[PP-F1] Obligatory Tutorial Quest No. 1 <<The First Few Lessons are Free>>

[Arabelle 0]

"Keep my distance...? Don't worry your pretty little head over it. I won't try to get that close. Why?" Arabelle pressed a finger to her lips with a conspiratorial wink. "It's a secret~." 

Having wandered a bit deeper into the forest with her unlikely companion, the small purple-haired girl innocently plucked a white flower from a thorny bush and twirled it between her fingers. 'I'm not sure if I like her,' 'I don't not like her,' was just as good as a maybe. A maybe leaning on a yes. Which meant there had to be something that made it possible for him to not utter a straight no. Or maybe he was just trying to get a nosey stranger off his back. But, anyways, she was sure it was the former! No one would even think of lying to a nice, cute girl like her.

He was a decent guy. Closed off at first and somehow always found a way to make something depressing, but not entirely apathetic. He was honest, almost brutally so, and didn't seem like the type to break a promise. Or make girls cry. Ahem. Arabelle was only thirty percent sure, but this guy deserved Arabelle's Seal of Approval❤︎! Thirty was a low percentage but it was always better than a negative one hundred, so -- she never once doubted that this ship was totally hopeless. Nope. Definitely not! Arabelle dropped the small flower into her inventory.

Here's where it starts to get a bit more complicated. Onto agenda no. 2: somehow making them realize what they actually feel.

"So... wanna talk about it? You don't need to do any name dropping or anything." -- Because she already knew. Arabelle, you clever, clever bastard. She picked up the pace and walked alongside him, intentionally keeping a few inches of space between them. "...or you can not say it. Don't look at me like that. I've always been a nice person, you know! I know how difficult these kinds of stuff are, so it's all good. But since we're a long way from finishing this quest, how about I tell you mine? Learn from it or something, kouhai-kun~."

She dropped the nickname with a sugary smile and paused to file through her memories. Who should she talk about this time, she wondered. Eenie meenie miney moe... "There's this one person. I've known him since the start and... he's the type of person I never thought I'd end up being close to!" Arabelle folded her arms, giving her a cross but cute expression as they walked. "Like, the terrible combination of being stubborn at the worst moments, and a pessimist, and being too emotional. But, well..." She tucked her hands behind her back and walked a few paces forward, facing away from Huginn. "He knows how to cheer me up. Long convos, scented candles, sweets, and all. And I liked being around him, so I went ahead and brought it up with him."

Her boot sent a pebble sailing into a nearby bush.

People were always more likely to share something when you tell them about yourself first. It's called a show of trust.

"...I like calling him mine."

Arabelle carefully maintained her innocent smile as they went along their way.

Spoiler

ID: 112821 | LD: 13

Quest Objective: 4/5 T1 Mats

[@Huginn]

Edited February 28, 2019 by Arabelle

[Huginn 0]

The boy’s attention flips towards the girl as she tells her story. Why is she telling me this? She must really want to know about the girl. He looks down at his familiar, poking it with a playfuly smile on his face as he thinks about whether he should tell her or not. “I guess I can tell you... but on one condition.” He looks back up towards the girl. “You tell me why you want to know.” His hands move down into his pockets, unsure of how to phrase it, so he stopped thinking about it. “This girl, the one that has caught my interest, I met her on the second floor. The cold weather harmonized with her cold tone perfectly.” He begins to blush, the words just flowing at this point, but his tone had changed. “She was drawing a picture. Don’t remember what it was, but it looked like my sister, so I asked if it was. Of course, the odds of that being low, I didn’t expect much, but I had to know. It wasn’t. So I asked the girl to draw my sister. She did. And that brings us to here.” He says, completely cutting out the part with the christmas party. Part of him wanted to say more, but what was the point, he wanted that time to himself anyways. That was his second favorite memory of all time, so why should he share it with a random girl?

Spoiler

ID: 112823

LD: 10 + 1 = 11

+ 1 Material

3/5 total

@Arabelle

Edited March 1, 2019 by Huginn

[Arabelle 0]

So, this guy. He looked a bit suspicious of her intentions. But he went and told her anyway. It was only natural. She was the type of person you just can't not trust, after all~. Who would say no to a cute face like this? Arabelle gave her surroundings a quick looksie, but she still had a self-satisfied little smile even as she turned up blank. Her ashen eyes held a bit of sharpness in them as she watched her unexpected quest companion describe her best friend to her. 

