[PP-F1] A Vow of Light and Shadow (Making Vows)

[Hidden 1]

Sitting on the counter of Sey's shop on the eleventh floor, she would sit quietly but eagerly. They were finally going to be married, a day she had waited quite some time for. She could still remember sitting on that bench, an absolute stranger handing her a candied apple. The first and only time a complete stranger had offered her something out of the kindness of their heart. Everyone else hoped to get something out of her. The world works in strange ways. Those who want the least get the most. She sat on this corner, however it wasn't the typical looking Hidden. Instead, it was her Elucia persona, that way she could go out with Sey and not have the entire APD on her back. The idea of hiding in plain sight worked well, and it didn't seem as if the APD had caught wind of it yet. Looking to Sey, she would push out her lip and make a pouty face. "Can we go yet? The wait is killing me!" Her patience, normally quite good, was thrown out of wack. She twisted the ring on her finger, the Ring of Black Ice. She planned on making the new one exactly like it. She had become fond of the one she had and wanted something just like it. "Hurry uuuuupppp!" she would call to him. She swung her legs off of the counter, landing on the floor. She had learned to respect the counter. It was not a fun thing to fall off of. 

@Sey

[Sey 0]

Hidden, no... Elucia, she was not so patient with him considering the coating of the caramel had to be still before they could walk out. This was important to him considering it was how they met, he wanted to at least enjoy one more candy apple before they prepared their wedding. But how could he resist that adorable pouty face of hers? Sey chuckled lightly as Hidden's pleas for him to finish fell onto his ears. "Almost done, love. Just give me a few more seconds~." Sey asked kindly as he turned over to her. The timer on the apples would then reach zero, prepared for the both of them to enjoy. And so he would grip one of them and hand it over her after she fell, though no repeats of previous incidents have occurred. How lovely of her. "You know this all too well, but I think one more of these would be nice before we, you know, prepare ourselves." He declared confidently before he reached out the apple towards her. "Shall we head out? We have quite a day today~."

@Hidden

Edited April 8, 2019 by Sey

[Hidden 1]

Candied apples were now the only thing in her way to getting married. Sadly, they were her number one weakness. She had no chance of victory. He confidently handed her an apple, telling her that just one more before they were married would be nice. Her eyes squinted towards the apple. Sighing with defeat, she grabbed the stick of the apple and took a bite out of it. A flashback moved through her mid, reminding her of the first time she had eaten one. This flashback; however, was pleasant and did not result in passing out. The flashacks were getting better, but the more stressed she was the more often they occurred. As Sey mentioned they should head out, she would nod to him, moving out of the shop. As her eyes took the eleventh floor in, she would turn around. "Who are we going to invite to the wedding? I don't exactly... have any friends" She had the few she had made as Elucia like Neopolitan, Sunova, and Kasier. That was it. "We will have to be careful about this. We risk detection at every step. I don't think both you and I could handle both Hestia and Itzal at the same time. Even with Adrian I was outmatched and had to flee" As much as she hated to admit her weakness, they were stronger. 

@Sey

[Sey 0]

Hidden began to express concerns about who they were going to invite to the wedding. That was important indeed, he placed the top of his available pointer right finger up to his chin. Then she pointed out two names that could have worked until she mentioned them. A shame, they were worthy names as well. "It will be difficult, but if you say the word, I won't invite them. Hestia wouldn't break her deal with me, I would hope." Considering Hestia and her behavior as well as her eagerness to level him up. Their deal made them a barrier too. "She won't screw up with me though. I'm the only one who can convince you to turn Adrian to them. I doubt she would do a thing. If we invite them, I'll spend as much col as I need to in order to protect your disguise."

After all, Hidden had to stay Hidden. Was she going to be Elucia? Most likely considering the bounty. "I know a few people, but I can't guarantee their arrival. The people of Celestials have done their own thing. Hikoru and Kasier come to mind. Teion, perhaps. Hm... We could use more people..."

He didn't list them all, for this just came up in his mind.

