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[SP-F01] An Unfamiliar Refrain | <<Earning A Living | Performer>>


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With two quests out of the way, Acanthus became eager for more. No need to rush into danger though. I can start with some of the low-risk quests. Acanthus scrolled through the quest log. How about a profession? That should give some good experience, and it will probably end up bringing in a fair amount of col. It might even be a good way to meet some of the other players.

She glanced at the list. Blacksmith, Tailor, Appraiser… An interesting roster. She wanted something that *felt* like a fantasy game. I’m not in the real world, I might as well enjoy the fantasy while I can.

In the end, she settled on alchemy. Her meticulous nature would surely be a crafting advantage. And it looked like a good fit; her hobby in the real world was plants and gardening, but brewing potions and crafting crystals wasn’t exactly something she could do if she returned. When she returned.

 

Acanthus | HP: 120/120 | EN: 30/30 | DMG: 5 | MIT: 24 | EVA: 1 | LD: 2

Combat Inventory

  • (3) Starter Healing Potions
  • (5) Bertha's Brachiole
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The door sang as Acanthus entered the shop. Not just chimed—it sang. A loud, rock n’ roll riff blared through unseen speakers and caught her off guard. This isn't the potion shop.

As she turned to leave, the door’s melody morphed into a full rock intro. The speakers bottomed out as the tune struck a power chord. Acanthus yelped and nearly fell over. From the shadows, an enormous man strode out, lute in hand, and posed for an invisible camera.

“Here…”

The song grew even louder, drilling into Acanthus’ head.

“Is…”

The man raised his right hand, his hand held aloft like the sharp blade of a guillotine. Acanthus worried that he would break every string in a single stroke. 

“LANDON—AXEELLLLLLLL!”

A small barrage of fireworks erupted in the shop. Landon’s hand crashed into the lute, striking a chord that overwhelmed the room. The pyrotechnics mimicked Landon’s heavy, thrumming chords. He pressed a wooden pedal and the music looped, and began improvising a complicated, electrifying solo.

That lute is wooden. Where’s the amp?

Oblivious to the laws of nature, Landon’s music persisted. The song grew to a head, drowning out every other thought in Acanthus’ brain. It was like the music was physically taking up space, crowding the shop like hundreds of concertgoers until the shop could take no more and would burst—

“ALRIGHT!”

The music evaporated. Delayed echoes wafted to the rafters as Landon stood expectantly. Acanthus, frozen, tried to form words.

“Well? How did you like it?”

Her ears still rang from the onslaught. She struggled to even move her mouth. This has to be some spell.

Landon laughed. “Don’t sweat it! I have that effect on a lot of people!”

“Yes. I can believe that.”

“Oh, rockergirl, you’re a little more muted than I anticipated. Let me bring that volume down for ya.”

The lights dimmed, and the sounds of an orchestra tuning grew from the silence. When the tuning ceased,  the lights focused back to Landon, sitting on a stool, hand delicately splayed over the lute strings.

“Wait, where did that stool come from?”

Her question unheeded, Landon gently plucked the strings, testing their tuning. Then, he pierced the silence with a flawless and stunning falsetto, accompanied only by his (now acoustic) lute.

[Link to Song]
Flow, my tears, fall from your springs!
Exiled forever, let me mourn…

Speechless, Acanthus found herself enamored by the song.

Down vain lights, shine you no more!
No nights are dark enough for those.

It was an old; pre-Baroque, if she recalled her music lessons correctly. The melody was a simple and haunting melody. It needed nothing more to achieve its effect.

Never may my woes be relieved,
Since pity is fled…

Mom loved classical music. She had a record player that she played every day. I always got her old vinyl recordings of operas for her birthday.

And tears and sighs and groans my weary days
Of all joys have deprived.

I missed her birthday. Four months ago.

Hark! you shadows that in darkness dwell,
Learn to contemn light
Happy, happy they that in hell
Feel not the world’s despite.

Landon’s clear voice quavered on the last note before dissolving into the silence of the shop. Acanthis felt the wetness of her cheeks; she had been weeping silently. The sound of a single pair of hands clapping felt woefully inadequate to celebrate what she had just heard.

“Right on, rockergirl. It’s not my usual jam, but everyone’s got different tastes. The trick is feeling out your audience on the fly. That’s the sign of a great performer.”

