After meeting the Pride, Dalia dashed off into the crowd only to return with two other students.

A girl named Angel and a boy named Keeva? Oh, it was the other way around. Lucien stared at the students, the boy looked bored which was kind of funny since they were surrounded by a ton of amazing stuff, and the girl, she was pretty cute! Lucien gave Angel a wave then offered Keeva a gentlemanly bow and a huge grin. "Pleasure to meet you both."

Now the question was, where would he go? He wanted to see the paintings, but as soon as Dallia mentioned a theater his attention had been nabbed. What if they were going to perform things like Hamlet and Macbeth! Those would be the coolest things ever! Not to mention, by the end of it the stage would be littered with bodies. Ah, those stories never got old. Hmmmm, paintings or plays with mutilation in them? He didn't know what they'd be performing, but hey, it was a possibility.

Coming to a decision wasn't easy, but eventually the summoner made up his mind. "Take me with you!" Lucien threw himself towards Keeva's group, only to crash into Lute. "Sorry, sorry," he took a step back, he had a silly smile stuck to his face and looked absolutely ecstatic.

Xan didn't know what to pick, mainly because everything was very pretty. She watched as Moira began ushering Angel away then turned to see Aria, Lute, Trixie, and Lucien surrounding Keeva. A wince crossed her features as she remembered Moira throwing a table back in Los Paraisos. Hopefully, none of them would break anything. Ever since she and Aria joined the pride, chaos seemed to follow them. While it made things lively and interesting, everything here looked pricey and breaking something could get them into trouble. She considered following after Syed and Moira but decided to stay outside. It was a beautiful day and the fresh air felt great.

The metallurgist walked up to Amy with a smile. "I second that, it must have taken ages to get everything this pretty."

Aliquam: Academy of the Arts: Courtyard

In response to Marcus’ question, Dalia helped to recruit a couple members of the student body to assist in guiding the Pride around the Academy and the various exhibitions on offer. First there was the beautifully demure musical student Keeva, who would show those interested around the musical rooms and theatre halls, to the laidback and charismatic Angel, whom was willing to show those interested in statues around the various sculpture displays with a yawn. The members of the Pride quickly began to split into smaller groups, leaving only Estelle and Marcus left to decide on what they would like to do.

Whilst Estelle was interested in seeing all of the displays, she was most interested in seeing, and talking to more of Dalia, so with a hearty smile she quickly decided to join Amy, Xandra and Dylan in following around Dalia’s lead, first around the floral displays and the paintings. Looking at the beautiful array of flowers, Estelle felt a panging reminder of Lisette, and even though it had not been so long since they parted ways temporarily, she already missed her. She wondered which flowers Lisette would like the most?

“Hmm, well then… I think I’ll go with Moira and Syed with Mr. Angel,” Marcus smiled as he shifted his weight onto his staff. “The ability to create sculptures and statues is something that’s always fascinated me. The workmanship and effort… the eye for weight distribution and balance… it’s not always so easy. Plus it’d be nice to socialise with Moira and Syed for a while, and I’m sure Syed could do with some help in keeping Moira out of trouble.” Marcus laughed, whilst keeping a wide berth of the berserker.

Academy of the Arts: Keeva’s Group

Dalia beamed at the Pride as the quickly separated into different groups. Turning to Angel and Keeva, she gave them some last minute instructions. “Remember, you don’t have to stick to your assigned areas - when they’re done you can show them around the rest of the academy. Thank you so much for this!”

Keeva returned the smile, bouncing from foot to foot in excitement. “It’s fine, Dalia. Besides, this way I know at least someone’s gonna see my performance.” The musician gave an exaggerated wink. “Alright, who’s with me!”

"Hiii," the young girl cooed. Her eyes flitted back and forth between the musician and Dalia. "You're really pretty too."

Keeva grinned at her, taking a moment to dramatically flip her hair over her shoulder and pose. “Thanks kid, I do try. It’s such hard work,” she joked, “but worth it.”

Soon enough her group filled up, attracting another women and two boys, one of whom simply begged to come along and threw himself into the group. “Easy boys, no need to hurry.”

Turning, she gestured at them to follow her into the Academy. “So you guys are interested in the theater and music departments? Excellent choice.” She dropped her voice to a low and conspiratorial volume. “Don’t tell Dalia this, but honestly music and theater are just more interesting. They’re alive, you know? Vibrant and ever changing, no two performances are the identical.”

Coming to a large set of doors, she paused. “Ahh, here we are. There’s gonna be some performances starting soon, but we should have some time to look around first.” Throwing the door open, she revealed a beautiful theater hall, the seating sweeping downwards towards the orchestra pit creeping just below the stage. The stage was gorgeous as well, with thick beautiful curtains and hardwood floors. Students were scurrying about, some carrying instruments, others props, and a few were just wandering the stage with scripts in hand. “Welcome to our main performance hall.”

Turning to face the group, she gestured grandly. “So what do you want to see? The sound room? The prop room? Some practice rooms? We have it all.”





Academy of the Arts: Dalia’s Group

Dalia waved as Keeva and Angel led the other groups away, and then turned to face the group with her. “So you’re names are...” She fumbled for a moment, but Dylan stepped up, coming to her rescue.

