[PP-F11] <<The Essence of Steel>> The Sound of Inspiration

[Calypso 0]

With the city of Taft spread out before her, Callie's wandering eyes took in the sights: the stylized buildings, cobblestone walkways littered with players and NPCs alike, and most notably the tall clocktower that overlooked the entire city. "Certainly a popular place to be, huh Dani?" The woman mumbled to the dragon hybrid sitting atop her shoulders. Danesh offered her no response, as was typical of the familiar, instead blinking his beady onyx eyes while his long neck turned to take in their surroundings. It was as close to unnerved as she had seen the small creature, feeling his tail twitch against her upper arm while his head curled into the crook of her neck, withdrawing himself from the hustle and bustle around them.

"Sorry, we're not going outside by ourselves again. You remember what happened last time. I might be questing lately, but that doesn't mean anything without better equipment." She began to ramble with a stern tone of voice, spreading her arms out at her sides as she looked down to refer to the beginner's armor that still clothed her avatar. The ivory wingless dragon shifted his position, one of the rare instances she'd felt as though he was trying to communicate back in their otherwise one-sided conversations. Her mouth worked into a frown at his silent protest, reaching her right hand up to gently stroke the short fur covering his skull. "We're just sightseeing." She continued in a more gentle tone.

Moving herself forward, the woman with cerulean hair began to explore the large city, sometimes lingering outside of shops and other tall buildings with curious eyes. Most seemed to have some sort of sign set up to declare its name or advertise something to draw the interest of other players. One in particular, a hanging wooden sign decorated with a carved lute, caught her attention. She stopped, head tilting to one side as she stared up with lingering curiosity, weighing the thought of exploring whatever shop the sign served to represent.

(ooc: please let me know if you would like something more direct c: @Jomei)

[Jomei 0]

Thats enough extreme heat for one day, the Irishman thought as he stepped onto the platform that housed the teleport ring in the center of Yogan Village on Floor Nine. Jomei had been helping a new mysterious friend, Erin, with a quest.. keeping the young swordsman from rushing into anything and getting herself killed. However, once all was said and done, Jomei felt as thought he had enough of the town that sat under the active volcano, and decided the best place to be was his own hometown of Taft. "Warp, Taft." the man said, his green clad avatar vanishing in a ball of blue light. 

The bright light of the aura around him disappeared, leaving his eyes adjust to the change in light on Floor Eleven. Unlike the previous floor, where the sun was mostly blocked by clouds of smoke and ash, it was a usually sunny day in Taft, the skies a light blue with light clouds scattered across the tops of the buildings. A soft smile pulled at his cheeks as a breeze found itself traveling through the street and past his body, causing his orange hair to tousle in the wind. Swiping his hand upwards, Jomei opened up the small screen in front of him that housed his stats and inventory, focusing on the latter, he retrieved the long green cloak that appeared over his shoulders, the cloth settling into place behind his back. 

Now that the man was settled, his feet carried him off of the stone platform that matched the cobblestone ground, and followed the familiar road that he had grown to know from the past month or two he called the town his home. As he turned the corner, his brown town house was in sight, only this time, something was different. In front of his home, looking up at the sign that hung next to his door, was a woman who's hair matched the color of the sky. Jomei's head cocked curiously to the side, not recognizing the girl, but noticing the armor she wore, for it was the same beginners armor that all players received when they first entered Aincrad. With a smile on his face, Jomei continued his walk forward to greet the wondering girl. His feet coming to a halt behind her, her spoke out to her. "Excuse me miss, were you looking for the Performer who lives here?" he said with a chuckle.

@Calypso

[Calypso 0]

There were plenty of voices nearby. Faint conversations, and players calling out to one another as they met up in the European-style city. The noises hadn't phased Callie until she heard an unfamiliar voice that spoke up from directly behind her--one that she couldn't assume had been trying to catch the attention of anyone else. She turned to face a man with a friendly smile on his face, some of which his orange hair covered. He was dressed mainly in shades of green, the gear that he wore looking much more impressive than her own.

