This chapter has been MONTHS in the making, and I finally was able to feel comfortable where it's at.

I admit, (that like usual,) I owe a mega huge thanks to Anonymess. Her advice about, "do you feel happy with it?" whenever I tell her about a new scene or ideas for a chapter and the like, always get me through the writer's block. So thank her very much or you wouldn't be seeing me till summer or something.

This story is coming to an end soon. i keep saying that, I know. How soon? I am not sure but I am confident that it will be worth the wait.

Stay with me, the journey still continues!

[-]

Whenever he full dived into Second Life, Feng Lan's character, Prince couldn't help but notice he was quite perceptive to things like his surroundings and sense of smell. It usually were the first things to kick in when he entered the game and if people would know that...

{Feng Yang Ming; I would like to just mention and put out there that it's typical, normal and very much expected, for my tranny sis to think with her nose.}

Yeah. He would be ridiculed and called gluttonous more often than ever. At that thought, the elf couldn't help but sigh and curse inwardly.

Of course, not every full dive is the same and this particular one had been his first one in a while. About a month or so if he was doing the calculations correctly.

Since he had not used his virtual body for so long, it was hard to get himself to move, let alone try to open his eyes. The elf had no idea what to expect and if he was being completely honest, you can say he was perhaps a bit afraid of what he would see with his very own crimson red eyes.

It was weird to think someone would be afraid of sight, which was one of the elf's most treasured (and sometimes scary,) senses besides smell, and that was just in his opinion.

To him, nothing would ever compare to smelling amazing food that looked good. Also when one touched the plate with the utensil they would eat it with, and don't forget about the taste once the food was in the mouth in a bite into pure heaven's bliss.

Damn. He was getting hungry.

And he couldn't even move!

At that the elf's stomach growled to life and he slowly brought up one of his hands from where it was inside the bed sheets. When he could, he rubbed at his closed eyelids, as if he had a itch he needed to scratch at.

He was simply testing to see if his mobility had returned or if he had to wait it out.

The faster he rose from bed and went to the kitchen, the sooner he would eat.

Sleepy hazed red irises opened and were greeted to the sight of curtains in the same color as his before mentioned eyes.

{-}

After waking up and regaining his senses from the dive, the elf quietly scanned the room. He was looking for changes and a sign that would tell him just what had happened while he had been away. At the same time he did this, he chose not to think about the sad case that he had nothing to do with the interior design (or any of the decor,) that went into the grand bedroom he called his own.

It seemed that nothing had changed from the last time he was here and if he had recalled correctly, it was exactly a month or so since he had left. His room was kept intact, nothing seemed out of place to him and looked as if it was kept clean and dust free.

The vase full of forget-me-not, gladiolus, hibiscus, red and purple tulips, and some calla flowers didn't go unnoticed by him. At the sight of them, his lips had automatically uttered, in a hoarse voice, the same phrase he was used to by now.

"That stupid bard!"

You leave your place unattended for one month and all of a sudden guquin playing, purple haired bards take over. Talk about having a major pest problem.

His gaze then fell to the crimson tiara, the cloak and the armor had been carefully laid out in a chair. Without his usual clothing ensamble on, it was no wonder his body had felt so light. Glancing downwards, he noticed he was wearing a set of royal red silk pajamas.

A month out of the game had him confused as to why he was wearing pajamas in the first place. Had he logged out of the game as he got ready for bed? He tried to recall but nothing came to mind.

He attempted to snuggle back into the warmth provided by his equally as red sheets and blankets, when he started to consider that perhaps there was indeed a limit to how many items of a single color a person could tolerate. Without going insane at least.

That's when he realized that even if he struggled against everything chosen for him, (and even if he did, which happened a lot when he just went and did whatever he wanted,) nothing would come out of it.

During those moments the only thing he could easily expect was screaming and a glare from the she-devil, Lolidragon, whom he knew he had no way of beating at a staring contest. Or strength wise. Or a battle of wits. He would be made to cave regardless so why even try?

