[F01 | SP] Starting Fresh | <<The First Lesson>>

[Nymoria 0]

Tolbana. It had been some time since Nymoria had been to the large town on the first floor. Somehow, the place wasn't nearly as welcoming as it had once been. Maybe it was just her perception, or perhaps it was just the way in which the few players she could see almost seemed to display the emotions that she felt within herself. Whatever the reason was, Nymoria found herself skulking away from those few players that she passed, sliding out of their view before they could consider attempting to talk to her. She hated the feeling, as if she was a criminal avoiding some sort of law enforcement, but it had become a defensive mechanism that she had transferred from the real world into this one. One which she wasn't happy to have done, but that she had found necessarily.

Maybe if I could actually talk to them...but then they'd just treat me like everyone else does. So what's the point...I mean, it's not like they're going to be any different. The thoughts were the same as always. A tone of self-loathing, mixed in with frustration and anger - all of it directed towards herself in a way that she couldn't quite rid herself of, no matter what she tried. Memories always flashed up whenever she attempted to change, memories that reminded her of what she had once done, of how she had once tried to leave it all behind. It hadn't shaken her, at the time or now, and yet the response from her family had done more to inspire her change than anything else had. Recently, however, she had felt herself sliding backwards, a dark depression coming over her in ways similar to how it had before.

Which was why she had returned to the first floor upon noticing that she had failed to ever complete the beginner quests. They were likely simple in nature, and yet she'd heard from some other players that there was a decent reward to doing them. Maybe even a way for me to get over this rut that I've found myself in. It seemed that no matter how hard she tried, lately, she'd been unable to advance beyond the fifth floor. A trial to even have gotten that far, and yet now she found herself facing dangers and challenges that she had no way to face alone - and yet, due to her inhibitions, she had no way of overcoming the difficult creatures. Maybe if I could rely on other people...but no, that's not going to happen. I need to make myself stronger...I need to be able to do it myself, not rely on other people to do it for me. I'd just hinder them...I'd just be a problem for them...that's not fair to them.

She moved through the streets even as she argued with herself, looking for the quest giver with her eyes, not trusting herself to notice the man otherwise. She'd been wise enough to get a decent description of him from a sympathetic information broker that she had met some time ago, one of the few who still dealt with her. She wasn't sure why they did, but she was glad - even if it was costing her col that she almost didn't have, it gave her someone to communicate with, in a way.

  

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Spoiler Notes [Theme] Nymoria | Lv. 1 | P. 0 | HP [20/20] | EN [20/20] | ACC [1] | DMG [4] | MIT [6]  Tier 1 | Tier 1 Equipment Beginner's Sabre [Sabre | Tier 1] Enhancement: Accuracy [1 Slots] Beginner's Chestplate [Light Armour | Tier 1] Enhancement: Mitigation [1 Slots]  TBD [TBD | Tier 0] Enhancement: TBD [0 Slots] Enhancement: TBD [0 Slots]   Battle-Ready Inventory Starter Healing Potions {5} | Tier 1 | Potion | Heals 50 HP Item {0} | Tier 0 | Type | Effect Item {0} | Tier 0 | Type | Effect Item {0} | Tier 0 | Type | Effect Item {0} | Tier 0 | Type | Effect Skills Spoiler Utility Skills N/A Combat Skills N/A Weapon Skills Sabre [Rank: 1. Active: Passive. Effect: +3 DMG] Armour Skills N/A Active Extra Skills N/A Inactive Extra Skills  N/A Combat Mastery N/A Familiar Skills N/A Sword Arts Spoiler [x4] ST-I (4 EN) | A single-target sword art. [x3] AOE-I (1 + [2 * targets] EN) | AOE | A sword art that strikes multiple targets at once. [x4] TECH-A (5 EN) | STUN | A single-target sword art that stuns an enemy. Estate Buffs Spoiler N/A

Edited April 8 by Nymoria

[Nymoria 0]

Ha-! Yo- th-r-! S-p pl--e!" Nymoria turned at the sudden sound, her eyes widening as she saw the well put together gentleman, somewhat out of breath, chasing after her. She couldn't help but swear at herself, wondering how long he had been following her and she hadn't noticed. She didn't, however, have time to truly focus on her own self-loathing as the man continued speaking; Cardinal clearly not caring about the limitations it's player base may have been facing. Nymoria focused her eyes on the man's face, watching the movement of the lips - a trick that she had noticed helped her when she was attempting to hear those speaking to her. Either through years of practice, or because of the way in which Sword Art Online connected directly with her mind, it allowed her to hear the words, to a degree. "Pardon my forwardness, I thought for sure you were going to continue on passed me! It was as if you couldn't hear me!"

