I wandered the streets of Rhewbuck, taking a few photos and window shopping. The snow had been plowed from the street and piled up next to the sidewalks that had been cleared via magic or some kind of melting concoction. I crossed my arms beneath my cloak as I looked into a closed book store, “Why aren’t they open?” I wondered aloud. I paused, waiting for Kleeix to say something snippy. The pixie was still moping quietly as she sat on my shoulder. She hugged her legs to her chest beneath her cloak and put her cheek against her knees as she stared at the ground. I moved on, “Hungry?” I asked.
	“Not really,” She mumbled, barely audible over the chatter of the small groups of people that went about their business.
	“You never turn down food,” I quietly noted.
	“Just not hungry.”
	I nodded slowly, “Did I do something wrong?” I meekly inquired.
	“I…” Kleeix trailed off almost immediately, “No.”
	“Well…” I was nearing the blacksmith I had called in the morning. My request should be done by now, I thought, “Is there anything bothering you?”
“I just don’t understand, really,” She admitted, almost whispering, “You keep giving and giving. I feel like I’m not doing anything.”
	“What?” I paused for a moment and glanced at my shoulder, “You did do something. Saving me.”
	“Pfft,” She snorted, “Not really. Now you’ve lavished me with praise too. Undeserved praise and thanks. I haven’t even given you <i> food.”
I shook my head, “I’m thankful for you saving me, Kleeix. I don’t understand what you’re hung up on, I guess.”
	“I wouldn’t expect you to know, Reece. I guess,” She huffed.
I stepped into the blacksmith, “I think I know what might cheer you up.”
	“Ugh, there’s iron everywhere…” She shook and gagged. There were weapons covering the walls and armor on numerous stands. Ornate armor, standard armor, weapons made of rare materials, simple iron and steel weapons, and everything else you might need.
	“Pick up for Reece G,” I told the dwarven woman manning the front. She nodded and wiped her hands on her tunic. She reached under the counter and offered me a small box that could easily fit in my hands. I paid with a card and left quickly for Kleeix’s sake.
	The pixie was a little more animated now as she took flight, “Got something made?” 
	Quickly finding a bench to sit on, I nodded, “Yes. Here,” I pulled the string keeping the box closed, “A little brass cage to keep my pocket open for you,” I showed it off before sliding it into my chest pocket, “And a little something for you. Think of it like me saying thank you.”
“Reece…” She sighed deeply.
	“Come on, you haven’t even seen it!” I held the open box for her. She landed on my leg and looked in.
With silence, she brought out a small brass box. Flipping the small latch, she opened it up to find a cutlery set of two knives, three forks, two spoons, two cups, and three plates all neatly packed inside. She put it all back and then back in the box, “Reece…” She trailed off again with a sad look on her face. I stayed silent, my mouth suddenly turning dry, “I don’t understand,” She mewled while wiping her face with her cloak, “I-I want to go back to the room. Alone. I-I want to think for a while.”
	I nodded slowly, “I-If you want to. Can you make it?”
	“Of course,” Without another word, she took flight and flew back towards the hotel.
	Now alone, I put the brass cutlery in my chest pocket. I stayed on the bench and stared at the ground, unsure what I was doing wrong. Maybe a bit of time apart would be good for her. For us. I stood up and stretched, not really feeling the sense of adventure anymore. I decided I would find somewhere to sit and read for a time.

