Tutorial 1.8
Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009
I sit up feeling refreshed, several minutes after 5 am. Using the rest menu to sleep is a hell of an improvement. Now that I've slept on it, I'm rather pissed at the PRT for not believing me. I spent far more time on their questionnaires and thinker tests than explaining how any of my weird powers work. What I did mention got me confused stares. At least I didn't mention my CHA stat, the speech skill, or the relationship system, not that those are particularly high. I was planning to; I just didn't get the chance after switching to all the basic tests. I think they jumped to that merely because they didn't understand any of the gaming terms I was using. Perhaps that's for the best; it might have triggered scary 'Master' alarm bells.
What was up with Julia's reaction last night? What is going through her head? Did she not want me to talk to the PRT? Or not want to talk to them herself? Why? I still don't know for certain if she's a Parahuman or not, but my power has done some weird shit when I've interacted with her a couple times. How else do I explain the double question mark on her level? Assuming that's how it works. I can see level 5's now on tags. Hmm, that face puncher dude went from 'level ?' to 'level 4' after Julia knocked him out. Why? If she's a Parahuman maybe she has a level drain ability? Is that what 'Null Resistance' came from? Not enough info to know. If she's a Parahuman, was she worried that I had found out and outed her to the PRT? Yeah, I could see why that might piss her off. I wouldn't have wanted that to happen to me.
I check my relationship sheet, Julia Mendez: 45. Yeah it's lower than it was before, crap. "Status Effects" Good, there's some improvements. Some of my laceration and bruise status effects have gone away. The penalties of 'Swollen Eyeball' have been cut in half. It's scheduled to go away some time tomorrow. At some point 'Very Stressed' became 'Stressed' and its penalties were halved. I think this happened when I gained 10 stress points from the INT bump I got yesterday. Sleeping got me +6 HP, and +235 MP.
I read the geometry book while in the food line, and get food for me and Julia. I can grind craft with play-doh until Julia gets up. She makes an appearance a few hours later.
Your Craft (Stone & Pottery) skill has increased by 1
I've reached level 3 in craft, but play-doh has stopped working at giving my any more gains. Does that mean it is too easy now? At least drawing still works to gain artistry.
Your Disease Resistance skill has increased by 1
We eat together quietly, I'm hoping she will say something first. Breakfast gives me +8 HP. More notifications appear about the drugs wearing off. At least Julia is taking her pills as well. Fine if she won't talk I will. "You want to go visit the other camps, see if they have news, or if you'll find your m... find anyone you know? At the very least we could check the registers."
Julia stares straight ahead but nods. "Wait here" she says, and heads toward her tent section, then returns with her suitcases.
"Let me help." I offer to take one with my free hand. "I guess we'll have bring them so they don't get--"
"They have a belongings check-in tent now. It's this way."
I follow along, she checks in her bags after rummaging through them to retrieve some photos. She is about to check her backpack as well, when I whisper to her. "I can get rid of those magnetic security tags while we're out if you bring those with you."
"Okay" is her only response before she shuffles stuff around again. We pick up a crude map from registration and head out.
Your Disable Device skill has increased by 1
I remove the last of the anti-shoplifting tags from the looted clothes. That brings me to an even level 3 in Disable Device, but like the play-doh, doing the rest gains me nothing towards level 4. Was this considered too easy again? I notice I gain +1 stress point. Since there are no other clues as to why this happened, maybe it's finally a regeneration over time point? If so, that sucks, it took three days to gain one.
We get to Camp Alpha around noon. I thought I'd get some XP for that quest right away but it doesn't happen. We check the registers, but have no luck. Julia places photos of her mother up on this camp's missing board, and we wander around a bit making inquiries before standing in line for lunch. Food availability is getting better. More and more guardsmen and coast guard are arriving to keep control over the island as well. After we eat, (+5 HP), it’s a bust for discovering anything new, but I finally get the +50 XP for visiting the camp and a slew of new notifications.
You have gained a level! You are now level 3.
