[ PP | F04] «Avalanche»

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

The day on the first floor was exactly the same. The weather was beautiful practically everyday unless some disaster could happen outside of the walls. There he stood staring at the board of quests that was there for the adventurer feel. He preferred to do this since it allowed him to see the spread of all quests and he didn't have to keep swiping in his HUD. The HUD was convenient though for the most part. This gave him an excuse to move around on the first floor to get food and other assorted items before returning home. 

It was then the quest caught his eye. Avalanche huh? He thought to himself as he looked at the details. It did not seem hard as he processed the information and thought. "Haine could one shot this.." He nodded as he accepted the quest. There was another issue though. He could invite one more person. The guild seemed pretty busy with their orders for others and soon he would look over his friends list. A slight smile spread across his face as Freyd's name came up. 

Quote

Hey Haine. Hey Freyd.

Was looking at this quest and it seems pretty easy. Figured we could just finish it up quickly and call it a day. You both good to join?

~Kiluia

The message was sent as fast as he had typed out the message. He would soon wait for an answer from his friend and his love.

@Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows
 

Spoiler

Level 21 HP:420 EN:42
Picking: +3 LD  When opening a treasure
Dismantling: +2 When opening a treasure

Armor: Rose Prism
Quality: Perfect
Roll ID: 150711
Enhancement: Evasion +1, Mit +2

Wraps: Ra's Wrath
Quality: Perfect
Roll ID: 156229
Enhancements: DMG +3

Trinket: Primrose Cross
Location: Neck
Quality: Perfect
Roll ID:153798
Enhancement: Loot Dice 3

Trinket: Eye of Rain
Location: Wrist
Quality: Perfect
Roll ID: 155021
Enhancement: Accuracy 2 , Recovery 1

UNID T2 Rare Consumable #155911a
UNID T2 Rare Consumable #155911b

Darkness Salve
Yui's Grace (2/5)
Blank Beginner Map
Blank Intermediate Map
Blank Advanced Map
Essence of Steel

Using 1 Yui's Grace -1 2/5 Remaining

Edited July 2, 2020 by Kiluia Seiko

[Freyd 0]

Something beeped behind Kil.

"Yeah, I should probably get that one done."  Freyd sat on a nearby stack of crates, with a steaming cup of coffee in hand.  Gone were his priestly duds, replaced by dark clothes more suitable to travel and combat in the field.  A deep black wool cowl had covered his features and prevented Kiluia from recognizing him when he first approached the boards.  He'd also been clever and positioned himself so that his name and icon were concealed beneath the awning of the storefront behind him.

Freyd accepted the quest and chugged the last sip of his drink, placing it on the nearest crate.  "Should we make it that the winner buys dinner this time?"  He tapped the crates with his right fist.  A moment later, two brilliant blue eyes amidst a cloud of churning shadows hopped down from the awning and onto Freyd's shoulders.  "Are we waiting on anyone else?"

@Haine

Spoiler

Name: Freyd
Level: 28
HP: 560/560
EN: 56/56

Stats:
Damage: 14
Mitigation: 41
Evasion: 1
Accuracy: 3
KEEN:1
HLY:2
BLD:12

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Forgiven Disobedience (T1-2HSS, ACC 1, HOLY 1, BLD 1)
Armor: Skirmisher's Garb (T2-LA, MIT 2, EVA 1)
Misc: Assassin's Cowl (T2-Trinket, ACC 2, KEEN 1)

Skills:
2H Straight Sword [Rank 5]
Light Armor [Rank 1]

Extra Skills:
Disguise
Familiar Mastery: Fighter 3
Survival

Mods: n/a

Battle Ready Inventory:
Starter Healing Potion (50 hp)*3
Teleport Crystals*2
Divinity's Wait (T1 Mit 3)*5
Liquor of Light (T1 DMG 3)*5

Housing Buffs:
Rested: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat
Clean: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down)
Hard Working: +2 EXP per crafting attempt and +1 crafting attempt per day
Filling: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot.
Item Stash: +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot
Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
Col Stash: +5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests
Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll

Guild Hall Buffs: n/a

Scents of the Wild: n/a

Wedding Ring: n/a

 

Edited July 2, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Haine 0]

Haine had outgrown her trusty sword and armor. It was getting worse for wear and she had an abundance to spend. She spent the morning commissioning a brand new set from her guild mates. Go big or go home, she figured, sketching the finishing touches for her brand new glaive. It was a flashy thing, a glaive coated with a fluorescent azure flourish. She almost stopped until she had the brilliant idea to add... even more bling. Little specks of crystal on the trim of the handle. She all but teared up at the end result and gave the blacksmith a generous sum of gratitude col on top of the price. She was exiting the shop when she received a message from her love. It was a quest invite for her and another player named Freyd. It took a moment to jog her memory. Oh right, his name was on the guild roster, wasn't it? Nonetheless, she swiped to confirm the request and made her way to the wintry town. Lately she found herself frequenting the icy regions more than usual.

