Suggestions

Chapter 96

As Elim worked, I was keeping track on my side of things. I had a map view open in my image editor, and I’d traced Selton and the surrounding area. It was an evolving project, the map updating with detail as Elim moved. Fortunately, it auto-detected water sources though it didn’t label them. I’d sent him on a wild goose chase after a huge washing barrel early in the morning, mistaking it for a well.

“So, that's one family done,” Elim chirped. He’d just got done paying a visit to the Carvers who’d taken his daughter Bess while his mother Jessica was sick. He’d managed to survive an awkward lunch with his own family's lady folk a few hours prior.

“I’m surprised they liked the cheese so much,” I said despite being distracted. I colored the family’s home blue and struck through the list of associated names. It was my way of ensuring that we got everyone and no, or at least minimal, backtracking would be required.

“Are you joking? I wouldn’t have given it up if I didn’t know I could get more from you,” Elim said in disbelief. He laughed then, helpless with mirth and thankfully alone for the moment.

While chatting, I caught up drawing and coloring the map. As Elim moved, more details were revealed since he was in a section he hadn't visited before. It was kind of interesting to watch that happen. A new area blooming as he passed through.

Elim had lived in the village for most of his life, but there were still bits of it he'd had nothing to do with. Side streets and homes he'd never walked by. Not a lot, it was a small place, but still enough that a quarter of the village had been undefined when he initially arrived.

“Is cheese a popular food or something?” I asked. I associated enjoyment of cheese with snobby stuff like overly expensive charcuterie boards. Then again, I couldn’t recall anything like food preferences, so maybe I’d liked it but not paying extra for someone sticking it on a wooden plank.

“It would be if it tasted like what you conjured up. Not to mention it being nicely preserved in those wax rinds,” Elim explained.

“Huh? Dude, you had that cheese on you as part of your rations. I just upgraded it a bunch,” I countered. It honestly didn’t matter, but I felt like Elim might get weird ideas if he thought I could straight up create things from nothing. I could buy some stuff from my store, but most of the time, I needed a sample for mundane items.

“Seriously? I tried one of those, and they were nasty… Your magic truly is strange,” Elim offered. I felt like he’d be shrugging if I could see him, but it was a voice only call. Telling Tiller video calls could only happen in caves was a lie, but it was a lot safer overall. I really didn’t want to find out how fast a pitchfork and torch mob could be assembled if someone saw me talking to Elim.

“... It might have been expired or poorly made, I guess. Unfortunately, I don’t really have a sense of taste, so I can't really help you there,” I offered with a shrug.

“As you say, Mistress,” Elim replied wryly. He had a tendency to sound amused when I mentioned not having something typically considered human standard. A turn of events that didn’t come up as often as one might assume based on our respective species.

“So, you rest up and try to smooth things over with Tiller and your Mom until we acquire the pie. Tomorrow you’ve got a full slate of home visits to the sick to pull off and I’ll need you sharp,” I offered to needle him playfully. Elim groaned.

“Yes, Mistress,” He replied dully. When the call disconnected, I found myself at loose ends for a few minutes. Or for as long as I wanted until it was time for the pre-refresh final spending of the day. That was a ways off, but I’d been burning a lot of my normal busy work when the system was acting up.

With no task convenient to hand I thought about calling Henry, or more likely writing him. He hadn’t responded to my reply yet but I wasn’t worried about it. Telling someone something and having to face them afterwards was hard in its own way. If he needed a couple of days, I wasn’t going to freak out.

Needing to clear my head and do something at least semi productive I decided to do something instead of existential wallowing . That led me back to my earlier issue but horshoed to playing around with the appearance editor. Well, more like researching it carefully, then playing with it.

Grateful for the distraction, I started examining every option and tooltip visible. It didn’t take long for me to find a couple of interesting points. Firstly, the new appearance could be turned on or off like an illusion of life. Second, I could have more than one appearance but hadn’t unlocked the slots for them as of yet.

I pondered that but didn’t really find myself drawn to it. I might eventually need a closet full of magic as hell designs but one would likely do for the moment. Beyond all that, I’d only get one shot about designing it. No pressure.

Still, until I hit the finalize option, I would be able to play around with whatever I fancied for days if I felt like it. Feeling a bit playful, I sent out a text describing my new ability and asking for suggestions. I didn’t have any serious plans for what I might want to look like so I figured it would be fun to let the dungeon denizens weigh in on the matter.

With that done and something interesting to work on for a bit, I resumed reading my options. No sense in going in half cocked after all. It was about fifteen minutes later that I heard a strange clattering, like bone on stone. A sound I was all too familiar with.

Chris came skidding into the main room of my palace of shadows, all bones and soggy clothes. Like he was trying to use himself as a drying rack.

“Chris-” I started.

“BE A BIG ASS LAVA MONSTER!” Chris shouted. I was going to reply, then closed my mouth.

I ask for appearance suggestions and he comes running at top speed for that. Big ass lava monster indeed. What exactly could one say to that kind of enthusiasm other than sigh dramatically in fond irritation?