Thaum: The Azure Sea
"Syed, do you think it's...edible?"

Syed stepped as close to the tank as Moira would allow him, craning his neck. Unfortunately for him, she was too busy debating what kind of drinks the establishments might serve with Amy. She wasn't going anywhere. It left him in a bit of an awkward position where he was stranded around 4 or 5 feet from the tank, squinting his eyes as he tried to spot whatever Lucien was pointing at.

He squinted even harder when he just about caught sight of it. Even as it rested on the floor of the tank, it was fairly clear how the flesh seemed sort of... loose on it's somewhat disgusting pink and blobish body.

He burst out laughing. Whatever it was, it was one of the most bizarre, somewhat sorry looking things he'd ever seen. "What on Ddeaer is that?! It looks like an alien from some horrible toxic planet or something. An alien which has had a really bad day." With his dorky grin still plastered on his face, he turned back to Lucien. "Who knows, I guess it must be if it's in a restaurant. I wouldn't want to try it though. Or touch it. In case it isn't, you kn-AH!"

"Fuckin' finally!"

Moira surged straight for the newly arrived buffet carts, completely oblivious to how she was once more dragging her partner along behind her. She piled her plate sky high of course - as to be expected of her really. But not before she made sure to 'top up' Lisette's plate with some more of the vegetarian foods too, not paying any attention to any of the poor archer's protests. She was never going to get any guys with no weight on her, and since the girl insisted on eating like a rabbit she'd probably have to eat much more to make up for it. She gave her a wink and a "trust me, darling," before helping herself for her own dish.

And once they sat down, it seemed they were intent on talking business. Moira paid no real attention to it, since it mostly went over her head anyway. Something about dreams and a demon and the same stuff she didn't really pay any attention to back in Abatheo. Instead she simply wolfed down her meal and gulped down at her drink, allowing the others to discuss whatever. Which right now, seemed to be about some guy called screw it she forgot already. Okay. Whatever.

Syed meanwhile rested an elbow in the table, his mind working overtime. "You make it sound so simple..." he murmured, mostly to himself. He had all sort of questions running through his mind - mostly wheres and whens, since the hows and whys were the whole reason they were accompanying Dr Dream to his research in the first place. Then there was the research itself on top of that. However...

"Yeah, it's probably best if we waited til everyone is here," he agreed, pushing his food around his plate. The thought of the state these people were found in - a fate worse than death, if they didn't die from hunger or lack of sleep anyway - kind of put him off his food a little. And he didn't need any help with that to begin with.

He warily sniffed at the food on his fork, attempting and completely failing at being subtle about it. A bizarre sounding mission right from the get-go, but that was nothing particularly new for the Pride. Unfortunately.

Moira saw the opportunity and started stealing some of the food from his plate. And anybody else who was nearby and didn't guard their food well enough.

Thaum: The Azure Sea

She stared at it and it stared back.

All conversation around her had been tuned out the moment she had spotted the sad looking pink blob of a creature, and for a good while now she had been locked in a staring contest with it. Aria wasn’t too worried about missing the details of the mission, Xan was sure to be paying attention and she was sure the metallurgist would be happy to repeat what the scientist man was saying.

She scooted closer to the tank, eyes narrowed. By the gods this was one miserable looking fish. Was it even a fish? Fish didn’t have noses, did they? Was it edible? Would people want to eat it if it was edible? How would it even be cooked? Imagine if it actually had rows of pointy teeth. Ooh, imagine if she put a top hat on it. Or a nice wig. Maybe it’ll smile if it was dressed up nicely? That wasn’t such a bad idea. Nobody could be miserable in a top hat.

“Hey, hey, feather sis,”

Aria was cut from her musings and turned to blink at Don. Did he need something?

“Which one do you think I should pick? This one, or that one?”

Her eyes widened at seeing the bro’s hand inside the tank of lobsters, a few of which were already starting to reach for his finger with their pincers.
“Don please take your hand out of that tank before you lose a finger-“

One of the lobsters jumped up to snatch at the appendage, only to be knocked out of the way by another lobster and the two fell grappling to the sandy floor of the tank as the rest scattered, not wanting to get caught up in the fight.

She gave a sigh of relief as Don removed his luckily unscathed hand from the tank.

“I’m not too well versed in lobster, but if you’re going to choose I’d say choose a large one? Keep your hands out of the tank though, they can be pretty vicious with their pincers. It’s hard to play guitar missing a finger or two.” She grinned at him, before noticing the buffet carts. “Excuse me-“

Balancing a plate piled full of food she plopped down on the seat next to Xan, nudging her friend and mumbling through a mouthful of grilled octopus. Mmm.

“So, uh, what were you guys talking about? I was… kinda otherwise preoccupied.” She gave a sheepish laugh.

Thaum: The Azure Sea

Dylan smiled across the way at Lucien, having no idea what the man was pointing at in the tank. Must have been something extraordinary though, with the way everyone was going on about it. “I’m sure it is - why else would a restaurant have it?”

Turning his attention back to Doctor Dream, he nodded at the conversation. He took a sip of his water, having taken care to avoid alcohol since the incident a few weeks ago. But the food was still fantastic as it was, the fish was delicious, so light and flavorful.

“Someone will be joining us then?” he said with a smile. “Will he be joining us here or afterwards?”

Thaum: Lower District

Thaum’s lower district was, for lack of a better description, idyllic. The area itself, despite possessing the same quality of peace apparent everywhere else in the town, was lacking the rough and simple aesthetic plan many other houses were made with; the tightly-packed, stone hewn residential structures were replaced with two- or three-storey buildings made of wood and constructed in different shapes from the flat square homes nearby. However, a certain air of drowsiness hung thick over this quarter and none walked in the streets, which was a wonder seeing that Thaum was a small town fueled by agriculture and small businesses, and its citizens considered dawn as the ideal time to start working.

So why then, was this certain place so empty?

Perhaps the answer lies in the surroundings. If you turned around and glanced upwards, you would have stared straight at a bowed two-storey complex. It was neat and well-kept, but there was something about it… The façade wasn’t menacing, no… Just plain shady. Quote a certain young lady we’ll meet in a few moments: “It’s dark, Lute, which is perfect for doing dark deeds.” A neon sign void of any light (turned off. I mean, who’d even waste a neon sign in broad daylight, duh) read the words “The Red Parasol”, cue the stenciled silhouette of the upper half of a woman with a (surprise, surprise) parasol. You see, this part of Thaum, the “entertainment district”, is largely only active during night; otherwise its many fair denizens are just content to spend hours sleeping to regain their strength, courage, and overall temperament to keep up with the many idiots whom they have to treat like princes, and otherwise are simply loathe to do anything else unless…

The Red Parasol: Interior



“BREAKFAST! Oh, good morning to you too, Ogre! Yes, it’s morning. What a great day! Have you seen the sunflowers?” A peal of delighted laughter, and the annoyingly cheerful voice continued, “You should! They’re so pretty! Say you’ll do-”

“Gah kid, shaddap or I’ll wring yer scrawny neck!” Looks like Mr. Sunshine chose the wrong person to wake up.

“- Oh, you will? Okay! Everyone! Wake up, wake up, I brought food!” Lute burst in The Red Parasol and, in his first ten seconds, managed to trip over the “bouncer” (Ogre, as he was sleeping near the door) and ruin the guy’s day. He was being irritatingly chirpy so early and heaven knows how that will work in a house full of sleep-deprived working girls.

