Minuet's Story

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Thick, downy flakes of the purest white drifted down lazily from their momentary perches in the sky, alighting on anything that crossed their paths and prevented further descent. Quite a few of the trees were barren, their only foliage being the snow itself, while others were still uncharacteristically green and lush, the colors peeking cheerfully out from beneath the small drifts of snow on their leaves. It was strange… but calm and peaceful. Silence reigned in the forest, only occasionally interrupted by the soft, melodious calls of birds still within the area.

Large, deep blue eyes peered up from beneath the boughs to look skyward in wonder, blinking steadily as the snow fell about the only individual around in this white expanse. The air fogged visibly as warmth came to embrace cold, a breath exhaled softly through parted lips to ascend to the heavens. Small footprints left in the snow trailed behind the singular soul, stopping where she had stopped to experience this wonder. She seemed to be frozen, just as the landscape around her was, but in the next moment that thought melted away just as the ice does in spring. She raised a hand, stretching it out towards the sky and the hidden sun, and pointed gently with her index finger.

A little snowflake floated down to land on the cloth covering her outstretched digit, and settled there. Her hand was brought down, close to her face, and those same blue eyes that had been filled with wonder moments before, softened to display a quiet but expressive joy, and Minuet’s lips pressed gently against one another in a simple, content smile. The snowflakes in LAIOS weren’t as detailed or unique as those in real life, but they came close enough. The fragile ice sculpture that was caught on her glove melted away with her next breath, but Minuet was already gazing upwards again, to the clouded sky, where others of its kind fell like feathers.

It was Christmas Eve, and where others found joy and laughter, it was a melancholy experience for her like she knew it had to be for so many other players. She had taken the time to think on it though, not to suppress it and hope for the best, but to accept it and move forward. Sure, she was missing out on family and warmth and the general buzz of the holidays, but it wasn’t impossible to find something similar here. She had Luka, after all, and it was almost… nice that everything was so peaceful and quiet. Minuet had always wondered what it would be like to have a quiet Christmas out in the countryside, to wander through forests in the snow with no one else but your own thoughts or someone you held dearly to your heart. This game allowed her to experience that, though having code as that companion wasn’t exactly what she had been imagining, she was more than glad to take it.

Pulling her hood of blue with white trim a little bit further on her head to ensure that her ears did not grow cold with the winds that played and tumbled about like wolf pups, she continued on her journey to Vael, leaving fresh prints behind where the old had slowly begun to fill with the falling snow. It would still be good- the Christmas season. With the event that their AI Game Master had revealed to them, so many people would be returning to Vael from the higher-level towns and from journeys both near and far to gather together and participate or even just watch. No doubt Mononoke and NocturnalKiss would be there. It would be good to see them again, and maybe she would even see some other semi-familiar faces. While many people would be there, she wasn’t very worried for Luka, who currently lay slumbering in the pack that was secured on her back around both shoulders and underneath her cloak. This was something to be enjoyed and treasured, and she was glad to be sharing it with him; besides, she wouldn’t miss an event for the world. She just had to get there first, which shouldn’t take too long. She still had a ways to go, but she was in the area and just had to make her way through the fields to the actual town.

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Augur stood firmly at the height of a hill, soberly gazing down into the valley that held the seafaring town of Vael. It had been a while since he had visited the lower-level town, but it was good to be back, even if he wasn’t exactly greeted by the ocean air and cries of gulls. Instead it was a winter wonderland, completely decked out for the season. The water was mostly frozen over, from what he could tell, in regards to the bay close to the docks. Speaking of the cold, very small, fine snowflakes drifted from the cloudy, bright grey sky, and suddenly a cold wind kicked up, running against the angles of his face and causing his hair to whip about. It didn’t seem to bother him, though, his facial features not shifting an inch despite the short bash of the low temperatures. One hand rested lazily in his front left pocket, the other simply resting at his side as his jaw set lightly while he thought on the time of year. Seeing the town decorated for Christmas, with a large tree in the center of the town that couldn’t possibly be missed- it was like a new landmark for their world- only brought bitterness to Augur’s heart where joy and happiness should be instead. He couldn’t really be blamed though, being stuck in a soulless video game will do that to a guy.

The weather shifts and makeovers for the town only reminded him further of what he was missing- his real life. No doubt those he knew would be worried sick about him, certainly by now, and it hurt him to think about them being down on Christmas. There were real experiences that he was missing, actual memories that he could be making, laughter to be had, and a break from his job which he definitely needed right about now. Where others might find something to occupy themselves with, to forget about being stuck in this virtual reality, Augur found it only reminding him more of what he was losing.

He was glad that at least some people could enjoy themselves. He just wasn’t among those fortunate enough to do so.

A miserable croak to his immediate right broke him from his thoughts, and he turned slightly to bring his companion into his field of vision. While the cold didn’t bother him, as he had a perfectly suitable jacket, his poor amphibian couldn’t say the same. Her limbs were tucked closely to her body, and he could feel her give a slight tremble in order to keep warm. A very gentle frown touched his lips as he lifted a hand and ran a ringed finger against her smooth head. Maybe he could have a little coat tailored for her- no doubt she would need it beyond this event when they really started to make transactions in Ventri. They could even match. The ensuing picture that followed brought a small, almost wry smile to his lips. …He would make the most of this Christmas, seeing as he wasn’t getting out of this game anytime soon.

He did admit that he was excited for the event, plus the added bonus that most players in the world would be gathering there. That meant there was a chance to run into Cain, as well as others he knew- a prospect that wasn’t entirely half bad. It would also be good to grind a bit on the event monsters that would spawn, not to mention seeing the holiday-only creatures would be exciting in its own right as well. What could he say? Monsters were his passion. It had already been an experience to see how the original game beasts reacted to this change in weather, but for the most part, it had seemed that the spawns had been reduced and most monsters didn’t bother showing their faces to the cold which they were unfamiliar with.

Another little burble emanated from his Lotty, and with that he spurred himself down the hill to the warmth and bustle of the town of Vael.

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The archways of the town’s entrance stood prominent in Minuet’s field of view, the snow still falling lightly and adding a light chill to the air. It was decorated for the holidays, with red and green wreathing twirled about the stone. She could already see the massive tree that stood in the middle of the town- it was impossible to miss, after all. She stood at one of the entrances to Vael, simply looking around in wonder to take in the massive change that the city had undergone. While Ventri would have probably been the first choice for the winter event, since it was actually in a snow biome, Minuet was glad that it was at the otherwise warm, seafaring village of Vael. It made enough sense anyway, since everyone’s levels fell right into the range of this town. It was nice that everyone would get the chance to participate in the event. Actually, was anyone even in the level range for Ventri? Minuet only knew of it from the information that had been on the game, listing the towns. The upper towns must be very lonely…. She thought to herself, a frown having managed to pull at the corners of her lips despite the cheer of the season.

A little chatter at her feet pulled her from those thoughts, and a smile immediately replaced the frown that had been there mere seconds before. Luke peered up at her with calm, affectionate, and warm eyes from his perch on her shoe. His long ears flickered to attract more of her attention, and he pawed at the toe of her boots while letting out another chitter, his tail wrapped around her ankle to keep him from falling forward as he was a bit too big to be sitting where he was. He had woken up about halfway through Minuet’s journey to the town and had emerged sleepily from her pack to cling to her shoulder with his front paws while the hind legs rested on her back to support him. How long had she been standing here, that he had crawled down to rest on the top of her foot, and how had she not noticed until now?


Luka shifted his weight slightly to his hind legs, arching his neck to look straight up at her, the back of his head now resting gently on her shin and one of his front paws bent slightly at the wrist. His jaws parted slightly and his upper lip curled back over his canine tooth as he gave her a sort of lopsided grin. This produced a chiming laugh from Minuet’s lips, her hand raising to hide her mouth as she did so. Luka seemed exceedingly pleased by having drawn her from her darker thoughts, like he had done so many times in the past.

Minuet spent a few moments to hold his searching gaze, her smile now content and loving; she really would do anything for him. She owed him at least that much, and yet Luka didn’t have the slightest notion of expecting anything from her but her companionship. …Well, maybe her cooking too.

”Alright you nut, let’s get going.” Another laugh accompanied her affectionate words, and she lifted her shoe to shake him off. Luka hopped forward with a complaining but playful chirp. Minuet honestly wondered how he would do in the snow, him having never experienced it before- or at least to her knowledge he hadn’t. There was a very light film of snow on the ground, though obviously the roads within the town would be free from it considering there were so many feet moving it around and tracking it places. He reacted much like she thought he would.

Luka took a few hesitant steps in the wet material, shaking each paw individually with every step he took- a futile effort, to be sure. He looked back at her with a begrudging look before shooting back towards her form. Minuet let out a little squeal and quickly twirled away from his racing form. ”Not with those wet paws you’re not!!” She laughed, refusing to let him clamber back up her form with cold, wet feet. Luka suddenly plopped his rear onto the ground and folded his ears back, his tail thrashing wildly on the pavement like a pouting child having a tantrum. Minuet laughed, and Luka let out a loud whine before his ears were then perking up once more and his face lit up cheerfully, practically prancing back to Minuet’s side. So it seemed that the snow hadn’t actually really bothered him much and he was just making a show of it. Classic Glitch, she thought wryly, though it was much the same for her- she had been playing when she had refused to let him climb her; it didn’t matter if he was sopping wet and full of mud, she would still grab him and hold him close to her form to protect him from the elements if the need arose. Motioning with her hand for the two of them to head into the town, Luka and Minuet happily made their way along.

