The Creatures That We Are

Millennium Tower, December thirtieth, 2019.

The “company’s” annual gathering was scheduled on New Year’s Eve.

In the afternoon, all awakeners and former awakeners gathered on the underground sixth floor. They spent hours catching up until heading to the exhibition floor for a dinner banquet at five. Nainai, Citrus, Ting Ting, and Quiet Book each donned a different dance outfit to perform an opening routine. Nainai had successfully combined chuuni, cute, sweet, and youthful elements, and the resulting performance was surprisingly pleasant.

At the end of the dance, Nainai lifted off the floor and looked down on everyone, giving them a New Year's address from the Empress. It wasn’t much, mostly a jumble of big words and purple prose.

Since it was the holiday, Qing Ling allowed her to finish her spiel.

Then Tang Xiaocong and Sunhu took the stage to perform a magic trick. Sun Hu had recently acquired Magic Tricks, serial number 136, Knowledge-type. Tang Xiaocong was more of a prop than a partner. Sun Hu disappeared and reappeared her elsewhere, always donning a different outfit, while Tang Xiaocong remained visibly confused; she didn’t know what was going on at all.

Following that was a solo performance from Liao Liao. She had acquired Beast King recently. She summoned a group of kittens and puppies to dance and greet everyone.

Lovely Lamb had comprehended Singer—serial number 152, Psyche-type—not long ago, she sang everyone a song.

Those performances were great, but all involved Talents.

The former awakeners hadn’t acquired any new Talents after giving theirs to their companions. They prepared their performances with great effort, too.

Muzitu recited a poem he had penned himself in memory of those they had lost. Bumblebee performed yoyo tricks. Donxote was a ventriloquist.