[PP-F4] Slippery (Dustin) [Complete]

[Pick 0]

Pick smiled, walking through the door of the cafe in the main village of the fourth floor. He had heard that this was a good floor to spend some time in because it was completely different from the first floor. After staying on the first floor for quite a long time, it was great to come to the fourth floor and enjoy himself some nice hot chocolate instead of all the cold drinks offered on the first floor. It was good that the casual suit that Pick always had on provided enough warmth so that he could get into a shop without freezing to death. Breathing out and seeing his own breath, he walked into the cafe and found himself a seat near the middle of the cafe which already had a menu on it. With a smile, he picked it up and his eyes were immediately directed to the coffee section.

"Waitress, can I please have myself a hot cup of expresso? Also, keep another one ready in case someone decides to join me." Pick exclaimed, smiling at the waitress before handing her the menu, and staring at the table in front of him. It was good to relax, but he should be out finding materials and earning Col. His laziness will not pay off in the end, and he should only be living a luxury life when he actually masters all his skills. Since he was a child, he had been poor, until he became a thief... and that changed his life. Now, he can't really steal anything in this game, so he's just gonna have to steal things from the environment around him. Steal the materials, at least. He thought, waiting for the coffee to arrive.

@Dustin

[Dustin 0]

Dustin walks into the shop and just sits down in front of Pick. "That's a nice suit, but you must be cold." He mentions leaning back in his chair. He takes off his cloak and slouches down. "So, what'd you get me?" He asks. Dustin leans back a bit too far and falls out of his chair. "Stupid chair, trying to kill me." He mumbles, kicking the chair. He picks it back up and sits down. He slams his fist on the table. "I need col!" He shouts. "Wanna get some materials and col with me? I'll let you take 55% of it." He bargains. He stands up and walks to the player sitting across from him and extends his arm to shake hands, and smiles. "All I ask is a little help while I smack some nerds... I mean boars." He adds, throwing up a thumb to try to reassure his new acquaintance.

@Pick 

[Pick 0]

"Do I know you?" Pick asked, looking at the brown-haired man who had suddenly decided to join him, not that he really minded. It was a shame that the man failed to give Pick a very good first impression by how he failed to settle himself on the seat across from him, falling down some how even though all the chairs in the shop should be perfect quality. An unlucky man, being around unlucky people can rub luck off of me in the wrong way. Maybe I should keep away from people like this? He asked himself, looking up as he thought about it. Nah, you make your own luck. He finally decided. 

"Well, my name is Pick, and it seems like you are quite a smart man. How did you know I was going to get you something?" Pick asked, but he didn't really care athat much about it. "Luckily for you, I had a feeling that someone would be joining me. It's just a plain cup of coffee, something to warm us up for the cold of this floor." Pick finished smiling his confident, flirt-smile that he often used on the ladies. "It's a shame, though, that I cannot help you with killing boars. For me, violence is never the answer. I wouldn't mind tagging along to do some out of combat material gathering though, for that is what I excel at. And you can take 60% of it," He chuckled, amused that it was he who had offered Pick resources instead of Pick offering him resources. To him, it should be the second one, since he was on the road to become the richest, most resourceful player in Aincrad.

@Dustin

[Dustin 0]

Dustin looks at the man with a confused expression. I'll feel like I'm using him if I take all of the resources. "Deal." He says, "Thank god you're not a fan of combat. I love it and can lose control." He smiles. He rubs his chin and looks at the table. "I'll reimburse you for this coffee when I've made enough to do so." He says. I really am poor. He sets his sheathed sword in the seat next to him, and waits for the coffee. He starts to bounce his leg up and down and look around as if he were nervous. "I hate this floor," He continues, "Reminds me of home." He stands up and walks to the door. "I gotta go do something." He explains, walking out the door.

A few minutes pass and Dustin walks back into the cafe, looking a lot more calm at this point. "Sometimes I like to walk in the snow. It calms my nerves." He chuckles awkwardly. "I hope you know your way around, cause I don't have a clue. It all looks the same to me after a certain point." He sits back down and drinks the entire coffee in front of him in one go. Putting on his cloak, Dustin smiles at the waitress and stands up. "It's on him." He says, pointing to the man across from him. "I'll be asleep outside, wake me up when you're ready to go." He finishes, walking outside and sitting against the wall and falling asleep.

