[PP-F1] [Quest] Earning a Living (Jazz, Juzt)

[Jazz 0]

Jasmine had been wandering around the first floor for what seemed like weeks without any particular idea of what she should be doing, how she should be doing it, and when it should be done. She had ventured out a little out of town to watch as other players rushed out in waves to train or go adventuring, the urge to explore killing her on the inside, but she didn't know the dangers of this place or what to expect. She had been restricted from adventure for god knows how long now and the desire to go was insatiable, but she needed someone to help ensure that she wasn't going to get herself killed in the heat of the moment. Casually introducing herself to passing players, she would have trouble finding anyone willing to give her the time of the day, much less any help for her endeavors. She wouldn't stop though as she would continue to pester any unlucky players that happened upon her, begging them for some sort of advice and, if she got lucky, someone to accompany her on the trip. After all, eventually somebody would have to succumb to the cute charm that she had, whether this was the real world or not. However, just how long would such an effect take to entice someone...?

 

Edited September 25, 2016 by Jazz

[Juzt 0]

Justin hadn't much to do in the way of quests or training today so he figured he'd spend some time focusing on gathering materials for his bar, which would be the reason he was returning from his usual stay up on Floor 9. He didn't need many materials to keep his brewing process going strong, preferring these quick, frequent trips as an excuse to have a short break every few days. The last time he had been down here, however, was back when he took on his quest for his profession. While he certainly wasn't a high class warrior, he definitely felt a little out of place with all the noobs and clueless players that hung around here. Making his way through the town square on his way to the fields, he'd soon run into a disturbance that would prevent him from continuing on without at least heeding its presence, "Yo, planning to see what's on the outside of the walls? What's your name, dear?"

[Jazz 0]

It wouldn't take too long before a kind stranger at least recognized her as someone that was in need of aid, but he didn't look like the kind of person that would stop and help. Maybe it was his jock like appearance, though she quickly dismissed it as the thought of such a short-witted judgment was highly unappealing. Having to look slightly upwards to look him in the eyes, she'd express her gratitude and begin to explain her situation at hand... "Yes! Thank you, thank you so much!" She would have hugged him if it was someone that she knew or if she was attracted to him, but neither fit the bill, "I've looked a little into these kinds of games, yet I've never actually tried them so I'm not sure of what to do or what to be cautious of." It wasn't a fib as she did some genuine research, albeit quite lacking in instructions and clarity. "I love to adventure and it's been so long, I just need someone to teach me how to play this game. Would you mind helping out?"

[Juzt 0]

She was pretty giddy about him stepping in, but didn't take too long to get to the chase after rambling on about her lack of experience. With this in mind, he assumed that she hadn't done anything in this game so the first step she should take would be to start the same quest he did when he first logged on, "Sure, I don't mind one bit." He was a little pestered that she hadn't given him her username yet as that was a pretty standard point of introduction, but this game was filled with people of all different cultures, "Well, first thing you ought to do is start by completing the most basic quest - Earning a Living. It'll allow you to open up a shop, whatever it is you so desire, and when you go out into the wilderness, you'll have something to do with the loot you snag." He began walking towards the shopping district, where most of the NPC shops were and gestured for her to follow along, "By the way, I don't recall me introducing myself." Taking his opportunity to once again obtain the other player's name, he'd make it far more blatant and clear for her to understand what he wanted, "The name's Juzt. Nice to meet you."

[Jazz 0]

She released a wide grin as he, willingly or not, agreed to accompany her on this adventure. While she didn't know what experience he had or even what level he was, it looked like he was quite knowledgeable of how everything worked here and trusted that he would lead her down the right path. Tagging along as he moved away from where they met, she would listen attentively as he explained that her first appropriate step would be to complete a quest called Earning a Living. Unfortunately, she hadn't known at all about these quests in the game, much less what professions there were and what she should choose, "Well, I'm not too sure about what I should choose... what are my options?" She was likely to go with something that she knew about in the real world if it was available, like cooking, sewing, or growing plants. With his next suggestive statement, she'd realized that she hadn't introduced herself when he had asked the first time, "Oh, forgive me! My name's Jasmine. Nice to meet you as well, Juzt." She forgot about her username, having not used it beyond signing up and signing in, and didn't know of the etiquette relating around the usage of the names.

