What it Takes Pt. 05

Eventually, things had to stop being awkward. Eva's new "status" did at times tempt some to call on her, but they learned the lesson to not abuse it quickly enough. The best way to keep it aside was to not indulge in the sudden easy options. They started being a bit more cautious with their dating and the vigilante system, sending the idea to the others to have backup. It gave something to do with those who might not be AS eager for violence or tempting people.

Back to the cafe, where the service was arguably better and often fit for the price. Despite the increased price tag, people started to come more often. In fact, some started to feel it a bit exclusive in a rather idiotic move. There seemed no hope for this generation, but maybe some of the next ones will get the message.

Eva found this work to be a bit grounding, keeping her from going crazy in other ways. The normal and traditional way of doing things. Practice made perfect and she was getting better. After asking Tom to see that her recommendations no longer tried to get her angry, so did the internet started being better once she could see all of the victories around, all of the ways people were doing it their way without such incentive. Things were getting better and often one could not see it.

By now she thought that all the entitled customers were gone. Always one more left, but her approach to them getting better. Stand her ground, smile smugly, and let them dig their own hole. Far too often they were women, older ones who seemed to forget their place. When the increased price got quoted for her attitude, it got worse since they thought it was the means to reverse it. The price kept climbing and so did the rage of that customer. And Eva just smiled. She now saw it for the pathetic display that it was. She wanted to laugh.

Leave it to them to escalate it, the older woman grabbing the offered mug and trying to throw the contents at the astorian. This brought a much wider grin... just a slight adjustment to the physics... and somehow the cup moved in a way to make the hot coffee get all over the woman to her petulant screams, and by all outside accounts... of her own fault. The girl laughed, causing others in the place to join in this collective shaming. That was the point of it... make them see the error of their ways. Even wild swings would hit the hard counter between them rather than the girl. Such satisfaction.

Eventually, when one sees this approach to bring nothing but ruin, they had to turn away and consider the damage. Maybe consider their ways. A few more businesses around were taken on by aliens, just enough to provide a moment for these people to see what they became. The fun thing was that even though those astorians were in the minority here, they offered such fair treatment that people flocked to them. Other franchises were slowly starved of their vital employees when they found a better place to go. They tried to demolish these companies in every other way but this... lawsuits for unfair competition, illegal action or influence peddling. But nothing seemed to work. People were wising up. A judge outright made a plaintiff pay damages themselves to their old employees just for wasting their time with it... whining about people leaving for better conditions. Evil was not winning.

It took a good amount of resources to invest back in people, some wasted as there was no hope for some, but others so wisely consumed for the task. Her boyfriend told her of the much better standards companies were adopting simply because they saw where the wind was blowing. They lost their monopoly on low salaries and disposable people... and had to adapt or die.

Such things brought smiles to plenty of faces.

*

Jack never had trust in the system. Ever since he was young, everyone above him was out to get him. There was a saying that if voting could change anything, it would be illegal. The last time he went to vote on anything was five years ago. And yet the two left the building where the process was held, just a bit of hope in each.

"Still feels like nothing would be done. Also, technically you shouldn't be able to vote." He told her.

"Why not? I live here. I pay TAXES! Oh, it's fine for people to do it when they keep the current people in power?"

Eva was technically an illegal immigrant. Some might say she was not even an immigrant and was just here as a spy. The argument could go on for days.

"Eh, well... there... we did it. Doesn't matter. The guys upstairs never change."

"Which one did you go for?"

"You're... not supposed to say who you vote for." He said with caution.

"Because people argue over it. Yeah, yeah... come on... it's me. If we let THIS separate us we're doomed. So, who did you pick to be the next leader of the people around here?"

"Uh... that Jules guy."

