[PP-F1-NK] Advancement

[Sey 0]

Seems like she was eithe rhavign a hard time deciding, or just preferring not to choose. Honestly, he could make just about anything if given the instructions, all sorts of food styles. His personal favorite type was spicy, and his curries will completely burn the tongues of those who try it. But hey, they had a good taste. But one thing he knew about most people was that they all loved sweets. "All right, I'll get you a slice of cake then." And it was going to be something really delicious as well. He was determined to impress her, since she seemed like an indifferent customer. Letting himself fail now seemed like an impossibility to him, and so he would move towards the back to begin working. In the meantime, he can't leave her bored. Fortunately, he was good at doing multiple things all at once. So as he began to make the batter, he would look up to her. "Have you ever heard of Rum Cake? I don't drink, so I tend to boil all of the alcohol out of it. But I think you would love it. It's a moist vanilla cake, and the rum brings out all of the flavor so not a single one is left out. Or do you have any other flavor you'd like instead?"

[Kooh 0]

As if the word grabbed her attention, Kooh perked up when Sey mentioned cake. As her upper body rested against the wooden tabletop, she watched him carefully as he disappeared for a moment. The girl had never seen the cooking skill--or nearly any other profession that matter--in action before, so she eyed him with curiosity despite her bad vantage point. The rum cake he described did sound good, though she wasn't sure she'd had it in the real world before. Frowning in thought at his last point, another question of her tastes, she figured she could give him something to work with this time. "Strawberry is good." She said in a small voice. It almost felt like she was admitting something, though to her strawberry cakes seemed so typically girly.

While Sey worked, she tore her gaze away to survey the inside of the building again. Now that she thought about it, she realized that this was a proper shop, a place where players could go to buy food, eat, and spend time with friends like they did back home. She gave a small frown as her thoughts wandered, and she idly flicked at a lock of blonde hair. Would she ever open a shop? She technically had a profession, even if she'd never used it.

[Sey 0]

She was an honest girl, which was something that he admired in a person, even if he sometimes might not show it himself. However, whenever that was the case, he usually had some good intention behind it. Like the loot gathering they were supposed to do, but it was pretty easy to give up on thanks to the low loot chances that were out there. If he could not get it, then there was most certainly a problem. so she suggested strawberry cake. "Not a problem captain." Sey would tell her with a smile before looking back down at the batter. Strawberries, quick. It did not take too long for him to pluck out a fresh basket of the strawberries before continuing on with the batter. The mixing process would have be delicate, but he was sure he could pull it off if he had a great eye. "I'm almost done with making the batter. Expect a cake within a good thirty minutes or so, thanks to baking." And he would not dare rush it either. Maybe on some cases he would bring the ovens to extremes. But the goal was quality, there was no need to try to rush things. Meanwhile, he would still try to keep up with a conversation. "I've been thinking a little bit, do you like sleeping in the forest? I mean, do you prefer that over anywhere else?" One step lead to another, he was trying to build that part of it up.

[Kooh 0]

Kooh twirled the lock of blonde hair around her index finger. She had the urge to complain about the time it took, but refrained. 'This game was really designed with roughly accurate cooking times? What's the point in that?' She left her complaints to her thoughts, her garnet eyes flickering up to him when he started speaking again. More questions. "Do you like sleeping wherever it is that you do?" She returned the question, a touch of harshness in her voice. She took a moment to think over her next words before actually answering him. "It's alright. Quiet, usually, and a break from the city." She left it at that, only hardly giving him anything to take from it. She wasn't going to tell him about how she wished she could sleep in. How leaving the city walls at night actually allowed her to be alone  and she figured that was the best option because being around other people was tiring.

'Don't decide to get all self-reflective now, Luna.' Kooh scolded herself, looking back to Sey with a playful smile this time. "You should try it sometime. I know all the best monster-free places, totally safe." She grinned at him as if she was up to something.

