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[This is a joint post written by Dana, David, and Katrina.]

[Day 13 - during the party]

[snip of David's post]

The tantalizing smell that made Selene's snout twitch was her beloved
molasses, which she'd first discovered on a bowl of her rider's oatmeal
one glorious morning.

As she lumbered forward, one of the humans cried out and fled.  *Let him
run,* she thought, scenting the air.  *The good one is right here!*
With that, she reached out and picked up G'ret in her mouth by the seat
of his pants and carried him off.

[end snip]

Looking warily from one side to another, Selene darted across the green
away from the warren to enjoy her snack without interruption -
especially from Doshayne or Varaenna.  This tasty morsel was hers - and
she was not surrendering it to anyone.

G'ret howled in outrage, but then shut his mouth abruptly.  He sure
didn't want anyone coming and seeing him like this.  He craned around to
swat the damn beast on the snout.  "Let go of me, you!"

G'ret's blow was no more than a fly bite on her solid hide, which she
easily ignored, continuing to carry him further into the shadows.
Finally when she was satisfied that they were well-enough hidden, she
hunkered down to savor the most delicious taste of this
molasses-sweetened human.

G'ret squirmed, half in revulsion at being licked by a huge dragon
tongue and half in ticklish response.  "Dammit, I said to let go of me!"
he hollered, smacking her once more across the snout.  Selene failed to
respond and continued coating him with her slurping.  "Eeww, now look
what you've done, you overgrown lizard.  Ow, leggo!"

When every inch of G'ret's body had been thoroughly coated with dragon
slobber more times than once, Selene finally released him, licking her
snout to lap up the residual flavor.

G'ret rose shakily to his feet, dripping and somewhat scratched by the
enthusiasm of Selene's sandpaper-like tongue.  He was gooey, achy, and
above all else humiliated.  Swallowing hard on tears of mingled
frustration and anger, he swung a fierce kick at Selene and growled,
"You and your rider are going to pay for this - and that little runt
that put you up to it.  I promise!"

Hmm, she didn't recall the human's hair looking quite so...stiff.  Or
so...patchy.  And his hide seemed rather redder as he passed through an
arc of lantern light on his way back to the warren.  Oh, well, she
mentally shrugged it off.  He certainly had been delectable.

G'ret headed straight for the dining hall.  Dammit, Lainie was going to
pay for what her dragon had done to him!  He stopped short as a footfall
made a squelching sound.  He looked down at himself in disgust.  He
couldn't let anyone see him like this!  <I need you, Seroth.  Come here
and fly me up to our apartment.>

<OK,> came the amiable response.  Seroth hurried to his rider's side,
vaguely wondering what the fuss was about - and what G'ret had been
doing to get all wet.  Must have gone swimming.  Stupid to wear his
clothes though.  The orange beast settled on the ledge, his mind gone
blissfully blank.

****

Lainie was bored stiff.  After the initial amusement of playing a
streetrat had worn off, she had begun to miss the opportunity to flirt
as much as she ordinarily did at parties.  Her bedraggled appearance
didn't garner the usual admiring glances she was accustomed to
receiving.  Trudging over to the food tables, a familiar yet unexpected
aroma wafted toward her.  Molasses?  At a party?

Seeking the source of the aroma, she traced it to a young man with a
serving tray.  Devon, if she wasn't mistaken.  Wasn't he supposed to be
under house-arrest?  Well, perhaps with everyone in the warren at the
party, they'd been short-handed enough to need even his services.

The tray in his grasp held an array of enticing delicacies that Lainie
simply couldn't pass up.  "Can I have one of them?" she asked with a
pert smile, a smile that was not at all in character for the streetrat
she was supposed to be portraying, a smile that went to the heart of the
fiery woman she was inside.

Devon frowned as he held up the tray for her, seeming not at all sure
what to make of the waif standing beside him.  "Of course, take as many
as you like."

She reached out and placed several hors d'oeuvres on the palm of her
hand, popping another delicately into her mouth.  "Mmm, absolutely
delicious," she pronounced, deciding the adjective applied equally to
the young man at her side.  Suddenly an idea of a like flavor took root
in her mind, and she smiled wickedly in response to it.

Devon's answering smile was only a brief flash, gone almost before it
had formed.  Lines of pain were etched on his brow, and Lainie found
herself longing to soothe them.  She had heard bits and pieces of his
past through the warren grapevine, of the loss that had led to his
current straits.  Now that he was no longer able to try to drown his
troubles in a bottle, perhaps she could offer him somewhere else to ease
them, if only temporarily.

Her afternoon with Gus during the mating flight had lit fires that
burned hotter than she'd imagined they could and left behind embers that
had continued to smolder and now needed to be quenched.  As her thirst
for a further taste of that heady treat had built, she now sought to
take a deeper swallow to slake it.  Devon seemed a likely source of
satiation for her need, just as she intended to serve him as well
herself.

Catching him off-guard with the suddenness of her act, she took the tray
from him, placing it amidst the others on the table and then taking his
now empty hand in her own.  "Tasty as that food is, you look like you
could use somethin' more...substantial to satisfy you.  I think I got
whatcha need."  She met his surprised gaze steadily.

