[IC] The Midnight Train to Nowhere

[Kimchi]

"Unacceptable! I will not have this!"

Since her eyes had been on the sand for the most part, Jasper's head shot up in panic as the mermaid's angry voice echoed through the room. 'What's going on? Does she not want us to be here?' Turning to the exit, she heard Martini rolling closer to them on her chair. Feeling rude to have her back facing the mermaid's direction, Jasper swiveled around again to face the Nobody's wrath.

"Who in the whole of Nowhere dressed you? They put you in a white dress? You need color! COLOR! You look like a total ghost in that. Oh don't look at me like that, I should be feeling sorry for you the way you're dressed."

Looking down at her outfit, a feeling of extreme shame and insecurity washed over her. In her mind, it was one of the better dresses in comparison to the overly frilly ones she had been fitted into before, but that was just Martini's style. She rubbed her arms with a sad frown; head hung low like a puppy who had just done something very bad. Whilst she sulked, Songbird on the other hand, was bawling his eyes out in laughter as Martini continued to move from person to person, criticizing everyones attire.

"And you! You will take that horrid thing off and burn it first thing, you understand? Nobody deserves that thing."

Inadi was standing beside her covering his face with his hands.

“He shouldn’t just burn it; he should also bury the ashes in the ground in case someone catches a case of criminal ugly"

And with those two cruelly honest comments, Jasper couldn't hold back as she let out her own laugh through poorly compressed lips. Though she had been a little more lenient with her opinion about the suit back then, Martini and Songbird sure had no problem telling him straight up, but it wasn't his fault. He was just wearing it, it's not like he was the one who picked it out.

"You are all getting changed. All of you. Now. I will not have people talking about horridly dressed humans especially since I usually dress you. Well, move it! Put your dishes on the table and get in already. I can't assist you in finding things today in this state, so you'll have to pick something out. Everything's sorted by size, style and color. And nobody, is leaving this room until I approve. Got it? Dress, accessories, shoes, everything. I can help you with the knick-knacks since they're in lower drawers but you'll have to deal with the clothes."

Jasper's mouth hung agape as one of the walls opened up to reveal a ginormous closet, wait no that's an understatement, to reveal a mall of clothes. There was so much outfits that an upper level had to be built to store all of them. The colors and sizes were arranged to perfection and Jasper, being a neat freak herself, felt a warm fuzzy gladness at the sight.

Each being, both the Nobodies and humans, was led to their own respective size and left behind. Jasper felt stranded. She stared at the long rack of clothing not moving an inch. Back on Earth, she wasn't one to fuss over clothes. While girls her age were getting hyped up on shopping and make-up, she was the one showing up to school in neutral one-colored shirts paired with jeans. Since she didn't know how to fix her hair, she had always kept it at shoulders length to avoid having to deal with it. But now here she was, standing alone in front of dozens upon dozens of dresses, only one of which, she had to pick.

Sweat drops beginning to form across her forehead, even her her hands were getting a bit clammy. Reaching forward with hesitation, she paused a bit in her action before touching the first article of fabric and shifted it slightly to give it a look. Once she had conquered the first barrier, she was now carefully sifting through each and every hue, besides black and white, to find something that would be up to par with Martini's standards, but at the same time, have it be acceptable to her as well.

“What do you think? Granted it looks better than the thing I'm wearing now, since the way Martini reacted a burlap sack would look better on me in her eyes, but do you guys think this would look good on me? Or should I keep looking?”

Inadi was holding up a black suit with vertical red pinstripes running down the solid color. Imagining how it would look on him, she thought he would look fine so she gave him a thumbs up, but was unsure of how Martini would critique the clothing. Since it was in her closet, Jasper was sure that Martini wouldn't be too angry about anything coming from her own creations.

Continuing to flip through her choices, she finally settled on a pink dress which was not as vibrant as the others, but it looked nice and appeared light. Many of the ones she'd scrutinized before had too much going on and the bottom halves flared out in a giant dome shape which seemed rather heavy to be walking around in. But the look she chose was both aesthetically pleasing and easier to move around in. Slipping into a change room, Jasper slid the dress on and with a fearful sigh, she made her way towards Martini for judgement day.

[MUG]

When Inadi saw the thumbs up from Jasper he then turned to Leila. The girl gave him a shy nod of the head, giving her approval of the decision as well. Taking that as a good reaction to the suit itself made Inadi think that they both approved of his choice of clothing. That was all he needed as he took it up to a dressing room nearby and began fitting himself into the suit with matching pants and dress shirt along with it.

The whole thing definitely seemed like a good change of pace considering what all he had been doing in Nowhere recently. Putting on a suit was definitely a welcome change to fighting a witch after all. Plus the party was enjoyable only for the fact that the food back there was very good. With all of the movement and excitement though it made him feel really uncomfortable considering everything. Plus now he was on edge when it came to the other people he had met on the journey. When Martini got mad at his suit, Inadi began feeling a great concern take over his body. If that was the case here, no telling what would happen during the more tense situations they would more than likely find themselves in now.

As he pulled down on the lapels to smooth out the jacket he took that last thought and let it settle in his mind. They still needed to get more things on that damned list. The Queen even said it in the dance hall area. And who knows what all he and the rest of the crew were going to have to do to get those things that they wouldn't even know about until the list decided to show it. All this relaxation they were getting right now was going away at some point. And when it did the Queen would be showing them the door towards whatever danger they needed to conquer. Shaking his head he looked at himself in the finished product.

He had to admit that it was a pretty good look for him. The stripes were thin enough that they didn't get your attention like the other suit jacket did with the color scheme. Plus this one was a lot more controlled with the appearance. He was really liking the look and felt very happy about it. It was a matter of whether or not Martini liked it though. The thought of that woman getting after him for a bad choice made his concern grow again. Inadi always thought mermaids were calm and gentle things. This one seemed like she could get very angry, very quickly. Sucking in a breath Inadi took a step out the changing room and out towards where Martini was sitting before.

On the way there, Inadi saw Jasper in her pink dress and he got a slight flush over his face. Maybe Martini had an idea of what she was talking about with the whole color thing. The pink really fit Jasper for whatever reason. Maybe it was from all the times Inadi had seen the girl blushing for whatever reason that he thought it fit her. Shaking his head at the thought, he picked up the pace of his walk and got next to Jasper. Looking at her face he saw that she looked more than a little nervous going back to the mermaid. Inadi could definitely sympathize with her considering he had a similar feeling in his gut. Seeing her like that though made him want to help in someway, so he decided to try the whole complimenting thing again. He smiled at her and gave her a slight nudge with his elbow. “Don't worry Jasper. If Martini can't see how beautiful you look in that dress then maybe she isn't as good a fashionista as she says she is.” He told her with a sincere smile as he continued walking beside her as both got closer to exiting the closet.

That was when Inadi remembered there was still Leila in the closet as well looking for her new dress. Inadi felt bad about going on ahead and leaving her to be judged by herself if it took her longer. Stopping his walk, he turned slightly as he went and lightly placed his hand on Jasper's shoulder, trying to get her to stop as well. “Maybe we should wait for Leila to join us too. I don't think it would be right of us to just go on ahead and have her stand up on the chopping block by herself, ya' know?” He explained his reasoning as he looked for Leila. She wasn't out picking a dress, so she must have been in one of the changing rooms getting the thing on. It probably wouldn't take her too much longer, so a little bit of a wait probably wouldn't hurt.

[Anonymous]

With all of them floating around in a zero gravity room, Lesley was having the time of his life. The stars twinkled in the dark velvet of the night sky and he was hand in hand with one good looking fellow. This was just about pitch perfect.

Riley: "Haha, hey Lesles! Y'know, it's days like these that make me wish I had my camera with me. Gosh, what I wouldn't do for a photo of all this. THIS IS LIKE. THIS IS LIKE, PHOTOJOURNALIST HEAVEN."

Grinning from ear to ear, he pictured how humanity would react to this scene and Nowhere itself. If they ever did capture all that had taken place during their time there, no doubt, the majority of the human population would think they'd gone bonkers. That, or it would be assumed that they were just some kids who were really good with computer graphics.