It was slow going, but that was at Minuet’s discretion, as she couldn’t help but take the time to stop and watch what was going on around her. From children running around throwing snowballs or just playing tag in the snow piles that had accumulated at the edges of the sidewalks and roads as well as anywhere else it had amassed, to the laughter and singing of others while they ran or walked together under the holiday decorations and cheer, to the handful of people ice skating on the now frozen-over bay. It really was Christmas Eve, even if it was in a fake world. Luka happily trailed beside her, keeping step with her speed paw for foot. He was looking around constantly as well- he always enjoyed it whenever they were in a town, as it was rather rare for him since the duo spent most of their time out in the fields. It had only been quite recently that Minuet had begun to really frequent civilization again.

Minuet wasn’t just here for the event, whether that be the Holiday décor or the actual monster battles on the morrow, but to reconnect with the few friends she had as well. No doubt they would be here for the event and the crowds, whether that mean business or compassion. It would be really good to see Mono and hopefully Nocturnal as well. She was actually kind of hoping to crash at Moe’s place for the few days that she and Luka would be in town for. If Nocturnal had a house in Vael, she’d probably ask her as well, but she wasn’t actually sure whether she did or not. She’d have to find one of them first, of course, but for now she sought Kiss, since she was more sociable and most likely easier to find. If she ran into Moe, she’d of course be eager to reconnect with her, but figuring for the holidays, she guessed that Noc would be at the local inn, which was where Min was headed to look first.

As they progressed toward their intended destination, Luka raced ahead, eager to get someplace warm and hopefully see Kiss with cookies or some other goodie for him. Minuet’s eyes widened and she reached a useless hand out towards his rapidly disappearing form. She tried to settle the worry the suddenly spurred up within her- she couldn’t expect to keep him on a tight leash forever, he was just as curious about the world as she was. Besides, nothing bad would happen to him- probably, at least. That thought only spurred her forwards, though at a careful pace so she wouldn’t get ahead of herself and end up tripping or slipping on the slush all over the ground. She wanted to run after him, but honestly it wouldn’t do any good. If anything, he would be waiting for her at the door of the inn to open it for him, or, if he managed to slip in as a player opened the door to leave, she would find him with Kiss if she were there, or… somewhere in the inn. He would come if she called… probably. Minuet used this seemingly sound logic to calm herself, and she proceeded along to the Gold Gallion. However, as she came up a slight incline in the road and the inn came into view, she was not expecting to find what she did.

Luka had run forward with abandon, the cheer and excitement of the holidays fueling his legs and pushing him closer and closer to their intended destination. However, once he reached the inn, he was faced with something rather menacing that blocked his path. A large black tiger, an actual pet that the game intended to exist, stood in Luka’s way- a threat in many different ways. The normal coding seemed to clash with his own programming, sending warnings jolting all throughout his form and causing major discomfort and a subtle crackling sound. His need for self-preservation was kicking in and warning him not to come into contact with the original strand of code. The animal was on its last legs as well- he could tell- and that meant that it had to have feral tendencies already showing. Overall, Luka was wickedly concerned and put off by the tamed creature’s presence. He suddenly came to a halt a few feet from the feline guard at the inn, spreading his feet and his hackles rising, quill-like feathers suddenly brushing against each other to make a rattling sound, much like a rattlesnake would to warn those around it not to get too close or else it would lash out. Something between a bark and a screech escaped his maw, and he suddenly bounded up the rather unfortunate soul that stood awkwardly a few feet from a beast player who undoubtedly was the owner of the tiger. Something about her also hyped his wariness.

Minuet had arrived on the scene in a rush, having broken out of her walk once she spotted what was happening. Luka felt threatened, and that definitely wasn’t a good thing. A girl with fox ears stood blocking Minuet’s view of whatever Luka had climbed up to achieve the vantage point on the offenses that stood in his vicinity.

”Luka!!” She called out with worry in her voice, feet pattering loudly on the stone as she tried to put herself between her companion and whatever was bothering him. Minuet made her way around the fox girl swiftly, giving her plenty of space, and reaching out to where she knew her pet would be. However, what she was met with had her faltering, her previously outstretched fingers curling back slightly as she came to a dead halt.

Luka was perched- rather comfortably- on the shoulder of a demon player, hackles still raised and warning sounds still rattling his quills as his back was arched. Luka… was sitting on a complete stranger? That was the initial fact that had her stopping dead in her tracks. The second, it seemed, was her getting distracted by said complete stranger and the complications of Luka having had no qualms about making contact with him.

Her arm, which had been outstretched with her hand a few inches from his form, was pulled to her chest with a lightly held fist at her collar bone. She looked at this taller individual, gentle blue softly locked onto rich orange, and all other sounds seemed to drown out for a second or two as Minuet blinked, confuse. Luka only touched people he trusted and knew, so why he had so readily climbed up this guy... it was an absolute quandary. Said troublemaker broke her stupor when he suddenly leapt from the other’s shoulder, using powerful hind legs to kick off of him and return to Minuet, front paws making contact with her own shoulder, holding him there for a second before he lowered the rest of his form while climbing into the depths of her raised hood and settling his body onto the top of her pack. Her head tilted to the side as she seemed startled by the contact and watched as her follower pressed against the skin of her neck as he slunk into hiding, leaving her alone to fend off two complete strangers who undoubtedly were rather disturbed by her and Luka’s sudden presence. Oh nono, conflict was definitely not what she was looking for- she had hoped simply to keep a low profile and find the few people she did actually know to enjoy this season with.

Minuet turned back to look at Granite, a slightly sheepish though mostly apologetic and nervous look to her face as she clasped her hands together in front of her and made a slight bow. ”S-sorry,” She turned now, looking back at the fox girl whom she had previously looked past, ”I’m sure he didn’t mean anything by it,” turning back to Granite, she stiffened ever so slightly as her hand raised to rest at the back of her hood, making sure that it was still there, ”Ah, h-happy holidays.” She finished quickly, aiming it really at all three of them- Arctic, Granite, and Kuro- hoping to have appeased them, and even if not, quickly sidestepping them, dipping her head to hide her face and embarrassment from sight beneath her hood, and entering the Gold Gallion without another word.

As the door closed behind her and a small bell jingled above her to announce her arrival, she let out a breath that she hadn’t realized she had been holding while she made her escape from that awkward situation. She didn’t want any fights- that was for sure, so the quick disappearance was rather called for. But that guy….

However, before she got anywhere with that thought, a familiar voice called out to her from somewhere deeper in the inn. NocturnalKiss.

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Augur had made his way into the town without any hiccups or disturbances, which he was definitely grateful for. He really didn’t want anything happening today to make his mood or outlook even worse. The town was even more hideously decorated up close than it had appeared from afar. Well, that was mostly his sour mood talking, he actually did like what was done with the place, but you’d have to put the figurative gun to his head to get him to admit anything that mess of code had come up with was acceptable, and even then….

He heaved a sigh, rolling his shoulders before shaking his head. Whatever, it didn’t really matter. He was here to hopefully sight the aforementioned ‘Game Master’, though honestly what he would do with it if he found it he couldn’t really say. He needed to find Cain first, and others who could act as support for the inevitable facing of the monster that had created this hell. The best chance for finding any of those was at this town- the event was just an added bonus. It brought together players from all over the virtual world of LAIOS, and he definitely couldn’t complain about the new event monsters/boss that would spawn in town. In fact, he was quite excited about it. The first boss monster of LAIOS- would it be like creatures he had already experienced and catalogued, or would it be a new breed entirely? The monster-tester could hardly keep still at the thought of it. Besides, getting to vent his anger on a few nasties wouldn’t have him complaining either.

But first he had to get to tomorrow, and since he had arrived a day early so that he wouldn’t miss anything, he still had to admit that it was an annoying prospect. There was no way in hell that he would be going anywhere near the damned inn of Vael, or any other inn for that matter. God, just thinking about all the noise and godawful bards… he was already getting a headache and he was in an area that was rather quiet at the moment. He would have to find elsewhere to crash for the night, and he might just do so at one of the shops or buildings the NPCs watched over.

A dark cloud seemed to have gathered over his head as he began walking through the town, directly away from the Gold Gallion, and towards the lower shores of Vael that were currently frozen over. He was kind of intimidating and broody to be honest, and Lotty sort of just sat scrunched up on his shoulder, trying to ignore the darker aura surrounding her master.

In the next instance, however, a soft thump sounded, and a sphere of snow suddenly exploded in Augur’s face. Lotty looked somewhat startled, but suddenly a bubbly croak that sounded suspiciously like laughter escaped her mouth, and had they made it a feature, the snow probably would have melted off of his face from the embarrassed blush that now covered his cheeks. Quickly lifting a hand to wipe off whatever snow clung there, sending sharp cold needles to his face, Augur quickly glanced around to see who had thrown that.