“Estelle, Amy, and Xan,” he said, pointing them out as they went.

“Right. So I’m sure you’re interested in the Academy,” she said as she started weaving them through the courtyard, taking care to pause whenever one of them showed interest in a particular painting or floral arrangement. “We have a fascinating history, if you ask me. We were founded centuries ago in dedication to the Goddess Aislin. I’m not sure if Dylan’s spoken much about her...”

“I may have mentioned her once or twice,” Dylan said with a blush.


“Ah, well, I guess you know all about her then.” Dalia smiled. “This school takes in an interested youth at the age of 15 and offers them training in a variety of art fields. All students take classes in every discipline. If they prove themselves as talented and devoted by the end of the first year, they become eligible to stay one for the next three years, where the study becomes focused. Most students graduate with specialized talents in one field, though we do have over achievers.”


“Dalia’s one of the teachers here,” Dylan added. “Many of the Priests and Priestesses of Aislin are. But she’s the best of them all.”

The priestess blushed, her cheeks turning a brilliant shade of red. “But enough of that. Why don’t you tell me about yourselves. Guilders always have the best stories!”

Aliquam: Academy of the Arts - Courtyard (Angel's Group)

Angel laughed aloud to himself when he noticed the puzzled looks on half of their faces. He looked to Keeva with a smug grin as the guilders made their choices. "Gets them every time."

His laugh was instantly cut off from Moira's rough pat on the back. She had nearly knocked him over mid-sentence, especially as the aristocrat's eyes were lingering on Syed before shifting to Aria and Amy, but he quickly grounded himself. "Uhh, I'll be honest. We're all a bunch of pansies here. But I've got statues of really buff guys fighting, if you're into that. I know Keeva is." He looked her way and winked mischievously before she took off with her crew. With Moira, Syed, and Marcus (whom he requested not to be that polite to him; they were practically the same age), Angel too waltzed off into a different building.

Upon entrance, the quad was surrounded by myriads of statues of all sorts. Porcelain, clay, fiberglass, marble. Of people, animals, miniature architectures - one even resembled the church in Los Paraisos, with even mosaics refined and polished to the nth degree. There were even some sandboxes in their own little corner, showcasing some brilliantly designed sand art. The room itself was similar to a downgraded ballroom, much like the one owned by the Hawthorne family in Vandrell, except much more demure with its decorum.

And towards the very center were three masterfully-crafted statues, each honed on their own stages. The furthermost right statue, of pure porcelain, were two topless, muscular dudes duking it out in what looked like a mud fight. "What was it - Moira, right? Is this the kinda thing you were hoping for? I made this one for some sorority chicks... they're into some really weird shit."



Aliquam: Academy of the Arts - Theatrical Hall (Keeva's Group)

"Whoaaaa, this place is crazy cool!" Trixie leapt into the open and began twirling around, her arms outstretched. "I agree, I like fancy-dancy-soundy stuff a lot more than still things. Then again, Dylan's stuff is pretty cool too..." The second Keeva mentioned options of interest, Trixie took to the stage. At least she had managed to hold herself back from leaping right onto it - but if her enthusiasm wasn't calmed down, she would at any moment. "Can we look at the stage stuff?" (She of course meant prop room.) "Please please please?"



Aliquam: Academy of the Arts - Courtyard (Dalia's Group)

Amy in the meantime hung behind the other guilders as Dalia (with Dylan's inputs) explained the history behind the Academy's foundation. While she listened to Dalia speak, she found herself submerged in the beauty surrounding them; it was hard not to allow her eyes to wander. She always had an appreciation for the arts, although it was never anything big. Just the sheer amount of dedication necessary to craft these products could baffle anyone with an open eye. Or the patience and devotion to breeding flowers in a particular pattern, keeping them alive and authentic within some of the showcased gardens. Truly astounding.

Dalia had asked the guilders to speak of themselves, but Amy remained quiet, allowing the others to take the reigns instead.

Academy of the Arts - Sculpture department
"Ah Marcus! You're a lifesaver as always," Syed laughed as the mage joined them. Oh thank the gods he had company. Sane company.

Well hell, the inside of the building was just as fancy as the outside. Moira didn't pay much attention to this, opting instead to just glance with mild disinterest at the statues before continuing on after their guide. Syed, however, spotted the sculpture of the church. It was a stunning piece for sure, absolutely filled with fine detail despite it's size. But he couldn't help but stiffen and flush at the sight of it. "That's always going to haunt me, isn't it..."

"Fuck me!" Moira absolutely gaped at sight of Angel's sculpture, hurrying a little to get closer. Cor! "You did this?!" She could do nothing really but stare at it, appreciating the musculature and of course, the subject matter in general. "I wouldn't call this wierd shit, though. Wierd shit would be like, if they had massive thro-"

"MOIRA!" Syed exclaimed, looking quite flustered.

Thankfully, Moira didn't finish her sentance. Instead she leaned towards the porcelein structure, arm outstretched. She didn't know why she wanted to touch it, she was curious as to what it felt like. The level of detail was absolutely insane, to the point where she didn't think she could really appreciate what it was with just her sight alone.

