ViolatedMonkey - Thanks for the ideas and names. Naming things always take me far too long (I.E. an hour staring at a blinking line)
Hopping in the passenger's seat, no reason to mount up, we take off to the north. After bobbing and weaving through the trees for an hour. We arrive at the tenth sectors north town. Cheshire goes to rent a room, while I check out the market scene.
After looking around a bit, I find a back alley store. Going in, I see that it is a munitions supply store. Walking up to the NPC, I greet her, "Evening madam. Does your shop hold any schematics?" I ask that last part on an impulse. I have gone a hundred levels without new rounds. All that I am unlocking are some grenades. Poison, tear gas, and a few others. Must be someway to craft more.
She reply to the question, "Yes we do sir," Cool even though I have been here for months, the AI still impresses me. "We have the blueprints for X-rounds. A bullet that upon impact, discharges two small blades into the target." I pause... Daddy needs.
I purchase the blueprints for a tenth of my funds. I activate it and learn how to build it. It requires many more parts, then my most advanced shots. The success rate is around 70%. Damn. I always thought that only explosives have the probability of failure. And that can be negated if I look over the ingredients. I hope it's the same for the new bullets.
While I was there. I purchase an abundance of blades and the other pieces. I have learned that the more you build, the higher the rate goes. I head to the room Cheshire picked by using friend finder. Knocking, I let myself. Party members can open each others inn rooms.
I set up shop in a corner. Cheshire's on the bed organizing her inventory. I begin my new project. After three hours. Have finally finish my first hundred rounds. Half for me and half for Cheshire. My crafting skill leveled up another twenty levels. These bullets were HARD to make! Cheshire has already turned in for the night. I join her in the comfort of sleep.
The next afternoon finds us walking the forest, listening for the elves. We try to avoid the mobs of the floor, but they are of the canine variety and sniff us out. We quickly execute the dogs. Our level already equaling the toughest of creatures on this floor. We are still ten levels above the rest of the players.
Taking a lunch break. I dig into some of Cheshire's excellent cooking. Quickly finishing the bowl, I lean back, pulled out my lute, started playing and singing the first thing that comes to head. For some reason, the song "Johnny, I hardly knew ya" is what came out.
By the end, Cheshire is clapping her hands to the fast paced and upbeat rhythm and laughing her head off. I couldn't keep the laugh at of my voice as I finish the song. The lyrics aren't funny, but her laugh was too infectious to not laugh with her. The band I was copying the style from is an old American band "Dropkick Murphys" and they had a "unique" rendition of the song. As I put the lute away, my perception skill picks up a presence behind us. Whipping out my pistol, I twirl around and level the weapon at the being behind us.
I was taken aback. It was a grinning elf. "Greeting forest dweller," I said once I recognized the creature. I bow. As I come back up from the bow, I notice that the elf in front of us is the tribe leader. "Sorry. Greetings milady," I correct myself.
She spoke with a fuller voice than what she had before, I also notice that she looks much healthier then the other day, "No need for such formalities from our saviors. I must apologize for intruding, but I heard song and was curious." Man. The AI in this game is great.
"No harm done. We were actually looking for your tribe. We were wondering if everything was okay and everyone safe." She smiles and tells us everyone's fine and marked the position on our maps in case we ever want to come by. We share our farewells and head back to our homes.
An idea strikes me, I tap Cheshire on the shoulder, "Hey Chesh, I never took you out for that dinner I owed ya. Would you like to go somewhere fancy today?" She quickly agrees. We get to the inn. She goes in and cleans up. After finishing, I follow her lead and do the same.
I step out in my casual cloth and see Cheshire in her dress. I tell her I'll be right back and head over to the market rickety-split. I find the store in a minute. A dress store. I buy a nice dress shirt and pants. Equipping them, I head back. Should have done that a while ago. At most I was gone for five minutes.
"Sorry for the wait, couldn't go to dinner with such a beautiful date wearing some rags now can I?" She grins at this and we head off. Into the teleporter, we arrive at the plaza, she starts to lead me to her desired eatery. This time, she leads us to a fancy looking restaurant.
