SAVE POINT 18
Rosabella
I stared into the mirror over the dresser in the dark bedroom that was probably my mom's and realized something: I wasn’t staring at myself. I was staring at someone who looked like me putting on a show—a show that rivaled this place with its grand, Victorian architecture...
A show like my title: Game Maker.
I looked at the smoothed down, brunette locks of my hair, this uncomfortable jumpsuit and the sparkly, blue eyeshadow one of the maids had painted on my eyelids at nearly six o'clock this morning and—
And, why did I think I had to dress up or play a part to be something I already was?
I WAS the Game Maker.
Intrinsically.
Wholly.
Nothing could change that.
Nothing could change my Class or me unless I let it.
And I didn't want to let it—not anymore. I fingered the black-and-white picture of my mother still in my hand, pricking my finger along the paper edge of it like it might jolt me from whatever sleep I'd been in.
But it already had.
Dad's note on the back already had awakened something in me—a burning fire? A realization?
He'd written the note for my mother, but his words almost completely described what I was facing right now—in this moment in this dark bedroom. And he'd given me the answer. I was staring at it, right now, right here. I just needed to be me. I was the Game Maker. Sparo was right; I needed to make my game—my life. I needed to face the fact that I couldn't be someone else, and I shouldn't want to be.
So, I tore a makeup wipe out of the top drawer.
I smeared it over my entire face.
Till I was there again.
In the mirror.
Till the glitz and the glam were gone.
And it was me: raw, fresh and—yes—maybe red-faced in the mirror because I’d scrubbed too hard. There was something exhilarating about seeing myself, breathless, staring back. ...Like maybe it was the first time I'd really looked at myself in a long time.
And I smiled. …'Cause this next part was going to be fun.
"Maids!" I called to the empty room.
I knew they could hear. And, I’d been right, someone was watching and listening because, almost immediately, the door slid open, light rimming the edges from the hallway as two, familiar—though shadowed—forms hurried into view.
"Yes, Game Maker?"
"You called?"
Their voices were like little birds in the darkness.
"Yes, I called," I told them, "I have a few requests."
"Anything, Game Maker," the first vowed.
I smiled, glad that the dim light in the room hid it. That was exactly what I wanted to hear.
"So, first," I started pointedly, "I want you to show me where the cameras are in my room and disable them—"
"—Disable them?" Maid #2 sputtered, questions filling her eyes.
And I saw the air wobble around her, but I was prepared for it. I wasn’t going to give in this time.
Her face distorted.
The high-pitched scream started—
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
I bit down on my lip to stop myself from reacting.
"Turn off the cameras, crush, kill them, whatever does the job," I listed, keeping my voice neutral, but the poor girl's eyes grew wider and wider.
And the pitch grew higher—ugh! Maybe this was a bad idea...
"What—?!" the maid balked.
"You said 'anything'," I said flippantly which prompted Maid #2 to glare at the first.
"Game Maker, the cameras are to protect you—" the first girl started insistently.
Was this going to work? My eardrums were about to explode from the noise—
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
"And I've decided I don't need protection, thank you," I told her curtly, feeling like I needed to scream over the noise. "Actually, I'm going to release all my bodyguards from their duties until further notice. And you. You guys are fired. It's nothing personal, I just prefer to do things myself."
POP.
The shrieking sound stopped.
The air returned to normal.
Except that I was left with the two gaping girls who all but had their jaws on the floor...
[System Reward: Okay, Way To Step It Up And Take Shit From No One. You’ve Got Balls, Girl +5 XP, 1052/1100]
[System Penalty: …Except They, Now, Think You’re Crazy So… -20 Baddie Points, 690]
I stared at the numbers. …So, a win and a loss. …Wait...I didn't give in to their demands, and the distortion and noise still went away? I resisted the urge to do a happy dance right on the spot.
"You're—firing us?" Maid #1 gasped, her pale face pitching paler.
"Yes!" I replied, far too cheerily, "I'm sure they'll find some other task for you to do here. Oh, but could you actually find my friends—the group that brought me here—and bring them to me? As your last, official duty, I mean."
I felt like a total jerk for asking but...well, I was allowed to have anything I wanted, right?
[System Penalty: Now, You Just Look Like A Jerk For Asking… -5 Baddie Points, 685]
…Okay, so, apparently, I was just going to keep leaking Baddie Points for this. Good thing I didn’t care. They really were pretty much useless anyway—
"Of course, Game Maker," the taller of the maids told me—her voice rather hollow and unsure as she reached over the dresser and plucked the clock off the stand; it probably had a camera in it. The second maid removed two more devices from the room.
And, then, they slipped silently—awkwardly—out the door.
And I was ready for part two of this plan.
