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teammuseadventures · 7 years

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Chapter 6 - Breaking Convention

Part One: First Impressions

The sun shone high in the sky as the Nereid approached the coast, gliding over the waves at a slow and steady pace. After over a week at sea, and a couple of stops, at last Team Muse was prepared to land on the mainland once more, and to make the final leg of their journey to Northamer— and hopefully to find Dodge.

"Avast!" exclaimed Alexei, standing at the helm and eagerly pointing off toward the horizon. "Land ho, off the starboard bow! All hands on deck! Look alive, me hearties!"

Gogo just crossed his arms irately and sulked. "Would you cut it out with the nautical jargon, Alexei? Just because we’re sailing, it doesn’t make you a pirate, and it’s getting annoying now."

Alexei sighed deeply and resumed his usual speaking voice. "Oh, come on, dude. Lighten up, would you? I’m just enjoying myself a little. Aren’t you the least bit excited? We’re finally about to reach Northamer!"

"Oui, Gogo," added Julienne. "This is your home, is it not? I expected that you would be très joyeux to be returning after such a long time. Do you not wish to see your family?"

"First of all," replied Gogo, shaking his head, "not to disparage my family, but I wouldn’t mind staying away from them for a while longer. I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this before, but I have two brothers and three sisters. That many people under one roof… it’s too chaotic for me. And secondly… you do know that Northamer is a really big place, don’t you? I wouldn’t exactly call this my home. Truthfully, Alexei, even if your friend really is somewhere on this continent, I have no idea how you’re going to find him."

Alexei looked back at Gogo again, trying (unsuccessfully) to conceal his consternation. "I thought that was why we brought you along. You said you were familiar with this area, didn’t you?"

Gogo shrugged. "I’m familiar with my area, Trono Woods. If we end up there, I can help you. But if we’re coming in from the south, I think most of the territory around here is probably claimed by the Kingdom of Acorn. I’ve never been there before."

Alexei groaned in frustration and buried his face in his hands. "That would’ve been very useful information for me to have known before we came all this way, Gogo…"

"It’s not my fault," Gogo whined. "You never asked."

"Gogo…," growled the echidna, brow furrowed in annoyance. "Consider yourself lucky I’m not a pirate. Otherwise, I think I could be entertaining the idea of keelhauling you right about now…"

"C'est assez, Alexei," said Julienne, intervening between her two friends and trying to calm them both down. "Nobody is being hauled across the keel. Let us just focus for now on reaching the land and figuring out where we are, shall we? We will worry about finding Dodge later."

"Fine," answered Alexei. "I guess it’s probably a good idea to go ashore now and look for someone or something to help us regain our bearings before we start wandering around the countryside. From what I've heard, the Kingdom of Acorn is a pretty heavily populated place, so it seems like a logical area to start looking for Dodge. We'll go from town to town until we find a lead."

Alexei pushed the throttle forward and piloted the small hovercraft closer at a quickened pace. As the vessel neared its destination, the group could see more clearly that the beach they had seen on the distant horizon was actually a thin, sparsely vegetated sandbar, which formed a natural barrier between the ocean and a large area of wetlands comprised of grasses sticking straight up from the water. Without solid ground on which to stop, Alexei slowed the craft down and ventured over the sandbar and into the marsh, taking care not to do any damage to the natural ecosystem. After several minutes gliding through the grass at a cautious crawl, the group found themselves floating up a green river into a mangrove swamp, with the trees and a thick veil of mist blocking out most of the sun and creating an eerie, shaded ambience.

"Alexei…," said Gogo, trembling with anxiety. "Wh-where are we going? Th-this place d-doesn't look v-very inviting…"

"There's got to be some solid land around here somewhere," said Alexei, undeniably a bit nervous himself. "I'm sure if we just keep going upriver, eventually we'll find someplace to stop..."

Gogo just shook his head. "I don't l-like this, Alexei. I've got a b-b-bad feeling about this p-place... With all these trees and this f-fog, I can't tell if we're coming or going. Wh-what if we get lost in here?"

Julienne nodded. "Alexei… I do not agree with Gogo, généralement, but… in this case, perhaps he is right…"

"Shh," said Alexei, curtly cutting off Julienne's objection before whispering, "Quiet. Do you hear that?"

Julienne and Gogo went silent as Alexei eased the motor down to a full stop. Without the hum of the engine, the group was able to hear the full, cacophonous din of the swamp—the crickets chirping, the bullfrogs croaking, the birds twittering, and… music? Yes, faint as it was, it was unmistakable. Echoing off in the distance, through the mist, the uncanny twang of banjo strings being plucked could be heard just up ahead.

"La musique…," said Julienne.

"See?" gloated Alexei with a vindicated grin. "I told you guys. There's got to be somebody here playing that."

Gogo gulped, still not very convinced. "Yeah… but is it somebody friendly?"

Alexei placed his hand back on the throttle and eased the hovercraft into resuming a slow crawl. "Only one way to find out." Moving forward, the lilting strum of the banjo grew gradually louder and louder, until, through the haze, the group could make out a building alongside the river, with a small dock extending into the water. The building on the shore was a small, rickety-looking wooden shack, its roof green with moss. Sitting on the edge of the dock, with his legs dangled over the water, was the banjo player—a young muskrat, no more than 14 or 15, his focus exclusively occupied by his music. As the hovercraft got closer, Alexei once more killed the engine, hopping out on deck to wave to the young musician. "Ahoy there!" he called out. "Uh… do you mind if we moor our boat here?"

The muskrat stopped playing and looked up. As the strange craft approached, he stood and answered back with a confused shrug, "Sure y'cain, mister. That's what the dock is fer."

Satisfied that he had permission, Alexei stepped back to the helm and gently brought it alongside the dock. "Julienne, Gogo," he barked, "grab the mooring ropes and tie us off." Julienne and Gogo obeyed, quickly springing into action and lashing the Nereid in place. When the craft was finally still, the three friends disembarked onto the dock, where they were greeted by the muskrat with his banjo.

"Hello," said Alexei with a friendly wave. "I'm Alexei, and these are my friends Julienne and Gogo."

"Howdy, y'all!" answered the muskrat with a warm, welcoming smile and a pronounced drawl. "Mah name's Skeeter. That sure is a strange-lookin' boat y'all got there, mister. Ah ain't never seen nothin' looks like that on the bayou before. Y'all ain't from around these parts, are ya?"

