Alright, let’s see here. I need to determine what might even possibly be useful, if any item’s name maybe holds any candle of truth, from amongst our shop catalogs. Ugh, some of these are dozens of millions apiece. That would be all of our cash wealth, and maybe even some of our gem or coin wealth, per item. Did we even look at Luni’s yet? Crap. Ugh, There’s like, forty to eighty per list that I think might actually be worth checking for enchantments, or info. Most seem like longshot gambles. Like, the phoenix feather quill pen. There’s no way that that’s the active, still-enchanted down of a phoenix. Especially not when it barely costs more than a regular quill from the generic shop catalog.
Argh, I still need a ton of mirrors too. Hellspit and Fel Fires. I pass an annoyed sigh through puffed cheeks. Poor Lu. She warned me. I might not get what I want or need, and things are hectic as heck as I try to cram every possible chance for every possible advantage into as short a time as possible. That would mean looking through thousands of catalogs, at each of their hundred’ish items, and trying to weigh the—. Huff. I won’t be doing that. It’s far, far, far too much of a timesink. Even at only a few dozen seconds per catalog, to find the number, punch it in, scan the NFC from the till to the phone, then take the file to the copier, and look through the phone for the new file to print out—. That’s still dozens and dozens of thousands of seconds just to print out the catalogs, let alone read or compare them.
I’ll probably just have to get the most powerful people that I know, and slash or their closest friends among the less powerful, to go through getting their own catalogs. I’ll type up a note, and print out the process. Argh. I need to find a spare cellphone first. I’m not leaving this here to possibly get walked on, smashed, shattered, or stolen. Hm—. I wonder. Kinzul my love, are you—.
I sigh contentedly at the amazing emotional waves sent my way. She’s taking care of Lil, bonding, and she trusts me. I don’t need to ask for permission. I love you my Lady, my love, my wife. I’m not even sure how, or what kind of love to categorize it as, or what words describe it yet. I’m not sure I ever will. Regardless, I’ll go ahead then.
Alright, let’s swoop back in here, and print off Kinzul’s catalog. Alright, her code is all sevens. That’s—. Kinda neat. That’s good luck, right? Maybe. Okay, punch in the code, NFC scan, let’s go print it—. Huh. There’s already an unlockables unlocked file. I wonder what the achievements were.
Oh, oh wow. I, I’d better not let any of the rest of my inner circle see these achievements. Wow, I don’t think I could—. Luni waggles her brows across our telepathic wavelength and digs in in a singsong lilting voice, “And just what achievements are those sweetie?”
Gulping, I’m flustered beyond belief. Please Lu, no. Please. Uh oh. Teuila joins in, similarly lilting in a singsong cadence, “And just what are you begging Lu not to do, hmmmm?”
My heart hammers in my chest as my two gals grin, snicker, and work their way down into the dugout to join me. I, I could burn the page. I’ve got the only, glp. Teuila’s too fast for me, even if I wanted to carry through on the intrusive thought of burning the page, I couldn’t.
Grumbling, reading aloud, Teuila starts, “What’s this, yada yada family members, Shellcracker family members, yada yada, achievement unlocked, latest one, marry a Shellcracker with a smartphone? So what, we already know you married Aunty Zool Airhead. The one before that? Save a life with a Shellcracker, yeah, sure, Prinny, whatever, no biggy. What’s up Lu, what’re you—. OH! Create a Shellcracker!?”
I nearly faint. My eyes cross, and even Kinzul’s emotional wavelength seems more than just a tad surprised. I hiccup, burp, and nearly topple over as my emotions are thrown out of whack. Can, can I please die of embarrassment? Or, or maybe wake up and realize I was just dreaming about doing so well with the shops? Or, or something? Teuila begins cackling, and alternates between enjoying my discomfort, and suffering her own jealousy and discomfort at the implications.