The words passed through her with a small shock. She'd become used to the commentary, both from NPCs, as well as other players. Few knew the truth behind the commentary, and those who did usually changed their attitude quickly - going from slight annoyance, to pity and surprise all at once. Nymoria had long come to terms with it, although she still disliked it, knowing there was nothing she could really do about it. Instead, she gave a simple nod, confirming that the NPC had her full attention and awareness.

"Err, right. Well...My name is Dorian, I'm the mayor of this town. As you may know, or may not! As part of my duties...well, I've had a slight issue come up, concerning an amount that I had loaned out to a member of the community not too long ago. It seems that now, the time has come to collect the amount that I loaned out, and well, you see..." The man toyed with his mustache, a flustered appearance in his stance and expressions. Nymoria couldn't quit tell if it was a part of the quest's situation and handling, or if it was her muteness before the man that had the NPC unsettled. She'd seen it a few times, although most just chose to ignore it, as if there was some semblance of understanding and emotional reaction to her interactions. "...you see, the issue is that I've entirely forgotten who I leant the money out to! Terribly embarrassing, yes...but I am a very busy man, running a town isn't easy! I'm sure you understand that...which is why I came to you!"

[Nymoria 0]

Silence stretched for a few seconds, as if the NPC was awaiting some sort of response or input from Nymoria. The longer it stretched, the more certain she was that she was supposed to do something in order to continue the conversation, and eventually she found herself giving a slight wave of her hand, a harsh twitch in her face speaking to the pain she felt at the movement. There was no physical pain to it, but a harsh reminder to Nymoria that she couldn't carry the conversation as others might have, answering in kind to the questions and commentary the mayor provided.

"Right, if you are willing to track down who I gave the loan to, and maybe even get the amount back from them, I can assure you there will be a good reward for you! What do you say, do you think you can do that for me?" Nymoria gave a nod of her head, watching as the dialogue box appeared before her in order to provide her a quick synopsis of the quest, as well as the option to accept or deny it. She calmly pressed the acceptance button, beginning to turn away from the mayor. She stopped only as she caught sight of his mouth moving again, his voice reaching her in a delayed manner, as if heard from afar. "Perfect! I knew I could count on you to help me out, you looked so dependable! Uh, just one quick thing though...could you maybe not tell anyone about this? That would really help me out!"

Nymoria felt herself laugh as she turned away from the mayor, leaving the man standing in the street alone. She wondered what he would say, if he were a real person, should he have ever figured out that his secret was safe with Nymoria - at least, to a small degree. She couldn't very well tell anyone else about it, unless she wrote it in a message. For the time being, at least, she could laugh about the irony of the concern and statement, but she knew that eventually the depression would set back in, attempting to swallow her whole. For now, let's just focus on this quest...everything else, well...that doesn't matter, until it does.

[Nymoria 0]

The marker had appeared at some point during the tail end of her conversation with Dorian, and although Nymoria hadn't noticed it until she had turned away from the man's form, she had found it immensely helpful in locating the small building that belonged to the individual she was supposed to meet there. Nymoria was far from new to dealing with NPCs, and yet for some reason she found herself hesitating at the edge of the doorway into the shop. The smell of various alchemic materials wafted out through the doorway, assailing her nose as she tried to urge herself onwards.

Come on, it's not that hard...just head inside, they'll probably just talk if you do what you usually do. There's no need to actually say anything. You can do this. Gathering herself up, she pushed herself into the shop, striding in with a confidence that she didn't feel - one which she wasn't sure she would ever feel. Wow, it's hard to see in here. There's smoke everywhere, like something's one fire. I don't smell fire though...

