Chapter 12: We Have Falafel

As I mentioned in the last couple of chapters, we've been planning a trip to Egypt. Kiran has had a wish to visit Egypt locked in for some time, and Suresh has both a wish to travel and an opportunity to bring 3 common relics into work for a raise. Lourdes also has an opportunity to go to Egypt and disarm some traps for handiness skill, but unfortunately she came down with a cold last minute, and I didn't want to postpone this trip, so she stayed home.

"Back in Lucky Palms, I'm the reigning champion of the hot dog eating contests," Suresh proudly tells bookseller Dalida Barakat, "I am the King of Wieners. I can eat a whole platter of hot dogs in less than three minutes. Do you have hot dogs here?"

"We have falafel. And shawarma," Dalida tells him.

"Do you have falafel or shawarma eating contests?" Suresh asks, hoping to expand his reign over other food types, not satisfied with being just the Wiener King and the Lord of the Pies.

"No," Dalida says, "That kind of celebration of gross over consumption isn't part of our culture. But I can sell you recipe books if you want to try it at home."

Suresh does buy the recipes for falafel and shawarma to bring back to Lourdes, since she wants to learn all the recipes in the world. For himself, he buys The Price of Treasure, a mystery novel, and a book on photography.

Yes, they spent some 4 grand to visit Egypt, just so they could sit and read in the market. Suresh is almost done with his wish to read 30 books. The photography manual makes 29, and then the other book he bought finishes it off before the trip is over. Kiran doesn't have any book related wishes at the moment, but, being a bookworm, he'll pull out his tablet to read whenever he gets a chance.

I'm seriously considering banning the Bookworm trait for future heirs.

Of course, Kiran does do more than just read, since he is  newlywed and all. Chelsea decided to dress like Lara Croft for this trip.

Woohoo in the base camp tent.

Then playing catch in their pjs. They aren't doing anything they can't do at home.

Finally, an adventure call! MorcuCorp lost some documents in a tomb and they want Kiran to find them.

"I'm sorry, are you sure you have the right number? I'm just a tourist, and I've never heard of MorcuCorp..."

Shut up and take the job, Kiran. We need to make back the cost of this trip, at the least, so we can buy more toilets at home.

Getting the documents takes about two minutes, then Kiran goes off to deliver them to his contact.

Meanwhile, back at base camp, Suresh is inappropriately trying to amorously hug Chelsea.

"It's not right that Kiran produced a child before me. As heir, it is my duty to father the next generation, and I need a partner who has proven her fertility..."

"Get off me, you creep!"

Suresh wants to date Chelsea now. But, despite what he believes, he's not the heir, and he doesn't get everything he wishes for. So, he has to settle for issuing a trivia challenge.

Chelsea is creeped out by Suresh, but she accepts the challenge. Because there's literally nothing else to do in all of Al Simhara.

"A nice young man like you must be married?" Salah Kamel asks Kiran.

"I am, actually. Just married," Kiran tells her, "But I'm here to ask you guys what you think of MorcuCorp." Because that's the next part of the mission.

"Evil."

"Totally Evil."

"Eh, they're okay, I just wish they'd stop digging holes everywhere."

Next mission: obtain flame fruits from the Temple of the Burning Sands. This time Kiran brings Chelsea and Suresh along, because they want to go inside a pyramid. Kiran disarms the fire trap, while Chelsea explores the dive well. Suresh prefers not to risk his life, so he just supervises. And takes a few pictures now that he's got a few points of photography skill. He's hoping to get up to level 4 in photography before this trip is over, and documenting his brother's adventures is a good way to do that.

It's a good thing Chelsea chose proper adventuring attire; she's as protected and prepared as Lara Croft in her tank top and shorts. 

Lara Croft has an automatic rifle she can upgrade with a grenade thrower, you know.

Oooh, can I have one?

No.

How about that cool axe she uses for melee kills?

No.

Bow and arrow?

Well, I have a CC one, but it's just decorative. So, no.

Flame fruits acquired.

"Do you think you could help me push this hidden door open, bro?"

"I'm supervising."

Suresh gets caught in a fire trap. "I am Suresh the Magic Dragon! Flames can't hurt me! Uh, they can't right? Because this kind of burns..."

Just hurry up and dive into that well, Suresh.

Next mission: Infiltrate some guy's secret library. Chelsea distracts the homeowner while Kiran finds the secret stairs to the hidden library. Suresh is hanging out at the market, issuing trivia challenges to everyone he meets.

"Hey, baby, do you have a boyfriend?"

"I have a husband. He's sneaking into your secret library right now."

Chelsea follows Kiran down to the library. "Ooohhh."

It's not that exciting really. And it's not the room I thought it would be; I was expecting the underground bedroom deal, and I thought Kiran and Chelsea would be tempted to woohoo. But it's just a library, the secret bedroom is under a different house, for a different mission. Oh well.

After the stolen documents are delivered, Kiran's next mission is to find two pieces of mummitomium. There's one way up behind the pyramids, not far from this pretty little house by a private oasis.

This house lacks walls, so that bed is totally usable even if you don't own the property.

 (Note, you have to go into buy mode and move the bed so it's a full tile away from that one wall tile for both sides to be accessible.)

It's just as good as woohooing in some secret tomb bed.

Better than doing it in a tent, right?

Actually, anywhere is fine by me. Woohoo is woohoo.

Well said.

And, the rest of the trip is spent playing catch. Time's up before the second piece of mummitomium spawns.

Goodbye, Al Simhara.

____________________________

One of these missions paid 18k, so this trip definitely was worth it. I did get Kiran both the Prepared Traveller and Jet setter LTRs to reduce travel costs while increasing the time they could stay.

I didn't photograph and document everything, because a lot of it is really dull. Both Suresh and Chelsea got called for fed ex missions, delivering copper and what not for cash and visa points. So we made out petty well and can finally afford more expensive toilets and even a hot tub when we get home.

Plus they picked up various relics and jewels along the way.

Suresh finally finished two of his locked wishes, to read 30 books and have 18 friends. He also leveled up some photography skill. During the trip, he repeatedly rolled wishes to sing karaoke with everyone he met. There is no karaoke here, Suresh. And I wasn't in the mood to start editing Al Simhara.

Same for Kiran's wish to have drinks in two different bars.

Hilariously, Suresh did roll a wish to date Chelsea after his failed attempt to amorously hug her. Not the 'go on a date' wish, but the rarely seen (by me at least) wish to go steady with her.

In the pyramid, Chelsea rolled a wish to go 'cosmic bowling'. It was not the usual bowling wish, I looked it up and learned that aliens and witches can upgrade the standard bowling lanes to 'cosmic bowling'. I don't have either witches or aliens in Lucky Palms, so that's not happening any time soon. 

But, wow, that's was a lot of random, undoable wishes on this trip.

Fun fact: I learned that Suresh's favorite food is hot dogs. Yeah, I know, I could have seen that at any time since he was born, but I never did. Because it's not like I can direct them to cook most of the time, anyway, so it's not like it matters what their favorite foods are. But when he started talking about hot dogs to the bookseller, I did check.