[PP-F1] Étude <<Earning a Living: Performer>>

[Arabelle 0]

"Yeah," Arabelle didn't let her guard down as she spoke. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me." That was easier said than done, though. She could understand why Pinball was concerned. From the looks of it, he didn't have any Hate generating skills and could only keep the attention of the mob by attacking it. And if she happened to step into its aggro field or made an attack while his Hate value was still too low... she didn't want to think of the outcome. So, she kept her distance from the boy and the mob, keeping watch of both their movements and their HP values.

Watching Pinball fight was like watching a well-directed scene from an action movie. He was surprisingly adept at wielding his spear and was quick on his feet. He seemed to be familiar with the mob's movements, as his quick reaction at the mob's attack suggested, and most importantly he knew how to keep his balance (something which Arabelle had a hard time doing). Her first impression of the boy was definitely not going to last. One flashy, five-hit Sword Art later, the mob seemed to have been overwhelmed and Arabelle prepared to jump in. It seemed to be a common newbie mistake though, as her quest partner quickly warned her against attacking. "Got it. Thanks," she acknowledged. Slightly dismayed, she shifted back to her defensive stance and continued watching the battle. 

- Enemies - 

River Lizzer: 60/270 HP | 81 DMG 

- Players - 

Pinball: 540/540 HP | 37/54 EN | 3 EVA | 3 ACC | 14 DMG 
Arabelle: 20/20 HP | 2/2 EN | 4 DMG

[Pinball 1]

The monster really was on its last legs. In rough, short breaths that sounded more like low hisses than anything, it clutched its ruined chest where Pinball had wreaked havoc just moments ago. "Sorry," he said to Arabelle. "If you want, we can find something else for you to kill? This guy doesn't mess around, is all..." He activated Mighty Charge to finish the thing off, putting on a short burst of speed that closed the distance in an instant. The River Lizzer didn't even have time to react before the spear thrust went straight through it, coming out of its back with a sickening ripping sound. The monster clutched the spear, writhing in pain, and let out a hiss - before it froze, turned to blue, and shattered in a flash of light and crystals. A small reward screen popped up in front of him then, which Pinball dismissed with a swipe of his hand. He slung the spear across his back, effectively sheathing the weapon. Putting two hands on his hips, he went, "Well. That was fun. We still need to get those materials, though."  

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- Combat - 

ID# 99779  BD: 10 (Crit+2) MD: 7-3= 4 (Miss!) 

River Lizzer attacks Pinball - Miss 

Pinball attacks River Lizzer - Mighty Charge 

14+2= 16*4= 64 DMG 

- Enemies - 

River Lizzer: 0/270 HP | 81 DMG 

- Players - 

[H:2] Pinball: 540/540 HP | 37/54 EN | 3 EVA | 3 ACC | 14 DMG 
[H:0] Arabelle: 20/20 HP | 2/2 EN | 4 DMG

- Loot Roll - 

ID# 99780  LD: 4 CD: 3  (Nothing..) 

Gained: 

• 810 Col 

Edited April 18, 2018 by Pinball

[Arabelle 0]

"No, it's fine," Arabelle responded. Her tone was relaxed, but her posture was stiff and her focus on the battle didn't waver. Even if all she was doing was watching. "Maybe next time. If I kill a mob with you standing nearby, it wouldn't drop any loot." It was already something Pinball knew, but she decided it would be best for her to explain her reasoning. 

She watched quietly as the boy finished off the mob with another Sword Art, and she visibly relaxed upon seeing the mob dissipate. Arabelle made her way towards Pinball, sheathing her beginner axe across her back, and glanced at the stream the loot mob had popped out from. "I guess fishing's not much of an option now," she stated. The reason being that he had fished up a loot mob on his first try went unsaid. "But, but," her signature playful smile returned and she skipped closer. "I didn't realize Pin was that good of a fighter. You're a really reliable person, you know~?" She was teasing again. But it really was cool how he ended a fight without even losing HP. "Ah, that being said, can you offer me some combat tips sometime? Y'know, sometime after this quest..." Arabelle ended on that note as she noticed something glowing just a few meters downstream. She moved past Pinball and squinted at it. A material! Grinning excitedly, she skipped towards the material and picked it up. "Guess that's one down."

