First New Years Celebration

The capital of Fiore was bustling all day long. Nearly everyone was doing something to celebrate a certain time of year. Parties were being planned from the big public ones all the way to the personal small ones within someone's humble household. It was... odd. Eyir enjoyed being in the capital. She enjoyed watching people be excited about preparations and what was to come later. The angelic spirit did not enjoy wondering why people were celebrating a new year. It was something that she did not quite understand. Maybe it was because she was old and had experienced many years, or maybe just because she wasn't technically alive in the first place and had forgotten what that was like. Assuming celebrating a new year was something she did when she was alive. She had no idea. Vaporized memories were a complex issue, after all.

Regardless, her current self had only noticed that one year was the same as any other. There were bad moments mixed with good ones. In her mind, this celebration was really just a way to tell everyone that they had reached the end of their calendars and a new one needed to be posted on their walls. What a strange thing to consider an accomplishment. Eyir preferred the sillier holidays and their customs. Like Halloween or Easter. Although technically she didn't really know their reason for being either. They just had more of an appeal. Perhaps the New Years' version will also be enjoyable once given the chance.

Eyir watched everyone go about their busy and exciting day from the rooftops of the highest buildings. This lasted for hours, but time meant nothing to her. One hour. Two. Three. It all felt the same. It helped that she didn't know what boredom truly was. She was content to remain there until she chose to leave. Watching the people below provided a good amount of entertainment.

Darkness had taken over the sky as night settled in. That did not mark the end of the party below though. It was just getting started. The big moment would be midnight. The time when the old year transitioned into the new one. A lot of the party entertainment also worked better at night. Eyir knew for sure that there would be a fireworks show after having seen it all being transported and set up. She would enjoy watching that. Her current position was also the perfect spot to do so. That particular event would not happen for quite some time though. Maybe she would go down and get a closer look at everything else to fully immerse herself into the party. Yes. The thought crossed her mind nonstop now that night had settled in. It was time.

The flowing energy of her wings moved gently, taking her up into the air where she then slowly descended until she reached the ground below. Her armored outfit and glowing wings definitely stood out when compared to everyone else that was dressed for a party. She didn't mind. It was her fault for not preparing a magical illusion to change it to something more appropriate but it was what it was. No one seemed to be too bothered. Eyir likely wouldn't have cared if someone was. Still, she wanted to at least attempt to have something on her form that indicated she was there to experience the party. That goal in mind had led her to a table-filled area that had a ton of party favors. Of those party favors were pointed New Years' hats and glittery sunglasses that would have been extremely silly and tacky to wear for almost everyone. This included spirits that technically did not have a visible face or head without the armor for that matter. Like herself.

Eyir didn't realize how ridiculous she'd look. The thought never crossed her mind as she put on the silver-pointed hat. Then came the golden glittery sunglasses made of cheap material and said "Happy New Year". She was definitely a part of the party now.

(Word Count: 673)

Wearing her usual casual outfit of gray long-sleeved shirt, pleated white knee-length skirt, and brown boots, Lucia walked around the busy streets of Capital Crocus while doing her best to avoid running into anyone. She had arrived in Capital Crocus from Luminous Rose Guild Hall less than three hours ago and was here for the New Year's festival. There were plenty of people on the city streets and a lot of them were already participating in the festival activities, which were so numerous that the blonde did not know where to begin taking count of them all. To save herself from a major headache she did not even bother to try and mentally tally everything that she could do. It was safe to say that if anyone was bored here it was their own fault.

Lucia looked around at everything and was surprised at the sheer variety of activities that festival-goers could partake in. She was also surprised at how many people had turned out for the festivities. The fact that it was nighttime did nothing to lower attendance numbers... in fact it seemed like more and more people were showing up, but that could just be her perception. Part of her wondered how many more people would arrive before the festival was over.

Lucia soon turned her thoughts from the number of people attending the festival to the subject of trying to find a place to sit down for a few minutes, if not longer. She was a bit tired from the long walk from Luminous Rose Guild Hall to Capital Crocus and wanted to rest for a bit before she looked at the activities again. There was still plenty of festival time left, so the blonde did not feel any real pressure to try and see everything in the first few minutes of being here. Finding what she wanted was going to be difficult because of all the people, but she was going to try anyway.

Lucia continued to walk around at a slow pace to try and avoid killing her feet before she could look at the activities again. She began to look for somewhere with plenty of seating, somewhere like a restaurant or the outdoor section of a cafe. She would even settle for being able to sit on a bench at this point.

