{SP-F1} To Feed the Hungry <<Earning a Living>> ~ COMPLETE!

[Pinball 1]

It was high time for Pinball to get a job. He loved sweets, and Cook seemed perfect for him. Plus, his guild was in need of a Chef, and Pinball was eager to help out in any way he could. Only thing I'm gonna worry about is Crafting taking up all my time. I still plan to be primarily a fighter, and I don't want my profession to keep me from that. Still, he was going to get this quest done. He was supposed to meet up with some NPC, who helped him out with his career or something. "But.. Where do I find this guy?" he muttered to himself, looking around the streets. The majority of players have long since abandoned the First floor in favor of stronger, more experienced areas. But he was still learning the basics, and that was nothing to be ashamed about. "Why hello there, young man!" Said a voice from behind. 

Edited October 22, 2017 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

"I hear you're the one looking to become a Cook," the voice said again. Pinball turned around, to see an NPC woman in her early fifties, dressed up much like a chef would. The available quest icon floated above her head. "Oh. Uh, yeah, actually," Pinball replied, accepting the quest as the screen popped up. "Speaking of which," he asked the woman, "how would I go about doing this? Like, what would I be doing. To pass this quest, that is." The woman let out a chuckle. "You say the like you're so eager to get it over with. However, you have much to learn about being a cook. Patience is one's greatest virtue, after all," the woman finished, her hands on her side. She had taken up the role of a mother so quickly, it caught Pinball off guard. He offered no rebuttal, simply nodded at the woman. "Good," the Chef said, pointing at Pinball. "Now, come! We have much to do, student." 

[Pinball 1]

The Chef took Pinball to a building, where the smell of cookies and bread wafted out through the cracked open door. Pinball followed the Chef in, who took him into the back of the building, that held a large kitchen with all kinds of cooking materials. Pinball honestly had no idea what half of the utensils were for, but, he would soon find out. "Now, before we even get into making food, you're going to need to know the basics." This launched the Chef into a long speech about common cooking utensils, their uses, and their histories. Pinball soaked it all in, and, though a little bored throughout, made it out with the gist of her speech. "Now," the woman continued, with an excited flourish, "comes the fun part!" She spun around, ending up to the cutting board. "However," she said, sticking a finger into the air, "we first need things to cook with. Of course, these materials don't come cheap, and they can be found right outside of town!" She gently pushed Pinball towards the door. "Off you go, now," she said, a tune creeping into her voice. The woman closed the door behind Pinball, and he could hear her singing from outside of the building. 

[Pinball 1]

What a strange lady, he thought, walking out on to the plains. Here he was again, out on the plains, looking for materials. He let out a large sigh, hating the knowledge of what he was in for. He equipped his cloak once again, that increased the chances of him finding materials. It wasn't by much, but it helped out in close pinches. Pinball started walking, trying to get to the right area to start looking. As per usual, boars lumbered around the plains, oblivious to Pinball's presence. Even though he wasn't looking forward to the gathering itself, he was looking forward to crafting something. It might take a while, so Pinball set his goal for 5 materials. It wasn't a high number, but he hoped that it would be enough to craft a single item, regardless of the rarity. He only needed one craft to finish the quest, after all. 

Edited October 19, 2017 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

Immediately upon reaching the ideal starting point for gathering, Pinball conducted his first search. Since the chances for failure outweighed those for success, and because he seemed to have very bad luck in general, his first choice ended with him yielding nothing. "Ah, well," he muttered, putting his hands on his hips. "Only the first try of the day." Trying to hide his discomfort with failure from himself , he stuffed his hands in his pockets and pushed the thoughts away. Instead, he thought about his guild, and whether or not they would make it out of the game alive. It was a sad thought, but statistically, he reasoned that at least two of them wouldn't make it. That's just the way things are, I guess. He stood from where he was hunched over, and looked at the sky. This truly was a death game, and he had yet to truly experience what the game had in store for him. Death, betrayal, and lies were the main things he was expecting. Maybe even from his own guild. Even though they seemed friendly enough, Pinball was trying to keep his distance so he doesn't get too attached. We'll see how that works out.

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ID# 89612 

LD: 7+3=10 (Fail!) 

No T1 Materials Found.

Total T1 Mats: 0/5

 

Edited October 20, 2017 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

Pinball stopped at a particularly flat piece of land to search for his next material. He searched every crack and crevice, every tree and Bush, and even thoroughly rustled through particularly dense patches of grass, but ended up yielding nothing. "Damn," was all he sighed as he placed his hands on his hips. He looked from left to right, then back at the ground in front of him. It wasn't as if failures were uncommon in gathering, but he remembered something Stryder had told him about gathering skills. He knew Hei and Eatos were in possession of it, but he also thought back to the Fishing skill that was now available. It reminded him of Florida's beaches, and the old pier men old and young would fish off of for days at a time. He decided if he ever used a skill slot for gathering, that Fishing was what he would pick up. It seemed a better fit for the boy than just the regular gathering skill. He took one last look at the land around him, and shoved his hands back in his pocket. Time to get back to work, he thought, starting to walk, I need to get my To-Do List up and finished so I can sign up for that one tournament. He kept walking, looking for a good place to stop and search.

