"Did we do it?" Witchy asked, yawning on her broom and looking around at the crumbled remains of the last eclair. "No." Lovecraft muttered. "It simply was not there. And now we have to go to a ball." She kicked at something. "At least there will probably be more boo..."

"A BALL! We're going to ROLL TO THE BALL! Get it??" Tea_Roll is in hysterics over her own joke. Terrena rolled her eyes "And of all people, YOU should be the one to not want to talk about rolling..." she said. "BUT maybe I LIKE it!!" Tea says suspiciously, poking her in the side. Terrena just shrugs and looks at Spring and mouths "Help??"

"Hum" Reaper says. "I've been thinking...perhaps the clue to finding what we need is actually understanding the meaning of life. The Universe. The meaning of everything. Maybe that's what we'll find at the ball." Spring looked up from where she was shuffling books in her bag. "That actually would make a lot of sense!"

"Well, what universe is this?" Witchy demands. "Because if we were going down Glory Lane, the meaning of life is SHOPPING!!" She pauses when everyone looks at her pointedly. Lovecraft clears her throat a little and Witchy quickly amends. "But since we are going to be in a library, I guess it's just the 'meaning of life' we'll look for. Oh wait, can we go BOOK shopping there??? Hey! there are not any statues around? Angel Statues? That looks like they might be crying?"

"I have no idea," Reaper says. And Spring adds as she wraps the final touches of her hair into place and shifts her armload of classic books in her arms, with a wink at Tea_Roll "Well we'd better Roll, then, if we're ready!" "HEY!" Tea screeches "That's MY line!"

I did not create all these outfits, I merely added the background in for several of them, that's why it has my UN on many of them.

Dace had fretted all week over the idea of going to a ball. What would she wear? Who would she meet? Would Buttercup want to come to such a fancy gathering? By the end of the week she was a mess, but her faerie companion was actually the one to come to the rescue. After demanding that Dace drink a cup of herbal tea with honey, the tiny fae flittered about and finally popped out of Dace's bag dressed ethereally in small silken ribbons and scraps of taffeta. She smiled widely and landed on the edge of Dace's teacup.

"I have an outfit for you too! The balls theme is "Sellers of Dreams" right? And there will be librarians and books and all sorts of things like that! I thought I'd help dress you up as a moon faerie! Faeries on the moon are more beautiful and kind than fae here on earth!" Dace interrupted.

"T-there are faeries on the moon?" Buttercup crossed her arms.

"Of course there are! There are faeries everywhere! But moon faeries come to visit earth when the moon is full, they travel via moon beams and bless the dreams of those in pain or in need of comfort."

Buttercup got up and zipped around the room, dipping in and out of drawers, bags and cupboards. She even flew out of the room a few times, each trip carrying something with her.

Dace grew tired and fell asleep sitting up, finally stumbling to bed. In the morning she awoke to the smells of toast and coffee and rolled out of bed as she opened her eyes. She yawned, stretching her arms over her head, where the stayed as she stared in shock. In front of her was the most beautiful ball gown she had ever seen. It was a soft creamy white and had embroidery and crystals stitched onto it. There was a dainty pair of shoes and unbelievably, a shawl that seemed to defy gravity.

"Buttercup? Did you do all this?" Dace put her arms down and rubbed her eyes.

"Well, not all of it, I found some faerie friends who were willing to help me create something worthy of you."

"Worthy of me?" Dace gasped. "What do you mean worthy of me?"

The little faerie blushed and kicked a raisin off of the table.

"I mean, you took me in when I was hurt, and you've always been my friend, even when I've acted awful. You've never even really questioned having a faerie as a companion, you've just rolled with it and I can't really ever pay you back for that, but I can do something nice." She paused. "Once in a while."

Dace laughed and grabbed her toast. "Well, don't make this a habit ok? You have a reputation to maintain!" She finished her breakfast and downed her coffee, then got up to inspect the gown. "Sellers of Dreams indeed. This dress is perfect."

The Ranger Bard studied himself in the mirror, adjusting the cerulean Captain's hat first to the left, then to the right before regarding the white squirrel perched on his shoulder, "What do you think, my Giorgi? Left, right or scoff at convention altogether," Jianni asks.

The squirrel launched into a long diatribe of angry chitters ending with a vicious slap to the hat's white feather crossing his forelegs over his chest in finality, daring his half-Elven companion to argue.