"I heard this place is good. It's run by some players that have nearly maxed cooking skills," Cheshire explains to me. We head in and are escorted to a seat by a player. So this is what people do when they don't fight. Be an employee of some restaurant, be it a fancy one, still an employee.
A female with green hair comes over. She speaks in a way to overly perky voice for a waiter, "Welcome! Here's the menu! What can I get you to dri-... What happened to you guys ears?" She cuts herself off with the question.
Cheshire tells the girl, "A quest." Simple as that. After that, we order our meal. While waiting, Cheshire starts to quietly hum "Johnny, I hardly knew ya" absently. When I start chuckling, she notices. This causes her to turn red from embarrassment.
I chuckle out, "Catchy, isn't it." She agrees. Our meal shows up a few minutes later. We were able to finish our meal without any unpleasantness this time around. Huzzah! We pay for our food, that steak costed as much as my beginning gun set. Wow... anyway, we head back to the front lines for the night.
We turn down an alleyway to get to the transporter to get back to the forest. Out steps three players, two were orange and one red, from a side section. They draw crappy pistols. I mean, they picked that old Luger design. The one where it jams with every other shot.
Pointing at them at us, they sneer out, "Give us all your money bitches!" Cheshire looks at me and I look at her. We burst out in a fit of laughter and continue to move forward. These little weaklings in no way scares us. I mean, we fight giant bugs and lizards all day.
One of the thugs, the red one, then says something that I did not expect, "Wait, I know you! You're that girl that me and my old crew messed around with! Haha! Yeah! Where's your boyfriend now you cunt?! It's just you and your gay friend here now!" Cheshire halts in front of me. Oh shit. The man steps up and makes a grab at her face.
I sprint around her and seize the bastard by the neck. I drag him kicking and cursing through the street. Pistol in hand. When his pals tried to stop me, I shoot them. The safe zone kept them healthy, but it sent them flying from the gun's power. This scares them off and they flee with their tails between their legs. The crowds parted in front of me. They are those non-players, probably are scared of guns. We approach the exit. The man finally realizes what I'm about to do.
He starts trying to scream for help, but I tighten my grip, cutting off his airway. We exit the zone. A crowd of people behind me. I throw him to the dirt. Cheshire is next to me. Unscrewing the suppressor, I fire a burst above the crowd. This scares away a good many of them. I twirl the gun around and offer Cheshire the grip. She slowly takes the gun and points it. Even though she is shaking violently, She holds the gun steady and brings it to level with the man's head. As the hammer slams down, I slap my hand in front of the barrel.
The bullet rips through my flesh. Oh gods that hurt! Damn game and having low pain absorption. I don't let the pain show on my face. A feat of willpower I didn't know I had in me. The bullet catches the young man in the upper torso. Sending him into the red zone. Pathetic.
I take the gun, spin Cheshire around, then execute the man who sexually assaulted her. I couldn't let Cheshire have killing a person on her conscience. I was testing her convictions. The sound of shattering glass fills the air, along with the scream of a few people in the remaining crowd.
I grab Cheshire's hand and lead her into the woods. Away from the field that the man died in. When we are hidden from sight. I embrace Cheshire. Her control crumbles and she starts weeping onto my shirt, while crushing me in a death grip. I stroke her hair as we stand there, trying to calm her down. I think of how I just mercilessly executed the man. I didn't feel much guilt for what I did. The man was a killer and had hurt my best and only friend greatly. The only guilt was that of the standard soul crushing kind I got when I killed any players. Just not as intense as before.
As she regained her composure, we broke apart. I pull two of the few crystals I have in my pocket. Teleport crystals. I hand one to Cheshire. She quietly mumbles the name of the town we are staying. I follow suit. I see her walking slowly back to our room. Easily catching up to her, we silently go to bed.
Cheshire didn't leave the bed or eat for two days. I stayed by her side the entire time trying to get her to eat to no success. On the third day she got up. She was still obviously upset, but says she just wants to take her mind off things, so we head out a destroy some mobs. I keep a watchful eye on her the entire time. I dont regret killing the man, but I've shot myself in the leg multiple time for having her be in the presence of the murder.
A/N - May be a while until I post more. I write in bursts. This was the first set. I am continuing so please bear with me