"Ah, h----o! W--c-me...w-c-me...-r- y-u h-e -- --der some--ing?" The voice came from within the depths of smoke, calm and somehow wizen to Nymoria's ears. She struggled to pinpoint it through the haze, eventually spotting the outline of a form and moving towards it. The silver-haired individual looked similar, in a sense, to what the mayor had described. In his hands were a collection of vials, likely something he was in the middle of mixing together when Nymoria had stepped into the shop proper. "I would be more than happy to take your order, but ah...I'm a bit overwhelmed as it is. I'm actually running out of supplies..."

Edited April 9 by Nymoria

[Nymoria 0]

Nymoria felt herself torn between sighing, and rolling her eyes. The quest had been simple enough when she'd read the details on her walk through the town, a simple gather and retrieve from the description, but hearing it from the man's voice somehow made it all the more lame. Could be worse, could be one of those quests where you need to go talk to everyone, and run around gathering information before moving on to the next location or group. Stupid intel quests.

"If you're interested in submitting an order, I would need you to gather the materials for it - ah, I'll even throw in a bit of a discount if you do that!" Nymoria wanted to argue, to tell the man that she was simply there to pick up a loan. Her hands rose in preparation to try and explain her situation, but Zackariah's voice carried on where it had stopped, overriding any attempts at complaining that she may have made, had she been given the chance. "Flowers, herbs, rare woods...whatever you're able to find out there will work. Ah, beyond the town's walls, I mean...once you do that, I promise you I'll help you complete that order of yours! In fact...I'd be willing to show you how to make it yourself, that way maybe you can repeat it later! How's that sound?"

The meek nod of agreement was all that Nymoria was could muster up in response. Resigned, frustrated and overtly disappointed, she made her way from the shop and out into the street beyond. Whether she had wanted to or not, she had given in to the whims of the individual. Unable to get her point across, unable to argue or disagree. She could feel the tears reaching the corners of her eyes, and dashed off towards the town's main gates, fighting against the sadness that was welling up inside her. It's always the same! Always!

[Nymoria 0]

She'd waved at Terin, the guard at the gates leading out of the town as she'd passed by on her way out of Tolbana. She hadn't seen the NPC in quite some time, and although she remembered him fairly well - he'd always been nice to Nymoria, patient with her when she tried to communicate, far more than any of the other guards she had run into in the town - he seemed oblivious to who she was; as if she was just another face in the many passing by. He likely sees hundreds of players every day...not to mention all the other NPCs that pass through and around. Why would he remember me?

She cut off the thoughts before they could grow and fester more, turning her attention to the grass lands that spread out before her. Waves of green mixed with various colours of flowers and brush stretched to the far end of the floor, a sight that was still beautiful to behold even when the situation of it's existence was accounted for. Nymoria paused only for a few moments in awe, taking in the view as she always did. She wanted to hate Aincrad, to hate the entire world of Sword Art Online, and yet she knew that deep down, in her heart, she loved it here. The worlds was beautiful, even if it was horrible because of what it meant for them.

A soft sigh escaped her as she decided to begin getting to work on her search. At least I can do this myself. I don't need to be reliant on others to look for some basic crafting materials...although, it would be nice to have someone to ta- She cut the thought off before it could fully form, a mixture of anger and sadness erupting in her mind. Memories of her attempt to discuss with Zackariah came flashing into her mind's eye, and Nymoria found the tears welling at the sides of her eyes once more. In a desperate attempt to ignore the pain within her, she dove into a nearby brush, tearing aside the grasses in a desperate search for anything that would be useful in alchemic creations.

ID221728 | LD: 14 | Material Search | Result: Success! [1/5]

[Nymoria 0]

Through pure luck, more than any actual skill in her search, Nymoria had found the first of the required ingredients. It was a simple thing, a plant which contained purple flowers and looked similar to an iris, but it's shine reminded Nymoria of the fact that it was useful in crafting various goods, especially potions. Stashing the item away in her inventory, she rocked back onto her heels, breathing heavily from both the exertion of searching through the grasses, as well as the emotions that had been roiling through and over her.

