Dungeon Item Shop - Chapter 293: Fading autumn (Patreon)

“I really like the new shower,” says Basil first thing as she comes upstairs, still ringing out her long hair as she wraps it up in a cloth to dry.

“Fuck off, Basil!” yells Jubilee, pointing at her with the broom they have in their hands. “You’re making everything wet! Dry off downstairs!”

“Oh, don’t be such a grump,” replies Basil, turning her head the other way. “Go take a shower too. Maybe washing all of that salt off of you will finally make you less crusty.”

“The only crusty thing here is your face,” replies Jubilee. “What are you even doing?” they ask, pointing at Basil’s head with the broom.

“I’m wrapping my hair up.”

“I see that. Why?” asks Jubilee. “Dry off down in the washroom like a normal person.”

Basil shakes her head. “I was talking to Sauli this morning,” says Basil.

“Is he the one with the curly hair?” asks Jubilee.

The priestess nods. “I asked him what his trick is. I just figured all fairies have very bouncy hair naturally,” she says, walking past Jubilee and pulling on a strand of their straight, heavy hair. Jubilee swipes her hand away, shooing her off with the pointy end of the broom. “But he said that he wraps his head in a cloth after he showers and lets it dry like that. So I figured I’d try it.”

“I don’t think making your hair bouncier is going to help you any, with that weird face of yours,” replies Jubilee, raising an eyebrow. “Anyways,” sighs Jubilee. “Why are you touching me?” they ask, trying any failing to get the still damp Basil off of themselves, the priestess having clamped them tightly in a moist hug.

“You’re always meanest when something’s bothering you,” says Basil. “Want me to help you with your hair too?” she asks. “We could get some oil and make a whole thing out of it,” she suggests.

“The only thing that’s bothering me is the fact that nobody in this house respects my private space and the fact that she’s been sitting there all day like a zombie,” complains Jubilee, pointing at Fresh, who is sitting at the table upstairs, having watched this latest scene unfold.

The hair-cloth thing is a really good idea, actually, realizes Fresh. She was always jealous of the fairies’ objectively great hair. It always seemed to be oddly naturally perfect. Maybe with some of Basil’s oils, with unsalted water and with a hair-wrap like Basil has on, she could get close to something akin to it too?

But is that really a priority right now? Nice hair?

No. Not really.

Fresh lifts her eyes to her friends, looking at their puzzled expressions as they stare her way.

“Will you let go of me? You’re getting me all wet, you slime,” barks Jubilee.

“Just trying to scrub some of the grime off of that personality of yours,” replies Basil, rubbing her head sideways against the top of Jubilee’s. They sigh.

“And what the hell is your problem?” they ask, looking at Fresh who has been sitting there ever since they got upstairs. She blinks, continuing to stare at them. In truth, her problem is a complicated one. At least as far as she herself sees it. She feels like she has unraveled the mystery of the murderer, of the trail of bodies that seems to follow them.

But this might be one of those moments, one of those ‘friends keep secrets’ moments. Jubilee is a tough nut and Fresh is sure that they wouldn’t blink twice if she told them what she now knows. But Basil isn’t that hard-shelled yet and she doesn’t want her to become so either. As for Shamrock…

Fresh turns her head, staring at the man who is sitting on the floor, cross legged, carving a statue that resembles some monster he had encountered down deep in the dungeon. He’s gotten a lot better at it and they’re really starting to become intricate little things.

Anyways, back on topic. He can handle it too.

But…

Fresh sighs.

“Hello?” barks Jubilee, snapping their fingers. “Wake the fuck up.”

“Oh!” Fresh realizes she was ignoring Jubilee and their question. “I’m sorry Jubilee,” she says, shaking her head. Turning her gaze, she looks down at the untouched cup of cold, red tea resting between her hands. “I’m just feeling a little, uh… I dunno.” She looks up towards the ceiling. “- distracted?”

“Yeah, we can see that,” they reply, waddling over with Basil in tow. “You good?” asks Jubilee. “Look, all of this war bullshit is going to kick off one way or another soon. It’s going to get ugly,” they say, lowering the broom and poking her in the gut with it from afar. “But we need you to be here, okay?” they ask.

Fresh lowers her gaze, not having expected Jubilee to say something vaguely open and emotional. Especially in front of the others who are both staring her way too.

She’s so busy being lost in her thoughts about how to keep her friends safe from worrying, that she’s actually, ironically, making them worry with her moping, she realizes.

“You’re right, Jubilee,” says Fresh, smiling as she gets up. “I’m just a bit gooey today in the head. I’ll be better by tomorrow,” she reassures them, putting her tea-cup down on the kitchen-counter and grabbing a rag to help Jubilee clean the rest of the upstairs area. “Let’s have a big hair day together, okay?” she asks, looking over her shoulder at Basil. “I wanna try too!”

“Sounds like fun,” nods Basil. “Let’s do it before we go to the theater!” she suggests.

“Mm!” nods Fresh. “But I want to wash Jubilee’s hair!”

“Uh, what did I just say about respecting my personal space?” asks Jubilee, still not having managed to get away from Basil.

