.[System: Welcome to Real World Online. Everyone here at Doktor Urmind's Hacking Group hopes you will have a pleasant gaming experience.]

[System: you have mail!]

I am in a body! I can feel again. It is Zach's body. But he hasn't complained yet. He is in the other game while I am here. So it is a fair trade. He seems to like my world. I am exploring his. I met his wife a few sessions ago. Her name is Kithera. She's pretty nice.

My eyes are closed. I'm sitting on the ground. I think I'll sit here a sec. Settle into the bod. The sensations can be overwhelming. Doktor Urmind doesn't tell me everything. Better check my messages. I haven't been doing this for long. But long enough to know the more you know, the better.

>read mail

-----------------------------------

From: Doktor Urmind

To: Hashi Grindswell

Subject: Game changes

Hashi,

We've been changing the game systems around which is pretty easy since you are the first RWO player to survive character creation. We're going to try out some different things. Please, let us know what you think. We're going to start out simple. You'll still get xp and levels. We're going to revamp the stat system, so no stats for now. You'll still get skills as you learn how to do new things (more of an acknowledgment for the time being). In addition to your estimated time remaining indicator, you also have a hp bar, a stamina bar, and a special bar. Thanks again for trying out RWO.

I hope you enjoy your training session with Kithera!

Doktor Urmind

-----------------------------------

I'm starting to see some ghostly images. I have seen them before while blind fighting in my world. People are moving near me. I hear Kithera's familiar voice. I stand up. I open my eyes.

This isn't the usual place. Huh, this looks like the fighter's hall.

I'm in a fairly large well-lit room. Half covered in [wood] and half covered in [blue carpet]. Chairs sit waiting on the carpeted part.

"Hi, Kithera. I'm so glad to see you."

I don't know who the other [human, male] is. He's wearing a white [martial arts uniform]. I wasn't expecting anyone else. Kithera seems comfortable with him. So he must be okay.

Kithera responds, "Hashi. I was worried. I haven't seen you on-line for days. Everything ok? Where did you disappear to?"

"Yeah, I met a nice cat-girl. I was a cat-girl too for the adventure. We played for a while and then she showed me around on a Blockminer server."

Kithera looks a little surprised. Note to self, how do I know that she's surprised?

I turn to the man standing next to Kithera. He hasn't said anything yet.

"Hi, I'm Hashi."

"Hi, I'm David." he replies.

Wow! He has a nice voice. I feel like I have heard it before. It reminds of some of the music Kithera listens to. Not sure why.

His nameplate updates to [David]. He holds out his hand. I know what to do here. I reach out, grab his hand and shake it up and down vigorously. David lets go of my hand and turns to Kithera.

"Enthusiastic, I like that." Then he turns to her, "Kithera, what's the next move. It's your magic show."

Magic show? Where the rabbit? I don't see a hat? Last week, Kithera said I've already fallen through the Rabbit Hole. Am I on time?

Kithera starts talking again. "We should start with something familiar before we add too many more new things Hashi. This is David's dojo. He teaches martial arts and sword work here. "

Uhm..? I wonder silently saying nothing. But as usual, Kithera pulls answers out of thin air. She is magical that way even without a rabbit or a hat. It is nice not to have to ask.

"He's a friend who won't talk to others about you. I filled him in just a little bit about your unique circumstance."

"So, no men in black showing up to take me away?" I try to sound like I'm joking. I'm a bit nervous though.

"Nope. Not this week. We should be safe. David has known Zach and a few of his riders for years. Zach comes to the dojo with me often. In fact, he came here with me today."

David says, "Wow, even though you told me, Kit, this is amazing! That is Zach's body. But the speech, the body language, and the energy are completely different. Zach is just not there."

"What's a dojo?" is what came out of my mouth. But my thought was more I wonder if the NPCs in my world creep my player out too. I may like his voice but his words make me uneasy.

"It's a lot like the fighter's hall that you've trained in." Kithera tells me.

"Oh. So we're going to do some fighter training today?"