A very, very unpopular choice... at least for the journalists, businessmen, other politicians, loud women and several other people who tried to demonize the man. He had a stance about reducing the power of many things... marriage, corporations, politicians and women. Not quite pushing them back to before women's rights, but if he had his way... a judge could be disbarred for ruling against a man in custody without a strong cause. Obviously, all of the women benefitting from child support and divorce, all of the buisnesses to enjoy their lack of real consequences and the fine elite of the planet wanted him gone. Somehow he was still there.

"Same here. I'd like to see what he does with the place." And so did 70% of the population.

"Well, we can agree on that. Might be at least entertaining to see the next year."

"Oh, very entertaining..." She let out a long, dramatic pause. "He's from Redlight."

"HE'S WHAT?!" That name did ring a bell. "Are you saying we just voted for an alien?!"

"Wow, racist much?" She joked. "And yeah. Him and his wife. And humans. Fun to occasionally hear what his team have to deal with. Glad I'm not there!"

"Well, now everything makes sense! You think he'll succeed? Even with him, there's congress, parliament... all that and such. They're just gonna block him."

"Nah, there's already a majority of our guys... not necessarily ours, but ones who believe in the cause... holding spots there. They covered the bases. Stuff is gonna change!"

And in what grand and dramatic ways. Slowly, but with visible progress to convince people to keep those leaders in office and strike down those who care more for their pockets. Jack was surprisingly okay to know that his country was basically taken over by aliens.

"Sounds like your whole infiltration is successful. Are we gonna become part of the empire in ten years?"

"Nope!" A smoke was finally pulled as they found a quiet spot. "Just teaching you guys how not to be idiots before letting you go. It's enlightenment. Has to go gradually, letting things slip in. Honestly, I think we'd rather have some neighbors. Decent ones."

"So..." Jack pulled his nicotine out as well. "Any other fine institutions that Astoria has taken over that you know of?" It only rarely came up. And he didn't ask.

"Told you about schools, in some places... others we took to the law enforcement, legal system, and in one they took over the entire underground operations. Easier than the rest since those have that go for them constantly. Not gonna tell you which, so just look around and guess."

It was not in his country, but with such fresh perspective, he could start to notice it... fairer trials in Asia, cartels in south america outright being trusted over law enforcement, America somehow having much smarter kids than before, Africa was seeing such a collective restructuring that it would be unrecognizable in a few years. The process was slow and painful... filled with resistance from the old world unwilling to give away their consequence-free runs.

But so it always had to be.

*

After that last event, Jasmine needed a lot of bravery to get back in the field. With the new laws around marriage, all contracts depending on them being retroactively annulled... there were a lot of divorced women suddenly no longer rich and independent. And there were a lot of angry people. They had to step up their nightly activity just for the hate crimes against decent women being on such a rise. Eva, as always... enjoyed those.

Today she was seeing almost a repeat of that night which was just a bit traumatizing. Nobody who was here now or was there that particular day had any idea what happened... but she did. Carmen was on the lookout for any... trouble. The other woman was far less approachable and kept in touch via silent communication implants, a new addition to help this.

And like women, they used that private line to chat... silently and with no one being any wiser. Mostly they were talking about the upcoming wedding. Even with the much fairer terms, those two wanted to not even get legally married. They would just make the promise and go on. The excitement in the girls was palpable... often around the nipples.

Older men often had no mommy issues to look out for her, so Jasmine was outright ignoring them... so much that she did not even register the guy coming up to her table until he finally spoke.

"Seat taken here?" Was said with a bit of flirt.

"Not at the..." Her voice caught in her throat.

A very, very long look was shared between them. He was just a bit younger than the woman, but still past thirties, average in so many ways that the dad gut was starting to appear. A ruffled head of hair, a week-old beard and minimal grooming to keep up appearances.

And yet, for her... this was the most handsome man alive. Robert took the seat opposite her.

"What are you doing here?!" Was shouted with whispers.

"Talking with a very beautiful woman?"

His response made the woman exasperated. Just like him to do this. But he could not have done it without...

"DID YOU GUYS KNOW ABOUT THIS?!" Was screamed over the silent line.

