The silence of the house pressed in on John, amplified by the unyielding stillness of his phone screen. Still no reply from Fae but considering the time it was no surprise. A fresh wave of unease rippled through him but he forced it down, clinging to the small comfort that she was with Jay, who, despite his quirks was capable of protecting them both. He tucked the phone away, the immediate worry for Fae giving way to a more pressing, strategic contemplation of their future.
Alice's stark declaration and actions still getting to him, making sure he knew time for proper grieving was a luxury he couldn't afford. His present reality demanded action. He had to resolve the 'Alice problem.' He thought to himself, gaze lingering on the girl as she seemed to bounce around, her gaze lingering on him with a wide smile and wave followed by a few other motions he chose not to focus on before looking away. Her chillingly casual mention of sociopathy, lack of care and morals paired with her undeniable power meant outright removal seemed a dangerous, if not impossible fantasy, especially with her obsession with him. The alternative then, was to harness her presence and to find a way to make her terrifying capabilities work for them without pushing her too far over certain lines he thought with a shiver.
Next on his mental checklist was a reliable source of sustenance. The options swam before him: a mysterious merchant, the fabled vending machine or the 'system store', the last one quickly being ruled out due to it being made clear he had no access to it for some reason. Each sounded straightforward but felt anything but. What currency would they accept? What would they value for exchange? The coins the jester had given him were undoubtedly valuable, yet their true worth was unknown which him vulnerable to being cheated. Food and water, he knew would soon become priceless commodities, once the fresh produce spoiled and the non-perishables were hoarded by the few clear-headed individuals not yet consumed by their newfound classes there would be even more fighting.
And what would these merchants even look like? Ordinary people, or something… else? Like the impish creatures rumoured to be directing this chaotic new world? Perhaps they'd appear later after some scenario played out, bringing with them a system for proper items and currency creating a new form of supply and demand system for the world. His thoughts for a moment drifted to the main characters of his favourite media, how they so easily brushed off trauma, or seemed entirely unaffected. He gave himself a light slap to refocus and not fall back into a bad place, his gaze turning and lingering on the girl with him for a moment. Allies. He needed more allies.
Alice, for all her formidable strength, was a double-edged sword. Her instability and chilling lack of empathy were useful in a fight and when cold, hard decisions were required. But she offered no moral compass and even less emotional support. He also couldn't shake the nagging question of how long her current focus on him would last or when she would inevitably turn. Trust would be paramount, a rare and precious commodity in this new world.
The location for a base came next. His current home, or somewhere better? He felt a pang of possessiveness at this. His house could be fortified, a garden cultivated for fresh produce well the surrounding area could be hunted for meat. The glaring drawback however, was its origin: it was a home. Security would be entirely self-made. Novels often used sprawling public buildings or malls but John recoiled from the idea of a mall. True, they offered abundant supplies and shuttered security gates but they were also magnets for people and with the classes taken into account a shutter gate probably wouldn't do much if he were to be honest, it would also be far too vast a space for just him and Alice to defend and then there was the insidious threat of human nature. Some might seek refuge but others would arrive with false smiles, poisoning minds until he and Alice were forced out or worse, forced to submit. He wouldn't entertain such a thought and he knew Alice would gleefully butcher them all before allowing it. He scribbled a note: "Base decision later, not urgent currently." Prisons though were out entirely. They were designed to keep people in not out, making them a well-fortified trap rather than a haven.
The next point he took note of was his training. He needed to secure his second ranking positions, but should he do it now or wait until others improved to claim it? If he waited, would it demand immense effort, or merely a small amount of training followed by consistent practice like what was hinted at? Unsure and unwilling to gamble, he grabbed a fresh sheet of paper and scribbled down three words "Skills to Learn" before setting it aside, his focus returning to the broader plan and would hopefully return to that when able to focus better.
Exploring their immediate area and circling back any potential base location. They needed to understand the new dangers and avoid surprises. Finally, he added "Create a forge, even temporary to practice." He didn't want to risk finding out what the old man would do if he didn't. On another fresh sheet, he listed the immediate skills he felt he had to learn early, even grabbing the previous page and scribbling onto it aswell: dagger practice, forging, carving, crafting and farming. He hesitated, then added "Magic practice?" with a question mark, having no idea where to even begin with that.