We, we haven’t. I can’t. I biologically can’t. It wasn’t me. Kinzul and I aren’t even one of the pairs that—. I mean, she’s not one of the women that I’ve— erk. Glp. Luni eyes me suspiciously at my mental narrative, prodding me to continue, but I let my dizzy spell carry me out of her gaze. Even Kinzul is loosing some rather unreadable emotional wavelengths across our telepathic bond. Though, they seem heavy on perhaps what might be her dismayed embarrassment side.
Brain, quick, get me out of this! What the hell am I supposed to do about it? I, I don’t know! Think of something! Pft, snrk. You’re losing it Reggie. It’s their fault! Sure pal, sure. You’re the one with the kid on the way. Oh! The phoenix roc egg! I suppose a dracorocnix egg at this point. Huff, phew. Holy crap. Okay. Okay, whew. Yeah they aren’t going to let me get off th—. Guys, I was going to say get off the hook that easily. Dirty little deviant-minded gals.
I—, I need a distraction. Where’d Farzee and Veril get off to? Oh! Oh Veril, buddy, you really need to learn to keep your emotional walls up. Does Farzee even—, oh, I see. I’ll leave you two be for a while. Phooph. What about Lucky? Erk, Lucky’s giving me the evil-eye, or is it the stink-eye? I forget.
Trying to clear things up with my son, I try to come up with some sort of argument on my own behalf. It’s not my fault Lucky, pal, come on. I mean, it’s not like I knew that, a— lifeform— that— consisted of many species, in one egg—. I hang my head low in shame. Yeah, okay, I’m an idiot and this isn’t going to get me out of this. I blush as even Lucky seems to chuckle with Lu and Te in my mindscape.
Anyway. Bluh. I’d like that list back Lu, and Te. Please? I thought I saw—. Teuila interrupts me, “Yep, Aunty Zool has like one or two dozen smartypants phones of a couple types up in her little box thingy here, her achievement unlocked vault, natch. Snatch ‘em up. Then you can do the thingy you were going to do and shove one down in here to leave in this hole, for anyone else to come and—. Does anyone else feel kinda dirty all of a sudden?”
I can’t help snorting a laugh, as Lu rolls her eyes at Te while Teuila tries to parse her own previous statement. Teuila manages to fluster herself as she realizes the entendres she’d accidentally used. I join Luni in rolling my eyes, and I turn a familiar tease back on Teuila, “Only you babe, only you.”
There’s a moment of bluster for Teuila that quickly ends in her adopting the Shellcracker Family Squee with her closed-eyed mile-wide smile that leaves her rocking her head side to side slightly. I can’t help smiling at her, approaching her, wrapping her up in my arms, and kissing that beautiful smile. Erm, sorry Lu, you okay? Luni harrumphs, but can’t stay mad as Te and I both surround her to kiss her on opposite cheeks. She even manages to blush a tad in response.
Okay, okay, okay. Enough shenanigans. I’m so sleepy all of a sudden, as I yawn deeply. Oh, right, stayed up late as hell with Indy, trying to keep him away from his cravings. Then I got up arsecrack of dawn early with my wife standing over me. It’s still only early morning. Jebuz. What’d I get, an hour of sleep? Friggin’ hell. I’m glad this is a new body. Cherubic Reggie would be friggin’ wrecked. Can I engage the regeneration without leaning on my dragonforce? Hm. There are some weird caveats to some of my abilities and forms, that Kinzul and I didn’t manage to figure out. Like the prerequisite for the shadow elemental fo—. I sigh and facepalm.
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Biting my lips, trying not to be annoyed at myself, flustered, or feel stupid, I give myself a few moments to breathe. I snag the glow-lichen from around the room, and push it all into one corner, opposite the shop stall. Luni giggles when she figures out what I mean to do, what my form needs. Te raises her eyebrow for only a moment, before chuckling and catching on as well. I shake my head at myself, and duck down behind the shop stall, in complete shadow. Utter darkness.