"And you have no idea how hard it was to keep! But I found out yesterday. Frank knew." Carmen answered with such relief to finally say it.

"You didn't have to come all this way for me." Back to words.

"And what kind of husband would I be to let you run off and face this alone?" He was still joking. "Heard you died."

"I got better." She could start to see what he was doing.

"Doesn't look better. Might have to bury you, recycle the parts. Those tits are going to go well on someone else. Might take them myself as a memento, fondle them every time to think of you."

His proposal was absurd and in clear jest... though possible at times. But Jasmine could not hold back the laughter that she needed. Rob could always be such a goof. And sometimes he could be serious. His hand reached forward to have her grasp it without question.

"Should have come the first time. Must have been hard."

"We had other worries. What about the kids?"

"With their grandparents, trading days here and there. They're expecting some messages to show we're all good and eager to see them." Beat. "Though I'm not bringing them here."

"No. And good. But we shouldn't leave them alone without us." A sigh. "It's been very hard. Better now." Her finger caressed the back of his hand. Even just having him here was much better.

"Just so you know... you are actually excused today. Feel free to check with Frank. Got all the time to show me around. Even a week if you need it."

"I'd rather not skimp work for so long, but... I can show you this hellhole. So just on vacation or do you want to help?"

"For now, vacation... but I could help. Go out and propose to guys to try out my wife, heard there's plenty here to do that. Go out and kick ass at night. Get matching outfits..."

Another laugh. The man was trying to comfort her so much. And it was working. Even at her age, Jasmine felt like a schoolgirl around him. Shy and sometimes upset at his antics, only for him to stop at the right moment and show why he was doing it. For now, they might have a lot of fucking to catch up on... but later... much later... that would be what he had for her. Something that time cannot take away.

When they got to her place, the sex was far more emotional than expected.

*

Just as the tabletop night became a usual thing, sometimes far more boring and sometimes quite exciting either from the company or some nearby guys getting WAY into their game of Dungeons and Dragons. But for some reason, that thing was being played less and less while people preferred something called "Pathfinder".

After a good amount of badgering, Jack was convinced to let them play HIS game. It was still in "testing" as he called it, but the idea was simple. A few challenges would need a lot of explaining for them to get the idea. Neither did he consider how to do multiple players, so Eva and Mark just had two characters to go at it together, alternating between which actually employed their skills.

Time for another challenge. Eva did ask for it. A die was rolled, then a few more as the man followed his table to determine the initial setting. A 2 on the ten-sided die meant no challenge, but his second die was a 10. 4 and 8 on the pair of 8-sided dice, a total of 12 meaning... Medicine. And finally, a card is drawn from his major arcana tarot deck to get the theme of the encounter. The Magician right side up. He checked the handbook on that to see the meaning.

"As you wander out into this devastated beach, your eyes are drawn to what remains of prime seaside property. Only half-walls remain to show the space where there might have once been a rich man's mansion. However, the basement is still intact with a show for their preparation, mostly looted... but you spy enough medical supplies to deal with any possible injuries." The man narrated with some proper confidence.

"Damn." Eva had made a girl like her from the cyberpunk world, falling into this post-apocalyptic one. Strong in fighting, decent in tech and social and just a bit of physical endurance and agility. "So, what's the challenge level?"

"None. Tier 0. And... gain three momentum. Yeah, good roll."

The girl noted down the transaction on her sheet, which was just paper with her stats written above and more to keep track of the changes. Jack insisted on good accounting since there was far less to keep track of.

"Dude, last time I had to find how the fuck do I use my scholar skill to fight seven guys! You sure you're not playing favorites?" Mark had instead gone with a fantasy wizard. The other player was even suggesting they roleplay sex... somewhere else that is not a public setting.

"Them's the dice! Hey, Eva had a loss last time after passing the challenge."

"Is the house good enough as a base?" She asked. Though they were not yet using the base system. Jack imagined several means to expand the gameplay.