"No," chuckled Alexei apprehensively. "That's a hovercraft. I built it myself. We just came across the ocean from Soumerca. But the three of us actually came from even further away, in Eurish. Do you mind telling us where we are? I think we're a bit lost, to be honest."

"And we are also in great need of the supplies, si possible," added Julienne.

Skeeter set down his banjo and nodded. "Oh, well, y'all're in the Southern Baronies, don'tcha know. This here's the town of Gator Creek. If'n ya need stuff, y'all came to the right place. This building righ'cheere is Pelican Joe's General Store. He can sell ya whatever y'might need."

"Really?" said Alexei, perking up. "That's great! Say, um… we're also trying to get further inland, to the Kingdom of Acorn. Would you happen to know the easiest way to get there?"

Skeeter went quiet for a moment, the smile fading slowly from his face, then shook his head. "No, mister, Ah'm afraid not. Ain't no way inland from here, 'less'n ya wanna cross through the rest of the Great Swamp. But why would ya wanna go to the Kingdom of Acorn anyway? Ain't nothin' worth seein' there."

"We're looking for a friend of mine," Alexei explained. "We've spent the past several months trying to track him down, and we think he might be somewhere in the Kingdom of Acorn."

Skeeter sat down and started slowly plucking his banjo once more. "If'n that's true, I s'pose y'all oughta know, y'all got about as much chance of findin' him now as ya do catchin' a one-eyed white gator with nothin' but a potato sack… I hear tell, ain't many people left there asides robots, on accounta Robotnik. Why, they's rumors of a town inland a ways from here, 'cross the swamp, a place called Mobius Corners. They say th' entire place is a ghost town now, practically, 'cause all of the folks got roboticized and done disappeared without a trace. We's safe here, 'cause we got the swamp protectin' us. But goin' to the Kingdom of Acorn now… why, you's practically givin' yourself to Robotnik on one o' them fancy silver plates."

Alexei's heart practically burst at hearing the news. Could it be possible? Team Muse had come all this way— across the desert in Efrika, through the rainforests of Soumerca, over the stormy ocean. Now, at last, after months of travel, they had finally reached their destination, only to find that it may all have been in vain, and Dodge may have been roboticized after all? "No…," he gasped breathlessly, refusing to accept this grim assessment. "No, you're wrong… Dodge is smart. Like, really smart. He… he wouldn't get captured by Robotnik… If it came to that, he'd find a way to escape, just like we did…" Seeing how shaken her friend had been by the muskrat's words, Julienne reached up her arm and wrapped it around Alexei's shoulder, to comfort him.

Skeeter looked up at Alexei with a sympathetic sigh himself. "Well, shoot. Ah didn't mean nothin' by it. Ah'm sure ye're right, an' yer friend is safe. Ferget I mentioned it. If'n yer fixin' to go through the Great Swamp, though, y'all should do it before night falls. The bayou's a dangerous place ta be in the dark, 'specially if yer not from around here…"

"Come, Alexei," Julienne interjected. "Time, it seems, is of l'essence. We have the supplies to gather, rappelles toi?"

"Y-yeah, okay," answered Alexei, still visibly shaken. "I guess we ought to get that done and be on our way." Taking a moment to regain his composure, Alexei motioned to Julienne and Gogo to follow him off the dock and into the shack. Skeeter resumed playing his banjo.

The interior of the general store was lit from above by four evenly-spaced hanging lanterns, and lined with shelves packed with assorted bottles and cans and bags, with a few rusty old metal signs adorning the walls. Sitting back on a stool behind the counter, with a small electric fan plugged in and running beside his cash register, an old pelican with spectacles waved to the newcomers as they entered. "Howdy, folks! What can I do fer y'all today?"

"We just arrived in town," explained Alexei. "We're just stopping here briefly to stock up on supplies before we continue on our way. Do you mind if we just look around?"

"Sure, sure," said Pelican Joe with a smile and a nod. "Where you folks headed in such a hurry, though, if y'all don't mind me askin'?"

"The Kingdom of Acorn," answered Alexei. "We're looking for a friend of mine."

Pelican Joe shot Alexei a perplexed look. "Well… y'all know you're actually in the Kingdom of Acorn now, right?"

"Really?" asked Alexei. "But the kid outside told us we were in the Southern Baronies."

"That too," said Pelican Joe. "It's… a bit complicated. Y'see, the Southern Baronies are technically part of the Kingdom. But most folks here are none too happy with the royals governing over us, so I wouldn't go around willy-nilly tellin' people you're plannin' to go there, if I was you."

"Oh, I see," said Alexei. "Thanks for the tip."

Pelican Joe leaned forward and set his elbows on the counter. "Don't mention it, young fella. Shame y'all have to be on your way so soon, though."

Gogo perked up. "Hmm? Why's that?"

"Well," answered the pelican, "'cause y'all are gonna miss the big convention."

"La convention?" asked Julienne, peering over from browsing the selection of groceries. "What convention?"

"There's a big art convention here in town this weekend, startin' tomorrow," said Pelican Joe. "Our local governor, Baron LaPin, is a big patron of the arts. A couple years back, he and his wife came up with the idea to hold an annual convention here in Gator Creek, to attract all sorts-a creative types from around the area to show off their works. Built a fancy new convention hall fer it and everything. Nowadays practically the whole town is in attendance. Here, I got a flyer for this year's attractions right here." Pelican Joe hopped up off his stool and grabbed a piece of paper off the wall behind him to hand to Alexei. The echidna began skimming over it, before freezing, his mouth agape in shocked incredulity.

"Alexei? What is wrong?" asked Julienne, alarmed by his reaction.

"Guys…," said Alexei, still trying to regain his breath. "You're never going to believe this… It says right here, one of the artists displaying this weekend… is Edgerton Cam!"

Julienne shook her head, her eyes widening in amazement. "Tu blagues! But, Alexei… is that not the photographer that your friend was serving as an apprentice? That means…"

Alexei beamed jubilantly. "It means that Dodge… could be coming with him, here!" He passed the flyer to Julienne and Gogo. "Okay, guys, change of plans," said Alexei. "We have to check this out. Even if Dodge isn't coming here, it's the first solid lead we've found to determining his whereabouts. So… it looks like the three of us are going to an art convention!"

