The four ladies all chatted among themselves as they proceeded through Esci's lab, their footsteps echoing from the tiled floor. The decor of the rooms changed as they proceeded; while the rooms closer to the entrance had cute posters and furniture, the appearances of the rooms further in became increasingly sterile until the lab finally looked like a lab. Blank walls met pale blue tile, and a long hallway was lined with doors. "How about I show you what I've been working on for the Starseed Festival?" Esci said, her gaze going to a certain door on the left.

"Starseed Festival?" Melia asked.

"You know, that great big culture festival we Magicants hold every year. We did it in Lemanta, we did it in the Sealed World, and we'll do it again here," Delfine said with a cocky grin.

"You know they haven't been around that long," Esci said.

"What do you mean by that?" Melia grumbled. She knew where this was going.

"I know how you feel about this, Melia, but you're still only four years old, and Noel is nine." Esci adjusted her glasses as she spoke.

"I'm thirteen!" Melia gave her foot an emphatic stomp.

Noel sighed. "I'm used to it, don't worry about me. Besides, my mom babies everyone, no matter how old they are."

"Right, well..." Esci picked under one of her claws. "Shall we go see?"

Esci lead everyone to the third room down on the left. She entered ahead of the others; when they entered, she was setting out large spoons with red blobs on them. "What're those for?" Melia asked.

"Molecular gastronomy." Esci seemed to savor every syllable of the complex words. "These are strawberry spheres! They're made by-"

"She puts things inside a thing and it makes the things into flavor globs," Delfine said in an attempt to spare everyone the scientific details.

"It's not just a thing in a thing! You put the food in a special bath, and that special bath makes the flavor globs!" Esci huffed at being cut off. "I'll give the full explanation at the festival, so I hope you can make it there."

"Of course I'll be there, Pookie," Delfine said, cackling as she approached and chose a spoon.

"D-Del! You know how I am about the pet names!" Esci sputtered.

"It's only fair, since you called me Delfine earlier," Delfine said. "But that's okay. I love you anyway."

Esci made a noise that crossed a sigh and a giggle. "A-anyway! As I was saying, these are strawberry spheres. There's a special name for the process that makes them- spherification. It turns things into flavor bubbles that pop in your mouth. Give them a try!"

Melia picked up a spoon and sniffed it. "Smells like strawberries."

Delfine gave a short sharp cackle and clapped Melia on the shoulder. "What were you expecting, kiddo?"

Noel picked up a spoon as well. "She's used to being here for research. She probably thinks Esci put medicine in here or something."

"I do not! I just... um..." Melia huffed. "Forget it! I mean, you don't normally see flavor globs as food, so."

"She's got a point." Delfine picked up a spoon as well. "These sharp Angelerfish teeth of mine aren't really made for fruity stuff, but I bet these are a good time for your mouth anyway."

"I'll see about making something meatier for you later," Esci said.

"Thank you, sweetie," Delfine said. "Now, down the hatch!"

Noel put her spoon in her mouth, and she made a satisfied noise once the sphere burst, flooding her mouth with cool strawberry goodness. "Wow, that's really something."

"It's a berry bomb in your mouth!" Melia licked her lips. "Will you be making these at the festival, too?"

"These and more," Esci said. "These are just teasers."

"Del, are you doing anything for the festival?" Noel asked.

"I'm running security," Delfine said. "Since the Royal Guard got suspended when we ended up in Medlia, this is as close as I can come to ordering the soldiers around. Still, it's a lot of fun!"

"Why did it get suspended?" Melia asked.

"King Nashir didn't think he needed such close protection here. I disagreed, but he can still call us into action if something comes up, so it's not too bad." Delfine scratched near her antenna, making the lighted part on the end bob up and down. For a moment, her expression faded into a frown, but then her toothy grin re-emerged. "Hey, have you noticed anything different about us since coming in?"

"Did you get your head scales trimmed?" Noel asked.

"Nope! I can do that myself." Delfine went behind the counter where Esci was standing. Esci eyed her warily, then gasped as her right hand was yanked up. At the same time, Delfine held her own right hand up. "Look at this bling! We're engaged!"

"Whoa, what?" Melia made a contained squealing noise. "Congratulations!"

"Glad to hear you finally proposed," Noel said. "Congratulations from me too! Better get started on planning."

"Oh, we are!" Delfine said through a giggle.

"D-Del, did you have to announce it like that? I don't think they heard you on the other side of town," Esci murmured, trying to hide a smile.

"Oh, they didn't? Well then..." Delfine sucked in a breath, then boomed, "Look! At this bling! Because! We! Are! Engaged! I, Delfine Finley, do take Esci Physli to be my lawfully wedded wife!"

"Oh my god!" Esci tried to match Delfine's volume and just broke down laughing instead.

Melia had caught the giggles as well, while Noel grinned ear to ear. "That's one way to announce things," Noel said.