"And what's that?" he wondered in a gruff tone of voice.  "What could a
rough urchin like you offer me?"

"With no mam or da to keep me, I hadda take to the streets.  It ain't
safe to walk around as yerself, else some folks'll be takin' yer wares
without payin' for ^„em."  The further Lainie got into her tale, the more
she took on the role, her language and posture resembling more and more
the streetrat she portrayed.  "But I ain't everythin' I seem, deary.  If
you care to take a closer look, you just might like whatcha find
underneath."  She leaned in close, letting him take in the sweet scent
of her skin, the soft line of her jaw, the way the fabric of her shirt
clung to the delicate curves that even Gus's snug binding had been
unable to disguise.

Devon's eyes opened wide, his nostrils flaring as realization struck.
But as he stared, he shook his head.

"It's all right, it's not as though I'd be takin' her place or
anythin'," Lainie seemed to read his mind.  "I'm just offerin' to spend
a little time with you, ease some of yer pain."  While he seemed frozen,
she stroked smooth fingertips across his creased brow, running them down
along his jawline and over his bottom lip.  When her mouth replaced her
finger, moving warmly over his, his hands seemed of their own volition
to come up to encircle her waist.  "Is that a ^„yes'?" she asked a little
breathlessly when she finally broke the kiss.

At his nod, Lainie took his hand, heading across to the dining hall
toward the exit.  In the tight press of people filling the hall, Lainie
found she had to release her hold on Devon in order to navigate her way
through the crowd.  Finally reaching the other side, Lainie tossed a
glance back over her shoulder, coyly waiting for the young man to catch
up with her in the doorway.  Then, smiling flirtatiously, she strolled
out into the semi-darkness, arms swinging loosely at her side until her
hand was caught in a warm grasp.

****

G'ret showered and changed quickly, his mind afire with the desire for
revenge.  When he stopped in front of the mirror to comb his hair, that
desire multiplied.  His hair had come out in patches, worn away by the
beast's rough tongue.  Damn! That little streetrat and his partner in
crime were going to pay for this.  He vaulted onto Seroth and swooped
down to the green.

He had just dismounted when he saw a streetrat leave the dining hall,
arms swinging loose.  With a savage grin, G'ret strode forward, prepared
to do battle.

Turning with a sultry smile, Lainie's eyes didn't meet the ones she'd
thought to see gazing warmly into her own, instead she found G'ret - at
least she thought that mangled bit of humanity was G'ret - staring
fiercely at her.  "G'ret?" she queried.  "What in the Lands happened to
you?"

G'ret rocked back on his heels, startled by the voice he'd heard.  This
wasn't the streetrat then, this was a girl. "I had....um...never mind.
Do you know where I can find either Lainie or Gus?"

"I might be able to tell you that...," she broke off, knitting her brow
as she wondered what G'ret could want with her or her partner, "...if
you can tell me why you need them."

G'ret flushed - making the raw redness of his skin turn a truly
interesting color.  "I...have to talk to them.  Selene is...eating
things she shouldn't...yeah, and I thought I'd warn them."  G'ret nodded
feverishly to back-up his story.

"Selene is always eating things she shouldn't."  Lainie sighed.  "What's
she gotten into *this* time?"

"Me," snarled G'ret, grabbing Lainie by the arm.  "Aha!  Found one of
you at least!  You are going to pay, dammit!"

"You?"  Lainie looked G'ret over from top to bottom and back again,
taking in the abraded skin and visible patches of scalp.  "Selene tried
to eat *you*?"  She chuckled merrily.  "I always knew she had strange
tastes."

G'ret grip tightened reflexively on Lainie's arm.  "Laugh, will you?
Dammit, you and that streetrat of yours are going to suffer for this."

****

T'drim needed air.  Even pretending that he was not himself, while it
helped, did not hold is aversion to other people at bay.  The young man
made his way slowly toward the door, out onto the Green.

As his eyes quickly adjusted to the night, which was somewhat dimmer
than the hall he'd just left, he spotted a ragged boy being accosted
by...could that be G'ret?!?  The bemasked man ran to investigate.

Upon closer inspection Tad was sure that it *was* his enemy...much the
worse for wear, it would seem.  The man chuckled to himself before
turning to face the problem at hand.  "Unhand him!  Leave him alone,
G'ret!" he commanded, deepening his voice in an attempt to mask who he
was.

G'ret spun around, before glaring at the masked figure behind him.
"Her, you idiot.  And butt out, this is none of your business."

"It's everybody's business when you go around grabbing and threatening
people," Lainie retorted.  "I'm sorry if Selene was rough on you," no,
I'm not really, she corrected mentally, "but she must have had a
reason.  She doesn't normally go after humans.  She prefers coal...and
molasses...."  A light seemed to flare inside Lainie's head as she
connected the seemingly disparate events of the evening.  "I just wonder
who was responsible...," she pondered in a soft voice.