Amiel: "Even if you had a camera, I don't think anything from our realm can be sent into yours. It's two entirely different worlds, if I remember right. Hmm, it's a shame, isn't it? Nowhere is full of lovely souvenirs."

Lesley sighed and put his hand over Amiel's hand. The concept of two separate realms baffled him, how this place itself could even be possible. If humans back home ever found out about Nowhere, they would no doubt find a way to destroy it because that's what humans do. They take, take, take until there's nothing left. Then they move on to a different area with something to offer so they can strip it of all its resources too. Humans were parasites stuck in a vicious cycle of taking.

Riley: "I mean, Lesles, as an artist you gotta understand, right? You're always trying to create beautiful images and now you're drowning in them. Doesn't it just want to make you paint like there's no tomorrow? Don't you wanna capture all this. I know I want to, but who'd believe us?"

It almost seemed like Riley had taken the thought right out of his mind and turned it into a verbal sentence. "Why of course! That's what eactly what I've been itching to do since I got here. Just hadn't gotten around to it. Especially now that we've become so busy with the item hunting." Spreading his arms and legs out, his pose looked like that of a starfish. His pink curls hovered around him, lifting up around his face and shrouding his view.

Riley: "Hey guys, when we all y'know, go home and stuff. Are you going to tell people about this place? I'm guessing the police will question us and all that since we've been missing for a long time, but are they going to believe us?"

Her question made him burst into a chuckle. "No way! People would think I'm crazy. They'd probably shove us all into a mental hospital." His statement suddenly made him feel sad. What happens when they get home? They would just continue their lives like nothing ever happened right? The same old boring human life and no one would ever guess what they'd ever been through. "I'll probably paint about it instead. I'm sure it'll catch peoples attention. And when they ask me where I got the idea, well then maybe I can tell them about Nowhere." Lesley brushed his locks from his face and stared at a twinkle star in deep thought. "Maybe I'll even tell them to wait for the train on New Years Eve," he frowned, "Nah. I'd never do that. Not with all the...." He forced a gulp, "All the deaths... HEY! We should go check out the other rooms!"

Turning over, he pushed his way to the exit and pulled his legs downward to touch the floor. He really didn't want to think about that right now. It was their break after all. It was time to relax and forget about the madness they had gone through. As he stepped out and back into the hall, Lesley suddenly felt light headed when gravity returned and crashed down on him. "Ouch." His head was pounding and it felt like a horrible headache. Once his mind cleared up again, he cautiously stuck a hand back inside and beckoned the others to follow.

[Kimchi]

'Oh man, I wonder if she'll approve of it. Should I go back? Ahh, I don't think this was a good choice!' Jasper fumbled nervously with one of the bows attached to her dress, constantly rolling it between her thumb and index finger. Though her pick felt like a good choice at first, as she walked down the hall to show the mermaid, she was being flooded with doubt. She wasn't sure if she could handle another rejection or more poky comments about appearance. The comment Martini put out earlier about her looking like a ghost, was enough to plummet her little self-esteem. 'Yes I think I should go ba-' Just as she was about to turn right around to search for a different dress, Inadi was at her side decked out in his own suit.

'Egh. It would be rude of me to go back if he hurried to catch up to me right?' Swiveling her head to face him, she forced a quick smile even though she was having a meltdown inside. Her heart was palpitating with every step they took, nearing the exit to where Martini was patiently awaiting them for critique.

“Don't worry Jasper. If Martini can't see how beautiful you look in that dress then maybe she isn't as good a fashionista as she says she is.”

Jasper stuttered her steps a bit, but pulled herself together with a tense swallow. 'Did he just say I was beautiful?' A mixture of panic and happiness flared up inside her, causing her heart to flutter even faster than before, but this time it wasn't from fear; it was because of joy. This compliment felt more natural and sincere than the first one(exotic), which was a bit more thought out and unsure. She wasn't aware of why it felt so good to be praised by him, but now she wanted him to feel the same contentment too.

"Y-you l-look beautifu- ah, I mean handsome in t-that suit." Wanting to die in a box right there and then, she wasn't too proud of how she executed that. Her voice had cracked up more than once and her hands even went clammy with just that single sentence. But she really meant what she said. The pinstriped suit looked clean-cut and aristocratic on Inadi. Not to mention she couldn't bare to even look at him for more than a few seconds at a time because she was afraid of getting a

nosebleed.

While she continued to drown in fret about her failed attempt at complimenting, feeling a hand suddenly land on her shoulder startled her immensely and she swiftly side-stepped away from him.

“Maybe we should wait for Leila to join us too. I don't think it would be right of us to just go on ahead and have her stand up on the chopping block by herself, ya' know?”

"Ah, sorry" She apologized for her reaction and continued to say, "Mkay. Let's wait. Oh, and we should wait for Brandy and Songbird too." Remembering the guides, she wanted to surpass the invisible barrier between the guides and the humans. "Then we can all go as a group."

[Thundercat]

"Hey guys, when we all y'know, go home and stuff. Are you going to tell people about this place?"

Go home.

Toby released his grip from Ace and due to the gravity, or lack there of, they began to slowly float in opposite directions. He crossed his legs and arms and allowed his body to flip upside down. All of his hair fell downwards as he looked away from the group. He looked like a child sitting in the corner of a room in timeout. Except instead of sitting he was floating, and instead of a corner he was in space.

"I'm guessing the police will question us and all that since we've been missing for a long time, but are they going to believe us?"

"Who cares if they don't?" Toby mumbled to himself as he drifted in space. The feelings and emotions, the fear and the rage, they were resurfacing at the thought of home. How long has it been since he boarded the train? Two, maybe three weeks? He made sure to leave enough money at home so his Amy could pay rent while he was gone, but not showing up to his job for three weeks was-

"No way! People would think I'm crazy. They'd probably shove us all into a mental hospital." Toby hated the idea of mental hospitals. They just drug up a bunch of people and labeled them as psycho, that's all they did. If they were sentenced to some mental hospital he'd lose it for sure. Yeah, they couldn't prove Nowhere was real, but all the police and the rest of em couldn't prove it wasn't.

"So!" Toby shouted, "So...So what if they don't believe us? That's their decision. I mean, we know this place is real. If they don't believe us than they can go wait at the train station next year and see for themselves." Twirling his body back to an upright position he began to move forward in a swimming motion. Propelling himself through the group he began 'swimming' back and forth amongst his new friends. "I'm going to tell everyone what I saw! And, well if they send me to a mental hospital, well than i'll tell all those doctors and nurses what I saw too! And the other patients, i'll tell everybody. If they don't believe me that's their stupid choice, i'd like to see them take on a big clock monster and survive!" Granted, his and Ran's survival was thanks to Ise, but he left that part out of the tiny rant.

Toby shot his arms and legs out, spinning as he floated through space like some kind of human ferris wheel, "We are the strongest humans alive!" he declared proudly before shifting his position and swimming from dessert to dessert. Chomping down onto a cupcake he didn't hesitate to chase a brownie right after. For some reason his stomach suddenly felt empty, he was eating the sweets one after the other like nothing, how satisfying the feeling was! "Nom....nom.....nom," No doubt floating through space very much felt similar to floating underwater. Two of his favorite things, swimming and eating at once. Greatest. Party. Ever. He couldn't help but feel like there was a drawing kind of like this somewhere in his notebook back home.

"I'll probably paint about it instead. I'm sure it'll catch peoples attention. And when they ask me where I got the idea, well then maybe I can tell them about Nowhere."

Lesley was a painter! Not only did she have the coolest, most colorful hair he had ever seen, but she could probably paint something just as eye-catching too. He would have to think of a nice compliment and get her to paint a flower or something soon so he could take it back home

Back home.

"Nah. I'd never do that. Not with all the....All the deaths... HEY! We should go check out the other rooms!"