Spoiler

ID: 99811 | LD: 20

Materials: 1/5

 

 

Edited April 19, 2018 by Arabelle

[Pinball 1]

"I could still fish," he offered jokingly, "maybe I'll even pull up a boss. That'd be fun." He scratched his chin, making out to open his menu, but froze as Arabelle skipped closer. With a nervous smile and a red face, Pinball shook his head, offering a stiff shrug, "I'm not really much of a fighter," he squeaked. He let out a pent-up breath, and visibly relaxed - by a little. "Some people take like... whole combat... styles. Like from real life. So they have that. I kinda just go with whatever feels comfortable." He shook his head, shoving his hands in his pockets and staggering a few steps backwards. "Probably can't help you with that," he said between his teeth, eyebrows raised. He opened his menu, replacing his Accuracy trinket with his "searching" cloak. He was going to try to help Arabelle. He pulled the hood low over his eyes, then immediatly noticed something out of the ordinary: a large rock, seemingly half-buried in the dirt. He hopped on over to it, kicking the large rock onto its side with a leather boot, revealing... a treasure chest! 

~Unequipped~ Warrior's Focus: 3 ACC 

~Equipped~ Cloak of the Harbingers: 3 LD 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Searching for Treasure Chest

ID#99831  LD: 14+3= 17 

Treasure Chest found!

Edited April 19, 2018 by Pinball

[Arabelle 0]

"Is that so?" Arabelle asked, a hint of disappointment creeping into her tone. She took her attention off from material gathering to glance at Pinball equipping a cloak. Maybe something that would help him search materials. She'd have to get her hands on one of those items if she was going to be a crafter. "Lucky them, huh? I mean, the people who already knew how to fight from the start. They won't have much difficulty playing this game. But well, it was worth a shot...I'm kind of terrible at fighting and you looked kind of good at it, so I just figured. Ah, but it's fine, though." She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, but from the angle she was facing him, Pinball could definitely see her pout. 

Arabelle searched the area she had found her last material from, even turning over a few rocks as she did, but came up with nothing. She looked over to see if her companion was having better luck and found him moving aside a rock and revealing a treasure chest. She immediately jogged over to him and hovered by his shoulder. It looked like the ordinary treasure chest found in most games, but actually seeing one full-size and in person... "Oooooh. I guess you have better luck this time! Can I open it?" Arabelle inquired excitedly. She was just about to step forward and do so when she stopped and looked back at him sheepishly. "Ah, but there's also a chance a mob would pop out, right? Awww, why is it that even treasure chests can kill you in this game...?" Her gaze focused on him intensely. While she wouldn't be receiving most of them, witnessing a player open a treasure chest firsthand and receive a bunch of rewards...it would be an exciting moment for her. "You're gonna open it, right? Right? Materials go to me, and the rest goes to you. Deal?" 

Spoiler

ID: 99942 | LD: 8

Materials: 1/5

 

 

Edited April 21, 2018 by Arabelle

[Pinball 1]

His frown deepened when he saw the girl pouting, but he didn't know what he should do about it. The boy held a very low opinion of himself, and he genuinely didn't believe he'd be able to help her in the way she wanted him to. But... "Maybe... after this we could do another quest? It could be a dangerous one or otherwise. You pick one, and I'll either carry you through it, or... y'know, pull back and play the tank while you do the damage." With that, Pinball took a knee, gripping the sides of the chest and pulling it out of the indentation. "I've got it, and I can take care of it - don't worry," he said, voice strained from the effort of lifting the thing. He took a deep breath, gripped the latch, and flipped open the chest. He immediately flinched, expecting the toothy chomp of a Chest Mimic; instead, a rewards screen popped up in front of him. He let out a sigh of relief, throwing a thumbs up to the girl. The rewards are subpar since it's such a low floor, but there's still some decent stuff here... He stood, sending the 5 T1 materials he had gathered to Arabelle. "Too easy, too easy," he laughed. 

