[PP-F1] Earning a Living

[Ceres 0]

A profession

It made sense. It's what many of the players of Aincrad had. A way to earn Col. A way to live, a way to press forward in the game. One could theoretically survive doing very little. Ceres certainly had. But there was always more… and the aloof redhead was sick and tired, literally, of hard beds and breads.

"All these are rather...battle orientated.." Ceres muttered to herself, unenthused. She wanted to avoid that. Alchemists seemed to be a dime a dozen. And blacksmiths or tailors had their fare share of elite…

"No point shoe-horning myself into an oversaturated market...I want to work smart, not hard."

Ceres ran a hand through her hair, scratching her head in mild frustration. "Hrrmmmm…." Her face scrunched up as she flicked through the menu of choices with a slender hand.

"I'm not musically inclined...and my singing voice would probably have players running for the fields… so that leaves… cook or merchant…"

The woman was not one to bother others. Talking to others meant being social, it meant pleasantries and small talk. And if her previous encounter with Lessa had taught her anything.

It was that she was terrible at it.

 

So, to avoid these things she stood to the side. Unassuming, unimportant. No armour or weapons at her side. Ceres wore simple cloth clothing. Comfort over fashion or practicality.  Loose fitting long sleeved shirt and pants allowed the cool breeze to dance upon her skin, and a red overshirt gave her the extra comfort and support of covering her chest.

 If she wasn't tugging on crimson strands of hair and talking to herself she probably wouldn't have drawn any attention to herself at all.

 

But, she did look a little crazy.

How many people constantly had a two way conversation with themselves nowadays? 

@Oscar

[Oscar 0]

It was a beautiful day!

Well, every day was a beautiful day on Floor 1 of Castle Aincrad. The weather was always perpetually sunny and temperate. A gentle breeze swept through the streets of the Town of Beginnings. But what Oscar would give for just a little rain. From the comfort of his shop, Oscar longed to see the pitter-patter of raindrops on the sidewalk outside his window. But alas, this infernal streak of nice weather would not be broken. Even so, he held out hope that Cardinal might possibly get the memo that weather wasn't a static thing and start programming in some storms. A pipedream, in all likelihood, but a hope he held out for nonetheless.

Oscar had just finished up with his last customer for the day. Though the word "customer" was applied here loosely. The only people he really charged for food were the Frontliners and they never visited his shop. So he was just giving away food, propping up his failing business model with the copious amounts of Col he earned by killing mobs. Truly that was the most lucrative of money-making methods. He could have a crowd out the door of paying customers every day and still not come close to approaching what he made from killing a couple spiders on one of the higher floors. 

"The economy certainly is busted," Oscar mused to himself as he took to the streets of the Town of Beginnings. He had shed his formal jacket and his heavy overcoat. It was a touch too warm here for so many layers. Instead, he wandered the streets in his black slacks and a deep red button-up shirt. His black tie hung loose around his neck and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. They had to be. No sense getting hot dog bits all over the hem of his sleeve, after all. Behind him was his trusty hound, the two-headed Cerberus named Leeroy and Jenkins. They trotted along after their master as he strode through the streets, almost as if he owned them. And, in a way, he kinda did. He had been one of the first players to set up shop in the slums of the city. Since then, more players had joined Bahr and him in making a nooby market in the middle of the worst part of town. You didn't have to look far to find some of the more unsavory characters that Aincrad had to offer. But Oscar roamed the streets of the seedy part of town without a care in the world. After all, you had to be a special kind of asshole to lay hands on literally the only available chef.

But soon the slums were at his back and he found himself wandering towards the main plaza. He didn't know why, exactly. Perhaps he wanted to see some semblance of activity in the otherwise abandoned city. But he found himself there regardless. The crowd wasn't large, but it was there regardless. A few low-level players here and there, running about to prepare for their next leveling excursion. A few experienced players hanging out and conversing with themselves. A red-haired weirdo talking to themselves off away from the crowd. His eyes were immediately drawn to her. Oscar was still a man after all. A pretty face was enough for him to do a double take. Usually, he'd leave well enough alone. Think to himself "oh, she's cute" and move on with his day. But she seemed to be vexed by something. While a cute lady warranted a second glance, a cute lady talking to herself in the corner was interesting enough for Oscar to want to dig a little deeper. At worst she'd tell him to piss off. At best, he'd have something to do with the rest of his day.

