Lucid Dreaming

I’ve gotten better at driving away bad dreams, but they occasionally can come back if something triggers them.  Let me tell you, trying to get ready for the Armistice Day Ball is definitely a trigger.  Putting up with my mother and her balls and parties are some of the worst memories I have from that part of my life, especially the last one I went to.

Though I have to admit it’s quite different when I’m the one in charge. I’m making the decisions instead of having someone else tell me what to do, where to go, and what to wear.  I find myself automatically thinking about whom I should talk with to help keep things smooth and wondering what I should know about them.  I’m starting to think I owe Ma a little bit of an apology.  She really did try to get me involved with the planning and taught me some useful things… I just wasn’t very enthusiastic about her endgame.  When it comes to the AAMS, however, I guess actually caring about the goal helps.

Impossibilities

There were some things that Kezrin simply avoided thinking about, and she was wary of breaking that rule.

Unfortunately, the mind had a stubborn way of thinking about things anyway, particularly when one is trying to fall asleep unsuccessfully.

The Inside Trade

He must have been waiting for her to show up. Kezrin had barely come within view of the AAMS’ office when a gravelly, familiar voice called out, “Miss Goldwick?”

She stopped with a long sigh and turned to see a middle-aged, well-dressed goblin walked up the boardwalk toward her. Trailing behind him was someone who’d fit in among Steamwheedle Bruisers.

“You’ve grown a bit!” he chortled as they came with conversation distance. “Not as scrawny as I remember. You remember me, of course?”

She mutely nodded. She hadn’t seen Brunz Lockspring since she’d left home, but it was hard to forget one of her father’s most trusted negotiators.

The Inside Trade

The AAMS Hides Shocking Secret
Booty Bay, Stranglethorn-

The ‘Anytime, Anywhere Messenger Service’ (AAMS) has long had a history of anti-goblin sentiments. Many still remember its former slogan of, “Why Trust a Goblin?”

However, ever since the inclusion of the Bilgewater Cartel as official members of the Horde, the AAMS has been slowly caving to pressure to treat goblins with equality. The company has hired goblin staffers, and even has moved its official headquarters to Booty Bay and hold events in Hardwrench Hideaway, a boon for that town’s tourism industry.

The Inside Trade

“OW!”

She was leaving the Booty Bay offices for Lounge when the rather hard pebble bounced off her head. She glared angrily at the sky, then blinked a few times in surprised before she recognized the face peering over the roof edge’s, urgently waving at her.

“Renzly?”

“Yeah, now get yourself ova here so I can talk ta ya!” she hissed angrily, pointing toward one of the narrow alleyways between Booth Bay’s tall buildings. Kezrin looked at the dark, confined space skeptically.

“Yeah… I don’t think so.”

The Inside Trade

It had gotten to the point where the room Solendenus had offered Kezrin was starting to feel like home. She felt a twinge of guilt at that, particularly when she thought about the goblin-sized furniture he’d arranged for her not too long ago, but staying at the Quel’thorin estate had its benefits. There was the obvious protection of the anti-demon wards, and the convenience of the salle when he had time to teach her (though in fact she hadn’t seen him in quite a while; he did have a tendency to disappear frequently), but it was probably the gardens she’d miss the most. The greenhouse had become her haven when she wanted a bit of peace and quiet.

Well. If she were truly honest, she’d also miss the pampering.

The Inside Trade

The paper hit Renzly’s desk with a sharp slap.

“And just what is this supposed ta mean?” Grizweld Hopper jabbed a finger at newspaper. “You’re workin’ for a rival paper?”

The Scholar lay flat under his finger, one of the Renzly’s pictures clearly showing on the first page.

“Hey, now,” Renzly Silvertip shrugged, leaning back in her chair. “No one ever said anythin’ ‘bout me workin’ for The Inside Trade exclusively.”

“I’m the one who first offered ya a job in this biz,” Hopper reminded her. “And now you’re workin’ for a gnome! Ain’t ya any goblin pride?”