[ PP - F01 ] Got To Make Money Somehow! <<Earning A Living>> w/ Pick & Dustin

[Artemis 0]

Stretching her arms and giving a small sigh, Artemis blinked tiredly. What am I here for again? She looked up at the tailors shop sign. Her eyes widened with realization, she blamed a fist down on her palm and nodded, "oh yeah! I was gonna be a tailor or whatever!" She sigh happily, pressing her hands against her cheeks, swaying from side to side. "This is gonna be so awesome! I can make clothes for people, and make them happy.. which makes me happy!" Rubbing her hands together, she grinned cheekily. Being a tailor must be so awesome! She tugged on a loose strand of her strawberry blonde hair out of hair face and entered the shop. 

"Why Hello there! My name is Rufus, and I'd love to show you around if you got the time." The man seems to know how to dress, Rufus' clothing scream fashion, and you can't help but notice the expert sewing that went into the clothing he is wearing. He beckons you back to his work station, hoping you would follow. "Now, this is where I make my latest in fashion, maybe you could use some help with it yourself," He says and gives the player a quick look up and down, "Blast it! I have completely run out of materials to show you what I am talking about, the process is so beautiful, and the clothing that comes out is amazing... Wait! You seem like you can take care of yourself, would you mind searching for some for me? I can even show you how to craft the best fashion around the world! I would just need five materials, sounds easy right?"

Before she could etch a reply out of her mouth, she was already out of the shop with a quest notification on her screen. Well! That was something.

@Dustin @Pick

[Dustin 0]

Dustin is walking through the town of beginnings and sees a girl getting a quest from the tailor around that area. He walks up to the girl and smiles, "Want some help on that quest? I already have a job, but helping people is always good." He laughs. He tilts his head and looks at her, She's like up to my collarbone. I need to help people, I haven't done anything but screw things up. He rubs the back of his head and says, "You're kinda tiny." He says, turning and walking away. "If you want my help you lead the way, if not, just say so. You can keep all of the col earned on this quest and I'll get you ice cream if you want." Now I seem desperate. I'm just bored and this is the only way to level up. "I need help getting materials for my store." He grabs the handle of his sword and smiles, It'll kill the time and maybe I'll get stronger.

@Pick @Artemis

[Pick 0]

Pick was already inside the shop, seeking out some new clothes for his master plan. Of course, he made sure that he was shopping in privacy, and by ordering from an NPC, it would possibly guarantee the privacy that he required. With a smile, he walked into the shop and got what he needed with rapid speed: a black hat that reminded him of the famous Abraham Lincoln, a black whig that would hide his hair color, and of course, the most important of them all - the mask that almost screamed danger. All of them would prove to be vital in his journey to become richest man in Aincrad. Sure, he could continue to do what he's doing at the moment, but let's be honest here - honest cash means small cash. Stealing cash, however, now that's the good stuff.

Checking out the items quickly, he smiled at the tailor: Rufus. He didn't ask any questions, and seemed completely at ease with him buying such questionable objects. This was why he had come to an NPC for something like this, since these items were meant only as a disguise and not something he needed for combat. With a smile, he put the items into his inventory secretly, watching as Rufus got out from his position to greet a small girl. Pick listened, figuring out that she was probably doing her earning a living quest. He had originally decided to just ignore her, since she was too small and looked like a little girl, but that was when Dustin came along and offered her assistance. Interesting, He thought, unable to forget what had happened the last time they were together. "If I may do so, I can help as well. I would love to have another tailor around, since clothes are a deep interest of mine." Pick offered.

@Artemis

[Artemis 0]

Artemis blinked and looked up at the player who was talking to her, "oh hi!" She chirped, giving a quick reply. "Yeah, yeah. Of course you can, the more the merrier am I right?" She rubbed her hands together and sighed happily, at least I won't have to be alone during this quest I guess. Looking up at him once again, she blinked for a few moments and shrugged, "thanks I guess?" She giggled, "I mean, I get that a lot." She nodded her head joyously, "uh, yeah. You can help me around, I haven't explored much of floor one yet," she replied sheepishly. Perking her ears to a certain word, her eyes gleamed, "Ice cream? Well what are we waiting for?!" She could feel herself twitching with excitement. Is there anything this world doesn't have? 

