[PP-NK-F1] <<Earning a Living>> A Stitch in My Side

[Telrenya 0]

Today was the day. Sitting up in her bed, Telrenya could feel a smile pulling at either corner of her mouth as a feeling of excitement welled up inside of her. Having stayed at an inn--something she found herself doing nearly every night if she was able--the blonde gathered what few belongings she had and made her way out into the city.

As the wooden door swung closed behind her, Telrenya instinctively brought up a hand to shield her eyes from the virtual sunlight pouring down. Weather the same as always, the blonde was plenty eager to get to the shopping district. After some time of debating with herself over the past few days, Telrenya had finally decided she was going to take the quest to learn the Tailor profession. Sewing and embroidery had always been something she had been interested in trying her hand at in the real world, and despite the appeal of making her own jewelry and trinkets as an Artisan, tailoring had simply won her over. With a spring in her step, the girl hastily made way to her objective.

@Nocturn

[Nocturn 0]

Noct slid around the corner of the building, his heart pounding in his chest. His back pressed against the brick wall of the building. His breathing was heavy, and sweat rolled down his face. Noct swallowed his saliva, trying to slow his breathing. The item he had stolen was clutched to his chest, tightly bound in his hands. He peeked around the corner, seeing if he had thrown off his pursuers. Three men dashed into the crowd, scanning. "Spread out, find him!" One yelled as they scattered. Noct took the chance and bolted again, Noct tried to dodge the people in the growing crowd. "There he is!" Noct heard from behind him. Dammit! He cursed to himself, as he bolted in a different direction, deeper into the crowd. Noct rolled over a table it's items falling off of their place. Noct saw an opening, a railing. He lept over it, and saw that the drop was a bit further than he had expected. He rolled on his feet, onto one knee. He stepped backwards, placing himself underneath the railing he leapt off of.

Minutes pass as Noct stayed there under the railing, waiting. Noct peeked up over the railing, seeing if he had lost his pursuers completely. Not seeing them he eyes the item in his hands, and added it to his inventory. The things he did to help people. No one said anything about stealing items in the middle of a gang hideout. Noct climbed from his spot, making his way back to the market district. Now all he had to do was discreetly get the item back to the woman who hired him.  He made his way quickly through the crowd, but people kept bumping into him shoving him from side to side. Noct forced himself from the crowd, only to run headlong into someone else. His feet tangled with theirs, and they both toppled over. Noct turned his body, taking the fall so that the other would be unharmed. "Gah, I'm sorry." He said, quickly apologizing.

[Telrenya 0]

Despite only having navigated the section of town she was in a handful of times, Telrenya had no difficulty with her sense of direction. The main plaza was much busier than she had imagined; far more people littered the area than she was accustomed to, meaning that weaving through the crowds to get to the shopping district in a timely fashion would be a task. She was a bit hesitant to get caught up in the throngs of the busy city, especially after the shouting and commotion that had caught her attention on her way from the inn. Giving a shake of her head, the blonde would continue her pace forward for only a couple of seconds before a blur of motion would overtake her senses. A single player would break off from the crowd directly in front of her, and the two would collide before Telrenya had the chance to react to the sight of him. The girl had let out a small yelp in surprise as she world spun around her, wrenching her eyes shut as she braced herself from hitting the hard ground.

 

The feeling never came to fruition, and Telrenya's eyes opened with a couple of surprised blinks as she tried to comprehend the situation. In front of her--or rather, directly beneath her--a dark-haired man lay on his back, staring up at her. By their position, he seemed to have brought his arms up to catch her or break her fall, quickly voicing an apology as they came to their senses. "A-ah, no--" Telrenya was just about to stammer out an apology of her own when she realized a force pressing against her chest. The girl's chin dipped down slightly to find the cause of the discomfort, immediately spotting one of the raven-haired player's palms pressing up against a rather inappropriate place. As she hurried to remove herself from on top of the man, Telrenya felt the heat rushing to her cheeks. "S-s-sorry...!" She exclaimed as she separated herself and sat up on her knees.

 

@Nocturn

[Nocturn 0]

Noct's head bounced off of the ground as the two fell. His head ringing from the impact, Noct opened his eyes, only to have them covered by blonde hair. He let out a groan, as he tried to move. His hand was gripping something, and at first he thought it was his contraband. But, hadn't he placed that in his inventory? He clenched his hand, feeling the object. It was soft, and slightly squishy like a water balloon. His eyes opened wide as he realized what it was. His red face was hidden as he moved in tandem with the stranger, flipping himself to face away from her. "S-Sorry!" He said, at the same time as her. Noct adjusted his glasses, feeling just how warm his face was. He let out an awkward cough and stood up. He took a deep breath and face the woman. "Sorry, about that." He apologized again, offering her a fingerless gloved hand to help her up.