------------------------------

ID# 89613 

LD: 8+3= 11 (Fail!) 

No T1 Materials Found. 

Total T1 Mats: 0/5

Edited October 20, 2017 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

Pinball stopped at the edge of a treeline, the edge of the same very forest he had nearly lost himself in the first time he had started gathering. He had an inclination to search there, and soon upon entry of the forest, he was greeted with the faint glow of a gather-able item. He rushed over to it and crouched, picking it and placing it in his inventory. "Well, well, well," he said, allowing himself to grow smug in his success, "what do we have here? A perfectly pickable plant, Peter Piper picking pickled peppers." He stood, paying no mind to the sudden turn his train of thought had taken. He looked out into the forest, watching for any sudden movements, any signs of life, anything that would tell him he should leave. After a while, he started walking again, deeper into the wooded area, having seen no danger in his immediate vicinity. "Hopefully I find another one?" It was really more of a question, as he had no idea whether or not he would find another material as easily as that two times in a row. Probably not, he thought moodily. But hey, that was just the way things were. No point complaining about the things you can't change, as his father was always so keen on telling him. 

-------------------------------------------

ID# 89615

LD: 20 (Success!) 

1 T1 Material Found. 

Total T1 Mats: 1/5 

Edited October 20, 2017 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

Of course, after a good six minutes of searching a small clearing, Pinball came up with nothing. "Damn it!" he exclaimed, kicking over a rock into a tree. Why does gathering always follow the same pattern? Fail, fail, success, fail, fail. It's so stupid! In truth, he hated gathering, and the gathering process. He had no luck with it, and even though he was going into the crafting profession, he had no taste for it. It was honestly the thing he hated most about the game, and that was saying something. He let his anger out on the small pebble he had kicked not too long ago. Picked it up, threw it, picked it up, threw it. Clouds of dust everywhere, and his sudden outburst of emotion stuck out like a sore thumb. It wasn't the game that was making him like this. It was something else, something much darker inside himself that he had no intention of exploring at this time. He collected his thoughts, coughed, and mumbled, "Whatever." He shoved his hands in his pocket and kept walking, praying to God he could break the cycle of gathering. Jesus Christ, I hate this with a passion.

----------------------------------

ID#89616 

LD: 4 

No T1 Materials Found. 

Total T1 Mats: 1/5

Edited October 20, 2017 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

Another failure. Pinball didn't even bother offering a verbal response to it, instead opting to walk even deeper yet into the forest. There had to be some in this forest, he was sure of it. If he didn't get to at least 5 materials, he wouldn't be cut out for the crafting business at all. He had his heart set on being a cook, and the best damn cook in the game, at that. He didn't want anyone to keep him from making those sweet, sweet, sweets, with those sweet, sweet, temporary buffs. Plus, he was going to need an LD boost for himself, if he was going to be nabbing a familiar pretty soon. After that was all said and done, however, he was going to have to quickly get his rapier and shield from Eatos, and his Light Armor for Hei. If he didn't, he would miss the tournament sign-ups, and that was not something Pinball could afford. Pinball wasn't one to plan ahead, but once he made a To-Do List, he was going to follow through with it. And that's that. 

-----------------------------------

ID# 89619

LD: 11+3= 14 (Fail!)

No T1 Materials Found.

Total T1 Mats: 1/5 

Edited October 20, 2017 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

Pinball walked ever deeper into the forest, all the way looking for materials, but he found none. As usual! He was getting frustrated, and when he got frustrated, he started to quit things. But with this, he couldn't quit. Materials were a pain to gather, but he was going to put himself through the monotony for his profession. The Fishing skill once again popped into his mind, and the usefulness of it as well. Once he finished his mental To-Do List, he decided he would invest in the Fishing Skill as soon as possible. He was a bit reluctant, seeing as how it took up a slot of his available skills, but he hoped that it would be worthwhile in the end, whether it be by helping out others gather or helping himself gather for his soon to be shop. I guess we'll find out soon, won't we? Pinball kept walking, getting closer to the place he would stop and look.

--------------------------

ID# 89671 

LD: 6 + 3= 9 (Fail!)

No T1 Materials Found. 