"Performer?" She echoed before realizing how peculiar she must have looked just standing there staring at what must have marked a Performer's shop. After taking a moment to connect the dots, she felt a moment of foolishness for not realizing it sooner. "Oh, sorry!" She raised her hands in front of her and offered the stranger an apologetic smile. "I'm not really looking for anybody really, just, err..." She felt odd using the term in the middle of the city, but without a better word coming to mind, she pulled for it anyway. "exploring, I suppose." She let out a small chuckle.

[Jomei 0]

Jomei could not help but laugh lightly at the woman's apology, which was not necessary. He raised his own hand and shook his head, "Theres no need to apologize, just wanted to make sure I was not leaving any customers waiting while I was out." His hand led to the nape of his neck as he chuckled yet again, his slight Irish accent able to be heard with his elongated sentence. The woman admitted that she had not been looking for anyone in particular, but rather had simply been exploring the town. He wondered if this was one of her first times on this floor, judging again by the gear that she wore. Where Taft's size was nothing in comparison to the Town of Beginnings, the European styled architecture and buildings created a much more inviting atmosphere. "You chose a great place to explore then." he said, looking around at his surroundings with another smile on his face. "Where some of the other floors can be more exciting.. and add to that fantasy world feeling... Taft is very welcoming and homely. Which is why I live here." as he finished, he was looking towards the door of the building they were standing in front of. His olive eyes went back to the blue haired woman after a moment, "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Jomei by the way." his chin lowered as he bowed his head respectfully to the woman, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

[Calypso 0]

"Calypso, likewise." She paired her greeting with a polite smile. "I agree," She added when he compared Taft's appeal to that of some of the other cities, bringing her fingertips together in front of her torso. Though she had certainly not visited every settlement Aincrad had to offer thus far--or even catch a glimpse of all the floors that had been unlocked up to this point--Callie had already noted Taft as being one of the most comparable to the real world she'd seen thus far. At least worthy of rivaling the Town of Beginnings, it wasn't a surprise to see how much busier this city was compared to something like Yōgan Village, on the volcanic floor she recalled visiting for the first time just a few days prior.

With the quests she had been undertaking recently fresh in her mind, Callie took on a thoughtful expression. While she didn't yet feel comfortable trying to re-establish any connections in the shopping districts of the first few floors, Taft was new territory for her. Perhaps it couldn't hurt to dig a little deeper. "Actually... So this is your shop?" She felt the need to confirm her assumption after his mention of living in the building beside them left her with the slightest bits of confusion and uncertainty. "I'm not familiar with the items a Performer can craft. I wouldn't mind taking a look, when you'd be available."

[Jomei 0]

Calypso, as she went to call herself, seemed to backtrack on her thoughts, and decided to ask Jomei more about his shop that they currently stood in front of. The man nodded his head with a proud look on his face. "Well yes, the building is my house, but I have a large workshop on the first floor which I decided to open as my shop as well." His olive gaze shifted away, slightly embarrassed, "Though.. not many people come to buy things from performers, so I mainly just use it as a music room to relax and practice with my instruments." He turned to look back at her, when she mentioned she was unaware of what Performers crafted. "Well, Performers craft songs that they record onto crystals. Those songs can have all different effects.. some attract monsters, some help tame familiars, and others work in a similar way to healing potions."  The man gestured his hand out towards his door, "If you'd like, I can show you." 

[Calypso 0]

"Oh, right." Callie had far-off dreams of obtaining her own house at some point, though the costs associated left her wondering if the investment would really be worth the comfort. She had leaned towards a 'yes', but recent events had all but erased the thoughts from her mind. "That sounds nice." She smiled again when he described using the shop as a place to simply relax and play music. She nodded when he gave her a brief summary of the performer profession, absorbing his words carefully as her mind worked to compare the types of items he listed to those she was more familiar with from other professions.

"Interesting." Her eyes dropped to the cobblestone road standing between them while a hand traveled to her chin, fingers curling for her knuckle to tap lightly against it. Her volume dropped to a low mumble as she continued to think aloud. "It sounds like those would be quite useful, any type of consumable items are generally in high demand..." She was surprised to hear him say such a business was slow, but shook her head lightly before she had gotten too lost in thought. "Sorry, I'd love to take a look." She pulled her golden eyes back up to his olive with another soft smile. As the conversation's direction was leading to going indoors, Callie felt a movement against the side of her bare neck. Danesh's non-verbal complaints returned, and his long tail twitched nervously against her upper arm. The woman perked up, turning her chin to the side as she spoke in a hushed voice beside the tiny mammal's ear. "Well, do you want to wait outside?" When her question was met with a stubborn stillness, Callie took on a small, sympathetic smile. "We'll go back to Nimbus after this, alright? We can go back to that hilltop, if we're careful."