"More rooms!" he shouted

Toby followed Lesley's lead back to the door and pulled himself back into the hallway, however the moment his feet touched the floor he felt his entire stomach twist and turn. "Oh, geeeeez," Immediately he fell to his knees, "Ughhhh" Slowly he lowered his head onto the floor, his bottom pointing upwards as he began to regret all the tasty sweets in the world. Maybe there was something different about the candy and treats in Nowhere, or maybe it had been too long since he satisfied his sweet tooth, either way Toby couldn't help himself from going on a sugar binge. "The candy...betrayed me..." You'd think eighteen years of halloween candy and chocolate easter bunny's would have prepared him for the otherworldly sweets. Turning his head to the side, the long hallway of doors seemed even longer and he could only pray there was a toilet room behind one of them.

Suddenly his stomach began to twist and turn once, he knew it was only a matter of time before they would all be admiring his dessert all over the walls. Mustering up all the strength he could Toby lifted himself onto his feet and trotted awkwardly down the hallway wrapping both of his hands around his stomach. Constantly looking back and forth between the two walls quickly glancing at a number of doors he looked for anything that showed any type of sign for a bathroom. "Bleh" once more he felt a sharp twist in his stomach and covered his mouth before throwing himself through a random door without thinking.

Toby sprinted into the room but came to a stop, almost tripping as he went from walking on a normal flat floor to walking through sand. To his right a cluster of palm trees, coconut tree's, normal tree's, really just a bunch of trees were tightly squeezed together, and to his left. The beautiful, beautiful ocean swayed calmly, back and forth onto the beach. A swim would have been heaven right now. Seeing the ocean calmed Toby and kinda forced his food back down. "Water, precious water" happily he fell to his knees once more and lay still in the sand, gripping his stomach as he listened to the sound of the ocean.

[Fox of Spades]

Dance Floor: Ran and Anna



Not only was the human kind and funny, Ran was also amazing on the dance floor. The man literally swept her off her feet, and the nobody's lips quirked up into a smile. Had they not been in a dance competition, she would have grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and kissed him then and there. Oh my, it almost sounded like the big finale of some romantic comedy.

His dance moves were unconventional, but she had been dancing at balls for almost all her life. Anna managed to match his moves and the result was flurry of fantastically timed footwork and twirls. Ran pushed her away with one arm, pulled her close then dipped her. The duo held their position for a few breaths before he slowly brought her back to her feet. "My, my, Ran." Anna's face had turned several shades of pink, "where did you learn to dance like this? You must have swept a handful of women off their feet." He twirled her around, "you're probably the most unique dance partner I've ever had." Now, the spotlight was on them and several hoots and cheers filled the dance floor.

"We might actually win this, yes?" Anna took a small step back then pulled Ran close, so close that their noses almost touched. Step forward, step back, repeat, repeat, then push each other away before reuniting once more. "Now twirl me around." He did as told before she fell back and he caught her in his arms. This human was a fast learner, "my hero."

The speakers above them crackled to life and an excited voice boomed throughout the room.

"Carrot cakes, ladies, gentlemen, and cheese graters! It looks as if one pair is dominating the dance floor." The spotlight continued following them and a few nobodies were attempting to imitate Ran's unconventional dance style. "Oh it looks like this year a human is going to win! Are these two lovebirds going to win the 5,000 stars? Yes? NO? MAYBE? Well, as of now, they're blowing us all away!"





"Whoa, Whoa, slow down there fellas. We aren't losing just yet." The spotlight fell on a man in a white suit and a top hat. "The night is young, my friends." He had his fingers intertwined with a young lady's, and she was in a dress that matched his suit.

The crowd went wild, it seemed like this man had a few fans of his own.

"It's Casper Rhythm himself." A girl shrieked.

Another one suddenly declared her undying love for him. "He's won the queen's dance competitions five cycles in a row!"

The next voice belonged to a man. "Oh, oh, and isn't that Leena Brightstar? Celery, that lucky dog!"

Someone from the crowd snickered. "Well, that human and Anna are dead meat now."

"You betcha! The one and only Casper and Leena are here to astound you once more." He lifted his top hat off his head and tossed it into the screaming crowd. "The competition is far from over." The man threw out his hands "You two, we challenge you to a dance off."

Everything went silent and Leena Brightstar smiled. "For Mr. Cuddle's tarts and the 5,000 stars. Oh, and to make matters more interesting, if you somehow manage to beat us, we'll give you an extra 1,000 stars." There was no mistaking the arrogance in her voice. Leena curtsied at the crowd them spun around in place. The entire place was filled with cheers, whoever these two were, they seemed to be a big deal.

"Well, what do you two say? Is it a deal or will you give up?" The couple started laughing.

Anna grew as red as an apple and she balled both her hands into fists. "We're taking your challenge! Just because you've won five cycles in a row doesn't mean we won't wipe the floor with you now." She wrapped her fingers around Ran's hand and lifted it into the air. "This man right here, well, he's a dancing genius!"

The other couples cleared the dance floor. This would be a battle between the two dancing stars and Anna and Ran.

"Well, well, it looks like a dance off between the best of the best is about to happen." The speakers roared to life. "Best of luck!" And with that, the jellyfish above turned all sorts of colors and a giant disco ball descended. One spotlight was on Ran and Anna and the other was now on Casper and Leena. An electronic beat filled the room and it was clear that the time for slow dancing had ended.

"Yeaaayeahh!" Casper leaned back then let his arms hang loosely by his side. The man moved around like a puppet, suddenly hunching forward only to jolt up and swing his hands forward in a robot-like motion. Casper moonwalked across the dance floor only to suddenly hunch over like a toy that had ran out of batteries. He swung a limp hand in Leena's direction.

Leena did the same, ending with a hand thrown out in Casper's direction. He reached for her hand, pulled her close then dipped her, her head mere centimeters away from the ground. Then Casper pulled her up, he moved his hands to her waist and Leena leaped into the air, arms thrown to the side as if she were an airplane and feet pointed. He lifted her above his head before tossing her into the air. "Gotcha!" Leena landed safely in his arms and the spotlight above them flickered off.

It was Ran's and Anna's turn now.

[Crescendo]

Brandy shook his head in amusement as Song cracked up besides him. It was unusual for Song to laugh like this but he certainly couldn't blame the guy; the look on the humans' faces were priceless. Were they expecting her to scream at them before dragging them to the bottom of the lagoon to drown? The group scattered under the mermaid's instructions, each to their own respective sections to look for clothing. Brandy and Song had it a bit easier, however- due to their familiarity with Martini and her stubborness in trying to improve their wardrobe they each had their own little corner on the first floor with a few mannequins showcasing outfits she had made for them for occasions like this.

He stopped in front of a mannequin in an outfit he hadn't seen before. It was a three piece suit with a black tailcoat, a verdant vest with a white dress shirt underneath as well as a green tie that matched the vest. There were gold trimmings on the suit that gave a regal but not overly fancy air, and a surprising lack of ruffles and sparkles on it that made Brandy rather relieved. He could still remember the times he had to bribe Martini to deruffle the clothes that she was making him wear, the bribe often being that he would wear something of hers again which only continued the vicious cycle. Martini was a lot craftier than she let on.

He returned from the change room, draping his old suit over the mannequin. A green silk ribbon had fallen from the suit pocket when he was changing and he had taken it as a cue to tie his hair back like Marti had always insisted though some of it escaped from the smooth fabric to frame his face. He stepped in front of the giant mirror that decorated and entire wall of the closet. The suit looked very nice on him as suspected of something made by Martini, and yet the lack of his characteristic scarf made the bunny frown. It had been deemed hopeless by the castle maids in Sol who had tried washing it, but the bloodstains had refused to come out no matter how they scrubbed. He had been forced to throw it away, not that he could have held onto it after he had used it to keep Song from bleeding out from the witch's attacks.

His grim mood was lifted slightly when he spotted some two humans lingering at the edge of the closet, now dressed in clothes that they had chosen from the giant selection. Inadi was looking a lot better now that he no longer resembled a bedazzled banana while the pink on Jasper brought out the faint blush on her cheeks. All in all, they were looking a lot better than they were before.