--------------------------

ID# 99943  LD: 15 

Gained: 

• [x100] Col 
• [x5] T1 Materials 
• [x1] T1 Rare Weapon 
• [x2] T2 Rare Consumables 

Edited April 21, 2018 by Pinball

[Arabelle 0]

Arabelle blinked and almost looked surprised at Pinball's offer. "That's a good idea," she considered. "Oh, but when I go questing with you, I'd want to be a higher level so you wouldn't be doing all the work. Or so we can take on something your level. I can't be the only one benefitting from this after all."

The purple-haired girl paused and inched closer as the boy opened the chest. It wasn't as...impressive as she thought it looked. For starters, the chest was empty, and rewards came in the form of a pop-up notification that appeared in front of Pinball. Awww. I was expecting pretty gold coins and stuff. She puffed her cheeks, a bit disappointed with her expectations not being met. Seconds later, a window appeared in front of her, too. He was sending the materials over as promised. She took a few moments to read through the message and her eyes widened in surprise. "Whoa. Five materials, already? The game's definitely making up for that loot mob you got earlier," Arabelle giggled, depositing the materials into her inventory. "Too easy, indeed. At least we don't have to walk around looking for materials anymore. Oh wait," she spotted a material at the corner of her vision and rushed over to collect it. She returned to Pinball quickly with a bounce in her step. "Now if only this luck would last until I craft an item... Wanna head back now?"

Spoiler

ID: 99997 | LD: 19

T1 Materials: 7

 

Edited April 22, 2018 by Arabelle

[Pinball 1]

He nodded. "You don't have to power-level to join me. I'm fine with doing something lower..." Pinball took a second to think about it. "I actually still haven't done Let There Be Light." He watched Arabelle run on over to collect yet another Tier One Material, putting a hand in his pocket. When she walked back over, he grinned, then nodded. "Yeah, we can go now. We got lucky." He paused. "Besides.. you know. The Loot Mob." He glanced over to her, shrugging. "It - it wasn't that bad, though. It was still taken care of easily enough. And we got a bit of col from it, too." He kept walking, now running out of things to talk about. "I think I'm gonna go ahead and leave when we get back to town; I'll let you do your thing." He had spent enough time, and he couldn't help but feel as if he were imposing on the girl at this point. "You know how to get back to the shop, yeah? Oh." He opened his menu and sent @Arabelle a friend request. "So you can hit me up for that quest," he explained. "When we decide what it is we're doing... if we decide to do it."

[Arabelle 0]

They had started walking towards the town when Pinball decided that they should split up and do their own thing once they arrive. "But--" Arabelle interrupted herself before she could go any further. A part of her expected he would follow her back to the Performer NPC, but everyone had their own lives in Aincrad after all. Pinball was probably busy, but still took the time to help her on her little quest. I was gonna play something for you. Arabelle shrugged her shoulders loosely then smiled. "Sure, if you're busy. You're always welcome to watch me fail my first craft, though. Actually, I would've preferred it if I had an audience. Kind of serves as my motivation to not screw up and all."

The friend request popped up in front of her and she immediately hit 'Accept.' "Let There Be Light it is~. I'll PM you once I'm ready to head out." They continued walking in silence until the town gates came into view. 

[Pinball 1]

As soon as she cut herself off, Pinball turned his head to the girl, worried. Did I do something wrong? He listened to Arabelle as she talked, scratching the back of his head. He looked down at the grass as he walked, trying to think of a way to react. "Ye-yeah, busy," he said. Then, he straightened, shaking his head. "No, I'm not busy. I don't too much. I can - I can go." He stuttered when he spoke, cautious, trying to be careful with his words, and not quite used to talking to people without cracking weird jokes to try and get a laugh. "Do you want me to go? I can totally go. I thought you didn't want me to hang around... Since. Since we just like. Y'know. Met." He looked to the city gates, speeding up a bit. Stop being so difficult, dude. He turned back to Anabelle, walking backwards. "Uhh," he said, grasping for anything that could possibly make up for his choppy way of speaking, "what kind of music do you like?" They were quickly approaching the town now; they'd be hitting paved roads again in a few seconds. 

