[SP-F1] Fullmetal Alchemist: Boringhood <<Earning A Living // COMPLETE >>

[Kekoa 0]

Kekoa woke up with a loud yawn and a far, upward stretch. He rubbed his eyes as he listened to the hustle and bustle of the Town of Beginnings just outside his little shadowy corner. Sleeping in alleyways was becoming more and more tiring (ironically) for Kekoa, and it's always been unsafe; with the ability to PK players while they sleep, it's really stupid to sleep anywhere outside a locked inn room. The only problem was that the teen player had little to no money. He wanted to get his own place, eventually, but he knew that was going to be something he would save for over a long period of time. Kekoa thought back to the time he spent with Jazmyne and Nikodemus, smiling fondly at the experience. It was too bad the missions didn't provide much Col for him; at least, not enough to fully support someone who was going to be perusing the frontlines in no time. He sighed. It would seem he had reached an impasse.

Nothing seemed interesting to him at the moment, and he sure as hell wasn't able to challenge harder floor levels just yet. He sighed again, walking sluggishly past civilian players and NPCs wanting him to buy their junk. The boy was in a bit of a funk, but he obviously wasn't going to give up. He perused the town, still rubbing some sleep from his eyes as he walked.

Edited June 5, 2016 by Kekoa

[Kekoa 0]

Suddenly, a small "Ma & Pa"-looking shop caught his eye. He glanced up at the wooden sign that read "CASEY'S CAULDRON" above the doorway. In passing, it felt warm and welcoming, and Kekoa was surprised more players weren't walking inside. He shrugged to himself and figured he might as well see what it's all about. It was no doubt some type of shop, but maybe they had some advice for things to do around Aincrad for Col. As he walked up the small staircase to get to the dark, wooden door, the young NPC girl-- who must have been no older than six or seven-- sweeping beside the place turned and shouted up to Kekoa.

"Hey! Welcome to Casey's Cauldron!" She giggled. "Daddy-- hehe-- I mean, the owner, is inside! He seemed to be a little stressed out recently with the large influx of customers. You should talk to him! I bet you can help, mister!" With another giggle, she turned from Kekoa and began sweeping again. He shook his head as he smiled. There most definitely was not a large influx of customers, which made the programmed dialogue of the seven-year old even cuter. Perhaps, this was some kind of low level errand quest that Kekoa could actually accept. He had pretty much gotten used to turning down NPC's requests. He pulled the creaky door open and stepped inside.

[Kekoa 0]

As he stepped inside, he was greeted by a smell he couldn't quite identify. It was sweet, though, and thick. If warmth had a smell, that would be it. A small <<Casey's Cauldron>> identification appeared in front of Kekoa for a second, before fading away. The place was practically all wood, save for the stone floors. It looked like that cabin his family and he had stayed in when they visited northern California that one winter. It had a small fireplace burning to the side of a couple waiting tables. There was a bookcase with several titles on Alchemy and Aincrad Lore. It felt... too much like a home. Kekoa was smiling, but his eyes were clearly saddened. It made that familiar feeling of homesickness drape over him like an extra-thick syrup. It was so cruel, and yet so innocently so. He wanted to puke, but he also wanted to sit down and read for a while by the fireplace. He tried to distract himself from the cute set-up by scanning around the counters. There are glass cases displaying all kinds of tier one potions and such, as well as a few higher grade crystals (most likely updated depending on the amount of higher-level players that shop here, which couldn't be many considering this is the first floor). There was a door-less doorway behind the counter, showing a staircase that led to the upper floor of the shop. When he peered at it long enough, a small window appeared that said <<Staircase to Bedrooms>>. Kekoa felt the stab right in his chest. The NPCs live here. It was a very nice place, and Kekoa only hoped that he could have something like this of his own one day.

[Kekoa 0]

However, come to think of them, no sort of NPC had greeted Kekoa yet. He found it odd, considering most shops or booths ran by an NPC-vendor will greet you or ask you what you need as soon as you approach. Suddenly, the girl from outside came skipping through the door with her broom in one hand, and a frog in the next. "Hey, mister! Look what I found outside! Cute, 'aint it?" She smiled brightly, displaying the tiny, forest green creature. "Hm? Did you speak with papa already?" She cocked her head to the side cutely and Kekoa smiled. "Well-- er-- I actually haven't seen him around anywhere..." Kekoa admitted, gesturing to the empty room. Confusion muddled the NPC's face, and Kekoa wondered for a moment if this was all part of the quest. He mentally slapped himself. Of course it is. This game just has a way of making NPC's all-too real. The girl walked passed Kekoa and around the corner. "Papa--? PAPA!!" She screamed. Kekoa turned and quickly dashed over to where the girl was standing behind the counter.

