Stepping down into the hot tub sized bath I grip the edge and slide lower, letting the warm water creep up my legs. When the heat kisses at my more sensitive regions I 'teabag' the water for a bit, letting out a few gasps and teeth sucking whistles before I can take the pleasure-pain enough to lower my groin and sink past my hips and up to my waist.

"Ooo… OowoH…Ooh… Aahhhhhh…"

Muscles I didn't realize were tensed relax as warmth seeps into them, releasing pent up knots and eliciting a near post-orgasmic wash of relaxation. Closing my eyes I lean back against the seashell-shaped bathtub and let the water rise up to my chest.

I stay like that for a minute or so just de-stressing and I slip into Jelf trance. Managing to keep myself in the edge in the restful state of ‘Elf meditation’ and not pass all the way into ‘Character Sheet’ mode. I wanted to enjoy this for a bit and the time skip effect that going into my point spending level of unconsciousness granted, although useful in its own way, would completely ruin the experience.

The minutes tick by, and too quickly, I force myself out of the cleared state of mind. Like they were waiting for my full cognizance to return my mind is immediately invaded with thoughts of my situation.

Questions swirl around in my brain. Just what did I intend to do? What was the plan? Live out my life here in this fantasy game world? It was possible I suppose, but do I really want too? Did I even have a choice? I might not have the most amazing life but it was mine at the very least. I am not sure that the same can be said here.

I was learning of course, with each passing interaction or encounter. Could I afford to keep bumbling my way through without any sort of direction?

Danger was my new reality. Sure, there was the old adage of 'getting hit by a bus crossing the street.' But at least I knew the rules of the road back in my world. It was ingrained second nature. I could take precautions. Use a crosswalk. Listen for the beep and wait for the light. Look both ways before crossing the street. Not run out into traffic like a lunatic!

This was a whole different ballgame. I knew tabletop rules from all kinds of games, so many that they tended to blend with one another after a while. Did that really translate into real-world experience here? I suppose it does. To some degree at least. So in that, I guess, I have a leg up. More so than someone who has never played an RPG before anyway.

There was so much I didn't know though. Any little slip could be disastrous. There was no questioning of the Game Master to clarify or explain. I had to rely on nothing but my game knowledge and actual character skills. The fact that I didn't know that Karabos was a Hobgoblin seemed like a minor inconvenience at the time, but really? It was a major hurdle.

The situation with the Arfie, Porchatta might have been avoided if I had the proper skills. Which meant spending points. The accumulation of which seems rather arbitrary. What I can remember from my trance looking over of my character sheet, defeating monsters had garnered me some, but so had clever ideas and even the special conditions of fighting the Naga in the Crystal cave.

The thought of the cave makes my brain switch gears. I lean my head back against the cool edge, staring up at the ceiling. The bathroom is bright. Crystals mounted in the lamp like sconces on the walls bathe the room in an almost office building florescent white glow. I suppose I could, or should, have lowered the covers on a few so I wouldn't have to sit in the tub with my shades on like some rapper in a music video. But I had been more interested in… using the facilities and then climbing into the tub.

I'd removed a crystal from one of the lamps that were within arms reach while I was… sitting. Without a comic book or smartphone to pass the time had elected to study it.

Lumina Crystal (White): Mundane: These naturally formed crystals glow with a bright light and can be found in a variety of colors. An opaque cover placed over the crystal will block the emitted light.

Pretty useful general knowledge. Personally, I didn't really need light due to my drow Darksight but seeing as these crystals were classed as Mundane I rationalized that I could use my 'Bag of Assorted Crystals' to pull out a few if I ever needed too. Grabbing a bag of them had proved to be a great idea, it had been crucial in constructing my shades after all. Did I get points from that too?

And there is the gear shift which brings me back around to spending points and my character sheet again.

With my mind back on track I consider what I need to do to prepare myself.

I had already established that my Character Sheet's mind's eye breakdown responded to my will so I could try and focus on what specific information I wanted to see instead of sorting through the various 'pages' of information. It had worked when I tried to spend points before so I don't see any reason why it shouldn't do the same.

So first thing I'd need to know is how many points I'd accumulated.

Next point. From what I recall I had managed to unlock a few skills besides the ones I'd purchased on my initial character creation. Had I unlocked any more today?

