Chapter 40: Books Blood & Boys

Elenore wasn’t kidding when she implied that the first floor had mostly things that were gentle enough for a small child to encounter. They were relatively uninteresting for me as well. I did find a copy of a book that was similar to the pony book I had read with Millie Goode.

Aside from myself, there were only 2 other people on the first floor, a small child being either taught, or helped, in reading by an older man. I nodded when they glanced at me, but left them to their book.

Friday and I moved to the second floor after 10 minutes or so, having scanned a handful of books that might be useful, or at least mildly interesting

The second floor had a few people in dream consoles, including the 2 scruffies from the Merits, and a pair of people playing chess. Friday and I flipped through books while we talked for a little bit.

“The percentage of non-fiction feels low. Have we found any maps that seem useful, Friday?”

“Nothing more than broad overviews in one of the books on the first floor. Certainly nothing I would feel good about attempting to navigate by using.” A few seconds later, Friday broached a new topic. “Say Boss, you seem to like children quite a bit. Maybe what Benjamin Franklin Goode said about a nanny, or maybe a teacher? In reference to your ‘What do I want to do with my life’ line in our todo list.”

I thought about it for a few seconds as I continued to flip pages quickly, just wide enough so Friday could capture the contents before moving onward. “I like Millie, Kip was a bit annoying, but I’m not sure he is really a child at his age. It might be worth thinking about, but I think I should find a solution for that Bane before I decide anything that has me associating closely with little ones for a long period.”

The books on the second floor were certainly more involved, but I was uncertain if they were better. Seeing weathered text flicker by that spoke of sparkling night dwellers or sword wielding cimmerians. Some of it did look interesting, including what looked like various thin booklets about organizations in Cecal and their associated academies. Apparently it was common for these companies or families to grow their own talent. There were even new bits of fiction, seemingly about System or non-System adventurers delving into dungeons or fighting off monstrous threats to various Cecal or extra-regional settlements.

“Say Friday, how fast is your mind? I mean, you can see everything on a page in a flash, isn’t talking with me super boring waiting for me to think and communicate back to you?”

“No worries, Monday. As a Tier 3 AI I have 3 active processors. I throttle one back to operate at a speed comfortable to observe and interact with you. While my others can operate very quickly, I will task those parts of me to do various complex things which might take far too long to consider otherwise.”

“Oh, like what?”

“The one operating with the most power is attempting to use the new capabilities granted by the Internal Awareness boon to map out your body. Your digestive system seems extraordinarily effective.” Friday’s calm compliment towards my insides struck me as a little odd.

“How do you know if it is more effective or less effective?”

“14 minutes ago we scanned a medical text for comparative bloodlines that included some baselines. If you see any more medical texts I think scanning them would be useful.”

“Sure. But how can you do that? I haven’t even done it yet.” Pages flipping, pages flipping.

“It is unlocked, and you can do it. I can use senses that you can use, though apparently my understanding of the intricacies for taste and smell are harder to do than sight or sound. Anyhow, when we are done with this book, try to feel your heartbeat. You can even cheat with your hand at first.” Friday advised me.

A short time later, I set down the book and placed my hand on my chest feeling for my heartbeat. Easy enough to find, low and slow I felt it thump, and was reminded of the sound which had woken me 2 days before. I felt the resonance for a few beats before Friday told me to continue feeling it, but drop my hand. Feeling the heartbeat was easy enough.

“Follow the blood” Friday said in a whisper that no one but I could hear anyhow.

I rushed away from my heart, shoved forth and out, surrounded by wet darkness, I could feel the blood, and feel the artery I was being pushed through. Things were just beginning to feel tighter when a pair of voices called in and I opened my eyes.

“What’cha doin’ Senpai?” Scruffy 1 said, followed closely by Scruffy 2. “Yeah Sensei, what’s up?” Their heads were tilted a little bit, as if synchronized, looking up to meet my eyes. I rolled mine at them.

