---

Hidden amidst the clamor and hustle of the Market District, there's a very ordinary-looking three-story building. Dusty and weathered, it is clamped between a second-rate bar and a suspicious tavern. When you approach, you notice the sign with two red letters, saying "AA counseling" on one of the windows on the second floor. That must be it. You slow down your steps for a second: "Is it worth it? Is it even credible?" Somehow, it doesn't look reliable at all. But the recommendation you've received still stands, and you make one more step toward the door. Apparently, the building lets rooms for rent, you can see that there is quite a bunch of little businesses and offices and it's hard to find your way through the narrow corridors bustling with hurrying and quarreling people. Finally, you end up by the door, saying "AA friends. We Understand". You are still unsure, but you've come such a long way, it'd be silly to turn back. Maybe, that's the very place where your craving for AA and your worries would be heard? You knock and hear a high-pitch voice "come in, friend! Let's talk". You sigh and enter the cabinet.

---

We talk all things A: from anxiety to alpacas. 

    Vikram muddled around the snack table. Stale pastries and lukewarm tea in small bamboo cups were scattered in small serving pans. He turned slightly and snacked on a bit of salted meat wrapped in a pita that was hidden in the cuff of his robe, hiding it from the other adventurers. He couldn't believe his good friend the Magistrate told him to come here, Vikram hadn't done anything wrong. The man had said Oh, Vikram, this is your second strike, if you don't go to this meeting, you'll have to stay here all month. Such poppycock, the magistrates fancy iron castle was pleasant, but the amenities were not suited for extended stays. Far too drafty, and the servants were always oddly hostile towards him.

    The leader called the assorted group to the chairs sat in a circle in the center of the room. She introduced herself, briefly, Vikram had'nt heard most of it. Too focused on the odd collection of individuals gathered around the circle of chairs. All quite distracting until he heard a quiet a-hem from the woman at the head of the group. She looked at him, expectantly, and repeated herself after a few quiet moments.

"Sir? Please introduce yourself, and tell us about A topic if you will"

    The look of surprise was apparent, he gathered himself in short order.

"Ah, you must forgive me. I am Vikram, Sukhbir of the Sands. What was it you wanted me to say? A topic? Well...I'd say the magistrate would like me to mention my Arrests, Allegations of Assault and Absent-mindedness. Actually, Any Accusation would be Asserting Astronomically Abbreviated Accreditation of Abuse. Altogether, Allergies Are Almost All of my Amusing Annihilations And Ails. Aromatherapy, As An Afterthough Adventitiously Acquiesced Arrives An Answer."

"Are you implying allergies are the cause of your arrests?"

"Almost certainly, I find it hard to focus in this city. The flowers maybe, anyway, that's all I had to say. Thank you."

    Vikram sat back in his chair, his expression stern as he rubbed his nose slightly. In truth, it was only a disguising gesture to sneak another snack mid meeting.

    

Rewind<< Two hours prior <<

The afternoon sun was peeking through the dusty, unwashed windows of her new office. The room still looked bare. It had only the minimum furniture inside: an old sofa that had definitely seen better days, a couple of clumsy wooden chairs, a desk, and a couple of boxes in the corner. All of these were left as a heritage from the previous owners. There were also long shelves with books that somehow just ended up there. Among them, one would see issues of "An Alchemist", heavy volumes of " The History of Charon", and "6 pack in 6 months. An Illustrated Guide to Perfection" by a group of authors. Her favorite was "The intricacies of Ooze psychology" which she picked up and dragged to a desk. She climbed into a shabby armchair, made herself a huge cup of tea, and opened the first page.



Minutes passed, then half an hour...She could hear the big clocks on the wall ticking monotonously. It was so warm and cozy that somehow she dozed off.

