"After that, we had to drag Cross back to the inn, since he couldn't really walk by himself. Needless to say, I spent the rest of the trip making sure there was half-a-village between Cross and Laxus."

Sera shook her head, her expression somewhere between amusement and annoyance.

"What did you expect?" she asked. "With the exception of the fairies, it sounds like every other trip you have been on with them."

Sia sighed, dropping her head atop the pile her arms made on the bar. Sera had a point. As she was one of the few people that could handle a majority of those in the guild (certain people just rubbed each other wrong),Sia had been on dozens of jobs with everyone that had been in that particular group. None of them had really gone any differently- well, as long as Cross was a part of the group. If she'd just been with Gideon or Oren, it might have been simplier. Although, she had to admit that the constant silence with Gideon was only a few dozen levels beneath the level of frustration a job with Cross left her with. Oren... Sia actually found it rather easy to avoid his sore points, so she had little problem going on jobs with him.

"We leave tomorrow and I probably got an hour's worth of training," she complained. "What I expected was just a little more than that."

Sera's amusement only grew.

"Don't let Cross hear you whining like that," she mused. "He'll start calling you princess again."

Sia bristled, her head snapping up as she shot a narrow-eyed look at her friend. As the air in the room grew heavier in reaction to Sia's unrestrained emotion, Sera laughed and put her hands up.

"Sorry, sorry, you know I don't mean it, Val."

Sia's frown stayed in place for a moment longer before she sighed once again, dropping her head back into place as she did.

"When you use that nickname I find it hard to believe you," she grumbled.

Sera shrugged in response, spinning on a heel and retrieving a box of chocolate candies from the back counter. She'd been snacking on them earlier, but Sia's story had snagged her attention away from them for a short period of time. Something that was quite a feat, honestly, as Sera was infamous for her sweet tooth within the guild. She'd actually left a member tied up for a day when they ate a piece of pie she'd been saving for herself.

"Believe what you wish," she replied, drawing a small chocolate ball from the box. "Either way, if you're so upset about your training, shouldn't you be out doing it now?"

Sia shook her head, never pulling it away from her arms.

"No. I heard from Kain that everyone is meeting up today to smooth out the final details when it comes to the games. Apparently, we're actually trying to be organized this time."

"It would be a first," Sera said, pausing as she considered the words. "Kain... was Waverly with him? I haven't seen her for some time. Keir said she's feeling better, but she never did return to the guild before setting off on whatever job Keir picked out for the group."

"She was," Sia agreed. "And don't worry, you'll see her soon enough. Kain said they'd be dropping by as soon as the two of them managed to drag Keir out of bed."

Sera cocked a brow.

"He said all that?"

"Well... he said they'd be by later," Sia relented. "Waverly was complaining about Keir's sleeping habits while they walked off, so I assumed the rest."

"Ah."

At that same moment, the door to the guild opened. A quick glance told Sia that the timing of their conversation was impeccable, because there in the doorway stood the tiny, teal-haired mage. Her hair- as per usual- was pulled into two, long ponytails on either side of her head. Her equally teal eyes seemed to scan the guild, before dismissing whatever she saw and turning back to the man- Kain- at her side. His perfectly groomed head of dark-green hair was mostly hidden beneath his usual hat, his own strange eyes just as focused on the girl beside him.

"Waverly!" Sera called out.

The girl glanced at them, frowned slightly, but gave in to whatever quiet words Kain said to her. Within a second the two of them had started for the bar.

"How're you feeling?" Sera asked as soon as they were close. "I heard you ate something you shouldn't have. Where's Rock?"

Waverly shrugged, her disinterest in the topic obvious. Rather, her eyes were stuck on the menu board displayed above the back wall of the bar.

"I'm fine. He's sleeping."

Sera, knowing better than to question the stubborn girl's definition of fine, turned the conversation towards the food she had ready in the kitchen. In turn, Sia turned her own attention away from the group, her mind shifting to the days to come. After the meeting today, she would head home and train the best she could for the games. She wasn't all that certain how useful she would be- but her guild had chosen her.