"Quel excitant!" exclaimed Julienne, reading over the advertisement. "I have never been to a convention before! Oh! Et selon cette affiche, there will be a showcase of cuisine from all around Mobius!"

"Let me see that," said Gogo, snatching the flyer from Julienne and browsing it himself. His eyes lit up. "Ooh! Hey, guys, look! It says here there's going to be a film festival! And William Catner will be in attendance, to do a Q&A panel on method acting!"

"Wait… the William Catner?" asked Alexei. "The star of Chao in Space?"

"Is there another William Catner?" retorted Gogo. "Apparently, he's here to promote the sequel, Chao in Space 2: Perfect Chaos Strikes Back."

Alexei chuckled to himself. "Boy, I bet he gets pretty tired of doing the convention circuit after a while. Chao in Space fans can get a little… obnoxious sometimes…" Looking back at Pelican Joe, the echidna asked, "Excuse me, sir, could you tell us where we might be able to stay for the night, and where we could find something to eat?"

Pelican Joe thought for a moment. "If y'all're lookin' fer a good meal, the best place around here is Bert's Diner. Just go upriver a bit further, into the heart of town. It's right on the main road there, on the way to the convention center. Ya cain't miss it. As fer someplace to stay… that'll be a far sight trickier. Most of the inns around here are prob'ly booked full up fer the convention by now. Y'all can try—ya might get lucky… but I wouldn't bet on it."

"Hmm, I see," said Alexei with a shrug. "Well, in that case, I suppose we could just park our hovercraft somewhere and camp out there for the weekend. We've done it for more than a week now already. What's a few extra nights?"

After the group had bought enough supplies from the general store to sufficiently stock up for the rest of the weekend, Alexei piloted the hovercraft further upriver. Sure enough, as dusk began to set, the lights of the village of Gator Creek gradually flickered on, revealing a small haven of civilization in the midst of the swamp. Alexei found an open space along the river not far from the main area of town, beside a large oak tree draped with Spanish moss, and moored it there on the riverbank. Once it was secure, the three friends walked up the berm and into town. Just as Pelican Joe had said, they found Bert's Diner on the righthand side of the main road and stepped inside.

"Hmm," said Alexei, looking around. "Looks like we might have a bit of a wait, guys…" Indeed, the small eatery was absolutely packed with patrons; all the booths were occupied, there was not a single open stool at the counter, and there was a small group of Mobians waiting just inside the door to be seated. Alexei pulled his friends aside with an uneasy smile. "I guess the rest of the convention attendees got here early. What do you think, guys? Should we stick around?"

Julienne shrugged. "I do not mind waiting pour le diner ce soir. It will be the relief to have a fresh-cooked meal again, after the week of rationing our food. Not to mention, I am très curieux to see what sort of food is served in the Southern Baronies…"

"I'm with Julienne," said Gogo, sniffing the air. "Something here smells wonderful."

"Okay, then," said Alexei with a nod. "It's settled."

The group waited there for a few minutes before a waitress came over to seat the guests in front of them and noticed them standing there. The waitress was a young Mobian raccoon, with short blonde hair, grey fur, and wearing a paper hat and a pink dress. "Howdy, folks! Sorry for the wait. The weekend of the art convention is always really busy like this. How many?"

"Just the three of us," said Alexei.

"My name is Roxy. I'll be your waitress this evening," said the raccoon. "It'll just be about another fifteen or twenty minutes, if y'all don't mind."

"That's fine," replied Alexei with a polite smile. "We can wait."

"Thanks for understanding, said Roxy. "You'll be next." Roxy showed the other guests to a booth, leaving Alexei, Julienne and Gogo standing there.

A little more than fifteen minutes passed. In that time, a few other small parties of Mobians entered the diner, and waited behind Team Muse. Finally, Roxy returned to seat the group in a booth that had just opened up, and gave them menus. "Can I get you folks started with some jalapeño poppers? Or maybe the soup of the day?"

"Ooh, soup sounds good," said Alexei.

Julienne nodded. "Je suis d'accord. Make this two, s'il vous plait."

"Three," added Gogo. "I don't like jalapeños. Too hot for me."

Roxy jotted down the order on her notepad. "Alright, three soups, coming up. I'll give you all a few minutes to look over the menu and decide what else you'd like."

"Oui, merci," said Julienne, opening her menu to look inside. Roxy nodded quietly and stepped away from the table. After a few moments, Alexei looked up and said, "Dear Walkers, this crowd is impressive. I don't think I've seen this many people in one place since we were back in Empire City. If Dodge is here, I sure hope I can find him with this many other people around…"

"Hmm," murmured Julienne. "Maintenant que tu le dis… this whole time we have been traveling, I do not think you have ever told us very much about him. I do not even know what your friend looks like."

"Oh!" exclaimed Alexei. "Yeah, I guess it would help if you knew more about him. Well, let's see… appearance-wise, he's pretty distinctive. He's a lynx with white fur and glasses."

"White fur?" said Gogo. "That's odd. I thought most lynxes had brown fur."

"He's leucistic," said Alexei. "He told me all about it. It means he's a bit of an anomaly. The rest of his family has brown fur, but he was born with white. He told me it's the reason his family gave him his real name, Shiro."

"Shiro, huh?" replied Gogo. "Where'd he get the name Dodge, then?"

Alexei thought for a moment. "You know… that's a really good question. I'm not sure if he ever told me. You'll have to ask him yourself."

Julienne unwrapped the napkin in front of her, with her silverware inside. "You said he was from the Dragon Kingdom, oui?"

"Yes," nodded Alexei. "He told me he lived on a small island in an archipelago off the eastern coast of the mainland, near a town called Kawa Crossing. His parents and his grandfather live there too. Or, at least they did the last time I spoke with him. It's… been a while."

"How did you meet?" asked Gogo.

