Athelind is directing the stage hands, who are bringing in appropriate set 
pieces: forklifts, industrial shelves, and CHEESE, in crates, in wheels, in just 
about every form.
Athelind thinks the two of us need to go into the cartoon biz.
Liliana says, "Yeah, no kidding!"
Liliana says, "Okay, ready to start?"
Athelind thrums, "Yes, indeed."
Athelind thrums, "Lights... camera... ACTION!"

(Cue cartoon theme music.)
(Cue title: MOUSE PARTY)

(Scene: A tastefully-decorated office. ATHELIND STORMDANCER sits behind the 
desk. LILIANA DECATT stands in front of it.)

Athelind is a metallic, sunset-gold, anthropomorphic Storm Dragon. He stands 
about 7' tall, with a lean, wiry build. Right now, he's dressed in a charcoal-
grey pinstripe suit of Victorian cut, with a magenta paisley waistcoat. He gives 
you an amused, knowing smile.

Liliana is a young, half grown, female cat, about 16. She has bright green eyes, 
and light red fur, with white fur starting at her chin and running down to her 
belly. Her paws are also white from the ankles and wrists also. She's wearing a 
set of denim overalls, cut into shorts. Beneath that she is wearing a green 
tshirt. She isn't wearing any shoes. As usual, don't ask.

Liliana reports to Athelind's office, wearing a baggy mouse costume. "Sir, is 
this thing necessary?"

Athelind thrums, "If this operation is to go as planned, it is. The Acme Cheese 
warehouse has been having trouble with mice for months now, and it's hurting our 
profits. I suspect that if the local mice think that a giant rat has staked a 
claim on the warehouse, they won't be willing to cross him..." He notes the way 
you fill out the costume, and corrects himself: "...um, HER."

Athelind thrums, "We've had you on staff for weeks, but a cat -- even one with 
your qualifications -- doesn't seem enough to deter them. They're SNEAKY."

Liliana giggles, "Yes sir, I've noticed that too. I think your plan will work 
well." Liliana thinks to herself, "With some slight...modification."
Liliana snaps to attention, "You can count on me!"

Athelind smiles, leans his elbows on the desk, and steeples his fingers. 
"Eeeexcellent."

Liliana helps usher Athelind out, "Alright sir, you have a goodnight, I'm sure 
I'll, er, you'll be satisfied with the results."

Athelind thrums, "I do hope so, Ms. DeCatt. For both our sakes."

Athelind exits, leaving Liliana alone in the warehouse....

( The warehouse lights turn off, one by one, leaving only a few burning here and 
there. The camera pans over to the spot of light cast by one of these... )

DARKWULF is standing there, dressed in a gray suit. He looks directly at the 
camera, and says, "A cat, a mouse suit, and a warehouse full of cheese. Add a 
brigade of rampaging rodents, and you have a recipe for a comedy of terrors... 
in a place we call... The Round House."

( cue Twilight Zone theme! )

Liliana busies herself in the ad room after Athelind's departure. She draws and 
stencils on a poster board sheet, then takes it to the printer. She engages the 
machine and freshly printed posters come out. She takes the bundle under her arm 
and runs out to the alley. Working quickly, she hammers one up. Written on it, 
it says, "Attention local mice, the cheese factory is under...new mangement. You 
are all welcome to a house warming party. Bring friends! Bring family! Don't be 
late!"

Liliana runs around putting up more posters, then goes inside and makes ready 
for her....guests.

( Outside the warehouse, mice are gathering, pointing up at the signs, murmuring 
among themselves. Most of them are eight to ten inches tall, with a few who top 
a foot. Some of them have an slightly unsavory look to them -- obviously the 
gang that's been raiding the warehouse before now -- but even they're cute and 
cartoony. )

( One of the mice turns to another, "Do you think it's true?" )

( Over the door of the warehouse, a colorful banner declaring "Welcome Friends!" 
hangs, festively decorated with party balloons and streamers. Some light, 
infectious party music can be heard coming out through the partly open doors... 
)