When he walked behind the counter, he found a surprisingly young (probably mid-20's) man passed out on the floor. The girl fell to her knees and started shaking the man wildly. "Papa!! Papa are you okay?" She asked loudly. It was clear the man was snoring, however, and Kekoa scratched the back of his head, a bit perturbed the man had his daughter worrying like that. "Uhh.. sir..?" Kekoa started, but the man immediately shot up and the NPC girl jumped out her skin, squealing as she tumbled backwards. The man hopped to his feet and wiped sweat from his forehead. "Ohh!-- oh dear-- please excuse me! Welcome to Casey's Cauldron-- *sneeze*-- we sell the best.. somethings-- oh!-- We sell the best hicky-doos in town!!" The man spoke the nonsense all at once, and then tumbled backwards, using the wall as support as he slid to his bum. "Daddy!" The girl whined as she stood and tossed herself onto his lap. He sighed. "I'm sorry... I've just been really overworking myself recently, princess. I need a break-- if only Casey were still around.." The NPC stared longingly off in to the distance, and Kekoa was guessing that's his cue. He still found it hilarious that this man believed he's so overworked, and yet no one had even entered the shop yet since he walked in. Kekoa loathed the NPC's life for a moment. He just acts all day, programmed to believe he needs players to help him with whatever tasks. And if a player decides to just chop him up and steal some stuff, he respawns ten minutes later. Kekoa smiled sympathetically, despite not feeling bad for the NPC's good life.

Edited June 23, 2016 by Kekoa

[Kekoa 0]

"May I ask who Casey is?" Kekoa questioned first. The man nodded weakly. "He was my best friend and business partner. We started this place together after my wife passed.." The little girl dipped her head at the remembrance of her mother. Kekoa didn't know how young she was when her mother passed, or if she ever even existed in code, but it was still sad to hear. "..But one day Casey told Yumi and I that he was going out for materials and just never came back... He was my best friend.." The man sighed. The girl grabbed his shirt and puffed out a cheek angrily. "He is your best friend, papa! He's gonna be mad if he hears you talking like that when he gets back!!" The girl warned her father. He smiled softly, patting the girl's head. He turned back to Kekoa, the standing teen still smiling faintly. "I have no help around the shop now-a-days. Yumi does her best collecting supplies around town, and keeping the place neat, but I still have to collect all the materials from in the field and keep the business running," he pouted. The man was staring directly at Kekoa now-- straight in to his eyes-- and the brown-haired boy assumed that was his cue again.

"I can help you--" before Kekoa could even finish his sentence, the man jumped up and grabbed his hand. He shook it wildly, threatening to give the boy whiplash before he let go. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!!" The man praised, folding his hands and bowing his head to Kekoa. "You have no idea how much this means to me!" He squealed.

<<Earning a Living>> popped up in front of Kekoa, and the two NPC froze to wait for him to read. He slid his hand over the title and a drop screen explaining the quest revealed itself. Kekoa raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Oh!" He gasped. This is the quest that earns you a profession. Kekoa had planned on taking this eventually, but he had never taken the time to search around the large Town of Beginnings for it. Well, better later than never. He pressed the <<Accept>> key and the NPCs smiled brightly. The girl jumped up and down wildly. "I knew he could help, daddy! I knew it!" She cheered. "I just need you to do some material hunting for me! It'll help a ton!!" Kekoa nodded at the information and bowed to the two, and the father bowed back, and then he turned to leave. He stopped just before he was going to push the door open when he heard the man calling.

"Oh! I never got your name, by the way?" The NPC shouted. Kekoa furrowed his eyebrows. It was so unimportant-- such an unimportant fact-- and yet the NPC still asked. He could see the alchemist's unwavering smile even from the door. It was annoying. Kekoa surprised himself at the feeling, but he was truly annoyed. He didn't know why, but he felt like launching himself over and slaying the two for no reason. He turned from them and as he stepped out, mumbled "..Kekoa." 

Edited June 23, 2016 by Kekoa

[Kekoa 0]

He walked angrily through the Town of Beginnings. He didn't know what had him so fired up all of a sudden, but he was angry. He bumped in to passing NPC and players alike, not caring exactly what or who he annoyed as he made his way for the gate of the town. He knew it was immature of him, but everything was suddenly bugging him. The blue sky with those ever-fluffy clouds, the bright green grass swaying in the perfect breeze, and the NPCs with the friendly attitudes greeting him everywhere he walked. The things that he had cursed himself for admiring before were all just pissing him off. He arrived at the gate quicker than expected due to his rampaging, but instead of proceeding, stopped suddenly. A player behind him bumped in to his back and growled a "watch out, man!" He ignored him, staring down at the dirt ground. He raised his hands in to view, clenching and un-clenching his fists to see his fingers flex. It made no sense to be angry right now. His hands were shaking and his feet threatened to carry him to the nearest cliff where he could just jump if he wanted. His hands dropped. He took one deep breath and then walked through the wavy portal labeled <<Grassy Plains>>.