Your Gamer's Mind skill has increased by 1
Your Gamer's Body skill has increased by 1
Your Gamer's Interface skill has increased by 1
Wow, gaining a level jumped my maximum mana from 320 to 480, and like before I immediately gained that 160 difference in current MP. So that means what, maximum mana is, level times INT times 10? I'm still short of that 600 MP cost to use Create Mana Golem, assuming I succeed in meeting the pre-reqs. If I put all my points in INT though I would be at a 20, I should have a 600 max then. "Skills"
Create Mana Golem (Active/Passive)
This skill allows you to create and awaken a golem from stone or clay materials that you have crafted by your own hand, and bring it to life under your direct mental control.
Active: Expend Mana to imbue a crafted golem. Once imbued, a golem is dormant, and costs 0 MP per minute to maintain.
MP Cost: 600 + (1 per pound of mass).
...
Hmm, it doesn't cost 600 MP minimum it costs more because I don't think a golem of zero mass would work very well. Damn, it won't matter if I spend those points in INT right now. It'll still be out of reach. I should wait until I find out if I succeed in even getting the skill before blowing and points.
Since I can't afford Mana Golem anyway, I don't need to save my mana. I have enough to blow a bunch on Observe. I get better gains targeting people I've never seen before anyway. There's plenty here.
Your Observe skill has increased by 1
This confirms it, I can see level numbers equal to or less than my level plus my Observe skill level, because I can now see level 7's.
The hike to Camp Charlie nets us the same amount of nothing. Looked at the registers, talked to people, and got no new information. I did get the other 50 XP, that's not enough for another level. I have a ways to go on that, but it's better than nothing. Julia is distraught and un-talkative, yet not acting too surprised. Observe still shows 'Reckless Apathy', the usual kaleidoscopes of grief and trauma, and 'Resignation'. There's little else to do but head back to Camp Bravo.
I'd think a quest telling you to visit places would have something to find there, but no. It’s just useless map points. Or is it? As bad as the news is for her, Julia gets confirmation that her mother hasn't been found or checked in at the other sites. I posted copies of my registration photo prints too; just as Julia did for her mother on the missing persons boards, maybe we'll find someone that knows us.
Julia still doesn't want to talk when we get back. Miss Heath does show up, and she and Julia disappear for a while. I have to hope for the best there. I guess some good happens as my relationship goes up a few points, but there's no quest completion announcement yet. I resume grinding Artistry and timing my mana regen rate. I gain 1 MP almost every five minutes.
****
"Simon Anderson?" someone calls my name, I look up from my doodling. A camp aid worker calls it again and I head over.
"That's me."
"Jerry Mondale mentioned that he recognized you, he is at cot 57."
"Thanks" I started looking for cot 57. I find it, some older man is sitting there holding his head in his hands.
"Are you Jerry Mondale?"
"What?" the man says in a shaky voice.
"I'm Simon Anderson; an aid worker said you recognized me."
"Oh, you. That was yesterday kid, they didn't tell you till now, or did you not check?"
"Not till now, I've been busy." The man just grumbles a bit in response. "So uh, how do you know me?"
"What you don't remember?"
"Um no, have amnesia, that's why I was looking for people who knew me."
"I don't really know you kid, you were just a student in my history class this last semester. I saw your name and photo on the board and mentioned it."
"What, really? Where? What grade? Do you know my parents?"
"Oh damn kid…Ball High School, 9th grade. I'm a teacher… I was a teacher there. I don't know your parents, most I ever did was leave a voice message inviting them to parent teacher night. Which I don't recall them ever attending."
"Do you know their phone number, address, names, anything?"
"Sorry, I don't memorize that stuff when I have a hundred something students per semester."
"Well maybe the school has records then."
"You don't really know how bad it has gotten in some places. The High School and the district administration building are both underwater. Nobody is getting records out of them any time soon or possibly ever."
"Damn, well can you tell me anything else at all? I'm a bit desperate here for the slightest bit of information about my life or who my family and friends were."
"To be honest, the only reason I remember you, was because you were a disruptive class clown, who did poor work, and the conference your parents never attended was to attempt to address some of those issues. I'm sorry, that's all I know and it's just not important to me anymore. I have my own family loss I have to deal with, so I'd like you to leave me alone."
