January 29, 2019, 8:11am. Three seconds after meeting big and ugly, face to face.

Thanks to my ability to pause time, I have more than enough time to start building up three different levels of hurt. Then I take a look around. There are a lot of people here. I can't exactly unload. As I'm inspecting the scenario further, I realize most of the other bug people aren't with big and ugly.

Their eyes are locked on the door.

When I allow time to resume, the bug person barks something at me I don't understand. We stand there for a moment. Then he takes a swing. Hasting myself lets me easily dodge out of the way with a blast of wind magic. But he manages to catch me across the face with one of his outstretched hands, shaving off a few health. Throwing up a basic shield, I toss out a crackling arrow of lightning which only causes him to stutter for a second before reaching forward and smashing straight through my shield to knock me down to half health. I'm about to conjure a wall of titanium when the tentacled waitress, Amanana, shows up, waving a pair of tentacles in the bug person's face while spotting more of the sharp hisses and clicks back at them.

Then she turns to me, my arm already coated in a thick layer of titanium. "Terribly sorry about that Alexis. There's been some trouble and Raz has needed to..." she trails off, glancing at the bug people behind her. "Thekill's being overprotective. Not everyone's been as polite as they should be. And… he might have a thing against elvenoids. Raz will compensate you for the trouble."

"It's fine," I say, though I glare at the bugman. Still, I understand she's not responsible, so I follow her towards our table. Where I'm surprised to find everyone else waiting for me. They're not even facsimiles generated by the table. Because for some reason, they're not sitting at the CMCC System table.

And when I get closer, it's apparent they're arguing.

Which thankfully, Roberts explains in a single sentence, though its directed at Beth, "we don't have a choice. You read the System notification. The table's been confiscated."

"I... Oh, hey kid, when did you get here?" Beth asks, glancing over from where she's squeezing the edge of the replacement table.

"Uh. Just arrived. Feels like I missed something. What happened to our table?"

Beth turns away, but I can hear her grinding her teeth as Roberts answers, "The System said the table had been confiscated. By order of someone named Doloth, in accordance with some Creator mandate. You didn't get the notification?"

"Not so much, no."

"That's okay, I didn't get a notification either," Rose says, leaning forward on the table from his spot next to Josh. It's a little hard to take him seriously, he's just so cute. He's even got his fur done up in little braids along either side of his face.

"We've established that your System's not working right, though," Josh observes. "The rest of us got the notification. I wonder why-"

I hold up my hand as I feel a notification pop up.

"By order of Doloth, the CMCC has been confiscated, under Creator mandate KED-717. As this was a reward for a System Citizen quest, compensation has been determined to be ten iron-rank integration points. Or one of the System generated options of similar value, claimable at any System Nexus."

"Wow. Only ten integration points?" I ask, reading the notification again.

"Yeah. But you should read what the 'equivalent options' are," Josh says, unable to keep the grin off his face.

Raising an eyebrow, I pop open the linked list. The very first choice in the list is a plus ten to physical Edge. Not health. Physical. And the choices get stranger from there.

"What the hell is plus one-hundred resistance to System influence even supposed to mean?" I ask as I sit down at the end of the table.

"What? Did anyone understand what Alexis just said?" Beth asks, waving her arm in my direction.

"I said-" but that's as far as I get before Beth holds her hand up. "Don't bother. I won't understand you anyway. This is what I'm talking about. First it takes the table away. Now it won't let us discuss our options. Doesn't that seem strange?"

Roberts steeple his fingers, tapping then against his chin as he meets Beth's glare. "Strange. Yes. But you didn't say strange. You said it was attacking us."

Beth continues glaring at Roberts for another few seconds before slumping down in her chair.

Even as she's doing so, I've already selected the plus one-hundred resistance to System Influence. Cause I'm pretty sure that's what just happened. And I suspect it's not each other that the System is trying to keep us from informing. As I expected, the resistance doesn't show up on my Status.

"Right. So, losing the table sucks," I say drawing everyone's attention. "But Genitha's got those dungeon locations you wanted."

"Finally, some good news. That's what she wants us to meet about?" Beth asks as she accepts a glass of blue juice from Amanana.

"Yep. I was just supposed to swing by to pick you guys up. But it seems like there's been some excitement on this end."

"Not as exciting as going to Aethire. What was it like?" Rose asks, popping the question immediately after being handed his own drink.

"Uhm. Pretty cool. I'll tell you about it later. Everyone's kinda waiting on us."

"The kid's right. Let's get moving people. We can... I guess we can't talk about the table later. Fuck. Whatever."