[Post Word Count: 388]

The spirit thought she was done with her look. She was wrong. The party favor tables kept her distracted for longer than they should have. There were necklaces, ribbons, some little tool that shot out confetti everywhere when tested, and much more. The festive blowouts were a bust though. That required a bit of air and a working pair of lungs. Still, she tried, not quite understanding the flaw after watching others around her have success with them. It took her a few attempts and a little rational thinking before she realized that just putting the object in the darkness beneath her hood was not a way that would get it to pop out and make noise. Dissatisfied, Eyir casually dropped the party blowout toy, allowing it to fall to the ground as she moved on to the next thing without a second thought.

There were some crowns, headbands, and top hats that were glittered up with some writing on them like the sunglasses, but she liked her pointy hat. There was no reason to switch and sadly she only had one head. Her armor would have to be modified if she desired four and there was no time for that now. Maybe she could fit the crown through the tip of the pointy hat. That brilliant idea turned out to be a great success. She didn't have a solution that made room for the top hat or headband but that was okay. She was now walking away dressed with two hats instead of one. That by itself was a win. Next were some standard goodie bags filled with little stuff but Eyir didn't grab one of those. Not yet. Her attention went straight to the balloons that were tied to the tables. They were meant to be decorative only but to Eyir they were just more party favors. The spirit broke the tie that bound them to the table and held onto what was left of the attached ribbons. The festival sure had a lot more to offer than she had originally thought. Halloween was a close second but that just gave out candy that she couldn't eat. The little trinkets given at New Years' were much better.

Eyir was about to start going through one of the goodie bags but something else caught her attention instead. A strange something. But also pleasantly beautiful. It was confusing. What was there was what looked to be a normal human woman walking through the crowd, seemingly blending in with the rest. But that woman was not normal. Eyir was instantly attracted to her. Not in a sexual way, of course. Eyir did not know of such things or feelings. It was more of a moth to a flame sort of attraction. Eyir could see the light of the woman's magic. It was strong and radiant. So much so that the spirit felt the impulse to go towards it. There was something else though. Something a bit off. Strange yet familiar.

Curious, Eyir began to make her move toward the blonde. Rather than walk, she hovered a few inches off the ground. Silently she moved. Silently she followed. She had become the ghostly stalker of someone she did not know was a fellow Luminous Rose member. Well, the ghostly stalker that stood out with her cheap New Years' accessory collection and a batch of floating balloons.

(Word Count: 564
Eyir Total: 1237
Thread Total: 1625)

Lucia had been walking for quite some time and was unable to find an empty seat. All of the benches and outdoor portions of cafes and restaurants she had seen were occupied and she was beginning to wonder whether she would find anywhere to sit at all. Lucia was not sure what she was going to do because the longer she walked the more tired she became and the more tired she became the more she needed to take a break. It was a vicious cycle that did not look like it would be broken any time soon.

The blonde was doubtful that she was going to find what she was looking for heading in the direction she was currently going, so she decided to stop and turn around to go back the way she had come from. Lucia stopped in place and turned around to find an animated suit of armor floating behind her.

Lucia screamed and backed away, but as she did so she managed to fall and land squarely on her backside. She looked up at the suit of armor with a void where a face would ordinarily be and wondered whether she had met a personification of Death coming to take her back to the other side. It certainly had the intimidating presence... even though it was not acting aggressive towards her the blonde was still intimidated by what she was seeing.

Then she looked closer and noticed the New Year's items it was wearing. The blonde blinked when she noticed that detail and blinked again when she noticed that the suit of armor had a feminine appearance. Something about this situation was not adding up.

Lucia took a few moments to catch her breath before she stood up again. Once she was on her feet she looked at the suit of armor again and noted its lack of aggression. If it truly was a personification of Death it would have claimed her while she was sitting on the ground instead of waiting for her to get to her feet. A thought suddenly entered the blonde's head.

What if she was not facing what she thought she was facing?

Lucia was not sure what exactly Death looked like, but she doubted that it would wear New Year's apparel. She had always imagined it as the traditional depiction of a skeleton wearing a black robe and carrying a scythe. Unless she was facing a form designed to lull her into feeling a false sense of security before it struck there was a possibility that she was perfectly safe. Maybe she should try talking to it. If she really was facing her end maybe being polite to it would buy her a quick and painless death instead of the painful and prolonged one she had suffered when she had died the first time by drinking wine that had been poisoned.