But making the approach was always the hard part. For other guys, not Oscar. He had it down to a science. He walked over, slapped a wide grin on his face, and said plainly, "You alright? I hope I ain't crossing any lines, but you look like you could use a hand."

[Ceres 0]

The sudden shadow caused Ceres to blink. "Oh...guess they programed clouds today. Always clouds...never rain..." She mumbled to herself. Still trying to decide between the two professions. "Cook? Merchant? I'm not sure I see many of either of them..." So deep in her conversation with herself Ceres was that she completely missed the first half of an introduction from the figure before her.

"-But you look like you could use a hand."

Soft lilac eyes rose from her HUD. Before her stood a tall man. His blonde hair a scruffy mess, and it looked like he didn't have a clue on how to wear a tie, why did men insist on wearing them if they didn't even know how to tie them properly. Wait. He said something didn't he? What was it? Ceres stared at the man who did nothing but smile wider as he waited for a response. Well, at least he was patient. How long had she been staring at him? One minute? Two? What was the social standard for a reply.

"I mean... I don't know what I'd do with it but if you chopped it off and gave it to me in a satin box, I guess I'd find some use for it." His response was a boisterous laugh as he lifted a hand to his head, pushing hair from his face.

"Oh. Wait..." Ceres tilted her head to the side. "Did I say that aloud?" He responded with a nod, stifling chuckles. "Ah. S-Sorry. I'm not used to...." She glanced away. "Yes. I've been here so long but am unsure of which profession to choose. I've ruled out everything except Merchant and Cook."

Staring was considered a faux paux by most - but for Ceres - it was how she did things, how she analyzed the situations and people around her and often she did it without even realizing. So she stared at the man before her with a half lidded gaze. He wasn't wearing any armor nor did he have weapons at his sides so he didn't just come back from an adventure or quest. His sleeves were rolled up revealing slightly defined arms. It wouldn't be a fashion choice....Her eyes darted to his messy hair then his tie.

'Definitely not a fashion choice'

This meant he worked with his hands, and was no doubt just finishing up that work. "You just finished working your profession, right?" Ceres asked. She didn't wait for an answer, instead she continued. "I was wanting to do this quest, but I am unsure of which to choose from the two - a part of me is swaying toward Merchant - as I want to become an information broker - and I feel being a basic merchant would work well. I have no care for materials, weapons,  or armour....so the ability to break down and sell them appeals to me... but I am unsure of how many cooks there are in Aincrad."

There was a pause in her methodical speech. Her nose wrinkled. "You're not a blacksmith, most would wear their wares with pride. I'd say the same with Tailor...so, which are you Hand man? Performer? Are you going to dance for me?"

@Oscar

[Oscar 0]

"I mean... I don't know what I'd do with it but if you chopped it off and gave it to me in a satin box, I guess I'd find some use for it."

For a moment, Oscar paused. Between that one-liner and the admittedly unnerving staring, he wasn't rather at a loss for what to do. But then it sank in. He wasn't sure if she intended it as a joke, but damn wasn't it funny. He doubled over, his entire form wracked with a fit of laughter. His eyes were shut tight as he laughed loud and hard, tears streaming out of their corners. After a beat, he was finally able to get a hold of himself. He was breathing heavy, every now and then a deep giggle bubbling up from within his chest. His familiar sat on its haunches, nervously eyeing its master as he came down from the laughing fit. He pushed his hair from his face and wiped his eyes. He had scarcely heard her continue speaking.

"You're not a blacksmith, most would wear their wares with pride. I'd say the same with Tailor...so, which are you Hand man? Performer? Are you going to dance for me?"

He felt the urge to laugh bubbling up again. Try as he might, Oscar was simply unable to hold back. Another bout of raucous laughter washed over him. Though, it didn't last quite as long as the first. Finally, he gathered his composure. His face was beet-red, a consequence of almost literally rolling on the floor laughing. He wiped the fresh tears from his eyes and shook his head.

"Nah, can't get me drunk enough to dance for you. I can make you dinner though. Feel like I owe it to you for making me laugh that much."

