Danika gazed at the plushy rodent face of the rotund creature and zipped forward to squeeze its cheeks and exclaim questioningly, "What are you?" Her arms sank into the plush fur as though it was a soft cloud and she added, "You are so soft!"
"Isn't he just the cutest!?" Terri agreed and rubbed his fuzzy head between his ears which turned pink inside.
"S'stop that," the victim complained gruffly, and Danika released him quickly.
"Sorry," Danika apologized and brought up her lens. The lens revealed that MatchlessMinion was a Chinchillamin and a Proficient Thief. His accumulated level was more than 10 points higher than his sister's, at 76. "A chinchillamin?" she questioned doubtfully. "Is that really a creature?"
MatchlessMinion escaped from Terri's petting and then turned and told Danika, "Chinchillas are real creatures, the min means man. I had to make it a half human because my sister looted my accounts of resources before she submitted hers and I had to start with under 300 Karma."
"Hey," protested SaltySiamese, "I helped you earn most of it!"
MatchlessMinion waved a small hand dismissively and explained, "And I chose a mousy type of animal because she said she was going to play a cat person, but she wimped out and made an elf instead," he added scornfully, "just because it's prettier."
Danika giggled and SaltySiamese tossed her head and protested, "Cats spend a lot of time on their appearances, it's a perfectly cat-like choice."
Danika asked curiously as she accepted the friend invite from MatchlessMinion and the new invitation from Quin, "Aren't there werecats?"
"Ugh, don't even go there," MatchlessMinion grumbled.
"There are!" SaltySiamese exclaimed. "They do exist somewhere in the game! I've been searching for them because it's a curse and not a species, so you can't choose it when you create your incarnation!"
MatchlessMinion rolled his eyes.
Justin said, "If you ever get a chance to collect some werecat blood, sell it to me first ZipZing."
Quin winked at Danika and added, "Because if he can turn his girlfriend into a cat, she'll be purrfect for him."
Terri whacked Quin on the shoulder so hard that he stumbled and said, "You keep teasing Justin about getting a girlfriend because you've never dated anyone."
"We're not dating!" SaltySiamese protested. But then she whispered to Danika, "Not that I wouldn't."
Danika glanced at Justin who maintained an indifferent expression.
Terri laughed and stuck her tongue out at SaltySiamese, who blushed.
MatchlessMinion sighed and asked, "Anyway, what's so interesting about this fairy town that you were searching for it ZipZing? And you got here before us anyway?"
"Oh, right, are you all ok? SaltySiamese said you ran into a centaur attacked by goblins?" Danika questioned.
"You can shorten it to Salty like everyone else does if you want ZipZing, I don't care anymore," SaltySiamese said.
Quin said, "We're all ok, but they were pretty tough, something is seriously up with the goblins lately. Centaurs and goblins are usually found on the plains in the southwest, but since the game went public goblin tribes are popping up everywhere."
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"We left the centaur with the healer at the edge of town," MatchlessMinion explained.
"I'm all out of healing potions," SaltySiamese complained.
"Here," Danika said and offered SaltySiamese two of the healing potions she'd traded for.
SaltySiamese took the potions with a surprised expression, and asked, "Are you sure it's ok for me to take these?"
"It's ok," Danika agreed, but added with embarrassment, "but I hope I find some profitable quests soon, I have a contract for an enchanted item coming due in a few days."
"Enchanted equipment is ridiculously expensive," Quin agreed.
"Want me to steal it for you Captain?" MatchlessMinion offered with a sly rodent expression on his plushy face.
Danika's wings sparkled pinkly as she waved her little clawed hands in protest. "Don't! I'm not your captain here, and Logical Heart really deserves ten times what he asked for to create it."
"Logical Heart? The top enchanter in the game is making you something?" Justin asked curiously.
"Um, I guess so?" Danika agreed questioningly. "He's a gnome?"
"Yeah," Justin agreed.
"Standing around chattering is boring," Terri complained.
"So go ask around for quests," Justin replied dismissively.
"I should be going around and doing that," Danika admitted.
"Let's split up in pairs and meet back here in half an hour!" SaltySiamese proposed.
"I get to go with ZipZing then," MatchlessMinion announced.
"I'll go with Justin, and Terri and Quin can go together," SaltySiamese declared.
"What if I want to go with ZipZing?" Quin complained.
"Hey!" Terri scolded, "If you act like you don't want to go with me, you'd better not count on me to block for you next time."
"Ehhh, don't take it so seriously," Quin replied quickly. "I was just asking."
MatchlessMinion beckoned quietly and skipped off. After a moment Danika shrugged and followed him.
--
They had spoken to half a dozen of the residents of Windbur before Danika spotted the fairy dragon.
Danika pointed excitedly and squeaked, "Look look!"
MatchlessMinion oriented himself in the direction she was pointing and said with surprise, "Another fairy dragon?"
Danika pulled up her menu lens and saw that the fairy dragon's blue label read "Hearthdragon". It was another player.
Danika zipped right up to the other fairy dragon and practically shouted, "Hi!"
The fairy dragon gasped and dropped the item it was examining. "Wow!" it exclaimed.
"I thought maybe I was the only one in the game! I'm ZipZing!" Danika exclaimed.
The fairy dragon blushed and its wings sparkled pinkly as it admitted, "I know who you are. I decided to reincarnate as a fairy dragon instead of reviving this time after I read what you posted about your adventures."
"Oh, so you have fans too?" Aishin commented with amusement.
Danika spun and gasped. "Aishin! Look, look!" She pointed at Hearthdragon.
"Who are you, and how did you sneak up on us?" MatchlessMinion asked suspiciously.
Aishin narrowed his eyes at the small mousy person and asked, "Shouldn't I be the one asking that?"
Danika pointed at MatchlessMinion and explained, "It's MatchlessMinion, SaltySiamese's little brother, we know each other from playing some older games together." She waved at Aishin and told MatchlessMinion, "This is Aishin, he's…" she hesitated and Aishin, MatchlessMinion and Hearthdragon all watched with interest as her wings sparkled pinkly.
"Your boyfriend?" MatchlessMinion suggested gruffly.
Danika met Aishin's gaze and her blush deepened as she shook her head quickly. She waved her arms and tried to explain, "He um, he agreed to be my familiar later…" she hesitated again.
Aishin flashed a grin at her and winked. "I did," he agreed.
"Ehh!?" Hearthdragon asked, "Can you make a human into a familiar? Does that mean a human can make another human their familiar?"
"I don't know," Danika admitted.
MatchlessMinion stepped forward and offered Aishin his small hand in greeting. "Welcome to the minion life, friend," he said quietly.