VRMMO: World's First Glyphborne

Valerie gave Percy a queer look as he covered his mouth and turned away, his shoulders shaking as he ever so slightly choked on his food until his face turned a different colour, before finally managing to get it down with marginal crumb spraying.

She knew she looked awful, but was it really that bad? Maybe it was.

She shifted uncomfortably in the elegant dress, which clung to her figure perfectly and highlighted her ’curves’. At least that’s what Lucy had said when she forced her into it, but in Valerie’s mind it just highlighted how skinny she was.

Especially compared to the some of the girls with the heaving, mountains of silicone on their chest that was desperately trying to leap out of their tiny, tiny dresses.

It was still creepy how that boutique woman had managed to get her measurements just from touching her, and fixed this dress up at Lucy’s request.

Valerie cast a withering glare towards Lucy as she stepped into the party with a smug, satisfied smile plastered across her face. Her arm was interlocked with Jason’s as he was dressed in a standard crisp black suit with a red pocket square for a ’splash of colour’. Whatever that meant.

A light shove from Lucy sent Valerie stumbling forwards, and earned the girl another glare, before she straightened up and strode over to Percy. Her discomfort and nerves growing with each clack of her cane, and each inch she drew closer to him.

She had never felt this way before, this horrified and nervous. Every part of her wanted to just rip off the dress and run for the hills like a naked mad-woman. Although she was not actually going to carry out that plan, for various reasons, her panicked eyes were still scanning the room for possible emergency exits in case she stumbled over a word or dropped something on her dress.

She could survive a jump out of the window, right?

Before she realised it, Valerie was bumping into Percy as he turned around, a napkin pressed to his face to wipe away the crumbs from his coughing fit.

The two broke into awkward smiles, with hints of blush and laughter, as they slightly seperated. Although before Valerie rubbed the arm where she had bumped, not that it could have possibly injured him.

"Hey Princess. I love your outfit, very snazzy. You should doll yourself up like this more often." Valerie said with a laugh, as Percy immediately understood and assumed his role.

"Well, if it isn’t my Valiant Knight. I was hoping to see you in your dashing, shining armour or atop your steed. But this is a look that suits you very well. Perfect for saving helpless damsels like me." He said, as he fanned his face with his hand as if he was ready to swoon, before the both of them broke out into proper laughs.

They’re conversation earned a few strange looks from the posh snobs nearby, who were certainly not amused by their role reversal, before they went back to their own waffling conversations about stocks and bonds all with their noses pointed high to the sky.

"I never thought I would be in a place like this, surrounded by these types of people. I really stick out, don’t I?" Valerie asked, glancing around.

"Only because of how good you look." Percy muttered lowly, causing Valerie to freeze and blush deeply, before Percy coughed and caught himself.

"I mean... Who cares if they stare? All their money and blue blood have nothing on you. You could take them all out with your little finger. I saw your little show in the street. Not even my guild mates could beat you."

"I have no idea what you are talking about. That woman on the news looked nothing like me." Valerie brushed him off with a totally innocent look on her face.

"Ah, my mistake. " He said with a laugh, before leaning down and whispering in her ear.

"Although, I’ve seen that cute little nose scrunch you do when you cast spells plenty of times, that I could recognise it anywhere. Even on a different face."

Valerie’s ears burned red from the hot breath curling over them, before she lightly slapped him away and cleared her throat in embarrassment.

"I do not scrunch my face when I cast."

"Sure you do, like a little bunny." He scrunched up his own face, even showing her buckteeth and nibbling like a rabbit, before breaking out into laughter when Valerie slapped his arm.

"Why don’t you tell me about your little training camp instead of spreading such lies." Valerie insisted, changing the subject.

Percy nodded, placing his hand on her back and started to slowly walk around with her, keeping them both away from prying ears.

Although it did make it tremendously difficult to concentrate.

"Well, I was going to drop a big bombshell on you... But I have a feeling that you know about it already considering you are walking. Which is... just amazing. I never thought I’d get to see you like this again.

You seem really happy about it. I mean... Not that you were miserable or anything before, it’s just that.. Well, you have more freedom and a glow about you that’s just... I mean uh..." Percy started to ramble, losing himself in the constant over-corrections and floundering, before Valerie brought him back with a gentle hand placed on his arm.

"You got your source and changed, didn’t you?" She whispered softly.

Percy nodded, looking deep into her eyes before his flashed with a hint of gold.

Valerie had sensed it the moment she had set eyes on him. It was hard to miss, at least for her. Percy had always felt warm and comforting, but now he was surrounded by an air that was refreshing and relaxing, which made it even more impressive that her nerves managed to shatter through it.

For many, the effect was subtle, and if they didn’t know the source of it, then they wouldn’t think much about it. But it would make Percy seem even more affable to them than usual.

His skin glowed ever so slightly, without a hint of imperfection. His bone structure somehow became even more perfect, his hair looking like it was made of actual gold, whilst his smile actually sparkled in the right light.

More than that, when Valerie hit him she felt like she was hitting a wall. Not as bad as trying to fight Lucy, but still robust.

Above all, he just felt... Safe. Like nothing could harm her when he was around, and if anything tried he would give his all to protect her.

Although... Valerie had trouble admitting if that was actually a feature of Percy’s transformation or because of his... natural charms.

"Has anyone else experienced the change?" Valerie asked with a slightly red face.

"Not that I am aware of, although I know a few are close. Even the members who already had a source and started to play Dawd haven’t changed yet. That one confused me a little, but I don’t know as much about it as you do."

"Oh trust me, I know less than you think."

"Yeah well, you’re still the brains between the two of us," Percy laughed. "Maybe even a touch of the brawn too.

In fact... I should probably tell you something else. Preferably so that we don’t have any... fatal accidents. I’m not the only Golden Prince member here. Nearly all of our core members are here, including our latest member..."

The smile on Valerie’s face slowly faded, before an irritated scowl eventually took its place. Her eyes immediately went to the crowd, scanning through the faces rapidly until they finally landed on the one she had been searching for, and simultaneously wished she would never see again.

Perhaps sensing her animosity, the moment Valerie laid eyes on this individual was the same moment that they turned to face her.

The temperature in the room seemed to plummet instantly as the two women glared at each other. Sparks of pure hatred clashed between them, like a psychic dual that only flared up when the woman noticed the hand resting on Valerie’s back.

Her pretty, dolled up face scrunched up with blind, animalistic rage before quickly fixing itself into something with a touch more decorum.

The woman flicked her bombshell blonde hair over her shoulder, which was styled in large springing curls that bounced happily as she strutted over to them.

"Well, don’t you two look cute. You are that little cripple girl from the coffee shop, right? I didn’t realise you two were so close." She said through gritted teeth, which were twisted into a well trained passive aggressive smile whilst her voice dripped with a venomous condescension

"Although really My little Princey. You shouldn’t lead little charity cases on like this. I mean look at her, like a love sick little puppy. If you keep walking around like this, people will think you are more than you really are.

After-all, He already has a girlfriend." Kaleigh, also known as the famous LusciousLox, said with another empty smile and eyes that screamed of murder.