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Description
"Need any help?"

"Just a second," Adrian grumbled, fiddling with the clasps on his vest, "Almost got it on. I don't care if the building's made of ice, I'm going to boil in this damn thing!"

Cinder snorted, then walked up to him, grabbed the clasps and clicked them together. "There."
She'd donned the dress, black, strapless, the bust sticking out a little too much to be formal. Without her bushy fur, it'd still be a little tight on her- but with it, it was practically bursting at the seams. The train was accented with a bit of cheap lace, and expanded out in a huge bulge- as the designer hadn't cut a hole for the tail, it was stuck underneath. With the tightness, breasts, and accents, the once flowing dress almost resembled a corset. The whole thing looked as if a gothic lolita had tried to design formal wear.

Adrian, on the other hand, had assembled the three-piece suit. His checkered tie was completely rumpled, sticking halfway out of his shirt, and collar folded halfway upwards. He'd thrown the coat over his vest, both a disturbing burgundy that gave off a game-show host vibe. Though nowhere near as bad as Cinder's, his outfit was still pretty small on him. Calling it an eyesore would be a hell of an understatement.
"I can't believe this," he groaned, snapping on the cufflinks, "Reputations, nothing. I don't care. This has to be some kind of punishment."

"It probably is," Cinder replied, letting out a huff. "She knows I don't respect her, and the feeling's mutual. Respect has to be earned, and when all you do is shove your authority in people's faces, any initial slack I'd have cut for you evaporates. Proxy or not, she acts like she controls the guild, with oh, around thirty mercenary-types working underneath her? Compensating, that's for damn sure."

"Compensating? You mean her height?"

"Exactly," she stated, crossing her arms. "Kind of amazing, really."

"I'd just call that pathetic," the Sandshrew snapped, dusting himself off a bit. "Well, if she's really that stupid, wouldn't she be an easy target for you?"

"We joined the guild on an example of my skills," she replied, "and she should know that. Even so, I might be able to use her. It'd just take a bit longer than usual, that's all. For you, I think that she just straight up doesn't like you."

"Whatever," he grumbled, "Let's just get going. We'd better find the Ambassador before the crowds arrive. I don't think Donovan'll be here yet, so you mind if we do that first?"

"Sure." Cinder glanced over at the mirror, grimaced, then turned away. "Let's go."

The pair stepped out of the storage closet, into the main hall, which had been completely transformed. Islands of ice-blocks littered the floor, while a team of water and ice-types froze more by the side of the room. A few burly Fighting-types pushed the finished blocks into place, straining and grumbling all the while. Banners advertising the three guilds had draped against the walls, along with another few advertising prominent companies and merchants. A huge sign reading "Avalodge" in ornate letters hung from the ceiling, swinging gently over the patrons. A room across, the rest of the badminton courts had been set up, and occasionally a birdie would fly through the doors- or one of Ryoma's customized balls. Both rooms were already starting to fill, with a steady stream of patrons pouring through the front door.
"How long were we in there?" Adrian gaped, looking back and forth across the room. "Ten minutes? Fifteen? I can't believe this!"

"Everyone's early. They must've had the same idea as us," Cinder replied, trying hard not to stare. "I'm can't believe they can make those ice-blocks that fast. Are they already carving them?" She pointed over at a Metang, silver with gold accents, which had grasped a chunk of ice and started to dig into it. It glared at another chunk of ice beside it, which levitated into the air, attaching on top of the first.

"So is it using magnetism, or telekinesis? Adrian asked, cocking his head. "Wait, is ice even magnetic?"

"It's water!" She threw her hands in the air with an exaggerated flourish. "Whatever."

"All right, fine," he huffed, crossing his arms. "Damn, there's a lot of them." He stared over at a little Pikachu, wrapping its scarf tighter as it helped push an ice-block into place.

"The ice-types have an advantage, that's for sure," the Zigzagoon continued, pointing over at an Aumara, who'd foregone carving entirely, instead blowing frigid winds onto the ice-block. The breath froze as it touched the ice, leaving a huge icicle emanating outward.
"Not sure he's going to carve it without hands," she remarked, "though he could just cover it in spikes and call it a Ferroseed. Hell if I know."

