Ho, Ho, Ho… Fox has decided to equip his Red Sac ID and bring you this present early-ome. (Several Outskirts villages were required in order to expedite the process -ome.)

P.S. Fox has been listening to "Hero" (and oddly JoJo ops) way too much and is having a surge of ingenious ideas.

Orientation

Bell didn't know for how long he had held onto his God before he finally let them go. 'My God, huh…' it still felt so surreal to the boy. Here he was, not even having arrived in Orario yet, and already an adventurer. Whatever it was he had been expecting his life to become upon setting from his village, this definitely wasn't it. Not that he was complaining, though his new Familia certainly seemed like a handful. It had been then, after his rush of adrenaline upon learning of his blessing had worn off, that his initial confusion returned in full force.

The boy had so many questions and, by the looks of things, so did Dante. And so Bell had found himself seated in a chair while the Divinity had retaken their original seat across from him, the strange brick-like object positioned on the desk between the two, creating a sort of demarcation line. This was the position the duo had stood in for a bit now, neither side seemingly having the courage to ask first, one because they didn't want to offend their God and the other so utterly lost that they couldn't gather their thoughts into a coherent sentence.

It was clear that neither sides was willing to speak first, however it was also clear that they would there for who-knows-how-long if things continued like this. So Dante, their thoughts still a jumble, came up with a foolproof plan. With a slight tilt of their head, the Manager gave Bell the universal signal for go ahead. Sure, the professional thing would have been to start first but sue them. Still, it seemed they had made a slight miscalculation in their foolproof plan.

"What happened to the Bloodfiend? Wait, you were injured!? Are you alright?! And where even are we? Is-"The poor Executive Manager had expected them but the rapid fire queries were simply too overwhelming for the clockhead. Slowly, Dante raised their hand to stop the boy. The effect was immediate, with Bell's mouth closing shut mid-sentence, one of his hands flying to seal it shut for good measure.

"Tick Tick Tick Tock." / 'I'd greatly appreciate it if you would please slow down a bit.'

Red spread on the boys cheeks as he vigorously nodded his head in response. Dante was pretty sure they also heard a muffled 'I'm sorry' escape from behind their new Sinner's hand. The Manager couldn't help themselves but compare the boy to a startled rabbit, what with his white hair and red eyes. After making sure that another tirade of question wouldn't explode from the boy's mouth, Dante nodded for him to ask again.

"Ah, so, what happened back in the forest? Last I thing I saw was you with a hole in your belly… That and the thing sticking out of my chest…But I that couldn't have been right, I mean both of us are alright and well here." It was the obvious thing to ask first. And thanks to the fact it was so obvious, Dante was prepared for this exact question.

"Tick Tick Tick Tick." / 'Well, Casseti certainly pulled a fast one on us before making his getaway. And yes, you saw right. Both of us received rather nasty wounds.' Dante saw the boy's eyes widen upon learning that the Bloodfiend had escaped and that, yes, he hadn't hallucinated the clearly fatal injuries. Foreseeing that unless they moved to make things clear fast, the Manager would be subject to yet another torrent of inquiries, they hurriedly continued with the explanation.

"Tick Tock Tick Tock Tock…" / 'In my case, the possibility of such a thing occurring had been taken into account and so countermeasures were provided some time ago…' As they were talking, one of the clockhead's hands, previously busy playing with one of the many pens on the desk in order to relieve stress, disappeared into their coat. After rummaging around in there for a few moments, it reappeared, two small vials held in it. Handing them over to Bell, Dante waited for the boy to examine them. A stylized 'K' could be seen on both of them. The two were clearly of the same make and ended in needles but whereas one contained a strange green liquid, the other was empty. Bell didn't have to be a genius to understand that said vials were the countermeasures. 'Perhaps some sort of healing potions?' Sensing the boy's confusion, Dante continued.

Tick Tick. Tock Tock Tick. Tick." / 'These are K. Corp healing ampules. I won't get into specifics but provided the user is still alive it can heal pretty much anything. Even regen limbs.'

And suddenly, Bell felt very uncomfortable holding what was clearly some sort of high level item. 'And probably very rare and expensive' his brain happily provided. The fact that Dante Familia had two, or one now he supposed, made the boy feel very out of place, having joined what was clearly no ordinary Familia it seemed. With a shaky hand, while at the same time being careful not to accidently drop the vials, Bell handed them back to the God.

"Amazing! To think that you have such awesome items on hand."

"Tick Toc- Tick Tick." / 'Yeah, we got really lucky that we managed to loo- I mean that we managed to legally acquire a crateful of them during our time at K. Nest.'

"Eh?" That single sentence forced Bell to reevaluate everything he had thought about these 'ampoules' up till now. And blatantly decided to ignore the Divinity's slight slip-up. Ignorance was bliss sometimes. Still, there was something that was bugging him.