[Juzt 0]

With her explanation of her lack of knowledge about the game, he figured that she was being honest, but he didn't expect her to be exactly this clueless everything. It was a good thing that she chose him to ask such things since there were plenty of baddies out for blood and he wasn't one of them, "Well there are a total of eight different professions - blacksmith, tailor, artisan, alchemist, cook, performer, fisherman, and merchant. If you need a more detailed description about them, I can give it to you, but they're rather straightforward. I went with alchemist, personally, and I'm running a bar thanks to it. I'm hoping that I'll find a cook and performer that's interested in forming a team to run the place and give it a unique taste so if you're interested in either of those two, do let me know." He didn't intend to recruit her with how he said it nor mean to influence her decision, although it likely came off that way. He just wanted to offer an opportunity that he had to give and wouldn't be disappointed regardless of what she thought of it, "Do think over what profession you'd like quickly though, Jasmine. We're in the shopping district so we can't continue until your decision has been made."

[Jazz 0]

There certainly weren't as many options as she figured there would be and most of them offered little to no interest to her, "Who would want to sit around all day waiting on fish as their job?" She imagined that a performer or merchant wouldn't be much better either, considering that they required a lot of luck and connections, neither of which she had, if it was anything like in the real world. Thus, that would leave her of three options that she was genuinely interested in - tailor, artisan, and cook. While she knew how to sew, she wasn't too passionate about it, using it only as a means to patch clothing and fix buttons back on outfits. However, she quite enjoyed cooking in the real world for her family as she took on the (once) chore on as a hobby when her parents had restricted her freedom. It was a clear choice to what her answer should be so she went with something that she knew well enough, "I think I'll go with the Cook profession, it sounds fun." She didn't have any experience with it in-game, but did want to make one thing clear off the bat, "Now don't think just because I chose to be a Cook that I'm doing this for you and your idea.." She crossed her arms to prove a point, "Okay?"

Edited January 23, 2017 by Jazz

[Juzt 0]

While he didn't expect for someone to so quickly hop on board such an idea with a complete stranger, it brought about a bit of humor with how enforced she was about the concept of her choosing her profession without his influence. He honestly didn't care what she chose so long as she made a decision that she wanted and that she made it quickly enough so that they could continue on with the quest to get her started in the world of Aincrad, "If that's what makes you sleep at night. Well, with that decided, that means we're off to see the Sous Chef of Marty's Grill." It was an NPC shop that specialized in mid-tier food, but the Sous Chef was one of the many NPCs you could speak to if you'd like to start the quest down the cook line. He'd lead the way down three streets and through an alley before arriving at the place, making his way to the counter and catching the man he was seeking, "Yo, Sous. This girl here, Jasmine, is looking to become the finest chef in Aincrad. Claims she's a real pro that could scallop you like a potato, think you can give her a go?" He was joking around since the NPC didn't care about how players interacted with it, merely offering the quest and the instructions on how to complete it.

[Jazz 0]

Following alongside Juzt, there were a ton of questions that she wanted to ask as they made their way to wherever he was leading her, but it wasn't more than a few moments before they would arrive at their destination. She hadn't explored much of the city yet so it was expectedly a place that she hadn't seen before, but certainly did fit the bill of what Juzt described it as. Making her way inside, she'd be quite surprised by how sharp this place looked, very similar to some of the fine dining establishments she had been a customer to in the real world. Finally meeting the Sous Chef, Juzt would give her a less than humble introduction, "Oh, shut up." She pushed against the other player lightly, then began speaking to the NPC, "I'd like to become a Cook, can you help me?" The Sous Chef chuckled, "Help you? I was about to ask the same thing!" He would hold up a mushroom, "If you'd like me to teach you to become a cook, all you have to do is find me a few of these bad boys. They're called One-Up Shrooms. I'll teach you everything you need to know if you can do that. Sound fair?" Looking at Juzt for confirmation, she'd nod with content, "Of course! We'll be back soon, Mr. Chef!"