"Well, I told you we both hacked Robotnik's communications satellites, right?" said Alexei. "It was… about three years ago now, when I still lived with my family in Albion. There were three of us: me, and Dodge, and our other friend Remainder. You haven't met him, Gogo, but Julienne and I ran into him in Soleanna before meeting you. Dodge and I bonded over a shared interest in computers and art— he showed me his photographs and his cameras, and I showed him my paintings. Aside from my sister Anna-Re, he was really the only person I'd met at that point who actually thought my artwork was anything special. And I think the bond was mutual, too. As far as I know, his family homeschooled him, so Remainder and I were like the first two people his age whom he could really call friends. We just instantly connected. You remember how it was like when you and I first met, don't you, Julienne? It was something very similar with us. And he was also the one who really encouraged me to stand up to my father, and to tell him I wanted to be an artist and not a scientist like him. He was the one who suggested I should leave Albion, and set up my own studio elsewhere." Alexei paused with a smile. "You know… I just realized… if it hadn't been for Dodge's help and encouragement in striking out on my own… I don't know if I would have ever met either of you. I'd probably still be back in Albion right now, continuing down the path my father wanted for me."

"Well, then, we must thank Dodge when we see him," said Julienne with a warm smile of her own. "I cannot imagine these past few years sans toi, Alexei. I would still be trapped in that burrow in the forest, by myself."

"And I… don't know where I'd be," said Gogo. "After the theater fired me, I had no idea what to do with myself. I could have ended up on the street. You two coming along when you did was a stroke of amazing luck."

At that moment, Roxy returned to the table with a tray, upon which she carried three small bowls of soup. Setting a bowl in front of each of the three friends, she said, "Alright, here ya go. Three soups of the day. Are you folks ready to order now?"

Alexei flipped through his menu. "Hmmm… the Bert Burger with fries looks good. Could I get one of those, and hold the pickles… aaand a lemonade?"

"I think I will have une salade du jardin et un… sweet tea, s'il vous plait," said Julienne. "I am watching my figure."

"Oooh!" said Gogo. "Foot-long chili dogs! I'll take two, with extra cheese! And a side basket of onion rings, and a large root beer! … And maybe a small coleslaw."

"Got it," said Roxy, taking the group's orders, and stepping away from the table. "I'll have Bert get on these orders right away."

Gogo looked up to see Alexei glancing at him with a cockeyed expression. "Dude," said the echidna, "that seems like a lot of food. Are you really going to eat all that?"

"I'm hungry," answered Gogo defensively.

Alexei shrugged, unwrapped his spoon from his napkin, and began eating his soup. The first taste was surprisingly flavorful— a mix of savory and salty and a slight sweetness, unlike anything else he'd ever had before. "Mmm! Hey guys, you have to try this soup! It's really good!"

Julienne took a small taste of her own soup, and was instantly delighted. "Oh! Tu as raison! C'est delicieux!"

Gogo sniffed his bowl of soup cautiously, then tried a bit as well. It was so delectable, he began slurping it down quickly, and within moments, he had devoured about a third of his bowl. "Hey! This is great! What do you think this stuff is? I've never had anything like it before!"

"Je ne sais pas," said Julienne with a puzzled look. "But we must ask! If it is possible, this is a recipe I would gladly collect!"

"Excuse me," said Alexei, calling Roxy over to the table as she walked by.

"Is everything alright?" asked the raccoon.

Alexei nodded. "Oh, yeah, more than alright. We were just remarking to each other how great this soup is. What is this?"

"Oh, you like it?" chirped Roxy gleefully. "That's our daily special: Possum Stew."

Alexei and Julienne abruptly froze with expressions of complete revulsion. Gogo, completely aghast at this new revelation, choked and hacked and coughed violently, then managed to stutter, in a wheezing voice, "P-P-Possum… stew??" Shakily, he looked down at his half-eaten bowl, and noticed his own reflection in the broth, staring back at him. The image was too much, and holding his hand over his mouth, he jumped up out of the booth without hesitation and raced toward the restroom.

"Oh dear," said Roxy with a worried frown. "Is he alright?"

Breaking the tension, Julienne slowly slid her bowl away from her, did her best to conceal her disgust, and anxiously laughed, "Oh, erm… Do not mind our friend. He will be fine. He has simply been un peu, how you say… 'under the weather' lately. Now, this 'Possum Stew', vous dites? Wherever did you acquire such a… unique recipe? This is a… regional delicacy?"

"No, ma'am," said Roxy, shaking her head. "We're the only place around that serves it. It's a special recipe created by one of our other servers, Ms. Possum. That's why Bert decided we ought to name it in her honor. It's good, isn't it? I don't know exactly what all's in it, because the spices are a trade secret, but it's the best veggie stew in the bayou."

Alexei and Julienne simultaneously let out a sigh of relief, then exchanged glances. With another sigh (this time out of reluctance), Alexei shrugged and answered Julienne's silent coaxing. "Yeah, okay. I guess I better go find Gogo and check on him…"

The next morning, having spent the night sleeping in the Nereid, Team Muse awoke bright and early and made their way over to the convention center. It was a huge concrete brick building with large windows, surrounded on three sides by undeveloped swampland; it was located about fifteen minutes' walk from the main town, through the forest. The main entrance was on the side facing away from the swamp, with a large meadow where people could congregate. After standing in line for nearly an hour, the group paid for three two-day passes, which were given to them in laminated name badges on lanyards so as not to be easy to misplace. At the door they were also each given a small bag containing a guide booklet to the convention, and a small keychain branded with the words MobiCon '36. As the three friends entered the main hall of the convention center, they were overwhelmed by the magnitude of the event— there were colored lights and speakers pumping out pleasant music, mounted atop the metal pillars supporting the structure from the inside, and all around there were Mobians everywhere, just wandering aimlessly around the enormous indoor space. "Sacre bleu!" exclaimed Julienne, awestruck by the sight. "It is… so much bigger than I expected it to be!" Taking note of a group of nearby Mobians in strange attire, she turned to Alexei and said, "Huh… C'est bizarre. Why are those people dressed up in such a way?"

"Oh, them?" laughed Alexei. "They're just cosplaying. A lot of people who attend conventions like this enjoy going as characters from television or movies or comics. It's sort of like what Gogo does. The only real difference is, they're not actually going up on stage. They just walk around like that."

"Interesting…," added Gogo, his eyes wandering toward a dark-haired female bat in a gothic costume with a corset and a particularly short skirt. "Seems a bit like method acting. Sometimes, to get prepared for a role, I stay in-character even when I'm not on-stage."

"Yeah, it's sort of like that," said Alexei. "Except they just do it for fun."