Acanthus was busy discreetly drying her face. “That was beautiful.”

“Aw, thanks! Are you here to learn or are you just window shopping?”

“I, uh…” Acanthus gazed at her shoes. “I think I have the wrong shop. I was actually looking for Evangeline.”

Landon hung out his bottom lip in a mocking pout. “Aw, c’mon, Evangeline is great and all, but when’s the last time you had an emotional breakthrough brewing potions? Performing is where it’s at!”

“To be honest, I’m not much of a performer. I played a little violin back in high school.”

“Rockergirl, I don’t care if you didn’t know your lutes from your glutes. You’ve got that performer in you, I just know it.”

Acanthus couldn’t help but grin. “You just say that to anyone who walks in here for a show.”

Landon gave a large bow from his stool. “I do, and I mean it. Everyone can perform. Even you.” He let his words hang in the air while Acanthus considered them.

“Listen, I’m not gonna strongarm anyone into performing. Honestly, never had to. You gotta jump into this gig with your whole heart, and anything less than that isn’t enough! So just go out there and do some gathering. I’ll even give you a list of stuff that you can use here or at the Alchemist’s shop. You can do some soul-searching while you’re out in the field. If you decide the quiet life is more your style, then you can take those materials over to her instead.” Landon dramatically brought the back of his hand up to his forehead. “I promise to only be a little wounded to see such a consummate appreciator of the arts squander her talents on crystals and tinctures.”

Acanthus giggled at Landon’s antics. He truly knew how to work a room, even a room of one. Landon smiled warmly at Acanthus’ laughter and produced a list from one of his satchels.

“Here’s the stuff I’ll need. Once you come back, we’ll craft you an instrument.”
 

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Acanthus checked Landon’s list: tautwire gutgrass, whistle cedar, boar hair, bumpy gourfs, and crimson stalkweed. Acanthus recognized the last one: it was the red tumbleweed that she had harvested for Zackariah. Or tried to, at least. I guess that means that I really could take these over to Evangeline instead.

Alchemy seemed like the safer option. Acanthus had never really considered herself a wallflower, but the descriptor fit her far better than she cared to admit. She certainly had never sought the spotlight. She found comfort in the calm, quiet repetition of craft and research, away from prying eyes. She worked with men and women that spoke publicly, and she had never meshed with them well. She recognized their talent and the office’s need for public relations, but they were extroverts, and she found them grating at the worst of times. Always trying to prove themselves to others. She couldn’t see herself doing that.

But something about Landon’s performance had captivated her. His mournful song was something other than a performance, something more—it was an expression of himself, one facet among hundreds. Acanthus had no doubt Landon put as much soul into each of his other works as well. 

Soul? From a computer? It's just code. All of it. Everytime she said it, she believed it less. But Landon believes in me. (A computer believed in me. Because it’s programmed to.)

Acanthus clapped her face with both hands. One crisis at a time. She’d arrived at the gutgrass meadow. Observing the long, stringy plants, she pulled her knife and began to cut them in bundles. She had finished in no time. I really have come a long way, even in the last few days.

Spoiler

 

Post Action: Gathering Materials

Roll ID: 223981| LD: 19 + 2 = 21. (1) Material gained.

 

 

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With gutgrass in hand, Acanthus checked her map for the nearest whistle cedar nodes to harvest. Just her luck—they were clear across the plains. At least the other nodes were near the whistle cedar. She wouldn’t be running around all day… Just most of it.

With some time to let her mind wander, Acanthus considered Landon’s words. Everyone can perform. Even you. One one hand, Acanthus was inclined to disbelieve him. Well, not so much “disbelieve.” She believed that he believed. But was that enough to change career paths? She was comfortable when things were going to plan. Changing professions based on a wrong address was outside her comfort zone.

She put her train of thought on hold. The whistle cedars blew their jaunty tune loudly enough that Acanthus could hear them over the next hill. She had arrived. She worked at a few of the trees with her small knife, but the few branches that came off fragmented and disappeared. Looks like I’ll have to use something bigger.

 

Spoiler

 

Post Action: Gathering Materials

Roll ID: 223982 | LD: 6 + 2 = 8. Failure.

 

 

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She fished through her inventory for a small botanist’s hatchet. It appeared in her hand, and she began chopping down a few of the smaller trees. Back at work on the next grove of cedars, her thoughts turned back to Landon.

