[PP-F03] <<Search for the Hoya>> w/ Iron_Lion

[Kirbs 0]

The redhead mumbled under her breath as she looked through her inventory from her place on the bench. Unfortunately, it was pretty bare. She made a mental note-- even though she knew she was going to forget it, anyway-- to go shopping for new gear soon. 

Scarfy let out a low rumble from his throat as he got comfortable on the seat next to her. Kirbs shuddered. It felt incredibly weird to not have him around her neck. He kind of just felt like another piece of clothing to her. Although, she guess it was weird having gotten used to the feeling of two scarves on her all the time. Closing her menu, she sat, hunched over with her hands in front of her. Regretting life choices, obviously. What else was she going to do? Be happy? No, no. She has no time for things like that. Note the sarcasm.

@Iron_Lion

Spoiler

LVL: 25 | HP: 500 | EN: 50 | 12 DMG | 2 ACC | 2 PAR | 1 BLEED

Skills:

> T1 Light Armor Skill: 5 MIT

> T2 Fighter Familiar Skill: 4 DMG

> Survival Skill: Increases out of combat health regeneration to [15xTier] per post. Grants immunity to most damage dealing with environmental attacks/effects

> R5 2H Assault Spear Skill: 7 DMG

> Concentration: Gain +1 ACC until the start of your next turn (must declare use in roll purpose).

Equipped:

> T2- Target Necklace: 2 ACC

> T2- Rose Thorns: 2 PAR, 1 BLEED

Inventory:

 

[Iron_Lion 1]

Akio had been living off of meager scraps and savings for a long while now... Until a few days ago when he swiped some food a player left on their table while they rummaged through their inventory.  After that he just made a habit of practicing how to pick the pockets of strangers, both npc and players alike.  What was weird was npcs seemed to be harder than most players when it came to stealing from them.  Probably for reasons unknown to him but still.  He was walking through the crowd, his clothes colored navy blue and brown so that he would blend in more with the crowd.  They were all adventurers wearing leather and plate armors, wearing blue, red, gray, brown and such shirts underneath those.  As he walked with the crowd he noticed a young girl sitting on a bench with what looked like an expensive scarf beside her.  'Damn that looks expensive,' he thought to himself.  Then he remembered his mother's creed again:  'Don't steal something obvious unless you have an easy getaway route.'  He scanned the area until he spotted an alleyway that led into another public street.  Perfect!  He walked up with his hood down trying to look like someone you'd ignore.  And then at the last minute grabbed the scarf and ran off like a dart with a smile on his face.  'Ha ha!  Bet she didn't see that coming!  Now I can sell this scarf.  Maybe it will get me a lot of food!  Maybe even a room in an inn!  That would be-' his thought was interrupted when the face of a red fox popped up in his own.  "Awesome?!"  And just like that it hit him square in the face, causing him to let go and trip at the same time, rolling into a collection of barrels and crates.  Groaning as he couldn't get out.

LV:  3  Iron_Lion
HP:  [                    ]
EN:  [                    ]
XP:  [                    ]

[Kirbs 0]

The day was supposed to be her free day, but no. She had to witness her familiar getting carried off by some kid. Fun, right?

Yeah, no.

Her grogginess was immediately shoved aside when that damn kid took off with her familiar. She kind of just sat that for a few seconds, a flabbergasted expression clearly written on her face. Wait a bloody minute-- that was Scarfy-

"Get back here, you thief!" She yelled, jumping up from the bench and after the guy. Why would someone even want to steal Scarfy in the first place? He was literally a giant snake with a fox head-- like... why?! 

God, this kid was fast. Maybe he had too much sugar this morning? Or maybe he was doing drugs-- her thoughts were interrupted when the kid went barreling into a stack of crates. Thanking God for a split second, she skidded to a halt next to the pile of assorted goods and the boy, and well, Scarfy. Scarfy immediately hissed at his 'kidnapper' and slithered back to the redhead, climbing up her body and then settling at the crook of her neck, where all scarves should be! 

Kirbs narrowed her eyes at the orange crystal shown clearly above the stranger's head, and boy, was she furious. Murderer, was her immediate thought. The same kind of low-lives that killed her best friend. "Just what do you think were you doing, kid?"

