Line art by  samalamb
*Note: For clarity's sake the character Adlai is a robot. She refers to her owner/operator as "master"/"mistress" not because she is a slave, she mostly does it due to a minor bug in her programming.*



Xiyue: "Darlene, it just dawned on me. He didn't ask any of us to marry him, we got drunk and more or less forced it on him." Said the pudgy panda.
Darlene: "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Prosed the Doberman.
Xiyue: "That he just went along with it to keep everyone happy?"
Darlene: "Well, I figured he was trying to keep himself from getting eaten by the big cats. But I like your answer better, feels more on brand."
Xiyue: "What even happened that day? I planned on confessing my feelings to him after I finally got some real pudge on me. Next thing I knew Khatara was on top of him and I was making out with him."

Darlene: "And I was having a normal day at work and got super frisky all of a sudden, I came on my lunch break to have a quickie with him in his office only to find Anya and Jackie after him." She then cleared her throat. "I'd rather not say what happened next but we closed the shop for an hour or so... Then we picked up Aberash on the way home and ran into you and everyone else."
Xiyue: "And then we had a big meal, drank pretty heavily, and wound up at the court house."
Darlene: "Yeah, no proposal. Everything felt weird after President Wheeler's broadcast."
Xiyue: "Do you think there was some kind of hypnotic effect in it?"
Darlene: "Don't be crazy, that sounds like a conspiracy theory. Then again Todd's brother is a hypnotist so its possible I guess?"
Xiyue: "I-I think we need to have a serious discussion with everyone involved."
Darlene: "Agreed, see if everyone is still interested in keeping this excessively heavy harem intact."
Xiyue: "I'll ignore the fact you just called us all fat. Speaking of, how have you stayed so slender around him?"
Darlene: "Sorry for the insult, I just flat out told him he's not getting a fat Doberman. I like my slender frame, and seems like he does too. Plus Aberash is kind of slender. Or at least her upper half is."
Aberash: "Okay, I've heard my name twice already what goes on?" The lioness said sauntering over. "Something to do with how fishy the harem marriage sounds?"
Darlene: "Ja, genau das. Plus have you noticed he's been acting a little funny? Like even for him?"
Aberash: "Yeah, like he's trying to imitate him, instead of being him?"
Darlene: "You don't think he.. No it can't be right?"
Xiyue: "Spit it out! You are killing me with the suspense Darlene!" She said like a character in a low budget horror film.
Darlene: "Ladies, I think we got the wrong corgi. I think that might be Alex."

Adlai: "Impossible, I beat him to a pulp and sent him on a boat to South America a month ago."
She then looked at the wall where a photo of Todd and his mom was located. "Then again, you may be on to something mistress Darlene. And if you are, then my rightful master is all alone somewhere in Brazil. Probably lost, hungry, cold and alone." She then sat down looking upset. "And it's all my fault."
Darlene: "I doubt he is cold in Brazil, but he may be the other things."