The rest of the meeting with the Contessa is almost perfunctory. Signing and stamping of documents; a polite request to stay in the city for the night, with all of the force of law behind it; a promise of work if we send her mail or a herald saying where we're staying. 

She stamps the final passport with her signet ring, inscribing the wax with solar imagery and the crossed spear and olive branch of the old Empire.

I'm immensely glad she had the good sense to pick up the latter symbol when I offered it, and we politely accepted the carriage ride back to the center of town.  All of us watch, in silence, as we and our escort in Ser Tomas ride down the hill, stopping briefly in the shadow of a headless and armless marble statue to show our papers to a priest.  The better to ritually welcome us to the city (my dear).

No. Not headless. I look up and see a lantern, unlit, where the head should be; and other statues of hands pointing the way to other districts. 

Io, then. It's a startling piece of sculpture, and the sight makes me uneasy.

"Very well then. All is in order," the priest says. "Go with the Gods."

And from there, marble and bronze give way to red brick and tile, and the statue of Flamma in Cauldron Square. We all step off the cart, and stretch, and salute Ser Tomas; he returns the gesture and starts speaking with a local merchant, a Pixie, to he can fill the cart with goods on the return trip to the Contessa.

Once he's out of earshot, I sigh, and turn to the others.

"So," I say.

"So," Alesha responds, looking away, hand on the back of her head, thoroughly embarrassed.

"That could have gone better," I say.

"Yeah, no shit," Ace scoffs. Then: "So was I the only one who didn't, uh, actually eat much?"

Sekhmet's stomach answers Ace before she does, startling them both. I can't help but laugh.

"Okay," they say, sighing, reaching into their purse. Sekhmet counts out 4 gold Crowns and 10 silver Ravens, each, and hands them to everyone. "Don't spend this all in one place. Let's find food."

Ace nods, and then sniffs the air - and turns. "Wait. Do I smell - holy shit, I do," she says, pointing to one stall in particular. 

The stall, and the building along Peppercorn Lane next to it, smells very strongly of chili fermented in oil and vinegar, and has poles hung up over it with noodles draped over them to dry. "Holy shit," Ace repeats, pointing in particular to the bowl half-full of a brilliant red sauce pockmarked with minced meat, that a very annoyed merchant has just grabbed and pulled over to his chest in a 'get your own' gesture.

"Okay, you know what, it's been days and I miss home," Ace says. "Please let me get the mapo tofu. I can't believe there's mapo tofu here in Fantasy Fucking Spain but let me get some."

"They would have it here given the last expansion," Hikaru mumbles, hand to his chin. "...Actually mapo tofu sounds excellent right now.  Or dandan.  Or -"

Sekhmet sighs. "Sure, whatever, let's - noodles should be cheap enough. You joining us, Deeds?"

I look at an Alesha I've never seen rattled like this and shake my head. 

"I should probably find somewhere else so Alesha and I can talk. I'll join you for dinner, promise," I say, stepping to her side.

Alesha looks up at me, surprised, but she nods.

"Super," Sekhmet says. "Been meaning to talk to Ace and Hikaru about some stuff anyway and we can, like... break off and do our errands now. I'll rent us the inn rooms."

I sigh. "If it comes down to it I'm fine rooming with you - any of you - to save money. Just like con season back home. Or with, like, Hikaru if you want to... separate things that way."

I wince at the thought, and what does that say about Ace's theories? Hikaru has the good grace to mirror my expression, even as he agrees to the arrangement with a nod.

Alesha doesn't seem sure what to think, but settles on gesturing down a different street.

"...as long as we're here," she murmurs, "that lamb and chickpea stew we saw here always looked amazing... and I seem to remember it's a lot cheaper than a paella."

Hikaru nods and smiles. "That would be the lack of saffron in puchero, I think," he says. "We'll keep in touch. Be safe."

"Of course," I respond, reaching out for Alesha before I realize that I have. 

Blinking, she hugs me, pulling me shoulder to shoulder with her for a moment before slipping past me. 

"This way," she says, and I'm glad her composure is returning, because my cheeks are burning red.

---

The Puchero was definitely cheaper: 1 gold for a pot to split, along with bread and cheese, olives, pickles, a tea and fruit punch, and even a bit of pudding. More than we should have paid, though not much; we're both extremely hungry.  Both of us have been ravenous since arriving; both of us put away amounts that we're shocked we have room in our stomachs for.

I'm positive I got fat on less back home and make a note to practice later tonight, do some shadowboxing and exercise - then realize this is the first time in years I've wanted to exercise.

And I think about Ace's theories about me again.