“Hi you 2, just testing my heartbeat.” Their confusion wasn’t unexpected. “Why did you call out to me, anyhow? Is it about Ann again?” Less than 1 second allowed me to determine that was the most likely answer. “I don’t think being able to talk with Ann is that special, she’s pretty nice.”

Scruffy 2 nodded. “Yup, she’s pretty AND nice unless you leave your room a mess. And her voice makes my kneecaps want to fall off.”

Nodding along, Scruffy 1 continued. “We’re not good at just being chatty with pretty people.”

“So you’re good at being chatty with pretty people if you're also being something else?” They looked confused for a moment before I continued. “You seem fine just chatting with Feathers, I mean Jazmine. Isn’t she pretty? I mean, I think she is? Or are you calling Jazmine and myself plain?”

“You’re not bad, but Jazmine is Pretty noisy.” Said Scruffy 2.

“Pretty bossy.” Added Scruffy 1.

“Pretty scary.”

“Pretty mean.”

“Pretty troublesome.”

“Pretty demanding.”

“Pretty hard to wake up.”

“Pretty … stubborn.”

“Pretty decent cook.”

“Pretty good tracker.”

I butted in, noting they seemed well rehearsed. “This is a bit, right? A comedy routine?”

They grinned at the same moment and spoke in tandem, switching between them. “Yeah, if someone implies we should go after her… we do this… she’s more like an older sister… ewww.” Then matching grins.

“Are you two brothers? twins?”

“Nah, cousins… born on the same day though… well, blood brothers we guess… So how were you testing your heartbeat?”

“You both seemed much more quiet at meals.” It was more of an inside thought that leaked out.

“Well, yeah… food you know? Not good to talk with a full mouth…”

I squinted at them. “A new ability, sensing inside myself. So I was practicing.”

“Oh! Right your…” Scruffy 1 was silenced by a whack on the arm by Scruffy 2.

“Hush Tok. Sorry Monday March, he’s a bit of a blabbermouth. Roy’s still trying to convince the ‘pretty hard to wake up’ that an escort isn’t going to get us dead or cursed. So we came over here to play around in case we have to leave in the morning.”

“Don’t you two get a vote?”

”Of course… But we almost never use them… unless Roy and Jazmine are still not agreeing by bedtime… last time we made them make us breakfast in bed for a month… last time? Only time… good times.”

Barely following their conversation I took a quick glance at their hands. Both had a ring on each of the outer 3 fingers of their right hand and a single one on their left pinkie finger. I ruffled their hair, half scritch half fluff.

“I’m going to go back to doing my own thing unless you want to be hired for entirely too little money, to do entirely unexciting things.”

Looking at each other for half a beat they looked back at me and nodded. “We’re in!”

Seeing they each had a silver pin I drug them around for an hour or so adding hands to my processes of flipping through books on floor 2 and floor 3. Friday kept up quite easily. I bypassed the basement entirely as the description from Elenore had been a bit concerning to me. My hired help didn’t qualify either.

Narrowing my gaze at Scruffy 1 I said. “So you are Tok. What is your name?” I asked as I looked at scruffy 2.

Both pairs of scruffy eyes widened. “I’m Motu, sensei. I regret failing to introduce myself correctly… I also am to blame, senpai. My name is indeed Tok as you deduced.”

I waved my hand gently at them. “You are goofy young men, and not bound by honor or, well, anything to me. Except you are freely contracted for a pittance! To Elenore!” And in a quieter conspiratorial way. “And then to the street vendors!”

While there was one glare from a patron on the 3rd floor, there were several amused glances.

Between Elenore and the food stalls I spent 2 dollars and a few brass to pay for myself and the scruffies as they followed along with me to the Guildhall.

Flanked by Tok and Motu I approached the ever present Crag. “ Hi Crag. You might not be who to ask, but you are the person I know. Where do I arrange and pay for a training room for the 3 of us?”

Crag grinned a big wide smile at all of us before I noticed the scruffies had shrunk in on themselves a little bit. “Oh Monday March, need a trainer too?”

“No, Tok and Motu are gonna show me a little self defense.” I said as I smiled at the large dark man. “Charge us for an hour?”