"There's one carving for real," the Sandshrew replied, pointing over at a fedora-sporting Gligar, pinching off chunks of ice with his huge claws. "I can't believe how fast he's working. There's already part of a form there, for crying out loud!"

"We'll come back later," Cinder stated, gesturing at the door. "Froslass count: Zero. Let's check outside."

Outside, the rest of the events were still being set up. Right by the entrance, between the massive legs of the faux Avalugg, there was the apple bobbing tank, still being filled by a Riolu with a bucket. Adrian stared for a moment, then rushed towards it, stopping before the Riolu.
"I'll just be a second," he called to Cinder, then turned back to the Fighting-type with a grin. "I'd like to test this thing out, if you don't mind."

"Huh, test?" the Riolu asked, dumping the water into the tank, "Um, it'll be another few minutes before my partners gets back with the apples, they're-"
Before he could finish his sentence, the Sandshrew plunged forward into the water, soaking his face and chest before bursting back up.
"Perfect!" he gasped, throwing his coat off, "There, it's ruined! Thanks very much, and I'm going to go change."
The Riolu's mouth dropped open, and Adrian made a hundred-eighty degree turn on the spot, striding back up to Cinder, draping the sopping coat over his arm. She stifled a giggle, looking over at the horrified jackal.

"That's one way to do it," she chuckled, patting him on the back, "You're lucky, though. I'd have to sit in the water to get this damn dress off."

"Still could," he replied, smirking, "It's right there..."

"Pfff, no. I'll wait it out." She stared across at the giant Avalugg's legs, where a small party had formed, gathering around a necklace-sporting Swoobat. Many were dressed in lab coats or formal wear, including a Meowth with green-tinted glasses.
"Solstice, Alexander, Team Corvidae... what the hell's his name... right, Naota, Azalia, and I can't recognize the others," the Zigzagoon stated. "That has to be the Researcher party. I forget what they were doing... something with Nevermeltice, I think. Well, let's ask them."

"Shit, are those two a couple?" Adrian gaped, pointing over at a Zangoose and Seviper- the latter wrapping her tail around the mongoose's legs. They looked like they'd been through hell, with the Zangoose missing an arm and Seviper missing her tail-spike. "I could've sworn there was some species prejudice against that. Well, good on them, I guess."

"The fact that they're both missing an eye is creeping me out a little."

"They're what?!" the Sandshrew exclaimed, "I didn't see that-"

"Psychopath, probably," she grumbled, "I don't want to deal with it. Besides, it isn't exactly the kind of thing you ask about. Anyway, let's go."
Adrian in tow, she strode up to the group, brushing past a tall Xatu and heading for the Meowth. Solstice had already been grabbed by a couple Researchers, which bombarded her with questions about the ice.
"Alexander, wasn't it?" the Zigzagoon asked, "You haven't seen the Ambassador or the warden anywhere around here, have you?"

"We've only just arrived," the cat stated, glaring at Adrian "What brings you here, Selkirk? I'd assumed that you'd be doing something more... hunter oriented, such as security. Ah, the warden, that's right. Were you looking for a job there now? The Hunters must not have supported your "passions", as you call them, either... and I do suppose that your monologues could be considered a form of torture."

"Isn't it, oh, in bad form, or whatever the hell you call it, to ignore who you're talking to?" Cinder snapped, stepping in front of Adrian, "And I'd appreciate it if you stop bashing my partner for a minute to answer my goddamn question."

"I haven't seen either," the Meowth replied, "and-"

"Then screw off." Tugging on her bandages, she glared at the Meowth for a moment, then turned away.

"Believe me," Adrian snapped, walking up to the cat, "I'd love to discuss all this at length. Such as, for instance, the fact that you spent all of your fucking time analyzing the properties of artificial creatures, to the point of fetish, really. I wonder how many restraining orders you've got? Besides, I'd like to see you speak for yourself for once, instead of parroting every single thing that comes out of Archimedes' mouth."
The Meowth's fur bristled up, tail curling inward. He adjusted his glasses, then snorted, trying to come up with a response...
"But, like I said," Adrian interjected, destroying the Meowth's train of thought, "I don't have all day. Thanks for the "help"." Turning away, he walked towards the Zigzagoon- and almost crashed into a little Pawniard.
"Crap!" he exclaimed, taking a step back, "I'm sorry about that, didn't see you there-"
Upon closer inspection, the little robot was missing his left arm, one of his eyes shattered, and in a general state of disrepair. Some of its metal casing had been scratched to hell, others parts rusted. A huge chip had been gouged out of its helmet fin, and it looked up at him with its one good eye, vibrating slightly.