"Kithera suggested that doing something familiar would help you get used to your... Zach's." David looks to Kithera who shrugs. "Get used to this body."

"Zach's playing the game." Kithera interjects "But you already knew that." She points to some computer equipment on a table across the room.

I smile and nod. Yes, I know. So does she. But I haven't seen David over there yet. Does he play in my world?

"So Hashi, are you up for a little sword practice?" the master asks me. I nod again.

He walks over to the rack that holds some practice swords. I see some practice armor hanging on the wall.

"Sure, I've had a lot of practice with wooden swords. I'd like that."

David hands me some practice armor. I try to equip it.

[System: equip and inventory are currently unavailable in RWO]

"Equip doesn't work." I turn to Kithera, who is already on her way over. "How do I put this on?"

"Let me help you with that. Put your arm in here. Ok, now the other arm. Here's how you do the straps." She adjusts until all is just so then steps back. David hands me the practice sword.

"I'll be watching. Right over here. Just in case you need anything." Kithera reassures. I think one day she will make a good mother. She knows that new things can be hard.

David gestures to the center area of the wood floor. I join him there.

This part is pretty familiar. David bows to me. I bow back. He gets into position.

David stands a bit differently than my usual opponents. But I'm not sure what the difference is. Something with the feet. Whatever it is, that way he's standing looks solid, stable. I adjust my stance and try to match his.

"Kithera told me that you usually count through your beginning strokes. I'll count and match you. We'll start out slow and then speed things up." the master explained. I nodded in agreement.

David bows again. I do it with him this time.

"One, two, three, four." I like David's voice. It makes me feel calmer.

On the next one count, I start my usual practice.

David matches me perfectly. His blocks have just the right force. After we speed it up to about where I'd normally shift into sparring, David calls a halt.

He shows me a few places where my form could be a bit better (so I am less likely to be injured).

I wonder about the stamina bar. It has not budged yet.

David asks if I'd like to try it again. He is careful. Now that he knows that I have the basic forms down, sparring becomes a possibility.

[System: +1 sword skill]

"Pretty impressive, Hashi." From across the room Kithera says, "I don't think Zach could have done that well." I believe her. She promised never to give me empty praise. Her vows require honesty toward those she agrees to help.

"Once again" David confirms "We'll start slow and speed it up." He gets into position again and starts the count.

This goes pretty well again. Sparring seems to work about the same as when I practiced against Tony. But David gets more frequent touches. I'm surprised that I don't lose any hp from David's touches. I know breaking Kithera's husband isn't on the program. What would a really damaging...

"Ouch!'' flies out of my mouth.

My hp dropped a few on that one. What is this intense feeling in my shoulder? Feels like fire inside. Why did I say ouch? Why does Kithera look worried? She is walking over to me. David becomes statue like.

"Kithera, what does ouch mean?'' I ask aloud between a shallow breath followed by a deep one. I have to ask. I've never said that word before. Kithera has never said that word to me either. I hope it wasn't something vile in the tongue of RWO. Neither of them looks angry. So it can't have been too bad. I thought of much worse things to say when the fire started inside the joint.

Wow! Kithera can move very fast. David is lifting me up... Uhm… I don't remember the going down but I am up now. David removes the pauldron and stares at my shoulder.

Kithera pushes in for a look. I check my hit points bar. Only 3 out of a hundred down. I am fine. I don't get the look on her face. Kithera is frowning. I want to tell her that I took increased regeneration but I don't know what Zach's stats really look like.

Could this be a problem in RWO?

David moves my arm around like I am a toy being played with. But I know this is serious. He mumbles words about range of motion. No bleeding. I try to say the bruise will fade quickly. But Kithera shushes me until David is done with his examination.

"Don't worry, Kithera. It will be fine in a minute. My hit point bar has climbed by one already."

"Zach doesn't have one of those," she protests. "That bruise looks like it goes all the way to the bone!'

"But I do, and I've already regained a hit point." I would explain more. But her eyes will not focus on anything except the bruise.