Yep, the form is starting to engage. I draw a deep breath and loose a long sigh, still shaking my head and rolling my eyes at myself incredulously. After several minutes, I suddenly lose tangibility, cohesion, most physicality in any possible sense of the word. As I float along near the floor, I hesitantly, testingly hazard moving into the glow, and thankfully it doesn’t harm me. Continuing my testing, I float along, and up Teuila’s legs, body, and arms. Teuila shudders as her spine tingles, and she bites her lip hard while blushing, trying to keep from breathing heavily.
I find that I would be blushing if I had the capacity for it at the moment. I’m intangible, so I mostly float along and through Teuila as I explore her form. Feeling fairly confident that I understand how my form interacts, or rather how it doesn’t interact, with anything around, I repeat with Luni. Lu squeaks loudly, and slaps both hands over her mouth as she also shudders. Her eyes roll back a bit, and for a moment I worry, until I realize exactly—. Well, anyway. That’s enough of that. I suppose I can work on the speed at which I transform into this elemental form. Over time. In a few months, perhaps I could get it down under a minute, and in a year or two, I might be able to get it down to under a few seconds. It would almost be useful as a reaction to an incoming attack. As is, I’m unsure what to do with it, except perhaps scout.
Returning to my form between Lu and Te, I smile at them, until I realize that I don’t have my danger wrap senses, which leaves me frowning. Glancing down at myself, my utter nudity leaves me more than frowning. It leaves me blushing quite heavily. Glancing around, I see my gear in a pile behind the shop stall. I facepalm. The form can’t even subsume my physical belongings. It’s really, really never going to get used unless I get my Can’Z’aasian powers back safely. If I can stow everything in my inventory, then instantly swap to the form, and swap back as needed, re-equipping with my space skill, that’d work. This is just a hassle as is though.
Breathing deeply and sighing loudly, I shake my head at myself and leave my palm on my forehead. Anyway, let’s get those smartphones, and I think Burshis had some binders and some mundane goods and similar supplies in her shop. I’ll print off an extra copy of the things I’ve printed out so far, or, well, just toss the stuff in the copier to let the copier copy the stuff. Dot dot dot. Yes Reggie, I know. Heh. Rolling my eyes at myself, and my inner monologue, I can’t help shaking my head even more. That sentence was on the way to being a palindrome it was so redundant. Not that palindromes are generally redundant, like, “Warsaw was raw,” the words themselves don’t have redundant meanings there, but, well, you get it. Yes Reggie, I know. Erm, right.
I’m glad those that are laughing, or rather, following my inner narrative, are enjoying themselves. Heh. Butts. The complete lot of you. Erm, sorry my Lady, my love, my wife. I facepalm at having called my brand new wife a butt. You’re tired Reggie. I know! Heh. Being tired like this makes my mind wander all over the place. I’m truly sorry Kinzul.
Speaking of mind wandering. The Sisters Hidden in the Mist were coy, but the way they said things also mattered, every time. The path to take after meeting up with my doomed friend. The nature of the apocalypses, without revealing the Felgre horde. It makes me wonder why they said that I’ve paid one, but will need to pay five and five and six more. As if those were separate numbers, alluding to something, instead of just sixteen more. It’s incredibly deliberate. I can’t put a pin on it, but it almost reminds me of what TQ said, I think it was TQ. Something about the five souls of origin, and the original soul. They were deliberately separated out, despite sounding similar. Huff. It’s a line of thought that I shouldn’t chase though. I know Lu’s probably freaking out right now, waiting to interrupt me when I get to a point of no-return. Like she did when I started to think about the tom—. Yeah Lu, I hear you.
