“Would you kindly remind me why we are doing this? Ouch!” Brie cried out as she pricked her finger with a needle.
“Obviously, because it’s fun. Ow.” Q responded as she also pricked her finger. Wow, my HP is actually going down from this. She observed as she continued to listen to Brie’s complaints.
“How does -ouch! How does inflicting pain upon oneself count as fun?”
“Well it’s not the pain that’s fun, but it’s the process of learning new things. I’ve never tried to sew things in my life before so doing this is fun for me. Also, we get to learn the tailoring profession so that’s a nice bonus.”
The two of them were currently trying to create a simple pouch using some cloth and a needle and a thread. In the game, craftsmanship required the player to do things manually, but the system would assist players by making small glowing spots which indicated where the players should stick the needle in. This ‘guidance’ also applied to other professions, but if a player felt confident in their skills they could disable it.
While the two of them were poking themselves, a young girl approached them. “Um… you should hold the needle a bit more gently… and then ease it into the fabric rather than forcing it in. You’ll probably poke yourself less.” Q looked over at the girl who approached and it turned out to be Lily, the one who brought them here in the first place. “Hey Lily,” Q greeted her with a smile, “What’s up? Did that girl finally stop lecturing you?” She asked as she tried doing what Lily suggested.
(A/N: Disclaimer, I know nothing about sewing.)
“Oh um… eheh, no. I ran away when I got the opportunity.” Lily answered with a bashful face. Q raised her eyebrows in surprise. “That’s unexpected. I thought you were the kind of person who’d just quietly listen if someone lectures you.”
“Well normally yes,” Lily began, “But Sheila’s lectures are so boring! Honor this, responsibility that, all she ever talks about is maintaining good grace and glory. Sometimes she even forgets about what she was lecturing me about in the first place and just goes on and on talking about prestige and other things.”
“Wow. She sounds like a Velorie.”
“Well… that’s because she is a Velorie. Oh! That reminds me, I forgot to introduce myself.” Lily straightened her clothes and smiled. “I am Lily Breckden, daughter of Cadby and Marilyn Breckden.” She said with a small curtsy.
Suddenly, a voice growled behind Lily. “I’m Sheila Velorie, daughter of Malcolm and Sharon Velorie.” The hooded figure from before introduced herself as she grabbed the collar of Lily who was about to run away. Her hood was off now so Q could see her features more clearly. Her face resembled a younger version of Sharon's’, and her hair appeared to be black, but was actually a dark shade of blue. Her face scrunched up in displeasure as she spoke to Lily. “So you don’t like my lectures huh?” Sheila said in a threatening tone.
“N-no Sheila! I never said that! I like them, I do!”
“Oh, if that’s the case then i’ll treat you to my extra long 3 hour lecture on proper manners and etiquette.”
“Nooooo! Mercy please!” Lily was in tears now, knowing that she would be subjected to a 3 hour long lecture. While Lily lamented her situation, Sheila addressed Q. “You’re free to join us if you want.” She offered. Q let out a cramped smile as she politely refused, and watched as Sheila shrugged and dragged away the depressed Lily.
“What an interesting pair.” Q said out loud as she continued to work on her pouch. Brie watched the entire exchange between the three, and finally spoke up. “How… how do you talk to people so naturally?”
“What do you mean?” Q asked with a confused look on her face.
“I mean, they were complete strangers just a few hours ago, but now you are conversing with them as if you have been friends for a long time. How do you do that?”
“Hmm… well it’s not like I do anything special. Talking just happens naturally as long as you’re willing to start up a conversation… which makes me wonder, are you bad at starting a conversation?”
“Wha-” Brie’s face went red as she was temporarily at a loss for words.
“It seems like it. Considering how strangely arrogant you were when we met, you’ve probably taken on that attitude when trying to talk to others for the first time huh? Not only that, but you’re scared of guys so you flat out don't talk to them. It’s no wonder you can’t start up a decent conversation. You probably scare away people with your domineering attitude, or just don't say anything at all.”
As Q accurately deduced her situation, Brie sat there opening and closing her mouth like a fish, not knowing what to say. She stayed in this state for a while until Q shouted out “YES! Finally finished!”
