"A lady..." <chomp> <chew> "... has to keep..." <munch> <slurp> "... her strength up!" <squish> <gulp><br/><br/>She slowed down, and waved a loaded fork in his direction. "Magical energy drain alone... All that power I expended last night had to come from somewhere. My reserves were adequate, but even with your girlfriend's extra mass, I'm pretty much tapped. And there was carrying both your tails halfway across the city. My sphinx form burns calories like you woldn't believe, especially when flying."<br/><br/>Feeling she'd done justice to the explanation, she went back to doing justice to her meal. After chasing the last drop of egg yolk, butter and pineapple juice to extinction with a piece of fried toast, she sat back with a sigh of repletion.<br/><br/>"Ahhh! Thanks Dundee, that was good for what ailed me." She looked over at the croc, who grinned... well he had a natural advantage when it came to grinning to start with. "I could just do with a big pot of Lipton Flower Orange Pekoe, and some more toast and butter, just to fill in the corners."