[F3-PP] Laying to Rest in Peace Through Hope (Elvish Rivalries)

[Freya 0]

Freya lays in bed, tossing, turning, small drips of sweat against her forehead. Groans of worry, whimpers of sorrow. Freya's eyes flash open and quickly sits up in her bed screaming, "ERUDA BEHIND YOU," as silence fell to the empty room. The wetness of her sleeves as she saw where she was.

She felt hot as images from her dream ran through her mind. Fire at every corner, Eruda, and Griswold fighting for their lives in what seemed like an impossible battle. Next to them, Freyd and Raidou standing in the flames, breathing hard. Freya on the edge with Gaius flanking the large beast before them. An attack that would hit all whom were bunched together as another creature of the same source comes against Eruda, but she was not looking as her focus was on another beast. The health of all party members was low and any large attack would strike one down. A large flamed weapon about to hit Eruda as Freya cries out to her sister before she wakes...

Leaning her back against the wall closing her eyes as she tries to calm herself...Ko pats at her arm with a soft small paw. Looking down slightly..."I'm fine little one, just a nightmare." She was having those lately but she forced herself past them knowing that it was all they were. Dreams...Glancing to the time, it was only 5 am in the morning. The sun has not yet started to rise but she couldn't sit here any longer and dwell on such a scene. She was unsure if Freyd would be awake at this time but she opens her HUD any way sending a message saying:

To: Freyd From: Freya If you are awake I need a distraction...I will be on floor 3 looking for a quest. I just really don't want to be alone right now...

With those last words, she felt her chest become heavy as she knew very well what happens when she is alone in this state of mind. Message sent, as she gets out of bed and makes some coffee. She makes an extra cup for him not even sure if he would show or if he even liked coffee... She makes a pit stop at the guildhall and grabs a few things that she thought she would need. 

Arriving at floor 3, an hour has passed since the message was sent as she nibbles on the food she grabbed tossing pieces for Ko to the ground. How was she supposed to move past what she just saw. Did Eruda die from that strike in her dream and did she manage to block it... Taking a sip of her coffee with the other set next to her on the ground as she sits against the pole of the quest board, pondering her own thoughts while she waits. 

Freya Consumes: Thin Chocolate Covered Mints (Accuracy 2), Lavender Lemon Bar (Evasion 2), Well-Done Steak (Filling = Protein 3), Queen’s Honey (+3 Damage)

Freya | HP:540/540 | EN:54/54 | DMG:21 | MIT:5 | EVA:4 | ACC:5 | BLD:24 | REC:1

Spoiler

Freya
Level: 27
HP: 540/540
EN: 54/54

Stats:
Damage: 21
Mitigation: 5
Evasion: 4
Accuracy: 5
BLD:24
REC:1

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Grim Reminder - Sorrow (T2/Perfect/2HBA): Damage 2, Bleed 1
Armor: Dark Embrace - Sacrifice (T2/Perfect/Light Armor): Evasion 2, Recovery 1
Misc: Bringer (Tierless/Perfect/Trinket): Accuracy 3

Skills:
Two-Handed Battle Axe [Rank 5]
Light Armor [Rank 1]

Extra Skills:
Concentration
Familiar Fighter (Rank 1)
Survival (No SP used yet)

Mods:
Finesse Rank 3
Ferocity

Battle Ready Inventory:
Teleport Crystal*1
Resistance Plate - Lily (T1/Perfect/HA): Mitigation 27
Silver Band - Farore's Wind: (T1/Perfect/Trinket) Loot Dice 3
Requires Extended Weight Limit 1
Requires Extended Weight Limit 2
Requires Extended Weight Limit 3
Obtained via Item Stash (Housing)
Obtained via Dimensional Backpack

Housing Buffs:
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.
Tasty: Turn 2 identical food items into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed.
Advanced Training: +2 SP to a thread. Limit one use per month [0/1]

Guild Hall Buffs:
Lucrative: Reduce LD needed for Salvage by 5 (10+ for Alchemist crystals, 6+ for everything else). +2 EXP per craft. Rank 9 crafters receive +1 crafting attempt per day. Rank 10 crafters receive +2 crafting attempts per day.
Col Deposit: +5% bonus col from last-hit monster kills and +10% bonus col from treasure chests.