With relish that could only be obtained after far too long in an outfit you didn't want to wear, I yanked that awful, silken jumpsuit over my head. I scrabbled in the chest of drawers till I found sweatpants. I slid them up my legs like the fluffiest piece of Heaven I hadn't experienced yet.
Next, came the tank top. I chose a cropped one, loving how it instantly molded to my body. I kept the large, hoop earrings I’d had in since the morning, tossed my hair hastily over my shoulders, slipped my feet into my slippers and threw open the door.
Time to really do this.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
I took the deepest breath I'd taken all day as I faced the hallway back to the throne room. Mom and Dad, I was about to make you proud.
The carpet runner in the hall terminated at the imposing door I remembered, and I braced myself for the end of the soft material under my feet and the transition to hard...just like what I was about to do. The guards gave me a couple raised eyebrows—probably due to my casual outfit—but I strode past them, lifting my chin high even if my hands were trembling. I wouldn't let them see how difficult this was. I was stronger than I knew.
I was the Game Maker.
I decided.
And, quite frankly, I'd decided this throne room, listen-to-the-Gamers'-plea-line was far less than efficient—
Shit. There she was.
The wrinkled, elderly woman, Miranda, stood squarely in my way—blocking my path to the throne with arms crossed over her chest and a frown so large her lips were nearly a tipped-sideways, crescent moon. I cringed, waiting for the inevitable distortion of the air and high-pitched scream but—
...But it didn't come...
Instead, a voice did. In my mind. The Grand Dragon.
Your Presence upgrade told you when you displeased others. You could choose to please them or be yourself. When you choose to please them, you always had to repeat that action or else their disapproval came back. When you choose to be yourself, you put your own approval of yourself above theirs, eliminating the displeasure. You have chosen well, child. Choose well again.
[System Reward: You Just Got Props From The Grand Dragon?! Who Are You? Way To Go! +15 XP, 1067/1100]
Elation coursed through me at the beast's words and the system reward...and, yet, that last line sounded like a warning too...
In the note on the back of the photo, Dad had told my mother that she should ‘upset the apple cart’.
"Here goes nothing," I whispered under my breath.
Miranda's eagle-sharp eyes tore up and down my frame. "What exactly are you wearing? You're mocking this holy tradition—"
[System Penalty: MIRANDA, NOBLE 19 Is Judging The Shit Out Of You… -5 Baddie Points, 680]
Come on, System. Be a little on my side right now? "Um," I looked down at my attire, picking a thumb and index-finger full of sweatpant material from my pants in a triangle tent, "These are sweatpants, and this is a tank top. They're actually comfortable clothes. As far as your 'holy tradition', this is nothing more than a waste of everyone's time."
[System Reward: You Just Said That To Her Face? Killer Confidence! +10 Baddie Points, 690]
The woman bumbled, her face creasing into magenta and her eyebrows sloping into undeniable fury like some kind of raven. I stepped past her inner turmoil to address the confused, shifting line of people.
"She's back!" I heard someone exclaim.
"The Game Maker!" another shouted.
I opened my arms wide on either side of me, letting my voice boom through the vast throne room—up to the cathedral ceiling above. "Everyone! I understand you came here for the betterment of your towns. I think that shows some amazing dedication, but I have to admit that this process of notifying me of your needs is...extremely antiquated. We're gonna try something new...something—faster," I spouted, searching for the word and finding it. "Maybe I could post a giant map of The Game behind this chair here, and you each could come up and place a pin where your town affected by darkness is. Then, I'd have more time to address your actual concerns verses sitting here...sitting here," I trailed off, not knowing how else to say it.
A murmur of agreement ran through the room. I watched them nod their heads, considering.
[System Reward: You’re Gaining The Respect Of The Crowd +10 Baddie Points, 700]
[System Reward: Plus, You Just Made A Speech And Didn’t Fall Over Or Puke +2 XP, 1069/1100]
Suddenly, I got an even better idea—
"Better yet," I corrected, "There's a way to do this without any kind of travel at all. Why don't you all just...send me an email?" The question blurted off my lips.
[System Penalty: Cue Earthquake Waves Coming Off Of MIRANDA, NOBLE 19. Talk About Upsetting The Apple Cart, You Just Shoved Over the Whole Stand… -20 Baddie Points, 680]
"Email?!" the buzzard woman with the wrinkles spat, throwing down her arms. She appeared confused and completely devastated.
At the same time.
They all lived in a video game world. Please tell me they knew about emails.
"...You know," I sputtered, already turning to leave, "Actually, Dormouse will tell you all about it if I can just find him—"
I stumbled back towards the entrance doors as the crowd erupted into a flurry of confusion even as they parted to let me past. Millions of faces looked as confused as I used to feel. But it was clear to me now. My path was finally clear. Because I'd decided to make it.