[Arabelle 0]

At some point, Arabelle had started skipping ahead her partner as they walked. She hopped on top of a rock and raised an eyebrow as Pinball fumbled for words. Yeah, busy. Then: No, I'm not busy. Wait, what? He passed her and she hopped off the rock and matched his pace. Pinball continued stuttering. She resisted the urge to tease him, probably would make him more embarrassed, and once he brought up that they'd just met, she spoke in a soft voice, "What does that have to do with anything?" Wait. That wasn't it. "Doesn't really matter if we just met. Like I said before, I like having an audience. Beats having to play the piano with just an NPC watching. I feel like that would be kind of creepy. And besides, you seem really nice, so..." She looked at him and winked. Time to kill the mood. "I'd really like to hang out with you a bit more."

"Hrm. Music," She took a few moments to think of an answer. "I'm a bit biased on this one. I play classical music a lot, so I prefer it over the other genres. And how do you put it...I really like how it doesn't need words to get a message across." She was about to say more, but realized that she couldn't bring out the words to say it. "Something like that. I'll play you something that'll make you understand. Also! I really like rock music, too! It's the perfect thing to sing along to when I'm mad."

Edited April 22, 2018 by Arabelle

[Pinball 1]

What did that have to do with anything? Pinball listened to her explain that she prefered having an audience. Pinball, being the antisocial guy he was, had no idea if that was a normal thing or not. Did it mean something? Wouldn't having  guy you literally picked up off the road and an NPC staring at you perform just be creepier? "And besides, you seem really nice, so..." She looked at him and winked."I'd really like to hang out with you a bit more." Pinball's face flushed. "Y-yeah, classical music is pretty rad," he agreed, trying to ignore her little comment, "I know what you mean about the message. I'm more of a violen guy, but I've always wished I could play the piano. Gotta love Rock music, too. I used to play bass." Music had always been one of Pinball's many passions, and he had spent a good portion of time learning and playing instruments... back in the real world. He had pretty much dropped the hobby when SAO started in favor of cooking. Still, he retained his love for the art, and, truth be told, he was looking forward to hearing Arabelle play. He pushed ahead, his face red, trying to push her teasing out of his head. When they arrived at the Performer's shop, he held the door open for her, looking away at the NPCs hurrying along the streets. "After you," he said.

[Arabelle 0]

Rad...? Arabelle never thought of describing her music that way, but she was glad Pinball had been able to relate with her. It also seemed that he was a bit more relaxed, now that they were talking about something they both liked. She glanced his way once more, noticing the red tinging his cheeks, and quickly looked up at the sky. "I didn't take you as much of a music guy," she commented. "But I suppose it's a pleasant surprise more than anything. Uhhh...bass violins are the ones that kind of look like cellos, right?" She honestly didn't know the difference, but from the name, she supposed bass violins produced lower notes. "Also, 'used to?' You don't, um, play the violin anymore?" 

They arrived at the Performer's shop and Arabelle practically skipped past the door Pinball held open for her. She looked back at him and held his gaze for a few moments, about to make another teasing side comment, before deciding against it and turning away. Meh. He seems relaxed enough. Wouldn't want to ruin it right before I play. "I have the materials!"  Arabelle announced as the NPC greeted her. 

The two were guided to the second floor of the shop, where all of the NPC's instruments were stored in a nice, orderly manner. The grand piano, a pitch-black structure illuminated by the sunlight streaming from a window, sat in the middle of the room. She turned to Pinball, bounced on her heels with wordless excitement, then bounded over to the piano. She lifted the lid over the soundboard then moved to the front and lifted the cover, revealing a set of beautiful ivory keys. She ran her fingers across them, pressing down on a few and listening to the notes as they played. Arabelle resisted the urge to sit down and start playing right now, and instead tore her gaze from the piano, looking over at Pin. "There are music sheets beside you. Got any preferences?"

