Chapter 127: 128: Homework

They all fall asleep that night in the same room, much to Fresh’s delight. The girl smiles, clutching her blanket tightly with her fingers grasping the edge of the soft fabric, as she turns her head over on her pillow from side to side, looking at the sleeping people who surround her. It’s basically the same arrangement as in the guild, but at least now they’re sleeping at a place they can really call home.

She likes that word, ‘home’, and ends up smiling a little more as she pulls the blanket up higher to cover the bottom of her face, so that the world can’t see her doing it. So that it doesn’t find out that she has something that could be taken away. For tonight at least, she wants to keep it all to herself.

Fresh’s eyes feel heavy and soon, her world grows dark.

The next day is as busy as the day before, with Fresh building up everything while Shamrock, Basil and Jubilee run around town, getting enough raw materials for her to keep building all the things that they need. They decided to use as little ready-made furniture as possible, not only to save money, but also because Fresh simply insisted on it to an annoying extent, saying that she wanted to make it all herself, so that their home would feel more ‘homey’. Eventually her friends relented, but Jubilee warned her that if anyone died because of one of her deathtrap contraptions, they’d stick around to haunt her as ghosts.

She wasn’t sure if she liked that idea or not. But for the sake of her friend’s safety, she double checks every screw and fastening as she sits there, jumping from construction-site to construction-site, as she works on too many things at once.

Making the small wall for Jubilee’s room is easy enough. All she is doing is stacking some thin, light bricks with some ready-made mortar, that just needed a little water, between some timber-framing, which she had set up to separate the small space that was just big enough for a bed and a dresser and then one foot-step more. Space is at a premium here for four people, so it’s a little tight, but she does her best to make it roomy enough for Jubilee.

She wonders if it won’t get a little stuffy though and so ponders how to make an opening for some air. Maybe she could figure out how to make a shaft like downstairs in the basement? That’s a luxury problem for a metaphorical tomorrow right now though.

Setting the next brick down, pressing it into the mortar, Fresh wipes her forehead on her arm. She’ll need a ladder to reach the top of the wall. Plus there’s still a door missing.

Just as she thinks that, the front door downstairs slams loudly shut and she jolts together a little, but then smiles as she turns around. The others apparently had been pretty fast if they were back already. Maybe Shamrock can help her with the wall?

“Shamrock? Can you come upstairs please?” calls Fresh, waiting for the sound of heavy-footsteps to come her way. But none do. She scratches her cheek, blinking a few times as she walks over to the staircase and peers down it. “Shamrock? Jubilee?” calls Fresh. “Basil?” Walking down the stairs, she looks for her friends, but none of them are here. She stands on the halfway point of the staircase, staring down into the empty room curiously. Maybe she’s just hearing things? Or maybe it was the neighbors. Hmm…

Fresh shrugs as she returns upstairs to get back to her work. Feeling a little cramped, she opens the balcony door to let in some fresh air, happy to have the mountain breeze around to explain the hairs standing up on the back of her neck.

The others return an hour later as she has already finished making a series of counters for the back corner, where Basil wanted a kitchen. They’ll have to buy a wood-fired stove, she isn’t sure she knows how to make one and she doesn’t want to risk starting a fire. But for now, a few cabinets and shelving are a good start.

Much to her delight, Shamrock helps her stack the rest of the bricks, finishing the small extension of the wall. Only one brick remains and Fresh can’t help but smile a giddy smile as the devious scheme comes to her. Looking around to see that the others aren’t listening, she lifts a finger, waving Shamrock over and whispers into his ear, telling him her plan. He nods once.

A minute later, Jubilee comes up the stairs. “Jubilee!” calls Fresh.

“What?”

“Look at this!” says the girl, holding out a single brick.

Jubilee sets down the bag of groceries that they had brought with them. “A brick?”

“Mm!” says Fresh, nodding excitedly. “But look at it!”

Jubilee rolls their eyes as they walk over. “What? Do you see some of yourself in it or something?” They take the brick from her, springing the trap. Jubilee turns it over in their hands. “Yeah, that’s a brick alright. I don’t see anyt- AGH!” Jubilee kicks down, their boot striking against Shamrock’s helmet as he hoists them into the air. “Put me down you SHIT-HEAD!” yells Jubilee, lifting the brick into the air and getting ready to throw it down at him.

“Contribute,” is all that Shamrock says as he hoists Jubilee up to the wall where there is a single hole for a missing brick.

“I’ll contribute my foot to your face!” says Jubilee, kicking him again. The man seems unfazed however, despite the loud ringing of Jubilee’s boot striking against his head.

“Contribute.” Shamrock hoists them up higher, nearly pressing them against the wall.

“Fine! Fuck off!” says Jubilee, placing the brick into the wall. “Happy now?!”

Shamrock looks at Fresh who nods excitedly back at him and he sets Jubilee down onto the ground, who stands there holding their gut. “Fuck me, that really hurt you know?” They wince as they stretch themselves out, rubbing the tender spot on their stomach where Shamrock held them. “Fucking dick.” Their eyes shoot over to Fresh. “You!”