Total T1 Mats: 1/5

Edited October 21, 2017 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

Pinball stopped in a circular clearing, the very same clearing he had stopped and look in his original gathering excursion. He stopped, taking in the nostalgia, his hands placed firmly on his hips. Sure is good to live another day, isn't it? Pushing his past failures behind him, he started looking again, aiming to find a material hidden among the edges of the clearing. Luckily, upon searching the inside of a hollow log, he found a material. "Nice!" He exclaimed, pulling the material out of the log, gathering it. "That's two," he breathed, casting his gaze out on the large, circular clearing. It was indeed a bit strange to find a naturally circular formation anywhere in nature. However, this wasn't real life, and neither were the formations. "Maybe I can find another one before I leave?" It was more of a question, seeing as his luck always seemed to be exceptionally poor. Might as well look again, won't hurt ya. Pinball stood from where he had been crouched, and walked to the middle of the clearing, mentally preparing himself for the next search he would conduct.

--------------------------------------

ID# 89672

LD: 13 + 3= 16 (Success!) 

1 T1 Material Found. 

Total T1 Mats: 2/5

Edited October 21, 2017 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

Pinball was about to start his search, taking a step forward, but he seemed to step on something. Another material, in the form of a lump on the ground. He laughed, remembering all the times he had tripped on lumps such as these in his previous gathering adventures. Barely even an adventure, he thought semi-bitterly, the only thing keeping him from moodiness the rush of happiness that came with success. "Well, well, well," he thought, gathering the material he had nearly mistaken for your run of the mill rock. "What luck," he ended the sentence haltingly, remembering what had happened the last time he had attributed his success to luck. Now he had gone and done it. He had jinxed himself, and his next search was guaranteed to fail. He let out a long, exasperated groan, and kicked the grass. Why the hell am I so stupid some times?

------------------------------------------------

ID# 89673

LD: 18+3= 21 (Success!) 

1 T1 Material Found. 

Total T1 Materials: 3/5

Edited October 21, 2017 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

Pinball sprinted out the way he came, trying to cover as much ground as possible. He had to make it out of the forest, lest the bad luck catch up to him. Ahead of him he saw the forest line, and soon he was free once more, sprinting across the plains. "WOO!" He made it out of the forest, taking in the usual breeze of the rolling grassy hills... and tripped backwards over a material. I don't know whether to feel good or bad about this, he thought, having been left laying on his back after the fall. Sky looks nice today, though. Pinball sat himself up, examining the material he had tripped over. "Well," he let out, crawling over to the material, "that's four." He put the material in his inventory, gathering it, and stood, his eyes taking In the area he now found himself in. "Alrighty," he breathed.

----------------------------

ID# 89685

LD: 20 

1 T1 Material Found.

Total T1 Mats: 4/5

Edited October 21, 2017 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

Pinball took in his surroundings, considering every possible factor. He took all of this into consideration, the trees, the grass, the wind, the mobs, and managed to pin down the general are that a material should be. He walked over to the location he believed would yield him a successful search.... and lo and behold, there play a material, a faint glimmer in the grassy expanse of Floor One. "Lovely," he said happily, bending over to pick the material. "That's the first time I've gotten three successes in a row, I think." Pinball stood, checking the time on his HUD. Not bad, he bragged to himself, Not bad at all. And with that, a happy, fulfilled Pinball, made his way back to the Town of Beginnings, having gathered everything he needed to finish his tutorial. Soon enough, Pinball would be a Cook. And that excited him a great deal, as he would finally have a chance to give back to the people that made him successful, to give back to all the people who decided they wanted to help out others as well. This is unlike you, the teenager thought, but he kept walking nonetheless. 

------------------------------

ID# 89688

LD: 17 + 3 = 20 (Success!) 

1 T1 Material Found.

Total T1 Mats: 5/5

Edited October 21, 2017 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

The walk back from the plains to the Town of Beginnings was.... uneventful, to say the least. No mobs mistakenly took him to be looking for trouble, and any stray player he saw he chose to just run past. Nobody tried talking to him, and nobody tried to attack him. He received no messages, though the only ones who would send Pinball a message would be from his guild. He had no friends, not on his list nor in his mind, and a part of Pinball believed that was how it should be. That he was destined to live and die alone, whether it be in this game or in the real world, if he somehow miraculously managed to make it out of the game alive. But, another part of him couldn't help but get attached. He had been in his guild not even for a week, but he was already protective of Fae, fond of Stryder, and believed Hei was one of the nicest men he's met. This part of him was the part he was most uncomfortable with, and the part he least wanted to embrace. His thoughts were finally cut off as he neared the Town of Beginnings. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he walked back to the Chef's quest area, praying to God that he had enough materials to finish it.

