"Melon." Yahya patted his back and removed his own mask.

"Oh, I got the giggles. How embarrassing." Melon laughed again.

"Don't worry, you can spend the rest of the night relaxing in a jail cell. After a long talk, that is." Yahya felt satisfied. This had been easier than expected. "This is the part where I ask you to let me see your ID, but really, I just need to see your face. I'm going to look under your mask." He lifted up the mask and subsequently handcuffed him to the table. "No doubt about it. It's you, Melon the hybrid. You're under arrest for suspicion of murdering many large herbivores, kidnapping and being a part of the tusk trade." The horse then pulled out his radio, but it wasn't working. "I'm going above ground to call it in. Legoshi, watch Melon. Here's his gun, too. Keep it."

"A-All right..."

"We need to bring an end to this stupid party, too. Who knows what'll happen if we don't. I'll be back soon. Be careful. Be smart."

"O-Okay!" Legoshi took a seat by the hybrid.

"Hey." Melon spoke immediately. "You're not a pure-blooded wolf, are you? You've got another species in you."

"How did you know?" Legoshi looked him in the mask. 

"You're too big to be an ordinary canis lupis. And you're also very interested in me. You're not even trying to hide it." Legoshi quickly looked away. "I'm right! Mm, you're not part feline and your eyes and nose stick out an awful lot. Are you part kangaroo, perhaps?"

"Part--"

"Let me guess! That's the fun of it! Reminds me of a game I used to play with a girl--"

"Part komodo dragon." Legoshi wasn't going to let him have fun. He was under arrest.

"Pfft! Really? A reptile? Your ancestors must be total rebels."

"My mother's father is a komodo dragon. Both of my parents are gray wolves."

"Oh, is that a fact?" Melon played along with the story. But he had a plan. "Sounds like your mother had a hard life, being a wolf-komodo dragon hybrid."

Legoshi wasn't sure why, but he felt the desire to open up to this hybrid. Like he might understand something. "She killed herself when I was twelve."

"Really? Your childhood must've been crazy then. Hybrids... aren't really suited for living. I can say that from living 24 years as a leopard-gazelle hybrid." Melon turned his head, thankful he was wearing a mask to disguise his smile. "You know this party? Carnivores and herbivores both want to be liberated from their species-bound barriers and commonplace prejudices. So they wear masks and they fool around. It's all fine and well, the way I see it. I have no species, no friends... A half-based loner is just a freak. And you see, I had this girl... she really understood me. And now she's probably really upset that I won't be able to get her..."

A million thoughts rushed through Legoshi's head as Melon removed his mask. And one of them led him to pull the handcuff key from his pocket. He knew this pain. He felt what Melon was telling him was so real, so... what his kids might go through.

"Just so we're clear," Melon spoke as Legoshi reached under the table. "I never told you to uncuff me."

"I just want... to talk to you more."

Melon stood up and stretched. "Good grief. I know I financed this party, but what say we hightail it out of here? Have a good chat by the ocean."