 

[Freyd 0]

Freyd stared at the message, his cereal spoon having just fallen from his mouth, clattered into his bowl, tipped it and spilled the contents all over the table.  Milk was dripping uncomfortably into his lap, ruining the look of his pitch black clothing with its contrasting whiteness.  A violent cough launched the tiny grains of puffed wheat that had lodged in his throat, sending them hurtling against the far white wall, where they clung and then slowly threatened to fall onto the pristine white floor.  The symmetry with his perfectly featureless white ceiling would be ruined.  Freyd's kitchen was an exemplar of minimalism.  The place belonged in a Tron movie, with all of its fancy play on curves and rectilinear design, creating vast empty volumes accentuated by sparse décor, often rich in symbolism and character.  Even the table was white, though the chair he sat upon was ornate, exquisitely carved and stained to a deep cherry red.  It looked like it bled, so starkly did it sit in the space.

"She couldn't possibly have meant that the way it came across," he finally croaked, his voice reacting like it had actually been denied air.  Could you die on a Cheerio in here?  The thought was both disturbing and highly amusing, as if the cereal was waving him goodbye.  A quickly cracked crystal dismissed the mess from his outfit.  Persi slunk down from the underside of the table and rolled herself across the floor, absorbing the rest.  She seemed to enjoy it as a game.

"I have an animated black hole with attitude as my vacuum cleaner and companion."  The statement hung, dead, in the surreal environs of his home.  "What a weird f---ing world."

***

A shadow crowded over Freya where she sat.  Freyd couldn't help but see it as a sort of inverse Bat-signal and chuckled.  

"You either have amazing skills at innuendo, or an uncanny talent for putting you foot in your mouth."  The corners of his lips curled upwards, then dropped instantly when he saw her demeanor and condition.  All pretense and frivolity vanished in an instant.  Business-Freyd was front and center, instantly on alert.  Pausing for a moment to take in the scene, in a calm and gentle voice, he finally asked:  "What happened?"

***

Freyd | HP:1750/1750 | EN:187/187 | DMG:20 | MIT:79 | EVA:2 | ACC:4 | VAMP OFF:175 | HLY:6 | FLN:6 | LD:5 | BH:87

Spoiler

Freyd, The Whisper in Shadows
Level: 86
HP: 1750/1750
EN: 187/187

Stats:
Damage: 20
Mitigation: 79
Evasion: 2
Accuracy: 4
BH:87
VAMP OFF:175
HLY:6
FLN:6
LD:5

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Samael's Pride (T3-2HSS, VO 1, HOLY 1, FLN 1)
Armor: Skirmisher's Garb (T3 LA, MIT 2, EVA 1)
Misc: Night Shades (T3-Trinket, ACC 3)

Skills:
2H Straight Sword [Rank 5]
Light Armor [Rank 5]
Searching [Rank 4]
Battle Healing [Rank 5]
Parry [Obtained]
Energist [Obtained]
Charge [Rank 5]
Extended Mod Limit R3 [Obtained]
Hiding [Rank 5]
Martial Arts [Rank 4]
Quick Change [Obtained]

Extra Skills:
Disguise
Familiar Mastery: Fighter 3
Survival
Meditation

Active Mods:
Precision - 2HSS
Finesse - Rank 3
LA Athletics
Ferocity - 2HSS
LA Sprint and Acrobatics
Vanish
Vengeful Riposte
Surprise Attack (Assassin)

Inactive Mods:
Night Vision
Untraceable

Battle Ready Inventory:
Teleport Crystals*5
Gungnir Shard: Haniel's Modesty (T3 Perfect HP Rec [Instant]*5
Flash of Rejuvenation (Mass HP Rec [Instant] (+30*Tier HP)*5
Fruit-Infused Tea (T3 HP Recovery)*5
Imugi's Inspiration (T3 Mass HP Recovery)*5
Mega-Duper... Sauce (Antidote 3)*5
Grave Injustice (T3-2HSS, ACC 1, Keen 1, Abs. ACC)*1

