[F5-NK-PP] <<Earning a Living>> The Ringing of an Anvil

[Volcanic 0]

As Volcanic lay in the bed of her inn room, she mused about the idea of getting a long term job in this world. She had barely earned some starter Col for the room she was staying in, and if she didn't make a long term plan, would simply be back to being a homeless girl in an alley corner, collecting grime and eating stale bread. The thought made her sad, as she remembered the looks other players gave her when she was homeless. No, that simply wouldn't do. But what did Volcanic want to be? She remembered watching Lyle as he worked with the metal in his forge, the ring of his anvil as he hammered, and wondered if blacksmithing would be a life for her. She thought also about Zackariah and his potions, but really she hadn't had as much fun making the potion as she thought she would. Even if she was seemingly a natural at it.

Volcanic idly kicked her legs before finally deciding that she'd go ask Lyle to be his apprentice. Locking the door to her inn room and giving the key back to the innkeeper, Volcanic made her way to the quest giver, who smiled at her return, but upon approaching the question of being his apprentice he frowned. "I'm looking for strong hands to gather materials, not workers for the forge. I do all my own smithing you see. Too old to be teaching girls how not to burn themselves when handling molten metal." Volcanic was saddened by this, but a part of her knew this would be the answer all along, as she gave the blacksmith a light bow and turned to move out of the shop. But as she turned, he said, "But I'll tell you what girly. You gather me up some materials or bring me a weapon you made, and I'll help you earn the right to be called a blacksmith." Volcanic paused and looked at the old smith with stars in her eyes, as a quest prompt popped up that said, "Earning a Living". Volcanic accepted, and as Lyle stoked his forge once again, the girl bounded out with a spring in her step.

Volcanic decided to treat this much like a job search, as she put her feet to the pavement and searched for blacksmiths all around. She moved floor to floor asking around, but in many cases the story was all the same. "I'm sorry, but I don't want to share my experience gain," one player would say. "Look, I just started this myself and you expect me to teach you?" another would reply. One laughed and said, "Next you'll be asking me for free materials. Get out of here beggar." The last one stung Volcanic, but she would not be deterred. It wasn't until Floor Five that she stumbled across a closed blacksmith's shop named Forged By the Sun. She smiled and hoped that someone was home, before knocking on the door to the closed shop to resume her apprenticeship search.

@Teion

Edited July 23, 2017 by Volcanic

[Teion 0]

Ten days had come and gone, and nearly ten days Teion had spent holed up in her "room". She lay upon the small bed in a side room attached to her forge, staring blankly up at the ceiling overhead with a dull expression. The dull stomach pains that Cardinal replicated flared up once again, reminding the violet-haired woman that it had been far too long since she'd last forced herself to eat. Her bottom lip twitched into a small frown. It's not like her virtual body--an avatar--needed actual sustenance. 'Annoying.' was the only thought to cross her mind. Eventually even her apathy couldn't outlast the regulated pangs of an empty stomach, and she would force herself to eat whatever food items she had left in her inventory. For now, though, she would ignore it.

Teion's head fell to the side as she got the feeling one might have when they weren't quite sure whether or not they had heard something. She stared through the open doorway, watching a glimpse of her forge with the same lifeless expression before the sound of knuckles rapping upon a wooden door reached her ears. It took another few moments for Teion to process, and another few still for her to will her body to pick itself up. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, the woman forced herself to her feet and made her way to the main room.

Who would be coming to her shop? Why was she even bothering to answer? Teion didn't have an answer for either question, but her mind was too tired to think them over. Instead, she finished carrying herself to the front of her shop. Pulling the door open, her eyes fell upon a girl standing nearly as tall as herself with silver hair and a determined look in her eyes. Teion simply stared at the girl in stark contrast, offering nothing in the form of a greeting and only waiting for the player to speak up.

[Volcanic 0]

Volcanic's fist was hovered in front of the door once again for a third knock. After that she was going to try the next shop. But then she heard the door unlock, and she lowered her fist quickly and stepped back from the door. From behind the doorway emerged a purple haired woman about as tall as Volcanic, and Volcanic's eyes lit up. There were other women blacksmiths! At the very least, this made her feel better, although the woman seemed less than interested by Volcanic's presence. The tension was thick as Volcanic suddenly started to feel very small standing in front of the shop.