Edited October 22, 2017 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

"Oh! You're back," the Cook noted as Pinball walked into the building, his head hung low. "That was fast," the woman said, sounding almost disappointed. "Well, we might as well get started. Here," the woman tossed Pinball a wooden spoon she had plucked off of a wall rack. Pinball struggled to catch it, nearly dropping it during his popcorn-esque catch. "Thanks," he managed, once he had gotten a grip on the spoon. "Come, come," the woman beckoned, walking into the back room of the building. Pinball followed, and ended up in the kitchen where the woman had previously given her speech about the cooking utensils. "You don't really need a spoon for this, that's just my gift to you," the Cook told him, pulling out a cooking sheet. "We're just going to be toasting bread in this oven here." Pinball then noticed the brick oven in the center of the room, which looked suspiciously like something you would use to cook pizza. "Now, let's see what you got," the woman ordered cheerfully, putting her hands on her hips.

[Pinball 1]

Pinball was a bit surprised that the cook, instead of guiding him through it, opted to instead watch him attempt to do it by himself. Regardless, Pinball was not going to be one to give up because of it. He took the cooking sheet from the Chef, and cut up slices of bread from a loaf laying on the counter. He placed each slice carefully on the sheet, making sure they were evenly spaced. He breathed in deeply, and let out the air through his nose. He picked up the tray, and put it in the oven. "Alright," he said, trying to steady his nerves. There was an interface for the Oven, and a button that clearly read <Start Oven>. Pinball held his breath, and pressed the button. He waited. The oven flared, and heat could be felt coming from the bricks. Ding! Pinball reached in, wearing mitts, and pulled out the bread. Much to his surprise, it didn't look too shabby. A little burnt on the sides, but it was his first attempt. He was proud with himself... until every piece of it disintegrated, black ash pouring off the sides of the tray. "Well," Pinball grunted, putting the tray aside. "There goes my first try." 

-----------------------------

Mistakenly used Dice Roller. Whoops, my bad.

Edited October 22, 2017 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

Eager to try again, Pinball took the bread, added a material, and put the tray into the oven. "Hopefully I don't burn it too bad," he joked, but the Chef wasn't smiling. Instead, the Cook wore an uncharacteristic frown, which accentuated her old age. She looked deep in thought, though Pinball knew that the NPC couldn't technically think at all. Ding! The bread had finished toasting, and now it was time for Pinball to check the results of his endeavors. He carefully pulled the bread out, revealing hard, blackened, almost rock like chunks. "Maybe I can save it...?" Pinball asked himself, knowing that it was something Cooks can occasionally do. He tried just that, but the materials refused to revert back to their original form. "Christ, another attempy, failed? Just like that?" Pinball was starting to get frustrated. He seriously did not want the Chef to make him go out gathering again. Pinball placed the tray on the counter, and counted out how much bread he had left. He took out the NPC's knife, cut up another slice of bread, and prepared himself to try again.

-------------------------

Mistakenly used Dice Roller. Twice. Whoops, my bad. Again.

Edited October 22, 2017 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

Pinball placed the bread in the oven once more, praying to God that it wouldn't end up like his last two attempts. Ding! The oven notified him that the bread was finished, and Pinball once again pulled the tray out of the brick oven. There was nothing even left on the tray. "Wait, what." Pinball looked on the floor, on the counter, and even stuck his head in the oven, looking for where the bread could have possibly gone. "I don't-" he cut himself off, instead throwing the tray rather forcibly onto the counter, frustrated with his failures. At this the Cook started cracking up laughing, which did nothing more than fuel Pinball's impatience. The Chef started to say something, but Pinball cut her off. "I'm going to try this one more time, and If I don't get it..." He didn't actually know what he would do, but it was probably going to end up getting him kicked out of town. He pulled the loaf from the counter, cut up another slice, and then once again, mentally prepped himself for his next crafting attempt. "Come on, Finn, you can do this," Pinball told himself, trying to muster up some shred of self confidence. 

Edited October 22, 2017 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

Pinball put the sliced bread on the tray once more, expecting yet another failure. When the bread was done, Pinball put on the mitts and retrieved it. Much to his surprise, it looked burnt. But edible. Pinball put the tray on the counter, happy beyond belief. He was finally finished with this God-awful quest, and now, he could finally open up a shop. He couldn't wait to get into it, cooking. Yes, any normal person would probably have been shocked with Pinball's sudden shifts in emotions, but Pinball himself was not affected by this. He turned to the NPC Cook, who was smiling. "You managed to do it, after all," the woman said, picking up the wooden spoon she had given to Pinball earlier. "I didn't think you had it in you," she said wryly, throwing a smile at the boy. Pinball was caught off guard by the woman's shift in behavior as well. She had gone from supportive to mocking over the course of a few cooking attempts. "You lack the patience of a Cook," she continued, "and you looked ready to quit halfway through your second attempt. Still-" she paused, tossing the wooden spoon up and down in her hand. "I suppose you do deserve the title of a Cook. Remember, practice makes perfect." Towards the end of her monologue, Pinball caught some of that former cheeriness creeping back into her speech, but he couldn't be sure, as she rushed Pinball out of the building.