Persona: Duality

by Sraosha

Amara Furaha is an aspiring artist living in the idyllic metropolis of New Motus City. One day, she is stranded in another world, and is attacked by unholy creatures - the Shadows. She, along with many others, will begin a journey to eliminate them and put a stop to the organisation that has jeopardised the safety of her beloved city. Yet, she must also try to live a normal life.

60. A Glass Half Empty

AN: Hello everyone! Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out. However, if you've been reading MoldyJellyBean's Persona: The Nameless, then you will love this one. After much preparation, we've finished our crossover chapter! If you want to see his version, please wait until Chapter 21 of his story! As ever, review and enjoy!

EDIT: At this point I doubt MoldyJellyBean will ever update his story again. With that, I've decided to keep this up, so you can at least see what we did finish together. I'm sorry that you might never get to see his version, I truly am. Yet I have no knowledge on his current status, and no way to contact him. I did want to see what happened next in The Nameless, but it looks like I'll never know. Regardless, I intend to finish mine, and if he does return, I assure you I will go back to this and make it better.

---

Chapter 60: A Glass Half Empty

---

|September 10th, 2012|Free Cloud Airplane|5:30 am|

Amara's fingers lightly touched the window, as she peered at the endless lands of clouds beneath her. No matter where her eyes landed, she saw what looked like white snow, basking in the sunlight of daybreak. To be privileged to grace the heavens like this...her ancestors would have believed it to be a miracle of the ancient gods and goddesses.

Wait a second. I'm just on a plane. Why am I thinking about gods now?

Amara looked to her left, and Stella was busy taking notes. She had decided to dress casually for this trip, to avoid looking suspicious at the airport. Yet, something was bothering Amara. The hairline looked slightly off centre to Amara, but perhaps it was just the fatigue of getting up so early for the flight.

Stella must have noticed Amara's gaze, as she tried to turn over to the left. Amara yawned, and started reading through the copy of "The Last Stroke", she had hurriedly purchased at the airport. The lengthy book was about a Belgian painter who risked his life just to be able to paint the face of his beloved, who was sentenced to be executed. While the book had been well received, the recent movie adaptation had been lambasted by critics. In fact, the movie had gone straight to DVD in most countries.

Amara yawned again, and fell asleep during a scene involving a rather elaborate chocolate heist.

Meanwhile

"Hey, check it out!" Blaine said excitedly, pointing outside his window. "Those clouds! They're like huge piles of snow! It's like being on another planet!"

"...You woke me up for that?" Lucy said, drowsy. "I'm tried, and it's half five in the fucking morning."

"Come on, Lu!" Blaine said. "I thought you'd be more excited! No one told me being on a plane would be this weird!"

"Yes, Blaine, I suppose it is a rather unusual experience. But it's not a UFO. Can you please be quiet? I want to get some rest before we land."

"Sure." Blaine said, dejected. "Sorry, Lu. You go and rest your pretty little head."

"I am not in the mood for either that pet name OR being complimented, thank you." Lucy grumbled. Blaine pouted, but the stewardess besides them drew his attention.

"Good morning, sir. Would you like anything to eat or drink?" she asked.

"Sure! I'll get a bag of those barbecue beef potato chips. And what the hell, a glass of OJ." Blaine said.

"Here you are." the stewardess gave Blaine his order, and he paid for them, smiling.

"Wow, I gotta say - I didn't expect real stewardesses to be so sexy!" Blaine said, winking.

The stewardess quickly left, embarrassed. Lucy, still awake, sharply nudged Blaine with her elbow, making him yelp.

"What the hell are you doing?! Calling that lady sexy whilst I'm sitting next to you?!" Lucy cried.

"Oww!" Blaine whimpered, rubbing his upper arm. The idea of Lucy causing him pain had never occurred to him before. Now, he knew never to piss her off if he could help it. "I'm just tryin' to be friendly. Sorry, babe."

"Whatever. And why did you say 'real' stewardesses? Haven't you been on a plane before - oh." Lucy said.

"You forgot? My folks never did have the chance to board these fancy planes. Heck, I'm only here because Nathan thought it'd be nice to keep my girl company." Blaine said, looking out the window again. "I've...never imagined being on one of these things before. It's like I'm in a dream, but I was just hoping you could make my first flight a bit more cheerful."

"It's for work, Blaine. We're not going to Ibiza." Lucy said.

"I breath what?" Blaine said, scratching his head.

"...Shut up." Lucy said. She was about to shut her eyes again, but then her eyes widened, and she shuddered. "Oh god. You saw fake sterwardesses in those Mile High Club DVDs, didn't you?"

Meanwhile

Nathan was on his notebook computer, browsing through the project files he was to take to the meeting. The other company was a rather high profile client, so Nathan would have to strive to look as professional as possible. Indeed, he had selected his finest tie, as well as his best blue suit. Priscilla, however, had chosen to board the plane in a more casual green and brown ensemble. She was flipping through the in-flight magazine, admiring the pictures of San Francisco.

"Um, Nathan?" Priscilla said. "The stewardess is coming this way. Would you like anything?"

"No thanks. I'm still full from that breakfast we had this morning. I still don't know why they gave us extra fried eggs." Nathan said. "So, are you looking forward to Glasswater?"

"I certainly am!" Priscilla said, happily. "It's been so long since we last went to America. Although it'd be more romantic if it wasn't a business trip."

"I know, but at least we're in Business Class." Nathan said. "Everyone else is stuck behind that blue curtain, whilst we're living it up in the comfy seats. Anyway, the meeting shouldn't take up too much of our time, so perhaps we could enjoy some time to ourselves."

"Oh?" Priscilla said. "That'd be lovely, but what about the others?"

"From what I heard, everyone else will be rather busy. We're only in Glasswater for a couple of days, then it's straight back home." Nathan said. "At least we're not in Joe's shoes."

"That's surprsing. I didn't expect you to be so sympathetic towards Joe." Priscilla said. "His father's still alive, isn't he?"

"For the time being. His condition isn't going to get better, however." Nathan said, sadly. "And my father's no spring chicken, either. Getting angry at him over Josephine after the fact was just childish."

"Josephine?" Priscilla said. "Strange. I've never met anyone by that name before, but it feels like I know it well."

"You do?" Nathan asked. How would the Priscilla of his world be familiar with Josephine Johnson, the harlot of the Ater Vox? He relaxed, however. With any luck, she was probably forgetting she knew a Josephine somewhere.

"Eh, it's not important. But I feel for Joe, I truly do." Priscilla said. "Is there nothing we can do for him?"

"I'm not sure. He wasn't very talkative during my birthday party, and seeing me and you so happy together can't have helped his self-esteem. Perhaps inviting him over for dinner one night would take his mind off things." Nathan said. "Provided, of course, that we don't mention anything father related."

"Yes, that's a wonderful idea." Priscilla said. "Can we invite his fiancé too? At least he has something to look forward to!"

"Indeed." Nathan said. Smiling, he held Priscilla's hand. "And so do we. Perhaps the next time we're on a plane, we'll be man and wife!"

"Yes!" Priscilla said. "I can't wait! Oh, when are we landing?"

"Not for a while yet. I might try and take a nap first." Nathan said, yawning.

"You're so cute when you're sleepy!" Priscilla said, giggling. Nathan laughed, and rested his head on Priscilla's shoulder. Seeing his content expression, she couldn't help but feel her heart soar. She ruffled his hair with her fingers, as he drifted off to sleep.

Meanwhile

Kyle was loudly bashing his handheld's buttons. It was rare to see him sitting in anything other than his wheelchair, but the airplane seat was suprisingly comfy. Serena, however, decided to make use of the time she had on the plane. In her rucksack were three books she had been dying to read, and now she was going to power read them before the plane landed. It was going well, as she was flicking through chapter 13 of the third book. In the row ahead, she could hear Steven Blackford and Lucas chatting about the former's wooden boat creations. Steven was something of an enigma for Serena. He was fairly quiet, but didn't mind chatting with some students from time to time. He was a boy with spiky purple hair, and had quite a skinny frame. Lucas was doing most of the talking, however, and soon steered the conversation to Kyle's entry in his upcoming race.

"Hey Kyle, how do you think you'll do with that? It's not far away, and there's a lot of training to do..." Serena said.

"I don't really care about winning. I never wanted to sign up anyway. But if Lucas is right about the charity aspect, I have to try. Yet it's so exhausting...I've never really exercised this hard until now." Kyle said. "These legs are useless. I can't run, I can't swim, I can't climb, I can't even play Wii Fit."

"Your legs might be useless, but the rest of you isn't! I don't think once I've ever beaten you on that racing game. You know all the shortcuts, the powersliding, even when to save your items! I wish I could be as good. And you're the best programmer in school. Didn't you once hack into the network?" Serena asked.

"Serena, quiet!" Kyle said. He spoke quietly, looking around. No one in front or behind them seemed to be listening to them. "It was for three minutes. All I did was look through the lecture slides in advance so I could study them before we even learned the subject. You know I like being ahead."

