Chapter Text
“Hello.”
She gasps and opens her eyes. Where is she? What’s going on?
“You are currently in the void. Unfortunately, you have died. Due to the circumstances of your death, I have removed the associated memories. This is irreversible.”
As she listens, she looks around. A soft darkness surrounds her: not quite pitch black, but still deep enough to shroud her surroundings. While there is no visible source of light, it's still bright enough to see the one who addressed her. In front of her is a shadowed being, amorphous and towering. Only the top half of its vaguely humanoid form is visible, the rest disappears into the smoky surroundings as if she is standing on a platform she cannot see. It should be frightening, but all she feels is a sense of peace, as she knew deep in her bones it would never hurt her. “So what happens now?” She speaks calmly, unworried for the future.
“You will become my herald, my champion. Do this, and unimaginable power will become yours to wield as you see fit. Deny me, and you shall return to whence you came, put through the cycle once more. Another will be offered in your place. Do you accept?” Its words enter her mind slow as syrup, unhurried; dripping across her plane of thought. It carries with it a certain gravitas, like a peacock flaunting its plumage.
Nonetheless, this will become the most important decision in her life, she can tell. Solemnly, she wonders “And what of those I've left behind? My family? My friends?” she could care less about her circumstances so long as her loved ones are taken care of.
It doesn't hesitate. “They will mourn for some time, as is deserving of your passing. But they will continue with the knowledge that you are where you were meant to be. Somewhere safe and happy; It will bring them peace. Regardless, you shall forever be severed from them, for it was your fated passing.” it’s voice drifts low, burdened as it is with sympathy and compassion.
“I see.” she pauses, contemplating her options. Maybe something like this was for the best. A total separation from her old life, giving her the freedom to truly choose. Still, she needed more information. “Power doesn't really hold my attention, and I don't know what you would have me do. I don’t really see any benefit to becoming your …herald, was it?” she asks curiously, wondering what this seemingly all powerful being could possibly want from her. Just looking at it, she could tell it controlled vast amounts of energy. Darkness warped around its form, caressing it like a lover's touch. She could barely tell where it ended and the form began.
“I see you require further explanation. I am an entity of Void, and thus cannot affect the physical planes. But a darkness eats at the multiverse, one I can no longer stave off on my own. Without assistance, the final death will come, and life will soon cease to exist.” as it spoke, she could tell it was being as straightforward as it could, as if imparting a truth of the universe. It was hard to deny the honesty of the figure.
Confusion creases her brow, creating ripples in her skin. “So you want me to do what? Save lives? Worlds? Cure cancer? I'm just me, how am I supposed to do that?” What could she do to something even this omnipotent god couldn't?
“All I require is for you to exist and the rest will come naturally. Of course, this does not come without rewards.”
A bright blue screen pops up in front of her vision, taking her full attention.
An Entity Requires Your Help!
You have died and on your way to the afterlife you were taken by a denizen of the Void.
Rewards: “The Game” interface, Power, Prestige, and the Multiverse’s continued existence.
Failure: Memory wiped, Returned to the cycle.
[Accept/Decline]
What is this, a fanfiction? This could not be happening to her of all people. She’s just not this lucky. A chance to become a gamer? And all she has to do is exist?
“What’s the catch? This can't be all there is to it. There are no free meals after all.” She crosses her arms across her chest skeptically, waiting for the other shoe to drop. She wasn't born yesterday. There must be something the figure would gain in return.
“Ah, yes. There is one thing. You shall be ever tied to the Void, This one in particular. We shall share friend and foe alike until the end of Space.” If a featureless void-being could have an expression, this one would be sheepish. Not unlike a child with their hand caught in the cookie jar.
“Not until the end of Time?” she asks. Why the distinction?
“Time is a human construct, and thus has no effect on my being. Void cannot exist without Space, thus we are paired. You shall become my Space, my eternal companion.”
She takes her time thinking about it. Realistically speaking, there is only one real choice. This had been her dream after all; something she would imagine nearly on the daily. What would she do with this power, who would she become? What once was a simple thought exercise geared towards introspection could now become reality. She would think this nothing but a dream- she was known to have vivid ones- but something in the air convinced her otherwise. If she passed this up, her only chance to explore other dimensions passed with it.
The being waits patiently, knowing that mortals can be finicky. Wouldn't want to scare this one off after all the effort spent choosing the perfect one.
“I Accept” she claims, lifting her finger to press the corresponding button on the screen in front of her. It flashes white for a second, before splitting pain enters her soul. It feels like being thrust into lava, all encompassing and inescapable. Before she can even scream, it disappears just as fast as it came, with the memory of excruciating torture fading just as quickly.
She pants for a moment before gasping “What was that?” she tries to catch her breath, only succeeding after a few more shudders.