Nervously, Volcanic cleared her throat and gave a light wave, "H-hello! My name is... uh... Volcanic," she stuttered, almost using her real name in the wake of the woman's icy stare. Her feet shifted idly as she clenched her fists and tried to imagine that this was the debate winning moment, and it all hinged on her next sentence. "I-I'm," she started shakily, but shook her head and cleared her throat again before standing with her arms firmly pressed to her sides, looking the purple haired woman dead in the eyes. "I'm traveling from floor to floor," she started, her voice stronger now, even if only slightly, "looking for a mentor. I've been living in alleyways and only recently started trying to make a living, and I want to be a blacksmith. I don't want your materials, or your pity. Just your knowledge. Can you mentor a poor girl such as me?"

Volcanic's cheeks were red at her admittance, and she felt like that hadn't been something that would have won her the imaginary debate. But she had been surprised before. Depended on the judge, and she had no idea what to expect from this woman. She continued to stare into her eyes, searching for he answer, before adding with a quiet, "...please?" 

[Teion 0]

'Volcanic?' Teion's thoughts echoed the girl's name. She wondered for a moment why she looked so nervous, stammering out her words. After listening to her explanation and the tiny plea that followed afterwards, a thought surfaced in Teion's mind.

The world was still moving. Time was still advancing, and players like the girl standing in front of her were still fighting. The violet-haired woman felt herself let out a small sigh. Not one of pity or disgust, but simply a tired sigh. She took a step to the side, still looking towards Volcanic for a moment. "Come in." She offered. Without waiting for the silver-haired girl to enter, Teion turned and her fingertips slid down the length of the door as she pulled away and walked back into the smithy.

Forged By the Sun certainly wasn't a run-down shop, but it had seen better days. Though not obvious by the game's display, the fire in the forge hadn't been lit for days. Tools were organized neatly beside the workspaces, and the walls were bare save for a few low-level pieces of equipment on display. Cardinal at least provided a reprieve from the desert heat in the building's interior, and Teion glanced over her shoulder as she walked to the wooden counter sitting towards the back of the room. She took a seat on the stool behind it, leaning over the counter and resting her chin in her palm. "So, you just want me to show you how to craft?"

[Volcanic 0]

It felt like an eternity passed while Volcanic waited for an answer from the violet haired woman. A genuine look of surprise crossed her face as she was invited inside. Volcanic nodded, but gave herself a moment to recover from the tension, taking a heavy sigh once the woman was out of immediate earshot. Her shaky legs snaked forward as she made for the door and opened it to enter the shop. It was homely, much like Lyle's shop. Volcanic felt cozy here. More than anything it wasn't unbearably hot. Volcanic had certainly traveled to some hot places in the real world, but that didn't mean she was by any means used to them. At first she was wondering why anyone would ever have a forge in the desert, but it appeared that the sun was not a bother here. Volcanic let out another shaky breath, as she reached the counter and watched the violet haired woman take a seat.

Volcanic considered her next words, as she stood stock still, not wanting to lean on anything or seem too casual with this woman she had just met, especially since the icy demeanor had simply melted into a cold apathy. Her foot was in the door, but the battle wasn't over yet. Volcanic lightly nodded at the woman's question before saying, "To be honest, the help I need depends on the help you're willing to give. If you just help me get through the Earning a Living quest, and that's all, then I'll gladly accept that help." Volcanic's eyes looked around the forge, and the lack of weapons and displays, before continuing with a light bow and her eyes to the floor, arms still straight by her side, "However, if you'll have me, I have learned how to gather materials, and would be happy to work directly under you in this forge once I have become a blacksmith proper. If you have no need of an assistant and apprentice, then I understand, but know that I would work my hardest!" Volcanic's eyes closed shut as she stayed bowed to the violet haired woman, hoping for the best. 

[Teion 0]

Teion blinked at another heartfelt explanation. The girl had stayed frozen, going so far as to bow to the woman while she awaited an answer. Teion gave a sideways glance at her forge and anvil, recalling a time when she was eager to craft and sell her creations. The burly redheaded man that had given Teion her first enhanced axe was just a blur of a memory, but she was able to remember the inspiration she had felt when he helped her with her own Earning a Living quest. And here stood a girl probably younger than herself, asking the violet-haired woman for whatever help she was willing to give her.

