[SP-F01] da capo <<Earning a Living: Appraiser>>

[Arabelle 0]

you are coming down with me, hand in unlovable hand.

Spoiler [ profession change from performer to appraiser. this is a flashback thread taking place three years in the past. ] STATS: Spoiler LEVEL 37 (BASE 33; PARAGON 4): HP: 660/660 | EN: 104/104 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 20 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 1 | BH: 5% | LD: 1

20(28)

between her fingers, margaret turned and turned a glass.

stars, planet, void, and cosmos swam in languorous circles, like tiny fish drifting away from disturbances in the water. trapped in a palm-sized orb, the model universe comprised a kaleidoscope of colors, none of them aligned. every movement produced a different image than the one before. pinprick celestial bodies crashed and stuck together like magnets, then split against a stronger current. the orange planet drifted close to the edge of the globe and a careful flick of her finger against the glass sent it sailing back into the center. aincrad had no knowledge of such things, at least to her understanding, but this ornament was not forged by human hands. that was what fascinated her, far from the rabble and the confusion following the black storm of yesterday: it was unearthed, not made.

• DRAX: ah! good eye, my lady!
• DRAX: this crystal ball was found in the deepest reaches of the iron dungeon and it is said to predict the movement of the skies themselves. very few of its type exists in the market, and this one wouldn't have been uncovered without my skillful discernment.
• DRAX: fifty thousand col, at the lowest.

against the black mirror of the glass, the reflection of a young woman tilted her head. the warm lighting of the merchant's cramped little shop lent much color to her physicality, as did every bright place in aincrad where she usually loved to dwell. all by herself, her impression was ashen. pale hair that was nearly long enough to touch the back of her knees, thin wrists covered by gloves, and light clothes occasionally with a splash of dark royal blue and gold at the standing collar of her outer robes. her eyes, though, were a different story. they had always been a stark bleeding red.

margaret gently laid the object back in its silken cradle. she thought for a moment.

• ARABELLE?: rather than buy...
• ARABELLE?: i'd like to learn how to look for these oddities myself. would you be willing to teach me?
• DRAX: i don't do anything for free.
• DRAX: give me three unidentified items and i'll show you how to appraise them. you'll get one of your choosing and i keep the other two to sell here my own shop.
• DRAX: a generous deal for the skill's potential.
• ARABELLE?: indeed.
• ARABELLE?: hm, i sold off all such items a short while ago. now i regret it.

the player slid back her chair and stood, careful not to knock her legs against the table. she stretched her arms, bending them back over her head, then she flipped her hood on and waved a friendly goodbye to the man running the shop.

• ARABELLE?: thanks for letting me stay! i'll come back with your items soon.

what else is there to do at the start of a new world than to occupy oneself with an equally novel pursuit?

Edited September 4 by Arabelle