09/11/22 Snippet, BUZZ ON THE STREETS.

No, Lucas doesn’t have a key. Keys are for people who do not have a certain set of skills.

I went to bed early that night. Being woken up at 3 AM when you’re twenty is an adventure. Being woken up at that hour, at my age? Well, with enough coffee you can hold off decrepit, but you can still see it waving back at you from the mirror. Besides, it was Tuesday night. Who does anything on a Tuesday night?

Lucas was pretty good at shaking me awake carefully, but you’d expect that from an Adventurer. In that profession, you either want people waking up without any fuss — or not waking up at all. He didn’t waste any time, either. “So, hey, Tom. Remember how we were talking about somebody wanting to steal some really good loot?”

I gave him my best weary, bleary stare. “Like it happened only yesterday. No, wait, it did.” I shoved myself to a sitting position on the edge of the bed. “We in a rush, or can I get my socks on first?”

“Nobody’s coming up the stairs after me with an ax, if that’s what you’re asking.” I wasn’t, but it was nice to know. Oh: speaking of coffee, Lucas had some ready for me. The cup wasn’t mushy yet, so he must have grabbed it from somewhere close on the way. I drank it fast, trying not to grimace at the taste. Adventurers always put in too much sugar.