"If anyone could, it might as well be you," Ame says with a suggestive lilt.

"I'm not going to get seduced into giving up intelligence by an adventurer."

"Folk tales are hardly 'intelligence'. What's an old myth about driving away sea monsters between friends? I for one would be happy to spin a tale to get some."

"No, just stop. You know how it'd look to Char."

"...Fine."

"Look, I've already said too much to you, alright? Whatever you do, please try not to make things worse."

"Does anyone try to make things worse?" Ame asks rhetorically.

Like, the answer to that question is yes, but, a different kind of yes, and Ame tries to make things better, but better is often subjective-

Ame hops up off of Bys' lap, gives the not-cops a parting wave, and heads with Bys back over in a general Theo-ish direction.

Theo now has a big ice block sitting in the sand behind him, steadily melting away. People are breaking ice cubes off of it. One catgirl is blatantly flirting with him, laying down nearby and stretching and smiling and giggling and applying far too much suntan lotion very sensually and generally making him very uncomfortable. He practically sags in relief when he sees his party returning.

Aw, poor catgirl, she knows not what she must overcome. And here is someone blatantly hotter than you. Who this handsome young wizard doesn't seem at all interested in pouncing on either.

"We have a lead," Ame says lightly as she sprawls out shamelessly on her towel next to him. "Liz back yet?"

"She came by hanging off this guy - literally, with vines - said she'd head back to the hotel later. Hopefully she has fun." Sigh.

(The catgirl - doesn't give up and leave, but pauses, restraining a pout.)

"I think I'm about done here. It was nice for a little while but now, too many people."

Ame flashes the catgirl an apologetic smile.

"Alright. Let's pack up."

"Uh huh." He starts packing, keeping his eyes thoroughly off the attempted flirter. Picks up all his snack and lemonade trash quite conscientiously.

(The attempted flirter shoots Ame a jealous look, then a contemplative one, then holds up three fingers for a hesitant moment before shaking her head and shrugging with her own embarrassed smile and flopping back onto the sand.)

Then they can head back to the magical lockers and retrieve their gear.

Ame dons her Gilded Fetish Armor and her storied Elegant Deepsteel Shortsword and puts her Regenerating Rostgold Hexagon Shield on over her pack, takes her share of the beach stuff to carry, and takes her party (minus Liz) back to the hotel.

Theo is rambling to distract himself. "This gaudy book is going to be useful eventually but I need a week or three to copy the patterns down into it. You can use expensive ink to hang spells on, sort of like spellcubes, but I don't like doing that very much compared to longform casting, but I probably should, I bet I can level that beyond the point where it's too annoying fairly quickly and I'm going to get stomped one day if I don't get better, so..."

Abyssia mostly ignores him. Once they're safely behind walls she says to Ame, "I sort of want to head north to take a look, but maybe we should introduce ourselves to these Silver Spears? I'm worried about the dhar still in Theo if we do, though."

"That... is a good point. I still think we should try to find the right Silver Spear to talk to. Either way, I think we need to know anything at all about whoever is leading the Silver Spear's investigation and what they're after. It didn't sound like not interacting with them is going to be an option."

"It really didn't. We're not locals though, and - authority - mrgh. I haven't always had good experiences with local authorities, you know? But we have to start somewhere, yeah. There's probably a library somewhere in town? Or people who will gossip."

"It's going to suck, yeah. It shouldn't be too hard to find out where the Silver Spears are based, though, if they're a local fixture. We can ask around if they have a headquarters or whatever."

"I wonder if- Hey Theo!"

If Ameron listens closely she might hear, "-the reference space known as Aleph shall-"

"Hey, Theo!"

"-and fuck cancel-null-escape-do not evaluate this-"

He sticks his head through the door adjoining the two inn rooms with a glare. "What."

"-Shit, I interrupted, didn't I? I, uh."

"This is why wizards have a quiet study. Just- What do you need?"

"Sorry. I was wondering if you know any disguise spells, so we could gather information less... Conspicuously. Or to let Ame do that, most likely, she's the best social operator among us I think, in terms of levels even if her approach is very, uh, bold."

Sigh. "Passable minor illusions. Hair color, skin tone maybe. And an I'm-Not-Important thing, because squishy wizard. Nothing for serious spy work."

"...is this one of those times when I'm badly miscalibrated 'cause of growing up in a hive of scum and villainy?"

"...Maybe? I don't know how spies and rogues do things. I'd be terrible at it."

"I mean, I was trying not to do the thing where I wrongly prioritize the things I'd prioritize to stay alive back in the Bay and you all make faces at me. Should I---actually, Bys, what actually did you have in mind with this?"

Also. Ame. A social operator. Hah. Like, when it comes to sex, sure, but that's only because she's min-maxed to hell and back. Elsewise? If they're relying on Ame's social acumen in nonsexual situations, they are almost certainly doomed.

"Uh, someone who doesn't look like a Fischer goes to the library and reads about the Silver Spears and the Diamond Bell. -Because I have a bad feeling about making myself obvious to the Spears, I mean. I don't know why. Maybe someone who doesn't look like a Fischer asks a couple more guards about any other recent trouble, other than the fog thing, something could be connected. Or just, I don't know, I got decent information on what's wrong in town in bars sometimes, just listening to gossip. Though usually it's people trying to con me."

"And I can't go without you because you need to be there to pick up on hints from the whispers, right."

Ame turns to Theo. "Could you hide her Fischer-features?"