Come on, focus on what you're doing. This isn't helping. You don't need to think about it right now. Just...find all the stuff you need, and then you can go back and get the loan from the shopkeeper. Then you'll be done with this. She pushed away the concern growing in her about how she would get the loan, deciding that she would handle that at a later time. There was no point in worrying about it now, especially considering that she wasn't quite at a point where she could consider even asking the shopkeeper. 

The worry set aside, at least for the moment, Nymoria turned back towards her scavenging attempt. She'd managed to rip a few of the portions of the brush out entirely, leaving a torn dirt patch where once there had been lovely grass and growth. She stared at the spot for a few seconds, wondering if that was how others viewed her, before remembering that she was meant to be actually completing the quest. It's no wonder no one wants to talk to you. I mean, why would they? Her hands pawed at the spot, covering it with the grass pieces she had pulled out. She knew that the system would reset the area once she had left it, turning it back into the grass covered field that it had once been, and yet she couldn't stop herself from trying to repair it, even as she pushed aside other areas in her search for the materials.

ID221729 | LD: 2 | Material Search | Result: Failure. [1/5] 

Edited April 8 by Nymoria

[Nymoria 0]

She wasn't surprised that the area held nothing else of worth to her. It was common of the areas near the starting areas; areas which had been picked clean long ago. Although the system recycled and reintroduced resources on a regular basis as soon as the areas were clear of players, it wasn't able to repopulate everything all at once - which meant that over time, certain areas would be sparse than they had been prior to the arrival and sweeping movements of the players that now called Aincrad home. It left some areas bare, regardless of how few players may traverse them now.

I just need to open up my search area, look in different spots. Spots where no one has been for some time. A quick glance around confirmed that there were a number of bodies moving around the field - some were engaged in searching for materials like Nymoria herself was, while others had begun battling with the various creatures that populated the plains. Most of those consisted of the boars and wolves that were common on this floor; creatures that would be considered weak compared to the higher floors, and yet were still dangerous to those of a lower level. Nymoria's eyes glanced up at her own level, the single digit number standing out as a stark reminder of how little progress she had made.

Yeah, well, I'm not like the frontliners. I'm not powerful, or a good fighter...not a good leader, or someone who's worth taking along with you. Why would they want to take me? There's no reason they would. No reason they should. They're better off without me. She hated the way the words sounded in her mind, a stark reminder of her own image of herself, and yet one that she could never argue against. The pain of it all reached out again, and Nymoria wondered, not for the first time, what the purpose of it all was. Whether that hatred fueled her movements or not didn't matter, as she turned towards another area of the plains which had been empty for the past few minutes, hoping to find something of worth there.

ID221730 | LD: 19 | Material Search | Result: Success [2/5]

Edited April 8 by Nymoria

[Nymoria 0]

Almost immediately she'd come across another of the flowers that she had found before, the soft aura around it making it stand out against the grass ever so slightly. Far from powerful, it was only perceptible once she had noticed the flower among the other portions of the grass; a simple mechanism of the system designed to differentiate between simple flora that made up the landscape, and those pieces that could be of actual use to the player's living in the world. Still, it made it somewhat easier to find what she was looking for, and Nymoria gladly put the flower into her inventory.

Alright, it said I needed five of these...which means I'm almost halfway there. That's good. That means I'm almost done. She didn't think about what would come after she had found all the materials, deciding that she would deal with it once she reached that point. For the time being, she only wanted to focus on her simple gathering task. Everything else could be cast aside, a problem for another time that didn't need to be considered in the moment. Those guys are really pushing themselves to the limit. She'd spotted the trio of players in the distance when she'd originally left the town's gates, and although she'd glanced their direction a few times, this was the first she'd actually taken time to see what they were doing. Even as she watched, they danced around a boar that was larger than the others, hacking and slashing at it in a desperate attempt to finish it off before it could retaliate.