The Ranger bit back laughter. Captain Sissypants? "Filbert Wind Runner, where did you pick up such wicked language? Certainly not from your Poppy. No more hard cider, you drink water like any other squirrel from now on, you becoming a mean drunk, next you'll be doing donuts in Memorial Park and starting fights in Get Mugged...what's the world coming to?" he sighs theatrically.

" Jianni? Are you decent" Teislyn asked, tapping on the door

"Much better than that, my Teislyn! Come in, my Dearest, you break bonds, yes?"

"Bonds? a tie...yes, I can give a third opinion if you need it-Oh...my!" she whispered, eyes growing huge as she took in his ensemble, giggling as he kissed her cheeks in greeting even though she had left less than an hour before.

"Oh-oh...is too much?" he frets.

"No! Its a very good color on you, it makes you stand out without looking..."

He grins, pleased that his Love was pleased. "Outlandish?"

She colors slightly. "In a word, yes" she admits with a laugh. "Anyway, i came here to bounce some ideas for what to wear to the Ball off you-"

Don't say turquoise. Don't say turquoise. Don't say turquoise! he tells himself firmly. "My Teislyn," he murmurs, taking her hand and kissing it. "Our ideas on wardrobe are not always matching horses, i am sure that whatever you wear will make you even more beautiful, the men will follow you like puppies and women will pray you trip in front of the gods and everyone." If he could high five himself, he would have.

"Pirasq, Tanouse," she whispers in Rom.

His heart missed a beat or two. He had given her his true name when he had returned from Falcor, had coached her in Romany for when she met his GrandMama, but to hear it from her hit with the impact of a padded morning star. "As you wish, my Love. Lime green?"

She shook her head firmly, "That's not going to work, Jianni."

"What not work?" asked the King of pidgin common.

"Your strategy of suggesting two horrible colors before saying the one you really want me to wear and we both know you're biting your tongue to keep from blurting out turquoise" she banters, her smile robbing the words of their sting.

"Teal?"

"I'm sorry, you said what?"

"Teal. Kind of a blue-green, very beautiful, especially on you."

"I know what Teal is, Silly, I'm just in shock that you're not trying to talk me into wearing turquoise."

"My Teislyn, I do like turquoise, but I know you do not like it as much as me, teal is a good compromise, very classy and a little more sedate, besides it almost matches what I'm wearing

Teislyn went into her room and started pulling out different pieces of material from drawers and the closet. Finally settling on her outfit, she added in the teal accessories. Seeing Lini watching her from the ground, she pulled a teal ribbon from her trunk and made a pretty bow around Lini's neck.

"Alright Lini, let's go gather up Jianni and meet up with the others." she said while scooping up Lini. "I bet Doom will love the bow on you."

Coming around the corner she saw Jianni and his companion waiting for them. She coughed a bit and saw his reaction as they turned around. She giggled a bit and did a twirl. "I see that you like what you are seeing and look..." she showed the ribbon of teal around one of her wrist and the shoes of same color. "I added some of what you suggested. Anyway, lets get the others and head out."

Wrapping her arm through his, they strode like a king and queen through the door.

Frieda had sat with Webby and Kat over a short meal and discussed the ball. "I'm trying to get inspired to come up with a new look. I tend to get stuck with one style of dress, usually steampunk and I have very little imagination when it comes to formalwear." She sipped at her ale and looked over at Weldon, who was puffing on his pipe out on the balcony. "Weldon's no better. He's very very very conservative in his dress and sticks with military or really classical stylings. He always looks like he's dressing for his own wedding when he dresses formally, or like he's going to battle."

A stranger from another team joined them and sipped her scotch and soda, "I just don't get this theme were' supposed to dress for. Are we supposed to dress up in shop-sellers outfits?" She smiled and introduced herself.

Frieda giggled hand shook the stranger's hand. "Its like any other ball theme, I guess. Like 'Under The Sea' for a Neptune theme ball, or 'Romantic Getaway' for a deserted island or castaway theme ball. This one is "Sellers of Dreams" and it is supposedly a library storybook-like theme...or so I imagine. I'm going to dress up like a fairytale princess (koff koff) or a damsel in distress (choke-wheeze)".

"Or a funny bumbling clown..." Weldon had put his pipe away and sat with his ale and introduced himself.

"(COUGH! GAG! WHEEZE! )NO Welly! Scary Clown! I'd just as soon dress as a (shudder) spider!" Frieda punched her mate in the shoulder.