“Minor modifications to your soul were required for our deal to be set in stone. Did you think a mortal’s being could sustain my power?” Its voice has changed, now becoming more masculine. It no longer seemed to drift into her mind, and instead sounded like a typical man’s voice. Upon looking at him again- because it is now clear that he is male- she sees a more familiar sight. A human.
“What happened? Why did you change?” He was now standing in front of her, no more than a few feet away. The only indication of there being more space underneath them is now gone, his shadowy form with it. Any time her eyes find his form, they seem to drift over his features. She couldn't tell you exactly what he looked like to save her life. Darkness surrounds them in every direction, with no distinction between ground and air. It felt like they were in a bubble of his making, truly separate from everything else.
“Now that we are one, I thought this form would be more appealing to you. We will be together forever after all. This shall facilitate easier communication, will it not?” Once, he was still. Now he seems more lifelike; gesturing with his arms, a smirk on his face. Even in a human form, he still manages to seem unearthly, intangible.
She flushes bright red “I guess I didn't think about that.” she mutters as she looks away.
“No, you did not. In any case, the pact is now complete. Let us get started, shall we?”
At his prompting, a pair of blue screens appear. On the left is a rotating display of herself as she was before her death. On the right are various scales and options, looking to be a customization filter.
“Do I get to choose what I look like?” she gazes at him with glee, happy with the idea of being able to create her perfect self. She had always wished to be something other than a mousy brunette.
“Is this not what you mortals fantasize about? What type of being would I be without fulfilling your wildest dreams? You are doing me a service, it is only fair to reciprocate.” he gives off an air of amusement, as if this were a foregone conclusion. Thankfully, he was not offended.
Already modifying her form as he speaks, she becomes enraptured by all the options. Taking her time -for all that it doesn't exist in the void, it still passes in her mind- she comes up with a satisfactory final result. Before, she was a fairly average sized brunette with dull brown eyes and a resting bitch face. Now she is a 5’ nothing redhead with cool blue eyes and could pass as pretty. Nothing exotic, and still within the realm of possibility; no impossible beauty for her. She had always wished to be shorter.
“It seems you no longer need my help, as you seem to know what you’re doing. I shall leave you to it. We will meet again. In the meantime, become strong, and I shall call upon you when the need arises. Farewell.”
Before the goodbye even registers, he is gone. Pulling herself out of the screens in front of her, she looks around in a slight panic, trying to find him. He seemed as if he was in a hurry there, his voice slightly rushed and off kilter. Paying that no mind, she stares off into the direction he had once stood. She still had questions damnit! How is she supposed to tap the unexploited well of knowledge if it just runs away! After a few minutes of wishing for him to reappear, she turns back to her character creation. Nothing else to do in a featureless void after all.
Upon finalizing her decision the semi-transparent screen dissolves, and more pop up. A basic Stat sheet appears, with a blinking cursor after the Name field. She can't go with her past name, the association with her lost loved ones is too painful. So she picks a new one.
[Status]
Name: Penelope
Level: 1
Title: N/A
HP: 350/350
MP: 350/350
SP: 300/300
STR: 5
CON: 5
DEX: 5
INT: 5
WIS: 5
CHA: 5
LUK: 5
Stat Points: 5
Perk Points: 1
The newly-named Penelope has played many video games before in her life, and knows that any “Free” points are important. She’ll save them for now, who knows how she can get more.
Next, is Class.
Class Selection
[Mage] [Fighter] [Rogue]
No matter the game whenever possible, she always defaults to a Stealth Archer. But this is the real world now, and Penelope has to make a decision based on what will help her the most in the long run. What world is she even going to first? Does she get to decide? Can she even go backwards and change her selection if she doesn't like the options?
With a sigh, she chooses to go with what she's most familiar with.
[Rogue] Class Selected!
+2 DEX, +1 Wis & CON per level, Sound level radar added.
Gained Skill [Sneak] Level 1
Gained Skill [Pickpocket] Level 1
Gained Skill [Lockpick] Level 1
Yup, she knew it. You don't get to look at everything before choosing, it’s one and done. Thankfully, the redhead knows how to use a stealth build. Hopefully her new features will help her blend into her new life. What's a ninja if they can't even hide from civilians. No going back now.
All that's left is to spend her singular perk point. The final screen pops up, displaying all her options. Only three are available, one for each possible class. That seems fair, but hopefully they become stronger, or are capable of being upgraded.
Magic Touch: You were born for this. 10% bonus to all Mage related skills.
Heavy Touch: You live for the fight. 10% bonus to all Fighter related skills.
Light Touch: You walk as silently as a ninja. 10% bonus to all Rogue related skills.
After taking the only option for her current build, her stats look like this.
[Status]
Name: Penelope
Level: 1 (Rogue level 1)
Title: N/A
HP: 400/400
MP: 350/350
SP: 350/350
STR: 5
CON: 6
DEX: 7
INT: 5
WIS: 6
CHA: 5
LUK: 5
Stat Points: 5
Perk Points: 0
[Perks]
Light Touch: You walk as silently as a ninja. 10% bonus to all Rogue related skills.