@Pick

[Pick 0]

Pick nodded, watching the man stand up and walk outside. "Sleeping outside. I wonder how long he can last?" Pick asked himself, thinking about how amusing it would be if he just left him there. Of course, Pick wanted to test out his material gathering too, so it wouldn't be favorable to Pick if he didn't have someone with him for the material gathering. Pick took one slow sip of his coffee, finishing it with multiple slow sips even though the cup isn't even that big. After thanking and paying for the coffee, Pick stood up and walked to the door, opening it and putting on his gloves before walking out with his back straight and his eyes fixed directly forwards.

"Wake up, buddy, or you're gonna freeze to death." Pick said, looking down at the man who seemed to be making himself comfortable in the snow. "How can you hate this floor, but embrace the snow and use it to calm you?" Pick whispered, not knowing if the guy is awake or not, "Either way, I hear this floor has plenty of materials, even though I don't know where they all are. I suppose we're gonna have to test out several different locations. Doesn't matter... we're going to get moving right away, and we can talk 'business' during the session as well." Pick finished, beginning to walk. However, before he got too far, he took out another cup of coffee that he requested from a cook. This cup of coffee would increase his ability to gather more materials in less time, in other words, his amount of luck would be increased. After all, a man makes his own luck.

-1 T1 Loot Die Expresso (3x Loot Die)

@Dustin

Edited July 21, 2018 by Pick

[Dustin 0]

Dustin stands up slowly and and follows the man until he drinks some thing. Dustin rubs his eyes, "That looks delicious." He smiles, "Sorry, lets get going." He turns and walks with a hint of excitement. Sleeping is awesome, being dead would have it's perks. He spins around, walking backwards. I hate this floor, but I grew up in a snowy place. That's why it calms me." He says, starting to smile, "Plus, it's pretty... chill." He bursts out laughing. Smacking his knee he continues to walk forward, still laughing a little. I should see how good his luck is. Looking for materials with someone can be dangerously boring if they don't find anything. Dustin looks up at the sky and continues walking.

"How long have you been visiting this floor?" He asked, "I used to visit this floor when I got homesick or missed my brother." He looks at Pick, "He hated violence too, you know. He got killed because I wasn't fast enough to save him." He clenches his fists and turns to walk forward. "That's why I need to get stronger. Anyways, sorry for being so down in the dumps." He smiles, rubbing the back of his head.

@Pick

[Pick 0]

ID: 103430
LD: 19+6=25 (Found)
CD: 11 (4 Materials)

"Although memories may be precious, it is often not too good to dwell in the past. Use your brother to help you get stronger," Pick smiled, knowing that it's not easy to forget someone, especially when it's someone so precious. Pick, too, lost his master back before he entered the game, and although it's been quite some time, the memory still haunts him today. He didn't see his master's passing, but the fact that he had died was impact enough to change his life. "I won't ask about your past, for that is your own treasure, but I can help you get stronger. You know, I sometimes consider myself the luckiest man alive. Let me demonstrate my abilities before we start talking business." Pick exclaimed, smiling as he exited the safe zone into the snowy wilderness. He breathed, watching as the white mist exited his mouth as he began to walk. This was the fourth floor, far from the first floor, which meant that it was far easier to obtain materials due to people not being here as much. With one look, he managed to spot a bunch of blue ice mushrooms right outside the safe zone. "Look, four ice mushrooms right here. Quite a find, isn't it?" Pick asked, standing up and putting them into his inventory. "Now, I don't mind giving you 50-70% of the materials we gather today, but I think I need something in return as well, don't I?" Pick suggested.

Total Materials: 4

@Dustin

Edited July 21, 2018 by Pick

[Dustin 0]

ID- 103446

LD- 20 (success)

"What did you have in mind?" Dustin asks, fidgeting with his sword. He sheathes his favorite toy and walks over to start digging. I hate gathering, I prefer killing things, but it's whatever. "I got something." He says, putting the materials into his inventory. He chuckles, "I already owe people ice cream." If I owe one more person ice cream, I'm gonna split. Banana split to be precise. Dustin bursts into laughter, seemingly out of nowhere. He pulls down his hood and exhales, looking at the sea of snow.

