All our base are belong to you.

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Pencil note, written in a tired looking hand, dated 20/4/2009
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Well, its done. We're here and settled. Funny, we've had tha Temperance fer a while now, a location that was spied out in one of tha quieter suburbs of this city. Away from tha broken hub where tha gangs battled fer who gets tha best rubble. Away from tha more powerful factions we'd come across in our scoutin's. Just a quiet place with a pretty front, a livin park out back, and no godlings tearin tha place up.

Tha Temperance is a bar, was just a bar, a place ta meet and greet without fear of tha Island's factions botherin no one. Just a place ta hang, knock a few back now any then. Her Ladyship selected tha location a while back, and we fixed it up, or got pro's ta fix it up, then she made it pretty and i helped hang stuff and unpack boxes. A quiet place. A safe place. A place ta go and still see tha world.

Never expected ta have ta run there, leavin tha Island, gettin outta there in tha hurry we did, at least we had tha fall-back of tha Temperance. It was just a place ta hang out befer, now its another home-away-from-home. Launchin point fer tha Viators. Meetin point fer tha Institute. Home of tha Temperance Adventurers Club. Just a quiet place, ta lick out wounds, and regroup. Lots of pretty things, including some of tha best and most special stuff we snagged from tha old Library. Too precious ta leave behind.

Too precious ta leave fer those who stayed, or rather, those who wouldn’t come.

Her Ladyship is fussin with tha furniture and such, I’ve stowed my kit behind tha bar, I travel pretty light, when I need, so does She, but I suppose havin ta go like this hit Her harder than it did me. Tha way it happened, at least. I miss my Family. I go through tha motions, I spent some time cleanin my weapons, only getting an echo of tha looks in their eyes, my kin and tha Fanger, that I ended with them. I stacked up my ammo and made a couple of caches here and there. Organisin tha bar took a little bit, too, but I’d mostly done that before, before fleein was even a consideration.

I looked at tha piles I had brought, and made. Things, stuff, tha trappins of Fleshie life. My clothes, some gear, my best weapons, cleanin and groomin supplies. Everythin I thought I’d have a want fer, if needed. Not that much ta show fer 13 years of walkin about in tha wide world.

My glass is empty, and tha heat of tha manuka vodka is good. It’s scent can’t drive away tha memories of tha past but it opens my nose to smells of tha garden outside these walls. Tha grass smells greener.