Yes, it is black and purple now. But in just a few minutes it will lighten. Should I reassure her or just let it take its course?

"Bloody hell!" came out of David's mouth." Kit, did you throw a healing spell already?"

"Not yet. I need the crystal on the self to do it properly." she rose as she said it, heading for the bookcase across the room.

"Not sure that's needed, Loves. Have a look." he prompted. “It’s gone all yellow and green now.''

I heard Kithera drop whatever she had just picked up. She was back in a flash again. Staring at my shoulder like she's never seen a fighter regenerate unassisted. Not every party can have a healer along.

If she can accept me and other beings using Zach as an avatar, what is so shocking about advanced self-healing? Was this just another difference between our worlds? Or was she more worried because it was her husband? I must ask about that next time. Now doesn't seem the time.

"Okay. That is unexpected." she says automatically. “Apparently, more of your in-game skills transferred than expected."

"Isn't it a good thing?” I wonder aloud. “It means that Zach doesn't break as easily when I am here."

"I'm not so sure about that, Hashi." Kithera concludes without any true disagreement evident in her voice. "Just because the surface wounds heal fast doesn't mean there won't be pain afterward."

"Pain?" I wonder aloud after checking the hp bar. I have only half a hit point to regain.

David laughs and begins to adjust the practice armor that had been loosened when I went down. I can tell he is excited by this revelation and wants to go at it again. So do I.

"Don't mind her. She both worries too much and is the cautious sort always. David assures as he moves my arm in a full circle with great satisfaction. ”You'll be right as rain soon enough."

"Pain, in this sense of the word," Kithera, replies "is the physical sensation caused by damage or disorder in the body." She watches the last of the discoloration turn into health.

David replaces the pauldron on my shoulder. His smile sparkles like a polished charm. But Kithera still looks pale as she goes on about pain.

"What you felt was no small thing I imagine. It comes in a wide variety of depths and flavors. We have hundreds of words to describe the wide variety of manifestations it takes. Imagine that what you felt was nowhere near agony as it didn't make you scream or cry or pass out. It was the thing that made you say ouch, by the way."

"Is ouch a bad word here?" I really want to know. Kithera looks so unhappy. I have never seen her like that before. I am fine, and my hp bar is back up. She still looks sad.

"It isn't an insult or a curse, if that is what you meant. It is just something people say to let others know they are in pain. "

"Kithera, why did I say it. It is not from my world" I want to know. Sometimes, I just know things that I didn't know before I started playing RWO. I don't know how I got them they are just there, the way the "ouch'' word was just there. Zach may be giving me more than just an in-game avatar.

"I think that you said it because Zach says it a lot." she says in almost a whisper.

David has turned his face away from her direction. He seems to be giving her some kind of privacy. I follow his lead. I do not ask any more question about pain, about ouch or why her husband, my player, says the pain word a lot.

But I know now that Zach is sharing more than just the use of his body. I wonder: do I leave traces in him too? I hope some of them make Kithera smile. She gives so much. I do not want to give her worry or sad or any kind of pain.

[System: +3 empathy skill]

"Really, I am fine now. My hp bar is fully restored." I announce just because the silence was getting creepy.

"Excellent!" says David. "Now what?"

"I want to continue if that is okay." I nudge it out there as gently as I can.

Kithera nods reluctantly. David agrees readily. As we walk back to the practice area I make a request.

"When I logged in, I was seeing with my eyes closed. It was very like what happened when I tried blind fighting in my world. Could I try some blind sparring here?"

David grinned. He was clearly game. But Kithera, not so much.

"So you blind spar often at home?" Kithera wonders. "Are you good at it there?"

“I have several levels in blind fighting.”

"That's nice. Mr. Grindswell. But those levels did not involve pain." her hands went to her hips on both sides. "Are you sure you want to try it again and without your sight in somebody else's body?"

I ponder the situation carefully. My player had instructed me to train in all the skills on my to-do list. That included blind fighting. But I know that breaking Kithera's husband is not supposed to be part of the training program.