Edited December 4, 2017 by Calypso

[Jomei 0]

Jomei nodded, unlocking his door and leading the woman inside. The inside of the building seemed more like the entryway to an apartment building, rather than a shop at first. On each side of the hallway were doors, directly across from each other. At the back of the hallway, a staircase leading up to another door on the second story. The door on the right had another sign hanging next to it, that read Bardic Inspiration, with another small carving of a lute under the words. Turning the small bronze knob on the door, Jomei leaned his weight into the wooden door, opening it up and revealing the room inside. 

The music room that Jomei spoke about was about the size of a classroom, which the room did look like. One one wall were two bookshelves, more recording crystals stacked in neat rows than there were books. Next to them was a long green chalk board, some lines of music written out in chalk on it. In the corner was a small stage that housed a baby grand piano, as well as a number of string and wind instruments. On the wall directly to the right, were a couple of comfortable looking armchairs, most likely for those who wished to listen to Jomei's music, or waiting for a song to be crafted. "Well, here it is." he said with a chuckle as he walked over to the bookshelf that housed the crystals. "Welcome to Bardic Inspiration."

Taking one of the recording crystals, which had a dull green center, he walked back over to Calypso, tapping on the air just above the object. "This one's called Call of the Wild.. Its a familiar call.. A lot of players like buying them to help tame a familiar in the quest for it, though I've also found that animals seem to be lulled by it in general." he said with a smile on his face, the music from the object began to play as the crystal floated in the palm of his hand. The crystal slowly rotated in his hand to the tempo of the song, like a ballerina in a music box. The song that accompanied was calming, even to the ears of players, and had a natural feel to it. His eyes went to the small dragon-like familiar on the girl's shoulder to see his reaction to the sounds.

[Calypso 0]

Callie was a bit surprised when she followed him through the door, having expected one of the many standard storefronts that many players on the lower floors seemed to follow the design of--or perhaps they were not allowed the same kind of customization of the two-story building she found herself in. Maybe it had something to do with being a player house, and so the shop aspect was just his own workaround? Her swirling thoughts calmed as she was led to a room on the side, gazing curiously through the doorway before she continued inside after the performer.

Her golden eyes tried to take in the music room all at once, from the large windows spanning across one wall, to the bookcases housing an impressive collection of crystals on the other, to the wide array of instruments laying somewhere in between. By the time she had taken a slow step through the doorframe, Jomei had already retrieved an item from a shelf and brought it over to her to demonstrate. He explained its name and purpose, and she watched with interest as he activated the song and its sound began to fill the room. After a few notes sounded, Danesh's tiny ears lightly twitched, and his long neck pulled itself away from the near-coil that it had formed against his companion. Callie's eyes pulled away from the crystal floating above Jomei's hand to cast a sideways glance at the familiar's reaction. His beady black eyes stared at the object, and Callie felt his tail gently flicking to each side against her opposite arm, different from the twitches that would typically denote the creature's agitated mood.

Her brows raised slightly as she followed Danesh's intent gaze back to the crystal. After the song had come to a close, a small smirk formed on her lips. "That's amazing." She commented. "I've never seen him so interested in something for so long." She chuckled lightly, bringing a hand up to stroke the short fur on his head. The wingless dragon flinched slightly, as if her touch had broken him out of his trance-like curiosity as he had continued carefully watching the crystal even after it had fallen back into the man's palm.

Callie's own eyes traveled past his green cloak, back to the similar crystals that populated the shelves. "You recorded all of these? I've seen players with instruments before, but... This is impressive." She offered the compliment with a polite smile.

@Jomei

Edited December 10, 2017 by Calypso

[Jomei 0]

As Jomei had expected, the small dragon-like creature that rested on her shoulders stared at the crystal intently as it floated in his palm. The agitated expression on its face was replace with one of calmness and wonder, as it seemed to enjoy the music that Jomei played for the creature. Calypso also looked with curiosity in her eyes, shocked that the her familiar had such a reaction to the song. These familiar calls were Jomei's best selling product, so he would always make sure to put his best into every song. 