It's always so fricking cold. He kicks snow and sits down. "Look at that." Dustin says in awe at the density of the snowfall. "Almost too thick to see through." He wraps himself in his cloak tightly and lays back. "Your turn, and this is... cool." He laughs a little. Dustin stand up and pats Pick on the shoulder. "I can't help but notice you said you hate violence. I personally love it, I'm not very useful in any other scenario." He chuckles.

@Pick

 

Edited July 21, 2018 by Dustin

[Pick 0]

ID: 103448
LD: 10+6=16 (1 Material)
CD: 4 (1 Bonus Material)

"I don't enjoy violence because I consider violence to be the opposite of a gentleman. Only through peaceful manners, can people come upon agreement, and hence a business negotiation. Of course, eventually, even I have to wield a weapon for some Col, but that will have to come later, when I actually need it." Pick explained, "Now, I'm not saying everyone who fights with a blade in this game isn't a gentleman, but this is just something for me." Pick smiled, "Since you like fighting so much, how about we form a partnership? You take me on quests, and I stay in your party but gather materials instead. That way, I can get skill points, and you can get materials? Sounds like a good deal?" Pick asked, his eyes brows raising in excitement as he gave his first business offer to another individual. Although he can easily find other people to go with other quests, Pick would not mind having someone who he can rely on to take him to difficult quests and complete them. 

"By the way, my name is Pick. May I ask for your name, sir?" Pick asked, bending down to grab two more materials that would go directly to his inventory. If this had been <<Nature's Treasure>>, he would've had even more materials by now.

Total Materials: 6

@Dustin

Edited July 21, 2018 by Pick

[Dustin 0]

"The name's Dustin, and sure, I'll take quests with you, it sounds fun." Dustin bows sarcastically. He walks over to search but finds nothing. "Essentially I've only fought low level monsters and a few players. But I haven't lost yet and I don't plan to." He mentions, looking at his sword. "This beauty right here saved my life." He hugs his sword. Dropping his sword back into place he moves back to his spot and sits down. "Ever had a snowball fight?" Dustin asks, looking up at the snow falling to the ground. He sits in silence for a while until he drops back suddenly and jolts up. "Sorry, I almost fell asleep again." He watches Pick, studying his behavior and mannerisms as if preparing for a play. Dustin walks up to shake his hand and says, "I'd rather have you on my side than on my blade." He smiles.

ID- 103449

LD- 5

@Pick

Edited July 21, 2018 by Dustin

[Pick 0]

ID: 103450
LD: 19+6=25 (1 Material)
CD: 11 (3 Bonus Materials)

"Ah, and an agreement has been met. Do not be afraid to message me if you are in need of materials. I'll have plenty of those as time progresses. Especially, when I can find patches of them easily." Pick exclaimed, looking around before spotting an area with a lot of icicles that could be used as materials for certain crafts. "And I won't be afraid to ask you to accompany me on certain quests that I need assistance with. By the way, I was wondering if you are going to be taking up a craft soon." Pick curiously asked. If so, Pick could offer yet another business proposal that might benefit both parties. 

Pick sighed, picking up the icicles and making them into materials before shoving them into his inventory. "Good stuff, that makes ten, which means you get around five at the moment. That's not even nearly enough for a perfect weapon or an armor. I'm afraid we're going to have to step up our game a bit. Sorry this is boring you to sleep. If you would like, you can show off your combat skills to me while I continue the gathering, since you love fighting so much." Pick exclaimed, directly ignoring the snowball question. He would rather not allow his gentleman figure to be ruined by a snowball that would make contact with his face or his elegant suit. Besides, it seemed like a question that was out of the blue.

@Dustin

Total Materials: 10

Edited July 21, 2018 by Pick

[Dustin 0]

"I might be a blacksmith." Dustin replies plainly. He rubs his chin and sits up sharply. "I've got it!" He shouts, "If I can manage to get my hands on of those elegant suits you have there, we could be gentlemanly mercenaries. Helping the weaker players get materials and SP when they need it." Dustin explains excitedly, standing up and grabbing his sword. "And I can find these weaker players by setting up a shop on the first floor selling spare materials we find on jobs." Dustin paces around, thinking out the logistics. "If we find an excess of 20% materials per job, then when we return, we could give them the exact amount they ask for, and still get the materials to run a shop." Dustin starts to pace faster and slips, catching himself moments before his face hits the ground.