>>

When she woke up, the room was full of people. They were busying around just like hard-working ants, bringing in their own chairs, leader, and snacks. The leader lady was delegating the tasks and getting ready for something, she seemed to know what she was doing, so Cheche prepared to doze off again. Suddenly, a guest appeared. The newcomer, dressed in magnificent turquoise robes, had a well-kept long beard, and carried himself with an air of authority. "Ahha!" - she thought to herself. "How exciting!" - she started listening closely, half hidden behind the desk, which no one appeared to notice at all. All the assembled introduced themselves one by one. The last was the spiffy older man, who spoke as if his thoughts were elsewhere. Arrests? Due to allergy? Cheche felt extremely curious! This person looked like a worthy visitor!



-Ehhm...Thank you, Mr. Vikram.- the leader coughed...-Well, let's applaud to Mr. Vikram, he was brave enough to come and open his heart to all of us. Let us commence. Today we, Anonymous Accidental Acupuncturists are all gathered here in order...- Cheche choked on her tea, coughing so loudly, that the leader jumped in shock, having noticed her for the first time.



- Wait, wait, wait, milady! - Cheche had climbed up on the desk and stepped one foot on the huge volume she was reading a while ago. The ray of autumn sunshine lit her from behind making her tiny figure look important and even victorious. - I'd hate to interrupt, but you, my darlings, seem to belong to the AAA community, and we are AA - Anonymous Adventurers support league. Your group is residing in the neighboring block. Now, if you please....

The group left in a hurry. Was it Cheche's unusual appearance, her cough or simply the awkwardness of the situation, that made them flee leaving their chairs behind - was hard to tell.

The pixie turned to Vikram and pointed at the plate with pumpkin cupcakes

-Please try these, they are delicious. So you were saying, you've been arrested due to your allergy and had to face some atrocious allegations. Would you like to talk about that? Please make yourself comfortable, here, the pillows.

Cheche returned to a desk, readied her ink and feather and prepared to listen. 

Beist walked up to the door, wondering what he might expect from this "AA", but was suddenly surprised by a huge group of people leaving all at once and headed out. What, had the meeting just ended? Had he gotten the time wrong or something? Why was everyone leaving already? Once the group had all swept past him, seeming a bit embarrassed for some reason and not looking up at him, he could still hear voices coming from inside the room. Well, he might as well try going in then.

The huge beast man pushed through the door and ducked under the doorframe to enter the room before looking around. There was a small Pixie and a portly, bearded man with a large turban. He was a bit surprised to see a Pixie, but not displeased. Though, it might be a bit rude to ask her a lot of questions about Pixies during the meeting. The bearded man also seemed oddly familiar, but he couldn't quite place where he might have seen him before.

"Eh, excuse me, you said this is the AA?" he asked a bit hesitantly.

He still wasn't even sure if he wanted to be here. He walked over to join the circle of chairs, but sat down on the floor instead. He doubted any of these chairs might hold his weight, and he didn't want to break any of them. Accompanying the giant, horned, four-armed fluffy beast man was a white, winged snake on his left shoulder, a cat-sized, very fuzzy bumblebee on his right shoulder, a tiny bat hanging from his right horn, and a brown raccoon dog poking their head out through the neck hole of their makeshift robe. A huge griffin also walked in behind him and lied down on the ground next to him.

"This is the Animal Appreciation group, isn't it?"

    Amarud found himself lost amongst innumerable market stalls, the high pitched voices of shopkeepers and heckling merchants overwhelmed his thoughts, the constant stimuli slowly wore at his concentration, his attention pushed an pulled in all directions made unfamiliar. He needed to get away from the sudden crowds, from the unwanted noise that threatened to drive him mad. A constant stream of busybodies were unexpectedly crammed through congested walkways, their overburdened pack animals shuffling alongside their masters. These unkempt streets wrapped around various homes, they slipped between the darkest places and out into the light. This disoriented man cast adrift across this sea of foreign folk and vagabonds--failed to reclaim his bearings. With Amarud's lack of direction, he found himself one with the tide he struggled against. He swam along with beggars and thieves through alleyways washed in shadow, and was flung through a sudden current of people that took him far from his intended destination. When his tired legs refused carry him any further, he would finally land ashore with idle denizens free from their daily tasks.

            Amarud took a deep breath, "Where am I now?"