[Ceres 0]

"I don't think what I said was that funny, was it?" Ceres asked. Completely oblivious to the fact that she was making jokes. Her lavender eyes glanced away. "You can't get drunk here, so you're really just saying you would dance for me. If the mood was right."

Her glance shifted to his dog, a two headed Cerberus. Odd Ceres assumed they would have always had three heads. Then again, this was a world were dragons were more common than buses, and one could no doubt ride a unicorn rather than a taxi. So, why should she question a two headed dog.

This man was incredibly.....boisterous. Loud. It was bothersome. Did he have to laugh like that? Really... there was no reason to. Ceres had been trying to pick his accent for some time, but it alluded her. "Still can't pick that speech..." She mumbled to herself.

Ceres shifted her gaze back to the red cheeked man. He still hadn't given her his name, but - she had failed to give hers. Ceres pursed her lips. "My name is Ceres - do you have one? Or should you just be Handy Man? Or would Laughing Man suit you better?" She tilted her head to the side. "I'd call you chef, but that sort of title would boost an ego and I don't think yours needs any more of that."

The redhead pointed to her HUD - "I was about to accept this Profession quest. Should I repeat what I said earlier? What do you think would be best? A cook or a merchant? I have no real need for materials and do not plan on fighting. I just want to broker information and live comfortably."  Ceres wanted to get the conversation back on track, lest the man start laughing at something else she said.

@Oscar

Edited December 11, 2019 by Ceres

[Oscar 0]

"I don't think what I said was that funny, was it?"

Oscar took a minute on that one. He hadn't exactly realized that he'd been making a complete ass out of himself on that one. He gathered his composure and cleared his throat, dry and scratchy from the bout of laughter. Once he had reined himself in completely, he straightened himself up and said with a grin, "Probably not. But I haven't heard a joke since the game launched. Sort of a dying man in a desert situation going on here. I'll admit that 'handy man' has a nice ring to it, but you can call me Oscar."

Now to the crux of the issue. The woman was trying to figure out which Profession she wanted pick up. She had it narrowed down to Cook or Merchant. While Oscar would certainly appreciate having another Cook around here so people could maybe get some variety in the foods they ate, another shop had just opened up near his own that covered that quite nicely. Two Cooks was just the right amount of Cooks. It might get a bit crowded with a third. Now Merchant, though. That was always something in high demand. After all, Oscar's go-to Merchant was a weirdo literally operating out of a hole in the wall. A new Merchant on Floor One would be ideal simply for convenience's sake.

"I'll go ahead and lay it out plain for you. Cook probably isn't the best idea. There's already two on this Floor - myself and a newbie. To my knowledge though, we don't seem to have any Merchants at all here. Why go for the Profession with the most competition when you can corner the market simply by existing?"

[Ceres 0]

Ceres tilted her head to the side, brows furrowed. "Well... I may not have intended to tell any jokes - but if it made you laugh that much then who am I to judge?" She added with a nervous smile. "It's nice to meet you Oscar." Ceres reached out her hand in order to shake his.

He reached out and shook her hand in response, clasping both hands over hers. "It's a pleasure."

When he spoke about competition and cornering the market Ceres' eyes lit up. He actually understood where she was coming from. "Yes!" She exclaimed, accidentally pulling his hand down with hers with her exuberant act - Ceres had yet to let his hand go. "That's exactly what I was think-Aargh..." The result was her bringing himself down to her level. Ceres let Oscars hand go and took a step back, rubbing her forehead. "Oof. Oh. I"m sorry." She knew she was bad with social interaction, but this was a new level. Was she accidentally being too forward again? No - bumping foreheads wasn't exactly...foreplay of any sort.

"Pfft..." Ceres started to laugh at the wordplay in her head. She covered her mouth and gave a reassuring wave toward the tall blonde. "Ah -just something I was thinking about. Uhm yes... so Merchant..." Ceres gave a nod of affirmation as she opened up the HUD - selecting the  <<Earning a Living>> quest - then pressing merchant.

"And just like that...I guess I've accepted the quest." She turned her lilac gaze to meet his green gaze. "Uhm... do you think you could help me? I'm still roaming arond with my beginner gear and..."

and...

