[Lazuli]

"Cally, Cally, little Cally... lost, lost... losty..." Lazuli was humming as she and Phen made their way into the little village of Serendipity. She turned to her friend with an encouraging smile. "It's a nice place, isn't it? And it was first settled by nymphs!"

Ah, a little patriot she was.

She held in her slender fingers the notice with the picture of the firefox on it. (Her nails had been painted pale rose today with little cookie ornaments pasted on top.)

"And she is a cute pet. We should definitely try our best to find her," Lazuli said with determination. There was an amount of eagerness in her voice as well, for as concerned as she was about the firefox, this was her and Phen's first mission, and she felt a sense of excitement. Besides, she was confident that they could locate Cally. They were a team, afterall.

As the pair walked down the road they were on, Lazuli glanced from side to side, peeking into nooks and crannies of buildings and at bushes where a creature might potentially hide. "I guess we should start looking in this village," she remarked. "And then we can look around the outskirts? Or shall we find the owners and ask them where they last saw her?"

Her brow creased in worry as another thought entered her mind. "Hopefully no one had stolen her."

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[Euphenia]

Lazuli's creativity was her gift to the world, and it brightened the lives of many. For Phen, Lazuli was a source of inspiration and comfort. Thus, it was a rare thing for Euphenia to say no to something Lazuli wanted to do. Luckily for Phen, Lazuli wasn't one to take advantage, though that made her few requests all the more important.

When Lazuli brought a notice to her door that prominantly displayed the image of a sweet faced firefox only to proclaim the critter lost, Phen's inner animal advocate leaped forward and demanded action! She hadn't a clue where Serendipity was at the time, but that hardly mattered. Phen could tell that this meant a lot to Lazuli, and she couldn't have chosen a better mission to undertake if she'd tried, so off to Serendipity they went.

"It was a very pleasant trip getting here, too," Phen commented with a nod of agreement on how Serendipity seemed to be a nice place, "I didn't know that nymphs founded the town until you told me, Lazuu, but I think it's lovely to visit places outside of the Fae Forest where our kind have influenced so much change."

Phen's lips pursed as she considered her friend's suggestions about what they should do next. "We should go to the source, which in this case would be the owners. They will be able to give us a starting point, don't you think?"

"Their house is on the right side of the village, isn't it?" Phen asked as she glanced at the paper in Lazuli's hands. The address of Cally's owners was printed on the page the last time Phen had checked.

"I love your nails today, Lazuu," was her next comment, and Phen's smile became somewhat lopsided as she realized just how random her remark was. That didn't stop her from going on to say, "Are those cookies?"

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[Lazuli]

Lazuli nodded in agreement to Phen's comment about the trip. They had taken a very pleasant river trip part of the way, which had Lazuli enjoyed very much, and then headed straight through some lovely greenery into Serendipity. We should travel together more, she thought. Brave the unknown! Discover new things! ...Okay, she was getting a bit ahead of herself. Even Lazuli knew when to pull her head out of the clouds... or did she?

"I read about this village in a book," Lazuli said in what was a slightly typical phrase of hers. "I've never been here myself though, but it's as nice as I imagined."

Since Phen agreed with the notion of finding Cally's owners first, Lazuli readily began leading them in the right direction. "Yes, I believe it is," she agreed. Luckily, the village was small enough that it was fairly easy to find the way. If for whatever reason they did get lost, there were plenty of villagers around to help.

The nyad beamed when her friend complimented her nails. "Thank you," she said happily, nodding. She held her hand up, extending her fingers to show off the deco. "Every other one is a chocolate chip cookie, you see? And the other ones are rainbow chips. Do you like coloring your nails? I noticed that they always look very clean."

They soon approached the house, a one-floored wooden home with a nice garden in front. It was located a few streets from the docks of the River Theseus. "Here it is!" Lazuli announced, and walked forward beside Phen to knock on the door.

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[Euphenia]

"You do visit the library more often than I," Phen laughed lightheartedly, "Next time, when you go, would you let me know ahead of time? I've always wanted to better explore those shelves, and to do so with you sounds like a real adventure."

As per usual, when Lazuli showed off her nails and then queried over Phen's own, the winged nymph's cheeks flushed with pleasure. For most of Euphenia's life the "compliments" she'd received from her peers had barbs that tore at her already fragile self esteem. Lazuli's sincerity was a balm that soothed those old scars. "I tried to color them once. It didn't turn out very well," she admitted with a slight shrug, "But that was years ago. Maybe sometime soon, I'll try again."

"Wherever did you get the idea to put cookies on your nails?" Phen asked while they walked to the home belonging to Cally's owners, "I've seen crystals, pearls, even tiny flowers, but never cookies. You're so wonderfully unique, Lazuli!"

"Oh. Well, that was a short walk," was the nyad's reaction to what had felt like just a few steps from where they'd been trying to locate the house in the first place. She approached the door much as Lazuli did, unintentionally remaining as close to her friend as she could without bumping into her.

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[NPC]

(( This is Colleen. You may now run in fear. Or something. ))

WHOOSH!

