Irish's Lucky Picnic
Happy, upbeat Celtic music poured from the open windows of a wood cabin, floating through the chilly air of an expansive clover field while a chipper green hedgehog danced around his living room. Making up his own lyrics to accompany the instrumental flutes and bagpipes, he tapped the soles of his shoes against chestnut floorboards and finished sealing up the last of a hundred large green envelopes. One of them, he sent off to a specific friend – the others, he tossed into a wicker basket before donning his black top hat and jauntily strolling outside. His peppy stride took him to the hot air balloon parked near the backside of his home, which he climbed into and got to work lifting from the grassy ground. The balloon boasted a bold orange color with a stark white stripe across the middle, carrying the blue-eyed hedgehog in a thick woven basket only big enough for one passenger. With fire lifting heated air into the round nylon envelope, his transport escaped the clover-ridden pasture, then floated off in whichever direction the wind blew.
It wasn't long before the letter that'd been mailed ended up on the doorstep of Sonic the Hedgehog's modest home. When he opened the front door, he saw the green rectangle lying on the stone step; curious, he grabbed it and ripped open the flap, then pulled out a mint green sheet of paper. While scanning emerald eyes over scribbled letters, his conscious read the words, "Dear Sonic – Get yourself ready for some fun, lad! To celebrate Lucky Clover Day, your friend is hosting a Lucky Picnic in that grand old park outside the city. Swing by, enter the raffle, enjoy the music, and bring your friends! Oh, and don't you forget to wear somethin' green if you don't wanta get pinched! Cheers – Irish the Hedgehog"
"Well, I'll be!" Sonic said out loud, grinning at the invitation. "I haven't seen Irish in a while! I'd better tell the others."
The Blue Blur rushed off to recruit his friends for another holiday event, all the while his acquaintance was floating towards the city in his simplistic vehicle. Irish kept the balloon lower than normal, wanting to just barely clear the buildings for his plan to better succeed. He'd been over a few other towns, where he'd dropped the invitations from the basket, letting them float down or be taken by the wind towards citizens at random. Now, the cheerful young man did the same as he drifted above the city, repeatedly flicking envelopes from the remaining stack of fifty at the open space below. They gently fell and were wafted in different directions until they touched the ground or were caught by the people walking about.
In the downtown area, Rouge the Bat had begun her day, preparing her club to be opened whenever the employees arrived. She held onto a walkie talkie while taking extra care to dust the statues that dotted small sections of the casino lobby; and when she heard the crackle of a male voice come through the small speaker, it was her cue to meet with the staff. She opened the big double doors and smiled at the bouncers who were waiting on the other side, then greeted the DJ and bartender as they walked in. Her bartender, a dark green fox, walked beside her and held up a sheet of mint green paper.
"Hey, Rou, look what just happened up town – someone was dropping these fliers from a hot air balloon." A laugh escaped his youthful voice and he handed her the paper. "I know you like parties – well, I guess it's not really a party, but... I thought you might want to know about it, anyway."
The shapely woman perused the paper as they approached the first-floor bar, then she smiled and looked up at him. "This is great! Thanks for bringing it in; I would've never known."
The two shared a chuckle and the fox took his place behind the bar. "Have fun! Tell me all about it later."
Rouge gave him a brief thumbs-up before heading back upstairs to the loft she'd made into her personal bedroom. And after flying up through the hatch that sealed off her private space, her silver heels thumped lightly on the thick wooden boards and across the small area to near the window, where her companion Shadow the Hedgehog lied eerily still on the extra twin mattress. He was faced away, but the business owner suspected he was awake, standing next to the quiet lifeform with one gloved palm on her hip. The other hand briefly shook the green paper, rustling it while she cleared her throat to get her friend's attention.
After a silent moment, his deep voice asked, "What?"
"We've been summoned," she responded, her own tone smooth and lightened by a glossy smile.
His body turned slightly, enough to look at her with a single ruby eye. The dark hedgehog looked tired and already bored with the day, but not much grumpier than usual. "A job?"
"A party-"
An immediate groan from Shadow interrupted her statement, his form turning away again. She rolled her eyes, not surprised at his reaction, and folded the paper to be left on the nearby end table which occupied a corner. Her free hand gravitated to the other hip, both arms resting bent while Rouge looked down at him.
The irritable man grumbled, "Didn't we just go to one a couple weeks ago? What is it with you people..."