Her shoulders fell as she recalled Alkor, the man who chastised her and yelled at her. "I know...that's stupid...it's just hard finding people to buy from but..." She shook her head. "I could uh - pay you somehow?"

@Oscar

[Oscar 0]

When she reached out to shake his hand, Oscar happily returned the gesture. When he did, he certainly wasn't expecting for her to get so excited that she yanked him down to her level suddenly to the point where their heads collided with one another. Oscar released her hand and took a step back, stunned. He shook his head to get rid of the stars floating about his vision and steadied himself. Damn she was strong. He cracked a smile after recovering from the blow and tilted his head to the side. "Damn girl, you really know how to flirt don't you?" He stuck out his tongue, punctuating the statement and communicating that he was joking. At least hopefully.

Then she accepted the quest and somewhat sheepishly asked him for help. Oscar wouldn't have been here if he hadn't been willing to help her through the quest entirely. But then she brought up payment. To which Oscar merely held up his hand as he fiddled with his menus.

"Nah. I'm good. Besides, setting this floor up with a solid merchant is payment enough for me. We got something of a small community of Crafters getting started down here. A few friends of mine and myself make it a point to help any newbie who needs it. I'd much rather spend my day helping you out than having you go alone and, heaven forbid, another name gets crossed off the Monument if it goes wrong. So let's get going shall we?"

By the time he'd finished talking, he had also finished menu-ing. With the press of a button, his weapon - <<Shining Battleaxe>> - manifested in the air in front of him. He grasped the weapon by the handle and slung the weapon across his back. He wasn't fussed about grabbing the rest of his gear. The monsters were so weak down here they wouldn't be able to damage him past his passive Mitigation. 

"One more thing though. If you're gonna be serious about leveling, go visit Bahr at The Crusty Bahrnacle. He's a tailor that got me sorted when I first started. Tell him I sent you, okay?"

@Ceres

[Ceres 0]

Flirt?

"Flirting? I - am I that socially inept...." Ceres asked herself as she scratched her chin. Her cheeks flushed as she spoke her own thoughts out loud. "Is headbutting each other considered flirting these days? I know I'm a little obtuse - and air-headed but am I that airheaded?"  It seemed Ceres all but forgot Oscar was there, as she continued to have a conversation with herself. "You've been alone the entire time you've been here Ceres - it's only natural to act overly friendly towards others - you probably miss the interaction...hell you only made your first friend recently."

Oscar cleared his throat which snapped Ceres out of her 'thoughts' The woman smiled up at him, not even realizing she was speaking aloud. " Ohh...This floor?" Ceres tilted her head - she hadn't exactly decided on where to set up her shop. "Oh I didn't exactly think about where to set up...I was thinking maybe the second or third....but..." Her lilac coloured doe-eyed gaze shifted up to Oscar. "If that is the payment for your help then I guess I cannot deny it."  She flinched when he mentioned the monument of life - it was only a passing friendly comment, but it bought up an unpleasant memory.

A man dressed in black shouting at her, angry finger jabbing in her direction as he towered over her. Ceres wrapped her arms around herself and rubbed her shoulders. "You're right - I don't want that. I haven't even invested anything into skills yet."  Ceres words were deflated, and her demanour sullen. She didn't want to dwell on that terrible man.

Instead Ceres closed her eyes and took a deep breath - straightened her back - and exhaled. Oscar wasn't like that.

Opening her eyes Ceres smiled. "Crusty Bahrnacle? I'll have to remember that. But would telling him you send me give me a discount - or would he tack on an 'Oscar Fee?" Ceres joked. Actually joked.

@Oscar

 

Edited December 17, 2019 by Ceres

[Oscar 0]

He could see his joke wasn't very well-received. It seemed to illicit a does-not-compute reaction from Ceres that, honestly, Oscar didn't know how to deal with. So he was merely content to let her continue to ramble on. Interjecting here would only make things worse. Plus, it flying right over her head destroyed any comedic impact the joke itself had. No sense trying to waste time salvaging it at this point. But at a certain point, he had to do something lest she fall too far down the rabbit hole to get anything done today. A simple throat-clearing seemed to snap her back to reality.