At the very least, Landon deserved a chance. It was kind of him to offer a list of materials that let her delay her decision. There were no high-pressure tactics at play. It made her trust Landon’s suggestion more.

You’re talking about this man like he’s a real person. She was. But frankly, she had met so many NPCs over the last few days that she was starting to lose sight of the line between NPCs and players. It was unsettled all her previous presumptions about this game. About how real it really was.

A shudder travelled up Acanthus’ arm, and her thoughts returned to the task at hand. She realized she had missed the tree entirely, and had damaged her hatchet on a nearby rock.

Idiot. Pay attention.

Spoiler

 

Post Action: Gathering Materials

Roll ID: 223984 | LD: 1 + 2 = 3. Failure.

 

 

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I spoke too soon when I said I had the hang of this. Acanthus had mutilated nearly half the grove at this point. The choir of whistling cedars had decayed to a few mournful participants.

What happens if I run out of cedars to chop down? What is the respawn rate on these trees? Days? Weeks?

She felt like it was never going to end. And I’ll be stuck out here forever, chopping down trees while the rest of the world moves on. They’ll come by to gawk at the girl that couldn’t chop down a single tree for a beginner quest.

Her next swing went wide, and splinters showered her face. She paused for a moment. She didn’t want to say or do anything rash.

Let the feelings through you. Don’t let them control you.

Acanthus sighed and hoisted her axe yet again. Perhaps a change of pace was in order.
 

 

Spoiler

 

Post Action: Gathering Materials

Roll ID: 223985 | LD: 2 + 2 = 4. Failure.

 

 

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“Oh thank the gods,” she grunted. The tree fell in a beautiful arc before separating into clean lengths of whistle cedar. She looked behind her, to what was now an empty field.

I really hope no one else needed any of this for the time being. Having to explain that I chopped down an entire grove for a single tree was not on my list of things that I wanted to do for the day.

Plopping down to the grass, Acanthus took stock of the fields of floor one. The harvest had left her out of breath, and she needed some time to allow her thoughts to recover as well. Even with the extra two ranks in search, I’m having a hard time gathering materials. Maybe I should have started with a foraging profession.

Grabbing the cedar from the ground, she placed it in her inventory before checking her map once more. I remember the boar hair was nearby… Ah, there it is.

An icon about half a kilometer away glowed red.

Spoiler

 

Post Action: Gathering Materials

Roll ID: 223991 | LD: 18 + 2 = 20. (1) material gained.

 

 

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Her bag whistled merrily as she walked along with the cedars. The boar hair would be next. She worried that she would have to fight again, but the nodes on the map revealed otherwise. Sharp, wiry bushes covered the area. Every few feet, Acanthus saw tufts of black hair stuck on these bushes. So the boars come by, and the hair rubs off. All I have to do is pick a few off.

But it was easier said than done. Acanthus reached for the nearest tuft of hair, and barely touched the bush before jerked her hand back. She sucked air through her teeth.

“That is sharp!” She yelled in surprise. She hadn’t taken any damage, but the sensation was something akin to a large static shock. It was unpleasant enough that Acanthus has no intention of braving the “pain” for her hair. Gingerly, she worked the end of the hair loose with her ax before pulling it gently free from the bush.
 

Spoiler

 

Post Action: Gathering Materials

Roll ID: 223993 | LD: 17 + 2 = 19. (1) material gained.

 

 

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Nearby, the bumpy gourfs awaited.

Hold on. Gourfs?

Acanthus had first thought Landon simply mispelled “gourds.” That, or he had selectively bad handwriting. But when she arrived at the node, there was not a gourd in sight.

What she did see was an entire field of gourfs, no two alike in color or size. There were large gourfs, small gourfs; black gourfs, white gourfs, and every color inbetween. They were impossible to describe other than the fact that they were indeed bumpy. She tried to draw one so that she could try to better explain them, but no drawing did them justice. All she could say is that she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that these strange… things… were bumpy gourfs.

Exasperated at the strangeness of the gourfs, Acanthus picked up her ax and began swinging. Chunks of gourf went flying as she attempted to harvest what she could from the patch.

Spoiler

 

Post Action: Gathering Materials

Roll ID: 223994 | LD: 5 + 2 = 7. Failure.

