*We last left our heroes after Thorn, Lahrne and Kuja strolled in an Adrienne-inspired storm. They head back inside to get out of the rain.*
Kuja: *Wrings the water from his hair.* Stupid rain...
Lahrne: *Shakes the water out of his hair like a dog, spraying both Kuja and Thorn.*
Kuja: Hey!
Thorn: *Closes his eyes.* Simeh.*A gentle wind dries them all off.*
Kuja: Now that's just showing off.
Thorn: *Smiles.*
Kuja: Well, if you want to play the Magick game... *He clicks his fingers and disappears in a flash of light, reappearing a few moments later with a pair of sunglasses and flower garlands around his neck.* The weather is much nicer on Calanoa. Cocktail? *Offers one to Thorn.*
Thorn: Ermm...
Lahrne: *Claps.*
Thorn: Okay... *Shakes his hair and is instantly blonde.*
Lahrne: Cool! *Holds out his hands and closes his eyes, making a carrot appear in them.*
Thorn: That's some nice summoning.
Lahrne: It wasn't supposed to be a carrot...
Thorn: What was it supposed to be?
Lahrne: A three-headed Bandersnatch.
Thorn: Oh.
Kuja: Close. Thorn, you look like a longhaired Lierlo. It's creepy.
Thorn: Oh. *Transforms into Lierlo.* Any better?
Kuja: If by 'better' you mean 'worse...'
Thorn: Hmph. *Transforms back into his true self.*
Kuja: What? I don't really want to go out with Lierlo.
Thorn: Heh heh...
Lahrne: *Has his eyes closed and is grunting some in concentration.*
Kuja: Don't crap yourself.
Thorn: What are you doing?
Lahrne: I wanna do what you did.
Thorn: Oh. You know how?
Lahrne: Nah-ah. *Shakes his head.*
Thorn: If you know a person well enough, you recognise their voice and if you're good, you can do an impression of them. The same goes for transformation, if you've seen someone enough times, you can make an impression of their body onto yourself with a bit of Magick.
Lahrne: Okay.
Kuja: Pfft, I don't know why you want to shapeshift anyway. It's not like it's the best bit of Magick in the world.
Lahrne: I bet you can't do it.
Kuja: Well... no.
Lahrne: Hah hah, my dad is so much more awesome than you!
Kuja: Oh shut up.
Lahrne: *Closes his eyes again, concentrating hard. He is talking to himself quietly. He then slowly transforms into Thorn.*
Thorn: You did it!
Lahrne: Doubly awesome!
Kuja: Get a few more people to do that and you can have your own Thorn army.
Thorn: Heh heh... maybe not.
Lahrne: I'm my own daddy!
Thorn: You've got it perfect... It's like looking into a mirror.
Kuja: Ooh, both of you do the same thing at the same time!
Lahrne: *Mimics Thorn's exact pose and expression.*
Thorn: *Laughs*
Lahrne: *Laughs too.* Kuja, close your eyes.
Kuja: Why?
Lahrne: Go on, close your eyes!
Kuja: *Shrugs.* Fine. *He closes his eyes.*
Lahrne: Let's swap around so he can't tell who's who! *Giggles.*
Thorn: Err... okay.
Lahrne: *Runs around Thorn a few times and then stands next to him.* Okay, open your eyes.
Kuja: *Opens them.*
Lahrne: Guess who's who?
Kuja: You're Lahrne.
Lahrne: How did you know?
Kuja: Because Thorn wouldn't do something as stupid and pointless as this.
Thorn: Well… *Transforms into Lahrne.* You were wrong!
Lahrne: I am actually Thorn.
Kuja: But you... oh, never mind.
Thorn: Only joking. *Transforms back to himself.*
Lahrne: *He changes back too.* Fooled you!
Kuja: *Smiles.* I hate you both so very, very much.
Thorn: *Laughs.*
Lahrne: You're just jealous! *Sticks out his tongue.*
Kuja: *Sticks out his tongue back at him.*
Thorn: Okay. I think that's enough Magicking for one day.
Lahrne: But it's fun.
Thorn: Hey, the thing about Dark Angels... or part-Dark Angels… is if they do too much Magick, they faint for a week. And you're young… I don't want you lying unconscious for so long.
Lahrne: Okay, I'll stop now.
Kuja: Besides, there are other things to do than Magick. Have you ever considered the exciting prospects of board games?
Lahrne: They're okay. I like Monopoly.
Kuja: Really?
Lahrne: But it's not as fun as Magick.
Kuja: Okay, what else is there to do around here? How about saving the world?
Lahrne: *Laughs.*
Kuja: Go shopping, go get pissed at the pub like a bunch of morons. Help me out here, Thorn. What else is there to do?
Thorn: Nothing else much.
Kuja: Well, I can think of something else but...
Thorn: ...Maybe not in front of Lahrne.
Lahrne: ...
Kuja: Why don't you go and play with Kitzie, Lahrne? She'll need some non-sock company now Ana's tiny.
Lahrne: It feels weird that I'm the same age as Kitzie...
Kuja: But I've heard she's quite fun to play with, as long as you let her win at everything. She doesn't like to lose. She ends up chewing things.
Thorn: Like socks, game boards...
Lahrne: *Laughs some.* Okay! *He goes off to find Kitzie.*
Kuja: So Thorn, alone again...
Thorn: Yeah... I'm glad all this is over now. Everyone knows.
Kuja: Yeah, it's better to have things out in the open.
Thorn: *Nods.*
Kuja: As I was saying... So Thorn, alone again... *He moves towards him.*
Thorn: Talk about cutting to the chase... *Kisses Kuja.*
Kuja: *Hugs Thorn tightly.*
Thorn: I love you.
Kuja: You know how good those few words sound?
Thorn: Yeah.
Kuja: I know I'm not Adrienne, but I'll try and make you just as happy as she did.
Thorn: You already do.
Kuja: *Smiles.* Lahrne's a good kid, you know?
Thorn: Yeah, he is.
Kuja: Want to trade him for Ana? *Grins.*
Thorn: *Laughs.*
Kuja: So, in the end, everything turned out okay after all.
Thorn: I guess it did.
Kuja: I shouldn't have said that. Something new and horrible is bound to happen now.
Thorn: Oh, it will anyway, whatever you said won't stop it.
Kuja: But if and when it does come, we'll be ready. *Leans against Thorn.*

