[Trains][Commerce][Open] Call Me Rusty

[Sark]

Autumn was making itself known to the Windsor Greatwoods. A gentle, crisp breeze was beginning to strip the trees of their leaves, causing a near constant, delicate shower to fall upon everyone within the woods. The trees for now were only just beginning to turn from their healthy green to the ambers and reds of fall, making a forest a beautiful mosiac.  Squirrels and deer were at their most active, scurrying about constantly to find enough food to last them through the winter, while the birds too were making their final arrangements as great flocks of them migrated to the south.

Sark was only keeping half an ear to these noises as he walked down the path that had been recently cut through this forest. It was a ribbon of raised dirt straight as an arrow through the forest. No tree, pond or hillock had been spared it seemed, judging from the variety of debris that lined either side of this track. And atop this ribbon, was a sign of modern technology; railtracks. There had been an explosion of activity recently with these tracks with large guilds and various crafters putting generous donations in to see them finished as fast as possible. Hundreds of workers had been survey lands, design tracks, clear environments, build up the levees, place the tracks and then make any improvements they saw fit. Sark was one of these workers; he'd been promised a reliable wage for helping with the tracks.

Glancing to one side, Sark was reminded about just how broad a term 'help' was. A bard sat in the shade of a tree playing a long, thick flute. Its bass tones carried a long way and the bard had claimed that their music helped everyone work harder. With a small, cheeky smile Sark admitted to himself that he did enjoy following the rhythm as he worked.

'And I can't complain about him, I'm not exactly doing manual labour myself' He admonished himself. The tailor had made several dozen sets of level 1 cloth armour, enchanted with a miniscule move speed buff. The clothes had been made to look like the dirt-brown overalls worn by the railworkers back in the previous reality and had been distributed to whoever would take them. He had just handed out the last pair, and was returning to the crafting bivouac that had been set up. Some enterprising woodcrafter had made a thin pallisade of stakes to deter the local monsters, and inside were a dozen or so areas devoted to animal caring, cooking, blacksmithery, small mechanical repairs and more. He detoured briefly by one of the large stew pots, and after being served lunch, found a place to sit.

He wanted to finish his meal quickly and get back to work; there always seemed to be a dozen adventurers suggesting ideas, and if there was anything Sark enjoyed doing, it was working with his companions to bring about a change.

Samurai: _________ 14 Tailor:  ___________ 15 Acrobat: _________ 01

Word Count: 491 x1.1 Oct Art Bonus = 540

Pokes: @dumah

OOC: If extra people join I suggest we don't follow a post order :)

Skill Descriptions:
Chain 1: "Lightspeed" Denkosetta, "Steel-Cutting Blade" Zantetsuken
Chain 2: "Flashwave" Shunsen
Chain 3: "Blade Clone" Tsuguri Bunshin, "Divinity Slash" Seinaru Shinken
Not Chain: Spear Break

[Deleted]

This day would surely be a long one, but that was no problem thanks to the beautiful atmosphere of the forest. Trees coated the area thick, save for a deforested strip where tracks were being built to accommodate the new trains being established by Apocrypha and the other large guilds, as well as with the help of many Adventurers without a guild. Dumah had given his support to the cause of expansion, and hoped to bring about much benefit from this innovation. Travel, commerce, and even research would surely gain from these tracks being established and built, and Dumah wanted to see this world become as great as it could.

As he was tailoring some furniture for the trains - particularly curtains and pillows and other such crafts one might expect of a tailor - a fairly peculiar looking fellow reclined near Dumah with a dish full of the stew that had been cooking nearby; Dumah examined the man, a short Dwarf (which is truly saying something) with hair the color of muted green. Dumah had encountered many peculiar people in his time spent here in Elder Tale, but the Dwarf before him truly topped the list. Nevertheless, Dumah found it to be an interesting, and utterly unique appearance. The handsome Half-Alv smiled to the man as he sat, "Hello there, stranger. Sit and stay a while, will you?" Dumah was trying to be friendly and cordial to the Dwarf; he had been crafting by his lonesome self all day, and it was starting to grow tiring and boring for him. He continued his work as he spoke, "I would shake your hand if I were not sewing; it can be such delicate and precise work." The Half-Alv smiled handsomely as he introduced himself, "I am Dumah Iino, guild master of Noihara. It is a pleasure to meet you, sir..." Dumah trailed off, prompting the Dwarf to give his name.