@Dustin

She turned her head to another player who was also way taller than her. I feel like an ant! She gave a quick frown before waving her hands at him, "Hi! And thanks, it really means a lot to me. I'll definitely make you guys clothes some day!" That adds one more friend, this is good! The player clapped her hands together and pointed towards the exit of town. "Off to the beyond and further!"

@Pick

[Dustin 0]

Lots of energy, and very lively. Must be pretty fun to be around. He smiles seeing her move forward. He leans over to Pick, "She seems very happy to be doing a boring quest." He looks forward and nods. "I'm not gonna be able to be as ecstatic as her." He walks forward and catches up to the short girl. "You know, this floor is pretty fun if you can find the right spots." This world is amazing, I can't believe the way this world looks and feels. It's almost real. He drops back next to Pick. "You seem to know about about chests and loot and stuff. You know the best spots right?" He looks at the man next to him and leans in to whisper to him. "Fury's Hand is getting old, I think she needs to rest." He looks to the sword and starts trying to comfort it.

He holds the sword close and hugs it. "You're my favorite sword. The master craftsmanship, the regal etchings on your cross guard. You're the best blade a man could ask for." He sheathes his sword and walks between the two players.

@Pick @Artemis

[Pick 0]

"Best spots? I know a few," He said, he replied, "But ultimately, it's going to take some luck if you want to find a lot of materials. As for me, I tend to find materials anywhere I go, but I suppose it's not the same for other people." Pick answered arrogantly. The man kept dropping back and going forwards for what appeared to be no reason. He seemed to be talking to both of them at once, but it was not necessary for him to keep doing that. That would only make him more tired and seeing that material gathering quests usually took a long time, Dustin would need some energy as an accompanist for this little girl right here.

Walking faster, he caught up to the girl with Dustin standing in between the two. With a shrug, he continued to walk with the same pace, keeping pace with the other two players. "Why, quite a relationship you have got there, Dustin." Pick teased at his random comments regarding his blade. He probably made it himself, if he found such value within it. Pick sighed, directing his attention at the girl.

@Dustin

"Hey there. So, what's your name? My name is Pick, and I'm sure we will be meeting quite often from now on. So, why do you want to be a tailor?" Pick asked, wanting to bring the girl into a conversation. It's quite unusual to find such a short girl around, so maybe her parents were around too? Kids are becoming more and more active in gaming nowadays, so it wouldn't be surprising after all.

@Artemis

[Artemis 0]

She smiled, "oh, thats good to hear, I hope this quest will go by easily. I really, really want to be able to start a shop soon. It's going to be so cool!" She grinned like a child. Trying to stop herself from laughing hysterically, she gave a small nod to Dustin, "Er.. yeah, what a nice.." She almost choked on air trying to for a sentence, "very nice sword you got there." She managed to give him a small thumbs up before sucking in another breath. Oh lord, I feel like passing out, my stomach frekin' hurts. "You must love your sword a lot," she said after a while, a chuckle following shortly after.

@Dustin

"My names Artemis, nice to meet you Pick," she gave him a smile and nodded, "I guess we will be." Shrugging her shoulders, she looked up at the sky and sighed, "personally, I want to become a cook, but theres just so many of them already y'know?" She looked back at him and grinned, "The tailor business doesn't have that many shops so I figured why not? It'll be a nice change I suppose. Plus, I don't really want my work to go wasted. Like, if you make food, it's just food. You consume it and then thats it." She rambled on, explaining her thoughts. "But if you're something like an Artisan, Blacksmith or a Tailor, the things you make last a lot longer, you get what I'm saying?" The played looked up at him expectedly.

