Post by Damien Briar 5:32 PM, April 11th, 20XX

No, you're wrong! We need to fight this entity! Violence is a necessary evil and should not be taken away from us on the whim of some higher being.

The carriage let us out far from the venue. We followed several other small groups of beautifully dressed elves towards sparkling lights in the distance. As we crossed the threshold of the manor’s land a notification popped up.

Warning! You are entering the property of a PPVS resident during a celebration. The levels of all guests are lowered or raised to the level of the Host. Host’s current level: 2

I stumbled a from the sudden dexterity deficit and my mind fuzzed as if I hadn’t slept in 36 hours.

Damn. Well, at least everyone had their levels decreased.

“Relax,” Lore murmured. “This was expected.”

Movement off to the side drew my attention and I noticed a few elven warriors wearing crimson armor. Security? That made sense. I picked one and Observed them.

????. Level ??. ?? HP. ?? Mana.

So many question marks! Okay, so don’t mess with the security.

We lined up behind a couple of men who chatted happily.

From what I could see, the manor’s architecture appeared to be the same style as most of the buildings in the area, with the variously sized leaf-shaped archways creating odd but beautiful roof shapes. The only difference was the oval ballroom we headed towards, which seemed more modern but still had an alien yet beautiful design. Thick tree trunk supports shot up from the ground at odd angles, creating visually stunning massive window shapes. Through those windows, I noticed an area for dancing had been set up and musicians practiced on a stage off to the side.

My gaze traveled over the rainbow robed crowd. All of their ages appeared to be between 18 and 28.

People in fancy clothes, a pretty venue, an area for dancing, music. This was a wedding reception and not a bonded ceremony right? As someone who spent time living with a con artist, I’d crashed more than one wedding reception before, and something that they all had, was children. Where were the children? In fact, I’d never seen any little kids since I’d been in the PPVS.

I turned to Lore and whispered. “So, do children have adult avatars, or are they just not allowed into the game?”

“The PPVS has separate locations for children. It’s more of an area where they learn about violence and how it’s wrong so they don’t grow up to need the PPVS. I never been there, though.”

“Uh-huh.” That sounded a bit like that DARE program from the early 90’s that I heard about. Didn’t that program not succeed or something? “And how does that work out for them?”

“It’s fairly effective. But some people just want to vent their stress and prefer to do it through the violence simulator.”

“So, then these people are all adults.”

He raised a mocking brow at me. “Most entities have an adolescent period where they are between a child and an adult. During this period there is also a separate location, that is different from the children’s area. However, if you have permission from your guardian, you apparently automatically enter the adult area.” He smiled bitterly. “Actually, when I first entered the PPVS, I’d only ever heard rumors about it. I also had no idea that my father had requested I be treated as someone closer to an adult.”

He opened his mouth to continue then closed it when he realized that the couple in front of us had left, leaving us face to face with Davis Crimsondahlia and surprisingly, the dark-skinned mage who gave me the ring from before. She and Davis were dressed beautifully in violet and red robes that matched.

How the fuck did this nice person become bonded to this asshole?

Lore bowed and so did I. We said together as we’d practiced. “Congratulations on finding your bonded. May you and your soul stay united for all of your long lives.”

“Master Bard Lorevinel Silvercat!” Davis greeted him with a smile and I did my best to fade into the background, yelling in my head for him to not notice me. It did not work. When his eyes met mine they narrowed.

“And your date is Crimea’s new student?”

“That’s right.”

Lorevinel Silvercat: Hug me. Pretend that you’re physically attracted to me and cannot bear to leave.

I hooked my arm around Lore’s waist and plastered myself to his side. His warmth seeped into me causing me to relax all the muscles I hadn’t known I’d tensed. How long had it been since I’d hugged someone? This felt so damn nice. When I looked at Lore’s gorgeous face his expression was that of someone enduring a hardship. The urge to ask him if he was okay popped into my head but… his body was so fit and… Fuck! This wasn’t the time to lose myself to my inexplicable attraction towards him. I had to remember that he was a love ‘em and leave ‘em kind of bard. I have more respect for myself than getting romantically and emotionally attached.

And yet...

“So that’s how it is.”

Huh? I wiped whatever expression I had off my face and turned to Davis. My cheeks burned.

The woman next to him giggled. “They remind me a little of us.”

Lore smiled at her with a gentleness that didn’t reach his eyes, “How could that be? You’re both obviously bonded, whereas Mia and I are people who met recently. We’re merely acquaintances.”

“At least, for now,” I said and almost slapped my mouth.

“I see, so you’re working on him then? Good luck. I heard this bard is impossible to catch,” Davis said. It seemed like he didn’t hold my previous assassination attempt against me, at least not with his happy wife beside him. “It took me weeks to get approval for him to come join us. The Ravenborn clan are… Well, you know.”

Both Lore and I nodded with a grimace.

The mage smiled knowingly at us. I wasn’t sure what that was about but I had the urge to deny, deny, deny. But I had to play my part. The part of a lovesick, seduced fool. It was surprisingly easy. And here I thought I couldn’t act.

“Anyway. The short poetry contest we’re holding will start shortly after dinner. Please wait at your assigned seats.”

Davis gestured towards a sea of tables off to the side.

Just as I was about to let go of Lore he notified me to keep holding him and remember to keep acting like I couldn’t stop holding on to him. My cheeks burned. As we walked, I found that even if I wanted to let go, my body was a lot more honest than I’d like.

I clutched at his waist so that it would be impossible to loosen my grip and accidentally touch anything lower. Then again, with the restrictions this simulation had, would I even be able to touch without his permission? If I could, does that mean he gave me permission?

My fingers twitched but stayed in place around his solid waist. I was not a pervert!

Somehow we reached a row of tables. They were all thin and rectangular with chairs on only one side facing a stage. This was not the same stage as the musicians. That was on the other side of the massive ballroom. A light screen shone in the background with beautiful images of the couple in love and doing things together in the PPVS.

Lore grabbed my hand with two fingers and peeled me off of him as if I had octopus suckers attached to me. With a gentle force, he had me sit in a seat a waiter pulled out for me. Then he sat next to me… and scooted away from me by a few inches.

Lorevinel Silvercat: Come closer to me.

Wasn’t he the one who scooted away? Whatever. I scooted over so our thighs were almost touching.

He scooted away again.

Lorevinel Silvercat: Again.

Motherfucker! Are you messing with me?

I did it again and this time grabbed his arm so he couldn’t escape. If he did, then he would encroach on the couple on his other side and that just seemed impolite. I did not do it because I wanted that warm feeling again.

He sighed as if I was burdensome.

I’m not burdensome! He was burdensome with his muscles and that face. Damn it. Now I wanted to move away from him.

Just as I was about to let go I received another message from him.

Lorevinel Silvercat: Good job. Now stay like that.

Lorevinel Silvercat: And that expression like you’re frustrated is perfect.

Mia: Are you trying to make it so they think you don’t want to be anywhere near me while I’m the one obsessed with you?

Lorevinel Silvercat: Yes. That’s the only way us being together here makes sense.

I briefly glared at him but hugged his arm tighter as if, by doing so, I could cause him to lose a few HP.

Too bad there was no point in being offended. My current avatar was that of a half-elf and half unknown fire-type creature. There was also a large chance that everyone could tell I wasn’t an elf in real life as well. It made sense for them to believe I found Lore attractive but he did not find me so. Especially, with his looks and Charisma compared with my looks and my barely existent Charisma.