Crew and Company Placement:
The base ? Michael, Adeline, Strauss
On the move ? Rhian, Alexander, Evelyn, Rhydian
Man-cave ? Zack, Jakob
The lair ? Riz, Bells
??? ? Everleigh
??? ? Sebastian
Before leaving Zack’s man-cave, he brought me down the hall to show off the tavern he and Jakob had been fixing up. Like his place, the room was full of exposed pipes, gears, and strange devices I couldn’t name. He said we’d need a capable engineer to get things moving again, and when I asked him why he was fixing it up at all, he said he hoped one day my friends and I would enjoy it. I hoped he’d enjoy it with us, too.
But we certainly wouldn't enjoy a tavern without alcohol, so I promised him I’d see if I could piggyback from the Jaskar. I had to go see Everleigh anyhow, and I wanted to stop by The Steel Needle as well. So, after saying goodbye to Zack and Jake, that’s where I went. I barely made it before the shop was due to close.
As always, the bell chimed when I walked through the door, and Vivienne sashayed through the curtain behind the counter. She smiled when she saw me.
“I was beginning to worry, and then further wondering how in Delphia’s dominance I’d sell a green suit if you didn’t come to collect it.”
I chuckled. “It’s done?”
“Done, darling.” Vivienne held up a manicured finger and disappeared behind the curtain again. When she returned, she held the suit up on a hanger. I didn’t know much about fashion, but I thought it looked nice, I trusted Vivienne, and it was definitely pine-needle green.
“He’s gonna love it,” I said. “How much do I owe you?”
I nearly choked on my tongue when she told me, but thanks to that brief foray into prostitution, I had the money. I paid her just shy of four hundred notes in the end, and I left with the suit draped over my arm in a cloth garment bag.
Down in the storm drain, I whistled the nine consecutive notes on the first try and let myself in. I’d never noticed how small Everleigh looked sitting behind her big desk until that day. She looked over at me with those massive, bruised-looking eyes.
“Hi,” she said.
“’Ey,” I replied.
The whole thing felt a bit weird at the start, mates. We’d gotten quite close before she told me off and then kidnapped me, and I was worried we’d have to start over from scratch. But then she stood from the chair, brushed down the front of her dress, walked over to me, wrapped her cold, skinny arms around my waist, and she hugged me.
I think. To be fair, it was more of an awkward squeeze, like she was trying to dislodge something caught in my throat.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t know what to do.”
It all made sense to me now, after Strauss explained everything: the pushing me away, the crying, the kidnapping. And if I hadn’t just been tormented by Florea and lost V, I might have put two and two together much sooner and spared myself some unnecessary emotional turmoil. But I really needed someone to be angry with at the time, I reckoned, and so in a way, she’d done me a favour. I put my arm around her and squeezed back.
“It’s all right, mate. I get it.”
She wiggled free, took a step back, and graced me with a cool, appraising glance.
“You look terrible again.”
“It’s been a week.”
“Are the others back from Leberecht.”
“Aye.”
“Is the Normal One okay.”
“Who, Michael?” That was who she meant, so I answered with a so-so gesture. “In a way, better than okay. But he doesn’t remember any of us, or most of his own history. Did you have fun with Adeline?”
“I guess.”
Meaning: she definitely did. “What’d you two do?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know.”
“Aye, that's why I asked.”
“I played my violin, she danced. We tidied up Sebastian’s place and talked about boys.”
I felt a grin creep up, and then I remembered we were getting closer to bringing Riz over. Everleigh was going to love him, mates, I just knew it. “Did you now?”
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Aye, and girls, too. She’s like you.”
“Like me?”
“You know, she likes both.”
Aye, of course she did. “Right, well that’s interesting. I’m glad you had a good time, mate.”
“You’re really not mad at me?” For maybe the second or third time since I’d met her, she couldn’t contain the question behind her usual deadpan.
“Well, I was, but I was just confused.”
She nodded. “Okay. I’m working on a plan, but I can’t tell you what it is yet.”
“Am I going to like it?”
“Aye.”
“Are the others going to like it?”
“Aye.”
“Sounds good, mate. Is that it?”
“Aye.”