*That night, when Kuja and Thorn are in bed, Lahrne squeezes in between them.*
Kuja: Mmn... Thorn, move over.
Thorn: Huh? Kuja? Did you...?
Kuja: What?
Thorn: Oh, Lahrne. I think... what are you doing here?
Lahrne: I can't get to sleep...
Thorn: Oh, you can sleep here, that's okay.
Kuja: *Grumbles.*
Lahrne: *Snuggles up to Thorn.*
Thorn: Okay, let's get to sleep.
Kuja: Lahrne, get your foot out of my kidneys.
Lahrne: Sorry.
*After a few minutes, Lahrne starts to wriggle about.*
Kuja: Can't you stay still?
Lahrne: I've got an itch.
Kuja: Scratch it then and stop moving so much!
Lahrne: *Carries on wriggling.*
Kuja: *Growls.*
Lahrne: It won't go away.
Kuja: Where is it?
Lahrne: On my back.
Kuja: *Scratches Lahrne's back hard.* There, now go to sleep!
Lahrne: Um...
Kuja: What?!
Lahrne: You didn't scratch the itchy bit...
Kuja: Grr! That's it! I'm going to sleep in my own room! *He leaves.*
Lahrne: Hee hee hee... *Stretches out, taking up the space.*

*The next morning, Lahrne is still in Thorn's bed, and Kuja still isn't.*
Lahrne: *Prods Thorn in the back repeatedly.*
Thorn: Ow... ow... oh, Lahrne.
Lahrne: It's morning.
Thorn: So it is.
Lahrne: You gonna get up?
Thorn: Mmmeh... *Puts his pillow over his head.*
Lahrne: *Pokes him again.*
Thorn: Ow... okay, I'll get up.
Lahrne: Good! Get out of bed! Get out of bed!
Thorn: *Gets out of bed.*
Lahrne: *Consumes the space he left in the bed.* Hee hee...
Thorn: Uh? Where's Kuja?
Lahrne: He went to his own room last night.
Thorn: Let me guess? You forced him out?
Lahrne: No... *Smiles innocently.*
Thorn: *Laughs and gets dressed.*
Lahrne: Warm bed... Mmm.
Thorn: Well, seeing as I got up, I'm figuring you should do the same so we can get to breakfast.
Lahrne: But... bed... warm!
Thorn: But... breakfast... yummy!
Lahrne: Okay, only 'cos I'm hungry. *Gets out of the bed.*

*On the way down to breakfast, Kuja, Tifanel and Li seem to have met halfway.*
Tifanel: Hey Kuja. *Sniggers.*
Li: Where's your boyfriend? *Sniggers too.*
Thorn: Here I am. Did you want me for something?
Li: So, women and men? Will you be shagging animals next?
Tifanel: *Laughs.*
Kuja: Shut the hell up! *Charges some Magick in his hands.*
Thorn: Kuja, stop it.
Kuja: Fine. *Dissipates the Magick.* But they so deserve it.
Li: Yeah, Kuja. Listen to your sweetheart Thornikins. *He and Tifanel walk off laughing.*
Thorn: Retaliation is just what they want. Ignore them.
Kuja: *Is staring after them, his eyes blazing with anger.* Only if they ignore me...
Thorn: They'll get bored eventually. If they don't, I'll have words with them.
Lahrne: You oughta kick their butts.
Thorn: I... I don't want to.
Kuja: Don't worry, Lahrne. I'll kick them.
Lahrne: Yeah! I'll help too! *Starts punching and kicking the air.*
Thorn: Yeah, so... we should get down to breakfast.