Harriot looked at the mist above the lake warily. This was something that even he needed to be wary of, for it was the guardian of the lake underneath, and only those recognized by the lake could enter.

Yes, being a Dao Lord could allow him to exert his strength and power, but within the Primordial Garden, that strength only went so far. Even then, this remained merely a garden, and not a Mature realm, which is why some of the genuine horrors of the Primordial Age were destined to never be recreated.

"You are being summoned," he spoke into the mist, and waited for the Waddle Brigade to come out on their own.

Deep from within the mist, sounds of something moving through the water could be heard.

Meanwhile, the other Dao Lords of the Primordial Garden convened, very seriously discussing the most critical issue of the moment.

"Shall we forgo refreshment? I feel like if we bring refreshments of our own, the Innkeeper will take offence to that," said one of the Dao Lords.

A murmur of discussion swelled within the room as they all voiced their opinions.

"He has taken to following a theme of mortal foods and services. It is his way of informing the other Dao Lords not to expect such service again because he is mostly focused on catering to mortals. If we, then, provide high quality food, the contrast will be informing them that the Primordial Garden is welcoming them to come again," said one of them.

His words seemed to get a lot of approval.

"Truly, he is a genius of hospitality. To provide his guests with a novel experience while simultaneously using it as a method to inform them that they should not get too comfortable... the dichotomy of utility and purpose found within his lemonade is legendary. I vote that, henceforth, lemonade should be the recognised beverage of the Primordial Garden," said another.

"We're getting off topic again. We have been instructed to provide

entertainment, not refreshments. The Queen is satisfied with the arrangement of foods and services. The venue also cannot be changed. Please, stay on topic," said one of the presiding Dao Lords for the literal millionth time.

"No, I disagree. Summoning the Waddle Brigade indicates that she considers services as a part of entertainment. I suggest that we include a farmers market, as well as show off some of the garden's specialities," said another.

"You can just summon Oaka if you want to sell some items - why have a whole farmers market?"

"GUYS! WHEN WILL WE FOCUS ON ENTERTAINMENT?!?"

"What does entertainment even mean? I say we challenge them to a fight to the death - the thrill of a good fight is certainly entertaining..."

The senate conveners sighed, well aware that this was not a discussion that would conclude quickly. It wasn't like the senate members could be blamed either - they all just wanted to find a way to attend the tea party themselves.

"I have an idea. How about we all perform as a choir?" asked one of the Dao Lords, and suddenly the whole room started to voice their agreements. At least it was a step in the right direction.

Meanwhile, Eclipse, Nulli, and Mary were still at the tavern, having a very important discussion.

"I appreciate the gesture, but I really cannot accept a massage," said Mary. "I need to see to the guests and the party!"

Nulli seemed especially disappointed.

"Look, you don't have to go bareback if you don't want to. A bikini is also good enough to accept the massage. You can even wear a really thin shirt if you wish, that shouldn't be a problem either," she said, looking at Mary with hope,

Mary just rolled her eyes. It was a good thing Nulli was an exceptionally beautiful woman, or else her overly eager behavior would have been interpreted as harassment. Well, Mary still considered it harassment, but someone else might be okay with it.

"You two enjoy, and please, if you need anything, do call me," said Mary, waving at the two as she departed.

There was no way she was accepting a massage, and that had nothing to do with Nulli's behavior or intentions. It wasn't even the fact that she was a projection - such things hardly mattered at this point to beings on such a high level.

Instead, it was because her soul was intertwined with the system, and if someone touched her they might be able to discreetly probe the nature of her existence. Furthermore, compared to all the other Dao Lords who so easily became her fans, she felt like Nulli and Eclipse were fathomless beings that were difficult to see through. Nulli's comment about her being a Celestial yet not having the energy signature of one was both abrupt and unnecessary, which meant she was alluding to something else entirely.

Mary didn't know what she had noticed, but it was best to keep her distance. "What do you think?" Eclipse asked as she watched Mary leave.

Nulli wore a smirk and swirled her drink in her glass as she silently stared at the departing redhead before she answered.

"I got mixed notes, so I can't distinguish what her smell was," Nulli finally answered. "It's different from the Innkeeper, yet impressive nevertheless. I suspect she has transitioned from her original race - maybe she became a spirit. That confidence, though, was not fake. If I had pushed her farther, I feel like she would have attacked me, and that takes a whole other kind of courage." Instead of being offended, or alarmed at the thought of being attacked, Nulli felt excited. When had she feared a fight? Never. Eclipse was the only being she would rather avoid picking a fight with, at least after what happened last time.

Eclipse gave Nulli an odd look.

"No, I mean about the Waddle Brigade. What do you think about getting a massage from them? Do you think it will suffice, or shall I make other arrangements? And why the hell were you smelling Mary? Have you really developed some kind of fetish since we last met?"

Nulli froze.