“All right—wait, can I have a bunch of alcohol? I’ll pay you.”
“Not this again.”
“It’s not for me.”
“Okay, sure. Take whatever.”
“Thanks, Everleigh. See you.”
“Bye.”
I left Everleigh’s office the normal way, through the Jaskar. I knew it wouldn’t be open for the night yet, and I ran into Derek at the bar. His smile was genuine and hopeful when he saw me, like it always was, which broke my heart, like it always did. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath through my nose before approaching.
“’Ey, mate.”
“It’s so good to see you, You.”
“Aye, I’ve been busy, otherwise I’d have stopped by to see you and Della much sooner.”
“I figured, but I was starting to get a bit worried. How’s your friend?”
“Della did a great job, and he’s acclimating. Really well, actually.”
Derek nodded, gathering his braids before he tied them back with a black leather strip he pulled out from behind the bar. “Were you in Oskari when…?”
I shook my head.
“I’m so sorry about V.”
I nodded. “Aye, so—Ever said I could take a few bottles from the cellar, mind letting me in?”
“Yeah, sure, anything. Come on.”
When we got to the cellar, I loaded up the two cloth shopping bags I had stashed in the bottom of my regular bag, and I palmed Derek a handful of notes. I didn’t even count them, but I was sure it was more than enough to cover to the cost. I then caught myself fanning my face for a second and shoved my hand in my jacket pocket. Why was it so hot in there? But it wasn’t, was it? The cellar was cold, so why was I feeling so…
“Hey, You—are you okay?”
“…Aye, just really hot all of the sudden.”
“You’re sweating.”
Was I? I took my hat off, wiped my forehead with it, and ran a hand through my damp hair. “I think I might be—aye, I’m fine. I’ll be okay. I’ve gotta go, though.”
I pushed past Derek, gently but with purpose, leaving him standing outside the cellar door looking nothing short of bewildered. I left the Jaskar by the front door.
I hadn’t seen Tanis and my brothel friends in ages. I missed them, and I really needed to see about a personal problem of my own while I was at it. On the way there, I avoided the flower shop, though I was curious as to whether Florea was still inside, trapped in an ice block, or if there’d been any developments on that front. I’d have to ask Zack later. But I was partway to the Gander when I felt a hand on my shoulder.
If I hadn’t recognized his smell, because I knew it well and I literally just smelled it, I’d have probably socked him in the gut with my shopping bags Rhian style.
“You’re obviously not okay,” Derek said.
“Derek, I’m fine. I just need to find a random person to help me get it up, and then everything will be back in order.”
“What are you talking about?”
I gestured to my nether regions. “Mate, I’m broken.”
“Is that… a new development?”
“Aye, ever since I was captured by the crazy flower man.”
“What?”
I sighed, lowering my voice to explain what had happened with Florea, that I’d gone there to buy some flowers for V, one thing led to another, and then…
“Fuck.”
“Right, and if you wouldn’t mind, I’d really like to be able to do that again.”
“And you think some random person is going to help you?”
“Well, I couldn’t even make it work for V, so—”
“Look, You—I don’t think you can rush these things. I think your body’s trying to tell you something, and maybe you just need time.”
“No offense, but that’s really not helpful right now.”
“Yeah, I know.” Derek sighed. “So, why don’t you come over tomorrow? Or whenever. It’s better than some random, right?”
“I don’t know, maybe.”
“Okay, maybe, then.”
“Aye, maybe.”
“Okay.”
After leaving Derek hanging in the middle of the marketplace, I carried on toward the Gander, but when I got to the door with the goose in the glass, I couldn’t bring myself to go through it. So, I turned around and left the city, heading for Zack’s.
A Night at the Man-cave With Zack and Jake - Entry Log #1
“Feargus Finlay, whatever is this?”
“Well, it’s not for me, that’s for sure.”
“You bought me a suit?”
“Dad, what colour is it?”
“Pine-needle green, love. And it’s... absolutely stunning. And the pants are—thank you.”
“You’re welcome, S.R. Pie.”
“I hadn’t realized how much I missed that.”
“Aye, me, too.”
“Will you stay with us tonight?”
“Please.”
“Of course.”