The Man Named Q - and only Q

It feels right that the first article of the Living Myths series starts with a man who only responds to a letter for a name. And I assure you, dear reader, my mind immediately went to James Bond too. A man trying to put off a persona? Adopting the enigmas that surrounded the British Secret Service? Why would someone do that?

Okay, I'm intrigued. I'll listen.

Let me set the stage: I had landed in Los Santos a few days prior to meeting Q with the basis of Living Myth forming in my mind. I had not yet found the chance to meet many others, scrolling through Birdy, searching for something.

And then I spotted Q. Just Q.

Now I will admit, readers, meeting random people via social media with little information, let alone a photo, is incredibly stupid.

But no good story, in my opinion, starts with the characters taking no risks.

So I took the chance. Figuring posting publicly where we were meeting would be at least a clue if something was to end my story in Los Santos so quickly.

At Tequi-la-la is where I met Q. To be frank, I did not even realize he had shown up as I was reading while waiting. Because surely a person with a name like this they would make their presence known, right?

No. Instead, he just appeared. Had I not glanced up from my book and seen in the mirror above the back of the bar a man behind me, I would not have noticed him there.

I will admit that was on me. Startled was an understatement.

While I tried to get my heart rate back under 90, he just patiently stood, smiling. Unbothered. He introduced himself just as Q. At this point, I had thought it was just a username, but no, that was what he preferred to be called.

Of course I had to ask: "Does it stand for anything?"

"Of course it does. But you need to earn that story."

Ah. We're already setting the tone, is all I could think, already preparing for a story of wishy washy bravado, or something that might actually be interesting.

Truth be told, readers, Living Myths was not even named in my mind yet. I came to Los Santos to gather stories, talk and connect with people. Write what drove them, their stories, finding the connections between all of us despite our differences - a common human thread that runs through all stories. At this point I wasn't even interviewing Q. I was just happy to finally have a conversation with another person that wasn't tied to finances or day-to-day survival. An actual conversation.

We descended into the basement of the bar to escape the loud music, and over a game of pool is where I spent the next few hours trying to get a grasp of who this man was.

And I'll be honest with you, reader, I was left with more questions than answers. I've dealt with those who obfuscate themselves for their own amusement, but this was… different. Like a person who indeed lived within that blurry line between truth and obfuscation for very strict reasons. Of course I got the origins: his family, his time working in the entertainment industry, specifically within venues in the music scene. A passion for music and show that was marked on him by his tattoos.

But bits of truth always slip through the lines, and body language will give you clues where those blurred lines are. What I gathered was as follows…

A vagabond who carried himself as someone who had seen conflicts that no one wants to remember, and neither wanted to breathe back life into those moments. Things that define someone that their world becomes a lot easier when everything can be answered with a slight grin. One that I noticed never left his face.

As the night began to dwindle and my own alarm reminded me that I should've been just waking up, I had to ask: "Why Los Santos? Why here? You've been across the country. What's the goal?"

He sighed and shrugged, "Because I felt like it. I try not to keep set goals - sure I have dreams and ambitions, but setting yourself into a strict path will only make life harder. You need flexibility. Who knows what you may achieve if you just go with life."

It stuck with me as I climbed the stairs to leave. When I was younger, I had spent years in halls and libraries, believing I could find the answers inside those books. Chasing the dream of those set before me by some loved ones: not with malicious intent, but with the idea of structure in a safe way. Coming to Los Santos was when I realized that I had to get out here to see these stories myself. Write them myself and take chances on people.

To find my own Living Myths.

So while I may not have the full story of Q yet, reader, sometimes not getting the full story is for the best. The best stories take time.