 

She had to suppress a giggle. The cold weather harmonized with her cold tone perfectly? Hrm. Somehow didn't sound like her wonderful best friend. Arabelle paused to think for a bit.

 

--"Shiro-chan!! I totally humiliated myself in my guild's quest run, and I need to level up so it won't happen again. [blah blah blah Claude won't help Arabelle either blah blah blah] It's just a basic material gathering quest. You can even gather materials for your shop! Pretty please? ❤︎" 

 

"I'm busy with my shop. Ask someone else."--

 

No, he was on point. Totally on point. It was quite a poetic description. And it was only ever done by people in looove~. "Hehe." The fact that he described her best friend like that and that he was telling her about it when she specifically related a story about a person she liked very much, only served to reinforce the little matchmaker's belief. This would 101% work out well! Half the work was already done for her. Yes, fate must have brought Huginn to her so she could help him along his relationship with her best friend, and it was up to her to do the rest! 

 

When he stopped talking, Arabelle said her reasons.

 

"I like hearing about love. It's a pretty thing and just as complex." The small purple-haired girl slowed her pace so she could look at him. "Psychologists try to give answers, but it's really just a case-by-case thing. I mean, why is it that there's so many theories of love and they don't ever go past being just theories? People experience it in different ways. I know how I experience it, and I think it makes for a pretty story. And I think the experiences of others are the same way."

 

She paused, fully expecting him to be dissatisfied. It was nothing but pointless poetry, and for a second, she led him to believe that was all she was willing to reveal.

 

Arabelle skipped ahead of him and hid her hands behind her back.

 

"Can I take a guess at her name? Just one guess."

 

She turned around and stopped him in his tracks with a smile.

 

"Her name is Mishiro, and she's my best friend. And I want to help."

 

Spoiler

tag: @Huginn

ID: 114845 | LD: 4

Quest Objective: 4/5 T1 Mats

 

Edited April 15, 2019 by Arabelle

[Huginn 0]

A single word shot Shiro through the heart like an arrow. His face looks the part as well, except it’s a BRIGHT pink. “Love...” Was that what it was? Shiro has only ever known one woman that he loves, and definitely not in the same way. That was more a familial love, it was required. She’s kind of cute, but I wouldn’t say love. He clenches his fist and tries to focus on the task at hand. It’s not love... it can’t be... I’ve only known her for a short while. His eyes scan the area, but not actually grasping any information. “Love isn’t real. It’s just a release of dopamine and norepinephrine, nothing more than chemicals and general attraction.” Shiro lied, and it was obvious he was lying. He was always bad at lying, he believes in love, but not that he’ll ever be in it.

His familiar danced on the leaves of a flower and The boy in black reaches down to pick it and practically falls forwards when Arabelle says the girl’s name. “What? Huh? Who? Wha- Wha- how?” He fumbles over his words, not sure what magic she used to figure out who Mishiro is, until she reveals that they’re best friends. That’s when Shiro finally realizes just how crazy this lady actually was. “Have you known this whole time?” He’s completely and utterly frustrated with himself for being so easily bamboozled by such a maniacal witch. He closes his fists again and pulls his hood up, grabs the plant and looks at her. “Lying isn’t sweet and innocent, nor is prying a kid for information.” His familiar flies over to the lady, floating around erratically like it was giving her sass. The boy nods towards his familiar and smiles before turning back towards the woods. “I agree with Felicity.” His tone sarcastic as he leans against a tree.

Spoiler

ID: 114925

LD: 18

+1 material

4/5 total Materials

@Arabelle

Edited April 16, 2019 by Huginn

[Arabelle 0]

"Hm, hm~. How about happiness? Or the so-called hate circuit? Or mental illnesses like depression?" She knew the boy was lying; it was evident with how he looked away with his cheeks flushed red when talk of the word 'love' was brought up. He knew it was a thing, but he was obviously trying to deny it. She wasn't going to push any further yet. But~! Arabelle wanted to humor that logic of his. "I think you've felt at least some of those. Either way! Just because something can be explained away by science, doesn't mean it's not genuine. And sure, even if it's a release of domapi- something, you can't discount that something or someone caused that release. Can't exactly just poof in out of nowhere, and it doesn't just happen randomly either. Would you say that plain probability made you take an interest in her?"