"You're definately a talented man," Syed continued, before looking around them. "Everyone is, by the looks of it." They had pretty much every medium going - there was even a tree scupture made of metals, even if it was sort of kept to one side to allow the more classic pieces more prominence. It was his favourite, though. It lacked a little of the polish most of the other pieces had, plus he could feel his own magic reverberating through it's many branches. Although the sand dragon was certainly made him chuckle.

He grinned a little mishcheiviously, cocking his head towards Marcus. "So, is this place's requirements that crazy, or do reckon they just shove anyone who isn't good enough in the basement?"

Aliquam: Academy of the Arts

So they would be able to catch a performance after all.

Aria gazed around the theatre in wonder, admiring the shining wooden floor and thick velvet curtains. The walls were lined with wooden carvings of scenes from famous plays, the largest and most eye-catching depicting the muses of art and song. The students were all bustling along, getting ready for the performance. Some were carrying violin and flute cases, others were tuning in the pit.

“Is that a hyperbass flute?” She stared in surprise at spotting the instrument. Now there was something you didn’t see every day.

“The prop room would be a nice place to start,” She smiled at Trixie. “And what performances are there going to be, Keeva?” They probably wouldn’t have time to see them all, but she certainly wanted to.

Aliquam – Academy of the Arts: Keeva’s Group

While Lute was trying to contain his excitement by twiddling his thumbs, Lucien popped right out of nowhere and crashed into him, sending the virtuoso staggering backwards. His back lightly touched something cool and smooth, which made the virtuoso spin around and embrace whatever it was that he bumped for fear of having it crash to the ground. Thankfully he regained his balance pretty quickly and the only damage Lute caused was perhaps to his own reputation, seeing how some students couldn’t help but laugh at the white-haired man who adored a vase so much that he hugged it. “Hey, come back here!” Sweat dripped down from Lute’s forehead as he detached himself from the ceramic display and then ran towards Lucien, intending to rail at the summoner about how his carelessness and overzealous actions almost sold Lute into a lifetime of slavery. However, Delilah was having none of it and muted the virtuoso as their group entered the performance hall.

This time, Lute didn’t need his familiar’s help to shut up. The entire place was filled with grandiosity that was foreign to him, and he had a feeling that no matter how long he looked at this hall he still wouldn’t be able to conjure a likeness of its beauty. “Cool beans,” He muttered and shifted from one foot to another as he watched some students fiddle with their instruments. “This place is really fancy, huh. Wonder how the tuition costs. Or maybe it’s sponsored,” Lute wondered out loud in his place beside Lucien, perhaps directing the question to the summoner. “Oh yeah, Lucien! Watch where you’re going! We shouldn’t topple over vases here!” He addressed the other man directly this time, his fist shaking slightly as if Lute just wanted to raise his hand in the air and roar like an upset villager.

Trixie and Aria wanted to go to the prop room and Lute chose that too. “Could we go along with what Miss Trixie suggested? But I’d really like it if we head to the sound room next. Just saying,” Lute’s cheeks turned pink and he averted his eyes while making the request of Keeva.

Academy of the Arts: Dallia’s Group

Xan had her eyes glued to a gloomy painting of a hanged woman. A girl dressed in black dangled beneath an Oak tree. The massive tree was bare and ravens were perched on the many skeleton-like branches. It was a sad painting and whoever made it clearly had an eye for detail.

Dallia began to talk about the academy's history and Xan peeled her eyes away from the artwork to focus on the priestess. The school's background sounded interesting and it was amazing to hear that 15 year-olds worked on things as complicated as this. Xan's eyes flitted from paining to painting, she always thought things of such detail were made by older men and women, but everything here proved her wrong.

Dylan mentioned that his sister was a teacher at the academy and not long after Dallia asked about their own tales.

"It must be an amazing thing, teaching such talented students. You get to see wonders everyday." Xan gave the siblings a smile. "You won't believe the adventures your brother has been going on. I haven't been travelling with them for long, but I've heard tales." Lucien had taken every opportunity to tell her all about Weir and Vandrell. He just couldn't stop idolizing the pride and how cool everyone was. It was a little annoying at first, but she witnessed it firsthand at Los Paraisos and Thaum.

She turned to look at Estelle with a grin. "I heard they battled a giant mutated bear and defeated a demon, it's amazing stuff, and I'm sure they've done a lot more." The girl turned her head only to be captivated by a vase filled with the most colorful of flowers.

---

Academy of the Arts: Keeva’s Group

The theater was just grand and Lucien bounced around the room with a silly grin.

He swiveled around taking it all in only to have Lute appear in front of him with a raised fist. The virtuoso began talking about the dangers of breaking things but Lucien was far too pumped to listen. So he placed an arm around Lute's shoulders and pulled the man close. "This is really grand, yeah? I wonder if they'll be playing stuff like Macbeth or Titus Andronicus!" The summoner snickered. "That part where king Titus turns Chiron and Demetrius into a pie was the just amazing." If not for the voices of the others Lucien would probably have babbled on and on about Ophelia's death and that time Hamlet stabbed his uncle through the curtain.

