Marcus, your brother

I stare at Marcus across the table, currently loudly slurping the spaghetti with a grin on his face and I almost sigh, with a bit of luck he'll just decide to go sleep it off, I'd rather not tell him to go sober up and risk a speech about how he knows what he's doing and it's not the first time he comes home drunk, yadda yadda.

Exhaling, I tap on his name and watch as a prompt comes up.

╔════════════════════════╗
║·········· Select [Marcus William] as Target 1 ? ║
║·············································Yes / No···············································║
╚════════════════════════╝
I tap yes and the previous screen comes back, now with my brother's information very much like how it had for me and then a popup appeared in front of it with cheap looking confetti effect.

╔═══════ ╦════ ╦═══════════╗
║QuestMaster║Targets║ PerkTree│ Quests·║
╟─────── ╨──── ╨───────────╢
║Target 1 ····························································································· ║
╟────────────────────────···╢
║Target Name : Marcus ························································║
║Surname : Williams ·······························································║
║Gender: Male ················································································║
║Age : 22 ······························································································ ║
║Relation: Brother ·····································································║
║Level 1 (0 / 5 xp) ····································································· ║
║Class : None ····················································································║
║Perks : None ················································································· ║
║Perk Points : 0 ············································································ ║
║✍ ············································································································║
║Add Class (Perk needed) │ ··············Add Quest ║
╚ ════════════════════════ ╝

╔════════════════════════╗
║········································Starting Point··································║
║················ Select a target for the 1st time ··········· ║
║················································ + 3xp ·················································║
╟────────────────────────╢
║································First Achievement···························· ║
║·················Achievement List Unlocked!··················· ║
╚════════════════════════╝
I dismiss the pop up, and raised an eyebrow at the added rows on my brother's profile, [Add Class] was greyed out so considering it also says I need a perk that would be off limits.

Tapping [Add Quest], however, gave me a popup prompt.

╔════════════════════════╗
║··········Write a Quest for [Marcus] [Williams]·········· ║
╚════════════════════════╝

I hum and look at the prompt, thinking as to what to write, Marcus, now halfway through his meal, shot me a confused look, probably believing I was talking to him.

"Nothing," I said quickly, turning my attention back to the app. The concept was strange, but it did give me an idea. If I could give him a quest, maybe I could tell him to sober up, wouldn't that be convenient?

╔════════════════════════╗
║Sober up······························································································║
╟────────────────────────╢
║·[Marcus] will receive the following quest·║
║···········································“Sober up”········································· ║
╟────────────────────────╢
║······Reward can’t be designed without the·····║
║·························Reward Designer I perk··························║
╟────────────────────────╢
║······Reward can’t be chosen without the ······· ║
║················Recommended Reward II perk················║
╟────────────────────────╢
║Selecting appropriate reward for quest…..║
╚════════════════════════╝

The dots after [Selecting appropriate reward for quest] appeared and disappeared in a pattern that usually meant it was loading something, and loading it was as the prompt disappeared and I was taken to the Quests Tab.

╔═══════════════════╦════ ╗
║QuestMaster│Targets│PerkTree║ Quests·║
╟───────────────────╨──── ╢
║Quest: Sober up··········································································║
║Description: Completion Rewards will be -║
║distributed once you've sobered up···················║
║(Hidden) Target(s): [Marcus]······································║
╟──────────────────────── ╢
║Reward: Perk: Alcohol Tolerance I·······················║
╚════════════════════════ ╝

I come to understand the point of the app, it's probably something like a simulation of the people you want doing "quests" that the "questmaster" assigns them , this one will probably be "completed" after a few hours, or, if it's using an AI like I think it is then it will probably do it in the morning tomorrow, as for the "hidden" portion it's merely for immersion purposes, as a way to let the user know only he, the questmaster, can know who the targets of the quests are.

Marcus' phone buzzes on the table, he downs the last portion of his dinner with a loud gulp of water. He picks it up with a grin, He probably got a message from one of his teammates or he got a reply from one of the dick pics he sends people, I would know he does that after he sent me one when he was drunk, he deleted it later but the memory was still fresh on my mind. His smile falters as he reads something on it.

"Huh?" He squints at the screen "You've been assigned the Quest to 'Sober up'. Complete the quest to claim your reward. LifeQuest?"

I straighten my back on my seat "Life Quest?" I ask with a bit of a stutter.