( Well, that cat hasn't been doing much... maybe they canned her. )
( Yeah, but... what kind of secruity guard would set THIS up? )
( One mouse, drooling slightly at the smell of cheese, "Yeah, could be, not like 
she got any results, hehheh. Let's check it out!" )
( Sounds good to ME! )
( I dunno... somethin' smells fishy.... )
( <shove and laugh> Naaah. That ain't fish. That's CHEESE! )
( Hey, come on! If she's in there, we'll just run and ditch her as usual, no 
biggie. )
( the crowd of mice bustle and shove to get into the open doors. )

( Inside, the warehouse floor has been decorated in party favors. Dishes of 
cheese lay scattered about the floor, with signs on various offices advertising 
different diversions, such as "Fondu hottub, Swiss cheese maze, Brie Pond, and 
others. )

( One mouse openly gapes, "It's Mousehalla......" )
( It's Mouse Olympus! )

Liliana says, "Welcome!" from the top of a set of stairs, adorned in her mousie 
outfit, plus her security badge. "Welcome to my new home little friends!"

( A murmur rises from the crowd... One mouse says, "Wow! How did you con them 
into landing THIS job?" )

Liliana polishes her security badge, "Hehheh, the big lizard figured that ya'll 
would be scared off by a giant mouse, less likely to cross one of your own. But 
you know what? My mother always told me to help out the little guys, so ya'll 
are welcome to anything here!"

( "Wow! What's your name, ma'am? And what kind of mouse ARE you? We've never 
seen a mouse your size before!" )

Liliana says, "I'm Liliana, the rare tasmanian, red furred, quasi-albino, giant 
jungle tree mouse."

( "Three cheers for Liliana!" "Hip, hip, HOORAY! Hip, hip, HOORAY! Hip, hip, 
HOORAY! " )

Liliana clasps her fists and shakes them over her head, smiling in the 
adorations. "Thank you, thank you, now eat up! Enjoy!!"

( The gathered throng scatters amongst the mountains of cheese. )

Liliana grins wickedly as she watches the mousies start their gorging....

( The camera pans across the warehouse... mice diving into fondue swimming 
pools; mice diving into mazes of Swiss Cheese -- and eating their way out; mice 
playing and eating and growing rounder and rounder... )

Liliana smiles and walks down the stairs. She smiles and nods as all the little 
mousies around her glut themselves terribly. She leans down to one recently 
emerged from the Swiss maze. "Having a good time?"

( The mouse sidles up to Liliana, a plate of Port Wine Cheddar half-empty in his 
hand. It's obvious that the port's taken its toll. He wobbles a little, his 
belly round and tight, and grins up at the cat in mouse clothing. "I allus did 
like my ladies large. But how come you ain't eatin', gorgeous?" )

Liliana grins, "Oh, soon enough I'll eat too. In fact, how about you and couple 
of your friends come with me to a private room, where we can try some special 
treats?"

( The mouse leers. "Special treats? Sounds good t'me!" He crams a huge hunk of 
cheese into his mouth, and his belly bulges vidsibly as it hits his belly. "Hey, 
Doug, Vinnie! C'mere!" Two other mice waddle over, holding their swollen bellies 
in one hand, and huge hunks of cheese in the other. The first mouse grins and 
nudges them. "I think I found somethin' better'n cheese..." )
( "What's better'n cheese, Benny?" <ELBOW> "OW!" )

Liliana picks them up, carrying them in the crook of her arm. She takes them to 
a room labeled "Fillings". She sets the three of them on the table and walks 
over to rummage through a cabinet. She comes out with something that looks like 
a caulking gun. "Here we go, want to try some of this? It's a new cheese filling 
Athelind's working on, quite tasty..."

( "New cheese?" "Yeah!" "Sounds great!" )

Liliana slides up the first one, squirt gun ready, "Open up and say ah!"

( The first one's Benny, the one who keeps eyeing you. He opens WIDE. 
"AAAAAHHHH!" )

Liliana practically sticks the nozzle down his throat then squeezes a third of 
the tube in...

( Benny's eyes get big, but his belly gets even bigger! After the initial 
surprise, he settles down, enjoying the rich, tangy cheese as his belly swells 
larger and larger. )

Liliana removes the nozzle and then gives the same treament to Vinnie and Doug. 
Once done, she looks at the three, wiping a little bit of drool from the corner 
of her lips. She pokes Benny's belly gently.  "How was that?"