@Hidden

[Hidden 1]

As they walked, he began to express her same concerns. However, with her limiting his options, she immediately began to feel like a burden. "It is no worry. If you are confident in your deal, than I am confident with my acting ability" She would tell him. Elucia was basically a complete mask of her annoyance towards people and amplifying her own excitability a thousand times over. "We can invite them, though I wouldn't call your other friends, 'Celestials' anymore" She wasn't sure if her Groom to be was aware of the Celestials predicament a month or so back. Everything in the game seem to go through a wack at the same time. Everyone was unsure and fighting for a grasp of control over the world of Aincrad. She served as the common enemy of many players and such a point of clarity. Hidden is the enemy. Hidden must be stopped. It was simple goal that many players could get behind, that was the reason for its popularity. With her choice of wear, it made sense for her to be the bad guy. That was why everyone believed everything Hestia said. 

"Hikoru..." she would mouth. "Domarus, Aereth, and Hikoru are all no goes. Hikoru would know within a second" She truly wanted the man to be there, but she was unsure of who he allied himself with. She stepped onto the Teleport Pad with Sey and quietly muttered, "Teleport Starting City" and in a flash they were whisked away in a blue pillar of light.

@Sey

[Sey 0]

"Sounds like a lovely deal~. And who knows, she might give you a wonderful gift." Sey replied with a smile, sure that as long as they did things correctly, they would be safe and happy at the end of it. It sucked they politics were the way they were, but he imagined a world where they could all look back on this and laugh. Regardless of that wishful thinking, he then considered the next words Hidden left for him to ponder. Hikoru was not going to come because she would be recognized. A huge shame, but that was going to have to be done. Regardless, a smile lapsed on his lips as he would confirm that for her.  "Of course, I'll keep them off the list then. A shame about Hikoru, but I'll make it up to him somehow." And with that, they would end up on the first floor, now they just had to find the quest giver and figure out everything from there. "So I assume everyone else I know is open to you?" That being the case, he could look at his friend's list to see how many he could invite. Hopefully plenty, that would be lovely.

@Hidden

[Hidden 1]

She felt bad from preventing a few of their friends form attending, but Hikoru was far too much of a risk. He knew about her and Sey from so time ago, he would grow suspicious if someone else was marrying him. "Yes. Everyone else is okay in my books. I just don't want any people to ruin our one chance of happiness." She remembered a time when she was just a shady character, not a wanted and framed murderer. She had gotten her orange crystal through a different method. "This is almost foreign to me. Not having to worry for a moment. For the last while, I have known that in the next second I might be fighting for my own life. I think I understand why you took that break" Stepping up to the church she would stand, waiting by the door. "You can do the talking to the priest. NPC's act fishy around orange players. Im glad we got into the city without a problem" Luck seemed to be on their side, for now. Next, they would enter the church, the place where they could find James Aria, the priest that would guide them through the quest. 

@Sey

[Sey 0]

Sey would need some more time to think about who to invite then, but that was three people and the rest were all good! It would be fun to see who he could bring, though he was going to have a lot of asking around to do. A lot of invitations to be made, a lot of PMs to be sent, a lot of questions to be answered, all for free! Or maybe he's paying. It was so out of character for him to do it, but this was his wedding for the future. "Absolutely. But now that I'm back, I'm going into the frontlines too. If you can believe it, I'm actually the tank for one of the parties." Sey chuckled before flicking open his stats. The mitigation was the highest it could be for a Two-handed player of his tier. With the battle healing set to a high level like this, he had little to worry about as well.

They entered the church, and there was James. Hidden would enlighten him on what NPCs did around orange players, but that just made sense in general. Hiding her crystal in the wedding was going to be very interesting. "So you two wish to be married? That is wonderful to hear! We will need to discuss the details of your wedding such as location, the size of the wedding, food, as well as the wedding rings. I can also help you find someone to wed you, or I could do it myself if you'd like."

Simple words because Sey approached first, a green player. Though James could see Hidden, it was the green one who approached. "You are so kind, let's begin right away then."

"Excellent! Well the first one is the size of the wedding. The more you want, the more you would have to pay so that we can situate all those guests and security. Do you wish to wed in private? Or perhaps you would like a small, medium, or large wedding?"