*Successfully Created*
[Simple Pouch (Bag, Common)] - A small pouch which can store small objects. Adds 1 slot of inventory if equipped.
Q happily picked up her pouch and showed it to the old woman who gave them the supplies and instructions on how to make the pouch in the first place. “Here you go Mrs. Lafleur, I finished making the pouch.” She said with a proud expression on her face. Mrs. Lafleur took the pouch and examined it closely. “Hmm… it looks a bit shoddy where you first started sewing it, but improved over time… Yes, not bad at all. With this, you can be considered to have taken your first step on the path of a tailor.” She said with a smile. “Here, take these. It’ll be good for practice as you start making things.”
Mrs. Lafleur handed over a bunch of items and Q thanked her as she watched windows appear in front of her.
[Quest Complete!] - Introduction to Tailoring
Obtained Rewards:
[Simple Pouch (Bag, Common)]
[Beginner’s Tailoring Kit]
[5x pieces of Linen Cloth]
[5x pieces of Rough String]
[Tailoring Profession]
[New Profession] - Tailoring
[You have unlocked a new profession!] - As this is your first profession, it is automatically equipped. Training in this profession will allow you to create more powerful and complex things. You may obtain and use more than one profession at any point in time, but be warned that only your equipped profession will progress and receive experience (Professions can be changed at any time through the character menu).
Q let out a whoop as she read the message. “Woohoo! Mission complete. How are you doing over there Brie?” She turned over to look at Brie who had somehow managed to pull herself together and finished making the pouch. Brie handed over the pouch without saying a word and Mrs. Lafleur evaluated it. “Hmm… it looks pretty shoddy, but not bad for your first try. With this, you have taken your first step on the path of a tailor.” She smiled. “Here, take these. It’ll be good for practice as you start making things.”
Q grinned as she heard Mrs. Lafleur repeat essentially the exact same things she told her earlier. Well, no matter how life-like these people are, it’s still a game after all. Brie walked over to Q after receiving her items, and gave her an inquisitive look. “What?” Q asked, wondering what she did to get such a look.
“Oh, it is nothing… I was simply wondering why you know so much about me. We have only met today, and yet you understand me better than my parents do. It is very curious…”
Well… she just dropped a bombshell. Q thought to herself, but she dodged around it as she responded to Brie’s comment. “Let’s see… ever since I was small I’ve always been observing things, people included. Overtime it just became a habit for me to analyze someone’s personality, and after a while I got pretty good at it. Besides, you make it pretty obvious that you’re a troubled noble girl with no friends.”
“Wha-, I- I am not-” Brie was stammering as it seemed that Q had hit the nail on the head.
“ANYWAY, let’s see what other professions we can learn here.” Q said, swiftly retreating from Brie whose face was bright red.
“I-I-I will not stand for that insult! Get back here!” She yelled as she ran after Q who let out a hearty laugh. Brie chased her around for a good 5 minutes while the rest of the girls in the area watched with interest. Eventually Brie began to tire out and she finally stopped chasing Q. Brie heard a sound and looked up to find a window which indicated that she gained a point in agility. Letting out a defeated smile she slowly made her way over to Q, who didn’t seem tired at all.
“How… *huff* how are you so fast?”
“Well, if you’re chased around by an angry wolf in a forest for half an hour, you’re bound to to get faster somehow. Anyway, let’s find someone else with a quest, and hopefully get away from these stares…” Q said as she looked around the room. When she made eye-contact with any of the girls they would look away and start whispering to themselves. Straightening their clothes, they went off in search for another quest.
Eventually the two found a woman in the kitchen area who asked them to procure some ingredients for dinner. “You can find these ingredients in the field or forest outside of town, but be careful if you’re heading into the forest. The wild boars are found in there and they’re rather dangerous.” In exchange for the ingredients she would teach the two to cook, so they both agreed and set off to the outside of town.
[New Quest!] - Gather Ingredients
Items Required:
[10x Spotted Mushroom]
[5x Rabbit meat]
[3x Altona fruit]
Optional Item(s): [Boar meat]
Failure Condition: [Fail to return with the ingredients by dinner time]
Rewards: [Cooking Profession]
On the way outside the town, Q and Brie passed by a few Breckden and Velorie recruiters still hanging around the area, but mysteriously none of them approached the two. It’s probably because they recognize that we’re part of the Prim Roses already… Q thought as they made their way outside. Once they stepped out of the gates (after being directed there by some of the recruiters), they stopped walking and looked at the view.
