Autumn Party 13

"They have figured out that people, and even livestock guarded by people, are off-limits as prey. But some seem to think that means people are of their kind. Considering the size, cubs all." He didn't get too close, because he didn't want the same treatment.

Nico couldn't get away from the cat, who kept pulling her back, but managed to squirm until she could climb on its back. Knowing the first "cub" safe, it turned the attention to the monk.

"Well, in that case, my pretty," said the monk and inched closer to the cat, "give us a kiss?"

The cat got up, bent over, picked him up by the back of his habit, and carried him back to the nest behind the partition.

Nico said, "Have the honour of introducing: Sebastian, this is Lucky. Lucky, Sebastian, not that you can pronounce that..."

The back part of the room also featured a big, currently barred passage to the stairs that led down into the temporary greenhouse. The "missing" servants were sitting on the stairs, grinning. Some waved at Sebastian.

On Basaltine's first two attempts at speech, nothing came out but air. "I scared it off," he wheezed eventually. "But now we gotta rescue the cultist!"

"You clever bastards." The faux monk gave the servants a thumbs up. "I should have known."

Ebani told the dog, "Oh, he'll be fine. Maybe a bit slobbery and covered in shed hair, and maybe accidentally scratched a bit, but that's all part of the fun."

"He did ask for it," Sylvie pointed out, after taking off her blue-and gold mask. She was rather amused.

Kinta had meanwhile opened the door of a cabinet in the lab, and held it open for her. While the trio went through a very narrow corridor around the cat's temporary home to join the crew, Nico's companion went back to the lab. "Do you two need help?"

"Good to know someone did not know all along," one of the servants answered the... praise, probably, "or it would have been rather pointless."

Lucky lay down again and started licking the half-elf with a towel-sized tongue, smothering him between her front legs.

"Why you volunteered for that, I don't know," Nico commented, rubbing the reddened side of her face.

"Ooh, that's pretty rough," said Sebastian, leaning his hood toward the tongue. A bit of his pale skin was just as reddened as Nico's. Then he grinned, reaching a hand under Lucky's chin to scritch. "But Nico, dear, I've dealt with worse," the half-elf continued and chanced a glance toward the other watchers. The sight of Sylvie got another grin out of him.

In the lab, however, Serpentine blinked at the question. "I'm fine," he said, rubbing his nose at the myriad of smells. "Just need air." He was trying to ignore Lamia.

"If you give a kitty an inch it'll walk all over you," Basaltine said. He peered round the partition and caught sight of Lucky and its 'kitten'. "Dammit! See what I'm saying?"

Then something else occurred to him. Monk. Kitten. Kitten monk. "Mmmhmmhmmhahaha."

"I think we vanquished this wall," Lamia said, terribly wisely.

"Back to the hall? If there's a way out of that room" - he nodded in direction of the general party - "a big, clingy cat's in the way."

Meanwhile the other two demons unmasked, revealing the faces of a grinning goblin and a smiling, but somewhat tired-looking young man.

Nico asked Sebastian chuckling, "Been burned on a pyre, now gladly jumping into a regular fireplace?" As Lucky started purring - it sounded somewhat like drawn-out thunder - Nico continued to the watching crew, "I'd rather get away, could you open that fence and let me slip out, please?"

"We wanted to keep her in here until Sylvie had disarmed at least the bigger of her plant-traps down there." The servant pointed a thumb in the general direction of down the vine-chocked staircase.

"Oh," Serpentine said and looked back at where he had been stuck just a moment ago. He seemed a little disappointed -- and then turned around and started walking toward the partition.

"Her plant-traps?" Sebastian said quite loud and continued scritching. He seemed to be barely containing his amusement at the level of a wide grin, managing it somehow. He shook the hood off, revealing that he had braided most of his hair as well. In addition to the two braids at the sides he had gathered the rest in a setup partial rows. The braids ended in brown ribbons at around jaw level. "Crafty, dear."

Lucky flicked her ears when Sebastian got loud, but enjoyed the scritching and tilted back her head. Nico decided to use her distraction to slide off her back and snuck back towards the lab, giving Basaltine and Serpentine a goofy grin in passing.

Sylvie sketched a bow, enjoying the praise, but said, "Only the detail work, really. More or less everyone else found, ah, interesting raw material to work with." She had to cough, then started to turn. "I'll take care of things, and then I'm going to get something to drink.

"And have another look at those books. I have no idea how you managed that, Grey, but it was very impressive." The former black demon shrugged and spread his arms, a bit embarrassed about the praise, but grinning nevertheless, and she was off. Little red made a quite good attemtp at melding into the background.

Serpentine, not really understanding much of the conversation (he hadn't bothered paying attention), grimaced annoyedly and pushed his way into the room.

Sebastian swallowed whatever it was he had been about to say and, never stopping the scritching, directed a wide-eyed stare at Serpentine.

The winged person blinked once at the sight.

Then he pointed and laughed.

"Very funny," said Sebastian.

"It bloomin' is," Basaltine said. "Shall we fetch you a ball of silk yarn to play with?"

Lamia had been considering waiting for a chance to pet the giant kitty, but for now she followed the suggestion of the man in black and wandered back down towards the hall.

He and Nico, in turn, followed her.

Lucky, pricking her ears and swishing her tail one, got up in a quick movement and put herself between Sebastian and Serpentine. She took a step forward and stretched her neck to have a close-up look (and sniff) of Serpentine.

That cut the laughter short. Instead Serpentine found himself quite confused. "Usually they attack right away," he muttered, staring at the cat straight into the eyes. He grinned nervously.

Sebastian, on the other hand, got up and walked past Lucky and Serpentine. "Have fun," he said. "She likes scritches."

"It won't dare try anything with two of us here," Basaltine said, with a smirk in Sebastian's direction when the halfie passed him.

Lucky almost lazily swept a huge paw, toppling over both Sebastian and Serpentine. She picked up Sebastian and put him back in her nest. Not entirely sure how to grab the winged one, she tried to herd him home by getting between him and the entrance of the room.

The huge paw passed over Basaltine's head. This was met with an "Oh sh-" before it was obvious the swipe wasn't aimed at him.

The dog addressed Lucky. "Look here, fuzzy, those aren't your dollies and this ain't your tea party."

Lucky turned around, standing between Sebastian and Serpentine on one side, and Basaltine on the other. While she was trying to puzzle out the dog, someone of the crew outside quickly and quietly opened the gate partially and waved the two "kittens" to get out.

---

Nico stretched at the foot of the stairs, again in a thoroughly cheerful mood, and declared, "I don't mind telling you, I'm glad it was all pretense. The bitemarks had me worried."

"Hm. Maybe you should have told them." Daaren meant the people who had gone to all the trouble.

"Job well done, eh?" She tilted her head. "Yes, I should. I hope they'll get back here."

She made for the table to get a tray and some glasses, and contents for the latter, meanwhile asking Lamia chipperly, "You never thought it wasn't a show, did you?"

"If the invitation hadn't said 'Laima Fodderer is invited to a horror-themed seasonal party - come in costume', perhaps," the snakish one replied, with a nod to Thiggie and Mhelarn, who had been casting curious looks in an upward direction.

"Giant cat. Ate some guests," she told the troll with sweet succinctness.

"I see," Thiggie said. What else was there to say?