"Huh? Oh, sure, sure! Stage stuff sounds neat." Lute suggested a sound room and Lucien decided to throw in his own suggestion. "Could we see the students rehearse their lines too?" If they acted as well as they painted, he was pretty sure they were all going to be blown away.

Aliquam: Academy of the Arts

“Oh, that’s right, we’ve done absolutely everything!” Estelle threw her hands out in wide, dramatic gestures as she and her friends walked behind Dylan and Dalia, their eyes glancing over the various, wonderful displays and perfume aromas drifting up from the floral displays and oil canvases. Xandra had begun to respond to Dalia’s questions about their Guilder activities, setting it up for Estelle to take over the lead perfectly. “We and Dylan first met when we were hunting for treasure! We weren’t together much within those ruins… but when we came across some guardian statues, we totally kicked their ass together! And since then, we’ve…” She hesitated slightly, as soon as she remembered the emotions of the events in Weir. “Rescued a town full of people who had been cursed into trees… helped to stop a slave ring, and even stopped the demon Abraxis from being resurrected! And we couldn’t have done any of it, if it wasn’t for everyone!”

Estelle grinned, stretching her arms out and then walking with them behind the back of her head. The floral arrangements suddenly reminded her of the beauty and splendour of the flower infested Lafeal, even if it did come as a result of unsettling origins. Some of the exquisite paintings on the other hand, brought back memories of their battles in Vandrell, and the priceless canvas mounted about the walls of the haunted mansion. Truly, they had experienced a lot in their journey so far, and Aliquam was simply the latest. And thankfully, also the quietest and most peaceful.

After a long year of travelling and embarking on danger filled missions, Aliquam brought with it a respite and joy they had all long since desperately needed.

“Hey, Dylan. I don’t think I ever actually got to learn before,” Estelle suddenly blinked in realisation. “What made you want to become a Guilder? Coming from a place like this, being a Guilder is so much more different…”

Meanwhile, a short distance away, lurking behind an expertly trimmed hedge display in the shape of a fierce, pouncing lion, was a young individual with brown hair, carefully watching Dalia’s group passing by, with a wide grin and quiet laugh that resembled a ‘huehuehue’. The glass of his spectacles shone fiercely as he pushed them up the bridge of his nose, caught in the reflection of the sun. He lifted his camera up, focusing his sight through its lens, and centring the camera up, up and over the Pride.

“Woah, there’s Miss Dalia again, looking as perfect as ever! That luscious hair… those beautiful hips… that heavenly smile…!” *click!* “She’s absolutely wonderful!”

“And… woah ho ho! What do we have here?!” The camera’s focus shifted, to the black haired girl behind. “Look at that shine! That demureness! That skin! Wow!”

Again, the camera turned, this time following, and snapping after a red haired girl. “WOAH! Check that hair out! It’s like she’s on fire! She has a pretty nice body too, like her friend! A bit lacking in the chest and hips department, sure, but damn if it isn’t nice, an- !! OH MY GOD!!”

The camera shifted once more, this time centring completely on a tall, blonde haired woman in a red dress. The camera’s focus zoomed in, first on her face, freezing to take a picture, and then on other parts of Amy’s body. “That… that face! Those… those hips! That behind! Those bo- bo- bo- bo- !! It’s… it’s like an angel has come down from heaven itself!!”

The frenetic snapping of photos being taken continued on and on, with the cameraman behind it panting heavily. He lifted his head up, looking towards the party in the distance and nodding to himself. He had to get closer. Get better angles for better shots. For art! Because this woman… this woman was a goddess!!

Aliquam: Academy of the Arts: Sculpture Room

“Hahaha, let’s hope it’s not the latter,” Marcus replied with a cheerful laugh and smile to Syed’s question. He brought a purposeful finger to his lips as he considered the rest of the room and the sculptures placed on display. The workmanship and skill involved was simply staggering. “No, I do believe that the students of Aliquam’s Academy here are just that good. And who could be surprised when the entire school and student body are dedicated to it?”

Marcus walked to one of the other three large sculptures besides the one Angel had introduced to Moira. Compared to the two beefy, musclebound subjects, this one was of a much more restrained subject. A man, wearing a magical cloak with tome in hand, in the process of incanting and releasing a spell. The detail was so precise, so perfect…

“How long does it take you to normally produce a piece like this, Angel?” Marcus asked. “And do you take commissions? Because I’m sure if you’re willing to make such… stunning statues like that for your classmates, you wouldn’t mind creating Moira a little… something, if she were to pay?”

Marcus laughed again, and then had an interesting thought upon remembering Dylan and his artistical abilities. “Do you create this with the aid of magic perchance, or is it all by pure handiwork? We met a woman once who… had the ability to turn people into statues. These wouldn’t happen to actually be people, would they?” Marcus laughed again, although his question was marked by a tinge of genuine seriousness.

Academy of the Arts: Sculpture Room
“How long does it take you to normally produce a piece like this, Angel?” Marcus asked. “And do you take commissions? Because I’m sure if you’re willing to make such… stunning statues like that for your classmates, you wouldn’t mind creating Moira a little… something, if she were to pay for one?”

