Welcome to Gaia! ::

((This is a great idea Rayi~ heart ))

The residence of Barton Town seemed subdued after the Santa v. Jack fiasco earlier in the month. Though some never lost their enthusiastic fervor to stay as active and as upbeat as possible, still there were others simply wearing a smile as per the usual day to day routine...

"Hey Ian~how are you?"

The door jingled as Sevi walked into the old Barton Town shop run by Ian, sounding spirited yet still looking pale. Her avatar still being affected by the grunny infection during the Halloween 2005 event.

Ian smiled from the shelves of shoes he was showing to another user. He also looked rather pale but healthy as he finished showing off the new selections.

"Why hello again there Sevi. I am doing just fine" Ian replied, "but excuse me while I finish up here." Ian returned to his counter to ring up the items.

Sevi smiled faintly as she joined him staying behind the customers, feeling weary. Ian hadn't been himself after Gino's death. Even now Sevi was a little shocked that he was still running a shop...didn't he need to take a break?

After the customers left, happily snuggling their new items, Ian turned to Sevi looking appraisingly at her, "Still haven't changed I see?"

"Hmmm no. Not yet" she grinned, "I feel rather fond of this avy...I feel like it explains my current mood."

Ian's brow contracted a little, "Feeling okay?"

"Oh yes...I'm feeling better. I mean..." she chuckled, "since I took my break it was good having to finish my other projects...even though I never got around to totally finishing them. Perhaps that is for another day, eh?"

Sevi continued to grin as Ian forced a smile, "I am glad you are feeling better Sevi. Hopefully we can all go back to normal."

Sevi's face fell this time, "Ian...maybe you should take a break as well. Someone else could take care of the shop for you..."

Ian waved his hand as if batting away flies, "No, no that is out of the question Sevi. I've ran this place all my life whether rain, snow or thunderstorm should come my way. I couldn't possibly find a replacement."

"...you mean you don't know anyone that you could trust to run your shop? It can't be too hard to do it...who do you know around here?" she asked.

"Well," Ian frowned not out of sadness but of thinking, "the only people that I know run their own shops. Even the LinkList kids are gone...possibly lost to the reckage of their old shop. And I couldn't possibly give that chance to a user of Gaia..."

"Sasha doesn't know anyone?" Sevi said quietly, looking apprehensive.

Ian's face fell. His eyes were hidden behind his hat again. How long had that night gone by in Ian's mind? It would seem that he would never recover from that fateful night...for there use to be hope behind those soft brown eyes of his that were now glazed with the undaunting images of the past. He was just like any other resident running a shop but now...now...

"Ian?" Sevi again looked wearily at him. Her pale face seemed to look even paler by comparison. Her frown set upon her face again, "are you okay?"

Ian came back to his senses. "Oh Sevi I'm sorry. I lost my train of thought there for a moment--"

The door jingled again as more users came into the store...

Ian put on a fake smile, "I'm sorry again Sevi but I really must be going. I hope to see you around here often even if you only make small visits from time to time. Excuse me."

Ian moved from behind his counter to greet the new customers as Sevi turned around, her thoughts still on Ian. "I hope that in time he will be alright again." she said to herself.

Sevi heard the door jingled as she exited, pulled her scarf tight around her as her breath became white in the frosty air. The seasons of time had changed as the leaves moved swiftly across the wind gesturing at the new arrangements. The Train station, the reckage of the LinkList, the still locked and run down Personal forums. It had all changed...

Sevi walked along the brick roadway and backtracked her steps looking at the cafe shop. Rayinte was outside.

She waved to Rayi and joined her.

Ray had a mouthful of sandwich when Sevi arrived, putting it down on her plate and managing to wave back as she attempted to swallow the bite. Perfect timing, as usual, she chided herself.

Finally clearing her mouth, Ray took a small sip of hot cocoa to clear the remaining crumbs, and managed a coherent greeting. "Sevi, you're looking awfully uh, scary today." She grinned. "One of these days a group of us are going to have to spike one of your drinks with the cure."

Before Sevi can respond, Razumi dropped by. "Hey Raz," Ray waves, "I was just mentioning to Sevi that you guys are ridiculous for not taking the cure. Everyone who was infected got one. I took mine right away, not so much as a sniffle since."