"Not bad," he gave them a small smile as he passed by them. "are you waiting for Leila? I'd suggest you go to Marti first, however. She gets cranky when she's kept waiting." He continued on, before pausing again. "If you're worried about her critique, I wouldn't worry." His gave them a small and slightly awkward thumbs up. "you both look great."



"About time!"

Brandy winced as he stepped in view of the mermaid who's tail had been slapping the ground impatiently as she waited for everyone to get changed. "Really, took you long enough. But I guess it was worth it after all!" She brightened as she took in the outfit, wheeling herself towards him and spinning around. "I'm a genius alright! You look absolutely dashing! I bet all the girls will just be crowding around you once you go back out there. And Inadi too! Who knew you'd look so good in a pinstripe suit? (Ehehhe I mean of course I did but meeeh~)" She whistled as the human stepped out, followed by Jasper. The girl looked so cuuuute in that shade of pink! <3 She was more than pleased with their selections. Perhaps there was hope for them after all? She clapped, feeling a lot more cheerful than she had been in a while. "Perfect, perfect~"

They were soon joined by Leila and Songbird, and she had to say that she was very much impressed. She was sure she would have to send one of them back at least, but there wasn't any need for that at all. Her tail swayed in joy as she looked upon her handiworks proudly. "Well, that's that then." She nibbled on a pastry and waved a hand at them dismissively now that her work was done. "I'll get that suit burned later, so don't you all worry about that. You're all free to go~"

"Are you sure?" Brandy frowned at the mermaid. "You don't want to join in? I thought you loved parties."

"Oh please, like this?" Martini huffed and gestured to her colorless hair and tail. "I think I'll pass this time. There'll be other parties in the future when I get better, right? So don't worry bout me and get moving before I get mad at you~!"

[AkiBlue]

Ace laughed at the pun, and watched as the next moment, everyone was following along in her accidental fun. "Nice of you to join." She grinned and continued floating around aimlessly until Toby took her wrist. It seemed they had an easier time of maneuvering than she did, so she gladly let him hold her, though in the end both were spinning in circles and they were both laughing.

She had eventually let go, twisting her body to face Riley for at least a few seconds. "Will I tell people about this place? Hm, I don't have anyone to tell. But I guess if I did tell the few people I know -once I see them again- I'd tell it like a children's story. No one would ever believe me. But who doesn't like a good story to hear? I'll just say while I was moving about it was part of my 'adventure'." She shrugged and thought about it. All the members of the gang she was in were older than her. But even so, they did enjoy a story every now and then. Especially when they were drunk and had nothing better to listen to. Besides, this was no children's story. There was death and blood in it. It was the perfect story for an adult at least.

Her train of thought stopped when she noticed a brownie floating towards her. She scooped it up and ate it. She had a few sweets before she left, but she didn't have the major sugar rush like the party they attended when Riley and the others arrived. Ace still believed that staying in Nowhere wouldn't have been all that bad. It wasn't like she had been planning anything before she got there. It wasn't like her gang would miss her too much. She did leave for a sort of hiatus. Wait, what state did she leave them in? Where was she before she left home?

She was forgetting again. This wasn't good. . . But did she really have anything she wanted to remember?

Suddenly, everyone was leaving and she couldn't keep up. "Wait up! A little help?" Amiel turned and chuckled, 'swimming' over to take her hand. "Don't worry, I got you." Ace rolled her eyes at the damsel in distress gentle tone, but smiled. "Thanks." When they got back to gravity, Ace stumbled at first before feeling lightheaded for a moment. She shook it off, and looked at the others.

"It seems I picked the first door, someone else choose this time." It wasn't like she had planned to go through the gravity door. It sort of...pulled her in. But it seemed Toby found one. She followed him inside and smiled when she noticed the beach scene. "Nice find Toby." She took her shoes off and walked inside. "We should get everyone else in here. This would be a perfect chill spot. Hmph, too bad we aren't dressed for it."

[Orpheus]

“Huh. Now this is a surprise.”

Unlike the much fancier party garb that he was wearing, a more casual ensemble was draped over the mannequin placed on his corner. Songbird cocked his head in surprise as a familiar pattern greeted his eyes. That floral design… Ah. It was one of the many scarves he decided to donate to Martini. It wasn’t as if he was going to use all of those that he had back home; even if he wore a different one every day, it would take forever for him to use all of the scarves at least once... Such was his obsession for procuring that certain piece of apparel.

Costume Change!

Anyway, it seemed like this set wasn’t meant for balls. He ran the fabric through his fingers and understood that it was meant for swift movement and heavy traveling as well. How thoughtful… His travel clothes had been horribly stained and ripped by that encounter with the witch, and although he didn’t say anything about it, Songbird was sorely disappointed and annoyed that he would have to order custom-made clothes that could withstand his lifestyle.

He returned just the same time as the humans did. Songbird touched the scarlet flower on his shoulder as the mermaid inspected them all one by one, and then let out a sigh of relief when she didn’t bark at him to go into the fashion labyrinth again. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem as if Martini wanted to go out yet- but at least she was happier and frankly that was a big boost already- and there was nothing they can do about that.

“If you say so. Eat your food, okay? The humans toiled and worked to bring all those plates to you. It isn’t an easy task with those chicken arms of theirs, so don’t waste their efforts,” The item hunter nodded towards Jasper and Leila but kept his eyes on his friend, “And thanks for my new clothes. I guess it’s time for me to be a walking advertisement board again, though I have to say, you outdid yourself this time.” He gestured to his new outfit with a pleased look on his face. When he was done talking, the item hunter stepped back and let the humans say whatever they wanted to say to the mermaid, but he moved out of earshot so he didn’t have to hear their words. When everyone was done, they all walked out of Martini’s room and back into the hallways.

“So, do you all know your way back?” Songbird turned towards the three Lost Souls with a neutral expression on his face. Now that Martini wasn’t in sight, he wasn’t in the mood to be all smiley anymore. “Or do we have to escort- …?” An elderly nobody was running towards their group at a laboriously slow pace. Songbird arched an eyebrow and his attention immediately shifted from the humans to the stranger. “That a friend of you three?” The item hunter asked, narrowing his eyes at the figure who kept approaching.

[MUG]

Seeing the big blush on Jasper's face made Inadi a little curious as to what she was thinking in that little head of hers. It was usually hard to pinpoint what the girl was thinking at from a day to day basis, but this time it was clear that she at least took the compliment well enough that she wasn't rejecting it. To be honest, it looked like she was down right flattered at it. Seeing that kind of reaction somehow gave a strange surge of pride that he had brightened up one of his friends days with just a simple sentence. Here he thought it was going to be hard and it was as easy as that.

When the girl gave him a similar compliment made him look himself over as she did so. She did stutter just a bit when she said but it added to the cuteness of the phrase in his opinion. The suit didn't look too bad on him in his opinion and hearing that from Jasper just made him more sure that this was the right choice. Of course the last bit was going to be from Martini and at the end of the day she was going to be the last word.

Jasper, while a little jumpy, agreed to wait for the others to join up and when they Brandy, Song and Leila joined them they all went over to Martini. She showed her approval of the choices and later declined her invitation to the party. While a person out of the loop would say it was just a invite, it was more like a plea in the truth of it. Last thing anyone needed was to be locked up in a closed off room with their own thoughts to think about what they had just been through and how no one seemed to care about the sacrifices made. At the end of the day though it definitely seemed like the mermaid was in no mood to join them and they all decided to just leave her to herself. On the way out, Inadi looked down at where he stood prior and noticed some of the food he had dropped was still on the carpet. Without a word he dropped to his knees and picked up the treats and fruit he had thrown out of fear. Giving the mermaid not even a glance as he did so, as his shame he felt made his head hang heavy as if a weight had been latched to his chin.

