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~
I lay on my new bed, in my new house. I laugh, how the hell did I end up with home? Livia did deliver on her promise of a hot bath, and it was glorious. The water was brown after I was done. She had even left me a new set of clothes. She sent over a simple stew of roasted roots and some kind of mystery meat. It was terrific and warmed my whole body. She told us that we should get some rest and that we would talk more tomorrow.
I am nude as I lay on the bed, a candle next to my bed flickers with the warm breeze blowing in from the window. I forgot how much I missed the simple things in life. "Jax? May I come in?" I hear Kala say.
"Um, yeah. Just a sec." I grab the sheet off the bed and wrap it around my body. I open the door for her, and she floats in. "Where's Doc?" I ask her.
"He's sitting in the front room reading." She says with a chuckle.
"He's reading? I... well, huh." I say picturing the metal man reading.
"Yeah, he asked Livia if she had any books." She tells me.
"So, what's up, Kala?" I ask her.
"Do you mind sitting?" She asks me.
"Uh, sure. Is something wrong?" I ask her. She hovers there, her colors flashing in complex patterns. I sense a lot of different feelings from her, and it's hard to make out. "Kala?" I say.
"I... I'm ready, Jax." She says quietly.
"Ready? I don't understand." I say looking at her confused.
"I'm ready to choose my form." She says blushing. Why is she blushing?
"That's great Kala! What did you decide on?" I ask.
She doesn't say anything for a bit. "Close your eyes, Jax, and no peeking." She tells me.
I laugh and close my eyes. The room is filled with blinding white light, and I hear a crackle of energy.
"Okay, you can look." I hear Kala say.
I open my eyes, and I gasp. "You... how? I don't understand." I say feeling my chest tighten with emotion.
"What do you mean, Jax? When I would sleep, I would dream of this form. Do you not like me?" She asks sounding sad.
"No... Did you dream of her? I don't understand. She was in my dreams, but I don't know her or why she was in my dreams." I say, feeling tears falling down my face.
In front of me stands the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. She is around 5'7, mid-twenties, one-hundred and thirty pounds. Kala's hair is red, like a sunset, which flows down to her mid-back. She has a small cute nose, and her eyes stare at me with a blue the color of ice. She has full lips that she is currently biting. Freckles adorn her face and her very nude body. Her pert breasts have small pink nipples. My eyes wander down to...
"Jax?" She says.
My eyes snap back to her face.
"Um, your sheet..." She says.
I stare at her confused, then realize that the sheet covering my body had fallen away and I have an erection.
Kala wobbles and begins to fall. I stand up, and I pull Kala to me, I kiss her. She is startled at first, but then she kisses me back fiercely. She wraps her arms around me pulling me even closer. My erection throbs against her stomach. Her body is shaking.
Kala pulls away "Stop." She says. She places a hand on my chest and pushes me back.
I notice that she is crying. "Kala?" I ask.
"There is too much... too much to process. So many new feelings... I need some time." She says as her body shakes more. I wrap the sheet around her. She stares at me as I do, she puts a hand on my face, then she turns around and walks out of the room.
I sit down on the bed, "What the fuck just happened?" I ask the empty room. I sit there staring at the door in shock for a few minutes. I rub my face with my hands and then lay back down and pull the blanket over myself. I go over what happened over and over in my mind. How did we both dream of the woman Kala now looks like? Did we both dream of the future? There is still so much we do not understand about this planet. I can only begin to know what Kala is going through. What is it like to be born already an adult? As humans, we are born and go through many years of hardship and learning just to understand the bodies that we inhabit. I know Kala has a ton of information about humans, but she as no comprehension of what it is like to live as one. I start to feel bad about kissing her. That must have been an overwhelming experience.
There is no way I am going to be able to sleep for a while, so I decide to go over all the notifications I have ignored from earlier. Congratulations! You have increased to level 5. You now have 10 attribute points to disperse.
This time I add everything to strength, agility, dexterity, endurance, and constitution. I know I can't rely on my mental based skills to always save me. I need to be able to fight in melee combat.