She found a familiar white haired figure and strode up him. She greeted him with a peck on the cheek and turned her attention towards the mysterious shrouded figure next to him. All notion of manners left her mind as her gaze was fixed upon a peculiar looking mongoose. Her eyes lit up as she invaded the other's personal space. "Aww," the girl cooed, "Look at the cutie! What's your name, lil' fella?"

Spoiler

Name: Haine
Level: 46
HP: 920
EN: 92

Stats:
Damage: 9
Mitigation: 12
Accuracy: 1

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: 2H AS Paralyze II
Armor: Tier 1 light armor [Vanity]
Misc:

Skills:
Two Handed Assault Spear [Rank 5]
Light Armor [Rank 3]

Extra Skills: Fishing

Mods:
Finesse Rank 3
Ferocity
Precision
Athletics

Battle Ready Inventory:
(3) Starter healing potions - 50 HP

 

Edited July 2, 2020 by Haine

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

A slight jump was seen from him as he hadn't expected to see Freyd that close to him. He perked a brow and shook his head. He thought he was stealthy but Freyd was on a whole other level at that point. He nodded and was about to say his girlfriend's name before she popped up with a kiss on the cheek. He returned it back and spoke to Freyd."This is Haine. And also my girlfriend and not some random girl kissing my cheek like so. " He pointed out. Eyes looked at Persi before he introduced everyone." Love, this is Freyd and the the mongoose is named Persi. Shes pretty relaxed majority of the time. " He smiled looking at Persi. 

"So the quest in question is avalanche. I sent the details to you two. Its relatively easy. Basically its me mooching off of you two. My weapons aren't ready yet but I was bored and wanted to do something. Hopefully, you both don't mind but if you do, we don't have to do this." He offered a light laugh but he was actually very serious about this. @Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

Edited July 2, 2020 by Kiluia Seiko

[Freyd 0]

"You want to do this without a weapon?!"  Freyd was clearly perplexed, then shrugged, chalking it up to Kiluia's quirkiness.  Maybe he'd picked up martial arts and wanted to surprise them.  The other new arrival also looked like she could take care of herself.

"That's Persi, or Persistence.  She's a good friend.  I may just walk along with Kil and let her do the fighting on our behalf."  He gave a brief, high-pitched whistle and the mongoose seemed to dis-corporate, roiling up and into the folds of his clothing.  Her eyes continued to watch Haine for a moment before closing.  It was almost as if she had winked out of existence.  Pulling back his hood revealed a completely unobtrusive appearance and demeanor.  Freyd actively cultivated how unremarkable he seemed.  It wasn't a product of pride, but paranoia.  The less people thought him worth remembering, the less likely it was that Cardinal would find him.

"Thanks for joining me.  I just figured we might as well help power-level guild members in the process.  This really shouldn't take long."  He pointed towards the road out of town, implying that they might as well walk and talk.

@Haine

Edited July 3, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Haine 0]

Haine gaped in awe at the mongoose as it faded into a shadow, slipping up its owner's sleeve. "Well it's nice to meet you too, Persi!" She saw the mysterious familiar blink at her, a pair of floating eyes before it disappeared. Seeing all these familiars as of late only served to make her more jealous. She wondered what it would be like to have one of her own. She pondered a moment, what familiar would she want if she could manage to catch one? She thought long and hard about those elusive fantasy-like creatures, but ultimately her brain kept getting invaded with images of cuddly little cubs of all types. One day, she mused, one day. "And of course, Freyd, you too. Pardon my manners! I couldn't help myself." She scratched the back of her head and waved in dismissal.

She skimmed through the details of the quest and chortled. "That thing? Pssh, cakewalk. Don't even worry bout' it." She leaned against the message board and rested the back of her palms against it. She drummed at the screen and crossed her legs. "Lead the way, lead. I'll be right behind ya'."

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

Off they went with the crystal flashing one moment and the next moment floor 4 was in their view. The weather changed from beautiful and nice to a darker shade of sky with snow fall. The temperature changed immediately for the trio. He had his armor that kept him pretty toasty and keen but he didn't know about the other two. "Hope you guys are ready. Its gonna pick up real bad when we get closer to the monster." He had already done slight research from players and info brokers that allowed him to have information. 