"Hi there. I'm Lucia." Lucia calmly introduced herself to the animated suit of armor.

[Post Word Count: 496]
[Lucia's Word Count: 884]
[Total Word Count: 2,121]

Eyir wasn't sure what she planned to do. How long she intended to follow the light that drew her in so strongly. She just kept doing it with no thoughts except for one thing. Why did this human peak her curiosity? She already knew about the magic aura and yes that was a significant part of it but there was something else and she couldn't tell what. Not yet. Maybe that was why she felt compelled to keep stalking the poor unsuspecting woman.

Things turned pretty quickly. The living beacon of light had stopped walking and turned around. Eyir also stopped her movement and could only stare quietly as the woman reacted awkwardly to her presence. There was a scream. That wasn't entirely new. Eyir had seen people react to her in that way before but it wasn't too common. It was an odd magical world they lived in so many must have become numb to seeing beings that were different from the norm. That or they were just always so preoccupied and distracted to notice anything beyond the company of their own companions. During festivals anyway. What was new was seeing someone completely fall backward to spend quality time with the ground they landed on. It would have been funny if Eyir had a sense of humor.

Sadly the topic of humor was lost on her. Rather than laugh or giggle she just watched as the encounter became more awkward. Was her party disguise not bringing any sort of comfort? What sort of monsters formed into creation wearing an assortment of paper, plastic, and glitter she didn't know but clearly the woman had mistaken her for one.

The woman took some time to stare. The fear was on her face but it was starting to fade as the moments passed. She even stood up. The next thing out of her mouth was not a scream or cry. It was a simple introduction spoken calmly and without the fright of before.

There was a short moment of silence before Eyir thought to make a reply. She could speak. Havardr had taught her well all those many years ago. The choice not to was always just much easier. There were instances where she would change her silent habit though and she felt right then was another time to do so. "Eyir," the spirit replied softly, her voice accompanied by the gentle sounds of chimes. "Of Luminous Rose." The mention of her membership within that guild was added as a reassurance to the human. The guild's reputation was good and the name well known. So could be reasoned the members that wore its mark were to be trusted as helpful allies and not to be feared as villains. Her armored hand lifted and rested on her own chest plate where the guild mark appeared with a small white glow around it so it'd stand out.

With the introduction out of the way, Eyir moved her hand again toward the batch of balloons that the other held. A single ribbon was plucked from the group, the attached golden new years' balloon floating along with it. That ribboned balloon was then held out for Lucia to take if she wanted. Parting with a part of her collection wasn't something she wanted but it was just the one. She hoped the combination of her introduction and the small gift would buy a bit more time for her to study the woman. Eyir was beginning to understand a bit more. She could sense it. Now she just needed to look harder and see it. 

What the two apparently forgot was the fact that they were in the middle of a very populated part of town due to the celebratory party. Lucia's scream had gotten them some attention. It was a good thing as far as safety was concerned to know that people were concerned and on top of dealing with it, but very inconveniently awkward in their case. Security was quick to get there. Three uniformed security men closed in on them, concerned but also alert to whatever the situation might have been.

"Is everything alright?!" One of the men asked. He saw no harm done to either of them but first appearances didn't mean much of anything. There was a scream for a reason unless it was a false alarm. It better not have been some kind of joke either. It was way too early for that kind of trouble when there was already a long night planned.

Eyir did not answer. The spirit didn't even turn to look their way. She'd let Lucia communicate and explain to them what had happened. For the time being Eyir would just continue to stare, looking for that mystery answer she wanted.

(Word Count: 794
Eyir Total: 2031
Thread Total: 2915)

Lucia noted the name she had been given and made a note of it. The floating suit of armor was named "Eyir" and it spoke in a soft and feminine voice. It also mentioned the name of the guild Lucia was part of, leading the blonde to believe that Eyir was a guildmate. As if anticipating the blonde's next question proof of membership was provided via a guild mark on the fancy armor's chest plate, setting Lucia's mind at ease. Now she knew that she was not dealing with a personification of Death.

Convinced that her time was not up just yet, Lucia began to speak to Eyir, who was clearly a person of few words.

"Sorry about what happened earlier, Eyir. I didn't expect you to be so close behind me. In fact I didn't even know you were here." Lucia gave a truthful response to why she had screamed. It was not the best response to Eyir's sudden appearance, but it was hard for her not to panic when she turned around and saw a faceless suit of animated armor just a short distance behind her. A good number of people would have panicked at the sight.