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[Sark]

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With the stew steaming invitingly in his lap, Sark dug his spoon deep into the meaty mixture with gusto and stuck it into his gob. At that exact moment someone spoke up, asking for Sark's company for a while. The eloquent request made Sark feel hand picked and special, so with the spoon still in his mouth he glanced across. The speaker was a young adult - about the age that Sark's previous body would have been- but much more attractive with his almond eyes and delicate frame. This fellow had the quiet assurance he was cool, and wore his clothes with an unconscious pride. When he mentioned that he was a guild leader Sark swallowed his stew, his eyes wide with shock.

"A- a guild leader?! One of you are here?!" He was flabbergasted. He'd heard that the guild leaders all resided in an Ivory Tower. When Sark had asked where this Ivory Tower was, no-one had been able to point him in the right direction, so Sark had privately concluded it must be some distance away. He belated remembered that this legendary figure had asked for Sark's name.

"Oh! My name is Sark. I've never met a guild leader before, um. Sir. " What was the correct title for a guild leader? He knew prior to the apocalypse that guild leaders had just been your everyday folk, but since the apocalypse many of them had risen to king-like positions, living in a state of luxury that even an adventurer could not top. This Dumah Iino - Sir Iino? - was the first time Sark had seen one in the flesh in this new world.

His stew lay forgotten on his lap as the teen leaned forward, and after glancing about whispered; "So where are your guards? I've heard you guild leaders always have a dozen level 91 guards about you. No don't tell me - are they invisible? Are they right here?" Sark made a gesture, slapping at the air to his left and right.

Samurai: _________ 14 Tailor:  ___________ 15 Acrobat: _________ 01

Word Count: 337 x1.1 Oct Art Bonus = 370

Pokes: @dumah

OOC:

Skill Descriptions:
Chain 1: "Lightspeed" Denkosetta, "Steel-Cutting Blade" Zantetsuken
Chain 2: "Flashwave" Shunsen
Chain 3: "Blade Clone" Tsuguri Bunshin, "Divinity Slash" Seinaru Shinken
Not Chain: Spear Break

[/quote]

[Deleted]

The dwarf seemed quite shocked to hear Dumah's claim regarding his position as a guild master. His eyes shot wide open in surprise, and it seemed for a moment as though he might choke upon his meal. "A- A guild leader?! One of you are here?!" His reaction was quite flattering, to say the least: he reacted as though he were meeting a king, or a very famous celebrity. "Oh! My name is Sark. I've never met a guild leader before, um. Sir." Dumah appreciated the formality and respect Sark treated him with, but he did not wish for the Dwarf to feel inclined or expected to treat Dumah in such a manner simply because of his status.

The Half-Alv smiled and laughed a bit. "Please, at ease, you do not need to speak to me in such a manner for the sole purpose of my being a guild master; if you wish to treat me with such formality and respect, let it be because you respect me for who I am, not for my position."

Sark seemed quite interested in Dumah, as though he were some myth or legend. He whispered, glancing around. "So where are your guards? I've heard you guild leaders always have a dozen level 91 guards about you. No, don't tell me - are they invisible? Are they right here?" The Dwarf made a gesture, slapping at the air to his left and right.

Dumah smiled, entertained by Sark's ideas of guild leaders. "I have no guards. The closest I could say I have to a guard is my guild's seconnd in command, Klide. He is always acting like a personal guardian to me, it sometimes can be nice to just get out. Community projects such as the establishment of the train tracks often help me feel less like a celebrity and more like an ordinary Adventurer." Dumah chuckled at his own words as he finished working on the pillow he was sewing, and before he started work on the next, he offered his hand towards Sark to shake. "I am sure what I said may sound ridiculous, especially based off your apparent preconception of guild masters, but it is always nice to feel normal sometimes. I like to do all I can so people respect me for my deeds, not for my title." After shaking Sark's hand and finishing his thought, he began work on another pillow. "Tell me Sark, are you a member of any guilds?"