He clocked her flinch at the mention of the Monument. From her body language, he could discern that she wasn't reliving the best of memories right now. Quickly shifting gears, he turned on his heels and headed towards the gate. He hadn't done the Earning a Living version for a Merchant, but he assumed that they had to go out in the field and find some stuff. He gestured for her to follow. Having a task at hand was helpful for dealing with unpleasant flashbacks, in his experience. A welcome distraction to get the mind right.

"Crusty Bahrnacle? I'll have to remember that. But would telling him you send me give me a discount - or would he tack on an 'Oscar Fee?"

Oscar laughed as they walked. "If he does, let me know. After all the free food I give the man, I'd smack him into a new ethnicity if he charged you extra. So what do we actually need to do clear the quest for you?"

@Ceres

[Ceres 0]

Ceres took a few hurried steps to catch up to Oscar. "Hey, your legs are longer than mine - wait up." With a small glance over his shoulder and a friendly grin Oscar seemed to slow down to match her pace. Ceres was relieved he laughed at her attempted joke. She wasn't really good at making them, at least not on purpose.  "It's good to hear you laugh." Ceres mused. "It makes me feel at least a little useful - to be able to make others around me feel at ease." She pointed to herself. "especially when I'm so awkward myself."

The two left the Town of Beginings and began to head into the wilds. Ceres was at least familiar with the wilds now, having completed a few Fetch Quests there earlier. "To clear the quest we need hmmmm...." Lilac eyes shifted to the information on her HUD -  "We need to gather three items... and bring them to Billys shop - it doesn't matter how we gather them - so...if you don't mind I'd really rather avoid a battle. So...it means I need to find and identify three items."  She paused and pursed her lips. "Identify huh....yeh.... that shouldn't be too hard."

Ceres pointed an indignant finger toward a few Boar Pups that were grazing just on the horizon. "Especially those pigs. DO you have any idea how terrible it feels to be gnawed on by one? Sure - the pain isn't there - but I could still feel its slimy drool dripping all over my arms. SO...." She shook her head. "No Boars!" 

As they walked Ceres stumbled - and in her typical fashion - fell. Landing on her knees. "Ugh... what did I...." Her hand landed on a strange metallic object. She pulled it out of the grass and dusted off the dirt, wiping it away with the sleeve of her shirt. "What is...." She blinked. "Oh!" The option popped up in front of her - asking her to identify it. Well...that was obvious. "Hey this is a sword!"  She polished it a little more then held it up to Oscar Triumphantly. "Look! This is a perfect quality one handed sword! How lucky is that!?"

Ceres' thoughts drifted back to what he said earlier about giving Bahr free food.

"Ahh..." She rose her chin up to meet his gaze. "Speaking of free food, didn't you offer me a meal? Is that still up for grabs? Since I'm so lucky?"

@Oscar

ID#132187   LD#19  CD#3
PERFECT | WEAPON

Edited December 17, 2019 by Ceres

[Oscar 0]

Oscar could tell that he and Ceres had similar outlooks on things. It was a struggle, putting people at ease. Especially when you have a tendency to come off as a blunt asshole. The goal was to find three things. But Oscar couldn't help on that one. If he engaged in combat, then Ceres wouldn't be able to loot. Neither would Oscar. It wasn't possible for anything to spawn on this floor that he could loot. But he could follow along and make sure none of the stronger monsters on the floor got to land a hit on her. They would do more damage than she had health. He hoped she had some Mitigation at least.

Oscar stopped when she stumbled, looking down at her with concern. That concern quickly turned to wonder when she produced a perfect quality straight sword from the ground. "Holy- What is that luck, Ceres?" He smiled and helped her up to her feet, helping dust her off from the fall. Things were certainly coming along well thus far. Just a few more items and they'd be set for Ceres to clear the quest.

"Speaking of free food, didn't you offer me a meal? Is that still up for grabs? Since I'm so lucky?"

"Of course it is. We're basically best friends now. My restaurant or house?"