A little NPC girl, with yellow mittens, a white cap, and a yellow coat much like his own stood a little ways off, her hands together in front of her lips with a wide eyed and guilty expression- shocked that she had hit someone other than the young player whom she had been aiming for, who was actually part of the game she and a few of the other NPC children were playing with. She looked absolutely mortified and was just waiting to be yelled at by the seemingly scary man she had accidentally just hit.

Augur looked her way for a few seconds before suddenly straightening and smiling brightly at the little girl and NPC boy who was behind her, looking just as shocked as she, waving at them with his index, thumb, and middle finger outstretched. They looked utterly relieved, and the girl even gave a soft sigh of relief, before giggling brightly and running off in a random direction, the NPC boy following after her laughing and the child player whom she had been aiming at who was behind Augur came into view, chasing after them with a snowball of his own.

The overly bright smile was wiped off of his face immediately after they had disappeared from view, but a slight imprint of it pressed gently at the corners of his lips. He couldn’t be mad at the little ones, especially since they had not intentionally aimed for him out of malice or mischief. Meanwhile, Lotty was still laughing at his expense, and Augur aimed a pointed frown of complaint and offense at her, flicking her on the head to get her to silence. She wobbled precariously as he offset her balance, but she did not fall, and simply tipped back over to the safety of his shoulder, eyes wide and a little ‘ribbit’ escaping from her mouth. She nestled back down, albeit with a bit of playful grumbling, as Augur continued along his way, returning his hands to his warm pockets.

He was intending to do a bit of shopping or business down at the stalls by the shoreline on the eastern side of the town. He was hoping to take advantage of the Christmas cheer and thus undoubtedly lowered prices of the shopkeepers, both NPC and player-wise. You couldn’t really blame him, he was just playing the game, after all. Perhaps he could find some interesting trinkets for he or Lotty.

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The demon looked up when he heard Prince and couldn't help but grin at the man. He sat back in his seat and set the cards face down on the table as he waited for his princely bard package to finally be delivered. Shade happily allowed the man to wrap his arms around his neck while he wrapped his around Prince's waist. EclecticPrince was warm against him and he was the only present that he could really ask for. Out in the real world, he didn't have this, couldn't have this. Here in the game, he could be himself and he found someone that he could cherish and actually enjoy the holidays with. They wouldn't be judged here and life... life was good. People may think him insane but he was happy here. He was happy he was stuck in the game. It was selfish, he knew but there it was. He did wish that those who wanted to return home could, but he was happy where he was with EclecticPrince. He settled his head on Eclectic's shoulder and nuzzled his face softly and put a ridiculous grin on his lips. He could care less what everyone else was saying at this point. He actually started to ignore Cain's presence even. That was a bonus.

Shade looked up only to notice that Granite had left the table. He blinked and glanced at Demo who was also talking to him and Cain. Oh and Prince had asked who Cain was. Well then, he was rather observant wasn't he? He hadn't even realized the conversation was going on without him. Prince always did nab his attention, didn't he? He gave a sheepish smile before he leaned forward to kiss his bard's cheek. "That my dear, is a very annoying priest, but then again, what priest isn't annoying?" he mused. "He's come to preach our ears off." Why, yes, yes he did have something against priests but Cain only seemed to aggravate him all the more. Huh, maybe Cain did get a rise out of him after all. "He's no one important, my Prince," he answered him.

His tail whipped behind him as he turned his attention to PsychDemo and gave a nod. "Yes, I know him. We've had the displeasure of meeting a couple of times. I am surprised you know him though I am not quite sure why." And then she folded and left the game. Well then. Cain was quite the repulsive magnet. He had forced both Granite and Psych away from the table! And to his chagrin, the damned priest sat down. Damn it, Cain wouldn't leave them alone, would he? He sighed exasperated. Jealous? He was not jealous of Cain in any shape or form. At least he seemed polite enough to his prince. If he wasn't, Shade would not take kindly. For now, he'd just grin and bare Cain's annoying onslaught and unyielding speech of how great he was. At least Psych came back. He did wonder what was wrong with Granite. He had seemed perfectly fine a moment ago. Cain's appearance had just... made him poof. Did Granite know Cain from somewhere? Cain didn't seem to recognize him. There was something eating at Granite and Shade couldn't begin to know what. He wasn't very close with Granite after all. Especially not after their first meeting. Ah, now that had been fun. Shade had only just managed to kill his mark and protect Prince when Granite had rushed in accusing him of trying to PK his brother. Prince barely managed to stop the other demon from attacking Shade while he was down. Yup. Fun times.

Shade snapped out of his revere when he noticed the doors open. He looked over to see Montanax and his crew. When the guild leader looked his way, he gave him an incline of his head in silent greeting. It was good to see him and his crew healthy and well. Man this tavern was getting more and more patrons by the minute. It was getting crowded and Shade didn't much like this many people around; especially since his name was currently red. No one could kill each other in town, but he still didn't want an issues coming up because he was a PK and the only PK currently in the tavern. He wanted to go but he didn't want to be rude to the company they were currently keeping. He looked up at his lover and pressed his lips against his neck to get his attention. When his blue haired elf looked down, he sent a private message.

"It is getting crowded here and I want us to leave before shit lets loose with the spawning monsters. The Game Master didn't say what level the creatures were going to be and I don't want any of them attacking you. Besides, it is Christmas Eve. I do want to spend some time alone with you. I have a present for you," he smiled.

He turned to PsychDemo and Cain then. "Hey, are you guys going to be participating in the event? The prizes do sound pretty enticing.

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Prince couldn't help but self satisfied at the smile that blossomed across Shade's face. That was his smile, he'd caused it. His attention was pulled by the Priest, who introduced himself, his mouth moving rapidly, jumping from thought to thought. He ignored the pointed comment about Shade being a PK and shot the white-haired man a smile. "I'm flattered," he said, lifting the hand that wasn't wrapped around Shade to his chest. Then his mouth curled mischievously. "Though, it seems to me you might be a little jealous that no one's raising Cain?" He wrinkled his nose playfully, and turned his attention back to Shade as the demon kissed his cheek and made a not-so-happy comment about their new tablemate. So Psyche knew him too. Psyche, who rather abruptly hopped up from the table for a moment.

Granite picked this moment to get up from the table, and Cain made a comment. Prince was absentmindedly running his fingers along Shade's back, barely able to resist pressing his face against the top of the other's head. Cain's attention popped momentarily back towards him. "Don't mind my brother," he interjected. " he just needs to take a break to step outside and brood every half hour so his face won't get stuck looking too happy." In truth, Granite was probably overwhelmed. He'd seemed rather down recently anyway, Prince was surprised that he'd lasted this long without needing some time to himself. But Granite was a strong guy, he could handle himself. No need to worry about him. And it was better to make light of it, so nobody would get too worried about him and start needling him. He'd never been one to appreciate overly concerned friends hovering over him. Such a silly guy, he was.

When Shade's lips met his throat for a moment, a shiver darted up Prince's spine. He glanced down to meet the other's eyes, and Shade pmed him. His face brightened, and he tilted his head slightly as he responded. "You're the best present I could ever get. Say the word and we'll split." He settled closer to Shade and looked over at the other two members of the table as Shade talked to them. This would work out nicely. He'd been planing to ask if he could spend the night--Granite deserved a bit of alone time anyway, and Prince wasn't sure how much more gloominess he could handle. Plus the thought of spending some time alone with Shade made his heart hum.

Prince didn't have any interest in the event, he didn't care for fighting within the close confines of the city, and both Granite and Shade tended to be over protective since he was a lower level. He thought it was a cute touch though, something nice for the holidays. He hoped everyone would have fun.

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Granite stood just outside the door, leaning against the wall. The cool air and the prickle of snowflakes against his skin was refreshing after the human mugginess inside the tavern. He let his breath out slowly, watching the fog swirl away from him. He kept his expression bent in a slight scowl so the NPC kids would know not to throw snowballs at him. It was stupid that he had to do that. This whole thing was stupid, this strange half-life where everything was real, but not quite. This was not the place he was supposed to be. And yet, somehow, he was still here. Mostly for Prince. And mostly because, where else would he go? The risk of dying was too high for him to level grind consistently or effectively, what was the point? Everything felt so useless.

All of a sudden, Granite felt something collide with him. There was only white in his vision for a few seconds, and he was about to snap at whatever kid threw the snowball at him, before he registered that it was another player. A....fox girl. He reached out to grab her in case she was going to continue falling, but she jumped back agilely, turning her large green eyes on him. She stared at him for a second without speaking. He shifted on his feet, unsure what to do. She was rather petite looking, though she was nearly as tall as he was, she was very slim.

She made a apology after a few seconds of silence, and he opened his mouth to tell her that it was no big deal, then she spoke again, and his mouth just hung open. Was there anything she could do to make him feel better? What? Had he really been looking so upset? Mentally cursing himself for letting his emotions play so blatantly on his face, he affixed a faint smile to his face.

"I'm fine, miss, I just have a melancholy looking face." He shrugged in a 'what can you do' type of manner, leaning back against the front of the tavern.

And then he was interrupted again by a small...thing making a rattling sound, hackles raised at a tiger standing next to the tavern's entrance. It screeched, and before he could even move, it darted up his leg then clawed up his back to perch on his shoulder. It hunkered down there, still making a hissing noise. Granite glanced at the fox-girl, lifting an eyebrow in confusion, though he kept the rest of his body perfectly still so he wouldn't disturb the animal on his shoulder. There was no telling what a startled animal would do, even if it was just a string of code shrouded by an avatar.