"Wow. And I thought the school network was supposed to be secure." Serena said. "Kyle, what else have you hacked into?"

"Nothing yet. Sheesh, I'm not a cyber terrorist! I just...get a thrill out of it. Like, showing that I can get past any obstacle." Kyle said. He looked at the book on Serena's lap, then the two beneath her feet. "Whoa, Serena! We've only been on this thing for about three hours! You even remember what the first book was about?"

"Of cours I do, Kyle! Don't make me look dumb! There was this wedding, then they were in the trenches in the world war, then this kid breaks into his old orphanage, then he cheats on his wife with her older sister, then bombs hit the trenches and only one soldier survives, then there's this scene involving a fireworks factory and a talking cat called Ankha giving a classic vanity to a kangaroo called Astrid...wait." Serena said. "...I knew I should take my time reading these books."

"Yeah, you do that." Kyle said. "Don't worry, we've got plenty of time before touchdown. You finish one book properly. I'm gonna try and nap again."

Kyle was soon back to sleep, and Serena couldn't help but giggle at the sight of his head leaning against her shoulder. Now, he was relaxed. If Dan knew about this dream, what would he think? Would Dan really go through those flames to save a wheelchair bound boy who was his kid brother's friend? And if Dan was the one really in trouble, could Kyle really help him?

Serena sighed, and ruffled Kyle's hair. She shut her eyes, and dropped her book on the floor. It was her own story that she needed to focus on, and not the tale of a boy's vendetta against an orphanage.

|Airport - Baggage Aisle|8:04 AM|

"Okay, guys, you leave the heavy cases to me. Wouldn't want your puny arms to tremble at the weight!" Blaine said, flexing his biceps.

"...Uh, Blaine?" Lucy said, frowning. She shook her head, dismissively. "I've flown quite a few times with heavy luggage. I'm capable of lifting them off the conveyor belt."

"Aww, come on! Let me do it! I've never been near these things before!" Blaine said. "Plus what's the point of havin' these rippling muscles if I don't get to use them?"

"Oh, for...go on, then." Lucy said, grimacing. "Just try not to embarass yourself."

"He's like a kid." Serena said. "You know, I never flew much other. After Nina died, my folks never felt like going anywhere. But it's kinda cute seeing him so cheerful about it."

"I know!" Amara said. "It makes up for not having Zao around. Although I do imagine Blaine will be getting wasted later on. Right?"

"You said it, girl!" Blaine said. "Oh crap! Whoa!" With one hand on a suitcase, and his arm around two more, the conveyor belt proved too much of a challenge for him. He ended up being dragged along, much to the bemusement of Mrs Barrs.

"I hope you're better at handling drinks than you are with suitcases. If not, my husband might be in trouble." Maria said, exasperated.

Nathan looked to Priscilla, and took her hand.

"That ring looks beautiful on you." Nathan said. "Believe it or not, it didn't take me long to pick."

"Really? I do find that somewhat hard to believe. After all, you did take your time to get down on one knee. Not to mention booking our accomodation. Yet it's always worth waiting for, with you." Priscilla said, her face beaming. "Come here..."

Their hands intertwined, and their lips move closer and closer, until they were in full embrace. Amara smiled, and for a second, she thought someone in the distance by the coffee stand was watching. Shrugging, she went over to Lucy, who was talking with Stella and Colette. Serena and Kyle went with their classmates, and Blaine was still under the wrath of the conveyor belt - as well as some intriqued toddlers.

Nathan was so lost in this moment of pure bliss, that he forgot others were watching them. Even so, he didn't care. After all, he had plenty of years as a married man ahead of him. Thus plenty more kisses like these.

"Well look here! Nathan Albion!" a man's voice boomed.

The man's call drew Nathan's attention, away from Priscilla. Blaine was next to them, as well, but he was dealing with the suitcases. Nathan was the only one of the three to stare at the man who had called his name, and for a brief second, he wondered who it was. Yet, as soon as that second was up, it became clear. It was none other than...

"Samuel?" Nathan pulled away from Priscilla and met Samuel mid-stride. "Samuel Lovelace? Good heavens! Is that really you?" It seemed like a lifetime had passed since the two of them had met. Nathan had met Samuel Lovelace overseas whilst at university. Initially their relationship was frosty, but over the years they grew into firm friends. At graduation, he had promised to keep in touch. Yet now Nathan was panged with guilt - that promise he had barely kept. Samuel had just slipped from his mind, as he embraced adulthood with Priscilla. It seemed strange for Samuel to turn up at this airport without knowing Nathan would be here...but Nathan smiled regardless.

"Yeah! I haven't changed that much since then, have I?" Samuel laughed, and Nathan smiled. Clearly, Samuel didn't mind about that broken promise. After all, they had their own lives to live. Perhaps Samuel was married with children. Or focused on his own career. "Good to see you, Nathan. You've grown up. You look way different compared to when we graduated."

"You've changed yourself quite a bit. I suppose we've all grown up in our own ways." Nathan said, as he smiled. In the past, Nathan's upper class background had alienated himself from some of the less fortunate students in his classes. However, he had found good friendship with Samuel. He was an enthusiastic student of psychology, and Nathan reckoned he had a bright future ahead of him. Yet he seemed weary. His hair was starting to grey at the tips, whilst Nathan's locks still curled with a fiery redness. His own father's hair still had quite a bit of a youthful radiance, of course. Samuel had quite a lot of stubble, as well, which Nathan didn't recall before. Perhaps he was trying a new look out. Nathan had never felt like going without shaving - Blaine might be able to pull it off, but Nathan couldn't.

"Um, Nathan? Aren't you going to re-introduce us?" Priscilla said, nudging Nathan with her elbow.

"Oh! Sorry, darling. Forgive me, where are my manners?" Nathan stepped back to his companions and squeezed Priscilla's hand. "You remember Priscilla, I'm sure, and the man over... here..." He looked over his shoulder and frowned as Blaine made his way up, panting for breath, but carrying a baggage cart with three heavy suitcases on it. He looked rather pleased with this show of strength, even if his heart was pounding.

"I got the luggage...phew...not bad, huh?" He breathed excitedly.

Nathan sighed. His smile faltered slightly, but he tried to keep his composure. Why must Blaine try and show off in front of his old friends? Samuel wasn't exactly upper class, but at least his backgrond was a lot more opulent than Blaines. "This exuberant fellow is Blaine Spencer, a very good friend of mine."

"Pleased to meetcha, buddy. So you're Samuel Lovelace, huh? Cool name. Sounds better than Sepncer, though. At least my name's better than my dad's - Tim! Hahaha!" Blaine said.

Samuel stared in amazement, eyeing up Blaine. Clearly, he had not been around his sort before. And until the Shadow business started, neither had Nathan. So it must have surprised Samuel a great deal, that somehow like Nathan would be chummy with this rather rugged fellow.

"So what are you doing here?" Samuel asked. "You going to the city up north?"

"That's half-correct." Nathan replied. "I'm here as a business representative on behalf of my father's company, Albion Incorporated, but we're headed to a town further south called Glasswater." He paused, and then said, "You wouldn't happen to know where that is, would you?"

Samuel's eyes lit up, and Nathan guessed he had struck gold.

"Know where it is?" Samuel chuckled. "I live there!"

"Sweet! This is my first time away from home! Maybe you could give us a grand tour of the place, show us were the action is!" Blaine said earnestly. He moved nearer Samuel, and in a feeble attempt to be quiet, he whispered. "You, uh, wouldn't happen to know a good place to get a cheap drink or two would ya?"

"Oh dear..." Priscilla said, sighing. "He's like a puppy let off his leash."

"Blaine," Nathan snapped, rolling his eyes. Must Blaine establish himself as a drunken lunatic on his first impression? He didn't want Samuel to get any odd ideas about his life. Of course, Samuel wouldn't know just why Nathan and Blaine were friends. "I'm sure Samuel has better things to do than act as your personal tour guide." Nathan offered Samuel a slight, apologetic bow and said, "I'm really sorry about him. He's still a little excited after his first ride on an airplane. In fact, he was the only one of us who didn't fall asleep. He was looking out at the clouds or the ground below the whole time..."

"I don't mind." Samuel shrugged. "I'd be more than willing to show you around town if you want. After I get off of work, that is."

"That sounds lovely!" Priscilla said, smiling as she clasped her hands. Suddenly, she realised this was a prime opportunity to get their bearings, and reached for a printed recipt in her pocket. It was for their hotel accomodation, the one Nathan was paying for via business expenses. Luckilly, it wasn't far from the less grand hotels in the area the others were staying in. (Well it's unlikely that Amara, Lucy, Serena, etc would be using such an expensive place...) She gave it to Samuel. "If you wouldn't mind me asking, would you happen to know where this hotel is located? It's the one we're staying at for the duration of our stay." After this inquiry, she realised she had another question to ask. "And, Samuel, where do your work?"

