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Isabel

Isabel wasn’t ashamed to say she’d spent the entire wedding reception glued to Moon’s arm.

Don’s speech had really touched her in a way she hadn’t expected it to. Somehow, that little mimic had managed to put into words the feelings deep within herself that she’d never been able to understand.

That aching loneliness and misery, broken by a chance encounter that turned her entire life on its head and filled her with a happiness so strong she could barely even comprehend it….

She knew she was quite new to this whole “queer” thing, but now that she wasn’t living with her father she had been able to explore this untouched part of herself freely. And she’d realised that the way Moon made her feel was intense— More intense than she had ever felt about anyone she had dated before.

It was to the point that it had her wondering if she’d ever actually been attracted to the men she had been with, or if she was just tolerating the expectations put on her by her parents…. Because now that she was allowing herself to feel the things she wanted to feel, and allowing herself to be open about her attraction, being in a relationship was actually making her feel good about herself!

So she wasn’t going to hold back.

She loved Moon.

She loved her with all her heart.

And she wanted everyone to see it!

So she’d clung to Moon’s arm and dragged her girlfriend around the wedding; showing her off to all the other attendees like a teenager bragging about a new phone.

She just couldn’t help herself. Though, luckily, nobody seemed to mind. Moon herself seemed to find it charming, as she let out a purr-like laugh and twitched her whiskers every time Isabel introduced her to someone new.

She had been especially interested in Malinka; who Isabel had told Moon about many times before, talking about how patient and kind the girl was to her whenever she had questions.

They had stopped and talked for a while with Malinka and her boyfriend Baloney; helping the pair keep another guest’s familiar (a hefty wall-eyed opossum male that Malinka called “Jeremy”) away from Baloney’s own familiar (a very soft-tempered female of the same species, named “Pockets”). By the end of it all, Isabel had opted to pick up Jeremy and hold him swaddled in her overcoat like a newborn…. She was worried he wouldn’t have liked it. She didn’t want to be cruel, after all! But after only a few minutes the creature had fallen asleep in her arms.

She didn’t mind that it drooled on her a little. Or that it let out a very loud fart into her coat. Both of those could be easily fixed with some nice-smelling fabric softener.

Then as Malinka was telling them a story about her father’s own familiar, Bird (who had explicitly not been allowed to come, due to his bullying of Don in the past), she’d cut off and folded down her ears; spying something behind Moon and Isabel.

When Isabel turned, she saw a little gnomish man standing by one of the hall’s mounted television’s screens. He was looking at it, tapping his chin as if deep in thought….

Then he glanced around as if making sure he wasn’t being watched…. Pausing with a nervous look on his face when he met Malinka’s eye.

‘I… have to go,’ Malinka muttered, making her way towards the gnome— Who panicked and sprinted away.

‘Huh…’ Isabel breathed. ‘I wonder what that’s all about?’

‘Mrow,’ Baloney meowed, before signing to Isabel (with a motion that Malinka had explained previously was a way of saying “goodbye”) and heading off to follow Malinka as she stalked away after the gnome.

‘Oh, alright. Goodbye, dear!’ Isabel called after the man. ‘You have a good time!’

Moon giggled out another purr as the young couple chased after the older man, and turned to rest her hands on Isabel’s shoulders from behind. She peered over Isabel at Jeremy, who let out a loud snore, before kissing Isabel on the cheek. ‘So, Malinka said that belonged to a man named… Stephen?’

Isabel nodded, pursing her lips, before admitting; ‘I have no idea who that is.’

Another laugh and kiss from Moon, and Isabel felt herself being turned towards one of the catering tables. ‘Come on, honey. I’m peckish, and I can see that there’s still some spring rolls that haven’t been snapped up!’

‘Ooh, spring rolls!’ Isabel echoed, letting her girlfriend lead her across the room.

She watched as Moon gathered up a plateful of finger foods… and then, when a piece of shrimp was held out to her, Isabel let Moon feed her.

‘Mm!’ she hummed, happily. ‘That’s good!’

‘Isn’t it?’ Moon agreed. ‘Becky really made some good choices!’

‘Mhm!’ Isabel nodded.

