[PP-F4] Earning a Living(Rook/Ariel) Complete

[Rook 0]

As Rook sat outside the safe zone on the forth floor, he could not help but feel down in the dumps. Although Rook didn't feel bad for doing what he had to do, the consequences for his actions had put many new obstacles in his way. Being a low level orange player, Rook was constantly having to watch his back for any players who might come along and judge him prematurely by his orange tag and try to eliminate him. This task was made substantially harder by his limited access to gear. While all the other players had open access to all the NPC shops and player crafters located in the safe zone. Rook had to depend on drops from monsters to get his gear, which so far had been completely unsuccessful. When Rook had started the game, he had scoffed at the idea of professions. "Adventuring will be my profession" he thought. Now in his current predicament however, Rook had wished he would of taken up a profession like smithing or tailoring. "What I wouldn't give to be able to make my own gear" Rook groaned. Looking around to see if there where any other players around, he didn't notice anyone in the area. Deciding it was safe to let his guard down a bit, at least for a short moment or two that is. Rook stretched his arms high into the air and laid back on the rock he had been sitting on. Watching as the clouds rolled overhead, he thought about what his next move was gonna be.

[Ariel - The Crowned Lion 0]

Ariel was just returning to her shop after an errand she had to make at the first floor. "Finally home!" she said as we exited Snowfrost Village and headed towards her shop located nearby. Her trusty companion was as always, beside her, with her breath visible in the cold air that was a fundamental part of this floor she now liked to call 'home'. She took a look around the surrounding, admiring the fairy-tale like landscape, all covered in snow and Ice. She might as had seen a nearby player sitting on the rock but decided to ignore him as she made her way towards the shop. "Keep an eye on him for me would you girl?" she asked her white furred companion that simply growled at her. She noticed his orange marker but saw as well that he wore basic starter gear. 'A PKer still in starting gear? That's a rare sight' she thought while taking a hidden glance at him before reaching her shop's front gate.

[Rook 0]

As Rook laid there on the rock, he thought about returning to one of the lower floors. It was cold on this floor and without being able to enter the village he figured he had a slim chance of finding decent shelter. Standing up, he once again took in his surroundings, trying to detect if there was any reason to be on guard. For some reason he felt like he was being watched, his instincts not often wrong he proceeded to look around with caution. Paying close attention to the ground he noticed two sets of tracks going through the area. One of the sets he was sure was made by a player, the other he wasn't sure what to make of. They appeared to be animal tracks, but there was no sign of a fight between the player in the animal, at least none that he could see from the tracks. "Maybe the player is a beast tamer" he thought to himself. Rook had herd there was a quest that allowed you to gain a familiar, so far he hadn't come across any players that had completed it though. However to be fair, Rook had avoided most contact with players since the situation with Violet. As the snow continued to fall, it quickly filled in the smaller tracks left by the animal. If he was being watched by someone or something, he wanted to find out why. Deciding to follow the players tracks before they to were filled in, he set off in the direction that they were leading.

 

Following the tracks the best he could, Rook came to a stop in front of a large sign. "The Lion's Den" Examining the sign and the building it was attached to, Rook guessed it to be some sort of player run shop. "Do I go in?" he asked himself. As Rook thought about the situation he new that every decision in this game could put a player in harms way. "Sure, this player may not be friendly to me. But, with my options so limited I don't really have much to loose." Opening the door slowly he intended to try and enter quietly, hoping to get a chance to look around before anyone noticed he was there. To his dismay however there was a set of bells placed over the door that rang slightly as he opened it. The door fully opened, Rook could barely make out the blur that rushed past him. "What was that he thought to himself" Looking into the room, what appeared to be a lion cub was staring back at him. Taking in the rest of his surroundings he noticed two music posters in particular hanging behind the counter, and a rapier on display. Walking to the center of the room, he tried to move cautiously around the lion cub.

[Ariel - The Crowned Lion 0]

After entering the shop, Ariel let Kimba do as she pleased while she headed to the counter and arrange some stuff below it. Kimba ignored her as she went in front of the chimney fire and tried to take a nap. Her plans were foiled when the cub heard the already familiar sound of the entrance bells so she stood up and went to investigate, taking a few sniffs she noticed that the air held a unfamiliar smell so she went towards the source. It was a the same guy they spotted earlier, sitting alone on that rock.