While walking back he looked over to Song and Brandy, the first of which seemed not to pay him much mind back in Martini's room when he had seemingly pointed out Jasper and Leila alone when he passed off his nods prior to them leaving. Brandy always seemed to be a very open member of the Nobodies, but he imagined that he was starting to run his welcome out with these guides after his little speech. Plus he still had little to now knowledge of those hooded figures that he had seen fight along side them. At this point it seemed like it was best to try and gain some ground back with these two, hoping to change that distrust into mere uneasiness. He wasn't going to erase it completely but at least it was a start.

“I may need some help getting back to the main room if you don't mind. I'd like to go and check on Harper if he is still there. And besides, after that whole event with the witch I'm sure he still is struggling with it all,” He told the guides as he continued walking along side them with his hands in his pockets. Giving a quick stare to Jasper and Leila, he knew that Harper was the real leader of the group and the two beside him had known him longer than almost anyone in the group. No doubt they were worried as well. “But if you don't mind me asking I still am confused at those people in the hoods that came to assist us, at least that's what I thought they were doing. What exactly are they? Nobodies like you guys? Or just some humans that thought they could get things done faster their own way?”

Thinking about the hooded figures made Inadi think back to the newspaper clipping he had found in the Midnight Man's house and his curiosity got the better of him again. It was perhaps a question he should have saved for a private situation, but he figured this was his best chance. “And what exactly would happen if someone was caught helping these guys? Like say....what would you do to Mr. Cuddles is he was caught providing them anything?” He asked them as Songbird pointed out the old man running towards the group and his eyebrow arched in confusion. Inadi didn't recognize the figure right off the bat and certainly hadn't been making any friends in the ballroom before he had left as he mainly stuck to talking to Mr. Cuddles and hanging around the food table. Looking back at the guide, all Inadi could do was provide a quick shrug as he turned to Jasper and Leila, thinking they had a better idea as to who was heading their way.

[Fox of Spades]

Hall of Doors: Lesley, Ace, Toby, Riley, and Amiel

Crazy, 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.

[Kimchi]

Brandy walked by, complimenting them and suggesting that they go on ahead of Leila. Stepping out to the judging area, Jasper was holding her breath, but was met by squealing delight. Martini was wheeling around the room, gushing over how great they looked in the outfits she had made. Perfect was the word she used to describe them. 'I guess all my worrying wasn't really worth it.' She swiped a bead of sweat from her forehead and fluffed out the skirt of her dress. Once Leila and Songbird joined in, the mermaid approved of all their picks and began on the feast they had brought for her.

"Well, that's that then. I'll get that suit burned later, so don't you all worry about that. You're all free to go~"

Thinking about the banana suit, she somehow felt that she would miss it and would've loved to have watched it burn in the flames, maybe roast some marshmallows over it. Martini's choice to stay behind brought some concern, but forcing her just wasn't a valid option. Approaching Martini, Jasper ducked down and gave the female guide a light hug. "Get better soon ok?" Jasper sighed and smiled at the mermaid before parting from her.

Upon exiting the tropically themed room, Songbird asked them if they would be able to find their way back to the party and at the same time, an elderly Nobody was slowly but surely making his way towards them. Jasper knew how to get back, but in all honesty, she wanted nothing more than to return to her room. Her wishes would not be fulfilled for she should at least show off her dress at the dance hall before disappearing or all her "suffering" back there would've been useless.

Inadi was conversing with Songbird and questioning him about the hooded figures. The lucky fellow hadn't been present when they were attacked by those hoodlums. She'd always wondered about those guys. They seemed... human, but at the same time inhuman. By this time, the old man was now very close to them and in tow, Harper was being brought along with the newcomer. Harper nodded and complimented them on their oufits. Jasper grinned in return. He looked rather suave in his vest as well. The elderly Nobody then proposed for Songbird to hunt down a guy named Amiel.

'Amiel, Amiel, Amiel... hmmm. How come I've heard that name before?' Jasper pondered the name for a bit before remembering seeing a Nobody approach Lesley at the bar, introducing himself as Amiel. "That Nobody you're looking for, I think he's with Lesley," she concluded. "Hey Song, do you mind if I tag along to the hall of doors?" She asked, yet wasn't going to take no for an answer. Apologizing to her friend was a big deal and she wanted them to be back to normal as soon as possible. She really did feel bad about puking on him back then and though she did not know why he had acted a tad bitter towards her even before that, she just wanted to settled any issues once and for all.

Turning to Brandy, Inadi, Harper, and Leila, she felt that staying together as a group would be best unless they didn't want to, so just in case, she asked, "Did you guys want to come along too?"

[AkiBlue]

"Wait, but lions are pretty cool." Ace spoke up while they agreed about being careful. She was sure it wouldn't have hurt to just peek in on a lion. But, they seemed to be against it so she didn't argue. Instead, she enjoyed the cool breeze and the perfect scenery. As equipment fell from the sky she grinned.
"Oh boy, this will be fun."

It didn't take long for her to kick her shoes to the side and run towards the dressing room. Surprisingly enough, there were swimsuits waiting for them inside. "How convenient..." Ace poked her head in each room, finding some of the swimsuits too small, or too frilly. Finding one she thought would work, Ace changed into it, hooking her dress up. "Well, what do you guys think?" Ace grinned and let the few see before she wandered off to the equipment that was left behind. Her eyes scanned over it all and then she grinned. There was a red and white surfboard standing in the sand and Ace grabbed it. "I know what I'm doing!"

Ace laughed and ran off towards the water. As she did, she untied the skirt and let it fall onto the sand. It was definitely a bad idea to just jump right into the water. She froze for a moment because the water was so cold, but with the picture perfect scenery, and the warm sun, it didn't take too long for her to adjust to the crystal clear, and cool water. She floated on the board, looking back at the others. "Come on! The water is fine!" She swam farther into the ocean. Not once did it ever occur to her that the laws of nature should not have let this existed. This was all just a room and yet it looked as if the ocean would go on forever....

The water started rising and Ace readied herself. When she was steady enough, she stood and began surfing. She wasn't a professional, in fact, this was probably her second time trying the act. But, it was definitely worth the try. Even if the first ended up in total wipe outs. Each time, she would resubmerge to the surface and climb back on the board. "This is harder than it looks." She laughed but continued trying until finally she was surfing without being knocked into the water. "Woohoo!"

This would've been even more awesome if everyone was there to enjoy it with them. Too bad they'd miss it. Well, maybe another time would come for them all to hang out together.

[Orpheus]

Ah well, it was too much of him to expect that they would’ve memorized the route from this corridor back to the main hall… Songbird shrugged and tilted his head to the side, a gesture for the humans to follow as he began walking to meet the elder halfway.

As they advanced, Inadi opened up the topic of the hooded figures. The guide stiffened.

“That boy, the one in the green hoodie… He’s a human. He used to be a part of the first- no, second or third batch. He and a small child named Emily fell to their deaths from the Shakespearean Star Fisher, or the SSF for short,” Songbird paused and his facial expression darkened. The item hunter remained silent for a while and nothing else sounded in the hall save for the clacking of their shoes against the smooth marble tiles. Finally, Songbird raised his head and continued on, “At least, that was what I thought… But, as you’ve all seen, he’s banded with those criminals.”

“As for the other ones, I think they’re humans from a previous batch. They’re a bunch of outlaws… I don’t know what’s wrong with them, to be honest. Or why they’re being hunted down like- Oh, I guess I should explain. They’re being treated like Class 1 criminals here. I don’t know why, but they probably did something horrible,” The item hunter explained haltingly, although his face was contorted into a mask of doubt and reluctance. The hooded figures were a mystery nobody had the chance to solve yet but… He had the chance to travel to the places where, coincidentally, these hoodlums passed through and for some reason… The maximum damage they’ve dealt was thievery. That was a bit too light for someone to be placed on the highest roster of lawbreakers so they must’ve done something to the Queen…? “The pink-haired girl stole a load of items off my cart once. Got me in a lot of trouble,” He curtly closed the topic before he could say something he would regret.

“And what exactly would happen if someone was caught helping these guys? Like say....what would you do to Mr. Cuddles is he was caught providing them anything?”