T'drim's smile was hidden behind his mask...until the girl's query wiped
it from his face.  Trying to change the subject, he replied, "Now *that*
isn't any of my business.  But you'd best let go of her, G'ret, if you
value the rest of your hair."

G'ret flushed angrily at the reminder of the damage done and swore.
Without further warning he swung viciously at the shorter man, landing a
solid blow to his jaw.  With a bellow of mingled rage and triumph, G'ret
cocked his fist to level another blow at his masked opponent.

Tad stumbled back, the punch taking him totally by surprise.  As he
regained his composure he noticed that G'ret was getting set to throw
another punch.  More importantly, he realized that his mask was askew,
and in danger of falling off.  Quickly slipping a hand into his belt, he
brought out a fistful of a soap-like compound and flung it into his
opponent's wide-open eyes.  As the boy cried out and clutched at his
face, T'drim used the opportunity to tighten the ties of his mask, and
to re-gather is waning courage.

Lainie quickly moved to her would-be rescuer's side, intending to put up
a united front against that bully and hopefully discourage him from
further attacks on either of them.  "Get out of here, G'ret," she
ordered, "or I'll convince Selene that she's not finished with you
yet."  Actually, that's not a bad idea, anyway, she decided.  {{We could
use you over here by the dining hall, love,}} she summoned.  {{That
human you were after has some spots you missed.}}  She chuckled merrily
to herself.

G'ret scowled at Lainie, but backed up a step.  "You just wait.  That
monster of yours is gonna get it when I tell Tara what happened!  You,
too!"  His eyes darted left and right, looking for the yellow dragon.
This was too much, he needed a drink.  First the girl in the blue dress
dumps him for that pansy nobleman and then Selene....eurgh!  He backed
up another step, glancing toward the dining hall.  If he kept to the
shadows, no one would notice what had happened to him, surely.

As G'ret disappeared from sight, Lainie turned to the young man - at
least she thought from his voice he was young...and maybe she just ought
to find out.  "Thanks for your help handling G'ret."  She frowned
slightly.  "But I'm sorry he hit you."  Before he could react, she
reached out and slipped the mask aside, planting a gentle kiss where
G'ret's fist had made contact.

The young man froze as the apparent streetrat's hand moved to his mask,
moving it just enough to plant a kiss on his face where the punch had
landed.  Inside the mask, his face beaded with sweat and his eyes got
very wide.

"Uhhh...Thanks...I mean...It was my pleasure...I...Uhhhh," he rambled.
Finding no way to improve the situation, he spun on his heel and dashed
back to the relative safety of the dance, his cape flying out behind
him.

Lainie stared at his retreating back and the empty doorway as he
disappeared into the crowd within, wondering just what had become of
Devon.  He'd seemed interested enough as they'd headed out.  She made a
moue of disappointment.


****

Devon had been right behind Lainie when suddenly Ed'wen grabbed a hold
of his arm.  "And just where do you think you're going?" the wing-second
demanded.

"Just out for some fresh air," Devon replied brusquely, yanking his arm
out of Ed'wen's grip.

"And to find a dark hole to crawl in with a bottle?" the younger man
sneered.  "You're not going anywhere."

"I've been doing everything you people expect of me.  I've been stuck in
my apartment, staying sober, and waiting on everyone else at this
party.  I just wanted to get out for a little while.  I can't believe
you're having a problem with that," Devon retorted hotly.

"You've proven in the past that you can't be trusted," Ed'wen began,
only to whip around, his back to Devon, in response to a sudden hard
slap on his posterior.

While Ed'wen was distracted by the feisty little woman in white, Devon
slipped into the crowd.

****

Deciding that Devon was a lost cause, Lainie returned to the party.  The
private party she was planning to have would have been a lot more fun,
she thought.  Well, maybe there was someone else here who would appeal
to her as much.

After a couple more dances and a stroll past the food tables again,
Lainie had had enough.  With everyone in costume, it was nearly
impossible to tell what the wearer was like.  It would be just her luck
to wind up with someone slimy, like G'ret, who fortunately was no longer
even a remote prospect.  Deciding to take a drink down to the beach and
watch the surf roll in for a while, she headed out the door - and
straight into Devon.

"There you are!  I've been looking for you out there."  Devon indicated
the dimness behind him.  "I'd given up on finding you."

Lainie smiled brightly.  "And I've been looking for you in here.  What
kept you?"

"That damned wingsecond and his holier-than-thou attitude.  I've had
more than I can take of him."  Devon made a face in the general
direction of where Ed'wen had last stood.

Lainie bit the inside of her lip to keep from defending her brother.
After all, he could be difficult...and she really didn't want to spoil
things at the moment.  Instead, she let her smile slide into an intent
look that spoke for itself.

Devon responded by taking her hand and leading her out into the cool
night air.


[TAG, KRIS!  Have fun with them! :-)]

****


Submitted by:

Dana Zuhlke, aka Lainie, Selene, and Ed'wen

and

David Hoover, aka T'drim

and

Katrina Gischer, aka G'ret and Seroth

Jasra Warren

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