[Skills]
Gamer’s Body Level MAX: The ability to live life as a videogame character.
Gamer’s Mind Level MAX: Protects against mental status effects.
[Sneak] Level 1 (0%): The ability to be unobserved. Lowers probability of being heard or seen while in use by 12%. 50SP activation cost, + 5SP per additional minute.
[Pickpocket] Level 1 (0%): You have sticky fingers, and they want to be used. Lowers probability of being caught by 12%. 10SP per use.
[Lockpick] Level 1 (0%): Hey, did you lock your door? Increases the likelihood of opening mechanical locks by 12%. 10SP per use.
You’d think that being linked to a void based entity would get you something in return, like a power or some sort of mark. But there’s nothing in her stat sheet that would indicate that she has anything of the sort. Maybe it’ll show up later?
Looking at her updated stat chart, she notices that the percentages in her [Rogue] related skills seem kinda high. When she mentally clicks on the percentage point, it expands.
Base 2% + 10%
When she first saw the perk descriptions she thought they were a little weak, but having a flat 10% increase to all related skills is amazing. She could actually get somewhere with those numbers. Penelope hopes they weren't a one-time offer, and that when she picks up the other classes they’re still an option.
With all her options chosen, and all decisions set in, all that's left is to choose where she’s going to go. She waits for the world options to pop up showing her choices, but nothing comes.
World Set!
Transporting in 3… 2… 1… Go!
Oh, no. Where is she even going!! The screens fade along with the darkness, her consciousness along with them.
~~~~~
When she wakes, she is lying peacefully in a field. To her immediate right is a beat up backpack leaning against an oak tree, shaded by its auburn leaves. To her left is open grassland filled with what could be weeds or indigenous plants, maybe a few acres wide. The wider surroundings are occupied by trees of all ages, new growth and bush hiding in between or creeping up trunks. She can hear small animals scurrying to find food, birds chirping, bugs zipping around; the sounds of early autumn. The air is pleasant, wind gently moving the trees as if mother nature was slowly passing a hand over the edges.
Penelope sits up, passing an unblemished hand through her hair. She brings a lock of it in front of her face, and as she suspected, it is her new natural color of burnished copper. The sunlight reflects off of it, bringing the reddish tones to the forefront; but she knows that in softer light it would look more brown then red. Her hair is longer now then she wore it before, landing about mid back. It lies straight with a slight wave, fanning around the edges of her face. If she had a mirror she knew she would see blue eyes instead of her old brown, dark like her mom’s. She wanted something to remember her by, knowing she had never been good with faces. Her family will fade from her memory soon enough, no matter how hard she tries to keep them in mind. It's a natural consequence of time, especially without pictures or other mementos.
Now fully upright, she leans and grabs the backpack. The redhead assumes it's for her, no one else is in sight. Does she have a background in this new life? Or is she alone to fend for herself? Honestly she’d prefer the latter, but beggars can't be choosers. She unzips the foremost compartment, looking for a driver's license or some other form of identification. A school ID? Ugh, doing highschool again would be hell.
No dice. Just a small purple wallet stuffed to the brim, matching the light lavender hoodie she was wearing. Under that is a plain white camisole, a bra-she assumes, she doesn't feel like her girls are waving around but she can't quite be sure yet- and dark wash skinny jeans paired with classic chucks. Her outfit reminds her of what she’d wear in middle school, sometime around 2010 maybe? At least she’s an adult this time. The way she structured her new appearance leaves no doubt that she’s at least 20. No getting dragged to classes for her. Rummaging around the wallet, she finds a few hundred dollars in small bills, a punch card to what she assumes is a local coffee shop (with only one punch remaining until a free beverage), some loose change and receipts, a torn ticket stub, and a hair binder coiled around the outer edge holding the stuffed folds together.
Putting the wallet aside she digs back into the scruffy backpack, still hoping for that elusive ID card. Inside she finds a second set of clothes (spare probably; could be a perfect match to what she’s already wearing sans the hoodie), an empty notebook, some miscellaneous writing utensils, various pieces of trash, and at the bottom hidden from sight the piece de resistance- an Ipod nano.
Looking at everything together- what she was wearing, the style of clothes and backpack and the Ipod itself- she could tell she was in the past. She assumed she bit the bullet sometime after the height of COVID (2022~ish maybe), and people only wore these types of clothes to be ironic. Skinny jeans had faded out of style at least a few years back- though jeans can never really go out of style- and it seems like everyone has a cell phone these days, even the children. Taking into account all of that plus the lack of ID and more advanced technology, she’d put herself at maybe 2012? She wouldn't know for sure until she found civilization. Or a recent newspaper. Whichever came first. Hopefully she wouldn't have to go around looking like an idiot asking what year it was, she'd likely get dragged to a hospital.