Although she may have been interested in watching the fight to it's completion, Nymoria reminded herself that she still had a task ahead of her, one which she wasn't done with yet. Returning her attention to the small brush in front of her, she decided that if she finished her search before the trio had finished their fight, she would let herself watch their dance. Maybe I can even learn something from them.

ID221731 | LD: 10 | Material Search | Result: Failure. [2/5]

Edited April 8 by Nymoria

[Nymoria 0]

Her attention slipped back to watching the trio, and it was several moments before Nymoria recognised that she'd entirely stopped looking for anything. Sighing heavily, she settled into the grass and watched the fight unfold, determined to at least get the most out of it if it was going to distract her so much. The trio seemed to dance around the boar for a time, their attacks leaving small gashes in it's side that must have caused at least a slight dip in it's health bar. Yet, even after several long seconds of the conflict, it became clear that the players were far from being done with the thing - something that even Nymoria knew was concerning. Maybe I should- She leapt to her feet as the boar scored a hit on one of the players, sending them flailing to the ground. Her hand went to the sabre at her hip, gripping the pink wrapped grip. She'd taken a single step towards the conflict before stopping, watching as the other two rushed in and pulled the attention of the boar away from their comrade, allowing the third individual to get to their feet and recover from the hit.

Right, they've got each other. They don't need... It was enough to turn her away from the fight, a stark reminder of the fact that they wouldn't need someone like her getting involved. All she needed to do, this time, was to focus on finding the materials for the quest she was on. There was no need for her to think about helping other people, no need to consider leaping into fights that weren't hers to be a part of, anyways. Besides, what did you think they would do if you jumped in? Say thank you? More likely they'd be having to rescue you, because you couldn't tell that they needed you in...it doesn't matter. Just...it doesn't matter.

She felt her hand slam into the dirt beside her as the frustration bubbled up once more. She knew what she wanted, and yet couldn't achieve. All she could do was return to the simple gathering task, and maybe gain some experience from the quest she was looking to complete.

ID221732 | LD: 15 | Material Search | Result: Success! [3/5]

Edited April 8 by Nymoria

[Nymoria 0]

Whether it was simply the game's randomisation feature, or some higher power being nice to her, Nymoria happened across another of the iris like flowers in her thrashing. It did little to push away the sorrow and despair that she had felt, but it was enough to calm her and return her to the moment; to return to what she needed to do. Settling onto the ground, she closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, trying to calm the internal mess of emotions that had been swelling through her over the past few moments. It was always like this, any time she came into contact with other people - whether those were NPCs, or actual players didn't matter. How am I ever going to get over this, if this always happens. I can't keep doing this. I can't. She didn't have an answer, hadn't expected to have one in fact, in the moment. As the silence met her question, unspoken and as quiet as the lack of answer that she received, Nymoria found herself calming.

Exhaustion rolled over her as the emotions drained away - no longer able to sustain themselves, even if no conclusion had come from their entire existence. Nothing had changed, nor would it ever change as far as she was concerned, and yet she found herself unable to hold onto the anger and frustration that had appeared. What's the point of it all? In the following silence her eyes passed over the area, as if looking for some answer in the grass that surrounded her, something that would give her purpose and meaning. I wonder if everyone has these thoughts. It would be nice to he-to know what other people are thinking. What they worry about, their true emotions. The passing thought surprised her, and she suddenly found herself torn away from the depressive episode that had been plaguing her since she began the quest. 

ID221733 | LD: 13 | Material Search | Result: Success! [4/5]

Edited April 8 by Nymoria

[Nymoria 0]

She'd been playing with another flower as she considered the thought that had come. Slowly, as if waking from a stupor, she'd noticed the aura that surrounded the thing in her hand, signifying itself as another flower that could be used in the alchemic creations that the shop had been filled with. This piece had long, flowing flower petals that seemed to curl outwards and down, as if leaves hanging from a willow tree. The deep red colours of them reminded Nymoria of red spider lily plants that she had seen in the wilds. She wondered if this one was as toxic as the spider lily, her eyes lingering on it far longer than Nymoria liked before she tucked it away into her inventory.

