A Christmas On The Horizon



Christmas.

A joyous holiday that came only once a year to boys and girls around the world in the form of a celebration that included presents, expensive wine, and a feast that could satisfy a stomach built for a hundred people. Yes, Christmas was indeed a holiday that everyone enjoyed — including even the most notorious of criminals and rogues that partook in under the table activity. On that matter, one guild in particular was celebrating Christmas with as much joy and spirit as any normal family would, and that guild's name was...

"Merry Christmas!" A collection of voices shouted within a lavishly decorated and incredibly packed room as the sound of cheering and screaming echoed through the halls. A banquet was currently being held within the guild base of Dawn Horizon, an infamous independent guild and one of the three founding guilds of the Trident Alliance.

At the last conference, Dawn Horizon had been selected to be this year's host of the Christmas party so in turn, the guild had to undergo quite a few changes and be refurnished to embody the spirit of Christmas. In terms of the guest list, you could practically find every notable mage, assassin, bounty hunter, or mercenary within the Alliance at this party, with the VIP list reserved for only the most influential and important members. Shintaro, the leader of Fallen Dusk and Francine , leader of Cross Sector, were of course VIP guests as they arrived relatively early with their own guilds following suit as the party became quite lively with all of the different individuals that had been gathered.

"I have to say, I wasn't expecting Dawn Horizon to throw the most lively party that the Alliance has hosted" Francine, who was wearing an extravagant black low cleavage dress with a white fur coat wrapped around her slender neck, mused as she held a cup of wine in her hand.

A swift response came to the individual standing beside her — a dashing young man with dark crimson hair who was wearing a plain white shirt that highlighted his defined muscles and biker jeans "They're just full of surprises aren't they?" It was Shintaro who had spoken as he was also drinking a cup of wine and had an amused smirk plastered over his face.

Both of them had sent their subordinates away to enjoy themselves and finally get some free time to do as they pleased and were enjoying the mood of the party as the musicians in the background played their hearts out. Those who weren't apart of Fallen Dusk or Cross Sector were in awe of seeing two of the founding leaders of the Alliance standing side by side with one another and enjoying each other's company. It was a rare sight indeed as Shintaro and Francine were almost never seen with each other without at least their bodyguards accompanying them and when they were, it was usually for business. To see them chatting away in a a friendly manner was a treat for all those that admired and worshiped them.

<span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"TrebuchetMS","sans-serif"">"But man, where is that idiot? He's the one who told us to come early and yet he's late at his guild's own party!" Francine fumed as she stomped her feet and frowned. It was quite obvious who she was referring too as a chuckle came from Shin.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"TrebuchetMS","sans-serif"">"Give him a break, I heard Tetsuya was pretty busy tracking down all of the Alliance members that were scattered across Ishgar. It wouldn't surprise me if he had fallen asleep out of exhaustion" It wouldn't be the first time something like that happened.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"TrebuchetMS","sans-serif"">Francine clicked her tongue at Shin "I know that already, and I'm really grateful towards him but..." she seemed to fidget a bit as her eyes wondered to the large gathering of presents that had been stacked in the middle of the room, particularly a green box that had her initials on it. Shin was quick to piece things together as he observed Francine's body language, a wide grin now forming on his face.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"TrebuchetMS","sans-serif"">"Oh, so that's what's going on eh?"

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"TrebuchetMS","sans-serif"">"Eh? W-What are you talking about?" Francine backed up a bit as she saw the mischievous smirk on Shin's face. She was losing her composure as she had a feeling Shin was on to her.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"TrebuchetMS","sans-serif"">"Of course you'd be upset that the person you got a present for isn't here. I understand completely"

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"TrebuchetMS","sans-serif"">Francine's heart sank as Shin revealed those words and her face became hot, a clear flush of pink now written all over her as she grabbed his shirt.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"TrebuchetMS","sans-serif"">"W-Who the hell said anything about making a present for that moron!" Francine expressed with a face full of embarrassment as Shin continued smiling. She already knew the cat was out of the bag but still denied it nonetheless. What made it even worse was that stupid shit eating grin on his face, she couldn't stand that!

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"TrebuchetMS","sans-serif"">"Haha, there's no need to be so defensive about it. You like him right? Why wouldn't you make something for him?" Shin added, his amusement reaching an all time high as she watched Francine's face get even redder and her grip on his shirt tightened.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"TrebuchetMS","sans-serif"">"H-Haaaah!? Why you little-!" Francine drew her arm back and was ready to clobber the man before something caught her arm and prevented it from moving.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"TrebuchetMS","sans-serif"">"Hey now, can't you guys at least try to get along when I'm not around?"

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"TrebuchetMS","sans-serif"">Neither Shin or Francine could forget that unmistakable voice as they turned their heads to see none other than Tetsuya, guild master of Dawn Horizon and the host of this year's Christmas party standing behind Francine with a bemused expression. He was wearing a plain black shirt and black jeans, typical of his usual style as his hair had been slicked back a little.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"TrebuchetMS","sans-serif"">"T-Tetsuya..." Francine spoke with a bit of anxiousness, just realizing now that he was still holding onto her arm as let go of Shin's shirt and turned her body towards him. It had always been like this, whenever Shin and Francine were arguing, or specifically whenever Shin was teasing Francine insistently, it only took Tetsuya to calm her down. Whether it was due to her hidden feelings or due to the fact that it was hard to stay mad at someone when Tetsuya was around was still a mystery.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"TrebuchetMS","sans-serif"">Lowering her hand to the ground, Tetsuya gave Francine a sympathetic smile "It's Christmas Franky, try to loosen up alright?"