She sensed he wanted to say more, but he trailed off instead. With a sigh, she spoke, "Shadow, you've been in bed all morning. It's time to get up and do something with the day!"
He sighed as well, rather heavily, then groggily sat up and swung his legs to the side of the mattress. With the furrowing of his brow, he looked up at Rouge and replied, "Let me get my bearings. I wasn't planning on following your lead today."
"Take your time, hun." She watched him stand from the bed and stepped aside to let him pass, then turned towards him as he walked away. "By the way, slip on something green; the party invitation mentioned it's a tradition."
Shadow scoffed and knelt down to open the hatch. "Fuck that. If I'm going to this thing, I'm not wearing another stupid costume."
Rouge's eyebrows rose in surprise at his harsh reply, watching the hedgehog drop down through the open hatch to the floor below. 'Well, then... he's in a grouchy mood.'
Just outside the city, Sonic and his friends were arriving to the park where Irish was hosting the Lucky Picnic event. The area was a large, lush plot of land, with signs along the perimeter declaring it an authentic landmark; the trees, bushes, and flowers were cared for by inhabitants who had a passion for the planet's natural beauty, allowing them to thrive in an environment where the buds would soon bloom. Each one of the gang were wearing something green, per the letter's suggestion. The blue speedster himself had thrown on a thin, forest-green jacket to be shielded from the brisk breeze. Amy Rose sported big silk bows on both wrists, Tails wrapped an emerald-colored bandana around his neck, and Cream wore a crown made of clovers.
The group of four took in the sights of various picnic setups, seeing handfuls of green-clad people resting on blankets and sharing light meals from twined baskets. A short wooden platform was planted near the center of the park, bearing a standing microphone and three thin podiums covered with blankets. Accompanying the platform was a speaker that played joyful, mystical music. Amy carried the woven container with all of their food in it – and Tails held onto the blanket they would be sitting on. Now they just had to scope out the space and find a spot to lay out their own setup. Sonic led them farther into the grassy place, and before long, he heard a familiar voice nearby. Looking to his left, the Blue Blur easily recognized his friend Irish by the loud, accented tone he spoke in; he was chatting jovially with a couple of guests not far from them.
"Hey, there's our host!" Sonic exclaimed with a smile. He took a step in Irish's direction, saying over his shoulder, "I'm gonna go say hi – you guys can choose our picnic spot and I'll catch up later."
Amy watched with dejection as her crush left their group, but was soon distracted by Tails pointing ahead and announcing, "Look, guys, that must be the table for the raffle."
The girls trailed their gazes over to a little table covered with a white cloth, erected a few yards away from the speaker. Walking over to it, they looked over the box-like contraption with a label stating, "Give coin – Get ticket," as well as the small sign next to it that read, "Raffle Entry – Feed the box a coin and take your ticket! Three lucky winners will be picked at random to receive an auspicious prize!"
Tails smiled and turned to his friends. "What do you think; should we enter?"
"It doesn't say what the prize is," Amy answered, "but if it's something really good, we don't want to miss out!"
Cream added, "It's only one coin. I think it could be fun!"
"Let's just get one ticket," suggested Tails, retrieving his coin. "That way we don't waste money if we lose, and we can share the prize if we win!"
With sweet smiles, the girls nodded and he slipped the gold disk into the slot in the top of the box. Something briefly whirred inside, then a ticket with the number 12 slid forth from the slit on the front of the box. Tails took it and they all turned back around to search for a decent spot to set down their picnic supplies. Meanwhile, across the park, Rouge and Shadow arrived, devoid of picnic items but readily scoping out the atmosphere. The white-haired bat showed mild interest in the venue as they walked farther in, wearing shiny jade studded earrings near the bottom of her large ears. Her partner detested the festivity almost immediately, cringing at the cheery music and disliking the overly-social aspect of a picnic event.
"This is already a waste of time," he sneered, gaining Rouge's attention. "There's nothing here for us."
"It is a little brighter out than I expected," mused the lady, "but there has to be something worthwhile to this holiday. It's not fair to hate it already."
"Hmph. We should have forced Omega to come along – at least then I would've had common ground with someone here."
Officially annoyed by his dour tone, Rouge stopped walking and turned to the hedgehog, causing him to stop, as well. "Alright, Mr. Doom and Gloom, I've about had it with your attitude today. You really woke up on the wrong side of the bed, but try turning it around and not being a complete downer."
