Double D’s Guild

🏺 DAY 5 — “VOICES OF ANCIENT VESSELS”
Found Item: Pewter Jug from the Secrets of the Ethnotheque Collection

By the fifth and final evening in the Wine Cellar, the Galactic Grape Guild had somehow evolved from “friends tasting wine” into a fully functioning historical reenactment society with mild conspiracy problems.

Naturally, this was mostly Tara's fault.

Oksana had invited everyone back to the cellar one final time, though no one was entirely sure when she had sent the message, how she organized everything so quickly, or how she always seemed to know exactly when each of them would arrive.

“It's unsettling,” John muttered quietly while helping Julie arrange the glasses. “I'm starting to think Oksana exists slightly ahead of time.”

John sighed. “That is not what just happened.”

Even Oksana's orange cat arrived somehow before everyone else.

No one trusted that
.

In the oldest corner of the cellar sat the Pewter Jug.

Unlike the crystal decanters and polished bottles nearby, this vessel looked heavy with history. Its worn metal surface carried dents, scratches, faded engravings, and the unmistakable appearance of having survived several extremely questionable centuries.

Tara approached it carefully.

“Oh this thing has DEFINITELY seen crimes.”

“Not every old object witnessed crimes,” Julie replied.

The cat immediately knocked a cork off the table.

John pointed at it. “That one probably did.”

Lala leaned closer to the jug. “It looks like it would give terrible advice in a tavern.”

Laura smiled softly. “Or wonderful advice after midnight.”

Oksana rested her hand lightly on the pewter handle. “This jug traveled farther than most people ever will.”

The room is quieted slightly.

According to the faded markings etched into the metal, the vessel had crossed Roman roads strapped to merchant carts, survived storms aboard trading ships, rested beside monastery hearths, and passed through crowded Silk Road taverns where travelers exchanged stories in dozens of languages.

“It probably heard every argument in human history,” John said.

“INCLUDING CHEESE ARGUMENTS,” Tara added immediately.

Julie smiled. “Absolutely cheese arguments.”

Lala squinted at the engraving. “Imagine being an ancient merchant traveling thousands of miles just for someone named Gregor to yell about fermented milk.”

“Some things transcend time,” Oksana said calmly.

The candlelight flickered softly across the pewter surface as everyone took turns holding the ancient vessel.

Tara held it like she was receiving sacred prophecy.
Julie examined the craftsmanship with admiration.
Laura traced the worn patterns gently with her fingertips.
John inspected the handle like he was evaluating the aircraft durability.
And Lala immediately asked the important question:

“How many tavern fights do we think this thing survived?”

“Several,” John answered instantly.

“Dozens,” Oksana corrected.

Tara gasped. “THE JUG KNOWS VIOLENCE.”

“The jug knows drunk people,” John replied.

At some point during the evening, no one noticed Oksana quietly refilling glasses, moving candles away from Tara's sleeves, rescuing crackers from the cat, and somehow making everyone feel taken care of without drawing attention to it.

That was simply what Oksana did.

She guided things gently.
Never loudly.
Never for credit.
Just enough to keep the chaos from fully catching fire.

Usually
.

Meanwhile Tara had opened her handy dandy notebook one final time:

Day 5:
Pewter Jug surviving ancient civilizations, pirate activity, tavern brawls, and possibly Gregor.
Extremely resilient.
Much like John.

John blinked. "You know what? I'll take that one."

As the evening settled around them, the Guild grew quieter—not sad exactly, just thoughtful.

Five days earlier they had simply entered a wine cellar.

Now somehow, between ancient vessels, questionable legal agreements, airborne cheese incidents, psychic currents, and one deeply criminal orange cat… they had built something real.

Different people.
Different lives.
Different corners of the country—and in some cases, the world.

Julie with her elegance and intelligence.
Laura with her kindness and steady heart.
Tara with enough energy and theories to power several civilizations.
John with patience, wisdom, and the exhausted courage of a man protecting absolute chaos.
Lala with humor sharp enough to keep everyone honest.
And Oksana quietly at the center of it all—guiding, giving, noticing everything, holding everyone together without ever needing recognition for it.

The cellar had wine offered.

But somehow they had found friendship instead.

The cat immediately climbed into the empty cheeseboard.

Lala pointed. "And there it is. The emotional ending ruined by dairy goblin behavior."