    He would lift his head to study an old building nestled so comfortably in this maze-like market. The sweat from his brow stung his eyes as he gazed upon the door beside him, and he would only knock once before he pushed his way through to escape disquieting sounds from outside, and at last, he could hear himself think again. In this precious moment of reprieve quickly stripped away, Armarud would freeze in place and examine his newfound surroundings. Several rows of chairs were organized near well managed tables, and at the center of the room were many new faces. Amarud's sudden interruption was not unwelcome, but there would be one to speak up, her calm demeanor noted in the weight of her voice.

            "It's nice to occasionally find a newcomer amongst our friends." One of the few gathered here gestured to an open chair. "Would you be so kind as to join us?"

    With a great deal of caution, Amarud would take a distant seat, but not before seizing a few hors d'oeuvres from the nearest table. His thick calloused fingers clumsily danced across these plates, and only left behind a few crumbs and loose scraps he found unappealing at first glance.

            "Please, introduce yourself." The request also offered a bit a patience that would normally allow for a longer answer.

            "My name is Amarud." His face, stuffed with foods new to his pallet, would struggle with the simple sentence.

    A heavy and awkward silence clung to the air. It was an unpleasant quiet burdened with unmet expectations. Amarud slowly caught onto this, and acknowledged the many eyes still locked onto his person.

            "I belong to a tribe that tramples our grass along King's Valley."

            One attending this small event would quickly ask another question, as if she refused the silence any more space in the room. "Would you mind telling our group about all that brought you here today?"

            "I was taken through the area, drawn by the sights of odd trinkets and smells of spices in your markets. I had not considered how tight the streets were, or why so many would pack together. It was difficult to move, and for a while I could not hear my own thoughts. I went where the crowd did, and in what seemed like a few steps, I was lost. I shoved past a few folks waiting in the shade, and finally made my way here."

            An individual would smile softly, perhaps with the intention to remain inoffensive. Amarud could hardly tell, and often ignored such tensions. "I understand, but you've only explained your discomfort with the journey, not the reasons for why you've decided to visit us."

    Amarud carefully readjusted his bulk in a small chair as its poor wooden legs buckled beneath his mass. The sounds of groaning wood aided in filling the occasional moments of thoughtful quiet.           

            "I am new to these confusing parts. As much as I Appreciate Animals, I felt like herded cattle locked in a series of old pens and stone walls. He added impolitely, "There were few open spaces I could find, and even fewer peaceful places to rest."

Half an hour earlier. Same place.





Cheche put two crates atop the chair to look taller and create some presence. The therapeutic market was harsh to newbies like her, it would chew her up unless she looked the part! Therefore, to look more professional Cheche wore huge reading glasses, a hand-me-down from one of her neighbors. The previous owner had truly terrible eyesight and Cheche's vision became equally blurred, whenever she tried to put them on. She was scribbling down, nodding from time to time while listening to Vikram's leisured talk. It was going well so far, and Cheche was about to congratulate herself on the beginning of her practice. Ooooh, that was what a responsible pixie should do!



However, the day had more in stock for her. It was just the beginning. Their conversation was interrupted by a thundering knock on the door. Both Cheche and her guest flinched at the sound. Shortly after, a gigantic figure squeezed through the doorframe. He had two pairs of horns, was incredibly broad in shoulders, and was so tall, that he had to bow in order not to touch the ceiling with his head. Despite the impressive and slightly menacing appearance, the newcomer had a very gentle air about him. He looked tired, quite unsure, and kind of conscious of the impression he could have possibly created.



- This is the Animal Appreciation group, isn't it? - he asked, looking around. The visitor didn't come empty-handed! He had an assembly of unique pets with him! All of them were so adorable that Cheche hurried towards the beast man, shaking his hand with all the energy she was capable of:



- We are the Anonymous Adventurers support league, but never mind that! We appreciate animals just fine! Please make yourself comfortable! Oh, can I touch the bee? - the pixie, who was not much taller than the bee itself, was sparkling - her natural reaction to something that seemed to be interesting. She was half-floating, her gossamer wings fluttering with excitement. She was reaching her hand to stroke them, however, this had to wait.



