Sail and Shilling were currently playing pool.

  The pool table was large, warped and riddled with dips and mounds across it. It often had its way with the cue ball.

  It may have been questionable to even play such a game if it weren't for the pool cues being imbued with a form of gauge. A gauge which ran down its side like thermometer liquid, allowing help in calculating the power and trajectory of a shot.

  Shilling won handily for the first couple games but starting from the third he kept slightly misjudging the friction under the ball for some reason...

  The two men were currently on the second floor of Denim's workshop. A giant open floor with an array of all sorts of strange pieces, trinkets and devices knocking about. The walls were basically non-existent with just many open passages leading to the veranda outside. There were all manor of tropical tiki masks and wooden instruments hanging on the walls along with all the chairs you could desire. Hammocks, sofas, barstools, armchairs, sun loungers, swivel chairs and even more hammocks...

  The workshop itself was tucked deep into the summit of mount Dampier in the very centre of Selkirk island.

  Denim himself was not here at the moment, he was probably away for a while watching a premier screening on the 12th floor. Shilling had simply wandered in to his home first using a little wooden token as a key to not activate the workshop defences. Shilling and Sail lounged around in the freedom away from public attention in the tucked away villa which overlooked the 15th floor of ascension 'Marooned 50'

  Sail was already quite enamoured with the sofa back at the karaoke booth so the current cushioned sun lounger on his back was so great it . This was quite easily the most luxury experience Sail had ever had.

  Although it was said to simply be the second floor of Denim's workshop, it may as well have been a personal leisure resort in Sail eyes.

  'Perhaps this is what an actual home is supposed to be.. The amount of space alone is wonderful... Nothing close to a given room in the Ringright manor but.. Its at least 30 times bigger than my room back home.... no silverfish either...no mold....no father..'

  "The manor is now accessible by everyone right? On the 26th? What's going to happen there?"

  "Usually we completely take over new floors and settle down on each one. But in this case, im not sure what infrastructure we can even do or how things will play out. Im sure some crazy people may choose to live there. There are probably a bunch of people in there right now... I wonder if they'll soon set someone up in the main lobby to keep people out... There are still a bunch of threats in there. The thousand knots and that door using ghoul especially. Its still immensely lethal but now its a free pass for anyone. So people will surely go explore"

  "The thousand knots and those wrinkly hands.. You said inhabitants of a floor can get brought into the tower as a climber right? If they're sentient enough maybe or are just chosen"

  "Yeah, I did say that.. Its not a zero percent chance that the ghouls may be joining us. But their sentience seemed very akin to a beast or a mob to me and those always never got the luxury of joining. If such a thing did happen... Well I wonder. I don't think we could easily use them for out own means or to help us out.. though i would probably advocate for trying it. And even if we did, most would just want to kill them out of revenge.."

  "So they can teleport then?"

  "Yeah, if they became climbers they can go wherever....."

  "..."

  "That does seem quite dangerous. Its the typical fallout from clearing a floor. The bringing in of malevolent climbers... I'm sure the main team are all way ahead of managing this so there's no need to worry, probably.. but Ill bring it up. Luckily, the ghouls never like to spend much time away from their rooms right. New climbers also struggle using their mental system or understanding what it can do"

  "It is tough to scroll.."

  "It is?"

  "OH THANK THE TOWER. IM FINALLY DONE WITH YOU STUPID DOLLS!!"

  The crashing open of a door downstairs made its presence quite obvious.

  "IM GONNA BURN YA. IM GONNA BURN THE WHOLE LOTTA YA! ILL MAKE A SHOW FOR THOSE DAMN DRUIDS. ONE MORE DEATH THREAT NOTE SHOT AT MY DOOR AND I WAS GONNA FUCKING GO DOWN TO THE 7th MYSELF."

  "Moly's back"

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  The two men made there way down some glass stairs to the first floor and saw a stout man collecting up a bunch of teru teru bōzu with a twisted grin. He was built quite cube like, a compact and grizzled man.

  "AHHGGHGHGH!!" Denim span around dropping all in his hands and flipped up a middle finger in a panic. The finger was stacked with about 12 rings which were all bubbling and pulsing with different liquids, light and gasses.

  "Moly..Moly its just me, its alright!"

  "oh.. its just you Shill......

  ....you're really still kicking huh... To be honest I already mourned your death a little..."

  "Well, I also figured I was dead but.. Anyway! What the hell are you doing? We still need those!!"

  "These wretched things?.. No I've had enough! they're flooding my space, my mind, its ruining my whole flow. I've been forced to keep making these stupid things and managing druid corpse delivery logistics for ages now. We are burning them."

  Denim pulled a black lighter out of his pocket and a cigarette case. He flicked the lighter and a giant blue jet of fire surged upwards.

  "There are still ghouls you idiot!"

  "just smash the objects.."

  "There will probably be ghoul-like threats on future floors!"