"Sorry, thinking a bit far ahead." He chuckles. "You'll keep 50% of the materials and col we get per job. Also, your weapons would be free." He continues, digging for another material. "Still nothing." He says. "Hey, thanks for the help." He walks back up to his spot, "And you'll see my combat skills, all in due time my friend." He smiles politely.

ID- 103456

LD- 14 (fail)

@Pick

Edited July 22, 2018 by Dustin

[Pick 0]

ID: 103460
LD: 16+5=21 (1 Material)
CD: 9 (2 Bonus Materials)

"Ah, I'm not so sure about how I feel about being gentlemanly mercenaries. Mercenaries and gentleman don't necessarily fit together. Although, I do like the idea of giving materials to the poor, however, I'm still a greedy man. Giving these materials to the poor is overall compensation, but not my ultimate motive. I would still like to obtain benefits for myself. I have a few fixes that I would like to make to the offer. First, I would like to keep the free items in your blacksmith shop; that part is a good offer for me. However, I'm too lazy to visit your shop all the time. Occasionally, I'll drop by and deliver some materials after a material gathering session. For every ten of those materials, I get two perfects, how does that sound, but you'll have to deliver the items to me in my own shop. Next, you may keep 70% of materials, while I get 30%. However, I get 70% of the Col, while you get 30%. This is so we can get more of what we are unable to get on our own." Pick exclaimed, smiling as he finished up his business offer. The "contract" that the man had offered was decent, but not favorable to Pick. "Also, I hate being kept under. If we have to negotiate when conditions change, we may do that." Pick said cheerfully smiling as he shook a few ice spikes from a nearby tree, catching them and placing them in his inventory.

@Dustin

Total Materials: 13

Edited July 22, 2018 by Pick

[Dustin 0]

"I can't leave my shop too often, and I might have to add a small charge to deliveries, depending on the trouble it causes. But other than that, it seems like a decent deal." He explains, nodding. It'll be nice to have someone help me, it's tedious to do that stuff by yourself. Dustin walks over and starts digging, finding another material. He pockets this material and heads back. "I must say, I was not expecting to make a business deal while out here." He smiles. Good deal, I wish I got more money, but it's no problem, the job will probably help with that. Besides, I don't do this for money anyways. "What if on the side, I ran a bodyguard business?" Dustin rubs his chin, "That might work, but I would have to get stronger in the mean time." He stands up and walks around for a bit. "If I charge enough, I can help people with anything, even sparring. And I could give them new gear. If I choose cost based on how much they have, I could lose everything." He mumbles quietly in his spot.

ID- 103461

LD- 20 (success)

@Pick

Edited July 22, 2018 by Dustin

[Pick 0]

ID: 103470
LD: 20+6=26 (1 Material)
CD: 8 (2 Bonus Materials)

Pick smiled, the deal was practically on. "Ok, I hope this can carry though as long as you are both an active crafter and an active blacksmith. I'll be requesting more perfects as you rank up as a blacksmith, since you'll have more crafts which requires me to give you more materials. Also, for the delivery fee, I can also simply just pick it up the next week when I drop off materials. Anyways, I'll be covering your entire week with crafts. This will start as soon as you get your profession." Pick finished, satisfied with the conditions of the contract. "And I don't care what sort of perfects they are, just give me a variety." Pick decided to add in before walking around for some more materials. As he collected these materials, he too began to think. The agreement should be satisfactory and beneficial to both players, since Pick would be getting constant source of weapons, and he can get rid of some of the materials that he found to be completely useless so the man can craft. Also, the man would no longer have to worry about running out of materials, and he would be able to constantly improve his crafting skills. "Well, it seems that I got you into this business-like mindset. I'm glad that you are enjoying it somewhat. Any more ideas you want to spill out?" Pick asked.

@Dustin

Total Materials: 16

Edited July 22, 2018 by Pick

[Dustin 0]

Dustin walks over to Pick. "You sir are a gentleman and a scholar," He smiles, "It'll be a pleasure doing business. Also, to clarify, I don't like fighting other players. I love fighting monsters." Combat is the second best pass time, behind unsuccessfully flirting with girls. He walks over and tries to dig for more materials. "Lady luck, why do you hate me? I've only bamboozled you like thrice." He makes his way back to his spot. "Imagine all the people I'll meet while working in my shop." He grins, "Imagine all the cool kids, and ladies." He laughs, "I'm kidding, girls hate me."