As the short tune ended, the light in the center of the small crystal had faded. Jomei's fingers curled around the object as it fell back into his hand. His eyelids closed with a polite bow of his head in thanks for Calypso's compliment. "Thank you." Her gaze shifted past him, to the other objects that sat around the room. She wondered if all of these were Jomei's work. The man nodded his head, "Yeah. Well, some of them are repeated copies.. but a lot of them are unique songs." The man turned on his heel and walked back over to the book shelf, carefully placing the crystal that contained the Call of The Wild song back in place. "I do a bit of both." he said with a chuckle, "When I'm looking to sell a song, I'll record it in here with one of these instruments.. But when I'm just looking to play a tune, I carry my lute around with me." the man smiled and turned back towards the woman. 

[Calypso 0]

"Interesting." She repeated, taking a few steps towards the center of the room while she hoped the orange-haired man didn't mind her bit of exploration. Her eyes trailed over the various instruments before moving to the sheet music that rested atop the piano's stand, and then continued on the crystals lining the shelves. "Ahh, I probably won't be making any purchases, at least not today." She spoke up with an apologetic smile after a bit a silence. Her gaze was still running over the various items the workshop housed as she continued. "But I'd like to keep your shop in mind, so you might see me around once I have more spending money." She paired the thought with a light chuckle.

She still hadn't turned her gaze back on the man. There was something that had been nagging at her, nudging at her conscience at the back of her mind, and the more days that passed and the more levels she acquired, it seemed to grow more and more bothersome. Perhaps the opinion of a more experienced stranger might provide her with the insight she needed. Perhaps not.

"If you'll humor me," She started, suddenly aware that her shift in topic would be completely out of the blue, "The players who stay on the lower floors. Maybe not the ones who aren't able, but those who refuse to work with others to beat this game," Her eyes finally drifted to her left and she met Jomei's olive orbs with her golden with an impassive gaze. "What's your opinion on those kinds of people?"

[Jomei 0]

Jomei rubbed the nape of his neck and chuckled, "O-Oh I wasn't expecting you to buy anything. I used this place more for my own use.. to actually write music." his fingers gently gliding along the black frame of the baby grand piano, "Just.. makes things feel a little bit more like the real world.." he said, his voice soft, mostly to himself, yet voiced enough for Calypso to hear. Snapping out of his trance, he turned back to the blue haired woman, who had peaked his curiosity with her next question. "Those that aren't front liners?" he asked to sort of confirm what she asked. Raising a hand to his chin, the man gazed off to the side of the room. "I.. never really thought what I'd think of them.. I mean.. We are all human beings, stuck in this world.. We all want to get out of here, some not feeling they have the skills to fight, some just not wanting to fight and trying to live a normal life, and those willing to fight."

"Just because someone does not want to join the front lines, doesn't make them any worse than myself, or anyone else fighting to clear floors. We put our lives on the line so that they could live regular lives, and hopefully go back to live a real, regular life."

[Calypso 0]

"Yes and no." She had waited until he finished his thoughts before turning to face the bookcases again and answering his initial question. Her chin tilted upwards and she took on a thoughtful expression to find the words she wanted to use. "Not everyone wants to leave, I don't think." She tacked on the last few words to keep the statement from coming out quite so bluntly. She glanced back to the Irishman with a small smile, "I probably best fit into a category like one you described. Spending much of my time on the lower floors, doing my part to work with the crafters and merchants who support the frontliners. But I met someone once who told me he didn't want to leave." She lied, turning herself around and lacing her fingers behind her back as she gazed out of the tall windows where sunlight streamed in from the city outside. "Who said this place was so much better than his old life." Her brows narrowed slightly into a troubled expression. "Said he didn't care if people called him delusional, and would thank Kayaba for this life if he had the chance."

She let out a small sigh after finishing her fabricated story. "Now, I don't think the inaction of one person will make any difference. But I wonder how many people share those sentiments. And how many aren't so...inactive about it." She skirted the topic of those that might directly impede the game's progress. She didn't actually know if such players existed, or even made any progress with such goals, but settlements are where rumors spread best. She would have to be deaf to be unaware of the existing of red players--red guilds, even. Her lips pursed slightly, and she gave a small shake of her head. "Sorry, I suppose that's all a bit much for polite conversation." She looked back to Jomei with a wry smile.

