[ti]story[/ti]Story Quest: Silent Night

In between getting talked to by strangers, and the ringing of the bells in the background, Hekate is having trouble keeping her mind on topic. They're here to dig, right? And that one woman- oh, wait, she should ask her name, probably?? - said she could get a cool Pokémon out of this rock she found. So, hell, she should definitely give it another swing, right? She hefts the pickaxe onto her shoulder, prepares to strike the earth, and-

Dr Bunya starts talking, and Hekate freezes. At the very least, she could recognise that Bunya was a figure of nyauthority around here, and should be paid attention to. No sign of corruption on the fossils? That was a good thing, right? That was something to be excited about, alongside the promise of hey did the ground just disappear under her.

"H-huh- h- HEY!!" Hekate tumbles through the air, striking the ground pickaxe first.

[Fossil2]La4UpLNw1d15

She barely even notices whatever loot or mysterious effect she just rolled, given that Dr Bunya is soon up in her business. Defensively, Lil Guy quickly steps between Hekate and the Doctor, puffing himself up in a tiny, cutesy threat display. "T-tunneled?? W-wouldn't you need- need, uh, a r-really big drill, or-" She blinks. "Wait that was actually dark magic?? How did you-"

Another interruption, as a popup appears in her view. Hekate practically jumps out of her skin in shock for the nth time today, and then she actually reads the damn thing. Mystery gift... give to another player... naughty list? "Huh- huh? Huh?? Huh??? N-Naughty list?"

“A dino, huh? You know what… hmm… Maybe he was! That would be pretty cool, huh?” Tuesday muses in response to Rose Garden’s question, allowing herself a smile and choosing not to answer if the Krampus would go on the Nice List or not. She could tell her all about it, but why make afraid of anything relating to Christmas? Mars has always hated the very concept of scaring children with stories of boogeymen. He may dislike Christmas for his own plethora of fucked up childhood trauma reasons, but that doesn’t mean that he’s going to sour Rose’s view of it as well…

But then there’s the suspicious in their hands, there’s falling snow, there’s the music, and always at the forefront in her mind, there’s the fact that they’re in Mistra.

“Ada…” starlitlover throws his present before she can even warn him not to try to open it. He throws it at Kazuki, of all people, which honestly, despite the looming sense of dread she feels, is damn funny. Shaking her head and chuckling to herself, she helps Ada up when he almost falls into a hole. “Be careful, yeah?”

Yes, she chooses not to get specific with the warning, because you see, there’s Rose… Rose who’s just a little girl, who’s tired, who probably thought the event would be a good time, and who views this virtual world throw eyes full of wonder and awe. She can’t shatter that for her. She can’t scare her. She has to make sure Rose’s innocent approach to the game remains, because….

Because, well…

Because Tuesday cares for her.

It all makes Mars think of his dad; of how, when he was a boy, his dad had smiled and convinced him that they were going on fun road trips when they were actually trying to hide. Had that been the right move? Mars isn’t sure, but he also does remember his dad as the only person in his family who ever cared for making him smile.

Maybe orioncayge’s appearance is her saving grace, because no matter how hesitant her thoughts for a moment there, when he shows up, her decision is made.

“Orion! My dude! Good to see ya!” She smiles brightly, throwing an arm around his shoulders and getting close enough to whisper: “I don’t trust these weird presents, they’re sus as hell, but I don’t want Rose to get scared and end up hating Christmas. Play along, yeah?”

And just like that, she lets go, and her attention turns to Rose.

This is a terrible idea, but what else can she do?

She wants Rose to have a good time and make good memories, but how can she do that while still keeping her safe? Is she just being paranoid? What if the event is just a fun event? No, there's no way... She has to be cautious always...

“Rosie, wanna take my present? Make sure you don’t open it, though, hm? Remember, Christmas presents shouldn’t be open until morning!” Tuesday winks as if this were a wise and well known fact, smiling at Rose, and just then, something twinkles in the corner of her eye, barely in view...