[Kekoa 0]

The breeze immediately welcomed him, and the large expanse of grass that was mainly empty now blew gently along with him. He stepped out in to the field and began searching around for materials. He had never actually done much material gathering before (in fact, he never had) but he knew he was going to have to be careful and take his time. Hopefully he brought back what was needed; the man didn't exactly specify what it was Kekoa was looking for. Perhaps, the type of material wasn't always important when it came to crafting in alchemy. Kekoa thought it was an interesting profession anyways, and planned on becoming one either way. It was really lucky that he had stumbled upon the quest from an Alchemist. He bit his lip. Nobody is lucky in this game... maybe he just subconsciously directed himself there. He tilted his head up towards the sky. He raised a middle finger to the clouds as he walked, and then stuck in his hands in his pockets.

 

Spoiler

ID# 60513: LD: 9 <<NO MATERIALS FOUND>>

 

Edited June 3, 2016 by Kekoa

[Kekoa 0]

He kept walking for a distance before coming upon a beautiful white and baby blue flower. It was absolutely stunning among the simple green color that stretched for so many miles. He figured that must be something special. Kekoa walked over to it and knelt down. He wasn't sure how to go about picking the flower, as it probably required some kind of precision, but he figured that picking a flower is picking a flower, right? No. He corrected himself mentally. Kekoa was not stupid, and he had read plenty of times in the beginner's guide that gathering materials is a delicate sport. He slowly lowered his hand to the flower and pulled lightly at it.

The flower separated from the stem, and appeared to have been successfully gathered, until a red <<FAIL>> window appeared above it, and it withered before his eyes. It then shattered in to several tiny blue crystals as everything that is destroyed does in SAO. Kekoa shrugged, glancing around at the other flowers around it. He had plenty of time and resources, it seemed.

 

Spoiler

ID# 60514: LD: 4 <<GATHERING FAILED>>

 

Edited June 3, 2016 by Kekoa

[Kekoa 0]

He scooted himself over to the next flower, which was white and blue like its neighbor, but also had a bright yellow spot on one of its larger petals. It must be an odd variant of the flower species, and Kekoa was suddenly interested on how many different patterns and colors the different flowers come in. Surely flowers weren't the only material either, so Kekoa was interested to know just how many different kinds of anything there was to collect. He teetered on the edge of panicking for a moment, realizing he really wouldn't be content until he had gathered every single one, but his irritation returned and blocked out the thoughts. He slammed his fist against his own forehead, his HP indicating <<-1>> as he sighed. "Screw Aincrad," he grumbled. He reached out for the flower, but then widened his eyes and smashed his fist down on the thing. <<FAIL>> appeared above it and it shattered in to pieces. He dropped his head weakly and sat there knelt in the grass.

 

Spoiler

ID# 60515: LD: 1 <<CRITICAL ANGRY LOSER GATHERING FAIL>>

 

Edited June 23, 2016 by Kekoa

[Kekoa 0]

Nobody would describe Kekoa as an angry person. He truly couldn't understand what it was coming over him. Well, he knew, but he didn't want to admit it. He was so beyond frustrated with himself and everything around him that he didn't know what to do. He just sat there, cursing under his breath for a few minutes. He eventually stood again, scanning the area with an empty expression on his face. He hated this. He hated everything. He stomped his way over to a new patch of grass with oddly-shaped mushrooms protruding from the ground. He equipped his spear and pulled it back. With a deep breath, he swung down at the mushrooms with as much focus as he could muster.

SLASH! A couple of the mushrooms indicated a fail and shattered in to pieces, and Kekoa bit hard in to his lip to keep from screaming; but then one green window appeared above the grass. <<SUCCESS!>> Kekoa's heart raced. His face still remained flat as he dipped down in to the grass to find the mushroom he had successfully gathered. He picked it up and smiled ever-so-slightly at the cute, brown and red thing. It was transferred to his inventory and he stood back up.

+1 Materials !!

