[F01-PP] The First Lesson (ft. Jax & Alice)

[Alice 0]

Today was a beautiful day, the sun shining bright as ever with the wind gentle enough to cool the warmth from above, "Just like always..." It was odd, knowing the weather patterns of this world was far from being as unpredictable as the real world, but at least it was one less thing to worry about. She had just exited her house on the first floor, alternatively known as the Wonderland tailor shop, expecting to find some materials on her ventures today. She was currently down to three materials after her various attempts at crafting and the odd trade or two, but she wanted to have a few saved up as emergency funds in case she needed an item desperately. While Col was something that had been escaping her for her duration here, materials served just as good a role, if not better, when it came to sales. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case when it came to merchants and NPC ran shops, but her store would be following suit of the material exchange idea. Locking the door behind her, she would turn on the notification that Wonderland was closed at this time, before making her way out of the gate and towards town.

[Jax 0]

Still in shock that such a peaceful and gorgeous place was real, Jackson had yet to experience what it was like here in this death game. Sure, there was no war going on between countries, but there was a constant, on-going war against the game. The player count was steadily dropping over time, but it felt as if nothing bad was happening since he couldn't possibly know about it. For now, Jackson had limited his explorations within the confines of town. The occasional tips that players had given him over the course of the past few hours here consisted of three major things; (1) avoid heading beyond the outskirts, (2) avoid anyone with an orange icon, and (3) level up using quests. He didn't have too much concern about having to deal with the first two since he was staying in town, but if he was going to level up, he probably should get on with doing some of the available quests in the game. He would kindly ask a few players that were passing by what their suggestion was on completing their first quest and exactly where he would go to do them.

[Alice 0]

It wouldn't take long for Alice to make her way into the safety of the city, not that she was concerned by the weak monsters between here and her home. She wasn't too sure which method of collecting materials she would use at this time, knowing that she could repeat the <<Earning a Living>> quest again for some or posting a notice on the player request board once again. She had done it twice so far with both times working well enough, but it did feel like she was beginning to abuse a system that was too useful for her own good. Tossing an imaginary coin up in the air and pretending to catch it with a slow reveal, she would decide upon the standard she had set. Continuing her stroll towards the center of town with hopes of picking up just a single player to make the material gathering a quick job, she wouldn't make it there without first being interrupted, "Oh, a quest, you say... The first one I took was <<Earning a Living>>, but then again," she hesitated with consideration, "I'd highly suggest taking something like <<The First Lesson>> since it's very easy and has no risks at all."

[Jax 0]

Almost every player that he came across had suggested that he embark on a quest called <<Earning a Living>> which would allow him to build up his own shop and begin down a career path of his choice. It sounded like a pretty solid suggestion, considering it was a reward that would allow him to begin earning some money and gear for himself, but as it turned out, someone would suggest a more suitable quest for a beginner. She was short, nearly a half foot less than he, with an interestingly designed plate-metal dress that stood out from the usual garbs other players were wearing, "Thanks, been havin' a bit of trouble gettin' into the groove of things, ya know?" He figured everyone started out from the rock bottom like himself and that this game wasn't something that players would naturally know about, "So how's about do I go startin' this quest? Somethin' about an NPC is what most of these folks have been suggestin', I reckon it's the same, yeah?"

[Alice 0]

The player seemed to be pretty sincere, showing that he really did have no experience with the game and just wanted some help getting things started. Alice couldn't blame him, everyone (for the most part) started out with little knowledge of the intricate mechanics and features of the game. Even she had admittedly gotten the help of an incredibly higher leveled player than her to do her first quest, a player named Beatbox, as she tried to earn her own profession. "It's fine, I understand... I assume you haven't played many games before this, have you?" The way he mentioned the NPC did show a pretty fundamental lack of knowledge about gaming in general, if her assumptions were correct, "Well, how about I take you on your first quest so you can get a feel of how things work. Would that be alright?" She was a little disappointed that her material gathering would be put on delay, but at least she would be passing on the great help she had been given before, "By the way, I'm Alice. Nice to meet you."

[Jax 0]

Much to his surprise, she turned out to be far more helpful than any of the other players so far. Not only had she recommended what sounded like a more sensible quest, but she had offered to take him along and guide him every step of the way. While he wasn't so much a fan of being babysat in such a manner, at least he would get the chance to see how things worked around here, "Nah, played some of the older hand me downs from my folks back home. Fightin' games - the arcade kind, sports games, and stuff. Nothin' this fancy." It might have been odd for most players hearing it referred to as 'fancy' since this was fitting to the modern gaming times, but this was completely unreal to him in every sense. Well, if it wasn't for all the UI and fantasy setting, he could probably believe this to be the real world if done right. Taking up her offer before she could withdraw, he grinned, "Hell yeah, ya got a deal." She wasn't receiving anything other than his company in return, but she set the offer, "I'm Jax. What my buds have always called me, figure I might as well keep it in here."

