[::Don’t Poke the Bear::

Stop the bear from bothering Green’s Peak.

Reward: 50 Gold Pieces]

Iagan had already accepted the quest, tracked it and was out of his seat ready to head for the door.

“Where are you going?” I asked him.

“Come on!” He said excitedly. “We’re going to go hunt the bear!”

Oh hell no.

“Not while it’s dark outside we’re not.” I scoffed, remembering I was dealing with a speed runner. The Legend of the Dark Elder Ring of Souls might allow for you to have as many restarts as you need to face plant your way through the game but that was NOT how I was going to play this time. “I don’t want to fuss around in the forest in the dark, that’s just asking for trouble. Falling from the tree did almost a quarter of my whole health bar so I’m squishy as all hell.”

“Yeah, but you cooked food and it went back up right? You’re fine!”

“I’m human and I need to sleep. ”

“Sleep!” Iagan groaned in frustration. “We can sleep when we’re dead! Come on!”

“You’d be wise to listen to her Mr.BigwIggy,” Plyne interrupted using Iagan’s full gamer tag. “It’s much more dangerous traversing the forests at night. Only rest can fully recover your health if you’ve taken damage.”

“Mica’s got the Light spell so night time doesn’t matter, we’ll be fine!”

“That’s the only spell I have.”

“That’s okay! We’re in a low level area!”

“And when I inevitably run out of magic with no potion to restore it and we’re stuck in the middle of the woods in the dark?”

“We have your torches and flame from my sword.”

“Iagan, I don’t want to go tromping through the woods in the middle of the night.” I said finally putting my foot down. He actually looked unhappy with me.

“Seriously? Fine then.” With a quick flurry of motion from his hand a new box popped up across my HUD as he muttered, “Fuckin’ [Tourist].”

[Mr.BigwIggy has left the group]

[Your Party Leader bonuses are no longer active.]

Iagan’s health bar vanished from my HUD and he left down the stairs without another word, the door to the front of the Crate slammed shut behind him. I am no stranger to party disputes in video games, so why would this one be any different? I stopped that thought in it’s tracks. I couldn’t fault him for playing the game how he wanted to. At the end of it all we played two very different genres of game styles but hey: different strokes for different folks, am I right? Having him in my party, however briefly, had unlocked several new quests for me to work on, as well as important information about my class’ strengths. I’d find more party members regardless as it was part of my ::Find the Others:: quest I had to work on.

It stung my pride but it was an overall net gain of information to further my progress. I was here to play to review a game, not make friends.

“You tried to tell ‘im.” Waelen shrugged, tending to the dishes at the sink as Fyera poked her head down the stairs after Iagan.

“He’s not seriously going after the bear tonight is he?” She asked.

“Time of day doesn’t matter to players like that.” I said as I got up from the table. “They’ll go days without sleep to hit their goals and get the fastest times.”

Plyne let out a loud sigh to match the creaking groan that came from his chair. “That’s a dangerous mind set to get into. Rest penalties compound over time if you don’t keep a watch on it.”

I quickly added the information to my notepad, that was important to know. “Well, I wasn’t lying when I said I needed to sleep so thanks for letting me borrow your kitchen to raise my cooking skill.”

“[Cooking] raises much faster when you have the proper equipment to work with so be sure to get yourself a pot and pan in the next town you find.” Plyne advised.

I’d already planned on it but thanked him all the same. “I’ll be heading out in the morning so this’ll be goodbye from me for now.”

“Well you can always send a postcard, I’d love to hear about your adventures on the other floors. We get mail once a week here when they come to deliver it from Dawnrise, so just address it to The Crate and I’ll make sure it makes the rounds.”

“Me too!” Fyera said. “You HAVE to show me more things from your compendium and the other floors!”

“I will don’t worry!” I smiled, looks like I’d be buying a lot more postcards from now on. Which reminded me: I wanted to send one in for Balder on the 3rd floor. I’d work on that later when I got back to my room at the inn.