"I'm a counselor at the local high school, Glasswater High." Samuel answered, glancing at the hotel name - Nocturne Heights, a five star hotel in the Glasswater area. He looked impressed as he saw the name. Clearly, this was a noteworthy place for the social elite. Samuel handed the paper back to Priscilla and nodded. "Yeah, I know where this is. Great place." He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder and continued, "Hell, if you want, I can drive you folks to town."

"That's very kind of you. Are you sure it's no trouble?" Nathan said. "I wouldn't want to impose—"

"Forget about it!" Samuel laughed, clapping a hand on Nathan's shoulder. "I'm off for the rest of the day anyway. I dropped off a coworker but I don't have anything else lined up." As Nathan looked at Samuel, he relaxed further. This was going to be a more enjoyable trip than he had planned. "Tell you what. There's this great restaurant I know back at Glasswater and I'd love to take you two out for dinner tonight if you're available. Catch up, have some laughs, the works. If you've got business then by all means, I'll leave you to it but if you have time to spare then I hope you consider my offer."

Nathan and Priscilla traded looks. They hadn't thought about locating restaurants. With the huge size of their city, there was an endless choice of cuisine, but in a small place like Glasswater, they might be struggling. Yet Samuel seemed sincere about his reccomendation.

"Oh, of course. You're invited too, Blaine." Samuel said as he smiled, and Blaine looked up.

Blaine raised his eyebrows and then waved his hands, shaking his head and looking embarrassed. "Nah, it's cool. You three kids should catch up! It's been like, what, a hundred years? Besides, I'm looking forward to spending some quality time with my girlfriend." A dreamy, far-off look suddenly glazed over Blaine's eyes, and his words sounded somewhat half-hearted, as if he wasn't convinced of what he was saying. "Hey Lucy, your case come yet?"

"Yes, Blaine. We'll be ready to go in a minute, so just try and stand still. I'm waiting for the others." Lucy said, not even noticing Samuel. Blaine sighed, but kept up a smile anyway.

"That's her. Pretty, ain't she? She's working on this trip too, but there's gonna be time for the both of us later on. I think..." Blaine said.

"Well if you change your mind, don't hesitate to let me know." Samuel said.

"Thanks, dude. Sounds like a plan I can get behind." Blaine smiled cheerily. He began hauling the cart carrying their luggage and waved his hand for Samuel to lead the way to his car. "Ready when you are, Samuel!"

Nathan rolled his eyes, but chuckled anyway. At least someone was excited about long distance travel...and meeting Samuel had sparked a keen interest in beholding the sights of Glasswater.

|Glasswater – Grand Avenue|12:14 PM|

Blaine looked around Grand Avenue, and sighed. This charming area had some beautiful scenery, and it was pleasant weather. Everyone around seemed to be having fun. Yet Lucy was working, and everyone else was busy with their own activities. He had never enjoyed having free time all alone, and this was no exception.

What's a dude to do when he's on vacation by himself? Nathan, I know you wanted to do something good. And this ain't your fault. But really, you shoulda just saved your money and let me stay home. Then I wouldn't stuck here doing nothin' but wandering all day. Or would I be wandering around at home too?

Perhaps he should have taken Samuel up on that offer of dinner. Maybe even Lucy would be free then, and it could be a double date - plus Samuel, of course. Alas, there was nothing to do even until then. Perhaps he could give Dan a call later tonight and tell him all about this place.

There was a woman ahead of him, in the middle of what sounded like a rather angry phone call. Blaine tried to ignore it and kept walking on, still thinking about Lucy. Right now, she was probably giving some locals the third degree on life here. He laughed, imagining her rapid-fire questions. To his shock, however, something bumped into him. Blaine gasped, and saw the woman in front of him. It didn't look like she was having much of a good day either. Stunned for a second, he saw she had dropped all of her shopping bags. And from those bags, many groceries rolled out onto the sidewalk and street.

Shit. I better help this lady out. Can't believe my moping around did this. Dan would kill me if he found out.

Without a further thought, he jumped onto the pavement, and despite the fact a car was about to collide with him, he quickly picked up an apple that had fallen out. Mercifully, the car stopped before it could hit him. Blaine breathed a sigh of relief. The driver was screaming with rage at him, but Blaine couldn't make out any words that weren't profanities. Unfazed, he rapped his knuckles on the hood of the car, which only seemed to make the driver more angry, resulting in quite an array of rude gestures. He smiled, and as the car drove away, he made his way to the lady.

"I'm sorry about that, ma'am." Blaine said, as he stopped to pick up more items. "Didn't you see me coming? I didn't think you'd just keep walking! Don't worry about it, it's not the first time. Usually the other person tries to punch my face in though."

The woman did not respond, but she seemed stunned by his attitude. What was this lady going through? Clearly, whoever she was in a phone call with was giving her a hard time. Must have been a rather insistent insurance salesman, or a jealous ex-boyfriend. Blaine hated both of those. She picked up the phone, which had landed on the ground from the collision, and Blaine winced at the loud shouting.

"H-Hello?" The lady said meekly. She averted her eyes away from Blaine, who was watching her curiously. He felt pity for this lady, but he didn't know what to say. "I'm here...I'm sorry."

"What the hell was that?" the other voice fumed.

"I-I bumped into someone." The lady mumbled apologetically, but Blaine had a feeling it was this other man she was pleading for forgiveness. "I dropped some of the groceries."

There was pause, and then the other man began scolding her again. "Pay attention to your surroundings! It's your own fault! How clumsy can you get?"

Okay, this isn't sounding good.

"Scuse me, ma'am." Blaine said, concerned. "Somethin' wrong?"

The man continued to bellow into her ear, but the lady's focus was on Blaine now. She bit her lip. "I'm sorry. I...I'll pay more attention next time, okay?" She said. Blaine felt really bad now. Not only had he almost ruined her groceries, he had incurred the wrath of what sounded like a complete bastard.

"I don't mind!" Blaine said, smiling. "Let me get some-"

"You better pay more attention next time." The man muttered through the phone darkly. "Or so help me God, Catherine!"

That's it! I've heard enough. This bastard's gone too far! I better do something. She'll thank me for this later.

The lady, apparently named Catherine, opened her mouth. Whether or not she was going to apologise again, he didn't care. Blaine stepped forward, and without giving Catherine any warning, he plucked her phone out of her hand. The angry fellow on the other end of the call was totally unaware of this, and continued his tirade of insults. It was almost like listening to Dan after stubbing his toes. Blaine nodded as he listened, putting the phone to his ear. This man must have really liked putting his girlfriend in her 'place'. Blaine wouldn't mind doing the same to him someday. Yet listening to it was just like being in The Black Wolf for a drink.

After several minutes, Blaine shut the phone. Catherine stared at him in amazement, her mouth open.

"Hey...mind if I give you some advice?" Blaine said, trying to sound as gentle as possible. Which for him, was rather difficult. If he was Kyle, he'd pull it off easily. Not even a bunny would be frightened of that kid. Blaine returned the phone to her, and continued. "You should never let a guy bitch at you like that. Ever. No girl needs to be treated like that."

Catherine didn't move, and stared at him, still shocked. Blaine wondered what was going through her mind. For a minute, he felt like cracking a joke and pointing out he was taken. But that probably wouldn't be very funny to her. Eventually, she spoke.

"I'm sorry. Who are you?"

"Who am - oh yeah! Crap, I forgot to introduce myself." Blaine said. Even now, manners weren't his strong point. His messy eating habits and unrefined vocabulary had incurred Lucy's rage more than once. He stood tall - and he was over six feet tall, with only Dan beating him in that department - and he pointed at his broad chest with his thumb. "Name's Blaine Spencer. Born and raised in Kanaloa, and a proud citizen of New Motus City!" He lent her hand, and helped her up from the ground. "And what's your name, madam?"

"...Catherine." she answered hesitantly. Blaine wasn't sure why he asked, when he already heard her name. But it was only polite. He smiled again, hoping it would cheer her up. But then he noticed there were still items on the ground. Hoping to be a gentleman, he started to pick up the remaining objects. When finished, he kept the bags in his hands. For him, their weight was no problem at all.

"So where are we taking these bags to, then?" Blaine asked. Before she could reply, he gazed through a fence, and saw kids playing in the yard. The sight made him chuckle. "Aww. Those are cute kids, aren't they? It kinda reminds me of when I was a little tyke."

Catherine hesitated further, lost in throught. Perhaps she was having trouble imagiing Blaine as child. He was rather imposing as an adult. Yet, his childhood days had been the happiest of his life. His father had always made time to play with him, no matter how tiring his day at work at been. He eagerly told anyone who would listen about what an amazing boy his 'little man' was. Even now, Blaine still pictured his father - a smiling giant of a man with a thick black beard and strong muscles, hugging his son every time he got home from work.

"Inside." Catherine said, pointing at the yard. "I guess you can help me carry these bags the rest of the way."

"Huh?" Blaine said, confused. Then he realised. "Oh, you work at a daycare! That's pretty cool." So this lady was carrying all these items for those boys and girls. Working at a place like this must take a lot of love...he was impressed. He doubted he could handle it. He followed Catherine, still carrying her bags, as she unlocked the gate and opened the metal door.