Scrolling through the light blue Ipod, she finds some of her favorite songs. A bunch from the 70’s and 80’s- you can thank her grandma's influence for those- a scattered bunch from the 90’s and over 100 from the early 2000’s. Nothing recent- again supporting her time theory- but vastly comforting nonetheless. She hadn't been worried precisely, but knowing she wouldn't have to go around stealing right away was a weight off her mind. She could ease her way into her new Class instead of being thrown to the sharks. Penelope knew she’d be willing to go to jail for some good music, and having that possibility taken away was a relief.
Taking a second to look at all her new things, she takes a second to sort out the trash. There are some random food wrappers, receipts, and other refuse that she doesn't want to have in her bag, but it's not like she can just leave it here. This meadow is beautiful, and she doesn't want to soil it. She does make sure everything is out of the bag before upending it and shaking out the crumbs; she has standards, and the various food bits could be good food for birds? Next, she replaces the notebook, slides the pens and pencils into the sectioned off area made for them, refolds the clothes, and stuffs the trash in the outermost pocket. Lastly, she places her wallet on top, before zipping it shut.
Finally satisfied with her immediate surroundings- and that no one should come by anytime soon considering how long she’d just been sitting there sorting through her stuff- she turns her attention to what she’s been putting off. The Game.
Clearly it’s real, she’s in a new place, a new time (presumably), and has never been anything other than a brunette (dyes notwithstanding), but none of that removes the possibility that all this was just a dream, or a coma fantasy. Taking a deep breath and preparing mentally, she intones “ [Status] ”
[Status]
Name: Penelope
Level: 1
Title: N/A
HP: 400/400
MP: 350/350
SP: 350/350
STR: 5
CON: 6
DEX: 7
INT: 5
WIS: 6
CHA: 5
LUK: 5
Stat Points: 5
Perk Points: 0
Everything is the same as she remembers, the rest being further down. She knows that if she were to scroll farther, it would be there clear as day. Her breath punches out of her chest in relief with the evidence so clearly in front of her. Of course this could all be a delusion, but she’ll cross that bridge when she gets to it.
“I wonder if I can set up some kind of HUD to help keep track of my health and such?” She muses quietly to herself, still cautious of someone wandering by and overhearing her. Hopefully they’d just take it as one more young adult obsessed with videogames. She tries a few verbal commands before stumbling on the ability to summon the menus silently. That's one less thing to worry about, no one needs to worry about how crazy I am muttering to myself in public.
Playing around with the screens takes some time, but after a few minutes she’s satisfied by what she sees. The HUD acts kinda like glasses; visible when you focus on it, but easily ignorable when you want to. In the top center of her vision is a small bar where she can place waypoints to follow, like for quests or other important things to track. In the top right are three differently colored bars: Red at the top for health, blue in the middle for mana, and green at the bottom for stamina. She assumes the stamina gauge will get used the most, the redhead has no plan to be injured anytime soon.
In the right bottom corner is a minimap- currently almost completely transparent so as not to interfere with her vision- and directly to the left of that is a miniature sound gauge. Testing it out reveals that its only noise made from her and her actions that trigger it, the more she stays still the less it fluctuates. That’ll probably be the most useful thing for her as she learns how to upgrade her Class. Practice will truly make perfect in this case.
The rest of her sight is clear, with more options ignored for the time being. As she has no current quests, she has no need for a log or quest tracker cluttering up her already limited vision. She may be living life as a video game character now, but that doesn't mean she can magically keep track of all that information simultaneously. Maybe when her INT gets raised more, her current measly 5 points is vastly lower than what she assumes she had before.
Currently, her map is mostly blurred. She has enough knowledge of geography to know she is somewhere in the continental United States, though she is unsure what state she is in specifically. Thank the gods she’s somewhere that she knows the language at least. The US bills could have been a joke or even worse, useless. That's one less thing to worry about.
She decides to try one last thing before making her way to civilization.
“ [Inventory] ”
An endless 5 by infinity grid appears in her vision. She leaps up from her sitting position with glee, ecstatic that she was lucky enough to get an unlimited inventory. On the topmost edge is the option to add tabs or to search for a specific tag, further adding to her excitement. No more getting things lost or forgetting about them! Well, she could still forget about things, but those capabilities make it much less likely.
She tips her head to the sky, eyes sliding shut. “Thank you random void guy that I never got the name of! This is truly life changing!” a smile remains on her face, unbudging. This is a gift she will never forget.
After a few moments of smiling at the clear blue sky she looks back down and nods to herself. “Yeah, this is gonna be good. I’ve decided to live this life to the fullest, and hopefully make good memories along the way! No one can stop me now, MUAHAHAHAHA!” The diabolical laughter was unneeded, but it's fun so she did it anyway. Who’s gonna judge her in the middle of nowhere anyway?
She keeps the backpack on her shoulder, but stuffs most of the cash in her inventory. She keeps $20 in the wallet in case somebody mugs her, and shoves it back on top of her stuff.