Another white-haired girl rushed up, this one rather small, but with huge blue eyes that fixed on him almost straight away. Well, on his shoulder first, then on him. She looked even more confused than he felt. She looked slightly nervous too. Was this her pet? He just stared back at her wordlessly. Well, until the animal decided that it was tired of his shoulder and pushed off him to jump to the girl. His body rocked back a bit, pressing against the wall behind him, and his tail arced, trying it little, demony hardest to keep him balanced.

The little creature had settled in the girl's hood, so it must have been hers. She was still staring at him, sheepish, nervous now. May the first annual meeting of the white-haired brigade commence, he thought wryly. He'd barely been outside for five minutes before being accosted by two different girls. He was just too popular for his own good, right? He smiled faintly as she bowed apologetically. "It's fine, don't worry about it," he said, trying to let her know that it really was fine. She seemed so tense. It was kind of sweet, actually, how nervous she was. Then she made a quick getaway, ducking her head. "Happy holidays," He said after her quickly retreating form, before she pushed into the tavern. He made a note to smile at her or wink or something if he saw her again, just so she wouldn't seem so...nervous anymore.

His eyes turned back to the fox. "Well, I don't think that's ever happened to me before." he ran one hand through his hair, sending another glance around. "Maybe I should find another place to stand," he laughed lightly, though it didn't really reach his eyes. "Anyway, name's Granite, sorry for obstructing your path," he said, proffering a hand to shake hers.

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---

Arctic resisted the urge to smile back at the other player as a fake smile fixed itself to his face. Perhaps it would fool others, but not her. Despite being one to avoid people, she knew the look he had on his face. It was the same look she'd seen and practiced in the mirror some days. It was a smile that was meant not only to fool the world, but in some cases the one who wore it. There had been plenty of days where she'd feigned happiness despite feeling like she was losing her sanity. Staring at different shades of colours for hours on end can do that to someone, even if they love what they do.

"I'm fine, miss, I just have a melancholy looking face," he said with a shrug. Arctic was about to respond when she was caught off guard by a rattling noise coming from nearby. She looked near them and quickly saw Luka.

As Luka had approached, Kuro turned to stare down the smaller animal. The tiger didn't know for certain what it was about this little creature, after all he himself was just coding as well, but he didn't like it. He let out a low growl as it approached. In turn, it made a rattling sound back at him as it took a defensive stance. Kuro growled at it again, ready to attack it. He did not like this little animal and was set on killing it, even if that wasn't what his master wanted. It let out a screech before darting towards the player that his master had run into. Kuro paced unsteadily behind Arctic, waiting for Luka to come down off of Granite's shoulder. The instant he did, the black tiger would be ready to devour the little fox like animal.

While this seemed like awhile for Kuro, it was only a few moments for Arctic. Before she realized what was happening, Luka had approached her pet, rattled at it, let out a bark, and then proceeded to climb the player she had just run into. The fox girl examined the creature as it sat, perched on the male's shoulder. It was rather adorable, but she could tell from Kuro's growls and unsteadiness that he didn't like it. As it sat, still in a defensive position, it continued to rattle its quills. Arctic wonder exactly what monster species this was. She knew she had seen a few before, but couldn't identify it by name. Augur would know, but she hadn't seen Augur in over a month. He'd basically dropped off the face of LAIOS-- not that she hadn't done pretty much the same.

The little creature's master approached, swiftly stepping around Arctic in a bid to get to her pet. Kuro let out another growl, agitated that this animal's master had come to its rescue. Knowing that he shouldn't attack a player, he laid down in the snow in defeat. He made it a point to set his gaze towards the opposite side of the street, like a moody child that hadn't gotten the toy they anted for Christmas. The small animal swiftly jumped onto the girl's shoulders. She looked at Arctic and Granite, clearly anxious. She offered an apology and wished them happy holidays before scurrying into the tavern. Granite let her know that she was alright and wished her a happy holidays as well. The fox girl couldn't help but think to herself that this was definitely not a happy holiday. A happy holiday would be sitting at the dinner table with her family.

Arctic looked back at the player she'd been talking to. He seemed to have a knack for attracting girls, though he seemed like he didn't want any attention. He seemed to have similar thoughts on his mind, commenting that something like that has never happened to him before. "Maybe I should find another place to stand," he suggested. ArcticFire couldn't help but smile at this comment. It would seem that standing outside of taverns was dangerous for one's health. "Anyway, name's Granite, sorry for obstructing your path." He offered a hand to her.

She shook his hand, hoping she wasn't squeezing too hard. Sometimes she forgot that she was stronger due to her class. "I'm ArcticFire. Or just Arctic," she told Granite. She looked behind her at Kuro, still laying on the ground in defeat. She gestured to him. "And this is Kuro." She looked back at Granite, again noticing his amber eyes. She smiled kindly at him as she briefly pondered his name. Granite-- like the rock. It was definitely a name she hadn't heard before. "You don't need to apologize, Granite. I should have been looking where I was going." Kuro made a noise that was a mix between a whine and a purr, as if to agree.

---

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---

The Mission Impossible theme song was playing in Man-O-War's head as he did a series of elaborate turns and kicks. To anyone who didn't know him, they probably thought he was insane. That wasn't too far from the truth, but there was a method to the madness... Ok, maybe there wasn't right now. War disliked the cold, preferring sunny or even rainy weather. He was someone who needed the outdoor temperature to be between about 50 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit for him to feel comfortable. Being in a town full of snow did not satisfy that requirement. Despite his dislike of snow, he was able to put a positive spin on it by pretending he was a ninja sneaking through the streets. Of course, there really wasn't a way for a man with iridescent hair, a colourful wardrobe, and a bright pink hammer strapped to his back to sneak through a town filled with white snow.

War continued down the street, enjoying the puzzled looks he got from others. It was as if they'd never seen a dwarf modeled after a jellyfish doing fancy spins and kicks down the street and through the snow before. Some people just hadn't lived their life enough he supposed. He briefly wondered what Lucive was doing, but figured his trusted Second in Command was making clothes. Technically, there had been no training scheduled for today due to the holidays. But a number of Phoenix Blight members had requested a training or field grinding session for preparation for the up coming event.

War himself was excited, looking forward to taking out the holiday monsters with his hammer. The second part of the event sounded fun as well, though he was also assuming that the boss wouldn't actually kill anyone. If it did, he would do his best to get other players out of harms way. He planned on participating in both events and was hopeful that he could come out on top. He didn't know what he would do with a dragon egg should he win it, but he could figure that out later. There were Beast Tamers in the guild that might be interested and if not, he could always sell it.

Continuing on his mission of checking in with the guild members in Vael, he approached a younger girl with long, black hair. Dots of white snow dotted her hair and he could tell that she was cold. He stopped showing off his moves and began walking like a regular player. Well this is no fun, he thought to himself as he caught up to the girl. He tapped her on the shoulder before matching his pace to hers. "Hello Anna," he greeted her happily. She was the same height as him, which was rare for most of the people he talked to. He had gotten used to other players towering over him, but he didn't mind it. They might be taller than him, but were they as awesome as him? He certainly doubted it.

"Hello War," she said, a small smile forming on her lips. "Did you need something from me?"

He nodded. "I was wondering if you planned on participating in either of the events coming up. I also wanted to know if you think we should hold a last minute training or field session to prepare." An NPC child threw a snowball at him, prompting him to scowl at the child. He was not in the mood for a snowball fight.

Anna let out a "hmmm" as they continued to walk. After the two had walked for about a minute, she finally responded. "I don't think I'll participate in the event. I don't think I'm high enough level," she told him, referring to the fact that she was level 50. She was fairly new to the guild and thus hadn't leveled as high as some of the longer members. "I think I'll just stay inside and watch from my window. But if others are going to participate, let them know my house is always open. A training session sounds like a good idea though. Of course, my opinion doesn't matter since I won't be doing the event."

She turned to walk away from him, but the dwarf stopped her with a firm grasp on her shoulder. "Hey, don't say that. Your opinion matters. If it didn't matter, then why would I take time out of my day to ask you what you thought?" He smiled at her and removed his hand from her shoulder. "Have a good day, Anna. Be safe." "You too," she said quickly before leaving to talk to a merchant.

Man-O-War looked around, realizing he had ninja kicked and walked his way to the stores by the beach in Vael. He sighed, wishing the town was its sandy, tropical self. He could use a nice relaxing swim. However, he was pretty sure jumping into the ocean right now would not be fun unless someone set him on fire first. And he really didn't want to be set on fire. He looked around at the merchants, thinking if he needed to buy anything. He already had a good amount of potions, a few regular food items, and the candy canes he'd been given by the blasted but very generous Game Master. Curse the Game Master, trying to buy him over with sweets. It would take a lot more than that to win War over! Of course, if the Game Master gave him a bunch of jellyfish to be his minions, he wouldn't mind. He couldn't help but wonder if jellyfish minions actually existed in LAIOS.