Songbird halted and turned to look at the boy with a look of utmost surprise in his face. In a few seconds his shock faded away and the nobody’s face was back to its usual irritated glower, but not before the item hunter cocked his head towards the approaching man as if to warn Inadi. This was a very sensitive topic after all; a mood breaker for the lovely world of Nowhere. “It’s not about what I would do. Brandy, Martini, Two-Thirds, Dissonance, Serenade, Cello and I, along with a whole lot of others, are simply guides at Her Majesty’s beck and call. Such matters are out of our jurisdiction,” He said quite loudly, then added in a quick, muted whisper, “Execution, if you’re lucky.”

"Excuse me, but you're in charge of the humans aren't you? This human wound up lost in the castle's maze room, it's a good thing he bumped into me."

Songbird straightened up and looked at Harper. The boy looked better. However, he had no time to ask the human a question as the old nobody suddenly shook him by the hand and- uuuuugh- asked him to find something. Well, he can’t refuse, can he? He was an item hunter after all. Y'know, sometimes having this kind of reputation was annoying...

Ah, the old man mentioned something familiar and it clicked. Amiel. Amiel Brightenburg. Loved ordering those heavy tubs of golden chocolate. This was his father.

“Of course, Mr. Brightenburg. I’ll tell him to meet with you in the main hall,” Songbird plastered on a smile and watched as the man left. When the elderly Brightenburg shifted out of earshot he sighed, flipped his hair to the side, and then placed a hand on his hip as a scowl fell over his face.

“It’s a freaking ball and I have an arm injury. Do I look like I want to take a job?” He snarled under his breath. Jasper volunteered (or more like declared, duh) that she was going along with him. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. It's not like you need my permission to go anyway,” Songbird sighed and started walking, "What a fudging chore. I ain't a babysitter for celery's sake." On and on he grumbled, and often emitted short intermittent chirps along with his complaints.

“Pick up the pace, people. This ain’t a catwalk where you can spend your sweet time twirling your hips.”

[MUG]

Seeing the look on Song's face after the comment Inadi made about Mr. Cuddles all but sealed the deal into a question he had been racing through his mind. The guides didn't seem to know nor have any say in doing things out of the Queen's decisions. They were only instructed to monitor them. Everything else in Nowhere was the duty of the guard. These Nobodies the Queen had sent out with he and the rest of the humans were just skilled warriors that she trusted. They weren't personal body guards or some kind of special operations unit. Just people in the end. This made Inadi feel somewhat relieved and yet at the same time brought up guilt he had come all too common with. Avian was just doing a job the Queen trusted him with. Nothing more than that.

As the old man approached he began speaking to Song about some kind of item that the old guy wanted to find. Some Mr. Brightenburg if Inadi heard him right. While that was going on Inadi looked down at the one standing behind him and saw a very odd looking Harper. Not odd like he himself had looked earlier thanks to his attire. Harper looked odd in the sense that he seemed to have a different kind of feeling to him. His aura was off, as it was the only way Inadi could really get an idea of how to describe the feeling to himself. Giving the fellow human a quick nod, acknowledging the greeting, Inadi looked back towards the older Nobody who began heading off talking about how much he loved Martini's clothing. Apparently that was a theme here in the world of Nowhere.

While trying to figure out what was going on with the defacto leader of the group Inadi found himself almost deaf to Jasper's request to continue down the hall of doors. Snapping himself back into the moment he looked at the girl and gave her a slight smile. “Sure thing. I'm thinking at this point that dancing competition is over already so I guess its time to try and find something to entertain myself with. Something pleasant at least.” He joked slightly as he looked back at the group and began following Songbird, who began complaining about the pace and not wanting to go and find whatever item the older Nobody wanted him to find.

Keeping up with the group further down the hall he looked forward as he mulled over the hooded figures he brought up. So death was the easiest way out of something as serious as helping them out it seemed. Who knew what was worse than that but considering how strange this place was he was sure it wasn't anything nice. With Jasper to his right and Harper to his left, he began realizing just how quiet the walk down the hall was. Perhaps it was the emotional exhaustion or just the uncomfortable feeling of walking through the Queen's castle but it was as if the whole world had been switched to mute. And Inadi had just about enough of it.

“So the Queen mentioned that we had gotten farther than any other groups prior to this if I remember correctly. Any of the guides ever worked with those who came before us? Or do guides get switched out with each collection of humans?” Inadi asked with curiosity towards Brandy and Song. Again, it wasn't a question that removed the group from their task, but it was something that Inadi just felt he wanted to know more about. So many humans, including these hooded figures, supposedly died during this little escapade. And for what reason other than returning the humans back home would make the Queen want to make this quest done over and over again? Surely there was something she got out of it. If there was one, Inadi had no idea.

While waiting for his answer he looked down to Jasper and then to Harper again. The boy continued to seem a little out of it and Inadi decided to try and do what he could. Wrapping an arm around the boy's shoulder Inadi flashed a quick smile at him. “Harper, tell me you got to try some of the fruit at that little table back in the ball room. I tell you there was some grapes over there that tasted like they were fresh from the orchard,” Inadi said with a laugh. Pointing his thumb out to Jasper, he continued on all while trying to get a chuckle out of the boy and see just what was going on in that head of his. “Jasper can attest to it. I must have had my whole plate cleaned off in there in about a minute I think. Luckily Jasper came along and stopped me from getting too many more otherwise I would have needed to be rolled around for the rest of the day.” He laughed again as Inadi gave Harper a quick shake like a maraca, trying to spread his laughter over to the other human in his grasp. He also shot a look over to Jasper, trying to get a smile out of her as well just as he had done earlier in the ballroom. The members of the group he had seen so far today were all far too depressed, himself included. It was high time that got changed up.

[Anonymous]

Toby emerged from the space room after. The poor kid's face turned three different shades of green and he stumbled round the hall while clutching his stomach. Lesley raised an eyebrow and assisted the others by pulling them back onto ground level. Ace declared to let them have the second choice at the dozens of doors, but Toby was already dashing into one.

Amiel had just mentioned something about the Queen having a pet lion and Lesley hoped that the room Toby just ran into wasn't a dangerous one. Feeling Riley pull him under her arm, she strolled straight through the entryway and into a beach. The sand beads felt like heaven under his toes once he'd kicked off his high heels. Those were a definite pain in the arse to wear and he wondered how girls could manage them on a daily basis.

Amiel: "You can change your clothes there."

Once Amiel finished listing out all the fun that they could have, Lesley was rearin' to go. Jumping into a pair of black swim trunks, he didn't think much of it and tied his pink locks into a loose pony tail. Grabbing a swimming noodle before rushing out of the dressing rooms, he was ready for the beach!

Ace emerged from behind him, and he had to say that she looked pretty eye catching in her bikini.

"You look fantastic!" He commented and the two off them ran for the waves.

Ace: "Come on! The water is fine!"

The look on her face said different, but he swam in anyway. Though it was a bit of a cold shock, his body easily adjusted to the temperature and soon enough, he was splashing away. Ace was trying out surfing and in no time, she had no trouble staying atop the thing. "Wow! Nice goin' Ace!" He cheered as he watched her ride the waves from a distance. Making his way back to the beach, he convinced Amiel to lay down in the sand and Lesley poured buckets of sand over the Nobody, packing it around the guy's body so he was clearly imprinted on the floor. Laughing, he wondered what the others were doing.

"He guys! I'll head out and grab the others. I feel selfish with just us here," He was already running for the exit. dusting his legs of any sand, he stepped back into the hallway and to his surprise, he saw a crowd of them father down the corridor. Throwing his arm up, he waved wildly while sprinting towards them.

"Hey! Over here!!!" Once he was closer to them, he took in their outfits one by one. "Wow! Who dressed you guys? You all look fabulous!" Lesley was rather impressed with there attire. "Too bad you're going to have to switch out of it. We found a beach room! Ace, Riley, Toby, and Amiel, a Nobody I picked up at the party, are already there!" Swatting the air for them to follow, he led the group to the room and they were all met with a warm, salty breeze at the entrance. "There are dressing rooms with swimsuits available inside, so get changed quick okay?" Smiling, he practically pushed the lot of them into the changing rooms before running back out to the water.