"Let's go with the large one then, unless the lovely lady has any objections~."

@Hidden

Edited April 8, 2019 by Sey

[Hidden 1]

He would mention being one of the tanks for the frontlining parties. That piece of information worried her. A tank? His build was more focused on damage instead of mitigation. As far as she knew, he had no tanking skills either. He had never used one in front of her. Also, the frontlines had gotten significantly harder as of lately, where she had almost died the last time from a passive effect. Before she could protest the idea, the white-haired man would step forward to greet the NPC. Forced by his dialogue, the NPC made no motion towards her but instead to Sey. As the men conversed with eachother, she looked around the church. While there were no players in the area, there were a few NPC's that were found to be looking at her. They made no objection to her presence however. As Sey mentioned 'lovely lady', she turned having missed the context. "Umm... do whatever you think is best" she would say before returning her attention to the church. The last one she had been in was with the Miraak boss fight. An event boss that "Killed" two players. If she would not have missed her target every time, she would have managed to deal the most damage. If she wanted to rejoin the frontlines, she would have to become T3, especially with Floor 25 coming up. She had heard rumors that it was supposed to be harder than any of the normal floors. 

@Sey

[Sey 0]

Do what he think was best, well that was a lot of faith. Okay then, he was going to go all out then, he had the col to do it! James stood there idly as Sey received his answer. "Let's make this quick then. The best of everything. I want the best of everything." Sey explained, and James would raise his eyes in shock from how confidently he said such bold words. The church made bank from these two customers today.

"Just so you are aware, that makes for these items: A Large Wedding, PK Access, A Banquet Table, and then a separate section where you are capable of customizing your official wedding rings. In total, this would be... 10,750 col. Are you sure you wish to do this?"

"As sure as I am to be doing this wedding in the first place. I'll do that purchase right now, in fact."

With that, the HUD screen popped up and confirmed the purchase. With the simple tap of the blue circle, he would then seal the wedding plan to be done. James smiled as the transaction was approved, so it looked like they were going to be discussing quite a bit. "Excellent, this will most certainly be an event to be remembered. Now first, the two to be wed. What are the names of the two to be wed?"

"Sey and Elucia." Sey replied, and then James proceeded to jot those notes down.

"Lovely lovely. Now the rings you purchased, those are customizable. Can you both describe what you desire your rings to be like?" James asked, tilting his head over toward Hidden. Ladies first, after all.

-10,750 Col

@Hidden

Edited April 8, 2019 by Sey

[Hidden 1]

It was all of her will power to not bust out laughing when she heard, "Best of everything". She turned, taking in Sey's expression. Absolute seriousness. She listened in quietly on the rest of the conversation, even as Sey told the NPC she was to be known as Elucia. The Priest seemed more excited than either of them about the wedding. Of course, ti was just a modeled emotion given to the NPC. It would then ask her how she would want her ring. Taking the one off of her finger, she would hand it over to the NPC. "Exactly like this one. No different." The NPC would take the ring, examining it before handing it back to her. She would slide it back onto her finger. "That will be just a perfect design for this occasion" The NPC would turn back to Sey and she would take this opportunity to step back from the main action. "How might you like your ring sir? Just the same?" The priest would ask Sey. It was at that moment that Hidden began to think of a dress for herself. She would most likely have to visit a tailor to get it done. It wouldn't be right to wear the same clothes that they wore to the Valentine's Day Event, and that was the only dress that she owned. 

@Sey

[Sey 0]

Hidden showed off the ring he gave to her before declaring that she wanted one just the same, and it brought him joy for that to have been the case. In turn, he would match hers in turn, since it was a beautiful mix between the both of them. "Exactly the same~." Sey replied confidently before he then placed his right hand out. Despite being in business, he was not one to be messing with metal on his body, and now he'll have the most important one equipped on his ring finger. The real wedding red.

"Excellent choice, sir. And with that, I must ask. Is there anyone in particular that you would like to have wed the both of you? If there is not, I would love to assist the both of you."

