As mentioned before, this is the chapter that got cut in two because it was getting huge. I hope the transition between chapters isn't too weird (though you will only be able to judge one the next part comes up...)

Chapter 37 is ready, and as long as I stay ahead of schedule I can update regularly.

Reviews always, always appreciated.

Chapter Thirty-five - Farse

Yu An had come back for one or another small item that might have very well fallen on the classroom floor. And it wouldn't be too bad to catch up to Lan as she finished whatever business had held her back and go home together.

"I know you just invited me to go out as a friend, but I haven't talked to my boyfriend about it yet, and I feel like we shouldn't continue meeting just the two of us."

"Who said I just want to go out as friends?"

Yu An stopped dead when he heard that. The classroom door wasn't properly closed, though you couldn't really see inside through such a small opening. Sound, on the other hand, seemed to carry very well.

"This boyfriend of yours, do you love him?"

BA-DUMP.

Love was a strong word. That was the very reason why Yu An had avoided using it so far.

"I like him a lot."

Though he was glad to hear that, his heart sank. Because that was not the question.

Then professor Min asked again, and there was a pause. Yu An's heart began pounding so fast his chest actually hurt.

Deep breaths, Yu An. Deep breaths. He told himself.

But you are actually a low-life, listening to your girlfriend' conversations through the door.

The boy stopped, speechless against his own accusation.

I couldn't help it!

But you didn't need to stick around, you know.

"You see... I love you."

C'mon, you have to admit that's something we... I... ought to know about.

But Xiao Lan can tell us about that. Don't you trust her?

The question was so pointed that Yu An couldn't make up any more excuses. Feeling shaken, he left before he could listen to another word. It was no use wondering what happened during those pauses. If anything happened, Lan would tell him.

Right?

When Gui came to himself, Feng Lan was crying.

"Feng Lan? Oh my... I... I overstepped my boundaries... I... I'm so sorry. I will understand even if you hate me..."

That's not it, you stupid. She thought, but couldn't find her voice. I'm not crying because I hate you.

Gui kept stumbling over his words, as hyper as he was in game. Rather cute how he kept apologizing, but it made her want to hit him.

I am crying because I hate myself.

She left running, not exactly looking where she was going, and all the time labeling herself:

Cheater.

Second Life

"What do you mean 'Crow took his costume and left ahead of everyone'?"

"I mean to say that Crow took his costume and left ahead of everyone!" The shopkeeper answered angrily as Dashing Mysterious Hero shook him by his collar.

Crow? Crow? Answer us!

Their teammates shouted uselessly in the party channel and his private PM box. They had agreed to meet at Traverse Town's disguise specialist, but for some reason Crow had logged way earlier than their usual time and left town on his own.

"So, what kind of disguise did you give him?" Doomsday Device asked finally, and Jet added:

"And what kind of disguise are you going to give us?"

Rising Sun Camp

A player showed up in the camp early in Second Life's morning. He looked tired, his low level equipment worn out and his expression grim.

"Halt! Who are you, and what brings you to the Rising Sun Camp?"

Still breathing heavily, the player emptied his backpack - it didn't contain much, but from the very bottom he produced an unmistakable item: a mountain eagle feather.

The camp sentinels nodded.

"Did you kill it yourself?"

The stranger locked his gray eyes on the guard that asked the question, unblinking as he answered in a hard tone.

"Yes."

"Very well, little brother. Spades, get him a headband."

The guard smiled and addressed the new player as one of their own, as the other one disappeared in the tent that served as guard station. When the guard called Spades returned, he brought a thin leather strip, to which the feather was attached.

"What is your name, little brother?"

Kind of ceremonially the guard tied the leather strip around the player's head, holding back the long black hair and revealing his round human ears. The dark hair and olive skin fit so nicely with the theme of the camp that the guard felt like offering the newcomer his Apache Pants. The new guy seemed like he needed some items, and he had outleveled them long ago.

The player looked into the distance. In the horizon, a black bird flew alone against the gray clouds that threatened to darken the skies now blue and clear.

"Cloud Chaser." He finally said.

"Well, you are most welcome to the Rising Sun Camp, Cloud Chaser. Happy hunt."

Traverse Town

"ARE YOU CRAZY?! How could you give him a skin clearing lotion?! They are about to update Second Life so that players will need to eat and shower and other necessities of life! They are going to allow for bad weather! By tomorrow morning it could be raining! Even if it doesn't, I bet Crow doesn't know about the update!" It took both Pen and One Man Band to restrain Jet from hitting the vendor while Dash paid him.

"It's not my fault! He absolutely refused the white wig and red contacts - I planned to make him look like a proper dark elf, you know - and he didn't think the elemental disguise was stylish enough."

The members of the Black Brotherhood (except for Jet) allowed themselves to smile. It was obvious why he'd opposed white hair and red eyes, but if Crow still had time to worry about style he couldn't be in too much trouble.

The rejected elemental disguise stood on display: a wooden armor so tight that its user would, unless under careful inspection, look like an elemental spirit of the Tree Clan. Not a popular race by far, and definitely not something their leader would wear on his own free will.

They examined their own disguises.

The vendor had explained that rather than disguising one's face, one could have a superb disguise by just changing your general aura. That didn't apply to people that already had their faces printed in wanted posters, like Crow, but the rest of his team hadn't been seen very clearly by witnesses. Changing their classes and the "vibe" they gave off would probably suffice.

"Have you ever played mage?" He had asked Jet. " The 'Stone Heart of the Black Brotherhood' is know to be mysterious and aggressive – plus everyone think it's a guy. So no one is going to look for you under these."

On blue glittery robes, with a low level ice-element wand and a white wig, Jet looked so not herself that her own team wouldn't suspect her of being in the Black Brotherhood.

"I insist on the low level. Right now it's the last thing people would be expecting of you. It's a little risky in the sense that, if you are caught, you won't have your best equipment with you."

The Black Brotherhood had dismissed the risk.

Band was shrouded in an assassin's robes. Jewelry and so many daggers he was afraid to sit completed his figurine. Dash was given a lute and common clothes in greens and browns, plus a feathered hat. Pen got an item that faked a pair of wings, a cleric's staff and a brown wig with the hair tied in buns. She now reminded people of Doll from Odd Squad.

"Anti-Doll, since she is a necromancer and I'm a clergywoman."

"That can be your fake name."

"Do I get a wig too?" Dee asked. The vendor looked at her appraisingly.

"Your hair is too long. But I don't think you need one. Pink hair is not that uncommon. It's just the pink and blue pair that gets people to be on guard. Perhaps if we just…"

She ended up as the archer, dressed in red leather, with a different hairdo and fake pointy ears. It actually took a while. At first she'd thought the shopkeeper was undecided, then she changed her mind and just decided he like to make her put on costumes.

Cleric, archer, mage, bard and assassin, they were ready to go.

"Kill the blasted eagle!" Jet shouted.

"Swindle the chief!" Pen.

"Pound some sense into our lost comrade's head!" Dash.

"YEAH!" All of them.