"How about a cute young female explorer who gets into all sorts of adventures. She gets invited to go to a ball by a dashing handsome and very clever young male of her own kind, who lets her sweep him off his paws." Weldon grinned and put his paw around Frieda's waist and drew himself close to her.

"Stop that grinning, it makes you look evil. So, you think that I should go as myself? And who the heck is this dashing handsome and very clever young male of my own kind who lets me sweep him off his paws? Is that supposed to be you...Mr-Snoot-Stuck-In-His-Boring-Old-History-Book-Smoking-His-Stinky-Old-Pipe?" She hid her smirk in her ale mug and made a show of taking a long slow noisy slurp.

"Yup! You know, I've had my fair share of adventure too. There was that time I rescued you from Westly Stickleback." Weldon smiled at his mate's antics.

"You threw up. I remember." Frieda giggled and set her mug down.

"Awe...you make me out to be pathetic. My leg was broken." Weldon made a mock-pouty face.

Frieda hugged Weldon and rested her head on his shoulder. "I know. I thought it was cute that you threw up. It showed that you had a heart and that it upset you deeply that you...you know, did what you had to."

"So, yeah. You really think I'm dashing, handsome and clever enough for you?" He squeezed her as she turned toward him.

Frieda kissed Weldon long and passionately. "You had better be, mister. All that and a basket of chips when the babies come too. Are you ready to be a daddy, elbow deep in nappies, baths and feedings again? Because, there's five this time. I can sense it."

"Fantastic. I'm ready my darling." Weldon remembered what time it was, "Now what to wear to this ball?"

"How about we skip the ball and...you know, watch some Netflix?" It was Frieda's turn to give Weldon a pouty face.

"No, we need to get ready. It's important for our team that we act as a team, remember?"

Frieda smiled, got up and excused herself from her friends, took Weldon's paw and traipsed back to their room. Frieda had seen pretty dress on a rack somewhere and she wanted to get to it before anybody else saw it. It looked just her size. She laughed at her mate. He probably already had some military suit studded with brass buttons and gold braided ropes hanging everywhere. Still, he sure made all that old military stuff look mighty fine. Mighty fine indeed.

"Thank all the friendly gods we have a week," said Dhara, with a sigh. "I'll call Farrat, since my tablet works. I'm sure he will be able to get my masquerade gown to us somehow. We spent a lot on it, and Ma'Vera did some alterations as well. Anybody want anything from home, assuming home is somewhere that can be reached from the town the Squirrel is in? I can let him know."

Besides, it was an excuse for her to call her boyfriend, her mother, and the kits--and let Kaz chuff at the joeys.

"Just let me know. I can call him again. We haven't talked in a while after all."

She disappeared.

Nicsy had spent enough time in fox form that she could almost enjoy having to dress up in "fancy" clothing in her elf form for a ball. She had to dance with elf-form people now of so many kinds, the part-animal ones and the human ones and all the others; and she had learned dancing for that purpose not that long ago. So it would be fun. She didn't care for the shoes you had to wear, though. She considered going barefoot, but she knew people might step on her feet if she did that.

A lot of clothing options had been provided, and she'd learned magic from Myra and Krios that would let her transform what she found into fitting her and being a little more comfortable, too. So she had all the choices in the world. But what did she want to wear?

Gish wasn't much help. She'd found a bunch of little clip on glittery things and was attempting to choose a few to wear on her crest. A bird dressing herself up was not the strangest thing they'd encountered, Nicsy thought, as she continued to look through dresses and other garments suitable for a dance, finally finding a unique folded-paper dress that she thought seemed perfectly suited to a Librarians' ball.

Wow this adventure is going from one extreme to another. First we're wandering through tunnels and now we have to attend a librarian ball! Elethia internally grumbled to herself. What does one wear that's appropriate for a ball for librarians? Musing over this she proceeded to sift through the vast amount of clothes available.

A few hours later, Dhara came back with her dress. It had been a long call. The kits had wanted to talk to her as long as possible, and but had finally passed out from overexcitement. Kaz had made cute noises at the joeys and they had pawed each other's paws and touched noses on the screen. Verena had wanted to give her daughter more adventuring advice, and then Farrat and she had had a rather private conversation.

"You think this will do?" She twirled in her gown. "I've got Kassiri's pretty things, too."

"It looks great," Nicsy assured her. She glanced over to the book they'd found in the automaton after they'd opened it with the 4242 code. For some reason it made her uneasy, despite the friendly "Don't Panic" banner on the cover. Maybe because its title implied they would be going somewhere very far away next...