First meeting
The first time I came across the name Mr. Qi, was when I figured out how to open the box in the tunnel. I completed the request on the note there, but rather than get an answer, I got a second request which took a good while to complete. Then came a third that took some time to figure out. The fourth request was just to look in the woodpile by my house. Each request was signed: Mr. Qi.
The woodpile had a club membership card nestled between two logs, in a spot I’d looked at several times before when I needed to replace the logs in the fireplace. Sure, the fire was mostly burning gas, but it just wouldn’t look right without a log or two in front of the flames, and sometimes those burned up.
It didn’t take much effort to figure out where the card should be used. There was a bouncer at the backdoor at the Oasis. One I’d briefly talked to once. He’d of course refused me entry, and I had backed down and avoided going near him since.
I also got a letter from Mr. Qi after the first time I entered the Skull Cavern. The name for the cave was easy to figure out the reason for, as there was a big skull relief in the entrance room. An altar of sorts was in front of the skull, almost part of the motif, with something that looked like it had once been a button. The button was no longer operable, of course. The letter challenged me to reach floor 25 of there, and I got another letter to congratulate me when I did. How he knew I’d reached that floor, without me telling anyone about it, was disconcerting.
It took a good while after I’d gotten the club card before I again approached the bouncer. His mouth set in a displeased line before he noticed what I had in my hand. Then his face got as carefully neutral as before.
“Is that a membership card?” he asked.
I held it up for him to see the information on it. “Yes.”
He stepped aside and gestured for me to go up the stairs, bowing his head slightly as he did so.
I paused at the top of the stairs. I’d walked into a casino. The frugal part of me wanted to walk out again. What I knew of casinos was that the games usually were such that the house won a lot more than the players. This was not a place to frequent if I wanted to earn a billion G like I'd vowed to my parents.
Directly across from the door stood a tall guy looking at the wall, hands comfortably clasped behind his back.
Something was odd about him, but at first it was difficult to figure out why. The dark blue hair that reached a bit below his shoulders wasn’t all that strange, nor were his sparkly clothes and hat. It was a casino after all, and hair dye wasn’t exactly uncommon. I took a step towards him before I noticed it. His hands were blue. Iridium ore blue.
“Hello,” I said to him.
I inadvertently gasped when he turned around. His face was blue too, and despite the dimly lit room and the shadow from his hat, he wore sunglasses. A faint smile played on his lips. This close, it was clear that the blue wasn’t painted on his skin, it was either a dye, or natural if such was even possible.
“Nice to finally meet ya, kid. Welcome to my exclusive clubhouse. You’ve got the ‘spark’... that’s why I singled you out.”
“What spark?” I asked.
“What spark?” he repeated. “Ah... The conduit of mystery, of art... People like us have the responsibility to keep the world alive, to give folks a taste of the extraordinary. You see, kid... The world’s like a bowl of rice. It’s got substance, but it ain’t worth nothing without a good zesty sauce. That’s where we come in. Didn’t you ever wonder who put those treasure chests in the old mine shaft? I like to give people surprises. Ah, I see you did wonder about that.”
“I did wonder why the person who put them there knew my size. Were you behind the clothes I’ve found in trees and elsewhere too? If it was just random, it would’ve been sizes from fitting a toddler to size XXXL or larger.”
“Indeed. I know your exact size, kid.”
His smile widened as I drew a deep breath to ask him how. “No need to be so confrontational. I’d like to give you a more... suitable set of clothes than what you’re wearing and prove my point.”
“I don’t need that,” I said, feeling my defenses rise in response to the magical coercion coming from him. I did not want to know what he meant with ‘more suitable’. “There’s nothing wrong with my clothes.”
“That home-made poor excuse for finery?” He shook his head disapprovingly. “I will not allow you to leave without trying the clothes I’ve prepared for you.”
I looked aside, noticing for the first time that everyone else avoided to go too close to Mr. Qi. With the power exuding from him, most people would not wish to come too close.