Lucia had seen quite a few strange things during her second life such as a talking candle with a blue flame, a talking miniature sun who was looking for adventure, and poltergeists throwing books at her, but an animated suit of armor who was also a member of Luminous Rose took the cake. There had to be someone in the armor for there to be a voice, but the faceless void made for an intimidating first impression. Lucia was doing a lot better than she was earlier, but she was still not quite over the first impression that Eyir had given her.

Speaking of first impressions, Lucia probably did not make the best first impression on Eyir when she screamed and fell backwards at the sight of the latter. That probably gave Eyir the belief that the blonde was easily frightened and would panic when faced with unfamiliar people and situations. Lucia was not so easily frightened and tended to remain calm when faced with new people and situations that were not life-threatening, but she would have to convince her guildmate that that was the case.

"Sorry about screaming earlier. I didn't expect you to be so close to me when I turned around." Lucia apologized to Eyir for screaming and probably causing a scene. Now that it was established that she was not about to be taken back to the grave Lucia's face turned red from embarrassment over her reaction. She was about to continue the conversation when she heard a male ask if everything was OK. The blonde's embarrassment deepened when she realized that she had caused a scene.

She turned to face the concerned person and spoke to them. When she completed the turn she learned that instead of one person she was facing three and they were not random bystanders. They were uniformed security. Lucia's embarrassment deepened.

"Sorry about causing a scene, everyone. I met a guildmate I haven't seen before and I didn't react in the best way. I'm a member of the guild Luminous Rose. Let me show you my guild mark." Lucia apologized and turned her right arm to them, then rolled up her shirt sleeve to show the Luminous Rose guild mark in royal blue that was on her right bicep. She hoped that proof of membership in the guild would be enough to get her out of trouble this time. This situation was so embarrassing that she wanted to disappear for awhile.

[Post Word Count: 610]
[Lucia's Word Count: 1,494]
[Total Word Count: 3,525]

Lucia's calm handling of the situation did wonders to put the security men at ease. Immediately their faces went from serious expressions to that of relief at the sight of the guild mark. "Luminous Rose, huh? All right." They trusted the respected name and believed her. Faking guild marks was a thing but they didn't have the ability to check it right there and there was no reason to. The disturbance was just an accidental mistake. That was preferred over a real serious altercation or a prank. The main man nodded in understanding. He gave Eyir a look and noted the armor and glowing wings but beyond that, he didn't notice anything else with her turned away from him. He was content to leave it at that and trust the two of them to not be troublemakers. It was time to get back to the patrols and be on alert for the real degenerates. "Since you two seem to be okay here we will be on our way. If there is any trouble don't hesitate to find me or one of the others. Enjoy yourselves and be safe."

They turned around and walked away to disappear into the rest of the crowd, which had been staring but upon seeing nothing interesting happening went back to their own business. Eyir had stood there the whole time, still holding out the offered balloon that had been ignored when security interrupted. Her disguise might as well have been a statue at that point. Finally, she moved, merging the balloon back into its home with the rest of the batch.

The two could now get back to their... Conversation. If that is what it could be called. Eyir wasn't entirely sure since very little of it had even come from her. Lucia was the talker, having previously apologized for the same thing twice before security had arrived. There was no need for that. It was understandable to have acted that way. That and Eyir was not the sort to be offended. She didn't even see the need to apologize for following Lucia as she had. It was considered rude, creepy, weird, and many other things among the population of the world. Eyir did not see it that way therefore she didn't feel as if she had done anything wrong. Apologies weren't exactly a concept she understood or practiced. Lucia at least deserved to know the reason for gaining a ghostly armored follower though. Eyir understood that much, especially now that she knew she had been following a guildmate.

"You are beautiful," the spirit said slowly and honestly. Though the context was absent. Though Lucia was no doubt attractive to those of the living that wasn't what she meant. She had meant the magical radiance that she could see. Lucia was certainly a pure soul to have the mastery of such magic. But, Eyir now knew what else drew her to follow the woman. She could now see past the brilliant light and see the traces of something else on the woman's soul. The imprint of death was on it. Not the mark of one soon to be dead but the mark of someone that had already been touched by it. That was odd. Lucia was clearly living. Not a walking corpse or a wandering spirit like herself. Or so she assumed like herself. Eyir didn't entirely know what she was either. Was it the work of an advanced form of necromancy? Eyir despised that kind of magic and their masters. That power made her sick and uncomfortable. Neither of which she felt by being in Lucia's presence. It had to be something else that was beyond her understanding. She wanted to understand and find out just who and what Lucia was.