@Ceres

[Ceres 0]

Ceres grasped his hand and helped herself up off the ground. The woman didn't mind as he stepped in close to help dust the dirt off her shoulders. "A bit of dirt doesn't bother me - it's when things get slimy -that is when it becomes an issue." Ceres said with a smirk as she placed a hand on Oscars forearm and guided it away from her, then she tugged him forward toward one of the big blue sections on the map. "Here, follow me. Last time I went to this small lake I found lots of things."  He commented on her luck and Ceres shook her head. "Mmm.... no - I'm not lucky - maybe its because you're here?" She asked innocently as she turned her head to glance at him. "Or maybe our bad luck cancels each other out when we're together?"

They started their search again, and Oscar mentioned he had a house.

"You have a house?" She asked, bewildered. "Sure, let's go there. I don't think I"ve met anyone with a house....errr... not that I've met that many people here to begin with..." She mumbled as she turned her gaze away from his. Her own comment reminded of just how socially inept she was. Oscar was the fourth person she had met within Aincrad - two years... and only interacting with four actual people. Was that pathetic?

"Hey...Oscar..." Ceres began, twiddling her fingers as they headed toward a large lake - Ceres knew that heading there would be a good bet - that maybe she'd find something quite useful there, hiding beneath its surface. It proved to be worth it during her quest to gather materials for the alchemist after all. "Is it...strange that we've been in this game for two years - yet you're the fourth person I've met? That I have all these SP but no skills? Am I indecisive or just stupid?"

Ceres took off her shoes - but left the rest of her flowing clothes on as she stepped into the lake, heading in till she was waist deep. "Hmm..." Ceres thought she saw a glimmer of something beneath a rock- bending down to pick it up - she tugged, but it was lodged more than she thought,  another tug and it came loose. "HAH!" The action caused her to fall into the lake. Her head falling under. Ceres coughed and spluttered as she broke the surface of the water - pushing wet strands of crimson away from her face.

"See...unlucky..." She gave Oscar a half grin, "Unlucky, indecisive, stupid. That's Ceres." She held up the rusted round object. "At least I found this uh..." Her eyes glanced to it, "Rusty brace."

@Oscar

ID#132194  LD:2  CD:6
UNCOMMON | ARMOUR

Edited December 17, 2019 by Ceres

[Oscar 0]

"Here, follow me. Last time I went to this small lake I found lots of things."

A lake, huh? When she mentioned it, Oscar got this gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach. Like he was forgetting something. That feeling lingered in the back of his mind as they headed towards the lake. But then he got distracted by her reaction to his mentioning he had a house. To say he had a house was an understatement, but Oscar didn't like to hype it up too much. Especially on people he just met. There would be plenty of hype when she actually saw the place, at least if Lessa and Bahr's reactions had been any indication. "My house it is. It's up on the Seventh, but luckily there's a path we can take that completely avoids enemies."

Then came the serious question: "Is it...strange that we've been in this game for two years - yet you're the fourth person I've met? That I have all these SP but no skills? Am I indecisive or just stupid?"

He wondered whether she would have asked such a question had she known what his real-life profession had been. After all, most people keep it low key when talking to a therapist they aren't paying. But, then again, it was nice to be able to put his skills to use. She desperately needed some affirmation that she was making the right call here. Oscar couldn't imagine hoarding SP like she had but, then again, he had a different goal in mind when he really kicked it into gear.

"I've only been playing actively for a few months Ceres. For the longest time, I was too afraid to leave town. Back when the Town of Beginnings was still an active place to hang around in, I did odd jobs around town for Col. When that died out, I was sorta forced out of my comfort zone. But once you take the first step, it gets easier to follow it up. You've done that. You're out here, working on getting stronger. If I were you, I'd probably invest in a strong weaponskill, but other than that I don't see anything wrong with how you're doing things. You shouldn't either."

Oscar watched from shore as she waded into the lake. Again, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was forgetting something. He knew he really didn't think she should be in the water, but without a reason why, he couldn't very well say anything. If he'd been paying attention to the lake, instead of the spot where Ceres dove down, he would have seen the massive dorsal fin cresting the water, turning towards Ceres, and disappearing under the waves again. Leeroy and Jenkins let out a low growl and stood with his gaze affixed to the water. That was enough reason for Oscar to want to get her out of the lake. When she came back up, Oscar cupped his hands around his mouth and said, "Hey Ceres. I think you should get out of the water. Leeroy and Jenkins are acting weird."