In any case, most of the ladies went downstairs, all in various state of undress. Not just one even arrived in her underwear, which made Lute blush down to his hair roots despite being given the strip treatment since Day 1 as The Red Parasol’s meal courier, which was, like, near a year already. Robin Seraphie d’al Cazarosta, or Miz Robin to you, ya dirty all dog, and to everyone else lucky enough to breathe air in her presence, drearily stomped down the steps before dropping like a dead fly on a nearby chair with her long legs splayed wide apart. “Long night?” Lute asked cheerfully as he set about to preparing the table; his task and his task alone in this room full of zombies. She turned her head and smiled provocatively, “You mean long-”

“Robby, it’s Lutey-patootie we’re talking to here. Besides, it’s, like, 10 AM,” Someone thankfully interceded before Robin had the chance to unwittingly tear more pieces of Lute’s innocence to the ground.

“I know, Lil. Oh, I’m so tirrreed. Gods,” She uttered the last word with a little more venom than intended seeing that the white-haired male still had that sickly sweet simper on. “Lute, sweetheart, stop smiling. The fuck you so happy at this hour? What, you got laid or- Oh, who am I kidding, you’re probs fangirling about seeing twin bananas or malformed apples. Yep, never mind.”

Once the dining table was set and the meals were spread accordingly, the corpses littered around the receiving room were reanimated and the girls milled around to get their breakfast. Lute took the opportunity to run for Robin, and soon as she raised her head to acknowledge him did his gleeful façade splinter in half.

“How do I look, ah, cool?”

Robin thought she misunderstood him, so she put down her loaf of bread and stared up at Lute until he took the memo and knelt down, their faces a comfortable distance from each other. “Yah, what?” She crossed her legs then pursed her lips. Yep, she definitely misheard shit.

Lute shifted uncomfortably, and she recognized that deepening blush all too well. “Oh, sweetheart. Really? Again? Wow, they must think you’re, well, the face of Thaum. Lute Aiseirigh, most adorkable albino this side of the boonies. Which is good!” The woman hurriedly added before flicking her cropped ebony curls away from her cheeks. Lute didn’t seem that convinced by her words, so Robin tried dealing from a new angle. “Aw hun, it’s no big deal, c’mere- Wait, where’s Delilah? She should be here helping me deal with your stage fright.”

“She’s still asleep,” The man muttered under his breath before sighing, and Robin just had to smile; Lute was pretending to be cheerful (and annoyingly so) because he was nervous about something that was going to happen in a few moments/minutes/hours, and if she had to guess, it’s because he has to greet new Guilders again.

Like she said, he might be the new face of Thaum… Or maybe, just maybe, everybody else was too busy doing the major jobs that Lute got dumped in the Welcoming Committee.

Robin uncrossed her legs then tugged her dress downwards discreetly. “All right, sweetie, listen and listen well. This is a crash course for coolness.” Wait did Lute just whip out a notepad? Yes he did! “Like, Coolness 101. OK, let’s start…”

---

”That fancy restaurant place”

”Holy macaroni cheese on bologne,” Delilah muttered while Lute remained standing outside the meeting venue, his jaw wide open in awe- and horror. Well actually, it was 80% horror and 20% awe. Surely they weren’t going to meet here of all places? He tugged at his collar, smoothed his shirt and then slicked back his hair. The fluffy white mop bounced up soon as his palm left the strands. Just great. He took a step forward and then skittered away as if recoiling from a red-hot iron. Only rich people go here; last time he checked they were living below the poverty line!? What if it was all a mistake!? Darn it, he really should’ve listened to instructions better! He can’t just waltz in there, you know, because what if they weren’t there!? He’d be interrupting people eating in peace and and and-

Delilah finally screeched, “Fucken hell, SHADDAP and just get your arse inside the goddamn resto!”

So yes, Lute managed to trudge inside the elegant venue and instantly felt his soul being flayed by the grandiosity. His eyes rested on the chandelier hanging above the receiving room, calculating how many potatoes he could buy if the owner of this place decided to be generous and let him take it. “A hell lot of potatoes,” Delilah responded grimly. In any case, potato bulk buying plans aside, he was fortunately spotted by one of the waiters and was ushered to where the Pride and Dr. D were, which he could’ve spotted easily from the onset if he wasn’t so nervous. Lute stopped the guy from escorting him any further and hid behind the nearest aquarium.

‘Oh gods. Hyperventilating. Need air. I can do this,’ Lute thought then nodded, a spark of determination glimmering in his eyes. Without further ado he stood up, walked around the corner of the aquarium and, following Robin’s How-To-Be-Cool 101, leaned against the glass.

“Hey every-,” He started, but the same waiter who ushered him inside tapped him on the shoulder and told him that he shouldn’t lean against the aquarium. “O-oh, sorry!” Lute immediately slid his elbow away from the surface (and lost his balance, almost tripping if he hadn't grabbed on to the waiter and used him as a pedestal to cling on COOL LEVEL -100 POINTS YO). He grimaced, turned red, and glanced at the “fish cage” to (pretend to) wipe some smudges off the glass, and this was when he saw the sad Mr. Blobfish.

“Awwww, what’s wrong!? I’m sorry did I make you sad!? Did I elbow you in the face? C’mon, smile!” Lute gasped in horror and bent down, pressing his face against the aquarium to stare at the pink creature. "I think I ruined his day, Del- Oh, are you a guy? Or a girl? It's pretty hard to tell."

Inside his mind, Delilah was hitting her face repeatedly. “Stop looking at the goddamned blob and greet the people!” She wailed and swerved around to look at everyone, just to see how they were reacting to this goddamned fool she had for a friend. As the familiar’s gaze swept across the unfamiliar faces, one particularly important visage made her stop. “Wait, was that…!? Lute, Lute, stop bending over and look who’s here!!!” She screamed gleefully, and all at once music filled the Pride’s dining space.

Not just any music either, but a wedding march.

“Delilah! Stop!” Lute straightened up and spluttered as his eyes went from normal size to twice the average ping pong ball. If anything, the music got even louder, now with added trumpet fanfare.

Thaum: The Azure Sea

"Miss Moira...!" Lisette protested as the berserker, wielding a pair of tongs, plopped more and more food onto her plate. One of many plump, ripe cherry tomatoes rolled dangerously close to the edge of the dish. "That's way too much..."

"Trust me, darling." Moira said, winking, eliciting a very confused expression on the pigtailed girl's freckled face.

After trying her best not to complain about the very-much-alive lobsters that Don was trying to fish out with his bare hands, Lisette made her way to the table in a peculiar fashion, tilting her entire body as she tried to balance the plate. Kapi was already seated as though reserving a seat for his owner, and stared across the table to stare at Isaac the hedgehog.

Selan was listening to the conversation intently, sipping at her tea. She had her reservations about dealing with a potential combination of demons and thieves, but she had to admit that the mission sounded promising. Since their return from Los Paraisos, it had taken a while for Selan to recover from what was apparent to the others as a very harrowing experience, but now, she was once again composed and pristine, and back in her somewhat-practical robes and sandals.