Focus! he told himself in his head. The little dwarf made his way over to the side of one of the merchants stalls before opening up the messaging system. He was guessing that Lucive wasn't busy and if he was, oh well. How would you feel about leading a training or field grinding session today? A lot of the members in Vael want to warm up for the events coming up tonight. After sending the message he closed out of the feature and for the hell of it, started ninja kicking and spinning down the street again. There were only a few other members he needed to contact, so he wasn't in too much of a rush.

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Seraph... was bored. Playing around in the middle of the town was fun for a while but now Seraph found himself with nothing to do. Many of his friends were online of course and he could go and visit them but they were all with other people. Almost everyone he knew was in the tavern at Vael. He would go inside and greet everyone and give them their presents but ArcticFire was standing right in front of the tavern. He wouldn't be able to sneak past her and the tiger. He didn't really want to talk to ArcticFire. Out of the Betas that had attacked him, Seraph only ever talked to Cain now. Besides Nightingale of course. Augur and ArcticFire... hated him. He knew they did not approve of what he had done and he was sure if they could, they'd attack him again. They were much stronger now. Sure Seraph's level was still beyond theirs but that didn't matter. He was an NPC. Players could attack NPCS in town and kill them. NPCS could not do the same to players in town and that included him. He didn't want to hurt them either though. They may hate him, but he didn't hate them. He missed them. He had always had good and interesting conversations with all of the betas. He still found it quite tragic that he had to delete so many of them. Nightingale always said it was their fault for attacking, but it didn't make him feel any better. To him, it was like he had killed his best friends.

Seraph sighed to himself and raised his hands up to the sky, palms facing him, and watched as the snow glittered around his gloved fingers. The snow was cold and wet but like everything in LAIOS, he loved it. He smiled softly and sat down on a bench in the town, a good distance away from the center where the tavern was. He didn't want ArcticFox to spot him, but he still wanted to stay in town. He brought his knees up to his chest to keep warm and did what he did best; observe. A lot of people were here in Vael for the event. It brought a smile to Seraph's lips. They were enjoying themselves and they were preparing for the event! Some talked about it in excited whispers. They speculated what the monsters would look like and what their behaviors would be. Would they simply attack whoever was near like they did in the field or would they only engage if they were attacked first? Would they also be Christmas themed? And what of the Boss at the end? Others discussed the prizes and what they would do with them if they won. And he noted that many were nibbling on the candy canes he had given everyone. Most seemed to like that added bonus. Maybe he should add more seasonal candies and treats to the tavern menu.

There were others however that were not as pleased. It was good to get positive and negative feedback but knowing players were uhappy was never fun. Those that were less than pleased talked about their families on the outside and wishing that they were out there with them and enjoying a feast. Others were worried that their family was giving up on them and what happened if players died? Was it really an actual death that greeted them or an out of the game? Seraph didn't really understand why these players were constantly dreaming of this 'other world'. He provided them with everything they needed here. Seraph put so much effort into ensuring they were happy and they had want for nothing. And why were they so concerned about death in LAIOS? Nightingale said that people died in the other place to so wasn't it the same? Why would people want to return there where they had to struggle? Was the GM of the other world any different than him? And why did so many people want to kill him? He tried very hard for them! A little pout curved his lips and darkened his face. The poor thing didn't truly understand what the 'other world', reality, was. How could he when for him this was reality? Other worlds and other realities were games just like this one, only his was better. In his opinion of course. Nightingale always laughed when he talked about 'reality' as if it were another game and she'd try and correct him, but as of yet, she wasn't getting through to him.

Then Seraph felt something. He cocked his head to the side and perked up where he was sitting. It was almost like a break in code. It made a blurring cross his vision and he heard the crackling in the programming as it tried to correct itself. A glitch. There was a glitch in town and it felt close by. Why wast there a glitch here? He had ensured that everything in the town was glitch-free for the event. It would not do to have bad programming messing up the graphics or lagging players. And a boss or other creature couldn't have extended life or not appear on screen. The programming had passed his screening. Was this something that was introduced into the town from outside? Why hadn't he noticed it up until now? Seraph's eyes narrowed as numbers began to flit past his vision as he tried to find the source of the glitch. And then the trace vanished. He frowned. This was a very strange glitch. He could still hear the static so it hadn't left.

The GM got up from the bench then and started to move around the town as he tried to spot the glitch manually. He followed the sound to the center of the town and peeked around the Christmas tree. He carefully scanned the area and felt the traces of the glitch here but it was gone now. He couldn't find the sound anymore either. Had it been killed by the guards of the town? He hummed out his breath in exasperation. Now that he was closer to where it had spawned from he realized he recognized this stray code. He had sensed this glitch before and just like last time, it had manged to get away from him. One of these days he was going to get that elusive glitch. He shook his head and turned away from the center of town again. He was tired of observing now. He wanted to interact but ArcticFire was still near the tavern and Augur was in town to near some shops. He had to be very careful not to run into them.

He scanned his friend list and saw that Lucive had finally left this guild's base. And he was alone! Perfect. He'd go interact with him. He was a fellow tailor and always fun to hang around though he did have an odd taste in clothes and games sometimes. It was fun though and Seraph always found himself laughing in his presence. He should have been more wary of the second in command of the guild that wanted him dead, but he liked Lucive. Nightingale always commented that he liked to play with fire considering he had Lucive and Man-O-War as friends, but he didn't see it that way. It was sad and risky, yes, but he didn't really have to fear Lucive or Man-O-War. They were both nice and too low a level to really hurt him. Besides, they didn't know he was the GM.

Seraph turned around and quickly headed towards the entrance of the Phoenix Blight guild hall. When he saw the man in question, a bright smile touched his lips and he waved at the man exuberantly. "Lucive!" he called, "Lucive! Merry Christmas!" Seraph jumped the last bit of distance between him and Lucive and beamed up at the taller man. "Are you busy today? If you are free I figured we might be able to hang out a bit. I have a present for you!" Seraph reached into his inventory before he extended a square box covered in blue wrapping paper and a silver bow. Since Lucive was a tailor like him, Seraph didn't make him any clothes. What would be the point in that? He did know Lucive liked pineapples though so he had purchased a pineapple cake for the man to enjoy.

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---

Minuet hadn’t realised how warm and muggy it was in the tavern until she actually got a moment to experience it after the door had closed behind her, blocking any more cool breezes from entering. The hot air of the inn was quick to swarm forward and consume whatever titch of cold dared linger in its turf. The warmth was... almost nice, welcomed for its dispelling of the cool that clung to her skin, but she knew all too well that it would soon become uncomfortable. Her initial reaction was to shed her coat immediately, but the thought seemed to be pushed to the back of her mind before she could act upon it as suddenly a familiar, and very bubbly, individual was set upon her.

”Is that my darling Minuet~?” The voice had honestly caught her attention long before her approaching form did. At the first signs of the familiar voice, Luka was suddenly poking his head out from the depths of Minuet’s hood, eyes large and ears perked forward at absolute attention. He chattered excitedly, his tail swishing furiously within the confines of the cloth that surrounded him, swatting continuously against the pack that was upon his master’s back and knocking it about. Minuet was just as excited as he was though, a bright grin rushing across her lips as she turned and saw Kiss approaching. ”Kis-!” Her cheery acknowledgement was cut short, or rather muffled by the other’s torso, as Nocturnal wrapped her arms around her and pulled her into a warm hug. The action left Minuet’s heart happy, and she couldn’t help a close-eyed grin from brightening her face, though hidden by the cloth of Kiss’s outfit.

During the embrace, Luka had popped out of Min’s hood, scampering across the short distance between she and the priest. Noc released Minuet with a smile, and the little fox creature raced across the woman’s shoulders twice before resting at the nape of her neck on his lower legs, propped up against her head with his front paws happily situated atop the crown of her head. His tail swiped right and left against her back in a content and excited manner, and when Kiss spoke up a little apology about crushing Minuet and calling her ‘too cute’, Luka papped at her hair with one paw and a short bark, ears flicking back slightly and tail twitching laterally as if to claim, “Hey, me too!!” He was theatrically ‘wounded’ by the priest’s neglect of him, though really in a playful manner. At Kiss’s praise on her stature, Minuet’s cheeks flushed warmly and happily, relishing in the affection and attention that Nocturnal was giving her. The blue-eyed chef ran a hand over her hair as a sheepish tick to fix it should it have gotten a little messed up in Noc’s hug as well as attempt to brush off Kiss’s compliments. She was so nice~.

”Ah, thank you,” She smiled abashedly, taking Kiss’s hand as she offered it to lead the three of them back to her table. Once there, Kiss propped herself up onto the table before taking a seat and swishing her legs back and forth cutely, commenting on the event and how she would not be partaking in it. Minuet’s eyes widened a bit with the revelation, and her lips parted slightly to form a small ‘o’, ”Oh, are you not participating in it?” She pulled a chair over to plop down in it, folding her hands in her lap as she looked up at Noc and Luka still comfortably situated on her head. She nodded when Kiss asked after her intentions with it, ”Yeah, that’s why me and Luka are in. I have to admit that I’m really excited to see what the monsters look like, and plus this is the first boss of the game! The rewards will be really nice too.” She smiled, thinking of all of the possibilities that there could be for the drops.