 

Upon hearing the bells Ariel rose from beneath the counter and took a look at her potential customer, recognizing him. "Welcome to the Lion's Den, what can I help you with?" she said while putting on her usual greeting smile, that then turned into a serious face the next instant. "I saw you on that rook earlier...more importantly, I noticed that marker so I thought that you didn't need us disturbing you." the blond points out to the orange tag above his head. "You're lucky you didn't end up in somebody elses shop. I won't ask how you got it when you're still geared up in the starting equipment. That is something that you'd reveal with time if you wish to do so...but I must at least warn you that, you embarked on a dangerous journey in SAO by taking up that marker."

 

She then went under her counter and picked up the cape she made earlier, then threw it to him. "If you're planning on hiding at this level I can praise you for that idea. Not many enjoy the freezing cold this floor happily offers but you should at least dress yourself properly. Take this, it isn't much but I can guarantee that it's better than the starting stuff you got." she said showing a faint smile. There she was..helping another newbie with an item like the now large amount of players before him. Kimba on the other hand decided to slowly approach the guy and see if he was friendly and maybe give her some attention. 

 

Gifted Item to Rook:

 

Name: Deception

Item Type: Leather Armor

Quality: Rare

Enhancements: +2 Savvy

Shop: The Lion's Den

 

Description: A medium size cape with a slim butterfly design on the back. The wings of the butterfly are set up to resemble feline's face baring its fangs like the natural defence system of a real butterfly.

 

((Extra points for reading Ariel sensei's shop description!!!

((sry for the late post..reading Daeron's OP and thinking of joining in.

[Rook 0]

Catching the cloak as it flew towards him, he was put at ease by the players demeanor. "The name is Rook" Inspecting the item he could tell that it was well made, although it was by no means the best item in the game. The player was right when she said it was better then anything he had. "Did you make this?"  Looking down at the lion club, Rook was somewhat unsure of how to act around it. Maybe its like a dog, should I pet it? he thought to himself. "He's not going to attack me is he?" Rook asked with a questionable tone. Looking around the shop, he liked the feel of the place. Being that most buildings were located in the safe zones, it had been a long time since he had been indoors. "If you did make this" he said holding up the cloak. "Do you think there would be any chance you could teach me how to make one?" Rook new it was a long shot to ask, after all they had just met and he hadn't even given her a chance to introduce herself. That being said, this was the first decent opportunity he had to make some progress forward since earning his orange tag and couldn't justify not taking a shot for it. Hopefully I didn't blow my chance by rushing it. He thought to himself.

[Ariel - The Crowned Lion 0]

She looked at the guy, on closer inspection he appeared to be around her age, good. Ariel was not in the mood to deal with spoiled kids, seeing as he showed the decency to introduce himself, the blond returned it by saying "My name is Ariel and yes I made it since this is my tailor shop. That article in particular was made a day ago like those." Then points to a black girl's school uniform with her shops logo, a black skirt and 3 plushies that were more like small weapon accessories(like the things that hang on phones or school bags).

 

She cleared her throat while continuing : "And SHE won't attack you, unless you show some hostile intentions that it. Feel free to pet her she likes the attention." she says after hearing him refer to Kimba in a improper mode. After hearing his wish Ariel laid there in thought for 10-15 seconds staring at her polished counter. "I can do better than that. I can teach you how to earn your keep and maybe some basic combat while we're at it. Things at the shop...have been pretty slow lately and we need to get into action again. I can't have her sleeping all day." she didn't knew why she accepted, out of boredom? was she feeling pity towards him? did Kiru's words about PKers and recent events made her be more acceptant towards PKers? she didn't care anyway..

[Rook 0]

Rook bent down and stroked Kimba behind the ears, watching for a reaction the lion cub seemed to enjoy the attention.  Now at ease around the lion, he took this time to inspect the player who had introduced her self as Ariel more closely. She's pretty cute  he thought to himself. Normally Rook would never pass up a chance to make a move on a pretty woman, in this circumstance however he didn't want to risk anything going wrong.  Surprised that she agreed to help him so quickly, Rook couldn't help but feel his spirits start to rise. That being said however Rook was still cautious of the situation. The last time he had trusted another player was Violet and she turned out to be planning to kill him the whole time. Is this some sort of trick? Thinking it over, Rook found it unlikely Ariel had any ill intentions. After all, Even if she did what could I do about it? I'm already here and she is vastly above my level, I'm pretty much at the mercy of her will. Putting his trust into the player, Rook was just happy to have the opportunity to learn and improve. "Thank you he said"  Replying to Ariel's acceptance to teach him. "So whats the first step then?"