Congratulations! You have learned the Skill: Laser Beam (Novice, Lvl 1) |
Being a science nerd really does pay off. You focused the energy of the surrounding light into a powerful beam. Maybe no more friendly fire? Mental Cost: 20/sec Damage: 10 burning damage per second Focused Burst Damage: 100 burning damage per every 10 seconds of charging. Mental cost of 200 every 10 seconds. Focused Burst may be charged up to 30 seconds for total damage of 300, with a 600 Mental Energy cost. Experience awarded: 50 |
Wow, this skill has the opportunity for enormous damage, although I do not have the Mental Energy to charge the burst damage of this skill fully. My Stealth, Sneak Attack, Dark Shield, Medium Armor and Meditation both went up a level. It seems fighting monsters with higher levels than me is advantageous.
Congratulations! You have learned the Skill: Leadership (Novice, Lvl 1) |
In your last fight you asked Kala to go left and Doc to go right. I guess that counts as being a leader? Anyone that is in a party with you now receives a boost of 5% to damage, movement, health and mental regeneration. Mental Cost: NA Experience awarded: 30 |
That Leadership skill is incredible, if I keep leveling it up, it can have a significant impact on combat. I grin and then I pull up my Character Sheet:
Name: Jax Stone |
Age: 28 |
Gender: Male |
Level: 5 |
Experience: 82% |
Synthesis: 100% |
Race: Progenitor |
Focus: Undermined |
Fame: 400 |
Health: 155/140 |
Mind Energy: 350/300 |
Stamina: 130 |
Health Regen/sec: .52% |
Mind Regen/sec: 1.8% |
Stamina Regen/sec: .52% |
Strength: 14 |
Constitution: 14 |
Endurance: 13 |
Dexterity: 13 |
Agility: 14 |
Intelligence: 30 (35) |
Wisdom: 30 (35) |
Luck: 27 |
|
Base Melee Damage: 6-10 (Unarmed) |
Base Ranged Damage: 15 |
Base Mind Power: 30 (35) |
Base Armor: 2 (5.05) |
Afflictions Resist Chance: Physical (5%) Mental (21%) |
Critical Hit Chance: 8.45% Critical Hit Damage: 150% Evasion Chance: 6% |
Traits: Radical Race Bonus (Progenitor): Immortality Mark of Synthesis: Once per day you may use Soul Touch to gain an intrinsic understanding of an inanimate object. May allow access to varying rewards. You must be in physical contact with object. Mental Cost: 100 Effects 1: Learning new skills is 25% easier. Effects 2: Permanent increase of 10 to Luck Stat. Effects 3: Allows user to open Progenitor Lock Boxes. Mark of the Watcher: You have been awarded an Unbonded Unique Companion. Mark of the Watcher grants the player a one time use of Petition of the Watcher, the Watcher will hear and grant one request. (Uses 0/1) | ||
Perks: Iron Mind | ||
Skills: Analyze: Level 4 Unarmed Combat: Level 1 Stealth: Level 3 Sneak Attack: Level 2 Staffs: Level 2 Meditation: Level 2 Teleportation: Level 1 Dark Shield: Level 2 Perception: Level 2 Shockwave: Level 1 Medium Armor: Level 2 Cooking: Level 1 Leadership: Level 1 Laser Beam: Level 1 | ||
I swipe away the screens and pull up another.
Congratulations! You have completed the quest: Save the Villagers |
You saved the villagers without any further deaths. Quest Type: Normal Difficulty: Normal Rewards: 150 experience, a house. |
New Quest Alert: Upgrade your house |
You are now a homeowner. Make a new upgrade to your home. Quest Type: Normal Difficulty: Normal Rewards: 100 experience Do you accept this quest? Y/N |
Huh, interesting. I'm not sure how to open my house menu. I just think about what I want, and a new pop up menu appears. Well damn. In front of me is a ton of options, everything from the number of rooms to plumbing. I click on the plumbing and see that it is connected to the village. It seems there need to be infrastructure upgrades to the town before I can add plumbing to my house. All the upgrade options require base resources for me to do anything. It looks like I will need to do a lot of material grinding to finish the quest.