"Noah, honey?" Catherine called. Blaine wondered who she was calling too. Her son? He soon saw the boy in question - a youth, around Serena's age, sitting on a bench. He looked so depressed - something bad must have gone down in his life. If the guy Catherine was talking to was his dad, he could see why he was so upset. "You can go home now, dear. I'll take it from here." Noah nodded, and stood up from the bench. He glanced at Blaine curiously, and approached. Catherine took him by the shoulder, and handed him some cash. "I'm sorry about this, but could you buy some screws on your way home tonight? Robert's going to fix the plumbing.

Noah nodded again, and took the cash. He made his way to the door, but he looked at Blaine again. Hopefully, Catherine would tell him about this later. He left the place, closing the gate.

"Alright, Blaine." Catherine sighed, wading her way through the many excitable children. The way they emerged around her...it made him want to laugh. "Into the centre, before the kids eat you whole."

"I've love to see them try!" Blaine said, laughing. "I'm a tough old bas - uh - I mean, nothin' I can't handle."

Phew. I just narrowly avoided cursing in front of these kids. That would have gotten me in deep shit. Those old folks across the road still give me a tough time for swearing in front of their grandchildren...

Catherine faintly smiled, and she opened the door. Blaine was about to follow, but a little girl came near him and started tugging on his leather coat. He grinned, as he peered down at her. She had long brown hair, and her eyes were filled with wonder at the giant before her. He knelt down, and smiled. Now she was a cute little child, no doubt about that. And she didn't seem scared of him, either.

"Hello, little lady! What's your name?" Blaine asked, with a gentle lilt to his voice.

"Gwendolyn." she answered. To Blaine's amusement, she was dragging a stuffed whale that was nearly as large as she was. Perhaps the kids over here had grown out of stuffed bears. "How come you're so big, mister?"

Blained laughed. "I am a tall dude, aren't I? That's just part of who I am! But I eat my greens, drink my milk...you know, the stuff your parents tell you to do. Oh, and my name is Blaine."

"Really? I never met anyone called Blaine before! That's a cool name!" Gwendolyn said, smiling. "So why are you here, Mister Blaine?"

"Ah, well you see these groceries? I'm helping that nice lady!" Blaine said. "It's always nice to help people out if they're in trouble. If someone's having a bad day, just offering to give them a hand can make them feel a lot better! Hehe. Actually, Gwen, I'm here on a vacation! I have a girlfriend here who's a journalist. She writes things down so she can put them in magazines! She's working right now, so I'm hanging around here!"

"Is a girlfriend like a mommy?" Gwen asked. "Is she pretty? Is she as big as you? Where are you from, mister?"

"You sure like to ask questions! You'll do well in school, I bet. A girlfriend is just...when a boy has a girl he really likes and she really likes him. To her, I'm her boyfriend. Your parents were boyfriend and girlfriend once, then they got married and had you! And yes, my Lucy is really pretty. She's got brown hair, a little like yours, and green eyes. Green like a forest. Shame you can't see her. And she's a grown lady, but I'm taller than her. Guys don't get much taller than me, hehe. And me and Lucy are from a place called New Motus City! It's a really big place, filled with lots of people and tall buildings! You'd like it there, I bet. Maybe your parents will go there on vacation if you ask them!" Blaine said. He didn't think he'd enjoy talking to a child so much. But she was so interested in what he had to say...he couldn't help but smile. There was just something endearing about this girl.

"So you're not going to work here, mister?" Gwendolyn asked. "I wanna hear more about this city! Is it bigger than here?"

"Blaine!" Catherine called. "If you wouldn't mind..."

"Sorry. I'm coming. It was nice to meet you, Gwen. Nice bear, by the way!" Blaine waved goodbye to Gwendolyn, and continued making his through the door and setting the grocries down on the tables. He gazed around him, at the arts and crafts, a variety of half-eaten snacks, sleeping mats, and small pieces of trash around the floor.

Blaine smiled as he gazed at all the objects around. The kids must have a lot of fun here, just like he did when he and his father played. Blaine, as a boy, loved nothing more than running around the house with his dad, trying to out run him. Yet his father always knew where Blaine's hiding spot was, no matter how hard he tried to come up with new places. When Blaine was a teenager, however, Matthew was the one who was the excitable little boy. The two of them loved kicking a ball around the house. If they broke something, Dan would be furious, but the sight of an innocent Matthew calmed him fast.

"I appreciate your help." Catherine said abruptly. "But I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave, Blaine." Well, he knew he couldn't just expect to stay here for tea or coffee. But somehow, he felt like he and Catherine could have a longer talk. Especially about the abusive man she was afraid of. Could they be married? If so, why was she with him?

"Oh. That's okay." Blaine said. "I was just thinkin' how cool it must be to work here. Those are some cute kids. And I really dig Gwen's whale toy! We never had those in my day. We had to make do with patchwork teddy bears." He smiled, trying to hide his disappointment. If he had to leave, what would he do afterwards? It was too early to hit the bar. Maybe she was worried her partner would object to her spending time with him. "I'll be off, but can I ask you something before I go?"

"If you'd like."

"Why are you bothering with that prick?" Blaine asked. He was surprised at himself, for sounding so bitter. He must have ruined his charm, but that didn't matter now. "I've got a girl myself, and I'd never treat her that way. If I did, she'd wipe the floor with me!" He paused, and continued to speak. "If I saw someone who did that, well, they'd get to know what it feels like. But for him, it'll be worse. Ten times worse."

"...In spite of all of his flaws," Catherine murmured, "At heart, I know he is good. I still love him and I'm willing to endure this much, if only to catch a glimpse of the man I fell in love with. You say unhealthy." She smiled sadly. "I say optimistic."

"Oh. If you say so..." Blaine said. "I guess if you believe in him, I do too. I just hope he changes. You're a really kind woman, you know that? For your sake, he should realise that." He smiled again, despite his lecture. Domestic violence was not uncommon in Kanaloa, and one of his former high school friends was in prison for beating up his wife and four children. Yet, Blaine could never understand why people would hurt the ones they love.

"It was...a pleasure to meet you, Blaine." Catherine said. "I do sincerely hope we meet again."

"Same here, Cath!" Blaine said.

He left the place, now in good spirits. Being on vacation alone might not be so dull after all.

|Coffee Shop|14:23 PM|

"This is the best cup of coffee I've had in ages!" Juan said. Sheila raised her eyebrow as Juan greedily munched on his chocolate chip muffin, getting crumbs all down his coat. Colette was particularly aghast at this, but she said nothing.

"We've done well so far." Karen said. "Don't forget that tomorrow is our busiest day. There won't be much time to relax. Especially not for our photographer!"

"I'm kind of nervous. I mean, we've never had to take pictures professionally before." Amara said. "I tell ya, though, getting a loan of this thousand dollar camera is pretty awesome."

"Don't let the power of 1080p go to your head." Lucy said, smirking. "Today, I'd try and get used to that camera. You want to be able to take the perfect picture at every occasion."

Amara nodded, her eyes drifting to Stella. She was constantly staring at the table, not focusing on any of her coworkers. In fact, Amara saw her concentrating as she closed her eyes, lifing the coffee to her lips.

"Hey Stella, you okay?" Juan asked.

"Careful, or you'll spill that stuff all over your shirt!" Colette said, helpfully. Lucy groaned, whilst Karen just chuckled.

"Professional as always, Colette. I'm sure I can count on you to get the scoop on Glasswater's shopping scene." Karen said. "Juan, you're our travel expert. We need you to get into the nitty gritty on how to get here, the accomodation, and the customs here."

"Steady on, Karen. This place isn't the Middle East. I doubt we're going to offend anybody here -"

"Hey cutie, you new here?" a boy, most likely a teenager, said to Sheila. "I know the best place to take a hot chick like you -"

"Piss off!" Sheila exclaimed. Everyone, including the baristas, stared at Sheila. The boy swore under his breath, and stormed outside with his coffee in his hand.

"You were saying, Juan?" Karen said. Colette was still shaking by the time everyone had put the little incident out of their minds. However, the boy went up to the window, and gave all the girls the middle finger. Sheila nonchalantly returned the gesture, without even looking at him.

The conversation managed to crawl back into normalacy, but Amara was more interested in Stella's state of mind. She had been completely quiet the whole time, yet no one else seemed as concerned as Amara was. She did like to concentrate her mind, but never for as long as this. Perhaps she was dwelling on the incident in Kanaloa all those years ago, involving that bald girl. Stella did seem to have first hand knowledge of that incident, after all. But what could Amara do now? She was supposed to be gung ho about taking photographs for the magazine, but with this hanging over her, she couldn't get excited.

Hopefully, she could get a chance to talk to her tonight.

|Tartarus|7:09 PM|

Nathan and Priscilla were shortly about to arrive at Tartarus, which Serena had kindly informed them was the name of the Greek underworld. Whilst this was a somewhat different name for a romantic restaurant, Nathan put it aside in his mind. After all, he was about to properly catch up with Samuel Lovelace.