"Ah, Fifty!" the Meowth exclaimed, brushing past Adrian with a grin, "What brings you here? I haven't seen you in a while, now!"

"Looking around the festival!" the Pawniard replied enthusiastically, looking up at the Meowth. "There's so much to do!"

"Here's a perfect example of my so-called fetishizing, Selkirk," Alexander snapped, glaring over at the Sandshrew, "This here is Fifty. He was heavily injured during the golem's attack on Andalusst- pretty heroic, really. He'd been tossed into a building, losing a limb in the process, so I fixed him up. Fifty, this is Adrian Selkirk, an old colleague of mine, if you can call him that."

"Nice to meet you!" the little robot exclaimed, "Are you a Researcher, too?"

"Used to be," the Sandshrew admitted, "I'm just visiting now. So you helped with the golem's attack, then... Thank you. By the time I got to the scene, the guilds had already stopped the thing. You're a h- a heck of a lot more heroic than I am."

"Thank you," the Pawniard replied, "It was malfunctioning, like us. We had to do something, right?" It froze, then quickly looked back and forth, stopped again, then looked down at its feet. "I thought 02 came with me..."

"I'm sure that 02's around here somewhere," Alexander interjected, "He wouldn't have left you here, I'm sure of it. That's Fifty's partner, Selkirk- a Porygon that I've been studying as well. I may be coming to a breakthrough on the development of artificial beings, regarding bio-electrical energy... but that's too far out of your field to interest you, I assume."

"It's just so weird, listening to you talk," Adrian stated, trying hard not to swear in front of the robot. "I get that it's good to be formal when you're writing a paper, for instance, but in general conversation... it just sounds ridiculous. I'm already formal enough myself, but you just blow my mind."

"Well, that's your opinion, isn't it?" the Meowth grumbled. "Anyway, Fifty, I've got a few minutes before the expedition leaves. I'll help you look for 02. Selkirk, I believe that's my cue, so I'll be off. You go do your Hunter things."

"Whatever. And, er, good to meet you again, Fifty." He glanced around the crowd for a moment, looking for the Zigzagoon... take his eyes off her for five seconds, and she'd vanished. There! She'd grabbed a little one-eyed Banette, a tiny Spiritomb riding on its head. Damn, they got that small?

Cinder thanked the pair, then turned, walking back up to Adrian and scratching the back of her head. "Pretty interesting, those two. He's mute, so the Spiritomb translated for him... personally, I think they're adorable."

"This coming from the same person that called Slurpuffs a "complete abomination"."

"Shut up." She grinned, whacking him on the shoulder. "Anyway, let's get going. Where next?"

"I think they're setting up more sports around the back of the place, so if the Ambassador's still outside, she might be there. Maybe that?" He glanced back at the Avalodge's entrance, which hadn't really changed- a few tables were being set up for face-painting, but that was it.

"Worth a shot," she replied, tapping her claws together. "Let's go."

As the pair walked away from the Researcher party, around the side of the building, they stopped by the window to look into the other ballroom. The tables had been cleared away, leaving a huge open space for the dance competition. A main "stage" was still being set up- well, really just a huge length of rope, making a circle in the middle of the room. A few Exploud lined up by the walls, while a Sableye jabbed his claws at them and gave orders.
"Isn't that the guy from the really gay nightclub?" Adrian asked, turning away from the window, "Can't remember what it's called... some kind of carnival, I think. He's been all over the place lately."

"Caramel Carnivale," Cinder stated as they both rounded the corner- and Adrian smacked straight into a wall of fluff. The fluff- and the Noibat attached to it- let out a yelp and jumped back a bit, stammering apologies, and then freezing in place. Adrian stopped as well, staring for a second as he looked him over.
The bat's fur was a brilliant cobalt blue rather than the standard purple, and had been slicked down, looking a little damp. His ears had been folded downward, behind his head, and his neck sported a frayed bandage. His neck-fur puffed out of the loose fabric, almost like a fluffy cravat. Two small scars ran across the edge of his eye, but on closer inspection, they looked jagged, fake, almost.