When it's just the pudding left - a flan-like thing, with orange caramel syrup - I dig my spoon into the cup and look up at Alesha, who has been eating just as quickly but somehow far more daintily. 

Like a princess, the thought intrudes.

"So... what happened?" I ask. "I'm not, uh, not used to taking the lead in negotiations."

"You're a very capable leader and shouldn't sell yourself short," Alesha said, not looking at me, getting her own spoonful of pudding. "You are our main healer, and Sylphanites make good diplomats."

As much as the flattery makes me blush, it's a dodge. 

"Thanks, Leesh," I say, eyebrows and ears rising up my head. "But that didn't answer my question."

I eat a spoonful of the pudding, wonderfully tart and sweet. 

She sighs, a hand over her mouth, and looks more embarrassed than anything.

"I panicked, that's all. Meeting her as a quest-giver for a game is one thing. Meeting her in person was... well..."

"I can't blame you," I say, "Getting called up on the carpet by someone who sends knights to fetch you was terrifying for all of us, and -"

"No, no, no..." Alesha sighs, a hand on her cheek. "Deedee, she was gorgeous." 

I blink.

"Just... utterly beautiful," she says into her bowl.

I stare at her for a moment, incredulous. 

She can't meet my gaze; she's looking away, and looking at her face I see a very subtle tinge of rose under that deep, dark skin.

"Alesha," I say.

"Christ Almighty, it's like I'm a 16 year old again, I must have looked so stupid," she says.

I have never related more to the stoic, cool, Fearless Leader of our guild raids before in my entire life.  I feel like I've just seen past the giant flaming wizard head to some humbug behind a curtain.

"Might as well have," I mutter to myself, "we are super not in Kansas anymore."

"Hmn?" she looks up at me - looking for all the world like a girl afraid of a scolding from her teacher. I don't laugh, as much as I want to, because that would be undeservedly mean to her. 

"Just thinking that I've never seen you twitterpated before," I say. "But this has been a whole lot of new experiences."

"Never had to fight for my life before," she agrees, sighing. "A long time since I've felt this young, and never this fit before. Never been in the presence of royalty before. And never been so far from home, and my family, before."

"We'll find her," I say softly, taking her hand, transmitting comfort by touch. "Jasmine's character is what, a bright pink eithyr in teal and gold who gets around by floating, right? That's got to be distinctive, even among our motley band of weirdos."

Alesha laughs, wiping at her eye with the hand not holding mine.

"The closest she could get to making Princess Peach Fizz the Third," she confirms. "She wasn't even interested in raids as much as she was the ingame cooking and clothes, and - and handing out cupcakes and peach cordial before fights."

Princess Peach Fizz? 

"Wait," I say, frowning at her. "Are you telling me she still watches All The Pretty Little Horses at 16?"

Alesha rested her chin on her hand, leaned just a little and smiled at me. "Just like you immediately recognized her from the same?"

I acknowledge that I have completely and totally owned myself by nodding into my facepalm.

It's nice to see the ponyfan to trans girl pipeline is still pumping, my treasonous brain suggests.  I shake my head and only laugh once.

"But no, you're right," she says. "And that does actually suggest where to go asking for her. She's an Auroran Psychic. The best place for her to check in would be the Cathedral of the Sunchasers and she'd know it."

"Or one of the other temples," I say, nodding. "Because those are also the schools here, and the doctors, and they have food if you're desperate, and she's smart. She'll figure that's where you're looking."

She lets her shoulders drop, just a fraction, and digs into what's left of her pudding. 

"Jazz is a smart girl," she says. "She will. I do have to say that I'm... not going to be happy until we both wake up at home, so we can call Madison to say her daughter's safe."

I put my hand over my fist, over my face, not trusting my expression, and nod. Ears flattening. 

And I wonder who would be that relieved to hear that I'm home and safe.

It's a short list: My mom, and... maybe my stepdad. Everyone else is already in Viacruz.  Unless I'm missing some secret admirer.

There's a clatter of wood on crockery, and Alesha wipes her mouth with a napkin. "Thank you, Deedee. This is exactly what I needed, and... you didn't have to do this with me."

"Yes I did," I say, pushing away from the table and rising. "Head for the cathedral. I'll check the other temples."

Alesha hugs me, for the second time today, this one a full embrace. Her metal breastplate presses against silk and my chest, and I'm pulled in tight, fiercely. Ingame, a Paladin's Vigor lags behind mine by only two points - I can definitely feel it as I return the hug.

We pull apart, and I look her in the eye; and she claps my back.

"Get to it," she says.

"Yes ma'am," I reply.