@Pick

[Dustin 0]

Dustin looks at the girl who just commented on how much he loves his sword and glares at Pick for making such a remark too. "This is my sword. Every swordsman knows a good sword is just an extension of one's spirit. And one's bond with a sword can be life or death." Dustin points his sword forward, holding the blade straight out and checking for any irregularities. "This sword has saved my life many times and I can't believe neither of you even care for your weapons." He sheathes his sword once again. She has never failed me before, only I have failed her. The brown haired player struts up next to the strawberry blonde girl and asks, "Do you know of any ice cream shops? I've been looking for ice cream ever since I joined this game. I've always wanted to try it." He steps out of the town of beginnings. This is my world, I have nowhere else, so might as well do everything here. "Hey Pick, Lets do this."

@Pick @Artemis

[Pick 0]

"Ah, so you are becoming a tailor with the intention for money. If you are really out for that though, I must say artisan is a far better choice. There are no active artisans at the moment, so becoming one would be excellent to make cash." Pick suggested. Artisan was actually his second choice as a profession, but he wanted merchant because there were already top merchants out there, and he wanted to compete with them - to prove that he can possibly even be the best out of all of them eventually. Sure, it would be hard, but Pick could care less. If it gets too hard, it's never too late to change his profession to that of an artisan. "Well, if the thing that you sell lasts longer, then why would people need more of it? They can just buy it and then not come back for a long time, but if you become a cook or alchemist, they come back often since they already used up the weapons," Pick asked, seeing some sort of a contradiction here.

@Artemis

Pick had finally noticed that Dustin had devoted himself to the art of blade making. He never picked it up before, but now Dustin seemed completely obsessed with his sword. He should still be a level one or two crafter since the last time Pick had went to his shop wasn't that long ago, and he was already in love with the blade. Wait until he becomes high level, and he would be sleeping with his sword, too. Pick chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm, "Ice cream? Sure, there are bound to be some around. And do what? I thought we were going to help this young girl here with her material gathering? I can give you some tips, if you would like."

@Dustin

[Artemis 0]

“That’s one way to say that you love your sword,” she shrugged, a small chuckle giving in. “I mean, I still have my starter rapier..” she mumbled sheepishly, “But! I plan on going to a blacksmith soon. I haven’t done much fighting yet so I want to be ready!” 

She stopped dead in her tracks and looked at him with shock. “You.. you’ve never had ice cream before?” She looked back and forth between Dustin and Pick, letting out a gasp. “Oh, you poor child.” She patted his shoulder with a sigh. “You sir, will be getting Ice cream today whether you like it or not! I swear on it!”

@Dustin

“I think making clothes would be better than jewelry to be honest. It just sounds more fun if you ask me,” Artemis have a small smile at the player. “I don’t care about the cash, I just want to make people happy, that’s all.” The girl went quiet for a moment, dwelling in her random thoughts. My hairs is awfully long. Can you cut your hair in SAO? I’ve seen people choose a different hair color but I don’t know about cutting it. She looked back up at the other players, ready to ask them a question before Pick started talking again. 

“But clothes are cool,” she giggled, her eyes gleaming. “As a child, I thought being a clothes designer was the best thing in the world.. I really want to try doing it here!” She clapped her hands together and let out a happy sigh. 

@Pick

[Dustin 0]

"Pick, I want to race. Who ever gets the most materials wins." He looks over at the girl, who is still really excited about everything, "Who ever loses pays for the Ice cream. No matter what." He looks at Pick, There's no way I'm gonna beat Pick at this, He's basically the god of luck. And I can't let Artemis pay for the Ice Cream. Dustin looks back to the girl with the blonde hair and palms his forehead. "Oh, I forgot. My name is Dustin." He smiles, pointing at himself with his thumb. The guy turned to the outside world and threw his arms up to the side. This will where I will die one day. That day is not today. "We're gonna get ice cream." Dustin jumps up and clicks his heels. He starts humming an old song and walking forward with a little pep in his step. I love this song. He spins, continuing to walk, nodding his head and swinging it to either side.

@Pick @Artemis 

[Pick 0]

Pick smiled - the girl had some sort of passion and enthusiasm that he had not seen for a long time, especially since she was going to be gathering materials. Most people are unable to gather materials and they get frustrated at that fact. However, Pick was way too good at gathering them, and as a result, he gets extremely bored of it. Pick sighed, looking down at the short girl before speaking once again. "Well, you better start gathering what you need before the day ends. Trust me, it's going to take you a long time to get this quest done. Material gathering isn't as easy as people think without a skill or two to help you with it. Of course, you would also need excellent luck, something that I must say, I have." Pick grinned, confident, almost arrogant at his material gathering abilities.