( Benny pats his belly. "That was GREAT!" Vinnie and Doug nod, almost falling 
over under the weights of their swollen guts. Benny grins and nudges them, 
laughing when they fall over. "You guys just can't take it, can you?" )

( "Aw, lay off, Benny!" "Yeah, we're STUFFED! Ain't you full yet?" )

( "Me? I'm just gettin' started!" )

Liliana chuckles lightly as she closes the door quietly with her tail, "Yes, and 
watching you three eat just makes me all sorts of hungry...guess it's my 
turn...."

( Benny leers up at you. "Hungry fer what, doll?" )

Liliana grins evilly at Benny, "Why you, of course....."

( Benny blinks, and his jaw drops. "Um... what?" )

Liliana laughs and lowers herself to Benny....

Outside, the door opens a few minutes later. Liliana steps out, wiping her mouth 
with Benny's hat. She tosses the hat back in the room and closes the door. She 
lets out a low burp and giggling pats her belly, slightly rounded as she starts 
prowling around again. 

Liliana wanders around, then decides to check in on the fondu hot tub room.

( Five mice are lounging in the hot fondue. Their bellies rise from the middle 
of the tub, drum-taut, the sticky cheese clinging to their fur. They look even 
more stuffed than Benny and his pals... but every so often, one lowers his 
muzzle down to the surface to guzzle even more of the rich, melted cheese, or 
another grabs one of the huge hunks of sourdough sitting nearby, soaks it in the 
cheese, and stuffs it in her maw. )

Liliana walks over, folding her arms over the rim of the tub, set on a table. 
"How are ya'll doing? Having a good time?

( One of the mice waves cheerily at you. "We sure are, Liliana! This is GREAT! 
And there's so MUCH... I don't think I've EVER eaten like this! I don't think 
I'll be able to get out of this tub without some help!" The others grin and 
agree. )

Liliana chuckles lightly, "Oh, I'll help you out, no problem." She pulls aside a 
curtain attached to the side of the table, revealing a hose attached to the 
bottom of the hot tub. She lays down on her back, and scoots herself under the 
table. She reaches up and undoes a valve, draining the hot tub down the hose. 
She lets most of the cheese flow out, watching for the tell-tale bulges of mice 
tumbling down. She waits with the hose clamped in her mouth....

( The mice blink, and start to protest. "Hey! What? GLUB!" There's a loud 
SCHLORP, then another, and the first two almost-spherical bulges start to 
squeeze down the hose... )

Liliana sees the bulges and starts to *suck!* them down...

( It takes some doing, but the cat SLURPS the first two down, and then another, 
and another. More than a little cheese comes along with them... and it seems 
that either she lost count, or a sixth mouse was completely submerged in the 
cheese.  )
( By the time the last mouse has PLOPPED heavily in Liliana's belly, that mouse 
costume isn't anything NEAR baggy.... )

Liliana sucks down the mice, traveling first as bulges down the hose, then down 
her throat, causing her belly to bulge bigger and bigger as they end there with 
a final thump! She puts the hose aside with the arival of the last one and rubs 
her belly, now showing noticebly, filling the mouse suit, but not completely 
strecthing it yet. "Told you I'd help you out....."

Liliana gets up off the floor with some work. She cradles her belly, jostling it 
in her arms, "C'mon tummy, let's go find you some more friends!" She walks out 
of the room...

Liliana scans around the warehouse, and sees the 'Mystery Room'. This room has 
had the windows blackened out, and the light bulbs removed. Inside, cheese of 
all sorts has been scattered around, the object being to follow the scent to 
various treats. She edges the door and quietly slips in...

( It's hard to tell just HOW many mice are in here. There's a lot of giggling 
and munching sounds and jostling and stumbling and hiccuping...  )

Liliana lowers herself to the floor, laying on her rounded belly. She puts her 
chin to the floor and pulls out a small bottle. She thinks to herself "Cheese 
flavored mouth spray, I never thought there would be much use this particular 
one of Athelind's inventions, but...." She sprays a generous dose in her mouth 
and blows out across the room, the fragrance of the most delicious cheese 
wafting out...
Liliana waits with her mouth open wide.