With that in mind, and since he knew that sooner than later he would be assaulted and his peace would be disturbed, he shook the blankets off. It was better to choose standing up from the bed by himself than being dragged out of it, (or worse,) by one of his teammates.

He knew better than anyone else that something they all had in common was their craziness and no lack of reserve when it came to executing their spur-of-the-moment ideas.

At that a chuckle escaped his lips and he chose instead to focus on the persona he had acquired over time.

If he had to play the charade of the ever royal, reserved, quiet and scary Blood Elf so quickly after entering the game again, he needed to at least be mentally prepared for it.

He stood up, stretched his body and yawned. His hands went to his silky, spiky silver colored hair and he walked to his private bathroom.

Let's just get this over with...

The door to the room opened and just as quickly, a blur of long purple hair ran towards him and the holder of such hair flailed his way through the distance, the elf's neck now being choked. He was now being squeezed into a tight hug that was as unwelcome as a cold winter day after witnessing a warm spring filled one.

"His most royal highness!"

The elf's ears flattened and another sigh escaped his lips. Out of the entire Odd Squad and their allegiances, there was only one person out of them all that called him as such.

"Get off me!" Prince uttered in choked breaths. He wondered if being held until lack of oxygen was present in the body made a character be sent to the rebirth point. If it meant getting rid of the bard, being demoted a level was looking more appealing to him by the second.

"Welcome back, highness." The bard uttered again, letting go of his devoted adoration and settling instead, for kneeling at his feet in recognition of having his lord back.

The elf simply stared, wondering what he was going to do about this and simply settled for his usual rough handling of the bard. One punch to his head and the bard was knocked out from his kneeling position and was now rolling in the floor.

"Take that you idiotic bard!" Prince said proudly.

The bard, Guileastos, was seen with stars in his eyes.

If one who didn't know these two saw this sight, they would think the bard had acquired a concussion but instead, those were stars of adoration.

The elf warrior facepalmed. Of course the bard was enjoying this. It was the way they communicated.

"Princeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" The door was once again opened and in came Lolidragon pouncing on the elf just like Gui had done, stepping on the bard on the way over. "Oh. Didn't see you there, Gui."

Of course, being the mischievous thief she was, she had been lying. She just wanted to make Gui suffer a little for all the problem he caused while Prince was gone and not knowing when to shut up.

"It's fine." The bard said as he stood up and cleaned the dust out his robe. "I'm just glad to see his highness is back."

"Mhm." Lolidragon nodded, waving her hand and then glanced back to the elf. "Prince, you are in so much trouble."

"Tell me something I don't know." Was his reply.

"And what is this?" She said pointing to his attire and then to the chair where his usual clothes were.

"These are pajamas." Prince said, "you know, those things one wears to sleep?" He stated cheekily.

Lolidragon hit him in his arm. "That's not what I meant." She said. "As much as that pajama looks nice and you make it stand out, you should have been ready to go by now." She added.

"Tell that to the idiotic bard." He said huffing. "I was going to the shower when he invaded my privacy."

Lolidragon sighed. "Alright, alright. Just get ready, I'll come pick you up in a half hour."

Prince sighed in defeat as he raised his hands trying to plead once again for his fate. Lolidragon had simply pushed him towards his private bathroom.

"I'm sure you don't want one of us following you as your bodyguard to keep an eye on you and make sure you behave." She said wanting to roll her eyes. "They would even have to follow you to the showers."

Gui's eyes perked up at that. He flailed his arms excitedly at the thought of being the elf's bodyguard.

"His highness, Lolidragon," he said with even more starry eyes, "can I...?"

The bard didn't get to finish the sentence because Prince had lounged towards him and roundhouse kicked him to the wall.

"I'll take that as a no." Was the last phrase he uttered as he felt himself lose consciousness and being dragged from the room by the thief.

"Half an hour!" She repeated as she closed the door.

{-}

In just two minutes, Lolidragon had taken herself into Odd Squad's usual meeting spot, dragging with her Gui who had by now gone back to normal. Or as normal as one with a head-over-heels crush can be.

