Freedom Party Beauties

I would say my name, but it's strictly classified. I can say my former user; Inquiry. I say former, because I was forced to abandon that account due to certain.. Reasons. But that's besides the point.

The Freedom Party, a well known celebration in Jamaa, was shown to have recently started. I recalled it fondly, looking at my rabbit's rare Freedom Mask that it was almost never without. I checked the party list, delighted to see the party I had in mind started in 10 minutes. I certainly was happy that it was the weekend; my day off from the mad witch hunt for.. Him? Her? I could never be sure what they were. I shook my head.

I lingered in the stores, checking the items and reading the news, shortening the time my mind was chanting '''Party! Party!'' ' I really was excited for my favorite party in AJ, I suppose.

After I clicked on the party, I quickly bought the nonmember items that AJ had offered, collected a sparkler thing from the fireworks, and sat down on one of the mats. Despite the occasion lag, I was pleased to watch the fireworks, joining in with the many Jammers that spammed happy emotes or hearts.

I was distracted enough I hadn't noticed the black wolf in the hood and blanket until then. My eyes widened before narrowing at my computer screen. What on earth is that vile thing during here' of all places? ' I thought, grinding my teeth together at the mere sight of that accursed Jammer avatar.

The party remained full long after the duration of the celebration had ended. The crowd thinned, but still remained. I bit my nails, nervously tapping my mouse pad. I couldn't address them in my normal fashion so long as people were here. And to catch them NOW of all times was both ironic and worrisome. They weren't speaking either. They were simply seated in the direction of the fireworks.

Finally, the final person left and we were left alone. I moved my bunny, but didn't sit them down near the beast.

"So you've found new fools to trick, no doubt," I typed, wishing words in a bubble could hold as much scorn as my mind had when I typed out that sentence.

"Silly rabbit, tricks are for kids," Haven typed, and I didn't believe for a moment they weren't laughing somewhere while reading that. "Very funny. What else could you be doing here then?" I demanded.

"Is it not obvious?" They stated, the wolf turning and to my surprise, the normal beady eyes they had were gone. In fact they had no eyes, as if the hood they wore masked them. "What do you mean by that?" I asked, nervously tapping my mouse pad again.

"I'm watching fireworks." I felt slightly dumbfounded at their response. "That's it...?" "That's it, silly rabbit." A buddy request flashed on my screen. I sourly and quickly declined. "Why so buddy buddy all of a sudden, Haven?" "Why not, is the question." Their wolf turned back as the fireworks began again. "Take a seat, I don't bite. That's the point of the hamsters. Well, and Alpha herself." I frowned, but sat my bunny down to watch as well. "Your sense of humor is twisted." "Not any more than you believe it to be, Inquiry." I stiffened at the mention of my old user. The one they drove me away from, the wretch. "What, you thought I'd forget your beloved name? You enjoyed it almost as much as that mask." In a moment of sensitivity, I moved my rabbit back from them a little. They used their laughing emote, but not the nonmember one, of course. "You can be so uptight. We approach the night of freedom, do we not?" "Fourth of July? Yeah, so?" "It is a time of peace now. I am a punisher, but not without emotion. I adore the skies when they are brightened with sparks as well." I shifted in my swivel chair, uncomfortable at their sudden friendliness when a mere week ago I had found another Jammer fallen victim to Alpha's clever trap of luring them into their den. I knew what went on in Haven's den. People were trapped and tormented in their dreams..

"You're thinking too hard again. You dwell upon our positions in this world too much," Haven decided. I swiftly typed back, "Hard not to when you remind me of a Venus Flytrap." They used the nonmember laughing emote this time, which I was certain they used in the context of a grin. "I'm touched, really," they spoke. "I apologize for invading your mind again, but you were silent for a long time. You think more than you speak." "I'm more comfortable in my head than anywhere else. And you don't belong in there," I replied stiffly, nodding in satisfaction that I had told them off. "Feisty. It makes you an interesting rival, to say the least." "I wouldn't even call us rivals. Exterminator and pest maybe." "So tongue in cheek~" My blood boiled at the sight of that little squiggle after their words, the mere sight of it proving they were teasing me again. They never did it around anyone else; just when it was us and us alone. It honestly creeped me out they could do it at all, seeing as AJ didn't allow such symbols. And yet if they wished, they could type out everything AJ wouldn't allow.