"You said 'In my case'. Then what about me? How did you heal my wounds?" As the question left Bell's lips, the entire atmosphere in the room shifted. Silence reigned for a while and the boy started to feel awkward. 'Did I say something wrong? I must have… I should probably apology-'

"Tick… Tick Tock. Tock Tick Tick." / 'Well… There is no gentle way to say this. Simply put we didn't.' Dante shifted uncomfortably as the words came out. It took a few moments for Bell to process what the God was hinting at but when he did… A chill ran up his spine. 'No, it can't be!' Dante's words echoed in his mind – 'I turned the clock… I turned the clock and you came back.' Their true meaning had now become clear. No! He refused to believe it. There had to be some other explanation.

"W-what d-do you m-mean you d-didn't?" Bell hated how quietly he asked it and how a stutter now accompanied his words and yet desperately clung to the question, hoping that its answer would chase away the dark insinuations. Alas.

"Tick Tick Tock. Tick Tick Tick." / 'Your heart was pierced and reduced to mush. You were dead before we could do anything.' Dante's words shattered that vague hope in a million pieces. It and the entire worldview of the boy. All his life he had been thought that Mortals had but one chance at life, if they perished that was it – their souls would be welcomed by the Gods in the heavens and that was that. The dream of resurrection was supposed to be nothing but a childish fantasy and yet the fact that Bell was standing here was clear proof of its existence. 'Wait, if God Dante has this power, then maybe I can see Grandfather again?!'

"God Dante, I beg yo-"

"Tick Tock Tick. Tick Tick Tock. Tick Tick…" / 'I can't bring back everyone. Unfortunately my abilities are limited to those I have a 'Contract' with. I'm sorry…'

"O-oh. I-I see…" Bell let out through gritted teeth. Suddenly, the boy's gaze seemed to find the ground much more interesting than Dante, as his drooped down gloomily. Why was the world so cruel, to tangle the false hope of seeing his grandfather again, only to then immediately take it away. He felt his hands tighten into fists and… A gentle hand coming to rest on his shoulder drew him out of his thoughts. Looking up, Bell found Dante standing next to him. The Manager's next words would stay with the boy for a long time. He heard them clearly, the ticking of the clock drifting away and disappearing.

'I may not be able to bring back whoever it is you want but know this – as long as I live and breathe, I shall always be there for you, for every single one of you Sinners, to guide you towards your dreams and bring you back in line should you lose yourselves along the way. That is my purpose as your Manager after all. No matter what happens, you will always have a place and a home on the Mephistopheles. Never forget this.'

That was when Bell came to a realization. Yes, the world was cruel at times, it had taken his Grandfather and with him his previous home, but in its place it had also given him a new family by the looks of things. The boy found himself smiling once again. Launching himself out of his seat, Bell proceeded to give his God yet another bone-crushing hug.

"Tick Tick…" / 'This is going to be a reoccurring thing, isn't it...'

After that the Sinner-Manager duo had moved on to other, more pleasant, topics. Such as the fact that they had found the Mephistopheles (it hadn't been very hard to locate the bus, given the fact that its alarm had been blearing) and were currently residing within Dante's room/office. That conversation had soon spiraled into an out of his depth Dante desperately trying and failing to answer various questions regarding the Mephistopheles. 'Where is Faust when I need her?' The whole ordeal would have been a lot easier with the bus' creator being present, however…

For the past two days (the duration of Bell's little nap had come as quite a shock to him) Dante had not spoken with either Faust or Yi Sang. In fact none of the Sinners had. The brainy duo had been deep into some sort of conversation or argument since before they had even reached the bus. It was honestly kind of hard to tell given the rapid fire technobabble that was being exchanged between them. The incomprehensible language had kept most of the Sinners away and the few that had tried to reach out to the two, were either completely ignored or, at best, had received a half-hearted response. Sensing the pointlessness of any further attempts, the nerds, as Rodya had called them, had been left alone for the time being.

Back to the present, after Bell's nth question in regards to how the Corridor and the Backdoor worked, Dante decided it was time to ask their own questions. Stopping the boy with the now tried and true raising of their hand, the Manager opened with the question most on their mind. Turning on their PDA, Dante rotated it towards the new Sinner, allowing him to see his parameter- Status. The word suddenly appeared in the clockhead's mind, just like several others had during the past few days. The Manager was starting to get used to the odd sensation.

"Tick Tick Tick Tock." / 'Mind explaining what this means to me?' They said while pointing at the device's screen. In response… "Huh… That's my Status isn't it? Is there something wrong with it?" All Dante received was a confused look from the boy.

"Tick. Tock Tick Tock…" / 'No. I don't think there's anything wrong with yours… ' A relieved sigh escaped from Bell. "Tick Tock Tock." / 'I just have no idea what it means.'

"But how is that possible? I thought that every single God knew about Statuses. They are the way to track how an Adventurer's Falna progresses… Or at least that's what I've heard from the stories, God Dante."

"Tick Tick… Tock Tick?" / 'So it has a similar use to my PDA's ID parameter tracking… It's been bothering me for a while but why do you refer to me as God?'

