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[feyfound]

DUONET ID: junebug

"Sorry if I forget to get back to you!"

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delivery; a day or two after their dungeon run

[verselet]

[Somehow—quite bafflingly, really—an impressive bouquet of flowers has been delivered either to your door, or already somewhere within your room. It’s a tall and overstuffed thing in its vase, brimming with gladiolus, hyacinth, and long stems of amaryllis, each blossom vibrant and contrasting against its neighbor.

With it comes a little personalized note that reads:]

A “thank you” for your assistance amid the treacherous slopes of Mount Cumulo. May these blossoms never wilt. (I was told that they won’t.)

[A more better personalized line follows:]

Have you considered getting a tattoo to match your adventurous nature? I'm thinking an axe.

-V

[feyfound]

[ Oh!? A bouquet, and it's not from her mom!? How fun! Speaking of her mother, she would surely know what these flowers mean, if they mean anything, but all Juniper really sees is pretty flowers, and of course the note that accompanies it. To which V will receive a response via their... what's it called again? Cell phones? ]

Dear V,

Thank you for the flowers! They're very pretty and smell great! I would be happy to accompany you on another quest any time!

A tattoo does seem like something adventurous and that an adventurer would definitely get one, doesn't it? I've never thought about it before, but now I am! An axe would be perfect!!

[verselet]

[Her response is so earnest... It's not surprising, but V appreciates it all the same.]

I'm glad you liked them. I thought they fittingly represented an adventuring party like ours.

[Even if that sure was a strange arrangement of blossoms, but what the heck does he actually know about arranging flowers together. They looked nice.]

My "job" in this world is that of a tattoo artist, you know. I even have my own shop.

[feyfound]

I think I recognize the gladiolus... That's the "sword flower," isn't it? I like it!

[ of course she would only remember the one that's associated with weaponry, ]

I did NOT know! Mine is a "rock climber," but I haven't seen any suitable rocks or mountains in the city to climb! Oh, and I have to go to university.

I didn't know that you were artistic!

[verselet]

I think so. I was told it represents strength and victory.

[So, yes. Fitting!]

There are indoor climbing walls devoted to rock climbing. You don't need to look for an actual mountain. But you're a student, too? That should be interesting.

I'm not. I drew a little bit when I was younger, but it was nothing I thought to pursue. [Not when he could have pursued pOWER] Apparently my alternate self took a different route. So I'll be brushing up on those languishing skills again, whether I like it or not.

[feyfound]

Haha! You could have given me a bouquet full of those because I'm so strong and victorious!

I've never been to any school before, so but it will be an adventure I hope! Have you been to school before? Do you have any advice?

[ the pursuit of pOWER, though, so true. ]

You could just find a different "job," couldn't you? Though I guess I thought you would be more excited about it, since you also have a lot of tattoos!

[verselet]

You are. Maybe next time, nothing but sword flowers.

I was home-schooled for a short while when I was younger. [And then everything fell apart. No need to get into that right.] But I never attended school in any real capacity. And my "other" self would probably give you advice along the lines of "do what makes you happy."

Oh, these aren't actually tattoos. They're a mark of my contract with my familiars.

[feyfound]

Maybe I should get a sword flower tattoo, too!

[ oh but hey... hello fellow home schoolers... ]

I should probably at least give it a try, shouldn't I? Both of those things! Though honestly I'll probably be better at the rock-climbing thing than school!

Oh right... Wait, you have multiple? Not just Shadow? I want to meet the others!

[verselet]

[He'll give her all the tattoos she wants! ...When he's capable.]

Maybe you don't give yourself enough credit. But I do think you'd be very adept at rock climbing. I'd like to see it sometime; living vicariously through someone more vigorous than me.

I have three familiars in total. One is named Griffon, a large bird. The other is Nightmare. That one is shaped like a golem. Unfortunately, I can't summon them right now. This world has dampened our powers, and this includes barring access to those two.

[feyfound]

Aw, that's so nice of you to say, V...

Apparently it can be a competitive sport, so maybe once I figure it out and compete somewhere you can come and watch!

So... Griffon, Nightmare, and Shadow. It kind of feels like Griffon should be named something to match, though... Like Darkness or Sorrow or something...?

