[SP-F1] Get a job!! <<Earning a Living>>

[Shirien 0]

((Chronologically this takes place after he decided/was convinced to start adventuring after the 15 floors of inactivity.))

Shirien groaned miserably as a new day dawned. He didn't want to get out of bed, he didn't want to step out into the day and form a forward momentum... but he had reason to fight now he supposed. "Dangit... Such a good sleep too..." He mutters as he kicks hard, the blankets that covered him flailing off as he shuffles out of bed and begins to equip his cloth clothes and dagger. "Okay... Goal of the day..." He says while scratching his head with a yawn. While trying to decide he forced himself to stand and started to look through his menu, In time it became apparent to him that he had a distinct lack of a profession. Something for himself to do during his off hours in other words. "... That works." He states plainly before shutting his menus and beginning the grand debate in his mind of what he should choose to be his profession. There were many options to choose from after all, and he could only really settle himself down onto one. He shut his eyes while still standing, tapping his foot to a mental beat as he tried to weigh pros and cons.

Edited April 26, 2016 by Shirien

[Shirien 0]

Shirien decided it would be best to just list his choices out loud to himself since nobody could probably hear him from his room. "Let's see... I'm not very creative, so that rules out Artisan and Tailor... I'm not the type of guy who would hammer steel for a living... way too physical, so that rules out Smithing..." He strains himself a little to keep going and remembering each of the available professions. "Food is too subjective so no Cooking... Fishing is just icky... Uhm..." He was starting to run out of options he quickly noted "I'm tone deaf-ish, so I can't be making music..." And then it hit him, the perfect profession for a man as lazy as himself. Why work and gather materials when he could get other people to do it for him?! He brings his fist into his palm and announces proudly "Alright, I'll become a merchant!" He says proudly to himself for coming up with something even he could do. Now he just needed to figure out how he would actually go about becoming one.

[Shirien 0]

It didn't take long for him to mentally force himself to the realization that the first step to becoming a merchant was to not be inside of a tavern's room and to actually exit. With that settled into his mind he turned towards the door and exited the room. From there he started to pass into the dining area of the tavern where breakfast was being served to customers. He felt his stomach grumble a little and he let out a sigh as he knew how little funds he had... Still, he could use the energy is what he told himself as he took the free detour! He seated himself at an empty table to the side of the room and waited to be served by a waitress. As no surprise to him it was an NPC who took his order with mechanical precision. Minutes later he had a platter of sausage and eggs before him. He almost had to wipe away a tear at the sight of real food before he started to stab the meal with his prepared fork. The food was eerily close to the real thing he concluded with a grin. He didn't care, it filled his belly and pleased his tongue, that was all he asked for in a meal!

[Shirien 0]

After consuming his meal like a ravenous beast and paying for it with (thankfully) enough Col he let out a happy sigh and pushed himself out of his seat. He ensured his hood was up and shielding his face as he approached towards the door. The moment he passed the threshold into the first floor's capital he sighed and kept his eyes out of contact with the sun while keeping his ears from trying to take in every single sound. He had to focus and get what he was going to do today done. He felt if he got distracted too much the day would pass entirely and he would fail himself, the last person he wanted to really fail. With a deep breath he headed towards the shops in the town. If anyone would know how to become a merchant or give hints, it would be merchants themselves he supposed. If they didn't know then they must have been really bad at their jobs he supposed.

[Shirien 0]

Shirien went from store to store in the markets, quizzing the NPCs if they could make him a merchant or knew a place that could. One by one he got responses that to him basically amounted to 'This response is coded into me to say when I don't have an answer or response.' which didn't help him in the slightest towards his goal. It wasn't until about the seventh shop that he finally got something to tide back his minor sense of annoyance at the lack of information he had to his name. "Hey, Shopkeep, do you know how an Adventurer would go about becoming a Merchant?" He asks like he had said the phrase many many times and was growing tired of it. "Ah, you've come to the right place!" Says the NPC to Shirien's surprise. While fighting the urge to place a vendetta on the shop's neighbors for the close proximity he says "In that case I would like to become a Merchant, how would I go about that?" The NPC smiled and a pop up soon appeared in front of Shirien's face which he started to read in detail.

[Shirien 0]

Shirien soon concluded that what he had on his hands was a quest of sorts. From what he could understand it was basically telling him that he would fill in for the NPC owner while he himself went on 'some errands'. Shirien himself assumed the NPC would pathfind to a random location or just despawn entirely while out of view, but either scenario left him with the same chores. He was to make sure the shop didn't lose business in his absence. The quest mentioned the possibility of being given 'tips' for the duration of the quest if customers were satisfied when they left. The actual reward itself seemed kind of vague, like it was going to be a randomized reward atop of the EXP and profession. Seeing little other choice and it was a paid chance to experience his new job firsthand he accepted the quest and said "Alright, I'm in. I'll watch your shop while you go about your errands!"