[Alice 0]

It was a little concerning to know that he hadn't played a game that was anything like this, but it wasn't something that was incredibly uncommon. The hype that had built up surrounding the launch of SAO had been insane, even reaching the ears of Alice prior to her friend convincing her to try it out, but the core gameplay wasn't something that hadn't been done plenty of times before. Taking up on her offer, a little more eagerly than she imagined he would, it seemed like her plans for the day had been changed for good. Introducing himself as Jax, she wasn't too sure if it was spelt 'Jax' or 'Jacks' so she would make note to ask about it later, "That's pretty common here, a lot of players use nicknames or old usernames from other games as a way of identifying each other. Not everyone is comfortable with sharing their details from IRL so do be a bit careful if you get curious." While there wasn't anything for her to really hide, she didn't have any intentions of giving away any information herself, "Anyways, would you like to get started on the quest? Shouldn't take too long for the two of us to knock it out."

[Jax 0]

"Good to know," he mentioned at the notice that players didn't always go by name, "If I had to guess though, Alice is your real name, yeah?" She looked like an Alice, regardless of whatever connotations that might imply, "It's a good one, like that ol' movie with the mad hatter and the late rabbit." His parents had a storage bin full of old video tapes that had been shamelessly recorded from live television back in the day when DVR wasn't a thing, all of which he had watched a handful of times over. Anything Disney from the twentieth century could be found in there, Alice in Wonderland included, "Oh, yeah. Let's get it on." He wasn't sure what he was looking forwards to more at this point, getting familiar with the game so he could actually mess around here or get the chance to have someone to relax with after years of dealing with short fused chiefs, "Ladies first." Even if the gesture wasn't a commonplace courtesy, he hadn't the slightest clue of where to go so she had to lead the way.

[Alice 0]

It wouldn't hurt to confirm that, would it? A first name, beyond something that was obscenely unique, wouldn't be able to be used to learn anything more about a person, especially if they were trapped here in Aincrad, "Yes, that's right." She didn't feel as if it was of much interest to ask if Jax was short for his name or not as she was quite ready to get started and show him what all this world had to offer, "Of course... Thank you." Jax had gestured for her to go first, though she couldn't help thinking that he did so in a sarcastic manner. Certainly, if he was asking players about how to get started, he likely didn't have the slightest clue of where to go. "Right this way," she would take him to the front steps of the NPC called Zakariah and show him the steps to starting the quest, "Well, then. You ready?" She would exit the shop, holding the door for him, before further taking him to the outskirts of the Town of Beginnings where they could collect five crafting materials of their pick to use in some potions, "If you can't remember what materials will work in the potions, feel free to ask. Mushrooms, certain flowers, and similar plant life are the easiest to spot."

ID: 76049 - LD: 7

Edited January 30, 2017 by Alice

[Jax 0]

Alice didn't seem to bother him about letting her escort him to the quest, but figured that she knew better anyhow. He would follow along, keeping up a bit of small talk with her while they made their way to an unfamiliar shop. As they entered, he would be welcomed by an NPC by the name of Zakariah, a white haired chemist that had more experience in his trade than either of the two had in years of being alive. He offered to teach them the basics of crafting, something that only Jax hadn't yet seen firsthand or tried himself. Accepting the quest and quickly making their exit, he would follow Alice to the border of the city, keeping the three most important notes in mind. It wasn't too far out from safety, but he didn't have too much concern considering the girl wasn't of the orange player type, "I know, I know. I got ears just like you." They hadn't left too long ago so it would be pretty bad on his part if he had already forgotten, "How about one of these?" He held up a brown mushroom that had begun to droop, "There a fresh-o-meter or somethin' that let's us know if it's good or not?"

ID: 76059 - LD: 2

Edited January 30, 2017 by Jax

[Alice 0]

She silently held back a sarcastic retort when he took her friendly suggestion as an ill remark, but kept cool so as not to show it bothered her in the slightest. At the very least, he was focusing on the task at hand as he looked around, eventually finding a mushroom that could potentially fit the bill. When he held it up for her to check out, she could tell that it didn't look well enough to use in crafting a potion, "How about we put that one back... It looks withered and might end up poisoning whoever is drinking the potion." Sure, it might be worth using in a poison, but that wasn't what they were here for today. They needed materials that would serve well enough in a healing potion or a safeguard potion, ones that would serve the purpose of safety in battle. She looked near the mushroom that he had found and there was a bulky, fresh one that showed a clean bill of health, "You need the plump ones like this, they'll make a clean snap when you pull it from the ground."