- 412 Words -
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[Sark]

The guild master – Dumah – dispelled some of the common myths about guild leaders. Sark wasn’t quite sure what to make of it really. Prior to now his knowledge had been centred around what he’d overheard several high levelled, jaded adventurers talking about. Their life of decadence and hedonistic acts sounded too good to give up to come work at a basic camp like this, so perhaps the other adventurers had been wrong? There was one way to really test the myths; according to these adventurers the guild masters had somehow hacked to system to divert the newcomer EXP potions to themselves, making every guild master level 100.

Sark took a deep breath, and as he extended his hand for an arm shake focused to bring up Dumah’s character info. It was an activity Sark didn’t enjoy doing, as it felt very invasive. He preferred to never know if someone was an adventurer or a local, or judge them based on their class. He just liked treating people like people.

[ Dumah Iino ] [ Adventurer ] [ Swashbuckler ] [ Tailor ] [ Courtesan] [ Level 29 ] [ Noihara (GM) ]

Dumah delicately shook Sark’s hand. The teen was too stunned to give it a proper, manly grip in return. This guild master wasn’t level 100. He wasn’t even level 90! He was not lying about being a guild master either. The samurai had been certain in his knowledge about these guilds, and had even passed on stories to the locals about the luxurious life that count be obtained if you got lucky. He’d been wrong! Lead astray! Spluttering a little already, Sark didn’t know how to reply Dumah’s final question.

“A guild? Don’t be daft. I’ve been here close to two years and I have only just hit double digits. If you saw me a month ago you would’ve thought I was a local, not an adventurer. I think it will be a long while yet til I’m guild material.” He objected.

“In the mean time though, I’m a tailor. I’m setting up a shop, you know? I’m planning on being sat in the parks during Spring, sitting at St Panny’s during Summer & Winter, and finding somewhere pretty during Autumn. It’s uh, a mobile shop. All on a rug.” He finished lamely. He hadn’t worked out an elevator pitch yet for his concept, indeed, Dumah was the first adventurer he had explained his idea to, barring his inspiration Jane-the-tailor.

He put his stew aside, and moved over the craft table to sit next to Dumah. The man was much taller than Sark, and had an air about him that reminded Sark of a noble. Even if this fellow wasn’t a level 100, Sark was certain he would become that in due course, and be able to do it without relying on infinite EXP pots. Wanting to get talk and work, Sark reviewed the projects going on in front of him. There were pillows being done, curtains being hemmed, cushions being sewn and pouches being made for the conductors.

“Tch, it looks like we’re not doing the uniforms. I’ve been keen to do the hats all day. Mind if I help you with the pillows? I can stuff them and you can sew them, how does that sound?”

Words: 550 (=605)
OOC: Internet playing up and not loading the "preview" tab for a proper post, so no template!

[Deleted]

“A guild? Don’t be daft. I’ve been here close to two years and I have only just hit double digits. If you saw me a month ago you would’ve thought I was a local, not an adventurer. I think it will be a long while yet til I’m guild material.” He objected.

Dumah seemed to have a different opinion on the manner. "Are you sure? Most guilds do not have a level requirement to join. While I cannot speak for the other guilds, Noihara has very few entry requirements. We are less of an organization as many Adventurers assume most guilds are, and more of a family. We are not quite so strict as to require someone be 'guild material' to apply. Granted, we have a small test that all applicants need to take before being accepted into Noihara, so as to keep out any apathetic Adventurers who may seek to simply sit back and take advantage of being a member of Noihara."

