Chapter 163: Special 2: Season of Giving? (Pt.1)

Before the meeting, Frost and Jury had some time to spare on their shopping date. With a plethora of coins to spare and hearts in dire need of mending, Frost wanted to give something from their world above to their new friends.

Think Christmas shopping! Just in a different world.

“Christmas? Is that a celebration?” Jury wondered aloud as they shopped around the built-in mall of the Golden Guild.

Hundreds of people swarmed in all directions. The scent of delicious food, the endless chatters and the sound of bells gave off a strangely festive mood. The only thing missing were the Christmas decorations.

“I can’t remember what it was about at the top of my head aside from it being a time for giving.” Frost said as they passed into a large store containing assortments of toys.

Plush toys ranging from the handheld all the way gigantic, three-meter beast lined racks upon racks. Miniature sculptures of exotic stone and wood, beautiful jewelry boxes, rubber balls, marbles, and themed building blocks were but a few of the vast assortment of items the store displayed.

It was magical, and the whimsical lights of the fairies only added to the store’s wonderland-esque feel. Children gleefully strolled the isles with siblings or parents, and people shopped in pairs or alone for their loved ones. Frost thought back to Stella and Aster, as well as the Ex-slaves.

She wondered if they had people in their lives they missed. Stella never knew her parents, and she was aware that the cat-girl had a long-lost family she dearly loved.

“What do you think they’ll like?” Jury asked.

“I kind of want to get them something that’ll remind them of family. Something to symbolize it. That they’re not alone anymore.” Frost fondly spoke as they combed through the isles in search of gifts. “Call me tacky, but that’s how I really feel. I think getting people something, even if it’s small, can make all the difference.”

“Did you do that for people in your world too?”

“For loved ones. I’m sure of it.” Frost could not confirm or deny it. With her memory being so patchy she could only assume that she did. “I wonder if the Alter Frosts will like anything.”

“A hug from me~?” Jury hummed.

“That can be your gift. I want them to know that I appreciate them. Even if they’re just a reflection of myself. Kind of easy to tell we’re the same but… I like to think that they also have a will of their own.” Frost said, picking up a beautiful jewelry box, containing a small mirror. “The Big Frost won’t listen to my words unless I pay her. I guess that’s proof?”

Their mellow exchange lasted until they received every item for their friends. Frost wrapped them up in a special, colorful wrap and tied them off with a ribbon. She somehow remembered the wrapping process being far harder.

This was likely thanks to her immense AGI, which also dictated a person’s coordination and fine motor skills. Although, something akin to ‘Dexterity’ would have better defined coordination skills. AGI encapsulated it all.

Frost initially planned to hand out her gifts the following day, but due to an unforeseen incident involving Cer and the robbing of slot machines, it was postponed to later today.

Thus, she was given time to seek out her friends and hand them their gifts.

Frost called out to her friends with a wide wave in the lobby of Carpal Tower. The tower was still left reserved for their small, private group and was planned to reopen a week later, granting the ex-slaves a short break.

Despite how few of them there were, it was livelier than any celebration Frost had the pleasure of attending. Once again, all that was missing were Christmas decorations to perfectly set up the occasion.

Following Frost were a small number of will o’ the wisp-like fairies. They each telekinetically hauled one of her wrapped gifts. She had asked for their help to distribute the gifts prior. They were, in a way, kind of like magical delivery drones now that she thought about it.

They swooped through the lobby and gently placed the gifts into the paws and hands of her friends.

“Plush toys? What the – Do I look like a kid to you~?” The cat-woman joked, waving around a skewer stick. “That’s the 63^rd added to my collection! Thank you~!”

Apparently, this dealer cat-woman was a plush-toy connoisseur. Frost could only imagine what her home looked like. Still, she was happy that they she had the freedom to collect them in the first place… compared to her life only just a month ago.

“Picture frames…” The maid cat-girl uttered, unravelling a beautiful collage photo frame to display her family pictures. A certain *snap* captured yet another one of her happiest moments, and the polaroid came gliding down like a snowflake.

This picture, however, was not of her family. It was instead of the collective hug her new ‘family’ gave her at the bathhouse in Little Tais. That moment alone was what saved her from Serum S; and Frost still lamented that she allowed such a thing to happen in the first place.

But her mind didn’t fall onto the pitfall that was the ‘what ifs’. She couldn’t change the past. She could only learn from it, and she was at least pleased that things did turn out for the best despite the event.

Frost ended up unconsciously patting her head. Just like Ignis, her ears were soft beyond belief. She had petted cats before, but none were quite like this, and just like Snap’s body, her hands felt like they could infinitely sink into the sea of fluff.

“Thank you. Is it ok if I use this picture?” She showed it to Frost in all its glory.

She nearly burst out laughing, seeing her half-naked form shoved off to the side of the bath. Snap had conveniently censored their vulnerable parts using the steam.

“That reminds me… Snap. What were you doing inside of the woman’s bath?” Frost asked with a cunning grin, causing the giant spider to instantly shake its head.