Looking up straight ahead, Julienne noticed a large arrangement of kiosks, with what appeared to be shelves of merchandise for sale. "Alexei… qu'est-ce que c'est, over there?"

Alexei pulled out his guidebook and flipped through it, until he found a map of the convention center's layout. "Hmm… according to this map, that's the Dealers' Showroom. Stores from all over the region have representatives there, selling items from their stock to convention-goers."

Gogo pointed in a different direction, toward an area with dozens of tables, each one with at least one Mobian sitting by it. "And that? What's that?"

Alexei grinned. "Oh, that? That's Artist Alley. That's the space reserved for independent artists to promote themselves. You can check out their work, and most of them will even take custom commissions."

"Ooh!" said Gogo, his eyes lighting up. "You mean I can tell them what I want, and they'll draw it for me?"

"That's right," answered Alexei, nodding. "But you do have to pay them for it."

Gogo frowned. "Aww, really? But they're just sitting there and drawing. It's not like it's really that difficult. I see you doodling all the time. If they're going to charge me, I might as well just get you to draw me something for free."

"I'm going to ignore that you said that last bit," growled Alexei irately, gritting his teeth. "But let me set you straight on something. Visual art is a serious discipline that requires every bit as much effort and dedication as acting or cooking, or any other profession, for that matter. Oftentimes, depending on the medium, a polished piece of art can take several hours, or days, or even weeks of concentrated focus to produce. Do you have any idea how much emotional investment we develop in each of our projects? The only reason it looks easy to you when I do it is because I've spent years practicing, learning how to use the various media properly, and I've trained myself to be able to do it well. Saying that artists should give away their art for free because it's 'not really work' is extremely insulting. You don't see me going to a theater just to throw shade on acting as an occupation and heckle the actors about the cost of admission being so high, do you? Come on, dude. A little more respect, if you please."

"Point taken," said Gogo sheepishly, as Alexei's words sank in. "Well, I don't have any more money on me anyway, so… I guess I'll just have to find something else to do here. I hope that Q&A session with William Catner doesn't charge any extra fees."

"I don't think so," replied Alexei, flipping through the guidebook once more. "I think that's covered in the cost of your admission. But that's not until much later this afternoon. In the meantime, we might as well do what we came here for. Let's go see if we can find Dodge."

"Oui," said Julienne, tucking her own guidebook and complimentary keychain into her handbag. "C'est une bonne idée. Where do you think he would be, Alexei?"

Alexei scanned the map of the convention center carefully for a few minutes. Finally, he raised his finger up and pointed to a spot on the map. "Hmm… this seems like a likely place, right here. The main gallery. If Dodge is here, he's probably with Edgerton Cam. And since Edgerton Cam is a famous photographer, I'd expect his work to be on display in the gallery, rather than in Artist Alley. Looks like we just need to go straight ahead, then turn right and go up this set of stairs." He folded up the guidebook and put it back in his bag. "Let's go!"

The group began walking straight ahead, past the Dealers' Showroom and Artist Alley, into another section of the building. As they turned the corner to their right, they located the staircase just in front of them. To their surprise, however, they discovered that it was all the way on the other side of the convention center's food court. The group sniffed the air. From just a cursory glance, they could see that the convention's advertised claim of a diverse selection of cuisine from all over the planet was indeed true— there were vendors set up with regional food from Mercia, the Kingdom of Acorn, the Dragon Kingdom, and even the United Federation. Julienne and Gogo stopped in their tracks, their stomachs rumbling. "Umm… Alexei?" said Julienne. "You know… we have not yet had le petit déjeuner…"

"It's cool," said Alexei with an easy-going laugh. "You two can stay here and get something to eat. I'll go check out the main gallery for Dodge on my own, and meet you both back here in a little bit."

Gogo grinned. "Thanks, Alexei! We'll save you a seat!"

So Julienne and Gogo went off together to find something among the various vendors which would be suitable for breakfast, and Alexei climbed the stairs on his own. Making his way into the main gallery, he found it set up like a labyrinth of white walls, each adorned with framed paintings and photographs, with some sculptures in the center of each room. After a few minutes of searching, he finally found what he was looking for: a room that contained nothing but the photographic work of Edgerton Cam. Stopping for a moment out of curiosity, he turned to take a closer look at the photos. The majority of them were black and white, with the prevailing subject matter being nature. There were photographs of shafts of sunlight through forest canopies, of raging river rapids carving through desert canyons, of majestic snow-capped mountaintops reaching high into the sky, until they pushed into the clouds. As he stood there, silently awed by the glorious landscapes captured on matted photo paper, an old fox with greying fur came up and stood beside him. "Quite a view, eh?" he remarked.

"It's… amazing," said Alexei. "I've… never seen any place quite like these…"

"It's nice to see someone your age with an appreciation of subject matter like this," said the fox with a polite smile. "It's important to preserve places like these. Which one is your favorite?"

Alexei looked around. One of the photographs in particular caught his eye— a photograph of a vivid orange and pink sunset in the desert. It was one of the few which was in color. "Oh," he said, "that one. I love the color in that."

"Heh," chuckled the fox. "You know, it's odd that you should pick that one. I always felt that photo didn't quite do it justice. You should have seen it in person. It was even brighter and more intense than it looks here."

Alexei's head snapped to the side to look at the older fox standing there. "W-wait… you mean… you're…"

"Dr. Edgerton Cam," said the fox with a humble nod, as he extended his hand. "But most folks just call me Doc."

"Oh, wow!" exclaimed Alexei, shaking Dr. Cam's hand. "It's an honor to meet you, sir… er, Doc. My name is Alexei. I've heard a lot about your work, and… I've come a very long way to be here today. There's… something I need to ask you."

Dr. Cam furrowed his brow curiously. "Oh? What's that?"

"Do you have an apprentice who goes by the name of Dodge? I'm looking for a really good friend of mine, and several months ago, I got a message from him saying that he was coming to Northamer with you."

"I sure do," said Dr. Cam, nodding once more. "And you're in luck. He's here at the convention with me. Any friend of his is a friend of mine, too. He's somewhere around the galleries at the moment, looking at the other artwork. Wait here just a moment, and I'll see if I can track him down for you."