Third. When sitting around the game table it was easy to tell what Stats, Skills, Powers, Abilities or Feats and so on that your character used most because the Game Master would be constantly asking you to make checks. A luxury that I don't here. That could be a long list and could change a lot depending on the environment and general game too. Skills and Abilities used in a dungeon delve were usually much different than the ones used in a city-based game. So that was something to keep in mind.

I sit up and splash some warm water onto my face. That was a good start and shouldn't be too hard to summarize. After all, I don't want to get too bogged down in the details. Make it fast. Slip in, get a quick read of the breakdown then out again.

The last thing was some ideas I'd had for crafting. That sort of information that might be too much. Still, if I really worked it out in my head. Perhaps…?

I glance over at my knapsack and holstered handgun. There were a bunch of uses for my new Magitech kit that I want to test out. As well as some more repairs on my piece of crap pistol. I had started working on the upgrade to try and get the misfire chance down so my initial thought was to work on that some more while I took a nice soak.

First I should get everything ready. That way I could prioritize what I could and would be able to get accomplished.

I'll need a little workstation of sorts. My knapsack is within arms reach so I pull it over and poke inside. I find what I need. A bundle of cloth. The spare shirts and pants that I had purchased this morning. When I start to take out the clothes out, however, I feel something hard wrapped up inside of them.

I suck my teeth and rub my eyes at my own epic level attention deficit. How could I be so dopey as to forget the fairy we stol-- liberated from the guard? I know that I'm being hard on myself. That my brain fart is simply because of the sheer volume of… everything... that has been thrown at me all at once. The overwhelming pressure of having to acclimate to all of it in a short period of time. Still, it makes me give myself a swift mental kick in the ass.

Character Limitation: Available for Acquisition

Psychological Limitation: Absent Minded – Occurs: Frequently. Effect: Moderate: +15 Character Points - Character is forgetful of, or confused by, anything not related to what they are working/focused on at the moment.

After carefully removing the protective material of my new shirt from around the glass jar I peer inside. The fairy is hiding at the bottom, behind the once fresh and vibrant, now dried and wilted, flowers I had placed in there with her.

"Hey it's alright I won't hurt you." I try to keep my voice barely above a whisper. Low and soothing. If she can understand me she makes no sign and tries to tuck even further behind the flowers. Trying to make herself even smaller. Her skin looks pale and sallow and my heart aches for the poor little thing. I'm not exactly sure what to do and so look around for something to help.

Climbing out of the tub I pad over to the Velvet Palm plants in the corner. I poke through the leaves and bulbs until I find one that hasn't fully unfurled yet. I pluck the leaf and dip it into the sink, filling the sort of natural container with pure clean water.

With a deft hand I open the jar and slip in the leaf funnel full of water, along with another leaf or two and a few of the bean fruits. I then place it in the pot at the base of the plant. Tucking the jar behind some of the low hanging leaves to give the little creature some privacy and hopefully put it more at ease.

I edge away slowly and slip back into the tub watching from the corner of my eye. The jar and is mostly obscured but after a minute or so I see her creep from where she was hiding. She cautiously sniffs at the water and then sticks her head into the leaf funnel to drink greedily. Once done she glances through the wall of glass at me then hurriedly snatches one of the beans, pulling it and a large leaf around and out of sight.

Satisfied that I have at least managed to give her some food I return my attention to my bag.

With my shirt spread out on the floor I pull out my travel Tinkers kit, my Magitech kit and the small bags filled with jewelry and crystals and finally the soap I had gotten from Sully.

Even wrapped in wax paper the fragrance of the soap is delightful. The physical reminder of the conversation I'd shared with the friendly guards jogs my memory. As I look around the spacious tub I begin to wonder. As much as I would like to believe that it was just to get something nice for the girls I knew that deep down my male brain ulterior motive had always been a scenario in which we got soapy and sudsy together.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Damn. I should have suggested that Cinnamon join me in the bath. How would I have gone about doing it? All cool and straight up? 'Yo Cinni, we can mess with the clothes later. Let's go jump in the bath. There was always my usual go-to of the nice guy approach. I let out an audible harrumph of derision at the thought. Yeah, 'cause that had always worked so well.

I shake my head. No. As awesome as the idea of both of us naked in a hot tub is I'm pretty positive that I had the correct read on her mood. And if television had taught me anything it was that for a woman clothes and shoe shopping eclipsed everything else. At this moment she was much more interested in trying on her new outfits than getting slippery with me. Unfortunately.

