There was admittedly little Waverly enjoyed less than being the center of attention.

As such, her nomination to the King's Tourney had been as thrilling to receive as a death sentence. In the end, though, her opinions on the issue mattered little. If participation in the tourney was what Varya wanted of her, she'd do it with no questions asked. It was for Starry Rose, after all.

So, Waverly accepted it, memorized the rules and history to the best of her ability, and--when the time came--walked to the required archway without fuss. The wait after their arrival was frustrating, but expected given the amount of clean up that was likely required following the drake fights.

The attendants didn't seem to mind. The moment the participating guilds had gathered, the duo of workers had fallen into a quiet, enthusiastic conversation about something Waverly couldn't quite read from their lips. Whatever the topic, it provided little distraction from the upcoming challenge, especially since a thick black veil reminiscent of Cross' magic blocked their view of everything beyond the archway. Given the alternative was finding small talk to debate with Rhett, Waverly turned her mind to the endless possibilities of what they might face when the wall fell.

The obstacle course--if they followed previous times it had appeared in the history of the games--would likely be challenging, but not impossible. In the past, the crown had provided sets of five challenges for the competitors to face, varying from dizzying heights to moving footholds. The first would be simple, given heights didn't bother her and she doubted Rhett would be bothered either. The latter was a bit more difficult, but still doable.

"There have been seven different courses since they started this game," she shared with Rhett. "I don't think we would have had trouble with any of them."

"Do they change much from year to year?" he asked.

Waverly tilted her head. She'd seen Lock hand him an edition of the rule book that had been printed in braille. Did it not provide as much information as the copy she'd swiped from him for herself? She had thought the book looked a little small.

"Somewhat. One year they had a wall that moved as you climbed," she recalled. "The following tourney another climbing wall was unveiled, but instead of shifting, it was coated in dispelling magic. For a different obstacle, air currents blew out between moving pillars, which had been preceded the prior year by having them collapse when touched. So, for the most part, they follow a central pattern with variable details." She paused, drawing up said pattern in her mind. "Almost always, the course consists of a jumping obstacle--such as the pillars--a climbing obstacle, a dexterous obstacle, and two new challenges."

As she spoke, Waverly flexed her shoulders, another thought occurring to her which then fell from her lips without context. "I think flight is against the rules."

"Flight?" Rhett echoed, before pursing his lips. "Hm. I can see how that would be considered cheating. Flying over the obstacles rather than going through them..."

Waverly could read the thoughtful calculation in his gaze as he absently raised a hand to adjust the sleeve of his tunic. His arm brushed hers and he stiffened, before moving a step away.

"Sorry."

Bafflement flitted through her at first--mind struggling to figure out why exactly he was apologizing for something so simple--before the answer came in loud and clear.

As always, it was Kier.

She bit the inside of her cheek, frustration and disinterest taking her heart in equal measure. The fact that Kier seemed to like both of them--or, more accurately, just one of them based on his mood--always weighed heavier on Rhett than it did her. Waverly was content with whatever they wanted.

If that meant Kier only wanted to give her half of him, she'd take it. Half of someone's devoted affection was more than she ever thought she would get. If Rhett demanded all of him, and Kier wanted that instead, then she would reluctantly listen. It wasn't her right to dictate their relationship just because of what--according to the romance books she'd scoured to research the issue--might be nothing more than a passing fling.

Unfortunately for Rhett, though, putting that into words was easier thought than done. Her teeth worried her cheek, mind churning, but nothing acceptable reached her thoughts. By the time she'd decided to simply dismiss his concern, the attendants had finished talking with one another. The conversation would have to wait...as always.

The first worker--the one that had led them there--turned to address the group.

"The obstacle course competition is simple," they announced. "In a moment, we'll hand out anklets. Each time they touch the water, points will be deducted. You'll be disqualified if you hit zero. Your goal, as you might imagine, is to make it to the end of the course without that happening. Using teleportation, flight, or any other related magics deemed not in the spirit of the race will result in point deductions. Beyond that, anything is allowed."