 

She tilted her head to the side playfully. This conversation was becoming more interesting.

 

Then he reacted. His flustered expression, now fully visible because he was fully facing her, was a bit cute. If she didn't already have him labeled in her mind as 'strictly off-limits to nobody else but my beloved friend Mishiro,' she would've pinched his cheeks. Then, he managed to compose himself for a bit. And now he was mad. His cutesy familiar was silently giving her sass. And somehow, she felt that this was turning into an explain-yourself-or-die-situation. Not that a low-level like him can do anything to her. Worst thing he could do was run off and complain to Mishiro, who would probably believe him but would then forgive Arabelle just as readily. But~ she didn't really want him to hate her.

 

She partly knew this was going to happen, but... Y i k e s.
 

"Okay! Hold your pitchfork... first of all!" Arabelle cleared her throat and moved to stand in front of Huginn. She maintained a slight distance from him so she didn't have to look up so much. "I never lied to you. I even mentioned her once. Well, to be fair, her nickname. Remember that? 'I call her Shiro-chan, so it would be confusing if I called you Shiro, too.' I was surprised you didn't even look the least bit suspicious. I mean, taking into account the way it's spelled in Japanese characters, Mishiro's name can split into 'Mi' and 'Shiro,' right? She even introduces herself that way. You never asked, so I didn't elaborate."

 

"Second of all~." The small purple-haired girl raised both her fingers with a truly innocent smile. "I said it was a guess. A very intelligent guess! Bit of a sad fact, but Shiro-chan never talked about you. She never talks about anyone. Well, there was this one guy, and it wasn't you. Whatever the case, I didn't even know your name! I didn't know how close you guys were. For all I know, it could've been some other girl who likes drawing and comes off as a bit cold at some times. Do you know how many cliched kuuderes are walking around here?!" She paused to take a breath. "Shiro-chan's the best kuudere though. I want you to remember that."

 

"But what I did know... is that my best friend went off with you during that Christmas event and it was the happiest I saw her that day!"

 

How was that? She had to restrain her smirk. Two birds killed with one stone. Or maybe Arabelle shouldn't be using that expression. 'Huginn' was a Norse bird thing, right?

 

"Well, what do you think? I simply connected the dots, but in the end, I was never certain."

 

Spoiler

@Huginn

ID: 114939 | LD: 2

Quest Objective: 4/5 T1 Mats

 

Edited April 16, 2019 by Arabelle

[Huginn 0]

As quickly as Shiro lit up his flames die down. Of course, it helps that he was put in his place by the woman in front of him. His eyes planted in the ground like the grass beneath his feet, he simply says, “Sorry.” His familiar floats back towards him slowly and hovers over his shoulder once again. His eyes move up towards the girl, and his expression had returned to the emotionless stare he had when he first met her. “You said you want to help, and if you’d still like to I’d appreciate it. Though I’d understand if you don’t.” How could he call her sinister then ask her for help? It was selfish, and he hated it. She did nothing wrong, so why did I say that? I guess these are the things we need to ask ourselves sometimes. His eyes move off of the lady and across the field. Nothing out of the ordinary here either. Finding materials wasn’t any easier with the familiar everyone said would help him find materials anyways, so really he kept Felli as an excuse to talk to Mishiro. “There’s 10,000 players in this game, the number of people named Shiro whether it be real name or username is probably higher than most would think. How was I supposed to draw the connection between the two? And I wouldn’t expect her to talk about a random person like myself, so of course you couldn’t know that way.” He begins to get fired up a little again, calming himself down quicker this time. “The fact that you saw us at the Christmas party makes it a fact. You knew she was happy...” he stops speaking for a moment, looks at the ground and then back at Arabelle, “Did she really look that happy to be with me?” He asks in disbelief. “Why would anyone be happy spending time with me?” He mumbles, trying to keep her from figuring out how he thinks of himself. (Though it’s not like she didn’t already know.) He starts walking towards her and looks her in the eyes. “Look, like I said, I’m sorry I reacted in such a rude way. But as I also said, I’d like some help, I wanna talk to her more.” His expression serious as a kid trying to get the doughnuts from off the top of the fridge.