@Ceres

[Ceres 0]

"Eh?" Ceres shifted her gaze to the dog...dogs? The two headed Cerberus that had been silently following them. "Maybe they just don't like water?" She said as she turned her back to Oscar.  "I just need one more item. This lake has so many things littered on the floor of it...I don't know why - but its always like a cute treasure grove.

"See." She pointed to a section of water just a few steps further out into the middle of the lake, not that he could actually see. "Something is there - I see it glimmering. I think it might be a shield?. Ceres took a deep breath and dived under, this one was a lot easier to pick up - as it had just been lying on the riverbed. Ceres hefted it up with two hands and again, broke the surface of the water with a smile. "S-See!" She hefted it over her head as she began to wade back towards Oscar. "That's the last thing we needed before heading back to the Town. and...ugh hang on this is heavy." 

She paused as she placed the shield back into her inventory. She felt accomplished. "That's the thing Oscar - I want to be a support player. An information broker - I don't care about hitting hard. But there are skills to find hidden objects, and to help and heal others. That's what I want to do."

@Oscar


BD: 132203  LD10   CD7
UNCOMMON | SHIELD

Edited December 17, 2019 by Ceres

[Oscar 0]

The moment Ceres turned her back to the lake, Oscar was greeted by a familiar face. Or, er... Fin. The large dorsal fin broke the water and was rocketing straight towards her. Without a moment's pause, Oscar rushed forward as fast as his legs would carry him. And, given that this was a video game, it turned out to be pretty damn fast. A stiff gust of wind was kicked up in his wake as he sprinted towards Ceres a breakneck speed. Upon hitting the water, he was slowed somewhat. Digging deep, he fought against liquid and, eventually, made it to Ceres. He had just enough time to grab the girl by the warm and yank her behind him before the shark came shooting out of the water like a bullet. He winced as he felt the shark's myriad teeth digging into the flesh of his left shoulder. But even without Mitigation, his health barely moved.

"Hey buddy! Remember me?"

Oscar had remembered why he'd given this lake such a wide berth after finishing the tutorial. He, in his infinite noobish stupidity, had been unfortunate enough to fish up a large shark. He'd managed to escape it, but it had slinked off into the depths to ruin another noob's day. Today, that noob was Ceres. Unfortunately, she was with the one man in Aincrad with an axe to grind against this aquatic nemesis. Literally.

"Ceres. Gimme a sec. This shark and I got some unfinished business."

He wrapped the shark tight in his arms and slowly began hauling it back to shore. The beast kicked its tail and bit down harder in protest. Another 60 damage. No big deal. Once they were on solid land and there was nowhere for the shark to escape to, Oscar wrenched himself free of the creature's jaws and slammed it down hard onto the ground. Then he grabbed his axe off his back. He raised it high above his head and brought it down squarely between the shark's eyes. The blow was more than sufficient enough to cause the creature to shatter like glass.

"And that's what you get for disturbing my fishing!"

[Ceres 0]

"Oscar!" Ceres said alarmed - as she felt him yank her back. "what the? I was just coming back to see you and-" Her words stilled when he stepped in front of her - the crimson shirt stuck fast to his wide back as he blocked her - but from...what?  Curious Ceres peered out from behind him to see a shark with its wide jaws open. Ceres cried out in alarm and hid back behind Oscar, pressing her forehead into the mid of his back. She felt him brace against impact - and knew the shark must have hurt him. But he didn't seem the least bit phaed.

With reassuring words, as odd as they were, Osar wrapped the shark in his arms and literally began to tug it away from her and back to shore. all Ceres could do was slowly follow, flabbergasted.  Well, at least she was experiencing new things everyday.

Even if those things were a very wet, very tall man lugging around a shark that almost killed her like it was a toy

Ceres pursed her lips, unaware of the blush that was on her cheeks as  lilac eyes stared at the crazy blonde man.
By the time she had gotten to shore - the shark was already gone, and in its stead stood a very annoyed looking Oscar. "So..." Ceres tilted her head to the side. "I must axe you a question..." She paused then pushed him hard in the chest.

"Are you absolutely bloody insane? You coulda hurt yourself!" She cried out, distressed, red, and wet. "Idiot!"