[Shirien 0]

With a nod and a pat on the shoulder the NPC moves out from behind the counter and invites Shirien to take his place. Shirien nods and moves behind the counter while the NPC says "You won't need to do much, just wait for a customer and if they ask for a certain item, see if we have it and give it to them. The shop will tell them the price and it's up to them if they choose to purchase it or not. If they try to steal the item, leave it to the guardians. They'll take care of the criminal, that's not your job in this shop." With the NPCs explanation finished Shirien nods and the NPC exits the shop without hesitation, utterly trusting Shirien... as his programming dictates. "Well... Here we are." He claps his hands, high fiving himself for a job well done as he flops backwards into the nearby wooden chair. He crosses his legs and arms while letting his head hang back, waiting for any would be customers to enter the shop while he lazed about. it was everything he could have ever dreamed for in a job.

[Shirien 0]

Shirien was able to rest for a nice long time in his temporary seat, sighing happily as he was given a chance to gain the rest he had lost in order to set off on this venture. Eventually however came the ringing of a bell signalling the entrance of customer. Common manners kicking in as he opens his eyes and straightens up. "Hey, what can I get you?" He asks curiously as he player steps forward and says "Hi, can I get three healing potions?" Shirien looked around a moment, suddenly regretting not checking the inventory beforehand but coming up with three potions relatively quickly. "Here we are." He notes the other player looking at a pop-up. The player frowned a bit and said "Oh, uh sorry. That's ever so slightly out of my price range. Uh, thanks anyways." The player turned and left, leaving Shirien to put the potions back away, and this time actually checking the stock and what they had.

[ID# 57711][LD: 8]

Edited April 27, 2016 by Shirien

[Shirien 0]

With a failed sale which he wouldn't have profited from to begin with completed he plopped himself back into the seat, sighing softly in relaxation before another ringing was heard to rudely interrupt him. He waved and repeated the same greeting he had given the last guy, The player in question seemed to want a basic whip. Several smart remarks met his mind but were wiped aside in favor of being professional in a shop he didn't own. He went through the items that were for sale and came up with the basic version of the whip weapon for the player. The player looked the item over for a good moment before shaking their head. It wasn't quite what they were looking for they explained and that it would need to be custom. Shirien held back a laugh until the player had walked a safe distance away, his mischief getting the better of him!

[ID# 57712][LD: 8]

Edited April 27, 2016 by Shirien

[Shirien 0]

He had found a little humor in his job which suited him just fine. It was a nice little bonus for him that something amusing would happen while he was on the clock and waiting for the quest to conclude himself. So far as he could tell aside from leaving his post there were no actual failure conditions for this quest, but he didn't feel like pushing his luck either in case it was a one-time quest and failure meant being blacklisted from this sort of thing in the future. In either scenario the only work he had to do for the next short while was hold down the fort thanks to a momentary lull in the flow of customers giving him an impromptu break to shut his eyes with his arms behind his head.

[ID# 57713][LD: 9]

Edited April 27, 2016 by Shirien

[Shirien 0]

After what felt to him like half an hour of relaxation the bell rung and he got up onto his legs once again to greet the customer. "Heyo, whatcha need?" He says to vary things up a touch for his own sake. The player soon handed him a grocery list of items from potions to a few items and crystals even. With a nod Shirien starts piling the stuff up onto the shop's counter and waits for the player to confirm the price as he crossed his fingers behind himself. With a nod the player hits the 'accept' button and the shop is given some Col, if not Shirien himself. Once the player had left with his new items however he got a notice about getting a material as a 'tip' of sorts for some reason. He was more than happy to simply accept it without question however. Pay was pay, whatever the form!

[ID# 57714][LD: 15]
[Total Materials: 1]

Edited April 27, 2016 by Shirien

[Shirien 0]

Pleased with himself and his new acquisition he got ready to nap twice as hard, his eyes shutting as his hood is tucked over his eyelids, smiling happily with his exposed mouth while napping in a store in broad daylight. He might not have been employee of the month, but he didn't really need to be when there was nobody else home to tell him how to do his job. Customers were getting the services they paid for, and that made him feel satisfied enough with his work to enjoy his forced breaks. "The future looks bright~" He says while blinded by the darkness of his hood. It seemed doubtful to him that having his own shop would be more busy than this, if anything he expected it to be less so. And truly, that was a good deal to him. It gave him time to catch up on sleep whenever he wasn't adventuring and tiring himself with combat!

[ID# 57715][LD: 6]

Edited April 27, 2016 by Shirien

[Shirien 0]

Shirien quickly tugged his hood back a few inches and stood up when the now familiar ring of the bell announced his next customer. This one much like the last knew exactly what they needed. "Hey there, could you give me a fishing rod?" To the request Shirien eagerly nodded and reached down, pulling up a lovely quality rod and setting it down for them. "There you are." He says as the popup appeared for the new arrival who happily accepted the price. "Thanks, time to put this baby to work." With those words the player turned around and left the store with a ring while Shirien more or less took as his cue to get another twenty winks before the next customer.

