Obtaining the Illusive Invite

What was that? What is this Chocolate Ball? Tell me; have you been hiding under a rock or something? Held on the 15th day of Gathering, the Annual Chocolate Ball is a prestigious event hosted by the mysterious Kiko owner of the Chocolate Factory. Every year at the ball new delicious chocolates are released, and the guests are among the very first to taste them. And each Chocolate Ball is said to be grander than the last. I can’t wait to see what he comes up with this time!

What? Where is it? Don’t be ridiculous; you can’t just show up to the Chocolate Ball! You have to receive an invite, and only the very elite stand a chance of getting invited. Even yours truly, budding reporter that I am, had to bribe the meep--I mean was just lucky enough to be invited.

Oh, don’t look so discouraged. It’s not that great, really, with the chocolate swimming pool and the carved candy replicas and the sweet new delicacies... Tell you what. How about I give you some advice? You know, to improve your chances of getting an invite? Now I won’t make any promises of course, but I do know that the owner of the Chocolate Factory likes to invite chocolate fanatics. I’m not talking about people who like chocolate; I’m talking about people who LOVE chocolate. How do you prove your love of chocolate?! *sigh* Okay, okay, I’ll give you some tips. By the time I’m through, all of Neopia will know of your love of chocolate!

Of course the most obvious display of chocolate devotion is chocolate pets. At least one of your pets should be this tasty colour. With 29 species to choose from, you could have a whole account filled with chocolate pets. How do you get these rare pets? If you are extremely lucky, you could paint one of your pets as a reward for completing a Fountain Faerie Quest. However, most chocolate pets come from the Secret Laboratory. You may even be able to zap them a matching petpet! The downside to this is the fact that you can’t control what zap you get. Your pet may change species several times before you get any colour change at all! If you want a specific type of chocolate pet, the best thing to do would be to head over to the Pound Board. There you will be able to either trade for a chocolate or adopt one from a kind foster parent.

Edible pets can have it rough, trying to make new friends without being eaten. Chocolate pets are no exception. To help your pet through the hard times, why not give them some chocolate toys to take their mind of their troubles. The joyful squeak of a Chocolate Usul Squeaky Toy will bring a smile to even the saddest neopet’s day. Is your pet an avid writer? Why not give them a Chocolate Chia Marker so they can jot down their ideas, or perhaps a Chocolate Xweetok Hand Puppet so that they can act out their stories?

You can also sweeten up your neohome with chocolate furniture. Yes, as in furniture made from real chocolate. There are chocolate sofas, chocolate tables, chocolate beds and chocolate rugs. There are even several different types of chocolate fountains. Of course, if you live in the Lost Desert or on Mystery Island, I’d suggest steering clear of chocolate furniture. It is sure to melt into a gooey mess. The best place for a chocolate furnished home is Terror Mountain. The sub-zero temperature allows residents to plant their chocolate bushes in their gardens with no fear of it becoming a chocolate pond overnight. Of course, it may end up with a few bites out of it, but I guess that adds to the aesthetic.

Want to display your chocolate obsession on the neoboards? Why not use the ‘Chocolate!’ avatar when posting your thoughts? If you want to go for something a bit more creative, there are several avatars that can proclaim your sweet tooth. How about the ‘Kiko - Snack Time’ avatar? It even features a Kiko! Do you also savour the taste of tomatoes? Then use the ‘Chokato’ avatar, named after that amazing mixed vegetable. To show your love of candy and parties, the ‘Piñatas and Candy!’ avatar is the way to go! Other food related avatars include ‘Mmm, Custard!!’, ‘Speckled’, ‘Ice Cream Machine’ and ‘Soup Faerie’. If you’re feeling rather hungry, why not let all your friends know with the ‘Feed Me!’, ‘Drackonack – Hungry’ or ‘Jetsam Chomp!’ avatar? As you can see, there are lots of options, far more than I can mention here.

Now, how do most people show their attachment to something? That’s right! They create a gallery! Now, the most obvious gallery category would my chocolate of course. However, you can extend this to include cakes and candy, or maybe other food items starting with C. How about putting some of the aforementioned chocolate furniture into your gallery? Or cooking books? Maybe chocolate grooming items? What about chocolate battle cookies? The possibilities are endless.

Are you interested in keeping an album? While there are only a few chocolate collectables, they can still assist in promoting tasty treats. While the Chocolate Factory Coin is made of gold, each one has been dipped in high quality chocolate! Trading cards more your thing? There are some dedicated to chocolate cybunnies, chocolate korbats and the delicious hot chocolate! If you manage to get that illusive invite, there may be a Chocolate Factory Stamp on the envelope!

Ah, look at the time! I seem to have rambled a fair bit, but you get the idea. Now I really better be off this time, it’s not good to keep meep-I mean, my boss, waiting. Getting ready for the Chocolate Ball? Yes, of course, I have to do that too. With a bit of luck I’ll see you there. Goodbye!

Author’s Note: After much investigation, it has come to my attention that there is no Chocolate Ball. The 15th day of Gathering is simply a day where they release new chocolates. I hope I haven’t caused anything too disastrous with the meep--I mean, with this misinformation. However, this article is still useful if you wish to proclaim your chocolate obsession to all of Neopia. Now, if you excuse me, I think I need to enlist the services of the Defenders of Neopia.