"Yeah let me see" he tapped on his phone, his eyes widened as he read something "Leo check this shit out, it's some app I never installed and it has my fucking info!" he showed me his phone screen and on it was the same Target profile I had on my app, without the [Target Name] instead only being [Name] and it didn't have any of the rows after [Perks]

╔═══╦ ═════════════ ╗
║User ║ ·························Quests·····················║
╟───╨─────────────·· ╢
║Name: Marcus ··········································· ║
║Surname : Williams ······························║
║Gender: Male ···············································║
║Age : 22 ····························································· ║
║Level 1 (0 / 10 xp) ································· ║
║Class : None ···················································║
║Perks : None ················································ ║
╚ ═ ════════════════ ╝

"That's weird..." I gulped, the similar UI and the 'quest' that was one to one the one I saw being generated on my own copy of the app, the difference being that mine was called [Questmaster] "You should delete it" I recommended , hell, I should delete my own Questmaster myself.

"Nah" What!? "Someone in the party installed it when I wasn't watching... probably? I'll just ask one of my buds if they know what's up with it" Marcus seemed to have convinced himself to leave it be but I sure haven't.

I go to my phone and uninstall the Questmaster app successfully, when I look up from it I can see Marcus filling a large cup with water to the top, he sees me watching him and I raise an eyebrow as if to ask why is he doing that.

"Well, I just thought that I should sober up you know? Nothing a bit of hydration and sleep can't solve" he said as he started gulping down water.

Well, maybe this scare was useful for something at the very least, sighing I return to my phone and get still as the icon of the Questmaster is back on my home screen.

"Welp I'm beat... See ya tomorrow Leo, goodnight" Marcus marched off from the kitchen and, presumably, to his bedroom.

The more I try to ignore it, the more the app seems to beckon me, almost as if it had a mind of its own, I can't help but click on the icon, the UI opens up and seemingly nothing has changed, a popup does appear though.

╔════════════════════════╗
║·········································· First Decree ···································║
║············· Give a quest for the first time. ··············· ║
║················································ + 3xp ················································· ║
╚════════════════════════╝

I chuckle to myself shaking my head, as if an app could be... no I don't want to finish that thought, I gulp nervously and decide to get some sleep, I'd deal with this ridiculous app tomorrow, hopefully with a clearer head.

I wake up feeling groggy and more confused than ever. Did last night even happen? Sure hope not and it was all just a weird dream, I pick up my phone, unlock it, and see the Questmaster icon still there, staring back at me like it was never uninstalled.

I grimace, so much for it being a dream.

Sitting up in bed, rubbing my eyes, I tap on the app, the same simple UI greets me and the a popup takes over the screen.

╔════════════════════════╗
║·····[Marcus] [Williams] completed the quest ·······║
║···········································successfully···········································║
║··············································· + 2xp ·················································· ║
╟────────────────────────╢
║································ Simple Beginnings ·························║
║············A quest was completed for the 1st time·····║
║················································· + 3xp ·················································║
╟────────────────────────╢
║·············································LEVEL UP············································║
║······································· +1 Perk point ···································· ║
╟────────────────────────╢
║······Small step for man giant leap for...······║
║·····························Level up for the first time·······················║
║····································· +1 Perk point ····································· ║
╚════════════════════════╝

I sigh, this shit is too much and the implications are tiresome, deciding to get out of my room, I'm greeted by Marcus in the kitchen eating cereal, his clothes were still the ones he had yesterday and the smell of alcohol was still emanating from him or at least his clothes

"You are up early" he said as a greeting, the cereal loud as he was crunching on it.

"Yeah, I... uh... have an assignment due Monday and it has been a pain in my ass" and there is a freaky app that cannot be uninstalled and I just leveled up! whatever that means, regardless I couldn't actually say that so I just grabbed a bowl of cereal for myself, avoiding eye contact with Marcus and sat on the table.

"You still have time to finish it Leo, don't let it keep you awake" Gee thanks for the wisdom, I rolled my eyes but he wasn't exactly wrong, I had the theme and topics already decided I just needed to research the content "Dad already went out by the way" I hum and nod crunching on my own cereal, if anything I am more concerned about getting on the app again and think around it, maybe find a way to sign off it?

I lifted my gaze as I heard Marcus' chair moving as he got up and washed his bowl and went away, I frowned as the stank of sweat and alcohol invaded my nostrils when he walked by my side on his way off, hopefully he'll go take a shower jesus.