@Artemis

Pick then looked at Dustin who absurdly challenged him to a material gathering session. It was almost as if he wanted to lose. The chances of the man beating him was little to none, especially with the gathering skill and the LD bonuses that his new cape provided for him. Pick would have refused, had it not been the thought to make the journey more entertaining. The quest was a boring one without some help making it more fun, so Pick would do just that. Plus, he wouldn't want to waste Col at the moment. "Excellent. I accept your challenge that would inevitably end in a victory for me. As a gentleman, however, I would allow you to begin. Let us witness your luck at play." Pick smiled.

@Dustin

[Artemis 0]

Artemis grinned at his enthusiasm, "that sounds fun!" She clapped her hands and giggled. "You guys do you, in the end.. I still get free ice cream!" She 'cackled', her mouth watering at the thought of a cold dessert in her hand. No time to think about that! I need to gather materials. I need this shop! Her cheeks puffed up in concentration. Her cherry red gaze wavered around the ground before finally spotting something. "Ahah!" She scrambled to pick it, placing it in her inventory soon after. "Oh, nice to meet you Dustin!"

@Dustin

"I have plenty of luck!" She thought for a bit, "... I think." She sighed in defeat but shook her head. "I'm sure I have a lot!" She rubbed her hands together and she her eyes. "I'll have to make my luck if i don't have any too!" Artemis said with determination. Giving him a thumbs up, she giggled brightly, "I have something for luck too though, I don't think it's done yet.. hm, oh well! I can just wing it."

@Pick

ID : 104782

LD : 15, Success

+ 1 Material

Edited August 18, 2018 by Artemis

[Dustin 0]

"I'm gonna start this show." He says to Pick. "I'm gonna look for a treasure chest." He looks around and runs around. "I refuse to pay for this ice cream." He runs, skimming his hands across the ground. I need a new sword anyways, so a chest would be amazing. Also some armor would be awesome. He runs back to Pick and drops his shoulders. "Nothing." He says, kicking dirt and sighing. I should focus on just finding some materials on the ground. He draws his sword and stabs it in the ground. "I will win this challenge and I will be the strongest player." He pulls his sword out of the ground and sheathes it quickly. He looks around and then down to the ground. He sits down and slouches down.

ID: 104792

LD: 10

@Artemis @Pick

Edited August 18, 2018 by Dustin

[Pick 0]

ID: 104793
LD: 10+3=13 (No materials)

"Well, if it's not done yet, I'm afraid you're going to have to endure through troubles times my friend," Pick grinned - he had witnessed players banging their heads and getting frustrated from their ability, or rather inability to gather materials. These were the moments that if they could rage quit, they would do so, but of course, players cannot log out of the game, and jumping off Aincrad would be a punishment to themselves far too extreme. It was then that Pick saw the girl gather a material with ease. "Oh? Perhaps beginner's luck? Or perhaps you truly are an apprentice of luck. Either way, let's see how much this luck lasts you." Pick exclaimed, curiously. It was probably just his luck rubbing off of her.

@Artemis

Pick watched as Dustin started his material gathering too. "Nothing here," Pick exclaimed shrugging, "Look, if you really don't want to pay for ice cream, I wouldn't mind paying for them. After all, I've got a bit of materials in my pocket that I can use." He called out.

@Dustin

Edited August 19, 2018 by Pick

[Artemis 0]

“Don’t poop yourself about it,” she sighed, patting Dustin’s shoulder, “and I suppose getting a treasure chest will make you the strongest player?” Artemis giggled, coughing soon right after. “I mean.. shoot for it!” She nodded her head repeatedly, “shoot for the stars if you have to.”

@Dustin

“There’s no trouble times when I’m around,” she grinned cheekily, her eyes twinkling with joy. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted another material, “I found another one!” She said happily, picking it up and putting in her inventory. “I think I’m getting quite lucky right now if you ask me,” the player gave a small smile at him and went back to skipping forward.