Still, the earlier exchange between Cinnamon and I nags at me like an itch I can't reach. It's as if I'm missing something so completely obvious, like trying to remember a topic that has briefly slipped your mind in the middle of a conversation. A word or phrase that for some reason your brain just will not spit out the information for. It's maddening!

Perhaps if I move on to something else and not dwell on it. I roll the blocks of soap over in my hand, then unwrap them both. Each has that same glycerin look, one grape jello purple, the other ruby red with swirls of amber.

Using one of the tools from my tinkers kit I carve off a couple of blocks from each and then cut the shaved off portions again. The smaller blocks, each about half the length and width of my thumb, I re-wrap in tiny squares of the torn-off strips of parchment wrapper until they look like miniature versions of the originals.

The slightly larger cut-offs I put to the side then wrap the larger blocks and store them and the tiny soaps back in my pack. That done I take a sniff of each. Deciding on the purple lavender over the rose and lemon-scented red I dip the soap into the water.

Rolling my fingers over the surface of the bar suds immediately dapple the water around my wrist as work up a lather and I start to scrub myself clean. I can't help marvel at the smooth ripple of muscle along my chest, arms and stomach. My indigo skin looks even more striking with the shine of the water and I start to tighten and flex my muscles over and over.

Brian Status: HP 12/ 12     Stun: 22 / 22      Mana: 5 / 10

The scent and warmth of the water seems to intensify, bringing a fresh wave of relaxation. I feel cleaner than I have in… ever? I glance over at the wrapped blocks visible at the opening of my backpack and narrow my eyes in concentration.

Rejuvenating Soap: Magical Item: Bathing with this slightly magical soap not only cleans but also restores a single point to a persons Manapool and increases their Allure Stat by 1d2 for 8 hours. A character may only gain this benefit once per 24 hours. Uses Remaining: x7

Huh. It's some kind of minor magical item. I grin. That's fantastic! I glance over at the other smaller blocks of soap that I had cut free and study them as well. Utilizing my skills in basic math it seems the original blocks had x10, to begin with, and I’ve reduced each to x7, x2, and x1 'Uses Remaining' respectively.

My sharp ears pick up a knock. Halting in both my Analyzing and bathing I listen intently. What sounds like the main door opens and a bit of muffled conversation between Cinnamon and someone else follows. A moment later the door closes and Cinnamon sweet voice calls out.

"Brian some snacks have been delivered." There's a small bit of hesitation, "Did you want some?"

"No, Cinni. I'm fine." I answer without thinking. "Thanks anyway."

"Okay, well..." There's another long pause from beyond the bathroom door. Then a final, "Okay."

Uhhh... Dick. Head. That was your in right there! I very nearly give myself a well-deserved slap in the back of the noggin. What the hell is wrong with you, man? Should I call out to her and say 'Yes? Can you bring me something?' or will that just make me look like a completely indecisive idiot?

Nerves getting the better of me time creeps on as I ponder and without realizing it I find that I've begun busying myself with the items that I've pulled out of my bag and laid on the floor.

The new Magitech kit has a soft cloth inside of it as well and I place that alongside the shirt. I suppose I really should be doing this at a table, and away from water but I was trying to be as time-efficient as possible. With meticulous care, I arrange the jewelry, the broken Scriber and the in-progress parts for my hunk of junk handgun. I pull it free from the holster and strip it down as well. Adding it to the collection of pieces and parts.

Sorting through my Magitech kit I look at the collection of clickers and contraptions. At first glance, they just look like junk. Bits and bobs that you would see slapped onto cheap cosplay costumes at a steampunk convention. I wait for it and less than a heartbeat later information seeps into my brain.

It's a pleasurable sensation when I access some bit of new instinctive knowledge for the first time. So there's a smile on my face to go along with the rush of the direct download stream that comes with the unlocking of my character expertise. I wonder if this is what Neo felt like when he learned Kung-Fu? Scanning the contents of the tackle-box like interior of the polished wooden case I now know the names and uses of all the assorted springs, cogs, winders, dials, keys, bolt, screws and gears. What each oddly shaped tool is used for. How they can be assembled to tune or build the mechtanics of this world.

I study the Magitech kit with my Analyze ability

(Exceptional) Magitech Toolkit: +3 bonus to crafting based skill checks, [10 point Adjustable Gadget Pool] -These specialized tools are used to assist in the pursuit of a craft or trade. Magitech: Able to create and repair items with innate magical properties.