"In the mean time though, I'm a tailor. I'm setting up a shop, you know? I'm planning on being sat in the parks during Spring, sitting at St Panny's during Summer and Winter, and finding somewhere pretty during Autumn. It's uh, a mobile shop. All on a rug." He started to trail off a bit as he finished his explanation, almost as if he hadn't known quite how to describe it.

"Yes, I understand what you mean. I have seen a few shops of similar fashion, with all of the wares and products spread out on a rug or sheet, saving the merchant much money by avoiding the costs of purchasing a dedicated shop or booth."

Sark put his bowl of stew to the side and moved over to the crafting table to sit beside Dumah. The Dwarf was much shorter than Dumah, which was to be expected of a man of his race. Sark reviewed the projects going on in front of him, observing Dumah's work. "Tch, it looks like we're not doing the uniforms. I've been keen to do the hats all day. Mind if I help you with the pillows? I can stuff them and you can sew them, how does that sound?"

Dumah smiled at the enthusiastic Dwarf, nodding. "Yes, that would be greatly appreciated. Thank you." Dumah waited for Sark to finish stuffing a pillow, talking while he waited for the pillow to begin sewing it closed. "You know, Noihara has a branch dedicated to craftsmen and merchants: The Noihara Trade Company. We would be more than happy to help you get your shop established if you would like." The Half-Alv took the pillow from the Dwarf as it was passed to him, fully stuffed and ready to be sewn closed.

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The pair fell into the pattern. Sark would find a half finished pillow sleeve then fill it with the stuffing provided in large hessian bags. This ended up being more complex as it sounded, as the stuffing was thick, soft fur from some arctic animal which had a tendency to clump. To make the pillow comfortable and Dumah's job straightforward the tailor needed to neither over nor under fill it, then carefully kneed the pillow into shape. At this point it could be passed to Dumah, who would do the fine stitching and finishing work. With their miniature conveyor belt in action, the work proceeded quickly while they talked of things.

"You know, Noihara has a branch dedicated to craftsmen and merchants: The Noihara Trade Company."

Sark nodded along. He was familiar that a single guild would either have official, subsidiary guilds or have one guild broken into several departments. It allowed like minded people to work together like a specialist guild but still have the clout and variety of a mixed guild. That this gentleman had organised his own guild in that way seemed only appropriate to the young Sark. Within Sark's own mind he picture their guild house with a wing devoted to each focus, quiet butlers moving between the groups to offer canapes or to top up house wines.

"We would be more than happy to help you get your shop established if you would like."

Sark whipped his head about so quickly that stuffing flew out of the pillow he was holding. He gave a near manic, wide-eyed stare at this half-Alv. As the stuffing silently drifted down between the two Sark's mind had gone blank. Was this an offer to join a guild? Was he, Sark, being invited to something that prestigious? He had only recently met this modern day gentleman, and here the man was either offering him a guild invite, or offering him the support of an established guild. Either option was beyond proper comprhensive of Sark. He had made some friends within this new reality, but charity or unrequited assistance was something that Sark had not seen in a  long time.

With equal parts trepedation and wonder, Sark eventually spoke up. "A-are you sure? I am hoping to start selling when I return home from this job. I've been uh, working on the stock for the last couple weeks."

"Much like how there is MP for skills, it turns out you can't just grind out a few dozen pairs of boots or shirts." At this point he raised his hands to illustrate his point, which were still showing signs of having the [bleed] and [stun] debuff stacked on them for long periods of time. He found himself babbling, avoiding the offer that Dumah had made. Feeling honoured, embarassed, nervous and confused Sark ducked his chin and glanced up from his hands.

"What happens if I turned out to be one of those apathetic guys? I was one just recently ... the thought of putting myself into danger, and the thought of what I'd lost from the last world paralysed me for so long."