@Pick

Wanting to start a bit of a conversation, she played random scenarios through her head. Ah, I’ll just wing it. “So, how long have you two known each other, if you don’t mind me asking of course?”

ID : 104851

LD 18, Success

+ 1 Material

Edited August 19, 2018 by Artemis

[Dustin 0]

Dustin looks around and lays back. "I'm a man of my word. The challenge is still on, I'm just gonna rest my eyes for a bit." He rolls onto his side and uses his cloak as a blanket. "I'll keep searching soon." He lays there with his eyes closed and he uses his arms as pillows. I'm so tired, why did I run around like that. He continues to lay there, not moving, laying on his side. I want to sleep, but what if Artemis kills Pick and steals our stuff. It's probably not gonna happen, but even still. I've seen the orange player guilds do worse. He lays there, listening to the surrounding world. He listens to the leaves rustling, to the wind blowing. To the breathing of his two adventuring buddies. He lays there and thinks of all of the ways he could stop Artemis is he had to, until he starts to snore. 

ID: 104874

LD: 12

@Pick @Artemis

Edited August 19, 2018 by Dustin

[Pick 0]

ID: 104881 LD:  15 CD: 6 (3 materials)

Pick watched as the girl managed to surprise him once again. She had obtained yet another material, and without major boosts either. Pick smiled - he, however, had quite the boost in luck. Watching as Dustin went down to sleep, Pick realized that it was him and the little kid in front of him. "Well, we met when we were both quite low-leveled. We're still really low, actually, but not as low as before. Although it hasn't been that long, I could say that he's one of my best friends in this game just from the experiences we have gone through. Sometimes, though, I just think he's an idiot." Pick exclaimed, and sometimes, I think I can get him to help me with things he normally wouldn't. Pick thought with a grin. 

Just then, the two players walked under an apple tree and he heard a sound above him. Reaching out with his left hand - his non dominant hand - he only had to watch as four apples dropped into his hand. "There we go. Hey Dustin!" Pick shouted, throwing one of the apples at his head, "Time to wake up, buddy. I'm ahead already." Pick finished, watching as the apple dissolve into pieces when it landed on the ground.

@Artemis @Dustin

Loot:
T1 Materials (3)

Edited August 19, 2018 by Pick

[Artemis 0]

Artemis gave a small chuckle as she watched Dustin snore, "well, he's out cold." Turning to Pick, she nodded her head with a smile. "That sounds really cool, I'm pretty low-leveled myself but it's nice to do quests with other people y'know? It spices up things and it's a lot less boring," she explained, looking up at the blonde with a grin. She pushed his arm jokingly, shaking her head with a sigh, "don't call your friends that!" She giggled softly, "enjoy them while they're still around you. You don't know when they're going to.. disappear," she mumbled the last part, not wanting to think about it. "But!" Artemis piped up, "be thankful!"

She looked at him in awe, her eyes twinkling with admiration, "wow, you must have fast reflexes huh? Where'd you learn that from? Some sort of sport?" She pressed, wanting to know every bit of information he had to offer.

ID : 104882

LD : 6, Fail

@Pick @Dustin

Edited August 20, 2018 by Artemis

[Dustin 0]

Dustin gets hit in the head by the apple and kicks up like in those old kung fu movies. "Pick you cocky son of a-" He cuts himself off, so as to protect the girl's innocence. "Mother. You could've just tapped me in the arm you prick." He picks up a rock and draws his arm back. He acts as if he will throw the rock, but stops himself. "You're lucky I don't hate you." He turns and looks around for a material. I never should've challenged Pick to this race. He is better at gathering by far. He draws his sword, "Next time you'll know the reason I call her Fury's Hand." He says, swinging his sword around and sheathing it quickly. He makes his way over to the girl and leans in to whisper. "How do you do it? All I do is fail." He stands back up and makes a face as if to say, "You gonna tell me?"

ID: 104893

LD: 12

@Pick @Artemis

Edited August 20, 2018 by Dustin