I narrow my focus. Concentrating on the idea of the [10 point Adjustable Gadget Pool]

[Adjustable Gadget Pool] A recoverable pool of Character Points which can be used to create powers linked by a common special effect [Gadget]. 10 Character Points.

Requires: Applicable Craft Skill Check.

Crafting Time: 1 Minute per Character Point.

Sounds like it's similar to my Adventurers Backpack, but without the limited number of uses. A game mechanic that will allow me to build gadgets or simple devices over and over. A low powered utility belt. Judging by the description I should be able to duplicate what I'd done with my shades.

Picturing what I want I set to the task.

Fingers working like they have a mind of their own I grab rounded semi circular washers and bend wire into various shapes around a short length of metal. Screws and bolts follow and after what I guess is only a few minutes of building I lean back to admire my handiwork.

Inventor + Kit Bonus: Success!

And suck my teeth in disappointment.

At the edge of the tub, on my spread out shirt, sits a clunky contraption that looks more like a set of crazy road-ganger biker goggles from a Mad Max dystopia than my stylish shades. Instead of dark crystal lenses two rounded metal bowls, connected with wire, are positioned in such a way to sit over the eyes. Small rectangular slits in the center of each provide the wearer a small visor window to see through.

Shielded Goggles: +5 pts Flash Defense: Sight - These goggles protect the wearer by reducing the duration or negating imposed conditions due to bright light or visual-based special effects or attacks.

Gadget Item Cost: 3 points

Gadget Pool Points Remaining: 7 points

They look ugly, uncomfortable and very obvious as to their function.

I take off my shades and put them to the side. My eyes sting a bit from the white light in the bathroom and with a sigh I up pick up the ugly goggles and slip them on. Immediately I feel less cool. A glance at the door puts my mind at ease. It's still closed so at least Cinnamon won't see how ridiculous I must look.

"Still…" I rub my chin in thought. "They do work." The piercing brightness ebbs, the painful glare disappearing as I look through the small apertures. Sure they were nothing like what I was hoping for but I suppose in a pinch, they would do the job.

I decided to look on the bright side. It took me only a few minutes to build these awful, but functional goggles compared to the hours it took to construct my badass shades. Not only that I could simply break these back down into their component parts, and regain the points I used to construct them in the first place. If you overlooked the overall uncool aesthetic it was crazy useful.

That thought gives me another idea.

Picking up a timing coil I attach a couple of round slide plates then sort through the various extra parts in the kit until I locate a tiny clicker arm. Steady as a rock I scrape out equidistant marks around the edge of the top disk. Holding everything in place it takes only another minute or so to tighten the screws. Everything is nearly complete so I wind then remove a small activator key, replacing it in my kit with the other tools. Now for the final step. There's a small bottle in the kit, full of glowing mana infused oil. Using a dropper I drip some of the viscous liquid into the inner workings.

Craft Skill: Clockwork: Unowned

Alternate allowable Skill check:

Magitech + Kit Bonus: Success!

The sound of a steady tick starts. Counting in one-second increments.

Pocket Clock: Time sense - With this device, a character can accurately gauge the passage of time.

Gadget Item Cost: 2 points

Gadget Pool Points Remaining: 5 points

It's about the size of a Fidget spinner and certainly no Rolex, but it works!

I'm positive watch, or more likely clockmakers exist in this world. Those masters of the craft who sit hunched over desks with magnifying glasses and delicate tools. Moving and tweaking intricate minuscule gears and springs. Toiling for hours, days, perhaps even months, to build a device to accurately record the passage of time.

I'd done it in two minutes by throwing a bunch of cogs and screws together, winding it up like one of those vintage tin toy cars and dribbling in a bit of magic juice.

I let out a quiet laugh. It was also a hell of a lot of fun! I'm tempted to just sit in the tub making more gadgets and doodads, but I refrain. Even if I've learned a lot in the last fifteen minutes or so. Extremely useful information that should make what I was about to attempt a bit easier, I'd been distracted enough.

Leaning back I spread my arms onto the edge of the tub. Once again, I close my eyes. Relaxing. Clearing my mind of external thoughts and narrowing my focus. The trickles of water across my skin turn to drips, falling from my biceps into the bath. The gentle plip plip sounds drift away.  Muffled and distant. I know I can pull myself back to them in an instant but what I'm looking for is the dark void at the edge of my awareness. There. I locate it with ease and my consciousness speeds toward it.

You are Resting.