated this place with just menial work. Not even because he didn't know how it felt, he worked after all quite a lot doing just that. This fox simply had other things on his head now. Namely speaking, prototyping!

Getting to one of the drawing boards, he pulled out a design sheet from his bag and unrolled it to show it to his friend. Before however he could say a thing, there was a small interruption as one of the head engineers came by.


"Gentlebeast Nashirou..." The particularly chubby, and rather old hamster spoke with something between disapproval and care. "Good day to you and your friend. I would like to actually know what you have in plans today and approve it before you start doing anything."

The marble fox on the spot turned into marble. His expression stilled and all of his excitement was gone in an instant. "Good day Mr. Pawminton. If you would mind giving us a moment to decide upon it, I would appreciate it." He then turned to Swift and gestured at him. "My friend here Mr. Fairpaws is my fellow engineer from The Hide. Mr. Fairpaws, this is Mr. Pawminton, one responsible for managing this place." Kaii did the introductions, with his flat baritone.

And the hamster raised his eyebrow looking at the platinum fox.
"A pleasure to meet you Mr. Fairpaws." He said, offering his paw, while looking at him with anticipation, trying to gauge if he was going to be as much as Kaii already was.
 
Swifttail followed close at Kaii’s side, eyes darting everywhere at once as they moved deeper into the hall. Sparks flew, wheels turned, and the whole place thrummed like a living heart of brass and steel. It was like stepping through a doorway into the future.

"Great seasons, mate! I don’t even know what’s ta’ say!" he breathed, voice caught somewhere between laughter and reverence. His tail swished restlessly behind him, unable to keep still.

The spell broke only slightly when the older hamster shuffled up, round and serious, his voice carrying authority. Swift straightened instinctively, ears dipping back in deference. Even so, the sparkle in his eyes couldn’t be hidden.

When Kaii made the introductions, Swifttail stepped forward quickly, extending his paw with an eager warmth.
"A great pleasure indeed, Mr. Pawminton, thank you! T’is an honor to even set paw in such a wonderful place!"
 
The rotund hamster wasn't sharing the excitement. He did grab Swiftail's the paw for a quick shake before continuing. "I hope it will serve your work. I ask however to specifically run by me anything you wish to create. Gentlebeast Kaii could tell you a thing or two about what happens otherwise."

Kaii didn't even wince, he responded mechanically. "That I could. But I would rather waste not the time and instead focus on the work." The marble fox quipped and pulled out more technical drawings and plans onto the board. "Mr. Pawminton. I will find you once we choose. Let us work please."

The hamster wanted to say something, but decided it was not worth it. Turning around, he wobbled away to continue his work as an overseer, making sure that all things are in order and that all procedures are maintained.

Kaii let out some air in a long sigh. Some emotions returned to his as he was now about to speak with his friend again.


"Nothing stops innovation as much as overreaching procedures. No idea should be judged by the first iteration." He mumbled with a frown and ears leaning to the side before he started returned to the topic at paw. "Well, I suppose If that is the case, and I have you with me, you ought to choose what we will work on!" Kaii offered and went over the plans he had.

Some were bold. Some seemed insane to anyone but Kaii. Some were simple yet innovative. All had one thing in common however, they were unconventional solutions to the problems that mostly were done by throwing beastpower at them or much more complex fixes to various inefficiencies the current solutions had.

Two that seemed most feasible were projects for what was called a piston valve. An elegant, if complex, solution to efficiency losses in long slide valves. The other was one familiar to Swift, a continuation of their efforts to give Piper a semblance of comfort in her life as a crippled beast. That one was however definitely much harder to justify as something that has place in a naval workshop.
 
Swifttail’s grin faltered as the hamster waddled off, Pawminton’s words still ringing in his ears. The sparkle in the hall dulled a little. His shoulders slumped as he let out a long sigh.

"It’s always approved work only…" he muttered, ears dipping back. "Gates, back home I was allowed t’ practice during off hours." He gave the floor a half-hearted kick, sending a bundle of metal shavings skittering away across the stone.

