[SP-F1] <<Earning a Living>> Bejeweled Blossoms

[Olivia Antheia 0]

I need a job, Olivia had thought to herself one day. Out of the blue and with no real reason, she had wondered if there was another way to help others. After a few hours of walking around and asking questions, she finally managed to figure out that she could... Open her HUD... And accept the quest that was already present. Realizing how simple it was, Olivia pinched the bridge of her nose and took the quest. Artisan sounds good! She thought to herself, noting the lack of a way to work as some sort of flower store owner... Even if it was for the best, she had hoped to actually use nature, however fake it was, as a way to take her mind off of the fact that she had nearly died once, accepted a gift without any good reason, and wasted so much time letting others fight on her behalf. The most recent deaths in the floor boss fight, she thought to herself with a frown. More people trying to save us all... And I'm standing around, letting them sacrifice themselves for me. I need to be stronger.

 

... Even if it means making jewelry. Funny how that worked out. But even as she approached the quest destination, she was already certain that it made sense. Somehow. I could make equipment for myself and others! Some stronger stuff might help me not get slaughtered by simple boars, and hey, I could make a few gifts for some people I know... Or cash in on Valentine's day! Better known to the girl as "National Singles Awareness" day... Stop thinking about it and just get to work! The girl pushed the doors open and walked inside. This early in the day the store wouldn't be open, but if she was correct, she was supposed to meet with someone that would help teach her the basics of becoming an Artisan.

[Olivia Antheia 0]

Olivia wandered around the empty store for a moment, taking in the sights. Jewelry of all sorts and varieties lined the display cases, and glittered like stars. Am I supposed to be making these things!? They all look so perfect... Metals, leathers, clothes, all this and more caught her eye as she tried to wrap her head around how it creating these things would work out.

 

"Hey, you!" Called out a gruff voice, "What's your business here? We're not open for another half an hour!"

 

Turning around to see who it was, Olivia noticed a large, burly man with a bald head. Olivia cleared her throat and spoke up to the player, nervously saying, "I'm here for that, uh... Quest? What was it...  <<Earning a Living>>, do you know it?"

 

The man scratched his head before opening up his HUD, flicking through various messages before finding the one in question. "... Oh, yeah... That one. Sorry, missed the message, I wasn't ready. Well, here, follow me and I'll help you out with that quest then, miss Olivia." With that, the man pushed a door open behind him, and disappeared. Olivia walked around the counter and followed suit.

[Olivia Antheia 0]

After closing the door behind her, Olivia took the time to examine the room around her. Medium-sized, with two windows allowing light to pour into the room and across the wooden floorboards. Some exquisite pieces of jewelry were held behind thick glass displays, embedded into the wall. "Some of my best work," the man explained. He rested a hand against the glass of one display, holding a necklace with bright-red ruby shaped like a heart, attached to a gold chain. "There are lots of memories held in these things. They're more than just equipment to some people...' The man looked back to Olivia and smiled. "What do you see when you look at this one?"

 

Olivia blinked and walked next to the man, peering at the heart necklace. "I see... A very expensive gift!" The man burst into laughter, and patted her back, prompting her to crack a smile. "You're not wrong! It is very precious to me. Priceless, with a lot of sentimental value to me. I gave it to the girl I married..." His laughter died quickly, and his eyes stared into the depths of the necklace. Snapping out of it, she directed Olivia to a counter, where various tools lay strewn about, before standing in front of a bookshelf in a corner, brushing his hands across the books as he murmured something under his breath.

[Olivia Antheia 0]

"Where is it... Where is it... Ah, here it is!" With a content sigh, he pulled out one of the books and dusted it off, opening it up and flipping through the pages. "Here; it's a starter book for crafting. It's got everything you need to be an Artisan--I'll give it to you, free of charge. This Grandmaster won't be reading it anytime soon." He laughed to himself and started organizing the tools on the counter, as Olivia turned to one of the first pages and started scanning the book.

 

Alright, she thought to herself, turning the pages as her eyes darted between the lines. So I have... No clue what I'm doing. Her brows furrowed as she tried to understand the words used in the text, but as the man cleared his throat, she looked up to find that the tools had been lined to the side. Pliers, hammers, cutters, and other tools she couldn't yet name intimidated her, making her wonder exactly how hard it was to work with this stuff. "Sooo... What should I do first?"

 

"I'll walk you through every step of the way. You'll find out what to do with materials, how to mend chains and scratches, how to chisel a gemstone... By the time you're done today, you'll know how to make your own jewelry." 

[Olivia Antheia 0]

- ROLL -

ID: 10823 ; BD: 9 ; CD: 10 ; LD: 4 ; MD: 9

 

Without any further hesitation, the man pulled open a drawer in the cabinet and laid out a few materials. Bits of iron chain, torn apart; a gemstone, yet to be chiseled; a pendant, ready to be turned into jewelry. "It's a lot easier than the book makes it out to be." (Cue a relieved sigh from Olivia.) "The crafting system helps you along, you just need to know what you're doing first. Which is why I'm here. How about we start with the chain?" With that, he motioned for Olivia to grab one of the pliers, and she began working.

 

It took a few moments for her to get it right, but once she had finally understood what he meant for her to do, she began to repair the iron chain. Once it was fixed, the man showed her how to cut a gem, chiseling it out and turning it into a round gem perfect for the pendant. By the time she was done with it, it was... "Did I do a good job?"

 

This earned Olivia a pat on the back and another hearty laugh. "It looks perfect!" He accepted the pendant from Olivia and held it up to the sunlight. The emerald gem glistened and shone, and he smiled before setting it down. "I have to mention this now, before anything else--you won't be able to keep what you make today. Although, I will start you off with a few materials once you're finished."

 

The girl nodded briefly, watching as the pendant was placed in another drawer. It was going to be a long day.