The diamond ring was still in her possession, inside a hidden pocket of her robes. She had no other choice but to keep it with her, obviously. Luckily, Don had made no mention of his drunken proposal, and had not insisted on her wearing it (or making any acknowledgement about it altogether), much to her relief. It was a conversation she simply would not have.

A wedding march suddenly filled the room, and Selan nearly dropped her glass. Her initial thought was that Don decided to skip the proposal and engagement and barrel straight into a ceremony that she hadn't yet consented to, and she looked around wildly, only to see that Don, in addition to the others, was just as surprised as she was.

A young man she hadn't noticed previously was shouting something near the aquariums.

"Who's he talking to...?" Lisette whispered to Trixie next to her in a hushed voice.

Thaum - The Azure Sea

The redhead screamed a loud 'yes' and Dr. Dream's face lit up with a smile.

"Really? You have my gratitude!" The scientist got to his feet and waved at a nearby waiter. "Good man, I want bottles of your finest wine. Pass them around, these guilders are tired and need to relax." He dug into his pocket and pulled out another check. The waiter's eyes bulged when he saw all those digits and he scampered off with a grin, yelling for his companions to pick up the pace and not keep the guests waiting. Dr. Dream gave Marcus a smile, everyone seemed to be enjoying their meals and that was good.

Isaac was through with Dr. Dreams salad and started sniffing at the plates of those nearby, it was then when the little hedgehog caught site of Kapi. His nose twitched and he approached the Capybara nervously, slowing inching forward until their noses touched. Kapi was huge! Isaac sniffed the Capybara before deciding to scamper onto the giant's back. Kapi was soft and nice so Isaac held on tight and planted himself on his new-found sofa's back.

“Someone will be joining us then? Will he be joining us here or afterwards?”

I have a few questions of my own… unless we should save the explanations for Lute to appear first?”

Dr. dream tapped at his fish fillet with a fork and grinned when noticed how tender the meat was. "Oh, he'll be here soon. He's not very good with directions and I'm glad you're all so eager. I'll tell you all about it once everyone is here, I have an appointment with one of the families of the victims later and I'll be needing your help, but for now put up your feet and dine to your hearts content. You guilders work hard every day and I'm going to pamper you all whether you like it or not!" He was the epitome of serious but as soon as his eyes landed on Kapi and Isaac the scientist melted into his seat and turned to another waiter. "Please send your best salad for those two adorable babies." He spent another moment gushing over the animals before reaching out to tap the Capybara on the forehead.





Atlas scarfed down his food while the others chatted, his plate piled high with oysters. This place was fancy and he'd make the most of it! If Lute didn't show up soon he'd use his friend's dessert stub too. Why wasn't he here yet? They NEVER got to go fancy restaurants especially not ones that sold food for a fortune. The Magician popped a shrimp roll into his mouth and eyed Moira's plate with an approving nod. That woman, wow, she had good taste. Across from him a girl in white began relaying information to a girl in red. The latter looked familiar but he ignored it and took a noisy slurp out of his shell soup. This food, it was amazing.

“O-oh, sorry!”

Atlas looked up to see his friend lean on one of the aquariums. Soon after Lute clung to a waiter and began talking to a fish. The boy chuckled before getting to his feet and stretching. "Man, you sure took your damned time. Where the hell were you? I almost used your dessert stub." He gave his friend a teasing smirk before wedding music began to play in the background. Lute began to panic and Atlas broke into a fit of laughter. Poor Lute was looking even more nervous than usual. Atlas arched an eyebrow at his friend before casually returning the dessert stub. He walked behind Lute, placed both hands on his friends shoulder then began pushing him towards one of the seats.

"Glad you could make it Lute," Dr. Dream waved. "Have a seat."



"Hey, hey, waiter?" Lucien was practically bouncing in place. "I'd like to try that one." The summoner's face was still pressed against the glass. He pointed at the sad looking thing then turned to face Don with a grin. "Bro, what do you say we have a bite?" He watched as one of the waiters scooped the little blob out with a net and rushed it to the kitchen.

"Regarding the dream eater, I don't have enough data but the people in Abatheo believe the information will be useful. Tonight I'll be heading to the countryside to get an interview with one of the families. The road going there is pretty dangerous though, so I'll be needing you guys to escort me and my fellow scientist. It'd be best if we could travel while it's still light out but I need to run a few more tests in my lab this afternoon and it might take a few hours." He made a sour face before taking a bite out of the stuffed lobster. "So basically you guys have the afternoon off. We'll need to meet at Thaum's square before seven though, I want us to leave at seven sharp so we can make it to the mountains in an hour and be back before midnight." He was very chipper. "After lunch feel free to explore Thaum, we have wonderful gardens, a little stadium for fights, a park. Just go wherever you like as long as you meet Atlas and I by the fountain tonight." He tapped at his watch for emphasis then had another mouthful of the stuffed lobster. "You guilders should try this and don't forget the red wine."

Not long after Dr. Dream stopped talking Lucien arrived at the table with a giant plate, on it was a blob fish that now looked as hard as a rock. He placed the plate on the table and gave the others a nervous chuckle. "I, erm, probably shouldn't have ordered this. Don, do you still want a bite?" He rubbed the back of his head and winced at the poor thing's miserable, frozen expression. "Hey, hey, guys? Anyone want to help Don with this pretty dish?" He slid the plate across the table and it stopped right in front of Lute, the fish's expression full of anguish and misery.

Dr. Dream made a face at the horrid dish. "So lunch, free time then we leave for the countryside are we all clear?"

Thaum: The Azure Sea

Despite the friendly demeanor Dr. Dream exuded, Trixie maintained her distance from him every second they were together. She trusted the label "scientist" much less than any other "bad guy" - especially after crossing paths with the old man in Vandrell just months ago. Amy was well aware of this inherent dislike, but so long as she made no fusses about it, the cleric merely turned the blind eye.

Dr. Dream was a rather enthusiastic man, which Amy found more tiring than anything else, but it was doable. Especially since he so kindly paid to have them fed at one of the fanciest five-star restaurants the woman had ever seen - and of course Isaac was the damn cutest thing she had seen in a while aside from Kapi. Though her smile wiped away once a man named Atlas had greeted them. She rolled her eyes with a snarl as Atlas gave a playful wink.

Once inside the restaurant, Trixie took to gazing at the marine animals with awe, mashing and dragging her face along the glass walls similarly to her hero Superbro. Lucien called her over to observe a blob-like fish, and as Trixie ran over to see it, she nearly knocked the summoner off-kilter to grab a better view. "Whoooaaaaaa. What is that thing?" Amy in the meantime eyed the marine life from afar to chat with Moira instead.

Only when everyone was called to dine in together did Trixie pry her face away from the windows of oceanic wonder. The prankster found herself enthused with Xandra's and the doctor's brief explanation about the missing persons and the latter's offer for the Pride; her lips mouthed a piqued "ooh" as they spoke, as if they were just telling a scary story. Amy on the other hand found herself mildly uncomfortable with the situation of it all (a madman manipulating an emotion-consuming demon was nothing to take lightly) and consumed her food silently as the others commented.

In the midst of it all, a newcomer entered the building and half-greeted the folks gathered at the table before turning his attention to the pink blobfish and... shouting to himself? Not to mention the familiar trumpeting music (which caused Amy to redden immediately, though her marriage ring from Los Paraisos was long gone - retrieved and stored in one of Trixie's pouches after being thrown away). Considering the Pride and company, plus the servers and this newcomer, were the only people inside the building, Lute's frantic entrance was definitely startling the say the least.