Instead of sitting in a slot in the grid, it disappears. A new field fills out on her stat page, showing how much money she has.
Available Currency: $280 USD
Taking one last look around her second “birthplace”, Penelope moves towards the sound of vehicles in the distance. Where there’s cars, there’s a road; and roads lead to towns. Hopefully there’s one not too far away. She would hate to wear out her new Chucks so soon.
After about a half hour of walking- and her stamina bar slowly decreasing- she hears a quiet ping
Due to light activity, you gain +1 CON
She’s somewhat startled, but unsurprised. She had already figured out that the most likely way to increase her stats would be actually using them; not unlike gaining muscle. This just proves her theory.
Due to making an accurate prediction based on available facts, you gain +1 WIS
Huh. That was pretty easy. She didn't notice it when she chose her class, but now that she got an additional point in CON, it's easier to see that it's affecting both her base HP and base SP. When she started out, she knows they were lower; both gauges have definitely increased in size, if not physically on her HUD.
HP: 450/450
MP: 350/350
SP: 400/400
With that new information in mind, she pulls her stats back up. Unfortunately, it doesn't give her any more information, even when she tries to focus on a specific stat or even physically touch it. ' I guess I'm on my own.'
By now, she had found a road, and had been following the general flow of traffic for a good 15 minutes. The road looks fairly new and is paved with american style markers separating the lanes. The smell of asphalt and rubber is strong; it would probably be worse if the temperature was any higher than the 60° it was now.
As the various cars and trucks pass her by, some drivers look at her with sympathy, but none stop. She wouldn't get in a car with a stranger anyway. Pretty soon, she happens upon a road sign indicating the nearest towns. Only 5 more miles to go.
Time passes, the sun moving ever closer to the horizon before finally going out of sight. A few more notifications pop up, giving her another +2 CON. With each additional point trudging along becomes easier and easier, almost making the long walk feel worth it. By the time she reaches town, the sun had just finished setting; purples and pinks still streaking through the sky like ribbons.
She had come in on what seems to be the main road, restaurants and gas stations lining the edges. In the distance she can just barely make out a neighborhood of homes; in general the town seems pretty small. Penelope makes her way to the nearest diner, lucky that at least one of them is a 24 hour establishment.
The inside matches what she could see from up close; booths an old and faded cherry red, tables in between edged with dull metal. The center of the main room is occupied by a large bar table with quaint matching stools. On the walls are what looks to be hundreds of old fashioned signs and adverts; one even seems to be recommending a fridge from the 50’s. Overall, the space seems to be old but well loved, and is clearly the popular place to be at this time of night, whatever that may be.
Seeing the sign that says “Seat Yourself”, Penelope chooses a booth along the front wall of windows. On the table are all the things you could possibly need to eat a meal here; napkins, menus, condiments, silverware, and even things like jams and coffee additives. She slides her way into the far seat, placing her backpack between herself and the window for security. It may not have much in it, but it's all she has.
An old woman meanders over, placing a plastic cup of ice water in front of her. “Haven’t seen you in town before; what’ll it be?” on the woman's chest is a plastic name tag with the name Matty. Over Matty’s shoulder she can see other patrons crane their neck, rubbernecking in hopes of getting a better look.
Penelope scrambles to grab a menu, and orders the first thing she sees. “I'll get the breakfast plate, thanks.” It's not what she wanted, but she’s uncomfortable being the center of attention any more than she absolutely has to. The waitress nods and moves on.
With a sigh of relief, Penelope slumps down further into her seat. The old leather creaks on her way down, reminding her to be careful. Surreptitiously, she pulls up one of her smaller screens and leaves it there as she waits for Matty to come back. A few minutes later she does, placing the plate of breakfast food down in front of her. Though they make eye-contact through the blue square, Matty seems to see nothing.
For using your situation to gain more information about the game, gain +1 INT
'I was right. Thankfully no one else can see my game interface; she probably would’ve freaked the fuck out. That or exclaiming how “advanced” technology is today. You never know with older people.' In addition to figuring out more about her new life, she also gained a new stat! It's one she hadn't been able to improve before; though not through lack of trying. What did that notification say again? Gaining information? ' I guess just picking up random plants on the side of the road and trying to guess their names isn't really gaining me new info. That makes sense.'
Penelope picks at her food for a while, eating the more appetizing bits but just moving the rest around her plate. Even after all that walking, she isn't really hungry. Using her time efficiently, she people watches. The others inside the diner, the staff, the people walking down the street; they all have something in common: Smartphones. While this may seem to be a strange thing to focus on, Penelope can remember reading somewhere that you never see a phone in your dreams. For as long as she can remember, even though her phone has always been a big part of her life, it has never- not once- appeared in her dreams. It might've been just in the back of her mind, but this cinches it. This is real.
Flagging down the waitress on her next pass, Penelope asks “Where’s the nearest motel? Do you know of any cheap places to stay for the night?”