Still not entirely comfortable with the new crop of "zombies," Ray was relieved, at least, that most of the people she knew who'd been infected this time around showed no signs of gronking about, biting people or eating brains. That sort of zombie made her want to hide under her bed. The new sort were just a bit weird and rabbity, creepy but not too dangerous.

"So what brings you two into town?"

Meeting HVLA's gaze she understood what he meant, "Oh HVLA," she laughed, "everyone that went into that event was infected with the grunny virus. You only reached the 3rd stage. I'm at the 4th."

HVLA still looked confused as Sevi beamed at him showing off her natural Q&A skills. It was second nature for her to ramble off answers to people's questions.

"Right, so did you ever check your inventory? VO made an announcement stating that we would have a vial in our inventory after the Halloween event. This should cure us of our virus that we got during the event..."

HVLA motioned a hand behind his head. Seeing the look on his face he hadn't been sure what was happening since the event's end.

Sevi looked sheepish, "Oh sorry HVLA! I get carried away with my answers sometimes...well...yeah. You're sick because of the grunny invasion and...if you want to get better take your medicine."

Before HVLA could answer Sevi interrupted, "Well anyhow I hope you're wife is doing well! You must tell me what you got her! I wish I had a guy like you HVLA, I'd love free gifts." she laughed.

Then Sevi turned to Rayi so as to answer her previous question.

"Oh I was just around town I suppose. I am trying to find the perfect outfit for this coming month. Red and green...I'm going to go by Durem as well. Maybe I'll see you there HVLA and come by your place." Sevi smiled.

"Today I dropped by Ian's shop." she continued, "He seemed rather glum. I hope he's okay." Her face fell, "I wish someone could help him out. It doesn't seem like we can do anything for him..."

Sevi crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair, "Ah well...as for my avy, I get attached to things too easily. Once I have something, I keep it. I'm such a pack rat." she chuckled, "Besides, when is the last time I'll have a zombie avy? I might as well make the most of it while I still have it."

Sevi smiled to her friends. It didn't seem all that long ago that Halloween ended. Indeed, it had almost been a month since that night and still it felt like it had happened a mere week ago. Should she really abandon her current look and blend into the "norms" again?

Her eyes fell upon the glass table. "I suppose I miss being different. I miss my invisibob avy that was taken away so suddenly. It sort of became me because....because I had it for so long. I guess I want to..."reclaim" that look in me."

She dared a glance to her friends. HVLA looked concerned, his face still as pale and sick as ever while Rayi flickered somewhat of a frown. They had always known Sevi as the invisibob ever since they met her. Rayi called the invisibob "Sevidot" to distinguish between her main account and the other. Now all it is used for is for storage rather than posting or freaking people out.

Sevi waved their concern aside, "No really, I'm fine. I'll be okay. Sooner or later I'll rid myself of the zombie and become normal again. Sometime this Christmas I expect...I do need to choose an outfit for the season afterall!"

Her friends looked a bit cheerful but still weary of Sevi. HVLA fitted a cough that went on a little too strong and Rayi tended to him by patting his back. Rayi turned to Sevi again about to speak up...

"Excuse me, would anyone want anything else?"

It was the server. Her hair was a curly bright orange pinned in with two sticks. She wore what appeared to be a maid outfit with net stockings and red slippers, her dress trimmed with lace while she held a pad in her hand.

Sevi raised a hand, "I suppose I'll have some hot chocolate."

HVLA was still recovering from the cough as Sevi added, "Oh and hot tea for my friend here."

Her red lips were pursed together as she concentrated on the order. She bowed and vanished behind the door.

"Well I suppose you guys could help me out. Any idea where a red FLEX top would be? I don't think Ian has it...perhaps Sasha?"

Ray chuckles, but waits until the waitress has left before speaking. "Well, I can get even more technical. The disease carried by the grunnies actually causes your body to grow one, it sprouts from your head and controls your motor functions through its tongue." She mock-shudders.

"That only happens in the advanced stages, and it requires repeated exposure to grunnies to get that far. Once you stop encountering the little green bastards, the illness doesn't progress further. Which is probably why you haven't gotten any sicker. If you look at the back of Sevi's head though, you can see a lump where her grunny was growing."