Her magic was strong, that she knew. What would happen really just depended on how each round played out. She'd gone to watch last year- which meant she had a decent idea of what to expect. The games may vary, but the general idea was the same. A contest and then individual matches... which were most likely where she was going to have a problem. Sia could hold down many opponents at once, but when it came to actually finishing them off without killing them... she had a much easier time of it when her teammates were there.

Still, she would do her best. Sia wasn't about to let her guild down.

"Cross!"

"I'm just looking at it! Calm down, I'll give it back soon!"

Sia shifted her head on her arms, glancing across the room to where the voices originated. Sky, looking rather irritated, was seated at one of the many tables. Seated across from here was a rather tattered looking Hawthorne (he seemed to still be recovering from his "secret" job with Sky); Cross stood next to her, a magazine gripped in his hands.

"Ask before you take things," Sky ordered. "I was reading it."

"You know how to read?" Cross joked, flipping through the pages, his brow furrowing in just the slightest degree as he looked over whatever had caught his attention.

"Why..." Sky began, eyes narrowing. "If I wasn't in a rather good mood, I'd have you eating the floor for that comment."

Cross shrugged, an amused smile playing on his lips.

"My luck, then," he replied good-naturedly. "Say... have you two heard of these guys?"

He settled the magazine down on the table; unfortunately for Sia, it was too far for her to see exactly what he was talking about. Sky glanced down at the magazine, furrowing her brow thoughtfully. Hawthorne- looking as if he really just wanted to escape this situation as a whole (Sky had most likely insisted he sit with her so she could see how he was doing), studied it as well.

"Polar Fox..." he read aloud. "It sounds familiar."

Cross recovered the magazine from the table, his smile never failing. Although, Sia realized, it was far from the usual, genuine smile he always wore. Something that seemed to go over Sky's head as she shrugged and leaned back in her chair.

"I don't remember hearing about them," she announced. "So, they must not be that great."

"Most people haven't heard of us," Hawthorne pointed out. "It's wrong to judge other guilds by that."

"Most people are idiots," Sky decided.

Hawthorne and Sia both sweatdropped. How that concluded the topic, she really wasn't certain. In Sky's mind, however, it seemed to be a perfectly valid answer to it all. Sia raised her head from her arms, watching Cross as he took advantage of Sky's distraction (the woman had dissolved into some rant about how if only Hawthorne would approach Varya about become an S-Class then they would have more renown) and slipped away, the magazine in his hand. When a quick glance at Sera told her that the woman was busy retrieving food from the kitchen for Waverly and Kain, Sia slipped away from the bar and followed the mage to the door. He glanced up at her when she joined him, his smile in place.

"Whatcha need?"

She shrugged, gesturing to the magazine. His reaction to whatever he'd read was strange- and very un-Cross. He was the sort to draw attention to things he took an interest in, not quietly leave to examine it.

"I'm curious. What about that guild caught your attention?"

He shrugged, rolling it up in his hands.

"Nothing interesting," he replied. "Just a guild rumored to be attending the games this year. Got to check out the competition, you know?"

"You're not even involved," Sia countered. "Why would that matter?"

"I'm a back-up," Cross protested. "For all you know, I could get involved! I'm too amazing to be left out of something like this."

"... right. So, I'll take it that this is all I'm going to get out of you on the subject?"

Cross blinked, then stretched one hand up to rub the back of his head.

"Probably," he agreed honestly, that grin of his never faltering. "It's nothing to worry your head about, alright Princess?"

Sia narrowed her eyes, arms crossing over her chest. Cross's grin only grew with how tense she became in that second.

"Cross," she said slowly, her tone far from warm. "If you don't drop it with that damn nickname, you're going to regret it. I'll hit you so hard you forget your own name."

"Haha, alright, Princess. I'll keep that in mind."

Sia's had struck out to grasp a fistful of his shirt, but Cross danced just out of reach, that far too smug grin on his lips. She cursed, then muttered a phrase under he breath, sticking out a single hand. Instantly, the boy was brought to his knees as the gravity around him grew so thick he could barely manage even that. Those nearby quickly moved to different tables and Sky's distinctive, loud laughter hit the air.

"Said one too many things, eh Cross?" She called out.