Lazuli's knuckles barely had enough time to rap at the wooden front door even the once before the whole thing swung inward as if on a timer. There was no lurking emptiness behind that tall panel of hinged wood, oh no! Instead, almost the whole space was filled with a ginormous patchwork quilt of questionable colors and quality. Oh, and lace, where there wasn't the odd feather sticking out. There didn't seem to be a face located anywhere in the jungle of cloth, frills and plumage, and the whole mess was bumbling its way directly toward the girls at a slow but deliberate pace.

Wait, when did piles of mishmashed stuff have delicate sandaled feet with exquisitely manicured toenails?

"Nia, wait!" a young seeming male voice called from inside the house.

The animated pile paused and conducted a half turn to the right, revealing a dark blond ponytail and part of what could have been the head of the so-called "Nia". Then the quilt seemed to speak in a feminine manner that sounded quite distressed. "She'll come if we put her bedding outside. I just know it! It worked before, didn't it?"

Someone was either running inside the house and approaching the doorway fast, or they were just pounding the dust out of their floor boards with padded paddles. Either way, a boy who looked barely old enough to shave soon popped out from under and around the balled up quilt and started to shove it and the owner of the tiny feet and full ponytail back inside the building. His tousled bright red hair bobbed like a nest of lazy snakes, and his muscles worked as if he were used to pushing around things taller than he was. "People will come, Nia, you'll see. I put out an ad and everything. So for the love of Xanth, stop being hysterical!"

"But she needs me!" that same girl's voice yelled, and soon there was a sort of tug of war going on, only in reverse.

[Lazuli]

"Oh yes, that would be absolutely wonderful!" Lazuli twittered. Explore the library with Phen? That would be both enlightening and fun. She remembered how excited she had been to show Nicolay around the shelves.

Thinking of Nic put a damper on Lazuli's spirits for a moment. Nic hasn't replied to any of my messages for days, she thought sadly. I wonder if he's okay?

She quickly dried away her blues in order not to alarm Phen. Her smile had only faltered for a moment, but Lazuli was all sparkles again. "It can be a little hard to color them at first," she said gently. "And you must take care of them. I would be happy to help you if you'd like to come over sometime! I have lots of nail polishes."

Phen's compliment made Lazuli glow, if that was even possible anymore. She had seen people give strange glances toward her accessories and even call her unlikeable words, so it was quite nice to hear something different. She did what she liked, and it was miraculous that someone else appreciated it, too. So she thanked Phen from her heart.

Lazuli stood still and quiet as the door suddenly flew away from her hand. She was momentarily dazed, but then calmly returned her hand to her side. "Oh? What's going on?" she wondered aloud as she stared at the vibrant collage of colors and fabrics in front of her. The nyad watched the exchange between the red-headed boy and the fluffy woman, glancing once at Phen in confusion.

Then she stepped forward and raised her voice. "Hello? Excuse me? We come in response to your ad!"

anime rain | discolore | celestial-star | night-fate-stock

[NPC]

(( This is Colleen again. May there be potatoes in your future. ))

As often happens when folks are caught up in the moment, the boy and the girl didn't hear Lazuli at first. In fact, they seemed quite oblivious to the presence of the two nymphs and continued on with their contest of wills and physical perseverance.

"Nia, Cally wouldn't want her bedding all dirty and mussed up anyway!"

"It didn't bother her after we washed it last time!"

Neither was making any headway, and they seemed evenly matched. Undoubtedly they had fought such battles before, and would again.

Then, when it almost seemed as if Lazuli would have to try and alert the pair to her and Phen's purpose once more, the boy spun his head half around and gaped at her. "You answered the ad?!" he asked, but his surprise soon melted to be replaced by the relief and utter glee that practically glowed from his face a split second later, "Nia, they've answered my ad to find Cally!"

The bundle of quilt quivered like a live thing then whipped around as the slip of a woman holding it up turned around and dumped the whole thing on the floor behind her before spinning back around and leaping forward like a gazelle. The boy sidestepped as if he'd been expecting it, and soon enough the young woman's wide royal blue eyes sparkled at Lazuli and Euphenia from within a well tanned but young face. She then clasped her hands with such exuberance that they made a loud clapping sound. "Two to go and find my Cally? Oh, thank goodness! Thank you, thank you! Will you start right away?"

[Euphenia]

Phen had been thinking more about libraries and fingernails than she was firefoxes and their worried owners by the time they had arrived at the entrance to the presumed home of the missing pet. That ensured that she was as puzzled, though perhaps a touch more surprised, as Lazuli when the door opened so suddenly.

Watching the confrontation between the red haired young man and the girl with the dark blond ponytail, Phen idly wondered why a firefox would need so much bedding in the first place. The quilt looked big enough that it could have been used to make a tent for two. She caught Lazuli's glance and returned it, adding a shrug for good measure, then put her attention back to the ongoing back and forth pushing war. Phen opened her mouth to speak, but Lazuli beat her to the punch, and the nyad watched as her friend's words had little effect. Once more, she opened her mouth, but then it was the boy that cut her off, soon followed by the petite blond haired girl. The girl had since dropped the quilt, and was approaching, hopefully with the intention of holding a conversation rather than further express protestations at the boy. She appeared to be enthusiastic about the nyads' showing up, judging by her wide smile, though maybe a bit overeager. Had Cally been missing for a long time?