"Who's he talking to...?" Lisette whispered to Trixie next to her in a hushed voice.

Trixie tilted her head at this phenomenon. "I, huh, I dunno. Oh! Wait, I think he's talking to the fish. Hang on a second." While Atlas and Dr. Dream welcomed the man to their group, as this appeared to be the Lute, guy they were talking about, Trixie took to jumping atop her chair anyway. She hollered at the approaching man with hands cupped around her mouth, she jumped atop her chair and hollered at the man. "Hey! Hey Mister! What are you and the fishy talking about? Is he okay? Oh wait, is she a girl? Is she sad cuz she's gonna get eaten soon? ... ..."

Amy shook her head solemnly at Trixie's antics, before yanking her down from her seat and continuing to sip her soup in silence. It wasn't long before the doctor resumed his explanation of his offer, before detailing what else Thaum had to offer. She shrugged with the doctor's final remark and left any acceptance speeches fall on Estelle's shoulder.

Meanwhile Lucien had slid his blobfish meal to Lute. Trixie leaned over the table to catch a better look at the newcomer, her lips repursed into an "o" shape. "What does she say now?"

Thaum: The Azure Sea

Don’s head jerked up in surprise at the sudden confusing music that seemed to sing throughout the restaurant. His head turned to and fro, his ears searching for the source of the unmistakable melody, his gaze fluttering to and resting on Selan, who seemed equally confused, before then turning to the source of the sound itself, a new arrival in the shape of a young, blonde haired man who seemed to exude killer suave and coolness just like himself. Don was besides himself, dashing towards the table where everyone else was and hovering rudely around Lute, as he continued to try and work out just how and where the sound was happening. He snatched an open chair from beside Lute and span his body into it, fixing his sight on the unsuspecting Virtuoso and just staring at him continually.




“Well, well, well!” Estelle’s smile widened and her face beamed. “If it isn’t Lute himself!” She reached over the table, swiping her hand out in his direction for a high five. He caught sight of it too late and almost thought the hand was impending for a slap, and flinched out of the way. Estelle almost nearly knocked over several of her friends’ drinks as well, before leaning back down into her seat. “Hehehe. How’re you doing? Me and Marcus are F rank now, what about you! How’s that place you hang out so often doing? Did they… er… fix those windows?”

Estelle in all her eagerness didn’t seem to catch the glances shared between Lute and another member of the Pride, the latter making Lute blush as red as a beetroot. But Marcus did catch it, and when he looked towards Aria, he smiled. Did the pair know each other already as well?

Ignoring the scene that the rest of the Pride were making, Dr. Dream focused on eating his dinner and giving his affection to both Isaac and Kapi. He swallowed another mouthful, and returned his attention on those most focused on his information and speech:- Xandra, Selan, Marcus and Atlas.

"Regarding the Dream Eater, I don't have enough data but the people in Abatheo believe the information will be useful. Tonight I'll be heading to the countryside to get an interview with one of the families. The road going there is pretty dangerous though, so I'll be needing you guys to escort me and my fellow scientist. It'd be best if we could travel while it's still light out but I need to run a few more tests in my lab this afternoon and it might take a few hours." He made a sour face before taking a bite out of the stuffed lobster.

"So basically you guys have the afternoon off. We'll need to meet at Thaum's square before seven though, I want us to leave at seven sharp so we can make it to the mountains in an hour and be back before midnight." He was very chipper. "After lunch feel free to explore Thaum, we have wonderful gardens, a little stadium for fights, a park. Just go wherever you like as long as you meet Atlas and I by the fountain tonight." He tapped at his watch for emphasis then had another mouthful of the stuffed lobster. "You guilders should try this and don't forget the red wine."

“Free time?” Marcus repeated, frowning and scratching his chin. “Dr. Dream, would you like me to accompany you? You did say you had a bunch of crooks targeting you. I’m not sure it’d be safe to leave you alone, or even with just Atlas. I’d be willing to help, and I’m quite interested in your research as wel-”

“Free time?! WAHOOO!” Estelle shouted, throwing her arms into the air and almost tumbling backwards in her chair. First free food, then free time? This might be the best mission yet! “Guys, you wouldn’t believe how cool Thaum is! I don’t know my way around very well since me and Marcus were only here for a short while last time, but it’s awesome. It has everything."

The plate with the cooked blob fish skidded to a halt in front of Lute and Don. Don turned his focus away from Lute for a second to look at the blob fish, having to do a double take and look back at it after seeing the newly browned and steaming sad fish staring back at them. Lucien wanted him to eat that? Don was used to eating all manner of strange and exotic things off the floor and sea given his constant state of poverty, but even he would have to draw a line at this. The poor fish bro just looked so… sad.

Don’s hand reached out, and his finger poked the meal’s nose, squishing it. He then turned to look back towards Lute, his expression as confused as always.

“Bro, where did that music come from?”

Thaum: The Azure Sea

“I see, I see…”

Aria nodded thoughtfully as Xan summarized what the scientist had been explaining for the past few minutes. So a dream eating demon was running loose and there were crooks after their client who was researching these dreams in order to stop them? Sounds like it was going to a fun mission.

A sudden and very familiar wedding march made her sit up, wide eyes scanning the room excitedly before landing on the white-haired newcomer who was frantically talking to himself by the aquariums near the entrance. Wasn’t that- It was, wasn’t it? Only a certain sound spirit greeted her with a fanfare.

Before she had the chance to flying tackle the man to the ground he had been sat down by Atlas and engaged in conversation, causing the illusionist to huff. After seeing his look of horror at the poor cooked blobfish being set in front of him (Lucy how could you do such a thing that blob was already sad enough without being cooked) she quickly moved over to the booth before Lute could start panicking over the tragic fate of the blob, giving a happy squeal as she nearly knocked him over with the force of her hug.
“Lulu! It’s been- what a year? How have you been? How’s Lululu doing? And Dellie, I hope you’ve been keeping him in line.” She squeezed the virtuoso tightly, ecstatic to see her friend again before turning to Don.

"Dellie was the source of the music," she helpfully answered before making a face a gingerly turning the blobfish away back towards Lucy. "A sound spirit, right Lulu?"

Thaum: The Azure Sea

“What in the name of sanity?” Dylan muttered under his breath, unsure of where to even start. One on hand, it looked like the man they were waiting on finally arrived, only to hold a conversation with himself and then fall all over a waiter. Just as he got confirmation that he was, indeed, Lute, the waiter arrived with the single most terrifying dish he had ever seen in his life.

The...fish...he supposed, had a face on it. Not a fish face, but a real, proper, mouth eyes and nose, and the thing looked damn miserable. Did it look like that before it was cooked or only after? He wasn’t the only one with misgivings, as Lucy quickly shoved it towards Don and the now seated Lute. “What...what were you thinking?” he asked, aghast. “Oh, Aislin, I don’t think I ever want to eat fish ever again. Or anything with a face!”

Turning to Lisette, he eyed the plate of vegetables in front of her. “So how does that vegetarian thing work for you? Filling? Healthy? Less creepy than whatever the hell that was.” He jerked his thumbed towards the blobfish.