"I do not believe we do. It would be an honor for us to have you wed the both of us."

"Then it will be done, sir. I will send you a message with some extra information and choices, such as food that has to be provided and whatnot. But since such choices can't be made immediately, I will ask you through messaging. Once we do that, we can set up a date and send invitations out. I cannot wait for this wedding."

"Thank you so much, James." Sey replied with a smile before turning over to Hidden. It seems like that was that, and now they can prepare themselves for the wedding. "I think that is that, we are about to be wed!" Such excitement, how could one hold it in?

@Hidden

[Hidden 1]

She would listen as Sey told the Priest that he was going to have the same ring as her. A sweet idea, but she was beginning to feel as if this wedding was both an advantage and a disadvantage. The buffs and union were nice, but the chances of being caught were quite high. Forgetting the risk, she would step to Sey's side, pressing her hand onto his right arm, her free arm wrapping around it. James Aria, the NPC, would tell that that all was underway and after a few extra preparations they would be ready for the wedding. That most likely meant within the next week they would be married and headed off into their future. However dark and brutal that future may be. As Sey mentioned to her that they were about to be wed excitedly, the doors to the church would open once more. Letting go of Sey and spinning on her heel to find the source, she would find NPC guards crowding into the church. "Looks like the welcoming party finally arrived" She looked to Sey once more and said, "I'll meet you back at the shop." Sey didn't need to trouble himself with the NPC's. 

Bringing out her Ice Dagger, Frostbite, she would plunge it into the ground, a wall of ice surrounding her. The guards would quickly move forward, hacking at the wall, but when it was destroyed Elucia was nowhere to be found. A white-cloaked girl figure slipped quietly out of the Church, snickering. 

@Sey

[Sey 0]

He looked down to her as she held onto his arm, smiling as they were about to truly be together. It was weird, he did not think to be in a wedding at this age. But if there was one thing he would note by now, it was the fact that he should not be going by probability, but by chance. Now they were going to have their wedding set up and everything was going to be great!

So the welcoming party was a reminder to Hidden having an orange crystal. How lovely of them to care about her, but she separated from him so that they could meet up soon. "You got it, love~." Sey replied before taking a bite into his apple, then walked past the guards as Hidden had her fun little ice show. What a glorious time, he had thoughts of his vows as he would walk to the teleportation gate. And off he would go, right back towards floor eleven. From there, he just had to walk back to his shop, likely the first there since he took the direct path. And so he would enter, waiting for his future wife to follow up.

@Hidden

Edited April 8, 2019 by Sey

[Hidden 1]

The hooded figure slipped through the door quietly as the guards were left to be confused. The guards AI was rather low and were easy to confuse. Taking off the cat-earred hood of her Elucia cloak, <<Snow's Grace>>, she watched as Sey would leave the church with a smile on his face. Sometimes, she hated being an orange player. The perks were that she was left alone by most people, and the downside was the idea that she also had to deal with NPC guards within the safezone. Also, she wasn't protected by a safezone. She was protected no where. She would move forward, slipping into a nearby alley. From there, she would pull out her dagger once more and slam it at the wall. Of course, it was an immortal object. Resheathing the dagger, she would hop upwards, scaling the wall and leaping towards the other building as she began to fall. After about five seconds, she remained at the top of the building. Crouched down on the top of the building, she would change her items and remove the effect of the Snow White potion. Pulling back on her black hood, she would move to the edge of the building to overlook the street. Sitting there for a few seconds, a player spotted her and pointed to show his friend. As he did, Hidden moved away, towards the teleport gate. 

Reentering the shop, she would look to Sey plainly, move into the kitchen and pull back her hood to reveal her face. "Okay.... So what now?"

@Sey

[Sey 0]

And there she went, her face plain and adorable to him as his guest arrived. There was a small concern of his though, and it was directly above her head. What perfect timing with the question that she asked as well, and so he would walk up to her before placing the tip of his finger near the crystal. "I think we are going to have to do something about this before the wedding starts. I don't think there are too many ways to handle it without handling the one quest. And... Have you done that yet?" And what else could he be referring to than the mysterious <<Redemption>>? An orange crystal would be interesting to disguise, but it was likely for people to raise alarms since one who wanted to label "Elucia" innocent would have a hard time doing so with that crystal. If one wanted to dig deeper, how many players had an orange crystal? "If Elucia possessed an orange crystal, how long would it take for Hestia to raise hell against you or break my deal?"