Matty looks down at her with a bit of pity in her eyes, taking in her well worn clothing and scruffy backpack. “We’ve got one of them Super 8’s down the main street; just go outside and head left. It'll be a few blocks down on the right.” As she speaks, she takes out her little notebook, rips out a page, and places it on the table in front of Penelope. “ M’not sure how much they charge; we don't get all that many visitors ‘round here.” The waitress walks away, taking the finished food with her.
“Alright, thank you.” Penelope starts gathering her things, not that she had spread out much in the first place. After making sure she left a tip on the table for the kind waitress, she heads to the bar to pay for her food. All said and done, it only cost just under $20 to eat- and tip- at the diner. Not bad.
Penelope heads in the direction of the motel, following Matty’s instructions to the letter. Upon arriving, she can tell that there will almost certainly be a room available for her; the parking lot is deserted. The building itself runs along the edge of the lot, and with it being only two floors there’s only 10 rooms max. The office is tacked on at one end, almost as an afterthought.
She manages to negotiate a room for $70 a night, giving her exactly enough money for 4 nights. Only three if she wanted to eat though. Giving the man enough money for three nights is tough, but she really has nowhere else to go. She isn't strong or powerful (yet), has no marketable skills or prospects, and no clue what she’s gonna do for money. For pete’s sake, she doesn't even know what year it is, let alone if she’s even in the same universe! Everyone seems normal, no non-human beings or strange animals; how is she supposed to figure out what to do with no information!
After making her way into her room, she shuts the door and locks it tight. To ensure her safety-she is a single woman traveling alone after all- she takes the singular desk chair and shoves it at an angle under the door handle. Taking a quick look around, the room is pretty sparse. A queen sized bed with faded and dusty coverings, a desk and accompanying chair, an old-fashioned clunky TV on a stand, and a mini kitchenette with nothing but a sink and a microwave. She assumes that there is a fridge in one of the cupboards, but is too tired to check.
She snorts in disgust at the cleanliness of the room, but you get what you pay for. Hopefully there’s no bedbugs, but she’ll have to do a quick sweep of the room to be sure before she’s able to relax. She slides her backpack into her Inventory now that she’s alone- not wanting to put anything on the ground yet- and gets to work. It takes about 20 minutes of thorough searching on the edges of the bedframe and under the sheets before she can guarantee its lack of freeloaders. Gratefully, she moves into the attached bathroom to wash her hands. Too tired to take a shower, she flops into the bed and is asleep before her head hits the pillow.
~~~~~
Waking up to a bright screen in front of you is disorienting, let me tell you. These things are bright.
You have slept in a bed you own (temp)! 100% HP, MP, & SP restored.
I don't own this bed, though I did rent it I guess. Good to know for the future.' Glancing at the door to make sure it wasn't messed with in the night, Penelope levers herself off of the bed. She takes a few minutes to go take a shower, but laments the lack of hygiene products. She does what she can to brush her hair and teeth with her fingers, but gives it up as a bad job for the moment. She’ll have to stop at the corner store she saw before too long, not wanting to look homeless if she can help it. She is homeless though, that thought finally sinking in. After her time is up here she’ll have no place to go. I have to get a job; the sooner the better.
Quest created! Homeless no more!
You have realized that your void given funds are not endless, taking the first step into becoming your own woman. Gain a job before the end of the day to stave off the currently inevitable eviction!
Rewards: A job, Money, and continued residence at the motel.
[Accept/Decline]
… No EXP? How is she supposed to level up without the most important ingredient?!? There’s got to be something she can do to progress in this world, otherwise he wouldn't have sent her here. Come to think of it, did she ever get a name to refer to him by? …She’ll just call him ROB for now.
Of course she accepts, she has no other options. Penelope puts on her other set of clothes with the fancy [Equip] button and the items appear on her body like magic. She’ll never get tired of that, the simple utility of video games is the best. She sweeps up her old set and shoves them in her inventory for now, getting them out of the way. As she does so, something strange happens. After a second of being in their individual squares, the icon changes. At first they all read as [Dirty], but that tag visibly faded away from each item. Not believing her eyes, she pulls out the pair of jeans she wore yesterday. As they come out, they’re freshly folded and smell like nothing.
Staying dirty would make the most sense, but her clothes come out washed? Bringing them up to her nose she takes a whiff, hoping for the scent of laundry detergent or something to help this make sense. All she can smell is the denim itself, like she had just purchased them from a store. Her other things are the same, the only changes being they look brand new. How weird. Did her inventory just not take in the dirt? Does it have a mind of its own?... that's a scary thought. Lets ignore that, thanks.
As far as she can tell after some experimenting, anything she puts in her inventory is returned to its original state. Sharpened pencils long again, markers refilled, notebooks blank and pages refilled; but if she tears the page out she’s written on and puts that in separately, it remains the same. On top of all that, only the things that she started out with in that clearing do this; the pen she took from the desk running out normally.