 

 

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It turns out that’s it’s hard to harvest something you can’t quite describe. Acanthus tried pulling them out by the root, but she couldn’t tell where the roots were. She hacked the tops off to try and pull the seeds out of the inside, but they shattered into blue shards the moment she looked inside. Not when she cut them, mind you—the moment she tried to peer inside.

I think whoever put these into the game had gone through the looking glass one too many times. This vegetable(?)... can’t be real.

She fished around in the dirt for a gourf. Wiggling her fingers, she felt something like the top (or maybe bottom?) of one, and she yanked.

“Well, that’s not a gourf.” A small mole wriggled free of her grip before running to a safe distance and chittering angrily. It then burrowed back underground. This game is taunting me. I can’t believe I mustered up the courage to leave the city gates and… dig through dirt.

Spoiler

 

Post Action: Gathering Materials

Roll ID: 223995 | LD: 5 + 2 = 7. Failure.

 

 

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Unbelievable. She had scrounged up three more moles, two rusty bits of metal, and a boot that looked strangely like Pete’s mom’s lucky boot from the previous quest. She slumped down against a tree with her head in her hands.

“At least this time I don’t have to worry about running out of these… terrors.” She almost wish she would. She could then wash her hands of the whole thing; offer the universe a hearty “don’t blame me, I tried,” before going back to live a life of quiet solitude in Tolbana.

But the gourfs persisted. What’s more, they seemed to propagate right before her very eyes. After she broke or destroyed one, the next time she looked back there would be two more.

Which gave her an idea.

She picked up the nearest gourf and smashed it. As the pieces started to hit the ground, she quickly inspected one of the fragments. It read: [GOURF FRAGMENT: Status | Junk item.]

She quickly placed it in her inventory and closed. A few seconds later, the objective completion noise went off. Acanthus jumped up. Sure enough, it because a bumpy gourf in her inventory!

Let’s hope that not all the gathering locations involve weird little puzzles like that.

Spoiler

 

Post Action: Gathering Materials

Roll ID: 223996 | LD: 14 + 2 = 16. (1) material gained.

 

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Finally, Acanthus doubled back to the clearing where she attempted to harvest the crimson stalkweed. Sure enough, plenty of the bushes had respawned the clearing. Acanthus knelt down to the nearest bush, using the techniques she previously gleaned. Acanthus moved from bush to bush, working to harvest what she could from each. About halfway through her work, she heard a quiet voice from behind her.

“Um, is this your field? I mean, can I have some of these… red things?”

Acanthus continued to work without looking up. “Of course. I won’t stop you.” Acanthus heard the soft sounds of boots working their way through the grass, followed by hands sifting through the tumbleweeds.

She thought to strike up some conversation. She hadn’t ever met anyone else out in the field, player or NPC. As she pondered what to say, she grabbed the end of the nearest twig and tried to twist off some of the leaves. The whole bush vaporized, leaving Acanthis disappointed. The other girl hadn’t noticed, or at least chose not to say anything.

Spoiler

 

Post Action: Gathering Materials

Roll ID: 223999 | LD: 4 + 2 = 6. Failure.

 

 

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Acanthus broke the silence. “Try working from the base of the plant outwards. I think it helps.”

“R-right. Thank you.” More silence. Then, the rustling continued.

“... is this your first time outside Tolbana?”

“Yes ma’am. I’m a little nervous.”

Acanthus laughed. “Please, just call me Acanthus.”

“O… Okay. Acanthus.”

“It’s okay to be nervous. I didn’t venture out into the wilds until last week.”

“Yea. I feel like I’ve been in that town for my whole life.”

“So you’re ready to move up to the second floor then?”

Another pause. “No, I don’t think so. My brother is down here with me, and I don’t think I could leave him.”

“Ah. I understand. I have a brother back home. If he were here, I don’t think I could leave him behind either. What’s your brother’s name?”

“Deleon.”

“What an interesting name. Where does it come from?”

“That’s what mom and dad named him.”

Acanthus chuckled. “I suppose that makes sense. I just thought he might have picked a different username, but I know a few people that used their real name.”

She had spent all this time talking and had completely forgotten to gather, but she didn't mind. She was enjoying the conversation.

Spoiler

 

Post Action: Gathering Materials

Roll ID: 224000 | LD: 1 + 2 = 3. Failure.