[Fossil2]W9njONHX1d15

GRENINJA || 500/700

Trigger Warning: Child Neglect

Rose would sleepily grin, seeing Josh Devlin here after she plucked up a big fossil from the ground. She'd wave almost right away, having to drop her pickaxe to do so as her other hand held the fossil, and it fell with a solid thud. "Hey! Oh, this is so nice." She'd mumble softly. "I love having so many friends in one place."

Rose was once again, confused when Kazuki 's words also seemed to silence themselves. “I learned to say ____ when I was five. It’s good character development.” What did they learn to say? This was getting very, very confusing. Luckily, she didn't need to think about it as her worm approached her.

"Bleugh-" Her Orthworm spit up some more gross dirt. "Do you mind if I- uh, ahem. Stop digging for a bit?"

"Of course, Kentucky Tucker!" Rose tilted her head to look at him, gently patting his head with a soft smile. "You take all the breaks you need. You work so hard, worm friend."

The Orthworm genuinely didn't know how to respond to the praise, seeming almost bashful for a minute. "I'll- I'll uh, keep my eyes out for danger."

"Okay! Woah!" Suddenly, the earth vanished beneath them. Luckily, her little ladybug wings fluttered furiously as she slowly floated down to the ground, her little feet touching down on soil again. "That... That was fun, actually!"

"Not for me!" Replied Kentucky Tucker, who had fallen face first into the dirt. "At least, this soil doesn't taste so bad."

With another pat, Rose turned her attention to the sudden popup on her screen, tilting her head a bit. "Presents?" She mumbled quietly, looking almost... forlorn. The young child just stared ahead, unsure what to do. She just picked up her pickaxe again lazily, when Tuesday spoke up, offering a present. Rose's head swiftly turned around to look at them, with big wide eyes. She was silent, but seemed far more awake than she had been just a moment ago, all before her little hands reached up to take the present from Tuesday 's arms. Almost on cue, the waterworks swiftly began to pour, little tears spilling down her cheeks.

"A Christmas present... F-for me?" She sniffled immediately, swiftly moving to wipe away her tears with the blanket wrapped around her neck. She wasn't supposed to cry. People didn't like it when she cried. "T-thank you Auntie! I- I don't, I don't get many presents. D-dad said Santa was busy..."

Rose immediately fumbled with her UI, attempting to hand off a present right back to Tuesday with a shaky smile. Her voice was so shaky and nervous, struggling to form her words. "H-here! It, It's fair! It's yours- a-and-"

And suddenly, Josh Devlin was handing her a present as well for just helping him out the other day. And the waterworks doubled almost immediately, and cue a furious attempt to wipe away her own tears with the blanket again. "J-josh! I- I gotta get you one too! I don't, have any more... I'll find something! I-" Rose quickly picked up her pickaxe again, desperate to find something else to give to him. She could barely hold the pickaxe up above her head, but she managed to strike down regardless.

Kentucky Tucker the Orthworm: 400/500 HP
Loot: Fossilized Dino (1/2 of Arctozolt or Arctovish)

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Josh seemed to have taken the message from Nero's snub and turned away to talk to someone else, leaving Nero to focus on Laguna as she settled in to work beside him. orioncayge was still near enough to see him too, which meant double the pressure to show how strong and able he was here - no, not pressure, motivation. Right. As a lump of shiny orange... plastic? ... poked itself out of the hole that Nero had been creating, he stooped to pick it up, looking it over for a minute before shoving it into his pocket alongside the piece of paper he'd already found. Both items seemed pretty useless to him right now, but maybe they'd turn out to have some value once this quest was over. 'Limited time' loot was often seen as precious when it wasn't obtainable anymore, even if its actual use remained limited.

Before he could extend the manufactured hole any further though, something else seemed to beat him to it, and the entire ground beneath his feet seemed to briefly disappear. Suddenly his feet were pushing down onto nothing but air, and despite this very unusual happening, that feeling felt familiar.

Though the drop itself could only have been a few feet in height, Nero's legs crumpled beneath him as they landed once more, as though his brain had suddenly forgotten how to tense them again. He was left in a heap on the floor, clutching onto the pickax for support though it had not been enough to keep him upright, and while he was physically uninjured, he could feel his cheeks burning white hot with embarrassment already. What was that he'd just been saying about important people watching him? They both saw that happen then. Great.

