NOVEL NEXT Chapter 9: Old dogs, old tricks
Think my mother has had a drink or two. I know it's not good for babies but do they know it is not good for babies? Really enjoying the feeling but worried about my brain cells.
I mean in my old world it wasn't until 1973 that fetal alcohol syndrome became a thing and even then it wasn't until 1978 that it actually became recognised as a significant problem for the babies involved.
Either way, I am drifting in and out of sleep a little quicker at the moment and with just a little bit of a buzz today.
Maybe it is her birthday or someone else's?
Plus I don't know if I have said this to myself before, but there is a certain taste to the amniotic fluid and at the moment I am swallowing a little more than usual.
Most of the time I try not to, but I think whatever I am absorbing through the umbilical is persuading me that this is a good idea.
Probably not though.
Although I think that this is one of the few situations that I will ever have where I have absolutely no control of the amount of alcohol being absorbed into my bloodstream. It used to be all my own fault.
Anyway, other than my slightly inebriated state, which is questionable, because I think she only had one, it seems that a new audience means . . . new experience!
Even for old dogs and old tricks.
I’m back on task, back on track even if I might be swaying from side to side metaphorically speaking, and I got there with a new skill called Recall.
It is only an intermediate skill which I would have been happy with anyway and with it I am able to rebuild memories of old songs and books but it is a game-changer.
Why do I ask?
Well . . .
With each song I am able to completely recall, remember then perform in my head until it memorised once again I am gaining 100 experience. A whole new type of experience gain.
I’m starting simple with nursery rhymes but so far; Twinkle, twinkle, little star, Baa baa black sheep, Hickory Dickory dock, Do you know the muffin man, Mary had a little lamb, Humpty Dumpty, The Grand old Duke of York, It’s raining its pouring and London’s burning have netted me 1000 experience in total.
Who would have thought nursery rhymes could be worth more than a pleasant time entertaining nieces and nephews.
Might have something do to with the fact that at the moment those are the only complete songs I can think of
Anyway, this has opened up a whole new way of earning experience for me. Before I could only gain the experience through the skill progress and leveling up my skills. But now I have another method.
It seems to be something called Origin experience and now my experience is dividing itself into two different types. What’s even better is that the songs seem to keep getting 100 experience for each new one. It isn’t decreasing with each new song.
Which is fantastic!
It is the first time I have found something to do that would reward me equal amounts of experience without taking exponentially longer to do.
If there are two types of experience gain maybe there are others.
Could I get listening experience? Watching experience? Who knows?
Regardless, it can be really uncomfortable in here sometimes.
Listening to conversations I’m unable to contribute to and being jostled around backward and forwards often without warning. But the progress I’m making with my stats and status is something I can hold onto. To base my life around something that is a little more stable than my movement in the world.
Thinking that if I can get a skill and experience for recalling songs from my world I thought to see if I could make up my own. It wasn’t a great song but it netted me two new things.
A skill called composition another intermediate skill worth 300 per level and the 200 experience for my rather poor self-creation.
I know that my musical skills are not particularly great, particularly as my mother for the first time since my memory began has decided to have a drink. But maybe the extra lubrication will inspire my musical talents to come up with more than nursery rhymes and build my own songs?
There once was a ship that put to sea
The name of the ship was the Singer you see
Oh row the merchant cried
Mmm, doesn't sound like me yet but who knows? Maybe I can turn it into a tune or two.
Soon may the super baby come
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
One day, when the sailing is done
We'll take our leave and go
Mmm, let's say it is a work in progress. Maybe I should stick with . . .
What should we do with the drunken baby,
What should we do with the drunken baby,
What should we do with the drunken baby,
Early in the morning!
I'm tired . . .
Probably time to go to sleep. Still exciting news. I made it to another level. Discovered a new way to gain experience. Leveled up and naturally grew my stats a little bit more.
Hey, I might not be able to add my free points for another 160 months but things are looking up!
Umm, do think that means the due date is soon.
Who knows?
Happy to fall asleep with a little bit of a buzz even if I know that can't be a good thing for my baby brain.
Maybe I can get some alcohol resistance here?
But that wouldn't be good to get my mother to have another drink. Even though I have absolutely no control over anything she does anyway.
Night . . .
. . . . night . . .
. . . z.z.z. . . . z.z.z. . . .
p.s.
Level: 6 Experience: 700/12,800 Age: 91 days
Health: 110/110 Stamina: 83/83 Mana 150/150
Vitality 11
Endurance 7
Strength 7
Dexterity 7
Senses: 20
Mind: 70
Clarity: 15
Free Points: 60
Skills: Time sense (LV 9) Listening (LV 8) Meditation (LV 8) Sense Mana (LV 8) Swimming (LV 5) Eavesdrop (LV 8) Memorisation (LV 8) Echolocation (LV 8) Recall (Lv8) Composition (Lv 1)
Skill experience: 3000
Origin experience: 1300
If you want to keep reading further I have posted up to Chapter 19 on royal road and up to Chapter 24 on patreon but I am in the process of editing and posting them up here now as well. Hope you have enjoyed so far. If you have time and energy I'm hoping you might give me a 5 star rating on Scribblehub and Royal Road as well as favourite and follow on both sites. Thanks for your support. Notlimah