"It's been such a long time." Priscilla said. "I wonder if he's coming alone?"

"You think he's got a girlfriend he's brining? He would have said if he did." Nathan said. "Well, from what I heard about this place, the social elite are common guests of this establishment. So we should fit in just fine! If Blaine had shown up in his leather jacket, he'd be as welcome as a skunk at a lawn party."

"Now there's an unusual metaphor." Priscilla said. "Anyway, we should get inside. We don't want to keep Samuel waiting."

Inside, Priscilla gasped in amazement. It was everything Samuel said it would be. To dine here was truly a privilage. If this was the underworld, then the souls here would be in no hurry to escape. A waiter approached them, and judging by his expression, he was impressed by their attire.

"Good evening, sir and lady. Will you require a table for two for this evening?" the waiter asked.

"Actually, we've come here to dine with another guest. A Mr. Lovelace reserved a table for us. Has he arrived yet?" Priscilla said.

"Yes, of course." the waiter said. "Right this way, please." Nathan and Priscilla held hands, smiling, as the waiter lead them to the table where Samuel was sitting, dressed in his best clothes. "Mr. Lovelace?" Samuel looked up. Mr. Albion and Ms. Lancaster have arrived. Another waiter will be with you shortly." The waiter bowed stiffly, which made Priscilla quietly laugh. "I sincerely hope you enjoy your stay here."

Samuel stared after the waiter and when he was out of sight, Samuel smiled. "Sit down! Did you two have trouble finding the place?"

"Not at all." Nathan replied, pulling back one of the chairs for Priscilla. She smiled, and sat down. "We called a cab, so we got here rather quick from the hotel."

"How are things over there in New Motus?" Samuel asked as Nathan walked around and took his seat. "I'm afraid I'm not even sure what you do anymore, haha! It's been way too long."

"Indeed it has." Nathan agreed, returning the smile. "Things have been going splendidly. After all, I'm working under my father at our family's company. You'll remember it, I told you about it plenty of times."

"Albion Incorporated, right?"

"Correct." Nathan nodded. "Things have been going very well for us. And as you know, it's the whole reason I'm here right now. It's only for a few days but this is a crucial meeting and they needed a key representative, and who better than the son of the CEO? As for my friends, they're out and about enjoying themselves. Not that I'm not, of course."

"...Hey, I don't mean to offend you or your friends or anything," Samuel began, "But... that Blaine fellow that was with you earlier? Is he like, a bodyguard you hired or something?"

"My...bodyguard? Blaine?" Nathan had to imagine this. Him, wandering around, whilst Blaine in a black trenchcoat beat up potential attackers as if he was in an action film. This mental image made him burst out laughing, suprising Priscilla and Samuel. He wiped a tear away, still chuckling. "No, no no! I wasn't kidding! He's just a really good friend. That's all it is. I don't blame you for thinking otherwise, however. We certainly come from different walks of life."

"You've changed man." Samuel said, resting his chin on his knuckle.

"Indeed I have." Nathan said. Meeting Amara, Serena, and Blaine truly had changed him, more than he realised. "Years ago, I would have dismissed Blaine as an arrogant womanizing thug, and had nothing to do with him. But now I know you can find friends in really unusual places. Let's just say...there aren't many people in the world I can truly count on, but he's one of them."

"Damn." Samuel said, impressed. "I wish we could hop in a DeLorean and go 88 on the freeway. If only the guy who attended my graduation could see the man in front of me now. Unreal."

Nathan pondered for a second what Samuel was referring to. Then he remembered a movie Serena told him about. At the time, she had pointed out how little he knew of pop culture. Still, he bested her knowledge of the business world by far, considering her rather imaginative idea of what Human Resources did.

"I'm just as suprised myself!" Priscilla said, smiling as Nathan looked at her sheepishly. "I found out about their friendship sometime later, and I couldn't believe someone from Kanaloa would be welcome in Nathan's social circle. But I've seen for myself what a good man Blaine is. And not just him, but the other friends Nathan has made lately. They've all changed him - for the better."

"You know, darling, I think that's true.." Nathan nodded. "Blaine, Amara, Serena, Zao... There are a lot of unexpected friends in my life lately. People I would never had thought I'd spend more than ten seconds talking to. But...they're good friends, all of them. Deep down, they're amazing people I wouldn't trade any of them for the world!" He laughed, and said, "Except for Priscilla, perhaps."

"Wish I could meet these people for myself." Samuel said. "They sound like a lot of fun to be around."

"They certainly are. Amara's always showing me her paintings, and Serena's always telling me about the books or 'anime' she's been looking into. Zao's a fish crazy dork, but we love him anyway. Blaine, well, he knows how to have a good time out on the town. He showed me that himself not long ago...but that's enough about me." Nathan said, waving his hand. Perhaps he had been talking too much about his friends. Samuel had no idea just what kind of adventures he had been on with them. "You told us you're working as a school counsellor, so how is that working out for you? I imagine working with kids, especially at that age, can be tough."

"It has its ups and downs," Samuel answered, "but for the most part I enjoy it."

Nathan nodded knowingly. "Actually, now that I think about it, Serena would be the age of the students at your school. An imaginative girl, she is. She's began writing a book about people wielding 'Personas' fighting 'Shadows'!" He smiled faintly. Fortunately, Samuel would never learn about the other world, and thus he would never doubt this story. "She's a nice girl, despite her family issues. I'm certain she's head over heels for her best friend, Kyle." Nathan shook his head with a sigh. "Seeing them together brings back memories of when me and Priscilla were together at that age..but they won't admit it. He's a shy and quiet boy, that Kyle, but she's just as bad!"

Samuel laughed heartily at that. "Haha! Kids these days... when will they learn?"

"Speaking of kids..." Priscilla began saying, "What kind of kids do you work with?"

"Oh, nothing out of the ordinary." Samuel shrugged. "Kids who need a confidence boost... kids who need an ego check… kids with too many questions… kids with too few questions... kids with neglectful parents... kids who are scared of college... kids who are lost that need direction… kids who think they know it all... if there's one thing I can say about my job it's never boring." He smiled. "One of my kids, Matthew? All three years he's been the quietest kid I've ever seen in my life and he's just now starting to make a turn-around. There's another one, Robin... she's a handful but her hearts in the right place. And then there's—"

Samuel stopped talking then, his features slowly growing dark. Nathan and Priscilla looked at each other, unsure how to proceed. Something clearly had gone wrong with one of his students, but Nathan was reluctant to press the issue.

"Did... something happen with one of your students?" Priscilla asked. Nathan winced, knowing the answer would be difficult for Samuel to even say.

Samuel swirled the water in his glass, as he stared into the fire of the candle in the center of the table. "About a week ago, one of our students—Seth Killian—was found dead in his exact cause of death was never ascertained but evidence points to usage of illegal substances as the most likely suspect." Samuel laughed bitterly, as he seemed to ignore the look of shock on Nathan's face. Priscilla was equally stunned, and her eyes actually seemed to be on the verge of tears. Whenever she read about stories like these, she felt for the victim. Samuel spoke again, with a softer voice. "He was one of the brightest and smartest students in his class. He got along well with all of the other students. Everyone in the faculty was willing to write him a letter of recommendation."

"How..." Nathan said, as he struggled to understand the situation. "How did no one know about this? Wouldn't a student who's been using drugs have been discovered by authorities earlier? One of the teachers should have noticed by now..."

"You got me." Samuel sighed. "He must've been using them sporadically. Either way, it doesn't matter anymore. He's dead and there's no changing that." He took the glass of water on the table, and gulped it down. "Christ. I shouldn't have brought that up, I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine." Nathan nodded. "You needed to get it off your chest."

"Um..." Priscilla piped up, eager to change the subject. "Does your school have any troublemakers?"

"Not as many as you'd think." Samuel said. "Every school has their fair share of bad apples, after all." Having said that, Samuel pondered the question further. "But now that I think about it... there is one student in particular that comes to mind. He even has your name! Except he's, uh, the complete opposite of you. In every way possible."

"Really?" Nathan said, wide-eyed. Someone called Nathan that was his opposite? "What makes him such a problematic student?"

"For one, he never comes to school," Samuel held out his hand, sticking a finger out for every point he was about to make. Nathan had a feeling there would be many points in regards to this other Nathan. "And when he does, it's only to harass other students. He has a nasty temper, he never submits to authority... you get the point.

"He sounds...unpleasant." Nathan said with a coy smirk.

"I agree. Perhaps he could stand to learn how a Nathan should truly behave!" Priscilla said. She then titled her head at Nathan. Nathan smiled at his beloved. Without any warning, he leaned in, and planted a tremendously romantic kiss on her lips. Ever since they had been together, their kisses grew more and more tender, and more intense. This was one of the best ones yet, even if they were dining with another guest. He could swear he heard Samuel tapping the table, but he tried to ignore it.