Kiss recaptured her attention as she made a small exclamation, seeming to have remembered something important. Minuet looked at her expectantly with curiosity. When she alluded to it mysteriously, it only made Minna all the more curious, practically at the edge of her seat waiting to be shown what it was.

She was not disappointed with the reveal, as Nocturnal procured a little bag of goodies from within her bag. She had saved it just for her too, so that made it all the more special. Minuet’s eyes lit up, ”Ooh!” She practically cooed over them- they were so small and varied, and so cute! Just for her- and Luka too of course. She clapped her hands together in excitement as she looked over the bag and its neatly tied ribbon, suddenly looking up at Noc with a big smile. ”Wow! They look so cute! Thank you! I’m sure they’re delicious.” She was about to take the bag from her friend when Luka, having watched the proceeding with great interest, snaked down from Nocturnal’s head. His little nose was snuffling furious about the bag, before he paused and tilted his maw forward, lips parting and teeth delicately taking hold of one of the strings of the ribbon and pulling. He was latched onto Kiss’s stomach upside-down, his claws hooked into the material lightly to keep his balance. As the mouth of the bag fell open, he shoved his entire head into the clear plastic and started grabbing as many cookies and goodies with his jaws as he could fit into his mouth. Loud munching could be heard from within the bag. Minuet gasped with a sudden frown, swatting Luka right above the tail in scolding.

The creature let out a squeak and a huff of his nose, tail suddenly trying to tuck between his legs and ears falling back as he quickly pulled his head from the bag. He looked up at Minuet with cheeks full of baked goods. His eyes seemed sorry, but he was still munching away what was left in his mouth without a shred of remorse. Crumbs and little sugar particles stuck to his whiskers, and as he chewed away the sweet confections that Kiss had made, crumbs fell from his mouth and chin to fall into her lap. He quickly hopped off of Kiss and onto the table, shirking away from his master’s reach lest she try to reprimand him again. Minuet leaned forward and took the bag from Kiss’s hands with an apologetic look, sweeping the messy crumbs from her lap before holding the goodies in her own. ”Oh, I’m so sorry! Luka has no manners.” She shot the creature a playfully dirty look before looking back up to Kiss.

The priestess then asked after Minuet’s own cooking, and a thoughtful look crossed her face. ”It’s been going pretty good, though I haven’t had the chance to make anything special for the holidays yet. Limited resources and the likes,” Since she and Luka had been out in the field for the majority of the past week before the event, she hadn’t had access to ranges or other advanced utilities. While cooking was pretty simple in this game, and you could cook pretty much anything if you had the basic necessities- ingredients, a heat source, water, a workspace, etc., the quality was better and the process easier if you used said advanced utilities such as ovens and stoves and the likes. Kiss then praised her cooking, calling it ”To die for,” to which Minuet blushed and stammered a reflection, ”A-ah, I don’t think I’m that good!!” She had an embarrassed look to her face as she shook her hands to make her point, but she spoke up soon after with a praised smile, ”But thank you.” NocturnalKISS then smirked deviously at her, the priestess’s next works teasing, threatening to steal her recipes.

”E-eh!? No way!!” She puffed out her cheeks and put her hands on her hips defiantly. She then laughed, dropping her hands back down to her lap. ”I would love to get together with you and do some cooking, if you’d have me? I need a place to stay for the event anyway, and would rather not put Luka and I under the horrors of a loud inn. I-if not, that’s totally alright, though! I’ll ask Moe if I can stay with her.” She smiled contently if not a little sheepishly up at Nocturnal. Luka had returned to Noc’s side in the meantime, sitting beside her on the table and looking around the inn quietly.

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---

The market stalls weren’t too particularly busy, but there were admittedly a few NPCs and players here and there dotting the small trading area. It seemed everyone was busy elsewhere- probably at one of those godforsaken inns or in the large commerce center elsewhere in the city that had actual buildings to stay warm in or find some food. Speaking of food, Augur felt his stomach grumble lightly while at the same time Lotty placed a small, sticky hand on the side of his cheek with a drawn-out croak, obviously feeling the same way as his stomach did. How long ago had it been since he had bothered to sit down for a real meal? Probably an hour too long, but it would wait until he was done down by the docks.

He meandered his way along the cobblestone of the road, hands shoved into his pockets as he glanced over the wares of the stalls he was passing by. He had one in particular that he wanted, so he didn’t really bother with the others unless something of particular interest caught his fancy. None had, so far. Two more stalls down and Augur finally made pause at one of the little wooden structures, a friendly male NPC behind it clothed in a warm sweater and some mittens. He seemed to brighten up as Augur decided to stop and stare at his humble wares.

After a minute or so of rummaging through the displayed items, his fingers ran over a small charm. Crudely made out of colored resin and low-tier metal, it was of a small standing rabbit, head tilted toward the sky expectantly, hopefully. He glanced at it with uncaring, slightly harsh eyes, inspecting it critically for the first moment that he beheld it. His features softened, however, as he picked it up and got a better look at it. It didn’t really matter to him that it was crude and cheap- it reminded him of hope. Hope that he, and others, would escape this prison, or at least look upon clear skies to find some semblance of peace or restoration to continue on with this endless struggle. Hope that he would find familiar faces.

He looked up at the NPC who was happily watching him look around his little stand, and he shifted the charm in his hand until he was holding it up between his index and thumb. Perhaps the little rabbit would give him some luck in his searches.

Augur paid for the piece that indeed ended up being not only cheap in craftsmanship, but also in price. A few half coppers was all it took, and Augur nodded his head in thanks as he pocketed the tiny totem and turned to seek out an ingredients merchant. As he was crossing the street to the other stalls that offered different selections, he heard a short, loud trill from Lotty, somewhere between a sharp, rumbling peep and a high-pitched croak of detection. That was the noise she used to alert him of a familiar person. Augur’s eyes widened and he turned his head expectantly to look down the road. Perhaps it was Cain? The rabbit seemed to be working already.

However, he was momentarily disappointed to find that it was not his old friend and coworker that he spotted, but rather someone he had often sent one-way messages to. Lotty was familiar with the username, and so had alerted Augur to the player’s presence as it crossed her threshold of perception, as she was wont to do. It was Man-O-War, the king jelly, as it were, of the Phoenix Blight guild. He had seen him once or twice before, but had never bothered to interact with him once. He agreed with Blight’s methods, so he had an interest in the dealings of the guild and thus kept an eye out for them whenever he could, offering knowledgeable warnings and assistance through anonymous PMs which he never responded to after he sent them, signing them simply as -Ag. They did not know each other past this rudimentary form of communication.

War was currently doing a few ninja kicks down the street. He was certainly eccentric. It was a humorous sight, to be sure- the squat body of a dwarf pulling off such flexible moves. Every time in the past that Augur had seen him, this time included, he could not help but always muse how much better the character would look with shorter hair- so little and much cuter- though he understood the ascetic behind the choice of the long hair. War was obsessed with jellyfishes, if it weren’t obvious from his username, but he also usually left a signature in his messages of an ASCII art text image of one, or at least Augur had seen it once or twice before. The man was known to talk about them on occasion as well, which is how Augur knew of it. Besides, he probably wasn't trying for the 'cute' image- dwarfs were supposed to be strong and proud, after all.

A soft, rare grin played into his lips as he thought on this particular aspect of the player approaching the market stalls as well. Wouldn’t he be excited off his socks when he found out that there were jellyfish-like creatures in LAIOS. With a soft chuckle, Augur turned his attention back to the stall he now stood before which offered many different dried ingredients for potion making. He would be sure to stock up for the boss battle of the event, seeing if he couldn’t create ones more potent than those that he currently had. It was not in his nature to turn and seek out others for conversation, so he simply left War where he was, if not actually forgetting or ignoring his presence now entirely. He was much more keen on his trading and acquiring of goods.

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---

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"The HELL outta' my way!!" Wachter bellowed as he drove his fist into the gaping maw of a polar bear that had only moments before spawned before him, the impact caving its muzzle inward before sending it careening into the wall of a building some thirty feet away. The creature made no sound as it crashed into the wall, slumping forward when it was finally freed of the kinetic energy that propelled it.

Not wasting an opening, Wachter lunged forward with the inhuman speed of his race, closing the gap between him and the monster instantaneously. Thrusting his palm forward into the beast's chest, he slammed it once more into the wall, stopping it from making another attack.

Tightening his mouth into an angry frown, he threw punch after punch at the creature, hardly taking note of it's depleting health bar. Before long, a punch was thrown that dissipated the beast into a cloud of code before disappearing completely. Wachter snorted derisively, rolling his shoulders back and tilting his neck side to side.

The event had only started moments before, but already his muscles began to tense from battle. It was always hard to shake the fact that these beings could bring about one's demise, which he had witnessed time and time again since the game became impossible to leave.

Though it was Christmas, it hardly felt as such, apart from the somewhat cheery message that had been sent out by the GM before the start of the event. How dare that arrogant bastard insist they 'enjoy' the potential death that littered the event's intended goodwill.

"Christmas indeed..."

