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| A few minutes later Kitty, Ubergard, Cheetah and Udaran were lounging in the hot tub.

"It was hard," Udaran was explaining to Kitty, "to accept that Cheetah had become more popular than me in the magazine honestly. So I was already poised to go off on her." ac Cheetah nuzzled her lover. "Maybe so, but it was a stupid thing to say too. But we've made up."

Udaran nodded, smiling back. "Oh yes! Certainly!"

"Well that's great! Very glad to hear it. On another subject, where's Blue? I haven't seen her yet." | | | "Oh! Didn't you know? She's gone off with H recruiting!"

"Blue? I thought she was practically a recluse!" exclaimed Kitty, incredulously.

"Ever since we came back from finding Shabhira and told her about our adventure, she's been itching to go on an adventure too. Though I expect nothing as dangerous as ours."

"Well, you never know. In Skyrim danger can find you anywhere it seems!" Kitty replied, looking at Ubergard.

Ubergard was not looking at Kitty when she replied, "Speaking of which..." | | | Kitty turned to follow Ubergard's gaze and saw Muz-Ra, approaching in her new outfit... | | | "Red? Is that you?"

Muz-Ra looked down at herself. "It's me all right." Then she looked sheepishly up at the others.

"What do you think? Is it too awful?"

It was Udaran that first found the words. "Muz-Ra," she started out, purposefully using her proper name instead of the nickname, "you are beautiful."

Kitty could only nod in assent. | | | "You don't think the circlet is too much?" asked Muz-Ra uncertainly.

"Absolutely not!" replied Cheetah.

"Wouldn't you just know it? I walk around for years practically naked to the world and get nothing. Then, one day I actually_cover_ myself and suddenly I'm beautiful. What the fuck?"

Yet despite her words, it was obvious that the Red Argonian was delighted. | | | "Are you actually_blushing_ Red?! I didn't think that was possible!" Kitty laughed.

"I guess that's backwards too, huh? Most females blush when they're exposed. I get all embarrassed when I'm NOT exposed."

"Well, we can't have that - wanna take that off for a few minutes and join us?" asked Udaran.

"Ok, but I have to be careful with it. Still, some time in a bath would be nice. All right, make room for a fifth!" | | | "So, what time is this dinner anyway?" asked Kitty, rubbing Muz-Ra's shoulders.

"The invitation said 8 pm, so just a little after dark I guess."

A voice spoke, unexpectedly approaching from the stairs.

"Surely you're not planning to arrive when the dinner_starts_ are you?!"

"Bhusaran!" all five shouted.

"Think you have room for one more in there?" | | | "If not, you can sit on my lap!" Cheetah cried hopefully.

"Hey, you're taken!" Udaran snapped.

"Sit here by me," Red offered. "What brings you to the hot tub Bhusaran? No offense intended, but you don't really hang out with the lowlifes up here often."

Bhusaran gingerly lowered herself into the warm bubbling water, pausing at certain strategic points to let her body acclimate itself to the temperature. "AHH! Oh!... oh.. whew. What's that? Oh. No, admittedly I don't. But you, Kitty and Ubergard are no longer working for us, and Udaran and Cheetah are our top Khajiits. You're hardly qualified as 'lowlifes' now! But it's my business to know all I can about what goes on at Dragonsreach..." | | | "Ok, but this just stays between us right? It's a kind of sensitive matter."

"I can only speak for myself - and H of course when he returns - but certainly!"

Udaran and Cheetah nodded too.

"Well - and Kitty and Ubergard can back me up on this - the Jarl_likes_ me. I think he wants to get... well, more serious."

"I see. He has been widowed for quite some time. And as far as I know, he's not romantically involved with anyone - not even Irileth. Celebacy for that long isn't healthy," Bhusaran conjectured. Then she caught Ubergard's gaze and added, "...for most anyway." | | | Muz-Ra shrugged, "well on that we are in agreement."

"So, are you planning to move forward as well?"

"Bhusaran, you surely know me well enough by now. Of course I am! Unless something goes terribly wrong, I expect to have him tonight!"

"Well then, you definitely_don't_ want to show up at 8 then. Keep him waiting at least till 9. Let him get it into his head that you may not show up. A Jarl's personality is inherently arrogant. Ours is a good one, fortunately. But when everyone you meet all day is always begging, entreating or scheming, it's hard not to assume that's the attitude of all the world. You want to break that mold. Let him consider that for just a bit."

Muz-Ra nodded, wide eyed and drinking it all in. | |