"I found them! They're all getting changed right now," He announced. "Oh, this is going to be so fun!"

[Ryver et Rhine]

Ran smiled as he obligingly twirled Anna round one more time. He was happy she was having such a good time too. There was no point dancing if she didn’t enjoy what she did. He dipped her a little more confidently as both of them continued to praise each other. Ms. Anna was being too kind. She did a fantastic job keeping up with him. He slowed down a little as the speakers crackled to life. He remained with his arm round Anna’s waist as they waltzed slowly around the dance floor.

Announcer said "Carrot cakes, ladies, gentlemen, and cheese graters! It looks as if one pair is dominating the dance floor. Oh it looks like this year a human is going to win! Are these two lovebirds going to win the 5,000 stars? Yes? NO? MAYBE? Well, as of now, they're blowing us all away!"

His chest tightened a little as the strange warmth raced up to his face. He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. Surely no one thought he was that good? The other couples were now clapping for them. He beamed and paused. Gently he interlaced his fingers with Anna’s then he thrust their interlocked hands up into the air. His partner looked at him, and he winked. She seemed genuinely surprised and yet very ecstatic. Why not? Both of them deserved the same amount of recognition. They were partners after all. Simultaneously both of them bowed as the crowd cheered.

Casper said "Whoa, Whoa, slow down there fellas. We aren't losing just yet. The night is young, my friends."

That was the man from before! The very same man he bumped into earlier. Oh gosh! Ran hoped Casper had forgotten who he is, but judging by the way Leena had looked at them, he doubted it. The two of them seemed very different somehow – more arrogant and something else - he can’t quite put his finger on it. He winced as Anna tightened her grip. His knuckles were slowly turning white. Then suddenly she let go as their so-called rivals began laughing. Her fists were balled.

Anna said "We're taking your challenge! Just because you've won five cycles in a row doesn't mean we won't wipe the floor with you now. This man right here, well, he's a dancing genius!"

Ran found his hand lifted up in the air once more. She dropped his hand once more as the other couples stepped away from the dance floor. She remained pissy and a little sulky. He patted her right shoulder gently to calm her down.

“Ms. Anna, don’t get mad. We need to keep calm if we want to beat them.”

She managed to pull herself together a few minutes before the spotlight fell on them. Ran stared mesmerized at the disco ball descending from above. Since when did they have a disco ball? Remembering his objective and what was at stake, he quickly turned his attention back to Casper and Leena. He watched the male Nobody moonwalk to the other end of the dance floor. The moves were impressive, but he would rather do something everyone else can enjoy, especially Ms. Anna, who seemed extremely fond of spinning and twirling.

He pounded his fisted right hand onto the palm of his right hand as Leena began moonwalking. That’s it! Quickly he whispered his ideas to partner. He observed her reaction to gauge if she was familiar with some of the moves, and when she seemed puzzled, the described the moves with as much detail as possible. He stood up. Leena reached Casper. She froze with her hand outstretched towards her partner. The momentum changed as soon as he grabbed her hand. The man put his hands round the female Nobody’s waist and then tossed her into the air.

Even Ran clapped when Casper caught Leena, but he then laughed sheepishly as Anna huffed and crossed her arms. Oh boy, it would have been a little less stressful if Ms. Anna would show a bit more sportsmanship. Still it was there turn now. He held onto her hand as he turned to face her. He remained fixed in that position as he turned his head off to the side.

“Can we change the music please? Let’s have something a little more classical. Maybe … Fur Elise with a techno twist?”

The music broke off, and expectant silence hung in the air. Ran tapped his foot nervously as Anna smoothed her skirt a little. A soft murmur broke out from their audience. Soon a tune could be heard. Ran bowed as Anna curtsied. He held his right hand up in front of him with his palm facing his partner. His left arm tucked behind his back. Anna mirrored his action. She pressed her left hand against his. Her right arm hung at her side. Slowly the two of them circled round each other. After two rounds he wrapped his left arm round her waist as his right hand held onto her hand. He twirled her, and then dipped her a little and then pulled her up. They took a step back and then spun around and around. Their steps grew faster and faster as the tempo picked up. He flung his left arm outwards. Anna flung her right arm likewise. He circled off to in the direction of his left arm was pointing to, and she mimicked him. He stopped when he had circled three times.

They were stood side by side facing the same direction. Ran took a deep breath. It was now or never! He prayed that the Nobodies would enjoy their little Bollywood inspired boogie. He bent to his left. His left hand reaching downwards as his right hand reached upwards. Anna’s right hand reached downwards while her left hand reached upwards. Both of them then spun in a circle. First they went counterclockwise and then clockwise. They both stopped when they were facing the front once more. With their feet spread apart then brought their hands together and clapped. The duo rolled their hands round in front of their chest as they bent backwards. Slowly they leaned forward and as they bent their knees. Next they slapped their knees with their hands.

Ran now bent downwards in Anna’s direction and she bent downwards in his. Each of them had one hand reaching upwards and the other reaching downwards. This time when they ended, Ran reached up into the air and then bent in Anna’s direction. All ten fingers were now pointing at her. She waited till he was done. She copied his moves. When she finally stopped, their fingers were woven together.

He swung their arms upwards as they spun counter clockwise. They ended up facing each other with only right arms arched above. He twirled her like a top twice as he pulled her towards him. She ended up standing just in front of him. Their arms locked in front of her stomach as they stepped forward and backward synchronously. There was definitely loads of cheering and cat-calling. He allowed her to lead as they continued dancing.

"Let's go back to our snazzy begining!"

Finding a natural pause, they swung out again till they stood side by side, approximately two arm’s length apart. They were facing same direction. Both of them clapped and then bent their knees. They swung right fist in the air then their left first. They straightened up as their arms stretched upwards. Their palms clapped together above their head and they brought the hands together in front of their chest. They leaned forward and bowed Thai style before they repeated their Jai Ho inspired moves.

The familiar opening bars of the Fur Elise were played once again. Ran held out his hand with his palm facing Anna once more. She spun round twice as her skirt flared up. He saw her white petticoat just before her palm made contact with his. Anna smiled as she panted slightly, and he pretended he didn't see the "little indiscretion" just now. He hated to embarrass her suddenly when they were doing so well. Slowly they circled each other as he gradually wrapped his left arm round her waist. He spun her one final time and then he dipped her. Anna’s head hovered a mere two inches above the ground. The only thing that stopped her from falling was Ran’s left arm. His right arm was held up in the air. His pointer finger and middle finger making the victory sign.

And the lights went off…

“You danced divinely, Ms. Anna. I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did.”

[Thundercat]

THWOMP!

"Whoa!"

Toby rolled in the sand away from the jet ski that had apparently fallen from nowhere, if the thing had just been a few inches to the right it would've crushed him. "Ooooo," His body was overcome with excitement at the sight of the vehicle. He was never really that good at driving, so trying to maneuver the water using a jet ski was probably a death wish. It wouldn't be his first death wish since coming here though. Even so, he preferred to feel the ocean surround his body once more. It had been too long since he went for a swim.

"I wanna play!" He shouted as he stood up and observed his friends. It was probably safe to assume Amiel was the source of all the goodies. Clothes flew into the air as Toby jogged towards the new wardrobe. He practically ripped the dress shirt off and hopped on one leg as he kicked off the pants. By the time he had approached the dressing room he was in his boxers. No doubt it was a great feeling to finally have an excuse to take off the tuxedo.

Inside the dressing room Toby realized the odds of finding a beach out of all the doors in the hallway, not only that but to have such a cool guide like Amiel with them, it was too perfect. The sounds of splashing and laughter only made him anxious and he wanted nothing more than to jump into the water. The first pair of swimming apparel he laid eyes on were already around his waist within a matter of seconds and he was out the dressing room almost as fast as he had come in, this time wearing a pair of swimming spandex instead of boxers.