"Do you like parties?" Eyir asked in the same soft tone. As strange as the angelic spirit seemed to be she enjoyed the festivals and gatherings of the living. It was always a happy and cheerful atmosphere. Well not always. The Ishgar Symposium was a gathering that she wished she had avoided. In the current one, she did not sense death's active presence so the same sort of tragedy was not expected to occur. It was an opportunity to have a companion for once. It was an opportunity to get to know Lucia and find answers without stalking her until the event was over.

(Word Count: 732
Eyir Total: 2763
Thread Total: 4257)

Lucia was relieved to hear that she had managed to talk her way out of trouble this time. She had little doubt that being part of Luminous Rose spared her from a stern lecture or worse. She would need to be more careful in the future, but the hood Eyir was wearing that had a yawning void where a face would normally be was scary. Lucia would stand by the frightening sensation of looking into a void where a person's face belonged as her reason for screaming.

"Thanks. Next time I'll scream only if I'm in real danger." Lucia informed the uniformed security people before they left. The embarrassment on her face was still evident, but now that she had not been lectured or worse she would quickly recover, especially since she knew that Eyir was not a threat to her. Now that it had been determined beyond all doubt the animated suit of armor was actually a friendly presence the blonde was sort of intrigued by her.

"I'm beautiful? Thanks." Lucia thanked Eyir for the compliment. It had been some time since someone had called her beautiful and it did not bother her that the source of the compliment was a female. Eyir herself was attractive... or at least her armor was. Since she had no visible face the blonde had no idea how Eyir really looked.

The armor was beautifully detailed and the colors were carefully chosen with the eye for color coordination of a master artist. It looked like someone had commissioned a beautiful suit of armor for either display or for actual use. Lucia examined the armor for several moments before snapping out of it and faced Eyir... or rather faced the void where a face would be.

She recalled the question Eyir had asked her and did not take long to come up with her answer.

"Yes, Eyir. I like parties a lot... as long as I'm not the center of attention. I like social gatherings like this one. I really like this party because everyone's celebrating hope for the future and hope's something we'll always need." Lucia answered in the affirmative. She liked parties because they were bright and cheerful times and the blonde liked bright and cheerful things. She had need of some positive things after being brought back to life and having to navigate a world that had moved on without her. Lucia was starting to find a place for herself thanks to being part of Luminous Rose, but she still had some apprehension about the future and her place in the world. It felt like any day now the gift of a second chance at life could be revoked and she would be taken back to the other side.

Putting that thought aside, Lucia looked Eyir over again. She noticed Eyir's New Year's accoutrements and decided to ask a question based on those. That question would be a decent way for them to get started on joining the party. It was also a convenient way for the blonde to put aside her earlier humiliation and start moving on from it.

"I can't help but to notice that it looks like you've already been checking out the festival. Is there any sort of activity that you'd like to do to start with?" Lucia asked her guildmate.

[Post Word Count: 554]
[Lucia's Word Count: 2,048]
[Total Word Count: 4,811]

And that was that. Eyir had decided. She liked the Lucia woman. Not just because of the strong light of her magic or the similarities of their souls. It was Lucia's answer to her question that made the final decision. The hope part of it was merely the icing. It answered why people chose to celebrate the end of an annual calendar and the spirit could agree that hope was a necessity for all life. The real reason for her sudden decisiveness was that Lucia liked parties. Just like her. That common ground was more significant than anything else at that moment.

"I like parties too." Like everything else said before her response was simplistic. No further detail was given or any emotion besides the same old contentedness within her soft voice. The personality she was showing was the complete opposite of the usual party goer but that's just how it was. Excitement wasn't something she could show. Yet, when Lucia asked if there were any activities she wanted to do there might have been a spark of that feeling there. A small insignificant spark but it existed nonetheless. Was the woman intending on accompanying her during the celebration? Strange. Eyir did not think it so simple to find someone so willing. She thought it would have taken more effort than she had put in.