Thaum - The Azure Sea:

Before he could say anything that could forever diminish his reputation, Lute was greeted by Atlas and escorted to the table where everyone was seated in. A girl jumped on top of her chair caught his attention; he realized that she really was trying to get him to notice her, especially since she had a query about the subject matter he and Ms./Mr. Blobfish ‘talked’ about. “I think I offended him or her when I smudged the glass?” Lute answered quite unhelpfully since he didn’t know what else to say to Trixie; it was a one-sided conversation with the blobfish, after all.

”Thank goodness Atlas is here to prevent you from making an even bigger fool of yourself,” Delilah chastised with not just a small amount of admiration for Lute’s friend. He rolled his eyes when she swooned and (was forcefully) plopped down on his seat, feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the new faces not to mention his failed entrance earlier. Well, to tell you the truth, he was more flabbergasted by all the reactions to his arrival, and Lute decided to address each person one by one just to avoid having them feel left out. His intention to interact with certain individuals skidded to a halt when a man placed a dish on the table, and he had to do a double take because he was pretty sure that the thing on the plate was Ms./Mr. Blobfish. Except he/she wasn’t a blob anymore.

The blobfish was cooked and it stared up at Lute with the most agonized expression on his/her face, as if saying, “You could have saved meeee!”

Lute gasped in horror and his eyes started tearing up. Oh gods. It was like those two beady eyes were staring into the very depths of his soul, condemning him to eternal damnation because he didn’t help the blobfish when he had the chance. With this depressing sight ingrained into his mind, the only answer he had for Trixie’s next question was a glum shake of his head, and he angled his face away so that he wouldn’t see the pitiful creature. In doing so he met Estelle’s hand, and Lute immediately flinched away in case she wanted to slap him. This made him recognize who owned the hand, and the other person nearby. “Ah, Estelle, Marcus-“ He winced when she almost knocked over glasses in the nearby vicinity as the red-haired woman leaned back against her chair, then listened to her greeting. The virtuoso laughed when he remembered the incident the three of them were in a year ago. “I’m fine, thank you. And wow, rank F? That’s great! Congratulations, you two! I’m still stuck at G-"

The young man rocked back in his chair when somebody flew at him, black feathers ruffling in the air with her movement, and before he knew it Aria was hugging him and he couldn’t see, much less realize that she had kindly twirled the blob’s face away from him.

Dellie, being the Aria-centric creature that she is, amplified the illusionist’s voice so that Lute had no other sound to listen to except that. Sorry Don.

Thing is, he didn’t need much help with paying attention to this girl. Lute, acting on instinct, hugged her back but flushed red upon realizing the situation, both inwardly pleased and struggling to keep his balance since he just might fall out of his chair due to her enthusiastic greeting. “I didn’t know you were coming! If I did I should’ve- Oh look at me! This is just great! Uggggh- No it’s really great to see you, Aria, it’s just that I’m not mentally prepared for this! I wanted to look cool!” Lute’s voice was muffled by the fluffy scarf, but Aria heard it.

When Lute finally got his mouth free of the many black feathers, the face he turned towards Don was still as red as a beet. Aria beat him to the punch and answered Don’s question though, but he had a few things to add. “Yeah, Delilah does that for fun-“, Before he could finish, the sound spirit (still hiding within the virtuoso’s mind) snorted and played a short rock and roll bit for Don. “Yep, see?” He grinned when the last note faded away, the flushed color on his skin slowly returning to normal.

“Oh yeah, coliseum! The coliseum’s great! I think. Robin says it’s so, right Atlas?” Lute attempted to rejoin the main conversation but ended up asking his friend for confirmation again. “I-in any case, please choose how to spend your time without feeling pressured about… it… That didn’t make any sense, did it?” His voice dropped at the few last words and he shut his mouth, blushing yet again at the blunder.

How many times did he blush today?

Thaum: The Azure Sea
The sudden sound of a wedding march burst out of nowhere, and Syed couldn't help but give out a suprised yelp, flush spectacularly and practically throw his cutlery back at his plate. Oh Vayu oh Vayu oh Vayu what the hell was going on?! His eyes much like the others cast about, but seeing the others looking just as confused as he was he calmed down a little again. It's ok, he wasn't going insane yet.

Which was more than could be said for the newcomer, who was shouting at... something. Well, this Lute was certainly something else. He opened his mouth to ask if he was okay, only to find that Atlas had it sorted. Alright then. Let's pretend that didn't happen for now.

He turned his eyes back to the doctor as he continued his explanation. He as always tried to absorb as much information as he could, since he had to do it for two people. Without really thinking about it he picked his fork up again, only to realise...

His food was gone. He was too slow. Welp. Well, he kept his attention on Dr Dream anyway.

The culprit sat beside him, groaning as she pressed her head against the table. She already had two empty glasses of wine beside her, and a third half-full. "Fuck me..." Moira grumbled. "We ain't even started and I have no fuckin' idea what's going on." With the randomass song and the guy shouting at thin air... she was so confused.

She moved her head a little, so she had her chin resting on the table as her arms hung by her sides. The food was definately good, and she might have to get a bit more in a minute. With her eyebrows lowered in her trademark grumpy scowl, she looked even more bear-ish than usual. She wasn't paying any attention once more, her mind drifting away with the thought of beefy men and lamenting the lack of any's presence. Moira Dennis, the professional.

Syed froze staring at the cooked blobfish. Why was he empathising with it so much?! He was pretty glad he didn't have a front view of it. Why did the restaurant serve it whole?! Was it supposed to be served whole?! No he wasn't going to try it!

Then Aria turned it away from Lute... so it was towards him instead. Small sparks started to jump from his temples in his discomfort. The way it stared up at them with those dead, despairing eyes... it had been well pretty miserably sat on the bottom of it's tank mere moments ago. He knew fully well that you should never waste food - a waste of both life and money, his mother would say. But even then... "Why..." Syed breathed. "Lucien, why would you... why did you even..."

Once more a sudden sound came out of seemingly nowhere, this time some rock and roll number. Okay, that was definately coming from Lute. Syed tore his gaze away from the fish and tilted his head slightly with a little curiosity.

Unfortunately for him, the music had shaken his partner out of her daydream. And doubly unfortunately, she had just heard the magic word - coliseum.

"A WHAT?!" she bellowed quite suddenly, her chair clattering away behind her as she slammed her palms onto the table. The various bits and pieces jumped, the misery fish coming off it's plate altogether and rolling down the table. "A coili... a colli... one of those fight club things?! This place has one of those?!"

Stars appeared in her eyes, and she clenched her fists up in the air with zeal. "YES!" she yelled, her voice echoing all over. "YEAH I'M SO IN ON THAT SHIT!" It was her lucky day - she had just been offered her oiled up beefy men fix on a silver platter, as far as she was concerned. She attempted to put a foot on the table, but found it quite uncomfortable thanks to her dimunitive height and gave up. "What we hanging around for?!"

Syed flushed yet again and sunk down in his seat, bringing his hand to his face. Oh, how fantastic.

Thaum: The Azure Sea

Dr. Dream laughed at the berserker's enthusiasm. Everyone was so interesting! He'd invite them for lunch tomorrow too.