He scoffed again, defiant of his teammate's statement, and dragged his crimson eyes away from her in a display of contempt. But the aversion of his gaze brought a mischievous smile to Rouge's face as she saw the chance to get what she wanted; she pulled a pair of ring-shaped handcuffs from their hiding place, a tool she'd foreseen needing. Swiftly, the clever thief snapped one gold cuff around Shadow's right wrist, directly above his inhibitor ring. The clinking sound of the clasp attaching drew the lifeform's attention, a mere second before Rouge quickly snapped the other cuff around her own left wrist.
Shock took over his demeanor and he glared at her, raising his voice to ask, "Handcuffs? Are you insane?!"
"If I am, it's because you're driving me crazy," she retorted, accusatory.
Her expression turned back to irritation as Shadow jerked his hand away, making her exclaim in an offended tone when her arm was brought along. She balled her fist and pulled back, locking her gaze to his and speaking sternly while she stood firm. "Don't forget, I can be stubborn, too. You shouldn't test me if you don't want to see it."
The hedgehog's brow furrowed more and his scowl deepened, then he reached behind his back to retrieve his Chaos Emerald – but was shocked again when he realized it was gone. Rouge smirked, looking devilishly smug and revealing, "No way you're teleporting out of this one, Shad. Don't worry about the emerald, it's safe; I just swiped it and left it at Club Rouge."
"Damn you," Shadow grumbled. "I should've known to keep my guard up around a pickpocket."
"You have to admit I'm good." Her sly intonation was returning, the bat wrapping her cuffed hand gently around his arm. With her other hand, she began teasingly circling an index finger along the outside of his glove. "And since I'm the boss here, if you behave yourself, I won't force you to dance."
"Don't push it," replied the indignant man, who scorned her condescending flirtation by pulling his hand away.
A red and white checkered blanket was being spread out and set down by Tails in a spot with a decent view of the raised platform, where he assumed the raffle winners would be announced. He made sure not to be too near other groups, allowing plenty of space to set down their things; but when he looked to Amy for help straightening the blanket, he saw she was distracted by something else. The pink hedgehog was gazing off with a curious expression, watching Sonic and Irish having a conversation in the distance.
When the pair broke into raucous laughter, her lips parted and she asked aloud, "What do you think they're talking about over there?"
Tails briefly looked over his shoulder at the chortling hedgehogs, then back to Amy. "They're probably catching up – after all, it's been a while since Sonic's talked to Irish."
"Hm..." wondered the girl, her mind wandering a bit too much for her own good.
Then Cream piped up, her sweet voice saying, "Amy, I think we should set up the food to be ready when Sonic comes back!"
Finally tearing her gaze away from the energetic exchange, Rose smiled down at Cream. "You're right, let's get started."
After the young rabbit grabbed the basket of food from Amy's hands, the other two finished straightening their blanket on the ground. Around the same time, the Blue Blur's empty stomach decided it was time for a meal. He wiped a single tear of laughter from the corner of his eye and grinned at Irish, then stuck out one gloved hand.
"Well, I'd better get back to my group before they miss me too much," he said, shaking the green hedgehog's hand once their palms connected. "It was great seeing you again!"
"Always a pleasure!" replied Irish, who used his free hand to raise the top hat from his head in a polite gesture.
When the speedster made his way to the picnic his friends had set up, he commented, "Man, that Irish is one funny guy! His jokes gave my stomach a workout, and now I'm hankering for a chilidog!"
Amy's eyes lit up at his statement, immediately thrusting her hands into the picnic basket to pull out a plastic box with two chilidogs inside. "Here, Sonic! I brought them just for you."
"Hey, thanks!" He took the box from her hands and sat down in between the pink lady and his fox friend, removing the box's lid while the others dug into their own prepared snacks.
A little while later, the event's festive host hopped up onto the platform that served as a small stage, stepping up to the microphone and clearing his throat before speaking into it.
"Thanks a million to ya all fer showing up to this Lucky Clover Day celebration!" he started, his accented voice reverberating across the park and gaining the guests' attention. "I hope yer all having the craic – just wanted to announce the raffle startin' in t'irty minutes! So, grab a ticket while ya can and have a chance to win one of t'ree glittering prizes!"
