[OP-F1] Ulterior Motives <<The First Few Lessons Are Free>>

[Hynes 0]

Hynes stomped his way towards Zakariah's shop where, by now, almost everyone knew the location of. It was the beginning of a sort of tutorial quest line, and Hynes intended to complete it in its entirety. Nowadays, it felt like even the most frail looking women were actually stronger than him. That just wouldn't do! How could he be the dashing, confident rogue of a man he was when a slap to the face could very well kill him? 

No, that just wouldn't do. 

"Mr. Zakariah?" the handsome young man inquired. Hynes had pushed the door slightly open, poking his head inside. It wasn't terribly clean in here, was it? Dimly lit and horribly cluttered, it felt like something you would see on an episode of Hoarders if it had an alchemist special. Hynes heard a bit of a commotion coming from the back room; what sounded like a long, weird string of curses and the distinct shattering of glass. "Come- come in!" came the weak reply. 

Huh. So he really is a geezer. 

Hynes swung the door open without hesitation now and stepped inside. 

[Hynes 0]

It took a second for Cardinal to readjust his vision for him. Once he was comfortable with looking around the shop, he moved further inside. "Zakariah?" Hynes pushed past counters cluttered with bottles and vials filled with all sorts of confusing looking stuff. He stepped in something sticky and had to pause to actually peel his boot from the floor. He nearly gagged. God, it's gross in here. 

And then an old man rounded the corner, wearing what you'd expect a typical fantasy alchemist would. "Here, right here," he replied hurriedly. Then, holding two fizzling vials in his hands still, Zakariah ushered Hynes into another room. "Come, come." 

Hynes was brought into what looked liked old Zacky's laboratory. There were windows and light here, and these counters - although still a cluttered mess - were a tad bit more organized. Or at least, they seemed to be. He couldn't really tell. "And that's Mr. Zakariah to you, sonny," the silver-haired hippie corrected. He seemed busy with the two bottles he was holding. "Or Dr. Zakariah, if you want to be a stickler for titles..." Dr. Mr. Zakariah trailed off, staring intently at the vials in his gloved hands. As if out of curiosity, he brought them up to the window, letting the sun's golden light illuminate the glasses' contents. Without another word, Zakariah poured a little bit of one to the other, shook it, and took a swi of the liquid. He swished it around in his mouth, gargled it, and spat it out on the floor next to Hynes' boots.  Zakariah nonchantly tossed the vials over his shoulder, where they promptly hit the ground and dissipitated.

"Mouthwash," he explained simply, as if this was something Hynes should have expected. And then he clapped his hands together, rubbing them together like some sort of super villain. "So! You here to help?"  

[Hynes 0]

Hynes was starting to have some serious doubts. Was this really the friendly, astute Professor Zakariah the local NPCs spoke so warmly about? The calm and helpful quest-giver the lower leveled players wouldn't shut up about? He seemed more like an old and befuddled trainwreck to Hynes - someone better off excorted to the nearest senior home than given free reign to play around with potentially dangerous chemicals. 

He didn't really know whether to question his own sanity or everyone else's. 

So he nodded - slowly. Hesitantly. Cautiously. And the Alzheimer Alchemist nodded right back, grinning from ear to ear. "Good, good, good. Good!" Zakariah turned and busied himself with rumaging through one of the counters, and then continued to dominate the conversation. "Now, I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm rather short on supplies," he said with a wave to the shelves full of all sorts of weird stuff. He didn't even look up from whatever he was digging for in his counter. He waited for a reply. Hynes gave him a bad one. "Uh, yeah. Sure." Zakariah whirled around, holding a small satchel in an outstretched palm. "Wonderful. Right! Yes!! So I want you to go out... and pick a few flowers for me. Five, to be exact." Hynes stared at the purse the man was practically shoving into his chest now. "Hurry now, off you go! We don't have much more time left in the day, young man." 

"Flowers?" Hynes scoffed. 

Zakariah wasted no time explaining himself, and started to push Hynes out the door. "Flowers, yes! Many plants are quite rich with sophisticated alchemical properties, you do know." Hynes didn't know. But the door slammed behind him, leaving the young man alone on the porch wearing a man purse. 