'Interesting; I can use this.' It's unexpected, but having an endless notebook is bound to come in handy eventually. Not having to worry about paying for laundry- for these clothes anyway- is nice; too bad the wallet doesn't get refilled every time as well.
Now that her hair is semi-dry, she takes the time to dutch braid it back. The strands of hair make bumps on the back of her head like a dragon’s spines, before tapering off into a tail. Walking around all day yesterday with her hair loose had been hell; she didn't want it to interrupt her focus today while looking for a job. The added bonus of looking more professional can't be ignored either.
Taking one last glance around the room to make sure she hasn't forgotten anything just in case, she heads out, locking the door behind her. She tucks the old-fashioned motel key into her pocket before going down the street.
As she passes through town, she stops at the gas station cum grocery store. It's a small place with an even smaller selection; just enough variety to keep people interested. She pauses in the fresh food area looking closer at the options available- and their prices. With a sigh, she determines that fresh food will be too far out of her budget until she has some sort of income. Penelope could try her new Rogue-based skills, but who knows how long she’ll be in town for? And if she were to get caught no one would ever give her a job; they’d sooner chase her out of town.
She settles on a few microwave meals- the cheapest thing she sees- and grabs the first toothbrush and comb she can find. She hadn’t used that much of the complementary soaps last night; they should be able to hold her over for a few more days. As she checks out using the last of her meager funds, Penelope thinks of applying for a job here but the place seems deserted. All of the employees she’d passed seemed bored; just doing enough to look busy. They’d turn her down in a heartbeat.
This remains the theme as she journeys through the town; life seems fairly slow here. It feels like there are only just enough jobs for the residents and no one else. There aren't even any flyers on the community boards asking for babysitters or help with yard work. It's all just ads for classes or offers for first time buyers with a few pamphlets scattered here and there. Nothing that’ll help her make a living while she figures this new life out.
She remembers seeing a library on her way here last night, maybe they need help? She starts heading in the direction she thought she had come the night before, ignoring the weird looks and stares from the locals as she goes. ' I guess they don’t like strangers much here.'
The library stands alone on the corner of the street, shadowed by a grove of ancient oak trees. All their leaves coat the ground in a field of fall colored leaves, giving the old building a magical look. She picks her way up the flight of decrepit concrete steps- the foundation looking older than the building itself- careful not to place her weight on any uncertain looking repairs. The doors are made out of solid hardwood, and are probably one of the only well taken care of things in this town. They are a pristine dark colored wood with brass fittings, looking to have been polished only recently.
A warm wind whooshes past her as she steps inside, the doors creaking shut behind her on struggling hinges. Directly in front of the entrance is a vast wooden desk, with what looks to be shelves of returned books behind it. To the left are a few unmarked doors; one with a glass cutout. Probably the office, she assumes. To the right are the bookshelves filled to the brim with the aged spines; around 30 all told. Each section has a beautiful hand made wooden placard indicating what category each one belongs to. Further back along the far wall is a small sitting area, just barely in sight.
An older man steps out from behind the shelves, and as he sees her his eyes light up. “Ah! A visitor. We haven't had one of those in ages! What can I do for you?” His face is weathered, deep lines carved into his skin like canyons. Yet he still walks with a noticeable pep in his step as he moves closer, the book in his hand snapping shut.
Penelope looks down, scuffing her shoe on the beat up wooden floors. “Uh, I was actually looking for a job? You don’t need to pay me much, and I can be pretty handy. Even just lifting things for you would be enough.” She snaps her mouth shut, embarrassed about her babbling. This is the last place she can think of that could have a job for her to do, she hopes she didn't just screw it up.
He smiles, his face creasing with obvious laugh lines. “Just what I was looking for! These old bones can’t do as much as they used to, and I'd be delighted to have the help!” He steps past her, moving towards the presumed office. “Why don’t you follow me, and we can get you all settled in. Explain the job and the like.”
“Thank you so much, I don't know what I would've done if you said no.” She startles a bit before blurting out, “My name’s Penelope by the way, nice to meet you!”
“Ah, where are my manners? My name is Arthur, but you can call me Attie; everyone does, so as to match with my wife.” Attie looks back at her as he opens the door, revealing an office. “You might have met her already, at the diner?”
“The waitress, right? She pointed me towards a place to stay for the night. She’s lovely.” Penelope says with a demure smile, wanting to make as best of an impression as possible.
Attie sits in the plush leather chair behind the desk. “That’s her; I'm glad she was able to help you out.” he gestures to one of the pair of seats on the other side, saying “Sit, sit. Now, you said you were handy before; what all can you do?”
She clears her throat a little before she speaks. “I saw a few of the bookshelves leaning to the side back there, I could probably fix those; and seeing how they are absolutely stuffed, I could build new ones if you have the materials. I know how to use both hand and power tools as well. In addition, I could help re-organize the library; even run it for you if you’d like some time off. This place doesn't look all that big, and I'm a quick study; learning the layout’ll be a piece of cake.”