He gestured to the three blanketed podiums behind him, taking the microphone off of its stand and walking over to them. With dozens of people's gazes on him, the blue-eyed hedgehog began pulling off the short blankets, revealing the contents underneath as he spoke, "Beautiful as they are: ornamental Chaos Emeralds!"
Sitting in glass boxes atop the podiums were emeralds of powder pink, icy blue, and tea green. They shimmered when the coverings were removed, sun beams bouncing off the pastel colors and giving off the illusion of luminescence. A few people were audibly dazzled by the reveal, including Rouge, who was instantly interested by the gleam of the faux gems.
Irish continued cheerfully, "Now don't get ahead of yourselves! These jewels don't bear the same strength as the authentic emeralds; but their beauty is bewitching, and they're still a touch useful if you're of a powerful sort!"
With stars in her eyes, the treasure-hunting bat snapped her gaze to the raffle ticket table and pulled Shadow in its direction. "Ooh, I've got to get my hands on one of those gorgeous gems!"
Her companion grumbled apathetically as he was forced to follow, and his frustration grew a bit more as he stood next to her while she gleefully paid for a ticket. The unhappy lifeform had his attention drawn elsewhere when he felt a sharp pinch on his left arm, crimson eyes blazing with agitation as he whipped around to face a nearby guest, yanking his arm back and balling his fists. The beige panther jumped backwards, a bit startled by Shadow's aggressive reaction, but held a cocky expression while his pinched victim bared teeth and began shouting.
"You've got some nerve putting your hands on me!" He heard the other man snicker, then growled in response, "You think it's funny? You'll be lucky if I don't take you down for provoking me."
Rouge was familiar with the hedgehog's rising hostility and stood holding the balled fist that was trapped with hers, alert and ready to stop him if he tried to fight. But the stranger only antagonized Shadow further, replying obnoxiously, "Jeez, what's your damage? You should've worn green if you didn't want to get pinched!"
"Shadow..." uttered the ivory bat in a warning tone, her teal eyes trailing over to his irate expression.
Before the powerful man could commit to acting on his anger, a young tigress walked up to the panther, firmly planting one hand on his bicep with urgency in her eyes. "Babe, stop picking fights with people! Let's go!"
The rude guest's smirk dropped when his girlfriend flashed a stern look, and he walked away without another word while Shadow held his battle-ready stance and silently seethed. His posture didn't relax when Rouge slipped her free hand onto his right shoulder, squeezing and speaking in a smooth tone.
"It's alright, Shad," she said, trying to soothe the tension – though, she was starting to regret dragging him to the event. "That guy was an asshole. Just let it go... let me see if I won the raffle and then we can leave."
"I told you this was a bad idea." Her dark friend kept his fists clenched, straightening his stance and glaring at her. "Or do you just enjoy the needless discord?"
"Relax..." replied Rouge, dragging out the word and squeezing again. "I didn't know you were going to be this irritable."
"Then take off the damn handcuffs," Shadow hissed, shaking his imprisoned fist and causing her to let go.
His teammate shifted uncomfortably and her expression twisted to one of unease; the suspicion of her large ears lowering a bit made him apprehensive about what she was about to say. She responded, "Well... I can't. Not right now, anyway. I... I left the key back at my place."
Shadow's eye twitched at her confession, and for a moment, the woman feared he would simply start walking out and drag her along to the exit. He was so still, his stare intense – and she stood in confusion at what he might be thinking, until the black and red hedgehog broke his silence to groan while slapping one palm to his face in frustration.
"Fine..." he spoke, his voice low. With the hand still on his face, he opened one eye to look at her and added, "I'll tryto keep it together. But I won't be quick to trust you again after this."
While they talked, Sonic was finishing his meal and gazing around the venue; and when he looked over at the raffle table in the distance, he saw the pair's exchange as Shadow became more aggravated. He could see them just well enough to recognize the handcuffs shackling them together, chuckling to himself as he deduced that Rouge had forced his rival to attend the Lucky Picnic.
The soft laugh caught Amy's attention, and she asked, "What's funny, Sonic?"
He finished the last bit of his food and pointed casually in Team Dark's direction. "Rouge and Shadow are here. Looks like he's got a bug up his butt, though; she must've convinced him to show up. I might call 'em over!"
