Two New Stage Wizards

[Jim Roberts]

[Feb 6 evening – The Godcarvers]

After dinner, word spread like wildfire that tonight might be the last
evening that all three Pussycats would be together for at least a little
while. This, of course led to an avid interest in the younger members of
the Cat Mob, and even their Godcarver hosts, for another concert. And
the Pussycats, consummate performers that they were, were only too happy
to oblige. So anticipation mounted as the evening wore on for quite the
concert, and among some, for an Afterparty To Remember.

However, the evening was not yet done with handing out surprises.
Backstage, off in the wings, the wizard couple were busy amongst Val’s
treasured Stage Magic hardware, the older gear now supplemented with
some of Val’s recently found treasures. This activity was, of course,
far from new; the two adventuring wizards had spent quite some time
being tutored by the Pussycat bassist on the care and feeding of her
beloved Stage Magic kit.

What was new, however, was that tonight the two wizards had completed
the setup entirely without supervision. And had even tweaked a few of
the controls in the sea of magically glowing tubes, dials, and knobs so
that some of the all important flickering “meters” were “happier”.

Val was more than a little surprised when she came by to see what the
wizard pair had been up to… and beyond simply pleased. “You two have
actually been listening to me!” the bassist exclaimed happily. “And more
than that… you’ve been studying on your own!”

Mithi nodded. “Yup! Not enough ta get a well payin’ job as a Stage
Wizard, not yet anyways, but Oi reckon it’s enough ta ‘elp out around ‘ere.”

Finfin heartily agreed. “Mithi is showing more of an inherent knack for
it than I,” he admitted. “But yes, we both decided to try better to pull
our own weights around here.”

For an answer, Val pulled both wizards into a fervent hug. A hug that
she then followed up with a forthright kiss with Mithi. One that
threatened to raise the temperature of this midwinter’s night. Finally,
when they came up for air, Val promised, “That’s only an opening for how
I intend to thank you. There’ll be a lot more to follow.”

“Oi’m really lookin’ forward ta that,” Mithi promised.

After one more kiss, Val then turned her attention to Finfin. “I want
YOU to be properly thanked as well, but with Amlach back at home being a
Yelti, he’s got these strange notions that what girls get up to doesn’t
count, somehow. Though he understands that I reserve the right to play
with all of my pals on special occasions.”

“Like Spindrift,” Finfin mused.

“Like Spindrift,” Val agreed. “So I hope you won’t mind if I subcontract
out YOUR reward?”

“Not in the slightest,” the elf replied contentedly.

Turning her attention back to Mithi, Val began, “Right! First chance the
two of you get, here’s what I’d like for you to do….” Standing beside
his apprentice and lover, Finfin’s jaw dropped in amazement. He was
hearing a remarkably detailed, vivid, and athletic series of boudoir
recommendations that would have had them all chased out of more
repressive societies. At best. Initially, he wondered if he really ought
to be hearing all of these details. But eventually he decided that since
they all had him as the quite willing focus of a variety of acts, he was
SUPPOSED to hear what was before him.

Particularly when Tramma and the other Pussycats heard what was afoot,
and gathered around in the stage wing to all contribute their own
suggestions.

“Gimme a moment!” Mithi laughed, reaching for a pad of paper. “Lemme
take notes! An’ it’ll take me a LOT more’n ONE evening ta do all of this!”

“Oh, we’ll help, if you’d like!” was a cheerful chorus.

“Fanks!” Mithi enthused, sharpening her pencil. “Now, start again wif
the whipped cream…?”

Finfin decided that keeping his peace was his smartest course of action,
as he looked forward to a night to remember.

And it was.