She never would have thought of herself as a mentor. In any stage of her life, she was always more of a follower than a leader, and now especially she was in no condition to give anyone advice. Still, she knew the blacksmithing skill inside and out--in the most basic sense, she could consider herself 'qualified' to teach someone. Teion's knuckles pressed lightly into her cheek as she stared back at the girl's lowered head, the ends of her silvery short hair hanging down and pointing towards the floor. She had thought about giving the girl an explanation, or more stipulations as to what kind of arrangement Teion was actually agreeing to. Instead, she gave Volcanic a simple, "Okay." The arm that had propped her head up fell to rest against the counter as she swiped her menus open with the other. "Do you have any materials on you?" She asked, pressing a couple of buttons from her inventory. A few different items materialized on the wooden surface in front of her: a few ores, a metal bar, and what looked like a couple of drops from different animals, like tusks or claws.

[Volcanic 0]

Volcanic's breath caught in her throat as she waited for the denial of the purple haired woman. It wasn't until she heard her give approval that Volcanic felt a lump in her throat. She was confused, but elated that someone finally decided to help her. Slowly, she lifted her head to look at the woman who would, at the very least, be her temporary teacher. As Volcanic stood upright again and watched the purple haired woman place materials on the counter, Volcanic blushed a bit and sheepishly rubbed her left arm with her right hand. "I... I don't have any materials. I got so focused on finding a mentor that I didn't take care of that part. I'm so sorry!" Volcanic said as she gave another light bow before looking back to the woman for her judgement. But at least before then, there was one burning question Volcanic had since she had walked through the doorway. "B-by the way... may I ask your name?"

[Teion 0]

Oh. Right. "Teion," she answered simply when the silver-haired girl reminded her of basic pleasantries. A quick glance up to Volcanic showed that she was clearly embarrassed, and a longer gaze still would indicate that she seemed rather uncomfortable where she stood. The woman felt her shoulders drop ever-so-slightly as she dismissed her inventory, taking a piece of ore and idly working it over in the palm of her hand. She remained silent for a few moments, the tension and awkwardness only growing with each passing second. She didn't have the motivation to talk to people. She lacked the ability to help herself, let alone anyone else. Her thoughts drifted back to the days when she was a budding blacksmith--the smile on her face when every new customer walked through that door, the dedication to the craft that had her grinding for EXP for days on end.

"Sorry." She mumbled, continuing to fidget with the speckled rock in her hand. Her brows were slightly furrowed in a frustrated expression that rested on her face while she stared at the hunk of ore. "I'm not so good with people lately." She admitted in a quiet voice. Despite her newly-developed apathy, she didn't want Volcanic to continue walking on eggshells around her, especially now that she's agreed to teach her about the crafting system. Besides that, running a shop in this game was so much more than pressing buttons. Now that she thought about it, she had learned more about running a business than she would have ever imagined.

Drawing in a breath through her nose, the violet-haired woman pushed against the counter to straighten her spine. She opened her menus again, navigating to a crafting interface while she spoke again. "When you get the skill, you can start crafting from here." The semi-transparent menu hovered in front of her, and Teion's eyes flickered up past the window to see Volcanic still standing in the middle of the shop. The woman's head motioned to the side, "Come look." She said as if to instruct the girl to look over her shoulder. Teion continued, pointing out the different options the interface showed her as far as weapon types, enhancement options, and so on.

[Volcanic 0]

Volcanic watched the violet haired woman, who she now knew as Teion roll around the ore idly. It took a while, as Volcanic shifted uncomfortably before Volcanic responded to her not being very good with people. She scratched the back of her neck nervously and looked off to the side, her blush still light on her cheeks, as she said, "Honestly, without a script in hand or conviction in my mind, while standing in front of an audience, speaking can be difficult for me too. It's strange, the more eyes on me, the calmer I am." Volcanic shook her head as she watched Teion pull up the menu and call her over. For a moment, her feet were rooted to the floor, as she watched the apathy finally start to melt into something more helpful. But she wasn't sure just how warm Teion had gotten yet.

But she didn't give it too long, as she finally just slid over to the counter to watch as Teion poked at the menus. It was also in this moment that Volcanic realized a key feature of the menus. They weren't private. It was like a cell phone, someone could easily look over your shoulder and see everything you're doing. This worried Volcanic a bit, but she wasn't going to stress over that idea here. It was better than her thinking the menus were invisible though.

Also as she watched Teion poke through the crafting menu, her heart sank a bit, but only because things didn't seem as hands on as she had hoped. Finally she asked, "So... do you have do actually do forge stuff? Or do you just pop the items into the menu and it pops out a creation? I was rather hoping for the former..."

[Teion 0]

"Mm... It's a little of both." She answered with a small frown. She had pulled up a basic recipe for an iron straightsword--the materials required as well as a rough blueprint of the resulting item were roughly detailed on the menu page.

