voidtreckerexpress | Winter Wonderland [Event]

”Good Morning passengers. Today is day Twenty Four of the month of Catfish. You may wish to look out of the window.”

As passengers wake in their beds they will indeed notice something different about the light. If they look out of the window, instead of the ever changing void they will see white slopes of mountains, flakes of snow alling down around them and frost covered trees zipping past the windows. If they glance at the ICP on the table they will see a message.

Investigating the dressing cart they will find the drawers and cupboards unlocked once again. However, instead of the fantasy-esque clothing of world #25768 they will find thick winter coats, hats, gloves and scarves. There are heavy fur lined boots and even some ice skates.

Entering the garden carriage they will see that the glass dome of the roof has opened, leaving the carriage exposed to a bright blue sky. Any nonsense of the past few weeks has vanished, leaving the carriage pristine. Not that that is easy to notice as it is covered in a thick layer of snow. The paths are clearer, a light dusting of snow but easy to talk through. Around the paths the drifts are high, perfect for snowman building or a snowball fight.

The streams and the pond in the centre are solid ice. Anyone brave enough to try to find the ice holds their weight for ice skating.

And the ICP message was correct. There is hot chocolate in the stores.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Zetta pounced, springing on that moment of weakness like a spring-loaded tiger. "Then why are you getting hit? And why are you turning red, as if I'd stumbled on a horrible truth and you're frantically denying it?"

Fatality! He's most definitely hitting Inigo's weak point here, because pointing out that he's turning red only makes him turn more red. It's a downward spiral from here. It's even more effective than the snowball attack from before, because emotional scars never heal as quickly as physical ones!

"B.. Because the things you are describing are embarrassing, of course! Anyone would find themselves flustered in the face of that!" But especially soft, soft boys like Inigo.

"So again, why did you get hit if you weren't saying stuff like that?" Zetta won't let this point go, instead choosing to gnaw on it like a dog with a rawhide chew.

"Because.."

His tone trails off as he's clearly looking for an answer. Which only makes him look more suspicious, despite the reason for the pause is that he just doesn't realise what makes his strategy so dumb rather than him actually having been raunchy.. He's just an idiot.

"My.. charm is simply too much for them..?"

"Uh-huh. And that makes them turn violent instead of swoon, always." MOST of the time, Zetta could buy! (Demon girls were notoriously tsundere.) But that consistently? No way!

Oh, he's definitely dealt with demon girls before, Zetta. There's no way Severa wasn't one. Or Noire. Or I'll-turn-into-a-dragon-and-eat-you Nah. Why is this his life.

"They still swoon most of the time!" A bold-faced lie. "But.. you know how women are!"

Would a overlord-book know that? Who knows. Inigo is just assuming over here.

"You can't predict them!"

"Dude, women are people too." This was a necessary viewpoint in the Netherworld, in which gender was absolutely no determinant on how hard ass could be kicked. Hell, Pram the Oracle was his fiercest competition for the title of 'strongest mana power in the cosmos', and she was both a girl and way young at that. Not that he'd ever admit such things out loud, especially not to her!

"Well.. yes."

That seems to knock the wind out of Inigo's sails entirely. But at least it doesn't seem to fluster or freak him out as much. (Yet?)

"They are people, but.. different people, you know?" He doesn't even mean it in a demeaning way as much as a 'girls are terrifying and this is the only way I know how to cope, help' sort of way. Even though that's hard to notice with the stuff he just said.

"I sure can't argue with that." Some girls were just weird, like -- well, no, he had no intention of thinking about her ever again. She was dead to him. "But not THAT different."

He pauses. Not since he doesn't know what to say like the past two minutes or so, but this time it's out of hesitation.

He can't be about to ask some sort of evil overlord trapped in a book for girl advice, right. That can't be happening. It's too weird.

.. It might be happening.

Inigo awkwardly clears his throat, taking a few steps closer so not everyone in the garden will be able to listen along. "Then.. how do you deal with them?" At least he looks properly flustered.

"Remember this! No matter how cute the girl, your own ego is more important to you! That means you always have confidence! Even the harshest 'no' can't hurt more than you let it!"

Was that terrible advice or good?

Maybe actually good in Inigo's case, considering the harshest 'no' usually just.. makes him cry. But he can't admit that in front of this ~~guy~~ book!

"S.. Surely it can't be that easy! You make it sound as if that's no effort at all!"

"It isn't if you think you're worth a damn thing. Oh, I get it!" The book perked up, then smiled wickedly. "You're constantly overcompensating by dumping tons of flattery and praise on chicks because you think you've got nothing to offer and have to oversell yourself that way!"

Zetta, please! You can't go in on his weakest spot that hard! What are you, a therapist from the school of hard knocks?!

Inigo's face is turning so red that it may just start to turn his hair purple as well at this point. "T.. That's not true! What kind of ridiculous scenarios are you making up?!"

"Scenarios can be ridiculous and true all at once! I mean, look at me, I'm a book."

Nothing could be more ridiculous than that!

"Your physical appearance and my behaviour are two different things entirely!"

Are they really, Inigo? Because they both have to do with things not quite being as they first seem..

"I-- I am a warrior! I've slain countless bandits by myself! Why should I ever feel like I have nothing to offer?"

"Yeah. Good question." Zetta fixed the kid with a firm look. "Why SHOULD you?"

"I shouldn't!"

.. There's a small pause, where he suddenly seems to realise he forgot to add something. Which means it arrives comically late.

"Which is why I don't, obviously! I don't feel like that! I have never experienced a single moment of that feeling in my entire life..!"

"You haven't, huh?" Zetta said, merrily handing the kid more rope for him to hang himself.

Winter Wonderland [Event]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject