Soul started to notice something was off around his first allies, they were much too tense the next day. He was sure others noticed too, and Dezi even asked him why they were like that.
"Don't know." Soul replied, eyes sweeping over the trio. Only Xio seemed to be looking for him, and when he found Soul he grew even more tense. "I think they found something out."
"Like what?" Dezi asked, not knowing Xio could understand what he was saying.
"Don't know." Soul's eyes moved back to Xio, who seemed to have gotten Niya and Teo's attention. "I know I'm the black sheep even from them though."
"I feel like that sometimes too." Dezi's own eyes moved to Xochi and Marino. "Good thing we're allies, right?"
Soul nodded as the door opened for breakfast. Diosa Pan Dulce and Dios Maize were the cooks of the trip, and Soul had been told that their cooking was out of this world.
It was a shame that Soul could only experience the drinks.
"Sorry for dipping on you last night." Xio said "If we knew you were still awake we would have come to tell you about what we found."
"It's alright, I was making friends." Soul shrugged "I think Teo believes I'm trying to coddle you three though."
Xio nodded "He was telling me about that." He agreed.
"You kinda are though." Niya chimed in, eating a stack of pancakes like it was a burger. "I mean, I'm a Gold!"
"It's just how I work." Soul shrugged "I've taken care of many people, I'm used to passively diffusing things."
Xio nodded "That's understandable." he said "And I really do thank you for trying to stop dinner from going nuclear last night."
"But Auristela's just a little bitch." Niya huffed "Sum bullshit if you ask me."
Xio laughed, and Soul's eyes crinkled.
"He eats bananas like a serial killer. Don't you thin-" Teo started, stopping when he saw how Niya was eating "Nevermind."
"Wha'?" Niya asked "I'm carbo loading!"
Xio's laughter grew louder, guava juice quaking in his grip. Even Soul's shoulders were shaking with his silent laughter.
"Oh my gods, I need new friends!" Teo announced, throwing his head back.
"Look, I don't know why you're staring at Aurelio so hard but it's making me uncomfortable." Niya said, shoving Teo's shoulder playfully. Next to her, Soul and Xio were trying to cut their giggles.
"Ssh!" Teo hissed, covering Niya's mouth "I'm not staring!"
"He's totally staring." Soul signed to Xio, the two dissolving into their forms of laughter once again.
"Soul says you're staring." Xio giggled
"Ogling, even. It's creepy, Teo." Niya pointed out, squinting at Teo "Are you trying to undress him with your eyes or what- ?"
"Shut up!" Eyes snapped to the four, causing Teo to slide down his chair in embarrassment.
After a moment, Teo spoke again. Quieter this time.
"I'm glaring at him with disdain, I'm not ogling!" He denied, face still slightly red.
Niya laughed along with Soul, meanwhile Xio looked a little bit apologetic.
This didn't last long, Luna walked in soon enough. The Diosa watched as eyes turned to her before speaking.
"Your clothes for today are already waiting for you to change into." She announced as priests cleared the table
"Change?" Teo blurted "Again?"
Luna's lips pressed into a thin line, but she didn't reply to Teo. "Dios Tierra has kindly arranged for you all to spend the day at the La Cumbre hot springs-"
Excitement rippled across the table.
"Yes" Teo silently cheered, Soul sharing the same sentiment.
"- before welcoming us to his temple tonight for dinner." Luna continued "And I won't have you running around in your training attire." She seemed angry, her dark gaze moving across the competitors. "I expect everyone to be respectful and courteous while we are there. I will not accept anything less. Is that understood?"
No sooner had she dismissed them did Niya vault from her chair and toward the rooming situations. Soul raised an eyebrow, but he too walked toward his room. Soon enough others followed, and Xio was trying to speak with Soul while keeping up with the giant's pace.
"-Wait, do you even know how to wear La Cumbre dress?" Xio paused, right as Soul walked into his room. Others filed passed, few paying any mind to them.
"What is it?" Soul questioned, noticing a bag on his bed. Opening it, he was faced with an outfit made of almost entirely stark white cotton. "Oh."
Xio chuckled "I... guess you haven't?" He inquired "What's it like in the Dead City, anyway?"
"Cold." Soul observed the clothes "Where are we going that we need such little fabric?"
Xio chuckled "La Cumbre is warm, from what I've heard." he replied "They don't wear hoodies and sweats."
"Strange." Soul tilted his head "Can you help a brother out and teach him how to wear this?"
Xio laughed "Sure, lemme change first." He left momentarily, returning in the outfit he'd been provided. "Alright, so this is how you wear this part-"
Twenty minutes later, and the duo were last to meet up with everyone else. Though the twins and Ocelo seemed annoyed, Niya looked overjoyed to see Soul.
"Damn bro!" She said, wrapping an arm around Soul's shoulders "You look hot!"
Soul looked like everyone else, though he'd traded the black scarf that covered his face for a white one. The black one was safely tucked away with the outfit he'd arrived with, in a place where nobody could find it.
"Thank you Niya." Soul replied "You look in your element."
"I am!" She shouted once Xio translated "Say, you should teach me sign! We'd be able to do some cool handshake-communicating shit!"
Soul's eyes crinkled "You're funny."
"Thank you!" Niya smiled, dragging Soul along. Xio and Teo followed behind her, and Luna simply sighed before doing the same. "Man, I kinda wish you guys could see the rest of this place- it's beautiful."
"I'm sure it's citizens are just like you." Xio mentioned, keeping up better than the sluggish Teo.
"I dunno, never met any of 'em!" Niya replied honestly, a fact that shocked her three friends "What?"
"Girl, we gotta get you out more." Teo sighed, watching as she dropped Soul into an aerial cart "What's this?"
"It's so we can get to the mountain!" Niya smiled "And therefore the hot springs!"
"Are you even going to be able to swim?" Xio asked once Soul got up, the cart moving once everyone else was on.
"I wouldn't know how to anyway." Soul shrugged "The only fresh water we get in Dead City is from rain or underground streams."
"You live near a mountain?" Xio tilted his head
"No, there are caves deep where few of us want to go." Soul shook his head "I just hope they're doing good now that I'm gone... I'm their only source of light."
Xio's eyes widened "What happened to the stone?!" He asked, catching the attention of a few others.
"Took it away from us, that's why I protect the city." Soul raised an eyebrow "What did they tell you?"
"They-"
The cart stopped before Xio could reply, everyone getting off.