The usual buzz that presiding in the busy building grew louder. Cheche tilted her head listening. She had recognized the demanding and harsh voice of the leading lady from the AAA group from earlier. It seemed they had encountered yet one more problem on their sharp way to health. Cheche turned to her two other guests and offered them some more tea and pumpkin cakes. She started getting more and more curious about what the commotion might be about.





- .......What do you mean, sir? - the leading lady's voice sounded strained. Cheche didn't hear the answer, so she slightly opened the door in front of her. She saw a bulky man, trying to fit himself into a tiny chair, somehow, miraculously, he managed to do that. He looked a bit uncomfortable, answering the questions briskly. At a whim, the pixie had decided to rescue the man from what seemed to be a bother to him. At least their club had a griffin! What could possibly beat that?





-Khm..ehm, Milady, I'm terribly sorry! May I borrow this gentleman for a moment? We need, ehm... to hang some curtains!- she finished brimming with a smile. Cheche felt proud at her genial excuse.

    A great weight fell from Amarud’s broad square shoulders. He perked up in reaction to the pleasant voice from afar, the interjection provided a moment of reprieve, and he nearly flew out of his seat in a quick attempt to hold it. The wooden legs finally free from his weight expressed similar relief the very second he stood. Unfortunately, the surprisingly small chair went with him, and this included a cute little cushion that clung to his rear. The Awkward moment only worsened in his sudden mad-dash towards the next room, this large six foot tall man almost stumbled over himself just to be free from the tiny seat he so gracelessly left behind. When he barreled his way to the open door on the far side, he would fail to find the appropriate words to help explain his sudden departure. Stumped mid thought with the door's handle firmly in hand, he rummaged through his faded memory, as he vaguely recalled his manners.

                “I have to go hang some curtains.” The blunt uncertainty in his voice was only reinforced by the Pixie’s presence, and gentle smile. This created a rather unexpected scene when he walked on through and slammed the door shut.

    Finally safe on the other side, Amarud took a brief look around the place. This room was rather pleasant in comparison to the last, he felt at ease here. There was a soothing atmosphere that took less than a minute to properly embrace, and the tension once written upon his face dissolved rather quickly as he discovered another well made spread. The tables were well kept, and he took it upon himself to raid them as well. His greedy hands swung past many delicious confectioneries, he took hold of several sweets and small cakes that struggled to find his mouth. He clumsily dragged a plate or two from the table top and wolfed down a particularly savory pumpkin treat, its stale crumbs hit the floor before he even found a new seat. Given the presence of other unfamiliar faces, he would eventually abandon his gluttony and return to his strangely stoic form of conduct.

                He got down on one knee in an attempt make better eye contact with the kindhearted Pixie. “You’ve provided refuge to a lost man; I must thank you for such hospitality.” His rough voice traveled far, and with the upmost sincerity. “Now, where are these curtains you spoke of?”

"Ah yes, I am most gracious for your hospitality. These look simply scrumptious."

    He took a few of the pastries and piled them atop an appropriately tiny plate. They certainly were scrumptious, he waggled some of the crumbs from the pumpkin tarts out of his beard and back on the plate. More to savour for the future he mused, chuckling to himself. As he munched on the delightful snacks, it appeared as though more of the small glowing creature's appropriate audience appeared. Or was she simply abducting customers from the other A group? Vikram wept (internally), for he did not know. The large Kings Valley man grabbed a large amount of the confections arranged on the table. Vikram found himself glad that he had both already secured a plate and had a secret stash of dried meat hidden within his sleeve. He chuckled to himself once more, a secret that only he kept. The pixie seemed to have her hands quite full with the boisterous bunch she had collected, each one more confused with the situation than the last.