[ID# 57717][LD: 14]

Edited April 27, 2016 by Shirien

[Shirien 0]

Shirien had far fewer than twenty winks to relax as quickly stomped in the next customer, seemingly out of breath and in a hurry. "Hey, get me two basic teleport crystals, wouldja?" Shirien blinked but sensing the situation hopped up and tossed him the crystals a second later, the player not even reading the price before they ran out as quickly as they had ran in. Shirien hoped that the door wasn't damaged and if it were that the slams were not credited to himself. In either scenario Shirien noted a new tip added to the invisible till that he only hoped was a real thing and not just a fake way to encourage him to work hard until the quest was complete. "... Well, hope it wasn't a big deal. Good luck, whoever you were." He says with a musical tone to the end.

[ID# 57719][LD: 15]

[Total Materials: 2]

Edited April 27, 2016 by Shirien

[Shirien 0]

Moments after the quick exit of the previous player a brand new player entered, glancing behind themselves curiously "What was that about?" They ask curiously while looking at Shirien who grins and shrugs his shoulders "No idea, he asked for two teleport crystals and went off after paying. My guess is someone is in trouble." He shrugs his shoulders since there wasn't anything he could do "And what can I get you?" He winks to the other player, assuming that wasn't their sole reason for coming in. "Oh! Right, just a supply run for my guild. Nothing major." A grocery list of sorts was handed to Shirien who skimmed it with a nod and started to bust out the items requested by them. "Done and done. We sell everything you need." With the transaction made the player nodded to Shirien and gave him a wave "Great, thanks a bunch!" With that they exited while Shirien braced himself for the potential of three people coming in a row.

[ID# 57720][LD: 17]

[Total Materials: 3]

Edited April 27, 2016 by Shirien

[Shirien 0]

Shirien was both wrong, as well as right. Another person did enter the shop but it was not a customer, it was the owner in fact. The NPC who was the reason he was currently standing there behind the counter. "Ahhh, I see you haven't abandoned your post. So, you've spent a day in the life. Tell me, do you still want to be a Merchant?" To which Shirien nodded, despite it not actually being a full day as the NPC suggested. He was willing to let it slide, it was within his tolerance for quest flavor text confusion. "Yeah, sign me up. This seems like something I could get behind." He says with a smile. Seconds later he got a Quest Complete in his face, making him grin as he got some spare EXP as well as extra materials to boot. He'd count them later but he knew to step out from behind the counter now. "Well, thank you very much for the opportunity, have a good one!" He says to the NPC who gives him a nod before returning behind the counter, its mission completed.

[Shirien 0]

Shirien shrugged at the slight cold shoulder but he had everything he needed in any case. He was now officially a Merchant as far as he could tell. He hums a moment while walking through the street and checks his menus just to be sure. Sure enough he did eventually find the word 'Merchant' in his stats, making him smile as he had successfully completed today's goal, leaving him with a sense of success and fulfillment which was a rare thing for him in the past in this virtual world. He hummed while thinking about what steps would come next after this. He had the profession, but no way to actually use it. He would need to start doing research he supposed. After a few minutes of thought he smiled when he realized there was a pretty easy way for him to get the info he needed.

[Shirien 0]

He knew that earlier on in the game people were handing out these cheap little books full of tips to help new players. He was willing to gamble on them being updated over time to include more info. He had no use for the original since he wasn't going to participate, but he knew where to get one originally. It took him an hour or so of searching since it had been a long time since he had even come this deep into the first floor's capital but with a quick exchange of Col he soon had a small brown book in his hands which he started to flip through to drain it dry of the knowledge it had around the Merchant profession so that he could get it all down mentally. He would worry about studying before he would worry about the concept of gaining a place to actually do his business. He needed knowledge to have power, not the other way around. He glanced down to the dagger on his hip, more or less evidence of the fact. It wasn't exactly a broadsword meant to be swung hard and hope for the best.

[Shirien 0]

Shirien hummed while walking his way up to a bench under a tree in town. It looked like as good a place to relax and read as any in his mind. With that focused in his mind he continued his reading and started to verbally state the things he was trying to memorize. He tried not to look up though in case somebody was staring at him like he was totally crazy. "Okay, lets see... Sells items... gain exp in the profession to rank up... get new items and then sell those..." And then he got to the juiciest bit. The ability to examine items for secret traits which he could unlock. The mere thought of such a thing excited him, making him grin as he looked down the list of potential traits he could unlock! "Mmm... I like how that sounds. A touch random, chaotic, what more could I need?" Gambling was pretty fun, the money kind, not the Russian Roulette kind. He really preferred the money kind.

Edited April 27, 2016 by Shirien

[Shirien 0]

While Shirien drooled over what the book was telling him he had to shake himself back into reality, putting the book away before he ended up staying on that bench all night. The last thing he needed was to get mugged in the middle of the night. He forced himself onto his legs and back in the direction of his tavern. He figured he had done enough for today. He sold to several customers and got himself a job of sorts. Suddenly his eyes shot wide and a smile crossed his face. It was almost creepy how innocent it was. "I can sleep in the shop!" He says in barely a whisper. The concept of not needing to pay rent every day or so just to stay at an inn or tavern was filling him with joy since he wouldn't need to leave work to sleep or vice versa! He had almost a spring in his step as he made his way back to what would not be an even more temporary bed!