Now that he was away I took my phone and took in my profile... the QuestMaster profile.

╔═══════ ╦════════════════╗
║QuestMaster║Targets│ PerkTree│Quests║
╟─────── ╨────────────────╢
║Quest Master : Leonard ····················································║
║Surname : Williams ······························································║
║Gender: Male ···············································································║
║Age : 18 ·······························································································║
║Level 2 (1 / 15 xp) ···································································║
║Class : None ···················································································║
║Perks : Quest Designer I, Recommended R ║
║Perk Points : 2 ············································································║
║✍ ··········································································································║
╚════════════════════════╝
First things first I have to see what the [Perk Tree] is all about and then I'll try to see if the pen button can hopefully let me uninstall this thing permanently.

╔═════════════╦═════ ╦════ ╗
║QuestMaster│Targets ║PerkTree║ Quests·║
╟─────────────╨───── ╨──── ╢
║Perk Points : 2 ··············································································║
╟────────────────────────···╢
║Quest Designer II (1)····························································· ║
║Concurrent Quests I (1) ··················································· ║
║Cooldown Reduction I (1) ············································· ║
║Recommended Reward II (2)······································· ║
║Reward Designer I (2)·························································· ║
║Class Designer I (2)···································································║
║Additional Slot I (1) ································································║
║Character Editor I (1)·····························································║
║Daily Quests (1)············································································║
║Public Unawareness(1)·······················································║
║Target Unawareness(2)······················································║
║Target Obliviousness(3)·····················································║
║JRPG statistics (3)······································································║
╚ ═ ═══════════════════════╝

I decide to look at some of the perks that call out to me as being a bit obtuse on what they do.

╔════════════════════════╗
║································ Concurrent Quests I ························ ║
║····Allows for the assignment of two quests at ·····║
║·········································· the same time ····································║
║··············································· yes / no ·········································· ║
╟────────────────────────╢
║···························· Cooldown Reduction I ······················ ║
║ · Reduces the cooldown to assign Quests from ║
║································ 10 hours to 5 hours ·································║
║··············································· yes / no ·········································· ║
╟────────────────────────╢
║·········································· Daily Quests ·····································║
║············ Allows the assignment simple quests ··········║
║··········································that repeat daily································║
║··············································· yes / no ·········································· ║
╟────────────────────────╢
║································ Target Obliviousness ························║
║········· When toggled, the target will not think ········║
║············ anything is wrong with the tasks to ············ ║
║complete the quest no matter what they entail║
║··············································· yes / no ··········································· ║
╟────────────────────────╢
║········································ JRPG statistics ··································║
║Unlocks the statistics commonly seen in JRPGs║
║··············································· yes / no ·········································· ║
╚════════════════════════╝

Well, nice to know that, but I want to uninstall the app not play into it yet, no, not yet, ever,

I go back and tap the pencil button at the end of the profile.

╔════════════════════════╗
║·········Profile edition needs Character Editor I········ ║
╚════════════════════════╝

I throw my hands up, of course it's more magic stuff, well, magic, reality bending, stupid shit with moral implications too heavy to use so lightly.

Ignoring the urge to throw my phone at the wall, I think how to solve this... Well... I could just... not use the app? That is a reasonable thing to do, easy solution, there.

As I was fighting with my own morals I heard sounds coming from the living room. Peeking through the kitchen door I saw Marcus on the couch watching TV, still wearing yesterday's clothes, I frown lightly and go over.

"You know, Marcus, it's a new day, maybe it's time to change your clothes?" I said as I leaned against the kitchen door frame.

Marcus looked over at me with a half-lidded gaze, "What's it to ya?" He slurred a bit, his gaze returning to the program on the TV.

"It's just that you're giving off a... certain aroma," I said trying to be polite, better than just telling him he fucking stinks.

He grunted before answering "Lay off dude, besides, it's Saturday" he gave an annoyed look at me and then returned to watch the TV.

"Okay, okay," I decided to concede,better drop it for now. I returned to the kitchen and took my bowl to the sink and rinsed it out, the cereal sticking to the sides, a chore I'd have to tackle later... along with the dishes from last night apparently.

I sigh as I decide to wash them myself since I am here, I took my phone out of my pocket to put a video while I do them but I unlock it to find myself staring at my profile in the QuestMaster app...

I lick my lips, feeling... tempted.