"Haha, that's right. What are you still doing here? Go explore Thaum and enjoy the day. It's really sunny, so it'd be a waste if you all stayed indoors." He gave Moira a bright smile. "As long as you all meet me back at the fountain before seven, we're all good. Enjoy your day guilders." Dr. Dream turned to look at Lisette. "If you want I can leave Isaac with the rest of you, he's a sweetie, I promise he won't pick a fight."

"So free time, huh?" Atlas raised both eyebrows. "Does that mean I can go watch people beat each other up with those guys?" He jabbed his thumb in Moira's direction. They seemed like fun and interesting people and he didn't want to accompany the man while he did paperwork.

Dr. Dream chuckled. "Sorry Atlas, you're coming with me!" He then turned to face Marcus with a smile. "You guilders are working too hard, but if you insist! I rarely meet people interested in my work." He was beaming and it was obvious that he was head-over-heels in love with research. "Marcus, right? I think you'll like the lab, it's full of shiny doodads and interesting stuff." He stood up and turned to look at Lute. "I see you're in good company, you should enjoy the rest of your day with them but make sure to bring them back to the square on time, you got that?" He jabbed his pen in Lute's direction before giving the pride a friendly wave. "Well, we'll be skedaddling now. Catch you all later." Dr. Dream picked up a rather large duffel bag, left a check and a generous tip on the table then began whistling a cheery tune.



"I think he's had one to many cups of coffee." Atlas grumbled before turning to look at the bright red Lute. He gave his friend a mischievous grin then prodded him with his foot as if giving the man a tap on the back. "Yeah, they say the colloseum is great. You guys should check it out." He gave Moira a nod, he liked her enthusiasm.

"Atlas! Stop being a slowpoke! We don't want to keep Marcus waiting."

The man rolled his eyes, grabbed an entire tray of shrimp rolls of the table then made his way towards the door. "Oh and before I forget, there's something special going on in the garden today. You'll need to see that too. Thaum has a lot of interesting critters," he jabbed a finger in Isaac's and Kapi's directions. "Those two could make some friends and it might be y'know, fun." The man popped a shrimp roll into his mouth and gave Amy a wave. "Haha, I'll catch you all later."





Xan turned to look at the others with a smile. "The garden sounds relaxing, I think I'll head there. Would any of you like to see the garden too?" Going to a Colosseum sounded tiresome and after Los Paraisos she didn't want to get involved in any fighting yet.

"Pfft, if anything the Colosseum is the place to be." Lucien grinned from ear to ear before he wrapped an arm around Moira's shoulder. "Garden's are boring! The boss definitely has the right idea. The Colosseum is where we get to watch people pull off other people's legs after all." Lucien did a fist pump before laughing. "Who wants to go to the Colosseum with us? It'll be a lot of fun."

Thaum: The Azure Sea

Estelle hugged Marcus goodbye, as he and Atlas departed The Azure Sea restaurant to go with Dr. Dream and watch him perform his research, Estelle wondering to herself how she had never before seen a braver man then Marcus. To willingly go and sit yourself down in front of all that complicated gobbledygook that arose from anything to do with science… it took a person of strong courage and resolve to do that. She HATED it. And so, to see Marcus willingly go on their behalf (whilst keeping Dr. Dream safe), giving her and the rest of them time to wander around Thaum and relax… she was thankful. It would have been even better if she could Marcus go with her, but they could always relax in Thaum for a spell after the mission was over. For now, she had to agree with the scientist and her friends, in that seeing either the Coliseum or the Garden was something for them to look forward to.

But which?

To anyone else, the Coliseum should have sounded like the natural home for Estelle’s interests to wander to. And yet she wanted to save that for later, when Marcus was back with her. For now, her eyes turned to Lisette, and to Kapi and Isaac. A relaxing time at the Garden sounded just as heavenly, and would have made for a nice break from everything they had been through of late. As much as Los Paraisos was meant to be a vacation of sorts… it proved to be anything but. She needed a little break.

“Hey Lisette, you wanna go to the Garden with me and Xan?” Estelle asked, cleaning up what little was left of her plate and reaching to nuzzle Kapi and Isaac in her arms. “It sounds like it’ll be fun! Right, Trixie?”



“Hey, Don, where are you going to go?”

Syed had asked the still perplexed and bewildered man, who continued to stare and scrutinise Lute in disbelief, and was promptly at first ignored by him. Syed had to ask a couple more times and actually nudge him before Don would react. Startled back into reality, Don blinked profusely as he turned his body around to look towards Syed.

“Huh? Lightbro? What’s up?”

“I asked where you were going to go, the Coliseum or Garden?”

“The what or huh?” Don repeated. “Where’s everyone else going?”

---

Thaum: Outside the Azure Sea

“It shouldn’t be too far, I think,” Estelle’s feet clipped and clopped along the cobblestone floor as she dashed forwards from the restaurant, Xan gripped tightly in one hand and forced to match her pace, with another of her friends’ gripped in the other. Estelle had designated herself as the group’s guide, despite not knowing where she was going. She had a vague idea of where it was located from her and Marcus’ visit to Thaum before, but that had been so long ago, and Estelle was… not the best of orienteer.

“It’s this way!” She screamed, pulling her friends in the wrong direction. Fortunately Xan had decided to take a map of the town when they first arrived, to help them avoid getting lost like this. But stopping Estelle was… going to be a challenge.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.” Don’s head shook from side to side, his pompadour swaying dramatically, before he then lifted the rest of his head up and grinned towards the rest of the group who were planning on going to the Gardens with him. “Silly Big Sis. Doesn’t she know the Gardens are this way?”

Don thumbed over his shoulder, and with a stylish spin and twist, set his foot off down the street in the opposite direction to where he was sure the Gardens were. Haplessly unknowing that, again, he was going in the wrong direction. Oh well… both groups would arrive there eventually, right? With a beautiful garden home to exquisitely crafted and tended to hedge cuttings and flower arrangements, a grove filled with a variety of nature’s wonder and beauty and spectacular stores of the shining vista in wait, they couldn’t miss it at all… could they?

Thaum: Outside the Azure Sea

Dylan grinned as the group walked down the cobblestone streets of Thaum, enjoying the sun shining on his face. It was a welcome change to be away from that blobfish, even if he didn’t have a chance to discuss vegetarianism with Lisette before they left. There would be time for that later. It wasn’t like he was going to change his entire eating habits because of one freaky fish - was he? 


“It’s this way!” Estelle screamed, pulling her friends in the wrong direction.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.” Don’s head shook from side to side, his pompadour swaying dramatically. “Silly Big Sis. Doesn’t she know the Gardens are this way?”

Dylan looked between the two of time, trying to figure out who was the best to trust. As much as he respected both of them, neither of them had a very good sense of direction. Finally, he jogged after Don. No sense in leaving his Big Bro alone. “Hey, wait for me!” He slowed down as he approached Don, grinning at his Bro.

“So do you have any idea where to go?” he asked as they walked down the street, which was filling up with all kinds of small stores. There was a book store, a weapons store, some tailors, and even cafes, but nothing that looked like a large public garden. “Umm, maybe we should just ask some directions, yeah?” He nodded at the cafe to the left. “And maybe get some coffee while we’re at it?”

Thaum: Group B???
Those who were heading to the gardens left... in two different directions. Although at this point they were so used to it that they just left Don to it. He wasn't alone and he had a habit of finding his way back somehow.