I wander off in shock. That's enlightening and disappointing at the same time. I know a few more things about myself, but it's useless. My notifications bump up. I have a couple more slots on the 'Learn more about yourself' quest. I was a freshman in Ball High School, and I was a 'student with poor grades and discipline problems'. Well fuck you too. I grind Artistry, again till I get hungry, and stand in line reading Geometry while getting food. Julia isn't back yet. I get some for both of us anyway, again, and eat, +5 HP, and grind Artistry again...
Finally a new notification appears as I watch my Artistry hit 99.99%of the way toward level 5. That's odd because normally they appear after the level bumped and the progress is reset back to 0.00%.
You may gain the Drawing specialty for the skill Artistry. By repeated practice of a specific specialty of a skill you may opt to choose to gain that specialty rather than bumping up the general skill to the next level.
Do you wish to accept the Drawing specialty for Artistry? Y/N
By accepting, the Artistry skill will revert back to level 4, 0.00%, and Drawing will be added to your specialties list for Artistry. This will improve your drawing ability, and apply any unlocked Artistry bonus features toward drawings.
Declining will bump the Artistry skill to level 5, and the specialty cannot be gained again until reaching level 6, if drawing was the means in which the Artistry skill was practiced.
Interesting. On the one hand, it makes sense to take a specialty early. It seems to take more effort to gain higher skill ranks than lower skill ranks. On the other hand, I need a level 5 to meet the Create Mana Golem requirement. I don't even think I have any 'unlocked artistry bonus features'. I don't even know if I'll keep pursuing Artistry. If I do, I can get the specialty again later. Hmm, if gaining a specialty sets your current level progress back down to 0, then every specialty represents a pseudo level in the parent skill, making the 'real' level of a skill the level of the parent skill and the sum of all specialties obtained for it. Well it's not useful to me right now. I decline.
Your Artistry skill has increased by 1
Thus my Artistry gets to level 5. Hmm, another notification reveals something new wasn't on the skill screen for Artistry a moment ago. I unlocked a skill feature, 'No longer an Amateur: +10% to perceived value or appreciation of any specialty work of art you produce.'
Figures, after I decline, I unlock an Artistry feature. I guess that could be useful, but whatever. What does all this tell me about how this works? Were these new things that I had not seen previously or just stuff I had glossed over and forgot about?
Hmm, RTFM, heh, for computers seems pretty useful. Empathy specialty, Somatic? What the hell is that? Enhanced Calm on Gamer's Mind?
So seeing mental effects and current feelings via Observe are features explicitly unlocked from the existence of other skills? Gamer's Interface also has a feature unlocked from Observe. This means some skills can be enhanced by the presence of other skills, skill synergy effects like some RPGs?
Rest anywhere is a feature of Gamer's Body. It's damn useful not having to waste time trying to fall asleep. Free stat bonuses from playing video games? Damn I really should have paid more attention to all this. I should definitely collect all bonuses after I'm out of my current hell-hole. So gaining the strategy skill did in fact come from the video game skill cheat feature. This is a cool feature I need to make use of when I get out of here.
Ignoring features listed as coming from skill synergy, every skill that is at least level 5 or more has one feature unlocked, and the Artistry feature is definitely new. Is a new feature unlocked at level 5 for all skills or just some? What about later levels? Video Games is level 25 and has three features. It's the only example to consider until another skill gets that high. I need to grind Observe more to get it to level 5 to confirm if all this is consistent.
Craft needs to take priority so I can get that other skill. I could use those unspent skill points on it, but I want to try raising it without spending any. If I get to the last minute before the chance to gain that skill expires, without reaching level 5 then I will. Prioritize Gamer's Interface too. I want that inventory ability, but when will that feature unlock? I might not even have enough points to reach it.
"Simon?"
I nearly jumped out of my skin, don't be such an oblivious idiot. I dismiss my windows. Ms. Heath is standing in front of me. I don't see Julia though; "Um, Yes?"
