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    <title>BASEMENT QWEST</title>
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    <description>Friends having ADVENTURES! Huzzah!</description>
    <item>
      <title>54</title>
      <author>dozens@tilde.team (dozens)</author>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">54 - Tue, 03 Jan 2023 16:12:08
-0700</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 04 Jan 2023 08:18:44 -0700</pubDate>
      <description>
        <![CDATA[
          <h3 id="00054">00054</h3>
          <blockquote>
          <p>Once back in the Milk Bar, with the airship safely anchored
          to the roof of the building, Alex finds himself amongst the
          old belongings of his former uncle.</p>
          <p><em>sigh</em> “Best get a request to HQ for this airship,
          maybe they’ll let us operate it for a bit, if not I suppose we
          have to impound it..”</p>
          <pre><code>&lt;- OP 2817 * LOC MB-A
-&gt; OP 25120 * LOC ESPER

CLEARANCE: INFORMATIONAL
REQUEST ENCLOSED.

REQUESTING PERMISSION TO IMPOUND OR OPERATE.
ONE CYBERPLASM AIRSHIP &quot;The Rusty Maiden&quot;</code></pre>
          <p>“There’s also the matter of this little hemogoblin..” Alex
          mutters to himself while said hemogoblin happily dances around
          the room, dripping little pools of blood hither and
          tither.</p>
          <pre><code>&lt;- OP 2817 * LOC MB-A
-&gt; OP 41154 * LOC ESPER

CLEARANCE: TOP SECRET
REQUEST ENCLOSED
PACKET ENCLOSED

REQUESTING ANALYSIS
ONE GDB @gdb-readout.dat
TWO BLOOD @blood-soaked-handkerchief
NOTE GDB INDICATES SOME ANOMALY</code></pre>
          <p>“Hey little guy, lets go get an empanade. Inky says they’re
          divine.” Alex says as he scoops up the little goblin and
          gently carries him downstairs.”</p>
          <p>Striding into Enriques kitchen, and availing himself to the
          empanadas, ignoring an indignant Enrique’s protests that these
          were for paying customers until a small bag of coins is tossed
          careless over one shoulder. Alex stride through the kitchen
          and then out and away into the garden to enjoy their pilfered
          treats.</p>
          <p>“I suppose this is more interesting than being on the force
          at times”</p>
          </blockquote>
          <p>~</p>
          <blockquote>
          <p>Inky stepped into the toques’ cabin below deck with a tray
          of turmeric ginger tea and lavender biscuits. After checking
          on Bread’s bandages and offering the toque reclined on the
          berth the last bag of mango croutons — or at least the last
          one for the next two hours — Inky perched on a wooden barrel
          across from where Confidence sat on a creaking old chair next
          to the bunk and spoke. “We’ll be landing in about an hour and
          getting Bread to a medical facility. You can stay with him
          while he heals and rest up.”</p>
          <p>They paused to take a long sip from their cup, as if the
          liquid was being used to summon their next words. “On behalf
          of myself and the party, I apologise for the … disruption, and
          for what had befallen the hotelier. As you may have already
          noticed, we’re a fair distance away from the Peak and will be
          arriving in Vay’Nullar soon. This airship was taken over from
          the cyberplasms in the course of getting the crystal out and
          the injured to a safe location, and her new captain could
          hardly fly it back straight into the pirates’ hands now.</p>
          <p>What we propose is this: you and Bread may take as long as
          you need to recover. We can arrange for lodgings and new posts
          in the city. One of our party runs a Milk Market that could
          certainly use some hired help, and a garden in the back that
          would benefit from more attention. Pay will be double your
          current salary at the hotel. Master Alex may also recruit you
          for other tasks. You don’t need to have an answer just yet —
          think on it for a bit while you rest and let us know.