( "Mmm, this smells promising..." Liliana feels tiny hands pushing against her 
lips. "Hey, get a load of this! They've set it up to feel like a cat's mouth!" 
"Oh, you're kidding... man, this smells TERRIFIC! I GOTTA get some o' this!" )

Liliana lets the curious little mice open her mouth, allowing them in.

( There's quite a few of them in here, but they only wander over to the cat's 
mouth one or two at a time... She gulps down two, then three more, then another 
couple, and a lone straggler, and two MORE...  )
( Liliana can feel each one wriggling eagerly down her throat... they're 
stuffed, though not nearly as stuffed as the ones from the pool. Still, those 
fat, furry bellies settle heavily in the cat's own... and she's looking almost 
as round as her snacks have been, now... )

Liliana gulps down all the ones that come, her belly expanding sideways and 
lifting her butt up as it grows. She listens to make sure the room is clear, 
then sits up. She puts her hand on her belly, feeling how much bigger it's 
gotten. "I guess curiousty *HIC* fed the cat...."

( The fabric of the suit is starting to strain. She can feels some of the seams 
starting to pull apart. She hoists her belly up and stumbles out the dark room. 
As she walks out to the main room, she spots 6 highly bloated mice, sleepily 
laying around the remains of a cheese wheel. She licks her lips and goes over to 
them, "All stuffed? Getting sleepy?" )


( One of them nods, and hiccups. Another looks up at you blearily, and smiles. 
"Looks like you've been treatin' yourself as well as you've been treatin' us!" )

Liliana pats her belly, smiling down at the mouse, "Oh yeah, I've been enjoying 
myself too, your happiness is my happiness (hehheh). Say, why don't I take you 
to a quieter spot so you can nap?" She picks up an empty milk crate to carry 
them in.

( Sleepy, almost-drunken voices answer. "Aww, you're so nice!" "Such a nice, 
big, friendly mousie." "Thank you!" )

Liliana picks them up, one by one, and puts them in the crate. She feels their 
bellies as she does, rubbing softly with her fingers, almost like checking for 
good cantalope. She hefts up the crate and carries them off behind a piece of 
machinery. All that can be seen is her shadow as she stops, lifts up the crate 
over her head and tips the contents into her waiting maw. The shadowy profile of 
her belly bounces bigger silently as each mouse falls in. When done, she tosses 
the milk crate and her shadow runs its hands over the expanded belly. She comes 
out, looking around, back from behind the machine, holding her fuller belly, 
barely constrained by the mouse suit. She lets out a big *HICCUP!* and the 
fabric finally gives! Her belly pushes out. "Hehheh, much more comfortable"

Liliana decides that it's time for the finale. She gets to a loudspeaker. She 
turns it on and speaks the voice projected all over the warehouse. "Attentions 
my new friends, everyone go to my office, I have a very, very special 
surprise..." She sneaks off, watching her office door.

( the only thing keeping it from being a stampede of mice is that most of them 
can barely move. They waddle and stumble, resting regularly, groaning happily. 
Their expressions are eager,though... stuffed as they are, they're still 
wondering just what kind of "special surprise" could possibly top off this 
banquet! )
( They crowd into the office, a dozen, a few more, a full score... two more 
stragglers waddle in, the fattest yet, making just two short of a DOZEN. Most of 
them are almost as wide as they are tall... not that Liliana's much trimmer at 
this stage... )

Liliana watches the mice go in. After she's sure they've all gone in, she walks 
to the door. Outside, she stops and looks down at her swollen belly. "You owe me 
big time buddy," and gives it a hearty thump. She takes off the remainder of the 
mouse outfit, and quickly slips in, closing the door behind her.

( Jaws DROP all around the room -- audibly. Thump, thump, thump. There's 
silence. Finally, someone screams, "Oh, my GOD! She's a CAT!!" )
( There's another moment of silence, punctuated by a sarcastic voice: "No 
kidding. What was your first clue?" )
( Panic reigns. AAAAAAIIIIIIEEEEE!!! )
( Unfortunately for the mice, there's not much panicking one can DO when one's 
stuffed almost immobile, and packed like sardines into a tiny office... )

Liliana stands in front of the door, her tshirt pulled up over her big belly, 
with the emblem "I love mice" written across it. Her draw string shorts are 
pulled down under her belly. She smiles at the pathetically panicking round 
little rodents and undoes the strings, streching out the waistband. "Yup, seems 
you lot fell into my trap. Athelind really didn't appriate you little twerps 
stealing from him, should have quit while you were ahead. But now, I quote Alice 
in Wonderland, I hope I don't flub the line, it's been awhile, 'The time has 
come, my little friends, to talk of serious things...." as she finishes 
loosening her waistband. And with that, she pounces the crowd....