"One day I'm going to get a beeper for that guy, seriously..." Syed murmured to himself, shoving his hands in his pockets and tapping the toes of his metal capped boots on the cobblestones. "He gets lost like... daily," he smiled towards Lute in particular, before taking out his right hand again and offering it for a shake. "My name's Syed. That's Moira, she doesn't tend to think about introducing herself. Nice to meet yo-ack!"

He was suddenly almost pulled right off his feet as Moira began to walk off in a random direction, although he managed to stumble backwards and keep upright. Just about. He flushed a little as he was forced, once more, to follow after her. Why couldn't she wait they had ages yet! "Moira, slow down!" Cringing, he turned and gestured for the others to follow.

Moira just ignored him. Nothing new there. "It'll be a big place, right?" she called back, although she continued to face forward throughout. "This Collie thing? Do you reckon they'll let me join in? Ahh, I'm dying for a fight. Ain't had one in... like, I dunno. Days."

"We are not joining in!" Syed exclaimed in alarm. Moira continued to ignore him.

"You know, maybe we should get some practice in first. Hey," she span and pointed at Lucien, "get your bear out."

Thankfully, Syed was oblivious to her unintentional innuendo. He had however started to spark up again slightly. "You're not going to wrestle his bear in the street!!!" He was oblivious to how bad that sounded as a follow up too.

"Pah, fuckin' wet lettuce you are." She turned a corner randomly. Still no sight of the place. Whatever. "Well, something had better be going on... at least some hot guys or somethin', eh love?" She shrugged to Aria, before resuming her striding onwards to wherever she had no idea. And turned yet another corner while she was at it.

Syed sighed, falling in step beside Lute once more. "She's always like this..." he ran his fingers through his staticy hair, although he couldn't help but smile anyway. For a somewhat brief moment he said nothing, admiring the town around them. It was a world apart from Los Paraisos, but that wasn't really a bad thing. He'll miss getting to see all the exciting technology though.

"Say, if you don't mind me asking... the music thing, that was you, right? I've never seen anything quite like it. Well. Heard. If you know what I mean. Is it just songs...?"

Thaum: The Azure Sea

Lisette couldn't have looked more depressed at the sight of the cooked blobfish -- her own face was beginning to resemble it somewhat.

“So how does that vegetarian thing work for you? Filling? Healthy? Less creepy than whatever the hell that was.” Dylan asked, pointing at the poor thing with his thumb.

"Oh, yes, I kinda think I'm like Kapi sometimes, all I need are plants, water, and sunlight..." Lisette said, tearing her eyes away from the blobfish platter. "I used to eat meat and stuff when I was little so it was hard to get used to at first, but now I love it! And now I can't bear to eat anything that has a... has a... face..." she finished, grimacing. "Well, unless it's one of those cute cookies with icing shaped like a face, I guess..."

Her father used to say that little girl ate 'like a bird', which wasn't necessarily true, but thanks to Moira's help, there was still a great deal left on her plate. She poked at the remaining greens with her fork, willing herself to bring it to her mouth every so often so as not to waste anything.

Selan was eyeing the newest man with some interest. Compared to all of the outgoing and outspoken personalities in their group, 'Lulu' seemed quite timid. But nonetheless, she was pleased to see another Guilder with some kind of musical ability; her abilities were definitely uncommon at Clockwork... Who knows how many others there are elsewhere?

Moira began shouting about a coliseum in a manner that was now typical to Pride meals, and Lisette wilted slightly at the thought of fighting for fun.

"Oh and before I forget, there's something special going on in the garden today," Atlas said as he began to leave. "You'll need to see that too. Thaum has a lot of interesting critters," he jabbed a finger in Isaac's and Kapi's directions. "Those two could make some friends and it might be y'know, fun." The man popped a shrimp roll into his mouth and gave Amy a wave. "Haha, I'll catch you all later."

Lisette, who had her mouth full of salad, nearly choked. "Mmmmph...!?"

“Hey Lisette, you wanna go to the Garden with me and Xan?” Estelle asked, cleaning up what little was left of her plate and reaching to nuzzle Kapi and Isaac in her arms. “It sounds like it’ll be fun! Right, Trixie?”

The archer swallowed. "Sure do! Let's go, let's go! Oh... Wait..." She quickly shoveled down the remainder of her plate and gulped down her lemonade. "Okay, okay, let's go!"

---

Thaum: Outside the Azure Sea (Group A)

Lisette stuck close to Estelle and Xandra; she wasn't at all confident in her sense of direction in this new place, but somehow following Don didn't really seem to be the best idea. Unfortunately, Estelle wasn't totally sure either, but Lisette was simply glad to finally have some time to hang out together!

"It's gonna be so cool!" she said with a skip in her step. "I have a journal in my bag that I use to draw new plants and stuff that I find, I don't think I've used it since we were in Weir, it got all wet from the rain... Say, Miss Xandra, do you like bugs?" she asked, leaning forward to look at the woman on Estelle's other side.

---

Thaum: Outside the Azure Sea (Group B)

Selan walked just behind Moira, Syed, and Lute, wondering if she had truly chosen the lesser of two evils. She didn't like insects, but she wasn't too excited about the sort of people who would spend lunchtime beating each other into a pulp. Although she had to admit, she wouldn't mind seeing Moira win over everyone else.

The pair started bickering at each other in typical fashion, while Selan simply enjoyed the fair weather. The sheer normality in itself was pleasant.

"Say, if you don't mind me asking... the music thing, that was you, right? I've never seen anything quite like it. Well. Heard. If you know what I mean. Is it just songs...?" Syed asked Lute.

"Yes, I'm curious as well," Selan added, smiling kindly. "I'd love to know how your ability works. Is it magic?"

Thaum: Outside the Azure Sea (Group A)

They were going in circles. Xan stared at the map in her hands before chuckling at Don and Estelle.

"Don't worry about it Dylan, we have a map." She looked at Estelle then turned to Don. "It says that," she gave them both a teasing smile before going quiet. It made things a lot more dramatic. "Well, the map says that neither of you are correct." The girl peered at it for a bit longer before nodding at her companion. "If we keep heading north we should reach a giant domed garden." She held out the map so everyone would be able to take a good look at it. It was a beautiful day and the thought of relaxing in such a pretty garden sounded wonderful.

They walked on and Lisette seemed very enthusiastic.

"Bugs?" Xan turned to look at the girl. "Hmm, they're alright. I'm not a big fan of wildlife though I have to admit Kapi and Isaac are pretty cute." Isaac was still clinging onto Kapi's back. The hedgehog had taken a liking to the Capybara.

"What about you?" Xan returned the question then pointed to set of stairs. "Guys," she called out to Don and Dylan. "It's up there."

Thaum's streets were bustling with life. People shuffled past and vendors yelled cheerily in an attempt to get people's attention. "If any of you guys want souvenirs, there's no time like the present." Xan nodded towards all the stalls before a giant dome caught her eyes. She looked at the map again, it was the garden. "Alright, we found our destination." The Pride lingered in the square for a short while before they made their way towards Thaum's garden.