    Wait a minute, now he was among the confused. "Pardon my interruption, But you mentioned Anonymouse Adventurers. Does that include Action for Allergy Alleviation, my good friend the magistrate said that if I did not figure out my problems, I would be taken back to his iron keep. As much as I appreciate his hospitality ma'am, by the way IamVikramSukhbiroftheSandsapleasureto meet you, I don't quite enjoy the bedding provided at sir magistrate's guest housing. It's quite lumpy you see."

    The large kings valley man and the...minotaur? Shaa was a Minotaur but significantly more muscular, and shorter. At least, shorter most of the time. It was quite the interesting focus group to say the least. Their collective problems surely far too much for the pixie to handle. But, alas, it was strike three for the old desert warrior, he had no choice but to acquiesce to the small ones efforts. She was just trying to help after all.

"So, how does this work again?" 

"Ah, Anonymous Adventurers support league... I see... Well, I suppose we can still stay. I am an adventurer of sorts, I suppose." he replied, stroking his fluffy beard.

He was slightly disappointed that this wasn't the group he had though it was, but a support league for adventurers sounded nice as well, and the Pixie in charge of the meeting didn't kick him or his pets out, so that was a plus. Was this some kind of group therapy or something? Well, there was no harm in staying for now. Beist looked at the bearded man that had just quickly rattled off a long introduction and raised a hand in greeting.

"Hello, my name is Beistmild, but please call me Beist." he said to Vikram. He looked a bit familiar. Had he seen him somewhere before?

He looked at all of his pets that didn't seem to mind staying. Dora was just taking a cat nap next to him. Awd smiled and looked around at the room curiously. Bull hung silently from Beist's horn and looked grumpy as usual. Ned buzzed around, flying over and landing on top of some books that had been left on a desk. Beist reached over to take a look at the books out of curiosity. Intricacies of Ooze Psychology sounded interesting. Maybe it would help him understand Trashjar better. 6 Pack in 6 Months? Having a six pack sure sounded nice, but the chubby beast man didn't quite believe it would be possible for him anymore. Ooh, An Alchemist! Now that was a good read! As he looked through the books, the winged serpent on his shoulder also seemed to be reading the titles.

"You should read read the 6 pack one. You could be a better warrior if you lost some fat." the serpent familiar silently communicated to their master. Beist just rolled his eyes and ignored them.

Suddenly, the Pixie left the room in a hurry and returned with a new person who immediately went over to the table of food and started eating it all. Beist let out a short sound of dismay that changed to disappointed resignation as he watched the food table be decimated by the new guest. Those pastries had looked good, but oh well. He'd just have to get some food for him and his pets afterward. The man seemed to have an appetite as great as the towering beast man's, and he didn't want to start any confrontation with him. Beist didn't like confrontation.

"Oh, I can help hang curtains if you'd like. I'm rather good at reaching things that are high up." he said 

    Finished with his thank-yous for the pleasant Pixie, Amarud stood back up with a plate of food in each hand. He moved to an empty seat next to the great horned Minotaur, lumbering over to investigate the safety and sturdiness of the newfound chair. He would kick the poor thing a few times as he half-expected it to fall over, and didn't feel like being the butt of an embarrassing joke. Eventually, The large man would cautiously turn around, and ever so slowly place his rear-end down. The floor would nosily creak along with the chair, but he would finally decompress as another long winded sigh escaped his lungs. Of course, he scanned the room in a poor attempt to find these dangerous curtains briefly mentioned.

    Distracted by the meal before him, Amarud took another stale pastry to his mouth before he noted the Minotaur's concerns about his raid on the nearest table. In the process, Amarud exchanged an awkward glance as he silently studied the Minotaur. Something about Beist's nature reminded him of home. His family never stood in one place for too long, their nomadic lifestyle made it easy for their cattle to graze across the open steppes. With the many creatures that rest around the Minotaur, Amarud was quite sure that this was the right place for Animal Appreciation meetings. As nostalgia finally washed over him, he kindly offered a full plate of his delicious ill-gotten gains.

