Hero System 3.0

Part 1: 37

Part 2: 42

Willow had suggested flexibility tests, and lacking any shyness, had brought out some tiny pieces of spandex for them to wear. She had easily convinced Xander it was a good idea, needless to say they both failed a number of willpower checks over the next couple of hours.

"I just gained another point of dexterity," Xander noted as the two naked and sweaty teens lay exhausted on the floor of her room.

"Me too," Willow agreed, very happy with how things had turned out, though the new additions to her skill list made her blush a bit.

"We have to buy off horndog," he decided.

"You didn't like..." her voice trailed off worriedly.

Xander leaned over and kissed her. "Loved it," he assured her, "but we need to do more than just have sex every time we are alone together. We had plans we never got to and horndog doesn't discriminate, meaning we'll end up sleeping with a lot of people we shouldn't."

"Wisdom +1"

"Good point," Willow agreed. "So was this a onetime thing?"

"I'd like it to be a regular thing," Xander said honestly and then added, "and by that I mean us not sex, though I like the sex. Can we be an us?"

"Yes," Willow said happily.

"Title Boyfriend/Girlfriend awarded."

"Heh," Xander laughed, "it gives me silver tongue, limited to you and pluses in self-control."

"You're my boyfriend," Willow said in wonder, suddenly catching her second wind.

One hour, several stat points, and over sixteen skill points later...

"I just went up a level," Xander said feeling like a wet noodle.

"Me too," Willow agreed.

"I have a dehydrated and hungry status ailment," Xander noted.

"Shower, food, and water," Willow agreed.

"And then... I think we should work on another level and use those points to buy down Major horn dog," Xander said.

"Not buy off?" Willow asked surprised.

"If we buy it down to minor, the boy-girl friend title willpower bonus would negate the negatives towards anyone but each other," Xander said, "And I kinda like..."

"Me too," Willow agreed.

"Plus it'll help me grind a couple of skills that I feel could use some improvement," he told her with a grin.

The next day

"Thank you gamer physics," Xander said as he woke up refreshed and healed, removing several status ailments related to muscle strain and chaffing.

"Five levels," Willow said in wonder. "We fucked our way through five levels!"

"Quick, buy down horndog," Xander ordered, doing so himself.

"Done," Willow agreed, "Also getting rid of resolve face 2.0 as it comes with the title."

"What should we put our points in?" Xander asked, knowing willow was better at figuring out percentages and how to play the system in most things.

"With the level we're at bringing up everything is usually a good idea. Physically we're ahead of the rest of our stats, so mental stats are probably best, but considering we are getting mental stats just doing regular things I'm thinking luck and charisma are our best bets right now," Willow said.

"Wisdom +1"

"Luck is a definite," Xander agreed, "But why charisma?"

"Because while in a game it may be a dump stat, in reality it governs how we interact with people and how well we can get them to listen to us," Willow explained. "Not to mention it also seems to denote good nature, and mental and emotional stability. Paladins and Bards require a lot of charisma and things like easily angered and odious personal habits are mentioned as being part of a low charisma score."

"Intelligence +1"

"Did you just gain a point of intelligence from listening to me?" Willow asked.

"Yep," Xander replied with a grin. "I'm bringing my luck and charisma up to... Lucky in love, which fits, and King of the Cretins, which means a little below average on both."

"I didn't know those two scores were that low," Willow said surprised.

"I've always been unlucky and I was ignoring charisma because I lacked a beautiful intelligent girlfriend to explain things to me," Xander told her.

"Flattery +1"

"I have a flattery skill?" Xander asked in surprise while Willow giggled.

"With a higher charisma comes more social options," Willow told him.

"Cool," Xander said as he examined his sheet and saw many new social skills, even if they were a bit on the low side. "I believe we had planned on gaining skills using our photographic reflexes, before we got distracted."

"I say we grab breakfast and then Jesse and see what we can do," Willow said.

"I thought we were going to experiment first?" Xander asked.

"That was just an excuse," Willow admitted. "I wanted to get you alone and seduce you, so I could rub your face in the fact that I was a girl, datable, and in love with you."

"I enjoyed that plan," Xander assured her. "Feel free to make more plans like that and I will happily fall for them."

Willow giggled and they had a quick breakfast before going over to get Jesse.

"Dude, nice crowns," Jesse said when he answered the door.

"Didn't notice," Xander admitted as he looked and saw Willow was wearing a crown, a shiny thing covered in jewels with a red velvet interior.

"Random shoes would have been more fun," Willow told him.

"Just be glad it's not random outfits," Jesse said. "Let me guess, you guys got it working?" he asked hopefully.

"Working?" Xander asked.

"For other people," he explained.

"Pause," Xander said causing the world to grey out around himself and Willow. "Save game, slot four."

"Game saved."

"You can save game," Willow whispered wide eyed.

"Add party member, Jesse McNally," Xander ordered.

"Party member, Jesse McNally added."

Jesse suddenly gained color. "Whoa!" he exclaimed spinning around.

"Welcome to wonderland," Xander told him.

"Well, you are the mad hatter," Jesse fired back.

"Quippage +1"

The three burst out laughing.

"OK, What do I do?" Jesse asked eagerly.

"Buy perks," Xander told him. "Specifically, double jointed, ambidextrous, and photographic reflexes."

Jesse nodded and closed his eyes. "Done," he said after a couple of seconds had passed. "Now what?"

"Now look on your sheet and tell me what merits and flaws you have," Willow said.

"Horndog, Major," he said proudly. "Asthmatic, which 'ouch!' really screws me over in several ways and comes into play a lot because of my low constitution score."

"Anything else?" Xander asked.

"Nothing sticks out," Jesse said. "Should I take some flaws and dump asthmatic?"

Willow shook her head. "Raise con so you can ignore it. Once you have a few more levels you can buy it off."

Jesse nodded and closed his eyes and while the two watched, their lanky friend's form filled out. "Whoa!"

"Hell yeah 'whoa'," Xander agreed with a grin.

"You two are dating," Jesse said in surprise as he spied their titles. "Did she finally get tired of waiting for you to notice she was a girl and use chloroform on you?"

"It was a close thing," Willow admitted. "Remember when you got me to buy those spandex things and said he'd be putty in my hands if I wore it? You were right."

"What's con at now?" Xander asked.

"Rock and Rollin' right along," Jesse read aloud. "It's average, but it was low before."

"We're planning to rent some video tapes on physical skills so we can copy them," Xander replied. "What we really need is personal trainers, but that costs some serious bucks."

"How can we make some money?" Jesse asked, racking his brain.

"Money can be obtained through completing quests, running through dungeons, or selling unneeded items."

The three froze.

"Quests?" Jesse asked.

"Quests currently available for Jesse are:

1. Mow lawn. Reward $20, and +3 relationship with father.

2. Wash car. Reward $10, and +2 relationship with father.

3. Clean room. Reward A1 treasure, random baked goods, and +5 relationship with mother."

"Dungeons?" Jesse asked.

"Dungeons currently available for Jesse are:

1. Wrecking Yard.

2. Sunnydale High Basement.

3. Back Alley."

"If not for my high charisma I'd freak out about now," Willow said.

"This is awesome!" Jesse cheered.

"Unpause," Xander said.

"Slytherin!" the sorting hat on Jesse's head called out.

Typing by: Stephenopolos