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The first day of Winter Break...

Draconia rose early - mainly because she'd forgotten to turn off her alarm clock, which was still set to school time. It was a warm realization - Winter break! No more school for the rest of the month! In a couple weeks' time, she'd be back in Avalon, celebrating Cryptmas with Wyvernia and the rest of her family.

Well, except for her uncle Wocky. He'd vanished mysteriously several months ago, with the only word being that vast changes were coming to his homeland - Wonderland. She'd heard nothing from him since. If Draconia had one Cryptmas wish, it was to see her uncle again.

There was precious little time for Draconia to think about her Cryptmas wishes, though...there were many things to do today! Even just after Draconia dressed and stepped downstairs into the main foyer of the Looking Glass, she saw giant piles of boxes, and the LG's two workers sorting through them. Dusky, the moth ghoul and Moanique, the zombie, had most of the boxes open already.

Moanique looked up and groaned at Draconia eagerly.

"Uggggghhhhhh." She smiled. Draconia smiled back.

"Yes, it looks like everything we ordered arrived all at once! Say, did you see a box of poetry in the pile?"

"Ugrrrhgghh." Moanique pointed at one opened box and Draconia trotted over and checked. Perfect! The book Shad Gloom had ordered was fright on top of the pile. Draconia picked it up.

"I'll take care of calling the ghostomer about this book." She informed Moanique and Dusky as she picked up her iCoffin.

The first monster she texted was Shad.



And the next ghoul she texted was Melody.



There! That was in order. Now, Draconia turned her thoughts towards her own date...the one with Harry Herne tonight. She knew so little about the odd Fae boo. That's what this 'date' was about more than anything...getting to know him better. Maybe if she understood him, she'd be able to get him a good secret santa claws gift for the howliday ball.

The Howliday Ball! Another thing to worry about. Draconia had no date for the ball. Maybe she could ask Glen to tap into another one of his now-infamous '13 dates' he'd set up for her....no. If nomonster was going to ask her to the ball without being prodded into it, Draconia decided, she would go with her ghoulfriends. Or with Glen and Chase. Or, even if need be, by herself.

The door to the broom closet swung open and a sleepy looking Shad casually walked out onto the sales floor of the Looking Glass, his shadow blanket/'sack' slung over one shoulder. Looks like the young sack boo had not had the chance to relax on the first night of winter break, and instead was hard at work doing -- whatever it was that sackmenboos did during the twilight hours.

In his claws was his iCoffin as he distractedly hexted Draconia back...



And he instead walks straight into a bookcase, ricocheting off and crashing to the floor!

Draconia's iCoffin went off again a few seconds later...

"Oh ghoul!" She announced in exasperation, "I'm sorry Demona! We'll have to finish another time!" She yelled running from the store the two were browsing for their Howliday ball dresses.

"How am I going to get there in time?! It's on the other side of the maul!" She panted trying to run as fast as she could to the store.



As she put her phone in her pocket, she tried to avoid as much people as she could, "Excuse me! Sorry! Excuse me!"

Shad stood up amidst the pile of books that had landed on him when he landed on the floor and dusted himself off. He slung his shadow blanket around his neck and reached down and started to clean up the mess that he just had a claw in making -- again. Merfolk and water. Black holes and darkness. Shad and messes -- specially here in the Looking Glass!

"Only if it doesn't bug you too much my frightageous golden one. Maybe it'll help me, like, "

He hefted an arm load of books and set them on the empty space of a nearby counter and proceeded to yawn mightily, covering his gaping mouth with his forearm.

"Whoa! My most sincerest of regrets! Been up through the twilight, doing the shadow spook thing to earn some spare howliday bread from the man. Don't want to be a cheap creep, y'dig?"

"You've been working?" Draconia asked, her eyes lit up as she poured a steaming cup of tea -- hextra caffeinated given the way the poor sackboo looked.. "But ... you've been up since school let out, right? You haven't slept yet?"

"Fraid not." Shad set the last of the books on the counter and plopped his cheek against the palm of his hand. "Can't be a freebee this time of year so gotta do the deed to earn a spare dime to attend this galaxy ball."

He offered a smile of thanks as he gingerly took the steaming cup in his claws. Hot tea and Shad? Who knew what might come of it?

"Can't be seen as a murgatroid."

"Heaven forbid!" Draconia teased, having some semblance of understanding of the beatnik language.

Shad sipped at the tea careful not to spill or burn himself and smiled at Draconia...

Draconia smiled at Shad...

Shad smiled...

Draconia smiled....

"Soooo......"

Draconia politely raised her eyebrows inquiringly.

"The book? How much scratch do I owe ya?"

"And the THIRD Doctor Boo! He was simply uhh-mazing!" Draconia had done her beast to keep Shad distracted. Fortunately, discussion came easily when Shad somehow managed to let slip that he'd never seen a single episode of Doctor Boo - Draconia's premiere favourite television show of all time. What came next was a massive hexplanation of the show, it's actors, the storylines, the trivia...anything Draconia could think of. "Of course, most purist fangs say that Tomb Baker, the fourth Doctor Boo was the greatest, but I believe that every hacktor who's taken on the role has their own strengths and weaknesses..."

Draconia glanced at her phone again. Where was Melody?!!!

"The show's cyptmas special is on this freakend and you can bet I'll be watching! Peter Corpsepaldi's Doctor Boo isn't for everymonster, but I simply uhh-dore how he stares down the evil villains with his ghastly glare."

Melody ran into the store gasping and panting for air, "I'm....here...." she huffed. She put her hands to her knees and hunched over to catch her breath, "Oh ghoul..."

She pushed her slouched glasses back to the top of her nose and stood up slowly, "Draconia..." she gasped, "do you have any water I may-"

As Melody looked at Draconia, she caught a glimpse of Shad holding his head, sitting on the floor, their eyes met.

She turned her head away instantly to hide her face and her sudden changing eye color, "U-um, do you have any water I may drink?"

"Oh dear, however did I end up here?" Essi didn't remember opening a portal...must have been swept away in the sea of bargain hunters. Must not have felt it...at least no one got trapped in her body. What store was this? A bookstore?
"This isn't 'Forever 2100'!!!" Essi yelped then checked those convenient digital maps. With grimternet access and everything. She sighed. Memory was useless since she didn't know how to get back to...wherever she was. Asking directions it is! She waltzed in.

Melody held her hand to her chest, Draconia was right, he was more nervous than she was! Which in a way, was a relief. Even if she made a fool of herself he wouldn't mind too much because he was so focused on not making himself look silly.

"Thank you Draconia, I appreciate it," she smiled as she took the plate of cookies from her friend and set it on a side table between the two.

As Draconia walked away with a wink, it was just the two of them.


She twiddled her thumbs, "So, erm, is your head alright? It seems you had a nasty fall," she kept her head down to hide her eyes changing a multitude of colors, it always happened when she was nervous.