"I wanted to let you know that you and your friend are scheduled for transport to the mainland tomorrow. You have priority due to being minors without guardians, but that will mean meeting with social services as soon as can be arranged, to get you placed under emergency foster care. You'll be among a group of teenagers that have become orphans or who's guardians are still missing."
"Uh…okay" At least it means I'm getting off the island. "How's Julia?"
"She's been through a lot, I advised her to continue seeking counseling just as I advised you. I'll be making a note of it in the emails I'll be sending to Houston social services tonight. Though I fear they may not get read or acted on as quickly as they ought to be, due to the holidays, and the problems the attack has caused."
"She's not…going to do anything to hurt herself or anything is she?"
"That's… an interesting observation for you to make and be concerned with, but no, I don't believe so. You care for her, yet she says you have only known each other for a few days, and under clearly harrowing circumstances. You need to consider allowing her the time and space she needs for recovery."
"Did she say something about me? Did I do something wrong?"
"No, not so much, and she didn't have to. You are both survivors of a very traumatic event. Bonds can form between survivors of such experiences, and they can also fall away as each tries to put their lives back together. Mostly I want to make sure you understand that it is not your job to protect her, that you put your feelings in the right place, and that you take the time to focus on your own healing. Do you understand?"
I sigh. "Yeah, I understand." She's probably worried about me coming on too strong or having misplaced feelings. I guess that's a reasonable assumption, but is it correct? Am I pursuing her because I want the XP for finishing a quest to become her friend or because I want to be her friend? Damn, what does it say about me that I have to actually ask that question to myself? "I got some food for her; can you bring it to her?"
"Sure" Ms. Heath nods, takes the bundle, and re-enters the women's section. I don't see any relationship bumps on my sheet with Julia, but moments later, Ms. Heath exits without the food and leaves the camp building.
Tomorrow, I finally get off the island, better confirm it though, I walk up to the registration desk, to check and find out where we're supposed to go to get on the boat. There's little else left to do today, but wait in line for showers again, go through more of the Geometry book and burn through all my Mana on Observe until midnight.
Thursday, December 24th, 2009
I look at my Mana and HP regen after waking, +370 MP a night now. I reconfirm one more time, that the Play-Doh is no longer gaining skill, so I discard it and try the modeling clay instead. I get pitifully small gains, though the box says it is supposed to be baked in an oven to harden. There's no oven handy. I do share breakfast with Julia this time, but we don't talk much.
It's time to go; we walk to the ferry pickup with several people, bags and backpacks in tow. I help Julia carry one of her bags again. God I'm so weak. My stamina drops to zero again during the trek, at least it's giving me slow gains to Gamer's Body as I struggle under the encumbrance. Stupid encumbrance rules! Why does every game do such a crap job of handling them? We're traveling with other injured and elderly people, not just Julia on her crutch, so despite my breaks to regen stamina, I'm not the slowest member of the 'party'. I'm pretty damn close to it though.
While waiting for the ferry, everyone feels a sizable tremor. Not bad enough to knock anyone over, but the oceans sloshed, debris rattles and people get freaked out for a minute or two. We're relieved to get on the ship when it arrives. I even regain a couple stress points after getting on board.
Now we're stuck waiting again, for more groups to arrive and get on board. I pass the time using Observe on all the new faces.
"So, uh, what did you do for fun? Before, …all of this." I ask her.
Julia shrugs. "A lot of gymnastics, cheerleading, reading, listening to music, and going to concerts."
"So you can do cartwheels and stuff?"
"Can do a lot more than that, but…" She gestures to her injured leg. "My gymnastics coach said I would have been good enough to try out for the Olympics. I don't know if he was serious or just saying that to be positive. Especially since the Olympics might not be a thing anymore."
"Big sporting event, right? Wait, they might not be a thing anymore?"
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"How can you not know what the Olympics are or what happened?" She asks. I point to my head. "International sporting event, first done by the ancient Greeks?" I shrug. "First there's all the parahuman and tinker-tech drug cheating scandals since 92, Some cape shit disrupts them in 2004, and an Endbriger wrecks the construction site for the 2008 games and they get canceled. There might not be any 2012 games."