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"TrebuchetMS","sans-serif"">"...F-Fine" Francine pouted a bit, helpless to ignore Tetsuya's request whenever he addressed her by that nickname and flashing that stupid charming smile. It always annoyed her whenever he did that because she knew that he knew that it would always work.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"TrebuchetMS","sans-serif"">Satisfied, Tetsuya let go of her hand and then approached the amused Shin as he raised his hand for a fist bump. "You enjoying the party Shin?"

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"TrebuchetMS","sans-serif"">"Wouldn't have missed it for the world" Shin answered as he met Tetsuya's fist with his own, a comfortable laugh now shared between the two of them as Francine's eyebrows twitched at Shin's apparent closeness with Tetsuya. She stepped in between them and coughed, lightly elbowing Tetsuya in the ribs as she sized him up.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"TrebuchetMS","sans-serif"">"You didn't show up here just to greet us did you? Isn't it about time we get to the unveiling of presents?"

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"TrebuchetMS","sans-serif"">In the midst of returning from sending out the invitations, Tetsuya had almost forgotten that as he nodded towards Francine "Your right. Let's gather everyone around before we begin"

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"TrebuchetMS","sans-serif"">Shin seemed to be thinking of something else entirely as he scanned the room, glancing behind Tetsuya a few times and noticed an absence of two people in particular.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"TrebuchetMS","sans-serif"">"Hey, where's Sabrina and Mizuki? I almost always see them both around you so I thought for sure they'd be next to you"

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"TrebuchetMS","sans-serif"">A valid and accurate question Tetsuya thought as he threw both of his arms around his back and shrugged.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"TrebuchetMS","sans-serif"">"They've been holed up in Brina's mansion the entire day, trying out the near infinite amount of holiday costumes that Sabrina has in her wardrobe. You know Brina, she won't be satisfied unless she wears the best outfit for the occasion"

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"TrebuchetMS","sans-serif"">"Isn't that the truth..." Both Shin and Francine said simultaneously as Tetsuya chuckled at their response.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"TrebuchetMS","sans-serif"">"I do hope they show up soon, a lot of the guys in my guild are hoping to give them presents" Shin commented, eyes befalling Francine who begrudgingly sighed and nodded.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"TrebuchetMS","sans-serif"">"Mine too. Hate to admit but those two are quite the popular duo within the Alliance, even more so than Violet, Shana, or even Alexis for that matter"

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"TrebuchetMS","sans-serif"">Shin then nudged Tetsuya as he threw his arm over the man's shoulder "Better keep a close eye on your girl, she's got quite a lot of fan boys you know?"

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"TrebuchetMS","sans-serif"">Tetsuya snorted. "If anyone thinks they can take Zuki away from me, they're welcome to try. Besides, you already know what kind of girl she is"

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"TrebuchetMS","sans-serif"">Shin pondered the matter over before nodding in acceptance. "True enough. I didn't even think it was possible for even you to win her over. I doubt anyone else would have had a chance in hell" Shin didn't know Mizuki as well as Tetsuya did but from what he gathered from his encounters with her at the meetings and how Tetsuya spoke of her, he knew that she wasn't the type that would fall for someone that easily, even if they were guys like himself or Tetsuya who were considered among Fiore's most attractive bachelors.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"TrebuchetMS","sans-serif"">""Hmph, I don't see what's so special about her.." Francine mumbled to herself as she took a sip of her wine, ignoring the teasing look coming from Shin as he let go of Tetsuya's shoulders. She didn't say anything more as she knew he would use it against her and make the situation worse. It wasn't as if she hated Mizuki or anything like that, she just didn't understand why Tetsuya had chosen her of all people to be his wife. Sure she was rather beautiful, and strong, and funny, and somewhat enjoyable to be around at times... Francine quickly realized that she was praising the girl more than she was insulting her as she shook her head to clear her thoughts and downed another drink.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"TrebuchetMS","sans-serif"">"Anyway" Tetsuya began, eyeing all of the occupants of the room as a small smirk spread over his lips and he walked towards the center of the room with Shin and Francine not far behind.

<p class="MsoNormal">"When they get here, we'll begin the main show"

"This one's no good either..."

A heavy sigh escaped the mouth of a certain individual who was currently within her private chambers, a stack of various different clothing brands piled onto her sizable bed as another individual watched her while sitting on that bed. Sabrina Mercury, the legendary dragon once known as Athelza had faced challenges that even the mightiest of warriors would back down from but none of those challenges held a candle to what she was facing now. The challenge of choosing the perfect dress for the Christmas Party!

"I knew I should have done so more Christmas shopping last night..." Sabrina pouted as she recalled her shopping trip yesterday with Mizuki and how she had bought out almost the entire store after they were having an incredibly generous sale with some of the most beautiful gowns she had ever seen. She would have been a fool not to buy them for not just herself but also for her dear Mizuki as she wanted the girl to also look fabulous on such a special day. It was the first time Tetsuya had been announced to finally host the Christmas Party and she'd rather jump into a boiling pit of lava, courtesy of Mizuki, then embarrass the boy by wearing anything but the most perfect dress.

"Hmm, I just can't decide" She brought her hand to her chin and then turned to the still waiting Mizuki. "What do you think Mizuki? Do you perhaps have any ideas on what I should wear?"

