14-The Darkest Cupid 3 and 4

The Darkest Cupid (Part Three)

Another Saturday Night at the Chez Weewoo, and our efforts at helping Balthazar find himself a lady friend by Valentine’s Day were slowly beginning to show results. Nimras had brought in Jeran to offer his own advice on Lupish Kewl, and had gone along with Jhudora and myself to take the big Lupe shopping to improve his wardrobe. Jeran and I were already out on the dance floor in our stylish powder blue leisure suits.

“So, can you tell us apart?” I asked Jhudora.

She glanced at us skeptically. “You look like Jeran and his father.”

Balthazar finally appeared in his own powder blue leisure suit, one several sizes larger than our own. He seemed unable to decide if he should be pleased with his new look. “Is this going to work, looking like back-up singers in a 50's group?”

“Jhudora says that every girl loves a singer,” I answered. “Of course, she lived through the 50's.”

“She’s lived through the 50's from any number of centuries,” he remarked quietly.

“I heard that!” Jhudora snapped, then turned to Nimras. “Ready for Stage Two.”

Nim stepped out to the front of the dance floor. “Tonight we have a special treat. Appearing at the Chez Weewoo for the first time, Jhudora and the Lupe-tones!”

The music of a really bygone era began to play as Jhudora struck a seductive pose. Standing in a line behind her, Jeran, Balthazar and I began a slow, shuffling dance step.

Lupe-tones: Doo-wop! Shoobee doobee doo-wop! Doo-wop! Shoobee doo-wop!

Jhudora: In the eerie light of a Dark Faerie Moon
Each Lupe and his Lady howl a mournful tune
After dining on Chias and Borovan
They sing in the darkness as only Lupes can
Under a Dark Faerie Moon.

Lupe-tones: Doo-wop! Shoobee doobee doo-wop! Doo-wop! Shoobee doo-wop!

Jhudora: The dark of the night echoes with howls and wails
As the Lupes and the Lupesses wag their tails
Under a Dark Faerie Moon.

Lupe-tones: Shoobee dee doobee doo-doo, doo-wah!



The Darkest Cupid (Part Four)

Another Saturday Night at the Chez Weewoo and Balthazar was finally beginning to show some improvement. Now it was time to refine his social skills if he was ever going to snag a Lady Friend, and tonight was reserved for dancing lessons. Disco, of course.

“You don’t happen to know how to dance?” I asked as Balthazar stepped out onto the dance floor.

Balthazar’s response was to engage in a furious flurry of Irish Step Dancing, an amazing sight for such a towering Lupe in a powder blue leisure suit. And all the more considering that he wasn’t wearing shoes.

“Well, that’s encouraging.” I struggled to know what to think. “Disco and Step Dancing are actually very much alike, except that Disco has more posturing and less stomping. Other than that. . .you do both standing up.”

“Did you show him Saturday Night Fever?” Jeran asked.

“No, I couldn’t find a copy,” I admitted. “Alex did have An Extremely Goofy Movie.”

We assumed the classic John Travolta pose. How is it that Word Perfect doesn’t have Travolta in its spell checker when it has the Sun Goddess Amaterasu? And why do things like that go through your mind while you’re waiting for the music to start?

“Alex?” Jeran asked. “Do you suppose he has Cats Don’t Dance?”

“You would have to ask him,” I replied.

The music of a bygone era began, and Balthazar proved to be very good at copying our moves. But fate conspired to remind me that I was getting a little old for this. There was a loud snap and a feeling of something like a ferret running under the hide of my back, followed by that brief moment when I knew that I was about to howl in horrible searing pain.

Then I howled in horrible searing pain. Birds flew out of trees. Werelupes howled in the Haunted Woods. The Snowager awoke with a start. In the garden outside Fyora’s palace, the stone statue of the Darkest Faerie snickered in a most rude and disrespectful manner.

And in the Guild Kitchen, a Mango Meepit’s head emerged from a cookie jar. “Huh?”