[Sey 0]

She seemed to not like the question, as he tone suggested that he should lay off from it. And of course, he took the threat in her tone as seriously as one might expect him to. So he would playfully raise his hands in the air while the baking was occurring. But there was a way he could try to convince her, since she did not quite give the most comfortable answer. "Oh most certainly. I like to sleep on a nice warm bed with a comfortable blanket, in the silence and sense of security. You know, all that good stuff." The snow-haired player would chuckle a little bit, leaving a trace of taunt in his tone. She would then continue to advertise it as if it were something he would enjoy, in which he would hesitate a small amount. It was clear that it was not a joke, but come on. She was able to do it, so why can't he? The ginger was bold for sure, and she was here in front of him in one piece, so that most certainly had to account for something. Still though, before he could answer, he would then hear the ding of the oven. "Seems like your cake it ready." Sey would announce as he would walk over to the oven and pluck the tray with the cake on it. He'd swiftly pull out a knife from the drawer, swiftly ripping the material of the cake with the sharp blade and successfully take out a triangle slice. He'd gently push it over to the side onto a small place, using his other hand to pull out a metal fork, and within a few seconds, he would slide it over to her. "Well, enjoy. Tell me what you think."

[Kooh 0]

"Pfft. Overrated." Kooh looked at him with a smirk after his retort. She pushed herself up a bit, resting with her elbows and forearms against the table now. She thought about opening her mouth to speak again just as a short ring like a timer sounded from across the room. Kooh tilted her head to the side before Sey announced that the dessert was finished. Before she even had time to contemplate the process of baking in a virtual reality, Sey would place a small plate with a single perfect-looking slice of cake resting on it. The girl glanced up towards him, searching his expression for just a moment before turning her head back towards the baked dessert presented to her. "Hm." She took the fork from the plate's edge, no longer hesitating as she took a small bite.

Blinking in surprise, Kooh found the treat to be the most appealing thing she'd eaten in all the time she'd been in Aincrad. Sure, the snacks that Adhae made for her and Itzal were good, but she was just a beginner level cook. Was that it? Kooh's mind wandered a bit, curious to know how high Sey's cooking level was and if that was the reason his creation tasted practically like a real cake. "It's good." She replied simply once she realized he was still standing there. With her playful smirk returning to her, Kooh rested her cheek in the palm of her other hand, elbow propped up against the table as she glanced up at him. "So, are you going to have any? Or did you just bring me here to spoil me with a whole cake, too?" She grinned before taking another bite.

[Sey 0]

She seemed to have a moment to admire the cake before looking to him, in which she would see nothing but the usual small smile that he presented to others before they were about to have their meal. He's hands were placed inside of his pockets as he would wait the ginger to bite into the treat, making sure to not rush her. Eventually, it seemed she had given in as she would then bite into the cake before giving her blinking gave her away. The sudden shock, but with the hint of pleasure that emitted from her eyes. Still though, his face remained firmly in place to prevent her from him noticing. "Oh is that so? Hm, consider it free of charge then." Since there were no enhancements on it, it was costly to neither of the two of them. After her small moment of weakness in showing him about how she felt about the meal, she would then look up to him slyly, inviting him to have a little bit of the cake as well. "Pfft, fiiiiiiine. Can't quite refuse now, can I?" The snow-haired player would explain before then cutting into the cake once again to get himself a slice. Pulling out a set of utensils wrapped in plastic, he'd open it to reveal a white plastic fork, then began to dig in, one slow bite at a time. After a couple, he would then look up to her. "And this is my profession. Ever looked into any profession?"

[Kooh 0]

Though, she had an impish grin as she teased, the girl felt a tinge of relief as Sey took a portion of cake for himself and began to eat. Hold on. Was she close to feeling guilty if he hadn't? 'Ugh, you're going to get soft, Luna!' Kooh scolded herself, getting back to enjoying her treat. It wasn't long before he spoke up about the profession, turning the topic into another question for her. Although she clearly had subjects she did and didn't care to speak about, this one seemed to ride some kind of line in the middle. The girl frowned at his question as she realized her position. "Ehhh, technically I have one." She answered, vague as always."I suppose I'm just not a businesswoman at heart, though. I didn't care for the whole shop thing, y'know?" She smirked, brushing off her laziness. While it was true she completed the quest to become a Performer, Kooh hadn't given it a second thought afterwards. She never bothered to learn the crafting system, and she certainly wasn't about to open up her own shop to deal with other players on a regular basis.