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
Delicious: Turn 3 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Feast. A Feast contains 6 portions of the food items sacrificed.
Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
Skylight (Searching): +1 Rank to the Searching skill.
Angler: +1 material gained when fishing
Advanced Training: +2 SP to a thread. Limit one use per month [0/1]
Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll
Decor [Potted Tanabata Bamboo Tree]: This buff affects the player and their choice of up to two party members.

Guild Hall Buffs:
Lucrative: Reduce LD needed for Salvage by 5 (10+ for Alchemist crystals, 6+ for everything else). +2 EXP per craft. Rank 9 crafters receive +1 crafting attempt per day. Rank 10 crafters receive +2 crafting attempts per day.
Col Deposit: +5% bonus col from last-hit monster kills and +10% bonus col from treasure chests.

Scents of the Wild:
Kumatetsu Statue: +1 Base Damage for a thread

Wedding Ring:

 

[Freya 0]

Freya hears his words and she had to think about what she actually said in the message she sent... "Oh God no Freya I would never..." she paused looking him up and down... Shaking her head intently "No that's not what I meant. Plus I have a boy..." could she even call him that, "I mean we did..." Did the kiss even mean anything to him... "You know what, nevermind." She blushes at the thought of how the kiss between her and Gaius happened. Freya picks up the coffee from the ground now and gets up herself. "I could never think about you like that, I already someone that means a lot to me. Maybe too much..." Handing Freyd the coffee now she turns toward the board and starts looking through the quests available. 

Thinking of the initial reason why they were here right now, her hand stops what they were doing. "I am a pon. I can't even save my own sister in a stupid ass dream. I can not sit here and wait for what may or may not happen. I have made my mind up now. I want to become one with him but I feel like if I do this now it will only end in my death." Her fingers start to move again against the board. Picking a quest, she turns to Freyd. "It is the only thing that makes sense to me." As much as it hurt she knew it was the right option. "So, for now, I need you to help me get stronger, be with me, and watch me for any weirdness and take notes. Be my rock, keep me sain just a little longer. This is something that I can not do alone..." She sounded determined now, like nothing else mattered besides getting stronger, surviving.

[Freyd 0]

Her fluster was charming in its awkwardness.  Freyd merely offered a smile and nod as he saw so much of himself reflected in her.  That, alone, was reason to help her, though he had many more: Eruda, Raidou, even Gaius, as a member of Firm Anima.  Though his own efforts as been more methodical, he couldn't fault their intent.  Perhaps that was it?  Did he simply see so much of himself in her?  Would Saving Private Freya mean that he would deserve to go home?  It was an odd an intruding notion, pondered for a moment and then summarily dismissed.

"Don't worry about it.  I'm not my type either."  Freyd accepted the proffered cup with a smile and slight tip of his cowl in nodded thanks.  "If that is what you want, then we will make it happen, at least as much as we can manage before the raid begins."  

'I have someone too.'  You can say it, you know.

His relationship with Elora was still too fresh and new.  She was unpredictable, elusive, and so very much alive.  It tugged at the nascent person still struggling to emerge within him, but he couldn't give it voice - not yet, at least.  Warmth flushed over his cheeks, compelling him to withdraw deeper under his cowl and glancing at the board in an over-eager attempt to change the topic racing its way through his own head.

"So, what shall it be today?"

Vanity Tag: @Elora

[Freya 0]

She was ready to take the steps she needed to do this. She just needed a little focus and support to make it through. She really was glad that Freyd was helping her. She really didn't know where she would be right now without him. Freya felt a special bond with Freyd, but nothing romantic. She knew that was the reason why she couldn't tell Gaius, she didn't want him to think ill of her. She didn't want to ruin whatever she and Gaius had even if it was nothing more than a kiss. She wanted him to see only the good in her. Freyd though, good or bad, was willing to help. She wasn't afraid to show him how much she hurt because Freyd understood just how much it could. She would treat him with something special for his gratitude after this quest...