    Vikram's manner of speech stole Amarud's attention, and he would snap his head in the direction of this well dressed man from across the way. Awe struck by the eloquence in his words, Amarud listened intently. Unfortunately, his ears wouldn't be able to catch up with the many sentences of this stranger, and in Amarud's temporary state of confusion, he would simply stare with an enchanted look about him, as if he had witnessed something spectacular. The sudden introduction almost slipped past Amarud's senses, his eyes carefully watched Vikram's lips as they seemed to move at an impossible pace, and it would quickly dawn on him that he stared at these strangers a bit too often. Desperate to avoid another awkward situation, Amarud impolitely cleared his throat.

            "I'm Amarud of the King's Valley, the horses of my tribe once trampled the plains from Thunder-hoof village, too the south-eastern mire." He continued, "I've hardly known such comforts, I often slept on straw beds with patched blankets we took with us, most of us had to travel light. For the longest journeys, we had to sleep on the backs of our pack animals." His face lit up with a grin that stretched from ear to ear. "Ah, I remember..." The sudden fit of laughter forced him to stumble over his memories. "I remember when my cousin rode for three days and nights on the back of this grumpy old nag, beast just about had enough and threw him right off. Poor man hit his head and landed in a pile of manure. I'm pretty sure he ate more than dirt that day!"

    Blinking the tears from his eyes, Amarud struggled to recollect himself. The tone in his voice eventually shifted as intrigue punctuated assumptions also backed by his interest in Vikram. A more composed Amarud spoke slowly and deliberately, as if he carefully chewed on his words before he spat them out in measured order.

            "This magistrate, I assume he is a rich man. One must be to entertain guests used to having so much." He then added a question, "Tell me, how does a wise man find himself burdened by choice of comforts, how does one acquire such wealth?" The crude brute stares on once again, an unintended response brought by his fascinations. This time, he looks on with genuine curiosity in his focused eyes.

To anyone who'd peek inside the room, their gathering would seem a strange one: two incredibly tall muscular men, towering in the room, full of adorable exotic pets, a venerable old man in colourful layered clothes paying his respects to varied snacks on small mis-matched tables,  a miniature pixie darting from one guest to another as a ping-pong ball. Is it a club? A birthday party? A sect? The unlikely observer would probabbly shrug their shoulders and move on. Ah, a good old AA group! Those charming chaps!

Cheche shakes Beist's hand in greeting (a finger of one of his hands, actually, the worrior is monumental)

 - Welcome Beist! Please make yourself very comfortable! We have pillows too! Curtains? You think curtains would make the place look more cozy? - oh no, apparently the pixie has swiftly forgotten an excuse she made for Amarud's retrieval from the clasping claws of the AAA sosciety,- You are a genius! Now, where were they?  As my second great-great-uncle used to say "If you wanna be a top drawer hafta look in the top drawer!" - Cheche hastens towards the shelves where  Vikram voice reaches her, a tinge of worry in it. An Action for Allergy Alleviation, huh.... That IS a serious issue, but no issue is too big or too heavy for a heart that strives to help! Cheche rubs her chin deep in thought, then she exclaims "Aha!" and flies towards the bookshelf. She flutters towards the highest shelf, covered with a thick layer of dust. The treacherous thing causes a thunderous sneeze, which one normaly wouldn't expect from a tiny creature like this. 


There, squeezed between "The Immortals' Past" and "The Geese of the Eternity" resides her treasure - a tattered manuscript called "Secrets of Allergy Alleviation When Being on an Ardous Adventure". She takes it out and mutters to herself:
- Let me see, let me see... Granny's Piercing Needles of Mercy... mmmhmmm.. "Salty nasal washing"..but I don't have salt. " Cheesy Diet"? doesn't sound right. Oh, what's this? "Aggressive Relaxation As A Way to Allergy Alleviation". Gotcha!



She returns to the sofa and Vikram with a frighteningly decisive expression. It looks like heк guests have already started mingling! Good! She sees that Amarud and Vikram are engaged in an interesting conversation, so she waits for a good moment to intervene. Then she clears her throat and tries to turn her facial expression into that of an utmost seriousness.