Leaning back, John realized how quiet it had become. Too quiet. He looked around for Alice. Not finding her where he saw her moments ago so with a sigh he went searching, eventually locating her in his room, hunched over his computer. This sparked a new idea he neglected: check online, especially news channels and sites assuming they were still working.
"What are you doing, Alice?" he asked, startling her. She yelped, a flurry of rapid clicks filling the air.
"Nothing! I was doing nothing!" she blurted, her gaze darting everywhere but at him. "Just sitting here watching the screen, you know, trying to keep busy. Figured you needed some space after you went to the kitchen and started old school writing."
He approached, peering over her shoulder. She'd been rifling through his files, every folder on his PC. He sighed; at least grateful he kept his variety of more… adult content safely on a memory stick hidden away from the pc.
"Come on, I need to check something," he told her, trying to open a webpage. "Internet service unavailable," the message read. Shrugging, he moved to the living room, flicking on the TV. He cycled through static channels until one news broadcast flickered into view, emitting a bizarre wailing sound overlaid with distorted chanting. John's eyes grew heavy; his head began to spin.
Alice, quicker to react, yanked out her dagger and plunged it into the screen. Sparks showered and the screen went dark with a final hiss.
"What the hell was that!" she shrieked, her voice edged with genuine alarm. John, breathing heavily, rubbed his eyes, the dizziness slowly receding.
"I don't know!" he gasped, sweat beading on his forehead. "I think that might have been someone's ability, or their class. It felt like… brainwashing, or worse. I have no idea, but I never want to experience something like that again!" Alice, equally shaken, nodded mutely.
"Let's… let's just get a drink," John managed, his voice still a little hoarse. "We need something to settle the nerves after whatever the fuck that was." Alice followed him to the liquor cabinet where he poured two generous glasses of rum and coke, downing his quickly before pouring another.
"We know now that some classes are beyond dangerous," he reasoned, the rum warming his throat. "And now we also know they don't need to be in person to affect others. I think once we're a bit steadier we need to find some allies. If something like that comes at us with swarm tactics we'd be overrun. The whole 'ants versus an elephant' argument. I also want us to try and find supplies. Scour the houses around here, clear them out and take everything that might be valuable in this new nightmare. Maybe we'll even find a trader. We can bring it all back here and then decide if this will be our base, or if we find somewhere better."
Alice nodded, a wide, unsettling smile spreading across her face. "Don't forget we need to fight, fight, fight! I want some blood after experiencing whatever that was. Ooh, how about we have a spar? You can try using that dagger and learn to use it through actual, non-deadly practice and I get a chance to play with you! Well, not the super fun way but still. It can still be a different type of fun!" she chirped, downing her drink before snatching the bottle, licking her lips and attempted a clumsy wink at John as she brought the bottle to her mouth, throwing her head back for a long swig before slamming it down. She sprang up and wrapped her arms around John's neck right after, her grin wider than ever.
"Now let's go, onward to fights, blood and excitement! And maybe even a spar!"
Her voice, a sharp, exhilarating whisper, cut through the quiet. She leaned in, her face inches from John's, eyes alight with a wild, almost feral joy that was terrifying in its intensity. Up close, the sheer, unbridled madness radiating from her was palpable, sending a cold shiver down his spine. Yet, he met her gaze with a slow, deliberate nod. Without a word he wrapped his arms around her, hoisted her with an easy strength finding her to be surprisingly light as he rose to his feet, carrying her effortlessly.
"Then let's go and see what we can do before it gets dark," he finally replied, his voice neutral, devoid of the eagerness that pulsed within her. The words were barely out before he released his grip.
A surprised "Eep!" escaped her lips as the ground rushed up to meet her. She landed unceremoniously on her ass, a soft thud echoing in the sudden silence. A moment later, a perfect pout formed on her face, but John offered no apology.
It was undeniably petty, he knew it and she probably did to but it was still a small, vindictive act that he couldn't bring himself to regret. He hadn't forgiven her. Not for the callous way she'd denied him the quiet space he needed to mourn. Was it smart to provoke her even in such trivial ways? To poke at the edges of her volatile temperament with these minor affronts? Probably not. But in this moment, John simply didn't care. He would snatch these small, insignificant victories over her wherever and whenever he could and by the look on her face it seemed like she enjoyed these little acts of defiance... Fuck.