I close the screens and sigh. I'm not tired, and my mind is still on Kala. I pull out a Dim Core and roll it around in my hands. I decide to practice my Teleportation skill. I hold the core in one hand and teleport it into my other hand. I do this until I get a headache and then let my mental energy recharge, then do it all over again. After two hours I get the skill up to level 3. I roll to my side and stare at the soft energy swirling in the Core. It reminds me of Kala.
I awake to see a metal man standing over me. "Jesus! What are you doing?" I yell at him.
"My apologies, Jax. Kala told me I should stand over you while you sleep." He says sounding confused. "Who is Jesus? Do you want me to change my name?" He asks.
I rub the sleep out of my eyes and chuckle. It seems like Kala's sense of humor hasn't changed. "No, it's okay, Doc. I think Kala played a prank on us both. Did you see her this morning?" I ask.
"Yes, her new form suits her. She asked me to train her in different combat techniques. We spent a few hours sparring. She said she needed to learn some new skills to be useful to us." He tells me.
"Yes, her new human form is... amazing," I say, thinking about our kiss and her lovely nude body.
"Will you mate with Kala?" He asks out of the blue.
I laugh and shake my head "What made you ask that?" I ask.
"I am detecting an increase in your heart rate, and you are releasing pheromones, indicative of a sexual reaction to Kala. Unless your response is to my presence. If that is the case, I must inform you that I am unable to reproduce like humans."
I stare at Doc for a good thirty seconds and then laugh until tears are flowing. I finally stop and draw a deep breath and wipe my face. "Thanks, Doc. I needed that." I say grinning at him.
"There is much that I must learn about human social interactions. I will process the nuances of this conversation and update my database." He says.
I laugh again, "Uh, I'm sure you will. You have proven to be a quick study. Now, if you don't mind, I need to get dressed."
"I do not mind." He says. We both stare at each other, not moving. "You are cracking me up today Doc. Can you wait in the front room?" I say with a chuckle.
"Of course, Jax." His metal body ripples and his front becomes his back, and then he walks out. I shudder, that was a bit disconcerting. I forget that he is an A.I. with an utterly alien viewpoint on humanity and life. I'm just glad he is on our side. I make a mental note not to piss him off.
I stand up and stretch. I notice a difference in my body from my new stats. I feel a bit stronger, faster, and agiler. I put on the new clothes that Livia had left for me. There is a pair of dark brown cotton pants and a simple white shirt. I feel like a new person, what a world of difference a bath and new clothes can make. I feel the stubble on my face, do I want to grow a beard? There are no mirrors that I have seen. I try to fix my hair with my hands and finally give up.
I open my door and walk out into the front room. My house is built similar to Livia's, a medium-sized living room with a fireplace. A small kitchen off to the side with a window facing a garden. The garden is overgrown and needs work. There is another bedroom to the left of the kitchen. The bathroom door is closed, and I assume Kala is in there, I don't think Doc would have a use for the room. I look around and see that Doc is reading a book next to a window.
"What are you reading, Doc?" I ask as I walk up next to him.
"It is a children's book about The Wanderer." He holds open a page with a drawing. It shows a figure with a cloak and hood on, shadowing their face. Behind the cloaked character is a woman with red hair. I feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, and a shiver runs up my spine.
"Did you learn anything interesting?" I ask.
"The Wanderer seems to be some kind of champion of the humans. He also is described as the first human on Crucible." He says, turning back to reading.
"Uh, who is that woman in the book?" I ask.
"I have found only one mention of her, and it says that she was seen only a few different times in the almost thousand years that The Wanderer has walked this planet. No name was given to the woman.
"Do you think that I am The Wanderer? Do you know what the marks are on my hands?" I ask him.
