I enjoy the tea that was introduced to me from my old tutor from the Marsh Flats, an off hand teaching from my potion master and one that made me learn a new appreciation of teas. I watch her with a smile at the raw happiness and almost nostalgic look from her body language almost melting into a completely relaxed moment. She practically cradles the cup like a treasured gift given to her from someone important to her. I let it sit as I gently grin for a moment before having my thought projected mentally again, "I hope it's to your liking, an old friend taught me it and it seems, based off your curiosity, that you might enjoy a truly strong tea with a sweet undertone."

    I glance back to the books before looking back up, "Now then, what do you know towards the extra plainer areas? I'd love to compare any knowledge that might overlap or contradict one another?" I rotate the pages till I see an over lap for each of the pages and look up with a smile for our conversation.

"Oh, I know a lit-"

It took Tatalia a moment to grasp exactly how to communicate back to her fellow scholar via the established telepathic bond. She had never used such magic to speak before. Sure, she had read a few books on the subject and understand the basic principles, but to put that ability into practice was a different matter entirely!

The goblin stopped speaking. She focused her thoughts on the link already established by the other mage, and with a deep inhalation she conjured her intent, the words she wished to pass on, and let them slip from her end of the link to the other.

So this is what telepathy is like! marveled the goblin in Keyke's head. How curious! How befuddling! The sensation is unlike any I have experienced before; it reminds me altogether too much of a certain line from a favorite children's novel I favored as a child, The Sword and the Cup, wherein-

Tatalia managed to get control of her stream of thoughts and control them. That information was both irrelevant and very personal, and she would not go sharing it by accident! After wrestling her thoughts back under her control, the goblin tried again, focusing on the task at hand.

So, you wish to discuss the nature of the planes, to see what I know and you do not? Very well! the goblin decided. I will go first, as I do not believe I've nothing to lose by offering this information to you freely!

There are many planes of existence. The exact number is unknown, and how they are related to Charon is also relatively unknown; and there is space between these planes from which strange things can come, or so I've seen some more esoteric authors suggest. The goblin seemed slightly dismissive at the last idea, but she kept on going, smiling eagerly at the other woman as she kept spewing words over their connection at a rapid pace. It seemed the goblin's mind moved quickly. There are three realms of which we know something of, at least, though not enough concrete data to truly take advantage of them: the Faerie, the Fiendish, and the Celestial. There are other names used for these places - like the "Heavens" or the "Hells" or the "Wylderland" - but no matter what names you use, each realm has distinct varieties of extraplanar entities which are born from them.

From realms of Faerie we have the various creatures of the Fey: beings possessed of a wild spirit and often alien thought processes. Many are relatively harmless, serving as anything from tricksters to helpful spirits that might clean your house if you treat them right, but they almost universally have a capricious streak. They're often bound by rules which may seem arbitrary to us but are utter truth to them.

The Fiendish entities of the lower planes are best described as "evil." It's a crude term, I know, but it fits them well. Various forms of demons can be found from these places, as can imps, wicked spirits, and other such things. I believe it was once common belief that hellhounds originated from these planes as well, but it's been proven they are spawned from Charon itself.

The Celestials are fairly enigmatic entities. They come in a variety of forms, and while it would be tempting to simply refer to to them as "good," this is not always the case. The Ur-Beasts, for instance, have what may be a celestial nature as the purported Spawn of Ginma, but they are ruthless to those that defy the natural order. The fiery and benevolent Qilin also are born of Celestial powers, and they are more traditionally benevolent entities; thus, clearly there's some variety to the types of beings that are tied to these planes.

Finally, there are the Eldritch entities. There is... very little known of them, save that they come from the space between realms, and are believed to be true horrors of the cosmos. I am afraid I am not well versed as to the nature of such creatures.

It was a long stream of thought that Tatalia sent hurdling into Keyke's mind. She could scarcely help it; she thought rapidly, so it seemed, and was prone to letting her mind wander onto tangents. Indeed, it took an exertion of will to prevent her mind from wandering too much as she offered her knowledge to the other woman. When she was done, she let out an exhausted sigh, and she smacked her head down on the desk in front of her.

"Telepathy is... stressful," the goblin complained.

    The thoughts woven into telepathy were outstanding, so speedy but clear and precise. Not to mention the quality of the theories were high on end, and not just for the ability to place those puzzle pieces together. No, the information needed to get to the theories she made is mainly in hidden books. Areas of libraries that still were under the control of the crown had librarians who directed you away from the books by recommending their own books of religion. It's hard to find those kinds of materials outside of the crown's libraries, but I had gotten my hands on those in the Dryadoli library and the haggling one of Thorock. I watch as Tat slouches forward after her whole information drop, obviously not used to forcing a filter on thoughts while also pushing them forward.

    I release a giggle and stand up to reach forward and pat her head lightly. "No worries, it's always hard at the start." I let a pulsation of magic run through my hands, allowing a sensation to help relax their mind after communicating with me. I pull back to release my magic and let my smile shine, "Thanks for your input. Sadly, it's nothing new to me, but it's amazing to know someone has been able to reach that far in knowledge without letting the stories start to ruin their core facts." I neatly sit back in the chair, "It's nice to meet such a curious mind like yourself. Rare for me to see another so infatuated with knowledge." I clasp my hands together and lean on them, books lain around me but also forgotten as I watch this fellow creature of curiosity in front of me, my golden eyes almost sparkling in energy as I look forward.