Dustin lays back with his entire body outstretched. "I need to get a new look. I look like a dweeb." Good thing I don't have many friends in the real world to disappoint. I bet my mom is devastated. "One day, I'll tell you my story, but not until I complete my goal." Dustin claims, grabbing his swords hilt. "I will be closing my shop for a few weeks eventually, but that'll be when I'm on the front lines." He says, with a huge smile on his face. 

ID- 103476

LD- 14(fail)

@Pick

Edited July 22, 2018 by Dustin

[Pick 0]

ID: 103477
LD:  9+6=15 (1 Material)
CD:  1 (No Bonus Materials)

"Girl problems, huh? I'd like to say that I'm capable of teaching you a few things about these female species. However, they are quite different in these games. The only two girls that I've really met has been someone who never speaks, and someone who only talks about killing you." Pick exclaimed, laughing slightly. "Don't worry about it... it's not always you, sometime's it's the girls' fault." Pick finished, looking around and saw an ice mushroom that was growing out of the ground. This time, he wasn't able to find a patch, which was unlucky. It's been quite a while since he last failed to find a patch and was only able to obtain only a single material. He sighed, not paying it any mind... his next attempt would be far better. 

"Your own story? Why would I need to know that? That stuff is none of my business... so don't worry about it. In terms of new looks, I suggest you go to the first floor's multiple tailor shops, and spend a day shopping. I can take you there, if you would like." Pick suggested, "Oh, by the way. There is no lady luck. You make your own luck."

@Dustin

Total Materials: 17

Edited July 22, 2018 by Pick

[Dustin 0]

ID- 103479

LD- 4(Fail)

"I do agree with you on that one." He says, standing up from yet another failed search. "I only like making swords, not luck." He smiles. He turns to the luckier man and sits down. "So you avoid combat unless you have to fight. Sounds like a knife user to me. My brother was the same way, but a lot less careful." Dustin mentions, looking over his shoulder. He turns back and stares off in the distance. He sees a few players fighting monsters, and stares enviously.

"I don't want to take you shopping, seems too girly for my taste." He says, "Unless you know where to find a new cloak, then I might follow you." Dustin smells his cloak and pretends to be disgusted. It has been a while since I've been in a real store. "I guess we could go shopping when I get enough money." Having spoken his mind, Dustin sits in silence.

@Pick

Total Materials: 2

Edited July 22, 2018 by Dustin

[Pick 0]

ID: 103490
LD: 12+6=18 (1 Material)
CD: 3 (1 Bonus Material)

"Sounds like a knife user? Not necessarily. I've done some research and the best way to get AoE damage in is through battle axes." Pick exclaimed, looking around and saw that two ice cubes lay on the winter ground. Pick sighed, not knowing if they actually counted as materials. He slowly walked up to the two ice cubes and picked both of them up with his hands. He could almost feel his hands getting more wet even though the floor was below freezing. Pick looked up, it was already beginning to snow a little bit even though the day was still early. Pick smiled, tossing a cube up and down before facing Dustin again. "Girly? Well, that is your own tastes. I'd like to think that my outfits are for the girls, not girly, though." Pick sighed, "And I do know a good tailor shop on the first floor, but I don't think they offer any rewards to people who recommend their business, so I might not tell you about it." Pick exclaimed, "So, how many materials have you gotten?" He asked, knowing that he's got a lot more.

@Dustin

Total Materials: 19

Edited July 22, 2018 by Pick

[Dustin 0]

ID- 103499

LD- 18 (success)

"Please, I need a new cloak." He begs. He stands up and throws his arms up, "How am I supposed to get girls to like me if I look like an idiot all the time?" He walks away and digs around on the ground for a bit, standing up and saying, "3, so not many." He makes his way back to his spot and sits down. "Sorry, I feel like I'm making you do all the work." It's not easy being green, is it? Whatever, I'll be rich soon, and he'll be helping my business. "And by the way, I say it's a knife fighter mentality because think, you don't want to fight, so you pick the lightest weapon. This is for 3 reasons, one is because you don't want to be weighed down by something you're not gonna use. Two is because you want something easy to deploy when it's needed, so when you're in danger. Three is because you can run away much easier when you don't need to fight." Dustin turns to the man, "So was I right?" He asks, raising one eyebrow.

@Pick

Total Materials: 3 

Edited July 23, 2018 by Dustin