"Cobalt?!" Adrian exclaimed, eyes widening, "God, I almost didn't recognize you! What're you wear-" He cut himself off mid-sentence, and blinked. "Are you doing a performance here?"

The Noibat froze in place, slowly turning to stare at the Sandshrew with a mix of shock and horror. He shook his head, replacing the gaunt expression with a smile as he nodded.
"Adrian! ah y-yeah, a performance, of course" he chuckled with another weak nod, "The uh, director, thought it would be nifty to try out this new costume for one of the plays, see how people responded."

"Well, good to see you again, Cobalt," Cinder interjected, brushing past the Sandshrew, "Just one thing. There weren't any performances on the schedule, only the games and events the Hunters are hosting. What're you really doing?"

The Noibat gave an even more nervous chuckle as he shuffled in place."Well, I-" he fumbled, off-put as he tried to invent an excuse, finally giving a small cough. "I'm not really able to say... exactly."

"Well, all right," she huffed, running her claws through the fur on her forehead, "In any case, I'm going to try and find that Heliolisk, so I'll leave you two to it. I'll be at the wine tasting next. Have fun." She gave a nod to Adrian, then walked away, heading for the unfinished cricket court before them.

"Sorry about that," Adrian sighed, once the Zigzagoon was far enough away, "She's a little pissy today, probably from the dress, if anything. So, what is going on, then? I'm guessing it's a long story, but believe me, I'll listen."

"Gede's doing a thing," Cobalt mumbled with a shrug as he stole a glance down at himself, "and, he wanted my help, my help." He gave a chuckle, straightening a stray bandage. "He wanted me to...dress for the part," he laughed weakly, tapping the scars under his eye. He paused, then gave another small laugh. "I'm not even completely sure what is going on, to be honest."

"Gede's that thief friend you keep telling me about, right?" Adrian asked, cocking his head a bit, "Species, species... god, my brain's blanking, I'm sorry." He clenched down on his bottom lip, then clapped his paws together. "Kecleon, right? I guess I just need to meet the guy." He smiled, marveling at the Noibat's getup for a moment. "Well, I have to say, you've got the mercenary vibe completely down. If I can't recognize you, you know it's good. God, am I ever glad to see you!"

"You think so?" Cobalt noted, stealing another glance at himself as his grin grew. He gave a quick nod, then looked back up.
"It's good to see you to, although I wish it'd be under different pretenses" he joked, giving his ears a scratch. He paused, giving another small nod. "I... suppose I could show you some time, but I don't think him and Cinder being anywhere near each other would be a good idea, in any context."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about her," the Sandshrew sighed, "She'd probably spend the whole time trying to psychoanalyze him, if anything. She has a weird thing about thieves, and I'm not sure why..." He nibbled on his bottom lip. "That, and we already ran into that psycho Quilava I told you about. Ryoma Sengoku, the one that took down the Sceptile. I kind of want to stay the hell away from sociopaths today, y'know?" He crossed his arms, giving a light chuckle. "Well, when you're finished with Gede's thing, I was wondering if you might want to come around the place with me. Cinder and I spent all morning helping set up, so we didn't see any events- that, and you'd better believe I'm buying you some toasted berries."

Cobalt thought for a moment, frowning at the mention of the Sceptile, before giving a nod. By this point, it'd probably be worse for Gede if he tried to get back on track, so spending time with the Sandshrew would be fine.
"Seems fine by me," he admitted with a smile, "Today's been... well, a break would be welcome. Berries, too," he added with a sheepish grin.

"Believe me, I know what you mean," Adrian replied, grinning, patting the Noibat on the back and giving his ears a little scratch. "They had me in a freaking three-peice suit. It was horrible," he chuckled, then turned, pointing over at the sopping ball of clothes, which hung from a bush in the distance. "I kinda destroyed it. So, where d'you think we should head first?"

The Noibat flushed, giving a light cough as he tugged at one of the bandages, then grinned. "Anywhere but the sports and drinking places, Gede said to stay away from there," he admitted, stealing a glance over at the suit, a grin spreading across his face. He almost wished he hadn't missed it.

"Considering that sports has psycho quilavas and drinking has Cinder, believe me, I agree with you," he chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Let's try the main hall, then- first off, so I can get you some snacks."