[Ariel - The Crowned Lion 0]

Kimba happily accepted Rook to scratch her ear since Ariel wouldn't do that...not even once but she understand the blond's circumstances and didn't complain but it was nice to have somebody do it. She started purring like a kitten while adopting a more comfortable position. Ariel looked at the guy with a satisfied smile:

"I'll take you the same way my teacher took me. Curious enough I found myself walking into a tailor's shop at the first floor by random, some would say 'fate' had something to do with it but I'm not a big fan of that word. I for one believe it's up to a person to decide the way she/he chooses to live." She said while putting her elbows on the counter and supporting her head while remembering her first encounter with Diana.

 

Then shows a small mischievous smile: "The first step you ask??? well you will need materials to make your items right? In that case you have to go and get some. you'll need 3 materials...very specific materials... 3 'Dire Wolf Pelts' that is all needed to make yourself some nice clothes that will keep you warm here. And you are in luck as they could be found in the forest nearby my shop. I can send Kimba with you if you think you need any help." she said while nodding at her familiar after getting her attention by saying her name. 

[Rook 0]

Rook looked down at Kimba and gave her another scratch behind the ears, sizing her up as he did. He knew that most of the monsters on this floor were much stronger then him and that if he attempted to find the lower level ones his chances of getting the loot he needed would be much less. The lion appeared to be strong, but Rook wasn't sure if she was strong enough to help him take on a full grown dire wolf.  "A dire wolf you say?" Rook asked as he scratched the back of his head. "Last time I checked those things were pretty strong. What would you maybe say about coming along and lending out a helping hand?" Asking the question, Rook hoped that she would agree to come along. Having her around would defiantly make the process go a lot smoother  he thought to himself. That being said, Rook was prepared to do whatever was necessary to complete the task at hand, whether he had to kill 1000 small wolves or three monstrous ones, alone or with a partner he was up for the challenge.

 

As he stood there hopping for a positive response to his request, he thought about what she had said about fate. Rook like Ariel, liked to believe that he to was free to choose the way he wanted to live. After all, growing up he did always choose to be different then the rest of his family and that always worked out for him. Trapped in the game however, he couldn't help feeling that maybe there was some such thing as fate. After all, he certainly didn't choose to be locked inside a death game, but here he was all the same. Rook noted the topic and decided he might ask Ariel more about her beliefs later.

[Ariel - The Crowned Lion 0]

Ariel gave a smirk when she heard Rook's question and responded in a slightly condescending tone: "What did you expect a walk in the park. I am Aincrad's finest tailor. If it would be easy for somebody to be my apprentice, every aspiring tailor newb would be knocking on my front door. And I personally don't want that." her tone was a bit harsh but necessary, she didn't want to get too close while fighting alongside him. Memories from recent events were still vivid in her mind and she didn't want to lose control like that while with another player, again...or get even close to that state.

 

"As I said, I'll send Kimba with you if you want..but I can't guarantee that she will help even if I tell her, she's like that, doing whatever she wants most of the time. Well that was part of our agreement anyway." said the blond in a serious tone, letting a faint smile show itself when she mentioned the agreement between her and Kimba. "Oh and I forgot to tell you, that there is a time limit as well...or better said a mood limit. If she gets bored while with you and comes back here alone you don't have to bother coming back. Consider her as my assistant and your evaluator for this first stage. Well you also have the possibility to go alone and return before sundown. It's up to you." she said with a mischievous smile. She knew that those were harsh conditions but she wanted to make sure he had what it took to become her apprentice. Not getting along with her companion would be a big minus for him.