Tatalia needed a few moments before speaking again. She let Keyke fill the gap in their conversation, taking advantage of the respite to refill her cup of tea and take a good, long sip. It was a rare pleasure, that tea, and she definitely needed some after practically vomiting out so much information telepathically that it sent her head spinning.

After she'd had several good, long sips, the goblin gave Keyke an appraising look. She was curious, really. Well, really, a lot of things about Keyke were curious. She seemed to be of a nature unlike that of a mere human for reasons that Tatalia couldn't quite place, and she seemed to possess a rather lot of knowledge... And for whatever reason, she thought highly of what were essentially mere scraps of information possessed by Tatalia.

Curious indeed, thought Tatalia to herself.

"I have enjoyed our conversation," the goblin decided, beaming across at Keyke. "And I sincerely thank you for the tea! It's... a rare delight to have such an authentic variety.

"I was wondering, would you like to coordinate our research efforts in the future? Perhaps work together to pursue either your goals or mine? I'm mostly a field researcher, myself, and I'm always down for a little more of that! Some swashbuckling, some investigation, some archaelogy... the works!"

    I grin widely and can't help the light giggle that escapes, the thought of keeping in touch with her lighting up my mood; even though no new knowledge was found, I gain a new source to speak with than just ranting to the twins and them being barely able to keep up. "I completely understand the need to be a field researcher; I often travel across the place for the simplest thing that piques my interest." I flick my finger, closing the books around me.

    Her enjoyment of the tea is marked in my mind as I ponder my questions, settling on one that weighs the most and won't sound too prying. "Is there a field you specialize in the most for research? I know a guy who adores monsters and their unique abilities, but I've also seen people who long for the past." I pick up my books with my hands as I think some things over, "Some people also wish to purely research the essence of magic, looking in the past to achieve what has been lost." I start stacking my books again, "What is it that you look for in archaeology?" Tilting my head, I pinch my mouth close as I refuse to talk more about the past, like how I use the past in the present with my magic to control my body's physical age. I can't nerd out when I can barely understand how I work, like how I can retain my magic this long when shifting to an age I am not.

Tatalia started packing up her books as well, content with the knowledge that the temple archives had no knowledge to offer her, not in the studies she sought insight into. She considered how best to answer Keyke's question, contemplated it, and...

"It's not the best time or place to go into detail on the reasons for my study," Tatalia replied slowly, glancing around the temple again. She waited until the choir in the distance picked up in fervor once more before speaking more quietly to the deceptively young looking woman. "You could say that my studies are a bit subversive so far as official histories are concerned. I can't safely go into detail here without risking someone overhearing, but... I like to read between the lines to find what's really happened in Charon's history."

Tatalia cracked a sly little grin up at Keyke as she hopped down from her desk with a pile of books. "It just so happens that I do my best reading between lines out in the field where there's ancient ruins and mysteries to be discovered. You understand, yes? But this is why we need to meet up for proper dialogue elsewhere!"

The goblin in disguise did not wait for a proper response. She started waltzing off with those books, putting most of them back where they'd come from.. and subtly stashing a couple into her backpack when nobody was looking.¹

---

_{1. Quick Palm}

    I clap with a nod and watch my new friend walk away with her books. I touch my cheeks as an involuntary grin makes its way there. The possibilities are endless, curiosity to curiosity; we can only improve the other in how we think and gain from books and experiences. Something only each of us can work with. Tatalia and her ruins remain the best thing for her to read backgrounds; I like to be in areas and read the region, from the people to the traditions, not to mention the land speaks more than people do. The ditches, the ways the creatures that attack, when compared to how they have been said to look, show how the world progresses in that place. The changes raise the question of why they need those features. Why the change to what it has now?

    I glance at the piles of books as I feel a slight prick in the back of my mind. I shake my head, loosening my thoughts. No, those questions can come when answers can be found. I swipe my hand and watch the tea cups disappear in a flourish of color.¹ I look to where Tat disappeared into the bookshelves before hopping off my seat. The biggest challenge with her is going to control my curiosity, but… I grab onto the stack and start putting all of them back. I returned my final book and saw a little paper with a K on it. Sliding it into my hand. I calmly leave the building to read it in the sunlight; a ticket falls out as I open it.

    It’s nice to see you in town, little Blue Rose. In time, I hope you can help me with some things. Of course, it’s a free favor I’m asking for. Payment is in order, as per your standards. Just handle a little slippery question for me, and we can act as if neither of us knows the other.-M.P.

    I let the grin never leave my face as I glance up to my right, as if the paper was glass, it glistens as I turn it, slowly sparkling away to nothing.¹ I shake my head as I walk into an alley way. “Of course they try to reach me while I’m in town. They will have to wait.” In the darkness I quickly hop up some parts lain along the sides till I get to the roofs² and rush to my boat.

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1. Space Pocket

2. Cat's Grace