Edited January 8, 2017 by Kooh

[Sey 0]

He'd carefreely move his arm to pinch another piece of his own slice of cake before eating it as she would then explain the whole shop situation. She was an interesting person, and his curiosity had no bounds. She was nice to him when it came to helping him with some mobs, yet showed a carefree yet fun-loving persona. this was the type of person that society would consider, "chill". Once she had finished explaining that to him, he'd flick the fork down onto his plate, letting it wobble a bit before remaining in place. "That's fine. It takes a long time to do that. I just happened to be taught that aspect my whole life, I could easily run a business and teach it. If you plan to bring it back, I'll gladly give ya tips and tricks." Sey loved to help, for himself at least. It brought him a good feeling, but this time, it was for someone else. Sure, the lack of motivation was something he could not help, but he could at least try to help her with getting things done. If she tried and failed, that probably killed her motivation. Just a little push was all she needed it seemed like. "Or nah, who am I to tell you what to do? Would you like some milk to wash down the cake?"

[Kooh 0]

"Mmm..." She mused, tapping at the handle of her fork as it rested in her mouth after another bite of cake. She liked the sweetness far more than she was willing to admit. Normally, in the real world, she spent so much time and effort on her appearance. She felt it had paid off when the players were reverted to their real-life appearances, leaving herself with an unchanging version of the physical traits she had obsessed over so much. It was odd to realize that her hair and skin wouldn't get dirty with the passing of time. She didn't need to wash her face every day to prevent breakouts. And as she stared at the half-slice of strawberry cake that remained, the question burned in her mind: could she really eat whatever she wanted here? She was always so careful with what she ate back home. Since she didn't exercise much she maintained a rather strict diet to allow herself the laziness while keeping her ideal figure.

Kooh's flickered back up to Sey, who was looking back at her expectantly. 'Oops.' She realized she hadn't been listening--the thought of eating delicious food without restriction had consumed her for a moment. "Oh," She tried to think of a suitable response. What would he have said to her? Maybe he asked her something else about her profession? "I took the Performer profession. I haven't really used it yet, but it sounded cool." She gave a shrug, hoping her words didn't seem too out of place.

[Sey 0]

Her eyes would tell him the full story, she was down and out from his words. Something dazed her, though her face did not reveal whether it be in a good or bad way. He'd place the tip of his right pointer finger to his right cheek as he would tilt his head to the side. Her response finally followed, though it did not seem to work too well. Still though, he was not going to correct her or anything. So he'd place the words subtly and go along with what she had told him. "A performer? That's interesting!" Sey did like music, though he never played any instrument. His personal favorite was a tie between the electric violin and the piano. "If you need help with business, I don't mind helping you out. I've been raised in it my whole life. Now would you like some milk to wash down that cake?" To entice the deal a little bit further, he'd use his left hand to gently nudge the slice of strawberry cake over to her. A sly smile would remain on his lips as he would watch to see how she would react to it. Not many could resist sweets, not while they tasted good. He loved this profession, it taught him to cook, and it reached towards every crowd.

[Kooh 0]

'Ah, dammit.' Something in his response confirmed her mistake, but she got the feeling he was letting it slide. She resisted the urge for a pout as he pushed the cake even closer to her. She didn't think she was being that slow with it, but he was probably just using it to tease her further. Kooh frowned at him before taking the plate lightly with her free and and separating another piece with her fork. "Sure, why not?" She answered rather flatly, refusing to show him any embarrassment.