"Everyone was going to find out eventually, so why not now?" Delfine's cackling kept up as the laughter trailed off. "All right, well, now that everyone knows the good news, what now?"

"Oh, wait!" Melia hopped in place. "Del, did you see the latest episode of Magical Prism Pudding?"

"That's not even a question. Of course I did! Esci and I never miss a single episode. But..." Delfine tried to frown, though the twitching of her lips hid mischief. "That means you've been staying up past your bedtime! The episodes come out at 2 AM our time!"

"What? No! The Internet is a thing, Del! I can just look them up!" Melia folded her arms and pouted.

"Well, then... sub or dub?" Delfine's mock disappointed expression gave way to her usual cocky grin.

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"Oh no you don't," Noel said. "Even I know that this debate could go on forever-"

Melia interrupted. "Subs, duh!"

"I have trained you well in the ways of anime," Delfine said, nodding sagely.

Noel sighed and rolled her eyes. "We've got a few more stops to hit, unless you want to spend the whole day nerding out. Then again, I guess I could leave you here and go about my business."

Melia gave a disgruntled whine. "All right, fine. We can discuss the plot later, Del."

"You don't mess around, Noel," Delfine said. "I like that! But yeah, if you've got places to go, we can shelve the discussion for later."

"Time to go?" Esci said as she collected the spoons from everyone. "Well, I'm glad you two stopped by. It's always nice to have visitors." She paused, then added, "Ah, Melia, I'm sure your parents know about this, but don't forget about your appointment next month, okay?"

Melia responded with a prolonged raspberry. "You're not gonna find anything new. I'm aging like a human now, anyway. Isn't that what you said last time?"

"Yes, but it's very important to examine the physical and magical makeup of each half-Magicant, and..." Esci sighed. "I'm sorry. I know you don't like all the poking and prodding and tests, but it's all very important."

"Yeah, yeah, I gotcha," Melia said. "You know I'm not mad at you, right, Esci?"

"You aren't?" Esci's golden eyes seemed to shine with joy. "I'm so glad to hear that! You always seem so grouchy about the tests, and I feel bad about it."

"Well, don't." Melia looked back to Noel. "I guess we should get going, huh?"

"I'm ready if you are," Noel said. "Del, Esci, it's been nice seeing you two."

The scaly duo bid farewell to Noel and Melia, and with that, they set out for a certain street a bit further from the center of town than the lab. There was a small cluster of food trucks along this street, but one in particular stood out. More accurately, it was so sparsely decorated that its lack of pizzazz made it stand out. A simple white food truck with the words "It's a Wrap" spray painted in blue on the side was positioned between two others; this was the one Noel and Melia headed for. "Heya, Serge!" Melia called out.

A grey mummy-like Magicant with glowing golden eyes appeared at the window. He appeared to be wearing a very simple navy blue robe and not much else. "Hey," Serge said, waving lazily. "Nice to see you two."

"We were in the area, so we thought we'd stop by," Noel said. "How's business?"

Serge shrugged. "Same as it always is, though sometimes Alrai stops by with a big order. Then again, he stops by everywhere with big orders."

Noel nodded. Prince Alrai was another one of the town's personalities and someone she intended to look for later; he was notorious for having a large appetite and trying to sample various cuisines from around town. "Have you done anything to the menu? You said you'd be making some changes last time I saw you."

"I have," Serge said. "I've added breakfast burritos to the menu. Eggs, bacon, cheese, a few dabs of salsa, maybe some hot sauce if you're feeling brave. Sausage is optional."

Melia made a prolonged interested noise. "That sounds yummy! I'd love to taste one."

"Melia, you just had a strawberry sphere," Noel said, sighing as she rifled through her purse for her debit card. "I'll get you one, but then you need to get an allowance."

"Strawberry sphere?" Serge scratched at his face, tugging at the mask-like lower half. "Sounds like an Esci thing."

"It is," Noel replied as she handed over her card. "Here. One breakfast burrito, please."

"Much obliged," Serge said, looking to Melia. "Bacon or sausage?"

"Bacon!" Melia chirped.

Serge swiped Noel's card and handed her a receipt. "I'll get to wrapping then," he said before handing Noel her card back and heading off to cook.

Melia's grin took a mischievous twist. "I'll let you have a bite if you'd like."

"I might try one later," Noel said. "I had breakfast this morning."

"Well, so did I, but that doesn't stop me," Melia said.

It wasn't long before Serge returned to the window with a bag and handed it to Melia. "One B-B, breakfast burrito, bacon-egg-cheese-salsa-rooski. I skipped the hot sauce, because I know how Mel is with spicy things."

"Thank you, Serge!" Melia opened the bag, pulled out the foil-wrapped burrito, and unwrapped it. "How did you do that so quickly?"

"Just a little cooking with magic," Serge said. "Do either of you know how to use magic yet?"

"No, but now I wish I did," Melia said. "Dad doesn't use his magic very often, but I wonder if he'll teach me."

