It's time for another visit from an old friend, who has brought along a new friend! But first, it's time for some lore to set everything up.

Remember I recently adopted IAmPuma's friendly feline Jamila Chanthara. It turns out that her Creaturian anthro version owns and operates the Splendid Meadows Event Center, a facility in a suburb of Bonita Harbor that hosts weddings, parties and conventions. One night, ArtaShrike's cheerful chauffeur mouse Cloud Franklin was driving a lot of people to the center for a busy corporate party, and he was running in and out of the place throughout the festivities. Cloud worked so hard that as things wound down, Jamila rewarded him by inviting him to join the party and giving him a free meal. Jamila also extended the same favor to one of her best employees, an Italian wall lizard event planner named Brendan Garzone; they'd both done excellent work that night, and she made sure that Cloud and Brendan sat together. Was Jamila matchmaking? Had she noticed that the two of them had been looking each other over all evening? (Spoiler alert: Yes.) The two service professionals started talking, things went on from there, and next thing anyone knew they were in a relationship! Rumor has it that they're about to move in together! Maybe that's why Jamila smiles to herself whenever she sees them together.

Thanks to BassyBefuddle for his excellent artwork (the intertwined tails are his idea, and it's adorable!), and to ArtaShrike for making this lovely pic possible.