As she neared the end of her treat, Kooh lightly stabbed her fork into a halved strawberry. "Mm, well I suppose you're just a kind soul, eh?" She teased back at him yet again, letting herself slip back into a more playful mood. "I just don't see much point in it, besides to serve as a distraction." The girl leaned back against the padded back of her seat, twirling the red fruit in front of her. Performance certainly seemed like an odd profession when compared to the more traditional blacksmith. Cooking she could see as a stretch, especially when eating was oddly mandatory in this game, but performing?

[Sey 0]

So let the dance resume once again as she would then return the tease over to him, using the classic praise tactic to make him shy away from the fact. Refusing to let her have her way, he'd rebuke it with a chuckle. "Pfft, hardly!" But there was nothing he could quite come back with either, no matter how hard he tried to pick his brain for words. Once again he had been backed into a corner. You win this round, Kooh. He thought to himself with a smile, though no reason at all has been presented for him to smile yet. Still though, losing did not feel all too bad to him if he had to be honest. It was a lot of fun for him. She'd then explain a bit about how her role was more or less useless. While doing so, he finished off the last piece of his cake, then proceeding to pick up the both of their plates. "Well, I dunno. I won't try to change your mind, but if I could fool a fool with a distraction, I wouldn't mind taking advantage of it. Perhaps it's not mainstream, but I can see it's use." He'd shrug as he would then proceed to place the plates into the sink for him to wash. "So that's a no on the milk I guess?" Persistence.

[Kooh 0]

"Hey now, don't be so hasty." She nearly pouted at Sey as he was about to rescind his offer for free milk. She rested her chin against her palm once more, curling her fingers against her cheek as she leaned over the table. She wouldn't admit out loud, but she was interested in at least trying her profession out. Still, she had no musical talent or experience in the real world, so where would she start? Did that even matter? She idly wondered if Sey knew how to make strawberry cake outside of the game, or if the system just took over for him.

As the boy distanced himself from the table, Kooh gestured to bring up her player menu. She scrolled lazily, almost like she wasn't looking for anything specific. Kind of like how a teenager would pull out their phone and flip through their messages or applications as if to appear busy. She eventually landed on her skills, spotting "Performer" as one of the two highlighted in the list. She boasted a whole zero experience points, frowning at the thought of having to level it up. Did that mean she had to practice, like learning a new instrument? So it would take who know how long to gain experience and level up, all the while the music that she could play would sound like she's tone-deaf? The more she thought about it, the less appealing the profession was.

[Sey 0]

So that's a yes to the milk then, though she did not give a direct answer. Nodding his head, he'd proceed to the half-gallon of milk he had, all of it being whole milk as he would pour it into a glass, a decent size before then walking back over to the table. He noticed an HUD screen as he did, she seemed to be reviewing some information. But... It was not in his place to be nosy. As much as he could, he'd try to avoid looking at it. But at the corner of his eye, he saw "Pro". Not many words in the game started with that, and considering how the timing suggested it was one word, he might as well try to encourage her. It would require him to be a bit weaker, but the ginger did not seem like the type to take advantage of him. "I'll be frank with ya, I don't know a single thing about making food. I'm trying to learn, but the game is what really makes the treats nice. If I tried to make that cake in the real world prior to me being here." He'd place the tip of his finger to one side of his own neck before guiding it to the opposite end, making it look like a cut. "But, well, if I could make a cake like that without any experience, it all just boils down to ambition." He'd sit back down with the milk in hand before sliding it over to her gently with a casual smile. "Drink up."

[Kooh 0]

'Mind reader, huh?' Though she had to consider how obvious she was being, flicking her hand upwards to dismiss the floating menus. She was both a bit relieved and amused that he admitted to being a lousy cook outside of the game. Quickly after, she was also a bit surprised he was so willing to tell her. 'Maybe he's just lonely.'

She smirked back at him, accepting his milk offering and taking a sip before leaning back against her hand. "Yeah, it sounds like a lot of work to get started, though. You have to set up a whole shop and everything, yeah?" The girl took her hand away from the glass to wave it lightly and gesture at the restaurant around them. She recalled something in the completion of the profession quest that said she was allowed to claim an unoccupied building to sell her songs. She was again curious as to how much work went into designing the place. Given the game's intricacies so far, she didn't doubt that the player could customize just about everything.