[Rook 0]

As Rook looked to Kimba, he thought about the options Ariel had laid out to him. Although the task of killing these beasts would certainly be made easier with a lion at his side, he didn't have a guarantee Kimba would actually help. In addition it would add an unknown variable to the situation, although it seemed pretty easy now to stay on Kimba's good side by simply giving her some attention. Once out on the hunt, Rook doubted he would have the time to give her a scratch behind the ears during the heat of battle. On the other hand going at it alone would definitely be harder with the added time limit, he was unsure what time of day it was now, but if luck wasn't on his side he guessed it would be very easy for him to bust the time limit if luck didn't go his way. That would mean the only way he could be for sure to make the time limit would be to take on mobs with almost double his health and by himself no less.

 

Rook knelt down to give Kimba one last good scratch and in the process apologized to her. "It's nothing personal, but this opportunity is really important to me so the only person I can depend on to get this done is me." Standing back up Rook thought about the lion cub and how he had already taken a liking to him. Facing Ariel he announced his decision to her. "I appreciate your offer to take Kimba with me, but I'm going to have to go at this one alone. It's nothing against Kimba, I have just learned that the only person worth depending on when the stakes are high is myself." Rook opened up his inventory menu and equipped the cape Ariel had given him a few moments earlier. "Well... if there is nothing else and your sure you want to pass up the chance to go for a stroll through the woods with a handsome bloke such as myself. I guess I should get going before it gets any later in the day."  With that Rook turned and made his way towards the door.

[Ariel - The Crowned Lion 0]

Seeing him voice his thoughts made Ariel feel somehow reassured that she'd chosen well in already taking the decision of making him her apprentice, even if the brunette didn't knew that..he didn't need too, yet. Before he left she nodded to him "Well then I guess I'll be seeing you in several hours then. Good luck." Honestly she was a little surprised that he chosed to go alone but didn't show it, instead she went to her shop's display and picked up a item as he turned around to leave. "Hey you forgot this!" she said.

 

Once Ariel was sure he stopped him from leaving she'd throw him something small with a string attached to it. Her expression didn't change to much as she spoke next: "Here's a little company for the 'handsome bloke' to make sure he doesn't get lonely out there in the cold." then she went back to her original place, behind the counter. Kimba on the other hand let out a satisfied roar, like cheering for him, as the guy leaved and then went to her usual spot to get warm. 

 

Gifted Item2 to Rook:

Item: Doggy

Item type : Plushie
Quality: Rare
Enhancement: +2 Loot Dice
Shop: The Lion's Den
Description : A cute cotton filled plushie that was meant to resemble X's cute little husky. The mentor tailor made it after meeting Maruchan a few times, in this time taking a liking to the little furry friend. It can easily be attached to the hilt of one's weapon. Some say these plushies bring good luck.

[Rook 0]

Catching the object as she threw it to him he held it out in front of him as to examine it. I wonder if she knew that huskies were my favorite breed of dog? Nah... she couldn't have he thought to himself. "Thank you" he said to Ariel as he also shot her a smile. Drawing his sword, he attached the plushie to the hilt and gave it a once over. I can't really say that it will strike fear into the hearts of my enemies, but I do kinda like it. Not wanting to waste anymore time Rook headed out the door into the frigged air of the fourth floor. Now outside Rook did some light stretching and then set off into the woods in search of some dire wolves.

 

Out in the forest it didn't take long for Rook to find what he was looking for. Hiding up against a tree, he watched as a small dire wolf came trotting through the woods. Pulling his sword from his back he knew it would only be a few seconds before he was inside the wolf's agro range. Sensing the player, the wolf darted towards Rook and attempted to bite him, prepared for it however he easily managed to side step the attack. Now on the wolf's flank, Rook lifted his sword into the air before quickly bringing it down onto the wolf. After a few short moments it shattered into thousands of shards leaving nothing but a loot orb behind. Stepping forward and activating the orb, Rook felt lucky that he got a drop on his first attempt.

 

ID: 13697 BD: 4+2=6 MD: 1 LD: 14+2=16

 

Rook-11/11(Deals 2 damage to wolf)

 

Small Dire Wolf-0/2

 

((One Dire wolf Pelt drops from Loot Roll))

[Ariel - The Crowned Lion 0]

After the guy left Ariel directed her attention towards Kimba, who almost felled asleep. Asking with a sharp voice that reveal a tone of curiosity: "Hey don't go sleeping on me now, What do you think about that guy??? What does your instincts tell you..can he be trusted?" as she addressed those questions the blond went at one of the curtained windows and discreetly peeked through it. There she saw the brunette making some warming up exercises in front of her shop and then walking away in the woods. The lion cub didn't make a gesture as it was apparently sleeping or deliberately ignoring her. Ariel was pretty sure it was the first one.