	As the sunlight started to wane, I looked to find somewhere to get a drink. A Hole in the Ground<i> stood out to me. I entered through the taller of the two doors and looked around. It was a cozy little bar, a few booths sat along the walls, a short billiards table was in the middle of the floor, and a bigger table was surrounded by all manner of men. Halflings, humans, and even a gnome and dwarf. I wasn’t too out of place, thankfully. I went to the bar to find a seat, four seats were raised and eight were lower for the short folk. I sat on one of the tall chairs with a shorter chair to my right. I took a look at all the signs behind the bar, most were neon lights with beer names on them, a few clocks with liquor bottles on them, and pictures of people around the town and some sights. To stay busy, I brought out my journal. I spent some time making addendums. 
	“Looking to drink on the job?” The halfling bartender stood up on a raised section to be closer to eye level with me. He wore a buttoned up shirt with thin vertical blue and white stripes. He put down a wine glass and picked up a pen and paper, “Can I get you anything?”
	“Something comforting to eat,” I shrugged, “Greasy bar food is what I need.”
	“I’ll see what the chef can do for you,” The man smiled, “What about a drink? Something heavy?”
	“No, something lightly mixed? I guess?”
	He nodded and jotted that down too. He disappeared and I was left alone. I took my time adding and changing notes. I was hoping the laughter and chatter in the bar would be comforting, but if anything I was feeling a little worse.
	I found myself staring at the photo of the ghost again, one of a few copies I had printed out. Nothing more than a blue glow on a black background. The thing would be gone tonight, I was sure Dain could do it. I still wasn’t sure what to write for wizards or clerics, but I knew I wanted them in my notes. Maybe I could meet a paladin too. A sorcerer, priest, druid… Maybe not a druid, “What is that?” Someone to my right took the ghost picture that I had set aside and flipped it upside down. It was a halfling in a tunic and jeans. To his right was a gnome with a conical hat and robes, both colored a deep sea green..
	“Jessie,” The gnome hissed, “Stop grabbing people’s belongings.”
	“I can’t help it, I’ve got sticky fingers, Quasar,” He grinned and put it back.
	I nodded, “I’ve got the same problem. Probably that attention deficit disorder they were assigning to everyone a few years ago. It's a ghost, by the way,” I pointed to the photo.
	“Oh, did you and your party fight one?” Jessie the halfling asked excitedly.
	I smirked but shook my head, “I’m not an adventurer. It's just me and my pixie companion,” I explained.
	The gnome squinted at me, “Companion? You’re not one of those fey poachers, are ya?”
	“NO, no, no,” I tried to put on a smile but was suddenly a little nervous, “She’s been traveling with me of her own accord,” I presented two photos I had taken of her on the few train rides we had taken. One was of her posing with some french fries, and the other was her playing her instrument.
	“Well, to me it looks like you’re on an adventure,” Jessie nodded, “Why isn’t she with you?”
	“Ah, well,” I scratched my head, “We’re having some issues.”
	“Really? Well me and my friends are doing just fine,” He grinned, “You should share in our joy!”
	I paused for a moment, it wasn’t like he was taunting or teasing me. Quasar, the gnome, cleared his throat, “Don’t think too much into what he said, sir,” He sighed, “If you’re not around halflings often, you wouldn’t know this little bit of their culture.”
	“Well, if you’re having a bad time, wouldn’t hearing good news cheer you up?” The halfling protested. I found myself chuckling, “What are you doing in Rhewbuck?” Jessie asked me.
	I shrugged, “Work. I’m writing about the world and its people,” I showed him the ghost entry I had finalized, “I’m only a week into this. What about you?”
	“We’ve been doing some adventuring,” Jessie explained, “There’s a pass out east we were trying to clear out in Wyoming. The train tracks were stripped by some trolls and now you have to take it on foot. We got some trolls, but there’s a lot of them. Even with the five of us, we were overwhelmed and had to fall back. If you’re going that way, you’ll have to hire a good merc or travel with a group,” He sighed, “We came here since it's my hometown. Need more equipment and the dwarves here do fantastic work.”
	“Where are the other three?” I asked.
	“At the hotel suite we got,” He smiled. 
	Quasar cleared his throat, “So, uh, what issue are you having with the pixie?”
	“You might understand, they have an odd view of friendship and she’s feeling off after saving my life. I gave her a gift, but that only made things worse,” I sighed heavily, only to be interrupted by my food and drink arriving, which I quickly thanked the bartender for, “I’m not really sure what to do.”
	“Maybe she needs to hear from you and not from a gift how you feel? How thankful you are and all?” Jessie suggested. 
	Quasar paused, “A heart to heart may do. Pixies are impulsive and a little quick to conclude. She could have taken something you said the wrong way.”
	“Make sure you feed her too. That always makes me feel better,” Jessie smiled.
	I nodded and turned to my food. Pretzel bites that seemed to be filled with a beer cheese, fried and breaded pickles, onions, and mushrooms with a zesty ranch sauce, cheese curds, and a hearty helping of garlic fries with a lemony fry sauce, “Food makes me feel good too,” I sipped my rum and cola, “Thanks.”
	“Helping is an adventurer’s job, aint it?” Jessie nodded, “I might ask for what you’re having,” He eyed my food closely.
	“Yeah, but I should be doing my job too,” I grabbed my journal, “Do you have time for a few questions?”
	“In exchange for a drink, ask away!”

	Name: Halfling
Type: Race of Man
Rarity: Common
Disposition: Friendly, cheerful, sneaky
Habitat: Towns and settlements
Notes: Halfings are short, usually less than three and a half feet tall. They come in two distinct types, the ever courteous and with lots of hospitality shirefolk who live in comfortable burrows under the earth and the sneaky and curious fleet footed halflings who have a penchant for skullduggery and thievery, but are just as friendly as the shirefolk. The main tell is that the fleet footed have larger feet and up until year sixty two, they almost never wore shoes. Both types love food and sharing it with others. Both also have a part of their culture that most others would find odd. When they hear someone’s bad news, they will try to counter the bad news with good news of their own. If you explain a family member has fallen ill, they will tell you theirs are in good health. It may be odd or even insensitive to a non-halfling, but it really does offer a little bit of comfort. Most halflings are comfortable to put their roots down and live in one place for the rest of their life, but like most races, some are born with a love for adventure and generally work as a thief or lockpick and are able to avoid traps due to their diminutive stature before disarming them for their allies. Their small hands make for excellent tinkering with such intricate traps and locks.