Then he grabbed my chin and made me look at him. “Look at me when I’m talking to you, kid. You will try them on, at least once. To prove my point that I know your exact size, I’ve had them made from cloth that won’t stretch.”
Mr. Qi snapped his fingers at one of the waitresses. “Bring me the package marked Erica.”
She darted behind a starry tapestry and emerged just a few seconds later, a largish package wrapped in glittery black paper. At first she tried to give it to Mr. Qi, holding it at arm’s length to avoid going too close. Then gave it to me at his gesture.
“Bring Erica to the changing room in the back and have her change into her new, more suitable, clothes,” he told her.
The waitress nodded and led me behind the tapestry, to the employee-only areas.
“What did you do to anger him?” the waitress asked when we reached the changing room, a small cubicle with a drape, which only made sense if the locker room it was located in was unisex.
“I don’t know. I just went to say hello.”
A confused look. “The way he treated you... That... hostile energy. Which only happens when he chews someone out. He never raises his voice during a scolding, but somehow it’s enough to make anyone of us beg for forgiveness and promise to not do the same mistake again. You’re lucky he didn’t force you to look him in the eyes. The manager said it happened to him once and it took hours for him to recover. I’m not gonna tell on you if you need to have a cry before going out to serve our guests.”
“I’ll be okay. What’s your name?”
“Rosetta. You should leave your backpack here before going out there again.”
I drew the drape shut behind me and opened the package. The first garment made me swallow. It wasn’t a waitress or show-girl costume. It was a purple shirt with gold trim, much like the one I was wearing, but form-fitted enough that I wanted to call the part over the torso a bodice. Rather than rabbit wool, it was made of thick silk. The sleeves on the other hand were from dual layers of thinner silk and had a loose fit. The gold embroidery over the shoulders and lapels was actual gold thread instead of yellow thread with a golden plastic strip spun into it.
Not wanting to be too exposed, suspecting Mr. Qi had cameras to survey the changing room, I changed my shirt first. Only when I touched it did I realize there was a lot more embroidery on the shirt, only the rest of it was purple on purple, ensuring there was no stretch whatsoever. The bodice of the shirt fit me like a second skin, which was a lot more difficult to achieve with a shirt made for a female body. It also revealed that I was indeed a woman, with just the right amount of space. I could breathe properly, but I didn’t want to try to touch my toes.
The trousers to it were made of linen, color-matched perfectly to the shirt, and so clearly an item of bespoke tailoring that what I wore seemed cheap. It took some effort to get into the tight pants, being used to a looser fit that let me do my farm chores. My boxer shorts needed to have the cloth of their legs folded just right or they’d chafe before long. But the new trousers zipped and buttoned without me needing to suck in my stomach.
It was like he had said... a perfect fit, but I would’ve felt better if either garment hadn’t been.
Looking in the mirror I had to admit to myself that I looked a lot more like a wealthy casino customer now. I spent some time brushing and re-tying my hair the way I liked it before stuffing my old clothes into the backpack.
I pulled aside the drape, and Rosetta was aghast.
“No! You have to change into the clothes you were given. Or...” She glanced fearfully towards the doorway to the casino, then tried to push me back into the changing room.
I blocked her from unbuttoning my shirt and put a hand on her bare shoulder, trying to settle her agitation. She shuddered at my touch and met my eyes for the first time.
“These are the clothes I was given,” I explained. “I’m a guest at the casino. Not a new worker.”
“I... I’m sorry. Please don’t tell him...” She stood aside.
I led the way back to the casino floor. Of course I brought my backpack with me rather than doing what Rosetta had suggested when she thought I was a new co-worker. She followed a step behind me, reluctantly.
“Ah, looking 100% better, kid, and more like you fit your name. Though in hindsight I should’ve given you some underwear too.” His grin only further confirmed his words. He had been watching me change.
“And that’s why I changed one item at a time,” I said.