[Hidden 1]

Hidden would watch as Casper would point above her head and he suggested they do something about it. Instantly, she understood he was talking about her cursor and its color. The mark of a killer, although she still had yet to take a human life. Sadly, she still believed that might happen in the future. Whether it be self-protection or having to complete a mission of hers. "No... I have not done redemption before" He spoke of Itzal and Hestia would definitely frown upon her orange crystal. "No. Hestia and Itzal have framed me as a monster because I have a different vision than they. I told you before, their plan was to imprison me for working for Domarus, although they let him go. Their goal is to simply lock up Hidden." The sad truth of corruption that lied with the "good guys" was plain and simple. "However, we are in luck. As Elucia, I met Hestia before and got along fine, and that was before Adrian. I have had no talk with Itzal although he told me he wanted to. The story that I made up for Elucia is that she killed a player in her own self defense after being tricked by a green player killer. After giving that information, say that Elucia doesn't really like talking about it"

She was sure that things would run over smoothly with Hestia and Itzal. They weren't in charge of this world. She would make sure to cut them down after she was able to be strong enough. The High needed to fall down some and worship the ground the Low walked up every single day. 

@Sey

[Sey 0]

By the sounds of it, Hidden seemed to have made enemies of Hestia and Itzal. Sey could not speak of the latter, but the former did give her a chance at mercy at the cost of Adrian. Sey let this run through his mind, but kept silent as he listened with his typical poker face. When she finished, he sat down onto a chair with a smile. "Your username certainly is no bluff. I'll keep that backstory in mind." Sey explained before he tapped through his inventory to bring out two blank sheets of papers with pens. Easy vanity items. "All that is left for now is that we will write our vows to each other. Think long and hard about it, then we need to prepare most other things... Separately. I heard that it is forbidden to see a lady in her wedding dress before the wedding." Kyu wasted no time to hop onto the table, pawing at his own sheet of paper.

[Hidden 1]

As she informed him of Elucia's back story, Sey seemed to commend the idea but complimenting her username once more. Saying nothing more, she watched as he would open his inventory, pulling out two pieces of paper. Taking one, she would listen as he mentioned all that was left to do was to write the vows. "Alright, I'll get started on that and go get a tailor to make my dress. Invite whomever you wish" With that, she would add the paper to her inventory and move over to the door. "I'll see you in a bit" Pushing open the door of the shop, she would quickly enter the alley nearby, avoiding detection form the local guards. She wondered if Hestia had ever talked to guards to see if they could tell them anything about her own whereabouts. Most likely, she would pay an NPC tailor to make the dress as she would be less likely to be sold out to a player. 'Well I guess if I play as Elucia again I guess I shouldn't have a problem' she told herself. "If I am suspected, this could get very bad. A quick message to Hikoru, Domarus, or Aereth and I am back on the run and Sey will be used as the bait" 

@Sey

-Hidden leaves thread-

[Sey 0]

He chuckled lightly as she made her grand exit from his shop with such a swift tone. Ah, if he was stressed about the situation, how was she feeling being the prime target? That tough mask can't be held up forever, but he knew her to be a survivor anyways. So little fear went through his mind, and now they just needed to obtain their tailors and set up their vows. "See you, love~." He waved lightly before looking back to Kyu. She was chewing up the damn paper right in front of him! "Kyu, come on! Those don't come for free!" He declared, looking at the little bit of paper left. Kyu would just give him a sheepish smile in turn, a small burp following up. Nothing would indicate that there was a problem with her doing that, and she'll gladly do it again. Sey just sighed, giving her a ruffle on the head before placing his finger onto  his inventory. There came another piece of paper. Time to do this.

Summary:

2 SP for Both
200 Col for Both
May take on <<Saying Vows>>