"Perhaps all this Nathan needs is a beautiful woman." Nathan muttered, gazing into Priscilla's eyes. Then he turned his eyes to the ring on her finger, and gently carressed her hand. Realising what he said, he stopped himself and frowned slightly. "Well...it helps if she's beautiful, but as long as she loves him, that's good too! Right?"

"Relax, sweetheart! We know what you meant." Priscilla said, trying to prevent a laugh.

Still smiling, Nathan turned his attention back to Samuel. "Oh...I completely forgot to tell you. On my 29th birthday, I finally popped the question. And she said yes!" Nathan's face was now beaming, unable to resist another longing stare at Priscilla's delighted face. He looked at Samuel curiously. "What about you, Samuel? Are you in a relationship at the moment?"

Samuel was silent. He no longer seemed happy, and for a second Nathan could have sworn he was glaring at him. He violently shook his head, and did not utter another sound. Priscilla looked worried, but Nathan tried to mantain his composure. Perhaps flaunting their recent engagement had been a bad idea, especially if Samuel's own love life had been rather unlucky.

"I'm afraid I don't." Samuel answered curtly.

Nathan smiled sympathetically. "That's a shame. I always thought you'd make a woman happy...but it's not too late. We're all still young!" Nathan said enthusiastically. "I'm sure, soon enough, you'll find someone you love."

"Exactly. If you put so much effort into becoming a counselor, you're bound to come across someone special." Priscilla added, smiling. She reached across the table and interlaced her fingers through Nathan's. "And someone who takes up that sort of job at a high school must have a big heart, with a lot of empathy. Even when we were studying, I knew you had true kindness within you. No wonder you're helping so many young people find their way through life. I'm positive that you'll find someone who appreciates how hard you work for others!"

Samuel smiled gratefully, but his eyes avoided their interlocked hands. Nathan really felt bad for showing off how much in love he was...but he couldn't help it. Becoming Priscilla's husband meant the world to him. "...Thanks, guys. That means a lot coming from the two of you. I can only hope that the girl I find will love me as much as you two love each other."

Just then, Nathan had an idea. Hopefully, Priscilla would not object. Now seemed like the perfect time.

"Actually...this is rather sudden, considering we just told you, but...I'd be honoured to invite you to attend our wedding." Nathan said gently. "We still haven't decided upon a date, but once we have, I'm sure the both of us would love to see you witness our nuptials."

Nathan stared at Samuel hopefully, as did Priscilla. Since she raised no objections, all seemed well with this arrangement. Yet, something felt different about Samuel this time. He did seem to be feigning his enthusiam, but perhaps Nathan's luck in love was somewhat off putting.

"I'll... I'll think about it." Samuel said, with a weak smile. "It depends on when you set the date, but I'll try my hardest to be there. You have my number, so whenever it's coming, feel free to call in advance."

The waiter approached them, and gave them their menus. Nathan raised an eyebrow at the prices, until realising the difference between Motus currency and the US. Thus, the food here truly was as high quality as Samuel said. But it was nothing compared to the company he was with tonight.

|Glasswater – Bar|10:14 PM|

Blaine opened the door, and smiled. Now a place like this he could get behind. It put him in mind of the first bar he and Dan had been able to drink in without lying about their age. Kanaloa had been rather relaxed with drinking ages, unlike the clubs in Saragel. So when he turned 18, Dan took him to a cool, relaxed bar and introduced him to some of his bus driver buddies. That had been a great evening, as Blaine showed that even then, he could drink them under the table.

Here, it seemed fairly uneventful. There was a dartboard on the wall, with plenty of marks around it. The misguided throws of amateurs, forever decorating the wall. Blaine chuckled lightly to himself, as he walked over to the bar. Besides him was a balding construction worker and an angry looking middle aged man. (That would be Robert) After a few minutes, the barman came over.

"Evenin', sir. Haven't seen you round these parts. Where you from?" he asked.

"I'm from New Motus City. You heard of it?" Blaine said. "I'm on vacation. It's a great place you've got here, you know. But why the heck is it called Glasswater?"

"Hell if I know, pal. I bet you don't even know why your city's got some kinda messed up Latin name." the barman said. (Note: Motus is Latin for 'Motion'. So literally, the city is New Motion. Perhaps at the time of the city's foundation, those backing the move claimed it would bring new motion to the island.)

Blaine laughed, and sighed. "Yup! I ain't got a clue! Well, whatever. Glasswater's a fine place. Even if I'm stuck here on my own - girlfriend's busy working. That's why she's here."

The angry man glanced at Blaine, and sneered at him. However, he didn't say a word. Blaine ignored him, and continued. "See, she's a journalist for this small time magazine, so she and her colleagues came here to get the scoop on the story. But one of my buddies got me a plane ticket here so I could hang out with her. But even tonight, she's still busy. Nothing for a guy like me to do but kick back and relax!"

"Okay, whatever buddy. Your girl isn't really my problem. So what can I get you?" the barman asked, impatiently.

"Cutting right to the chase, aren't cha?" Blaine said. "Okay, I'll get a pint of lager. San Miguel sounds good."

"Coming right up." the barman asked. After paying for his drink, Blaine turned his eye to the TV. There was some baseball game going on, and Blaine had no idea what was happening. No one else seemed to care much, either. Feeling relaxed by the beer, he turned to the angry man.

"Hey, you alright?" Blaine asked. "Long day at the grindstone, I get it. Every day after I was done at work, I always wanted to head straight to any bar in town and get about five beers down me. Funny thing is, I'm working at a bar now! And it's a dream come true!"

"Do I look like I give a damn?" the angry man said.

"No, but you do like someone pushed your brand new car off a cliff." Blaine said, a little dejected. "Ah, forget it. I was just trying to make some conversation. It's not like my girl's gonna be free for a drink anytime today."

"If you like this girl so much, then why don't you get off your ass and find her yourself?" the man said. "Bet you'd have a better time than shooting the shit with a bunch of old bastards."

"Hey buddy, fuck you! I'm 36!" the construction worker said. "I'd look my age if the hair loss products worked."

"You see, I'd love to go and find Lucy. But she loves her work. She wants to be a famous journalist someday, getting the scoop on the biggest stories out there. So that's why she works so hard, so all her hard work gets noticed. She's got a bright future ahead of her. Me, I'm probably gonna stay a barman. Us Kanaloa guys don't get many chances to better ourselves." Blaine said.

"Kanaloa? The heck is that?" the angry man said.

"It's the part of the city I'm from. Everyone else calls it a shit hole, and it pretty much is. So many gangs, bikers, and all our homes are falling to pieces. But it's where some of my best friends are. So I'm a moron for saying it, but I love it there." Blaine said.

"Sounds like our Lower Districts." the barman said. "So...since no one's really got anything else to do, what's your name?"

Blaine smiled. This place was getting interesting, even if he did already dislike the angry man. "Name's Blaine. Sounds cool, doesn't it?"

"Rhymes with lame which is a pretty accurate description." The angry man said. "But hey, I didn't give you that name. Looks like I don't have a choice though. I'm Robert."

"Robert, huh?" Blaine said. "Anyway, earlier today I was helping this lady with her groceries. I bumped into her, and she was on the phone with this total bastard!" He noticed Robert's eyes widen, but he didn't say anything in response. "So I helped her get her stuff inside the daycare. That's where she works. Her name was Catherine. You guys know her?"

"Nope." the barman said, and the construction worker shook his head. None of the other drinkers were even paying attention. However, Robert's eyes widened.

"What, uh...makes you think this guy was a bastard?" Robert asked.

"Come on, he was screaming at her for bumping into a guy! And he just kept putting her down..." Blaine said. "Trust me, there's no way I'd talk to my girl like that. Although if I did, she'd be long gone."

"Are you going to whine about your girl the whole night?" the barman asked. "Let's hear about this New Motus place you're from. What's it like there?"

"Well..." Blaine said. "Let me tell you exactly what goes on during a typical night out for me and the boys."

An hour later

"...and then he pukes his guts out over the side of the boat, whilst it's sinking! Then, by the time we're back on the harbour, clothes soaking wet, we waltz right into the nearest bar and order whiskies!" Blaine said, laughing. Neither the barman or the construction worker were particularly interested, but Robert joined in the laughter.

"You Kanaloa people are insane." Robert laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. When he told the others this story, Amara and Serena looked like they were going to be sick themselves, whilst Nathan just frowned. "Earlier you mentioned you went skinny-dipping at 5 AM... was that true or were you just pulling my leg?"

"No, I still had my boxer shorts on." Blaine said, continuing to laugh. "I didn't wake up until 4 in the afternoon...and I was still drenched."

"So basically, everyone in Motus is a drunken lunatic." the barman said.

"Fuck you K!" Robert belched, giving 'K' rude gestures from behind the countertop. Strangely, he seemed to be enjoying Blaine's conversation now. "Screw him, he's just mad that he can't get it up anymore. Hey, let's hear more about this Lucy of yours… can she hold her liquor half as well as you can, you crazy Kanaloa bastard?"