Beth slams her drink back, leaving the glass to wobble on the table as she pushes out of her seat. The others follow suit, finishing their own drinks, though none in quite as dramatic a fashion.

Before I know it, we're back at the exit. Amanana is there as we leave, ushering us past the guards as she says, "Uhm. If the next time you try to connect, it doesn't go through, wait a few minutes then try again. We're aware of the issue and we're working on it. Okay, bye!"

Before any of us can respond, she's gone, disappearing behind the wall of bug flesh and chitin.

"Well, that's not worrying. First the bar fight, then the table, now Raz's itself," Roberts says, shaking his head as we step out amongst the roots of Nexus Point 392.

"Plus we haven't seen Raz since this all started," Josh points out.

"Are you sure Aethire was more exciting," I ask Rose as everyone takes their positions around me.

"I mean, I didn't even get to see the bar fight. Heard Beth just about killed a few people though," Rose replies with a shrug.

"They were fine. Just a few broken bones. And they started it. Should've left me-" Beth's words are lost to whatever lies between spaces as I complete my preparations and we appear in the clearing at the edge of Theria's valley.

Didn't feel right teleporting them to the center of the valley, so Rufka is waiting close to where we arrived. Three of her. Two of which I'm able to determine are just glamours. When I pull the real Rufka close without a second's hesitation, she pouts for a moment before saying, "Welcome back. Mum's waiting with Theria." To me, she adds in a low voice, "you could've at least played along."

Booping her nose, I can't help but give her a kiss on the cheek as she wiggles her nose before I respond. "Beth'd probably kill us if we mess around too much right now. Sorry."

"Ah," Rufka says, glancing over at where Beth is arguing with Josh in hushed tones. I can't help but notice that they haven't held hands once since I showed up.

Still, that's not my place. They're adults. I'm sure they have a better idea of how to handle their relationship than I do. My last relationship ended with my boyfriend cheating on me, afterall.

Genitha is waiting for us in a small clearing near the firepit. Far enough away that my ruinous moment is out of sight. Or maybe they've just covered it up already. The clearing has three small stone tables set to one side, each with three seats. As we arrive, Theria walks around, handing out cups of tea and lightly spiced meat crisps while Thistle directs us to our seats with her leafy fronds.

It's a little weird, being instructed where to sit when the setting otherwise feels so casual. But since I'm sitting between Rufka and Tipan, I don't feel like I have room to complain. I feel bad for Roberts being placed with Josh and Beth though. Even as we sit down, they continue arguing. Until Roberts switches places with Rose.

That manages to quiet them, right as Theria finishes handing out the tea. Then her and Thistle disappear into the house. Which leaves us at the three tables, each with three people looking inward to a central point. Genitha is flanked by Roberts and Kellica as she turns to Beth, who is likewise sitting in the central, and now that I'm looking, higher seat.

Checking my own chair, I'm able to confirm that the middle chair is the highest chair at all three tables. Did Theria do that on purpose? If so, why would she give me one of the high seats instead of Roberts.

Before I can ponder it more, Genitha clears her throat, then takes a sip of her tea. As soon as she does so, I notice Rufka tense up beside me, clenching my hand so tight that she manages to knock a few points off my health. And that's not as easy as it would've been two weeks ago. Heck, even the bug knocking off half my health probably would've killed me then.

A message from Rufka informs me to take a sip from my tea. Immediately.

Confused, I do as instructed. It's a pleasant blend, and if Rufka hadn't insisted I take only a single sip, I might have had a longer draw. Scratch that. I definitely would've had more.

Instead, I place my cup down after my single sip and turn to Beth. She's staring at Genitha. Then she looks at the cup. Then back up to Genitha.

"Okay. What the hell kind of game are you playing?" Beth asks, picking the cup up and taking the long draw I denied myself. She's also asking a question I'd like answered. When I message Rufka about it, she informs me it's a ritual of Theria's. And not knowing the ritual is part of the point. Technically, she wasn't supposed to advise me about anything.

But she's never seen her mother take the ritual seriously before. And that's set her on edge.

While I'm getting all this from Rufka, Genitha takes another sip of her tea. Then she offers meat crisps to Roberts and Kellica. After accepting the snack, Roberts takes a single sip of his own tea. As does Kellica. Again, I mirror Genitha's actions. Though I take a longer sip of my tea. It's damn good. And I offer both Rufka and Tipan the meat crisps but take two for myself. Rufka and Tipan both play along, copying me.

Meanwhile Beth leans back and crosses her arms, throwing a meat crisp in the air before catching it in her teeth. Then she places them on the table, in ready reach of Josh and Rose, saying, "Dig in."