Samurai: _________ 14 Tailor:  ___________ 15 Acrobat: _________ 01

Word Count: 521 x1.1 Oct Art Bonus = 573

Pokes: @dumah

OOC: *flattered* (Apathetic Sark is my IC explanation for why Sark is only adventuring now as I don't want to do day 1 RPs xD

Skill Descriptions:
Chain 1: "Lightspeed" Denkosetta, "Steel-Cutting Blade" Zantetsuken
Chain 2: "Flashwave" Shunsen
Chain 3: "Blade Clone" Tsuguri Bunshin, "Divinity Slash" Seinaru Shinken
Not Chain: Spear Break

[Deleted]

Sark seemed almost shocked or surprised as Dumah offered him the help of Noihara. "A-are you sure? I am hoping to start selling when I return home from this job. I've been uh, working on the stock for the last couple weeks."

Dumah's eyebrows raised a bit, impressed by the Dwarf's diligence. "Impressive. I myself have honestly not done much work in tailoring... All I have made is my own clothing and equipment, as well as these cushions for the trains. Most of my time spent training or earning experience is for my Swashbuckler class, or my Courtesan subclass. I really should consider just sitting down one day and working hard on my tailoring, but I usually only craft as I need to."

"Much like how there is MP for skills, it turns out you can't just grind out a few dozen pairs of boots or shirts." At this point, the Dwarf raised his hands to illustrate his point, which were still showing signs of having the [Bleed] and [Stun] debuffs stacked on them for long periods of time. He found himself babbling a bit. After this, Sark ducked his chin and glanced up from his hands. "What happens if I turned out to be one of those apathetic guys? I was one just recently... The thought of putting myself into danger, and the thought of what I'd lost from the last world paralyzed me for so long."

Dumah sat back a bit, relaxing. He closed his eyes, visualizing the family he lost to the Apocalypse. His beautiful and amazing wife; his sweet and magnificent daughter. "I too lost much to the Apocalypse. I can truly say, that day, I lost nothing short of my life. Now, here I am, thrust into this new and exciting world. We can never forget those we lost in the Apocalypse, but we can never regret, either. All we can possibly do now is live our lives and make the most of this eternal cycle of life, death, and rebirth. To simply sit around for eternity would be to waste this reincarnation." Dumah chuckled and looked at Sark with a somewhat embarrassed smile. "I am sorry, I am getting a bit philosophical with you. As for your question..." Dumah grabbed both of Sark's hands gontly, holding them up in front of him, looking the Dwarf in the eye as he spoke. "I believe you will not be a layabout. Your scarred hands are all of the proof I need; you dedicated yourself to your goal so much that your physical well being has suffered for it. Such a drive and diligence is nothing short of admirable and inspiring."

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Once Sark had finished airing his fears his companion leaned back, letting his long lashes close as he seemed to ruminate within himself. The longer that Dumah sat quietly, the stronger the worry soured the samurai's stomach. Had he been too honest? He remembered school teachers suggesting that in job interviews to put your best foot forward, rather than air your vulnerabilities. Sark watched as Dumah finally opened his lips, and with a small sigh full of lost love explained his losses. His words were spoken with the quiet conviction and optimism that embodied the phrase 'a stiff upper lip.'

"To simply sit around for eternity would be to waste this reincarnation." Dumah finished. The phrase seemed to hang in the air for a moment, inviting quiet introspection. In some way, Sark quietly wondered, they were blessed to have this chance. It would be a waste to let apathy win. A small glitter of determination sparkled in Sark's eye as the phrase sunk into his subconscious.

Dumah took up Sark's hand, and stared deeply into his eyes. From the corner of his vision he could see the other attendants at the table stare at them, wondering what was going on. Some shirtless men at the woodcrafting station hollared indistinctly and made crude, supportive gestures for what they felt should happen next. This was the most intimidate contact that Sark had been in since the Apocalypse, and even some time prior to that, and found himself blushing at the attention.

"I believe you will not be a layabout. Your scarred hands are all of the proof I need." Dumah continued on his praise, and now Sark's blush continued to grow up his broad ears and down his neck. No longer from physical intimacy, but in embarrassed pride. He hadn't realized that he had been working especially hard, as being a tailor was rewarding in and of itself. The silence began to stretch and Sark realised that meant he was expected to speak as well. He guility slipped his hands out Dumah's and began to work on the pillows.

