[PP-F2] Open for Business (Earning a Living Quest)

[Lucifer 0]

I messaged Red Riding Hood earlier to meet up with me so where was she? There was a built in clock in the HUD so nobody could say something like, "Oh, I forgot my phone!" or "I didn't fast forward my clocks for daylight savings..." Everyone tried to come up with some lame excuse, but I don't know why they can't just be honest about it. What's the big deal if you're late? It happened, nothing we can do about it. However, keep in mind that I will personally kick your butt into high gear if it happens again. If this hooded tailor didn't get here soon, she'll suffer the wrath and terror of the little girl known as Lucifer.

[___ 0]

She genuinely had not been paying attention to the time, but she knew that it was nearly time for her to meet up with Luci. She was really scandalous in her clothing and Red didn't understand why she would particularly want to dress up in such revealing clothing, especially in a game filled with a bunch of men. She swore she'd never wear such skimpy outfits again after... She shivered. Why do I keep thinking about that? It's behind me now, I never have to worry about it again. She tried to bury the thoughts as she approached the bench they had promised to meet at, "Sorry I'm late, Luci. I had to close up the shop."

[Lucifer 0]

Yup, that was exactly what I was thinking about. The excuses that could make everything alright because. Because why you ask? Just because, of course. I shook my head, kind of disappointed in the girl, "If a kid can be on time, can't an adult?" Adults always have the worst excuses, especially when they say that it's because they have adult things or business to attend to. I stood up and approached the girl, lifting myself up with my toes so that my eyes were level... Well, almost level with hers, "Red, games are very reliant on time, you know? I asked you to meet me at 5:00PM and you were ten minutes late. You're lucky I didn't continue on without you."

[___ 0]

She was surprised that she was in so much trouble, considering that the person in front of her was nearly half her age. Red didn't quite understand what was so important about time here or in games in general, but it must have some degree of significance, "I-I... Uhm, I'll try not to be late again." She apologetically bowed her head down a bit, "I'm sorry, Luci." This was the second person that approached Red out of their own will, asking her to accompany them on a quest and she was already screwing up. She picked her head back up, "Well, now that I'm here... Are you ready to start the quest?"

[Lucifer 0]

I giggled at the thought of an adult apologizing to a child, that didn't happen very often in the real world. I patted her head as she put it down, hoping that she wouldn't be too troubled by what I said, "I accept your apology, Red. I'm sure you didn't mean it." The girl seemed be feeling a bit better as she asked me if I was ready to start, which was a perfect opportunity to remind her once more the importance of timing, "I was ready ten minutes ago, silly." I grabbed Red's hand and tugged on her arm, pulling her like a tug boat, "Come on, I've already did my research. The quest starts over here."

[___ 0]

She turned out not to be too upset, but Red wasn't going to make that mistake again. She was flustered with the color of her nickname, embarrassed that she had taken such valuable time out of someone's day, even if they were exaggerating the value of it. In the end, she should have closed her shop a few minutes earlier. She hadn't had any customers within the last hour, after all. I really am to blame for-... "Whoa," she yelped as she felt her balance being propelled forwards, "Yes, you're right. I'm surprised you know so much about the game." Granted, that wasn't the greatest compliment from Red, considering she started knowing next to nothing when she first started.

[Lucifer 0]

I led the way, ignoring her compliment. This wasn't something that was difficult to hear about considering it was one of the most important quests that a player could take early on and there were plenty of player shops that I had asked questions from along the way. My goal was to become a chef, a wizard of the cooking trade. It was a close tie between becoming a chef and an alchemist, both proposed equally opportune profits, but I could envision the balancing of the game in the near future. Alchemists had it set, they were clearly the best trade to go in for business, but with the talk about the balancing fix to cooking, I figured it would be the best option, but then again... there was another option. "I'm surprised that you're surprised, this is pretty basic information. Is this your first time?"

[___ 0]

It was amazing how this girl was so knowledgable about the game and even the fact that Red was new to not only the game, but to the genre as well, "Uh, yes... Actually, how did you know?" Obviously, she wasn't very good at gathering information, but she did try. It was a tad difficult for her to speak with people that she wasn't quite familiar with, though she certainly did try to get any help that she could get. Whether it was part of a quest or just directions to somewhere, anything helped her. Red was being pulled around corner to corner, losing track of where she was heading thanks to the alleyways, but she wasn't too sure she was still heading in the right direction, "Hey, are you sure this is the way?"