She glances around, then leans over the table, glancing from Sevi to Raz, "Just keep it quiet, okay?" She lowers her voice, not whispering, but speaking very quietly. "Most people think it was just a fun game for the holiday. Catch grunnies, look like a zombie for a while. But ... there's really something more sinister going on here. I've heard rumors--rumors mind you--that they infected Santa Claus with the g-virus; that he flatlined on the operating table and they tried to make him undead; undead's better than all-dead, yes? Well. We may be having Grunny Claus visiting us for Christmas this year."

Ray grins abruptly and sits up, resuming a normal tone of voice. "Of course, that means we'd be probably getting pet Grunnies in our stockings, so I have no objections on that front. You know how I like animals."

"Anyways, Raz, it wasn't an announcement at the party, it came shortly after the party ended on the public news; don't you get a newspaper where you live? Or does that woman of yours keep you locked up in the attic?"

Ray puts down her cocoa, which she'd been about to sip, at Razumi's words, giving him an incredulous look.

"You're saying that your woman deliberately hides information from you? And ... you don't mind?" She sits back in her chair, pulling her coat around her a bit tighter, still unable to bring any expression to her face other than the one of stunned disbelief. "You are joking, right? Tell me you're joking. Good golly. I don't know what's worse, that she does this, or that you don't seem to mind."

She leans forward again, resting her elbow on the table and cupping her chin, mulling it over. Finally she shakes her head. "I know married folk are into the mutual protection thing, but this woman takes it to an extreme. If anyone tried to wrap me in lamb's wool like that, I'd bite them and run as fast as I could."

Ray chuckles, her good humor restored somewhat. "I think you're crazy, Raz, for putting up with that kind of bullshit, but if you like being coddled, then that's definitely the right woman for ya. Though. You shouldn't let her keep important information away from you, especially where your health is concerned."

((You guuuuys~~ crying I'm all behind... xd S'ok))

Sevi was leaning forward at the time, placing her elbows on the table while she rested her chin in her palms. She enjoyed these times when her friends were bickering about old quirks of theirs and their personal lives. It was nice out in the open, while the wind was still blowing cold air it seemed rather dim since the sun came out of the clouds. Now a nice cool breeze shook her coat as she sipped her hot chocolate silently, laughing at Rayi poking fun at HVLA while he tried to defend himself.

It seemed pretty mellow since the H2k5 event. Not a lot of complaining...not as bad as a month ago anyway. It seemed rather boring without it but at least a lot more pleasant. Sevi was glad that now she can hang out with her friends and have fun rather than discussing the politics of Gaia. It was all so confusing that she needed a break from it all...

Just then a group of newbie girls came by giggling to themselves as they passed by their table.

"Do u reeeely think Santa is stil alive?"

"DUH! Of cors! Nothin' can kil teh spirit of X-mas!!"

"Yah! Jack sux. lol"

The group then disappeared into the cafe.

Sevi lifted her frame from off of the table and caught the last glimpse of a scarf as they went in. It seemed that rumor was going around on Gaia. I guess it was the only news worth mentioning nowadays...she frowned at them because Sevi was almost certain Santa did die by that last line in the comic...

...but she became lost in thought. The days did seem a bit blase to say the least, she was almost hoping that Santa Claus WAS coming to town just to combust the monotony mood she was feeling. Certainly we should DO something about all these silly rumors...

"So guys..."

Sevi interrupted their conversation just as Rayi was on the verge of teasing HVLA some more and unleashing a series of playfully but hurtful pokes on him.

Sevi straightened up in her seat, "It's been a bit boring around here lately...and I know you two have heard rumors of Santa Claus coming to town and everything...what do you think is going to happen next?"

It seemed like her friends muddled over the thought but before they could answer...

"...you know...we COULD try to find him. Find the elves and their workshop. Or see if Santa was alright. Isn't there a hospital near-by? Would there be anyway we could see him?"

Sevi stared at her friends.

(( o_o ))

Raz looks to one side as if alittle ashamed of himself. However, he tries to regain a calmer mood, looking to Sevi then at Ray, glad that the subject has changed.

"I...actually talked to a few of those elves. A few sent me mail to speak. Odd little things...but they were nice. That's really as far as I know."

He relaxes back onto the chair, exhaling. Remembering something, he jumps alittle with a short, quick "Oh!" He then bends over to his pack, opening it, taking out a pillow plush.

"Seems that they're giving out some of their stock early. I've always wanted a Yeti," he said with a soft smile.