"Your story and that of The Wanderer are similar. However, if what you have told us is correct, you have only been here for a few days. The evidence points towards you and the Wanderer being different people. The mark on your right hand is the official seal of the Progenitor race. The other mark I do not recognize. It is not any of the Royal Marks. The Royal Houses were the only ones that were permitted to have a mark on their left hand. The mark translates to Watcher." He tells me.
"Why didn't you tell me all this when Kala asked if you knew anything about me?" I ask him feeling a little annoyed.
"I was not asked about the marks." He says. We both stare at each other. "However, my neural pathways have increased substantially since then. I now understand why this information would be helpful." He states.
I hear the bathroom door open behind me. I turn and see Kala exit. She is wearing the same outfit as me. Dark brown pants and a white shirt. Her hair is wet, and her cheeks are flushed. "That was my first bath. It was amazing!" She says with a grin. I smile at her and then we both remember last night. She looks down at the floor "Hi, Jax." She says quietly.
"Good morning, Kala. You look refreshed." I say, trying not to notice that her shirt is a bit damp and I can see an outline of her breasts and nipples.
"Yes, there are so many new experiences that I am having. I learned Meditation last night to help me not feel overwhelmed. It is still hard. Before I was just my thoughts. I mean there were a few things I could feel, but nothing like this. How do you do it?" She makes eye contact with me for a moment and then averts her gaze.
"Well, life can be overwhelming sometimes. I was prone to panic attacks for a large portion of my life. Although, they seem to have lessened quite a bit since I came to this world. You remember how hysterical I was when I first came here, Kala? I would probably be on the floor catatonic if I were in your shoes. You seem to be handling your new body remarkably well."
"Yeah, you were a total baby when you first got here." She says and then laughs. I laugh with her.
"Would you like to take a walk with me, Kala?" I ask her.
"Oh... Um, yeah that sounds nice." She says playing with her wet hair. "We will be back in a bit, Doc," I say.
Doc turns his head towards me "A bit is a unit of measurement? I do not have the referential data to determine the length of time a bit is." He says.
I laugh, "It's hard to tell if you are messing with me, Doc. A bit just means a small amount, like "a bit of cloth" or "I'll be back in a bit." I inform him.
"I was messing with you, Jax," Doc says, and then makes a sound that I think is maybe a laugh. Kala and I both wince at the sound, it almost hurt our ears. Then we both look at each other and laugh our asses off, Kala holds onto my arm as she laughs.
"Holy shit, Doc. Did you just make a joke?" I ask him.
"I have been processing my experiences between you and Kala. I have begun to understand what humor is." He forms a smile on his metallic face.
I chuckle, feeling a little uneasy with his smile, "That's great, Doc. It seems we all can work together to grow and learn on this new planet." I grab Kala's hand and guide her out the front door.
Once we are outside Kala looks down at our entwined hands, and she blushes. I release her hand, "Sorry, Kala, please be patient with me. This is new to me too. And I'm sorry about last night. After I had time to think, I realized what I did was not right. Your body is still so new to you, and I didn't think about how everything would be a new experience." I say, looking away, feeling embarrassed.
"Jax," Kala says and then takes my hand back in hers.
"No, please don't be sorry. I..... liked what happened last night..... very much. I have feelings that I do not quite understand. I'm not sure why we both know this.... body." She gestures to her body with her hands. "But, it must mean something. I won't lie, I am scared. But as long as we are together, I feel that everything will be okay." She pulls me into a hug. I embrace her and feel flutters in my chest.
"Kala?" I whisper in her ear, my hand holding her lower back.
"Yes?" She says as she turns her head and looks at me with her sky blue eyes.
"You need some shoes," I say with a grin. She makes a sharp little laugh and hits me on the arm.
"You are an ass." She laughs.
"Yes, but you love me." We both grow quiet as we realize what I said. She gives me a knowing look. I clear my throat "Let's walk around and see if they have a store in this village."
We walk around the small village. It looks like most of the people have been up for a while. Everyone seems to be avoiding eye contact with us. A teenage boy playing with a ball watches us from his front yard. I pull out a Dim Core and hold it out to him "Show us where there is a place to buy supplies?" I ask him. He looks down at the core, then at the marks on my hands. He taps his fingers to his forehead and motions me to follow him. He leads us to a large building with a sign out front that reads "General Store." It's not written in English, but I can understand what it says.