[Lucifer 0]

I stopped in place, hopefully Red would too, "Do I look like I could get lost?" Without waiting for a response, I looked forwards and once again began to run with her in my tow. Eventually, I would emerge from the final alley and we would be on a main road where the quest started. I ran into the shop, leaving Red to decide whether to enter or stay. It didn't really matter which as it would only take a moment before I would be done, "I'm here to accept the [Earning a Living] quest." I was speaking with the NPC behind the counter, which caused a prompt to appear on my screen. I clicked accept and he started to tell me the requirements, "Well, girlie, I nee-" Before he could finish his statement, I was out of the door, Red's hand once again in my grasp, as we ran towards the lake in the meadow outside of town.

[___ 0]

[7842] 10 - 9 - 18 - 5

[___] 15/15

[Luci] 7/7

[boar] 0/8 ... +2 materials, +40 Col

Red just about slammed into her as the young player came to a halt, "I-I uh..." She wasn't sure how to answer the question because kids got lost easily and she looked like a kid, but she knew more than Red did already, "I don't think so?" Once again being tugged, she was hauled over to a shop that she hadn't seen before, this isn't where the quest started for me... Within a few seconds, the girl had rushed out, latched onto Red's wrist, and pulled her throughout and eventually out of the town itself, "Whoa, where are we going?" They continued on for a while, though she would find that their location was a beautiful lake towards the center of a meadow, "It's pretty, I haven't seen it before." She looked around, nothing else compared to it, but she did catch something steadily approaching the two. She unsheathed her rapier and dashed towards it, "Luci, stay back."

[Lucifer 0]

[7847] 4 - 6 - 13 - 5

[___] 15/15

[Luci] 7/7

[boar] 8/8

I didn't look back at her, it wasn't surprising now in regards to how little Red actually knew about the game, "Where the mobs are aplenty." The mobs that she needed to find to return materials for the quest would all be here, there really was no better spot, at least not on this floor. I let my hand release as she commented on the beauty of the game, "It's better than the real world. There, you're just another person. Here, you can be whoever you desire." I began to walk towards the lake, expecting Red to follow suit, but I heard her call out. Turning, I'd find a mob fading away, "What did I tell you? This place is the best?" I'd unsheath my saber and chase down a nearby boar of my own... though I'd lack the success that Red had.

[___ 0]

[7843] 1 - 19 - 15 - 1

[___] 15/15

[Luci] 7/7

[boar] 8/8 ... Ran off.

Red pulled her rapier from the fading remains of the boar, only to find that Luci had encountered one of her own, "No kidding, there's a lot of them here." She followed suit after Luci, running towards the boar, but she wasn't quick enough to catch it before it scampered off. She wasn't too sure if Luci had ventured out on her own before, but it wasn't something that was completely safe. Red recalled back on when she was coming out here for the first few times, albeit by herself, and she came within a single health point of death. It was a scary thing, "Just be careful, I know that this might be a good place to train, but don't get too reckless... They're stronger than they look." It didn't help her case that she struck the first one down in a single hit, but they were lethally dangerous.

[Lucifer 0]

[7848] 4 - 12 - 1 - 4

[___] 15/15

[Luci] 7/7

[boar] 8/8

I slowed up as the girl cut me off from the path of the boar, but she was just about as lucky as I was, "I don't know if dangerous is a good word to use." No, it wasn't dangerous, I knew their stats and had prepared enough that I wouldn't need to worry, "I'd say fast is more accurate, that one bolted out of her pretty quickly." I wasn't here to train, I was here to get what I needed to finish this quest. The whole point of choosing this spot was so that my time spent wandering and looking for mobs would be reduced, furthering my levels of efficiency and production. I chased after another boar, but this one was just as quick so I asked for some aid, "Hey, Red! Cut it off!"

[___ 0]

[7844] 6 - 7 - 8 - 9

[___] 14/15

[Luci] 7/7

[boar] 2/8

Red couldn't believe how confident the girl was in her abilities, this wasn't just a game, this was a situation of life and death. Every decision mattered here in the virtual world and taking on unnecessary danger was ridiculous, especially since she had gotten the first hand experience herself. However, before she had the chance to say anything, Luci had run off again after another boar and was calling for Red to cut it off, which she would do. She ran in front of its path and as rammed into her, she got a few jabs in, bringing the vast majority of its health down before it ran in another direction, "Go on and finish it Luci, the sooner we get out of here, the better." She wasn't comfortable with how carefree Luci came off as, it made her feel a little uneasy about what would happen if something unexpected started.