[Jomei 0]

The man sighed, realizing the true meaning behind Calypso's question, one that he had answered and gone a little bit off on a tangent about. His arms rose and crossed about his chest, his expression looking slightly more serious as he thought about the player the blue-haired girl spoke of. "I could imagine.. that this world is better to some that others." he let out a sigh, his boots slowly carrying him, forward, step by step as he paced in thought. "I mean, if you really think about it.. this world would be pretty great.. incredible even." by now, Jomei had walked over to his large windows that sprawled across the entire wall. "I've found myself lost in this game, especially more recently, sometimes thinking the same thing." he chuckled before turning around, "But then I remember we are still only on Floor 21, and whether we wanted to get out or not.. it will still take a long time."

"However... I think there may be more people who want to help and get out than those that don't want to..Many of the players I've met have either been putting their lives on the line to help clear floors, or they are trying to level up enough so they can do the same."

[Calypso 0]

She was both surprised and not to hear his sympathetic view. Callie found herself mulling over his words for much longer than she had expected, and a curled hand made its way to the space between her chin and her bottom lip as she did so. Her knuckle pressed against the skin, eyes dropping to the base of the windows and trailing over the brightly-lit wooden flooring.

"Hm, alright." She broke the uncomfortable silence with a quiet voice before lowering her hand again and turning her attention back on Jomei. "Thank you for the insight. It's a topic I've been struggling with lately, so it's nice to hear new thoughts." She offered a smile and turned back around to the recording crystals resting atop the shelves. She reached forward, pulling up a small screen that listed the item details for a single crystal. She had to read the description in full to understand the effects of the song, and once she had she dismissed the window and curiously moved to another. Where she felt as though she might have been wasting the potential of a consumable item with the last, her second inspection appeared to hold a song without any alteration of stats or abilities. She pressed down on the surface of the crystal, giving it a gentle tap to call it to life.

The soft sounds of a piano--most likely the same one that stood beside her--and a violin seeped into the air. The melodies complimented each other, almost like a graceful dance between the two instruments. "I really do have to visit again sometime," She thought aloud in a soft voice so as not to disrupt the soothing sounds. A smile more genuine than the standard, polite expression she normally wore appeared on her face. "I can't remember the last time I've listened to music like this."

[Jomei 0]

"Of course" Jomei said with a friendly nod. He watched as the woman curiously examined some of the other pieces he had on display. As she brought one of the crystals to life, the single first note played on the piano caused his eyes to widen for a moment. The piano was soon joined by the gentle strings of a violin, a smile to grow and widen on Jomei's lips as his eyes closed. The image of Telrenya playing the violin in front of him entered his mind as he imagined her playing the music that played off of the crystal. It had not been long since the two had recorded the song together, after weeks of Jomei writing it just for that purpose. As the last note rang out, and the crystal returned to its rested state, his eyes opened again, his smile not faltering. A chuckle escaped his slightly parted lips as he walked over to the bookshelf to take the small crystal in his hands, "That ones special to me.. " he said as he stared into the golden center of the crystal, before placing it into his inventory for safe keeping. "Yes, please do." the man said, snapping back to reality, realizing Calypso was still standing beside him. "Hopefully next time I could have more songs recorded.. I've found myself writing and practicing them.. yet never really record them. To himself, an artist's work is never perfect.. and would never be good enough to be published or recorded for all.. Though now that I've found my muse, I may rethink that saying."  The man's hand swiped up to open his menus, and soon sent a friend request over to Calypso. Despite their meeting being brief, he was happy she had stopped by. "If you need help with anything else, please feel free to message me. Music isn't the only thing people know me for." he said with a confident chuckle, in regards to his fighting skills as he tapped the rapier that hung on his hip. 

[Calypso 0]

Callie enjoyed the song for as long as it played, her own eyes closing for a portion of the crystal's soothing tune until it would eventually come to an end. The sound of footsteps brought her back to reality, and her head turned towards Jomei as he retrieved the item from the shelf. She listened to him with a curiosity, almost trying to inspect the emotion displayed on his face. She had never been much of an artist, but that wasn't to say she had never experienced the anxiety or embarrassment of putting one's work on display for all to see. And so, she gave a nod of at least partial understanding. She lacked the mechanical knowledge of his chosen profession, unaware of how much Cardinal meddled with or lessened the impact of his own natural talent, but it was clear that Jomei had some level of musical background aside from the label that displayed in his skill list.

