{PP-F2} The tools to rise -Esther and myself- <<Earning a Living>>

[Domarus 0]

Domarus waited for a reaction from Esther and he heard her words.  A ripple could do little against a massive ten foot wave he thought.  However he did challenge her so he was going to hear her out.  Then she lowered her head against the side of his shoulder, pressing herself against him.  And then she told him that she was nice to him and he was nice back.  This took Domarus by surprise.  Completely.  He never imagined she would use them as an example.  And yet...  To some extent she was right.  Sure his end goal was to become ruler and control everything going on, wielding all the power he could hope for.  But as he thought about Esther's words he realized that he might have actually helped other people obtain their own goals.  He could probably name three to five people who managed to accomplish their dreams in the real world because he disposed the bullies who were in his way of school conquest.  Although his main intentions were selfish and, possibly at times, cruel, he had done things for others without realizing it.  He would need to take this fact into account for his future plans.  He needed time to think about this.  He let his body move further down until Esther's head fell onto his shoulder and he let his head rest on hers.

"You know....  Now that you say that I suppose there were a few things I've done for others in my progress toward ultimate power...  I suppose you could be right to an extent.  Though these actions of ours are small compared to the rest of the world, they are still acts of kindness are they not?  Hmm.  I wonder what it would be like to see the world the way you do Esther.  At least for a moment.  I wonder if Mari could make a potion that temporarily switches the perspectives of two people."  He chuckled as he said the last part which drew Keres' attention.  She was a little upset and jealous that this girl had so easily drawn out Domarus' history and now his positive attention.  Then again she pretty much did the same thing.  And it wasn't as if she loved Domarus.  She smirked behind their backs as she imagined them as a couple and continued searching.  However she gave off a mental curse as she could not find anything to please her master with.

@Esther

Edited September 20, 2016 by Domarus

[Esther 0]

There was a long silence, and Esther worried that her example wasn't good enough, she racked her brain trying to think of another example, she could use the kids - they bought countless joy to her, and her to them. Would that be good enough? What about Mari, and how she readily accepted Esther, or how kind and wonderful Lycan had been? She shifted, feeling uneasy, she wanted him to say something, to do something. Anything hell, even slapping her and telling her to piss off at this point would be better than this soul shattering silence.

Finally, Domarus spoke, his voice pensive and thoughtful. "It doesn't matter if those acts are small." Esther mumbled. She jumped slightly as she felt his head rest upon hers. Esther melted back down into a relaxed position, allowing him to keep his head atop hers. The warmth from his action trickled down and heated her cheeks with a soft blush. Esther was used to being close to others, giving them hugs, reassuring squeezes, even kisses on foreheads, but it was rare for someone to return her actions. It left her a little flustered. "I...I could try making something similar..." Esther offered meekly, she wasn't sure she'd be able to make something as advanced as he suggested, but surely making an optimist potion wouldn't be too hard, right? It would have been something she wanted to make anyway. Even if its effects were only temporary.

"Ahh...b-but first shouldn't we uhm...materials....?" Esther mumbled, clearly still flustered

 

[Domarus 0]

Domarus heard Esther mention how it didn't matter how small the acts were and he nodded slightly.  At this point he had no words to shared.  He had never had this sort of contact with anyone save for Keres once or twice.  It was a peaceful sensation and he was glad for it.  Then he heard Esther ask if they should focus on collecting materials and he looked at her with a smile.

"You aren't getting uncomfortable are you?  I was enjoying myself for once.  Ah well.  Perhaps you're right.  We'll need to get together sometime after this.  I like spending time with you Esther.  And uh, don't worry about Keres coming with us next time.  She'll probably want to keep the shop tidy most of the day.  And who knows?  Perhaps I'll find a material this time and catch up to you," he finished with a playful grin.  The two rose and returned back to the gathering swiftly, both eager to win the contest.  As he scanned the cliff wall he wondered if he could find an ore that wouldn't break upon his touch.  He wondered if it was the material or his strength that was breaking them.  When he found a black ore sticking out he decided to try sliding it out gently.  When he tried to do so it didn't budge.  So gradually, he attempted to apply more force to his pull, slowly adding to it.  And yet the ore still didn't move.  His brow furrowed and he gave it one last pull before it flung out of the cliffside and crashed into his face, throwing him back onto the ground.  Domarus refrained from growling and rose to his feet again.  While he had failed Keres was also doubling her attempts to finding materials so that she could please her master.  Unfortunately she had about the same amount of luck as him.  When she found nothing Domarus flicked his eyes to Esther to check how she was doing, before returning to his search.  He had to find at least one more material before she won.  Just one more would do.

"By the way, you don't need to have a drinking contest with me afterward.  There's no one alive who can beat me at one," he finished with a grin.