"My mom's pretty good at some big magics, but I've never really seen her use smaller ones," Noel said. "I rarely see Kelves use his at all. But Esci says we should have some ability to use magic, so maybe it's not a lost cause."

"That's a pity." Serge set about wiping some utensils off. "I'm sure Kas and Nash can teach you two. They're good with those kinds of things. Alrai too."

"It's so weird. Kastra and Nashir are the queen and king of Magicants, but they're so... chill." Melia took a bite of her burrito, and her eyes lit up. "Mmm! This is awesome, Serge! I gotta get your recipe."

"Cooking magic, Mel. Cooking magic." Serge leaned over the edge of the food truck window. "It's true, Nash and Kas are pretty laid back. It's why Alrai gets to go around so much. But I bet they're going to have to step it up with him soon. He is going to have to take the throne someday."

Noel found herself frowning. "That's kind of a scary thought. Not Alrai becoming the next king of Magicants, I mean, but... having a free life and then suddenly having to shut it down and work hard."

"That's how it is for some people," Serge said. "He doesn't like when you bring it up. He'll have to face it eventually, I guess."

A masculine voice drifted over from elsewhere, loud and brassy. "Serge!" Soon, another mummy-like Magicant ran up to the food truck. This one's eyes glowed blue; there were no wrappings on the lower half of his face, so his broad grin was in full view. The skin around his mouth was smooth and grey, almost featureless. He seemed to be wearing robes designed for combat, a contrast to Serge's bathrobe.

"Peter, there you are. Good to see you, little brother." Serge tapped his wrapped fingers on the counter. "Did you need something? Are you hungry? I packed lunch for you this morning."

The way Peter's eye-lights shone seemed to indicate he was rolling his eyes. "Yes, thank you, and I remembered to bring the lunch this time, too." His focus then shifted to Noel and Melia. "Heya, Mel and El! How are you two doing today?"

"I'm doing fine, thanks," Noel said. "I'm just taking Melia around town."

"I'm doing great! I'm sure you knew this already, but Serge is an awesome cook." Melia took another bite of her breakfast burrito, making satisfied noises as she chewed.

"That he is," Peter said, nodding. "I'm learning how to cook now too. Delfi gave me some special recipes that I've been trying out."

"Yeah, you've definitely been practicing. Maybe by the end of the year you'll have something edible." Serge shoved his hands in the pockets of his robe and didn't flinch at all when Peter reacted.

"It's not that bad! Delfine's recipes are just really weird!" Peter's reaction was a good deal louder than it needed to be, making Noel jump.

"Both her cuisine and ours use fish, Pete. It shouldn't be so hard to make the connections." Serge sighed heavily. "Still, keep at it. I've got a strong stomach."

"Gee, thanks," Peter grumbled. "Anyway, I take it that you're not patrolling today? Or ever again? Because you need to run the food truck, right?"

Serge sighed again, this time with an exasperated growl. "Peter, this is just as good as patrolling. All types of people come through here with all kinds of gossip. If anything, I'm getting you leads."

"I still think you should do some footwork." Peter folded his arms. "With the Starseed Festival coming up, it's important that we make sure everything is in order."

"Everything will be fine." A series of clanks came out of the food truck as Serge rearranged some utensils. "Besides, you're working security with Del. I'm sure you'll see to it yourself that no one makes any trouble."

"Yes, but... you know what, never mind." It was Peter's turn to sigh in exasperation. "At least you're going to be part of the festival as a vendor."

Melia swallowed a bite of burrito before piping up again. "Really? What are you going to make for it, Serge?"

"Just some Ninma specialties. You'll see." Serge began to rifle around in his pockets. "I think I could use a smoke break."

"What, did I drive you to smoke or something?" Peter scoffed, then grinned. "I'm kidding."

"I know you are. It's just time for a smokey treat. And you know I like to be alone with my smokey treats."

"Right, gotcha. Guess I'll see you at dinner then, bro." Peter turned on his heels, but didn't leave right away. "It was nice seeing you two, Mel and El! Have a good day, alright?"

"Thanks, we will," Noel said. "Guess we should leave Serge to his business then."

"Perfect timing! I just finished," Melia said, throwing her wrappers into a nearby trashcan. "I could sing the praises of that burrito forever, but I'll spare you."

With that, Noel and Melia made their way across the streets till they hit a fairly long stretch of sidewalk. At one point, Melia stopped. "Say, Noel, do you think we can see the shrine to the Entity today? I haven't been there in a while."

"Sure, though it'll be a bit of a walk," Noel said. "Who knows, we might find Alrai and Caleb slacking off in the field around there again."

"They're there a lot, aren't they? I guess I can't blame Alrai for wanting some free time, especially after what Serge said about him," Melia said. "And Fenne is always at the shrine, so I'd like to see her too."

"Sounds like a plan." Noel lead Melia up a different sidewalk, and they headed for the field on the outskirts of town.