[PP-F4] Twas the Night Before Christmas (Zandra)

[Daeron 1]

Crazy. That was the only word that Daeron could come up with to describe how fast time was flying. It was to the point that it was only hours away from the actual holiday. Christmas was one of Daeron's favorite times of the year to go to the fourth floor. With snow everywhere it really gave off that feeling that it was Christmas. Leaving footsteps behind him in about four inches of snow, he had no way to actually enter towns, but soon he would be able to as this Christmas, Repentance was going to be defeated.

He let out a breathe, which became visible in the cold wind by becoming a cloud. Snowflakes were falling down gracefully, landing on his shoulder and in his hair, allowing to glow and shimmer more golden than ever. Though nobody was exactly around in plain sight, he could tell others have been here based on the footprints all over in the snow.

[Zandra 0]

Zandra was sitting in an armchair in her shop om the snowy floor four. Infront of her a fire sent a comfotable warmth while she sipped on a cup of hot chocolate. Today she dosent have any special thing planned so she had decided to take the day off. But it only took one or two hours before she got bored. She didnt wanted to just sit here doing nothing. So she rose up from the chair."Come Zita, time for a walk." Her eagle familiar let put a cry after she lifted from one of the roofbeams. A few moments later she sat on Zandras shoulder and the two leaves the shop. After a short walk she spotted something golden between the trees.

[Daeron 1]

Daeron remembered even this was one of the newest floors. It was amazing how time made everything seem so old. Daeron began to weave through a set of trees, however after passing by several of them Daeron caught his eyes locking onto someone standing there. Stepping out from the trees, he gave a smile as it was a woman standing there with a familiar being an eagle.

"The name is Daeron. What brings you out here on such a fine day?" He asked curious, taking a few more steps, he had found himself unlucky because a branch must have collected too much snow as it has dropped all of the white powder all over him. Feeling more surprised, he brushed some off, but not all therefore some staying in his hair. Laughing, he walked over to the woman and reached out his hand and bowed forward slightly in respect and to get the snow off of him.

[Zandra 0]

It seemed the golden thing had noticed Zandras presence since it was coming her way. When it get closer she saw it was a player. What she saw next made her take a few steps back. He wasnt a green player. Zandra got panic, she quickly pulled forth her whip and held it in her right hand. Her eyes darted from side to side, tried to find an escape route. Then her focus turned to the man as he, introduced himself. He also asked her what she was doing on such a fine day. She raised  an eyebrow and looked confused. Thats when he got attacked by the tree, alot of snow from one of its branches fell right on him. Zandra let out a giggle, but the she remembered the colour of his cursor and turned serious again."Stop right there!" She said to him but he just continued and streatched forth his hand to her."Zita go!" Zandra said when backing another couple of steps, keeping her eyes on the man.

[Daeron 1]

He gave a look of confusion. Why was she acting so strange? Daeron hadn't even realized that he might be scaring her because of the icon itself. Daeron stood upright and did just that. He didn't for his weapon. In fact, he opened his menu to unequip his armor, now feeling lighter. "Um, look. I'm not here to hurt you, I don't even like killing people, this stupid cursor is over a year old and I've simply been too lazy to take quest to reverse it back to green."

Daeron kept his distance as he didn't want to be attacked for trying to be friendly. Daeron instead reached for the ground and grabbed a handful of snow, which he crushed into a ball. Pulling his arm over his shoulder, he began to aim.

ID: 43109 BD: 9 (Hit)

As the powdery ball of snow was released into the air, it had no trouble to explode on her chest. "Dead center, man I'm good!" He said as he laughed at his shot.

[Zandra 0]

Daeron looked confused. Then he unequiped his armour. Then ne said he wasnt here to hurt her, actually that cursor was over a year old and he just to lazy to take the redemption quest. Zandra relaxed a little, but she was careful, maybe this was just a way to make her lower her guard. She had promised herself to not be killed by a player killer. But maybe this guy realy was froendly, he didnt looked like he had murder in mind. Zandra snapped out of her thougths. Just a second later somethin struck her right in her chest. Due to reflexes she immediatly rushed towards the man, charging up her strongest sword art. Halfway to him she glanced at her chest where she felt the impact. When she saw the white powder she realised it was just a snowball. She quickly broke the sword art and tried to stop. But she had built up a momentum that was hard to stop and lost her balance. She stumbled a few steps before falling a planted her face in the snow half a meter infront of Daeron.

[Daeron 1]

Daeron's eyes widened as he saw her charging up her sword art at him. He could tell she noticed it was just snow because midway through the attack, she started trying to break her momentum. Face planting right before him, he kneels down and places his hand on her shoulder gently, and helps her back up. "You alright there?" He laughed "I had no idea you were going to fear my snowball powers so much. Well, with that said I proclaim myself the "snow God"!"

As he was helping the woman up, he saw her eyes. For some reason everyone Daeron was with a girl, he locked eyes with someone face to face. Breaking the lock, Daeron moved his hand away, as he wouldn't dare trying to brush off the snow based on where it hit.

[Zandra 0]

Zandra didnt rised immediatly. But then she felt something on the shoulder. It was the blonde that tried to help her up. It would be rude to not do anything so she started helping by pushing herself up. Halfway up he said he was the 'snow god'. Right now Zandra looked down, and due to that the man couldnt see the evil smile that spread on her face for a second since her long black hair covered her face. Just before her right hand that she pushed herself up with left the ground, she grabbed some snow with it. She looked him in the eyes and he in hers. Then evil smile came back."So, your the snow god? Then you eat snow right?" Before he could answer she took a step forward so they was only a few inches between them. She the pressed the snow she had in right hand right in his face. At the same time she also placed one of hr legs behind one of his that should make him lose his balance.