          Afterwards, if you find that you still wish to return to
          Kelsun Peak, we will pay for travel.”</p>
          <p>Inky winked at Bread conspiratorially. “You may be
          interested to know there is a bakery on the Milk Market’s
          first floor. If you like the look of the place, perhaps we can
          convince the chef to take on an assistant.”</p>
          <p>~</p>
          <p>Tess watched her adviser from her position on one end of
          the plush chaise lounge in her office, who returned her stare
          impassively as they sat in the adjoining armchair to her
          right. The ornate coffee table before them had been laid out
          for tea, but the other cup remained untouched, which was in
          itself unusual. Ink rarely turned down tea when it was
          offered, which likely meant they were preoccupied with
          something they were unwilling to discuss. This had been
          happening more frequently since their plans to intercept the
          Ginnarak Crystals, which was a little concerning, but she knew
          it would be no use to question them directly. The missive she
          had received this time through Piskin’s people was brief,
          almost annoyingly so, but they had returned earlier than
          expected with the articles that production had requested,
          which had fortunately made up for lost time from the previous
          delays.</p>
          <p>With this in mind, she settled on a lighter note as she
          picked up her own teacup. “Salvia passed on the items to the
          production team. Thank you for picking them up from the
          Runesocesius. I would send my regular couriers but they are
          tied up with another event. One of them had to care for their
          sick child and couldn’t leave the city. As usual, time and
          discretion are of the essence.”</p>
          <p>When her adviser only nodded, she continued. “How is he? He
          probably insisted on bringing the manuscripts out for you
          himself. The man is cautious with valuables.”</p>
          <p>“Quite dead but managing, or so I heard.” Ink intoned
          drily.</p>
          <p>Tess caught on immediately. “Didn’t you meet with him? The
          message only mentioned the items had been obtained. Did
          something happen?”</p>
          <p>The imp shrugged. “We met, I delivered the letter and
          collected the items. We didn’t get a chance to talk.”</p>
          <p>The hotel was slowly but steadily attracting visitors
          again, especially after their last play had prominently
          featured the Runesocesius Library as a research partner in the
          programme credits, but Tess didn’t think the hotelier was so
          busy as to entrust this task to one of his underlings. The man
          was proud of the first editions the library had amassed, and
          the notebooks of Lucidieau that the playwright sought as a
          reference were no doubt counted among the treasures, even if
          only an expensive commissioned facsimile was permitted out of
          the library. Something had happened, she was sure, but decided
          not to press further for the moment.</p>
          <p>“And the other matter?” she asked.</p>
          <p>“Someone already knew the crystal was at the hotel and
          retained a crew of cyberplasmic pirates to storm the place.”
          Ink replied flatly. “And yes, your acquaintance is very much
          dead, shot by the crew leader in the scuffle. As the rumour
          rags have it, his ghost is now overseeing the building
          repairs.”</p>
          <p>Tess was about to admonish the imp gently for the tasteless
          jest when there was a knock at the door. At her response, the
          door opened and her secretary entered with a box of pastries
          and two sets of tableware, which she placed on the coffee
          table before leaving and closing the door behind her.</p>
          <p>Noticing Ink’s look of recognition, Tess smiled and
          ventured, “This is the second time is as many months you
          awarded that empanada place a glowing review in <em>The Tiny
          Toaster</em>. I can count the ratings higher than a 10 you’ve
          ever given on one hand — of course I had to try it. Why don’t
          you have some as well?”</p>
          <p>Ink blinked. “I didn’t write the latest review.”</p>
          <p>Tess shot them an accusing mock-glare as she lifted a puffy
          golden brown pastry onto a plate. “It has your inkprints all
          over it.”</p>
          <p>“I don’t know what you mean. Surely I’m allowed to treat a
          colleague to lunch, and they are free to express their
          satisfaction with a meal openly if they wish,” Ink replied
          smoothly.</p>
          <p>Tess rolled her eyes. “There’s a name for that. It’s called
          bribery.”</p>
          <p>Ink smiled faintly. “Just so. However, the selection speaks
          for itself.”</p>
          <p>“Oh, absolutely! These mini ambrose apple empanadas are
          wonderful. In fact,” Tess prodded the open end of the pastry
          with her fork, where a light yellow filling was visible, “they
          remind me a little of the very crispy tortelli
          <em>someone</em> made several years ago just for the opening
          reception of <em>The Two Genteelkin of Virdantha</em>.”</p>
          <p>“Any resemblance is coincidental. The chef is very
          capable.” Ink said evenly.</p>
          <p>Tess sighed and returned her plate to the table. “We’ve
          talked about this before, Ink. You don’t have to hole up in
          some poor scrub’s excuse for a kitchen in a closet. If you
          need more room downstairs then expand it. Just tell Salvia and
          she’ll take care of it.”</p>
          <p>Ink lowered their gaze to the teacups. “I appreciate the
          offer, but the answer is the same. There will be no rest until
          the crystals are secured.”</p>
          </blockquote>
          <p>Some time passes.</p>
          <p>The hemogoblin turns out to be a fine housemate and less of
          a problem than you thought it would be. Be it because its not
          in the excitement of battle onboard a pirate ship, or be it
          because it is maturing slightly, it seems in better control of
          its blood sacs. Barring a few small accidents, it doesn’t make
          much of a mess. It has found and claimed as its own a few
          unused blankets, and has made a little burrow nest in an out
          of the way corner behind the furniture.</p>
          <p>Bread makes a full recovery and in fact is doing better
          than ever before. The blood goblin stays by their side during
          the first hours and days and keeps them pumped full of clean,
          synthetic blood. Afterwards the toque is flushed a healthy
          pink and has new vigor. Enrique takes them under his tutelage.