 

Spoiler

ID# 60518: LD: 18 <<GATHERING SUCCESSFUL>> 

 

Edited June 3, 2016 by Kekoa

[Kekoa 0]

Kekoa jogged over to another patch of grass with mushrooms again, deciding that those were the lucky materials of the day. These ones were decorated with pretty pink and yellow spots, with a weird green base. They must be used for some kind of paralysis crystal. Kekoa shrugged, not really caring what they're used for at the moment. There were quite a few of them, so perhaps if he just swung again, then he'll get at least one that he can actually use. He pulled his spear back, crouched a little, and then swung again.

Apparently, just because something worked once, doesn't mean it will work again. Dozens of red signs that flashed <<FAIL>> appeared in front of Kekoa. He just stared for a second, and then exploded in a fit of rage and threw his spear as far as he could. It sailed across the plains and landed in some dirt some odd meters away. He fell to the floor, flailing his limbs and screaming up at the sky.

 

Spoiler

ID# 60522 LD: 7 <<FAILED>>

 

Edited June 3, 2016 by Kekoa

[Kekoa 0]

He screamed and screamed and screamed, and then cried a little, and then screamed some more. He just kept screaming and screaming until he felt he couldn't anymore (because physically, the game would allow it forever). His screams were all swallowed up by the wind, and carried up in to the sky where no other player would ever hear him. It's not like there were many people perusing the beginning floor fields anyways. Kekoa's fist were balled so tightly on either side of his body that he felt he actually might start inflicting damage on himself if he kept going. He draped one hand over his face and sighed. He was looking up at the sky through parted fingers, trying to grasp on one of the millions of thoughts dashing through his head. He knew why he was angry, but he didn't want to accept it. Kekoa wasn't ready to-- no-- no, that's the problem.

The man sat up and stared at his hands again. The problem was that he is not <<Kekoa>>. He is Chapel. This world has become an extension of his being, but he wasn't comfortable with that. The boy wanted to believe that he was still just the person sitting in some hospital bed right now. He wasn't like the other players that reveled in being a cool warrior and the like. He fooled himself in to believing that he wanted to fight on the frontlines but in reality he just wanted to be the undetectable homemaker that he was in real life.. That he is in real life. Maybe it wasn't always impressive, but he had been content with it. He was content with video games being virtual until now. Why had he been so excited about SAO in the first place? Tears fell down his cheeks. He wanted his mommy. He wanted his ten-year old teddy bear that he had gotten when he was only five; the one that still slept on his bed every night with him. He wanted to wake up to the smell of eggs and "plats" (his mom's pancakes), not sewage and sweat. He cried for ten minutes straight, worried about how he could ever live up to any promises he made himself or others. He remembered Nuiko and his hospitality, and the trust the man put in him from the first time they met. He remembered being with Jazmyne and boasting that he would make it to the top before her. He knew his cheery disposition was just a lie to cover up that he felt scared and alone and out of place.

After minutes of kneeling there crumpled in to himself, he finally stood to retrieve his spear. He walked slowly over to where it had been thrown and picked it up. 'What's the point of all this?'

Edited June 3, 2016 by Kekoa

[Kekoa 0]

As he picked it up, the blade cut through a lonely flower that had been laying beside it, the solo plant bursting in to tiny pixels. Kekoa stared as the shades of blue triangles disappeared into the air and ground.

Kekoa tilted his head to stare at the spear in his hand. He twirled it around in his hand for a moment-- and it felt good!-- but something inside him came along with it, causing him to feel bitter and angry. He hated everything in this world for making him feel this way. There was no point to it, and no matter how smart Chapel/Kekoa was, he would never understand why they, thousands of real people, had to be trapped here. Because some deranged man felt like it? He sighed. It was all pointless, and now he had to reach the frontlines to prove he actually is somebody who can be trusted. At this point, he himself is the most annoying thing in his life right now.

 

Spoiler

ID# 60522 LD: 1 <<GATHERING FAILED>>

 

Edited June 3, 2016 by Kekoa

[Kekoa 0]

Kekoa was just like the flower that had just vanished. He was by himself in this game and would eventually vanish.

He suddenly had a flashback to when he was viewing the screenshots and information about the top floor's boss battle. He remembered the smiling faces, figures full of success and happiness for surviving another day and defeating the enemy with their comrades. He stared up at the clouds again. Maybe if he fought hard enough, there would be a point to getting to the frontlines. A sense of community. Friends. Kekoa wouldn't be alone in this game. He knelt down to a rather large, diamond-like dewdrop. He pressed on the bottom of the stem of grass the dew-drop was on, and watched as it slowly slid towards his finger.

The drop of crystal-clear rain fell on to his finger with ease, and the <<SUCCESS!>> window indicated that he had properly gathered the material. He stared through the drop before it moved to his inventory, and he smiled for the first time in the past hour. 

+1 Materials !!