"You have done so much for me, even accepted me into your Familia, I can't possibly refer to you in any other way. It would be improper."

"Tick Tock. Tick Tick Tock." / 'I don't think you understood me. Perhaps I should've asked why you think I am a God.'

"Are you making fun of me, God Dante? Nobody would mistake you for a mortal with your Divine Aura."

The moment he heard the words 'Divine Aura', the Manager suddenly had an epiphany. For the past couple of days, ever since the WARP train incident, they had apparently been emitting some sort of golden aura, which according to the Sinners (who had pointed out the phenomenon to their Manager only when it, for some reason, had gotten particularly bright) was very similar in both presence and color to the light of the Golden Boughs. It could explain Bell's confusion. They just had to test their theory.

"Tick Tock Tick." / 'Okay, so what color is my aura then?'

"If I answer would you stop with the jokes?" The only response that Bell got was several impatient nods from the clockhead. "Ok. It's a bright golden-yellow."

"!" Confirmation. So it was the Golden Boughs that were mimicking the presence of these supposed 'Gods'… Which, now that they thought about it, opened a whole 'nother can of worms. A can of worms that Dante decided not to dwell on right now. The Manager left it as problem for future them. Preferably, a future them that could consult their resident geniuses. 'Yi Sang and Faust better finish their little discussion soon…'

"Um, is something wrong? You suddenly went all quiet?" The question drew Dante away from their thoughts.

"! Tick Tock. Tick Tick Tick Tick. Tock Tick Tock." / 'Ah, apologies, I was merely lost in thought. It is getting late so let us move on to other topics. Like for example, your new duties as a Sinner.' Apparently the mention of duties had flipped a switch within Bell. In an instant, the boy's face adopted a serious look and the Sinner seemed to sit straighter in his chair.

"Ah, yes, God Dante I am ready to work."

"Tick Tick."/ 'Determined I see.' A light chuckle-like sound escaped from the Manager's clock. It was almost painful to tell him but… "Tick Tick Tock… Tick Tick…" / 'Every night a Sinner must act as a 'nightwatch'… And seeing as how you have been napping for the past two days…' The widening of Bell's eyes told Dante that their 'new hire' was seeing where things were going. "Tick Tick Tock. Tick Tock Tick." / 'Your shifts begins tonight at midnight. Provided you are new, I've arranged for someone to accompany you and show you around.'

"Huh?" But that was as far as Bell got before Dante's PDA started ringing. Looking at the device, the new Sinner could see that the Manager had set an alarm for exactly midnight. An alarm that had just gone off. At the same time, a series of polite, yet firm, knocks echoed from the door to the room.

"Tick Tick. Tock Tick Tock. Tick Tick…" / 'Precise as always. I'd suggest you hurry, your fellow nightwatch doesn't take kindly to dilly dallying. Now, normally I'd join you during your shift but…' The Manager pointed in the general direction of several of files, each marked with a big red 'Important'.

It took a couple of moments for the boy to gather his thoughts but the moment he did -"Understood. I will work hard." He launched himself out of the chair and was halfway through the door when Dante spoke once again.

"Tick Tick. Tick Tick-" / 'Determination is nice and all but do keep your abilities in mind. If you find something too hard, it's alright to-'

"NO!" The intensity of the sudden refusal caught the clockhead off-guard… And it seems he wasn't the only one as Bell wore a look of surprise himself. Before the Manager could ask what had provoked the boy, the Sinner's focused eyes locked with the hands of the clock.

"I'm sorry but there's no need for your concern. I know I am the currently the Familia's weakest link but… Everyone starts at level 1, if you make things too easy for me, I'd never catch up to my new comrades." With that, Sinner No. 14 left the Manager's office, closing the door behind him and leaving Dante to sit alone in the silence of the room.

After waiting for a bit, listening as two pairs of feet made their way down the long corridor on the other side of the door until they were heard no more, Dante took their PDA in their hands. 'Everyone starts at level 1 huh?' They couldn't help but be amused. Looking down at the device's screen, the Status of Yi Sang stared back.

Yi Sang/ Sinner No.1

Level 3/ (ERROR)

Strength- (ERROR)

Defense- (ERROR)

Utility- (ERROR)

Agility- (ERROR)

Magic- (ERROR)

M?g1! (E.G.O.): (CORROSION RISK: LOW)

ZAYIN: [Crow's Eye View/ [Bygone Days]

TETH: [4th Match Flame] / [Wishing Cairn]

HE: [Dimension Shredder]

WAW: [Sunshower]

Skills:

Blessing of the Mirror: Level and Stats subject to change based on the currently equipped ID's parameters.

While this status would have certainly been concerning on its own, the fact that Dante was looking at the same exact thing for every single Sinner's status was even worse. Whatever had taken place to bring about these sudden changes, Dante had the bad feeling that they were only just scratching the surface.

'I just hope we can weather out this storm... No, we will. As we always do.'

Usually, I'd have something here but this time I don't have anything.

Have a Marry Christmas.