Multi-Dimensional Merchant System

Oliver exited his last class of the week, his usual calm being slowly overtaken by an unexpected nervous energy. Between classes and work, his week had gone by quickly, though thankfully quietly as well. Needing a distraction for his racing mind, he hopped in his truck and headed straight for the store again with the intention of padding his bank account by completing a few more commissions. Checking his notes one more time, he grabbed a shopping cart and started collecting items.

It was a bit of an odd assortment. Two more bags of fertilizer would net him another 800 credits, by far the most profitable transaction on his list. He knew he needed to diversify, just in case that particular commission was taken down in the future. With that in mind, he settled on the Siege Supplies and Soap commissions. While less profitable, they were easy to do, and similar commissions were much more common than the fertilizer one.

Grabbing four 50lb bags of rice, he loaded them on top of the fertilizer and carefully maneuvered the now cumbersome cart over to the first aid section. Unsure of what exactly the person that posted it would want, or could even use, he picked out what he thought to be a good assortment. Rolls of gauze, antibiotic ointments, antiseptic liquids, rolls of adhesive bandages, alcohol swabs... Just when he thought he had grabbed enough, he spotted the prepackaged first aid kits. With a shrug, he picked five rather comprehensive looking kits and tossed them in as well.

The Soap commission was far simpler in Oli's mind. On his way to checkout, he just grabbed a couple large packs, thinking that dozens of bars would be more than enough for the person's request. On a whim, he grabbed one pack of unscented soap and the rest of different scents. Who knows, maybe they would like the variety?

He was thankful the cashier didn't offer any unnecessary conversation, eager to get home and finish the deal. His arms burned slightly at having to load so much into the bed of his truck, but he just shook them out quickly and drove home.

Climbing out of his truck, he checked to make sure no one was around before he sent off the commissions.

Processing Commissions...

Fertilizer

Fertilizer-80lbs

Transferring...

Transaction complete.

Commission reward: 800 credits.

Soap

Soap-102.4oz

Transferring...

Transaction complete.

Commission reward: 102 credits.

Siege Supplies

Foodstuffs-200lbs

Medical Supplies-assorted

Calculating value...

Transferring...

Transaction complete.

Commission reward: 2781 credits.

Oliver froze in place as he read and then re-read the system prompts. 3683 credits, plus the 800 credits he already had, with one credit equaling ten dollars... He nearly stopped breathing at the thought of nearly $45,000 at his fingertips. He could easily pay for college. Or get a new truck. Or...

With a crisp smack, Oliver slapped himself across the face, driving off the spiraling thoughts. “You're better than this Oli. Losing your mind over money? What would mom say?” He growled at himself and considered his next moves. Drumming his fingers on the side of his truck, he looked over the system windows as he thought. “There's also these locked pages. What else is there to this thing? And how useful are they?”

With a thought, he clicked on the first locked page and received a new prompt.

Unlock new feature?(Costs 1,000 credits)

Yes/No

Oliver considered it for a moment. As long as this new feature didn't take away the commissions page, he knew he could easily make more credits. But were the benefits it offered worth $10,000? There was only one way to find out. Mentally clicking yes, he gasped as he read the new page.

Developments tab unlocked!

Development

Increase Strength to 11 – 1,000 credits

Increase Agility to 14 – 4,000 credits

Increase Vitality to 12 – 2,000 credits

Increase Intelligence to 17 - 7,000 credits

Increase Willpower to 16 – 6,000 credits

Increase Spirit to 13 – 3,000 credits

Increase Luck to 9 – 900 credits

Oliver stood in place for several minutes, dazed at the implications. Could he really make himself stronger or smarter just by spending? Though the cost... Finally rousing himself from his stupor, he glanced at his credit balance. With 3683 credits, he was limited in what he could do, but knew he had to test it out. Selecting to increase his strength, he hoped the change would be noticeable, only to ask himself if this was safe a second to late to change his mind.

All of his muscles trembled in unison as a warm current ran through his body. Slowly ramping up in intensity, within a minute it felt like an intense full-body workout before it suddenly stopped. Instead of the pain he expected from working out, he felt refreshed. Looking at his arms, he saw the muscles were a bit more defined. Though not a drastic change, he was aware of the difference. His eyes shined with excitement at the possibilities this offered.