So Alexei stayed behind and continued looking at the photos on the wall as Dr. Cam went deeper into the maze of gallery rooms. After about five minutes, he heard a voice call his name in disbelief. "Alexei?" He turned to find Dr. Cam standing there, with his bespectacled white lynx apprentice at his side, wearing a red t-shirt, matching khaki pants and cargo vest, and brown boots— a familiar face, with an expression of complete shock. "I… I don't believe it!"

Alexei beamed with fulfillment. "Hey, Dodge," he said with a wave. "Long time no see, huh? Remainder sends his regards too, by the way."

Dodge raced over to Alexei and gave him a big hug. "It really is you! But… but how?! I thought for sure that Robotnik had captured you!"

"He almost did," said Alexei. "It's a long story. For now, suffice it to say, I'm making good on my promise to come and find you if I escaped. You didn't make it easy on me, though, buddy. That little trick you pulled with the hex codes and the misdirect with the alphanumeric strings was a work of pure genius. It took me an entire week to figure out what you'd done."

"Oh, you got my message, then?" said Dodge. "I can't believe that actually worked. To be honest, I only really put it up out of wishful thinking."

"Ahem," interjected Dr. Cam.

Dodge's attention instantly shifted back to his mentor. "Oh, I'm sorry, Dr. Cam. Uh, hey, look, Alexei… I'm kind of here in a professional capacity. I'd love to catch up with you in a little while, as I'm sure you've got quite an interesting story to tell me, but… um… well…"

"No, no, Dodge," said Dr. Cam with an understanding wink. "You've worked hard enough. You go enjoy the convention with your friend. You've earned it."

"R-really?" stuttered Dodge. "You mean it?"

Dr. Cam gave Dodge a thumbs-up sign. "Really, I mean it. Go on, you two. Have fun."

"Awesome!" replied the lynx excitedly. "Thanks, Dr. Cam!"

"Come on, Dodge," said Alexei, motioning for his friend to follow him. "We've got a ton of catching up to do…"

"Whoa," said Dodge, following Alexei out of the main gallery and toward the staircase. "You actually watched them set fire to your studio?"

"Mmhmm," answered Alexei. "Everything I had there— paintings, hardware, personal items— it all went up in smoke the night I left you. I barely made it out alive."

"How did you escape? Didn't they follow you?"

"Oh, yeah, of course they did. I spent like three days in the woods just trying to shake them. By the end of the third day, I was so tired I just collapsed and sort of resigned myself to my fate. Fortunately for me, someone else found me first." Alexei led Dodge down the stairs, gazing down at the food court from above. Within moments he skimmed the crowds and spotted the table with the green hedgehog and purple possum. "Speaking of which… there they are. Here, follow me. I want you to meet my other friends."

"Other friends?" asked Dodge apprehensively.

"Oh, don't worry," said Alexei. "They're cool. You'll really like them." Alexei motioned for Dodge to follow him into the crowded cafeteria, over to the table where his friends were sitting. When he got there, he called out to them, "Hey, Julienne, Gogo! Look who I found!" Turning back toward Dodge, he introduced his friends. "Dodge, these are my friends Julienne and Gogo."

Julienne flashed a welcoming smile. "Enchanté! We have heard so much à propos de toi from Alexei! It is so good to meet you enfin!"

"Hey there!" added Gogo, waving. "Estragon O'Possum, stage entertainer extraordinaire. But you can call me Gogo. I do comedy, drama, magic tricks, even a little song and dance. I'm a real quadruple threat!"

"Uh… hi," said Dodge with a modest smile and a nod as he took a seat across from Julienne. "It is… nice to meet you both as well."

"You wanted to know how I managed to escape Robotnik," said Alexei, sitting between Julienne and Dodge. "Well, Julienne here is the one responsible for that. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't be here. She's the one who found me when I collapsed in the forest. She took me in, fed me, and together we fled to Soleanna. Several months later, I remembered the promise I'd made to you, about tracking you down, and the two of us went to Empire City, where we met Gogo. Ever since I figured out your message, we've been traveling, trying to reach Northamer to find you. We didn't have any way to cross the ocean, so… we sort of took the long way around."

"Whoa, wait a minute," said Dodge. "Did the three of you walk all the way here from Empire City?!"

"Well, not all the way," answered Gogo. "We took the train to Mazuri, we crossed Efrika on pashas…"

Julienne continued. "… Rode hoverbikes to Soumerca…"

"And then," added Alexei, "I built a hovercraft out of spare parts, and we sailed the rest of the way. We've got the hovercraft moored along the river. I never could've done it without Julienne and Gogo here, though."

Julienne grinned giddily. "Aww… merci, Alexei. It is sweet of you to say."

"We are pretty great, aren't we?" snickered Gogo with a cocksure tone.

Dodge turned to Alexei, seemingly unimpressed with Gogo's egotistical boast, and said, "That's amazing, Alexei! I can't believe you did all of that for me. You've got to show me this hovercraft some time. What kind of power supply does it run on?"

"I took the plasma engines out of our hoverbikes," Alexei explained.

Dodge looked intrigued. "Oh, interesting. What capacity were the batteries?"

Alexei thought for a moment, trying to recall those particular technical specs. "Well, it took a few… creative modifications, but when I combined them, I was able to get them up to 56 amp-hours."

"And you had, what? 3 of them?"

Alexei nodded. "Yeah, that's right."

"I'm impressed," said Dodge. "I'm not sure I would have attempted an ocean crossing with nothing but three partially depleted plasma hoverbike batteries. Must have been one heck of a jury-rig."

"Yeah, but that's why I ultimately decided on a hovercraft rather than a boat," said Alexei. "I decided it would cut down on drag and minimize the drain on the batteries. Not to mention, it was much easier to pilot on shallows."

"True, true," nodded Dodge. Julienne and Gogo watched silently as the two friends bantered back and forth about engineering, their impatience beginning to show with each exchange. Still, Dodge continued, completely oblivious. "What sort of top speed did you manage to hit with it?"

"It tops out about 65 knots," said Alexei, a little pridefully.

"Hey, that's not bad," replied Dodge. "Though, I bet with a little tweaking, it could go even faster. I'd love to offer my suggestions… um… if you'd be open to them, of course."

Alexei grinned. "Of course! Could be a lot of fun, reworking things a bit with you around."

