Hall of Doors: Lesley, Ace, Toby, Riley, and AmielCrazy, yeah...that's probably what everyone would think. Sucks, doesn't it?
"Catch ya later Ace!" Riley gave the girl a mischievous grin then began swimming towards the door. "Don't hang around for too long." Lucky for Ace, Amiel came to her rescue and soon enough all of them were back on solid ground.
She didn't notice how Toby was a little green in the face, so she approached the boy. "I don't think we can prove Nowhere's existence. I mean, that's what I wanted to do for the papers. If everyone could see the train then it'd be on the news," she shook her head and continued speaking even when the boy ran off to another door. Wow, someone was excited, huh? "Y'know since the train is magical and all, there must be a catch. Like maybe, only people with wishes can see it." She shrugged. She sure as hell didn't understand the magical train and she was sure the others didn't too.
"Toby is right though, people not believing us, doesn't change the fact that it's true." Riley sighed.
How long had they been missing anyways? It was impossible to tell. Her parents probably thought she had died doing something stupid. The girl remembered that time she and Kim broke into an abandoned house to take photos. Ah, her mom and dad flipped and the police drove her home in a cruiser for breaking into private property. It wasn't like she was planning to rob the place, she just wanted to see if the rumors of dead bodies being stuffed in the basement was for real.
For the record, it was a bunch of baloney and she and Kim got in trouble for nothing.
"Steady now," Amiel had a look of concern on his face. "Some of these doors lead into rooms that can be quite unsavory, so don't just open them all willy nilly." Amiel turned to grin at both Lesley and Ace. "The queen has a pet lion, rumor has it, it's behind one of these doors." He messed around with his tie then began following after Toby.
"Wait? What?" Riley turned to gape at both Lesley and Ace. "So...if we open the wrong door we could get eaten?"
Their guide broke into laughter. "Exactly, now come along, humans. Let us all stick together."
"Lesles, let's go." Riley wrapped an arm around her friend's own and practically dragged him through the door. As soon as they stepped past the door frame they could hear waves and smell the ocean. A warm breeze whipped at their faces and sunlight shone down on them. The weather was absolutely perfect. "Ace is right, the others need to see this."
"We can show them later," Amiel clapped his hands together then pointed to a small dressing room that wasn't there before. "You can change your clothes there." He clapped again and several surfboards, goggles, and flippers fell right out of the sky. "We can catch a few waves, go snorkeling, ha! We can do anything." He clapped his hands twice this time and a Jet ski fell from the sky. It landed in the sand just a few inches away from Toby.
Riley was bouncing in place. "Oh FUDGE. Amiel, this is just amazing!" She spun around to look at the others. "Guys, let's stay for a bit. This party is gonna last for who knows how long anyways." Riley clasped her hands together as if she were praying. "Please, please, what do you guys say?"
West Hall: Inadi, Jasper, Songbird, Brandy, and Harper"Excuse me, but you're in charge of the humans aren't you?" A kind looking Nobody who appeared to be in his late 60's approached with Harper in tow. "This human wound up lost in the castle's maze room, it's a good thing he bumped into me."
After spending some time by himself, Harper's head felt a lot clearer. "Sorry," he avoided most of their gazes and kept his eyes on the floor. "Thank you for the help though." If not for Mr. Brightenburg, he would have been lost for a very long time.
"It's not a problem, dear boy, now..." he clapped the young man on the shoulder. "Enjoy the rest of the party with your friends, yes?"
He nodded. "Jasper, Inadi, Leila," he didn't want to mope around and ruin their night so he mustered a smile. "You all look great."
"So, now that you're all together, I'd like to borrow your guide." He turned to Songbird with a smile. "Ah, the best item hunter in Nowhere, it's always a pleasure to meet you." He grabbed the Nobody's hand and gave it a firm shake. "I need to leave soon, but I can't find Amiel anywhere. Someone told me he was headed for the hall of doors with a couple of humans. Could you go find him for me? I need to meet up with Rosenthal before I leave. That boy," the man shook his head. "Always wondering off."
The man then clapped both Inadi and Jasper on the shoulder. "Ah, I'd recognize Martini's handiwork anywhere. Give the mermaid my regards," he fiddled with the cuffs of his suit. "She made this herself, and I absolutely adore it." With that said, the Nobody left in a hurry.