With only a brief hesitation, Oliver chose to increase his luck. The effect was less obvious, and for a moment he thought nothing had happened. Then he felt the warm current again, though this time it was less obvious. It felt... ethereal somehow as it interacted with something beyond his perception. When the feeling faded, he checked the Development page again.

“Raising Luck from 9 to 10 costs the same as raising Strength to 11 did? Is there no difference between 10 and 11 for an attribute? That doesn't make sense; I can feel the difference. Then why...”

Shaking off the thought, he increased his Luck again, the random spots of bad luck hopefully behind him. Almost 3,000 credits gone in an instant, but he felt it was worth it. And now he had even more reason to earn more credits. Though it made him curious; if 1,000 credits unlocked this page, how good was the 10,000 credit page? Or the 25,000 credit page?

A bright smile on his face, Oliver walked into the house. Waving at his friends as he passed, he dropped his things in his room before going back out to join them. Plopping himself down on the couch near them, he realized they were all staring at him.

The three of them shared a look, coming to some sort of silent agreement. Ed set down his game controller before turning to face Oliver directly. “OK, whats going on Oli? You've been smiling all week, practically floating around campus. I don't think we've ever seen you this happy, and I know most people have never seen this much expression out of you. So, either that blow to the head did more damage than we thought, or something good happened.”

“I bet he called the hot police chick!” Gary threw out with a laugh.

Oliver just chuckled as he shook his head, surprised he had kept it secret from them for even a few days. “No, I didn't call her. And before you ask, I didn't text her either.”

Gary and Ed looked at each other, both trying to figure out what had their friend in such a good mood. When they looked at Marty, however, he gave them a Cheshire grin. “Is that old cliché about cops and donuts true?” His friends started whooping and laughing at Oliver's simple nod.

“You actually asked her out!?”

“You sly dog Oli!”

“When's the big date?”

Oliver patted the air with his hand, finally getting them to settle down. “Yeah, we're going out tonight. We're meeting up at the Mexican place downtown, then maybe going to Bill's pool-hall after dinner. Poli feels like the laid-back and low-key type, so I thought this was a solid date idea.”

As cheeky grins spread across his friends faces, he realized what he had done and cut them off before they could start. “Her name is Polina, but her friends call her Poli. And yes, I know you guys will be giving me hell over 'Oli and Poli' for months. Just keep one thing in mind.” Oliver glared at them mock sternly until their smiles vanished. “She can probably kick all your asses at once.”

His friends sat stunned for a second before they erupted in laughter and teasing comments. He leaned back into the couch and let it wash over him, enjoying the moment.

Oliver, dressed in his favorite 'nice' outfit-black slacks and a blood red button down shirt, nervously waited outside the restaurant. He had never felt this sort of nervousness with any of his ex-girlfriends, but something about Poli felt different to him. Maybe it was something special? Or maybe it was just because she was a little older and more mature? Or...

“Oli!” The shout broke his train of thought, and he turned in the direction it cam from. His breath caught in his throat when he saw Polina. She had let her hair down to fall like dark waves around her face, just brushing the straps of the emerald green sundress that fell just past her knees, showing off her well-toned calves. Her toes peaked out of a pair of strappy sandals, and Oliver noticed the pink polish that matched her fingernails.

Small purse in hand, she stopped in front of him and smiled when he met her eyes. “I guess I clean-up good, don't I?” She said with a giggle.

Slowly gathering his wits, Oliver said the first thing that came to mind. “You are so out of my league.” Clearing his throat, he hurriedly spoke again. “I mean, you're gorgeous. Just... Wow! I...” He trailed off, at a loss. His mind raced for what to say.

With a laugh, she took his arm and steered him towards the restaurant door. “Thank you for the compliment, but I don't think I'm out of your league out all. You look... really good. And that outfit just screams confident and sexy.” She blushed brightly at her own words and leaned into him a little more. “Honestly, when I saw you there waiting, I was thinking maybe you were a little out of my league, too. It made me nervous as hell.”