"There's a lot of stuff, I'm just a complete blank on. What about music, what kind do you like?"
"Pop-rock, some alternative stuff, a little techno, I like Four Dazzle Dreamers the best, also Sarah Iverson's Band, Canary, DJ Anzari, Ricochet Runners, …"
That was a lot to take, she actually even looks a bit happy as she spoke. "I have no idea who any of those groups or people are."
"Well what do you like?"
"I have no idea, because I don't remember any, although I can think of some video game theme music."
"You're the weirdest nerd I've ever met."
I shrug, "I got giant holes in my memory. That doesn't leave me with much room to talk about myself or my interests. I don't know what most of my interests even are, except what I already told you. You'll have to carry more of the conversation. You have any extended family, that's not…" She frowns a bit, and is silent for a while, maybe I shouldn't have asked that.
"I have a grandmother, an uncle and some cousins in Mexico. I don't really know any of them. Another grandmother is in New Hampshire, I only met her once when I was four or five..."
We switch to far more mundane topics until we finally reach the mainland, even if it is smelly, humid Houston. As soon as I step off the boat I get a notification.
Tutorial Quest: Get to the Mainland completed.
Bonus Condition successful; brought companion Julia Mendez with you.
Quest XP gained: 250
Bonus XP gained: 50
Increased relationship with Julia Mendez.
Good. I check the relationship sheet again. Julia's at 58, a sizable jump. Did the quest do that, or did the earlier conversation? I wasn't watching at the time. What if I hadn't had a conversation with her on the ride over? Would it have been the same amount? Would it have been less? The initial quest stated I'd get an increased relationship with whatever 'companions' I brought with me. How does it know? Do my quests have some kind of pre-cog ability that can describe the consequences for success or failure in such a specific way? Did it know I would have the conversation? So far, they've been consistently vague enough to be annoying, not giving me any actual answers to this. My powers are so weird.
Of course we have to wait some more, for buses to arrive and then take us to some FEMA camp on the outskirts of the city. We miss lunch; it's late in the evening when we get there. I may have annoyed Julia again rambling about video games. It's the only subject I know enough to talk about. We get separated and assigned to some room in a temporary housing unit which I get to share with two other young pre-teen boys.
"Who the fuck are you?" The elder boy, still younger and smaller than me, yells at me when I enter the shared bedroom.
"What the hell?"
"Just another fucktard, you can't put your stuff there, that's my bunk."
"Um, okay." I say as I put my stuff on one of the other bunks.
"Stupid fucktard that's my bunk too."
What the hell is wrong with this kid? "Bullshit, you don't get two. What do you think this is a bad prison movie?"
"Huh? That doesn't make any sense."
"How old are you?"
"Eleven!"
"Well, I'm older and bigger so I get to choose."
"No way…"
"Chris! Be Nice!" Jimmy, our 'Minder' and designated adult, pokes his head in the room and yells before leaving again.
I throw an Observe at Chris. He's lashing out as an unhealthy coping mechanism for his trauma, Dead parents, lost everything. Man, I don't have time to deal with this. "And what's your name?" I ask the younger one.
"That fucktard is too fucktarded in the head to talk anymore, he hasn't since I've been here."
The younger boy doesn't respond and just hugs his knees on the third bunk, clutching his jacket. I Observe him also. Man, I need to get out of here.
I wander into the kitchen area, and look over what they have in stock. Healthy choices are limited, one cereal box that could maybe net me +6 HP over multiple meals.
"Hey, fucktard that's mine."
"Do you know any other words?" I ask.
"Chris! The food is for everyone. I've already told you this several times." Our minder chastises him again.
"Shut up! You're not my dad!" Chris, the only real fucktard here, screams, and runs back into the bedroom and slams the door.
I go to bed still a bit hungry. It's not optimal to eat only to fill my hunger bar, if my HP is not at maximum. If I won't get any HP according to Observe, and because I can't gain any HP if my hunger bar is at max, I'd rather it be low and try to find something better tomorrow that I can benefit from.