- Well, Mr. Vikram. You came to the right place. First and foremost, you MUST RELAX. Numerous, mostly voluntary researches, conducted by by-no-means-enslaved-gnome-scientists prove that allergies originate from exhaustion and ill-managed daily routine. - She is frowning. Her pitch-black eyes are sending daggers of pure worry and sincere care.
- It says here, that neglecting your relaxation duties may result in blood stagnation, causing various health abnormalities. Mr. Vikram, looking at your state, you must relax RIGHT NOW! You have 5, no 2 minutes. Please HURRY! Oh, if it's difficult, then how about using acupuncture needles? We still have some left from bonding activities with the AAA society next door! These needles are sure to take your thoughts off any matter, regardless of how big or small!

Cheche looks at the respectable gentleman, at the same time, desperately trying to remember what she read in the "Atomic Atlas Periodical" fifteen years ago or so.   
"We. Will. Save. this. Ailing. Man. Whether he wants it or not"

    He regarded the muscular man in the loose rags with due regard, his manner of speaking deep and soothing. The man Amarud seemed so incredibly sure and comfortable in his own skin, it was quite relaxing to speak with one who was exactly who they portrayed themselves to be. The recollections he spoke of comforting in their own way, the tears only attesting to his humanity. He met the 

"Your cousin seems quite the character indeed my friend! The magistrate is a curious character, I have always been invited to his keep at random times. Yet when I make the attempt to reach out, and bring him and his servants a platter of treats they've always turned me away. I imagine his stature has made him quite the shy and reclusive person. Such a man associates with several colorful characters as well. He invites many a thief and criminal to stay in his iron keep for several days, even weeks. I for one would begin to miss my freedom having to endure such hospitality for so long."

    Vikram shrugs at Amarud, and takes a bite of a treat himself eyeing the large hairy man nearby who seems to be quite hung up on curtain choices. The pixie at the head of this small masculine commune approaches with a look of concern. Relaxation? Needles? Gnome prisoners-with-jobs? It sounded questionable at best, but it certainly piqued his interest. A possible solution to his nasal pollution? A prime offer any day of the week.

"If that is the way, then at once! There is a sale at the market I must attend, and there musnt be any allergic affiliation with trouble coming my way. Not one bit!"

    Her insistence on the time limit surely ratcheted his tension. Immediately, he stood and focused, relaxing completely and totally. He flopped to the floor, the muscles in his legs in a state of absolute relaxation. only the side of his mustachioed mouth opened to speak

"Do it, do it now, the needles"

    Without hesitation the pixie put them in, checking her wrinkled manuscript frequently to ensure that she was hitting all of the appropriate spots. It barely even hurt, and before long he was lined head to toe in tiny needles, each with their own tiny red flag.

"You...guys......reallly....ought to try......"

    Drifting off into the stressless slumber, he snored there. Face down on the floor. His sinuses drained. His allergies, alleviated.

"Oh, thank you." Beist said, a bit surprised as Amarud offered him his plate of pastries. H elistened as the man told a story of his homeland and chuckled. They seemed kinder than he had expected. The little raccoon dog in his robe lifted their paws and made small grabbing motions for the plate. Beist took one of the pastries off of it and gave it to Awd, eliciting a happy squeak from the raccoon dog. Bull and Ned both refused to eat any of the food, having their own preferred diets that didn;t include pastries. Honey for the bumblebee and blood for the little vampire bat. Dora happily ate some though, and Pretzels had a bit begrudgingly.

The warm feeling brought by the sharing of the food was immediately replaced with confusion as Cheche seemed to have completely forgotten about the curtains, acting as if hanging them was Beist's idea, and then proceeded to completely forget about them a second time, instead finding a manuscript about allergy alleviation for the bearded man and suggesting acupuncture to make him relax enough to relieve his allergies. Beist wasn't sure how that might work, but before he could say anything, Vikram proceeded to somehow force all tension from his body until he sank to the ground like a ball of raw bread dough.

Beist watched with a mix of horror and fascination as the Pixie inserted needle after needle into the limp body of the bearded man on the ground. Beist put a hand over the eyes of Bull, Awd, Ned, and Dora to stop them from witnessing such a sight.