As they waited to for a table, Oliver thought about what she said. She was just as wound up as he was, and he felt like he should do something to keep the whole date from turning into a nervous train wreck. He smiled softly as he took her hand. “Maybe we're just in a league of our own then.”

Her deep, throaty laughter sent tingle down his spine. Some of the nearby diners turned at the sound, and he could see flashes of jealousy from some of them. Oliver subconsciously stood taller when he realized it wasn't just the men, but some of the woman too.

Seated at their table, they both quietly glanced over the menu. Oliver's mind blanked on what to say next, his only real experience with dating since high school being his last relationship. The brief reminder of how it ended derailing his thoughts even further. Looking across the table at his date, he could see Poli was struggling just as much. “We're acting like awkward teenagers, aren't we?”

Poli startled slightly at his words for a second before laughing. Brushing her hair back behind an ear, she offered a shy smile. “I guess we are. I can't remember ever being this nervous on a date, though its been a while since I actually dated anyone.” Shaking her head at the whole situation, she folded her hands on the table. “It is kinda silly. We don't have to do the weird 'what do you do for work' questions, and I've already seen you in just your underwear...”

Oliver enjoyed seeing her blush, her face seemed to glow every time. “Well, I guess the work question is still sort of valid, since I just left mine. You seeing me like that...ah, I don't regret it, but I really have no idea what I was thinking.” He chuckled in embarrassment, his own cheeks pinking.

Seeing the opening, she leaned closer to him. “You left the donut place? What happened? I mean, you seemed pretty happy there, from what little I saw.”

The concern in her haze eyes pulled him in, and he saw small golden flecks in her irises that seemed to sparkle in the light. Drowning in her gaze, it took him a minute to register her question. Reluctantly looking away, he shrugged. “It was a pretty decent job, but I got an offer that pays better and is more flexible. Having more time to study for my classes is important to me.”

Poli clearing her throat brought his attention back to her. Seeing her suddenly stiff posture confused and worried him. “You're in college?” At his nod, she groaned and covered her face, mumbling to herself.

He could barely make out the phrase 'robbing the cradle' from her, eliciting a small snicker from him. At her glare, he held up his hands in surrender. “I'm not laughing at you, I promise. But you can't be much older-”

“I'm 29, Oli. Probably almost a decade older than you.”

Oliver shook his head quickly before she could beat herself up more at their perceived age difference. “4 years. You're only 4 years older than me.” Seeing her curious look, he explained. “I took a few years off after high school, so I got a late start.”

She sighed in relief. “Ok, that's not so bad. And there's nothing wrong with going to college a little later.” She sipped her drink, taking a second to collect herself. “Was there a reason you took time in between? Like travel or something?”

Her eyes widened as grief flashed across his face. Staring down at the table, he spoke slowly. “It's kind of a difficult subject.” For a second, she thought he wasn't going to say anymore. His voice was soft, barely above a whisper as he continued. “I was taking care of my mom for a while. When the doctors discovered she had cancer, it was already too late. After losing her... I needed time.”

She reached across the table and took his hand gently in hers. “I'm sorry Oli. I didn't mean to bring up something so painful, even by accident. I can't imagine how difficult that must have been for you.”

Oliver gave her hand a soft squeeze as his smile slowly returned. “Thank you. Maybe we should skip that topic?”

With a reassuring smile, she gently interlaced their fingers. “Of course Oli. Why don't we talk about your classes? Or the new job you mentioned?”

'She's perfect.' Oli thought to himself. Not only had she managed to pull their date back awkward ledge it teetered on, she also somehow brought him out of his usual reserved self. As a bit of an introvert, he had never really liked talking about himself. Most of his friends were just extroverts that seemed to attach themselves to him until the friendship stuck, a fact he was often glad about.

But talking with Polina just flowed naturally for him. She was enthusiastic about his music major, happily talking about their mutual love for jazz and swing. They swapped stories of friends, talked about their dreams... They lost themselves in their own little world until an employee with a broom passed them, the restaurant closing around them. With an apologetic wave at the staff, they quickly paid and headed out the door.

“I really enjoyed dinner, Oli. I can't imagine a better first date than that.” Polina said as they walked arm in arm.