With another breath, he leaned over the board, letting Kaii’s excitement pull him back toward the work.
"Alright, well… let’s see what ye’ve got."

His paw hovered over the different sketches until it settled on one he recognized. Brows furrowing, he traced a claw along the lines of the chair’s design.

"I do feel bad for the material quality we had t’ use on Piper’s device," he admitted, muzzle softening. "I’d love t’ refine it further, if Mr. Pawminton approves." His tail gave a hopeful flick as he looked back at Kaii. "She is a Naval beast, injured on duty. Surely they’d permit it… right?"
 
Kaii's nose wrinkled. That was indeed most noble project the two could work on. All in all, they both put a lot of effort into it. But... the issue was obvious, a matter of convincing the bureaucratic war machine that such project was worth the time, effort and resources. To the marble fox it was obvious that giving the veterans hope at having a semblance of normalcy would greatly boost morale, especially if military were to actually provide such devices to those who had suffered.

Well, that was pragmatic long-term insight, Kaii knew that it was always about the short-term gains. Those were favourable for some reason to most. He did understand the gratification that came with it but... he also could see how harmful those tended to be in the larger picture.

"Well. We need to make our case here. Sadly I don't think that navy or army would care for that small percentile of veterans who need those. I would make a case for it being a morale boost. Beasts would fight more willingly knowing that even in case of injury, there is life after it, even if one that requires machinery but one that can be decently independent." Kaii stated while rolling back the rest of plans, part of his mind already shifting to process the draft and what upgrades could be made to it. Materials were one thing, efficient structure, simpler moving parts, there were a lot of things Kaii would've wanted to upgrade here.

That is, if they were allowed to. He threw a look towards where the hamster stood, overseeing as some rabbit were using the lathe and lecturing them. Kaii saw the mistake rabbit made too, at least Mr. Pawminton, as an engineer, valued educating others as much as he did.

Turning back to Swift, he knew he needed some more arguments for this case.
"Do you have any ideas on what more could be said? I am pretty sure you could make more... grounded points that I do." Kaii gave him a small smirk.
 
Swifttail’s ears tipped forward as he listened, nodding along with Kaii’s reasoning.

"Aye, morale’s part of it, mate. But Piper’s case… it's bigger than just that. She made a sacrifice that helped keep Minister Talinn alive, might've ensured the success of the mission, and let us bring that idol back from Urk. Without her, none of it might've gone the way it did." His voice had steadied, the weight of the memory giving it an edge.

He glanced down at the sketches, tracing a paw across the lines with more care this time.
"Using the Imperium’s tools and material to see her right... well, that’s not charity. That’s barely enough to count as proper thanks."

His tail flicked, a spark of optimism breaking through as he added,
"And if Pawminton wants it grounded, fine. A refined device means less wasted material down the road, fewer sickbed hours, and a beast who can keep serving in some way instead of being cast aside. That’s not just kind, it’s smart."

He looked back up at Kaii, muzzle softening into a grin.
"Worth a try, eh?
 
Kaii nodded along as his friend added his two gilders. They were right of course in all they've said, Kaii simply knew that emotional arguments based on morality only worked among beasts who shared it. The two pale foxes could discuss between one another using those, others? It would take some luck to find one beast with such a strong moral spine in this city as the two had.

"You are fully correct in all you've said. She deserves it, but let's stick to grounded arguments. They are harder to refute, no matter the morality." Taking the technical design from the board, Kaii gestured for Swifttail to follow him towards Mr. Pawminton. It wasn't long before they stood before them. He stopped lecturing the young rabbit and looked at the two warily.

"Quick decision? Alright, let me see it." He spoke while Kaii passed him the schematics he had made. The hamster furrowed his heavy brow while reading it. After an excruciatingly long moment, he looked up to the two foxes and asked them with slight confusion. "Now, looks clean and safe and all, but why are you bringing this to naval workshop you two?" He asked while giving papers back to Kaii who instantly started responding.

"Because It is meant to serve a crewbeast on our vessel. Besides, ensuring there are efficient designs made for crippled veterans is both ensuring they will fight more brazenly, knowing there is future for them, as well as be much cheaper than more personal solutions. Standardisation of a design is the key and our goal here." Kaii gave a calm explanation, while moving his tail to nudge Swifttail's back as he finished speaking, hoping his friend would chip in.
 