Mizuki stretched, lying back with an "oomph!" on the bed. She sifted through the massive pile of clothes next to her. She wrinkled her nose at some, nodded at others. The woman wiggled her toes, feeling excitement building within. She'd see her love soon.

"I think you need to decide Bri-Bri. How about this one??" Mizuki asked, holding up an elegant, flowing gown of striking violet and purple hues, matching the color of the dragon's eyes. She set it down in the maybe pile, joining several others that appeared promising.

Mizuki yawned a bit, disappearing for a second in the warm folds of the bed for surfacing once more. "When should I tell him about the new addition?" she asked, tenderly holding her belly. While not prominent yet, it was growing at a noticeable rate, something the dragon had picked up on a while earlier.

"Isn't today the perfect chance?" Sabrina replied with an earnest gaze towards Mizuki's stomach. She already knew what was waiting in store for the boy and would be delighted to see his reaction towards being a father. Settling that aside, Sabrina's attention then focused on the dress that Mizuki mentioned.

"Oh my!" Sabrina exclaimed excitedly as she grabbed the dress that Mizuki had picked out for and and held it against her figure in several different angles. Yes, this was definitely a dress fit for the occasion as a wide smile curved its way onto Sabrina's lips.

"This might be the one. Yes, this will definitely be the perfect dress for the boy's party! Thank you Mizuki" She winked before taking the dress into the bathroom to try it on. As she was doing so, she yelled out to the silver haired god slayer.

"That reminds me Mizuki, what are you getting the boy for Christmas? I won't allow you to skip out on this one like you did his birthday or last few Christmas'" Sabrina already had her "special" gift in mind but Mizuki was always a clueless case when it came to presents. She blamed Pele for this matter.

"You're welcome," she responded before lapsing into silence. "Um....something good??" The truth was, Mizuki had no idea what to get. Having never cultivated a meaningful relationship before Tetsuya and Dawn Horizon (she never had the drive or need to), the woman knew next to nothing about gift giving. Tack on her carnage habit and well....friendship was elusive.

She sat up, deciding to admit her shortcomings. "Help, I have no clue...none. You're good at this stuff, how do you do it?" She stretched again, her stomach rumbling. There was to be a meal in her future.

"It's simple really. Men aren't like us, they'll love anything as long as it makes them either horny or happy" An interesting idea then floated in the dragon's mind as she shouted from the bathroom. "You could always try a more... daring approach and wear that in front of the boy" Sabrina extended her hand and pointed to a section of the room where an expensive thin black lingerie was hanged. "I've been saving that for a special occasion but I don't mind lending it to you. I'm sure the boy would be speechless to see you in something like that" She teased as she continued putting on her dress.

"Brin.....I need something that can be given to him at the gift exchange, not something for when we're alone together," she complained in response. Despite, this she tucked away the lingerie idea for later. A special little add-on gift for when it was just the two of them. "What makes him happy.....besides me. Wrapping myself up in a giant bow seems cheap. Any ideas?" Part of her started to fret, as she recognized the time crunch

"I still think it was a good choice..." Sabrina drawled from the bathroom, staying silent for a few more seconds before trying to voice another suggestion. "Well, what if you gave him-

The sudden knocking of Sabrina's bedroom door alerted the two ladies inside as Sabrina answered.

"The door's unlocked, come right in"

At her command, the door flung wide open and two more ladies stepped inside with annoyed expressions. Evangeline the reformed vampire lord and Lindsey, the former rogue thief had entered the room, wearing rather flashy formal dresses and glanced over at the idle Mizuki sitting upright on the bed.

"I knew you guys would still be here!" Evangeline yelled as she placed both her hands on her hips and frowned. "Will you two hurry up already? The Master sent us to check up on you two and see if you guys are ready, but instead we find you guys aren't even dressed yet!"

"Oh calm down Eva, we're almost ready. Dear Mizuki and I were just discussing what kind of present she could give the boy for Christmas" Sabrina answered from the bathroom.

"Oh really!?" Lindsey lit up with excitement as she rushed over to Mizuki and grabbed her hands, sparkles in her eyes. "Whacha gonna give em? Is it something fancy? Is it something naughty? Come on, tell us!" She was practically in her face as Lindsey's love for other people's romantic stories were quite apparent.

"This is a surprise, you've never given the Master anything before on Christmas. I was starting to feel bad for the guy" Evangeline snarled as she folded her arms and hung back against the wall. "So what did you get for our beloved leader?"

"I told you, I need something for now not l-" Mizuki paused as she hard the door open.

As she began to greet the rather annoyed Lin and Eva, she would the former in her face. "Too close Lin, you're in my personal space," she complained, pushing the young woman away half-heartedly.

She collapsed onto the bed once more, groaning. "That's the problem....I don't know. I don't know what would be an appropriate gift for him. It's not like I've gone around giving gifts in the past. Unless you count one way tickets to the afterlife."

"Sorry hehe, guess I got a little too carried away there" Lindsey apologized as she scratched her head in an embarrassed manner.

"It's alright Linny." Mizuki responded.

"Well, that is true. You haven't exactly been someone whose been a giver of things outside of death and destruction" Eva replied in a sarcastic tone.

"As if you're one to talk Eva. Last time I checked, you've never given Dyson anything before either'." Lindsey countered, earning a laugh from Sabrina in the bathroom and a dejected response from Evangeline as she looked actually bothered by the situation.