Description
"Need any help?"

"Just a second," Adrian grumbled, fiddling with the clasps on his vest, "Almost got it on. I don't care if the building's made of ice, I'm going to boil in this damn thing!"

Cinder snorted, then walked up to him, grabbed the clasps and clicked them together. "There."
She'd donned the dress, black, strapless, the bust sticking out a little too much to be formal. Without her bushy fur, it'd still be a little tight on her- but with it, it was practically bursting at the seams. The train was accented with a bit of cheap lace, and expanded out in a huge bulge- as the designer hadn't cut a hole for the tail, it was stuck underneath. With the tightness, breasts, and accents, the once flowing dress almost resembled a corset. The whole thing looked as if a gothic lolita had tried to design formal wear.

Adrian, on the other hand, had assembled the three-piece suit. His checkered tie was completely rumpled, sticking halfway out of his shirt, and collar folded halfway upwards. He'd thrown the coat over his vest, both a disturbing burgundy that gave off a game-show host vibe. Though nowhere near as bad as Cinder's, his outfit was still pretty small on him. Calling it an eyesore would be a hell of an understatement.
"I can't believe this," he groaned, snapping on the cufflinks, "Reputations, nothing. I don't care. This has to be some kind of punishment."

"It probably is," Cinder replied, letting out a huff. "She knows I don't respect her, and the feeling's mutual. Respect has to be earned, and when all you do is shove your authority in people's faces, any initial slack I'd have cut for you evaporates. Proxy or not, she acts like she controls the guild, with oh, around thirty mercenary-types working underneath her? Compensating, that's for damn sure."

"Compensating? You mean her height?"

"Exactly," she stated, crossing her arms. "Kind of amazing, really."

"I'd just call that pathetic," the Sandshrew snapped, dusting himself off a bit. "Well, if she's really that stupid, wouldn't she be an easy target for you?"

"We joined the guild on an example of my skills," she replied, "and she should know that. Even so, I might be able to use her. It'd just take a bit longer than usual, that's all. For you, I think that she just straight up doesn't like you."

"Whatever," he grumbled, "Let's just get going. We'd better find the Ambassador before the crowds arrive. I don't think Donovan'll be here yet, so you mind if we do that first?"

"Sure." Cinder glanced over at the mirror, grimaced, then turned away. "Let's go."

The pair stepped out of the storage closet, into the main hall, which had been completely transformed. Islands of ice-blocks littered the floor, while a team of water and ice-types froze more by the side of the room. A few burly Fighting-types pushed the finished blocks into place, straining and grumbling all the while. Banners advertising the three guilds had draped against the walls, along with another few advertising prominent companies and merchants. A huge sign reading "Avalodge" in ornate letters hung from the ceiling, swinging gently over the patrons. A room across, the rest of the badminton courts had been set up, and occasionally a birdie would fly through the doors- or one of Ryoma's customized balls. Both rooms were already starting to fill, with a steady stream of patrons pouring through the front door.
"How long were we in there?" Adrian gaped, looking back and forth across the room. "Ten minutes? Fifteen? I can't believe this!"

"Everyone's early. They must've had the same idea as us," Cinder replied, trying hard not to stare. "I'm can't believe they can make those ice-blocks that fast. Are they already carving them?" She pointed over at a Metang, silver with gold accents, which had grasped a chunk of ice and started to dig into it. It glared at another chunk of ice beside it, which levitated into the air, attaching on top of the first.

"So is it using magnetism, or telekinesis? Adrian asked, cocking his head. "Wait, is ice even magnetic?"

"It's water!" She threw her hands in the air with an exaggerated flourish. "Whatever."

"All right, fine," he huffed, crossing his arms. "Damn, there's a lot of them." He stared over at a little Pikachu, wrapping its scarf tighter as it helped push an ice-block into place.

"The ice-types have an advantage, that's for sure," the Zigzagoon continued, pointing over at an Aumara, who'd foregone carving entirely, instead blowing frigid winds onto the ice-block. The breath froze as it touched the ice, leaving a huge icicle emanating outward.
"Not sure he's going to carve it without hands," she remarked, "though he could just cover it in spikes and call it a Ferroseed. Hell if I know."

