[PP-NK-F1] Support System

[Aster 0]

Despite the ongoing progress of the frontliners, the Town of Beginnings was still a bustling city. Regardless of reaching the twentieth floor's boss room and undergoing a meeting to formulate a plan to defeat the monster awaiting within, the main city on the first floor was still very much alive. Teeming with players of all different levels, it was still the busiest hub for buying, selling, guild recruitment, and more. It wasn't uncommon to find players who had spent more time on the first floor than anywhere else in their time in Aincrad so far.

Aster was no exception. Closing the wooden door of her alchemy shop behind her, a rather restless-looking fox circled around her feet. The ginger girl glanced down at the familiar with a sigh and a half-smile. Reginald had been quite the handful ever since Aster had completed the quest to befriend the wild fox. Even more curious than the girl herself, the small animal was also playful and impatient with an impossible amount of energy. "I swear, you're as bad as a child sometimes." A slight but noticeable British accent rested in the girl's words. The fox familiar simply stared up at her for a moment before weaving between her ankles once more.

The ginger shook her head with another small smile. Finally moving her feet forward, Aster made her way through the shopping district in the Town of Beginnings just the same as she would every so often when she needed to step out and get some fresh air away from the cramped space of her alchemy shop.

@Airi

[Airi 0]

The afternoon streets of the first floor's Town of Beginnings were full of players, busy and idle alike, as always. Though, as the red-haired girl who walked past merchant stalls with no particular goal in her mind noted, the front liners who frequented the first floor were all missing. So today's the day of the 20th floor boss meeting? She looked around once more for the high-leveled players who wore their flashy, T2 gear everywhere.

Finding none of the stronger players, the small girl gave up on her search with a sigh. What a pity. Today was her free day, a day wherein she wouldn't leave the safe zone or accept any quests, and she was hoping to meet some new people--preferably the ones who would be useful to her (aka the strong players who would be willing to teach low-leveled players about the more advanced stuff in the game). But, looking at the players she passed by, there was no one she was interested in approaching. Most of them were in groups and inserting herself just felt wrong, and the ones who were by themselves looked a bit too unfriendly. 

She wandered through the streets of the town's shopping district for a bit longer, occasionally looking at the goods the NPC stalls were displaying--only to pretend looking at the items while listening in to conversations that sounded a bit interesting.

(OOC: Apologies for the low-quality post. Been out of the writing mood for a while)

[Aster 0]

((You're fine!))

"Alright, love, do we need anything?" Aster looked down at the fox trotting along beside her. In return, the creature looked back up to her with a slight tilt of his head before facing forward again. The girl gave a small, wry smile at his lack of response--as if she had expected much of one at all--and turned her attention to the shops that lined either side of the street. She would certainly love to stop in at a bakery or some other shop run by a cook and pick up some food. She didn't terribly mind the bread, rice, and other low-level food items she survived on, but the longing for tastier meals was hard to ignore.

"I wonder if I can find any new alchemy ingredients..." The ginger mumbled to herself, nudging at the frame of her glasses with her fingertips. She quickly weighed her options between buying materials or traveling outside of the safe zones to find them herself. Given the unimpressive amount of col she had to her name, she wasn't in a position to be buying much of anything, food or materials. The girl let out a small sigh. "I suppose no matter what world you're in, money rules it, eh?" Her eyes flickered back down to the orange fox.