"She's right you know" Sabrina spoke as she finally came out of the bathroom, tying her hair up as she walked out. "You've taken advantage of Dy's hospitality for a long time. You're no better than Mizuki in that regard"

"G-Guh..." Evangeline couldn't counter either of their points as she dropped her head and solemnly walked over towards Mizuki and changed her attitude. "W-What do we do? I want to give him something but... I just can't think of anything..." It was a strange change of pace as she was throwing shade at Mizuki before but now actively seeking her help.

Mizuki smirks. "Don't be a pot calling the kettle black. It's rude you know," she responded, grinning as she took in Eva's dejection.

Sabrina let out a sigh at the two of them "You two really are hopeless. Let me ask you two something, what do you think is the most important part about giving your lover a gift?"

However, she felt a need to defend them as the conversation returned to actual gift giving. "What? We've never done things like this before. You know our backgrounds."

"Uhh... the quality of the gift?" Evangeline answered half hardheartedly, unable to come up with a resolute answer as she turned to Mizuki. "What do you think it is?"

Zuki paused. "Um....the thought that counts? Something that makes them happy and conveys your love for them."

Sabrina nodded. "Bingo. The actual gift itself isn't what's important, it's what your trying to convey with the gift that is what is most important of all. It's to show the other person that you care for them deeply and want them to be happy, which is why you usually buy them something they would enjoy. The present should factor their feeling first before yours" She then snapped her fingers and pulled out a white ball of yarn along with a needle and tossed it to Mizuki.

"The boy likes to travel the world frequently when he's recruiting and he's always complaining that its chilly wherever he goes. He says that during those cold times, he wish he always had you near him to keep him warm. Perhaps he'd appreciate something made by the ball of yarn that I gave you when you're not following him around the continent" It was obvious what Sabrina was advising Mizuki to make for Tetsuya but left it at that and turned to Evangeline.

"I heard Dyson broke his glasses a few days ago and has been killing himself trying to find a replacement for them. Maybe a certain vampire should run down to a certain store to buy a new pair for him before the party starts"

"R-Really!" Evangeline beamed after hearing Sabrina's subtle suggestion and immediately took off in order to buy the glasses. Seeing her off in such a hurry, Lindsey let out a laugh while Sabrina shrugged before turning to Mizuki.

"I can delay the boy for awhile until you finish it" She glanced over at Lindsey. "You've knitted scarfs before Lin right? Why don't you help her out"

"Sure!" Lindsey responded happily as she sat down next to Mizuki and tried to guide her "We'll make the best scarf for the boss!"

Mizuki caught the yarn ball, staring at it somewhat forlornly. She had never learned to knit, so the idea of learning on the fly was daunting. It didn't help that this was her first ever gift to Tetsu.

Sweat beaded on her forehead while she tossed the ball of yarn back and forth between her hands. She stopped, deciding to unravel it a little bit. Mizu touched the material as she waited for Lin to sit.

"Um....how do you start??"

Elsewhere, the festivities of the Christmas Party were beginning to heat up as the halls were filled with all sorts of individuals within the Trident Alliance. In fact, two specific individuals who were standing near the hallway doors were particularly enjoying the night as they both held cups to celebrate the occasion.

"Fufu, what a lively bunch" A blonde woman wearing an extravagant yellow dress spoke as she took a sip from her drink. She was a strikingly exotic woman and one of most beautiful members of the Alliance, her identity being none other than Alexandrine Fleur Dunois, the independent informant.

"It's great to see everyone in high spirits. Christmas is a time where everyone can relax and just enjoy themselves" The woman standing next to her, Xiao Mei the leader of Ryozanpaku, spoke as she smiled. There was no one in the alliance who wasn't aware of Mei's unbelievable skill in the ways of hand to hand combat. She wasn't wearing her usual martial arts outfit today as today was a formal occasion, which led to her picking out a fancy black and white dragon qipao dress that showed off her toned legs and arms.

Alexis dangled her drink a bit more as she scanned the crowd of individuals gathered. There were members gathered from every organization in the Alliance but none were more famous than those of Dawn Horizon who were like celebrities to the normal members. One member in particular had caught Alexis' eyes as she saw him walk out of the hall.

"Isn't that Sa'luk?" Alexis noted as she squinted her eyes.

"Who?" Mei replied, curious as to who Alexis was referring to and followed her sight as she saw him. "Oh, yeah it's him. It seems he's looking for someone"

A malicious smirk appeared over Alexis' face as she had an idea as to who he could be potentially looking for.

"Let's go pay him a visit" Alexis suggested as she walked forward, accompanied by Mei who reluctantly followed and wondered what she was aiming for.

"My, if it isn't Sa'luk!" Alexis acted surprised as if she had just discovered him. "Aren't you looking handsome?"

Mei gave her usual greeting and smiled at him. "I hope you have been well, Sa'luk"

Sa'luk al Tair, the master assassin, the Devil Slayer who lurks in every shadow, the bane of evildoers throughout all Ishgar, was looking all over the place, searching for the girls in Dawn Horizon who were all mysteriously absent in the ruckus part. He was wearing a white shirt made of linen, buttoned until the top, and kaki brown pants: a light garment, as he is used to, which did not shy from his lean yet muscular physique.

And member of the female gender he found, though not the ones he had envisioned. Both of them were prestigious mages, though, almost as much as his guildmates. Alexis had provided Sa'luk invaluable knowledge of the social life of Fiore, often luring some of the most sordid men in the country to a well deserved men; their relationship, while very cordial, was still strictly professional. With Mei, on the other hand, Sa'luk had interacted via the Ryozanpaku, her dojo. Sa'luk was much more a brawler and a murderer than one could call a proper martial artist, yet he had been coming from time to time when he felt he needed to improve the basis of his combat performance or just to test himself. He was little more than an acquaintance to the guild master, yet the assassin recognized in her an immensely kind and polite soul, as well as prodigious skills and unfathomable determination. All qualities he gave the utmost respect.

