[center][abbr=Ace Cadet][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/190924/544c85ab5c75bc61a4bb5ce40dc0caa6.png[/img][/abbr]
[color=salmon]Word Count: 958 (+2 exp)(+13 from collabs)[/color]
[color=salmon][u]Level[/u]: [b]9[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 466/90
[sub][i]Thursday Evening[/i][/sub]
[b]Location:[/b] Christmas Village, the Frozen Highlands[/color][/center]
Ace had a newfound appreciation for toy makers, that was for sure. It had been fun though, making things so ugly they wrapped back around to being sort of cute and watching the automated soldiers stomp over the table tops. Still, after fitting the replacement wheels onto the stagecoach he was more eager to see what else the village had in store rather than get back to it. As the official festivities started up not long afterward, he was not disappointed. 

Lights, warmth, song, food, and drink surrounded everyone in the area. The village had been a pretty merry place to begin with, but once the party started it was downright jubilant. The Cadet didn't know any of the carols that were being sung, but he was happy to contribute to the tune by clapping his hands together or on his lap. If he'd had an appropriately sized horn he could have even joined in with the music, but with so much other things going on it wasn't much of a loss. 

More than the games available though, Ace mostly concerned himself with the [i]food[/i]. He'd held himself back since the morning of their departure from the Avenger, the dwindling stores or meager stock of traveling rations meaning that if he ate his usual fill it would guarantee that someone else would go hungry. Here, though? There had to be more food than could even feed the entire village! And it was a celebration, so it'd be fine to indulge, right? Right?! Everything looked and smelled so mouthwateringly good that the monster hunter wouldn't have been able to restrain himself even if he'd wanted to. He piled up plate after plate after plate, everything from desserts to sides to savory pieces of meats. The humongous steak was of particular interest to him, and after tasting the coarse, gamey flavor he had to grill Geralt about what kind of monster he'd managed to carve it from. Then, of course, gush about the Witcher's successful hunt after identifying it was a Gammoth his group had tackled. Ace spent most of the evening at the buffet tables, getting the play by play from the older hunter and indulging in everything on offer a few times over. 

[i]I hope they'll let us take any leftovers with us![/i] he thought to himself as he finished off yet another plate. When he finally started to slow down he'd taken a free seat at one of the picnic tables set up beside a campfire, watching children and fleas sprint throughout the fairground and people exchange shiny gift boxes with each other. 

He recalled that Maeve suggested everyone to check under the massive tree in the center of town for any gifts, but Ace didn't expect there to be anything for him there. However, as other Seekers returned from checking for themselves with boxes in hand and equally surprised expressions on their faces curiosity eventually got the best of him. No one had mentioned seeing a gift marked for him, but as the hunter crouched to glance over the presents there it was clear why. Clearly displayed on a sticker atop one of the wrapped boxes no one had claimed, in handwriting he didn't recognize, was his name. Not the moniker that the Seekers knew him by, but his given name, [i]Aiden.[/i]

Ace blinked at it, then quickly glanced over both shoulders. He had no idea who this could be from, since he was pretty sure he hadn't uttered his name even once since... ever, in this world. So if not one of the other Seekers, and not an appreciative village local... yeah, he was drawing a blank. If he wasn't a little flushed from the drinks he would have been a little more apprehensive about such a gift when the mystery giver was somehow privy to such private information, but the festive atmosphere was effective in dispelling a lot of those kinds of negative feelings. 

Torn between opening it right there and tucking it away for later, the decision was made for him when there came a sudden, deafening shout from the direction of the dissipating storm outside of town. Shoving the box into his bag, Ace scrambled out from under the tree and made his way towards the source of the commotion. He arrived as the icy golems finished marching, standing with his fellow Seekers as a felyne appeared from the snow. It appeared to take some issue with the party, and when it transformed the hunter tensed in preparation for a fight.

[color=salmon]"...did he say 'love me'?"[/color] the Cadet questioned.

Okay, so it was just lonely, felyne royalty? Of course with the Ice King's size, and those fangs, claws, and horns definitely not being just for show, there was a real chance that he could kill someone before the Seekers put him down. But since he was intelligent and requested some love...

Edward and the Professor (whom Ace had been introduced to in passing at some point during the party) had already taken it upon themselves to start with diplomacy. The group could probably leave it to them and wait on standby in case things went south, but Ace was pretty familiar with what felynes liked and he could appeal to a self proclaimed king, sure. He approached the saber tooth cat as well, raising both of his hands somewhat like a gesture of surrender. Then he wiggled his fingers, clear that it was an offer for scritches. 

[color=salmon]"Do mew want some pets to go along with the offerings fur you, purr highness?"[/color] he asked at the same time Sectonia's antlers walked over, ready to scratch under the king's chin. That was always a good spot, and he could probably reach from here.