window, but inside, "Aethelgar

dive VRMMORPG. Everyone

you tweak it, plus or minus one hundr

ple cran

d's Most Mismatched Soulmates," was a c

d my Soulbound partner, ApexKing,

s god-like avatar nex

end up with HER?" "She must have some

ance, and Nig

r" they

ification was set to neg

lain, almost uns

deliberat

oto of me in my late t

t the internet decided I w

nightmare. Stalking,

re social anxiety, a

as a freelance character

scape, a place to b

n the game, was my Sou

nventionally handsome,

, a huge development

s maxed out,

im, appearances too. He was

nd to Nightshade,

len, or at least, the Kae

, despite the whispers in

nd anniversary was co

hought

elen had b

ly. Our usual dungeon runs

busy with RexCo

o be unde

, his voice a little distracted, "just hold

d, trying to keep the di

garRush"

llwether i

of pink and glitter, beaut

ed to be

eyD

art blog usernam

had mentioned

h an artist called HoneyDew on an ol

artist was me. Ela

ush was claiming

.. Kaelen w

ing all his in-g

e'd gushed one day, "so talented,

twisted. I

d, "Valhallan Vanguard," was having a

imited-time event together, to

set, Soulbound-only. Pe

with SugarRush to help me

id dismissively when I reminded

ng every rare component, fighti

or our an

a soft, glowing silver robe. The other half, Kae

packed. Guild banners

ntral dais, his avatar r

clinging to his arm, her a

idn't feel like an an

spoken to me si

owd, my plain Nightshade avat

d his hand. Th

oomed. "Tonight is

er we

voice smooth, "I've been searching fo

. They landed on SugarRush, and he smiled. A genuine,

've fo

ed to S

eyDew," he said, h

caught. He

s trade wind

led through

iving he

peared on SugarRush. The oth

e one I bled for. Th

. no. That was impossible. The

given him the materials for, as

red, my voice lost

n, SugarRush preening beside

ed, his voice suddenly cold, devoid of an

vision: [ApexKing has initiated a So

rt sha

tinued, his words like daggers. "I was just... waiti

t. "ApexKing finally upgraded!

iliation was a

e ye

ly at me then, h

the Soulbond di

mbled over