Friday, December 25th, 2009
It's Christmas, the first one I might have a memory of. I wake up at 3 am because our Minder forced us to go to bed at 10pm. There was no tree, no presents, no Santa, no family. How come I know about Christmas and Santa, but not the names of my own family? Damn stop it before I make myself depressed again. Despite being treeless, I make Christmas ornaments out of the modeling clay, and bake them in the kitchen's oven.
You may obtain the 'Polymer Clay' specialty for Craft (Stone & Pottery)
Your Craft (Stone & Pottery) skill has increased by 1
I declined the specialty to get to level 4 in Craft (Stone & pottery) before running out of clay. I don't think I'm going to find more before the timer is up on the Golem skill so I'll probably have to use an unspent skill point.
I hand an ornament to Fucktard and The Silent One. I also made one for Julia, and there are some leftovers.
"This is stupid and fucktarded!" Fucktard says and smashes it on the floor.
The Silent One accepts it and actually half smiles, but remains silent, then Fucktard takes his ornament and smashes it. The Silent One is no longer silent, and explodes in rage, then they're grappling with each other by the time I can react.
"Jimmy! They're fighting!" I yell as I attempt to separate the two of them.
"What the hell is going on?" Jimmy yells as we get them apart.
"He started it! He attacked me!" Fucktard yells.
"You smashed the ornament I gave him!"
"He bit me!" Fucktard screams again, showing off his bloody arm.
"Damn Ronald, I need to take Chris to the aid station. Don't act like such a brat all the time and this won't happen" he yells back at Chris as they go out the door.
Can speech help here? "Here, take your pick among the ones left over, you can even have more than one. Not everyone is like that, I know you've lost a lot, we all have." Hell that actually worked? Ronald clings to me until he calms down.
Damn as much as I can empathize with their situation I didn't escape death by end-bringer to become a babysitter to mentally damaged children. As soon as Jimmy comes back I grab my stuff and leave.
I shouldn't run off, but I'm not running off, I just don't trust leaving my stuff unattended. Where is Julia? There's a Christmas gathering thing of some kind, donations are getting dropped off and distributed. A lot of donated stuff doesn't quite match up to what people actually need. I rummage through a box of donated eyeglasses looking for something that won't make my eyes hurt when I put them on. I can't find a single suitable pair. At least my 'swollen eyeball' status has finally gone away.
"Simon."
I jump out of my skin and turn around. Julia is standing there sniggering slightly. "Julia, I tried to look for you."
"Yeah, I saw. You actually looked in my direction several times but didn't see me. Probably too far away huh?" She gestured to her eyes and looked at the useless glasses I still held in my hand. "Find anything useful?"
I drop the ugly spectacles I'm holding back into the bin. "No, nothing"
"This place sucks. Just move from one camp to another." She says.
"At least there are actual beds instead of cots… or did you get put into a temporary house building thing or a trailer? I saw a bunch of trailers as I was walking around."
Julia pulls out a cigarette and lighter, lights up and takes a drag before answering. I threw an Observe at her and noticed a Nicotine 'Calm' and 'Addiction' timer status effect, along with a bunch of other question marks.
"It's a temporary house thing with a few other girls." She replies.
"Wh- , well that's good I guess." I don't be too pushy, even though it's all temporary again anyway.
"It's okay, I'll show you where."
I follow her as she leads me over to point it out. I still have her Observe window up. There's possibly some kind of anti-stress buff status effect going on, but the side effects didn't seem worth it to me. "I didn't know you smoked."
"Not that long. Started a few months ago when I found out my parents were separating. I bummed these off my new roommates. Why, you want one?" She held out the cancer stick between two fingers and waggled it back and forth like it was a treat.
"I don't know if I've ever smoked before. Might not have the skills." Fuck it. I guess it can become something we have in common. The skills window popped up as I spoke and I tapped the pending skills tab and brought up the "Drug & Poison Resistance" skill as I brought my hand out.