God damn, was he rocking that satchel though. 

Edited April 26, 2019 by Hynes

[Kirbs 0]

Kirbs rounded the corner with her oh-so-trusty familiar. "Ow, stop that!" She whacked the claws of her familiar away harshly and scowled. She swore that this creature was out to get her. Is it even possible for a familiar to even kill its owner? She sweatdropped as those thoughts swam through her head. The redhead scowled again as Scarfy's sharp claws hovered around her arm once again and she slapped it away. "Do you want me to go all the way back to the shop and leave you in the bloody bathroom until I come back?" She threatened, shoving a finger right in front of his bloody face.

No reply. But of course, why would there be? Should she expect one?

She inhaled sharply as she looked at the Nguruvilu expectantly. "Well?" She prompted, tapping her heels impatiently against the cobbled roads. 

No reply.

She exhaled a breath she didn't even know she was holding and stared at her familiar with a deadpan before trudging off without a word. As she rounded one corner after another, she eventually found herself in a familiar area: Zackariah's damned shop. What she didn't expect, however, was a very familiar face looking oh-so-hopeless on the front steps. "If it isn't ketchup!" She sang, walking over to him enthusiastically. "Say, do you do petsitting? Or more precisely, familiar-sitting?" She grabbed his shoulders and stared him dead in the eyes. "I'll pay you with my blood."

@Hynes

 

[Hynes 0]

And as if fate had brought the two together once again, Hynes suddenly found himself face to face with an angel sent straight from Heaven~! Ah, but she was young. Way too young for his tastes. Underdeveloped even for a kid, too. And her hair needed some work. With a small, helpless smile and tut tut, he brought his hands to his hips and greeted his old friend. "How wonderful! Always quick with the silver tongue, ya bloody wanka!" He spoke with a mocking, feigned enthusiasm, only mildly interested in what she had to say. He didn't really know how he was supposed to start a conversation with her anyway, to be honest. It must be the age difference. 

"Familiar-sitting?" And then his eyes went wide and his nose wrinkled. He brought his head back like he had just been struck. With her blood? He didn't need to know about that. He turned and started to walk down the street. "T.M.I, Kirbs." He waved dismissively. "I'm busy though, darling, so maybe you should go up to the higher floors and find some swordsman to flirt with. I'm sure with your charm, you'll snag one in no time. You just have to find someone your age." He mumbled the last part: "Someone your age into chicks with... smaller assets."  

Hynes twirled around, smiling. "Good day!"  

Edited April 27, 2019 by Hynes

[Kirbs 0]

“Wonderful indeed!” She replied. “Say, did you put on a couple of pounds since the last time I saw you? I don’t know, Hynes. I say you have to lay off those burgers and hotdogs if you still want those petty e-girls pining over you,” she mocked back, poking his stomach ever so harshly. Ah, the benefits of a so-so sort-of-love and hate relationship. She grinned at him almost too excitedly and slapped the back of his head with her palm. “Assuming that you are still a womanizer, yes?” She asked sweetly, looking up at him with a smirk.

Her familiar growled at him, already seeming to dislike him just for that spoiled expression. She clapped her hands together cheerfully and grabbed Scarfy from under the arms and outstretched him towards Hynes. “Oh~. Are you sure?” She asked, razing an amused brow at his face. “I’m sure good ol’ Scarfy won’t mind!” She ran after him with an outstretched Nguruvilu in her hands. The familiar himself, cast Hynes a dirty look and bared his fangs in aggravation for both Hynes and his very, very, very loving owner. “Flirt? Dear me, Hynes!” She gasped, pulling her familiar back to her. “Now, I don’t want to end up like you! Heavens, no. That’d just be terrible!” Her gaze snapped to his face and deadpanned as she could hear his oh-so-quiet mumble. “And I’m sure women your age are into men with very big heads and an even bigger ego! Oh, no wonder why you have so many women around you all the time!”

She ran after him and scowled. “I’m not done with you yet, mister!” She grabbed onto his ear lobe and pulled him down. “I’m not letting you get away that easily with what you just did, you arse!”

@Hynes

Edited May 2, 2019 by Kirbs