I've always thought Mandy was gorgeous; I'm pretty helpless there. Skin like coffee with lots of cream, adorably plump and short, sparkling eyes with an Asian cast. Freckles. Heh heh. Her hair, black and shining, was always up in two pigtails, above and behind her ears.

But tonight? Holy mackerel. She'd been made over, much like I had. Her gown was woven from thin blades of gold. Real gold? I wouldn't put it past any of the guys; gold was probably lying around all over the place in the Slice. She looked like a movie version of Cleopatra; mixed with the gold and white cloth. The skirt was short, showing off those … those thighs. Those thighs.

Some of the gold was actually painted on her skin, her chunky bare arms, that round belly with its fascinating navel…forming Runes that did I have no idea what, and a little even dusted on her face, on her apple cheeks.

"Oh my god," I said. "I ain't worthy of this, Mandy."

"That's what Gary said." She was blushing like a strawberry. I realized I hadn't actually seen her since she'd gone in to that healing contraption. "I ah…I owe you an apology, I think. I was a little nuts when I got out of the tank."

"Violation of procedure," said Cassie.

I nodded, saying nothing. My eyes were wide, and I was blushing as well. "I'm…glad to see you again."

"Me too. C'mere," and held her arms open for an embrace. She grinned that little grin, the one that made me want to rob a bank for her.

I stepped forward, but was stopped by a chorus of yapping and barking from the Cazadores present. "Do it!" screamed Husband. "Owen do it like I showed you!"

"Of course, what was I thinking." I held up a finger to all the observers, and I realized there were many. My own fault for making this a public thing.

I bowed low, not low enough to touch the ground with my neck, the way Husband had, but pretty low. I spread my arms like a ballet dancer, slowly flapping them. I raised my eyes, made eye contact with my target, who was watching open-mouthed.

I spun, holding her eye until I had to spin around at the last moment, then grabbing it again. I froze in place. Then, quickly, pressed a button on the side of my head.

Two triangular paper ears, reinforced by delicate wire, popped from my hair, then with a whir began flagging wildly up and down.

The Cazadores gathered around Husband, hopping over one another to get into position. Then they all locked in, intently staring at Mandy. I looked around; Gary was watching, and Art Deco was sitting stolidly in place; I felt his alien gaze on us, though. Armand, smirking next to a stunned Cassie, shot me finger-guns.

Mandy laughed and applauded my dance like a kid, her hands close together. She came forward and we hugged. Kissed. Her hands, her lips, so warm. Warm.

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Success. The Cazadores present screamed approval, leaping and running around our feet, howling and yapping.

We went to get a plate from the grill. The Humans were trickling in, and they congratulated Mandy on her dress, and looking so healthy and golden and cute. I even got some comments on my outfit, which were more confused than complimentary.

Mandy motioned for me to lean down. "You smell awful," she whispered.

"I know, don't say anything."

"This is the first shirt I've seen you wear in forever. Why is it metal?"

"Your outfit has metal."

"Mine's overpriced expensive ridiculous metal. Yours…what is this?" She scratched at it.

"Plates of steel and ceramic. See the tank on the back?"

"No, what…a gas canister?"

"Yeah, it's a smoke bomb. I can deploy it for when you try to kill me, right? Then I run away in the confusion."

"Good to have a backup plan." Mandy grinned, stroking my hair, feeling the band that held my paper ears. "These are perfect."

I placed them just ahead of her pigtails, showed her how to trigger the crucial ear flapping. She was, of course, adorable in them.

Cassie charged up, raised her megaphone and boomed at us: "YOU LIKE HIS OUTFIT?"

Mandy hugged Cassie, lifting her. But she didn't have her normal absurd strength. This was Human Mandy. I had to get used to the idea.

"SHOWTIME IN TEN, PEOPLE!" shouted Cassie through her megaphone. The audience, mostly Human by now, took its places on their lawn blankets.

"Owen, help." It was Ezra. "I need help carrying this, sorry to interrupt your date, help help help."

"No problem, amigo."

"Me too," said Mandy. We followed Ezra behind the wooden stage, beneath a tall tree. He grabbed an armful of white flowers from a huge pile. The Gardeners had been leaving them here, one at a time, from all over the Feast of Fools. I took a huge mess of them, and so did Mandy.

I was about to say something dumb: Ezra, if I'd wanted to give Mandy flowers I wouldn't have had her haul them herself. But I did not say that. Because I'd gotten the idea.

Mandy and I followed Ezra to the music section, where Elanor was tuning her one-string. He unceremoniously dumped his huge mass of flowers in her lap, grinning like a madman. "Second wave!" He shouted. "Third wave!"

Mandy and I took our turns, drowning the laughing, blushing Elanor in flowers until she was in the center of a little hill of the things.

"Augh," she yelled. "Ezra!"

"What!"

"You're my boyfriend now!"

"Okay good!"

The audience broke into applause. Mandy and I high-fived both of them. They didn't kiss, but they sat at their instruments, beet-red and gazing desperately into each other's eyes.

"Knock it off!" Cassie said. "Upstaging me and we haven't even started yet."

And the movie, such as it was, began.

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