He started to press on out into the wilderness that lay beyond the confines and safety of town. This was where storms could brew out of nothing as he was a least a little worried about the fact they might have white out conditions. "I'm only doing this since I want to do martial arts. I haven't completed the other quest but Haine.. well Haine will more than likely do more damage than I will." He hadn't mentioned to Haine about the sudden dip in his level. He may do it when the do the boulder quest though. @Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

Edited July 3, 2020 by Kiluia Seiko

[Freyd 0]

The weather didn't bother Freyd in the slightest.  He'd spent tortuously extended periods in the oppressive deserts of floor five, where he and Persi had first met.  Then there was the time that the Sirocco had hunted them across the same wasteland, unleashing the full fury of the desert upon them.  A bit of snow was nothing by comparison.  It practically parted before him as he traveled along the uneven terrain.  His brilliant white sword was now in hand and vanished in the blizzard by comparison to his own dark figure.  

His ease with travel quickly placed him ahead of the other party members.  It was a recent discovery, but his penchant for solo questing seemed to be proving effective as training for a front line scout.  It was something worth keeping in mind for future development.  Raising his right fist to signal the others to halt, he pointed off to their right, where something very large was moving through the storm.

@Haine

[Haine 0]

The girl was accustomed to wintry climates, having lived in Sweden for most her life. Her favorite past time was playing in the snow with her siblings, creating snowmen. It was easy to get enveloped in her task, oblivious to how quickly time flew by. Her mother preferred colder summers and fought with their father to keep the thermostat down low. It was safe to say that ice was her element, she had frequented the wintry floor more times than she could recall. The trio set forth into a snow storm, signifying the presence of something ominous beyond. Whilst on their trek, Haine filled in on the details and concluded she had nothing to worry about. She was compelled to assist her guild members since she was requested to come along.

A large shadow moved about beyond a gust of snow. She knew there was something lurking as the ground beneath her shook. She halted on cue behind Freyd, and with the expertise of a seasoned swordsman, she unsheathed her weapon. She took the initiative, advancing forward to her right. "Over here, fella!" She waved her arms in a display of recklessness and inhaled sharply. The sound of a beastly guttural growl signaled it was coming their way. "Step aside, boys. I'll take care of this" She shot them a thumbs up and turned her attention back to the threat. She lured the golem inward as it became more visible in all its hideous grandeur.

The advantage of its taller and bulkier physique meant that it was slower to react. Perfect, Haine thought, she could land a hit before it even had the chance to swing first. She activated her sword art rushed in, stabbing the enemy six consecutive times. She delivered one final blow and sheathed the weapon, dusting off her hands.

 "Well, what now?"

She whistled as the rewards pooled into her inventory.

 

 

Activates Sword Art: Imperial Southern Cross

ID: #157113

BD: 5+1 ACC = 6 (HIT)      /      DMG: 9*14 = 126 DMG

 

Haine: LVL: 46 | HP: 920 | EN: 92 | DMG: 9 | MIT: 12 | ACC: 1 | PAR: 2

<<Avalanche>>: 0/100

Edited July 3, 2020 by Haine

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

"Step aside, boys." He heard her say. He did just that and gave a look at Freyd. This little woman versus the giant looking Golem. Golem lost. It legitimately got smashed into the wind with piles of ice and snow flying about. That was a damn normal hit..He thought as he stared at his love. A shake of his head and he started speaking. " I did say that I wouldn't have to lift a finger, Freyd." It was that simple as he smiled a bit. He would have to confront her sooner or later about his inability to fight on equal terms anymore. Now wasn't the time, however. Privacy would come a long way as he didn't want people to overhear of the situation and cause a slight panic. 

Amber eyes looked at the two before speaking."We can go back to town and get some sweets again. I decided that when I am approved, I'm going to go and make a shop here as a bakery." He would have a secret menu for seafood but only when ordered and if people knew bout it. "Wanna head back?"

 

Edited July 3, 2020 by Kiluia Seiko

[Freyd 0]

Freyd grinned happily as Haine uttlerly destroyed the snow golem.  It was always nice to see other people demonstrate their talents.  He was trying to figure out how to praise the strike without offending when Kil mentioning his intentions to open a shop caught his ear.  He'd have to say something nice to Haine later.  The beast wasn't really a challenge for her, but she did strike the killing blow saving them from exerting any effort.

"Anywhere must be better than where I set up shop," he replied.  "People will prefer a frozen wonderland to a post-apocalyptic fog-covered set of ruins more often than not."  He gestured towards the tracks they had left behind them, suggesting that they could simply follow them back to their point of origin.  "This seems like such a trivially easy task that I hesitated was surprised to find that there were others who hadn't completed it yet."  