Suddenly, a new messaged flared into his sight. It was from Man-O-War, the guild leader of Phoenix Blight, offering him an invitation to his party for the duration of the event. For a moment he was compelled to accept, safety in numbers and that sort of thing, but the fact that the GM had structured the event so the monsters were of equal level to the highest leveled member of the party made him reconsider. He couldn't bare the thought of his progress resulting in someone's death. Prompting a response, he replied. "Thanks, but I think I'll stay solo for the event. I'm sure you'll understand. Let me know if you run into any trouble though, and keep your guard up." Sending the reply, he almost closed out of the menu before a daunting thought overcame him.

Minuet...

Minuet was a significantly lower level than he, and she didn't belong to a guild, and it worried him to think she would be joining others in battle who were already engaged with a monster of a significantly higher level. Pushing the most gruesome of thoughts from his mind, he scrolled through his active friends until he found her, prompting another message. "Hey, meet me in the center of town, would you? I got a rare ingredient from my last expedition, thought you'd want it." Though he did have an ingredient to give her, his true intentions were to be close by to her should his fears become reality.

Unfurling his owl-like wings, he kicked off the ground, and with two powerful strokes of his wings, was airborne. As he leveled off just above one of the building's peaks, he leaned forward, his wing strokes quickened, and he shot toward the center of town. "I won't join her party, that should keep the monsters at her level, and any that should spawn at my level, I'll lead them away and take care of them then."

Upon reaching the center of Vael, which was adorned with a rather large Christmas tree, he slowed the beat of his wings until his feet touched the ground. Immediately he was assailed by several snowmen that were gathered by the tree, their levels registering quickly from unknown to 84, his own level. With outstretched branches, one of them made an attempt to swipe at him, which he easily parried, batting the stick hand aside with his left, driving his right forward into its happy, carrot and coal laden face. The snow of which they consisted of was surprisingly compact, for the punch he threw would have beheaded an actual snowman. Another one of the GM's tricks, to be sure.

He retracted his fist in time to parry a blow from the second snowman, doing a backwards vault, his right foot colliding again with the snowman's compact head, before he performed several back flips, landing a few feet from his opponents. Holding his arm outright in front of him, he waved a come hither motion to the three. "Shall we?"

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---

Mm, how long had it truly been since she had gotten to enjoy a home again? Minuet was comfortably curled up on a cushion on the floor before a short table, a ceramic cup held safely between her hands, steam rising from the lip to curl up into the air. A nice cup of tea~. Minuet smiled quietly to herself, enjoying the warmth on her hands and the gentle, sweet scent that emanated from the little treasure gripped in her fingers. Minna wasn’t entirely sure where Kiss was at that exact moment, but Minuet couldn’t help but simply lavish in the air that surrounded her fellow player’s home. It was cozy, especially with the snow that lined the windowpanes, and it was quiet, unlike the tavern they had been in previously. Luka was off somewhere as well, but Minuet knew that he would not be far, and furthermore that he would be behaving himself.

She was at peace, just keeping her own company for once in a safe place, without the looming presence of monsters, with four walls and a ceiling about her, with comforts and conveniences. She needed to get her own house, she really did enjoy this. Not to say that she didn’t love the way she lived already, out in the wildernesses with Luka, sleeping under the stars, but it would be nice to have her own place to call home. Minuet hummed quietly to herself, shifting a bit in the plush cushion that supported her player model, taking another sip of the peppermint tea. How festive everything was here~ she couldn’t help but admit that she delighted in it, despite how much she was actually missing in real life, and despite how much danger she was always in, being in this deadly game of rise and conquer. …Was there even actually a way out? What if they were stuck in here forever…?

Minuet shook her head resolutely. No, it would not do to think on such things. Of course there would be a way out- they would find it. There was no doubt about that. Perhaps it was just as easy as talking to the Game Master and convincing him to reintroduce the logout function. Well, hopefully it could be that easy, Minuet didn’t actually know who the Game Master was or what he was like. What if he was vindictive, evil? It might not be that far of a stretch, if he had trapped everyone in this game and was slowly killing everyone off….

Minuet took a focused sip of tea, a frown on her face as she pushed all of those thoughts from her head. Her fingertips tapped gently on the ceramic of the cup her hands were wrapped around. They would get out, whatever it took. She just hoped that Luka would make it out alright, in the end….

Speaking of both Game Master and her little companion, she suddenly heard a chittery growl from over in the next room, causing her head to turn towards the noise in curiosity. Not a moment later before a large banner appeared before her, announcing the beginning of the event and detailing its mechanics. Luka had sensed it, and was already slinking towards Minuet as smoothly as water, ears back against his skull and tail swishing to and fro. As he reached her, he slid forward into a laying position, pressed against the side of the cushion, tail still thrashing at the disturbance from the Game Master. However, it did not take long before his ears were suddenly perking up and a genuine curiosity filled his eyes as he leaned up and forward, nose wiggling as he sniffed the air, smelling the sweet scent of the tea in Minuet’s hands and wanting some. He did not ask either, suddenly hooking his little claws into the cushion to pull himself up onto it before clambering up Minuet’s side and down and arm to snuffle further at the little steaming cup. Minna laughed, finding cheer in her companion and he lapped at the drink, not minding one little bit. She was more than happy to share with him.

The event, though, she returned her attention to. So then, monsters would be determined by player level; that was thoughtful. It meant that everyone would be able to level, regardless of level. It did provide a bit of an intimidation, though, since those who partied up with higher levels would be faced with ferocious and fierce monsters of the same levels. I’ll just have to avoid the higher level players then, she gave a sheepish smile to herself, taking one hand to rub the back of her neck. However, in doing so, she shifted the support to her little cup, and Luka was actually kind of heavy, so it upset the balance, the cup tipping forward without her being able to do much about it at all.

A look of horror filled her face as it fell forward, no doubt going to spill and stain the perfectly good little wooden table in front of her. However, no liquid came out. Luka appeared to have drunk it all while she was lost in thought. A wry look filled her face as she shot her partner a look, one which he simply seemed to smile innocently up at her in response. It looked like she would have to make another cup of tea, although… it was probably about time to head out anyway so she could gain at least a few levels during the event. Besides, she wanted to see what the monsters looked like! Not to mention the drops.

Minuet placed the cup down on the table, intending to pick it up when she returned- perhaps she would make a meal for she and Kiss to share as well- and got up from her place on the cushion, Luka crawling up to settle on her shoulders in the meantime. She walked through Kiss’s house to the front door where her stuff was carefully tucked and put away, and she began to gather her things again. As she put on her cloak and fastened her halberd to her back, Minuet walked forward, and just as she was turning the handle of the front door, a message suddenly appeared in front of her face, causing her to pause. It was from Watch, telling her about a rare ingredient that he had found on his journeys that he had for her. An excited look filled Minuet’s face, and she almost bounced up and down with a huge smile on her face. It was always so exciting to find something new to cook with, not to mention how thoughtful it was of Wachter to do this for her. She would no doubt have to make a meal out of it for the two of them, perhaps Kiss as well, if she’d like to join them. She was sure she would, since it was a rare ingredient, after all.

Minuet quickly brought up a blank message, filling it out before sending it to Watch. ~”Mh, I’ll definitely be there! Excited to see you again, I’ll be along shortly!”~

With a cheerful smile to her face, Minuet turned the knob to the door and was quickly met with the cold air of the outside world. She stepped out, calling back behind her to Kiss, ”I’m heading out for the event, I’ll see you later!” before carefully closing the door behind her.

It did not take long for she and Luka to find the monsters that she sought. Players all over the place were locked in battle with all sorts of different creatures, ranging from snowmen to elves, reindeer, wolves, jack-in-the-boxes, and everything in between. There was such a wide variety! Perhaps she would have to deviate on her mission just a tad bit in order to do some battling of her own before meeting up with Wachter. Luka looked on with his own excitement from her shoulder, ears perked fully forward and eyes wide and attentive. He chattered excitedly, aching to get into battle as well.

She took a moment to send another message to Watch, letting him know that she may not be as quick getting to the town square as she had originally intended. She wanted to do some fighting along the way.

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Augur completed his perusing of the potion ingredient stall rather quickly, having picked up quite a few things. He was going to be making the most of this event, and he wholly intended to level from it as well, though gods knew how long that was going to take if the monsters were all going to be low levels like he thought they were going to be. Nonetheless, he had gotten what he needed, and, with a moment to watch Man-O-War pass by back to his guild- or so Augur surmised, as that was the direction the guild master was heading in- he turned, pocketing his items safely into his inventory and heading off for one of the quieter buildings in town.

With quick, purposeful strides, it did not take him long to find what he was after, and, after ducking into one of said buildings, he settled down at a table to begin making his elixirs. The interface was simple enough to do it anywhere, though granted potion-making was best done in herbology shops where a bonus could be given. Augur was a high enough level that the bonus didn’t do much for him in any case- his own skill far outmatched the small add-on, and as long as he did it properly, the potions would end up better anyway. He would need to make quite a few of them as well, as not only were they the main aspect of his combat, but with what he had planned, he would need a full arsenal. Lotty was crouched on the table off to the side, watching Augur’s hands work with half-lidded eyes.

It would only be a matter of time before the event started, but even then Augur would have time to keep making potions should he need to. He wasn’t planning on fighting right away- he never did. It was a game of observation- that was how he had always played it, being the beta for monster activity and aspects. Behavioral patterns, reactions, battle stratagem, he had learned it all with all of the monsters of LAIOS. It was exciting to be faced with new breeds during this event, and he very much looked forward to seeing and cataloging everything he found. Creature designs were probably one of his favorite things, he was well blessed in the fact that he had been chosen in this job as a beta; it was probably one of the only lights in this dark world.