Now that he could see the woman more clearly, he could make out more details. She was taller than him, but by how much he couldn't tell. At least she looked like someone around his age. Unlike other players he met like Piera, and Lee. The woman before him looked almost, regal like a princess in some anime or storybook. She was beautiful, but in a way where Noct felt comfortable around her. He didn't have the urge to instantly start flirting with her like most presumably did. Whether she took his hand or not, Noct would introduce himself. "I'm Noct. Sorry for, tackling you to the ground." He said, apologizing again.

[Telrenya 0]

Telrenya brought a fist to her mouth, clearing her throat as the redness slowly began to fade from her cheeks while she regained her composure. Her brown eyes locked onto the hand that hovered in the air in front of her, staring a long moment before placing her own on top of it. Pulling herself up, the woman dusted herself off and addressed the man in front of her with an embarrassed smile. "It's alright, Noct. It's so busy here today." She reasoned, an aura of awkward tension resting between them.

Attempting to disperse it, the blonde placed her right hand over her heart and offered the raven-haired player a bow. "My name is Telrenya, please to meet you." The blush had vanished, replaced now with a kind smile. As the hustle and bustle of the city continued around them, Telrenya's hand slid down and lightly wrapped around her arm, once again feeling a bit tense. She was never too great at opening a conversation. "Err, I was just on my way to take the quest for becoming a tailor." Her head tilted to the side ever-so-slightly. "If you're ever in need of those kinds of items, please feel free to contact me."

[Nocturn 0]

Noct spoke. "Telrenya." He repeated the name, committing it his memory. "It's a lovely name." He said before rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, guess I'll be-" He was going to say goodbye, and let this be the end of his awkward moment. But he looked behind him, and saw several men whom he reconized. "Uhm, actually. Would you mind if I leant you a hand? I mean, safety in numbers am I right?" He said, trying to hide his nervousness. It was bad enough that he was already on the run, and running late to his drop off. He'll, his contact must've been gone already. He'll have to drop it off the next time she came round. "I mean, I'm not doing anything important. And I'm a bit skilled when it comes to fighting. I can keep you safe from bandits and other nerdowells." Noct said, giving a smile.

[Telrenya 0]

"Hm? Oh, uhh," Telrenya was a bit surprised when the man had seemingly changed his mind and asked to join her. She would certainly welcome the assistance and company, so her surprise lingered for only a few moments before she smiled again. "That would be wonderful!" Quickly accepting his offer, the blonde motioned for him to follow while she began walking towards the shop where she would find the quest-giver. The open areas in town were still teeming with players, forcing the pair to sometimes have to slip between other groups. Telrenya let out a small chuckle in response to Noct's last statement. "Are there many of those around here?" She asked, half-jokingly. She liked to think that everything in the Town of Beginnings was generally calm and peaceful, although she knew that it was incredibly naive to think that way. Even in Aincrad--especially in Aincrad--bandits and ne'er-do-wells were all too common.

As they made their way through town, Telrenya's curiosity got the better of her. "So, do you have a profession of your own?"

[Nocturn 0]

Noct was a little taken aback from how eager she was at his offer. His surprise was quickly swayed with joy. "Alright, let's get this mission started." He said, following the woman. The men in the crowd were far to busy questioning people to notice him take his leave. Good. The more distracted they were with trying to find him, made it easier for his escape. A wide smile appeared on his face, as he turned back around, he adjusted his glasses as he caught up with Telrenya.

"Oh, there are many. Many who would abuse trust, many who still from the innocent, and many who lie just to see their way." Noct said whole heartedly. And, he wasn't wrong. Though, did he fit that description? He did just steal an item from people he didn't know, for someone else he didn't know all that way. He rubbed the back of his neck. "But yeah, unfortunately. They disguise themselves fairly well too. Never know who someone really is, until you see their heart. Y'know?" Noct said. 'Jeez that was corny.' He thought to himself. "And as for my profession, I'm an aspiring artisan. Trying to make some decent items to go with the rest of my build first. Then, kinda see what I can do for other people." Noct said to his new companion.