"There's one carving for real," the Sandshrew replied, pointing over at a fedora-sporting Gligar, pinching off chunks of ice with his huge claws. "I can't believe how fast he's working. There's already part of a form there, for crying out loud!"

"We'll come back later," Cinder stated, gesturing at the door. "Froslass count: Zero. Let's check outside."

Outside, the rest of the events were still being set up. Right by the entrance, between the massive legs of the faux Avalugg, there was the apple bobbing tank, still being filled by a Riolu with a bucket. Adrian stared for a moment, then rushed towards it, stopping before the Riolu.
"I'll just be a second," he called to Cinder, then turned back to the Fighting-type with a grin. "I'd like to test this thing out, if you don't mind."

"Huh, test?" the Riolu asked, dumping the water into the tank, "Um, it'll be another few minutes before my partners gets back with the apples, they're-"
Before he could finish his sentence, the Sandshrew plunged forward into the water, soaking his face and chest before bursting back up.
"Perfect!" he gasped, throwing his coat off, "There, it's ruined! Thanks very much, and I'm going to go change."
The Riolu's mouth dropped open, and Adrian made a hundred-eighty degree turn on the spot, striding back up to Cinder, draping the sopping coat over his arm. She stifled a giggle, looking over at the horrified jackal.

"That's one way to do it," she chuckled, patting him on the back, "You're lucky, though. I'd have to sit in the water to get this damn dress off."

"Still could," he replied, smirking, "It's right there..."

"Pfff, no. I'll wait it out." She stared across at the giant Avalugg's legs, where a small party had formed, gathering around a necklace-sporting Swoobat. Many were dressed in lab coats or formal wear, including a Meowth with green-tinted glasses.
"Solstice, Alexander, Team Corvidae... what the hell's his name... right, Naota, Azalia, and I can't recognize the others," the Zigzagoon stated. "That has to be the Researcher party. I forget what they were doing... something with Nevermeltice, I think. Well, let's ask them."

"Shit, are those two a couple?" Adrian gaped, pointing over at a Zangoose and Seviper- the latter wrapping her tail around the mongoose's legs. They looked like they'd been through hell, with the Zangoose missing an arm and Seviper missing her tail-spike. "I could've sworn there was some species prejudice against that. Well, good on them, I guess."

"The fact that they're both missing an eye is creeping me out a little."

"They're what?!" the Sandshrew exclaimed, "I didn't see that-"

"Psychopath, probably," she grumbled, "I don't want to deal with it. Besides, it isn't exactly the kind of thing you ask about. Anyway, let's go."
Adrian in tow, she strode up to the group, brushing past a tall Xatu and heading for the Meowth. Solstice had already been grabbed by a couple Researchers, which bombarded her with questions about the ice.
"Alexander, wasn't it?" the Zigzagoon asked, "You haven't seen the Ambassador or the warden anywhere around here, have you?"

"We've only just arrived," the cat stated, glaring at Adrian "What brings you here, Selkirk? I'd assumed that you'd be doing something more... hunter oriented, such as security. Ah, the warden, that's right. Were you looking for a job there now? The Hunters must not have supported your "passions", as you call them, either... and I do suppose that your monologues could be considered a form of torture."

"Isn't it, oh, in bad form, or whatever the hell you call it, to ignore who you're talking to?" Cinder snapped, stepping in front of Adrian, "And I'd appreciate it if you stop bashing my partner for a minute to answer my goddamn question."

"I haven't seen either," the Meowth replied, "and-"

"Then screw off." Tugging on her bandages, she glared at the Meowth for a moment, then turned away.

"Believe me," Adrian snapped, walking up to the cat, "I'd love to discuss all this at length. Such as, for instance, the fact that you spent all of your fucking time analyzing the properties of artificial creatures, to the point of fetish, really. I wonder how many restraining orders you've got? Besides, I'd like to see you speak for yourself for once, instead of parroting every single thing that comes out of Archimedes' mouth."
The Meowth's fur bristled up, tail curling inward. He adjusted his glasses, then snorted, trying to come up with a response...
"But, like I said," Adrian interjected, destroying the Meowth's train of thought, "I don't have all day. Thanks for the "help"." Turning away, he walked towards the Zigzagoon- and almost crashed into a little Pawniard.
"Crap!" he exclaimed, taking a step back, "I'm sorry about that, didn't see you there-"
Upon closer inspection, the little robot was missing his left arm, one of his eyes shattered, and in a general state of disrepair. Some of its metal casing had been scratched to hell, others parts rusted. A huge chip had been gouged out of its helmet fin, and it looked up at him with its one good eye, vibrating slightly.