          And Bread ends up making a fine baker’s apprentice. Dough
          seems to rise more and quicker after he kneads it. “The lad
          has solar hands,” Enrique boasts of his new protegee.</p>
          <p>Confidence becomes enthralled with the semi-sentient
          Wandering Bazaar. The thirteen story building moves with
          glacial speed up and down the streets, vendors and stalls and
          shoppers following in its wake. But then also it will
          disappear in the blink of an eye only to reappear in a totally
          different part of the area known as the Wandering Bazaar
          District. Each floor of the tall, narrow tower is occupied
          entirely by a single shop. But which shop it is seems to vary
          from day to day. One day the seventh level will be occupied by
          Fedik’s Butcher shop. And the next, Lario’s Bakery. It might
          be days or weeks before one can once again buy hotlinks from
          Fedik’s. Where the shops go when they’re not here is one of
          Basmentaria’s great mysteries.</p>
          <p>The toque studies the Bazaar’s movements and are able to
          predict its route with more and more accuracy. They become a
          highly sought out guide. Tourists and visitors trust them to
          take them to the very spot the Bazaar will appear that day.
          Residents appreciate the heads up and not getting trapped in
          their houses when the Bazaar wedges its way into their narrow
          residential streets, blocking their front doors. And owners of
          traditional, less ambulatory shops are able to plan ahead for
          the crowds that will appear on “Bazaar Day”.</p>
          <p>~</p>
          <p>Members of the Retrieval Team who sleep in Milk Market HQ
          start having dreams of the same mysterious figure. Of course
          at first nobody knows their dreams are shared by the others.
          Not until they become more frequent, more regular. By the time
          the figure has visited you every night for nearly a week,
          somebody speaks up and you realize the coincidence.</p>
          <p>The figure is clad in voluminous robes of deep purple.
          Long, straight, blonde hair falls around their shoulders.
          Their soft features are boyish and womanly. They wear a golden
          circlet on their head and a golden eye in the middle of their
          forehead. Their passive, neutral face betrays no emotion the
          entire time.</p>
          <p>The dream is always the same. They reach out to you with
          one hand and turn their palm up. And because of dream logic,
          in the palm of their hand you can hear the jingling of coins,
          mirthful laughter, and hushed stories told around a campfire.
          They curl their fingers into a loose first and the sounds
          stop. They spread their arms wide and in the folds of their
          robes you can see three siblings fighting, squabbling over a
          broken loom.</p>
          <p>Then you’re standing next to them, and the two of you watch
          three friends, Snake, Owl, and Dolphin. Owl tells Snake that
          he is tired of flying and hooting, and doesn’t want to be an
          owl any more, he wants to be flowers. And Snake laughs and
          tells him that he is Owl, and an owl he must remain. And she
          leaves him to go eat rodents and bake in the sun. So Owl tells
          Dolphin that he is tired of flying and hooting, and doesn’t
          want to be an owl any more, he wants to be flowers. Dolphin
          doesn’t want to help Owl, because if he is flowers, they won’t
          be able to be together any longer. But Dolphin finally agrees
          to help even though they don’t want to, because Dolphin loves
          Owl. With all their strength, they create a great waterspout
          that will turn Owl into flowers. But the waterspout is too
          strong, and Dolphin is too weak to control it. It sprays Owl
          but does not turn him into flowers. Owl’s wing is broken and
          he falls to the ground in a heap of feathers. The waterspout
          shakes a great boulder from the earth and traps Snake under
          it. And Dolphin sinks to the bottom of the sea.</p>
          <p>And then you wake up.</p>
          <p>~</p>
          <p>Later you find a letter in the common area of Milk Market
          HQ. It is not addressed to anybody. When you open it up, it
          reads:</p>
          <blockquote>
          <p>Time is running out, Retrieval Team 43. Things are starting
          to draw to a close. We cannot delay our meeting any longer if
          we both are to achieve our goals. We have information that you
          are looking for. Meet us at the Harpoon Club next Selday. We
          will wear the sign.</p>
          </blockquote>
          <p>The letter is signed with a white iris and golden
          apple.</p>
          <p>Anyone in Vay’Nullar would be able to tell you that the
          Harpoon Club is a game room and fine dining club, and one of
          the rotating tenants of the Wandering Bazaar. But Confidence
          would tell you, were you to ask them, that the club won’t be
          there next Selday. (When the Bazaar will appear at East and
          Lowland.) It is in fact not scheduled to appear until a week
          and a half after next Selday, on Third Tensday. (When the
          Bazaar will appear at Cathedral and Pine.)</p>
          <p>WHAT DO YOU DO</p>
        ]]>
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