Unlike Beth, Josh and Rose pick up on the mood Genitha is setting. Instead of following Beth's example, they follow... Mine.

What?

But as I replay their actions in my head, I confirm it. They followed my lead instead of Genitha's. Or Beth's. Longer sips. Two meat crisps each.

While I'm still trying to wrap my head around it, Genitha starts a third round. This time, I don't wait for Roberts and Kellica to mirror her. I copy her with small variations of my own. And before Beth has done anything, everyone else moves to follow me.

Which is when I pause time. Cause seriously.

What in Vaus' name is going on here?

I interrupted so Genitha wouldn't think I was trying to upstage her. Then everyone copied me. Why? Are they seeing something I don't.

When I ask Wyonna, she's as lost as I am. And Rufka can't help during a pause. I still send her a message, and wait anxiously as everyone sets their tea down and looks to Beth.

Beth looks around at everyone. Then she looks at me. The smile that stretches across her face is so wide and genuine it shocks me. Then she turns back to Genitha. "So. I'm guessing the kid passed?"

Genitha inclines her head slightly. Barely enough I'd call it a nod.

"Fuck... This is another of your jokes, isn't it? But one with consequences."

At this, Genitha cracks the smallest of smiles. But otherwise only inclines her head in that narrowest of nods.

"And I screwed myself cause of my impatience, didn't I? The dungeon has some kind of special condition?"

At this, Genitha's facade completely cracks as she smiles widely, shaking her head. "So stubborn. Saw right through the problem, but assumed it was designed to be the test, instead of preparing you for the future."

"Better ways to prep people," Beth says, shaking her head. "But this is your world, so I'll play along. What're the consequences?"

"You won't be able to enter the first dungeon I picked out for you. The others have chosen Alexis as the leader over you."

"Wait, what?" I object, slamming my chair back.

"Vaus' tits," Rufka mutters as she stares at her mum. "You got the location of Elementalist Peak?"

Genitha returns her daughter's gaze, giving her a gentle smile. "I did. And you have the opportunity to go. All seven of you do."

"Wait. Does this mean I might not have gotten to go if Beth had been chosen?" I ask, glancing over at Beth.

"No. If at least two people had followed your lead, you could enter as a team of three. I'll admit, I was tempted to keep Rufka and Kellica at my side to give myself a chance as well. I certainly didn't expect you to swing the Taken."

Kellica mumbles something into her cup, but I'm unable to hear her words. Genitha reaches down and ruffles Kellica's hair before turning back to us.

"I have the list of other dungeons for you. But Elementalist Peak is on a time limit. You need to reach it in the next three days or your chance to enter will have passed for the next decade."

"Wait," Rufka interrupts. "Theria's been having us do this ritual for years. Did she know where Elementalist Peak was this whole time."

When Genitha turns towards the house, her upper eyes are closed as she sighs. Then she turns back to her daughter. "I believe so. There are many things she refuses to talk about. You know that."

"Not like you," Rufka says with a shake of her head.

"Oh. I have a few secrets. I don't tell you everything."

"Mum, you told me your favourite..." Rufka stutters to a stop as she slowly rotates to look at the rest of us before adding, "uhm, spells."

The way Rufka glances in my direction, I get the impression that's not what she was going to say. Genitha's deep bellied laugh further reinforces the thought, but before I can wonder what she meant, Beth says, "So, you have the other dungeon locations for me then?"

"I do. Why don't you and Alexis join me and I'll share them with you."

"Mum, behave," Rufka says, kissing the top of my head before waving me away.

Which leaves me confused as I move to Genitha's table. And a little nervous when Genitha throws a barrier up around us. Nervous enough, I reach for a sip of Rufka's moonshine. Only to find the flask she gave me is empty.

As I sit under a magical barrier with Beth and Genitha, sealed off from everyone else, I can't help but feel a chill run up my spine.

Then Genitha turns to me with a smile, squeezing my shoulder. And a moment later, Beth does the same. "Good job kid. That should keep them from asking questions."

"Uhm. Asking questions about what?" I ask, looking between Genitha and Beth.

"About why I can't go into the next dungeon with you," Beth says before placing a book on the table in front of me. A book I saw on Ivicka's shelf shortly before she blew herself up. I only caught a glimpse of it at the time, but now the cover is laid out in front of me, a single eyed being with the words 'Reaper's Guide to Breaking the System. Notes and Translations by Ivicka of clan Lithania,' across the front.

Damn. Now I want that moonshine even more.