"Ey ey ey don't spend my money before askin'!" Moira protested, although even she couldn't hide the look of sheer glee on her face. Nonetheless, she leaned in a little bit too close towards Angel. She didn't mind bartering or something. She used to dabble a lot in the black markets after all. Admittedly, she didn't tend to pick the right people to barter with, but still... "Name your price."

Syed brought his hand to his face. She'd break something like that in five minutes flat...

Marcus then went on to discuss the method in which the statues were made, which made Syed chuckle too. Nervously. That was it, the conspiracy theorist in him was already running loose. What if... nope, nope. It won't be. The teachers would have noticed that if they were even half worth their salt, stop seeing things which aren't there damnit!

He shook his head to try and clear it a little, focusing on something else instead. "Yeah, we knew a man who made these minature stone statues with his magic, thinking about it. It was pretty cool. Can't remember what he did with them now, though..."

Academy of the Arts: Dalia’s Group

"I heard they battled a giant mutated bear and defeated a demon, it's amazing stuff, and I'm sure they've done a lot more."

“Defeated a demon?!?!” Dalia squeaked, spinning around to stare her brother with new eyes. He grinned sheepishly, his whole aura flushing a light pink. “Really?”

“Yeah, but it was mostly them,” he gestured vaguely in the direction of the rest of the Pride. “All Lucy and I did really was fight off some children...”



“Wait, you fought children?”

“Demon children!” Dylan exclaimed, suddenly waving his hands around as he flushed furiously. “They were demonic - one had like...a chainsaw and the other was a frickin’ werewolf.”

Dalia had to fight to keep the giggles down, Dylan’s aura was flaring into a full on rose bloom, the embarrassment seeping through. “Oh, my brave brother, fighting off two wee little children.”

“Hey, Dylan. I don’t think I ever actually got to learn before,” Estelle suddenly blinked in realization. “What made you want to become a Guilder? Coming from a place like this, being a Guilder is so much more different…”

Dalia arched an eyebrow at Dylan - she wasn’t that surprised that he hadn’t spoke of why he left Aliquam, but she was curious to hear how he fell in the with group. “Yes, Dyl, tell us. I thought you had just planned to roam.”

Dylan’s aura was starting to fade at the mere thought of it all, the pinks being replaced by a soft, melancholy shade of blue. “It is different,” he finally muttered. “I just needed a change, I guess. I had planned to...wander a bit, clear my head after what happened.” The blues shifted a shade darker, the blues becoming so deep they were nearly black. “But you guys...it’ was infectious, you know? I felt happy and alive and the missions are exhilarating. Besides, now I can use my skills to help people.” He locked eyes with his sister. “And that’s better than parlor tricks, right?”

“Yeah, Dyl, yeah it is.” She hugged him tightly. “I’m glad you’re back. We’ve missed you.” Turning back to the members of the Pride there, she offered them a smile. “And I’m glad you brought friends. How long are you guys planning on staying here? Do you all have some kind of job here?”



Academy of the Arts: Keeva’s Group

"Can we look at the stage stuff?" Trixie asked. “Please please please?" The others chimed in, also sounding eager to join in on the prop room - though there was a request for the sound room as well - and there should be just enough time for that before the performances start.

“Alright then!” She spun around and pointed forward. “To the prop room!” She dashed forward, practically bouncing down the stairs and towards the stage. “This is the quickest way!” Leading the group up onto the stage and through the wings, she danced through the throngs of students who were preparing for their performances. Her steps were light and nimble, and moved with a practiced ease, uncaring of any struggles any of her tour group might be having, and only pausing if she felt she was in danger of losing them completely.

Arriving at the prop room, she turned and faced them with a deep bow, gesturing for them to enter. The room was grand, filled with shelves upon shelves of props - covering everything from weapons to tea kettles. Along one side of the room were rows of costumes, from ball gowns to fake armor, swimsuits to tuxedos. “Welcome, everyone, to the fabled treasure trove. Everything here was made on site by students and staff. And best of all,” she paused to wink at Trixie, “we can play with it all.”

Estelle began to tell all sorts of awesome tales and Xan listened to it all with a smile.

Adventure really did follow after the Pride and it was amazing. To think that these goofy and cheerful people had been through so much together and had done so much it made her laugh a little. When Aria and her first met them at Los Paraisos, she thought they were a little too childish but through their travels they had proved her wrong. She hadn't even been with them for very long but she already knew they were wonderful and good people.

Xan followed after them as they walked through the courtyard, pausing once in a while to look at paintings and flowers.

Estelle had asked Dylan about why he had left and she found herself wondering the same thing. Being a guilder was an entirely different thing and this place, it was amazing, so why would anyone want to leave it all behind?

The matter artist talked about wanting a change and about how the Pride made him feel happy. She couldn't disagree, their antics while sometimes childish and dangerous always brought with it laughter and cheer. Their energy and everything was contagious. Xan lingered behind to stare at another paining, she ran a finger down the wooden frame her eyes following the intricate designs. Someone had even carved a lovely flower into the frame, she felt it with her fingertips but paused when she heard a faint click. It sounded like a camera?

Xan listened and heard another one. She arched an eyebrow then turned to look at the cleric. "Did you hear that?"

---

Keeva led them to the prop room and Lucien followed with an eager bounce in his step.