Gui had automatically sat down at his seat and gushed about how the elf he came to fall in love at first sight with, looked; "dashing and beautiful as ever," he had said.

The entire Odd a Squad groaned and Ugly Wolf had attempted to get his best friend to focus at the more important things. The bard hadn't listened and was far too gone in his imagination and own world to listen to reason.

Lolidragon clapped her hands. "We have twelve minutes, everyone."

"Waiii thelf finut?" Feng Wu Qing had asked, biting into a big piece of what appeared to be a burnt sandwich.

Lolidragon sighed. Of course the warrior had gone raiding the kitchen when she wasn't looking.

"Chew!" She chastised him.

The warrior didn't pay her any attention and kept eating. "Waii dent chuu ensring me?" He asked again.

"I don't have time for this." She groaned. "Did you leave a mess?"

"Weeeeh?" He glanced up confusedly.

"The kitchen!" She replied. "You're eating a burnt sandwich. I can only surmise it was your doing."

"Suruel!"

"How are you even eating that horrible thing?" She wondered, and she then glanced to the rest of the Odd Squad. "Why didn't any of you stop him?"

"We were all busy." Yu Lian said.

"I was seeing to some things." Ugly Wolf reminded her.

"Doll has been taking care of Meatbun." Doll stated.

Meatbun simple stared, not really understanding what was asked of him.

Lolidragon stood up from her chair. "I'm leaving. You're all too much right now."

Feng Wu Qing watched her walk out of the room and simply yelled after her, "fome shack!"

Everyone glanced his way disgusted, and the last thing seen was Yu Lian smacking him with her finance book. "You're spitting and placing chewed food all over our mahogany desk. This is coming out your paycheck.

"Eye sont set shoins."

"Well, I say you do." She stated. "And now, you don't."

{-}

Somewhere out there I hear a voice, my awesomeness is being called... Alright, I hear you I'm on my way...

SO LET'S GO! FASTER! FASTER!

Both to the east and to the west, my steps will echo as I run. If my presence is your wish... I'll come right to you.

THAT'S RIGHT!

Sometimes all you can do is fight...

THAT'S JUST WHAT YOU HAVE TO DOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

The awesome me! Mostly free! The one who will be laughing in the end...

Ha ha!

Of course it's me and my awesome self!

Because I'm awesome, awesome!

Thank you!

Very best, above the rest!

Why not just go and already bow down to me?

I'll show you all my masterpiece.

Plenty of... Victories... That I have earned!

Kekekekeke!

The music stopped and Prince just stared bewildered.

"Hey, why did you stop!? I think I did a alright job." He yelled through the microphone. It allowed communication between the area separating the recording booth and the one the rest of Odd Squad were all in except for Prince. He was in the booth by himself, recording the new songs the band would use for the festival.

"For lazy royalty you did a good job on your first take." Lolidragon said as if that explained things. "So we're stopping there for now."

"I'm pretty sure that was only a minute long." Prince argued back.

"It's for the promotion." Lolidragon replied. "You won't record the full songs until maybe three weeks from now. A month, if we play our cards right."

"Can I just get this over with?" Prince said pouting. "I'm tired."

"You just got here." Lolidragon retorted. "Deal with it."

"Doll was going to say it was a bit scary just how easily Prince-jeje gets into his Blood Elf persona." The necromancer of the group stated as she held and pet the Meatbun she was entrusted to. "But I remember that's not how he usually is."

Everyone watched as Prince placed his headphones down and sat down in the chair puffing his cheeks. "Fine."

It's as if he was resigned to his fate.

"And to think he didn't want to do this ten minutes ago." Yu Lian couldn't help but say.

"Okay, fess up." Feng Wu Qing inquired. "Which of you bribed the tranny?"

Lolidragon shrugged. "I have no clue what you're talking about." She said and Feng Wu Qing simply threw her a knowing glance.

"Lolidragooooooon!" Prince whined.