[Iron_Lion 1]

Great.  This was just great.  He thought he'd be able to [censored] a fancy looking scarf so he could get col.  He'd do so much with this col!  It would give him a better life.  Maybe he could even get some high quality tips from an info broker with it.  But no.  No the scarf just had to have been a familiar that looked like a scarf.  What kind of logic was that even?  What was the point in learning the mechanics and logic of this world when there wasn't any logic?!  He tried to get out of the crates but another one fell on him, preventing him from pulling himself out.  He sighed in annoyance as he saw the lady come over and yell at him.  Asking what he was doing?  "Trying to steal a fancy scarf so I could...  Get col.  I didn't know it was you're familiar.  Seriously, what kind of animal looks like a scarf?"  'Thank goodness I didn't tell her what I wanted to use the col for.  ''Never share your true intentions.  Always give the roundabout, especially to strangers.'''  He sighed.  "You aren't going to throw me to the guards are you?  They'll just throw me outside...  Again..."

@Kirbs

LV:  3  Iron_Lion
HP:  [                    ]
EN:  [                    ]
XP:  [                    ]

[Kirbs 0]

"Uh huh," she clicked her tongue, keeping him under her eye suspiciously. Oh, she loved kids! But this kid... he tried to steal her familiar! And he's a frekin PKer for God's sake!

"What were you going to use the Col for, kid?" She asked, somewhat interested. What was a ten year old going to do with Col? What was a ten year old even doing in the damn game? 

The redhead sighed and crossed her arms with a conflicted face. Damn, this sucks. "Well, I might," she started, crouching down in front of him with a frown. "I have some questions for you first, though and you're going to answer them truthfully or I'm putting my spear through your skull, okay?" Right, right. No mercy for PKers, no matter how young they were. "That, or I can let Scarfy here strangle you to death, too, your choice, kid," she gestured her head over to the still hostile Scarfy. Oh boy, was he mad. 

"First off," she held up a finger, "who did you kill to get that nice looking orange crystal right there?" She asked, venom lacing her tone as she glared at the rotating crystal above his head.

[Iron_Lion 1]

This was bad.  This was really really bad.  Akio knew this was bad, and he'd keep believing it was bad until it wasn't.  When she asked him what he was going to use the col for he just blinked.  'Did..  Did she really have to ask?'  "U-um.  Food?  New clothes?  Maybe a room in the inn?  Things like that."  Seriously what was she expecting him to spend money on?  Although...  He might save up money to buy info on the frontliners from the info broker.  He heard it would be important to know about them as they were a big deal.  The girl then kept talking, making Akio a bit frustrated as he couldn't exactly...  Well move.  'She MIGHT?!  What kind of girl was she?  I thought girls were supposed to be the nice ones!'  She warned him that Scarfy would strangle him to death if he didn't answer her.  He just looked at Scarfy then back at her.  "...You uh...  Do know we're in a safe zone right?  I'm not that stupid."  She asked about his cursor first.  'This is gonna be a common occurrence isn't it?  Well, I can lie like earlier, but I'll have to think of an official story at some point...'  He just narrowed his eyes.  "What do you think?  I stole from people.  I kind of have to in order to survive.  I'm not nearly strong enough to survive out there on my own.  One day though..."

[Kirbs 0]

She squinted at him and crossed her arms. "Right..." she mumbled, standing up straighter, now. She wasn't entirely sure if she really believed the kid but what was he really going to do to her? 

"You could've just gotten a job or something," she sighed, frowning. "There's also a few places down here that take in... kids of need," she trailed off, remembering her time with Solei. He helped with those kinds of things, right? Along with Athena, too? Bah, she couldn't remember at all.

"I'm surprised you haven't even been caught yet, both by the guards and the church caretakers. I though they did a good sweep of the first floor for kids, apparently not," Kirbs said, her frown deepening. She turned her attention back to the other player and tilted her head. "Have you been living like this for two years? It's not hard to ask for some help, y'know."