Teion pushed herself up from her chair, taking a few of the materials in hand and walking over to the forge while she spoke. "The basic shop that you get will have all of the equipment you really need. You have to make sure you use the right materials with the right equipment, though. Like this," She took a couple chunks of iron ore and placed them in a worn-looking container, something similar to a thick metal bucket or pot. She placed the item in the furnace and the game responded by breathing life into the forge, a fiery glow starting up inside of the structure. Within seconds, a new material was generated--a single iron bar resting on the surface in front of them.

"And now," She took the bar in one hand and picked up a hammer that had been neatly tucked away with the other before making her way to the anvil. She placed the metal bar atop the flat surface and brought up her hammer. With each swing, the bar mutated a bit--Cardinal twisted its appearance as it transitioned from an amorphous blob into the bright white silhouette of a straightsword. With a final swing, the item was brought into creation, and Teion grabbed the hilt with her free hand to hold it up in front of her. A dialogue box appeared over the blade, indicating the item's specifications. "You can manipulate the stats that go on it...but not always the quality. It's always a chance that it could be really rare, or nothing special." She explained before setting the item back down. Unsure of where to go from here, the woman simply gave a glance to the side. "Those are the basics of it, anyway. You'll start off with a list of really basic recipes, but you can make more types of items when you level the skill."

[Volcanic 0]

Volcanic's mind eased a bit as she watched Teion effortlessly work her way around the forge, crafting a basic sword. It was good to see that there was some hands on work being done, though it wasn't quite like making an item completely from scratch. Volcanic supposed that was for the best. As much as she would love to learn how to properly shape weapons, actually learning how to do so would take another lifetime. She simply didn't have that type of time, or at least so she hoped. She leaned on the counter as the blacksmith worked her magic, explaining as he went, trying to take in all the details as she watched so that she could replicate the process. However, there was one point of the teaching that Volcanic's mind started to get a bit hung up on. Once Teion had finished she stood up again and smiled, "Thank you so much for going over all that. I wish I had brought a notebook for notes, but it doesn't seem too hard to start. I'm sure I can remember most of that. I hope I can..." she looked off to the side and frowned a bit with a light blush at the last words. She would have to remember this. It's not like many people like Teion existed. She wouldn't have another opportunity.

Before they went on any further, Volcanic figured she would approach the idea that niggled at the back of her neck once Teion had said it. "I get my own shop through the quest... but I don't know that I want to work in my own shop. I feel like I would want to continue to work under someone. I feel like that could be one major issue that holds back many starters." She rubbed her chin as she continued to look off to the side in thought, before looking back to Teion, "I understand if the answer is no. I'll simply resume my search again. But would you mind if I worked to supplement your shop instead of making my own? I would be happy to give you any items I make to sell. As a high level blacksmith, I feel that the items would actually get sold, rather than if I went and made a shop in the corner of nowhere that nobody knows exists. Does that make sense?"

Volcanic felt like she had sold her case, but Teion hadn't seemed entirely thrilled with her presence from the beginning. So she wasn't really expecting a whole lot from this. At the very least, she had already learned a lot, and would be happy to accept that as it was from the kind, if apathetic, woman.

[Teion 0]

Teion had set the steel of the sword back down against the anvil, keeping a loose grip on the hilt as Volcanic shyly spoke up. The blacksmith idly shifted her weight, bringing her other hand up to gently roll a lock of violet hair between her fingers. This girl wanted to work in her shop? 'I guess it's not that weird...' Teion thought while averting her gaze. Her expression contorted into a mixture of thought and unease as she was left unsure of how to respond to the girl's request. She could recall seeing shops where more than one player worked, so maybe it wasn't so out of the ordinary to have two blacksmiths in a single smithy. Putting aside the normality of it all, Teion was left feeling a bit insecure. Forged By the Sun wasn't only her blacksmith shop. A tinge of embarrassment brushed over her with the acknowledgement that this building also served as her home. She had managed to use a small storage room for a place to sleep, but how strange would it be to allow another player to come and go as they pleased? The only person she let do that before was...

It felt as though a hand had wrapped its ghostly fingers around her heart and gave a light squeeze. A pained expression briefly reflected the memories, but Teion simply closed her eyes and gave a small shake of her head to try to dismiss them. "Mm... I don't have a problem with you working here if you really want to." She finally started, realizing that a wave of silence had threatened to wash over the room. She struggled a bit with her next words, ending up with a small mumble that was directed to herself. "Guess I had to get back to the shop sooner or later..."