[Telrenya 0]

It was rather refreshing to have Noct walking beside her as they made their way through town. Telrenya typically navigated through town on her own, so she appreciated his company allowing her someone to talk to. A small chuckle escaped the blonde's lips as a wry smile settled on her features. "I suppose you're right. The freedom we have here can be a blessing and a curse." She let out a small sigh.

Quickly shifting her demeanor back to her usual cheerfulness, Telrenya's hands came together at the mention of his own profession. "Oh, so you make accessories, trinkets, things like that?" The name Artisan seemed pretty straightforward. The girl gave Noct another smile while her fingertips pressed lightly against each other in front of her torso. "Whenever you're open to the public I'll have to stop by."

Despite some of the more dense crowds, the pair reached their destination before long. A humble NPC Tailor shop, Telrenya entered tentatively before her gaze fell upon an eccentric-looking woman hunched over a half-finished garment. Her words planned and ready, the player was about to approach the NPC when they were quickly acknowledged. "Hello? Ah yes, hello!" Looking up from her work, the woman with short, unkempt sandy hair and impossibly bright green eyes grinned as she looked up at them. 'Ashwin', the name hovered over her head to indicate her status as an NPC. Telrenya brought a curled hand up to her mouth, giving a small clearing of her throat to compose herself. "Hello Miss," Only realizing that pleasantries weren't necessary after she had given the Tailor a small bow, Telrenya then got straight to the point. "Erm, you can help me become a Tailor, right?" She hoped the question sufficed to begin the quest.

"Right you are, darling~!" Ashwin replied enthusiastically. She placed her elbows on the work table in front of her, lacing her fingers and letting her chin rest on top of them. She seemed to ignore Noct's presence, but Telrenya wasn't able to worry about the reason why. The blonde opened her mouth the speak, but before any sound left her, the NPC Tailor spoke up again. "Tell you what. I need some more leathers and fur for my next project. If you can bring me say...two boar, and three wolf pelts then I'll show 'ya how to use the Tailoring skill. Deal?"

Telrenya had agreed without thinking, and didn't linger in the shop before slipping back outside with a small sigh. "Well then..." She mumbled before turning back to Noct. "I guess we've got some hunting to do, huh?" She asked, half in idle conversation and half for confirmation that the man was still willing to help her with the tasks.

[Nocturn 0]

Noct slid his hands into his pockets, keeping the pace with Telrenya. Noct nodded as she confirmed that he was indeed, an artisan and that he would make trinkets, odds and ends that sort of thing. "I'll eagerly await that day." Noct said, in response to her saying that she'd stop by as soon as he made his shop public. He wondered what it would be like, running a store. He supposed he'd have his NPC friend take care of everything, if he knew how. More dense crowds, and a few minutes of walking brought the pair a tailor shop. The shop was well known, but only stocked cosmetic items, that players could design via specified slots of clothing. Highly customizable, though still not as infinite as player crafting. Only real reason people crowded the place was to either get the quest to become a tailor, or as a center for directions. Noct reached over, and opened the door for the female player, not exactly sure of why. It was just something men were supposed to do for women, was open doors and treat them with respect. At least, that's what he thought. Noct stood a bit off to the side, as to let Telrenya talk to her NPC in private. He spent a good time looking as party masks, and hooded jackets. Or at least something to help him with future jobs. Noct turned to see Telrunya give him a nod, and he followed. "Gotta kill some mobs for skins then hmm?" Noct affermated. "Well Let's get this show on the road." Noct said, eager to get started.

[Telrenya 0]

Telrenya nodded as the pair made their way to the nearest gate leading outside of the city. She recalled hearing at one point that the monsters surrounding the perimeter past the safe zone were nearly the same types of monsters in any given place. In other words, a lot of boars and wolves wherever you went. Perhaps venturing farther out, into the woods or mountainous areas would provide more variety.

Once they reached the outskirts of the capital, Telrenya placed a hand on the hilt of her rapier at her waist. She walked out into the fields without hesitation, only stopping for a moment to scan the area for a good target. The woman shifted her weight, giving Noct a sideways glance before speaking up. "So, should we take them on one at a time?" Although she wouldn't admit it, Telrenya was feeling a bit nervous. She had very little experience with combat, and one of the main reasons she had for wanting to become a Tailor stemmed from her lack of gear. Being able to craft her own equipment was ideal, especially since she didn't have enough money to buy from other players.