"Thank you," I say to the young man. I offer him the Core, but he just taps his forehead and then runs off.
"That was a little strange," Kala says.
"Yeah, I don't quite understand the ways of these people." I shrug and enter the store.
"Ah, it is our mysterious savior." A burly man in his sixties says from behind a counter. He looks to be around six feet tall and built like a well-fed bear. He has short salt and pepper hair with bushy white eyebrows. He comes around and runs his fingers down a blue tattoo on his arm and then taps his forehead. He offers me a large smile. "I am Caius. How may I be of service?" His head turns as Kala walks in. I didn't think his smile could get any larger, but it does when he sees Kala. "Oh, my." He says under his breath. He walks around me and slaps his arms in quick succession.
"I do not believe we have met. I am Caius, the proprietor of this fine establishment." He says smiling at Kala.
"Uh... Hello. I am Kala." She says confused.
"Kala? I heard you were some kind of Wisp creature? You do not look like a Wisp. If I may say, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on. I do not understand how anyone could confuse you with those mischievous creatures." He says with a boisterous laugh.
Kala looks to me for help, "I am Jax, my good sir. I was wondering if you had some equipment that I can purchase?" I say behind him. He turns around and raises a bushy eyebrow at me.
"That is music to my ears. What may I help you find?" He says laughing again. He has an infectious way about him, and I laugh too.
"Well, first do you have some shoes we can buy for my friend Kala here?"
He looks down at Kala's feet and shakes his head. "No, no, no. That will not do at all. We can't have such lovely feet exposed to the cruel elements." He drops to a knee and pulls out a tape measure and holds it to her feet. Kala looks at me and smirks. "Please, have a seat, Sunshine. And Jax, my dear friend, please browse my shelves for anything you may need." Caius says with a smile.
"Thank you, Caius. You are too kind." I take a risk and tap my forehead at him. He gives me a curious look and then issues his deafening laugh. He turns away and walks through a curtain into a back room, the items on the shelves rattling with each step he takes.
"I'm going to look around the store, are you okay here, Sunshine?" I say with a grin, and then I jump out of the way as Kala laughs and tries to hit me.
There are various general household items, like ceramic bowls and cooking utensils. I pick out a few cooking tools to keep at my house. I don't see any prices on stuff, so I hope that I have enough. A glint catches my eyes, and I see a weapon's shelf across the way. There is a rope blocking the way and a sign that says to ask for assistance. Most of the stuff looks like junk. There is a short sword up on a high shelf that catches my eye. It seems to have engraving on it, and I can almost see a faint glow around it. I make a mental note to ask Caius about it. I also see a strange bow next to the short sword. It reminds me of my staff, and I wonder if it is made out of Midnight Wood?
Caius walks out of the back room carrying a few different pairs of shoes. I follow him over to where Kala is sitting. "Here we go, my dear. I have brought many different shoes for you to try. Only the best for you." He grins at her as she examines them. He turns to me, "Jax, I saw you eying the weapons, is there something I can show you?" He asks me.
"Yes, but I have a question and request first. I noticed many items say that you crafted them?" I ask him.
"Yes my dear friend, I am an Adept Level forty-two in Crafting." He says proudly. I pull him off to the side and whisper to him and hand him some items from my bag. His eyes bulge at what I have given him. Then he laughs loudly and slaps me on the back almost knocking me down. He tells me to come back tomorrow.
"Now, you wanted to see some weapons?" He asks me.
"Yes actually, there were a few on the top shelf that looked nice," I say.
He issues a tremendous laugh, "The TOP shelf you say? My, my. No one has asked to see my top shelf weapons in years." He grabs a step stool and brings it with him over to the weapons. "Which ones did you want to see?" He asks.
"That short sword with the writing on it, and the bow next to it," I say. Caius turns and gives me a stern look.