The pink lady's eyebrows upturned in an expression of concern as she saw the black and red lifeform facepalm. "Please don't invite them to ruin our picnic... we're having such a nice time."
Sonic's muzzle was plastered with a smirk as he made up his mind to pester his long-time adversary. Feeling the mischievous spirit of the holiday, the speedster brushed off Amy's request and stared in Rouge's direction until she noticed him, then waved and flashed his teeth in a grin that beckoned her to approach. The bat ruminated for a second, then let her selfish nature take over before tugging Shadow towards the group.
"Where are we going now?" he asked when she started walking without a word.
Looking ahead, he noticed Sonic's crew directly in their path and instantly pulled back, saying, "No, Rouge, do not force me to interact with those-"
"I'm not," she interrupted, using all her strength to continue onward. "You can ignore them – I'm going to say hi. I might as well do something while I wait for the raffle to start."
They struggled against each other the whole way, which made everyone but Sonic nervous. Tails looked over at his blue friend with worry and spoke, "Uhh, Sonic? Shadow looks really unhappy..."
Still feeling daring, the green-eyed hedgehog chuckled again and said, "Yeah, he looks pissed. I wonder if anyone else noticed he's not wearing green."
Amy wanted to speak out, as well, but didn't have time before the dastardly pair reached the edge of their blanket. Shadow stood as far from them as he could, his brows deeply furrowed as he looked away; Rouge allowed her cuffed left arm to be pulled in her partner's direction so long as he wasn't fighting her.
Energetically, Sonic jumped up from his spot and exclaimed, "Hey, Rouge! Funny to see you and Shadow here. I really didn't expect you guys to attend an event like this!"
"I'm just here for the raffle," the bat claimed. "Can't miss out on the opportunity to take home a beautiful gemstone."
He nodded, his eyes trailing up to the jade studs adorning her ears. "Nice jewelry – I see only one of you knew to wear green."
In a flurry of motion, three actions occurred at once: Rouge opened her mouth to reply, Sonic bounded over their picnic blanket to land an impish pinch on the Ultimate Lifeform's right arm, and Shadow turned to counter the Blue Blur after hearing his mischievous comment. In the split second after provoking his rival, Sonic just barely avoided an attack by swerving to the left when Shadow's free hand swung around. Amy yelped at the worrying sight and held onto Cream, ready to pull her away from the action while Tails jumped to his feet. As the enraged hedgehog's fingers – positioned in the shape of a claw – strained towards the speedster, Sonic quickly slinked behind Rouge and chuckled cheekily while she struggled to hold her friend back. Wrapping her gloved arms tightly around Shadow's right limb, the jewel hunter pushed her shoulder into his chest and extended her wings to either side, planting both heels firmly into the ground.
"Stop!" she shouted, then glared over her left shoulder at the blue hedgehog. "Sonic, you asshole! Just had to annoy him, didn't you?"
"Yikes," uttered Sonic, his crooked grin remaining as he scratched the back of his head. "Sorry, Rouge, didn't know his fuse was that short!"
The half-assed apology did nothing to stop Shadow from struggling against Rouge's brace, fiery eyes burning with fury at the smug hero. His compatriot raised her free hand and placed it against his furry chest, pushing heavily to move him backwards and raising her voice. "Alright, let's go, this is only getting worse! Stopping by was a bad idea – come on, Shadow!"
The infuriated man relented enough to walk backwards as Rouge pushed him, shouting at Sonic, "You'd better watch your back, coward! Cross my path again and you'll regret it."
Slightly embarrassed at the conflict he'd caused, the speedy prankster turned back to his friends, his awkward smile fading as they all stared with disapproving looks. He walked over to the blanket again and plopped down in his previous spot, saying, "Heh... I'll, uh... I'll just stay here."
While the pair got farther and farther from the group – being watched by nearby guests and the host himself – the stressed bat spoke to Shadow, "Okay, you made your point. You were right about not going over there, happy?"
The hedgehog stopped in his tracks and grabbed Rouge's wrist, halting her and staring a blazing gaze into her teal eyes. "Happy? You've lost it. And I'm losing it, being here. This is your fault, as stubborn as you are to have dragged me here; denied me the right to leave; forcing me to hang around on your time."