In front of the two was a vast open field that was filled with life. All sorts of wild animals were running to and fro, happily frolicking about, and all kinds of plant life unfamiliar to the two dotted the area. A cool breeze swept through the field, making the grass sway softly, while the sun shone down upon this picturesque field. The most eye-catching part of the field though, was the players who were currently annihilating the wildlife.
The small creatures wouldn’t attack the players of their own volition, but the players mercilessly slashed at them, fired off spells and shot arrows, tormenting the poor little creatures. Thankfully the game hadn’t implemented any gore, otherwise this scene would’ve turned R-rated. The plants weren’t safe either, as the players mobbed the bushes with berries and picked them clean. Others were climbing up trees and violently yanking the fruit off the branches, while a fight broke out between two groups both trying to claim territory over the field. There was even one player slowly and methodically picking up the grass from the ground, chuckling to themselves…
“Haha! I got a rabbit’s paw to drop!”
“No way! I’ve killed 20 of them and still haven’t gotten one yet!”
“Hey, I found this gathering spot first! Go find your own scrub.”
“What did you just call me!?”
“Hehehe… these idiots don’t know the worth of these grasses… heheheh…”
“Let’s… find a different area, okay?” Q said with a troubled tone. Brie simply nodded, and the two of them walked along the path, avoiding the players and their chaotic mess. Leaving the grisly scene behind them, the two walked in silence for a while until Q broke it as she asked a question. “So… what’s your play-style?”
“Play-style?” Brie responded, not understanding the question.
“Yeah, basically how you fight or deal with situations.”
“Hmm… well I fight with a sword. Ah, to be more accurate I use an épée in real life, but here I use this short sword.” She said as she began making gestures in the air and pulled out a thin short sword (though with her size, it seemed more like a normal length sword). She made a pose and let out a few thrusts into the space in front of her.
“Wow, you do fencing?” Q looked at her with an amazed face. Brie nodded as she put the sword back into her inventory. “Hold on, why did you put your sword back?” Q said with a confused look on her face.
“Obviously because I need to keep my weapon in prime condition. If not in use, it will be put away until needed. Besides, I do not walk around with my weapon out. That is simply strange.”
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
“Heh.” Q let out a chuckle. “Well you better walk around with it out this time, because we’re going to head into that forest.” She said, indicating the vast expanse of trees in front of them. “You’ll need to keep your weapon out in case we come across any enemies.”
“Why are you so sure that there will be enemies in the forest? If anything I believe the wildlife would try to avoid us.”
“Hey, this is common sense in video games! Forest = monsters. Plain and simple. Wait…” Q had a sudden realization. A troubled noble girl from a strict family… she thought, and to confirm her suspicions she asked, “Have you never played any video games before?”
“No. Father believes that they are time-wasting and unnecessary to my education.”
“Ooooooh. That explains a lot. Kind of. Then why are you playing T.W.O?”
“Father owns some stock in the Dimen company so he got a complementary unit for free. Neither he nor mother was interested in using it, so they gave it to me as a reward for placing first in the recent fencing competition.”
“That’s cool.” Q nodded. “By the way, since you’re new to online games, here’s a tip. You don’t talk about real life in online games. Revealing your personal information could potentially lead to someone tracking you down and finding out where you live, and some other fun stuff.” Q watched with a small smile as Brie’s expression slowly morphed into a look of horror. Brie looked at Q with wide eyes and took a step back.
“Y- you would not d- dare to find out where I live w- would you!?” Brie stammered.
“Hahaha! Man your expressions are hilarious. Calm down, I’m not going to do anything.”
“Mhhh…”
After taking a few minutes to calm her down, Q eventually got Brie to stop being so cautious as they began to make their way through the forest. Contrary to Brie’s earlier thoughts, the forest seemed to be full of life as they heard all kinds of animal cries everywhere. Birds were singing, and flowers were blooming, creating a beautiful harmonious image. The air was thick with the scent of wildlife, giving the entire area a strong feeling of nature and life. Eventually, their leisurely stroll ended once they came across a certain creature.