Swifttail stiffened when the hamster’s gaze landed squarely on him. For a heartbeat he froze, ears twitching as if caught in the forge’s heat. He opened his muzzle, then faltered, words tumbling out slower than usual.

"Mr. Pawminton, sir… Piper’s a crewbeast who deserves t’ keep servin’, aye...but if I’m bein’ honest with ye…" His tail swayed behind him, and he drew a breath, standing a little straighter. "I’ve studied under master smiths for many seasons now, but I’m still new t’ the way ye carve brass and iron into such precise shapes. Mr. Nashirou was kind enough t’ bring me along so I might observe and learn the trade proper."

He glanced down at the schematic in Kaii’s paws, then back up, his voice steady but modest.
"A device like this, on top of aidin’ a warrior in need, don’t demand the same perfection as a gear or a piston valve. It’s simpler work, but still takes skill. Work I could cut my teeth on. Practice that’d leave me sharper, better able t’ serve the Imperium when harder tasks come m' way."

He let the words hang there, paws folded behind his back, gaze respectful but earnest.
 
Rule number one of infiltration: Always look like you belong. An impatient bustle, a swagger of confidence, carry something large enough that asking for your papers would be too much of a hassle, or better yet, a clipboard. Appropriate uniforms only went so far if you were uncomfortable, lost, or looking suspicious.

Rule number one was boring.

Which was why Cryle was pressed up against a wall beside a chimney stack, clinging to a rope with a death grip while using her telescope on its lowest setting to peer through a nearby large, grimy window - one of many dotting the walls of the massive workshop, presumably to allow light in, but only a few had been cleaned recently. This one, near the chimney, had not been. She had been there just about all morning, having spent last evening getting into the military quarter itself, a task which she had spent the better part of two days planning.

She really missed her hat, now that the sun was up. Alas, it was far too conspicuous for this kind of work. At least her coat seemed to be nearly the same shade as the bricks of the building. An awful half hour spent using chimney soot to draw a brick bond pattern on it to make the camouflage just right, and nobeast had yet spotted her.

The little rat was just having the time of her life, spying on all the goings-on inside. Machinery! Diagrams! Lathes. Oh, the noises were awful, hammering, scraping, shrieking and clanking metals, but there were things in there, new things that hadn't existed before. She wanted to be in there, making them.

The hamster looked to be an issue. All morning long, confronting anyone who went inside. Not all who arrived stayed. She focused her telescope on the newcomers, the pair of foxes, and watched. Her ears perked and she shifted position, trying to get a better angle as one of them started placing designs on a board. She salivated a little. The other fox was touching one... she focused her telescope tighter, zooming in bit by bit. Still blurry, but... Some kind of... battle chair?

A closer look was desired - nay, required.

She hooked the telescope to her baldric, and planting her feet against the wall, continued to scale to the roof to retrieve the grappling hook lodged in the lip of the chimney. There was an inherent design flaw in a grappling hook. It was distinctly un-hooky when you wanted it to be.

The chimney hadn't been used yet that day, and the stone was cool. She collected her boots and hat from the stash on the roof and climbed in, ropeless, claws digging against the walls in a way that made her teeth hurt as she slowly dropped herself down and climbed out of the bed of coals. Hurray for being small and also having studied the building plans to make sure she would fit, and hurray for builders sticking to them.

Sooty and inside. Sometimes tradeoffs had to occur. She put her boots on, topped her head with her hat, and picked up a box of brass rods before anyone could notice her. Rule number one. She looked towards the spot she'd been spying on earlier, and realized they'd gone. Oh no... the hamser...? She scanned the workshop briskly.

Oh, good, he was with the foxes again. No need to try to avoid him. She waltzed right over, catching the end of their conversation with her large ears as she neared.

She cleared her throat.