"You honestly hadn't struck me as the axe-wielding maniac type, Haine, but it kinda suits you, especially in this scenery."  He winked mischievously as a wide grin spread across his face. "You'd better sleep lightly, Kiluia."

[Haine 0]

She leapt off the avalanche, landing on both feet with a crunch of her boots. "Damn straight. It didn't stand a chance," she hummed, in a sing-song manner. She turned behind to see the fallen foe materialize. She propped a hand on her hip and brought a finger to her chin. "Mmm, I'm craving panna cotta. How about it? My treat!" The golem's fall brought forth a turbulent wind. She shivered, her breath foggy. "Let's dip, I'm freezing to death." She approached the boys and matched their stride.

The idle chit-chat roused her curiosity towards her guild mate. From the interesting armor and mysterious mongoose to his laid back personality, he seemed like someone she could get along with.  "What do you do for a living?" She traced back the imprints of footsteps. The two boys seemed to click well as Freyd jested at him. She chuckled at his remark towards her battle prowess. There was a comical edge to her chuckle, she didn't say otherwise at the remark for her love to be careful.

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

Hearing her state she was freezing to death, he placed his arm around her that radiated a slight heat from it to toast her up a little as they traversed the snowy terrain. There was a movie that Freyd was referencing to. He pondered a few moments as his mind went into overdrive thinking about the movie. It was going to bother him all day if he didn't get it right. "I think.. that movie is How I married an Ax Murderer?" He spoke out loud to Freyd still thinking. He was fairly sure he was correct in that thought. 

"I do indeed sleep very heavily. If I didn't, the jungle sounds would probably keep me awake." He laughed at the thought of where he was wanting to open his shop originally."I was planning on a opening it near my home on floor 6, the jungle. But it seems nice here so I don't mind it so much." He listened to Haine now as she announced what she wanted. "You'll have to teach me what that is so I can make it for you, love." They carefully continued down their path towards the entrance of town where the snow was letting up more.

[Freyd 0]

"Me?" Freyd replied playfully to Haine.  "I am but a simple merchant and wanderer who conveniently appears when parties need a spare body to fill out their numbers."  He stared at the icon above his head.  "Actually, now I suppose I am Firm Anima's wanderer, to be summoned when and as required."  He bowed with dramatic flair, the slightest hint of a roguish grin momentarily crossing his face, changing the subject as he went.

"How long have you two kids been together?"  Freyd's playful smile softened.  He admired their ability to express themselves so openly.  It was something he could not bring himself to do.  Freyd struggled to trust himself.  The idea of trusting another enough to bare his fragile soul was simply too terrifying.

"It's nice to see," was his only outward comment.  He'd slipped into his pensive mode without even realizing it, and wandered the rest of the trip back to town in silence.

[Haine 0]

Haine leaned into Kiluia's warm touch. She moved closer, using him as a wind shield from the wintry breeze. Ah, the perks of having a significant other. She was shocked that the man hadn't heard of panna cotta before. "Well, I'm sure you two will love it! I'll have you know that I'm a sweet fiend, Freyd." And that she was. Often times it was near impossible for her mother to feed her as a child. She forwent everything savory in favor of extra sweets. Once, her mother caught a six year old Haine red-handed on the kitchen floor, munching away at a tray of cookies at midnight. She was in for one hell of a paddle the next day over, as they were meant to be refreshments for business partners. She dons a cavity or two as a testament of her sweet obsession.

Haine nodded at Freyd as he explained. A merchant in the middle of a foggy ruin, his stealthy choice of garb, it juxtaposed his carefree and amiable demeanor. She liked it. The town entrance was in sight now. His question caught her off guard. She thought back to the moment she confessed to Kiluia. It wasn't that long ago, however it felt like an eternity. She was getting into the groove of her routine by now. "Hmm, not long. Very recently," she added, nudging Kiluia playfully. The rest of the trip to town was silent.

They reached the bakery at last. It was a larger establishment with an array of confections, everything her heart could desire. She stepped forward and thought aloud. "Hmm, Freyd, you peg me as a chocolate lover. Am I right?" She turned to the counter and ordered chocolate panna cotta for all of them. She paid and ushered them to an open table, settling into it. "Love and I like to try out new restaurants. This is my favorite one by far, I think you'll enjoy it," she beamed.