A shiver ran down her spine as she remembered the promise she had made, and how close she had just come to breaking that promise. Desperate for something, anything, that would take her mind away from the instance of occurrence, she turned to look for more of the small red flowers, determined to find the final piece of ingredient that she had been sent to retrieve. Already she could feel the closure of the quest coming about, and the tension and agitation that came with such a closeness to completion. 

I just need to find one more, then I can head back and get this all done. And if I get an order out of the whole thing, I mean...that's not a bad thing, right? Potions are expensive, and if this quest let's me get one for free...yeah, that would be good. I guess I still need to get the loan...but that's a problem for later. She forced a modicum of cheer into her thoughts as she pushed out over the grasses, her eyes passing over the typical greens and browns that signified the general colours of the fields.

ID221734 | LD: 14 | Material Search | Result: Success! [5/5]

Edited April 9 by Nymoria

[Nymoria 0]

As her eyes passed over a rather ugly yellow flower, Nymoria felt a moment of elation. The soft glow surrounding it drew her eyes onto it fully, confirming that it was the final ingredient that she needed in order to complete the retrieval aspect of the quest. Carefully plucking it from the small bush it had been growing on, she placed it into her inventory with the others, smiling for the first time that day as she straightened and considered the success she had managed. I'm allowed this one moment of happiness. I did this all by myself, and look at how quickly it went, too! I may not be like the others, but I can still do stuff, even if I- She shook her head to clear the remainder of the thought, unwilling to ruin the moment by downplaying her achievement.

Her eyes shifted back to the trio of players who had been taking on the boar, noticing as they downed the creature with a final swing of an axe. The burst of shards, signifying it's demise, glittered against the sunlight before floating away and disappearing entirely. Nymoria felt herself smile at their success, happy for them in the moment. She didn't think, at the time, about how she had completed her own task before they had brought down the boar, or the dangers that they may have been in, or any of the negativity that normally clouded her mind when it came to these situations. Instead, she found herself only content with the fact that both herself and the group had managed their task, successfully completing that which they had set out to do.

If I can do this, and they can bring down that boar...then I can complete the rest of this quest. I can. I know I can. She turned away from the spot, determination in her stride as she made her way back towards the town and the small shop that she had set out from. She wasn't sure what would happen once she got there, but she knew that she wasn't going to simply give up, not yet. Not until she had made an actual attempt.

[Nymoria 0]

Her walk back to the shop had taken numerous detours, an unconscious attempt at avoiding the eventual as she tried to figure out exactly what she was going to do. She knew that there was no choice but to return - either that, or forfeit the quest entirely - but a small part of her wanted to put it off as long as she possibly could, unwilling to face the inevitable. 

Her attempts at avoiding the location were eventually brought to an end, as she found herself standing before the shop once more - her winding trails and redirection attempts leading her to the exact spot that she had wanted to stay away from. She knew that it had been the only conclusion that could come from her meandering, and yet still she found herself somewhat apprehensive; it had come quicker than she would have preferred, and she felt far from prepared to enter the shop once more.

You can't just stand out here all day. You're going to have to go in, and get this done and over with. Just...go in. With a great internal effort, she took the first step, and then another, entering the shop with a resistance that felt similar to trying to swim upstream. Each step felt like her feet were sinking further and further into sand, as if dragging her downwards. So much for the idea that the first step is always the hardest.

 

[Nymoria 0]

"Oh, you've returned! Welcome back, welcome back! Did you manage to find all the materials we'll need in order to complete the order?" Nymoria gave a hesitant nod in response to the question. Zackariah appeared entirely unphased by her silence, as if the NPC wasn't even truly noticing her presence. The concept stung Nymoria more than she would like to admit, and although she tried to ignore the nagging voice in her head, she couldn't entirely push it aside as it began it's mantra of distasteful and self-loathing commentary. She was only pulled from the thoughts as Zackariah's voice began speaking once more, the dull drone eventually correlating into understandable words as Nymoria's eyes settled upon the character once more. "--u're ready, we can begin working on the potion itself! Here, come over here..."