The expressions that crossed the other competitors told her that they had caught the unspoken loud and clear. Anything had to include sabotage, otherwise they would have stated a rule against it. Waverly flexed her shoulders again, faint annoyance flitting through her mind. It disappeared within the moment--there was no use worrying over rules that wouldn't change.

"We'll hand out the anklets now. If you have any questions, ask them when we reach you."

Waverly turned to Rhett as the attendants began making their ways to each guild. The previous issue sprung to mind--complicated by the fact they were about to participate in the course together.

"I don't care if you touch me," she informed him matter-of-factly. "So, you don't have to apologize."

If it wasn't Rhett, she might have had a different answer. But, it was and she didn't mind being around him when he wasn't being awkward.

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"Oh," Rhett said. Surprise, then hesitation shifted over his face. "Then I, um, I have a request. I can navigate with my winds, you know, but if we're going to be high it up, it might be simpler if you could just...grab me if I'm going off course?"

It was a surprising request. Not because Rhett was too proud to ask for him--more, it was because he so rarely needed it.

The attendant reached them, handing off the anklets with brief instructions on how to put them on, before moving on to the next pair. Instead of answering immediately, Waverly knelt to place her own anklet. Then, as soon as Rhett was finished, she simply latched her fingers around his wrist.

"I'll follow you," she answered simply. "And, if you need more, tell me and I'll lead."

"Ah that...works," he said, smiling, letting their linked arms swing a bit before seeming to notice and still. His expression turned contemplative. "While we're talking, and we have a moment before the game starts...does anyone look like we should keep an eye on them? Metaphorically, anyway."

Waverly twisted around, staring at the other competitors as she considered his question. The reasoning was pretty obvious--while Rhett could feel their magic and navigate with his winds, the actual details were a bit harder for him to decipher. Her blatant scrutiny earned more than a few raised brows before she looked away.

"Cross' boyfriend is here," she informed him. "So, he's probably strong. I think Cross called him Lis." She paused, mulling over the others. "His companion has a sword and is probably formidable. There's a big dragonkin woman with an ax and a half-orc with dual swords. They look enchanted. Then, there's..." she trailed off, twisting around again to eye the other two. "A white haired girl with a dagger and an...elf? With a staff."

"Cross has a boyfriend?" Rhett questioned, looking surprised. Her lips almost twitched. Had that been the most important part of her answer in his opinion?

"I think so. He yelled at the guy to kick ass when we were outside. And the man didn't get mad." She hesitated. "He's tall. Silver hair, blue eyes. Handsome. Exactly Cross' type."

Rhett seemed to consider the matter. Waverly waited, aware that he was likely weighing the descriptions she'd provided.

"That's quite the assortment of competitors...Cross' boyfriend and his partner, then, plus the half-dragon and hers," Rhett decided eventually in a soft voice. "Let's watch out for them once the game begins."

Waverly once again twisted about, studying those he had signaled out. Her mind flicked to his original question as she sized them up while her finger settled along her chin.

"I could take the half-orc if I ate something. I think," she concluded shrewdly. "We'd be even in strength." The half-orc snorted, obviously hearing her and having opinions about that. Waverly ignored her. The statement was based on fact, after all, not groundless pride. A bit of sand and magic "I'm not sure about the boyfriend, since Cross admires magic. You can have him. The swordsman...maybe. And perhaps the dragon depending on their magic."

"Well, teamwork is always an option," Rhett reminded her, clearly amused. "What are you planning to eat, exactly? ...the course?"

That'd been her intention. Well, as long as it wasn't made out of concrete, that was. The stomach ache wasn't worth it.

Before Waverly could share as much, a familiar figure slipped through the crowd. She tilted her head, attention stolen by the sound of Lis' smooth, accented voice. "Inan. This is stupid."

So, the pretty swordsman was Inan.

"It's not stupid! I'm gathering intelligence. That's by definition the opposite of stupid."

"You're stalking that woman."