Eyir gave a single nod. There might have been an activity or two that she wanted to try. She had spent the whole day watching the party so she knew what was there even if she herself had just barely left the party favor tables. Food wasn't a good answer. She couldn't eat it or partake in beverages, alcoholic or not. The dancing she would pass on. It looked chaotic and unpredictable. "I like games." There was a large gaming area that she remembered seeing. That would do.

"Come." Eyir turned away from Lucia, facing the party and hovering toward it. There would be no asking if that was what Lucia wanted to do. The human had asked so it could only be expected that she had committed herself to the activity that was chosen by the spirit. If she chose not to follow that was fine. Beyond the woman's mystery and her attractive light, there were no attachments. She would just play the games alone.

After a couple of minutes of going through the crowd, the spirit made it to the gaming area. Busy and popular didn't seem strong enough descriptive words for it. There were people everywhere. Noise everywhere. From the chatter and laughs of the people to the sounds of the games themselves. Yes, there were the typical sillier new years' games that one could expect from home parties but there were also game stands that could usually be found at carnivals. There was even a casino area. The options were many.

(Word Count: 481
Eyir Total: 3244
Thread Total: 5292)

Lucia listened to Eyir speak and learned that her unusual companion was a person of few words. While she did not say a whole lot, the few words she spoke carried a lot of meaning. In the last few words she had spoken Eyir had clearly stated that she enjoyed games but did not state which kind she liked the most. Whether it was accidental or deliberate, that omission led Lucia to wonder what kind of games her guildmate favored.

Did she like video games?

Board games?

Card games?

Lucia would find out soon enough because Eyir bade the former to follow her. Lucia obeyed and followed her guildmate as the latter moved through the festival crowd and when they finally reached their destination the blonde found that they had entered a place with an abundance of games. The first thing that drew the blonde's eye was a section devoted to casino games. Lucia looked at it and saw quite a few attractions... roulette wheels, slot machines, poker tables devoted to Texas Hold'Em and Omaha plus other forms of poker, baccarat tables, and an assortment of other games that would be right at home in a brick-and-mortar casino. The casino area had no shortage of people looking to play.

Lucia did not know how to play any of those games, but they looked exciting enough that she might try one.

Ignoring the temptation for the time being, Lucia turned to her guildmate and faced the void before speaking.

"There's so many games to choose from that I'm not even sure where to begin looking for something to play." Lucia commented on the wide selection of games that the area offered. She did not expect Eyir to talk her ear off, but she would at least like to hear what the latter was leaning towards so that they could coordinate what games they played. However, if Eyir wanted to play some games by herself, Lucia would respect her guildmate's choice.

Lucia looked towards the game area for a few moments, then looked at Eyir again.

"I'm having a hard time choosing. Is there anything you're leaning towards playing?" Lucia asked Eyir. The blonde was curious to see what type of game Eyir liked. If she was lucky Lucia might get her answer soon enough.

[Post Word Count: 384]
[Lucia's Word Count: 2,432]
[Total Word Count: 5,676]

Lucia was very observant and correct. There were many games to try and it would be difficult to choose which one to start off with. Even if it were easy it was doubtful that they'd get to them all so they'd have to make a hard choice eventually. Looking around, Eyir began to toss some of the options aside in favor of other games. The process was one that was easy once she got started. Many of the games she had seen at other festivals. Those could wait. She would get some prizes and souvenirs from those later if there was time. Eyir wanted to try something new to expand her experience and differentiate new years from all the other holiday festivals. There was but one option that fit that criteria; the casino.

The card games seemed interesting though she would not know the rules beforehand. Maybe something easier would suffice. Though her lack of a face would have given her a natural minor advantage in a quick game of poker. The many musical sounds and boops of some of the machines caught her interest. There was lots of spinning that she didn't quite understand but she liked the colors. The people that sat in front of the machines seemed to enjoy it. Some had even been there all day. Clearly, it was too much fun to leave. That or they were a bit too addictive but Eyir did not know of such a thing.

"Do you like the spinning games?" Eyir asked Lucia, pointing towards the loud slot machines that had so easily caught her interest. She didn't even know what they were called so she hoped Lucia understood what she was talking about. "I want to play those." Eyir allowed a moment of silence before adding, "The others too." Her nonexistent face turned to Lucia. "Do you know how to play them?" If she did then maybe Eyir would have someone that could teach her the rules of the more complex casino games later on.

(Word Count: 338
Eyir Total: 3582
Thread Total: 6014)

"Spinning games? You must mean the slot machines." Lucia replied to Eyir's question about them. The blonde knew what they were called and she had a faint idea of how they operated. She glanced at some players currently sitting in front of slot machines and observed them for a few moments, then turned back towards Eyir.