Oliver smiled warmly at her. Not ready yet to see the night in, he tried for a casual tone as he spoke, even though his heart was hammering in his chest. “Dinner was amazing. But our date doesn't have to end here. We could head over to Bill's, grab a drink and play some pool.”

With a smug grin, she eyes him for a moment. “You don't know what you just got yourself into. I hope you can handle a girl kicking your butt at pool.” She glanced around the nearly empty parking lot for a moment. “I also hope you drove here. I came in a ride share.”

Oliver thanked his newly increased luck that they found an empty pool table so quickly. While Poli racked the balls for their first game, he grabbed a pitcher of beer for the two of them. Though the game was close, he was quick to see that she really was better than him.

The second game became even more lopsided as he found himself being distracted. It was obviously not intentional, but the small, casual touches as they passed each other, the lingering looks, and the way she stood close to him whenever they paused for a drink all combined to ruin any chance he had making a comeback.

After destroying him in the third game, Poli leaned in close to him. “What's wrong, can't keep up with an old lady?”

Her smile and teasing tone made it clear to be a joke, and Oliver wrapped his arm around her without thinking as he laughed. “First, you're not old. Second... OK, yeah, you're better than me. And you're distracting as hell. I guess I'll have to bring my A-game if I don't want to embarrass myself so much. I'll probably still lose though. “

He winked and threw a cheeky smile at her as he moved over to rack the next set. As he gathered the balls up, someone walking over caught his attention. Just as Oliver looked up, a muscular man in a tight fitting t-shirt stopped next to Poli and, grabbing her by the waist, pulled her up against his side. A flash of anger surged through Oliver at the sight, but it eased a bit as he reminded himself that Polina could handle herself. As a cop, she had likely handled worse situations after all. Just to be safe, Oliver stepped closer as the idiot spoke.

“Hey beautiful, why don't you let a man teach you how to really play pool instead of fucking around with this loser?”

'Are assholes somehow drawn to cause me problems? Maybe I should raise my luck a little more.' The thought ran through Oliver's mind as his fists clenched in anger. He wasn't bothered by the idiot insulting him, but the guy just rudely grabbing at Poli set him on edge.

Poli reacted quickly, pushing the guy back as she stepped away, her face twisted in disgust. “Not interested, and don't touch me again. Understand?”

The man ignored the stern authority in her tone and swaggered up to her again. “Come on, baby, don't be like that. Don't you want a real man to take care of you?” Stepping into her personal space, the man stared into her eyes as he placed his hands on her hips, a cocky grin on his face.

Anger flared in Polina's eyes as she glanced down at the hands. Her head lifted slowly to glare at the man. “Are you aware that what you're doing is considered sexual assault? Remove your hands or I will defend myself.”

The man seemed oblivious to the warning as he tried to pull her closer. Without hesitation, Polina grabbed one of his arms and twisted, slamming him face first into the pool table behind her. Her toned arms flexed as she wrenched the arm up, pinning him in place easily even as he started to struggle and curse at her.

“Hey! Get off him, you crazy bitch!” While everyone else stood stunned, one of the man's friends broke away from his group, stomping straight towards the altercation.

While Poli had the one idiot under control, Oliver knew having another jump in could be dangerous for her. Putting himself in the path of the new guy, he realized this one was even larger, close to a head taller and probably 50lbs heavier. Normally a peaceful person, Oli tried to defuse the situation quickly. “Listen man, your friend started it and she warned him to back off. Do you really want to make this worse than it is?”

“You think I'm gonna listen to some bullshit from a pussy that lets his girlfriend fight for him?” The man's fist looked massive as he punched at Oliver's head, forcing him to skip to the side to avoid it. Oliver was grateful for his above average agility as he was forced to constantly weave away from the barrage thrown at him. An idea popped into his head, and Oliver darted over to put his back to the pool table.

Thinking he finally had Oliver cornered, the large man put everything into a powerful haymaker only to howl in pain as Oli slammed the 8-ball into the side of the man's hand to deflect the punch. Before the man could recover, Oli struck again, slugging him across the jaw with the ball. Oliver grimaced at the sight of a tooth flying loose as the man crumpled to the floor.