Spoiler

ID: 115015

LD: 9 + 1 = 10

Mat Search failed

4/5 total

@Arabelle

Edited April 17, 2019 by Huginn

[Arabelle 0]

"A bit mistaken on that part, aren't we? Though to be fair, I might've caused that one by putting too much emphasis on her name. I wasn't asking you to draw the connection. My only point is, I wasn't lying about not knowing a girl named Mishiro and I wasn't keeping it secret either. Would've made no sense if I brought up a best friend named 'Shiro-chan' when I'm keeping my involvement with a 'Mishiro' secret, don't you think?" The small purple-haired girl plucked a few edible-looking berries from a nearby bush and dangled them by their stems on her gloved fingers. And that made five! No LD familiar. Just. Pure. Skill. Arabelle didn't bother to hold back the smug smile that had formed on her lips. "It's fine. I'm mostly doing it for her, anyway."

 

She took in his disbelieving expression. She relished it. The normally expressionless boy suddenly displaying emotion when it was related to the person he claimed he did not 'not-like...' it was intriguing. She wanted to poke and prod at him again, see if it could get any better, but she held herself back. This was going down a nice path already. If all went well, their romance would be the payoff. 

 

"Shiro-chan did," Arabelle responded confidently. That Christmas fair was her basis - the reason why she was pushing so hard in the first place. She saw how naturally they talked. She saw how her best friend smiled. And she noticed how Mishiro didn't seem all that bothered when Arabelle dragged Claude along and left the fair early, even as the latter had promised a fun day together. Huginn wasn't a completely random schmuck in Mishiro's story. "Maaaybe she just likes being around you. You're pretty quiet, and with me as her best friend, she appreciates the break... even if she never admits it. Pretty gloomy sort of person as well. But you know what?" The small purple-haired girl met his serious stare with a smile. "Not sure how you talk to her, but you do give off the impression of someone who cares."

 

She spun around and this time, she was looking for materials for him.

 

"Lovely. Well, first bit of advice I can give is that if you want to talk, then start a conversation with her. I mean, duh. I don't know what you guys like talking about. But if there's something, some common activity or stuff that you have, then you can build off of that." Turning to him, she hid her hands behind her back. "She's not usually the type to start a conversation, but when you get one started with her, even through PMs, she makes sure to reply immediately."

 

Spoiler

@Huginn

ID: 115204 | LD: 14

Quest Objective: 5/5 T1 Mats

 

Edited April 21, 2019 by Arabelle

[Huginn 0]

Shiro’s eyes moved down towards the ground. He knew what he liked to talk about, but he never asked what she liked to talk about. It was an awkward question, why would he ask something like that? “How do you start a conversation with someone?” The generally unusual question would probably sound right at home coming from his mouth. I guess that’s one skill I just never picked up. Misako was great at starting conversations, she loved talking to people all the time. He looks at the pink haired girl and tilts his head. “This is gonna take a lot of work.” He says bluntly, despite trashing on himself. I’m guessing she’s gonna have her work cut out for her. “Actually wait. I know I’m bad with people, but if I suddenly start acting different won’t that be weird?” He realizes she might notice if he suddenly became a more social person. Maybe she would like it, but also she might not. His hands slip into his pockets almost instinctively, he even forgets to look around for a material as he gets lost in thought. His familiar danced in front of the purple haired girl, it’s movement slow but friendly, like an apology for acting so rashly before. It floats up above her head and forms into a ring, like a halo of blue flames.

Spoiler

ID: 115602

LD: 5 + 1 = 6

fail

4/5 total

@Arabelle

Edited April 30, 2019 by Huginn

[Arabelle 0]

"Right?" Arabelle didn't contest that. Her mind seemed to have latched onto something else, red eyes fixated on something in the distance. Without saying another word, she went ahead. She kept walking until Huginn's sight of her would be obscured by the forest's low-hanging branches and undergrowth. Bending down to examine a bush, she lifted a stem by its leaf only to drop it back down in dismay. No material, though she could have sworn she caught sight of that telltale yellow glow earlier!

This was starting to get boring.

She turned around and went back to her quest companion.

"Hey. Didn't expect to see you here." Arabelle hid her hands behind her back and slowly circled around him with a cute, friendly smile. "It's been a while, how have you been?" The small purple-haired girl stopped in front of him and waved her index finger in the air, mimicking how her scary professors did with a stick. "Don't use that exact script though. That was just to give you an idea, but you've got to change it up according to the situation. Even Shiro-chan would notice if you make a mistake like that. Improvise, adapt, overcome!"