Grr, I wish I was allowed to conjecture, and just, just, grr. Sorry Luni, I know it’s not your fault. Sorry My Anchor. I know how much emotional turmoil my brain being like this puts you through, and I wish I could alleviate it for you. Huff. Sniffling, I return to what I was doing, and purchase a few things from various shops now that I’m getting the hang of remembering codes, and who had what. Printing out some instructions, leaving a cell phone, some various charging cables and such, and even an electric stationary bicycle to recharge the battery bank, should the charge start to dwindle without Lil to utilize his sun powers to recharge the solar array. Doot doot doot. I wonder if there’s a list of the standard shop inventory that isn’t listed in any of these individual inventories. It’d be pretty darn long, but might be worth printing out.
Scroll, scroll scroll scroll. When did I get so many notes? Why are most of them like, a single letter or number for a name, or a couple of them? What is even in these? Empty, empty, empty. Double-eww, tee, eff. Okay, rattling my head to shake loose the lack of thoughts and get back on track. Maybe if someone else boots up one of the newer phones, it’ll have a standard inventory note. I can’t dig through all this right now. My eyes hurt from reading the tightly packed specialized inventory pages over and over. Let’s see, a smartphone for each of us in the SAP, as well as Kinzul, the Dormies, a couple of the other groups, and one here, and a couple of spares. I wish I had a spell that could deliver all these to the people I want to have them. Oh well, I’ll get them handed out over a day or two probably.
I could make my spellcasting much easier in some essences, if I could think of some object that could hold three dimensional copies of runes, especially those of common spells I use. I wouldn’t have to quicken the casting, though it’s much more affordable now. Hm. I might not need to bother figuring out how to craft something like that. I think I could get the quickening to be free, because some of these strangely named items sound rather legendary, and they’re gems. It took legendary gemstones to read and absorb the last, highest level of the quicken-spell tomes, to enable the best quickening metamagical activity, essentially doing it for free for most spells with sixty six or lower runes for their SP cost.
Oh, speaking of metamagical activity. I forgot. *All* of my spells are always under metamagical activity. Jarrah said I’m permanently using subtle spell metamagic. It’s why I can cast even when bound, and slash or gagged. I’ll be able to trigger these clips in this bangle any time I cast anything. I’ll have to be a little bit careful, because some of the clips target allies with enhancements or buffs, and some target foes with damage or debuffs.
There’s so so so so much more I could do, argh. Huff. It’s okay though. It’s okay. Tonight, when I’m sure the myconid form is off of its refractory period, or whenever soonest it ends up being off cooldown, I’ll craft an extra shop or two or three. I’ll make sure to keep one sitting around that I’ll stuff into my otter form to put into my inventory, along with a ton of other stuff that I’ll want to always have around as backup, just in case of something dire or crazy happening. I’ll probably also take an entire day’s worth of the entire respawning resource warrens at some point, so that I’ll always have enough to rebuild them, again, in case of calamity.
Speaking of contingencies, backups in case of calamity, and so on. Well, the dimensional pouch. It’s kind of bound to a few bags at once, but it can only do like the transdimensional link with one of those bound bags at a time. I think it takes an hour to swap which bag it’s tied to. Sighing heavily, I’m not sure what to do to fix that, or duplicate the pouch.
Speaking of duplicating, I’ll be snagging a bunch of friggin’ identical or nearly identical mirrors, and putting the same enchantment on pairs of them, over and over and over, when I get my myconid form up, at the same time that I’m crafting the shop stall backups. I might be able to do that during the strategists meeting. Or I can at least do proof of concept while with them, while staying in RS2, and they can help me decide how many, and where to place the scrying sensors.
Hm, I’ll probably snag a full respawn of the warrens on the morning after tomorrow, so that the dragonkin have a couple days of restocked resources to play with. Whenever I decide to do it, I’ll let some of them know that I’ll get up early, and spend about an hour or so just snagging the stuff straight off the walls with the otter form’s super strength. I might need an adamantite tool for some of the legendary metals, but I’m sure there’ll be some available by that point. Hm, it might take closer to an hour per warren for the metals. Do I want them badly enough to spend that time? Yeah. Yeah I suppose I do. Alright then. Alright, alright alright.