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

He shielded her as best as he could from any wintery blasts. The closer they made it to town, the more the winds died down." Yep. We recently got together. But we've known each other since we were preteens." It was a rough estimate but a very close one. There wasn't anything to divulge upon their past unless it was a very specific question." I believe we can support each other in a variety of ways in this guild. Don't hesitate to call us up to help or fight with you." 

The restaurant seemed cozy and homey as he glanced  at the decor. He took note as it slightly resembled the other cafe they had went to the previous  day. He had decided ultimately that this would be his base operations for having a store for himself and Haine. "You know me. I'm down to try anything and everything  new." He spoke to the two.

[Freyd 0]

"Yes,  you're quite correct: I do love chocolate.  How could you possibly have known?!"  He actually hated the stuff, especially the high cocoa content types that tasted like pressed chalk.  It gave him shivers while he chewed it.  Haine would have been upset to know it, so he kept his mouth stuffed and an appropriately sized smile plastered on his face.  Freyd's eyes betrayed nothing, and didn't have to while he sat back and listened to the two of them fawning over each other.  It was nice to see.  Any hint of sickly sweetness about it seemed completely appropriate to his overly logical mind, especially in light of the childhood tale she had shared.  He had no such memories of youth.  His were all much, much darker.  Deciding to poke the proverbial bear rather than dwell on distant scars, he spoke up and steered the conversation in a new direction.

"What do you two think about players getting married in SAO?" 

Bombs away!

@Haine

[Haine 0]

Haine could tell he loved the panna cotta. He dug in, with a smile only a seasoned chocolate lover could have. He was enlightened, just as she. She hummed and dug in, scooping a heap of the gelatinous, creamy goodness into her mouth. She squealed as the flavors melted together, into a delicious symphony. "It's good isn't it, Freyd?" She turned to Kiluia. "Here love, try some." With a tilt of her head, she put the spoon up to his lips. The question from the new guild mate caused her mind to blank for a moment. Marriage. Marr...iage? Come again?

A bright flush crept up her cheeks. "U-Um, married?" She clarified. She tried to dodge the question in the most clever way she could think of. "I think it's beautiful." She spooned another bite of dessert and swallowed. "Just cause' we live in a cruel world, it doesn't mean that we can't have some normalcy." She gave her lover a side eyed glance and crossed her legs. Her mind wandered to him as those all too familiar butterflies crept up. She thought of a scenario where they would be married. It seemed too good to be true, she didn't want to jump to conclusions. She cleared her throat and gestured to Freyd. "And what of you? What do you think about it?"

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

He listened to the two banter about things and especially the quality of the chocolate goodness that was up to his lips now. He opened his mouth and took a bite. While chewing, the marriage question popped up. The food had now been swallowed while the question was still on his mind. Marriage. In reality, he thought it was out of convenience to build  relationships and bridge  to cultures. He looked up for a moment to ponder the thought of the question more as he heard Haine's answer. " Here in SAO, I'm inclined to agree with the idea of marriage as a sense of normalcy. There are players with certain conditions such as a married couple already married in the real world to continue with their relationship here." He gave a slight shrug." The sense of love should know no bounds. I mean if I had the opportunity.."

His voice trailed off for a moment before he cleared his throat. How should he answer this? Should he answer this? He used his politician background as a thought to give premise to the answer. However, when it came to himself, should he continue his honesty?" I would go ahead with it... The... There sh.. should be.. no... no .. no.. no.. reason to not... to.." He broke out in a cold stutter before looking away with his blush. He could feel her gaze upon him. He had something find the perfect stone for her first.

[Freyd 0]

Freyd took a huge bite of the panna cotta, which vanished almost instantaneously while Haine and Kiluia were busy not making eyes at each other, but clearly trying to discreetly make eyes at each other.  Ah, romance.  Such a convenient distraction.  Neither of them noticed a wisp of shadow slipping along the back of Freyd's black-clothed arm as he brought the food to his face.  Persi had slunk along with minimal profile and entered his mouth.  Had the two lovebirds not been occupied blushing at each other, one of them might have noticed a pair of slit-like blue eyes open behind the dessert as Freyd shoveled it in as fast as he could.

The plate and cutlery clattered onto the tabletop before him, immediately breaking the mood.  His mouth suddenly going into overdrive amidst the clattering chaos.  "Oh, my that was delicious, and this has been a slice, but you two look like you might have a lot to talk about and I need to go check on this thing, and so call me again whenever you need, 'cuz I love helping you out, and so thank, okay. BYEEE!"

*SLAM*

And with that, he was gone.

Outside, and out of sight, Freyd vomited up his own familiar, firmly determined that he should never, ever do that again, and convinced that chocolate must be the illegitimate spawn of the Cardinal system.