[Sey 0]

He'd place the tip of his finger on his chin as he would think about how to go about this. She did not have too much will to be looking for a building and go what he went through in order to make the restaurant the way it is now. A profession that required work, it was not a popular type as it was. If she were aiming for Blacksmith or Tailor, perhaps getting a profession was not right for her. But she needed help, and could understand why she would not want to work oh so hard for just a performer. There was a bit more space since Pixel said she had to go, maybe he could help fill in the space. Leaning his back against his own seat, he'd then propose his idea. "The building just comes with the quest. If you want, I do have some extra space in my shop that you could utilize if you don't want to look for one. Of course, it's your profession and you'd have to be the one working there, but at least you don't have to go through all the trouble of paying rent and designing it and all that fancy stuff. I'll cover the expenses, if that's what it takes for you to get back into your profession." A businessman who loved to negotiate, it was what he did best after all. Sure, she did not seem like the type to bend over so easily, but to pick her brain a little bit would yield bliss results. "Oh, and it can act as your room. The lounge couch is mine though. Oh well, at least you get free food."

Edited January 8, 2017 by Sey

[Kooh 0]

Kooh watched him carefully as he went on to explain his proposal. She waited patiently until he was finished, and when he wrapped up with a comment about giving her food, her eyes narrowed in a suspicious glare. She stared at him for an uncomfortable few moments before leaning back into her seat again. Her expression softened, and she crossed her legs under the table before speaking up. "And this is all out of the kindness of your heart, hm?" She was curious to know whether or not his generosity--if he was truly being honest towards her for the last few hours--sounded as excessive to him as it did to her. If someone like Itzal or Adhae were to lay out such an offer for her, she'd probably take it without question. Those two were far too nice for their own good. But Sey was a bit different. His sly attitude made it hard to tell if he had the same innocent intentions

"I'll bite again," She folded her arms over her chest with skepticism in her tone. "but why? Is this just what you do with your free time? A sound businessman like yourself wouldn't make a deal that put you at a loss, right?" A small smirk rested on her lips as she waited for a reply that she hoped wouldn't disappoint. After all, what on Aincrad could he hope he gain by letting her live as a freeloader? Unless the items that Performers made were much rarer than she thought, the lengths he was going to were baffling her.

[Sey 0]

Her stare would be met with the same still smile that he was always able to give off, difficult customers were most certainly fun to deal with. They were loyal and stubborn to the very end, whether working with him or whether it be to negotiate with him. "Perhaps you could say that. I just love to help." And that sense of satisfaction was something that he personally loved. His back would remain leaned against the seat of his booth chair.  She then would continue to question him about his intentions and what good would it do for him. His lips would form in the shape of an "o". "Aw man, I didn't think I'd have to say this again." He'd tilt his head to the side as he then leaned forward, folding his arms down onto the table before looking to her with a smile again. "Maybe I'm just doing it to help a fellow player out. This is all of our games, so we need to help each other the best we could. I personally get satisfaction from helping other players out. You seem to want a profession, so I want to help give that to ya. Not sure if my business would be a good enough sponsor, but have I lied with malicious intent to you?" He'd pause as he would then be a little bit more real, his eyes half-closing as he would look to the side. "No player needs to go through what I did when I had little support at first..."

[Kooh 0]

Kooh frowned at his change in tone. The boy seemed like he had stopped with any games after their little training session outside of the city, so she responded with an exasperated sigh, uncrossing her arms to lightly wave a hand in the air in front of her. "Alright, no need for a sob story," She smirked playfully. "Guess today's just my lucky day, then!" The girl took another drink from the glass before stretching her arms over her head. On the way back down, she lazily tugged at the back of her hood and the thin black fabric fell to her shoulders.

As she laid herself out on the tabletop again, her cheek resting against her forearm, Kooh looked to the boy sitting across from her. "Well, you've officially adopted a measly level 9 Performer with a single skill to her name." She grinned. "What's next on the agenda for today?"