The master of martial arts did not seem directly opposed to the idea. But he had said it was her show. Clearly, it was going to be her decision today. Thankfully, the bruise had faded completely. So no lasting damage had been done so far to my player.

" uhm... oohff... fine... boys will be boys! " she gave in. "I'm sure Zach would love for you to try it, Hashi. David, take it easy and don't hurt him too much. Zach only has one life."

"Only just enough, I promise." he quips at her. "We ought to film this bit. Just in case the bruise doesn't all go away. Zach would want to know."

"Give me a minute, and I'll set up some cameras." she begrudgingly agrees. "This isn't exactly what he made his interface for in the first place. I mean how often do the blind have sword duels?'

I tell her, "Every Thursday and twice on Saturdays in my world. That is why it is on the to-do list. But only the blind monks, of course." It’s great that she’s interested in blind fighting.

Once she gets done with her preparations, Kithera lets us know that she's ready for our shenanigans. David brings over a weird contraption that covers my eyes. After some adjusting of straps, I'm ready.

I close my eyes. I see a ghostly view of the room. David and Kithera stand out in color against the black and white lines that indicate solid objects. I begin to hear the sounds that coordinate with their movements. I can still see their nameplates plainly.

I bow to David again. We go through a few rounds of counted strokes as before. We separate off. The sparring begins. I feel like I am becoming aware of where David is going to move and what sort of attack he's going to do next. His ghostly image has ghosts of its own. They predict. I listen. My sword makes contacts.

[System +1 blindfighting skill]

I start getting some touches on David. My stamina bar is holding steady. The special bar, which started empty has gotten full. It is flashing. I'm not sure what it does. I mentally tap on it. The world changes and I feel larger. I feel the room.

David slows down abruptly, and the ghosts streaming off of him extend much farther. I don't know if he's messing with me or if something else is going on. I can see the special bar starting to creep backward toward empty. I do not want to be empty.

Since I now have a good idea of where his blows will land, and he appears to be moving more slowly than I, I move around him and tap him on the side. Feeling bold and a little excited, I tap him seven more times in various places. Wow, this is awesome! I'm super Hashi until the weakness comes out of nowhere.

I'm feeling weird now, and it's growing. I still have half a special bar left and half a stamina bar as well. I tap him one more time. My arms feel disconnected they cannot obey the commands I think to them. I can't hold on to the sword. It falls out of my hand, falls slowly towards the ground. I fall as well, slowly, so slowly to the ground.

[System: special ability adrenal moves gained]

[System: special ability hypercognition gained]

[System: you have the cataplexy debuff]

I'm on the ground. Time speeds up. I can't move.

"Hashi, can you hear me?" Kithera has rushed over. I open my eyes. She moves a finger from left to right in front of my eyes. I can track her finger. At least my eyes move. I hope I didn't break her husband.

I hear Kithera, "Hashi, it's okay. You're not dying. It only feels that way. But it will stop soon, and movement will come back. It was the excitement. It does it to Zach every time."

She is speaking softly. I know she means it because she does not lie to me.

"It's not your fault." I know she means it. But I don't understand all of it.

"I'm going to get Zach back from the game. He's more used to this," she explains.

"You didn't do anything wrong. This is Zach's problem. I mean the body's problem." Kithera assures me and then she says," What you just did, that was amazing."

Did I hear her right? So in RWO, even when I am powerless, I have a reason to be proud?

"Don't worry Hashi, Zach's hit points will come back up. It is only a cataplexy attack. He will be able to move again. You will be able to come back soon enough." she soothes me with the promise, turns her head to see David fiddling with buttons on the machine then asks "David is Zach coming?"

I hear his comforting voice like a song from far away. "Yes, Loves, we have him."

[System: You've been disconnected from RWO]

[Quest complete: First training session. +2 levels, see notifications for other rewards]

I'm tired. I can't see or feel anything. But I know why Zach comes to my world. Now I know that he needs me. I am looking forward to the next session. I think I will take a nap.