"Woooooohooo!!" Toby sprinted through the coastline and water splashed into the air with each step he took before finally he ran straight into the ocean until his legs could no longer feel the floor. Taking a big, long breath, Toby dove underwater and began to swim about freely, letting the water take control, guiding his body whichever way it pleased. He spent a brief amount of time in his own aquatic world, periodically coming up for only for air. Eventually he found himself sitting on the ocean floor, around 20 or 30 ft below water, trying to hold his breath as long as possible.

After about a minute or so of sitting with his legs crossed, Toby's eyes shot open as he observed the view in front of him. His eyes moved from side to side, admiring all the blue. The biggest smile one could give whilst underwater was on his face, his long messy hair moved about on it's own free will and looked like it was floating. This was an absolutely grand party indeed.

Eventually the boy emerged from underwater, shaking his head back and forth like a dog. He floated in the water aimlessly for only a little and watched with delight as his new friends were enjoying themselves. Eventually his eyes laid on Amiel, who seemed to still be standing beside all the goodies and what not, observing happily. Toby's eyes grew big followed with a mischievous grin. Quickly he began swimming towards the shore.

"Amiel!" The boy shouted as he stomped onto the beach, "You beautiful man! what are you doing on the beach!" Quickly he bent over to scoop up a pair of goggles and flippers, "It would be a crime to not swim in this water! Come on you silly suit wearing suit wearer," Toby shoved the goggles and flippers into Amiel's arms and jumped behind Amiel, grabbing him by the arms and pushing him towards the dressing room, "Come on come on come on!"

"There are dressing rooms with swimsuits available inside, so get changed quick okay?"

Toby heard the pretty pink haired painter girl, or, Lesley, yelling out the door they had come through and tightened his grip on the nobody, peeking his head above Amiel's shoulder as he watched several people he sort of recognized enter the room. The boy was glad to see that the others were here to join them, "HELLO!" He shouted, waving from behind Amiel with a big smile on his face.

"Are you all here to have fun too?!"

[Fox of Spades]

Songbird's words went in one ear and out the other, he was spacing out more than usual lately, though he managed to catch bits and pieces of information. A few sentences here and there that involved the hooded figures and crime.

It was Inadi who snapped him out of his little daze. The older boy shook him by the shoulders and began talking cheerfully about all the grapes. Awhile ago he took a bite out of the chocolate lava cake and the boy had to admit it tasted very good. "I'll try it later," he saw what his friend was trying to do and he appreciated it, but he just felt all empty-ish and no matter how hard he tried to bounce back, it wouldn't exactly go away. Still, after that talk with Songbird, he felt significantly better. "Hey Inadi, thanks, but I'll pass on the offer this time." He nodded in their direction. "I'll see you all later, have fun with the others." He tapped Inadi on the shoulder, gave Songbird and Jasper a weary smile then pretty much headed back into the main ballroom. Unfortunately, the party was still in full swing and it didn't look like it would end soon.

He found an empty table and sat down, and just as he did a spotlight blinded him.

Harper's eyes flitted to the couple standing beneath it and what he saw next put a small smile on his face. It was Ran and a Nobody, dancing like pros. The crowd hooted and cheered and for some reason their happiness was quite infectious. Ran and Anna stirred up the entire crowd and he watched them, speechless. He didn't know Ran that well, but he had seen the man doing all sorts of odd jobs around the castle. To be honest, he never struck him as a professional dancer, but here he was knocking everyone's socks off.

When the lights died down, Harper didn't even think twice, the boy rose from his seat and joined the cheering.



"Ladies and gentlemen! It looks like the crowd has spoken." The speakers crackled to life. "Everyone, please scream for the winning team!"

The room went silent before the same voice echoed throughout the room. "Will it be our returning champions!" Nobodies began screaming like crazy. "Orrrrr, will our newcomers win?" The entire room erupted into cheers and Harper laughed, it was clear who the winners would be.

"Folks, I can't believe my own eyes, but this cycle's winners are the newcomers! Step onto the stage and claim your prize." The spotlight moved across the room and onto the stage. On it, a woman in a white cocktail dress held up a trophy filled with stars.

Anna couldn't believe it, and she grinned from ear to ear. "That was absolutely amazing!" The Nobody had stars in her eyes. "By far, you are the best partner I ever had, Niran!" She hugged him before getting onto her toes and kissing him on the cheek. This man was wonderful, and it was a shame he would be leaving on more missions soon. The duo were ushered onto the stage and handed the trophy while the crowd went wild.

As soon as it was over, Casper approached them with another envelope of stars. He congratulated them then walked away with Leena.

"Congratulations you two," Harper was standing by a table not too far away. "That dance really was something."

---

So, that Lesley was a man? Hah, the strawberry locks had definitely fooled him. Oh well, it wasn't like it mattered. He was still a fun person and he still had a pretty face. "With that dress on, I mistook you for a woman." He let out a hearty laugh as the human buried him in the sand.

It was a lovely day. Ace was surfing and Riley had just burst out of one of the changing rooms.

Toby did the same and he watched as the human began storming towards him. "Ha, what is it? Do you need help with any of the equipment? Whoa, whoa." Soon enough the boy was pushing him towards one of the changing rooms while some of the other humans began yelling happily at more humans? "Okay, okay, I'm going. Make sure you show the other humans the changing room as well--"

He paused when Riley began yelling about something.

"ACE!" Her eyes were as wide as saucers. Sticking out from beneath the sea was a shark fin. "SHARK."

Before she could say more a dark shadow of a large fish became visible from the surface and the giant fish began making a beeline for the surfer. At first Amiel had a mini heart attack but then he remembered the queen's pet.

Charles was as harmless as a goldfish, but he didn't say anything. Seeing the human's reactions would be priceless.

[Kimchi]

During the walk to the hall of mirrors, the group as a whole was silent. Inadi didn't seem to be feeling too comfortable with that and therefore began to fill the silence with his chatter and questions about the Queen and the guides. Then turning to Harper and her, he mentioned the grapes back in the dance hall and Jasper smiled in return along with a polite nod. She knew that Harper wasn't feeling his finest at the moment and Inadi was doing his best to lighten the kid's mood so she appreciated that. No one was themselves lately and it all stemmed from the fight with the witch. Somehow, something within them changed back there. A sort of happiness that could never be restored lay crippled on that battlefield. The great loss they suffered was irreversible and struck a cord deeper than all the others. It was a definite turning point for them as a group.

With a short word of leave, Harper escaped their crowd again and stalked away from the group. She didn't make a move to stop him. Jasper knew that the boy needed his space so she let him be.

"Hey! Over here!!!"

A pink haired being was flailing an arm out near the end of the hall and Jasper knew exactly who it was. Lesley rushed towards them eagerly and complimenting them on their outfits. He was dressed in only a pair of swim trunks and seeing Lesley's flat chest did prove her suspicions, but a the same time, she felt that a pair of boobs would've fit the part a bit better. He looked too feminine. Rushing them inside the beach room he and the others had found, Jasper really wasn't too happy about being shoved back into a dressing room again.

With a heavy sigh, she flipped through the swim suits haphazardly and pulled out a pair that suited her tastes. At least this time, she had no one else to please but herself. Switching out of the dress and into her 2-piece, Jasper slipped a ducky floaty around her waist and walked out onto the beach. She had previously lathered her skin in tons of sunscreen to prevent black spots from appearing. Albino skin was extremely sensitive to sunlight. Seeing an umbrella out in the distance near the waves, she jogged to the shaded area quickly and sat down to enjoy the view.

'Wow, it's beautiful here. I can't believe they fit an entire beach into a room.' Admiring the scenery, her heart skipped a beat when she heard Riley yell out the word 'shark'. Catching the glimpse of a grey fin sticking out of the water, she ran out beside Riley and helped wave everyone back to safety. With her hands cupped around her lips she hollered, "SHARK! SHARK! HURRY!" Heart thumping fast, she really wasn't prepared to loose anymore team members at this point and if this situation would again be one of death, Jasper would be devastated.