[Nocturn 0]

Noct followed Telrenya outside of the city. Closest to the city were boars, and and a smattering of wolves prowling about. There were also Nepents in the forest further out, as well as other mediocre beasts and wildlife. When they exited Noct took a quick peek around to make sure that they were alone, and opened his menu. He equipped his new jacket that he got from the fourth floor. The 'Demon's Jacket' fluttered to life around him, and flapped in a slight breeze it made. He wanted to keep it a secret from as many people as possible, after all it was what he wore when he was doing wetwork for other people. He sighed, but enjoyed wearing it. He removed his glasses, and placed them on an inside pockets of his jacket. He ran a red hand through his hair, and equipped his spear. "Alright, we'll take them one at a time, so we can conserve energy." Noct said, looking at the new player. He had been in fights before, all of them dragging on for long times to the point where he would be low on energy. "I'm a higher level, so let me take some of the agro when we get started. So that way they'll only go after me. So only attack if I get a few hits in, and if you see an opening. Otherwise, watch your surroundings and stay safe." Noct said, trying to explain to Telrenya what was about to happen.

[Telrenya 0]

While Noct swapped out some of his equipment and otherwise prepared himself for combat, Telrenya simply unsheathed the basic rapier at her hip, holding the weapon at her right side while she kept her attention on the dark-haired man. She wasn't sure of the numbers that made up his own level or combat strength, but his words made it clear that he had more knowledge than she did. The blonde nodded in acknowledgement of his explanation, giving a small "Right." in reply. Her gaze drifted to the fields in front of them, spotting a handful of monsters going about their programmed paths of grazing and pacing until a player would eventually disrupt them with the initiation of combat.

Waiting patiently, the woman wasn't in any hurry to rush into fighting. Although she enjoyed the overall mechanics of combat, her low level and unimpressive equipment gave her plenty to fret over. Her only reprieve in this expedition was Noct, whose presence she was immediately grateful for. If all went well, she would be able to focus all of her attention on attacking and doing the most damage that she could without the stress of taking too much damage in return.

Edited June 5, 2017 by Telrenya

[Nocturn 0]

Noct hefted his heavy spear in his hand, the damn thing nearly knocking him off balance. "Alright, on your signal we'll go in. Alright?" Noct said, waiting for her signal. Last thing he wanted to do was hop into a fight, without letting his team know that he was ready. He looked over at Telrenya, eyeing her loadout. Just he basic clothes and her rapier. Though, he didn't know what the stats were on her weapon, but he could guess that it was just the starter weapon. Perhaps she planned to be a skill junkie. Focusing more on support, and crafts then actual combat. That was fine. In truth, Aincrad needed more players like that around. Only a handful of shops bustled, each person with their favorite or go to. Noct turned his attention back to the boars in front of them, before whispering over to Telrenya. "Hey, I've got this thing coming up soon. You wanna, I dunno. Tag along?" He asked, still looking at the boars.

[Telrenya 0]

"Right, I'm ready when you are." Telrenya nodded, holding her weapon steady in front of her. The woman only hoped that should would be able to contribute in some way--her previous experiences with combat had her feeling pretty weak, due to both her low level and her basic equipment. She was unsure of Noct's combat ability, but her worry was more for her own ability than their survival. For some reason, she felt confident that they would complete the quest objectives without any worry for their safety.

"Hm?" The blonde found herself getting distracted listening to Noct's last statement. "Erm... A thing?" She tilted her head with curiosity. Her stance had relaxed somewhat as she looked over to him, waiting for clarification. Quickly realizing that her attention had strayed from the beast before them, Telrenya readied herself again. "Sorry, I can fight and talk. But what do you mean?" She asked with a curious smile, waiting for the dark-haired man to make the first strike.

@Nocturn (OOC: I re-took the quest for Artisan, but I'm open to finishing this if you want)

Edited July 24, 2017 by Telrenya

[Nocturn 0]

Noct cleared his throat. "There's this woman that I work for. She gives me odd jobs that need doing. Mostly, fetch quests." Noct said, dancing around the fact that it was stealing things that he was doing. Noct moved closer to the boar. He readied his spear and prepared to attack. Noct's spear shone, but was off point, and merely reflected off of the boar's skin. He cursed at himself as the boar turned to him it's tusks gouging his leg. Finally pulling himself free from the pig he readied himself again. "But yeah, it's nothing to serious, not like a quest or anything. But they sometimes take a bit too long." Noct said, nursing his wound with his off hand.

ID: 87216
BD: 4 (miss)
MD: 7

Noct
HP: 57/60
EN: 7/8

Telrenya
HP: 
EN:

Boar x2
HP: 10/10