{SP- F1} <<Earning A Living>> The shop on the hillside

[myawfod 0]

Myawfod was sitting on a bench to the edge of the town plaza, mulling over the amount of players dead. Two thousand? That was a lot of grieving families, a lot of death for one game. She watched as a particularly nice-looking player walked by, and went to stand up, but they were quickly mobbed by a group of friends, all wearing the same style of black and red clothing. She sighed, tapping her foot on the floor impatiently. She needed something, someone, to interact with. She paced about the streets after a few more minutes of thinking, dreaming. She saw shops, carts, markets, bargaining and haggling and laughing filling her ears. She drew her white cloak around her, stopping outside a particularly shabby looking shop.

[myawfod 0]

She gazed up at the sign, a wooden rectangle with faded, yet gilded script on it. 'Merchant- Buying and  Selling' The sign told her, and she tilted her head slightly in consideration. Surely, being a merchant would entail having friends, would it not? She pushed open the door, ringing a rusty, belated bell above it, alerting whoever owned the shop of her presence. She stepped forward, admiring the many wares the owner had- healing potions, antidotes, swords, shields, weapons, clothes... too much for her darting crimson optics to take in. She gasped slightly, her hood starting to slip over her indistinguishable coloured hair, but she recovered quickly from her minor shock and grasped the edge of it, drawing it into its previous position, hiding most of her features under a shadow.

"H-Hello?" Hoshiko called, glancing around as she tried to pinpoint another player- or NPC- that owned the shop, in hopes of inquiring how to start a business.

[myawfod 0]

There was no response from the stuffy room, and she touched her pair of shiny new bagh nakh for comfort, knowing she would use them if necessary. The mysterious thirteen year-old finally caught sight of an item on the counter, to which she moved over and tapped it. It was a note, shown as a small teddy bear. The description was the note, which she read and re-read carefully. The owner, an NPC, had moved out, taking her business elsewhere to allow for PKs to enter and buy. The note was signed 'Marie', and the slight girl took the novelty item into her storage, just in case it had another hidden meaning, drew her cloak further around her and took off, knee high leather boots clacking oer the cobblestones as she walk determinedly towards the destination.

[myawfod 0]

Soon the cobblestones underfoot transitioned to grass soon enough, and she was out on the grasslands surrounding the starter city. She eyed the crisp colours and the milling players, none yet with orange cursors above their heads. She strode through the grass, a finality to each step, as if she knew exactly where her life would take her and what she was about to do. She paused, opening her inventory and checking the note inside once more, looking around for the place mentioned- 'a stone cottage on a hill'. 'How descriptive.'  The blonde thought bitterly, closing her menu and continuing her purposeful strides. The more she walked, the more she thought, about what she really wanted from this 'Marie'. She wanted, as her ultimate goal, to make friends, and becoming a merchant seemed the quickest path to accomplishing that. 

[myawfod 0]

She continued walking, ignoring the small hills of grass she went over, not tiring at all. Going over a particularly large hill, she spied what appeared to be a cottage in the distance, outlined by the setting sun. She jumped in glee, clapping her hands, and sprinted, eager to get there before nightfall. She finally reached the hill, stopping at the bottom to admire the quaint, squat building perched atop it, and smiled, removing her hood from over her face and revealing hair that turned golden in the strong light.

Edited December 17, 2015 by myawfod

[myawfod 0]

She climbed the hill calmly, squashing her excitement as she knocked on the door, awaiting an answer. There was a few seconds lag, before a woman opened the door, in her mid-forties all aprons and smiles as she whisked Myaw into the shop, seating her down on a wooden stool. "Now, what can I do for you, love?" Marie inquired politely, standing with her hands folded over in her lap as she stood above the player. "I'd like to become a merchant!" the eager teen replied, eyes brightening at the prospect of making friends and starting her life over, just as she had always wanted to.

Edited December 17, 2015 by myawfod

[myawfod 0]

The NPC nodded, squinting her eyes, and almost instantly a grey box showed up in the cloak-wearer's vision, detailing about an 'Earning A Living' quest, which she accepted without hesitation. Marie smiled at her, pulling her up by her hands and dusting her off in a motherly fashion, one she hadn't experienced very often back home. "Now, dearie, why don't you go get us some materials?" the NPC instructed, moving over and opening the wooden door for the player, waving her farewell. Myawfod smiled in return, thanking her once before she was outside, staring out at the hilly terrain. 'Now, where to first?' she thought, looking around until she saw a hill, not too far away but with a few pretty flowers atop it. She walked over, casual, and knelt to the ground, having spotted a lump in the ground. She dug around the item, hoping she'd collect something from it.

 ID# 42325 results: 

Loot: 4

Status: Failure!

She just finds an ordinary rock, looking over it before tossing it aside, sighing.

Edited December 17, 2015 by myawfod

[myawfod 0]

She moves on to a hill beside it, finding an almost identical lump and kneeling beside it. She grumbles, something about getting her tights dirty, and starts digging around it, mumbling unhappily about her nails. Hopefully, she'd find something like a magic rock. She could wish, she chides herself with a huff, pulling up the object.

ID# 42326 results:

Loot: 19

Status: Success!

She dusts off the bit of rock, shiny and important looking. When she taps it, it comes up with the tag 'Iron', and she happily saves it to her inventory.