Since Lute was standing beside him, the summoner placed an arm around the virtuoso and began leading him away, all while talking about various bloody plays like Oedipus Rex and Hamlet. The poor virtuoso had to listen to him ramble on and on, well, until he spun around. "Hey, hey, guys! There's so much to see, let's go." He motioned for Aria to follow then followed after Keeva like an excited child.

Once they entered the prop room Lucien took in all in and grinned from ear to ear. They could play with it too, oh joy.

"This is just grand! Hey kid, I bet you'd be able to find an awesome superhero costume here." As soon as he had finished his sentence, he dashed on towards the several shelves of props, eyeing everything with curiosity. Lucien grabbed onto a knight helmet and placed it on his head. The visor fell shut and for a moment he flailed around in darkness. This, it wasn't a paper mache or something like that, it was actually the real deal. Lucien pushed the visor up then vanished behind a giant shelf.

For a few moments there was no sign of him, but eventually he reappeared beside Aria and Keeva. "Sir Maddox at your service."

Academy of the Arts: Keeva’s Group

Lucien dragged him along and although the journey to the prop room was full of trips, grunts of pain as Lute collided with one student after another, and confused noises at all the plays Lucien was mentioning, they managed to reach it in one piece. The summoner dashed away and Lute was left to his own devices; the virtuoso used his newfound freedom to catch his breath before taking a look around.

“That guy sure knows a lot about stabbing people. Oi, watch out!” Lute muttered to himself and then yelled out as he watched Lucien try on a helmet. He knew none of the Macbeths and Hamlets the summoner had talked about and assumed they were wanted criminals based on the fact that they seemed to like murdering people. Anyways, this room certainly was impressive. It would take a lot of time and skill to make props that certainly looked like the real thing, but the armor truly seemed genuine. It looked like it weighed like real metal too.

“Wow, so just students made all these? That's impressive! Although... Do you accept donations? Y'know, in case some props are really hard to find or do you just try to make them?” Lute addressed Keeva and gestured at the suit of livery that hung from one open closet. However, Lucien with his new helmet popped in behind their guide and Aria, drawing their attention away from the inquiry, and the virtuoso decided that it would be better to step aside.

Lute walked over to where Trixie was and peered around, only to have his eye caught by something particularly striking. “Oooh!” The man exclaimed as he retrieved the plush bunny from a high step in the shelf. “So cute. Fuwafuwafuwa- Wait, why would plays even need stuff toys?” He squeezed the fluffy rabbit toy as a strange fire lit up his eyes. Turning to Trixie he asked, “Do you think we can take stuff home?”

Aliquam: Academy of the Arts - Theatrical Hall (Keeva's Group)

Trixie kept up with the fleeting Keeva easily, being small and nimble herself, although far less graceful. Anyone lagging behind her could hear her cry out constant "oops!" and "sorry!"s. And then... they arrived. “Welcome, everyone, to the fabled treasure trove. Everything here was made on site by students and staff. And best of all,” she paused to wink at Trixie, “we can play with it all.” Lucien immediately followed up with something about a superhero costume.

The prankster's eyes sparkled on cue. Lute approached her and took a plush bunny into his arms before speaking to her - but his words fell on deaf ears. She was already digging into a box of some sort, chucking out colorful and fanciful things like feathered masks and sparkly boas. Once she popped back into reality, she snatched the bunny from Lute's hands, then spun around on her shoes. She was now donned in some glittery, purple throw-on dress, with strap-on butterfly wings on her back. And, of course, she wore a purple superhero mask as well.

"It is I, Trixie the Pixie! And this Fuwafuwa is my loyal minion!" She then leaned into Lute's ear. "We're totally taking this stuff home, shhh."

Then, with a dutiful "Dun da-da-daaaah!" Trixie began running around and making "whoosh" and "tinker tinker" noises. "This is how you guys do plays, right? I've never seen one before."

---

Aliquam: Academy of the Arts - Courtyard (Dalia's Group)

Dylan vaguely mentioned that he had joined the guild to clear his mind off of something, but from the sounds of how personal it was, Amy (like everyone else) stayed out of pressing further. Her eyes went back to wandering again, following Xandra's finger running along a picture's frame. Xandra suddenly flinched, and turned to the cleric behind her. "Did you hear that?"

"Huh? Hear wha--" Another click sounded off again. The same bloody click as that creep fox made back in Thaum. Which could only mean...

Amy muttered something unintelligible to Xandra. She began walking towards the source of the clicking, though it started to die down upon this movement. She removed her gem from her clutch and held onto it tightly. Her whip was not yet brandished, as she especially did not want to cause a scene from mere suspicions - but if her suspicions were right, someone was about to pay.

---

Aliquam: Academy of the Arts - Courtyard (Angel's Group)

"Pfft. magic?" Angel scoffed when both Marcus and Syed brought up magicry for statue-making. He especially laughed when he heard turning actual human specimens into sculptures. "Nah, anyone who uses magic for art is cheating. This stuff here," he tapped his own statue, "is made entirely from scratch. The most I ever do is reference my own hands."