@Oscar

[Oscar 0]

Oscar had only just put away his weapon when Ceres came marching up to him and shoved him in the chest. Her concern for his well-being was sweet, if not misplaced. If she was freaking out over watching him take a paltry 120 damage, she'd really have a duck if she saw him grinding mobs for resources. It wasn't uncommon for him to be operating with his health bar almost in the red. But he wasn't going to point that out right now. He was, however, going to point out the math.

"That thing did 120 damage to me in about three seconds. You have 20 HP. I have 780. You would have died in one hit where I would've need to let the asshole gnaw on me for a minute before I even came close to dying. Better for me to let the thing take a bite out of my health bar rather than yours, no?"

Then he patted her on the head and gave her a wide grin. "But I appreciate your concern. Someone has to have some because you gotta have a death wish to deal with some of these quests I've done. Speaking of, I think you've got everything we need? Wanna head back to town and finish this up?"

@Ceres

[Ceres 0]

"Wait.... twenty?" She tilted her head to the side. "Oscar...I'm...level 9....so I have 80 hp although..." She frowned. "It would have most definitely killed me in one hit..." She turned her lilac gaze away from him as she pressed her hand to her heart. It was beating fast. Hard. But not out of concern for herself, but for the man who stood before her. "The math isn't important though..." She mumbled. "It's that calavier attitude?" Her lilac gaze shifted again, to Oscar - who always seemed to be grinning or laughing.

"It's like you have a death wish or something."

Ceres drew a deep breath to calm herself. "Still...you're right. Thank you." It was then he mentioned you kinda did need a death wish to complete some of the quests he was on. Ceres reached out to try and place a reassuring hand over his as he scruffed her hair, but he pulled away quickly. "I need to head back and craft an item in Billys shop - then we're done."

As they walked back to town Ceres shifted, slightly uncomfortable with the wet feeling of her clothes against her skin, she had chosen to carry her shoes and go barefoot. Something Oscar said still bothered her. "Hey, Oscar- why do you smile so much....but talk about a death wish as though its nothing? Doesn't that...bother you in the least?"

@Oscar

[Oscar 0]

When she correct him on her level, Oscar felt a bit better about the situation he'd kinda caused. But only a little bit. Perhaps if he'd been strong enough to put down that boss back then, it wouldn't have come back to bite him today. Either way, she was safe and revenge was his. A win if he ever saw one. As the two of them walked, she posed a question to him. For the first time, he let the smile fade from his face and instead wore a small frown.

"Hey, Oscar- why do you smile so much....but talk about a death wish as though its nothing? Doesn't that...bother you in the least?"

He'd be lying if he didn't say it didn't bother him. He had done much introspection on the topic about why he was so keen on thrusting himself into danger. So far, he'd come up nothing. But being out and about in the fields of Floor One brought back a few memories. Specifically, the memory of his "fight" with Pinball. The stronger player had both him and Bahr dead to rights and just let them go. His death wish probably started back then.

 "What a waste of life," he hissed. "People like you and the Frontliners stomp on it." 

Oscar found Pinball's methods repugnant, but he couldn't deny that the Frontliners - at least the current ones - had Aincrad in the palm of their hands. And they were choking the life out of it. But then there were people like Macradon. A former Frontliner who had turned his attention back to the very foundation of the game - the newbies. Oscar had admired him for his strength and will to do right by the people who either couldn't or wouldn't venture out into the unknown and try to finish this damnable game. He'd done his part in making the Town of Beginnings hospitable again for the lower-leveled players. Bahr and Oscar had followed suit. Then there was NIGHT and the rest of the suddenly-active newbies working towards that goal. And now Ceres. The spark that Macradon started and Bahr and Oscar had helped tend to had now turned into a blazing fire of hope. And then it clicked. His smile had returned. He'd never taken the time to really see what his efforts had created. Everything he had done so far had only served to stoke the fire. Every level, every risk. All of it had culminated into the revitalization of the Town of Beginnings. Something he didn't even realize he had done. A goal he didn't realize he had. 

"Some things are just worth dying for Ceres," he said with a grin. "I risk my life so that others don't have to. I intend to bring about a new breed of Frontliner. One that hasn't forgotten where they came from."