"All you have to do to play the slot machines is put in a coin and pull the arm. It looks like winning something's all down to luck, though." Lucia informed Eyir of how to play the slots. Lucia had never played them... she had just observed the players in the casino area in action and quickly deduced how the machines worked. They looked like a good way to kill some time. The card games were another story altogether.

"I have no idea how to play any of the card games, Eyir. I've never played any of them before." Lucia confessed to her guildmate that she had no knowledge of any of the card games the casino offered. Learning how to play one was not going to be as simple as watching other players at work. Lucia would have to actually get in a game and play some hands to learn the ins and outs of a particular game. However, she was afraid that her obvious "new player" status would lead to experienced players lining up to get into games with her for easy winnings since she had no idea what she was doing.

Lucia turned back to the slot machines and looked them over for a few moments.

They were safer to play since she was not playing against a human opponent. They were also easy to learn. Lucia was not looking for big winnings or the thrill of competition... she was here to have fun and kill some time while hanging around with her guildmate.

"To be honest, I'm leaning towards giving the slot machines a try." Lucia admitted where she was leaning to Eyir. The blonde was not quite feeling up to the card games just yet, but she was not going to rule them out completely. There was still plenty of festival time left and if she got bored with the slot machines she could always change things up and try her hand at some of the other games. She would also play them if Eyir wanted to.

[Post Word Count: 398]
[Lucia's Word Count: 2,830]
[Total Word Count: 6,412]

How unfortunate. Both of them were blind to the rules of the complex games. There was an excellent silver lining though. Lucia had stayed that she'd prefer to play the spinning games. The slot machines as she called them. That was acceptable. Those were the ones Eyir really wanted to try above all else due to their attracting noise, color, and the mesmerizing spinning of symbols. So far she and her guildmate were like-minded minds. This pleased the spirit greatly.

"We need coins." Eyir had stated one of the things Lucia had taught her, however little the amount of passed knowledge was. The slot machines required coins and neither of them was carrying an obvious amount of them like some others. That needed to be corrected if they were to play.

Without waiting to hear if Lucia already had some or a solution Eyir began to smoothly float her way to a booth of sorts. It reminded her of one of those customer service areas in other festivals. Prize exchange, ticket purchases, whatever else customers at large social gatherings needed... Those sorts of booths. Surely that was where they could claim tokens. "Over there," was all she quietly said to inform Lucia of her intent.

The appearance of a floating suit of armor with large glowing wings was strange as it was already. That same ghostly being waiting patiently in line was an even stranger sight people couldn't help but notice. There did come advantages to it. The line went quickly when people found out what was behind them. One by one each casino guest scattered and left the line, allowing Eyir to float steps forward until she, and Lucia if she had joined her, were at the front.

The tuxedo-clad man behind the counter wasn't as phased by Eyir's appearance as everyone else. He worked with the public for years. He had seen it all. It was doubtful even the most evil of mages could scare him now. "Finally the line is down! I can go on my break." Being at the mercy of a line was always hell on a holiday. Yet there was an angel that had come to bless him by destroying the line boss. "How can I repay this debt?" He asked jokingly as he leaned on the counter and waited for an answer.

"We want tokens. For the... Slot machines," Eyir replied, remembering what Lucia had called the game and also getting straight to the point. She didn't quite understand what debt the man owed or that it had all been a joke because of how fast the line moved while she was there. It was best to ignore it so she and her companion could get to the games.

"Slot tokens? You got it. Just hand over some jewels for the exchange." He was silent then as a new thought entered his mind. his dark gaze looked Eyir up and down suspiciously. There might have been an angel standing before him but the business wasn't free. "You... Got jewels on you, don't you? I'm sure Blondie there does but I don't know the income of someone like you."

"Jewels?" For a moment Eyir had thought the man meant something akin to beautiful jewelry or shiny lustrous gemstones. Then she remembered those paper bills that were also called jewels for some reason. There was plenty of that that the spirit owned. Money hardly meant anything to someone such as herself. What could she possibly buy and gain from doing so? Apparently slot machine tokens. That didn't seem right. The other festivals and parties had games that were all free. Why did this one need a monetary trade?