He laughed. “You knew that much, and still you did it.” Silence had fallen in the casino at his laugh and was reluctant in picking up again. “You’re such a precious little spark.”
Mr. Qi then turned on Rosetta. “We gotta talk about the way you treated Erica. Customers are not to be deliberately touched other by the bouncer. Do I need to invoke article five of your work contract?” he asked in a low voice.
I could sense the magical coercion he aimed at her.
“No. Please. Not that. I...” Rosetta could barely form any of the words and her knees shook as she struggled to remain standing.
I stepped between them, shielding her from some of the magical energy. It was almost level with what the Wizard had aimed at me when deeming me strong enough to not need more than occasional guidance.
“You wish to protect her, kid?” Mr. Qi’s face clouded, then an evil grin spread. “Tell me, do you need a farmhand on your farm?”
“I don’t know about needing one. I guess I could use one, but I’ve managed well enough on my own.”
“It would just be a temporary placement, kid, until you and I deem that she’s served her punishment for assaulting you. And of course her current work contract would stay in place.”
“No...” Rosetta whispered behind me.
“You object to what could be a most lenient punishment, girl?” Mr. Qi asked. “I know. Why don’t you kiss her, kid.”
The coercion grew to a level where it was difficult for me to resist. Rosetta was even more affected by it despite being shielded by me, to the point that the prospect clearly turned her on.
Figuring I might as well give her a kiss, I wrapped my left arm around her waist. Lifting her chin with my right hand I kissed her lips. I had no idea how or when we swung around to give Mr. Qi a good look at it.
Thoroughly... The unspoken word was part of the magic coercion, but I didn’t bother fighting back. With Rosetta hit full force by it, I could just as well play along and take charge.
Rosetta’s lips parted slightly, then further at the touch of my tongue. She whimpered quietly and hesitantly placed her hands on my back.
When I ended the kiss, Rosetta’s knees gave way and she sagged to the floor, looking dazed and as if she wished the kiss had lasted even longer.
“Not bad, kid. Care to make a wager? I’ll kiss you. If you remain standing, she’ll be forgiven. If your knees give way like they did for her, you take her in as your farmhand, allowing her one trip here per week with a written note from you about her work and behavior for that week.”
Something touched my leg. Rosetta’s hand was withdrawn by the time I looked down.
“Please don’t...” she began but couldn’t bring herself to finish.
“Of course, refusal to play will have the same result as failure. But you’d retain your dignity, what there is of it.”
“You’re on,” I said, noticing that we had the full attention of all the visitors, dealers and waitstaff.
A blue hand grabbed my chin and made me look into Mr. Qi’s eyes. His other hand had lifted his sunglasses. His irises were as purple as those of the Wizard, but there was a light deep inside them.
Don’t get distracted, Spark. Let’s start...
Our eyes can’t have met for more than just a few seconds, but I was mesmerized. As much by his eyes as by the sudden clarity of the unspoken words. I barely noticed him leaning in, or the arms wrapping around me to steady me. Without thinking, I looked up at him, somehow eager for what was to come.
Then his lips pressed against mine. I opened my mouth to accept his probing tongue. Forgetting about the others in the casino, I felt myself wishing for more than just a kiss and a hug.
Maybe later, Spark.
Then he let me go after what felt like an eternity and not nearly long enough at the same time, and learned just how much of my weight he’d been supporting. My knees wobbled, but through sheer willpower, I remained standing.
My success brought on another laugh from Mr. Qi, and applause from most others in the casino. Rosetta didn’t clap or cheer, not wanting her employer’s attention.
She had it anyway, and he pulled her to her feet.
“Seems like that assault of yours is forgiven, girl. For your attempt at distracting Erica, you’ll have to attend to her every whim on this visit to the casino.”
“Yes.” Her voice was just a whisper. “Thank you,” she added in a stronger voice as his attention again shifted to me.
Treat my staff as humans, Spark. Do NOT trespass on my privilege.
I nodded, having no intention of treating his employees as less than human. Back in the valley I even treated a dwarf and one of the shadow people as human.