She was surprised to see the notification that appeared before her avatar, reading off the text that told her Jomei had sent her a friend request. She could hardly decline after what she had considered a pleasant exchange, and found no want to besides. A light smile returned to her, and she lifted a hand to tap on the option to accept. Her eyes were then drawn to the weapon that he motioned towards, a corner of her mouth turning up into a small smirk after he had done so. "Oh? In that case, I might have to take you up on that offer."

[Jomei 0]

Jomei's smile grew as Calypso accepted the invite to become friends. After taking a quick look at St. Andrew's Bane on his hip, the woman smirked, and mentioned she may have an idea for Jomei. Curious, the man crossed his arms at his chest and took a step forward to stand in front of the woman. His head cocked slightly to the side, his brows raising. As he had noticed earlier, the girl still wore the basic, leather starting armor, with a weapon that matched its simplicity. The only sign of some sort of experience was the fact that she had traveled to Taft on the Eleventh Floor, and the wingless dragon that rested on her shoulders. He could only imagine what quests she needed to complete, being there were none that they had discovered on this floor. 

"Anything in mind? Or just thinking for the future?" he said with a chuckle. His arms fell from his chest to his sides, placing his hands upon his hips, his elbows poking out past his cloak, the green cloth falling past them and behind his arms. 

[Calypso 0]

"Hmmm~" Callie shifted her weight, bringing her hand up to her chin while giving his question some thought. She wracked her brain for several long moments until she finally perked to attention. "Ah, I know!" Her lips curled into a smile while she looked back to Jomei. "I've heard about an item drop that can be farmed on the fourth floor," She started, watching the Irishman intently as if expecting his reaction to confirm what few details she knew. "I don't know how to get it, but it's supposed to improve equipment. Something you've heard about?" She inquired.

Even if she got her hands on such an item, her plans of what to do with it were ever-changing. It had been a couple of months since the rumors first reached her ears, and at that time she would have sold it off in a heartbeat. But her priorities had shifted since then, and the low-quality equipment she sported left her tempted to enjoy such an item's effects herself. Regardless of what she might settle on, the first step was getting more details. She hoped that Jomei might at least have some information to share, and that would give her something to work with.

[Jomei 0]

Calypso thought on Jomei's question for a moment before her face lit up with an idea. Jomei looked to the girl with a curiosity, as to which quest she was most interested in having the man help her with. As she started, she mentioned an item drop on the fourth floor. That narrowed it down, but still left a couple of options for them. There was the Avalanche, the Snow Beast, and possibly a few others. The Irishman nodded in understanding, starting to get an idea of which quest she wanted to partake in. She continued, making sure to mention that this item was used to improve equipment. That was the last piece of information the ginger needed, as he smirked, "Essence of Steel.. that's the item that you're looking for. And yes, it does improve one's equipment. I once had the item, but I gave it to a friend of mine. It is definitely something I can help you with." 

The man walked towards the door to his workshop, before looking back to Calypso, "I don't know if you've fought the Avalanche on the same floor or not.. but this Snow Beast is a bit tougher, and its a longer walk. Sometimes theres a blizzard that hits between Snowfrost and the boss' location, so if you have any warmer clothes, id suggest putting them on." Swiping his hand up to open his inventory, Jomei equipped a longer sleeve shirt that replaced the sleeveless vestment he usually wore, his leather armor placing itself on top of it. Once he saw that Calypso was also ready to head out, Jomei led the woman out of the house, locking the door behind him. 

The duo walked the short distance from Jomei's house to the town square, where the familiar teleporter sat atop its small platform. "Warp Snowfrost." the Irishman said, his avatar vanishing in a flash of blue light. In the same instant, his body reappeared in the center of the snow covered town of Snowfrost. As Jomei looked around the square, a warm smile stretched across his face, especially when noticing the small lodge he had taken Telrenya to his last time on this floor. Once Calypso walked up beside him, he turned to her. "Alright. I'll lead the way."