"Well -uh- I'd be happy to have the support of Noihara! If you're still happy to offer that. If  you don't --- yeah. OK." He took a breath, and turned to look Dumah in the eye. "Thanks! What you said was really nice & I think you're a cool guy, guild leader or not. It'd be really nice if I could be one of your friends and have your help when I need it!"

He shoved a pillow between them, unsure of how these sort of interactions worked. In the prior world he'd been into soccer and running. The boys there had been able punching and silliness, not eloquent speeches and hand-touching, so it was all virgin ground for Sark to navigate.

Samurai: _________ 14 Tailor:  ___________ 15 Acrobat: _________ 01

Word Count: 463 x1.1 Oct Art Bonus = 509

Pokes: @dumah

OOC:

Skill Descriptions:
Chain 1: "Lightspeed" Denkosetta, "Steel-Cutting Blade" Zantetsuken
Chain 2: "Flashwave" Shunsen
Chain 3: "Blade Clone" Tsuguri Bunshin, "Divinity Slash" Seinaru Shinken
Not Chain: Spear Break

[Deleted]

Having grown a bit used to his Courtesan subclass, Dumah had come to occasionally be very active as he spoke. He had not realized how peculiar or intimate his gesture of grabbing Sark's hands was. Dumah hoped simply to show how genuine his words were. The Dwarf pulled his hands back and began to work on stuffing the pillows once again. "Well -uh- I'd be happy to have the support of Noihara! If you're still happy to offer that. If you don't --- yeah. Okay." He took a breath and turned to look Dumah in the eyes. "Thanks! What you said was really nice and I think you're a cool guy, guild leader or not. It'd be really nice if I could be one of yours friends and have your help when I need it!"

Dumah smiled happily, glad to know that he had impressed the fellow. "Of course! I am always happy to help whenever I am able." Dumah hesitated a moment before speaking more, worried that what he was about to say may imply that everything leading up to this statement were simply an act to butter up the Dwarf. Dumah was silent for a few moments, contemplating his words carefully. "You stated that you are associated with no guilds, yes? If ever you find yourself looking to join one, you need simply but to find me, Noihara would love to have you." The Half-Alv gave a friendly smile after his offer was made, and the two returned to working on stuffing and sewing pillows for the trains.

- 259 Words -
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Sorry if this post is so short, I wasn't much sure what else to really include...
Tags: Sark

[Sark]

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"If ever you find yourself looking to join one, you need simply but to find me, Noihara would love to have you."

The words echoed more than any others. It was clear. It was an invite. There was no ambiguity here or chance that Sark was reading between lines (not that he was adept at this in the first place.) Someone wanted Sark to be part of their inner circle. It was a flattering thought, and validated Sark's own opinion that he had become a much more worthwhile person in the last few weeks.

A smile, not to Dumah but to himself, spread warmly across his face. His smile grew until it seemed to encompass the entirelity of his face. He felt proud, and warm in his accomplishments.

"I - I feel happy with myself! Once I get my store set up, joining Noihara would be amazing!"

The tailor dropped his pillow and energetically shook Dumah's hand. He had to reach his personal goal of starting a store first, but after that he could prove to himself he was guild quality. He returned to his pillow stuffing with renewed vigor, and began to contemplate the new prospects opening up infront of him; comrades, support, fun and adventures all could be found readily within a guildhall as open as Noihara.

Samurai: _________ 14 Tailor:  ___________ 15 Acrobat: _________ 01

Word Count: 219 x1.1 Oct Art Bonus = 240

Pokes: @dumah

OOC: A good story! We had intro, middle & end. High five :)

Skill Descriptions:
Chain 1: "Lightspeed" Denkosetta, "Steel-Cutting Blade" Zantetsuken
Chain 2: "Flashwave" Shunsen
Chain 3: "Blade Clone" Tsuguri Bunshin, "Divinity Slash" Seinaru Shinken
Not Chain: Spear Break