"OH quest right...Uhh..." she opens her menu saying "Your someone's type, your too caring not to be." Scanning through the quest, a brow is raised. "Uh something about a war or something. I'm not really sure...Let's just head to the settlement and maybe just maybe it will clear some of this weird wording up. Given they are NPC's though...maybe not," she chuckles at this as she remembers when they first really met. Freyd was fighting with one of those imbeciles. She closes her HUD and takes a sip of her coffee. She was already feeling a bit better from when she woke. She begins to walk toward the Nav marker and without looking back she says, "I really do appreciate your time and company Freyd. It's nice to have someone to talk to... All feeling aside of course." With a Grin as she continues her path with a hand inside her sweatshirt pocket and the other holding the coffee. Ko prances behind her proudly, chest perked up and her head held high. Freya chuckles a bit seeing this...

[Freyd 0]

Caring?!  She really doesn't know you, does she?

"That's nice of you to say, but it's probably more accurate to call me pragmatic before caring.  I help people because it gets us closer to beating the system and finding a way out.  Enlightened self-interest, and all that."  His tone was distant, but not dismissive.  The man held his feelings very close to his chest, making it hard to get a read on his intentions.  It was a job requirement that conveniently matched his own preferences.  That, and his emotions were still too fledgling to risk such casual exposure.  Distraction came in the form of a pondering.

Everyone was so eager to beat the hundredth floor, but Freyd wasn't sure why anyone believed that they could take Kayaba at his word.  The man had inflicted this place upon them, and didn't seem the type to suddenly let them go just because they managed to grind their way through to a particular goal.  The opposite seemed more likely, where he would cast them back down to the bottom or just raise the bar just to see how they reacted.  That sort of talk didn't tend to be great for people's mental health and morale, so he left it unspoken.  The rest of his words were true.  All he wanted, or had originally wanted, was to get everyone out.  It was a clear and simple goal.  But the waters got murky beyond that point.  

"Ah, so it's the elf-treant thingy.  Quip and I signed up as mercs for the treants a while back, which probably means that I can't actually pick up the quest.  Hopefully, the elves don't just attack me on sight.  It can be tough to predict how the NPCs will react to past quest decisions."

Wouldn't it be interesting if they did?

Freyd's black blade came as he called, humming slightly as it manifested in his left hand.  The holy seal around it seemed to require a moment to recalibrate to new surroundings when the weapon was first drawn.

"I guess we'll find out."  He added, shrugging nonchalantly as he chugged his entire cup of coffee.

[Freya 0]

"Self-interest huh... So then why are you really helping me. To be honest there is nothing in it for you except a friend. Helping me doesn't get us closer to figuring out the way back... I don't think anyway." She says these words in a smirky tone, interested in the real reason. She knew he saw some of him in her but what really did that mean. She also knew the true reason why he was fucked up but she hasn't seen that side yet. What changed...

Freyd comments on the quest choice with explanation and Freya can't help but chuckle. "The real question is what will the other side think of you when your cutting limbs off?" They eventually get to the village and eyes all around then fall upon Freyd and him alone. One even tried drawing his weapon and Freya quickly stands in front of the elf with heavy plated armor. "I would not do that," she turns to the others staring them down as she speaks to the group of all sizes saying "If you want my help you will not lay a finger on the man in black. Who is in charge here?" An older man, no elf walks through the crowd as they move out of his way, whispering, and chatters. Standing in front of Freya now with a very earnest look. He looks to Freyd now with a smug look but his eyes fall back on Freya. "If he is with you then HE will not be touched. We can't afford to not have your help." Freya looks to Freyd with a slight nod. 