[System Penalty: You May Have Just Caused Mass Confusion -10 XP, 1059/1100]
"Where are you going?!" the matriarch of tradition screeched at my back. "Your people need you here!"
I swiveled, "You're right," I admitted, "They do. Which is why I'm going on an expedition to get that root powder I need to live. I hear they're leaving this afternoon—"
The woman held up her pointy chin, "I won't allow it. I'll call the guards right now and tell them not to let you travel with them. The Game Maker must stay at The Higher Place if we are to retain any sort of order in this universe—"
"Good thing I'm not going with the guards," I quipped, "I'm assembling my own team."
And I turned.
And walked out of there.
Chin held high.
As system alerts popped into my view like a million signs of the triumph and misery I'd just created:
[System Reward: Way To Take The Reins On This Situation +25 XP, 1084/1100]
[System Penalty: MIRANDA, NOBLE 19 Has Lost Respect For You -20 Baddie Points, 660]
Good. I’d never liked her anyway.
I grabbed a sword and dagger from the weapons gym on the way out.
[System Alert: Metal Handle Dagger and Razor-Edged Cutlass Sword Acquired +20 XP, 1104/1100. Objects Will Be Placed In Your Inventory Unless You’d Like to Equip. Would You Like to Equip?]
[Yes] [No]
“Not right now,” I growled, “I have shit to do.”
And, as though in testament to those words, the world froze as plus signs wove upward.
[System Alert: ***Congratulations, You’ve Advanced To Level 12!***]
NAME
ROSABELLA
CLASS & LEVEL
GAME MAKER 12
XP
1104/1200
MRP
3870/6209
HP
80/107
Baddie Points
660
Armor Class
15/20
ABILITIES /20
Strength
+1
12
Agility
+0
11
Endurance
+1
12
Intelligence
+1
13
Awareness
+1
12
Presence
+3
16
CM
4
[+9 HP & HP Extended By 9, 80/107. You’ve Been Awarded the Ability to Learn One of the Following Skills:]
[Weapon Creation] [Influence Influx]
Perfect. I was Level 12 now, bitches. Try and stand in my way. …And what was this about skills?
[Please Select Which Extra You’d Like.]
The words flashed in my face. Looked like I’d either be able to create weapons or do something with influence? Examination Opportunities bobbed over each option like the clarity I needed. I looked at the first one, rolling the tag over in my mind…weapon creation…
“Examine,” I told the system.
[System Option Examined… +1 XP, 1105/1200]
[A Closer Look At The Fine Print Explains The Option Further:
WEAPON CREATION: Tired Of Your Current Weapons? Interested In Getting Creative Or Being Able to Make Something Sharp When You’re In Between A Rock And A Hard Place? This Skill Allows A Gamer To Identify Objects In Their Environment Which Can Be Used To Create Weapons. Once Collected And Combined, The Gamer Can Speak The Words ‘Create Weapon’ Out Loud To Create Their Weapon Of Choice. Disclaimer: Weapon Creation Availability Is Based On Collected Objects.]
I considered the text, chewing on my lower lip. That would be really helpful for this trek to get more root powder, except that I’d just grabbed two weapons out of the gym so…
“Examine the other option,” I commanded. The system beeped obediently.
[System Option Examined… +1 XP, 1106/1200]
[A Closer Look At The Fine Print Explains The Option Further:
INFLUENCE INFLUX: Feeling Like Everyone Hates You Or You Can’t Convince Anyone You’re Right?—
Had it read my mind?! I continued reading:
This Skill Allows A Gamer To Sway Other Gamer’s, Provided That Their Presence Ability Points Are Lower. 100 Baddie/Swap Points Can Be Traded For 1 Influence Point (IP). 5 IP Will Gain A Gamer The Ability To Change The Decision Of Another Gamer. 10 IP Triggers An Influence Influx Which Allows A Gamer To Insert Their Decision Into The Changed Decision Of That Same Gamer. Disclaimer: Once Baddie/Swap Points Are Converted To IP, They Cannot Be Converted Back. IP Can Only Be Used In Increments Of 5 and 10.]
I balked at that—wow, now that was cool! I had a pretty decent amount of Baddie Points. Maybe this would help me in the social situations around The Higher Place. I, also, had a team to assemble. I was going to have to boss some people around. It was time I started taking control of my own destiny.
“I choose Influence Influx,” I stated confidently.
[System Alert: Influence Influx Selected. Congratulations, You Have Added A New Skill.]
The world around me unfroze—the hallway coming into sharp contrast again, now that the Level Up had dissipated. Right. I had a mission to fill. I stopped in the kitchen too to grab a backpack full of sandwiches, lunchmeat, fruit, nuts, berries...
And five cookies just for my trip down the hall.
'Cause this time...I didn't give a fuck. And it was about time, don't you think?