	“No questions for the gnome?” Quasar huffed.
	“I already wrote about them,” I showed him, which he seemed satisfied with. I noted he was a dusk gnome, “But thank you for your little bits of info about your time with halflings.”
	“No problem,” He was eating a pile of breadsticks with a garlic butter sauce and a hearty carrot and potato stew.
	Jessie nodded, “Yeah, glad we could help,” He was on his second bright blue shaved ice liquor with a cherry and lime in it. He was feasting on sugar glazed pulled pork and fried mushrooms. The smells of all the foods made me feel hungry even now that I felt full, “Good luck with your lady friend.”
	“Lady friend?” I was taken aback. The two giggled at me mischievously. I sighed, finished my drink, paid for their food and drink, before packing up my leftovers. I bid the two farewell and wished them luck in their adventures.
	“Same to you,” Jessie gave me another smile.
	“May you meet all manner of strange beasts and people for your book,” Quasar laughed.
	I nodded, “Same here.”

	With a box of food in hand, I returned to my room. The lights were off and the sliding door to the snow covered balcony was open. A soft glow came from the railing. I put the food down and quietly went out there, sitting on a snowy patio chair. I sighed in the cold air. Kleeix was staring out at the town and the darkness of the surrounding landscape, “Feeling better?” I asked quietly.
	“I don’t know how to feel,” She replied quietly, “You almost died. It was my fault.”
	“It wasn’t anyone’s fault.”
	“I should have been able to help you… And you showered me with praise and thanks when all I did was beg someone else to save you.”
	“Is that what all of this is about?” I chuckled slowly, a bit of disbelief overcame me, “Kleeix, you did what you needed to do. There’s no guilt in succumbing to a monster’s fear filled aura.”
	“But I didn’t!” She shouted, turning to me with tear stains on her face again, “I almost let my only friend die! It almost happened again… I don’t understand you, I don’t know what to do.”
	“Just focus on what did happen,” I urged, leaning closer to her level, “I can’t resent you, you tried and did ultimately succeed,” She was still quiet, “Think about what could have happened if you weren’t <i> there.”
	“I don’t want to…” She looked back out on the town.
	I peered out too. Neither of us spoke for a time. I put my hands in my lap, “The gift I gave you, I wanted it to be a token of friendship and thanks. I didn’t mean for it to confuse you.”
	“Is that how I'm supposed to go about friendship?” She asked, “Am I doing it wrong? I haven’t given you anything.”
	“There… isn’t really a right way to be a friend. I got you a gift because you saved me and have been a good friend so far. We’ve known each other for almost a week and I’ve gotten to learn so much from you. Even if we are doing things for one another, it's not a series of trades to stay friends,” I scratched my head, “I hope that makes a bit of sense, at least.”
	“A little,” She chuckled and pushed her messy hair back over her long, pointed ear, “I’m just a little weird, aren’t I?”
	I found myself smiling, “We have different views of these things. There’s nothing weird about it. Hopefully we can get over this culture gap.”
	“Yeah,” Kleeix fluttered off of the railing, “I’m sorry.”
	“I’m sorry too,” I nodded, “Want something to eat? I brought you some fried foods.”
	“Ooooh, you know how to treat me right,” Brightness returned to her face, “I need a full stomach and a long sleep.”
	I smiled, “Yeah, I really do feel that. Help yourself. We’re leaving in the morning, alright? You’re still up for coming with me?”
	“Yeah, I am. Hey, since you’re researching creatures, I want to… research this friendship and relations stuff.”
	“I think that’s a great idea, Kleeix,” I found myself smiling as I watched her dig in. Even if she was still confused and needed to figure it out, I was glad she wasn’t outwardly upset now. I knew better than to comment when I saw she still looked conflicted and unsure when quiet. We would work on this more later, I was sure of it.
	

Day 7B – The Pixie

As this Pixie’s tall friend suggested, this Pixie is writing her thoughts down. This Pixie’s tall friend spoke about writing words down helping him feel less anxious and sad sometimes. Tall friend usually has some sprites of anxiety about him. He says I am learning writing fast. Writing is kind of fun. Like making art that can be read. This Pixie has always been good at learning. Even if I keep having to ask the tired tall friend for help spelling, it is going well.
Tall friend worries much. What to eat, what book to read, where to find items for the road. This Pixie’s tall friend needs to take more after her. Let the Sylphan winds guide your choices. This Pixie does worry about her tall friend. Because he worries. I worry because he worries. But why? Is this a friend thing? Am I being a friend? Or an annoying fly?
This Pixie continues to be unsure how to understand friendship. Tall friend tells me his views, but they still leave me confused. This Pixie needs her own views. The tall world is strange. More research, like tall friend does, is needed. What could it be? Food? Gifts? Forks? Knives? Clothes? This Pixie doesn’t know. Wish me luck, words on the page.
GOOD LUCK!