“Oh and uh, Mica?” Plyne asked almost hesitantly as the group of them followed me down the stairs to the door. “If you could wear your Dapper Crate shirts in cities and well populated areas that’d be doing me a big favor. We don’t get a lot of foot traffic back here so any advertising you do would be a great help for the whole town.”

The words “Of course I will!” ALMOST escaped when I caught myself, remembering Plyne’s previous tip: haggle for everything.

“I could do it for a cut of the profit you’d make from those sales.” I offered, lowering my glasses to look at him with a smile. Plyne’s face twitched and he grinned in approval at my tactic, undergoing a complete change from the demeanor he’d asked in a moment before.

“Sure, that would definitely be doable. What kind of compensation were you thinking of?” He conceded.

I thought about it, looking over to the merchandise displayed beside the counter. The dangling key chains that had my username on them now also had the name Mr.BigwIggy, mixed among them.

“I want to get paid in key chains.” I said plucking one of the ones with my name on it and holding it up. “Five key chains with my name on it per person I send your way.”

Plyne blinked in surprise but laughed. “Key chains huh? Sure. I’ll pay you in key chains to promote the Crate. I’ll even throw in a 2 gold finder’s fee if they mention that you sent them.”

I wasn’t going to ask for money but Plyne insisted so we shook on it and a notification popped up in my HUD.

[Skill Increase: Haggling level 2]

[New Title Earned: Brand Ambassador for The Dapper Crate]

A pixel Dapper Crate logo popped up in the upper most corner of my HUD, looked like I had enough room for seven other pixels around the same size for a total of eight. I could represent eight brands and these key chains would be miniature calling cards that would lead back to the Crate. Hand a few of those out get some more in return, bring some business to the town.

I parted ways with everyone after that and sank into my simple bed at the inn. The mattress was lumpy and the pillow was flat but they were a comfort none the less. The room at the inn was simple, a chest of drawers, a table with a lit candle and small stool beside it. Tucked in the corner was a personal chimney that warded off the chill from the night air coming in from the paneless window.

The time was twenty-thirty seven and I was nowhere close to being tired yet but my body ached none the less. I forced myself up to the table and got out my Dapper Crate logo pencils and my collection of Dapper Crate postcards. I had five to choose from total: the viewpoint I’d found on the mountain, the silly picture entry for Green’s Peak, the star map, the one of Fyera and her home and the compendium entry for camera, featuring me and Beach Bum.

I picked the camera entry with it’s golden ‘Wish you were here~♥ The Dapper Crate, Green’s Peak; Floor 1’ scrawled neatly around the edges. I turned it over and summoned my letter opener, using it to sharpen the pencils up to a point. The picture on the front was portrait length so I wrote tall ways on the postcard:

‘Dear Balder,

Greetings from Floor 1 at The Dapper Crate from your newest listener! My name is MykaReviews and I happened across one of your listening stones and wanted to write into the show! I’m a travel photographer and am here to explore and document all of Trick Tower for my compendium. The photos presented in all these postcards are all actual photos I have taken with the camera featured in the shot on the front. 1/?’

I took a second post card and addressed it to him as well:

‘This is [Yellow Curry Leaf]! Apparently it isn’t normally found on Floor 1 but I managed to find one and take a picture! They’re great cooking ingredients that tastes a lot like cabbage. You can also find them in the [Secret Recipe: Rainbow Curry] that Plyne at The Dapper Crate makes here in Green’s Peak! Be warned! Only the bravest should attempt to eat the Rainbow Curry from the center outward, it’s hot— so don’t say I didn’t warn you, but DO tell him I sent ya! 2/?’

I took a third, the silly Green’s Peak entry, and addressed it to him as well:

‘And this is where I am staying right now as I write this to you. The town of Green’s Peak has a population of forty nine and yes, that is the whole town on the front. It’s truly peaceful here Balder, I wish you could smell the forest scented air that permeates my windowless room. The sounds of the nearby river around which the town was built will fill my dreams as they rush out to the open oceans, just a horizon away. I’ll write again once I reach Seamyst, until then…

Wish you were here~♥’

If he was going to read it out on the air then it would have to sound extra enticing so I took a few liberties in my descriptions. I talked up the Crate and the town so maybe that would be appealing enough for people to want to come visit.