Moira stepped in closer to Angel after Marcus cracked a joke about commissions. Normally someone standing that close with that kind of look on her face would scare anyone off, but Angel just laughed again and patted her back as roughly as she had his earlier. Except he was a pipsqueak in comparison to her, so it wasn't enough to even move her like he was practically shoved earlier. "Hell yeah I take commissions. Something of this size here would be two grand. Whereas the funky little wizard guy someone else made would be... I dunno, one grand."

He shrugged. "These babies take a while to make. Hell, I don't even know the Academy's policy on taking commissions around here... Won't stop me from doing it anyway."

Angel's voice trailed off as his eyes loomed to one of the room's many elongated windows. Some of the bushes and decorative hedges nearby rustled unnaturally. The young man lifted a brow - "Hold that thought." - and began making his way passed the other students towards the window. Once close enough, he glanced around before landing his eyes on one particular individual. With the hedges obscuring that half of the window from the rest of the courtyard, the man hiding there was in near plain sight.

"... is that...? Gods dammit, Simon."

Academy of the Arts: Sculpture Room
Moira was growing to quite like this guy. Hell, as far as she was concerned magic was cheating full stop, but she was bloody surrounded by users of the stuff pretty much all the time. Plus, to be fair, even she couldn't deny how much help it had been during their adventures.

Her eyes bulged when he mentioned prices though. Bloody hell, how much?! Admittedly, she would have never got anything that big. And to anyone else, the price might be quite reasonable. But this was Moira, tightarse supreme. It was only really after Los Paraisos when she started letting Syed carry some of their shared money. She turned her head towards both Syed and Marcus, giving them both a what the hell kind of look.

"Ey ey ey, I weren't thinkin' of something that big," Moira continued, following after Angel as he attempted to excuse himself. "I'm not sure, maybe this big?" she held her hands out to sort of gesture, although Angel's attention was elsewhere. "Or maybe this big? Or..."

She stopped, following Angel's gaze... to a man with a camera. Syed at this point was already looking back to whatever the man with the camera was looking at, although the hedge obscured whatever that was from sight.

"Now, what is he up to?" he thought aloud, before glancing around. Hiding behind shrubbery with a camera was very suspicious indeed. He doubted very much that he had the permission of whoever he was taking photos of. "Is there anyone about we can tell about thi-?"

"FUCK THAT!" Moira bellowed so loudly that the room immediately went quiet. "What's he, like... like some perv or somethin'?! OI!" She immediately began fumbling with the window catch. "Damnit! Fuck! FffffffFFFFFFFFFFFUCK!"

"Moira!" Syed clenched his hands in his hair in exasperation. Not even including her continued insistance to just keep on swearing - "don't try anything! And why can't we just take the door like sane people?!"

"He'll get away you moTHERFUCKER!" the latch finally came free, and she immediately jumped out... and landed flat on her face, Syed helplessly tumbling right after her. "C'mere you little-!"

Academy of the Arts: Dalia’s Group

"Did you hear that?"

"Huh? Hear wha--"

“Hmm?” Dalia asked, spinning around to figure out what had gotten their attention. Then she heard it, a faint clicking noise. Nothing that would normally bother her but there were no cameras amongst the crowd. This could only mean one thing. “Simon!”

"C'mere you little-!"

“Oh no!” Dalia clapped her hand over her mouth to cover her squeal as the large woman Dylan travelled with - Moira was it? - tumbled out the window with the excitable man following her down.


Next to her, Dylan smacked his hand to his forehead. “Oh Aislin! I can’t even...10 minutes!”



Academy of the Arts: Keeva’s Group

Keeva stood back, smiling at the group as they ran wild through the prop room. She couldn’t really blame them, she had been just as infatuated when she had first discovered the place. “Just remember where you got everything!” she called out over their ruckus. “If we don’t put it back then I’m going to be in so much trouble.”

Soon enough they returned, dressed as knights and superheroes. "It is I, Trixie the Pixie! And this Fuwafuwa is my loyal minion!"

Keeva gave the girl the reaction she was looking for, oohing and ahhing. “A real superhero! Why, I never thought I’d meet one in person!”

"This is how you guys do plays, right? I've never seen one before."

“You’ve never seen a play before?” Keeva was stunned. “It’s just like a telling story, except all the people...well, act it out. Like playing pretend, but you already have the script so you know what to say and when to say it. Oh, if you’ve never seen one before you’re in for a treat. Some of the seniors are doing short scenes. What about the rest of you? Have you guys seen plays before?”

Academy of the Arts: Courtyard: Dalia’s Group

“Say cheeeeeeeeeeese!!!”

Popping up into the centre of Amy’s vision, and almost catching the poor cleric offguard enough to make her stumble backwards and trip, a young, lithe man popped out with a cheerful smile from behind the sculptured hedge art, and lifted his camera up and into the blonde’s face, clicking it once more and sending a flash that bedazzled the poor woman and sent spots coursing throughout her sight.

“Oh, you are simply Be-yu-ti-ful, Miss! With a capital B!!” Simon excitedly popped up and down, all around Amy, to take photo after photo of the stunning woman from every possible angle. The man moved with such unbelievable speed that, coupled with the stunning flashes that helped to disorient her, it was impossible to catch him. The smile on his face widened even further.