With Rosetta in my wake, I walked around, talking to people, learning what the Calico jack tables took for a bet, finding out what was in the prize shop. One club member surprised me: Welwick from the fortune teller channel. She bemoaned her losses and lack of personal luck.
I turned to Rosetta as I was about to buy some QiCoins to be able to gamble. “Could you get me some water, please?”
Her eyes widened, then she nodded and hasted away to the bar. She returned with a glass that had already condense forming on the outside, and a slice of cactus fruit hooked on the edge. I took it from her tray and drained it in one go.
“Thanks,” I said when I placed it back on her tray.
“I’m the one who should thank you, Lady Erica. When you stepped in... No-one’s been able to...”
“To even partly resist? Not my first time to deal with spiritual pressure. And there’s no need to call me ‘Lady’.”
There was an uncertain noise in her throat and she glanced over my shoulder at her employer standing nearby. Was she afraid I’d complain about it and say she wasn’t meeting my every wish? She also eyed my new clothes and what they did for my posture.
“But you may, if it makes you feel better,” I added.
“It does. Thank you, Lady Erica.”
I bought just 500 Qi coins, for 10 G apiece. While I could buy more, that much was what I felt I could afford to lose. Rather than go for the lower Calico Jack table, I picked one of the unoccupied slot machines.
To my surprise, it took me quite a few spins to go through my stash of coins. At first, I went for the higher bet of 100 coins per spin. Won several smaller combinations, but finally I was left with just 100 coins, at which point I went for the 10 coin spins until I ran out.
“Could you get me another glass of water?” I asked Rosetta.
She bobbed a small curtsy and hurried to bring me another tall glass. Her dry-mouthed attempt to swallow as she watched me quench my thirst made me change my mind halfway through. She was clearly more parched than I was.
“You can have the rest of it,” I told her.
Rosetta shook her head with another frightened glance in Mr. Qi’s direction, even though he once again stood with his back towards the room.
Clasping her shoulder, I pressed the rim of the glass against her lips. “Drink the rest. I don’t care if you normally aren’t allowed to drink even water while working. I want you to have it. I don’t want you to collapse from dehydration.”
Her mouth opened and she allowed me to force her to drink it, belied by how eagerly she gulped down the water. After the glass was empty and I had released her shoulder, she stood still, her eyes closed. A discolored teardrop formed at the corner of an eye. I cupped her cheek, stroking away the mascara-stained tear before it could mar the rest of her makeup. She leaned into my touch.
“What is your wish, Lady Erica?” she asked softly.
I considered my options as I withdrew my hand. I’d spent more time here than originally intended. “Is there anything you can tell me about him?” I asked, careful to form the question so that no was an obviously acceptable answer.
Rosetta’s eyes opened wide and her frantic headshake was little more than a tremble. “No. Just... beware. He rarely laughs like that. You must’ve caught his interest...”
“Which, I take, isn’t considered a good thing.” I thought about what he’d said at first. “Considering what’s happened, I caught his interest over a year ago. Today only intensified it a bit.”
“I like that you see to the bottom of things, kid,” Mr. Qi said by my shoulder, startling both me and Rosetta.
“I want to see if you can keep that vow of yours. At your current rate of earning, it would only take what? A thousand years or so? Fulfilling it within the lifetime of your parents will be a daunting task. They might only have about twenty to forty years left. Won’t be much of a win if your next visit to your parents will be to their graves, now will it?”
He spoke in a low voice right next to my ear. Much too close for comfort.
“I can do it,” I said without turning around to face him. “A year ago even a million seemed like an insurmountable amount.”
“And see how much else you’ve done since taking on that vow. Becoming a full-fledged member of the adventurer’s guild, and a journeyman... no... journeywoman magic-user. Restoring the community center with the help of the Junimo and destroying Joja’s presence in town. Taking on my little challenge to earn membership here... I think I’ll have to come up with some more interesting challenges for you, kid.”