Cross wisely kept his mouth shut; Sia's hand still in the air, the pale pink, magic seal she'd cast hanging in the air between them.

"When I say shut up, Cross," she warned. "I mean it."

That said, she clenched her first, the heavy atmosphere suddenly disappearing. Then, without another word, she stalked back to the bar. Sky's laughter only grew when instead of picking himself up, Cross simply sprawled across the ground, declaring that Sia's temper was scary. Sia- choosing to ignore him- took up perch her favorite bar stool as Sera appeared from seemingly nowhere with a drink in her hand. Taking it gratefully, Sia knocked it back without a second thought.

"If you said something to me, I would have dealt with him," Sera mused. "Although, I suppose sometimes he does need a bit more of a warning than being tied up."

Sia simply nodded, her attention being caught as yet another individual entered the guild. This time, it was Varya, Lock at her side. The woman was talking excitedly about something, gesturing in the air as if to back up her words. Lock looked no different than usual, meaning that he seemed as patient with their master as ever. After a moment- as if only then realizing that they had just walked into the guild- Varya cut off and looked around, a satisfied expression flashing across her face within seconds as she clapped her hands together with a bright smile.

"Good, you're all here," she declared cheerfully. "That means I don't have to send Lock looking for you! I wanted to know- how many of you are coming with us to the games?"

Sia watched as hands went up, all of them from familiar faces. As expected, the group consisted of: the five of them that were participating, the twins and Waverly (although the latter didn't actually raise her hand, she was too busy eating, but it was doubtful she would be staying behind), Gideon and his sister (Sage), Cross, Sera, and--

"I want to go, too," a familiar voice declared. "Sorry I'm late!"

Appearing in the doorway at that moment- her short, sky-blue hair hanging about her face in a way that made the assumption that she'd run to the guild rather plausible- was Nova. Her ever-constant smile was on her bright face, one hand grasping the black bandana hanging around her neck so she could mop up the sweat beading her face.

"I was caught up with a thing," Nova continued, moving so she could take a seat next to Gideon and Sage. "The candy-store lady was worried about her supplier so I had to go check on him but it turned out that he was being held up by robbers so I had to take them out and turn them over to some people but then those people were worried about their accomplices so--"

Sia sighed, dropping her head the counter as Nova's fast, non-stop explanation sparked a slight throb in the back of her head. Any other time, she would have had no problem listening and deciphering; Nova was a rather fast person and if one wanted to be friends with her, they sort of had to have to developed the ability to understand her speech patterns. At this moment, however, her ability to handle matters was low, given that Cross had shaved off about every ounce of patience she had left in her after that... interesting job.

As it was, she simply focused on sipping on her drink- Sera had refilled it already- while tuning out Nova's explanation for why she was late (even though there was really no need to explain, she wasn't part of the actual team after all). It was only a matter of seconds before the rushed words were finished, most of the guild looking no more certain about the contents of what Nova had actually said than Sia was.

Which was how the conversation easily turned back to the matter at hand- plans for the games. It would seem that they would be staying at an inn that Sera had already contacted and set aside guild funds to pay for. It was unsurprising- Sera usually was the one to deal with practical matters, whereas their Varya dealt with everything else. They would be using the train in a nearby village to transport to the city given that it would be the quickest and most efficient mode of traveling. Most of the details were ironed out rather easily and quickly, Sera even producing a book of the game rules that she had apparently procured (although Sia wasn't sure how as Sera rarely left the guild). Varya seemed rather ecstatic with that part, happily taking the book and holding up to Lock as if she'd just gained some sort of prize.

Sia couldn't help but smile at that sight- the Grand Magic Games were just that for their master, it would seem. They were a game.

A game that was about to start.

"Alright, everyone! Get plenty of rest, we'll be heading out first thing Friday morning!"

As Sia bid Sera farewell- planning to head back home and train however much she could in the limited time they had left- she caught sight of Cross standing towards the far side of the guild. His back was against the wall, the magazine clasped lightly in his hands as he studied it with an expression that was almost akin to a frown. After a moment of watching him, Sia shook her head and continued on her way. Whatever the problem, it would be revealed soon enough.

Polar Fox was rumored to be attending, after all.