Nymoria followed the NPC, shifting so that she continued to face him even as he moved to another table. With a wave of his hand, he motioned to the items laid out before them, items that Nymoria quickly glanced over before looking back at the NPC. "As you can see, I have everything here that you would need in order to complete the actual making of the potion itself! Now, if you've got the materials, you can just place them here..."

He signalled to a spot on the table, falling silent and still as he waited for Nymoria to deposit the pieces that she had found. A quick flick of her hand and the materials had appeared, laid out on the table in a swath of colour against the otherwise brown surface. Zackariah clapped his hands together, a dull, distant sound to Nymoria's ears that caused her to shift ever so slightly. She refocused on the man before her, waiting to see what directions he would give next, or if he would simply begin crafting the item in question.

[Nymoria 0]

"-ight, what you will want to do here, is to bring the materials together and grind them into a slight dust...then we're going to place them into a liquid, and mix them up." Nymoria's eyes glanced sparingly at the items as Zackariah explained the steps involved, intent on the man's face in order to notice and take in everything he said. She'd long since learnt that the system corrupted the voices of those she wasn't directly paying attention to, making it sound as if they were far away, or covered by a veil of some sort. "Should it mix properly, it'll turn a dark red colour, and you'll notice a welcoming scent from it! If it doesn't work...well, you'll know almost immediately. Let's hope it doesn't come to that. Alright, got all your materials ready? And your tools? Good, shall we get started?"

Nymoria picked up the various goods, looking over them and determining what needed to be done. Slowly, she began crushing down one of the purple flowers that she had collected, working it into a fine collection of dust sized pieces, stopping only once she noticed a nod from Zackariah. I thought he said he was busy...and yet here he is, standing overtop of me and watching me do all the work. How does this guy run a successful shop? She refrained, if only barely, from rolling her eyes in response. Instead, she turned to the vials before her, noticing that they had been pre-filled with the chemical solution that she would be mixing the ground flower into. This seems easy enough...alright, let's do this.

She picked one of the vials at random, pulling it from the tray that it had sat in and holding it up to the light to see better. "-'s a ra--er ba-ic con--t--n, all you need to do is add the ingredients to it, and you should be good to go! Assuming it all works out, that is."

Nymoria glanced up as Zackariah had begun talking, the distant words reaching her ears and drawing her attention. She gave a small nod in understanding before raising the dish with the crushed flower inside of it, carefully transferring the pieces into the vial. Closing it with a stopper, she held her breath and began shaking it slightly.

ID221818 | CD: 2 | Crafting Attempt | Result: Failure.  

Edited April 9 by Nymoria

[Nymoria 0]

The colour in the vial quickly turned into a brownish black paste under Nymoria's harsh shaking, and almost immediately she knew that she had done something wrong. Her eyes shot up to look at the shopkeeper, searching for an answer to her outcome. A knowing smile, and a patient glint in his eyes, told her that he wasn't entirely surprised at her lack of success. She expected to be berated, talked down to, or otherwise informed of everything she had done wrong in the instance, and found herself wincing internally in preparation.

"Ah yes, I have that happen sometimes. If you shake it too hard, or too much, sometimes it can cause the solution to overpower the ingredients...come, let's try that again, but this time with a bit less force. Oh, and maybe try that red coloured one you brought, that one looks wonderfully perfect for the essence." Nymoria paused in surprise, her expression shifting to one of shock as she heard the welcoming and kind words, wondering if she had somehow misheard what the man had said. His smile broadened at her expression, and he gave a soft chuckle. "Ah, you don't need to worry. These things happen, even to expert potion crafters like myself! The only thing to do is to try again, eventually it comes out exactly as you want! I know you can do it, it may just take a few tries."

Taking a shaky breath, Nymoria picked up the red coloured flower she'd found, eyeing it carefully before placing it into the mortar and beginning to grind it down with the pestle that had been provided. She was careful not to grind it into the same dust she had before, figuring that perhaps larger pieces of the flower would created a better outcome. Carefully, she lifted the pestle and tilted the ingredients into another vial, before closing it and beginning to carefully shake the vial once more.