[Volcanic 0]

Volcanic watched Teion mull over the prospect of her becoming a true apprentice with bated breath. Though, for all of her body language, it was clear that Teion was not thrilled with the idea. And yet, she agreed, even if in words alone. Volcanic could see a battle raging behind the woman's eyes, and her natural curiosity piqued her interest as to why, and what could be causing this type of inner turmoil. Teion appeared to be a good person at heart, but something held lock and key to that person inside her. Perhaps she missed home. Perhaps something worse. Maybe she had an apprentice before, and it hadn't turned out well. Realistically, Volcanic could spend hours trying to figure out why this was, how it had happened. But that would get her nowhere. She ultimately knew nothing about Teion. Perhaps it was time to change that? Especially if the prospect of them working together became a reality.

"H-how about this?" Volcanic finally stammered, in response to the obvious pain in Teion's heart, despite her words. "Why don't we go out and I can get some materials? I just learned how to do it the other day. Once I have some you can walk me through how to do this myself." Volcanic smiled and an arm instinctively wrapped itself behind her back, her hand gripping on her other arm from behind. "I think the fresh air will do us some good, and we can get to know each other a bit better, and you can make your final decision once this is all over." Volcanic nodded and walked up to the counter to give Teion the biggest smile she could muster in this tense moment, "No pressure, okay?"

[Teion 0]

Volcanic's shy voice pulled Teion from her thoughts once again. The blacksmith's cobalt eyes shifted over to the player while she suggested they go out looking for materials. A hand found its way to the back of Teion's neck as she mulled over that suggestion as well. She had to admit, even if she wasn't planning to use them, she wasn't going to have enough materials to supplement the practice Volcanic would need for getting the hang of the skill and getting her blacksmithing level up. Teion's arm hung down while her eyes drifted up towards the ceiling in a moment of thought--something she seemed to do a lot of lately.

"Yeah, sounds good." She replied simply, her focus quickly shifting to their upcoming expedition. The woman left the sword she had made resting upon the anvil's surface while she crossed the room behind the counter. The gears in her mind had begun to turn, serving as a distraction from the troubling thoughts and memories. She ran her fingers through her long hair, pulling it over her shoulder and to the side as she quickly fashioned the violet locks into a loose braid. Materializing a royal blue ribbon from her inventory, she tied the end off and bent down to grab two bottles of water from a small storage chest underneath the counter. Handing one to Volcanic, she began to wonder if the silver-haired girl would be okay traversing the fifth floor. Assuming she didn't frequent the area, didn't have the Survival skill, or both, Teion could imagine the environment quickly leaving her miserable. "Mm... We can go to a different floor if you want. As long as we get low-level materials, they can be from anywhere."

[Volcanic 0]

Despite her attempts to be cheerful, Volcanic's smile and warmth seemed to still have no effect on the seemingly continuous apathy that emanated from the woman she was trying her best to get to know better. A light sigh escaped her lips as she looked down at the counter and her smile faded. She had no idea how to really deal with this. Her dad had days like this, usually when he had writers block, or had accidentally been culturally insensitive on one of their trips. But all it took was a smile and a hug from Volcanic and he was right as rain again. It was obvious that the type of pain Teion was going through was not a hug and forget kind of pain, though if that was all it took, despite them still basically being strangers, Volcanic would have gladly hugged the woman. She was snapped out of her thoughts by Teion's voice once again, as her eyes shifted to watch her grab some water. Volcanic took the bottle, giving a polite, "Thank you," in response to it being handed to her.

For a moment, she mulled over the thought of being on Floor Five for their materials search. But the more she thought about it, the more dangerous it seemed to be anywhere but the first floor. Upon this consideration, she said, "Honestly, I think the first floor is best. The boars seem to be docile unless bothered, and the weather there always seemed to be warm and sunny." Volcanic rubbed her brow, just thinking about being in the heat of the fifth floor. Even just looking for blacksmiths had ended up with her drenched in sweat, and she wanted to avoid that if she could, at least  this time around. But Volcanic made sure to finish her statement with a, "If that's okay with you, of course. You're the teacher." Again, Volcanic tried her best to lighten the mood with a smile, as she stood and waited for the next steps.

[Teion 0]

Teion gave a nod after Volanic's suggestion reached her ears. "That's fine. Basic materials from any floor will do." The woman walked towards the door of the smithy and began to lead the way.