  The two got into a weird scuffle. Sail was a touch amused.

  "I also agree we probably shouldn't burn them.."

  "Who?? Oh!" Denim suddenly went quiet and his eyes widened. Sail got a good look at the black and grey striped beard of his.

  "Oh.. Sir Gastin. Yes. Yes of course. Of course we'll keep the teru's. Its an honour to meet you sir. Thank you, thank you for everything. Thank you for keeping this one alive as well"

  "Umm.. Yeah. Yeah your welcome"

  "I may have soon been kidnapped and gutted on an alter deep in the forest myself if this floor wasn't cleared soon!... I really owe you sir!"

  'A whole lot of sir's... an affinity for followers huh..'

  "You owe me huh?"

  A certain idea came instantly.

  "Well then. You dont mind me staying here?"

  "You mean here? At the workshop?"

  "Yeah.. you may have a bit of an art for interior design. And.. you cant exactly sit on all those chairs yourself..."

  "A man of good taste as well! Of course you can stay Gastin. It would be a pleasure!"

  "But you always kick me out for leeching..."

  "Then stop leeching then"

  "..."

  "Your bozus really did save us out there. Thank you Denim"

  "Yes.. You shoved them all in at the end!! Because you still had so many to spare! You certainly make good use of your tools, i like that in a man! You only ever tried twice even after holding them the whole time! Such temperance! Everyone else threw them around whenever... not a single damn care for how long it takes me to make one"

  "How long does it take?"

  "About a couple can get done over 2 hours.. and then im on cooldown for a day"

  "Your skill is called imbue was it?"

  "Yes. Imbue[B]: You are able to place the essence of one into another! You can tinker with essences and powers, placing them into your weapons! Take your time to build subtable vessels for the skill to function! Duration: 2 hours, Cooldown: 24 hours. Its got its ups and downs.."

  "Can you imbue into living things?"

  "No. I cant. Maybe thats only for the A rank edition.."

  "Hmm yes, upgrading to A rank huh. That would be quite something. Who knows Moly, maybe you'll also be an A rank like me, Lantern and Match one day"

  "..... your sorry existance is now an A rank huh."

  "Yes. Do make sure to give respect to your superiors"

  "Shut up leech"

  "..."

  "Gastin, you can stay in the spare room on the third floor if you'd like. Well, if its up to your standards. Ill show you around and go get one of the locals to help come clean the place up a bit"

  'Its already so clean though.....I am staying here then just like that?... My efforts truly have been rewarded. I need to have a look at Gastione's home but... man. An actual place to live huh...'

  "Yeah, ill have a look"

  Denim gave a tour of the workshop. He seemed quite unbothered about the safety of his tools and would often kick or knock them as he showcased them. Perhaps this was just him proving they were well built.

  There was a wine glass imbued with a dead constellation.

  There was a letter opener imbued with a certain pine needle.

  There was a giant spear imbued with the skin of a dead kaijuu

  There was a tricorn hat imbued with kaleidoscope citrus

  There was...

  The night fell on the workshop and Sail sat cross legged staring out at the sea.

  "Are we doing the afterparty here again?"

  "No no. Not after what you maggots did to my house last time. We're still doing it on the 15th but in Rerki's cove by the west end of Duke. Rerki was prepping for it but he didn't actually believe that much in the climb so it was a little half arsed. He's now in full swing doing the finishing touches. It'll start up tomorrow and continue every night all week. But more importantly...

  ..Sir Gastin. I have a request.

  Can i... make a statue of you?"

  "A statue?"

  "Yes! Its a perfect idea i had... We really should have a 1:1 replica of you in your obsidian statue form. For all future generations to see! I thought of it as soon as I saw it!"

  "oh...well... already? I suppose I don't see why not... Your a sculptor as well?"

  "Yes. Im something of a jack of all arts"

  "Do i need to stand still and pose or anything?"

  "Nah, i can just take a photo in the morning with the camera. You can stand where you want and then I'll just replicate it like you never left!"

  Sail looked back into the stout man's dark eyes. They had been talking all day and not once had the passion stopped from being in there.

  Sail didnt know exactly how to process the feeling. He had never had a follower, a friend, a lover. Certainly not a home with a view worth looking at. He never had power, any kind of power, any kind of field to express himself in. Nothing before today. Nothing that could really muster a small smile in him until today.

  "Ill show you!" Denim went into the back.

  Across this single day Sail would confidently say he had experienced more than in his entire life beforehand. His mind still kept jumping about here and there like it had to immediately sort out some looming lethal issue but relaxation gradually managed to creep in.

  He stared out at the dark sea which kept forming into a waterfall just before it hit the coast. Today his spirit had been a touch ruined and a touch healed.

  Denim then came back out with a Rolleiflex 2.8F Twin Lens Reflex Planar imbued with the eye of a whistle pipe.