ID2217819 | CD: 11 | Crafting Attempt | Result: Perfect [Healing Potion]

Edited April 9 by Nymoria

[Nymoria 0]

"A--a! P-rf--t! See, I knew you could do it!" The sound of Zackariah's voice shocked Nymoria out of her excited daze, diverting her eyes from the potion in her hand to the the man before her. She couldn't help but beam a smile in response to his excitement, her own bursting within her as she realised that she'd made a nearly perfect version of the healing potions she had in her inventory. She could feel the pride swell within her as she truly began to understand the accomplishment that she had before her, and the fact that she had done it entirely on her own. "Excellent, excellent! Well, now your order is done, I do have to be getting back to the various ones that I have piling up before me. It has been an absolute pleasure seeing you complete this, truly!"

Nymoria stored the potion away in her inventory, turning and noticing that the man had begun to return to the task that he had been working on prior to her arrival. In a sudden panic, realising that she needed to ask him about the loan, she stepped forward and grabbed his arm. He looked up in a bit of confusion, his smile spreading as he took in her face, faltering only slightly as the NPC seemed to register the fear in her expression. "Oh, was there something else that I can help you with?"

[Nymoria 0]

She'd paused as he turned towards her, her hesitation apparent in both her movement and expression. At some point she'd begun to bite her lip, and although she couldn't feel pain from it, she knew that she was likely leaving a mark. Slowly, with an air of uncertainty and apprehension, she had raised her hands. Her fingers moved in a pattern, slow at first, but picking up pace as she began to sign her question to the man before her. The mayor is hoping to get his loaned money back, and he told me to ask you for it. Would you be so kind as to give me the amount you borrowed from him, so that I can clear away the debt?

The NPC's eyes followed her hands, the Cardinal system recognising the movements as a form of communication and forcing the NPC to adjust accordingly. Nymoria had learnt, long ago during her first interactions with the NPCs, that they were quick to adjust to her form of communication. While it would give many others comfort, it only made her feel more ostracised by the situation - aware that she was different, and required special treatment even in this world, considering everything. Only a microsecond had passed since she'd finished, but it felt like forever to her before Zackariah had spoken again.

"Ah, the mayor gave out a loan?"

[Nymoria 0]

"I'm afraid that I wasn't the one that he loaned the money out to, as I've not borrowed anything as of late!" Zackariah shook his head, a soft chuckle escaping his lips even as he confirmed that the entirety of her time had been all for naught. As if knowing that he'd just given a harsh blow, he quickly followed the comment by providing her with more information to go on, an obvious lead into a secondary quest for Nymoria to further track down the money that the mayor had loaned out. "You may want to try Lyle, a local blacksmith. He's been talking to the mayor a lot as of recent, perhaps he borrowed the funds? You'll find his smithy just up the road from here, so it's not a far walk! Maybe he'll even have something more of interest for you!"

Nymoria gave a quick motion of thanks before leaving the shop, her entire body showing the defeat she was feeling internally. She'd been hoping that the quest would be fully resolved after speaking with and completing the tasks assigned by the alchemist. Now she found herself sent off to chase after another possible source that may, or may not, have borrowed the money from the mayor. Even with her limited experience, she knew that this was likely going to lead to a chain of sub quests that left her running around the town looking for whomever was the final aspect in the entire line of quests - a fact which she wasn't entirely pleased about. 

Resigned to the fact that she was involved in the line now, if nothing else, she sighed heavily and made her way towards the next marker, at least determined to find the blacksmith and begin the entire process once more.

Thread Summary
Word Count: 6,734
1,123 EXP | 673 [6,734/10x1x1] + 450 [Quest]
900 col | 400 [Thread Progression] + 500 [Quest]
5 materials [Quest]
(5) T1 Uncommon Health Potions: Heals 5% of Maximum HP.
(1) T1 Uncommon Damage Potion: +1 DMG for an entire thread.
(1) T1 Uncommon Overhealth Potion: Adds 5% of Maximum HP to users Maximum HP for a thread.
(1) T1 Health Potion Perfect Quality
Unlock <<The Second Lesson>> Quest