[Juzt 0]

He grinned as he got shoved aside so that she could take over the conversation, but there was very little to be said. Much like his own attempt at this quest, it all came down to retrieving items that was needed by the appropriate NPC to forge, brew, or piece together an example to be followed. Once they taught you, things just begin to click and you're in business, at least after you make one. Tilting his head towards the exit, he'd began walking out as they began their short journey outside the town, "You know, you don't have to give him an honorific. He's just an NPC, but anyways..." He placed focus on the more important matter at hand as he had a few things that he wanted to explain before passing beyond the safe borders, "The area outside the safe zones have no particular name, but I and many others refer to them as the wild - short for wilderness. In these areas, players can fight monster or even other players. It's very dangerous if you're not prepared, especially in the beginning." He let out a sigh, formed from a combination of disappointment and relief, as he recalled his own journey on this quest, "Any questions so far?"

[Jazz 0]

She removed her elbows from the counter that she was leaning on and pursued after her temporary mentor, making sure not to let him wander off too far away. Jasmine listened to his explanation about the two contrasting zones of this game and was quite pleased with how simple it was and easy to understand, "No, I think you've explained it well enough... Er, actually..." She did have a little concern about the last piece of information that he gave as it did sound a little grave considering the little bit of knowledge that she had learned in the square beforehand, "About the, uh, combat in the wild. I did hear about players being able to fight and kill other players, but if I remember correctly, players don't... come back, do they?" She was an adventurous individual that loved exploring the wilderness of the real world and, while there was always a chance of being stabbed or mugged, she had never given it a sliver of thought. However, in here, there were no police or force to punish those that committed such treacherous crimes and if there was nobody to stop them, wouldn't that convince more people that it was acceptable. She remained silent for a few moments afterwards, "What can I do to avoid that?"

[Juzt 0]

He wasn't all too surprised to see that she was becoming a little antsy at the concept of player versus player combat, it was a controversial topic of discussion that nearly every player had a strong opinion about. Regardless of their opinion, however, it was still a part of the game and everyone was at risk of death at the hands of another whenever they took a step out of the safe zone. Having already reached the border of town, he stopped just outside, leaving Jasmine just a few steps inside of the safe zone as he continued his explanation, "Well, to be honest, there's two things that you can do. Option one is to imprison yourself in the town squares, never experiencing the wonders and fun that this game has to offer. You'll never know just how greener the grass is on the other side, but you'll live without fear and may live to see this game end some day." He drew a line in the dirt with his foot, creating a representation of the safe zone border, "Option two is to take a step into the wild, go out there and delve into the splendor of the game. Sure, you'll never be safe, but you'll be living life to the fullest. That's the life for me and even if a player takes my life, at least I know I took the right choice." He opened his hand and pointed it towards the line, "The question is you should be asking is - do you want to avoid it?"

[Jazz 0]

Jasmine wasn't too sure what to say, having not expected to be given a moral speech on the importance of life and death in this game. Even with how gracefully he described such a vital decision, she was hesitant to admit that what he said was something that she truly believed in. With his outstretched hand inviting her to cross the line or avoid it with a passion, she let out a frustrated sigh as she her foot slipped past the line, "I... I don't know if you're trying to get nominated as best actor or something, but you don't have to show off so much." This time, she took the lead, now that she had finally given herself the freedom that she had been starving for after all these years. It felt refreshing, sending goosebumps along her arms and down her back, leaving her smiling from ear to ear. While she hadn't told Juzt about her life back home and didn't plan to, it was quite clear that this joy was more than just crossing over the line, "Well, what are you waiting for?" With cheer in her voice and a pip in her step, she began running towards the forest up ahead, "We've got some mushrooms to pick!"

[Juzt 0]

He couldn't help grinning at the thought of himself being some well known, big screen actor that spoke his lines in unwavering confidence. Certainly, he was meant to be a big shot at some point in his career, but that all came crashing down at too fast a pace. He didn't want to drown himself in a drunken sorrow here and now, but whenever the thought invaded his head in the real world, a quick drink was an easy remedy. Maybe that's why he was so interested in establishing a bar here in the game, realizing that it had became a part of himself by now, but for the time being, there as far more exciting things to focus on. One being the girl that was steadily making a distance as she sprinted into the forest, leaving Juzt farther and farther behind as she allowed herself to be freed from the chains she had bound herself to, "Oi, hold up a minute, will ya?" Starting off with a slow start, instinctively not used to running anymore, it wasn't long before he was dashing full speed and catching up to Jazz, "I thought I told you to hold on, it's not like you know where in the forest these mushrooms grow and you barely know what they look like." He shook his head in jest, "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were careless."