Then she pressed her finger to her lips, thinking. "Then, when you've got a conversation going, bring up something you both like talking about if you think the current thread's dying down. Or something. You'll know when you get that feeling, but you won't get that feeling with me, cause I'm a natural!" Arabelle took a few steps back with a smug smile. She paused for a moment to recall their previous conversation, searching for something they both liked talking about that was not Mishiro. "For example! We were talking about music earlier, right? Have you ever listened to Clair de Lune? It's kind of a mainstream classical piece, but it's one of my favorites! What do you think about it?"

Arabelle allowed the boy some time to process her advice and resumed her search for materials. Huginn's wispy familiar was dancing circles above her head, leaving a trail of light that looked like a halo. The small purple-haired girl giggled to herself. An angel? Was that its way of saying 'thank you?' 

She liked the thought of being seen as a pure, innocent angel so she really didn't care either way.

"Lastly, stop overthinking this, dummy. Or are you just making excuses? It's natural to feel nervous around the person you like, but you're not going to progress in any way if you don't get past that." Gently, she nudged the wispy familiar back to Huginn and idly tugged on a leaf attached to a low-hanging branch. "You want to get closer to her, right? You want to spend more time with her."

Arabelle released the branch and turned to him with a smirk.

"Touch her, even." 

Explosion in 3... 2...

She turned away and continued.

"That won't work if you can't talk to her at all. Besides, when you start talking to her more, don't you think she'll just assume you're putting in more effort for her? It might even be what ends up drawing her to you. Well, you won't know until you try."

She allowed that last bit of advice to settle in him before she clapped her hands together and smiled.

"Right! We've got one more material to go 'til this boring quest is over. Come on, Huginn! You can do it! Go, go, go!"

Spoiler

ID: 118083 | LD: 2

Quest Objective: 5/5 T1 Mats

@Huginn

 

Edited June 17, 2019 by Arabelle

[Huginn 0]

Yet again Felli hadn’t found anything, so Shiro sighs and pulls his familiar up towards him. Then the woman says those words. His face turns bright red and he buries it in his hands, a classic anime girl reaction but there’s nothing he can do about it. What does she know? Oh right... she knows Mishiro. He looks up at her, his face still red and he looks her in the eyes. “You know we still have to craft the potion right?” He asks, making she doesn’t try to just leave him after the fifth material is found. “Plus, you’ve still got a lot to tell me about. How to talk to girls, how to talk to girls I like, and how to get them to like me.” He says, being a little more assertive than before.

”Besides, you want the SP don’t you?” He asks, turning back to the familiar and the grass. He had already learned so much and now he wanted to learn more.

Spoiler

ID: 118125

LD: 5 + 1 = 6 (fail)

4/5 Mats

@Arabelle

Edited June 27, 2019 by Huginn

[Arabelle 0]

What was running through his head right now, she wondered?

 

Arabelle watched with a smirk that only grew wider as the boy buried his red face in his hands like a lady. She giggled to herself. It was cute. So cute. Who would have thought he was capable of making that expression? She kind of wanted to pry his hands away so she could see. She kind of wanted to [censored] him so she could see moremoremore. But~, he was strictly off-limits. He was Mishiro's, until her best friend rejected him. It was a possibility, but she wanted to care about Mishiro so she wouldn't let that happen.

 

Huginn, very wisely, chose not to incriminate himself any further and completely refrained from commenting. Or maybe she was reading too deep into this and he was literally just too flustered to say anything.

 

"Don't worry your pretty little head over it. I know. The crafting part should come much easier though," Arabelle assured. But she wasn't about to stand around and wait for him to find that last material. Rather, she reactivated her <<Detection>> and... there! Skipping a slight distance away, the small purple-haired girl snapped a few herbs from their stems. She procured some twine from her inventory and tied them together. Returning to her quest partner, she presented the small bundle with a proud smile. "Little return gift for that flower earlier. And with that, we're done with the first part! Come on, let's head back."

 

She would gesture for him to follow her as she turned around to walk back to the safe zone. He was still asking for advice. That was fine, Arabelle had lots.

