LOST AND FOUND [Q/FARMS]

As frustrating as it may have been, Farms had reached a point where it just didn't seem efficient to practice his craft anymore. With how little progress he was making it seemed like he was better off questing and progressing enough to where he could enter the Labyrinth himself. Maybe after that he would find something, anything that would make it easier to level his crafting. So he took to the streets, starting his search for questing partners near the various F rank quest givers. He tried to make a habit out of helping players still trying to work their way through those quests before getting started on his own.

It wasn't long before he came across the beacon of someone looking for a party near the locket quest NPC. Copper boots clicked against the stone path as he approached the young man, bowing his head in greeting. "I assume you're looking for someone to help you with this quest?" He stood up straight and looked over at the NPC, frowning slightly as she continued to sob. He knew that she had been crying constantly since the game launched, only stopping briefly whenever someone returned her locket. Still, the level of realism was unsettling, enough to make so he had to fight his instincts to console her. He probably would've gone crazy waiting next to her for too long.

Attention turned back to the young man, regaining his smile as he did so. "I would like to help, if you don't mind. I'm familiar with it, so it shouldn't take too long." Besides, he wouldn't mind an excuse to play in the mud just a bit more. It was still one of the most simple pleasures he had encountered in the game. He had to wonder if it would still have the same charm as it did before hr realized the game was trying to kill him.

Head bobbed in approval as he accepted the invitation, eyes darting to the corner of the screen to make note of the boy's name. "It's no problem, really. I wouldn't mind a visit to the creek anyway." His gaze settled back on Marth, a hint of excitement starting to come through in his tone. As dangerous and dreadful as this world may have been, at least there were still those simple pleasures to indulge in. He didn't even care if it made him look childish, it just sounded like a good time.

"A pleasure to meet you Marth." He followed alongside the young man, occasionally glancing over at him. Sure it wasn't as if he was going to run off, but he still felt like he needed to help keep an eye on the younger players. The thought of someone so young being taken by this silly game was almost too much for him. "Me? A beta tester?" He almost laughed at the mere suggestion, instead managing to contain it to an amused smile. "I'm flattered but no, not me. I'm not exactly a...'gamer'."

Though at this point he could hardly even call this a game. This was a new way of life for the so called 'denizens' of this place. Maybe that was why he managed to adapt as well as he had. "What about you? I imagine you were pretty excited to play." If there was one thing he knew about boys his age, it was that they loved video games. It was enough to make him wonder, just how much of the population were still in high school? Or maybe even younger? No, that was something he was better off not thinking about.

He smiled at the idea of coming off as an experienced player. While he definitely didn't have much first hand experience compared to many, he did have a decent amount of knowledge regarding game mechanics. "It's all about asking the right questions to the right people. I guess if you draw from people with experience, you can get a little bit yourself." Thinking back to all of the people who helped him come to grips with mechanics really made him appreciate their friendships. He took comfort in knowing that he managed to repay them all for their kindness.

A change of pace, huh? Well that's certainly what this proved to be. His life here was far removed from what it was back in the real world. And as exciting as it was, he would always prefer the comfort of his own bed in the end. Though he suspected that there were some people who actually preferred their lives in the game. "I don't think any of us expected anything like this. It's a shame, but at least we can make the best of it."

It was good to see a younger person handling things as well as Marth did. So many players lacked the maturity to properly process and understand the situation they had found themselves in. Kids like this would serve as a good example to those. "So you must have friends who play, right? Anyone from school that you can be friends with?" There was no good answer to this question. Either he had friends stuck here with him or his friends were safe but he was all alone. At least Farms had asked the question enough times to be prepared for the outcome of either response.

Brows rose at the mention of the familiar name. "Ruler? I know him well. In fact, I met him doing this very quest." It seemed like almost everywhere he went these days he heard people talking about him. He must have really been making a name for himself as a weaponsmith. He nodded slowly with a proud smile as he spoke. "So you're a classmate of his? I'm glad to hear that he has friends from the real world here with him. You two should rely on each other as much as possible." He remembered how it felt to encounter one of his real world connections in game. It was like a beacon of hope in a storm of uncertainty, as cliche as that may be.

Lips pursed as Farms tried to decipher what Marth meant by 'Sailor Moon' and 'Tuxedo Mask'. He recognized the first name, probably from some advertisements he saw, but the name itself was meaningless to him. What he could get out of it was there was a girl that was important. Though what being her 'Tuxedo Mask' was supposed to mean was completely beyond him. "I...See. Well I hope that she's ok with all that." Was being her Tuxedo Mask a good thing or a bad thing? Heroes usually wore masks, but then so did villains. The whole subject was just completely baffling.

As they approached the creek Farms opened up his menu, navigating his way to the equipment screen. Last time he came to the river he just took his shoes off manually. But since then he learned that there are better ways to deal with such things, especially when you're dealing with armor. After unequipping his boots and gauntlets he followed Marth into the water, the familiar squish of mud between his toes bringing back old memories. Not just of home anymore, but of the time he could be in this world of his own free will without fear of death. Or at least had the illusion of that being the case.

As he started his search he spoke with a raised voice, ensuring Marth could hear him even if they got split apart. "I've only met one person from the real world. A friend of a friend named SnowWhite. Though my brother may be around here somewhere, so I've been keeping an eye out for him as well." Fingers ran through the mud as he scoured the area that Ruler found the locket last time. Was the location different each time? "Fortunately there's no shortage of people to befriend around here. So long as you're willing to help others, there will always be someone ready to help in return."

It may have been a little irritating to find that the locket wasn't where it was previously, but at least that meant he got to fool around in the creek a bit more. The feeling of the mud between his fingers made him want to start making mud pies to start throwing around. Of course he couldn't do that here. It may have been enjoyable, but he was working. And as soon as this job was complete he would have to stop and carry on to the next quest.

He sighed softly and shook his head, unsure of how to respond. "It's... Well, I don't know if he's here yet, so I guess it's neither good or bad." It was beginning to feel like that may be the best case. If he didn't know where he was he didn't know if he should worry or not. At least that way he could go about his business without that pressure on him. "So your uncle is here too, is he? It sounds like you'll have no shortage of friends then." As sad as it may be, at least they could be trapped as a family.

Wait, his math teacher? Farms looked up at Marth for a moment with a puzzled expression, something about the idea of his uncle and math teacher sounding...odd. "Well uh... It sounds like the three of you have a stable support group. You should consider yourself lucky." The craftsmen decided to shove that point aside for now, focusing his attention back onto the task at hand.

Listening to his thoughts on friendship was disheartening. "I wouldn't say that." While it was true that there were those who behaved in such a way, there were just as many, if not nore, people who felt the opposite. At least that's what he kept telling himself. "All you have to do is find the people who are willing to help each other. I know it must be hard as a young man, but I'm sure you'll find plenty of new friends here."