Upon arrival they were stopped by a security guard. He tipped his hat at them and grinned. "G'day to all of you. Welcome to the garden. I'm sorry, but I'll be confiscating any weapons you might have with you. Swords, knives, hammers, the works. We're home to a lot of endangered wildlife and we want to make sure we keep them the safe." He waited then allowed the Pride to enter.

There was a small lobby with chairs, coffee tables and a vending machine. On the other side of the door was the garden but to be honest, it looked more like a miniature forest. There were all kinds of trees and flowers and the smell of honey and grass wafted into the room.



Thaum: Garden (Group A)

"Oh, hello. You made it just in time. We only had room for a few more contestants."

"Contestants?" Xan arched an eyebrow then turned to face the others.

The man in front of them was tall with soft features and a calm smile. He had several bug catching nets in cradled in his arms. "Uh-huh, today's the yearly bug catching competition. The group that catches the largest bug wins." He tossed a net to each of the Pride members. "We were just about to start, but you all made it." His eyes landed on both Isaac and Kapi and he laughed. "I think those two will like it here. Well, you're all set. Remember, don't hurt any of the wildlife." Before they could protest they were ushered out the door and sent into the garden.

The man with the name tag Thomas followed after them. He had a net in hand too. "I'll be checking in on the groups from time to time." He announced before turning to greet the other people who were gathered inside the garden.

"Erm, I guess we're competing now?" Xan looked at the others then at the net in her hand. "Where do we go first?"

Thaum: Outside the Azure Sea (Group B)

Amy could only mutter a "Thank Dyn" to herself as Atlas departed alongside Marcus and Dr. Dream. He would be quite a fun individual to work together with, she was sure. Now there were two main attractions for her to deliberate between going to: the Colosseum or the Garden, and the groups were splitting up the moment they left the restaurant. She found herself nearly snickering at Syed's comment towards getting Don a beeper, but upon realizing who was saying it she sealed her lips tight. Amy otherwise stood off alone, twitching her lips as she deliberated which option sounded best. Now the question that lied with her was which would be funner... relaxing in a beautiful and nature-filled environment, or watching her friends get their asses kicked?

Well, considering she's never watched a fight before without having to worry about pitching in a healing spell, the choice was obvious. Amy smirked to herself in a confident, almost trademarked fashion upon reaching her conclusion the way she did and mentally prepared what was in store.

During their trek there in the meantime, Syed and Selan tuned into Lute, aware after Aria's comments about the strange music from earlier coming from this man. Arms crossed, Amy watched the young man with piqued curiosity as well, though kept her own commentary silent for now.

---

Thaum: Outside the Azure Sea (Group A)

Like Lisette, Trixie too huddled close with Estelle and Xandra on their trek. Considering she was dragged by Estelle in the swordswoman's other hand though, keeping up with them wasn't much of a choice. Somehow she managed to turn a blind eye to not only Kapi but Isaac as well; who knew how long that would last before Estelle started feeding attention to them? Then again, Trixie hadn't even realized Don initially decked for an entirely different direction when they first took off.

Though the square they came across bustled with life, Trixie felt more relaxed than she had ever been since before the events at Vandrell. The near-city life exuded just within shopping grounds felt so at home. Immediately she glued her eyes against the glass of a weapons shop once they passed by; Amy helped her restock and restore her own arsenal before taking off to Thaum, as was the usual routine, and getting uzis similar to those she had been wielding was not at all difficult with the coins she had curiously earned back at the casino. Oh but what if they had new, snazzy grenades...?

Like the slot machine in Los Paraisos, Trixie had to be physically pried from the window before the group could move on. Upon hitting the garden's lobby however, she found her attention easily wafted away once again, this time drawn to the sweet scent of honey seeping into the room. "Mmmmmm..." She licked her lips and, as if she were in a daze, began to shuffle towards wherever the source of the smell emitted from.

Only when Thomas' tossed bug-catching net smacked her head did she realize she was wandering off from her friends. Trixie picked up the net, shrugged with it in hand, looked to the others, and began walking back towards the honeylicious smell.

Lucien bounced with each step. People fought gloriously against monsters in Colosseums, didn't they? It sounded so exciting.

Glory and guts. He couldn't wait. Moira asked if she'd be able to join and Lucien spun around with a bright grin. "Hey, hey, boss, if you do join can I join in too?" He gave Amy a thumbs up. "With Amy on our side we'll be sure to win, yeah?" The summoner pumped a fist into the air then began following after Moira. He didn't know where they were headed either but if they kept walking they'd eventually reach the Colloseum, right? If it was huge then they'd see it soon enough.

Then Moira suggested they train with his bear summon and he lit up at the thought. Lucien imagined terrifying some of the passersby and snickered at the thoughts. "That sounds like a lot of fun!" However, before he could even pull of his deck of cards Syed began scolding the boss and the summoner pouted. "Aw, we that would have been interesting." He shrugged then followed after the boss while the others began asking Lute questions. Lucien decided to ask later, now, they needed to find the Colosseum.

After a few more moments of walking around aimlessly the Pride reached the town's square.



Perched on the fountain was a muscular man of intimidating height and broad shoulders. He was covered from head to toe in scars and had a scowl on his face. "Hear ye! Hear ye! Today in Thaum's Colosseum we will be hosting the 23rd annual competition." He began flexing and grunting and some of the people move away. However, some looked on with stars in their eyes. He was Jeff, the champion for five years in a row. However, the title now belonged to someone else. Despite that, Jeff was still the face of the Colosseum. "Whoever wants to join in on the competition will need to register by the gate! Be there and be prepared to bring on the hurt!" He pounded at his well toned chest and let out a mighty roar. "So who among you wants to fight? Who among you wants to fight for Glory and Guts?" He hollered. "And who among you wants to fight for the grand prize!" He stomped his feet. "FIVE SACKS OF POTATOES!"

Lucien raised a hand, a silly grin still stuck to his face.

"What do you want?!" The man bellowed and Lucien could have sworn his breath smells of decay and rotten meat.

"Well, my friend wanted to register." He chirped before clapping his hands together.

The gladiator hopped down from his perch and the Pride could have sworn there was a mini quake. He eyed Lute up and down then tugged Syed by the arm and sniffed him. Jeff then turned his sites to Lucien and grimaced. "None of you men would last an hour in my arena. Why do a bunch of pansies like you even want to compete?"

Lucien shrunk back then dove behind Moira. "Actually she's the one who wants to compete!" He laughed nervously.

The gladiator did a double take. The moment his eyes landed on Moira he saw stars! "Oh..."

He gave her a grin and extended an arm in greeting. "Name's Jeff. I'd be honored to have you in my arena. However, the competition right now is a group one so," he shrugged then jabbed his thumb at the Pride's direction. "If you want to join you'll need a team. Registration is at the Colloseum just keep heading north then take a sharp left when you reach Trauma road." Jeff swung a ridiculously large sword over his shoulder. "Or you guys can just follow me. Competition stars in an hour." He waggled his eyebrows at Moira then motioned for the Pride to follow. Eventually they reached the Colosseum.

A cacophony of cheers erupted from the inside and men and women in armor ran about declaring that they would be the next champions. It was colossal, big enough to fit thousands of spectators. Outside was the registration table where another burly man in a helmet waited for competitors to sign up. "Jeff! We're in need of just one more team." He hollered before raising up a paper full of signatures.

Jeff laughed. "I think I have 'em right here, Greg!"