I was thinking the Lower case option.

two out of three, then. oops!

regret?

not really liking this answer but it's the best I've come up with so far. Had to say something, at least, in appreciation of this fine riddle. Will continue to enjoy now.

Well, this is all I can guess at so far

Exist - Be/B

One - A

Single - 1/l?

Excellent, now we're getting somewhere! Yes, definitely for the first two, B & A; cant tell if the third is a capital I or lower case L?

Song... you know...

Strangers in the night...

Exchanging glances...

Buh Buh Buh Buh Buh...

That was cruel. Heyupal, you play for keeps! This will be with me for hours and my head is already swimming.

carpenter and barber???

And thanks for the preface!

I dont get it. Starting with the parenthetical "easy" in the title.

"two ships passing at night"

OK, will keep studying.

a bad day?

very funny in a kinda painful way

yay! sorry if I'm jumping on these too fast for anyone else to have a go...

the only other of us here is me. you're not jumping in too fast, I'm thinking too slow. Well done. Both you two.

exiSit, exisT One singLe lodgE. sAfe But not out After firSt lodgE.

STOLE A BASE?

as for B.F. no k; i'd geuss bunt foul no strike? I don't even know if I do these right lol.

Sorry James8421, I did not get it but now see where you came up with your answer. How about that! Not my intention tho.

is one line at a time would be ok important to the POW? just b/c it's bold..

No, the bold was just meant to separate what I had added from the original post. Thanks for asking and allowing me to clarify.

Would it be an accurate assumption then, that the first line will reveal the word, the second line describes the word, and your EC line adds on to it?

No, but this is hard to answer without being confusing/misleading but will try. The first line is a word, the second line is a word, the third line is not a word but makes all three lines also be one "word"

book of fairy tales?

red wine?

-yes, got one. yeah, one of those, too. my first clear thought of the day. still working on your dragon one. all good stuff!

an addiction of some kind?

the only thing I can think about right now for some reason is

alcohol?????

Each word in the clue in the first line, corresoponds to a single letter. Five words/five letters. Read a word and see if a letter comes to mind in some kind of justifyable way.

as for the guesses: know chicory understansds this format but all answers not yet on track.

Well, I may be ill informed here. But, I really didn't much see how that was a play on words. Could you tell me? Was the "in other words" supposed to be a play on words? I didn't see it.

Yeah, the phrase "in other words" is the indicator of the play on words which has the natural meaning as it is read in the riddle but also, taken literally, describes the following phrase "do care" as another wording of the answer. Make sense?

burden?

'round these parts the answer would be

the hunter is: drunk on opening day of bow season and

the beast is: bambi

EXTRA CREDIT for "Here we go"

Exist, exist one single lodge.

Safe but not out after first dodge.

Period B.F. no k

(Show your work for full credit and one line at a time would be ok)

Wow, very nice. Am going to have to think on this one for a while.

Vanity? Was forbidden?

Yeah I wouldnt know. Religion and politics have no place in civil conversation. That said, I'm a socialist and an atheist. Probably not forbidden but...

prior to the "original sin"? Like I said I would not know. Vaguely remember the fig leaves and modesty after the deed is how I came up with vanity as a pure guess.

northbound like Chess_Vixen. Still seems to fit best. Vaguely remember asian custom of binding feet but dont know.

straight north?

or

due north?

as alternatives.

Nice riddle as always. Especially like the Rising Sun and Samarai reference tie in.

Good morning Plainglazed!! Still Really sick... No good at these PoW's, so come stop by my riddles today

Will do. Have to be in and out all day with the kids but hope to check in from time to time. Kinda why I did this POW since only one answer and no real need of being here. Get better soon.