[Mkguild] The Harvest Festival (14/20)

[Hallan Mirayas]

-------

 =


   Stealth had run
into Alex and the two of them were sharing a pleasant word with Andre and h=
is
wife, Jenn when a woman and a ferret confronted the cheetah. Stealth didn't
know how to react as there didn't seem to be any indication to what, if
anything, they wanted.

 =


   "Thank you for
all the money," the ferret said.

 =


   "=85money?"
the cheetah asked, confused and a little nervous.

 =


   "We bet on the
game," the woman explained. Realization dawned on the cat. "But not
just on the result, on the way it would come about," she explained.

 =


   "Oh?" he
asked.

 =


   The ferret pointed
directly at the cheetah which made Stealth raise his eye ridge, "I pointed
to YOU, I said 'Hey, if that guy with the spots scores the last try, you ow=
e me
ten garrets.'"

 =


   "OH?!" he
asked, sounding more startled.

 =


   "It's true!"
the woman said. "I had to cover the rest of the wager! That poor merchant=
=85"

 =


   The ferret scoffed.
"A fool and his gold=85"

 =


   "Thank you for
having that much faith in me!" Stealth blurted humbly.

 =


   "You looked
fast. I don't think the fool knew that." He shrugged. "Could have
been faster though."

 =


   Stealth had lost
track of the wolverine's conversation. They were talking to Alex about Jenn=
's
pregnancy and to a small extent, the thought of the gender morph trying the
same.

 =


   "Next time I
will be faster," he answered.

 =


   "Let's go
celebrate with a drink!" Finbar shouted.

 =


-------

 =


   The music stopped
for a few minutes and the dancers dispersed to their seats. Drift and Alexis
slowly made their way to where Caroline and Misha were standing laughing and
giggling as they walked.

 =


   "That Fire
Dance you did earlier was spectacular," Caroline said.

 =


   "It was
certainly different," Misha joked, and he chuckled when Drift looked torn
between embarrassment and pride.

 =


   "I thought the
loincloth was cute," Caroline joked.

 =


   Misha shot the
otter a glare but didn't say anything. She kissed him and caressed his back
lightly to mollify him and reassure him she was only joking.

 =


   After a few more
moments of that, Misha asked, "How did Alexis talk you into wearing that
thing?"

 =


   Drift chuckled. "It
was in the book she gave me, the one that she made up herself. After that, =
it
was just a matter of convincing me to 'go traditional'."

 =


   Alexis polished her
claws on the sleeve of her dress. "And I am very, very good at convincing
and negotiating."

 =


   "So does this
count toward this strange 'dance total' you two have been working toward
tonight?" Caroline asked.

 =


   The dog laughed. "No
but she owes me ten for that one. One for the dance, nine for revealing the
joke in front of all Metamor while I was proposing to her."

 =


   Alexis ducked her
head, abashed, though she couldn't quite hide a hint of a smile. "I'm
sorry, dear. I meant to tell you a bit more discreetly that that." He
right hand came up to fiddle with her pendant, an uncharacteristic hint of
nervousness showing through. She quashed the slip immediately. "You just
surprised me so much that it slipped out. Ten sounds about right."

 =


   Caroline opened her
mouth to say something more but Misha put his hand around her muzzle. "You
don't want to get involved with asking more questions. Some things are best
left unanswered."

 =


   The implications
suddenly hit Drift, and he burst into a flaming red blush. Alexis, who had =
been
watching Drift the entire time, broke out laughing. When she finally calmed
down enough to breathe, she said, "It's not like that. Truly. It's for
dances -here-, not anything more=85" She glanced over at Drift with a small
grin while she paused as if to choose just the right word. "=85Flamboyant.
It's just a little wager for the party, nothing more. Whoever pleads out of
dancing first loses, and has to pay for dinner all next week."

 =


   Caroline and Misha
just nodded slowly in unison. "Sure it does!" the fox said
sarcastically.

 =


   Alexis sniffed her
nose in amusement. "You two go ahead and have your fun, then. As for me=85"
She turned her attention to Drift. "Do you have your wind back yet? Or are
you feeling tired?"

 =


   Drift got back to
his feet. "Not likely. Your turn. Five in a row, or until the band takes a
break."