The thief pursed her lips. "Gui will be here any time, Prince. You need to record the promo for the duet." She reminded him.

Prince quickly stood up and hid behind the chair. "I'm not working with him! You can't make me!"

"We can still see you, Prince." Ugly Wolf's laughter rang through the booth as the door opened up and he walked inside, along with his best friend... Who ran towards the mirror dividing the booth and the waiting area.

"His royal highness! I have arrived!" The bard stated happily, waving his guquin in the air for emphasis.

{-}

"It was a compromise." Lolidragon retorted as they walked towards the kitchen for a break.

"Ahuh! You were the one who bribed him!" Feng Wu Qing signaled a accusing finger to her.

"I only did what I had to." The thief said defending herself.

"Your compromises," Yu Lian said with a sigh, "are going to lose us money and make us behind schedule."

"Nothing I can do to fix this now." Lolidragon uttered.

"You can start by saying what you used to bribe the tranny with." Feng Wu Qing quipped back.

"And, you can also order Prince to change into his photo shoot clothes." Yu Lian nodded.

"Food!" Meatbun spoke for the first time that day.

"Doll is feeding you at the moment you carnivorous pet." Feng Wu Qing said. "Don't tell me you want more?"

"Thief bribe mama!" Meatbun said once he had eaten the pair of meat buns he had stuffed into his mouth.

"I think Meatbun is just repeating the things he's hearing." Ugly Wolf stated.

Meatbun tried again. "Thief promise unlimited food."

"When was this?" Doll asked curiously. "You've been with me all... Oh." Recognition flashed in her eyes.

"Can someone finally clue me in?" Feng Wu Qing stated.

"Doll was walking to the kitchen earlier in the morning to grab food for Meatbun," she started. "Doll thought Meatbun was asleep but Doll saw Lolidragon-jeje and Prince-gege talking."

"Unlimited food!" Meatbun chanted over and over. "Mama eat a lot."

Feng Wu Qing stared at the pet then at Lolidragon. "So that's what's going on." He nodded in understanding.

Lolidragon gulped. "What can I say? I made a miracle happen."

Nobody was paying attention to the sound booth by this point, and Prince decided to take the opportunity to try to sneak away.

The elf would have most likely gotten away with it too.

If he hadn't forgotten the one teensy detail in which purple eyes followed his every move that is.

"The miracle is that his royal highness looks elegant even as he's tiptoeing to the nearest door." The bard swooned.

The elf cursed.

"This isn't a miracle," he said as he was being held down by both Yu Lian and Gui. "This is a nightmare."

"Don't you forget that to make this nightmare happen," Lolidragon said, "I had to sacrifice the kitchen's supply for the day." Then she poked Feng Wu Qing in annoyance. "One that you had already depleted today!"

Feng Wu Qing gasped. "You didn't!"

Lolidragon sighed. "I had to bargain somehow."

"This is what it has come to?"

Prince sighed. "I hate my life."

Meatbun hopped off Doll's hands and leaped into the silver hair of his master.

"Mama!"

"Okay, so there's one thing I like the best."

"His highness!" Gui gasped. "What about me?"

The elf's hands may have been held down and make it impossible to move on his own, but he still had his legs. He kicked the bard to prove his point. "I hate you the most."

The bard shrugged and simply squeezed the elf's left arm more as he leaned in as much as he could.

The elf kicked him again and Yu Lian shook her head and dragged both of them outside the recording booth's waiting area and into the corridor.

Prince once again resigned himself to his fate.

[-]

Lyric credit goes to the fandub version of Prussia's song "Mein Gott" from Hetalia. Shush. I have a bit of a obsession with that series.

Now, for those of you who don't understand Feng Wu Qing's... Chewing words... Here's a translation of his phrases.

["Why twelve minutes?"]

["Why aren't you answering me?"]

["So cruel!"]

["Come back!"]

["I don't get coins"]

...

Me: SHEE CHUU VET SHIME!

Lol, this is too much fun. Peace!