His grip tightened and Rouge leaned away, her expression turning shameful. He was right on all accounts, and she had to concede that she'd pushed too much. "Y-Yeah, okay... look, I just want my prize-"
"You don't even know if you'll win," Shadow said sternly, then raised his cuffed hand to position his thumb and index finger closely together. "Rouge, I'm this close to tearing my hair out over something so stupid. And if you make me stay much longer, I'll drag you back to the club, get these fucking cuffs off myself, and disappear for as long as I want."
The intensity in his tone was almost scary, even as he held back from lashing out. Rouge knew she couldn't physically keep him there, and she didn't want him to avoid her entirely due to her self-serving actions; so, it was either lose both the coin she'd given up and the chance at owning another emerald, or let Shadow reach his limit and possibly lose him as a friend. Just as she was parting her lips to relinquish her material desires, they heard a few solid taps against the microphone that stood atop the wooden platform. Her teammate's red eyes gazed past her towards the green hedgehog preparing to speak, which made the bat turn around to look, as well.
"Attention, all ye lads and lasses: 'tis time to pick the t'ree lucky raffle winners," announced Irish, holding his own top hat filled with numbered strips of paper.
The ivory bat looked back at Shadow, but his eyes didn't move as he let go of her wrist. He stood still while the Clover Day host rummaged around in the hat and pulled out the winning numbers: "6... 14... and 17!"
Rouge's eyes widened and she swiftly pulled the ticket she'd bought from her chest piece, looking down at the number 14 and letting a grin spread before snapping her glittering gaze back to the silent being. Shadow's ruby eyes dragged down to hers; he still seethed a bit on the inside, but he nodded nonetheless, allowing her to retrieve the prize. Sonic's crew shrugged at the minor loss of not winning one of the emeralds, instead clapping and watching along with the other guests as the lucky ones stepped up to claim their gems. As Irish congratulated them, Rouge lifted the glass box enough to take the icy blue emerald, then turned to Shadow.
"My, isn't it beautiful?" she asked, turning it back and forth to admire the way it reflected light.
She hadn't expected Shadow to rapidly reach for the faux jewel, snatching it from the bat's hand and holding it above his head. "Chaos Control!"
Rouge had just enough time to exclaim and stare in shock before white light surrounded them, blinding the other guests briefly. And in an instant, the bright flash disappeared – along with Shadow and Rouge. A wave of awed murmurs stammered out from the small crowds, many of them confused while Sonic's group had expected nothing less from the incensed hedgehog.
Tails was the first to speak up about it, addressing his best friend. "You really pushed him this time, Sonic. I'm surprised he didn't leave sooner; handcuffed or not."
The blue man chuckled and leaned back to rest his weight on outstretched arms. "Yeah... I guess I feel a little bad. Sunny days and social crowds really aren't Shadow's thing – I can see how he'd end up being so angry."
"Didn't you have to apologize to Knuckles at the last party we went to?" asked Amy, sitting with both fists against her hips. "Looks like it's becoming a pattern with you."
"Hey, that was different! I just wanted him to have fun." He rolled his eyes and added, "Shadow, though? He's grumpy all the time. Ya can't blame me for that!"
In the downtown area of the city, the powerful lifeform had successfully teleported himself and his companion back to Club Rouge. They appeared in the treasure hunter's loft, where the white shine of the lesser emerald faded into nothingness; Shadow looked at her and tightened his grip around the gem.
"Tell me where the key to these cuffs are, or I'll break the emerald," he spoke, his voice monotone and serious.
Offended by his actions and his tone, Rouge furrowed her brow and replied, "Jeez, you don't have to threaten me! It's in the night stand, top shelf."
She half-heartedly pointed at the small table sitting next to her own bed, and Shadow carelessly tossed the gem into her hands. While he retrieved the key – along with his stolen Chaos Emerald – the annoyed bat disappointedly studied the drained jewel, noting that it no longer shone and now held a dull pastel hue. "Ugh, you tarnished its beautiful glow..."
"Hmph. I'd say that's a price you deserve to pay," Shadow retorted flatly, twisting the small key inside the golden cuff.
The curved prison snapped open and fell from his wrist, followed by the indignant hedgehog placing the key atop the nightstand before leaving Rouge's side. She stared with an unhappy pout as he dropped his body lazily onto the spare mattress at the other side of the small room, closing his eyes and lying with his hands behind his head. But even as she felt dismayed by the effacement of her prize, the disheartened woman didn't desire to argue or kick him out, instead allowing Shadow to rest as he wished.