 

 

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Acathus had gotten wrapped up in the conversation again. She wasn’t sure how long it was going to take her, but this time she didn’t mind. The voice behind her provided pleasant company. She wondered how much the other girl had gathered at this point. Well, there’s no reason to worry about it. Focus on your own haul and that’s all you can do. If she finishes before you and wants to stay and chat, then it’s all the better.

Acanthus doubled down on the nearest weeds and began pulling them up from the roots. Unfortunately, her change in pace did not accomplish the job. She had been so close this time too—a perfect bundle of the leaves in her hand before it vaporized before her very eyes. The voice labored on without so much as a comment.

“So what brought you outside the gates?”

The voice hesitated. Acanthus almost looked back to make sure she hadn’t disappeared, but then she answered.

 

Spoiler

 

Post Action: Gathering Materials

Roll ID: 224001 | LD: 12 + 2 = 14. Failure.

 

 

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“I need a little more col to support my brother. We’ve had a rough last few weeks, and some of these weeds can fetch a good price at Evangeline’s or Zackariah’s.”

“I was actually thinking about taking these to Evangeline myself. Either him or Landon.”

“Landon is quite the character, isn’t he?”

“You can say that again,” Acanthus chuckled. “I stumbled into his shop by accident, and here I am, thinking about changing professions. All because I didn’t read my quest log properly.”

“He’s a good man. He likes to perform at all the local taverns, free of charge. A lot of the owners think he could stand to turn the music down, but they all agree he’s worth the noise complaints. And…”

“And what?” Acanthus coaxed her.

“When he plays… Whenever I hear him, it just lifts all the troubles off my heart. It helps me forget just how awful these last few years have been.”

Wrapped up in her conversation, Acanthus let her tools slip yet again. She made a distressed noise as the materials shattered.

Spoiler

 

Post Action: Gathering Materials

Roll ID: 224177 | LD: 6 + 2 = 8. No materials.

 

 

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The conversation died out as the two girls worked some more. Acanthus heard the sound of the other girl standing up and dusting off her hands. Acanthus, set on a particularly gnarled branch, remained engrossed in her work. She had just successfully clipped the crimson stalkweed, and busied herself putting it away.

“Thanks for keeping me company, Acanthus.”

“Don’t mention it, um…?”

“Lily.”

“Lily. Anytime you need something, just message me.”

“Ok. I’ll be sure to send you a letter.”

Amused, Acanthus replied, “I appreciate your commitment to roleplaying, but wouldn’t it make more sense just to add me as a friend? I mean, how would you send me a letter if you don’t know where I am?”

No reply. The wind gently brushed through the grass, whistling mournfully in Acanthus’ ears.

She looked up. The girl that belonged to the voice was gone. Except for the harvested tumbleweeds, there was no sign she had been there.

Wait. Acanthus was taken aback. Was that even a player?
 

Spoiler

 

Post Action: Gathering Materials

Roll ID: 224178 | LD: 20 + 2 = 22. (1) material gained.

 

 

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“You’re awfully quiet this time around. Did everything go well?”

Could I check the player registry? But there’s a few ways to spell Lily. Maybe there’s an i on the end? Or two l’s? Deleon may be a better starting point.

“Hey, rockergirl! You ok?”

Acanthus snapped out of her thoughts and back into Landon’s studio. “Sorry, Landon. Everything went well. I just had a weird encounter out there. Speaking of, do NPCs… I mean, do villagers ever go out to the fields, or is it just adventurers?”

Landon furrowed his brow. “Not everyone, no. Some shopkeepers will go out and gather on their own, but a few unlucky ones have died from boar attacks. So the timid ones just settle for sending out adventurers.”

“I see. Thank you.” Acanthus was lost as ever. “Well, I have your materials right here. Do you mind showing me what we can make with this?”

Landon leaned over the goods to check them. “Alright, this is just what we need! Now, before we begin… You’re sure about performing? Evangeline is a great teacher too.”

“You’re very kind to ask again. But I've made my decision. If you think I have what it takes, then I'll do it. I trust you.”

Landon struck a power pose. “Yea! Told ya I never had to strongarm anybody. The stage calls to whom it calls. And its about to be yours, rockergirl. So what do you want to make?”
 

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Acanthus considered what kind of instrument she wanted to craft. Performing was already a big step for her, so she wanted to keep the instruments her comfort zone.