“H-h-hey, you!” Estelle reached out, trying to grab the boy from behind. “What do you think you’re… yiee!”

Simon suddenly spun his torso around, taking a closeup shot of Estelle’s face and blinding her as well. With his attention now directed to the swordswoman, he followed suit with the exact same process as he had before, overshadowing Estelle from every angle and taking photo after photo. Before Xandra could say or do anything, she received the same welcome too. “My, my, you’re all so beautiful! I’m simply in love with you all!”

Another spin and flash was directed towards Dalia, the priestess’ picture being taken yet again as another to add to Simon’s collection. “Hello, Miss Dalia! You’re looking just as exceptionally pretty today as ever!!”

"He'll get away you moTHERFUCKER!" The latch to the window from inside the sculpture hall came free, and jumping from it, which looked more like a hopeless, tumbling fall, was Moira, with her partner Syed propelled out and after as well. Looking through the window, everyone assembled could see Marcus and Angel staring back at them, completely dumbfounded. “C’mere, you little…!” Moira scrambled to her feet, stomping towards Simon and Dylan’s group, with the young boy taken completely aback at first. And then…

“WOAH! WOAH! You’re like an amazon, too!” Simon said, his body shuffling up and down and all around Moira, taking even more photos. The slippery boy being just too quick to possibly be caught, if Moira wasn’t already stunned by his surprising compliments. “You’re like… like… a glamazon!!!”

“Nnn…” Estelle shook her head from side to side to clear the spots away. “Who… who are you?”

“Me?” The boy finally stopped, his feet both firmly gripped and touching the ground, his back facing the Pride. He suddenly spun his torso, the glasses wearing man thumbs upping the visiting Guilders. And then, after sucking in a mammoth amount of air…

“I AM SIMON BRACE, PHOTOGRAPHY STUDENT EXTRAORDINAIRE! IT’S A PLEASURE TO TAKE YOUR PICTURE!!”

Academy of the Arts: Keeva’s Group

Now Lute wasn’t too keen on reliving old habits, but who wouldn’t be tempted at all these rows of stuffed toys? His willpower wasn’t strong enough to make him walk away from this! For a few blissful seconds Lute imagined himself walking out of the room with his jacket bursting from the seams with suspicious outlines etched against the cloth. No, no, bad! Not to mention the repercussions the Pride would get if he went through with the act. Tsk tsk.

The virtuoso was brought back to reality when someone snatched the bunny from his hands and Lute looked down at Trixie, momentarily stunned to see that she underwent a complete costume change in the short span of time he imagined his great toy heist. “Er, hello there, Pixie! Oh wow, Fuwafuwa too!” He smiled at her enthusiasm but his grin noticeably got wider when the girl mentioned the plushies in what was almost a conspiratorial whisper.

"Dun da-da-daaaah!"

She launched around the room and Lute clapped his hands in amazement. They could totally launch a fairy-themed play starring Trixie, but everybody- superhero, damsel/dude-in-distress, villain or pixie- is in sore need of a certain thingamajig before they’re fit to walk onstage!

Background music!

With that said, the virtuoso hummed and a simple and upbeat tune played within the room, the sound following the prankster as she ran around. “Does it fit? I’m not so great with themes,” Lute called out after her, ready to change the song if she so much as thought that it wasn’t fantastical.
Keeva asked them to return the objects they chose in their rightful places once they were done, but Lute didn’t seem to notice. He only responded when she asked about the plays. “Sadly, no. Can’t afford the ones back home,” The virtuoso answered with a smile as the music wavered before gently decreasing in volume and complexity until it was just a simple drumbeat. “What are the best ones you’ve done here, miss Keeva?” Lute steered towards that topic instead in hopes that their guide might mention one he could at least recognize.

Academy of the Arts: Courtyard
“You’re like… like… a glamazon!!!”

A... a what?! Moira could do nothing but stop her poor attempt to catch this man, and stare in astonishment. Or at least sort of stare at where she thought he was, her eyes watering from how painful those camera flashes were. A... a glamazon?!

Oh gods she needed to hear more of this.

His zeal for his craft was almost palitable. Syed peered from behind his hand, having had enough sense to try and shield his vision as best as he could. The pang in his chest confirmed it - he reminded him a little of a certain bro, at least in his over-the-top nature. Damnit, he missed him. He smiled.

"Well Simon, as much as I'm glad to see how enthusiastic you are, you really should ask people for their permission before taking a picture of them," he said firmly, glancing quickly towards Amy somewhat warily. The last time he had seen a photo of her... well... he flushed a little, averting his eyes again. "So, is this for a project or something?"

"Well, he's got my permission," Moira smirked, flicking her hair. Well. What hair she had, it was pretty short. "What pose do you want? This?" she stuck her ass out, "or this?" she placed her little finger on her bottom lip, lowering her eyelashes. "Or, maybe a group thing, yeah?" she hooked her arms around Estelle and Xan, pulling them both in so their faces were pressed against hers. She then proceeded to do a duck face, completely unironically.

"Or maybe something which isn't creepy as hell. Just an idea," Syed cut in with much exasperation. Damn that duck face was scary. He then turned to Dalia instead, smiling a little mischeviously again. "So, judging by your expression this is a regular thing?"