‘Yeah!’ another voice spoke from behind the women, and they turned to see Orson down his drink. ‘That bimbo sure knows how to throw a party, huh?’

‘Orson, don’t call Becky a bimbo!’ Isabel scoffed, batting a hand at the boy. ‘She’s a lovely girl!’

‘A lovely girl who once swallowed a hot dog whole like an seagull swallows a fish!’ Orson teased, playfully throwing his head back and mocking swallowing a hot dog.

‘Orson!’ Isabel scolded through her laughter. ‘Please! That’s my niece!’

‘I’m just saying what I saw,’ Orson raised his hands submissively, and grinned. Then, he motioned to Jeremy and his grin turned to a devious smirk. ‘Is this one yours, then? I can see the family resemblance. Who’s the father?’

Isabel shook her head, giggling too much to respond, before feeling the opossum in her arms stir. ‘Oh, no. I’m sorry. Was I laughing too much? Did I disturb you?’

Jeremy gave a wiggle and a chitter, so Isabel unswaddled him and put him down gently on the ground. He immediately made for the animal’s catering table, just to the side of the human one, and began eating some strawberries.

The trio watched him quietly for a moment before Isabel looked back to Orson.

‘So… Orson? Do you know who Stephen is?’

‘Oh, yeah, sure. That’s him over there!’ Orson said; pointing at a black-furred tabaxi man sitting by a decorative pot of flowers that Isabel recognised as Malinka’s father….

‘You’re lying to me again,’ Isabel raised her brow in humour. ‘That’s Baran. And his familiar is a vulture, not an opossum.’

‘Alright, you got me,’ Orson laughed, and raised his hands. ‘Okay. For real this time…. See that human man over there? With the dark black hair and fancy boots? That’s Stephen.’

Isabel looked over at the man. He was tall and tan; with a very old style coat on him…. And he was looking around in a worried way; scanning the floor for something—

Ah!

Yes.

He was probably looking for Jeremy!

‘Ah, wonderful, thank you!’ Isabel gave Orson a tight hug, before heading over to Jeremy and tapping him on the head. ‘Hey, buddy. Stephen looks like he’s worried about you. Let’s get you back to him, hm?’

Jeremy gave another chitter, obediently waddling alongside Isabel as she made her way over to the tall, worried human.

‘Hello, hi— Stephen, is it?’ she asked, tapping him on his arm to get his attention. ‘Are you looking for Jeremy? I have him right here, if you are!’

‘Oh, um… no. My apologies,’ the man gave Isabel an apologetic look. ‘I’m afraid I’m not Stephen. My name is Igor. Igor Frankenstein.’

‘Oh…. Ah. Orson lied to me, then,’ Isabel cast Orson a very firm look that made him burst into laughter, before turning back to Igor with wide eyes as she registered the last half of his name. ‘Oh! You’re Adam’s father, aren’t you! He is such a wonderful man! So polite and kind! You must be very proud of him!’

‘We are, yes,’ Igor stood straighter, then, his polite smile turning into a wide beam of pride as his son was complimented. ‘We couldn’t have asked for a better son!’

‘Yes, whenever he comes over he is just the sweetest thing!’ Isabel told him. ‘And he is such a good friend to Becky! Always looking out for her, and checking in on her. He’s very sweet.’

‘Thank you,’ Igor’s smile, somehow, managed to grow even bigger. Then, he glanced around. ‘Now, I do wish I could stay and chat, but I’m afraid I’ve lost my husband….’

‘Oh, dear. Lost?’ Isabel placed a hand on her chest. ‘How do you lose your husband?’

‘Well, he is rather small,’ Igor commented. ‘And fast—‘

‘—UNHAND ME, YOU MERCILESS SADIST!’

‘Aaaand that would be him…’ Igor muttered, the smile falling from his face as he winced and turned around.

Isabel trailed his gaze to across the hall, where she saw Malinka had caught the gnomish man and was holding him up by his tail as he scrabbled to not drop what looked like the imner pieces of a toaster.

‘I warned you, Frankenstein!’ Malinka snapped. ‘I warned you!’

‘It was just a little bit of tinkering! It didn’t even explode this time!’

Igor heaved a sigh and, with an apologetic look cast to Isabel, started over towards his husband. ‘Victor! What are you doing now?’

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