His Electrike seemed concerned by his trainer's fall, and bounded over to him with loud yaps, placing his front paws on Nero's leg as he shifted himself back onto his knees, ready to stand. He shoved the dog away, gently but with clear intent, and the electric type seemed to take that as a positive enough sign. He stepped back to watch the human for a moment, before eventually turning back to the ground again, pausing every second or so to look back and confirm that he was allowed to keep on digging.

It seemed Laguna had been talking to her Onix for most of that time, and Nero could only hope that she hadn't seen him drop like a stone, especially after their first interaction together. He dragged himself back to his feet, leaning forwards on the pickax for support as his legs dithered about whether they were willing to hold him up or not. It took a moment for everything to settle back to normal again, though in that time he noticed a Pokemon approaching, one that he didn't recognise at first. A quick peek back towards Orion though (now alone without the partner that had previously been beside him) made it clear where this new friend had come from, and Nero could feel the blush burning brighter again. It was all he could do not to sink back to the floor again, hoping that this time it would actually swallow him up.

He sent another sheepish glance towards Orion, wondering what it meant that the other player had sent a Pokemon over to... guard him? Nothing good probably, and now he was starting to wonder about why Laguna was really here too. Did nobody think he could do this? Did they think he was going to fail a stupid digging event? He was doing pretty good so far, wasn't he? Did he just give off a general vibe of 'pathetic' that he didn't know about?!

A very cheerful bark from beside him distracted him for a moment as he saw his Electrike respond to the Onix now looking towards him. His little tail was wagging furiously, and he was clearly agreeing to whatever had been said, though it had been nothing but rumbles to Nero's ears. A bizarre pop-up interrupted his UI at that moment, and one that he couldn't seem to close out of. Something about a gift? Oh right, the Christmas music. He kept forgetting the theme of this event, what with the creepy vibe being more relevant for Halloween than Christmas.

It seemed the only way to get rid of it was to give the gift to someone else... and the only one around was Laguna. Though he couldn't see her anymore, he could now hear her suggesting something very similar. Her voice had been quiet until recently but this did seem to be aimed directly at him now, and he saw her hand reach out towards him beneath the bottom edge of the pop-up. It seemed like the simplest solution to the problem, so he fumbled to accept her gift from her, immediately swapping it with his own that he then handed back across to her without a word. It took a moment for him to add, "Oh right, thanks, and err, you take this one too. Maybe." Smooth.

With that resolved and the pop up gone, he finally processed the rest of what she'd said. "Wait, a party turned what?" He was starting to realise that even the regular players were finding this event a little strange. He'd thought the vibe had been a bit off for a while now, but hadn't been able to put his finger on why. Maybe it was that the player base was confused by new mechanics or something? That didn't explain why he felt so tired though...

"So are quests not normally like this then?" he asked as he finally trusted his legs enough to pick the pickax up once more. "Darker, sure, but like, something feels weird about this one? Compared to the other thing I did, and the tutorial stuff." It's not like he had much experience though, so maybe he was just being paranoid. Oh well, might as well continue digging, and so up the ax went to be slammed back down with the next beat of the eerie song.

ELECTRIKE: 250/400 | FOUND SO FAR: SPELL TAG, OLD AMBER, Laguna's Present | Gave Mystery Gift to Laguna
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Saint groaned, slowly picking himself off the ground. His arm ached. He had evidently pulled it a little when he reflexively grabbed Gumball. “You okay?” he asked, and the popplio he held to his chest responded by squishing his nose on his chin, emitting a small honk!

The crash had gotten the best of most of them, but people were helping each other up. Nero was in good hands, and even the troublesome trio appeared to have made it out mostly unscathed. Saint frowned at how starlitlover hobbled, but it seemed Tuesday had his back.

The panic in his eyes returned when he searched the crowd, only to find Lacrimosa standing unscathed and unfazed by the surprise. Saint stilled, crossed between relief and something else.

It’s a thought he can’t entertain for long, as a present manifested in his hands, along with a strange, distorted instruction to exchange it. The haunting Christmas jingle felt so close he half-expected to hear a ‘ho ho ho’ in the echoes.