"You despise your job too much," they said suddenly. I paused in my disgusted mental rant. "What makes you say that??" I questioned. "You are luckier than most; adventure is at your call, even if you remain in front of a screen," they explained. "How many people can say they battle a force inside a game that regard as a demon?" "That's besides the point. You hurt people, and I have to stop you." "Oh please. You get a thrill every single time your eyes rest on me, don't you?~" "Quit that. And that's called dread." "And what of when you actually 'save' someone?" "Triumph isn't a thrill, it's an emotion." "Little difference. And I absolutely BEG to differ~"

Honestly that stupid tilde was pissing me off. It was almost like I could hear a silent voice purr in the back of my head those words. I rubbed the back of my neck, willing the hair to flatten and the goosebumps to vanish. "You're disgusting, Haven." "I'm content with hatred geared my way." Another buddy request popped up on my screen. I was alarmed when I realized I considered it, although for only a moment, before I rushed to decline. I saw Haven 'laugh' at my panic. "You're easy to scare on your time off. How has Jason been doing?" I sniffed in disdain while I typed, "None of your business, that's how." "Relax, it was easy to tell you two would start dating." "Since when did you know we were dat in?" I cringed, momentarily cursing AJ's restriction for making my words sound like broken English. I only envied Haven for theirsomehow completely free speak (although in the presence of others who were not their victims, I notice they abides by the rules of AJ's chat for some reason). "It's like a fly buzzing around in the back of your head. Quiet and easy to ignore, but still there." "I thought I told you to stay out." "I have been, but I saw it on my first intrusion." I rolled my eyes. ' Mhm, sure, ' I grumbled internally. 'Don't believe you for a minute. '

"Curious how you never are your rabbit around him." I raised an eyebrow. 'What's their angle? ' I wondered. "I'm not complaining, your wolf has a gorgeous figure~" My face heated up, and I honestly couldn't tell if it was from rage or from being abruptly flustered. Were they flirting with me. Or was it another mockery?

"You over-analyze often the meanings behind my words, Inquiry. It's touching in a sense." "I said stop invading my mind." "I apologize, but I could not resist hearing your reaction myself~"

"Creep," I murmured aloud, gritting my teeth. "Your voice does it no justice either." "You can HEAR me too?" "Your computer has a built in microphone, does it not? I use electronics to my advantage since I have little else." "You are a stalker in the worst sense of the word." "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer, right?~" "I really wish you would stop that. I think I prefer you when you're punishing others." "Can't stand the idea of the soul behind the soulless, huh." "You? A soul?" "My point exactly."

"But besides that," they continued. "I regret that I must depart from our.. Friendly chat." I rolled my eyes at their phrasing, knowing full well they did iy on purpose. "I'll see you around, but of course. Farewell, white rabbit~" And with that, they promptly vanished from the party. I shivered in my seat, imagining and wondering what they would sound like if they could truly speak. I'll be honest, I speculated that they were a girl from their disguise's name (Countess Icyeyes, their creepy pig which once had been a seal until the arrival of the Pig Hearthstone) but with they way they talked and worded things, they purposely left it up in the air. I shook my head and returned to my den, shortly afterwards noticing that I had a jag. Upon checking it, I was alarmed to see it was from Haven's lackey, Alphandomega667. ' What does that nuisance of a koala want?? ' I wondered, recalling the crazed Jammer with a scowl. The text of the jag itself read 'Boss said to give you this as a congratulations gift :)' A present was contained of course, seeing as I was the lucky one that usually they went above and beyond the system for to accomplish their goals. I begrudgingly clicked on the gift, and to my surprise it contained a Turquoise ring inside. I was confused at first, until I recalled that the ring I now possessed was a symbol for followers of Haven's little fanboy n' gal group. 'The heck do they expect me to do with this? ' I mused, looking at it in my inventory. Why give me a gift at all? I exited my inventory, and another jag was in my inbox, this time from Haven themselves.

'I send you my blessing, Inquiry. Don't waste it away.'

I softly gulped, understanding exactly what they meant; they wanted the ring to be worn. I shook my head, glancing at my inventory again. I knew to wear the ring on my rabbit was stupid; wouldn't that contradict what Mythical Templeivy stood for? What the Freedom Mask I had her adore meant?

'Maybe they're right, I overthink a lot, ' I thought to myself bitter-sweetly. I swapped to my wolf, Monster Fieryspirit, and looked at her appearance. I made her wear a purple star cape and a green lei, with the addition of the Freedom Head Flower I had added. I bit my lip gently, my mouse hovering over the ring. My arms felt strained, the muscles uncomfortably tight.

I shook my head again. It was just a ring. It meant what it meant to Haven, but it didn't have to mean the same thing to me. I clicked the ring, adding it to my wolf. The band of the ring blended in perfectly with the white fur I had. It made me slightly anxious just to notice that tiny detail. I added my Diamond Encrusted Tail Armor to my wolf, just so it wouldn't seem like the only piece of jewelry on her. After I exited my inventory and ensured I had no more jags, I softly ran a hand through my hair.

Maybe they were right. The witch hunt thing was kinda my gig. I did it everyday I could, checking every corner of every server for them. And they always slipped away.

But this time I had let them. As they had said, this was a time of peace.

For now anyways.