( The camera pans back to the outside of the office, only shadows visible 
against frosted glass... )

( Fade to black )

( Morning light streams through the half-open warehouse door. A trim, dignified 
figure is sillhouetted against the dawn. )
Athelind thrums, "Ms. DeCatt?"

( There is no answer. A half destroyed banner falls on Athelinds head. )

Athelind looks around the warehouse, seeing empty platters, half-eaten wheels of 
cheese, party decorations hanging torn and limp... "MS. DECATT?"

( Still no answer. You hear a slight sound....snoring you think, coming from 
Liliana's office. )

Athelind STORMS around the warehouse, throwing doors open left and right. The 
congealed mass of cheese drained from the fondue pool... The discarded filling-
gun... he throws open the door to the Mystery Room, and his foot lands smack in 
the middle of a plate of limburger. His nose wrinkles, and he roars, "MS. 
DECATT!!!"

Athelind hears the muffled snoring, and storms over to Liliana's office. He 
throws the door open, and demands, "LILIANA DECATT! WHAT IS THE... meaning... 
of..."
Athelind meeps, "...this?"

Liliana snorts awake from the floor. She's laying reclined against the wall, 
leaning against the wall, her legs spread out underneath her enormous belly! It 
sits on her lap, bulging outward and sideways. She yawns, scratching her nose 
and looks up at you under half open eyes, "Hey there, bossman, what's up?"

Athelind blinks.

Athelind regains his composure. Folding his arms across his chest, he taps his 
taloned toes.
Athelind thrums, "Give me one reason why I shouldn't fire you right now."

( She smiles dreamily and chuckles, causing her belly to shake. It's streched 
into a great round ball. She scratches her belly and pats it weakly. "Took care 
*hic* of that *hic* mouse problem" )

Athelind blinks, and blinks again. He leans over and pokes your swollen belly. 
"You mean...?"

Liliana snuggles down into the wall and wraps her arms around the massive girth 
of her belly. With a pleased smile she says, "Yup"

Liliana's belly doesn't give under your poke, feeling rock hard. You only manage 
to push it to one side, as a whole.

Athelind thrums, "I must say, Ms. DeCatt, that I applaud your innovative 
thinking... however, you must realize that the damages cause by your little 
party last night easily equal at least a full quarter's worth of the losses we'd 
BEEN experiencing."
Athelind looks out the office door. "At LEAST."

Liliana drums her fingers on her belly, making a drumming noise like a bass 
kettle, "Well, seeing as how everything went, I hearby declare that you don't 
have to pay me for this, hehheh...

Athelind loosens his cravat thoughtfully, and smiles. "A noble gesture, but 
hardly full renumeration. However, there IS one way that you can compensate the 
company for the loss, my dear..."

Liliana cocks a sleepy eyebrow, "What's that?

Athelind removes his cravat completely, takes a napkin from his pocket, and ties 
it around his neck, licking his lips. "You know what they say, Ms. 
DeCatt...Breakfast is the most important meal of the day."

Liliana eeps!

Athelind shuts the office door and advances. 

The camera remains outside again, and pans away from the ominous shadows, coming 
to rest once again on Darkwulf, in his charcoal suit. The wolf smiles wryly, and 
says, "They say that it's a dog eat dog world. Sometimes, it's a cat eat mice 
world, and yes, even a dragon eat cat world. Beware of all these things, because 
what goes around, comes around. A cheesy ending for a cheesy tale... in the 
Round House."

( Cue end theme: dun dun dun DUN!!!)

Darkwulf looks past the camera to the office door. "Did you really have me say 
that? Who WRITES this stuff? And Athelind eats the overstuffed cat? What kind of 
'twist ending' is THAT? Not exactly unexpected, is it?"

( Fade to black. Roll Credits. )