 =


   Alexis gave a
defiant toss of her head, coupled with a roguish grin. "Bah. You call that
a challenge? Done."

 =


   "Don't you
ever get tired?" Caroline asked.

 =


   "No rest for
the wicked, Caroline," Alexis answered with a wink. Off they went again,
straight into a Sathamoran jig. A wild and fast dance =96 just Alexis's sty=
le.

 =


   "Bat, not bat,
bad, not bad."

 =


   Both turned to the
sound and found Madog sitting on the table next to them nibbling on a spoon.

 =


   "Madog,"
Misha said to the automaton fox. "What did you say?"

 =


   "Bat, not bat,
bad, not bad," Madog repeated casually as he devoured the last of the
spoon.

 =


   "What does
that mean?" Caroline asked. She had long ago gotten used to the metal fox
appearing and disappearing at will but what he said bothered her.

 =


   "I'm not sure,"
Misha answered honestly as he looked at Drift and Alexis dance. "I wish I
did."

 =


-------

 =


   "You're a fine
dancer."

 =


   "Why, thank
you, Misha," Alexis said, weaving through an intricate pirouette under
Misha's raised hand. "I've had years of practice. You're not bad at this
yourself, you know."

 =


   "Alexis, there's
something I've been meaning to ask you," Misha said as he stepped around
her, tail swishing in time to the music, before leading her into the next s=
et
of steps. "You and Drift seem to get along so well together=85 Why such a
long pause when he asked you to marry him?"

 =


   The fox-bat missed
a step, looking uncomfortable, her gaze evading Misha's. "I=85 Drift is=85"
She searched for the right words. "I just never really expected things to
turn out this way," she said finally. "I've never had that happen
before."

 =


   Misha nodded his
head and laughed. "Love sort of blind-sided you didn't it? Just like it
did me."

 =


   "I've been
proposed to before, but never like this. I've never=85" She trailed away
again, brow furrowed with uncertainty.

 =


   "Never what?"
the fox asked. "If you can't describe how you feel - then that must be
true love."

 =


  Alexis went quiet
and pensive for some time after that, and Drift gave Misha a quizzical look
when they exchanged partners at the end of the dance.

 =


   "What did you
two talk about?" the otter asked as she and Misha came together. "She
looks troubled."

 =


   "She IS
troubled," Misha answered. "She's in love and doesn't know it."
He watched as Drift stroked his fingers over Alexis' cheek and said somethi=
ng
to her that made her smile, and she nodded in thankful reply.

 =


   Caroline nodded,
kissing her fox on the nose, too. "She'll figure it out. We certainly did."

 =


-------

 =


   "This party is
getting too quiet," Misha announced suddenly. He was seated at one of the
large tables with many of the Long Scouts around him.

 =


   "Definitely
too quiet," Arla added.

 =


   "Uh oh!"
Lisa said earnestly as she hunkered down lower in her chair.

 =


   "Well,"
Misha asked. "What are we going to do about that?"

 =


   Finbar nodded. "We
could-"

 =


   "No hedgehogs,"
Caroline ordered loudly.

 =


   "But-"
Meredith added.

 =


   "NO!" the
otter repeated, shaking her head.

 =


   "Drat!"
the ferret said. "Then what can we do?" He and Alexis looked toward
Drift at the same time and smiled. "Hmmm=85"

 =


   "No,"
Drift said adamantly. "Not even if you paid me." He looked from
person to person, all around the group. "No. No. No. No. No."

 =


   He rounded again on
Alexis just as she was winding up for her ultimate. "Not even for Puppy
Eyes, Alex." She deflated into a pout.

 =


   Caroline laughed. "He's
got you figured out."

 =


   Misha reached to
the center of the table where a large platter filled with various baked ite=
ms
rested. He picked up a roll and put it back. "Too light." Next the
fox picked up a muffin. "Now THIS is just right," he said and held it
aloft.

 =


   "Just right
for what?" Arla asked.

 =


   "THIS!"
Misha shouted and tossed the muffin high into the air.

 =


   They all watched as
the muffin arced high into the air and then slowly descended to land with a
loud plop into a bowl of punch.

 =


   "SCORE!"
the fox announced loudly as he pumped his arms in delight.

 =


   "I have a
better idea!" Meredith announced.






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