Amarud had not been very aware of Vikram’s sudden stupor until he finally fell over, and this allowed him to view the absolute lack of worry. The brute had never seen a man so at ease with himself, that he even found the floor to be comfortable. An interesting turn of events when one considered the previous conversation about the magistrate’s beds. Amarud does not avert his eyes, staring quizzically as the mustached fellow is poked and prodded with various needles. He simply watched, his silence burdened with idle fascination. His mind raced with questions about methods that could drive a man to such a complete state of relaxation. At first he believed it to be some form of odd magic, but his thoughts eventually drifted towards the eldest shamans and druidic healers that once ran with his tribe. He could never memorize the exact composition of their rancid concoctions, elixirs and remedies that took him through a painful recovery, if he were lucky. Never had Amarud seen such a strange method applied in person. Impressed with this scene played out before him, and in an unexpected decision of a curiosity driven impulse, Amarud violently dropped onto the rough floor, right next to his newfound companion in attempted mimicry. The ground shook with in an incredible and audible thud, the slight tremor even caused a few of the free chairs to jump just a few millimeters from their original positions. Still in a search for answers that have once again slipped from his mind, he would demand the same treatment offered by Vikram.

“I too, wish to know rest--like the wise man does.” Amarud spoke rather plainly, and pointed to the fellow just beside him. "I need to learn of these mysterious methods, kind winged one." He continues, his obvious inexperience at polite conversation made apparent once again.

It seemed as if he were about to ask for something more, but had not found the right words to ask for such a favor. His face twisted in frustration, his brow wrinkled mid-thought as he finally got a better hold of his words. Before he was able to speak again, his dark pupils would react to stray beams of light still pouring in from windows left uncovered. This caused him to blink reflexively, a minor annoyance that unfortunately took his attention to more trivial and minor details once again. So he closed his eyes, and allowed the light to hit his eyelids with a somewhat pleasant display of red and orange. The idea innumerable needles against his skin did not bother Amarud, his much older injures left more than a few scars over his torso, some much worse than others. It might be nice to feel free from the most persistent aches and pains.

It was yet another day at AA. Cheche was sitting at her huge wooden table, basking in the spring sun, feeling much like a cat after a nourishing meal. She was on the brink of dozing off when a memory of that session came to mind. She had made many friends back then. Each of her new acquaintances was truly unique. And each of them bore their own load of stress and old aches. She remembered a respectable elderly man wrapped in silks and leather, with a colorful turban on his head passing out on her couch, all covered by acupuncture needles. Strangely enough, it seemed it had really helped, so later she had one more patient treated in the same chaotic fashion. 'ah, yes, I tried to play a ninja game and showered poor Mr. Amarud with needles. Hopefully,  he felt better after the procedure. It looked like he had fun, at least. Haven't heard about him since then. And Mr. Vikram, and Mr.Beistmild....Wherever they are?' Cheche let out a heavy sigh.  That day they drank some tea, played with animals, and received several warnings from the building manager about how loud they had been. Those trully were the days...
Since then it had been relatively quiet. She treated the place as her own home, and well, since she had laid her hands on the key, that somehow could open the doors anywhere the person expected to appear, that basically was the case. Whenever she felt like seeing people, feeling busy, or just reading books, she'd come here and laze around.  Cheche yawned and slid down her high chair. For some reason, she felt as if she'd have some visitors pretty soon. It had always been like this. Maybe, she developed some sort of sensitivity towards the confusion of anyone who was about to open the door to her little dusty office. She paced back and forth, and the big hammer she obtained on one of her adventures draw her attention. It looked kind of dusty too. Shall she shake it? Just a bit? To shake the dust off? The hammer looked huge but seemingly light. She managed to lift it a bit, but the balance tilted and the hammer hit the floor. "Oh oh!" - she said worried about the noise she'd made. But quite quickly she got a whole new thing to worry about: in an instant, the whole floor became covered by mushrooms of all sorts and shapes, going in wide circles to the farthest corners of the room. 

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