[ooc: craft roll in my next post]

Edited April 23, 2018 by Arabelle

[Pinball 1]

He laughed. "No, not... not bass violens," he said, "though I wish I could play cello. I meant like... I play both violen and the bass guitar. I... I had a lot of freetime. My bad."  He entered the shop after Arabelle, confused by the look she had given him, though he started to try and think about what it meant. Walking inside, he found himself mostly hugging the walls as she interacted with the NPC, then pulled up a seat near Arabelle and the piano. He looked about the picture-esque room, taking it all in. He sat down, then picked up the music sheets. "O-oh," he said, passing them over to Arabelle, "no. No preferences, really. Whatever's the most comfortable, I think." He turned the seat around so the back of it was facing Arabelle, then swung back and forth like a kid in a classroom, his head resting on his hands, watching Arabelle with wide eyes. 

[Arabelle 0]

She flipped through the music sheets as she ambled towards her seat and frowned slightly. Granted, she was familiar with most of them but her favorite pieces weren't there. With her skill though, she could probably play them from memory, but she liked being sure... "Mostly popular pieces here," Arabelle commented, selecting a sheet at random and placing it on the piano's music rack. "I guess I'd have to buy lots of these once I become a Performer for--Ooooh, A really classical classic!"

She eagerly set the other music sheets to the side and secured the ribbon at the back of her head. Then, Arabelle sat upright and took a few moments to warm up, playing a few standard scales, getting used to the sound of notes flowing from the grand piano - a comforting sound she hadn't heard in maybe one and a half year. She turned to Pinball once she was done and smiled, her usual playful and over-energetic personality taking a backseat in her head. With her composure, she almost looked liked a professional. "Fur Elise. By Beethoven."

And she took a deep breath and played. 

It was widely believed that the deaf composer wrote the classical piece during the darkest period of his life, for a woman he loved. A woman who turned him down in the end. Yet - as her fingers glided across the keys, picking each note with precision, she thought - it was strangely sad for a love song. Agitated, ominous, dark; these prevailing emotions seemed more evident as the notes sped up and Arabelle closed her eyes her posture becoming slightly more slouched, playing the next half of the piece from memory. She was no longer just performing a dead musician's composition, she was channeling her emotions through it, too.

And her eyes opened. She didn't look at the boy watching her. When I learned this song, I was going through dark times, too... Her fingers ran through the final notes. Everyone I loved had left. And there was no hope in sight.

She finished her piece not to deafening applause but to silence, and the Recording Crystal in front of her displaying a 'successful rare craft' message. Arabelle picked up her first craft, turning the blue crystal over in her hands, and turned to her sole audience (not counting the NPC) with her usual smile. "How did I do, @Pinball?"

Spoiler

ID: 100171 | CD: 11 | LD: 10 ~ T1 Rare Support Song Crafted!

T1 Materials: 6

 

 

 

Edited April 24, 2018 by Arabelle

[Pinball 1]

He watched in awe, a smile on his face as the girl suddenly took on an air of confidence; he couldn't help but take notice of the professional aura Arabelle gave off. Fur Elise? You know that one, Pinball reminded himself. He had heard it on a classical music stream at one point, and had been so curious as to what it was called - he saw it in movies and shows all over the place. But when she started to play, the smile faded from his face. This wasn't some over-played song he didn't appreciate; there was a profound deepness to it that he wasn't able to recognize until now. Maybe it wasn't the song itself. Maybe it was Arabelle herself. Her own take on it, perhaps. Or maybe he could just enjoy it more now that it was being played by somebody he knew. Either way, when she finished, he promptly grinned, impressed. His smile finally returned, he started clapping and whistling, as if he had just seen an excellent broadway show. "Bravo! Bravo! Encore, encore!" 

[Arabelle 0]

It wasn't very noticeable, but her cheeks reddened slightly at Pinball's applause. There was always something about finishing a piece and having the audience (more so a fellow musician) express their appreciation for it that brought a warm feeling to her heart. It was why she had kept playing piano all these years, to express feelings she didn't like putting into words. Arabelle grinned and sent him another playful wink, then reached for the music sheets she had set aside. "Sun's starting to set, but sure. One last," she relented as she flipped through the sheets. "Oooooh, this is a nice one!" She replaced the papers on the music rack and took a moment to recompose herself. "Clair de Lune, by Claude Debussy."