[White Rabbit] - Level 3
“IT’S SO FLUFFY!!!” Q screamed as she dived at the rabbit. This evoked a bit of déjà vu from her as she faintly remembered a previous event, but this time things were different with her increased stats. Approaching like a flaming meteor, the rabbit had no chance to escape as it was quickly caught by Q and cradled tightly in her arms.
“Yessssss. It’s as soft as it looks!” Q exclaimed as she began rubbing her cheek on it. Brie watched her, dumbfounded as the rabbit began to panic. It tried to struggle out of Q’s arms, but that only caused her to tighten her hold, almost choking the rabbit in the process. A slightly depleted health bar appeared over the rabbit’s head, indicating that she had actually hurt it. Panicking, the rabbit began to bite Q, slowly dealing damage to her.
“Umm… are you okay?” Brie said while approaching slowly.
“Yes. I’m perfectly fine. Why?” Q said as a string of red numbers appeared above her head.
“Well… that rabbit is hurting you, is it not?”
“It’s not hurting me. It’s just giving me playful nibbles. Isn’t that right you precious little rascal?”
*Squeak* *Squeak*
The rabbit began biting even harder, but Q’s expression didn’t change at all as she continued to caress the rabbit. Brie was thinking about letting her stay like that, but she noticed that Q’s health bar was dwindling down to half so she decided to remind her of their purpose there.
“Ummm… Q, If I am not mistaken, we need to eliminate the rabbit for our ‘quest’ correct?”
Hearing Brie’s words, Q froze up for a second, but then only hugged the rabbit tighter, further inciting squeals and dealing damage to the rabbit. “NO! I mean… I can’t just… I can’t!” Q was torn between completing the mission and caressing the rabbit (till death). On one hand, there was the cooking profession but on the other hand, there was a rabbit. Q continued to debate in her mind when all of a sudden she heard a soft squeal. Looking down at the rabbit in her arms it turned out that she had suffocated it and caused the rabbit to faint.
Looking sadly at the rabbit, and then at the troubled Brie, she made her decision. She slowly passed over the rabbit to Brie and then turned around and said “Please… end it quickly. I can’t bear to watch this.” With a slightly somber expression, Brie took the rabbit and went behind a tree out of sight. Soon she returned and a few windows appeared in front of Q.
[Gained Experience]
[Items Received]
[New Title] - (Friend of the Cute and Cuddly) Your love of small animals has been shown, and so small animals will love you (maybe). Effects when equipped: Small chance of small-sized mobs to be friendly towards you.
Seeing the title, Q immediately equipped it on display title section, replacing the Leader title which had been there before. After all, who wants to lead people when you can have small adorable animals be friendly to you? I MUST MAKE ANIMAL FRIENDS! She thought in her mind, as Brie approached her with a concerned face. “Are you sure that you are fine?” Brie began. “You seem quite shaken at the moment.”
Q laughed weakly. “Ha… ha… what about you? You seem perfectly fine killing such an adorable creature.”
“I’ve hunted animals before in real life, so I have already gotten used to it.”
Q could only let out a defeated laugh as she decided to formulate a simple plan for the two. Brie would hunt rabbits (out of Q’s sight) while Q would gather the other ingredients. As the two would continue walking around the forest, occasionally they would spot a few spotted mushrooms bunched up together, or an Altona fruit which looked like a mix between a melon and an apple. Every so often they would encounter a small rabbit, and Brie was almost forced to physically restrain Q from jumping at it and caressing it.
A few quick thrusts killed the rabbit, eliciting a few cries from it. When Q heard these cries, she dug her nails into the tree she was leaning on and felt like she was crying out tears of blood. I’m sorry my fluffy friends… but this is necessary! She apologized silently in her mind as Brie came back to find her all depressed.
In this fashion the two of them were able to complete the requirements for the quest but unfortunately they weren’t able to find a boar. With nothing else to do, they began heading back towards the town, but suddenly they heard a loud shout nearby.
“Get back here!!!”
