"How could you betray me like this, Anima?! Oh, the horror!" Dex shouted out in an exaggerated tone.
"Uh, don't be ridiculous, it was just a game of hide and go seek. Anyway, what do you win, Hex?" I turned to his wife in curiosity and she pointed at the underwear store we all recognized.
"I win that!" She said happily.
"Dex, you promised to get her underwear? What kind of reward is that?" I asked him. He shook his head and pulled out a strange piece of paper.
"I don't just get underwear, I get the whole store!" She said happily again.
"Huh... what?" Ipa, Ken, and I all synchronously asked.
"What's so confusing? Dexy promised me the store when I asked for it if I won in hide and go seek!" Hex said again.
I guess we all overlooked this when we got to the city, but Jane and Janice said that the city was full of rich folk who ruled the world. This probably wasn't too irregular... I guess? I have no idea, I wasn't exactly rich in my previous life either.
"Well, congratulations on your new store," I told them. Ipa and Ken had a change in attitude again as they turned toward the bathhouse.
"Oh, that's right, I probably interrupted your plans. What were you guys doing before you kindly offered to help me?" Dex asked us. This could be huge. If he seemed like we were in distress, he would probably just slide us some money for the trouble, right?!
"Well, we were actually looking for our two friends. We think they may be in the bathhouse, but we don't want to intrude." I said in a helpless tone. Ken and Ipa looked at me with confused stares.
"Oh, is that so? I can go get them. What do they look like?" Hex asked me with a curious gaze. She reminded me of a character from my world, but who was it...?
"Ruby has white hair with red tips, and Soul has-" before I could finish the description, Hex had already run into the bathhouse with a large smile on her face, turning her head and running to the left as the door shut behind her.
"Is your wife usually as excited as that?" I asked Dex with a worried look. Dex crossed his arms with a smile and nodded. As long as they were happy, I guess.
"Isn't she the best? I met her long ago and we were childhood friends before we married." Dex bragged, but I didn't even feel jealous. I was genuinely happy for him. That being said, having a childhood friend that I liked and was able to marry in the future would've been a pleasant treat.
"Anima, you alright? Ipa asked me. I nodded, I had a headache and it pained me to even think about my childhood, but soon went away when I distracted myself from the thought.
"Anima! I found your two friends!" I heard from the doors to the bathhouse as they opened. Ruby and Soul both still had wet hair and they looked pretty pissed off.
"Uh... hey guys!" Ken said. He was awkward and would give his whole plan away.
"Anima, you want to explain why you guys were this close to the bathhouse with that look on your faces?" Soul asked me. Behind her, Ruby was awestruck with Hex's tail and it waving back and forth. She even grabbed it and Hex flinched with rosy cheeks before turning around and scolding Ruby. Yet, she still had a satisfied smirk.
"Why is this my fault?! I was dragged out of the house so Ipa could see you guys coming out of the bath!" I said.
"You damn snitch! I should kill you for that!" Ipa exclaimed with an irritated tone.
"Guys! Look, Miss Soul, it should be a compliment that your companions here are interested in what you look like, wouldn't it be disheartening to learn that they don't think you're attractive enough to pursue?" Dex said to her.
"I guess... that doesn't give you the benefit of the doubt! You'll be scolded later. Anyway, who are these two?" Soul asked again. In the background, yet again, Ruby was reaching for Hex's fluffy ears. She was doing all of the things I wished I could've done...
"I'm Dex and this is my wife, Hex. We're the nobles of land in New Olympia and we were just having a fun game of hide and go seek to see what territory we should invest in. Hex found this place and we started our game because she liked the area. What about you? What brings you five to the bathhouse and panty shop?" Dex asked us all.
"For us two, it's the bath. For them... I assume it was to watch us." Soul looked at us with an annoying attitude and I scoffed, knowing she was angry at the wrong person.
"Well, since you three helped us out, on either side, we'd like to invite you to our party tonight. So, are you interested?" Dex asked us.
"Party? What kind of party? We're new to town and don't have much money." Ipa asked. He was back in his assassin mode, I called it.
Assassin mode was when he turned cold to gain information by seeming disinterested in a variety of things. Whenever he does it with me, I stop whatever I'm doing and stare at him. Our group was obviously not good at making friends. We all had things regarding the characters that made us... social outcasts, to put it nicely.
Ipa never had a good role model or good friends, especially with Joro being in his life.
Soul seemed annoyed with everything and was quiet in the presence of other people.
Ruby could be seen as 'childlike', but I think that's what makes her the perfect addition to such an annoyed group of people.
Of course, I wasn't very social or made good decisions with other people.
And Ken... was Ken.
"Don't worry about it! We have outfits and it's much less of a party and more of an auction. Even Zeus will be there." Dex said.
Zeus... will be at the auction? When he's not allowed in public for any reason?
Either one of two things is happening.
That was a lie, or Dex is a part of an elite group of people who have control over New Olympia.
Either way, forming a friendship with him will mean limitless possibilities, but I must be careful.
He may be with Joro in some way.