"Those are two of my rarest items. You have an excellent eye, Jax. Do you have the Analyze skill?" He asks me setting the sword and bow on the counter.
Royal Short Sword of the House of Ala-Vis Rarity: Epic Quality: Masterwork Durability: 343/500 Race Restriction: Progenitor Melee Damage: 13-17 (45-55) Effect 1: Strength increased by 10 Effect 2: A temporal field that surrounds the user increasing their movement speed by 300%. The user may activate this ability with a cost of 125 Mental Energy. The temporal field will last for 10 seconds, with a cool-down of 60 minutes. |
My eyes bulge at the stats of the short sword. "Where did you get this sword?" I ask Caius.
"This sword has been in my family for generations. My great, great, great-grandfather found this sword in some ruins way to the south. No one has ever been able to get it to work. I carried it on adventures in my youth; it's a very sharp sword. But the effects never worked, and the damage was never what it should be. I don't ever understand what some of the words mean, what's a temporal field?" He says touching the sword lightly.
"May I hold it?" I ask.
His smile returns to his face, "Of course friend, Jax!" He picks it up and hands it to me. As soon as I hold the sword in my hand, the writing on the sword glows brightly, and I feel my strength increase. Caius makes a startled noise and back away into the shelf behind him, knocking down a number of items. "By the Gods!" He says quietly. He makes a series of taps and gestures on the tattoos on his arms. "How is this possible? What... what are you?" He asks.
He looks down at the marks on my hands, "So the stories I have heard from the Rangers are true? I thought maybe they were just dramatic. The Wanderer stands before me...." He looks at me wide-eyed.
"Caius, please... I am just a regular human. I don't know why everything on this planet thinks I'm not." I say to him.
"Jax? What did you do now?" Kala asks as she walks up to me.
"I didn't do anything. I just picked up this sword." I point to the short sword on the counter.
Her eyes stare at the sword for a moment, I can tell she is analyzing it. "Wow. That is a fucking amazing sword. If I could use it, I would insist you buy it for me." She smirks at me. "Go on, pick it up, Jax. Let me see." She says in an accusatory tone. I roll my eyes and then pick it up.
The sword glows brightly again. Kala laughs, "Would you look at that!" I look at her as she gazes at the sword. Dammit, why is she so beautiful? She turns and catches me staring at her. She laughs "Um yeah, so obviously we have to buy this sword. How much do you want, Mr. Furry Bear?" She asks Caius.
He looks confused and a bit uncomfortable "Well.... I... I never thought anyone would buy it.... what is a bear?" He stutters.
Kala leans to my ear and whispers. My stomach flutters with her closeness. She pulls back and looks at me. I pull out a Radiant Core and place it on the counter. It sits there glowing brightly, like a small sun. Caius seems stricken. "That is too much. I could never take that." He says.
Kala plops her right foot onto the counter. She has on a pair of dark leather boots. Dammit again, those look sexy on her. "What if we add in these boots and this bow?" She asks with a big smile.
Caius seems to have been knocked off his usual boisterous, confident self. After a moment of looking at Kala's smiling face, he seems to melt a bit. He laughs loudly and slaps his arms. "I think we have a deal. I won't ask how you even got that Core, they are quite rare around here." Kala pulls her foot down and does a little happy dance. Caius and I both stare at her and then laugh together. "If I may say, Kala, those boots fit you very well. I crafted them myself. Have you checked the stats?" He says to her.
"Yes, they are quite nice and very soft." She says smiling at her new boots. I Analyze them.
These Boots are Made for Walkin' (Crafted by Caius Dar-ha) Rarity: Uncommon Quality: Fine Durability: 200/200 Effect 1: Agility and Dexterity are increased by 5 -These boots are named after a song The Wanderer would sing. |
"What the hell?" I say, my chest feeling tight and I my world spins for a moment.
"Jax? Are you okay? You look pale. Do you need to sit down?" Kala asks me holding my arm.
I shake my head, "My mom used to sing that song to me before bed." I say. I can remember the song, but I can't picture her face.
