[PP/F1] A Cheery Chance Encounter

[Vie 0]

Vie had just returned to the first floor after having completed a mission with some fellow guildies. Though it was at a lower level than what she had become used to, it was sort of comforting knowing that she and her friends were capable of defeating higher level creatures than the ones to be found on this floor. It made her feel quite relaxed and at home as if she were surrounded by what she deemed humble beginnings. Though she had been to this floor previously, the town had been at was an unfamiliar one. With cheap accommodations for new players and different types of cafes or restaurants to stumble upon while none of them being quite alike. There were tales of a popular amphitheater meeting place somewhere in town that she had yet to find. She sat on a stone bench as her mind wandered about for a while admiring the sparkling water spurt out of the fountain and fall into the contained pool below only to cycle back she assumed. This was until her stomach grumbled and she arose to search for some sort of eatery.

After wandering around for a while, she encounters an interestingly decorated building primarily of wooden structure. High spinning windmills seemed to stare down at the girl, judging her for entering the clearly tavern-esque structure while it was not quite dark outside yet.  As the door closed behind her, she realized that she happened upon a quaint (cramped) pub. They offered few small tables to sit at and a lengthy bar. Everything was made out of this default wood color with darker crosshatch-wooden detail except a small-scale stone fireplace behind the bar. She figured it was too late to turn back now and sat at one of the stools, waiting for the barkeep to attend to her. When he finally made his way over, she ordered a pie. The man, confused by this request, informed her of the lack of pastries at the establishment, "Uhh... Ma'am, we don't serve pies here. Only drinks." Sighing, she remembers a tidbit of information received in passing- that alcohol in this world hadn't effected players like it would in reality. What was the point of a tavern if not to serve alcoholic beverages? "Fine. I'll take a soda," She reluctantly ordered after a while of visual internal distress turning to the fellow redhead that sat next to her, "I can't believe they don't have pies," she muttered, clearly acting upset over it.

 

Spoiler Vie | Lv. 5 | HP: 100/100 | EN: 10/10 | DMG: 2 (1 base, 1 skill) Equipment Weapon: Rapier [Vanity] Armor: Light Armor [Vanity] Skills One-Handed Weapons [R1]

 

Edited July 21, 2020 by Vie

[Inanna 0]

Bored bored bored. Always bored. She didn’t want to be bored but she really didn’t know what it is she wanted to do in her life. Not even in a video game. She didn’t care for actual fights and such, and she didn’t know of any fun and rewarding things to do other than questing. Maybe get a job like she should in the real world but still. Didn’t sound too much fun. So until then she was waiting here in a tavern drinking some ale. Sometimes it was beer sometimes ale sometimes mead and sometimes whiskey. She hadn’t enough coin to afford wine though. She knew the alcohol did not affect her but she drank anyway. She was of age now after all it only felt right. She was half through her bottle when another girl sat down and grumbled about pastries.

”Haha, no offence but that’s what you get for ordering that at a bar.” She smiled and took another drink. Something she learned was player foods were more tasty than box foods. “Didn’t you realise what this was when you walked in?”

[Vie 0]

She sighed and looked at a few of the textures around the room absentmindedly until the soda was passed to her by the bartender. It was only then that she realized the girl sitting next to her had begun responding. Knowing what it might look like to a bystander that knew what a tavern was just by the sight of it (she assumed), the girl tried to explain the error she had made, "Well, when I walked in I hadn't noticed the signage and I figured that I had to commit when I actually entered." Complete with smaller hand motions and acting a little dramatic and frustrated with herself. She was stuck in contemplation as to how to continue the conversation for a while, 'So... do you come here often?' seemed a little like what she didn't want to insinuate. Finally, she settled on, "What've you done lately? Anything exciting?" After the words fell from her mouth she took a long sip of her soda. As she takes the drink away from her lips and sets it back on the table, she does a long exhale with a grin growing on her face.

Edited July 27, 2020 by Vie

[Inanna 0]

So once she was inside she realised what this place was but decided against leaving anyway? “Ha, I like that. One hundred percent effort and determination. Though I’m assuming by your tone you don’t like bars all that much,” she said before taking another gulp of beer. She put it down with a sigh. “Player made drinks are so much better, but I can’t wait to try wine. Once I can afford it.”

she shrugged at the question. “Not rally, I drift from tavern to tavern, bar to bar. They’re all the same really.” She took another drink before letting it shatter in her hand. “Nah. Never was one for fighting for my life and there’s nothing to do if your poor,”

[Vie 0]

"Nah, not a big fan of them. I much prefer the exterior. There's a whole wide world to explore out there. Just thinking about certain people and what I've got to do keeps me motivated. It's nice to feel needed," the girl smiles to the one beside her hoping that perhaps one day her new 'friend' may become just as interested in moving on as well after listening to her words of sadness and lonesomeness. "You've got to work towards what you want in life, just like how in RPGs you combat beasts in order to attain the high-quality alcohol. People don't just *have* it, it takes effort." She gulps down the last of her soda, the carbonation sliding down her throat a pleasant feeling. Shifting around and hopping up onto her two feet she reaches out for Inanna's hand, "Would you be interested in some trial combat? Or perhaps a walk around while we talk for a while? I think a change of scenery might be nice," while glancing around the tavern in mild distaste.

[Inanna 0]

“Hmmmm, I bet.” She hummed thoughtfully. “Sadly I don’t have anything I really wanna accomplish. At least nothing that doesn’t threaten my life, which I’m not particularly eager to do at the moment.” She wanted people in her life though. Her eyes betrayed her longing to get out and explore but they also betrayed the fear of dying too. No money to hire bodyguards. She was stuck here and thus she was bored. “Yeah but in this case the effort requires risking your life. I don’t like that idea sweetheart.”  when she took Inannas hand she smiled widely. She always did love confident partners. “If you beat off the big bad monsters I’ll go wherever you’d like love~. I heard about a cherry blossom tree in this floor. Maybe we could walk there together?~”

[Vie 0]

As they chattered away Vie found Inanna to be friendly yet lacking any sort of drive which bothered her the most, "What's the point of being in the game in the first place if you don't even try to play it?" She asks, the situation didn't make any sense to Vie, yet she continued to try to wrap her head around it and give this woman the benefit of the doubt. She acts confused, practically zoning out with the amount of thinking she was doing over the topic, "It's another thing entirely if it's because of the fear of death, but not wanting to combat anything means you had no intention of playing the game from the start, as battle feels sort of inevitable..." she elaborates, continuing to act rather confused on the subject as she sits back down and orders another drink completely ignoring whatever else the girl might have said, this puzzle had intrigued her. The girl entertained any sort of ideas she came across that involved how Inanna might've meant to play or misunderstood the purpose of the game.