“I think I remember a little bit of violin from my childhood. Could we do one of those?”

Landon cocked his head. “No violins here, rockergirl. But I’ve got something similar.” He produced an uncannily similar instument. Acanthus thought it looked like a violin that had been stung by bees too many times.

“This is a viol. It’s still got four strings and you still bow it. Some of the fingerings are the same, but it’s a bigger size so you’ll have to adjust.”

Secretly, Acanthus was grateful for the larger size. The violin had always felt cramped for her hands. Having grown taller than most of the kids in her class, her height and “mannish hands” had been a source of ridicule amongst her crueler classmates. When the time came to pick an instrument, she wanted to play string bass, or even the cello. But her father had made the choice for her. Violin is what young girls play. It will look better on your resume. And so violin it was.

Carefully, Landon guided her as she set the frame of the instrument using the whistle cedar. It tooted a carefree tune as she gently bent the wood into its proper shape. “It’ll stop singing once we get it put together, don’t worry.”
 

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When the viol’s string popped off the pegs for the third time, Acanthus wondered whether it was too late to become an alchemist instead. Landon remained optimistic.

“Aw, rockergirl! That was so close! Keep your wrists firm and flexible as you wind the strings into the scroll!”

Wristwork, flexibility. This was nothing like the video games she saw her brother play. Crafting in those games was always a matter of selecting ingredients and punching a button. Here, Acanthus felt like she was learning a whole new trade. And all for the lowest-level crafts. Grandmaster recipes probably include trigonometry and memorizing classic literature, she joked dryly.

“That’s it! You’ve done it!”

Acanthus stood over a complete viol, dark varnish warmly reflecting the candlelights of the studio. A small, satisfying “ping” sounded in the back of her skull. She had succeeded. Her wrists ached, but she had succeeded.

“Why don’t you give it a quick play? I’ve got a recording crystal right here. Let your debut go down in history!”

Picking up the viol, she reacquainted herself with its shape. Sure enough, it was far bigger than she was used to. Her first attempts to play into the recording were horrendous.

"I'm sorry Landon. Maybe I just need some time to practice."

Landon swapped out recording crystals; she had shattered the first one with her playing. "Nah, you just need to loosen up a little and let it come back to you! Don't stress; just play a little something when you're ready."

Landon believes I can do this. And I'm already out of my comfort zone anyways. What do I have to lose?

She took another breath to steady her nerves, and returned to a playing position. This time, she stopped focusing on the minutiae. She blocked out the parts where her father sternly warned her to stand straight, keep her back upright and her fingers curved. I just want to tell others that it's going to be ok. That no matter how long it takes, we're going to finish the death game, and we're going to do it together.

As if brought to life by her thoughts, the viol began bowing a bittersweet tune. A brief, falling ostinato repeated twice before she began to sing.

Gilded cage and devil's curse,

A land of flowers wrapped in thorns.

Come one, come all, and hear my words,

The angels drive the sinner's hearse.

As she sang, she noticed other instruments began to layer in. A mournful flute provided countermelody, while an invisible harp strummed chords. The lyrics continued unbidden from her mouth. This feels like firing off a sword art. It seems like muscle memory, but I haven't played in years. Eventually, the song faded into nothingness, and the studio was left again in silence.
 

Spoiler

 

Quest Action: Crafting T1 Support Song

Roll ID: 224178 | CD: 3. Failure. (1) material lost.

Roll ID: 224179 | CD: 11. Success. Rare (2 slots) T1 Support song crafted. Enhancements are HP Recovery 2. (1) material lost.

 

 

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This time, it was Landon’s turn to applaud. There was a single tear in his eye. I don’t think that’s for show, either. I really think he liked it. Still applauding, Landon bellowed, “what a natural! You still think you were meant for a stuffy old pharmacy?”

“I think… I think this is a good choice. One of many, but a good choice nonetheless.” Landon rolled his eyes. “From someone as reserved as you, that’s a resounding yes.”

“Yes. I think it is.” Acanthus tried to hide a smile, but Landon caught it. “Look at you, rockergirl! You’re busting down those little obstacles in your life, one at a time. I’m proud of ya.” The compliment was like morning sun on a cold flower. Acanthus drew herself up, and began to

QUEST COMPLETED

flashed across her screen and startled Acanthus. For a moment, she had forgotten that she was in a video game.
 

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