Kira raised an eyebrow and took off his red helmet. "What in the stars do you mean 'why do I smell like smoke?' I'm a firefighter. 90% of the time I'm gonna to get singed or smell burnt." 

Kraim nodded and glanced at the firetrucks behind him that had put out the house fire. "Yeah, I suppose that was a silly question. What's that you're holding?" 

"Oh this?" Kira held out his gloved paw which was bound around the wrist with a rosary that dangled from wooden beads. "It's a gift Tyr gave me. He's big on religion and gave it to me to apparently keep me safe. So far I guess it's working," he smirked to himself and tucked it back under his glove. "See ya at home I suppose. I'll ask Shino, Alkai, and Harbnet to come by on my way back." Kraim sighed quietly but smiled at Kira. "Yeah, see ya." 

Later that evening, Sel and Kraim sat on the couch opposite to Alkai and Harbnet, otter siblings on the other sofa. Alkai, the grey female otter, was happily talking with Shino who laid on the floor in the middle of the group. Kraim turned his head to the side, trying to avoid Harbnet's piercing eyes. Kira, stood in the hallway that separated the living room and bedroom. He sipped his protein shake loudly before speaking. 

"I know I'm not supposed to tell you all but that building that got burned was arson as well." Alkai and Shino stopped talking. Harbnet, the sable colored otter, rolled his dark eyes. 

"Why should we care?" 

Sel clenched his fist but didn't speak. 

"Our house was burned down too... Not entirely sure who did it. It could be the same person," Kraim said in a barely audible tone. Alkai gripped Harbnet's sleeve to which Harbnet responded with a sneer. 

"What can we do about it?" Shino's ears perked up and she tilted her head to one side. 

"Well, the police have looked into the cases and found that the fires were intentional but not who did it. I was thinking we could be like that Scooby-Doo gang and say we have a mystery on our hands." 

"You mean that Dane and those fur-less things pulling heads off of people," Alkai chuckled. "That would be fun. Where do we start?" 

"Remember, this isn't some game. This is an actual issue that could kill someone. A person intentionally burning homes clearly wants to hurt someone," Sel said, this hand still balled up. Alkai nodded vigorously. 

"If the police can't do anything about it, neither can we," Harbnet said with a frown. "Well we can sure try," Shino yipped cheerfully. Harbnet rolled his eyes and crossed his legs, making Sel lurch forward as if he would jump to his feet. 

Kira slurped his whey loudly, drawing the attention back to himself. Sel narrowed his eyes at Harbnet. "If we're going to figure out who did this, we need to work together." 

"Why did you drag me here Al," Harbnet murmured in his sister's ear. Sel stood up with such force, his paws made a thump sound as they connected with the floor. His tail was bushed out and his hackles were rising under his shirt. "You shut your--" Harbnet slammed a fist on the armrest of the couch and stood up, towering over Sel by a few inches and getting nose-to-nose with Sel. "No one cares, Bast!" 

Kira at this point was annoyed with interruptions and roared sending shivers down Sel's spine. Shino covered her ears and Alkai and Kraim copied. When Kira stopped and all was silent, he took another slurp of his protein shake and rattled the straw in the cup for a moment. Sel and Harbnet were still about an inch from making contact. Sel's legs were quivering slightly but he held his ground and sneered in Harbnet's face. Harbnet's expression hadn't changed and his eyes kept steady as though the roar hadn't phased him in the slightest. 

"You two need to stop," Kira said in a reserved manner like he hadn't just let loose. "I'm well aware of your situation and your past experiences but get over it. The past is the past for pancake sake." Harbnet stood up to his full height and half stepped back. That's when Sel did it. He spit right in Harbnet's face.