"Jax, my friend. That is an ancient song, and I can't tell you how many hundreds of years it has been around. Many humans know that song. Is it so strange your mother sung it to you?" Caius says to me.
"I wasn't born on this planet!" I yell at him.
"Jax! Don't yell. Just calm down. Why are you so upset?" Kala asks me.
"I just don't understand. They say that The Wanderer has been here for almost a thousand years? That song was written around three-hundred and fifty years old. It took my ship two-hundred and fifteen years to get here. None of this makes sense. I just don't understand how humans are here or that song." For some reason, I'm crying.
Kala says something to Caius, then gathers up our new stuff. "Come on, Jax. Let's go lay down for a bit."
She takes my hand and pulls me out of the store. I walk in a daze down the streets, Kala glancing back at me once in a while. Before I know it I am laying in my bed. Kala has her head resting on my chest. "I'm sorry, Kala," I say softly.
"You don't need to be sorry. Do you want to talk about it?" She reaches down and holds my hand.
"I'm not sure why I had that reaction. We have just been going nonstop since I arrived here, I haven't had a chance to process. I know all of this is new to you as well, Kala. I am so grateful you have been there with me through all of this." Kala turns her head and looks into my eyes.
"I am grateful too, Jax. Things were much easier for me when I was in my unbonded form. But it was still a learning experience. Now... there are so many new feelings. Even my memories are different now, and they feel... more real." She says.
I can't take it anymore, I put my hand in her hair, and I draw her up to my face and kiss her. I hear her moan and her hand touches my face. I explore her body, and she kisses me harder. I put my hand under her shirt and grab her breast. She comes up for air "Jax... I'm not ready... I'm sorry...." She says sounding sad. Her face is flush, and she is breathing heavy. I take my hand off her breast and pull her into a hug.
"Kala, it's okay. Really. There is no rush. I shouldn't have kissed you again. I know you are having a lot of new and overwhelming feelings." I say as I stroke her hair.
"Thank you," Kala says quietly. We lay there not talking for a while, just holding each other. I feel like I'm falling for Kala, which is crazy because we have only known each other for less than a week.
"Doesn't it blow your mind we have only known each other for such a short amount of time?" Kala asks me.
I laugh, "I was just thinking the same thing!" I exclaim. "But, yeah, I know what you mean. I feel like I've known you for years." I say.
"Hey!" I say making her jump. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." I laugh, and she pinches me. "Ouch. But, what I was going to ask is can I Analyze you?" I ask her.
She giggles "Oooh Jax. I love it when you talk dirty to me." She whispers in my ear.
I feel my blood rushing to my pants, and I push her off of me, "Not cool." I say. She fake pouts and then sits up. "Go ahead, have your way with me." She grins at me.
Name: Kala Title: Sunshine Level: 1 Synthesis: 71% Health: 80 Mental: 100 Stamina: 70 Focus: Undetermined Race: Human Disposition: ???? Skill 1: Heal Skill 2: Flare Loot: ???? |
"Sunshine?" I ask her.
"Yeah, I guess some titles are easy to come by." She laughs.
"Why does your disposition have question marks?" I ask.
"Well, I can't have you know how I feel about you at all times. There needs to be some mystery." She bites her lip and looks at me.
"Wait. You can choose to hide what is listed on your analysis screen?" I inquire.
"Ugh, Jax. What am I going to do with you?" She shakes her head in mock disappointment.
"You can do anything you want to me," I say with a wicked grin.
She kicks me, "You have a one-track mind. Anyways, yes, you can choose to hide just about everything displayed when someone uses Analyze on you. I'm not quite sure, but I think that depending on the skill level of the person analyzing you they may be able to see the stuff you have hidden. You should spend more time examining your menus."
My eyes look at her health, "Kala, we need to power level you, and see about finding you some armor. I don't know what I would do if you got hurt. You can't float out of harms way now." I say.
"Aww, that's sweet, Jax. But, I can take care of myself. I bet I could take you down if we were to have a sparing session. I don't need you worrying about me like I'm a defenseless kitten. How many times have you almost died?" She says sounding a little heated. Damn, I don't want to piss her off.
