PSEUMINO, VENTO AUREO.

✦.⁺ nonplus.

═ ☆. THE TRIO WAS SEATED AT AN outdoor table, surrounded by potted bushes and music drifting from the speakers. Narancia and Fugo were sitting opposite you, Narancia going cross-eyed at the French names of the dishes while Fugo took periodic sips from his glass of ice water. Glassware and cutlery clinked on top of the hum of conversation. It had been a while since you had eaten at such an elegant restaurant. You might have enjoyed yourself if you weren't afraid of every passing person being Squalo or Tiziano.

With everyone gathering after the chaotic day you'd gone on their missions, the pieces had snapped into place. Signor D was a faculty member at Sapiena. That explained why so many students were going missing. He'd been using Sale, Zucchero and Luca to round up potential Stand users. These students were then directed to the Napoli Centrale, where an abandoned bathroom stall contained a turtle with a hidden room. If the students were able to access it, they would be picked up by either Sqalo or Tiziano, two of the more executive members of Signor D's posse and supposedly the only two who knew Signor D's identity. Something would happen, a test of some sort presumably, and then a meeting would be arranged here, at this restaurant with Signor D.

It still wasn't clear what Signor D's endgame was. Research of some kind, but for what and who, everyone still wasn't sure. His pool wasn't just limited to students at Sapiena, so you had no clue just how many Stand users he had. For now, your best bet was to hope Squalo and Tiziano would show up here. Between Fugo's Purple Haze and Narancia's Aerosmith, you had to yield something.

It was all just one wild goose chase. This person pointing to that person, and that person to this one. No one had concrete information, and the group still didn't know who Signor D was. Every student that reported being harassed or a business that filed complaints made your stomach turn. What did Signor D want? What were all of those Stand users being paid for?

"Business here has been declining," Fugo murmured, pulling you from your thoughts. "There's been talk of the restaurant taking a break."

Narancia huffed. "Yeah, I don't blame them. I don't know what half the dishes they're serving are, and there are no pictures."

Fugo shoved his shoulder. "It has nothing to do with that. The patrons here have been complaining about the food. They've been seeing things in the soups and drinks. The toilets here are being overrun by something too."

"Like what?" Narancia asked. "Rats or roaches?"

"A Stand would be more likely," said Fugo.

But for what? Did Signor D just have a personal vendetta against this restaurant in particular? But then why was he choosing to meet here with potential Stand users? Maybe he was planning to move his operations somewhere else and using it as an excuse to take this place down.

You reached to take a sip from your glass of water. As you did, you jolted at the sight of something stirring among the ice cubes. Something grey, flicking from side to side. When you blinked, the thing was gone. Looking at Fugo and Narancia's drinks, there was nothing in them but water and ice.

You dropped your hand back in your lap, not feeling thirsty anymore. It was stupid, but you had thought the thing looked a little like... well, like a shark fin. But in what universe did that make sense? It must have been the reflection of a bug flying by or a leaf falling.

Didn't I tell myself I wouldn't be writing anything off anymore?

"You good?" Narancia raised his eyebrows. "Something wrong with your water?"

"It's nothing," you muttered. A waiter came by then to take your order. Fugo ordered easily, the French words flowing from his mouth. You thought you heard the word for soup in there somewhere. Not very confident in your French, you pointed your order out in the menu. After an agonizing minute, Narancia just asked the waiter to bring him anything that didn't have meat.