Do you wish to accept this skill? Y/N
"Yes, I'll try one; also, you're an evil temptress." I say as I take the cigarette from her, she brings the lighter up and lights it for me. The new skill leaves the pending tab and drops into place beside the rest of them. I take a deep breath and immediately turn green and start coughing up a lung.
Julia laughs as I catch my breath. "That happened to me the first time. I think we can say you probably never smoked before," she says. I try another drag once I settle down. The subsequent coughing isn't as bad as the first time, and I'm already gaining percentage points in the new skill.
Julia gives me more pointers about not inhaling too fast and other such things. I doubt she has any real expertise in it being 15 and apparently only started a few months ago, but who cares she is talking to me and seems happier, at least temporarily.
"Your eye looks a lot better." Julia remarks.
"Thanks. I uh, made you something." I say as I fish out the white clay ornament. It's my best rendition of a small bird. Probably not very good, and there isn't a string. "It's supposed to be a Christmas ornament."
"Wow, thank you. Was this from the modeling clay you took from that craft store? When did you even have time to do this?"
"Yeah. Made it this morning. First time I had access to an oven. I didn't sleep much and got up real early. Let me show you where I'm staying. I'm rooming with a couple younger boys, they're…messed up." I tell her what happened with Fucktard and Ronald. Julia also has a minder, or whatever they are called, at her house, and is roomed with four other girls from eight to seventeen.
We speculate on what exactly to expect from getting put in emergency foster care. Don't know why we are not in it right now, or maybe we are? It's Christmas on a Friday, nothing is likely to happen until next week. Oh and school, we'll probably have to go back at the start of the spring semester in January.
We finish the cigarettes, Julia doesn't have anymore. We find breakfast stuff and hang till after lunch. There's a sort-of Christmas dinner from donations and volunteers that set up tables outside that evening. By the time we part I check my relationship sheet, Julia's gone up to a 65.
Your Observe skill has increased by 1
I reach level 5 this evening from all the crowds of people and it unlocks a feature that lets me view stat blocks. Now I can see people's base STR value and their Allure value. But all the other stats are listed with question marks. Also STR modifiers and the STR total also still have question marks. So far, the average for STR appears to be in the 15 range for adults and older teenagers. Men are a little above that, women are a little below it. I have a 6. I'm so pathetically weak. Julia has a 13, more than twice mine! She also has an Allure of 5.5, which is decidedly not a 10 point scale, because it seems the average Allure of most adults is maybe a 4? The highest I saw was a 7.5, but it was on a dude, so apart from the unexpected number I don't pay much attention.
****
Over the weekend of the 26th and 27th, Julia and I smoked, talked and visited some sweepstakes game room that doubles as an internet café. It's not an arcade; that would have been preferable by me. It's a video slots parlor where nobody playing slots actually uses the internet services.
Julia's phone, even though it's now charged, ran out of its monthly pre-paid period days ago and won't work. I don't have a phone. The temporary houses and trailers don't have internet, and although some people have smartphones we can't really ask to use them. The Game Parlor is the best option, even though we aren't' old enough to play, which we're not anyway, other than to bank internet usage minutes. I do get some Speech skill practice convincing the guy behind the counter to let us use the computers. I even got and accepted a 'Persuasion' specialty.
I'm the main visitor so we're not there together often. I want to give Julia the space she needs that Ms. Heath suggested. Though she did seek me out a few times, so I guess that is progress?
Your Parahuman Lore skill has increased by 1
I stop browsing PHO and the other articles. This skill has been odd. It rises slowly at random. There is a lot of stuff I've read that didn't move the percentage by a single digit, then I come across some article or a post that bumps it up a bit, if I had happened to notice at the time. Is this some indicator of what is truthful vs. what's bullshit? I'm hoping that browsing would bump up my Computers skill. It hasn't. I guess it's not considered complex enough for any gain.
I also wanted to know what I might be getting into in Foster Care. I didn't really know where to start so just look into all the legal stuff I can about it.
Your Observe skill has increased by 1
The other thing I got to practice in here was using 100% of my mana to grind Observe to level 6.
