Someone Lost

After the meeting Lucy was free to do whatever she wanted. She would informed about any potential issues at Kaufen that would require her expertise. She had bigger worries than that right now. Planck was nowhere to be found. She checked in his room, she asked servants whether they've seen him; she even manifested another Monster Pups event. None of that brought her any closer to finding him.

Think, where could he be. More importantly, why can't I make him appear?

Dreams were weird. Dream logic was a thing, although calling it logic was an insult to actual logic. Sometimes you would try to fly and you just end up awkwardly floating. Sometimes manifesting giant dogs is easy and having a person appear impossible.

I haven't checked the stables. It's quite improbable he's hanging out with dogs, but maybe Kleine can help.

Royal stables were much livelier that day and Kleine was happy to get out of there. Bloodhounds were being prepared for a mission and some guards needed to get their dogs to renew their dog school license. Lucy took her somewhere more secluded and told her to sit. She gave her some head pats.

-It's okay my baby, it's okay. Everyone has a very important job to do. Including you. Find Planck.

Kleine tilted her head a bit to understand her better. She stood up and started sniffing around. After a few spins it seemed as if she found a lead.

-Good girl! I'll give you lots of wolf apples afterwards.

Lucy followed Kleine throughout many streets of Universel. Her sniffing eventually lead them out of the city, to a meadow just outside of the capital. Kleine run into the flower field and after some sniffing returned with a flower in her teeth.

-Bird of paradise? Good thinking, we can just follow it! You're so smart, obviously pets take after their owner.

Lucy took the flower out of Kleine's mouth and whispered Planck's name. It withered.

-Huh?

Lucy picked a whole bouquet.

-Maybe it was just old, or maybe he's just too far away and it couldn't fly that far. We'll have to check at various places. Let's get going Kleine, it will be a long day.

Kleine's ears lowered a bit. She was clearly upset her idea didn't work and felt Lucy's sadness.

-It's okay! We'll find him, I promise.

She said that, but it is very hard to keep your emotions hidden from an entity made of your thoughts. There was no point in her searching. Eventually she would find him. A unique opportunity was presented to Lucy: a day without Planck.

-Girls' day out it is. Just you and me Kleine. There is a lot I haven't explored yet. Where do we start...

***

Town Square was home to merchants of all kinds; regular farmers selling their crops, inventors trying to justify their innovations, and weirdly dressed sellers of exotic items, but also regular shops, restaurants and administrative buildings. There were scammers too; cunning card players, swift 'keep your eyes on the ball' type of people. As for people, many traveled with their dogs, but riding them on the town square wasn't allowed without a permit.

A bit overweight, older man wearing a black waistcoat stopped moving the cups. A young man picked one of them.

-Tough luck boy, ball was in this cup.

-That's impossible, I followed it with my eyes!

-That's what they all say, if you don't wanna try again get lost.

-I'd like to play.

-Ho-ho, and what are you going to bet?

-My dog. In exchange for everything you've got here.

Kleine needed to do a double take. She couldn't believe what she heard. Is that Lucy's idea of a girls' day out? She had more napping and snacking in mind when she heard it.

-It is a rare breed, first time I've seen one so big. But my entire stock? I don't know. Well, actually why not, let's play. Don't let loose the sight of the ball miss. Or else your friend is my.

Around Lucy and the gray haired gambler gathered a small crowd. He decided to give them a small show. For how old he seemed he was overly dexterous and you could hear his joints working. With some cups, he did a 360 degree turn to show they're empty, the ball was constantly going full length of the table.

-Don't worry about that, I know where the ball is.

Gambler stopped and a wry smile appeared on his face.

-Is that so? Then tell me, where is it?

-Right there.

-I'm sorry, but—

Gambler picked up the cup and there was a ball. He flipped the other cups to check for a ball - nothing.

-But... The ball wasn't there.

-That's what they all say. Now everyone who's lost to him, take what you lost. Come Kleine, I feel like buying something.

Kleine slowly followed Lucy with her ears and tail pointing to the ground.

-Oh, don't go sulking on me. You know Miss Fortune has her eyes just for me. I'd never risk losing you. How about we shop a bit later and eat something right now?

Food worked on Kleine really well. World could be ending, but she'd still wag her tail if there was a roasted chicken to eat.

Girls stopped in front of a clockwork themed place. Handle, windows, tables - everything shaped like a clockwork. Despite it looks, it smelled and looked like a place serving something very good to eat.

I think it was... Eatomaton? How come I never visited here?

-Come Kleine, this will be interesting.

Girls entered the restaurant. Eatomaton was a place where Automatons brought you something to eat. Back when she thought of it, she was hyped to visit, and then forgot about it. Seemed like being a loner had its benefits, you could revisit old ideas.

Lucy took a seat on the most uncomfortable chair imagined. It was built of many small mechanical parts to fit the theme. Kleine, who was sitting on the floor, had ironically enough better sitting experience. A server appeared. It was dark yellow, moving with caterpillar tracks and was very thing, excluding its mechanical core which made a 'tick' sound at regular intervals.

-A whole roast chicken for my friend, and a bowl of everything for me.

No matter how much you ate in a dream, you wouldn't get any fatter. In fact, humans burn calories just by existing, so technically, she ate and lost weight at the same time. A true dream.

Server returned with a plate of chicken and a bowl of everything; sliced meat, salads, fries, rice, three sauces, sliced fruits, beef buns, chicken pie, 10 pieces of sushi, a lasagna, and several drinks to wash it all down.

Kleine yet again needed to make a double take. Lucy was small, her meal was big. She was big, her meal was small. How is that fair?

-Fine, I'll share, but just a bit. I won't get fat but I don't know about you. Haven't you been getting chonkier lately?

-Wrr.

-I'm kidding, relax. Here, have a bun.

On the outside, two men were passing by.

-Hey, is that the royal advisor eating at the clankers booth?

-Shut up, what if she hears you? I don't wanna get dragged into anything.

There's a slur for everything, huh? Where did I hear that one? Human or not, as long as they have a lice—

Sudden realization hit Lucy. She also needed to renew Kleine's license.