His fingers dug into the gift wrap, and went to Lacrimosa and Alistair, stopping when he’s close enough to hear his name. Sarthor never appeared to raise his voice.

“Ah, uh—thank you…” He accepted the gift, trying to appear more grateful than wary. Whatever was inside this had to be intrinsically linked to Corruption, so it was wonder why Lacrimosa was giving it away at all. A safety measure?

“Receiving a gift seems like the best method if you want to inspect it. Please take mine in turn.” He nodded, gaze fixed. “I’m sure you’ll understand it better than I could.”

But he would need to last longer too. “Gumball, could you heal his…” His eyes widened at the sight of Wisteria, the sprigatito barely more than a wisp. Even Gumball seemed apprehensive, but a silent nod from Saint, and he began spritzing her with water.

Holy water.

GUMBALL used WATER GUN (HEAL) on WISTERIA!
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bonuses: rare (+10) + water type move (+5)
strain: -40

With the exchange over, Saint turned to Alistair, the grave look on his face melting to something between embarrassment and open curiosity. “Hello there. Are you Lacrimosa’s friend?” He should introduce himself, considering he had intruded, and if he wanted to stick around. He transferred the pickaxe from his left to his right to ease the burden on his affected arm.

[Fossil2]1d15

GUMBALL || 110/200

In retrospect, maybe having half the active playerbase chip away at an ancient caldera or impact site wasn't... the best idea. There was no real warning, only the ground dropping beneath his feet, and the alarmed whoo-coo! of his pidove as she presumably tried to halt her downward pitch.

He managed to land somewhat lithely (it might've been embarassing for the guy roleplaying an elf to end up in a heap), and ash and dush settled over him like a shroud. "Is everyone alright?" He called, trying to peer around in the darkness- his vision further impeded by the UI snapping up a new prompt. There was a present in his hands now, wrapped in smooth fabric, tied off with a shimmering ribbon. Familiar weight settled on his shoulder as he considered the instructions- Pidove, who was shaking herself off, and brushing some of the detritus off his shoulders with a wing.

He almost smiled fondly at her, but he already knew in a game like this putting off or ignoring the instructions would have serious ramifications- not to mention the damn pop-up wouldn't leave his field of view no matter how many times he gestured or willed it to minimize. Ugh. Fond thanks to his pokemon later, then. He looked first for Lacrimosa- starting as the man simply looked past him... and gave his gift to another player. Alistair's eyes flickered between his boss and Saint.

<Looks like you're being replaced,> The pidove murmured in his ear so only he could hear. His eyes narrowed at the pair for a moment, suspicious and confused, and trying to hide his emotions before the other player finished healing- wait, was that a ghost? At least that swept the moment of insecurity away. Sarthor had brought some sort of wraith or spirit to this dig instead of a living pokemon, and it seemed really, really frail.

"...can you protect the uh, sprigatito?" He murmured to his pidove. The bird looked at him judgementally.

<He really has you twisted around his fingers, doesn't he?> She responded, <I could, but will I? Maybe if someone asks politely. We'll certainly see.> Before he could press her, the pidove swept off his shoulder to scratch in the ground at something she deemed interesting.

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Saint had turned towards him, distracting him from whatever it was the pidove had uncovered. "I- yes. I'm Alistair, I work for Lacrimosa outside the game." And sometimes in it, but that really wasn't a topic to get into. He was a master of two-faced politeness, and more than likely this was another one of Sarthor's games, Saint only an innocent bystander caught up in the man's machinations. "It's nice to meet you- I take it you're one of Lacrimosa's friends as well? It'll be good to have another support pokemon with the group,"

This being said he realized he'd just. Been ignoring Sae. Hadn't even looked for him. With a jolt, Alistair twisted around, frantically looking for his friend and- there. Relief flooded him instantly. Saint who? Sarthor what? Alistair's full attention was instantly all Sae's, moving toward the other man. "Are you alright?" He asked, glancing over him, and very gently drawing Lord Darien Blackthorne back toward the other two so they'd at least be close by to each other in the eerie darkness.