The pair made their way to the teleport gate with Teion offering little in the way of conversation, as per usual. A couple of sidelong glances found their way to Volcanic's direction, however. Just before they had reached the first checkpoint towards their destination, the violet-haired woman found herself lightly fidgeting with the hem of her clothing. She had thought about saying something. Maybe apologizing again for how impersonal she was and would probably continue to be. Even so, she struggled to formulate the words in her mind, and by the time they reached the teleport gate she hadn't brought herself to speak up.

Finally opening her mouth, she instead simply made mention of their objective to fill the silence. "We can go to the fields or the woods depending on how many players are around." Stepping up to the designated area, Teion called out the floor and city name she wished to be taken to, and was quickly whisked away by a bright light that would move her avatar to the first floor.

[Volcanic 0]

Volcanic would have responded, but she had no chance to do so before Teion was gone before her eyes. The walk to the Teleport Gate had been an exercise in patience. Volcanic was normally a very reserved person, but as such generally expected those that she was around to offer their conversation to fill silences. But this wasn't simply Teion being reserved, or shy. No, this was something worse. Something clearly ate away at the woman, and she had no idea what to do, simply because she didn't know much about her. On that same token, nothing could be wrong. This could just be how Teion was, and as Volcanic considered that, she considered how rude she had been to assume that something might be wrong. But it still made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. It just didn't sit right with her that someone could be this impersonal without something being wrong. Even if that something wrong meant that Teion was a sociopath.

Volcanic sighed, and followed behind Teion once the light had faded, before moving to follow the woman after reaching Floor One. But before anything else could be said, Volcanic finally worked up the courage, though not without a bit of a strain in her voice, to ask, "Teion, I know i hardly know you. But... is something wrong? I mean, you don't have to tell me, but if we're going to potentially be working together, I'd like to know that my potential business partner is okay." Volcanic immediately felt horrible for so suddenly approaching this subject, but it was clear that this would just be incredibly awkward if left alone otherwise. Volcanic didn't even try to smile, she let the concern show clear on her face so that Teion knew it was serious.

[Teion 0]

Making their way through the sprawling city, Teion heard her name when the silver-haired girl spoke up. She thought to look in her direction, but the hesitant tone in her voice left the blacksmith cautious of the topic she might be approaching, and so she continued to look forward as she walked. Her bottom lip twitched once Volcanic's thoughts were aired, and she felt unsure of how to answer. The woman slowed to a stop, frowning as she let out a small sigh. She looked around for a moment, spotting a wooden bench in front of a shop to their right. "Come here." She instructed simply, keeping her voice as pleasant as she could manage it so as not to frighten the poor girl with her abruptness. If her new apprentice was curious, hopefully she wouldn't mind the detour. She doubted they could have a proper conversation while hunting for materials outside of the safe zone--might as well try to clear the air while they were still in town.

[Teion 0]

Teion walked a few paces to reach the bench before she turned and took a seat. She gave a small nodding motion to indicate that Volcanic should sit as well. The woman leaned forward, resting her elbows against her knees as she searched for the right words to say. "I lost someone." She started bluntly, staring at the cobblestone walkways in front of them as she spoke. "There were other people before, that I don't think I can say I'm really friends with anymore. That was different. I was sad, but it was okay." Her sentences became fragmented; pieces of a complete story that she wasn't willing to tell. "It's been a week and a half." She jumped between topics, jumbled thoughts spilling from her equally jumbled mind. "I dunno what it's been like for you here, but you seem nice." She gave Volcanic a sideways glance. "Sorry if I make you uncomfortable. I don't hate you or anything, promise." A weak smile appeared on her face as she looked back ahead.

[Teion 0]

"I'm just not great with people anymore." She continued with a half-hearted shrug, placing her palms against her knees. With her confession aired, she saw little point in delaying their task any longer than she already had. And even if a conversation had been sparked, they could always walk and talk. Teion pushed against her joints to bring herself back to her feet, giving a small jerk of her head to the side in order to motion the girl along. "C'mon, we can head outside to start picking up materials." She slipped her hands into her pockets as she began walking again, heading for the large familiar gate that led in and out of Fortaleza. The desert sun shone high overhead, casting a blazing heat that would scorch the sands beyond the same zone. The thought alone caused Teion to frown. Maybe they should have waited until sundown to venture out of the city. If Volcanic wouldn't fuss about the heat, however, the violette wouldn't plan on changing her path.

Thread Complete

• Teion: +1 SP, +200 col
• Volcanic: +2 SP, +200 col