The old elf explains their side of the war zone and how they need help taking their village back so that they may live in peace once more... Agreeing to help they leave the village into the forest and after fully away from them she can't help but laugh. "This is just an ongoing battle. A quest that anyone can take so wouldn't everything just revert back and undo everything we do here?" Shaking her head she chuckles at the thought again, "Ironic..." 

[Freyd 0]

Freyd kept his hands in plain sight while in the elven village, not eager to provoke anything unnecessarily.  To do so would be wasteful and might cause Freya's quest to fail before it even truly began.  The mere notion of such inefficiency offended him.  There was also no apparent need for conflict here.  Indulging any slaughter would only prove the worst presumptions about him.  It was appealing to deny them, on principle alone.

"Every battle in SAO has some value, no matter how pointless it may appear.  Helping you helps us all."  A smirk settled upon his lips.   "It may also be true that it also gives me a sense of connection with people that has otherwise been... lacking.  Until recently, that is.  There are good people in this guild."  Something flicked across his features, too quickly to recognize, but definitely there.  As stoic a mask as he portrayed, he wasn't entirely a robot, though that may have once been the case.

"I see in you the same strength of spirit that I see in them.  That gives me extra reason to want to see you beat this, and find that strength you seek."  Red eyes locked with green.  She saw the truth of it.  Freyd was capable of unspeakable acts, if there was a purpose and a need.  His will was ironclad and ruthless, but not heartless.  Not anymore.

"Everything may, indeed, reset, except us.  Our actions have consequence, even if they're not always reflected in the world.  They leave their mark on us."

[Freya 0]

Good people was an understatement. There are people that shouldn't have been here in the first place. She was glad to know her father and see Eruda change the way she did. If it wasn't for Gaius and Freyd, even Raidou, she would not be standing here today. She begins to wonder what she would be doing right now if this game never happened... "The people that are now stepping up see the value in just how important they really are. Like me, they thought that they were worthless at one point. No more will I look down on myself for being weak." Meeting his red eyes with her green, both had truth in their words. She would beat whatever this was, and with help, she would gain strength and be stronger inside for it. She would prove her worth.

She knew this very well, each action had a consequence even if it did not show at first. Walking through the trees she saw nothing but nature. She stops walking...watching... "This seems like the right place but where is the..." before she could get the rest of her words out the ground began to shake. Nature, trees began to uproot from the ground and quip with legs as large stumps. "The fuck did I just walk into..." Freya says surprise not expecting the creatures to be actually trees. "Well this is a first," she says pulling her weapon out now. There was a slight moment where she saw one of the treants looks to Freyd as a WHY. 

Without hesitation, Freya activates her concentration skill. Black oozed mist flows beneath her feet and the same content comes from her Scythe. Her first target moves the fuck out the way from Freya's dash toward him terrified at the sudden violence. The second was not so lucky as Freya cuts deep through deep causing the upper body to land lifeless to the ground. In the same instance, the other 2 were bursting to data with the blink of an eye. She stops and exhales turned from Freyd as her adrenaline was rushing through her body, almost like she was enjoying the kills that were brought upon such creatures. She slowly turns toward the one that she missed with a large grin painted across her face, ready to backtrack.

Using Concentration and Ordinal Cleave

ID# 181378 results: Battle: 1, Critical Miss! vs Treant Soldier #1
ID# 181382 results: Battle: 10, Major Critical! vs Treant Soldier #2 Dealing 23*8=184-30=154 Damage, Killing it!
ID# 181383 results: Battle: 2+6=8, Hit! vs Treant Soldier #3 Dealing 21*8=168-30=138 Damage, Killing it!
ID# 181384 results: Battle: 5+6=11, Hit! vs Treant Soldier #4 Dealing 21*8=168-30=138 Damage, Killing it!

