After leaving school grounds Alix went to work for the night. Like most other nights it was busy. Maybe because pirates don't actually have jobs so they don't have anything to wake up for in the morning. That was how Alix thought about anyway.
Alix and Kent were sitting at one of the tables while Hedgie was closing up shop. Kent constantly sighing and complaining even though the work day was over.
"I just don't get why I've gotta do this. I'm a pirate like them! I should be raidin' and pillagin' not standin' behind a grill flippin' patties for a bunch of ungrateful, scurvy ridden wash-ups."
"I thought I told you to stop talking about my customers like that." Hedgie scolded.
"Ain't my fault that it's the truth." Kent said underneath his breath. Hedgie opened her mouth wide appalled.
"I can't believe that you have the audacity to act like this to the woman that pulled you off of the streets. I have been lettin' you stay here free of charge and all that I ask is you get in the kitchen every once in a while. Hell I even pay you!" Alix was sitting working on a spell while this argument was taking place.
'They fight a ton, don't they?" Mo asked through the connection.
'That is true. I would think that it has something to do with Tyrant's lack of motivation to help out Hedgie. Or maybe Hedgie wishes that Tyrant were doing something more than just sleeping all day and going out doing...whatever he does all night."
'It could be both." Mo suggested. Alix looked up from the catalyst she was working on over to Hedgie and Tyrant.
"You been a whole lot more on my ass ever since that prep student started stayin' here! Hell, if I didn't know any better I'd say you want me to be just like her." Kent's eyes went wide with realization. "Wait, a minute you do want me to be more like her, don't you?"
Hedgie pursed her lips and shrugged. "So what if I do? At least she's doing something with all her talent and passion. You don't do nothin' but sleep all day and hang out with your little friends at night." Kent stood up from the table aggressively.
"They are my crew and you know that! Besides, it ain't like I got anything else to do. We both know my ship's at the shipyard after the last raid we went on so I'm stuck here!"
Alix decided that it was probably time for her to go to bed. She grabbed her work supplies and stood up from the table getting Hedgie and Kent's attention.
"Goodnight, Hedgie." Alix said politely.
"Don't get lost in the dark, Tyrant." Alix said indifferently.
"What? You don't care about what happens to your co-worker?" Alix pondered in silence for a moment before calmly stating, "No" and walking to her room. That was the plan at least before a thought occurred in her head prompting her to turn around and walk back.
Right over to Kent in fact, where she stood uncomfortably close to the boy. "What is it?" Kent asked while Alix was glaring at him.
"You know the darker side of this city quite well do you not?" Kent shrugged.
"No more than any other street urchin. Why?"
"It just so happens that I need to know if there are any that would be up to any sort of...underworld alchemy." Kent squinted his eyes inquisitivly.
"By that you mean..." Alix backed away a few steps nonchalantly.
"I just need to know if there are any that would kidnap monsters and use them for their on illicit research." Kent frowned.
"What are you on about?"
"A group of no name criminals kidnapped my bird Tyrant and I would like to find their employer so that I can get her back!"
"You have a bird? How come I ain't ever seen her?" Alix breathed out annoyed.
"Please focus on the present situation Tyrant! Do you know anyone that fits the description or not!" Kent scratched the back of his head and looked back to Hedgie who was now just angrily sweeping the floors.
"You didn't really give me a description, Alix. Do you know anymore about this supposed employer? Maybe the location of their lab or what they look like? You know, things that I could actually use to find them."
Alix furrowed brows. "I lost contact with my peccary without getting a location and I can't see my bird's string to follow it unless she's close so no. The employer was also where a full protective suit so I couldn't get an identity so that is also off the table." Kent sighed.
"You do realize that you're makin' it really hard for me to be able to help you, right? Talkin' about strings and losing contact with peccaries like I know everything about your situation." Kent stared at Alix with more confusion than answers.
"I did not say that it would be a simple question nor did I specifically ask you for help. I just wanted to know if you may have known any information about that would steal my bird and do experiments on monsters." Kent looked around the room desperately searching for some kind of way out of the situation.
"Look, I'll do what I can but I can't promise that I'll find anything. Do you at least know where those criminals that took the bird would be?" Alix closed her eyes and tried to remember all of the pictures that Trouler had sent to her. One stood out as a place that the Djinns could be based.
"The sewer." Kent's face turned grim.
"You're kidding, right?" Alix shook her head provoking a sigh and a killer headache in Kent. "Alright. I'll get someone to go check the sewers for your bird." Alix nodded and walked away.
"I don't even get a thank you?" Kent called after her.
"You have yet to do anything yet and, based on the information that Hedgie has told me, you do not have a good track record of doing things." Kent turned to Hedgie with a, "Really?!" look to which the woman just ignored him.
'Ya sure you should send a guy ya know barely anything about to find the Djinns. He doesn't seem to be the most reliable person on the block. Or, I guess, pier in this case."
'What else can I do? I lack the understanding of the underworld of Pesinwok required to find Nuka and Trouler before something bad happens to them. And I wish to get them out of harms way before what is happening to that firebird happens to them."
Mo bit his lip trying not to say anything rude about the irony that a bird that eats fish is being drowned by a bigger one. 'Good riddance.' He thought to himself as a joke.
'I also still need to talk to Alisa about enlisting the help of the Fools so that I can finally switch to the spellcasting university."
"Hah!" Mo let out a laugh that he didn't even try to stifle earning a look from Alix.
'What are you laughing at?" Mo keeps laughing while explaining.
'You said finally like you've been struggling with this for a year. It's only been a week, Lexi!"
'One week too long spent wasting my time with body strengthening. Something that I could still do while participating in the Spellcaster's University!" Alix decided to wind down for the night by taking a bath then went to bed for the night.
Though her worries made sleeping difficult she still needed rest so she intended on getting it.