There was little issue with it though. Eyir tied the batch of balloons she still held to a decoration on the countertop. As she did this a glowing and large white butterfly flew in, carrying a tied-up cloth bag. The creature was one that Eyir was bonded with in both magic and soul, and she just so happened to have access to Eyir's belongings that she never carried on her person. She flew over the two mages, dropping the bag into Eyir's now free hands. The spirit butterfly circled the mages a few times before turning around and leaving, going back to where she had been before. Close by but not seen unless she wanted to be.

Untying the thin ribbon, Eyir placed the bag onto the counter. The soft container burst open and the overflowing amount of jewels within spread everywhere into the air and the ground. "Is this enough?"

The man watched the money float in the air and slowly descend. The mini explosion of the cash bag still didn't get much of a reaction from him. If he was surprised it was only because Eyir had that kind of money lying around. "Okay. I take back what I said. Angels come to casinos loaded with cash. Who'd have thought?" Like hell was he going to pick all of that up though. As if the man had seen that sort of thing before, he reached under the counter and brought out a canister vacuum. A vacuum that was equipped with a money counter that kept track of every jewel it sucked in. The man used the wand of the device to have the area cleared of jewels in no time.

The casino worker looked at the canister to check the amount that had been deposited. "A million jewels? You two are going to be here all night with that much if you just do the slots. You should probably try the other games at some point. I'll give you a mix of chips and tokens. Just come back to exchange any of them if you need more of the other. After my break though." He winked and then went on to get the tokens and chips. Two big buckets worth. One for Eyir and one for Lucia. With that kind of money, he had assumed it was supposed to cover them both.

Eyir grabbed one of the buckets. The weight wasn't as heavy as it looked. The chips and tokens were made of a very light material, likely plastic or something similar. "You can have that one," Eyir told Lucia as she turned to her and then glanced to the second bucket. The money amount within meant very little to her, and she did have more. Of course, Lucia was free to get her own instead if she chose. Eyir didn't care either way. It was just an attempt at being generous toward a guildmate.

"All right, anything else I can do for you before I sneak off?" The man asked, giving Lucia the opportunity to get her own tokens or inquire about something else.

(Word Count: 1131
Eyir Total: 4713
Thread Total: 7543)

Lucia heard Eyir's simple statement and saw the latter point the way to a place they could acquire what they needed to play the games. After making that gesture Eyir set off in the direction of the booth and Lucia walked briskly to keep up with the mage on a mission. Once Lucia caught up with her the blonde noticed that there was quite a line ahead of them, but her guildmate solved that problem without having to lift a finger... or take any kind of action, really.

Lucia watched with a straight face as the line shrunk before the animated suit of armor and before she knew it she and Eyir were at the head of the line. The blonde was glad that she had met her guildmate because without the latter's vaguely threatening presence the line would have remained intact and the wait would have been much longer. She looked towards the man behind the counter, a well-dressed fellow who was not perturbed by the floating suit of armor like the people in line had been. Lucia listened to him talk to Eyir and learned that the latter had done him a favor by making the line vanish.

The blonde remained silent as she listened to the conversation continue until it reached the subject of currency exchange. She had a fair amount of Jewels on her for purchases, but she did not have the amount necessary to have much staying power at the card tables. When combined with her lack of card game experience she would not have much fun because one bad hand could drain her meager bankroll and leave her unable to continue the game. Lucia turned her thoughts away from her budget and towards Eyir, who had produced a sizable bag of Jewels in an eye-catching fashion. Lucia then watched as the Jewels were tallied and listened as the final sum was announced.

Eyir had had a million Jewels in that bag.

Lucia wondered how her guildmate had managed to acquire that much money but knew better than to ask. It was none of her business and asking would likely incur Eyir's displeasure. Lucia chose to instead focus on the advice the man had given them. His advice made Lucia feel like he had an ulterior motive in suggesting they play the card games, but again she kept a straight face and kept her mouth shut. Since she did not have enough Jewels to exchange for a sizable bankroll of her own, she had little choice but to take the bucket of chips and tokens set aside for her and looked Eyir in the eyes... er, void where a face would be.

"Thank you for your generosity, Eyir." Lucia thanked her guildmate for her generosity while holding the bucket. The blonde had not been expecting this kind of generosity and would have to repay it as soon as she could. Eyir would likely be more lenient than other creditors would be, but Lucia did not want to dawdle when it came to repaying her guildmate.

[Post Word Count: 510]
[Lucia's Word Count: 3,340]
[Total Word Count: 8,053]