"Ah, Fifty!" the Meowth exclaimed, brushing past Adrian with a grin, "What brings you here? I haven't seen you in a while, now!"

"Looking around the festival!" the Pawniard replied enthusiastically, looking up at the Meowth. "There's so much to do!"

"Here's a perfect example of my so-called fetishizing, Selkirk," Alexander snapped, glaring over at the Sandshrew, "This here is Fifty. He was heavily injured during the golem's attack on Andalusst- pretty heroic, really. He'd been tossed into a building, losing a limb in the process, so I fixed him up. Fifty, this is Adrian Selkirk, an old colleague of mine, if you can call him that."

"Nice to meet you!" the little robot exclaimed, "Are you a Researcher, too?"

"Used to be," the Sandshrew admitted, "I'm just visiting now. So you helped with the golem's attack, then... Thank you. By the time I got to the scene, the guilds had already stopped the thing. You're a h- a heck of a lot more heroic than I am."

"Thank you," the Pawniard replied, "It was malfunctioning, like us. We had to do something, right?" It froze, then quickly looked back and forth, stopped again, then looked down at its feet. "I thought 02 came with me..."

"I'm sure that 02's around here somewhere," Alexander interjected, "He wouldn't have left you here, I'm sure of it. That's Fifty's partner, Selkirk- a Porygon that I've been studying as well. I may be coming to a breakthrough on the development of artificial beings, regarding bio-electrical energy... but that's too far out of your field to interest you, I assume."

"It's just so weird, listening to you talk," Adrian stated, trying hard not to swear in front of the robot. "I get that it's good to be formal when you're writing a paper, for instance, but in general conversation... it just sounds ridiculous. I'm already formal enough myself, but you just blow my mind."

"Well, that's your opinion, isn't it?" the Meowth grumbled. "Anyway, Fifty, I've got a few minutes before the expedition leaves. I'll help you look for 02. Selkirk, I believe that's my cue, so I'll be off. You go do your Hunter things."

"Whatever. And, er, good to meet you again, Fifty." He glanced around the crowd for a moment, looking for the Zigzagoon... take his eyes off her for five seconds, and she'd vanished. There! She'd grabbed a little one-eyed Banette, a tiny Spiritomb riding on its head. Damn, they got that small?

Cinder thanked the pair, then turned, walking back up to Adrian and scratching the back of her head. "Pretty interesting, those two. He's mute, so the Spiritomb translated for him... personally, I think they're adorable."

"This coming from the same person that called Slurpuffs a "complete abomination"."

"Shut up." She grinned, whacking him on the shoulder. "Anyway, let's get going. Where next?"

"I think they're setting up more sports around the back of the place, so if the Ambassador's still outside, she might be there. Maybe that?" He glanced back at the Avalodge's entrance, which hadn't really changed- a few tables were being set up for face-painting, but that was it.

"Worth a shot," she replied, tapping her claws together. "Let's go."

As the pair walked away from the Researcher party, around the side of the building, they stopped by the window to look into the other ballroom. The tables had been cleared away, leaving a huge open space for the dance competition. A main "stage" was still being set up- well, really just a huge length of rope, making a circle in the middle of the room. A few Exploud lined up by the walls, while a Sableye jabbed his claws at them and gave orders.
"Isn't that the guy from the really gay nightclub?" Adrian asked, turning away from the window, "Can't remember what it's called... some kind of carnival, I think. He's been all over the place lately."

"Caramel Carnivale," Cinder stated as they both rounded the corner- and Adrian smacked straight into a wall of fluff. The fluff- and the Noibat attached to it- let out a yelp and jumped back a bit, stammering apologies, and then freezing in place. Adrian stopped as well, staring for a second as he looked him over.
The bat's fur was a brilliant cobalt blue rather than the standard purple, and had been slicked down, looking a little damp. His ears had been folded downward, behind his head, and his neck sported a frayed bandage. His neck-fur puffed out of the loose fabric, almost like a fluffy cravat. Two small scars ran across the edge of his eye, but on closer inspection, they looked jagged, fake, almost.