“No,” Oksana said softly, smiling into her glass. “Improved.”

And beneath the warm cellar lights, beside the ancient Pewter Jug that had carried centuries of human stories across the world…

the Galactic Grape Guild added one more.

🍷 — Galactic Grape Guild 🍷

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LaLa a3d26b

Jour 1 Un cadeau qu’on ne peut refuser
Guilde To the Manor Born
Tom n’est ni un grand chef ni un homme riche c’est un travailleur ordinaire qui un samedi après midi s’apprête à rencontrer pour la première fois les parents de sa conjointe Lili. Souhaitant faire une excellente impression sans vider son compte en banque il décide de s’occuper du souper. N’ayant pas le temps de pêcher Tom s’arrête à la poissonnerie locale, il y achète deux beaux filets de truite royale, c’est un choix malin savoureux, frais et abordable pour le portefeuille d’un citoyen ordinaire. Pour donner une touche festive et soignée à son repas Tom décide de monter une pyramide culinaire directement sur la table de la salle à dîner en utilisant ce qu’il a sous la main. Une grande planche de bois ordinaire où il dispose des quartiers de citron, des petits pot d’épices et des légumes coupés. Sa plaque de cuisson tout juste sorti du four où reposent les filets de truite royale parfaitement cuits à la plaque la peau croustillante. Un petit bol surélevé contenant une sauce maison à la lime et au cari prête à être coulée sur le poisson. Ce montage pyramidal improvisé transforme un simple souper de semaine en un véritable festin visuel. En apportant cette pyramide royale de truite à la table, l’espoir de Tom est humble et profondément humain il espère simplement briser la glace apaiser son propre trac et prouver aux parents de Lili qu’il est un homme attentionné, débrouillard et capable de prendre soin de leur fille. Son but ultime est de partager un moment chaleureux authentique et d’être enfin accepté comme un membre de la famille.
Merci 🥰

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Mamie code 667a2c

Guild: Double D’s

🕯 DAY 1 — A GIFT NOT TO REFUSE
The Royal Trout
When Oksana summoned us to the Mayan jungle, none of us asked questions.
Well... almost none.
Tara immediately pulled out her Handy Dandy Notebook and announced that the pyramid was probably built by extraterrestrials using anti-gravity crystals.
John sighed so deeply a flock of parrots abandoned a nearby tree.
"I'll believe it when one of them files a flight plan," he said.
By sunset we reached the Pyramid.
At its base stood a stone altar.
Waiting on it was a magnificent Royal Trout.
A voice echoed through the jungle.
"An offering must be made."
To everyone's surprise, the fish was from Lala.
Apparently she had spent the entire trip secretly carrying it.
"Why a fish?" I asked.
Lala shrugged.
"Because if I offered my sarcasm, we'd all be cursed."
Even Mictlantecuhtli seemed to appreciate that answer.
The Skeleton Lord accepted the trout and granted us safe passage.
As we climbed the first stair, I noticed Oksana smiling.
As usual, she already knew exactly how this would unfold.

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LBB 

39e8b4

GUILD QUEST — MAYAN PYRAMID: GIFTS OF MICTLANTECUHTLI

🕯 DAY 1 — A GIFT NOT TO REFUSE

The jungle parted as if it had been expecting them.

Oksana led the way through twisting vines and ancient stone paths, carrying a lantern that somehow never went out. Tara bounced beside her, scribbling theories into her “handy dandy” notebook about alien architects, celestial portals, and whether the pyramid was secretly a spaceship. John patiently listened while flying a small drone overhead and gently pointing out which ideas violated the laws of physics. Julie smiled quietly, carrying supplies while a chicken she had rescued from a nearby village followed her faithfully. Behind them, Laura walked carefully, studying every carving, while Lala made sarcastic comments about being sacrificed before lunchtime.

At sunset they reached the legendary pyramid of Mictlantecuhtli. Waiting on the first altar was an ancient Wine Skin.

“An offering,” Oksana whispered.

The inscription revealed it had been brought centuries ago by a grieving king who hoped the Skeleton Lord would allow him one final dream of his lost wife. Every year he returned with wine, not to bargain with death, but to honor memory itself. As the group touched the relic, the air shimmered and they briefly saw two lovers dancing beneath ancient stars before the vision faded into jungle mist.

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Tara 🇺🇸 031cde
Guild: Double D’s