“Brrr! B-Brr. Bzzz… Br….” It tried to defend itself, trailing off as Frost’s grin only continued to grow. She bet that underneath all that fuzz Snap was as red as a tomato.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I know you’re not like that. I just found it funny you were in there in the first place.” Frost warmly embraced Snap’s giant head. “You haven’t changed at all. And I mean that in a good way.”

“Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.” Snap purred, rubbing its head thoroughly against her as a form of revenge.

“Ahaha. It tickles!”

She didn’t know what to get Snap, so she defaulted to a plush toy. This one, however, was a giant, yellow spider plush and it sat right on top of its head. Kind of like how a mother scorpion carries its babies on its back.

It was adorable.

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The other ladies then swarmed Frost with gratitude. The fox-woman sincerely bowed, whilst the bee-lady shook Frost’s hands with all 6 of hers. The bunny girl flashed her with a suggestive pose, showcasing her assets which were emphasized by the dangerous bunny outfit she wore.

The wolfwoman brazenly showcased her abs, having heard of a rumor that Frost admired muscular physique. While true thanks to Jury, it wasn’t the reason why she loved her in the first place. Jury, realizing that this woman was trying to steal Frost away, clasped onto her hand and brushed it against her own belly.

A xylophone. A brick wall but with some squish to it. The difference between them was so staggering that the wolfwoman’s ears drooped in defeat as she retreated with her tail tucked between her legs.

But of course, Frost was kind enough to approach her and grant her a head pat.

“Sorry. I’m already taken. But don’t let that stop you from giving up. There’s plenty more people out there.”

“But there’s only one of you. Unless!?” She said, referencing the alter Frosts, which prompted Jury to instantly glare at her.

All Frosts belonged to Jury. No questions asked.

She surrendered instantly, her tail shooting up like a frightened cat. But not without smiling back at Frost and flexing her biceps.

“Maybe I’ll have a better chance when I become a Golden Middle Captain!” She exclaimed. “And – Thank yoooooooooooou! You can’t stop me from sleeping with this plush!”

“That’s a reverse Cer if I’ve ever seen one.” Frost mumbled.

“You need to watch out for the Wolf ones. Ber and Res are ok. Cer on the other hand…” Jury trailed off with a sigh.

“Ah. That’s right. Your eyes work on her too, huh.” Frost chuckled.

Then, the curious, glaring Ignis strolled over curiously. She didn’t receive a gift like the others from the fairies. This was because Frost personally wanted to hand it over to her.

“Hey Ignis. Can you close your eyes for a second? Hold your hands out like this.” Frost politely asked her, and once Ignis followed her instructions, a small paper-wrapped gift appeared in her palms. “Open it up~ It’s for you.”

She unwrapped the gift and was pleasantly surprised to find a golden pendant. Her father used to keep a similar one with her picture, and she almost believed this to be the original. But she knew that the pendant was long gone due to the flames that engulfed her home.

There was no photo within, but that didn’t detract from the meaning of this gift. She clutched it close to her chest and thanked Frost from the bottom of her heart.

“I’ll cherish it. Just like papa did.” Ignis whispered, responding with a rare, adorable smile. She hugged Frost’s waist and snuggly buried her face into her chest, appreciating her thoughtfulness.

The next recipients were naturally the triplets, who were hiding out several floors higher thanks to Cer’s shenanigans. Finding these three a gift was like trying to find water in a desert. A plush was out of the question since they didn’t exactly have a place to call home, other than the Nexus of course.

It couldn’t be something practical either since tools were useless to a Moon. Unless it was an Atelier Item.

Therefore, an accessory was the only thing that came to mind. Jeweled hairclips. They were all diamonds, each in a unique color.

Blue for Cer.

Black for Ber.

And Red for Res.

“Hairclips… I can’t remember the last time I used one.” Res said. “It’s pretty.”

“Woah! Look at how it shines! I thought it was opaque but it’s super transparent!” Ber adored it.

“Diamond. What’s with this budget Diamond Counter? I’m kidding. Thanks Frost. Heh… A gift from you of all people. I’m finally moving up in the world.” Cer cheekily grinned at Jury. “What about you? Have anything for us too?”

“… food. I thought something more filling would be better.” Jury said, pulling out a bunch of skewers from her Dimensional Storage.

In fact, 90% of her storage was populated with food they had bought from the mall. If Frost wasn’t there to stop her, then she would’ve wiped them all clean. The amount of coins Frost possessed, which hardly took any space in her Dimensional Storage, was equivalent to a mobile bank.

“Why is that so you, Jury?” Ber questioned Jury.

“Because it’s me?” Jury didn’t know what she meant by that, causing Frost to stifle a laugh.

“No… Tch. Never mind.” Ber sighed, wearing the hairclip with a small grin. “… does it look ok? It’s not out of place?”

“It’s perfect! You just need to grow out your hair again.” Cer assured.

“Yeah. It looks great. It’s ok Ber. Anything you wear looks good on you.” Res held her sister’s hand.

“Because if you look good in something, then so do we!” Cer then laughed, scrubbing Ber’s short hair. “Maybe we should all get matching hairstyles. That way no one can tell who’s who!”

“You just want someone to take the blame for your mischief.” Jury chuckled.

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