Something Lost - A DSMP Story (OLD)

Festival

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Trigger Warnings - Blood

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Luckily, now was not one of those times.

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Far all the past week, Rune and Sam had been preparing for the dance. Apparently, it was a much bigger deal than she first realized. The entire town became a whirlwind of excitement and anticipation. Rune quickly became swept away by the lively atmosphere L'Manburg had taken on.

The first thing they did was shop around for an outfit for Rune. She hadn't a need for one yet, so Sam took her to a cozy shop filled with various ensembles. A sweet shopkeeper assisted them throughout her visit, eventually finding Rune the perfect dress. It was made of light purple chiffon fabric with a fitted bodice and a long, flowy skirt. The shopkeeper also suggested some new shoes to go with the outfit, for Rune's typical rugged boots would not match the dress. Rune ended up picking a pair of silver, strappy, sandal-like flats.

They left the clothes at the shop for some final adjustments, and just under a week later, they picked them up. Now, the shopkeeper circled her and made some final adjustments.

"Hold still!"

"Sorry Niki!"

When Niki was finally satisfied, she let Rune turn around and look at herself. The dress fit her perfectly, making Rune feel empowered in a way she never had before.

"Wow."

It was all Rune could force out of her mouth. There were no other words.

"Just wait until you see this!"

Niki guided Rune's hand to a slit in the side, near her thigh. It was completely hidden by the folds of the fabric.

"It's just large enough for a hidden knife."

"Why would I need-"

"You never know with festivals here. I want you to be able to protect yourself if something goes wrong."

"Oh."

Niki helped Rune out of the gown and packed it up for her. As Rune left with the gorgeous dress, she heard a whisper behind her. It wasn't meant for her to hear but she heard it nonetheless.

"Why did I say 'if'? It's only a matter of when."

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It was the day of the dance. Sam told Rune he had something really important to do, so he sent Rune to the party without him. She followed the instructions he gave her until she made it to the center of L'Mangburg. And yet, there was no party in sight. She wandered around for a couple minutes before she ran into someone she didn't know. Or rather, ran through.

An icy feeling passed through Rune. When it passed, Rune stumbled. The icy feeling came with the smell of cigarettes and gunpowder.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

A strange, floaty voice wafted into Rune's head. Rune turned to the voice to see a floating figure. He was semi-transparent, with grayish skin and wavy brown hair. He wore a yellow sweater that was slightly too big for him, black pants, and a red beanie. His eyes were completely glazed over with a milky white frost. Even with this, he seemed to have a very warm and welcoming aura.

"Are you looking for the party?"

"Yeah. Do you know where it is?"

"I do."