 

"I forgot to tell him to watch out for any Ice Elementals.. that lurk near the mountain range." she said while remembering her <<Avalanche>> quest that she did a while ago. Those things weren't that bad but she was several levels above him and had 2 others with her. "This could end bad...better make sure he doesn't get hurt...too much." a small grin appeared across her face as she turn around and shouts at Kimba: "Hey! want to go for a walk?" she asked but her companion was already sleeping for a while.

 

"Fine, I'll go by myself!" she said in a lower tone as she went through the shop's front entrance. Quickly trailing Rook before the snow covered his tracks she hears sound of fighting. 'Bingo' she thought while watching their fight from far away. Well the exchange,to be more precise, was ended with one hit Rook obliterated the wolf and got himself a new pelt..'Maybe I should have said a bigger number than 3'.

[Rook 0]

Continuing his journey through the woods, it wasn't long before he spotted another small wolf. If he could get lucky and have this fight go the same as the last one, Rook was confident that if he needed to he could take on one of the higher level wolves to get the last pelt. Looking up at the sun through the trees, Rook tried to get a baring on how much time he had left. Seeing the sun was a little over halfway through the sky, he knew he still had a couple of hours to complete the task.

 

As Rook stood there staring up into the sky, he had allowed his mind to slip from concentrating on the small wolf that he had spotted. Getting close enough to since him, the wolf darted through the woods towards Rook. Still standing there unaware of the impending attack, Rook didn't know anything was wrong until what felt like a sludge hammer hit him in the back. Falling to the ground and rolling over to his back, the wolf was immediately on top of him biting and snapping its jaws furiously. Unable to get the wolf off of him, he noticed his sword which he had dropped from his hand when the wolf had bum rushed him from behind. Struggling to reach for it, Rook was barely able to get his finger tips on it. Using them to manipulate the sword into a position where he could grab it, Rook was finally able to pick up the sword. The sword now in his hand, he plunged it up and into the wolf. After a few seconds the wolf like the last one shattered into shards leaving just a loot orb behind. Activating the orb, Rook couldn't believe that he could have been so careless as to have forgotten about the mob. At least I lucked out and got the second pelt I needed though he thought to himself.

 

ID: 13729 BD: 9 MD: 10 LD:18+2=20

 

Rook-8/11(Hits small wolf for 3 damage)

 

Small Dire wolf-0/2(Hits Rook for 1+2(Critical)=3 damage)

 

Dire Wolf Pelts-2/3

 

One dire wolf pelt drops from Loot roll.

 

 

((It would seem the Dice Gods want me to become Ariels apprentice with these awesome loot roles, hopefully I haven't spoken to soon.))

[Ariel - The Crowned Lion 0]

After he finished the wolf and collected the material, Rook continued to make his way in the woods as did Ariel, shadowing him. It wasn't long before he would face yet another wolf. 'Just the beginner's luck' she thought while watching the two. Rook on the other hand was staring at the sky like some high hippy idiot. 'What is he doing???' she thought, resisting the urge to shout while her grip on the tree tighten. It wasn't much 'till the wolf attacked the daydreamer making him drop his guard. 'Baka!!! never let go of your weapon in a fight! your live depends on it!' she thought, tightening her grip once again and leaving a shallow mark on the tree's bark.

 

After a couple of seconds Ariel decided to leave the cover of the nearby tree and dash towards the 2, hoping she wouldn't arrive too late. Her black weapon was already drawn as Ariel ran. But Rook managed to retrieve his weapon and stab the beast from below, with a sigh Ariel halted her sprint and went in the cover on a nearby tree. 'This is why you should've take Kimba with you! but you still got the pelt it seems...'

 

((sory!!! I thought I already responded to this:(

[Rook 0]

Picking himself up and dusting himself off, Rook took a look around. For some reason he felt like he was being watched but he couldn't figure out who or what might be watching him. Maybe Ariel is watching my progress? he thought to himself.  Deciding he should shake off the feeling for now and press forward he was caught off guard when he herd a rustling in the bushes. "If you wanted to come along you should of just said so before.." Rook said sticking his arm into the bushes to try and pull her out. To his surprise however felt jaws clamp down onto his arm. Attempting to yank it out, it appeared that is was a giant dire wolf that had been laying in wait for him. Swinging his sword around wildly with his other hand Rook couldn't manage to land a hit on the wolf. The wolf finally releasing him from its grasp, Rook backed up and took a defensive stance.