Edited December 17, 2015 by myawfod

[myawfod 0]

Deciding to stay on the hill, she looks around for another means of material, spying a low-branching tree halfway down. Moving towards it, she looks up at its inviting interior, wondering how she should go about it. Deciding upon just doing 'what felt right', she took a step back, jumping halfway up the trunk and scrabbling for holds, finding one and hoisting herself up into the branches. She pushed aside leaf-covered branches, seeing an object hanging from a vine. Moving towards it, she worked undoing the vine, holding it in her hand.

ID# 42327 results:

Loot: 12

Status: Failure!

She tosses it away after identifying it was a rotten fruit, looking out at the scenery.

Edited December 17, 2015 by myawfod

[myawfod 0]

For such an intense and risky game, there were really pretty graphics. The sky was the perfect shade of blue, and the grass green and lazily waving to her in the wind. She waved back, giggling at her childish behaviour, and turned back, immediately seeing a squirrel dropping something in a hollow. Curious, she clambers down from her vantage point, moving towards the hollow and peering in.

ID# 42328 results:

Loot: 4

Status: Failure!

She didn't get too far before another furry beast chitters at her, causing her to hastily swing a scratch, missing entirely as she loses her balance, winded at the bottom of the beginning of the branches.

Edited December 17, 2015 by myawfod

[myawfod 0]

She breathes hard, and after a few moments, recovers entirely. Standing up, she looks about, seeing no more things to scavenge and jumps down, landing in a crouch. Dusting her hands off, she begins walking in a random direction, noting the position of the cottage as she climbs another hill, finding a patch of bushes. 

ID# 42332 results:

Loot: 9

Status: Failure!

She reached her hand in, but the prickles poked her and she quickly withdrew, shaking off her hand.

Edited December 17, 2015 by myawfod

[myawfod 0]

"One last go!" She cried, determined. A few nearby passive boars gave her a look, but continued grazing. She walked back to the hill nearest to cottage, looking down at a nice patch of pink flowers. It showed promise, and she was determined. She began to dig.

ID# 42333 results:

Loot: 2

Status: Failure!

She wailed in frustration, kicking the stack of dirt and grumbling.

Edited December 17, 2015 by myawfod

[myawfod 0]

Walking back to the cottage, she was in the dip when she tripped over something. She let out a sharp cry of pain, and held her foot, wincing. It took her a few minutes to recover, but when she did...

ID# 42335 results:

Loot: 18

Status: Success!

She turned over, seeing another piece of metal shining up at her. "Brilliant!" She exclaimed, climbing the hill leading to Marie's abode. 

Edited December 17, 2015 by myawfod

[myawfod 0]

She opened the door to a warm front of air sweeping over her, blowing her blonde plait back. "Marie, I'm back!" She called, taking a seat on the stool she sat on before. "Well, dearie, how'd you go?" The NPC inquired, stoking the flames with careful precision. She taps her feet as she taps the screens that appear in front of her, conjuring the two materials, holding the two ores in her petite hands.

[myawfod 0]

The NPC turns, looking at the two measly ores, and tuts. "You're going to need a little more, dearie!" She says, and suddenly Marie's voice is annoying to Hoshi. Wrestling in her anger, she takes a deep breath, and exhales, putting on a sickly sweet smile. "Okay!" Is all she trusts herself to say, getting up and walking out the door, letting out a frustrated yelp and stalking off. She looks around briefly for telltale sparkles, but finds none.

ID# 42337 results:

Loot: 13

Status: Failure!

Edited December 17, 2015 by myawfod

[myawfod 0]

She continues to stomp around, leaving the hilly terrain and deciding to try the fields instead. She walks around, eventually spying a patch of flowers. She walks over, intrigued, and bends down, inhaling the sweet scent of the blossoms.

ID# 42339 results:

Loot: 19

She spies a glimmering shape in the patch, and picks it up, another ore she stores, a smile on her face.

Edited December 17, 2015 by myawfod

[myawfod 0]

Myawfod got up from the floor, dusting off her skirt and cloak. She surveys the land, looking. A glimmer up ahead- could it be? She breaks into a jog, sprinting as she neared the shining object. Skidding to a halt and nearly overbalancing, she lets out a whoop of joy, pocketing the ore.

ID# 42344 results:

Loot: 20

Status: Success:

Edited December 17, 2015 by myawfod

[myawfod 0]

She decides to keep going until she has found one final ore. She looks around, finding a forest to her left, and walks towards that, peering into the darkness. Her eyes widen and she squeals with delight, spying another ore simply laying on the ground.

ID# 42388 results:

Loot: 18

Status: Success!

She smiles, turning back in the direction of the house.

Edited December 17, 2015 by myawfod

[myawfod 0]

Walking back, she ponders over the possibilities of what she could sell. She doesn't seem to have any money, at the moment, but needed to obtain some. She pushes this to the side, however, seeing another shiny object on the floor. Moving closer, she bends down, reaching out a hand and picking it up. "Just a rock," she sighs, throwing the imbecilic object into the grass, still happy about her finds.

ID# 42390 results:

Loot: 11

Status: Failure!

 

Edited December 17, 2015 by myawfod

[myawfod 0]

After trudging back up the hill, she knocks once more on the door, waiting for Marie. When the NPC opens it, she holds out the five pieces of metal, shining. "Better?" she asks, pocketing them once more. "Much." Marie replied with a motherly grin.