 

How to talk to girls - "It would do a lot of good if you talked with more confidence," the small purple-haired girl suggested. "Girls don't like someone who puts himself down at literally every sentence! Plus, girls like guys with confidence. Not just in the way they speak by the way, it can be conveyed in many other things, but speech is the problem here. It might seem like just a speech habit, but it also does lots of good to get rid of it. Yes, the key to gaining more confidence is removing all your doubts and negative reinforcement - and it can start with the way you talk and portray yourself! Which also loops back to making girls like you as you gradually gain more confidence and start to show it outwardly. Do you understand?"

 

Spoiler

ID: 118327 | LD: 13 [material given to Huginn]

Quest Objective: 5/5 T1 Mats

 

Edited July 1, 2019 by Arabelle

[Huginn 0]

Shiro listened silently as she spoke, the material she had returned to him made him tilt his head. Thanks I guess. He watches her start to walk and follows when she signals for him to. Confidence? Why should I have confidence when what I say matters? Pride will be your downfall, or at least that’s what old people always said. He listens more, absorbing the information she spews at an unreal rate and then he stands up straight, a louder and more confident voice escapes his lips. “Like this?” For a moment even Felli grew close to him, she floated around him and started slowly moving towards the purple haired girl. Dejected, the boy exhales and returns back to his normal quiet and somber self.

”Dad always said bravado isn’t a good look on me.” He remarks quietly, not any quieter than pretty much anything else he says most of the time. It’s why I was always better at hit and run fights than brawling. He always said ‘If you have to fight someone stronger than you, the only way to win is to be faster.’ The memory of his father places a warm smile on the boy’s face, but his eyes stay locked on the ground.

Suddenly they were in the town, the boy’s train of thought must’ve pulled him further away than he had noticed. They were getting close to the shop of Zackiriah and Shiro’s nerves wouldn’t settle at all. His smile disappears and he looks up and around. He had missed so many faces, what if Misako was one of them? I might’ve just missed my sister because of this stupid quest and my stupid head. The bottom of his palm comes up and slams into his forehead and his eyes land on the woman in front of him, and almost in an instant, he goes back to his regular self.

They make their way into the shop and Shiro pulls out a material, putting it in a mortar and pestle. He grabs the pair, smashing up the material and putting it on a filter sheet, setting the sheet on top of the bottle. But when the materials fall on top of the bottle, they disappear and are replaced by the blue shards signaling a failure. Of course it couldn’t be that easy, why would it be?

Spoiler

ID: 122773

CD: 2 (fail)

 

Edited August 26, 2019 by Huginn

[Arabelle 0]

A chihuahua. Trying to bark like a German Shepherd. 

"No, no, not too loud," the small purple-haired girl giggled softly. Felli floated around in random circles, she didn't know what that meant, but she sure did know the feeling of secondhand embarrassment flowing through her. Basically. It did not fit. And that wasn't even her point in the first place! "That's not what I meant. Did that other thing I said earlier get to your head? Ara, ara. How cute. But that's the sort of thing you think about when you're alone in your room, you know?"

She really wasn't letting that past this guy, was she? Stepping away, she tucked her hands behind her back as they walked back to the safe zone. "Did I phrase it differently earlier? I couldn't care less about how loud and confident you sound. It's about what you say. Hmhm, do you even listen to yourself when you speak?"

They had passed the town gates now, but she wasn't exactly done with him yet. "'Why would she be happy with someone like me?' Right?" She had a few more, aka, every single time she thought he was depressing, but that would only bring him down more. "I understand the constant struggle of having to evaluate your self worth, but putting yourself down - out loud - like that wouldn't do any good. It's called negative reinforcement. Keep thinking you're not going to achieve something, you're just pushing yourself more into a state of mind where you really can't achieve it. Do you understand?"

Well, this was a mess. She thought she would only be helping him talk to her best friend better, but now she was getting involved in his issues too. No. That was a Mishiro problem. Arabelle entered the quest NPC's house and skipped ahead of him to present their gathered materials. Before the NPC could enter into another long droning explanation though, she was already by the shelves and grabbing the tools she needed.

"Help yourself," she told Huginn. "It wouldn't mind."

The small purple-haired girl set all of her tools down on the table along with a brewing stand and her materials, and stood with arms akimbo. This should be pretty simple, she'd watched a few alchemists do their cra -- fail. She tossed the vial away and it fell to the ground in a shower of blue dust.

Arabelle eyed her quest partner. Same result. But, "Why are you stopping?"