Upon hearing Alexis' comment, Sa'luk had a slight blush, knowing how much cheeky the model could be. "Good to see you, Alexis. And nice to meet you too, Xiao Mei. You both look really good too. Yeah... I have been doing pretty good for my self, recently".

From Sa'luk steel's armband, dark energies being to spread in rippling motion. A demonic goo, pitch black as the shadow themselves, emerged from the artifact where it was imprisoned, taking the shape of amorphous ooze with two large eyes and a big, razor shaped mouth. Such sight would have broken the heart and mind of many lesser men. Yet all in the Trident Alliance knew that there was nothing to fear from Cursan, Sa'luk foster faster and teacher, summoning himself from the Sword of Fog. He was there not rip or to destroy but to be the goddam life of the party.

"Sa'luk, is just "really good" an adjective worthy of the outstanding beauties in front you, my silly little boy?" He reprimanded his pupil with his typical sarcastic banter. "These two bewitching mages would still put most women to shame should they be covered in mud, sweat and innards".

Two tendrils of shadow crept from the mass of shadow; like two mouths, they kissed Alexis and Mei left hand in a courteous manner.

"My dear Alexandrine, your radiance is the only one my shadowy flesh can endure, yet it vastly eclipses that of the brightest stars. And Mei, your elegance and grace are paramount in this modern age, where decadence and ". The last comment was part flattery and part jab to all these youngsters hoodlums who had entered in the party without proper, elegant garments. Back in his time, people entering in Christmas feast without wearing formal dresses ranging from Tuxedos to above would have been eligible to death penalty.

"I see you haven't changed, Cursan" Alexis smiled, fully accustom to the demon's insistent flattery. It was both excessive but endearing as she never believed that such a wild demon would be so passionate in regards to flattering a woman.

"You seem in good spirits" Mei laughed, always welcoming of a friend no matter what race they belonged too. Cursan took good care of Sa'luk and she respected that about him.

"Me and my godson were searching for the beauties from our guild, Dawn Horizon. Sa'luk would like to have a talk with Sabrina, in particular. Just to get some advice from her..."

Electricity jolted through the mass that was Cursan, which wobbled like an enormous pudding. Sa'luk had barely the strength to ask for advice to people like Sabrina and his boss, with whom he shared greater intimacy. The last thing he wanted was to have himself and his problem taking the center of the spotlight. He was not even sure if that was the right to do... Lindsey probably deserved someone better than him, a wandering crusade, a accursed murdered...

"Oh?" Alexis' ears piqued when she heard that and her foxy nature resurfaced. "Why do you need Sabrina? This big sister can give you plenty of advice, especially in regards to your love life" Alexis winked, finding Sa'luk's blush to be rather adorable. Seeing reactions like these were what she lived for.

"What's on your mind, Sa'luk? You know you can always talk to us about anything. We're all friends here" Mei was generally curious as to what problems ailed the young man as she considered him a hard worker and a good friend. He was one of Tetsuya's closest guild mates and so she felt obligated to help in anyway she could.

Caught between two curious girls was quite the most awkward predicament Sa'luk could find himself in, except of having Lindsey overhear everything in. Fighting against an entire dark guild at once would have been a less grating, and far less difficult, endeavor for the assassin. His glass of water slightly trembled in his hand; Sa'luk felt his breath getting heavier and heavier, his forehead drenching in cold sweat.

“Well, you know… I would really like not to make a spectacle of my private life… Not that I don’t appreciate your help, I am really glad…”

“Come on Sa’luk, spill the beans!” Through the special telepathic connection, he had with his pupil, Cursan could hold entire conversation without the rest of the world hearing one bit of it. “''Like they said, we are all friends here! Isn’t what the Trident Alliance should stand for? When it comes to love matters, the more the merrier''”.

“''Mei wouldn’t never laugh at me, sure. But… Alexis is already giggling at me''”. Sa’luk sighed. Sure, the vixen in front of him had the best intention of the world, but her inquisitive and, more importantly, provocative attitude promised shattering clashes with Sa’luk more introvert personality. As if having outsiders from the Guild entering in his love life wasn’t awkward enough, the socialite would have surely concocted the biggest and fanciest of romantic moments for him and Lindsey, the one where all the spotlight where on them. Sa’luk al Tair, the assassin with no fear, the demon slayer who had stared in defiance in front of monsters, dragons and the gods themselves, the crusader who had wowed to battle the most dangerous and terrifying scum on earth was fainting at the prospect of a public date.

Why he was doing that, anyway? He just couldn’t keep Lindsey away from him mind. He couldn’t help but thinking of her hair, warm and vibrant as fire itself. He couldn’t help but thinking of her eyes, full of gold as those of a tigress, coins shimmering in the night. He couldn’t stop but thinking of her luscious lips, arms as strong and slender beech tree, skin of the color of cream and, yes, also of her very impressive bust. However, the thing he loved the most Lindsey was her smile, a vibrant cheer that could turn an entire room full of frowns in joyous laughter. That smile alone, he believed, could made anybody a beauty without equal, let alone somebody already blessed by the gods as Lindsey…

“Flaring hair.. golden eyes like those of a tigress… blessed by the gods… creamy skin… a wonderful, infectious smile… and a really nice rack”. Cursan jested, enumerating all the thoughts and feeling which ramming one onto another into his son’s heart and mind. “For guy a shier than a vampire bat with an avoidant complex, you’ve got quite the quill.” Apples don’t fall far from the tree, he thought in amusement and pride. “''Why don’t you put your evident eloquence into use and ask her to get on a date? That is the perfect occasion! Christmas is the warmest and fuzziest holiday short of Saint Valentine’s day. Two lovebirds consuming a tender kiss under vines of mistletoe''”.