“That’s an impressive list you’ve got there! Now I can’t pay you much, but there is a loft room above the library you could stay in while in town, to avoid losing all your money to that sinkhole of a motel. No need to pay their prices when we’ve got a perfectly liveable room upstairs.” he gazes at me imploringly, already taking a shine to the idea.
Penelope’s unsure why everyone in this town is treating her so nicely, but she won't question it. It's helping her out after all. “Honestly, that’s a lifesaver. I already spent the last of my money on securing a room for a few days, hoping to figure out what I was going to do next. I was actually getting worried there for a minute.” She smiles, trying her best to convey her appreciation.
“Now make sure you go back to that young David who runs the desk and get your money back; if he gives you any trouble tell’im Attie sent you and it’ll set him straight.” He nods decisively, punctuating his statement before standing back up. “There’s no time like the present. Go to the motel and hurry back. I'll show you where you’ll be staying and then we can get started. This place may look well put together, but the only things holding some pieces in place are duck tape and well wishes.” Attie ushers her out the office door, leading her back to the front. “I'll be here if you need me, just go to the diner and have my wife call me if anything goes wrong. It'll save you a trip.”
As soon as she crosses the threshold, a new screen pops up without prompting.
Quest: Homeless no more Completed!
You have found a job to do in this insular town, and even impressed the town’s mayor enough (or was that pity?) to lend you a place to stay!
Rewards: a job at the library, $100.
Hidden bonus: A free place to stay.
She stops at the bottom of the steps, taking in the new information. That old man is the mayor? No wonder he can afford to give a complete stranger a place to stay. If she did anything bad the whole town would be up in arms against her. ' I'm glad I didn’t steal earlier; I'm almost certain people have been watching me the whole time.'
That settled, she makes her way back to the motel. She hadn’t actually left anything in her room, but getting her money back- sans what was used for last night- will be supremely helpful. The door jingles as it slams behind her, signaling her entrance. The newly identified David looks up from his book, recognition flashing in his eyes.
“What can I do ya for?” he smirks, looking her up and down. Clearly he meant that as an innuendo.
She grimaces in distaste before pulling her room key out from her hoodie’s pocket. “I'm here to get the rest of my money; I’m checking out earlier than I planned.”
His mouth flattens in frustration, before curling up again. “What money? You had only paid for the one night. Honestly I should be charging you for tonight too, with how long you took to return that key there.” His eyes glint with mischievousness- which would’ve been attractive if he wasn't such a slimeball.
“We both know that I paid you enough for three nights, $210 cash. I only stayed the one night so you owe me $140. Are you gonna pay me back? Or is that math too much for you?” Penelope sasses back, unwilling to play his game.
Anger is an ugly look on his face, and he practically spits out his next sentence. “Now who’s gonna believe a tramp like you over someone who’s lived in this town their entire life? Not the sheriff, that's for sure.” David settles back into his chair with his arms crossed, sure of his win.
“I'm sure that Attie will back me up, he warned me about you after all.” Penelope speaks with confidence, knowing that he’ll have to listen. Mayor trumps Sheriff after all, even if she’s not supposed to know that yet.
David’s face drains of blood, the front pegs of his seat clattering back to the floor. “Th-the Mayor? How do you know him?” he shakes his head, regaining a bit of color. “You’re bluffing.”
Shocked by his extreme reaction- Attie had seemed like such a nice older man- but willing to use it to her advantage, Penelope smirks back a touch arrogantly. “Oh, you think so, huh? Let me just go down the street to the diner and give him a call. I'm sure his wife would be willing to help me out, unless you know his number?” She knows she’s got him now.
“N-no need, I just remembered where I put your money. Here, let me get it for you.” he scrambles under the counter and grabs a heavily crumpled envelope. Inside is more than just her money; she obviously wasn't the first person David had scammed. He quickly tries to count out her share of the money, looking up at her impassive face every few seconds. With her staring him down, he fumbles around a bit before just thrusting a handful of money at her. “Take it, take it and get out.”
Penelope accepts the wad of money, sure she had at least gotten most of her refund. She glares at him for one more moment before whirling around and slamming the door behind her. Good riddance to bad rubbish. She shoves the fist full of cash into her pocket, surreptitiously entering it into her inventory. That plus her change from the grocery and her quest reward puts her at just over $300, more than she had started with. ' He must've given me extra in his hurry; it wasn’t his to start with anyway.'
With her living and expenses settled, Penelope makes her way back to the library, ready to start her first shift. True to his word, Attie has her settled into her new room and working just as soon as she returns. After a good few hours of collecting supplies from around town and just in general running errands, she’s too tired to take a good look around by the time he releases her to go to sleep. Once again, she’s dead to the world before she can even think of taking off her shoes.