His mouth was still right next to my ear, but he spoke loud enough for Rosetta to hear. She had paled behind her makeup at what Mr. Qi said and the tone he said it in.
Oh, I think I know just the thing, Spark. You’ll love it when you find out.
The tone in his mental voice was taunting.
“You mean you’ll love it when I find out what it is,” I said out loud.
“Oh, that too, kid. That too. I’ll enjoy very much to see you struggling with what I’ve got in mind for you.” He played with my ponytail. “Now, tell me. Has your every whim been attended to? I noticed you were intending to leave.”
Rosetta froze, her eyes begging me.
“She has served me well. Not that I had all that many whims.” I reached out to touch Rosetta’s cheek, even if I couldn’t keep my hand from trembling slightly. I very much didn’t want to find out what Mr. Qi had in store for me. He made a satisfied sound beside my ear, having taken note of my tremble.
“Thank you for forgiving me, Lady Erica,” Rosetta said. She still looked worried, but it seemed more a concern for my predicament than fear for what might happen to her.
Mr. Qi surprised me by making me face him. “Between your vow and everything you’ve taken on, I quite like that you’ve got the integrity to do it all yourself. To the point of doing your utmost to avoid getting help. That’s a rare determination, and I like that.” He planted a kiss on my lips. “Until later, kid.”
Look forward to our future games, Spark.
Shook up by the goodbye kiss and parting mental command, I took the stairs down. The bouncer stepped aside when he heard footsteps behind him.
Sandy looked stunned to see me. “You’re a member? And...” she gestured to my new outfit.
I shrugged. “Became one recently. And... I don’t really want to talk about these clothes.”
“Turn around for me. I want to see how well they fit you,” she urged. “Oh, they look like they were made especially for you, fitting you like a second skin. Is that silk?” she added when I made a slow 360.
“They were, and it is,” I admitted. “I guess I’d better buy some seeds while I’m here.”
Sandy turned towards her counter, switching from friendly banter to professional saleswoman in the space of a second, selling me a bunch of rhubarb seeds.
Pam was just as surprised to see my new clothes.
“Only recognized you on the backpack, kid,” she said.
I flinched. “Could you please not call me that anymore today? Had a run-in with a rather creepy person who kept calling me ‘kid’, so it kinda freaks me out right now.”
“Creepy person? Who? And where did you get that nice getup from? Wouldn’t mind meeting that person and ask them to give a nice outfit to me too.”
“From the creepy person. Then he revealed that he had a camera inside the changing room he sent me to, and mentioned he should’ve given me some prettier underwear too.”
“Ew! Forget it. I don’t want to meet that pervert. Unless you want me to go giving him an earful about...” She stopped as I shook my head.
“You really shouldn’t. He’s too powerful. Let’s put it a different way. If it had happened before JojaMart closed, and Morris had been the creep, would you’ve gone and give him an earful?”
“Er... Maybe...” She started up the bus as she thought it over some more. “Probably wouldn’t have, unless it had been Penny who’d been creeped on. Wouldn’t have wanted to get banned from the store. Pierre, sure, I’d have given him what for back then, but...”
I made an agreeing sound. It was best to try to avoid upsetting people that could ruin your life, unless they did something over the top wrong like assaulting your child. Only I felt Mr. Qi would do his best to ruin my life anyway, under the guise of providing a “challenge” for me.
Wondering about what that might entail made me think of the note that a monster had dropped, about “someone” waiting at floor 100 of the Skull Cavern, and shuddered. If it wasn’t some kind of boss monster, it was probably him, having wanted to make me curious. And I had been wanting to go there to find out once I got a good enough weapon. Well, now I wouldn’t. Not anytime soon.
Author's note: This is what reading the fancomic by @mrsthunderkin gave me inspiration for.
It might end up becoming a scene, probably at the beginning of book 3 of the fanfic I'm posting on the official stardew valley forums, but since I've yet to finish book 1 of it (closing in on it though), this is looking far into the future.