"Cobalt?!" Adrian exclaimed, eyes widening, "God, I almost didn't recognize you! What're you wear-" He cut himself off mid-sentence, and blinked. "Are you doing a performance here?"

The Noibat froze in place, slowly turning to stare at the Sandshrew with a mix of shock and horror. He shook his head, replacing the gaunt expression with a smile as he nodded.
"Adrian! ah y-yeah, a performance, of course" he chuckled with another weak nod, "The uh, director, thought it would be nifty to try out this new costume for one of the plays, see how people responded."

"Well, good to see you again, Cobalt," Cinder interjected, brushing past the Sandshrew, "Just one thing. There weren't any performances on the schedule, only the games and events the Hunters are hosting. What're you really doing?"

The Noibat gave an even more nervous chuckle as he shuffled in place."Well, I-" he fumbled, off-put as he tried to invent an excuse, finally giving a small cough. "I'm not really able to say... exactly."

"Well, all right," she huffed, running her claws through the fur on her forehead, "In any case, I'm going to try and find that Heliolisk, so I'll leave you two to it. I'll be at the wine tasting next. Have fun." She gave a nod to Adrian, then walked away, heading for the unfinished cricket court before them.

"Sorry about that," Adrian sighed, once the Zigzagoon was far enough away, "She's a little pissy today, probably from the dress, if anything. So, what is going on, then? I'm guessing it's a long story, but believe me, I'll listen."

"Gede's doing a thing," Cobalt mumbled with a shrug as he stole a glance down at himself, "and, he wanted my help, my help." He gave a chuckle, straightening a stray bandage. "He wanted me to...dress for the part," he laughed weakly, tapping the scars under his eye. He paused, then gave another small laugh. "I'm not even completely sure what is going on, to be honest."

"Gede's that thief friend you keep telling me about, right?" Adrian asked, cocking his head a bit, "Species, species... god, my brain's blanking, I'm sorry." He clenched down on his bottom lip, then clapped his paws together. "Kecleon, right? I guess I just need to meet the guy." He smiled, marveling at the Noibat's getup for a moment. "Well, I have to say, you've got the mercenary vibe completely down. If I can't recognize you, you know it's good. God, am I ever glad to see you!"

"You think so?" Cobalt noted, stealing another glance at himself as his grin grew. He gave a quick nod, then looked back up.
"It's good to see you to, although I wish it'd be under different pretenses" he joked, giving his ears a scratch. He paused, giving another small nod. "I... suppose I could show you some time, but I don't think him and Cinder being anywhere near each other would be a good idea, in any context."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about her," the Sandshrew sighed, "She'd probably spend the whole time trying to psychoanalyze him, if anything. She has a weird thing about thieves, and I'm not sure why..." He nibbled on his bottom lip. "That, and we already ran into that psycho Quilava I told you about. Ryoma Sengoku, the one that took down the Sceptile. I kind of want to stay the hell away from sociopaths today, y'know?" He crossed his arms, giving a light chuckle. "Well, when you're finished with Gede's thing, I was wondering if you might want to come around the place with me. Cinder and I spent all morning helping set up, so we didn't see any events- that, and you'd better believe I'm buying you some toasted berries."

Cobalt thought for a moment, frowning at the mention of the Sceptile, before giving a nod. By this point, it'd probably be worse for Gede if he tried to get back on track, so spending time with the Sandshrew would be fine.
"Seems fine by me," he admitted with a smile, "Today's been... well, a break would be welcome. Berries, too," he added with a sheepish grin.

"Believe me, I know what you mean," Adrian replied, grinning, patting the Noibat on the back and giving his ears a little scratch. "They had me in a freaking three-peice suit. It was horrible," he chuckled, then turned, pointing over at the sopping ball of clothes, which hung from a bush in the distance. "I kinda destroyed it. So, where d'you think we should head first?"

The Noibat flushed, giving a light cough as he tugged at one of the bandages, then grinned. "Anywhere but the sports and drinking places, Gede said to stay away from there," he admitted, stealing a glance over at the suit, a grin spreading across his face. He almost wished he hadn't missed it.

"Considering that sports has psycho quilavas and drinking has Cinder, believe me, I agree with you," he chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Let's try the main hall, then- first off, so I can get you some snacks."