[Skill Increase: Charm level 1]

That was surprising, but I wasn’t going to argue. I was trying to persuade someone I had never met and that required some tact. I signed my name at the end, MykaReviews. Now to add the final touch: a calling card. Using my letter opener I poked a hole through the corners of all three postcards and threaded my key chain through it, locking them together. I’d leave it with Plyne to send in the mail when I left for Seamyst in the morning.

The glaring blue time was twenty two-forty eight. The candle I had been writing by was down to it’s last hurrah, most of the wax spilled into it’s wide cupped base to be recycled later. I rubbed my eyes checking the pastel pink window I hadn’t closed yet. No new messages from Iagan.

I changed into a Dapper Crate shirt to sleep in and brushed my teeth with the water from the small basin on the side table. Spitting out the window into the bushes below. I kicked off my shoes, set my sunglasses aside and laid down in the bed finally letting sleep take over.

->|

I awoke the next morning to a HUD screen full of pastel pink. I blinked against the new tint the world beyond the HUD took and set to sorting them. Every last one of them were whispers from Iagan.

Mr.BigwIggy whispered to [Mykareviews]:

I closed it and another popped up to take it’s place. A hydra made of pop up screens, how annoying. I rolled my eyes at his trolling, and started rapidly closing the screens with small one word messages as I began my morning routine of applying sunscreen and brushing my teeth.

Mr.BigwIggy whispered to [Mykareviews]:

Mr.BigwIggy whispered to [Mykareviews]:

Mr.BigwIggy whispered to [Mykareviews]:

Mr.BigwIggy whispered to [Mykareviews]:

Mr.BigwIggy whispered to [Mykareviews]:

I froze. One of those had said ‘Help’. I closed a few more that said Helo but I found one final one among them that also read ‘Help’. That was enough cause for alarm.

MykaReviews whispered to [Mr.BigwIggy]:

No response. I threw on my shoes and ran down the stairs to the woman who was busily cooking a hearty breakfast on an open flame stove. She was chatting up another patron who was sitting at the bar over a mug of what smelled like coffee.

“Excuse me, sorry to interrupt but have you had anymore guests arrive other than me?” I asked as I approached the countertop. The woman and companion turned to look at me strangely.

“No, no one else has purchased a room here but you [Tourist].” The woman said.

So Iagan hadn’t made it back last night. The writhing I’d dismissed in my stomach last night returned in full force. I wouldn’t be able to enjoy my perk while this was looming over my head. I took the coffee though, putting it into my extra Dapper Crate water bottle. It looked like it could handle hot liquids so I trusted it and handed it over.

“This’ll be sure to put some pep in your step!” The woman, Tarja said handing over the now full water bottle.

[Water Bottle: Coffee- Effect, increase movement speed for five minutes.]

I sent it away to my fanny pack and headed to Plyne’s when a pink window appeared filling my HUD.

Mr.BigwIggy whispered to [MykaReviews]:

I sighed in temporary relief: he was still alive. I didn’t know how the death mechanic worked in game but I didn’t ever intend to find out.

MykaReviews whispered to [MrBigwIggy]:

I sent the whisper and the window disappeared. I glanced to the Quest Tracker on the right side of my HUD, marveling at the absurdity of it’s title:

::DON’T POKE THE BEAR::

Iagan had done just that and now I had to go rescue him. Immediately I got a flurry of pink messages popping up that said:

Mr.BigwIggy whispered to [MykaReviews]:

[::Don’t Poke the Bear pt 2: So, You Poked The Bear…::

Hidden Scenario- Rescue a Friend in under one hour.

59:59]

Tick tick tick. The timer minimized to the lower left half of my HUD.

Now I was on a time limit. I raced to Plyne’s, grateful for my provided running shoes instead of tourist appropriate flip flops. Balder would want to hear this one once I’d survived to tell the tale. I flung open the door out of breath.

“Plyne! I need help on how to fight a bear!”