Augur had gotten through quite a few potions, the sun shifting through the sky, when the message arrived from that damned GM announcing the event to be starting. Augur was admittedly surprised when he discovered that the monsters would match the levels of those who fought them. One might initially find it to be considerate of the Game Master, as it allowed people of all levels to participate in order to gain xp, but Augur also found it to completely discourage partying. Was it a sick and twisted ploy to present more danger to players, in so much as a town as well, where it would not be safe unless people hid in their houses or buildings around the town. There would be many dangers if monsters of multiple levels mulled about together. Did the GM foresee this at all? He would be going for realism, but at the same time, would he sacrifice it for safety? The creatures would be set to aggressive, and if there were more than one of them, who knew where the agro would land? He would just have to see.

This fact did prove beneficial to him, at least. This meant that he could grind to gain as many levels as possible. There would be no time for breaks once he began the chain of destruction, there would be no time to waste time.

Pushing himself up from the table, Augur grabbed his spear which had been leaned against the wall behind his chair, pulling on his jacket and offering a hand for Lotty to crawl up on before swiping the table with an arm to clear it of any remaining debris from his potion making. He walked from the table to the door, lifting a hand in farewell to the NPC who had allowed him stay in the building for so long. Should any monsters get too close, he would battle with them, but for now he would go through town to watch other players battle the multitudes as well as watch the monsters not in combat mull about in a docile manner. All aspects, agro or not, were important to note. Behavior was his ace, after all.



Monsters ranged from toys to arctic creatures, as well as living decorations, holiday spirits, and snow incarnate. It was a good variety, he had to give the Game Master credit where credit was due. There were even some floating foods, of which Augur could only surmise would be dropping ingredients, probably to make Christmas dinners like those in the real world. It was another nice aspect, and while Augur would have liked to indulge in such things, he was no cook, and besides, he didn’t have anyone to spend it with. Cain was still missing, Arctic was who-knows-where, and he did not expect to be finding them any time soon. He could only hope that Cain was in town for the holidays, but even so, it was a big area, and luck was never on his side. Augur was hoping that the event would offer a global message to announce the winners, and perhaps he could get his name out there to at least let his fellow betas know that he was still alive. There would be thousands of players attempting the same though, so his odds were slim when facing so much resistance; still, Augur wasn’t one to back down from a fight.

Speaking of fighting, the time had finally come around that Augur was comfortable with engaging the holiday creatures himself. He had eyed up a number of species, and with his added perks as a beta, he knew their weaknesses already. Even better, he found what he had been looking for initially- pack monsters. He would take care of singles first, of course, to get into the swing of things, but he planned on taking on solo what was intended to be fought by parties of similar levels. It was the fastest way to level up, and while yes, rather dangerous, especially at his level, Augur was not phased. After all, he had done his homework. And besides, he wasn’t entirely alone. He had Lotty with him, and she was his failsafe.

His current prey was a huge golden ball ornament, its little cap decorated with tinsel and pine trimmings. Whenever it moved, little sparkles would follow it, showering the ground before disappearing into nothingness. It was much like a sprite or elemental that he had seen in games other than LAOIS, where there was a particle effect implemented into the creature model. As Augur neared, the monster level registered as 112 and the creature itself turned to face him, suddenly rushing forward with those little sparkles falling after it like a salt shaker. Augur shifted into a readied battle stance, legs shoulder-width apart and hook spear held in front of him with both hands. A wicked smirk teased across his lips, eyes harshening and muscles tensing in eagerness for battle.

Augur met the ornament’s first attack with a solid block, sliding back slightly from the force of his opponent’s forward motion, pushing fiercely against the shaft of his weapon in attempt to reach his form and do damage. Augur had other plans. Shifting his arms back minutely before straining his muscles, he pushed back against the monster with a new force, taking a large step back while the monster was forced away from him in the same motion before twirling the spear to gain momentum in his hands and aiming it forward to bring it crashing down upon the top of the ornament in a hacking motion. Sufficient damage was dealt and the opponent’s health bar was lowered.

It was weak despite its mimicked level. It was just in its design, though Augur did admittedly have the upper hand whenever fighting monsters, since he already knew their weaknesses to begin with. It only took about a minute and a half to dispatch of the high-leveled beast, and Augur was off again in search of his next piece of prey, eyes dancing with the glee of destruction.

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---

Stepping back slowly, Wachter kept his gaze locked on the several enemies in front of him, swatting away their relentless onslaught of attacks. Several times the attacks connected, causing a small jump in his health bar. He dropped his guard long enough to kick away one of the elf attackers, sending it tumbling into a nearby building before bursting into code and filling him with XP. Two more attacks connected with him, making him twist his mouth into a tight snarl, gripping the arm of the Jack-In-The-Box that had smacked him. With a jerking, twisting motion, he flung the toy over his shoulder, slamming it into the hard ground of the town square, a small cloud of snow dissipating as the monster burst into code. Wheeling back around to face his attackers, he realized maybe standing in the center of town wasn't the best strategy. It seemed that for every enemy he managed to get rid of, two more took their place.

"Come on! The lot of you! This can't be the best that your pathetic game master can muster!" The thrill of battle always put him in a more bloodthirsty state of mind, finding the more detached he was from the possibility of death the easier he was able to execute the controls. Rushing forth back into the thick of battle, he shouldered into one of the Elves, knocking it back into its comrades, momentarily slowing their advance.

The most frequent rush of XP was enough to bring him to the next level, and immediately the enemies around him were elevated to level 85. "Dammit..." He thought, now they were going to be even stronger. Not that they were much of a problem to begin with, but the more he fought in the center of town the more likely someone of a lower level was to wander into an area of higher leveled enemies. Suddenly, a message notification appeared in his lower right field of vision. It was from Minuet, stating that she would be along shortly. Dismissing the message, he glared at the small mob of enemies advancing on him. Two wolves sprang forward simultaneously, baring their fangs as they made to sink them into his flesh.

He swung his leg around in a wide arc, colliding with the wolf on the left with the roundhouse kick, knocking it to the side as the wolf sank its teeth into his arm. He winced as pain shot through his forearm, attempting to wrench his arm free of the beast's maw. It was no use, the wolf had its jaw locked tight, and his HP was depleting sliver by sliver.

Before the other enemies could get close enough to attack, he threw his free hand outward. "Stay back!" He commanded, activating his racial ability Ring of Fire. Suddenly, a thin line of fire burst into existence, forming a ring around himself and the wolf currently attached to his arm. Now that that was taken care of, he began his assault on the enemy inside the ring with him. It took several punches to dislodge the creature, and he noted to use a health potion after he had finished him off. A couple of the elves attempted to enter the circle, but the flames singed them and propelled them away.

Now he stood facing off against the lone wolf trapped within the circle. It bared its fangs before lunging for him again, this time he was ready. Standing in the same position, he jumped in place, hoisting his legs up to the height of his chest before kicking them both out with as much force as he could muster. He felt his heels collided with the wolf's chest, the creature exploding on contact into code. Quickly, he opened his inventory and used two potions to restore his health back to full, just as the ring of fire's timer ran out. The flames were snuffed out as easily as they came into existence, and the fight was back on. "Gotta clear these bastards out before Minuet shows up. If they keep spawning at this rate, it isn't going to be safe for her to come to the square unless I leave."

Several of the elves, now accompanied by two freshly spawned snowmen circled around Wacther, their innocent grins somehow coming across as a menacing threat. Crouching down slightly, he fanned his wings out wide, preparing to take off. Lunging forward with a burst of speed, he grappled one of the snowmen on his ascent, carrying the monster with him as he went higher, higher, and higher still, each beat of his wings carrying them a few more feet. When he reached his zenith, he called upon the powers within his reserve, channeling the mana required to perform his Comet attack. Suddenly his whole being seemed to burst into a bright yellow and orange flame, coating both him and the snowman completely. The blaze did nothing to melt the snowman, further reassuring him that these things were not made from actual snow.

Then, he plummeted, at full speed towards the ground, the fiery mass that consumed them raging toward the surface. He clung to the snowman the entire way down, until just before they hit the ground, then released him. Upon impact, the flames that once coated Wacther exploded outward, rippling and roaring across the square, consuming all the enemies in it's path with it's flaming maw. The snowman he landed with was most definitely eliminated, as were the several elves that lingered too close to the attack. Steadying himself, he took a moment to catch his breath and pop several mana potions. That attack was convenient, but had he not had a hefty supply of mana potions he would have been at the mercy of his slow mana regeneration rate.

Opening his inventory once more, he chose his Liger Knuckles as weaponry and equipped them, a pair of electric blue and black knuckles appearing on his hands. They appeared to be surging with electricity, small sparks jumping between them and the ground and dispersing into the game. Remembering he had received a message from Minuet, he opened his message log to reply. "Right, sounds good. Take your time, I've got plenty here to keep me busy. Just be careful, ok?" Sending the message, he clasped his right shoulder, rolling it several times to make sure nothing residual was left from the wolf's bite. "Sleep in heavenly peace you sons a bitches..."