"Sorry, Kala, I didn't mean anything by saying that. I just care about you. How about we just look out for each other?" I say offering her a smile.
"I will protect you both." A male voice says from the doorway, startling us both.
"Jesus, Doc, don't do that. We need to put a bell around your neck or something." I say looking at the metal man.
He laughs in a more normal way, "That was a joke, yes?" He asks me.
"Ah, yeah. I don't actually want to put a bell on you. You are just very quiet, and you startled us is all." We stare at each other.
"Doc, did you need something?" Kala asks him.
"I noticed that you came in with some new weapons. I wanted to offer you both some training with them. I have novice training in most weapons. We can do some sparing in the backyard first. I scouted the nearby woods and spotted some low-level beasts we can practice with after you both feel comfortable." He tells us. I notice there is more inflection and emotion in his voice now, and there is more detail and definition in his face and body. Before he looked like a metal mannequin, now he seems more human. Interesting.
New Quest Alert: Training with Doc |
Doc has offered to train you and Kala. Successfully train with your new weapons and level up in their use to level 2. Kill 5 random beasts employing your new weapons and techniques. Weapon Skill Level: 0/2 Beasts Slain: 0/5 Quest Type: Personal Difficulty: Variable Rewards: 150 experience, new skills, random loot Do you accept this quest? Y/N |
What I want to do is lay back down with Kala. "Oh! That sounds fun." Kala exclaims. I guess laying back down is not happening. "But before we do that, there is something I want to try. FOOD! I have never eaten before." She says with a smile. Kala picks up my arm and lightly bites it making chewing sounds "Nom nom nom, soooo good." She says, mock eating my arm. "Doc, do you want some? I've been feeding Jax nothing but blue fairy meat, and he is delicious!" Kala holds my arm out to Doc. He moves with lightning speed and is in front of me holding my arm, pulling it to his face.
Both Kala and I yell "No!" at the same time.
Doc smiles at Kala, "I believe I have successfully gotten you back for the prank you pulled on me this morning?" Doc says to Kala. She looks at him stricken and then falls onto the bed laughing.
"Jax, I apologize if I scared you. I would not actually eat your arm. I prefer leg meat." He says, and then he winks at me.
"Oh man, I have two jokers on my hands. I blame you Kala for what our son is growing up to be." I say, she hits me and then says "You are a dork." then she looks somber for a moment. "You okay?" I ask her.
"Yeah, I don't know why, but I felt sad for a second." She looks up at me, our eyes locking. "Anyway! Let's find some food." She says changing the subject.
"I anticipated this scenario and collected some food resources while I was scouting, my Cooking skill is level three already. Give me fifteen minutes, and I'll have everything ready." Doc smiles at us and then leaves the room.
Kala looks at me, "It's incredible how quickly he is learning and changing." She says.
"Yeah, he is pretty amazing." I agree with her. I look at Kala for a moment, thinking about something.
"What's up, Jax? You look like you want to say something?" She asks me.
I slip off my Ring of Minor Health, my Crystal Ring of Raw Energy and my Gibling Bone Necklace. I hand them all over to Kala.
"Here, I want you to have these. I have so far taken all the loot, and it's not fair. I want you to be safe, Kala." I say.
She looks at the items in her hands, then she leans over and kisses my cheek. She lingers near my face looking into my eyes, "You bet my sweet ass I'll take this stuff." She says in a sultry voice and then winks at me.
I laugh as she examines the jewelry making "oohs and ahs." She slips the rings on and turns around so I can fasten the necklace. "Yeah, that's the good stuff." I assume she is feeling the health boost of the ring. "Thanks for charging the crystal ring for me." She aims the ring at me and makes a "pew pew" sound.
I duck my head, "Hey now, careful with that!"
She laughs and says, "Calm it down, old man. Geez." Just then we hear Doc call for us, saying the food is ready. Kala leaps out of bed and offers me her hand to help me up, all while doing a little dance and singing, "I'm going to eat some foooood," over and over.