"That is not—Atlas, I'm just getting a better look at our competition."

"Admit you'd like to flirt with her and get it over with. Isn't she the one you've been going on about since we got to the inn?"

"...I thought you weren't listening to me by then."

"Identifying features stick with me."

"Gods, you're impossible."

They moved out of range. Waverly could see the realization filling Rhett's face. "Cross has...interesting taste."

"Cross likes looks and magic, then learns personality. He has simple taste."

Still, Rhett wasn't wrong. The abrasive sort were usually a poor match to the overly social demon. They tended to jump to a fist or a sharp tongue when Cross said something he shouldn't--which was often. Had she guessed wrong?

After contemplating it for a second, Waverly dismissed any hesitation and pitched her voice above the low buzz of the crowd. After all, she had never been one to shy away from direct steps to the answers she wanted.

"Lis. You like Cross?"

The man stopped in his tracks as awareness pinched his brow. "...Starry Rose?"

Rhett cleared his throat. "Ah, yeah, we're both from the same guild as Cross. As you... probably guessed." He winced. "You don't have to answer that question, by the way! It's Cross' business, not ours."

"I don't mind. Yes, I like him. We're friends." There was a significant pause as he studied them in turn. Unsurprisingly, his expression wasn't the warmest. "Are you?"

"Friends?" Rhett echoed, before hesitating. "Not quite, on my part. He's nice, I just haven't spent much time with him. Waverly is friends with him, though, right?"

She didn't answer right away, too busy studying Lis with a critical eye. Had that been a purposeful dodge of her question? Or unintentional? Did it matter?

"We're friends," she eventually confirmed. It was the truth, after all. When Cross wasn't getting himself into trouble, he tended to linger in the library like her. "We do research together until we get banned."

Usually because they forgot to sleep.

There had been more than one occasion in which they'd been forcibly removed by Gideon or Sera--sometimes even Varya--because days had passed without their notice. Really, she only avoided Cross when he was in one of his problematic moods--at which point, she'd read in the boughs of the wisteria, as he couldn't irritate her if she couldn't be found.

Atlas frowned. Was he having trouble picturing it? Most did.

"That's good."

His companion, Inan, stepped closer. In stark contrast to Lis' stoic expression, his lips were curled into a bright grin. "We're being rude. We should have introduced ourselves. My name is Inan, and this is Atlas."

"Not Lis?" Rhett asked, before pausing and providing his introduction as well.

"Cross decided that was my nickname. It's better than the alternatives, so I didn't fight him on it."

"Oh."

They didn't have time to pursue the mystery further, as the attendant called them to attention again, informing them the game would be starting momentarily.

"Well, it was lovely to meet you both," Inan said. "Good luck in the game!"

With that, he and Atlas left, merging back into the crowd. Waverly stared after them. Her curiosity wasn't sated, but it would have to do for now.

Rhett turned his arm over to thread his fingers with hers. "Ready, partner?"

Waverly squeezed his hand as a response, before tugging him forward. Within the moment they were lined up with the others as the magic blocking their view fell away.

For a second, Waverly merely stared as her mind whirled with questions of how exactly they had managed to transform what had previously been empty, recording crystal decorated sand into a flooded disaster zone. It was a blatant flaunt of power that doubtlessly required a king's ransom in gold, and gods if her mind didn't momentarily get lost in the details.

The nearest obstacle, and the only one that could easily be seen, was made up of rapidly shifting pillars that jolted from and down in pristine water. They were wooden and rotten looking, with dangling sails and pointless rope. The closest thing she could think of to describe it was the mast of a large ship, but more of an imitation than the actual object.

"It's a theme," she realized aloud.

The attendants led them to places alongside the ledge jutting out before it. It was formed out of jagged, mossy stone reminiscent of a cliffside.

"Welcome to the Fool's Paradise Course."

"This is going to be interesting," Rhett murmured, and she could feel him send a wave of mana out from his feet.

"The game shall begin in three... two... one...!"