[Iron_Lion 1]

Get a job?  Seriously?  There was no way he was getting a job.  Not with the way he was raised.  It was hard for an assassin to teach her child anything other than what she knows.  What was she going to teach him?  Gun cleaning?  However, he couldn't exactly tell her that his mother was an...  Assassin.  Well more like a bounty hunter but still.  "I can't help the frontlines one day if I just get a stupid job."   When she mentioned the places who take care of kids with 'needs' he nearly threw every crate off of him in an instant.  "NO WAY!  YOU'RE NOT THROWING ME IN A F***ING ORPHANAGE!!!"  If there was any trigger out there for him, it was the orphanage.  He had way too many bad memories with such a place...  Enough so to have some of his mother's 'colorful language' slip through.  When she mentioned how she was surprised how he hadn't been caught yet and how the guards must not be too good at it.  He thought about how he'd been caught once or twice, and was getting good at sneaking around, looking away.  "...Yeah, maybe..."  When she mentioned how he could have asked for help he narrowed his eyes.  "I'm not helpless!"

@Kirbs

LV:  3  Iron_Lion
HP:  [                    ]
EN:  [                    ]
XP:  [                    ]

[Kirbs 0]

"Well, you aren't necessarily going to get to the front lines by stealing, think about that, yeah?" She retorted, hoping that her words could give him a good ol' slap of reality-- well, virtual reality.

She rose a brow at his outburst-- what a weird nerve to strike! Sighing, she shrugged her shoulders, resisting the urge to snap right back at him. "It's not an orphanage, per se..." she mumbled, scratching her chin. "They still have parents so it's not like they're orphans. You said it yourself, kid, you're 'not nearly as strong enough to survive out there in my own'," she mimicked, her voice rising a few octaves. "So at least accept the help that people are willing to give to cha' before something ends up happening to them, yeah?" 

"Helpless my arse," Kirbs said, squinting at him again. "You're the one who ran into a box of crates, kid."

[Iron_Lion 1]

"I won't steal forever!  Idiot."  He muttered under his breath.  When she tried to talk about the orphanage, which he insisted on calling it.  He only got more riled up.  "Forget it!  I'm not going to that s**thole!  Just drop it already!"  There was no way in hell he'd be put in there.  Never.  He'd rather die and meet his mom in the afterlife than go to another orphanage again.  "I'm not strong enough yet!  I'll make it someday soon."  When she told him to accept help and pointed out that he was the one who ran into the crates, his eyes became daggers.  He did not like her pointing that out.  "Just help me out of this damnit!"  He tried to push the items out of the way, but with his strength stat not being high enough he failed to do so.  Curse this game and it's stupid limiters.  "I'm taking the beginner quests, I won't be weak for long.  Now are you going to keep pointing fun at me or help me get out?!"

@Kirbs

LV:  3  Iron_Lion
HP:  [                    ]
EN:  [                    ]
XP:  [                    ]

Edited August 16, 2019 by Iron_Lion

[Kirbs 0]

She internally groaned and rubbed her temples. Were all kids this difficult to deal with, or was this kid a special case or something? Fuyuno was a nice girl! Why could this dude be like her!? Maybe it was because she couldn't talk...

"Why are little kids like you cursing, anyway?" She grumbled, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "It's too early in the morning to be dealing with this kind of bull," she yawned, sniffing. This was a big change in her usually constant schedule, and she wasn't sure if it was a really good change. Don't get her wrong, she loved kids... but this one was... special. 

"You're demanding quite a lot from a person you just tried to steal from," she remarked, rolling her eyes. Yeah, she really wasn't the biggest fan of this kid-- but she had to think, was anybody really? Did anybody even know this kid? Surely, right? 

[Iron_Lion 1]

At this point, Akio just gave up.  The woman wasn't going to help him out and he couldn't get out himself.  So he stopped pushing against everything and just lay there underneath it all.  When she commented on how he was demanding a lot from her, he said nothing.  He only pierced her eyes with his own like daggers.  What would mother do in this situation?  'Always choose the most profitable option available.'  Ok, but which would profit him the most?  Sucking up to her enough to win her over and escape?  Or waiting for the guards to throw him out and do this whole stupid thing again?  'When gauging your options, think about the long run.'  That's right!  He may not have good options now, but later on he may need something.  He wondered if this girl had anything that he might need in the future...  He didn't want friends, his mother told him to get allies.  Not friends.  So what could he get from her that would be worth sucking up to her for a day?

@Kirbs

LV:  3  Iron_Lion
HP:  [                    ]
EN:  [                    ]
XP:  [                    ]