She took another material and started to whip up another batch. No, she wasn't going to let herself be discouraged by what looked like a tedious crafting session ahead! Silently, she reminded herself of that... dragon quest incident, and she mixed and brewed her herbs with vigor. 

Success!

Proudly, Arabelle took the vial and presented it to the NPC.

Spoiler

ID: 128032 | CD: 2

ID: 128033 | CD: 6 [good quality]

Quest Materials: 3

 

Edited November 5, 2019 by Arabelle

[Huginn 0]

Her words hadn’t clarified her point at all. He was still just as confused as last time, but he nodded along as if he understood. Confidence doesn’t suit me. Nor does self deprecation. He looks down at the materials before him and starts to crunch up the leaves with the mortar and pestle. But in order to woo her, I have to have a healthy amount of both. Not a fiber of his being knew what she was saying, yet he was sure she knew what she was talking about. She approached him, and she approached Zackiriah no issue. Yet Shiro still didn’t trust her.

A stranger approaches claiming to be a friend is still a stranger despite her words. No one can be trusted until they earn it, and her charms only put the boy more on edge. The devil himself would have trouble resisting her temptation if he were real, and that was the issue. He didn’t know if he should believe anything she says, or if she was playing him like a fiddle.

Still, she was friends with Mishiro. Best friends. A concept Shiro was never familiar with but knew had some significance among most people. It meant she had insight, and insight was more than what Shiro had. So he would have to endure...

To keep going.

The materials turned to a bright glowing light in front of the boy, and he stared into it as he watched it take shape into a potion of deep red. Sliding the flask over to the old man, Huginn gave him a gentle smile and walked out to the front of the shop. “I still don’t entirely trust you as a person, but your advice has been helpful.” He looks over to her, right in her eyes his confidence unwavering. “I’d call you a good person, but it’s too early to tell... so for now, I’ll call you helpful.” A weak smile crosses his face, in an almost ironic way of saying thanks.

”Young man, and lady, could you please take this box of materials to my old pal Lyle for me? It’d make you two good souls bond a little more.”

”I don’t see why not.” He looks over to the purple haired girl once again and moves his head towards the exit. “Care to suffer me a little longer?” Of course, he didn’t want her to come along, but it was the polite thing to do and Shiro’s dad was so strict about being polite. Walking alone would be amazing, especially after having to suffer with her all day.

Spoiler

ID: 129642

CD: 12

perfect success

 

Edited November 19, 2019 by Huginn

[Arabelle 0]

"That's fine."

The small purple-haired girl followed him to the doorway with a small smile. She didn't seem fazed at his admission at all. Renewed interest danced in her ashen eyes. So he can look confident after all? 

"Nothing wrong with maintaining a healthy amount of suspicion. No, I'd even say that's the smarter option. Taking everyone at face value is just plain naive, don't you think? Most people go around under some sort of pretense. The girl you like isn't exempt from that either, but that's something you'll have to learn yourself."

Arabelle thought it would be amusing, witnessing his awkward attempts to get closer to the girl he liked.

"'Good souls?' Glad to know this NPC isn't blind." She didn't address it directly, but she bent down and lifted her own crate of materials for the blacksmith. Arabelle hoped that was the last thing she'd have to do, she was just kind of done with this boring beginner quest she should have finished forever ago. She turned to look at Huginn and her lips curled into a charming smile. "It'll be my pleasure. We started this together, might as well finish it all the same."

They exited the shop with her walking a step behind him.

"Oh! How about we talk something else this time..."

If it was written out, it would have mostly been a one-sided conversation. They reached the blacksmith's forge without much fanfare. It was hardly a bonding experience, not by Arabelle standards, but maybe it was for him.

Ladies first.

"Thanks for today. It would've been boring without someone to talk to. I would have taken anyone but hey, I got to meet my friend's future boyfriend~." Okay, it was only probable. But she gave him a teasing smile either way. "I'll wish you luck on that front, soldier!"

Arabelle turned around, marched into the forge, and set down her crate of materials. 

"Delivery!"

~~~

Arabelle and Huginn

• 3 SP
• 200 Col
• [x5] T1 Health Potions of Uncommon Quality (+40 HP)
• [x1] T1 Damage Potion (+1 Damage)
• [x1] T1 Over-Health Potion (+50 Temp. HP)

Edited November 24, 2019 by Arabelle