"Well, compared to me she's a real lightweight. But she's still young...she'll grow into it. Maybe. You know, she's only twenty one!" Blaine said.

"What the hell? How is that even possible?" Robert said. Blaine frowned, annoyed. Was he jealous? Perhaps he shouldn't have mentioned Lucy's age. "Hey, tell me something... you guys, uh... you two sound pretty close for a couple that's only been together for a few months."

"Heh. I guess we are." Blaine said. "I never really had a girlfriend like her before. Come to mention it, I was never any good at keeping them. They got bored of me really fast. All I wanted from them was...you know. I was a dumb kid back then. Now, I'm having a blast. I got a great new job, and lately, I've met some great new friends. And I'm finally on a vacation! Life is pretty sweet, don't you think?"

"Good for you, I guess." Robert said. He smiled weakly, but Blaine could tell something was eating away at him. "That's the third drink tonight. Got room for one more?"

"Are you kiddin? I could manage four!" Blaine said. The construction worker left, and now, Blaine was only paying attention to Robert. "The best thing about having a beer is having friends to drink with ya!"

Another Hour Later

At this time of night, the bar was getting busier. Yet, all eyes were on Blaine. He had managed seven drinks in one evening, and was slowly failing to get most of the eight in his mouth.

"Sheesh...running out of steam already?" Robert teased, admist many hiccups.

"I still...got room for more!" Blaine said, with one of his stupid drunken smiles. "Hey...I know what we need! A song!"

"What? A song? Why?" the barman asked. "We've got a jukebox so -"

"Nah, none of that shit! A real song! Tell you what, dude...there's this song I learned somewhere...it's about a sailor and all the girls he meets at the port!" Blaine slurred, his body swaying on the stool. Taking a deep breath, he began. The lyrics of the song did not shy away from anything. Despite a rather catchy melody, the song quickly swerved into deplorable content, regarding a sailor and the many girls of ill repute he came across. The song culminated in the girls discovering he was married, and leaving him all alone. The other drinkers stared in complete amazement, as just how much profanity Blaine could sing with such a strong, baritone voice.

Suddenly, the door flung open. There was Lucy, arms folded, with Colette and Sheila by her side.

"THERE you are, Blaine! I've been looking all over for you! I didn't know where you could be, until we heard that...noise from across the street! What the hell are you doing?!" Lucy hollered.

"Lucy, stop it! You're scaring us!" Colette whimpered.

"Speak for yourself. I'm just enjoying the show." Sheila said stoically.

"Oh...there she is!" Blaine said, with a wide smile. "Come here, baby! I missed ya! Give your man a big hug...I wanna hold you all night long, and tell you everything that I did..."

"What the - I'm not doing that if your breath is stinking of alcohol!" Lucy snapped. "You're embarassing yourself here! I know this is just the way you behave back home, but do you have to do it on vacation? Couldn't you hold the beer for one night? I was...I know it's late, but our hotel has this beautiful wine bar. We could have had a quick drink there. But forget it! You obviously had more important plans!" Lucy's eyes were flaring up with rage. However, Blaine was too drunk to even notice.

"Hey...shut up for a minute and come here. I wanna introduce you to...to this old guy! Robert, or whatever his name is..." Blaine said, putting his arm around him. "This is the babe I was telling you about! She's the sexiest girl I know, bar none!"

Robert stared at Lucy, and smiled. Then, he let out a rather loud wolf whistle. "Well, you weren't kidding. She is a cutie. Hey Lucy, why don't you come over here?"

"No way! I'm not listening to any more of Blaine's perverted tales of sailors and prostitutes!" Lucy said, her voice growing louder and louder.

"I got one about sailors and widows!" Blaine piped, cheerily.

"Blaine, if you keep that up, I'm going to throw you out to sea so you can find some of those sailors." Lucy said, coldly. "Will you please just hurry up and come back to the hotel? I'm not letting you run wild on your own! Who knows what trouble you'll get yourself into!"

"Leave the poor guy alone! Sheesh, no wonder the guy came running here. I'd get wasted too if I had to put up with all of that screaming." Robert hollered, giving Lucy a dirty look.

"I won't be taking relationship advice from the likes of YOU!" Lucy snapped, this time her words resounded all over the bar.

"Yeah, that's what she's got me for." Sheila said.

"Oh, and I can help Blaine find a new shirt until all those beer stains come out of that one!" Colette said. No one responded to this offer, so she stepped back.

"Sorry, man...but the lady's orders are absolute...phew." Blaine said, slowly shuffling off the stool. "You're...even sexier when you're angry. Damn..."

"Shut up! Please, just get out of here!" Lucy said.

"I hear ya..." Blaine croaked, but as he stagged towards her, he fell to the ground.

"Am I going to have to escort you back to our hotel?!" Lucy screamed. "You idiot! Colette, Sheila, help me! NOW!"

"Hey...you shouldn't have...let me go about on my own...I missed you all day..." Blaine said, dreamily. He would have little recollection of this as he woke up tomorrow, but Lucy would never let him forget it. After all, she was having to support him on the long journey back to the hotel room. However, he did remember Robert waving as he left, with a warm smile on his face.

|Glasswater Park|11:14 PM|

It was a cold night in Glasswater Park. The weather had been chilly ever since the month started, natural given the time of the year and the location of the town itself. Most people at this time of night were indoors with their blankets wrapped around their bodies or their heaters turned up to warmer temperatures. If not that, those that were still outside were at least bundled in thick, large coats and jackets coupled with the optional scarf or headgear.

Serena realised that remembering the map Mrs Barrs had given her probably would have been a good idea. She and Kyle had somehow ended up in this place, apparently in the Lower Districts of the place. Being here didn't make her feel at ease at all...there were plenty of shady strangers across the park, most of them giving Serena the creeps.

Serena shivvered, feeling the cold. She didn't expect September to be so cool here - but of course, she was far away from home right now. If it was cold in this month, what would it be like in the winter? Kyle looked equally uncomfortable, as he rubbed his hands to keep them warm. They hadn't thought to wear winter clothing.

"Um..." Kyle stammered nervously, his eyes darting left and right. "Should we really be here?"

"What's the problem? We're just exploring the place. It's not Kanaloa, is it?" Serena said, cheerily. She looked around, and laid her eyes on another boy, around her age. His clothes were rather tattered, and his looked like he was in a bad mood. "Besides, Kyle, there's a guy our age over there. How dangerous can it be?"

"Yeah, but...people our age can be scary as well. Even at our school. Besides, you remember what Mrs. Barrs said, right? We're in the Lower Districts!" Kyle said, angrily. "This place is just full of scum! Guys who only know how to beat each other up to get what they want! C'mon, let's just get out of here!"

However, before they could leave, the boy Serena was staring at started to make his way towards them. Kyle gulped, on high alert, but Serena tried to keep her cool. Hopefully, they could make their way out of this situation without violence. She could hardly use Artemis to protect herself now...

"You kids look lost." The boy grinned. He bounced his basketball up and down, and Serena felt uneasy about it's movement.

"Um, we're fine, but thanks! We were just about to leave!" Serenasaid with a nervous smile. She turned to leave, and grabbed the handles of Kyle's wheelchair. Alas, some of the shady-looking individuals had begun to loiter around the sidewalk exit path. Serena hesitated, giving the boy just enough time to close the gap between them even more, bouncing the basketball with every step he took.

"You were just gonna' leave without even giving me your names?" he pouted. "C'mon. Here, I'll start. My name's Nathaniel. Your turn!"

Serena and Kyle exchanged looks. This boy was dangerous, she could tell. Perhaps Blaine was like this when he was their age. Unwilling to get into more trouble, they decided to go along with his request.

"Serena Agnethe." Serena stated.

"K-Kyle McHale." Kyle stammered, shaking. His hands and face were covered in sweat. He was no good at hiding his fear, and he had rarely been as afraid as he was now.

"See, that wasn't so hard, right?" Nathaniel smiled good-naturedly. "I've noticed you guys are out pretty late. You need directions back to your hotel or something? I can tell you're not from around here… actually, where are you guys from anyway? West coast? Midwest?"

"We're from New Motus City." Serena said.

"New Motus, huh?" Nathaniel rubbed his chin. "Never heard of it. Sounds like a great place. Wish I could visit. Maybe I will one day. You guys could show me around." Serena and Kyle kept quiet, not sure where this was heading. He wasn't exactly a weakling... He paused mid-sentence, studying their tense expressions with faint amsement. "And what's with the cold stares, guys? Lighten up a little! We're just talking, right?"

"Sorry, um...Nathaniel. Right now we'd like directions to our hotel." Serena said. "We don't want any trouble."

"Directions? You want directions?" Nathaniel made a contemplative face before nodding. "Sure, I think I could do that. I know Glasswater like the back of my hand. So, where to?"