Finally, there's no way I'm going to be able to get my Craft skill to level 5 on my own. I've run out of modeling clay on Christmas, and it's not feasible to get more.
Your Craft (Stone & Pottery) skill has increased by 1
I put an unspent skill points into Craft to meet the qualification for Create Mana Golem and add the skill. I just can't use it yet with that over 600 mana cost.
I practice meditation, it's the only thing I can do for a few hours after waking up far earlier than is normal for most people. My best achievements might be simply getting enough rest and food for my HP to return to max, and watching that concussion status effect timer tick down to zero and disappear.
Monday, December 28th, 2009
Julia and I manage to get through breakfast when a Social Worker appears looking for us and some other kids in similar situations. Then we have to pack, pile into a minivan, and drive around the city. Some younger kids get dropped off at foster homes, until it was just me, Julia, and two older girls, Rachel, 16 and Janet, 17 who had roomed with Julia. It's late afternoon when we get near our destination, but at least the Social worker, Mrs. Pearson, stopped by a burger place to feed us lunch.
She acts friendly enough, tells us about the co-ed group home we're going to stay in. None of us are enthused or want to talk much. She tells us a little about the Becketts', the family that runs the group home, and we're finally here. We pull into the driveway of a multi-story townhome. It looks nice from the outside. There's a basketball hoop above the garage door, the paint looks new and the yard is neatly groomed.
I get my backpack and step out; a big stupid game window pops up in front of my face. I nearly fall over. No notifications marker or even the ability to shove it out of the way. Just a giant 'pay attention to me now' message.
Tutorial Mode is Over!
Secret Quest: Survive the Tutorial is completed.
You have survived the easy part and lived through the gamer tutorial.
XP earned: +750
Secret Bonus Quest: Become a cape during the tutorial mode failed
Quest: Become a cape!
Rogue? Hero? Villain? Doesn't matter. Become a named caped with at least five somewhat known events tied to your cape identity.
Success: +1500 XP
Failure: Continued Mediocrity
Time Limit: None
Wait a minute….what the ever fuck? All that was the easy part?!
Simon's Character Sheet:
Name: Simon Clarence Anderson
Gender: Male
Age: 15
Race: Parahuman
Class: Refugee / Petty Thief
Faction: None
Money: $300.00
Title: Vermin Stomper
Level: 4 (93.06%)
XP: 1545
Primary Attributes
STR: 6 (-0.75) 5.25
AGI: 5 (-1.15) 3.85
CON: 9 (-0.33) 8.67
INT: 16 (-1.93) 14.08
PER: 9 (-1.00) 8.00
WIS: 18 (-1.93) 16.08
CHA: 10 (-0.83) 9.18
LUC: 8 (0.00) 8.00
Unspent Points: 8
Secondary Attributes
Health Pool: 160/160
Stamina Pool: 148/148
Mana Pool: 316/640
Stress Pool: 84/340
Attack: 5.85
Speed: 2.66
Dodge: 7.73
Armor: 0.20
Carry: 52.50
Allure: 2.50
Skills
Max Slots: 30
Free Skill Slots: 8
Artistry: 5 (0.00%)
Basic Academics: 8 (20.43%)
Computers: 5 (11.09%)
Crafting (Stone & Pottery): 5 (8.65%)
Create Mana Golem 1 (0.00%)
Disable Device: 3 (0.00%)
Disease Resistance: 3 (37.56%)
Drug & Poison Resistance: 2 (28.76%)
Empathy: 2 (47.97%)
Gamer's Body: 7 (15.65%)
Gamer's Interface: 7 (70.67%)
Gamer's Mind: 9 (6.76%)
Language-English: MAX (0.00%)
Meditation: 3 (5.76%)
Null Resistance: 1 (0.00%)
Observe: 6 (33.64%)
Parahuman Lore: 3 (22.89%)
Programming: 2 (67.45%)
Psychology: 2 (12.54%)
Speech: 2 (18.54%)
Strategy: 1 (0.00%)
Video Games: 25 (23.37%)
Unspent Skill Points: 9