“It’s just corny and inappropriate as hell!” Sa’luk outward silent appearance belied the screams he gave to Cursan. “I can’t… It’s, it’s … I don’t even know why I am doing this anymore…” His face flushed, Cursan lowered his gaze to make eye contact, something he had never done in front of any enemy. Cursan sighed: he loved his son more than anything in the world, but that dimwitted mule could really drive even the most patient demonic mass of everlasting darkness to exasperation. He couldn’t hold a candle to the barrage of sass and sarcasm Mizuki always seemed to reserve to the demon- at least when they were secretly geeking out about ancient pieces of literatures of some lost epic poems. How lucky was Sa’luk to have such a thoughtful father, so eager to fill all the deficiencies he had in his social life.

“Forgive my son”. The demon said to the two women. “He doesn’t intend to be rude or dismiss your kindness. He just finds difficult to opening up to people on his personal life. So, if you haven’t guessed the obvious, he had fallen head over hills for a woman, we wanted to profit this jolly night to get out with her. He wants to do it in a discreet manner. If you like to help us, you would have mine and his eternal gratitude”. In a typical servile fashion, he stooped down a bit, lowering his head below that of the ladies.

"Oh, is that so?" Alexis smiled, hiding the bubbling excitement deep within her stomach. She already knew full well that Sa'luk had the hots for a certain someone and wanted to make him come out with it on his own. Unfortunately, it seemed that wouldn't be happening today but that was fine, the night was still young and she had plenty of time to tease him more. Even better, seeing Cursan bowing his head was a treat to watch.

"Really? Sa'luk's interested in a woman? That's great!" Mei exclaimed with a heart laugh as she stepped forward and patted Sa'luk on his back, forgetting to control her strength as her toned arms held incredible strength within them "We'll give you our full support! Tell us, who is she?"

Alexis was already on it as she whispered in Mei's ear, a look of shock appearing over her face.

"Really? Lindsey huh? Wasn't she the really greedy red head girl?" Mei asked with a tilted eyebrow.

"Yup, he's totally got the hots for her, right?" Alexis nodded with a smile, ignoring the embarrassed look on Sa'luk's face now that both of them knew who it was.

“Yeah…”

What came from Sa’luk was little more than a whisper, the moan of a man about to expire right in the moment. He thanked Mei’s whipping on his back, as the pain he felt had an invigorating effect on his psyche: the threat of being catapulted to the nearby buffet had forced his body to gather and drew out equal force to the affectionate, but potentially harmful, pat, his instincts as an assassin playing out. Sa’luk lowered his sight and volume of voice further, so that no one would hear him conversate.

“I really like… her… I suppose. Mei… she is not really a greedy at all, actually, in the sense of being avaricious; is just that she loves treasures a lot”.

“I can guarantee it”. Said Cursan. “Behind the consummate tomb raider who lies behind Lindsey’s pretty face and sparkling attitude shines a heart brighter than every treasure she had ever managed to steal. And believe me, she had gathered lots of them. And we helped her”.

Some memories flashed out in Sa’luk’s mind. Missions done together: for her an opportunity to get rare artifacts; for him, a chance of cleaning the world of scums, as magical relics tend to charm scumbags like honey attracts bears. He remembered them fighting undead lords, gangs of thieves, dark guilds composed of psychopaths, and even a mad giant. There were troubles and bloody confrontations, sometimes they were inch close to death. Lindsey faced them all with a bright smile on her face, thrilled for the adventures. Little could faze her; except the few times when Sa’luk of Cursan had been in mortal danger, something which brought out a truly caring side on her part. That even though he had tried to kill her the first time they met. What an underserving suitor he was…

“Well, my gracious ladies,” Cursan continued “how are you going to help my love-struck, stupid boy?”

"....You've got it bad for her don't you?" Mei said warmly, a bit surprised by Sa'luk's clear adoration for the treasure hunter. Sa'luk was never one to openly admit such things so the fact that he did made it quite apparent that he held deep feelings for Lindsey, something that pleased Mei greatly as an older sister figure.

"Hmm, what can we do?" Alexis hummed meaningfully, trying to figure out how to hook up Sa'luk and Lindsey. She knew how Sa'luk felt but she didn't know how Lindsey felt so it was a bit difficult to just push them together without confirming the other parties feeling. Just as she thought so, a brilliant idea flashed in Alexis' head as she patted Sa'luk on his shoulder.

"Fufu, don't you worry about a thing" Alexis said with a foxy laugh as she whispered in his ear "Just leave everything to us" With that, she grabbed Mei and took off in another direction.

"H-Hey, where are we going?" Mei was understandably confused.

"To find Lindsey and hook these two up" Alexis announced as she disappeared into one of the corridors with Mei, leaving Sa'luk and Cursan standing in the ballroom with baffled expressions.

Sa'luk was numb; he stared at the ballroom ceiling as his senses had been shut down. On the outside, his face and muscles looked stiff and frozen; on the inside, his heart was pumping a boiling mixture of embarrassment, despair and unbridled rage.