[ why didn't the bird get an edgy name!? ]

[verselet]

I would like that, yes.

[Feats of strength that he can’t hope to match, not like this…]

”Sorrow”? The next I can communicate with him, whenever that might be, I’ll suggest the name change. He has to fit with the theme, right?

[Yeah no, Griffon will hate that.]

[feyfound]

I wonder if Uncle Dee can invent something that would help you climb too?! Wouldn't that be neat! Like an egg skeleton or something.

[ exoskeleton ]

Dad 3 would always say branding is very important! But I guess him not fitting the theme is fun and quirky?

OH!!

Since he's a big bird maybe he can be Stormy?! Storm? Since he'd be up in the sky! That kind of fits too doesn't it!?

[verselet]

[A what.]

An egg skeleton?

[WHAT'S THAT]

Oh, that fits more than you think. He fires off electricity, too. Just like a storm. It's official: let us call him Stormy from now on. [SORRY GRIFFON] And who's "Dad 3"?

[feyfound]

Like a thing you can have on your body that acts like extra limbs or something! I've seen some people with magic or contraptions like that at home!

Oh! Haha, I got it right without even knowing! [ Juniper Veltris, you're so SMART!!!! said no one ever ] You'll have to remind me when you can summon him again.

Dad 3 is one of my guardians. My real ones, not from the fake memories.

[verselet]

Oh, you mean an exoskeleton. That seems rather complex. You think Declan could build that?

[He thinks he'd look a bit ridiculous, though. Like something out of a sci-fi book.]

And of course. You'll be the first to meet him if he returns.

So how big is your family, exactly?

[feyfound]

I bet if you asked him he would try! Plus there's got to be other geniuses around he could collaborate with, right? That's the power of teamwork!!

All of the Alchemighty Adventuring Guild are my family!

But to be more specific I have two moms, four dads, and Sian as my guardians. Kind of. Some of them are kind of off doing their own thing!

[verselet]

Then I'll be sure to mention it the next time I see him. I'll be a veritable superhero with something like that fastened to me.

[Yeah, no. Probably not; he'd ask as a joke, but he's pretty much accepted that this body isn't meant to be physically strong.]

An entire adventuring guild as guardians. You must lead a very exciting life. I can't imagine what a family road trip looks like.

[feyfound]

You would! Or maybe he can make you a special mechanical cane that does all sorts of things!

We rarely get to all go somewhere together, because many of them have responsibilities outside of the guild, too, but I do get to tag along with Dad 2 a lot since he trains a lot of the new recruits!

So I have lots of stories!

[verselet]

[Oh.......a cane that does cool shit........he's 100 percent more likely to ask about something like that, maybe. Maybe.]

Now that would be something. I'll take it into consideration. Thank you for the idea, Juni.

I'd like to hear these stories sometime. As I understand it, your world in general is much more... magical than, say, Crane City?

[feyfound]

Yeah, it's very magical and very different than Crane City! It feels a lot more like the um... the other world. Online?

[ She is still learning all of the lingo. ]

I can't really control my magic, but people like Uncle Dee and some of my guardians can cast spells and do all sorts of things with theirs.

[verselet]

[Declan had said the same thing. That the online world was closer to what he was used to.]

You can’t control your magic because you need more practice, or is it always going to be unpredictable? Random?

[feyfound]

I guess... More of the second?

If you're not busy right now, maybe I can tell you more in person...

[verselet]

I’m not busy. I’m just indulging in “nacho night” at the banquet hall. You’re free to join me if you want.

[feyfound]

Okay! I'll be there soon!

[ Juniper, girl, hold onto your pants because you're about to discover nachos.

And true to her word, Juniper emerges into the banquet hall soon enough; she'd been hanging out inside her room, anyway. When she spots V, she simply walks up to him and gingerly plucks a nacho up from his plate. ]

Oooh... Cheesy!

[verselet]

[V's already seated by the time she finds him, his cane leaning against his chair. On the table in front of him rests an almost comically large plate of nachos, so he’s hardly bothered when she swipes one — there’s plenty more where that came from, not to mention they can always go back for more.]

And crunchy, too.

[He waggles a hand blithely.]

Give it a try.