Her fingers hovered over the piano's keys and after a pause, she began playing once again.

For a long time, Clair de Lune had been treasured for its ethereal beauty and the sense of mystery it invoked within its meditative, melancholic notes. Like seeing the full moon's reflection dancing across the water. Like a brief moment of peace and calm amidst all the chaos. Arabelle let out a long breath. Her fingers glided across the piano, softly pressing down on the keys. It wasn't an agonized expression of sentiment. It wasn't an expression of hope, either. Nor happiness. Though a bit of sadness. But - Arabelle supposed - it was an expression of finding a peaceful place within...myself.

Her fingers ran over the last notes and she finished playing. Something wet ran down her cheeks. It did nothing but remind her of - "Uh," Arabelle hiccuped. Okay. Bad choice. Really bad choice. Everything's going to turn real awkward right about...now. "I'm fine, I-I'm fine." She brought her arm up and wiped her face against her sleeve and grinned at her audience. "Definitely fine." Yeah, no. She tasted salt in her mouth and she wiped at her face with her sleeve again. You're still in the middle of a performance, idiot!  Arabelle chided herself. She remained sitting for a few moments before she stood up and gave Pinball an elegant curtsy. "Did I...do well this time?"

[Pinball 1]

"Clair de Lune," Pinball echoed, standing only to turn his chair around to face the pianist. He leaned forward, resting his hands in his palms. "Let's hear it!" He watched with great anticipation as Arabelle prepared herself to play, delighted to listen. It had been so long since he'd last heard music actually played by real people. He was so unsocial, he hadn't talked to a single person capable of performing since he had logged onto SAO. It was a breath of fresh air, then, that he had the privilege of enjoying a good piece of music. He watched her, but his mind drifted off elsewhere, letting himself get lost in the music. He snapped back to reality as she neared the end. Is she crying? Pinball frowned, trying to understand why that was; but the girl assured him she was fine. Yeah, no, I don't think so. Still, he didn't want to dig into anyone's social life. He was especially hesitant to act so friendly towards someone he had just met. Pinball stood as she did, clapping once more, trying to bring his smile back despite being worried. "Yeah," he responded immediately, "you did great! I loved it." 

[Arabelle 0]

Arabelle rubbed at her eyes and grinned as Pinball applauded her, the redness on her cheeks becoming a bit more evident. He liked it! She turned around and carefully put the soundboard's lid back in place and continued bustling across the place, making sure everything was in the right order. She gathered the music sheets and laid them down in a pile on the table next to the boy. "Welp! Finally done," she sighed with a satisfied smile. "I would've loved to play a few more songs, but I guess I have to start working on my new shop. Got any ideas for a name?" Arabelle chattered as she led the way back outside. Now that she wasn't sitting in front of the piano, her playful personality was back and as strong as ever. The incident from a few minutes ago pushed to the back of her head. "Ooooh, and I really want to hear you play too, Pin! You can play both the bass...uh -guitar and the violin, right?" They stopped at the NPC stall right across the Performer's shop. She smiled and stretched a hand out. "Meet you for the quest a week from now? Hopefully, I would've settled my shop by then."

[Pinball 1]

Pinball followed Arabelle around the shop as she cleaned up like a lost puppy, unsure as to whether or not he should help. On one hand, she seemed to know what went where, and Pinball didn't; on the other, he felt like it was rude not to offer his assistance. He was about to speak up, when the girl announced she was done. Well, Pinball thought, that's one thing avoided. With anod, Pinball thought, be polite. He pushed his hands into his pockets, looked about the shop, and replied, "Yeah, the music was really nice. I don't have any ideas for a name, though. Make it sound fancy. Pianos are classy things, aren't they?." He pushed past the doors, and stopped in front of the stall. Hear me play? He didn't know whether he could play an instrument in this game; would it be a proficiency skill, or would real life skills pass over? "Meet you then," Pinball agreed, shaking her hand. "Catch ya later." With that, the boy left.