"WHATTHEFUCKCURSAN!" He screamed in his mind with the voice of thousands of tormented souls"THATSNOTHOWITWASSUPPOSEDTOHAPPENIAMNOTREADYOHMYGODHOMYGODOHMYGHODIAMFEELINGIAMDIYINGONTHEINSIDE!!!"

"Calm down, boy". Cursan calmly reassured his pupil, yet he was just as worried of a monumental screw up. "I'd trust Alexis. She's a pro in social, and does know you well enough to understand your bashfulness. Mei also won't attempt at doing anything embarrassing". Or so he was praying; only God could know what Sabrina could have done to him if a golden opportunity of her second-to-third favorite ship was screwed up by third-parties interventions. Even worse, his boy would have never forgive him for his carelessness. To not making everything more awkward, the two couldn't do anything but wait.

"There you go! It's almost done! You've got the hang of it now!" Lindsey cheered from the bedroom as she watched Mizuki continue knitting the almost finished white scarf on the bed. There were a few bandages that covered her fingers from the several screw ups she made during the process but none of those derailed Mizuki's determination to finishing her first ever gift for her man. Of course, it would normally a few days to knit a scarf for a beginner but with one of Lindsey's handy tools to speed up the process significantly, it only required around half an hour.

"Hehe, nice work! I'm sure the boss is going to love it!" Lindsey smiled as she took in the marvelous white scarf that was in her hands "So, how was it? Making something for the first time for someone that you love?"

Mizuki put the finishing touches on the scarf, adding a couple more stitches so that it would hold fast. She had to admit that it came out well, a surprise given how long it had been since she had knitted anything. Her thoughts recalled the angsty old woman that had forced her to learn, finding it unacceptable "that a girl of marriageable age did not know how to knit". While the thought of wiping the woman had crossed her mind, she couldn't help but being impressed by the old lady's chutzpah. So she learned.

"It feels good...maybe I should do it more often..." Zuki admitted, touching the fabric. For a second it glowed gold, a sign of her enchanting the material. Returning to its white hue, she folded the scarf neatly, careful of the bandages on her fingers.

"I should get changed for the party...what to wear though?"

"I've already prepared it" A voice came from the door as Lindsey and Mizuki both turned to Sabrina who had returned from god know's where, wearing her chosen outfit as she held a white dress in her hands and used her magic to gently float it towards Mizuki "While you two were making that scarf, I took it upon myself to get you properly suited up for the party. Lindsey, help her get changed"

"Right" Lindsey nodded as she got up from the bed and pulled Mizuki up with her "We've got to hurry, the party's already started!"

"Of course you did," Mizu responded cheekily as Lindsey helped her up.

The woman then nodded as she gingerly slid out of her clothing and into the dress. "It's probably well underway at this point, we need to start moving."

She shouldn't have come. Her daughter and her annoying frenemy were nowhere in sight. The goddess had no idea what was taking them so long when the event started hours ago. With a sigh, she moved herself to a corner, ignoring the gaping leers of many young men and a few women. Her clothing choice, though comfortable, emphasized a figure that was the object of desire for too many.

"Attention everyone!"

A loud shout came from the center of the dining hall where numerous individuals had been gathered as they all looked over at Dyson who was standing in the middle of the room with a microphone in his hand.

"Thank you all for coming to today's annual Trident Alliance Christmas Event Party. I'm your host tonight, Dyson Salvatore, one of the three founding members of Dawn Horizon and I welcome you to our home!" Dyson announced, followed by a thunderous roar of claps and whistled that came from around the room. There were also several girlish squeals that came from Dyson's obvious fan club as he laughed a bit awkwardly and coughed to clear the mood.

"A-Anyway, I'd like to introduce you all to my guild master and the fearless and bone headed leader of our guild, Tetsuya!" Dyson turned his back as he saw Tetsuya walking forward and smiled a bit, handing the mic off to him as the crowd roared excitedly for the infamous man who stood before them.

"Thank you all for coming. It's an honor to be this year's host for the Christmas Party and I can't express how grateful I am towards you all for giving us this opportunity. That all said..." Tetsuya slowly stopped as his eyes fidgeted in an annoyed manner "The committee could have at least given us more time to prepare this damn party! Do you know how insanely hard it was to decorate the entire base when most of the guild was god knows where! Huh!?" He cursed, causing most of the audience to hold in their laughs at his ridiculous outburst while others such as Dyson and Violet sighed at their leader's priorities.

Once he calmed down, Tetsuya took a deep breath before he smiled "Well ignoring that for now, I hope you all have enjoyed the party so far because we're about to turn things up a bit with the present exchange. Those who have brought your presents, come on up and grab em and hand them out to your friends"

Everyone shuffled their feat and headed to the enormous Christmas tree in the center of the hall and grabbed their own respective presents, gifting them to those who they brought them over. Quite a few members of Dawn Horizon were swamped with men and woman all over, especially Tetsuya and Dyson who tried to gain some space from the adoring men and woman pouring them with gifts.

The goddess's relief was palpable when the room quieted. No longer objectified (she was seriously considering torching those males who failed to take a hint), Pele followed the crowd of people, watching them swamp the guild's most popular members; she knew the moment her daughter appeared the result would be the same. Nevermind that Mizuki was married to that foolish, if sometimes competent, idiot; the girl's coming into her own as a woman drew a lively throng of reverent fans nowadays.