“What about you, Shamrock?” asks Basil. The man lifts his head, looking at her for a moment. “Oh. Right. Uh, sorry,” says Basil, staring at his metal helmet. “But you’re still invited.”

“Sounds fun,” is all that Shamrock says, before looking back down at his carving and continuing with it.

“Anyways,” says Jubilee. “Let’s not stress so much about it, okay?” they ask. “What’s going to happen is going to happen.”

“As long as we stick together, we’ll be fine,” says Basil.

Jubilee rolls their eyes. “Ugh.”

“It’s true,” reassures Basil. “We’re all that we need.”

“What I need is a noose,” sighs Jubilee.

“Please,” sighs Basil.

“Anyways,” says Fresh, deciding that it’s best to keep it to herself just this one time. The bad times are going to be coming now, one way or another. So she wants everyone to enjoy the happy days, while they’re still plentiful and abundant. She opens the cooling cabinet. “Look! I made a light for the inside of the cabinet!”

“Huh…” says Basil.

“Neat,” nods Jubilee, shrugging.

“Right?” asks Fresh. “I spent an hour working on it!” she exclaims proudly.

“Great. What a productive use of your time, while we were working our asses off downstairs,” sighs Jubilee.

“It wasn’t that busy,” says Basil. “Plus I’m sure it’ll be useful for when you rummage through the cabinet in the middle of the night.”

“I get thirsty, okay?” says Jubilee. “Can you please let go of me? You’re soaking through my clothes.”

“Oh! Sorry,” says Basil, letting go of Jubilee finally. Seeing them raise an eyebrow at her sudden release, she explains. “You said ‘please’.”

Jubilee shakes their head. “I wish the ocean would just rise up and wash me away.”

“Oooh!” says Fresh. “Can we go with you too?” she asks. “I’d love to see more of the world!”

“Taking you all with me would defeat the point,” replies Jubilee. Fresh frowns, deciding to get started with tonight’s dinner, whatever that’s going to be. She still isn’t sure just yet.

Basil sighs. “You’re such a snarky creature, aren’t you?”

“Shamrooock~?” calls Fresh. “Wanna help me with dinner?” she asks, wagging with the knife in her hand. “Please?”

The man nods, setting down his work to help her. “So you’re just going to leave a bunch of wood-shavings and a knife right in front of my door, huh?” asks Jubilee. Shamrock stops looking down at them and then at the mess.

“Yes,” is all that he says, heading over to the kitchen. It’s a bit unlike him.

Fresh scratches her cheek, happy nonetheless that he’s coming to help her. Feeling his questioning gaze on her, Fresh realizes that he doesn’t know what to help with. There isn’t exactly an identifiable dinner being prepared here yet.

“Uh… hmm…” Fresh thinks for a moment. “While it’s still autumn, let’s have some autumn food, guys!” she suggests.

“Like what?” asks Jubilee.

“Pies are nice?” suggests Basil. “I know a good recipe that uses a lot of nuts. It’s a little sweet, but I think it would be nice.” Fresh looks at the others.

“I dunno,” states Jubilee. “Pie for dinner?”

“We can have it as desert,” suggests Basil. “Why don’t we make it together?” she asks Jubilee. “We’ll let the two of them handle the food-food then in the meantime.”

Jubilee seems to be considering their options. “Do we have to go into town to get anything?”

“Yes.”

“Pass.”

“You can’t pass!” argues Basil. “Please?”

Jubilee groans, rolling their eyes. “Fine!” they relent, surprisingly easily. Fresh watches from the kitchen with the oddest sense of déjà vu, as the two of them get ready to go into town.

“But you have to take off that damn thing,” sighs Jubilee, pointing at the wet cloth around the priestess’ hair.

Basil lifts her nose. “Well obviously, I’m not going to go into town with this around my head. I’d look like you.”

“This is the part where I’m changing my mind about going with you,” says Jubilee.

Fresh laughs, watching the two of them getting into their usual spat, before turning back to Shamrock who seems to have started chopping vegetables, apparently having come up with an idea for dinner without her help.

“What’re we making, Shamrock?” asks Fresh, grabbing his arm and holding her head against it as she watches him work.

“Vegetables.”

She frowns. “I guess it makes sense. If the others want to make something sweet. I don’t know if it feels very autumny though.”

“Soup?” he asks, continuing to chop a bunch of tubers.

“Hmm…” Fresh considers her options, smearing her face against his armor to help herself think. “Did you try out the new shower yet, Shamrock?” she asks, changing the topic. He shakes his head. “You should!” says Fresh. “It’s mostly just normal water now, so it’s probably better for you too.”

“Thanks,” is all that he says, continuing his work.

She frowns.

“Have you been feeling gooey too lately?” she asks. “In the head?” The man continues his work, not answering her. “Hmm… wanna make a stew?” He turns his head to stare at her for a moment, before nodding. “But without any flagons of milk,” reassures Fresh.

He nods. This seems to be an acceptable compromise and the two of them set to work doing just that.

The others come back after a while, having had to be outside longer since they couldn’t find a merchant who had any nuts left on this side of the city and as for Basil’s hair, it is indeed, exceptionally bouncy.