"We definitely want to help, but could we ask you some questions first?" Phen queried before glancing down at the rainbow of patched cloth behind Cally's apparent owner, "Also, introductions seem to be in order. I'm Euphenia, but most call me Phen, and this is my good friend, Lazuli. You really have her to thank for getting us both involved. Might we know your names?"

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[Lazuli]

Lazuli waited patiently for herself to be heard, for calmness in the face of furious colors and sounds was a virtue. She waved politely when the boy came to greet them. "Of course we'll start right away!" she said kindly, when she and Phen finally caught the bickering ones' attention. It made her happy to see the relief on the pair's faces that their ad was answered, and also personal relief that the spat had ended.

"Like Phen said, we'd love to know some things first so that we may optimize our search," Lazuli explained cheerily, turning professional detective. The quicker they began this, the better. The boy and girl really missed their pet, so Lazuli thought they had best find Cally soon. "It would be wonderful if you could tell us things like what sort of foods Cally likes, what outdoor areas she likes best, and if she's afraid of anything. Any information about behavioral tendencies will help us greatly!"

She glanced at Phen with a smile in search for agreement.

anime rain | discolore | celestial-star | night-fate-stock

[NPC]

(( Why, hello there! Yes, it's Colleen again. ))

The boy and the girl exchanged a glance, and the former shrugged. "You know her best, Nia," was the young man's response to the question.

That seemed to inspire a kind of suspicion in his counterpart. "She always went to you for treats first," Erenia pointed out, "You're the one who figured out that she likes dried salmon, and then you happened upon her favorite toy."

The bright haired boy grinned, showing off a whole bunch of teeth. "Lucky guesses," were his humble words, though his grin possessed a more prideful sentiment. After, he turned to offer Lazuli and then Euphenia his right hand much as any human would when being introduced to another. "It's a pleasure to meet you both," he began in a more formal manner than perhaps both ladies had thought him capable, "I'm Aethon, but most just call me Aeth. I posted the ad under Erenia's name as Cally is hers, for the most part."

"I've had her ever since she was a kit," Erenia explained, having waited for Aethon to finish before starting in. She also did the handshake go-around, though far more enthusiastically than her companion. "To answer your questions, she loves to eat just about anything that stays still long enough for her to get at it, though she does favor fish, with berries being her second favorite. She's also drawn to colorful things, particularly shades of purple and blue. That's how we .. how we ..."

Erenia's face scrunched up, and tears that had been building as she spoke spilled over and ran down her cheeks. "I-I'm sorry. I miss her so much," she apologized, trying to wipe away the evidence of her worry with both hands. Traces of moisture still gleamed upon her skin afterward, but she didn't seem to notice. "She has a favorite toy ball. I made it for her, after the one Aeth gave her was lost. It makes a jingling noise when you shake it. Aeth, would you-"

"Way ahead of you, Nia!" the boy called as he ran into the house.

A brief smile brightened Erenia's face as she watched Aethon go, but it mellowed rather quickly. She turned back to address Lazuli and Phen once more. "She usually comes when one of us calls her, so wherever she's gone, it's somewhere that she can't hear us."

Her theory wasn't rock solid, but Erenia clung to the notion that should her Cally hear her voice, the firefox would come running back home.

"Here, Nia," Aethon said as he offered Erenia a round shape as big as two balled up fists. It was blue and purple, and made a soft jingling sound when the nymph gold a hold of it. "Thanks, Aeth," was her response along with one of her smiles. She then held out the ball so that either of her fellow nymphs could take it from her easily. "Maybe you can use this as a lure to get her to come close?" she suggested with hope practically shining off of her.

[Euphenia]

When prompted by Lazuli's glance, Phen immediately nodded. Her friend really seemed to know what she was doing! "You're a natural at this, Lazuu," the nyad murmured while Erenia and Aethon shared their named and nicknames, "Next time I stumble into a mystery, I hope that you'll be with me."

"What would it have been like, having Lazuli with us when going through that whole fiasco?" Phen pondered once the introductions were done. She'd taken care to shake both individuals' hands with a light but steady grip, as her mother, Enyo, had taught her. That hadn't prevented her wondering why such a greeting had been chosen, as it wasn't a common custom among the nymph communities of which she was aware. "There's always something new," she decided, letting the incident go for a time.

"I-I'm sorry. I miss her so much."

"We'll do our best to find her for you as fast as we are able," Phen promised, feeling compassion for she who seemed so concerned for her lost pet. The nyad didn't reach for Erenia to comfort her. That would have been outside Phen's comfort zone. Instead, she likely brushed shoulders with Lazuli, and attempted to lightly rest a hand on her friend's arm as if to implore for reassurance that such a task was possible. "This is wonderful information you've given us. I'm certain it will prove helpful. I do wish to ask, however, where was it that you last saw Cally? If we have no other leads, we'll likely start our search there."

"Thank you," Phen said as she reached out and tapped the side of the offered ball. When it made a musical noise, she smiled. "That's rather pretty. Should we take it with us, Lazuli?"

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