“IAH!” Fresh runs away as Jubilee charges at her, escaping out down the stairs and out of the door as fast as she can, as she hears the boots thudding behind her. “I just wanted you to make part of our hoooome~!” yells Fresh, not daring to look behind herself as she knows Jubilee is right on her heels, as she bolts out of the front door. Only after it slams shut behind her and she hears the lock turn, does she realize her mistake.

The next day comes and by the time the afternoon sun shines brightly through the open balcony, Jubilee’s room is entirely completed with a door and everything. Shamrock arrives, carrying an extremely heavy looking, metal stove and Fresh stands back in awe as he lugs it up the stairs. Basil runs behind him, practically swatting away groups of adventurers trying to approach the man, who has apparently become a sort of celebrity here in town over these two days. All he is ever seen doing is carrying extremely heavy things around.

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Apparently, according to Basil, they were approached by at least six people during their shopping trip, each of them requesting that he open a tightly stuck jam-jar or other stubborn container, that so happened to be inside of the dungeon every single time.

“Thank you,” says Fresh, smiling at the man who says nothing in return. “Is there anything you’d like in the house, Shamrock?” asks Fresh. “Something for you? Jubilee wanted a room. Me and Basil wanted a kitchen. What about you?”

“Chair,” says the man, lifting a hand to point out to the balcony.

“A chair?” asks Fresh, somewhat perplexed while looking at him and then following his arm. “Ah! You want to watch the stars?” asks the girl excitedly, feeling a bit of déjà vu. Jubilee had said the view of it here was great, which seems out of place for Jubilee. Then again, something as romantic an activity as star-gazing seemed out of place for the giant as well. Fresh nods. “Okay! I’ll make that for you! Uh…” she taps her cheek as she thinks. “The pact is sealed?”

Shamrock nods once and then turns around to get back to work. Fresh spends another few hours setting up the stove-pipe to run along the ceiling into a small hole that is apparently meant for just that, according to Jubilee.

The kitchenette is small and not as quaint as their old one with the charming window. Especially since the whole area is an open space and so the kitchen is technically the same room as their bedroom, but that’s fine. As long as nobody cooks any fish. They’re adventurers after all, right? Having a home was already luxurious enough and Fresh couldn’t be more thrilled about it.

By the time night falls and the sun vanishes behind the horizon on the other side of the mountain, just out of their sight, the entire upstairs area is finished. The kitchen, Jubilee’s room, she even made a number of shelves and boxes for their pantry which was already well stocked with provisions. Most of it is dried and cured food as always, but at least now they were different things than the stuff they had eaten all the time back in the north. Plus, more importantly, she feels very strongly that the stone pantry is rat-proof.

Fresh lets out a long, satisfied sigh as she sits outside on the balcony, on one of two chairs now there. The one on the left, which she sits on, is normal sized and the one on the right, where Shamrock sits, is extra large. Both of them stare up at the dusk sky above their heads, waiting for the first stars to appear. Jubilee and Basil are inside bickering at each other about something and at first Fresh thinks it’s going to evolve into a serious argument, but as she turns around and looks through the door, she sees Jubilee giving a very excited and thankful Basil her new robe. It’s the same whitish-blue tone as hers, with the kobold fluff around the trim. Basil excitedly ducks into Jubilee’s room to change and comes out a minute later, doing an excited twirl around in it, perhaps not even realizing that she is doing it as it happens.

Fresh claps excitedly from the balcony and Basil stops, rushing back inside of the room. The girl scratches her cheek, looking at Jubilee who shrugs back at her. Oh well. Basil has always been a little shy, she supposes. The thought is an odd one to her as she thinks it. Basil? Shy? Fresh suddenly realizes how un-shy she herself has become over the relatively short span of this new life. She still feels nervous now and then, but… nothing like before. The girl turns back, looking up towards the sky where particularly light and airy clouds drift along, coming together to form one larger whole off in the distance. Much like them, their new life is slowly coming together, at least in her eyes.

She’s very excited about this new store and can hardly wait for tomorrow to start. The others were very excited about her idea. As always, they’re going to make a bit of everything. Weapons, equipment, repairs and so on. But as a draw to lure people inside the door, since they can’t make potions, she suggested that she cook small, easy to carry drinks and treats like the sweet-tea from the old city. They were basically like potions, but more delicious. Together with some small, odd candies and bars for the adventurers, some of which could be chicken shaped, it could be a real hit, especially since she can make stat-raising food. The others liked the plan as well, except for the chicken shaped part. They said it was too conspicuous, but she isn’t sure if she believes that. She thinks that maybe they just don’t like the chicken idea to begin with.

Another thing that she’s noticing up here is that she seems to be hungrier than usual. Jubilee said it’s a mix of the cold and the mountain air, it made the body burn faster. That’s why food was so popular up here.

Fresh ponders as she leans back against the chair, watching one of the large crystals float by their balcony and stares in awe as it begins to bathe the city below with the dewy, pastel light that emanates out from it. Her finger taps against her cheek, as she watches the floating thing and as she thinks about all the things she could make with something like that.

Razmatazz

Just some cute slice of life. It's been a while since we had that =)

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