"Same," she said, nodding to Swifttail. She held out the box for Kaii, one of her beady eyes rolling to read the document in his paws. "And your supplies, sir. As requested. For the..." Oh. Oh, it was not a battle chair. But it could be. "....mobile infantry battle chair."

She pushed her glasses up her snout with the tip of a brass rod. The lenses glimmered. She grimaced, hoping it was a smile.
 
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While Swift was replying, Kaii contently nodded along. He spoke the best kind of truth. One that was relatable. That was the skill Kaii did not have, he spoke in truths that were impossible to contest, but most wouldn't understand them. Still, no beast was perfect and the marble fox was glad to have his platinum brother from another mother to make the point.

However, before Mr. Pawminton could even answer, Kaii spotted one small rat lady coming in with some brass rods. She didn't look like any beast Kaii saw here before. On top of that she brought in supplies to him? He did not order a thing, more so, he needed steel for this one primarily. Brass would not manage the forces and wasn't flexible enough to create such supports! His plans also had no mention of brass so...

He couldn't continue his line of thoughts as Mr. Pawminton spoke with resignation, staring at him. "Ah, so assured in my approval that you've already got yourself a helper to get you materials? Mr. Nashirou. I cannot approve of a project that isn't firmly related to naval improvements. You know that too well. But know I cannot stop you and your steam-powered mind. Let me tell you this. You teach and show around Mr. Swifttail. Whatever you will manufacture in the process of learning is yours. I will just write it off as training losses... But only if you work on that. I hope we have an agreement."

He then gave a moment to look down at the newcomer, looking at the with furrowed brow before adding. "She's your helper for the day. Bring her to me once you are done." And with that the obese hamster turned around and waddled towards his office that had windows overseeing the entire hall.

Kaii in the meanwhile silently nodded and patted Swift's back happy with the success. Yet his expression was stoic as he gazed directly at the rat.


"Who are you." He asked with no less intensity than Mr. Pawminton did. He was maybe not too keen on the rules, but he was bound to the navy and would not allow for any spies or agents to walk around.
 
Rule number one! It worked! The hamster didn't even question her being there at all!

Cryle's tail jittered happily, nearly knocking her hat forward.

Stupid tail.

She stuck her nose up in the air a little, looking up at the taller fox for a brief moment before her eyes drifted away from his face to actually get a good look at him. Very fancy. Fashion approved.

"Cryle," she said, and turned away to put the crate of brass rods down. She gave it a gentle kick and scooted it off to the side, out of the way, hopefully. Paws now free, she scrubbed at the soot stains on her snout, which had been bothering her.

There seemed to be a little tension. It prickled at her whiskers. She wondered if she was supposed to provide more information... but then, the design was still right there in his paws. She stepped closer, tucking herself close by his side, eyes widening as she really took a moment to scan it, before he could fold it away.

Without realizing, she began to bounce, happy little hops. This was so... so... fascinating!
 
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The pat to his back drew Swift’s ears tall, and he turned just enough to flash Kaii a quick grin. A rare bit of warmth, and one he wasn’t about to let pass unnoticed. But before he could linger on it, another voice cut in. The soot-stained rat appeared with a crate of brass rods, blurting on about supplies and a mobile infantry battle chair, clearly misunderstanding Kaii's intricate sketches. Swift blinked, muzzle parting slightly in surprise. He hadn’t seen her anywhere nearby, hadn’t heard her approach, but now here she was, trying to insert herself into their business and pawing at their plans. Where in the blazes had she come from? He bit down his questions, jaw tightening. Whatever game this was, it wasn’t the time to make a scene.

When Mr. Pawminton laid down his terms, the young fox straightened, tail stilling. He dipped his muzzle in a small nod.
"Understood, sir. I’ll treat it as learnin’ and naught more. Thankee kindly"

Only once the hamster had waddled off did Swifttail let his gaze fall to the rat. Her sudden arrival still itched at his whiskers, but he kept his voice polite as he stepped forward, paw extended.
"Swifttail Fairpaws," he said evenly. "Pleased t’ make yer acquaintance, Cryle."

As he spoke, his other paw shifted subtly toward the blueprint she hovered over, a quiet attempt to draw the plans back into safer paws.
 
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