 

ID: 13857 BD: 3 MD: 8

 

Rook- 7/11

 

Full Grown Dire Wolf-25/25(hits Rook for 1 damage)

[Ariel - The Crowned Lion 0]

Ariel gave herself a facepalm when she heard Rook shouting for her at a bush. 'This is a forest you know? I might not be the only thing following you..and I'm certainly not there, baka!' she thought while letting a sigh. But in the next instant she could hear a wolf's howl coming from his direction. 'This doesn't sound like one of those pups before.' Taking a peek, she sees a mature Dire Wolf take a bite out of Rook's arm 'Dammit rookie!' she climbed the tree she was hiding behind and started jumping from branch to branch until she was above them. If Rook would notice her she would make a 'Shhh' gesture by putting her index finger vertically at her lips. Then draw her rapier with a swift move and jump on top of the wolf, with the black blade of her rapier aiming down at the wolf's back. While falling, the wolf changed it's place a bit so the blonde had to readjust her aim, barely striking the wolf's back. It wasn't the best hit but the momentum helped a lot in dealing extra damage, taking away more than half of the wolf's HP. She partially turns her head to address Rook while backing of to him.

"Why would you go shouting in the woods like that? That's just stupid so you get minus points for that"

 

 

ID: 13858 BD: 6 (2+3acc+1BD<<Concentration>>)  MD: 4 (6-2eva) [Thorns Activated]

 

Rook: 7/11

Ariel: 49/49

 

Full Grown Dire Wolf-14/25 (-11) [Thorns]

 

((if you want it to have 100% chance to drop a material it must have 25 HP.

[Rook 0]

Rook watched as a blur came plummeting down from the tree tops. Trying to get a bearing on what it was, it didn't take long for him to realize it was Ariel. Listening to her give him a bit of a lecture for acting so foolishly, Rook replied. "I know... I should of known better, but in my defense I thought it was you in the bush.... not this thing" Rook said giving a bit of a chuckle. After watching the attack, Rook acquired a greater appreciation for there difference in level. Even at full health that attack would of wiped me out in one hit, Looks like I'll have to make sure to remember to stay on her good side. Rook thought to himself.

 

The wolfs hate now focused on Ariel, it darted forward while lowering it's head and slammed into Ariel's body. Watching the wolfs assault, Ariel seemed completely unfazed as far as he could tell. Rook wondered what an attack like that from the wolf would do to him. Raising his sword he ran forward hopping to strike the beast while it was still recovering from its attack on Ariel. Unfortunately the wolf recovered a lot faster then Rook had anticipated and was easily able to dodge out of the way.

 

ID: 13862 BD:3 MD:9

 

Rook-7/11

Ariel-48/49

 

Full Grown Dire wolf-10/25(Hits Ariel for 1+1(critical)-2(Mitigation)=1 damage)

 

 

((My bad, I thought your health was 42, it seems like your going to get the loot anyway))

[Ariel - The Crowned Lion 0]

Ariel let out a faint smile: "Do I look like the kind of person that hides in bushes? I was behind a tree a few hundred meters that way down...We'll talk later right now focus on this fella and don't get yourself killed." she said while receiving the wolf's attack head on, deflecting it by putting her vambraces into a X form to protect her stomach and chest. The wolf tried to overpower her but got pushed behind by the blonde instead. In the end it broke the attack and backed up a few meters letting out a low growl.

 

She showed a grin and charged at the mob once again, with inhuman speed she closed in on the wolf and thrusted her rapier at it. She landed her hit as always although it was a bit off target, not resulting in a critical one. She let out a 'Tsk' while deflecting one of its claws with her left vambrace then backing off: "If you think you're a bit underleveled here, feel free to take a break to watch and learn, if not ..now's your chance!" she said looking back at him.

 

ID: 13868  BD: 7  MD: 3

 

Rook-7/11

Ariel-48/49

 

Full Grown Dire Wolf: 5/25 (-9)

((If you want we can change it's HP to 25, I don't mind another hit at it.