[Lucifer 0]

[7849] 9 - 9 - 2 - 8

[___] 14/15

[Luci] 7/7

[boar] 0/8 ... +1 material

I continued chasing after the boar as Red cut it off, taking some damage from the barreling boar, "Careful, no need to put yourself in harm's way." I unsheathed my saber and sliced the boar in two, finishing it off as it faded away. I turned back to Red, "I understand that you don't think I understand how risky certain situations can be. However, I don't think you understand that I understand how these games work. I've been playing these games for years, spending hours each day learning and practicing." I sheathed my curved sword, hoping to teach her that not everyone was the same, "I understand that this is new to you... Heck, I was the same way back when I played my first MMORPG, but times have come a long way."

[___ 0]

[7845] 7 - 11 - 16 - 6

[___] 15/15

[Luci] 7/7

[Mother Boar] 8/14

Red wasn't too sure how to react, considering Luci was the one that chose to chase after the boars in the first place without any real plan. Sure, she was smarter for going hunting with somebody, unlike Red's first few times, but it was almost a contradiction with what she was saying. Red wasn't about to argue about it though because it wasn't her nature. Besides, what if it was actually true to the game? She couldn't face the embarassment of showing her experience (or lack thereof) compared to Luci, whom, according to today's earlier showcases, would make sure she knew better. "Well, I think that's enough for you to finish the quest and ear-" The roar of a boar would cut her off as a figure twice the size of the others nearly struck her down, "Oh!" She unsheathed her rapier once more and struck it in the buttocks as it skittered by, bringing it down enough that it wouldn't allow any true danger.

[Lucifer 0]

[7850] 5 - 12 - 6 - 5

[___] 15/15

[Luci] 7/7

[Mother Boar] 8/14

I was pleased to see she didn't beg the question that she was thinking, what a relief. Though, I couldn't help but watching to see if she was going to catch on to the mother boar that was barging towards her. She had twice my health (and so did the boar), which meant that she would be far and well out of harm if she did get struck. Luckily for her, she caught on and even managed to counter the surprise attack. "Perhaps you aren't too weak after all." Obviously, it took someone with a bit of sense to react with such a demeanor and she displayed that. I wouldn't let her know that I thought of her in such a manner, but at the very least, a compliment would suit the occassion. Following up to her attack, I began to close the distance to the boar and ready my attack.

[___ 0]

[7846] 5 - 8 - 15 - 5

[___] 15/15

[Luci] 7/7

[Mother Boar] 2/14

Red heard what Luci had to say, even if it wasn't much, which left her with a sigh of relief. She was hoping that she would improve over time here, considering this was her first game and there was a lot... And I do mean... a LOT to learn. She wasn't about to let this boar get away though, after so rudely interrupting her and Luci's little conversation and she chased after it. She struck it once more, though this time in the left side to redirect it. It squealed in pain and turned towards Luci, giving her the ease to finish it off, "Come on Luci, get it!" Perhaps she was being a little overbearing on wanting her to kill the boars, but she knew that it's kinda tough when one's first starting out.

[Lucifer 0]

[7851] 7 - 12 - 11 - 2

[___] 15/15

[Luci] 7/7

[Mother Boar] 0/14 ... +1 material, +56 Col

I was disappointed to see that Red would be able to strike the boar again, which meant I had less overall damage to inflict on the mother boar itself. Though, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. I ran towards it head on, swinging my sword upwards as I slashed it in half in a flurry of pixels. Slowing down, I would hold my head tall, "Come, the quest is essentially over. We just have to return to the shop and we'll be good to go, got it?" I'd turn in the opposite direction and begin running, potentially leaving Red in the dust if she couldn't keep up. We'd return before the sun stood halfway in the sky, though it would take a few more minutes to get to the shop. I'd run inside, inform the owner that I'd completed his query, then all would be well and set to start up my own shop. I couldn't help it, a grin would form upon my face, "One step closer..."

[Lucifer 0]

[7851] 7 - 12 - 11 - 2

[___] 15/15

[Luci] 7/7

[Mother Boar] 0/14 ... +1 material, +56 Col

I was disappointed to see that Red would be able to strike the boar again, which meant I had less overall damage to inflict on the mother boar itself. Though, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. I ran towards it head on, swinging my sword upwards as I slashed it in half in a flurry of pixels. Slowing down, I would hold my head tall, "Come, the quest is essentially over. We just have to return to the shop and we'll be good to go, got it?" I'd turn in the opposite direction and begin running, potentially leaving Red in the dust if she couldn't keep up. We'd return before the sun stood halfway in the sky, though it would take a few more minutes to get to the shop. I'd run inside, inform the owner that I'd completed his query, then all would be well and set to start up my own shop. I couldn't help it, a grin would form upon my face, "One step closer..."