Both girls turned towards the direction of the voice, and opened their eyes wide in surprise. A 2-meter large boar was charging towards them! Panicking, Q and Brie dived to the sides of the boar’s path, and were able to successfully avoid it. As the boar ran by Q noticed that there was a knife stuck in it’s butt, which was probably the cause of its rampage. She didn’t have much time to study it though, as they were suddenly approached by a person.
A human girl with short purple hair stopped in front of the two, looking slightly out of breath. She was a head taller than Q and had a slightly-built body, with a bit of extra emphasis on her chest area. Her violet eyes locked onto Q and Brie, and after half a second she grabbed onto both of their arms. “Help me kill this boar!” She said as she began dragging them with her.
Player Name: QRace: Fox-KinDisplay Title: Friend of the Cute and CuddlyNon-Display Title: HeartlessClass: N/AProfession: Tailor (Beginner)Level: 9Fame: 0Health: 240/240Mana: 195/195Strength: 17 (+2)Vitality: 15Defense: 14 (+10)Agility: 25 (+1)Intelligence: 22 (+3)Dexterity: 20Wisdom: 16Luck: 6Leadership: 5Fame: 660
SkillsPassive Skills:Description:Pain Resistance Lv.4Reduces amount of pain felt.Unarmed Mastery Lv.3Increases damage and proficiency dealt when not using a weapon.Claw Mastery Lv.2Increases damage and proficiency dealt with claw-type weapons.Throwing Master Lv.2Increases damage and proficiency dealt with throwing-type weapons.Riding Lv.2Increases speed and handling when riding a creature.Dodge Lv.5Increases your chances of dodging an attack.Deflect Lv.3Increases chance to deflect enemy attacks. Deflecting an attack reduces damage dealt.Silver Tongue Lv.2Increases chance to convince others to listen to your words.Active Skills:Beast Within Lv.2(No Cost, 8 Hour Cooldown) Increases strength and agility by 15% for 1 minute.Relentless Assault Lv.1(Consumes 50 MP, 30 Minute cooldown) Allows you to continuously attack a target
uninterrupted for 5 seconds, but you receive double damage while in this state.Magic Fist Lv.1(MP usage depends on spell, 1 minute cooldown) Coats your fist in the magic used on it.
Provides extra melee damage to the attack, and does not affect the original magic’s cooldown.SpellsSpark (Unique) Lv.5(Consumes 1 MP, 5 second cooldown) Deal weak lightning damage to targetArcane Overload (Advanced) Lv.1(Consumes all MP, 3 day cooldown) Consume all of your energy to release a blast of pure power.
Damage varies on mana consumed.
EquipmentHead:N/AChest:Simple Linen ShirtArms:Magic Amplifying Glove (Uncommon) Durability (19/30) +3% damage to basic spellsWaist:N/ALegs:Guardian’s Boots (Uncommon) Durability (30/30) Defense +4, Agility +1Main-Hand Weapon:Worn Knife (Dagger, Common) Durability (11/20)Off-Hand Weapon:N/AAccessoriesRing 1:N/ARing 2:N/ARing 3:N/ARing 4:N/ANecklace:Guardian’s Heart (Rare) Durability (15/15) Strength + 2, Defense + 3, Intelligence + 3Bracelet:Guardian Bracelet (Uncommon) Durability (9/15) Defense + 3
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A/N: Huehuehue... I'm sure you've noticed by now (if you haven't are you blind? Wait, if you are then how are you reading this?), but I've finally decided to implement a table. After looking into it, It turns out it was pretty easy so... yeah. I'll go back at some unspecified point in time to add the tables to the previous character pages. But hey, don't get too used to seeing this. I'll generally only update the character pages after a big event or a point where Q gains a lot of things. Besides that... hooray for organized look!
Fun-fact: Brie cheese is one of the best known French cheeses, and also has a nickname. "The Queen of Cheeses"
P.S: Longest chapter by far. (9 pages)
Edit: Seems you guys really like Umbreon. I'm a Glaceon person myself.
Taking Skull_Mech's suggestion, I decided to change Q's "Small Friend" title into Friend of the Cute and Cuddly. Thanks for the suggestion! (And sorry for not asking for permission first.)