"Nah, you're looking at something that does not even have intact walls."

"Also, no way in heck can you put a basement on the beach!" His friend corrected on the realism.

"Maybe they have better tech? Anyhow... back to Mark."

Just a tier 1 challenge for him to solve with magic and give a pittance of momentum but so were the dice. Jack was rolling them openly and showing them how it went. He needed no DM screen... the man just made stuff up on the spot. Their story grew with such things.

"Vella has been asking about you." The game master said out of role after that.

"Oh! She... up for a date?"

"She might be, but... how about we talk about it at your place?"

"Well, now I wanna go right away. We can resume the game there..."

They would not resume. The conversation was quite shaking for the boy. He'd known these two for a couple of months and now he was finding out that Eva was not even from his own planet. The fact that he had the hots for someone who was not even his species seemed to not bother him after the initial shock wore off. In a way, he liked her for her person and that exterior image could be in whichever way she needed. The two would take off as a couple in record time.

It would take far longer for Mark to find out that his friend could also break the rules of reality now, though by that time he would see her as no different. And it was inevitable that he'd join their community to make this system grow. The astorians might have been in the minority, but they sure were showing their success.

And a successful model inspires others to try it.

*

Sometimes a girl needs some time out with her friends, just to do things with them. Some browsing in the mall, going out for coffee and much more. Carmen had been playful throughout the day, suggesting plenty of activities to make them feel better.

Just having left a bookstore to laugh at some of the far less impressive stories that got desperate housewives hot, thinking about some flawless casanova to come into their life... so very unlike the man they had waiting at home. Eva might hope that someday those died too, but they still had them if women looked at them differently.

"Maybe we should swipe those books. Give the women some better stuff to read." The younger and athletic woman suggested.

"Hey, unfair to those employees! And companies. Not their fault there's a demand."

"If they get backlash for something they didn't do... wouldn't that make the companies some valid targets? Show what's really inside them."

Eva paused a bit as she scrutinized the girl. And the day.

"Come on, we can't wait for them to step out of line! Someone has to pull it out."

The gesture was sudden, its presence shattering the peaceful image of the mall and the face of Carmen shattering the glass display to her left as the girl grabbed that head and gave that first disorienting blow. Still maintaining the hold, that face was dragged on the ground to make skin shred off and a trail to be left behind. But the trail was not red... but black... and the facade fell at her assault.

"How many times do I have to teach you this lesson?!" Every day. Sometimes forgotten, sometimes it decided this was not a good time. And sometimes it tried this.

By now, the girl had learned to notice such things. The absence of a complete account of the rest of the day, just a word to suggest what it was, a subtle setup and the prompt for her to go off course. But she felt better to notice and destroy them. To pummel that thing into the ground as it would be thrown through the fake displays and paper-thin image of a shopping center.

Her sword would be of use whenever it tried for a harsher assault with no pretense, but her wits had to hold her when those times were not so. Even then, she had learned a lot. And it was close to automatic. If God did not have so much pride they might give up. This determined continuance was making the girl stronger.

But once that thing was clear, she would enjoy much more lucid dreams, those where she could see to the things she wanted to experience. Things she could not safely do on that planet and more. At least for now... she planned to be an astorian through and through and not let this world's flawed reasonings dissuade her. They had no idea what the point behind those restrictions was.

Every day, she got a bit stronger, and the things she could do became easier, more impressive, and instinctive. Her implants became unnecessary, yet she held onto them for the way it was indeed easier like so. Flight became something she could casually do... though not long-distance or high speed. Rending distance to make it prove no barrier would allow the girl to have no use for any form of transportation. She could go back home at a moment's notice... so she did. For a bit.

She had to show her boyfriend around the places he heard so much about... and despite the higher quality of her homeworld, they instead returned to his apartment. It had value to them for other reasons beyond its previous occupant... it was home. Though if they wanted to have a family they'd need something a lot better.