 

Spoiler

ID# 60528 LD: 19 <<GATHERING SUCCESSFUL>>

 

Edited June 3, 2016 by Kekoa

[Kekoa 0]

He continued picking flowers casually, bending down in silence without thought to the next flower. He slipped his index and middle finger around the stem and took a deep breath. If only everything in this game was as regret-less as gathering materials. Failing meant nothing but having to try again. He tried to keep the smile on his face. As long as he kept smiling, maybe he'd return to his normal self. He understood what it meant to survive in this game, but he wasn't sure he had what it takes just yet.

The flower broke and shattered.

 

Spoiler

ID# 60530 LD: 10 <<GATHERING FAILED>>

 

Edited June 3, 2016 by Kekoa

[Kekoa 0]

Kekoa didn't know what to think again. It was like there was some little elf in his programming tearing through his mind's code and forcing him to turn in to a puddle of nothing. He felt brain dead. He was so tired, which may or may not be a backlash of feeling extreme emotion in the game, but he didn't care. He just wanted to curl in to a warm bed and sleep forever. Which he reminded himself he couldn't do; alleyways were going to be his thing for eternity, it felt like. 'I hope they clear this game quick,' Kekoa thought as he reached down for a mushroom. It shriveled as soon as he touched it, a very clear <<FAIL>>.

 

Spoiler

ID# 60567 LD: 6 <<GATHERING FAILED>>

 

Edited June 4, 2016 by Kekoa

[Kekoa 0]

This was becoming monotonous. He just decided to walk for a while. It looked like there was more color littering the fields near the tree line, so he headed there. He tried to keep his mind off the negative, and gear himself towards the positive again. He was so used to always being positive that the feeling of sadness and negativity felt so foreign and uncomfortable on his mind. He wanted to purge himself of the feeling. He forced a smile as he passed another player with heaps of quest rewards in their arm. As soon as they were out of eyesight, his face returned flat. He held out his spear before he even reached the treeline. He jumped in the air and shouted as it glowed and he came down with his only weak sword art. The ground was unmoved, but the mushrooms shook and split and fell from stems.

<<FAIL>> <<FAIL>> <<FAIL>> <<FAIL>> <<FAIL>>

 

Spoiler

ID# 60568 LD: 5 <<GATHERING FAILED>>

 

Edited June 4, 2016 by Kekoa

[Kekoa 0]

He began to wonder again just what it was that had actually drawn him to SAO. Most people that are in to virtual reality want an escape from real life; whether it be to hack away at cool monsters, roleplay, or meet cute girls, there was always some underlying feeling of wanting something different from life. Kekoa had never felt that way. He always felt rather content with his life, actually, despite the hardships his family had endured. Why did he have to join this god forsaken game? He sighed, which seemed to be a reoccuring hobby of his now, and bent down to pick up some oddly shaped rocks. They crumbled in his hands and then shattered like most of the materials he's encountered.

 

Spoiler

ID# 60602: LD: 4 <<GATHERING FAILED>>

 

Edited June 23, 2016 by Kekoa

[Kekoa 0]

Kekoa walked a little in to the forest, keeping a sharp eye out for any mobs that spawn along the treeline. They shouldn't be anything he can't handle, but it doesn't make sense to put himself at extra risk when he didn't have to-- obviously. He searched around for a moment and then stepped over some rather large roots to get to a uniquely-colored tree. It's bark was a very light brown, completely contrasting the color of the bark surrounding it. Kekoa figured this must be something he should check out. He brought his spearhead to the tree and began to chip away. He was hoping he could get a good chunk off as material. After a while of chipping at the bark, he realized that it probably wasn't a material and grunted as he stomped away from the tree.

 

Spoiler

ID# 60603 LD: 12 <<GATHERING FAILED>>

 

Edited June 4, 2016 by Kekoa

[Kekoa 0]

He stomped all the way back in to the grassy area and decided he should start heading back. He noticed quite a few hogs were starting to respawn in his area, so it must have been a while since the last guild farmed through here. He sighed and peered way in to the distance where the gate portal to the Town of Beginnings was. He hadn't realized how far he had actually walked, and frowned at how far he had to go to get back. Hopefully he wouldn't have to engage in combat. As he walked along the dirt path, he stopped occasionally to pick a flower. He had already failed several times, but he knew he had to keep trying for the quest's sake. It probably took more than two materials to satisfy that alchemist NPC, but he really wasn't sure. He couldn't guess what the game truly expects when it's so hard to gather materials in the first place.

 

Spoiler

ID# 60604 LD: 6 <<GATHERING FAILED>>

 

Edited June 4, 2016 by Kekoa