"So," interrupted Julienne, finally unwilling to endure the technical conversation one second longer. "Dodge… Alexei tells us you are from the Dragon Kingdom, oui? How is it that you came to find yourself here in Northamer?"

Alexei straightened up in his chair. "Oh, yeah. I was sort of wondering about that myself, Dodge. How did you manage to land a gig as Dr. Cam's apprentice?"

"Oh," said Dodge, pushing his spectacles back on his nose and locking his eyes on Alexei. "Well, it was sort of just a stroke of luck, actually. For about two or three months after you signed off and disappeared, Alexei, I was pretty distressed about losing you as a friend. I thought Robotnik had you, and that you'd either been killed or, even worse, hauled off to the roboticizer. My mother figured she needed to get me out of my room to clear my head a little bit, so she sent me on an errand to the local market in town to buy some items for her. While I was there, I just… happened to run into Dr. Cam. He told me he was doing a photo excursion tour all over the Dragon Kingdom, and that he was in the area to take pictures of some of the forests and bamboo groves on the island. I told him I was a photographer too, and a really big admirer of his, and he asked to see some of my work. He was so impressed by what I showed him that he offered me a year-long apprenticeship position at his studio in Furville. My family saw it as a really big opportunity for me, so they agreed to it. I've been his darkroom assistant ever since."

"What about that message you left behind?" asked Alexei.

"Oh, I did that before leaving with Dr. Cam. It was the last thing I did before completely disconnecting my computer from Robotnik's servers permanently so I couldn't be traced like you were. Like I said, I really wasn't expecting you to actually see it. I just… wanted to cover my bases. I guess I was holding out hope that you had somehow survived. I never dreamed that you'd actually show up here in person."

"Well, I did tell you I'd meet you face to face someday," snickered Alexei. "You can't say I didn't warn you." Unnoticed to Alexei or Dodge, Julienne sighed and Gogo slumped back in his chair with a bored expression on his face and rolled his eyes.

"Heh, I guess not," replied Dodge with a quiet laugh. His eyes remained fixated on Alexei, in a way that did not even seem to acknowledge the presence of the others at the table. "I'm really happy to see you, though."

"Oh, hey! You know what you should do?" said Alexei, finally taking notice of Julienne and Gogo's discomfort. "You should show the others some of your photos. I bet they'd love to see."

Julienne perked up. "Ooh, oui! That sounds fantastique! Alexei has told us about how good your photography is."

"Oh… uh… thanks," said Dodge with a hint of sudden tension in his voice. "I… don't really have any of it on me at the moment. I was mainly at the convention with the expectation that I'd be helping Dr. Cam exhibit his. But… if you'd like to see something… I do have this." Dodge reached into one of the pockets of his vest and pulled out a small, metallic grey device.

"A camera?" asked Gogo, looking at the object in Dodge's hand.

"Not just any camera," said Dodge. "The only one of its kind. I designed and built it myself a few years ago, using a few parts I ordered from catalogs and a few that I machined by hand in my workshop. It's a hybrid of film and digital, with a built-in light meter and 4x zoom function. There's even a setting for recording digital video."

"Dude!" exclaimed Alexei. "It's gorgeous, Dodge! That must have taken you a long time to build."

The lynx nodded graciously. "The difficult part was finding the right lens for it. I ultimately ended up mail-ordering a 4.5 mm from RNO Optics and fashioning a suitable mount for it myself." Handing it to Alexei, he asked, "Hey, you want to take a closer look?"

"Sure, if it's okay with you," said Alexei. Finding Dodge indicating his agreement, Alexei took hold of the camera and turned it over in his hands, examining it in much greater detail. "Oh… Dodge… the craftsmanship on this thing… all these intricate little hand-machined pieces… it's a work of art."

"Thanks! I had a feeling you'd be interested. It's not nearly as impressive as improvising something like a hovercraft, but I'm pretty proud with how it turned out."

Julienne craned her neck over Alexei's shoulder to take a look for herself. "May I see?"

In an instant, Dodge's posture became tight, as the request clearly seemed to make him uncomfortable. "Um… well… to be honest… I'd feel a little more comfortable if Alexei holds onto it for now. It's… sort of a sophisticated piece of equipment…"

"Excusez-moi?" snapped Julienne. "Are you saying I am not sophisticated?"

"Oh… no, no!" answered Dodge, putting up his hands reflexively and shaking his head in the most vehement denial he could muster. "Not at all! I… er… I just… I've known Alexei for a while, and… I know he's into engineering like me. I… just figured… he'd be a little more careful with it than you, because he could see how… delicate it is?" Sensing himself making things worse, he caught himself and stood up from the table. "Uh… you know… forget I said anything. Breakfast seems like a good idea. I think I'm just going to grab some really quickly and join you guys. You're all welcome to look at the camera while I'm away. Just… uh… be gentle with it, okay?"

"Don't worry, Dodge," said Alexei. "I can vouch for Julienne and… well, maybe not Gogo. But Julienne and I will definitely handle it gently."

"Hey!" shouted Gogo, taking offense.

Alexei shook his head. "Relax, dude, it's just a joke. You know, for a comedian, you seem to have a difficult time recognizing ones that are about you."

Dodge retreated from the table, leaving his camera behind and looking around at his options for breakfast. As soon as he was gone, Gogo greedily snatched the camera out of Alexei's hands, inadvertently grazing the buttons on top with his finger. "Gogo!" cried Alexei. "Be careful with that, would you? I just got done telling Dodge we wouldn't break his camera."

"Alexei," said Julienne, still fuming from Dodge's earlier solecism. "We need to talk."

"Hm? What about?"

"Écoute, Alexei… you know how much Gogo and I care for you, and we were more than happy to go along with you to find Dodge because we know how much it meant to you… but your friend… he is… how to put this…?"

"He's a total geek," blurted out Gogo. "All he wants to talk about is plasma batteries and camera lenses."

"Hey, that's not fair," said Alexei. "You just met him. Give him a chance."

Julienne crossed her arms irritably and shook her head. "Oui, it is true that we just met him. And perhaps Gogo, he did not express it the most tactfully… but did you not see the way that Dodge behaved around us, Alexei? He was focused only on you, and completely ignored the two of us. We might as well not even be here, so far as he is concerned. And whenever he does give us a chance to speak, he is condescending, as if expecting we would not have anything interesting to say. I know he is ton ami, Alexei, but you must face the facts. He is just… Pour quel mot je regarde? … Rude and uncouth."