"Didn't she just tell you? We want to go back to our hotel—"

Nathaniel suddenly slammed his ball against the concrete, interrupting Kyle and scaring him speechless. Serena put her hand on his shoulder. Hopefully, she might be able to get him out of here if she was quick enough. "I've changed my mind." Nathaniel muttered, with his fake show of benevolence dissipating rapidly. "Let's play some basketball while you two are here. One on two? Two on one?" He smiled again, but Serena shuddered at the sight of his twisted false expression. "If you win, I'll tell you how to get back to whatever hotel you crawled out of."

That's not fair, Kyle's in a wheelchair." Serena pointed out. "And I already told you, all we want is to go back to our hotel."

"Yeah? And I want to play some basketball." Nathaniel said, rolling his eyes. "And who said paraplegics couldn't play sports? I bet Kyle's got a mean dunking arm." Kyle looked down at his legs, and from the look on his face, he was crestfallen. Being mocked for his condition had never been something he could handle, and today was no exception. Nathaniel's comment struck a nerve with Serena, who clenched her fists and stomped onward.

"But...I didn't choose to be born this way..." Kyle whispered, sadly. Pushing Kyle this far? Serena wasn't going to take it. Not even from this arrogant thug.

"You leave him alone!" Serena snarled, stepping out from behind Kyle's wheelchair and positioning herself between him and Nathaniel. Kyle looked up, panicked. Her voice grew progressively louder, almost to a yell. "I've fought way scarier guys than you before! Compared to them, you're just a bully!" Other vagabonds in the vicinity were starting to look their way, but Nathaniel ignored them.

Yeah, I know guys who could mop the floor with you. One phone call, and I can have Blaine down here and break your legs. So what's it going to be?

"You know, you remind me of another pair of twats I know." Nathaniel frowned, moving even closer to them. Serena stood her ground, determined. "You're like a less annoying version of Robin..." He nodded to Kyle. "And you're like a handicapped version of Matthew. You should all get together and fuck each other's brains out, you're all so fucking perfect for each other."

"What's your damn problem?" Serena said angrily. "Just leave us the hell alone! Why are you doing this to us?"

"That's the million dollar question, isn't it?" Nathaniel said. "Maybe today just isn't your lucky day, huh?" He started to advance on Serena who, while still remarkably defiant as Nathaniel cracked every one of his knuckles, stepped back. There was a glint of cruelty in Nathaniel's eyes that set her on edge, and she knew for sure now that the barrier of bravery and attitude she had erected around herself and Kyle (you said Matthew your version) cracked. "Maybe you wandered into the wrong part of town at the wrong time? Who knows? But you made a mistake when you—"

"Nathaniel!" A voice called out, interrupting Nathaniel. Serena looked over her shoulder, and saw a girl who wasn't dressed for the cold weather. While she did know this boy, she clearly didn't approve of his current behaviour. That alone made Serena feel relieved. Accompanying her was a teenage boy, who looked just as angry as she did. "You mind telling me what the fuck you're doing to these people?"

"Monica? David?" Nathaniel said, frowning. "I thought you had an essay...?"

"Yo, don't try to change the subject." 'David' interrupted. He then nodded to Serena and Kyle. "The hell are you two doing out so late? It's dangerous here."

"We were going to, but that guy -"

"Fuck you!" Nathaniel hollered

"-had other plans."

"Nathaniel." Monica interjected, exasperated. She walked around Kyle and Serena, and laid a reassuring hand on both of their shoulders as she passed. When she was in front of him, she folded her arms and glared up at him expectantly. "Weren't you going to play basketball with David or something? I don't exactly remember 'terrorizing tourists' on the agenda."

"Yeah, with those guys." Nathaniel said, pointing a finger over her at Serena and Kyle. They stared daggers at him, eliciting a smile. "What? I just wanted to play a game, get to know them a little better. What's the big deal?"

"I'll tell you what the big deal is, you **ing jerk! You threatened to withhold directions if we lost!" Serena cried. "And you were going to beat us up too! You were cracking your knuckles and everything!"

"Dude." David sighed, shaking his head. "The guy's in a wheelchair." Kyle nodded, feeling more confident. It felt good to have kinder people on his side.

"I wasn't gonna' do anything!" Nathaniel shouted indignantly

"Wish I could believe you bro, but if you're gonna' pick fights, pick fights with people that can walk." David went to Serena and Kyle. "Sorry about him, he's been on edge lately. Monica'll take you back." He passed them and laid his hand on Nathaniel's shoulder. Nathaniel was still angry, but he let David turn him around and lead him towards the hoops at the basketball court. Monica watched the two of them go with a sad look on her face, before she turned to Serena and Kyle, and smiled apologetically.

"You guys are okay, right?"

"We're fine...I think." Kyle said, smiling meekly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"That's good. David did it for us already I guess, but sorry about ol' Nate back there." Monica put a hand on her hip and sighed. "He's an ass... but.. he's our ass. I won't bore you with the details, it's a long story. So, where're you lovebirds headed?"

Both Serena and Kyle's cheeks flushed red.

"We're not—!" The two of them protested in unison.

"Ah..." Monica hummed with a faint smile. "I gotcha'. Well then, let's get you two back home then, shall we?"

Serena nodded. "We're staying at the Hartford Hotel. You know where that is, right?"

"Sure I do. Come on, I'll take you there." Monica replied, and the three of them left the park.

|Hartford Hotel - Room 410|12:04 am|

Amara and Stella were standing on the tiny balcony, overlooking the area. Amara's eyes were watching the people walking around town, and the many historic buildings that formed the cityscape. However, Stella's eyes looked upon the stars. The clear night sky seemed to be calling out to her.

"Hey, Stella. What are you thinking about?" Amara said.

"Stars, of course. That's part of the reason I chose this name." Stella said. "When I first learned I could look into the future, I was watching the stars with my mother and...um..."

"Her lover?" Amara said. Stella's eyes widened, and she turned to Amara.

"How did you know that?" Stella asked. "Perhaps you read between the lines. That's not important. Although growing up with lesbian parents in Kanaloa didn't exactly make me a normal kid. Far from it. The one with the two mommies, as they used to put it. Everyone else had a dad and a mom. They were the normal ones. They were the ones everyone wanted to hang out with. So, I always turned to my mother and her partner for companionship. Our family was complete, even with all the abuse. I never wanted to find my true father."

"...Until?" Amara said.

"That night, watching the stars. For the first time, I asked my mother who my father was." Stella said. "You should have seen the look on her face. Her partner thought about leaving us be, so we could have a talk. But my mother just shook her head, and said she would tell me another time. So I pouted for a bit, as most twelve year old girls do. Watching the stars, I asked myself - what sort of man is my father? If my mother likes women, how does she have a child with a man? And then, it all seemed to come into my mind."

"Did you like what you found out?" Amara asked.

"Let's just say all fantasies I had made up in my head were immediately destroyed. None of them were close to the reality. My father...was a man I knew then and there was one I must never meet." Stella said. "Not that he would ever come looking for me. How can a man search for something he doesn't know exists?"

"Stella." Amara said. "Sounds cliché, but you were right. You already had the perfect family."

"I know I did." Stella said. "But I wanted to know the missing piece of the puzzle. Now I do, and I wish I could leave that puzzle unfished. Even so, I realised I could look into the future and find out what was to come. Sometimes I could see clearly what was to happen with someone. Other times, I could see mere glimpses of an event that could be days or decades away. No matter what I saw, it would always happen. Yet meeting you changed everything. I had a bizarre reading from you, that felt so clear and yet so vague. When it came to reading into the other world, it felt like something else was filtering what I saw. Only when you tell me of your experiences do events I see start to make sense. Like when Kyle was captured, or the battle with Josephine in the hotel."

"So they're making it so you can only give us hints as to what to expect." Amara said. "Strange...would knowing the full truth really be that hard?"

"Maybe learning for yourself is more rewarding, somehow." Stella said. "My power of mine is a strange gift, indeed. But you may have noticed I was in a world of my own during coffee. Ever since we left our city, I haven't been able to use my power at all. I've returned to being a normal human being."

"Why did that happen?" Amara said. "Do you think someone's filtering your thoughts again?"

"I don't know. I earnestly don't know." Stella said. "I have a feeling when we return to New Motus City that my power will return to me, as if it had never left. Rather, it's like I've left the power behind. Only trouble is, Karen asked me to write an article about Glasswater's attitude towards the sprirtual side of life. What should I do?"

"The same as phony psychics do. Make it up!" Amara said. "Remember, you've probably learned things about us that we'd rather you hadn't. Use that to prove your ability. And I'd back you up!"

"You can't." Stella said. "You'll be all over town, taking photographs all day. Still, I know they will be fantastic pictures. I don't have to be psychic to see your talent."

"Aww..." Amara said, giggling. "Crap, it's midnight! We better get some sleep!"

"You're absolutely right. We'll need all the energy we can muster for tomorrow. Or rather, today." Stella said. "Well then, good night."

"Night!" Amara said. The two of them quickly got changed, and retired to their beds. Amara wondered about what Stella said...but shrugged it off. Tomorrow would be an ordinary day, at least for her. Who knows what Zao was getting up to.