I spent some time the next morning brushing my hair. Days on the road in pseudo-Caribbean heat and humidity tangled it something fierce, and running a brush through the length of it felt better than I really had any excuse for.

Well. Any cisgender excuse for, anyway.

I chewed on that when I put on my crappy chestwrap, which had gotten as sweaty and gross in my time here. I hoped that we could get new clothes and take a bath soon, and I was willing to bet I wasn't alone when I made it down to the front of the barn.

Hikaru and Alesha were waiting at a makeshift low table, and Hikaru - without a word - thrust two warm bowls into my hands.

I sit down next to them and look at my prizes.

"Are these churros?" I ask.

"Porras, technically," he replies, taking one of his and dunking it into his drink.

"What's the difference?" Alesha says, looking at hers dubiously.

Hikaru turns to her with a blank expression and blinks. "About an inch of thickness and two of length."

"That's what she said," I am compelled to reply, and I sip my drink.

Mocha. Hot, mildly sweetened, a little bitter. Very good stuff.

Before I know it I've drunk half the bowl, and eaten half of my first fried dough stick.

"Thanks," I manage between bites.

Hikaru just nods at that, and for a while we're too busy eating to talk.

---

Alesha breaks the silence later, after wiping her lips with a cloth.

"We will be able to get into the city, thanks to Miles' recommendation - into the city, and into an audience with the Contessa. We should take advantage of the opportunity."

I follow her gaze out to the rest of the camp. This farm is making a fair bit of money renting out help to the Adventurers - getting help from the Adventurers, especially my party - and I can't begrudge them that, because the number of players outside the gates is a lot more than anyone could be expected to deal with.

I've lost count, really.

Enough aren't dealing with it well that I'll be a lot happier in Viacruz proper.

"I've done some asking around," Hikaru says. "Several subserver names kept coming up - all of them tied to the Chimera server."

Alesha sighed, long and loud. "So it's safe to assume that whatever happened only affected the west coast?"

"Or that this instance is only for the players on the west coast," I say. "And that anyone from Behemoth or Archon or Dragon or wherever is stuck on a different Mundus."

Alesha stiffens, then shakes her head. "No. I don't want to believe that."

"There's no evidence," Hikaru says, "to either prove or disprove that other servers have suffered the same effects. We cannot assume either way. No matter what we want to think about it."

"There has to be a way back home," Alesha says again, putting a hand on his shoulder. "One of my kids is there, my ex is there - hell, my clients need me -"

Hikaru puts a hand on her wrist.

"Alesha," he says very softly, "Do you think I enjoy telling you, or anyone else, that we haven't found a way back yet?"

Alesha, reluctantly, takes her hand from his shoulder and shakes her head.

"I'm sorry," Hikaru says, and means it. "We simply do not have nearly enough information about what happened or why we're here. Which I hope to remedy as soon as possible, but this will take time."

"We don't have much of that," Alesha mutters, looking at you.

But I have to shake my head at that.

"All we can do is survive and figure out what we can from here," I say. "We have people to visit and plans to make, clearly."

She sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose, eyes closed, thinking. "...so we do that," she says, "and then ask around. At the Cathedral of Aurora, if nothing else, to see if a wayward Psychic has turned up."

Her daughter, Jasmine, AKA Peachi Effervescent, Eithyr Psychic of Aurora.

I pat her on the back. Behind us, a door creaked open.

"Not to look my breakfast in the mouth but how much did you pay for those donuts, Heeks?" Sekhmet says, frowning at him.

"15 Sheaves for the five of us, and some additional rations besides," he says.

Sekhmet winces. "Not as bad as I thought, but still. Leave procurement to me next time, 'k? That's why I'm in the Company."

"Am I in the company?" Ace asks, coming out from behind Sekhmet to sniff at her porra.

"That's another stop in the city to schedule," Hikaru sighs. "The Adventurer's Guild Office. Right, let's make our plans."

I pull up a chair for Ace and smile at her, a bit, as she and Sekh join us to make plans.

---

It soon becomes fairly obvious that we'll need to split up to do this properly with the time we have. It's also clear that we won't have anything to report back to the rest of the Playerbase and can't worry about that until there's news to dispense.

"Best to get our own masks on before we assist the others," Alesha says.

Sekhmet was our steward and provisioner, when this was a game, and will try to deal with Company stewardship; provisions, housing, better equipment - with Ace along to assist. Hikaru will be doing research, contacting the mage guilds and what other members of the Free Company he can find. Alesha will be going to the temples to look for her daughter, and for outreach to the locals.

The Mundanes.

I'll be going with her. I owe my best friend here that much.

And besides... at the top of my character sheet, just below Deedee Yeowoo, are the words Vulpecian Cleric. I'm beginning to suspect that as an official godbotherer I'd better learn how to start bothering the Gods.

"One other thing," I say at the tail end of breakfast, when everyone is down to their last cruller. "I think it would be, uh, prudent to visit the baths. Before we meet with the Countess, if possible."

"Oh god please," Ace groans. "That and like, laundry and new clothes."

"How much would that cost?" Sekhmet says, ear twitching. "We have not a lot of money and a lot of not-going-anywhere and time. Inn will probably give us washing-up stuff."

"The in-game function of it is mostly to remove some pernicious status effects we don't have," Hikaru adds.

Then thinks, and sniffs, and frowns. "Though I admit I'm not sure how much that corresponds with, or elides, the present reality of the situation," Hikaru adds. "Especially given the 'experience bonuses' from sleeping and eating."

"Ask my clients how well they remember things when they haven't been eating properly," Alesha replies, folding her arms. "Or washing properly."

I take a deep breath. "More than all of us very much needing it I think that the Countess would appreciate, and notice, our cleaning up before our job interview."

There's a moment of silence across the table and Sekhmet rocks back like she's been hit in the face with a cucumber.

"Fuck," they say. "That's what this is, isn't it."

"That or a citizenship exam," Alesha sighs, nodding.

Sekhmet runs their hand down her face. "We can't afford NOT to fucking go to the baths. Right. Let's, uh, let's send an Official Message to her saying why we're delayed."

"It shouldn't be terribly expensive," Hikaru says. "The price of a bath was measured in Sheaves prior to our... translation into Mundus."

"Let me guess, those are the copper ones," Ace says. Then snorts. "Course, they'll be jacking up prices once they see however many thousands of us showed up for Renfaire 2047."

"I do not anticipate the cost exceeding one Crown Guilder for all of us - those are the gold ones," Hikaru adds for Ace's benefit. "Even if there's... an inflation problem waiting to happen."

"I've already agreed we're doing it," Sekhmet growls. "Please don't make me regret it more than I already do."

With that, the rest of the day's plans fall rapidly into place, and I'm glad to have the rest of the hot chocolate. This will, very certainly, be a long day.