Alexei just sat there with a stunned grimace, searching for the right thing to say in response. He felt an instinct to defend Dodge. On the other hand, though, Julienne wasn't entirely wrong, either, and he knew it. His allegiance was torn, between two close friends, to both of whom he was indebted— and there he sat, caught in the middle, unable to reply. He was still struggling for words when Dodge returned to the table a few moments later with a tray, upon which he had placed a bowl of rice porridge, a bowl of miso soup, a small plate of grilled fish, and a cup of hot green tea. "Alright, I'm back," he said, completely unaware of the preceding conversation. "Don't mind me. Breakfasts in the Dragon Kingdom are probably a little different from what you're used to. It's the first time I've had an opportunity to get a breakfast like this in a long time." Glancing over at Gogo and pointing to the camera, he added, "You done looking at that?"

"Here," said Gogo innocently, handing it back to him. "It's all yours." Both Alexei and Julienne looked on silently, trying to conceal the tension and pretend nothing was wrong.

Dodge took the camera back from Gogo, and quickly noticed a small red light blinking on the backside of the camera, which had completely evaded everyone else's attention. "Oh… hmm, that's strange. Looks like I've got a new video recording here…"

"Wh-what?" asked Alexei, snapping to attention as the true horror of the unfolding situation sank in. "W-wait, Dodge. Don't…"

But it was too late. Dodge had already pushed the button to start the playback, and was treated to the video:

ALEXEI: Gogo! Be careful with that, would you? I just got done telling Dodge we wouldn't break his camera.

JULIENNE: Alexei… We need to talk.

ALEXEI: Hm? What about?

JULIENNE: Écoute, Alexei… you know how much Gogo and I care for you, and we were more than happy to go along with you to find Dodge because we know how much it meant to you… but your friend… he is… how to put this…?

GOGO: He's a total geek. All he wants to talk about is plasma batteries and camera lenses.

ALEXEI: Hey, that's not fair. You just met him. Give him a chance.

JULIENNE: Oui, it is true that we just met him. And perhaps Gogo, he did not express it the most tactfully… but did you not see the way that Dodge behaved around us, Alexei? He was focused only on you, and completely ignored the two of us. We might as well not even be here, so far as he is concerned. And whenever he does give us a chance to speak, he is condescending, as if expecting we would not have anything interesting to say. I know he is ton ami, Alexei, but you must face the facts. He is just… Pour quel mot je regarde? … Rude and uncouth.

ALEXEI: (stunned silence)

DODGE: Alright, I'm back. Don't mind me. Breakfasts in the Dragon Kingdom are probably a little different from what you're used to. It's the first time I've had an opportunity to get a breakfast like this in a long time… You done looking at that?

*CLICK*

Dodge recoiled from watching the video, a pained look of betrayal on his face. "Oh… oh, I see. Well, if that's how you guys really feel… I guess... I should just go, then." He stood up, tucking his camera back into his vest pocket. "Alexei… it was… great to meet you, finally."

"Aww, come on, Dodge," Alexei pleaded. "Don't go. We came all this way. They… they don't know you yet like I do…"

"No, dude," said Dodge, shaking his head dejectedly. "I understand. You've got other friends now. That's cool. I'm happy for you. The last thing I want to do is hang around somewhere where I'll be the outsider."

"But, your breakfast…"

"I'm not hungry anymore, dude." He paused for a moment. "I'll see you around, Alexei," he finally said, gathering just enough energy for a weak wave goodbye. And then, his heart broken, Dodge turned and walked away, leaving his tray of food untouched.

Julienne and Gogo looked at each other guiltily as Alexei helplessly watched his friend walk off in the direction of the building's main exit. "Well," said Gogo finally, unable to resist breaking the tense silence. "That… could have gone better…"

That was it. That was the last straw for Alexei. Jumping to his feet, he angrily glared at his other friends— Gogo first, and then Julienne. "You two ought to be ashamed of yourselves!" he castigated them, with a voice full of fury. "Look at what you've done! We spent all this time, and came all this way, and we finally got a chance to spend some time with Dodge… and you go and insult him behind his back, just because he's a little different! That's really classy, guys. I told you last night that Dodge doesn't have many friends. Okay, so maybe his social skills are a little lacking, and maybe he gets a little intense when we discuss engineering projects. But let me ask you something. You saw how I behaved back in Soumerca, when I was working on the hovercraft to get us here. Did you guys think I was a geek? Hmm? Or you, Julienne— whenever you're cooking something… you don't think you can get a little condescending, like the rest of us don't understand the first thing about cuisine? Oh, and don't worry, Gogo, I haven't forgotten you. Take it from me, dude, you've got a lock on rude and uncouth behavior. 'Oh, everyone look at me. I'm a giant attention magnet. I want the stage all to myself, with the spotlight on me. Maybe people will love me if I tell jokes and pull bandanas out of my sleeve.' But you know what? I overlook that stuff, because that's what Team Muse is about… or at least, what I thought it was about. We're all weird. We're all passionate. We all obsess over whatever it is that interests us, whether it's painting or building or cooking or acting. We've all experienced loneliness and hardship as a result of that passion. And that's why I can't even look at you guys right now— because you basically said those things into a mirror, and didn't even realize it."

"Alexei…," whimpered Julienne, on the verge of tears. "We… we did not mean—"

"Yeah you did," said Alexei, cutting her sentence short. "You meant exactly what you said." He gave both of his friends a derisive, scornful scowl, and finally added, "Now if you'll excuse me… I'm going to go find Dodge, and see if I can salvage our friendship. I'll… be back, eventually. Just, right now, I need some time away from you guys." And without another word, Alexei turned and followed in the same direction as Dodge, hoping to catch up with him.

Gogo and Julienne just sat there despondently, eyes cast downward in shame. Gogo's ears drooped involuntarily, as the sting of Alexei's words reverberated inside of him. Looking over at his unwitting accomplice, Gogo finally asked, "Hey, Julienne? You okay?"

"Non," answered Julienne curtly, completely overwhelmed with remorse.

Gogo let out a soft sigh. "Well, that makes two of us."

#teammuse #alexei #julienne #gogo #dodge #northamer #abscondiverse #archie sonic #sonic fc

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