"H-Hey, calm down everyone. I'll accept each of your presents on at a time" Tetsuya suggested as he tried to back away, only to pushed back forward by a strong arm as he annoyingly glared at the brute standing behind him.

"Don't back out now Tetsu, your so popular! Gahaha!" That loud and laid back comment came from Dawn Horizon's own drunkee, Kaido Reizal who per usual was wearing his casual attire even at a fancy gathering such as this. With a large beer in his hand, he was already pretty wasted as he laughed merrily at his annoyed master.

"Real funny Kai" Tetsuya snorted before edging himself out of the crowd and setting aside the many gifts in his hand "Why am I not surprised to see you already wasted?"

"Gahaha! I can't help it Tetsu, I'm a man of a simple life. Fighting, Woman, and Booze! The trifecta of fun for me!" Kaido laughed again before he tripped on his own two feet and landed on the floor. Tetsuya and Dyson, who was watching nearby, both sighed at their close friend's behavior before they ignored him and went on to receive their gifts.

"Yo Tetsuya, where's Mizuki and Sabrina? Shouldn't they be here by now?"

Tetsuya shrugged at Dyson's question "Sabrina's probably trying to figure out what dress to wear and as for Mizuki, she's probably there with her. I wish they'd hurry, they're missing the main event"

"U-Uhm..."

Tetsuya and Dyson turned around at the voice and saw Francine and Shin standing behind them, with the former blushing a bit as she fidgeted and held something behind her back as Shin nudged her.

"Well? Aren't you going to give him your present?" Shin teased, ignoring the fierce scowl directed at him by the flustered Francine who hesitantly looked back at the bewildered Tetsuya. It was bad enough that she had to do this in front of other people but what made it worse was Shin's infuriating habit of teasing her.

"T-T-Tetsuya, I-I... I have something to... to give you..." Francine was mumbling out words left and right, completely unfitting the image of the ruthless and merciless guild leader she presented to everyone else.

"Oh? You got me a present Franky?" Tetsuya was genuinely surprised as he stepped forward, eyes filled with anticipation and excitement.

"W-Well I mean, w-we do go way back and everything a-and so I thought it would be... you know, appropriate if... if... ah, screw it! Here, just take it!" Francine abruptly cut herself off as she shoved the decorated box in front of Tetsuya and crossed her arms while avoiding eye contact "You better be grateful!"

"R-Right..." Tetsuya blinked, before he looked down at the box in his hands and shrugged before opening it and marveled at the sight which was inside along with Dyson. Inside the box was a stylish silver watch that had a fancy design on it. Tetsuya wasn't one for jewelry but he had always wanted a watch as he constantly lost track of time whenever he was out on missions and looked incredibly grateful for the gift.

"W-Well, what do you have to say-fuuueh!?" Before Francine could speak any further, she felt herself trapped in a tight embrace by Tetsuya who had hugged her out of gratitude.

"Thanks a ton Franky! Your such a pal!"

"N-N-No problem, i-it's what f-friends are for right?" Francine's face was as red as a cherry as she tried to hide her flush of utter embarrassment, one that Dyson and Shin were both eager to exploit as they laughed at her reaction. Francine made a mental note later to kill the two assholes but had more pressing concerns as she attempted to distance herself from Tetsuya as she didn't think her heart could take much more.

"J-Just take care of it alright? I had that custom made for you so it wasn't cheap"

"Of course! I'll protect with my life" Tetsuya wasted no time as he put the watch on and smiled brightly at the marvelous item now strapped to his wrist.

Francine looked pleased with Tetsuya wearing the watch she gave him but frowned heavily when she saw Shin shoot her a smug look as he too stepped up with his own present.

"Don't get cocky now Francine, my gift for Tetsuya is better than yours" Shin admitted as he opened the box he was holding and tossed the item to Tetsuya who caught it and widened his eyes in astonishment.

"T-This is...!"

"Yup" Shin smirked, already aware of how much Tetsuya was going to love the black fur jacket that he had given him "You like it right? I had Rasho tailor it to your specifics and I know you've been dying to have one of these yourself"

"You read my mind!" Tetsuya was beyond ecstatic at the fur coat in his hands. He had always wanted one but had never gotten the time to put in the request at the tailor. What made it even more great was that on the back, the coat had the symbol of the Alliance on it.

"Shin, you're too awesome man..." Tetsuya spoke as he threw his arm over Shin's shoulder, who smiled back at his friend's reaction. He then shot another smug look at Francine who seethed in jealousy that Shin had prepared a gift that was arguably better than her own and huffed away in contempt.

"You guys spoil him too much" Dyson sighed but was also inwardly happy at seeing the gifts his leader had recieved before turning to see Alexis and Mei approaching him from the corner.

"Ladies? What brings you over here?" Dyson raised an eyebrow at the odd pair who looked as if they were on a mission.

"Perfect, just the guy we were looking for" Alexis smiled, confusing Dyson who didn't understand what was going on but she ignored his curiosity and grabbed him by his shoulder "We need you to do us a favor"

As usual, she underestimated his popularity. Seeing the sheer number of people swarming him filled the goddess with agita, one the she notably if half-heartedly repressed. "For the sake of Mizuki, for the sake of Mizuki," Pele kept repeating to herself, especially watching that black-haired girl turn as red as a cherry. Any fool could see the girl was infatuated.

Pele sighed. She still didn't understand how her daughter could fall for a guy who warranted groupie status. On a whim, her agita returned, triggered by seeing two more women approach that foolish boy. Yes, she definitely should not have visited.