ID: 76061 - LD: 15 (1 of 5)

Edited January 30, 2017 by Alice

[Jax 0]

He tossed the mushroom on the ground, where it would pixelate out of existence. It was interesting, knowing that the game was capable of determining that the plant had no way to survive and thus purging it. When monsters and, heaven forbid, players died, would it be like this? When he made his way into the game, he knew the constantly growing number of fatalities was something to be wary of. While the government had already determined how the mechanics of the lethality of the headgear worked, they didn't know what caused the headgear to trigger its deadly mechanism. His thoughts would be interrupted as Alice found a shroom that was more than optimal for the quest's requirements, "Ah, gotcha. Shouldn't take too long to do then, I'll keep an eye out for em." The variety of flowers and other plant life wasn't something that he was too good at deciphering, the names usually had nothing to do with how they looked. For now, he'd keep his focus on finding more of these mushrooms while Alice could find some of the other goodies.

ID: 76064 - LD: 14 (1 of 5)

Edited January 30, 2017 by Jax

[Alice 0]

He looked fairly confident now that he knew what the mushrooms should look like, though that didn't necessarily mean he knew what anything else would look like. She would let him look for those in particular while she focused on some of the other necessary materials for crafting, "That's fine, you can look for the mushrooms and I'll find the proper flowers." Here in the plains, they were plenty in bloom, but there was a limited selection to what they could use for today's session. Keeping somewhat close to the other player, she would begin looking for that needle in this haystack, "Well, it won't take too long, but we might as well make the time go by quicker." She was referring to chatting during their search, which would make things more lively than the drag that quests could easily become, "I know you're new to the game, but might you have any plans as to what you intend to do in this game? Many players have goals, such as making a guild, clearing the game, or joining to find lost family and friends. Everyone has something."

ID: 76066 - LD: 3

Edited January 31, 2017 by Alice

[Jax 0]

He kept at it while she moved a few feet away, leaving him to the fungi. Considering that she mentioned players often didn't like to discuss details regarding real life, he hadn't expected her curiosity to so quickly wander in that field. Of course, he could easily admit his struggles of life and how he didn't feel as if he could live on another day, but that wasn't something that he would admit to someone he had just met. Hell, even a friend would have to dig past the dirt and rocks to get to such a place. In the meantime, however, he figured that he could go with one of the suggestions that she had made, "Eh, I guess the first two are all I really give a hoot about. Had somethin' similar to what you gamers call guilds in the real world, wouldn't mind havin' another one of those here." Clearing the game though? Sure, it was pretty disheartening to hear that people were giving their lives to clear it, but the thought of quickly finishing it and being flung into the real world once again was a scary thought at this time, "How 'bout you, must have a good 'un if you're pesterin' others 'bout theirs?"

ID: 76017 - LD: 18 (2 of 5)

Edited January 31, 2017 by Jax

[Alice 0]

She wasn't expecting his response to be so... lackluster. Perhaps it was because he was lying about his true motivations of playing, but then again, maybe he really just didn't care enough to have a reason of playing. While she was often critical of people, maybe it wasn't in her place to put such high expectations of people. However, there was one thing that did catch her attention that played a bit of a role in her goals, "A guild, you say..." She took a moment to pause her search while she gave him a second look, "One of the goals that I take most pride in is building a guild that can serve as a safety net for players without a home - a sanctuary." It was the perfect term to describe what she was hoping for, allowing players to engage in activities as a team, receive 'starter' gear that would give them a genuinely safe start, and the start of a social circle in an unfamiliar environment. "I might be a little too hopeful in that building such a coordinated base would be possible here, but I think with enough effort, we could make this game safer than the current status quo. I'm sure that after the things you may have heard from other players, going beyond the perimeter of the town sounds like a scary thing, right? What if we got to the point where something that unnerving was a thing of the past?"

ID: 76100 - LD: 10

Edited January 31, 2017 by Alice

[Jax 0]

"Sanctuary..." It wasn't a term that he had used very often, but this game was currently serving that role for him as it was. He couldn't imagine having to deal with the troubles of life so soon, relying on this game to keep him sane through its twisted mechanics. The only thing that had carried him through are the brothers that were still living, though he had more unbroken ribs than he did true friends that were still alive. He understood just what Alice was going with this, "I gotta admit, that's a very courageous thing you're doing there, miss." She hadn't yet began making that goal become a reality, but she looked like she would pull through with it regardless, "I've heard what this game can do to people and, sometimes, all they need is a person to 'ear em out. In a way, I know what it's like - not this gaming business, ya know, the other stuff." Pulling another clump of mushrooms from the ground, he'd go on, "I reckon you've got all them finer details all ironed out. There anything you need a helpin' hand with?"

