There and back again. A Non-Player Character story.

Calum really wanted to visit Nala's shared dorm, apartment-house. It was like a fraternity, sorority house without the fraternity/sorority. There were 10 girls in the mansion. They had a huge shared kitchen and living room with an open dining room. Some of the girls went in on having a catered lunch come in every day, with lots of snacks.

Calum, Gertrude, and Nala compromised and Gertrude drove the three of them to Calum's basement. Calum had the girls introduce themselves to his Mom, who was home, before they went downstairs. They started their homework using two of Calums computers. After an hour their homework was done.

The third computer had Calum's computer game still running. NPC was in inactive status. Gertrude pointed at the computer game and asked Calum, "Is this what you do with your time?"

Nala said, "I like this game. I got into it once I found out Calum liked it."

"I thought you were just doing homework on your computer," Gertrude said to Nala.

"I am most of the time," replied Nala.

"My character is a wimp," said Calum, "though he has got a couple of good things recently."

"Like what," said Nala.

"Go ahead, take a look," said Calum.

Nala got on the computer and started testing out NPC.  She checked out his inventory and stats.  She took him to some of the first levels and tried out NPC against some weak monsters.

Calum said he had to get to his other class soon, so Gertrude drove them back to the school.

On the way there, Calum asked if Nala would like to play K.R.E.O. online with him sometime.  

She said yes.  She said her characters name was Lily789.

After class, that night, he checked online and by his character was Lily789.

Before Calum got back from class, NPC stared at Lily789 for about an hour, this was before Calum came home and reactivated him from inactive status. 

 NPC  level 4                                                                             Lily789  level 10

N        health  89 + 500                                                           L             health 130 + 10

N        mana    05                                                                       L             mana    66

items

N         staff     400 (+500 health and +6% heal)             L            wand      70

N         armor 500 (mythreal from elf-dwarf)                 L            leather jerkin 60

With NPC active, Calum chatted, in game, with Nala if he could go to the places she went to in the game.  She said, "follow me."

They went to several glen and spook places.

By the time they got back to the village their stats had changed.

NPC level 5                                                                                  Lily789 level 10

N health 99 + 500                                                                      L health 135 + 10

N mana 07                                                                                    L mana 68

items

N staff 400 (+500 health and +6% heal)                            L wand 110 (got a new one)

N armor 500 (mythreal from elf-dwarf)                            L leather jerkin 60

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

earlier

NPC stayed in observation mode the whole time Calum had him inactive, which had been a while.

After the spider experience, NPC was questioning how good life was, he almost preferred inactive status - observation mode.

With User Lily789 coming in front of him and standing there, it was a little disturbing.  NPC wasn't sure what to expect.

Lily789 was a female, curvy human-wizard.  Under her wizard robe was a leather jerkin.

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

It was getting late and Nala said she needed to get some sleep.  Calum agreed and they both went to safe zones and logged off for the night.

That night Nala dreamed.  She dreamed that her roommates duck-taped her to the couch and then got their guy friends and had a fashion show in front of her.  They made a little runway in the living room and they kept asking her if she liked the new outfits that magically appeared on them before they walked the runway.

She found some scissors on the couch and cut herself free.  She ran out the door and tried getting to Calums house.  When she got to Calums she woke up.

Nala called Calum as soon as she woke up.

Calum answered

Nala told him her dream.  They both had classes all day, but both agreed to meet for lunch the next day at Calums place.

Classes came and gone.  They both met early at Calums and started on homework.  They both got their homework done in an hour.  They next studied ahead in their subjects to be ready beforehand, quizzing each other.

Calum did not want the time to end but was running out of things to do.  Surprising to him, she wanted to stay too.

She started asking him what he did for his job. 

After talking to her for a bit, he said he could show her.  She said she would like that.  They planned that the next time they met, they would meet at the Science center.