[Daeron 1]

It wasn't until that moment that he regretted making eye contact. Somehow, Daeron was on the ground being buried in the snow by the girl. Muffled words were coming through the snow over his mouth but nothing was capable of being understood. Although he knew this was all in good fun, Daeron felt her leg lock behind his making getting up a challenge. Thinking on the spot was never Daeron's expertise, but he had come up with an idea after all.

Rolling himself over, he moved both of them at the same time. With her on the bottom of the pile, Daeron no longer had snow in his face. "That wasn't very nice now was it?" He now brought his own leg behind hers to make sure she couldn't get up this time. Snow covering both of them was making their clothes rather wet and cold, which was kind of one of the cons to playing in the snow.

[Zandra 0]

The next moments Zandra had no idea what was happening. But a few seconds later she was on the ground and Daeron had the upper hand. She looked at him with raised eyebrows and let out a short laugh."He, not very nice ey? Your not realy the person to say that. Or maybe its different to by no reason throwing a snowball at my chest." She shaked/kicked with her legs to get out of his grip. Then she pushed herself up into standing position."Also a tip if you dont want people to sct like I did when I first saw you, you better go make that quest." Even since he said he didnt liked killing people and such things, she was still on her guard, it could be a way for him to be able to get her off-guard.

[Daeron 1]

Returning back to his feet,  he brushed the snow off of him.  He could tell that both of the clothing were wet.  "Hey,  I can tell you're cold and wry too right now,  but did you want to come to my room that I rent?  You can get freshened up in the bathroom and then if you'd like we can go green something to eat. " Daeron hasn't been the one to just offer something like this to just anyone,  especially a stranger. Though he barely knew her, he felt like they'd make great friends just based on the moment they just had. 

[Zandra 0]

Zandra looked suspicious on the blonde infront of her. He seemed like a nice guy. But he just invited her to his room that he rent since they are wet and, cold? She glanced the cursor above him. He cant enter safe zones so what was this place he rent in? She couldnt think that any green player would decide to sleep outside the safe zone at an inn or something like that."Well, Ive spent countless of hours outside on this floor, so the cold isnt bothering me. And..." she opened her inventory. She unequipped her holy armour of the eagle and instead weared her old one. An almost full plate armour. Only place where there wasnt plates was at the lower torso. There it was covered with scalemail to increase mobility."... now Im dry." She gave him a friendly smile. Then she scrolled thru her inventory again. A few seconds later a potion pixelated in her hand."Catch." She threw the bottle with orange potion to Daeron."It will make you feel warm." She paused."Also I think I have to thaks but no to your offer about going to your room. Sorry."

[Daeron 1]

Daeron caught the potion and looked at it, he rememnered this potuon when Mari made it for him after he gave his sunfire cloak to her, the only item is SAO with full fire protection,  which made the floor 9 boss easy for him. "No worries, just trying to be nice. Can I at least take you out for dinner?" He asked her with a friendly smile and then drank the potion.  Unfortunately for him, he only had the one set of clothing, which made life tough since he used his armor at just about all times. 

[Zandra 0]

"Sure, dinner sounds nice." She guessed she could do that at least. She wanted to relax, she did trust this man, but that cursor made her uncomfortable. Was a battle inside her between her brain and sences. At the moment, the brain was stronger, but it couldnt hide the unease feelings."Do you know about a place? Everywhere Ive eaten is inside the safe zones, except of course my own shop." She looked at the blonde and smiled, tried her best to hide the nervous feelings.

[Daeron 1]

Daeron nodded, "Of course I know of a place, I cant go into towns so how else would i eat?" Bending his  elbow towards her,  he gestured  that he would lead the way.  "Follow me,  m'lady" he said as he began to walk away from the town and trekked along the path that came from the town towards the Winter's  Bite, an inn that allows anyone to enter the building so that player killer status-ed players may have a place to eat.

[Zandra 0]

Zandra followed the golden armoured man. It seemed he knew a place to eat. He had said of course he knew a place, how else was he gonna eat. Zandra actually meant if he knew something nearby that was good or if they would just take first they found. Thou she didnt said anything, just followed him quietly, always on her guard. Since the closer they got to that inn, the bigger risk there was that they would run into another pk-er, and maybe her or she didnt was as nice as Daeron. But they got to the inn without any incidents. They entered and Zandra went to a table in the corner so none would be able to sneak up on her. Some players looked at her with strange face, probably they thou she was strange to visit this place since she was a green player.

[Daeron 1]

Zandra looked out of place, possibly because she didn't have the orange icon. As a NPC came over, she greeted Daeron with a sincere smile as she knew him quite well at this point. Handing out two menus, the female NPC gave her a deathly glare. Even Daeron was confused, "Umm, I'll take the usual, Emily" He hadn't a clue what Zandra wanted so he simply looked at her with a smile.

The inn was comfy inside as it was a log cabin. Inside were wooden benches and chairs with tables. A bar counter was in the back, as it appeared to be popular for drinkers to start in this game. There was a lit fireplace near their table. There was also a flight of stairs upwards that led to Daeron's room, where he slept. As for staff, there were only three, and that included the waitress that was serving their table.

[Zandra 0]

Zandra jumped when she herd a female voice talking to them. Thou it wasnt needed, it was just the NPC-waitress. Zandra sighed.''Pheew, you have to relax now Zandra 'kay?'' she mumbled to herself. Then she got a menu from the female NPC.''I take what he took.'' she said and nodded at Daeron. She took a few deep breaths to calm down.''So, Daeron. Ive never talked to a player killer before.'' thou she more and more didnt felt it like he was a orange player.''But, since you cant hang out on events in the town and such, what are you guys and gals doing at the days while the rest of us slacking out in the safe zones?'' she said, leaned at the back of the chair, looking curiously at Daeron.