ID: 76103 - LD: 7

Edited January 31, 2017 by Jax

[Alice 0]

While only slightly, she blushed at the thought of somebody calling her 'courageous' for the mere idea of helping others. For now, it was only a dream in the far off distance, something out of reach until she reached the point where she could help herself without having to rely on others, "Thank you, that's very flattering." She was watching him from his backside as he pulled through some mushrooms, all unfit for the quest. He sounded like he had been through quite a bit in the real world, but didn't look like he could be much older than Alice, if at all. Maybe her help on the quest was more appreciated than she imagined, but she didn't believe such a small gesture was of that importance, "Well, if you ever need to be lent an ear or shoulder alike, feel free to ask." She didn't mind it, knowing that everyone had their own problems. However, what he mentioned next wasn't something that she was expecting, "Y-you want to help?" This player looked as if he knew less than Alice did before she met Beatbox, but already wanted to fuel the fire, "I'm a long ways away from getting everything kickstarted, the tough part being that I've got to be able to cycle through enough materials and gear to make sure that anybody that became a part of it would be safe. You'd be surprised just how long it takes to gather materials to craft, let alone earn enough Col to pay other professions for merchandise."

ID: 76105 - LD: 5

Edited January 31, 2017 by Alice

[Jax 0]

He shrugged, knowing that it might be an offer he might someday take if things got too hard for him here in Aincrad. Alice did seem a little shocked that he was willing to help her with building her concept of a guild, though he wasn't particularly doing so in return for her assistance on this quest. She appeared to be quite genuine in her aspirations of helping other players and wasn't trying to shove her political agenda down his throat, just casually mentioning it as an answer in return. It wasn't like he had much else to do in this world beyond working on improving his levels, "Yeah, I reckon it ain't something you can accomplish without some help along the way. Least, not if you're gonna to get it done in the next century or two." Hell, even the massive governments in the real world couldn't get a damned thing done right, even with countless people and endless cash. Though they all lacked proper souls, unlike this driven charity worker he was talking to, "Alrighty, so ya need Col and materials. No biggie, I ought to be able to help with that if that's what ya need." He didn't have any on him, but it was something that he could begin working on if necessary, "What else?"

ID: 76106 - LD: 4

Edited January 31, 2017 by Jax

[Alice 0]

He was spot on, although it was disheartening to have another player agree that it was something quite a ways out of reach. At least he wasn't doing so in jest, showing actual interest in lending her a hand to pull her closer towards the dream, "Even if it did take that long, it would be worth it in the end." By that time though, there may be nobody left to help so she would certainly have to amp up the progress sometime in the near future. He did seem pretty keen on being able to attain the two main funds that would be necessary, but she felt as if he didn't understand just how valuable those resources was... especially since this was his first time outside of the Town of Beginnings, "I don't believe you have a good concept of the economy in this game, materials and Col don't just grow on trees. They take hard work and taking on the risk of fighting monsters to obtain, although it is possible to attain materials in a similar manner as we're currently doing. When it comes down to it, there just isn't enough time in the day to do it all. That's where I'm hoping my profession will come in the way and," she hesitated at the thought of trying to put him to such a task, "depending on what you become, you might be of greater assistance in that manner."

ID: 76131 - LD: 13 (2 of 5)

Edited January 31, 2017 by Alice

[Jax 0]

He could easily imagine her being a recently promoted chief in the real world, lacking the critical experience to make her disciplined enough to strike fear, but also confident enough to feel as if anything was possible. He had met his fair share of them, enjoying the brief calm before the storm as they military had no mercy on those types. Though, here in the digital realm, she could find a decent middle ground as she had nobody to directly report to. Perhaps she wouldn't lose that confidence over time and through the struggles, but everyone had their weaknesses. She mentioned his lack of knowledge about wealth in this game, to which he shrugged his shoulders, "So, I'll figure out somethin' to earn it. Like I said, no biggie." Then, once again, the suggestion of earning a profession was brought about. The other players in town mentioned it as being a top priority so why didn't she tell him the same deal? "I ain't picky, just let me know what ya need done. Havin' me somethin' to make the day go by faster is good for my health." It wasn't boot polishing or clean house, but whatever it was, it would let the time move onwards with little for him to focus on.

ID: 76132 - LD: 6

Edited January 31, 2017 by Jax