"And there's no skill in Aincrad that can boost immunity to it either."

ID#  68212  LD:  14

Edited September 21, 2016 by Domarus

[Esther 0]

ID: 68216. BD: 19+3 = 21 SUCCESS

 

Domarus asked if Esther was uncomfortable and, she answered truthfully. "Not so much uncomfortable... More so ahh.. Flustered I guess? Your body is like...really ridiculously warm. I mean." She shifted, and bangs of his Crimson hair fell in front of her vision. "I'm a fairly hands on person, but I'm not exactly accustomed to people returning that sentiment, and when they're...." She paused, glancing away from him. "When they're -" she cleared her throat. "A bit of a looker, and hold that much warmth. It's only natural to be flustered."

the two stood, and Esther regained her composure, noticing a hunk of gold she pulled it straight out with ease. 

 

"Hey Domarus... Remind me again what the score is?" She asked as she reached out to hand it to him.

Edited September 21, 2016 by Esther

[Domarus 0]

Domarus listened to Esther reply.  Flustered?  That didn't seem all the better he thought.  He heard her first explanation and made no thoughts until she finished.  He heard how she wasn't used to others returning her physical contact and hesitated before the next part.  When she finally got it out the two of them were still for a moment.  When she looks at him she'll see him for the first time with a gentle smile.  A looker eh?  He gently pulls the bangs out of her eyes.

"How about this then?  We take it slow so you can adjust.  Who knows?  You might like it."  Domarus and her rose soon after and the race had begun.  When he turned to check her progress and saw her easily slip a piece of gold ore from the cliff, he heard her question and thought about it for a moment.  What was the score?

"Eh, I think it's like, one or two to three to four now.  I think I have one and you have four sooooo yeah, pretty much as well as I'd expect it to be?" he finished with a grin and a light laugh.  She seemed to be a bit, confused?  Uncomfortable?  He guessed flustered really was the word in this situation.  Either way he was perfectly fine.  He was enjoying her company more and more, and not only that but he could be himself around her and not fear the worst.  That was the true blessing here.  It gave him a small break from all the scheming, all the plotting, the twists, the lies, the manipulation, breaking others or watching the world with the eyes of a predator.  However the odd thing was that he hadn't realized this yet.  This mastermind had not yet realized how important it was to just take a break every now and then.  His only way for fun was playing video games, in which he continued the manipulation process.  With no video games inside a video game he had no break and nothing to 'play'.  So if Esther can look closely, and if she's good at observing, she'll see that this is obviously his first time actually having any fun whatsoever.  If she didn't notice, Keres did.  Keres slowed her progress as she watched the two and was becoming a bit jealous.  This pink haired girl had managed to not only befriend Domarus quickly as she had, but she also managed to pull something out of him that neither she nor Domarus realized existed.  She tried to reason with this jealous thought by telling herself that they could share these halves:  Keres with Domarus' cruel self and Esther with Domarus'...  New self.  She shook her head and continued to search.  She softly cursed to herself as she found nothing and scraped a finger.  Due to the extreme minor injury she felt nothing and softly cursed for that too.

ID#  68231  LD:  7

Edited September 21, 2016 by Domarus

[Esther 0]

 

"L-like it?" Esther asked, "Just what do you mean like it?" She crossed her arms over her chest. "What are you inferring to, Domarus?" She added with a flustered pout. Domarus reached out, his fingers brushing against her forehead, linking into her silken hair to gently press it back behind her ear. The action caused Esther to loosen her arms. She shut her eyes. Esther didn't say as such, but it was clear she was enjoying the delicate action, the sensation of someone running their fingers through her long, lilac hair.

The conversation shifted, and she was grateful for that. The woman knew exactly how many materials had been collected. "Actually," She began. "You got enough to be able to gain your profession now." She gave him a small smile. "So, I suppose once you return to town - congratulations are in order, Domarus the Artisan." Domarus laughed, and it further placed Esther at ease. She felt more relaxed seeing him smile, seeing him able to relax himself. It also made her feel a little proud, for someone who warned her of how cold and cruel he was - he was certainly acting quite the opposite. 

Esther waved Keres down, "Oii! Keres!" She added with a shout. "We're done here. Come back to town with us." 

Esther glanced up at the orange sky, the sun was beginnning to set, and despite Domarus' calming presence, she'd rather get back to town before nightfall. "Let's not dilly dally." Esther said as she slipped her hand into Domarus' and pulled him along.

[Domarus 0]

Summary

Esther gets 2 SP, 400 col

Domarus gets 5 MAT, 2 SP, 400 col

[Calrex 0]

ID: 68250
LD: 9

9 bonus materials rewarded!