Players:
Freya | HP:540/540 | EN:43/54 | DMG:21 | MIT:5 | EVA:4 | ACC:5 | BLD:24 | REC:1
Freyd | HP:1750/1750 | EN:187/187 | DMG:20 | MIT:79 | EVA:2 | ACC:4 | VAMP OFF:175 | HLY:6 | FLN:6 | LD:5 | BH:87

Enemy:
Treant Soldier #1 | HP:65/65 | DMG:15 | MIT:30
Treant Soldier #2 | HP:-89/65 | DMG:15 | MIT:30
Treant Soldier #3 | HP:-73/65 | DMG:15 | MIT:30
Treant Soldier #4 | HP:-73/65 | DMG:15 | MIT:30

Edited January 17, 2021 by Freya

[Freyd 0]

Catching the glance directed at him by the warrior lone treant warrior to have survived Freya's initial onslaught, Freyd shrugged back.  A look of disinterest washed over his face, intended to demonstrate his feelings about whatever the reason was for these two rivals to be slaughtering each other again.  Last time it was a patch of sacred ground.  This time, it was a village.  Whatever.  If these intractable foes were bent on having at each other, it mattered very little to Freyd who he helped.  His actions had been clearly mercenary, on both accounts.  Which reminded him.

Reaching into the air, Freyd called forth a small badge, about the size of his palm.  It had a picture of a small tree with two arms on it, and the words 'honorary treant' split above and below.  The figure reminded him suspiciously of Groot, and led to thoughts of possible copyright infringement.  He flicked it at the warrior, chuckling at the irony that it might receive a paper cut.

Ironically, he kind of did, along with the rest of the reinforcements lining up behind him and a half a dozen flattened, inanimate trees around them, just for good measure.

"I think of treants as paper people."  Freyd's grin was back as he watched the carnage unfold.  "And I'm pretty sure that, as of right now, they don't consider you weak."

Spoiler

Calamity Disaster (x12 AoE, +8 for hits): 20 EN - (Rested 1st/2, Finesse 3) = 16 EN

ID #181396 | BD: 2+4=6 (hit).  Freyd deals (12*20=240-30=210) damage to Treant Warrior #1.
ID #181397 | BD: 8+4=12 (hit, Fallen +6).  Freyd deals (12*26=312-30=282) damage to Treant Warrior #5.
ID #181398 | BD: 7+4=11 (hit, Fallen +6).  Freyd deals (12*26=312-30=282) damage to Treant Warrior #6.
ID #181399 | BD: 6+4=10 (hit, Fallen +6).  Freyd deals (12*26=312-55=257) damage to Treant Commander.

Players:
Freya | HP:540/540 | EN:43/54 | DMG:21 | MIT:5 | EVA:4 | ACC:5 | BLD:24 | REC:1
Freyd | HP:1750/1750 | EN:171/187 | DMG:20 | MIT:79 | EVA:2 | ACC:4 | VAMP OFF:175 | HLY:6 | FLN:6 | LD:5 | BH:87

Enemy:
Treant Soldier #1 | HP:0/65 | DMG:15 | MIT:30 (65-210)
Treant Soldier #5 | HP:0/65 | DMG:15 | MIT:30 (65-282)
Treant Soldier #6 | HP:0/65 | DMG:15 | MIT:30 (65-282)
Treant Commander #1 | HP:0/100 | DMG:20 | MIT:55 (100-257)

 

[Freya 0]

Concentration [1/3]

What appears in front of Freyd becomes data the moment he strikes. Freya stands straight, focusing on the trees with the twist of her lips curved up to the side. "If this is all they had then they are by far considered lame in my book." Hearing him she can't help but chuckle. "Yea maybe to these things I'm not weak but I am sure that at some point I will come against something that will dish out more than I can handle. At that point, all I can do is my best and stay positive." Standing there watching the forest shift, there were trees that seemed to move away from them. It seemed as if they were scared to come against either of them. 

A very large tree was close to them as it begins to shift and turn toward the players that killed his own people. It swings a rooted arm down sword Freya who was closest to it. Freya pivots and jumps on the outreached arm? Running up the length of the large creature she takes her aim toward its head. As she runs her body is low with her Scythe to her right side and with a single strike at the head, and an explosion from her impact, the large creature was no more as it burst into data. Freya down found herself falling fast to the ground, 10 ft down. She quickly puts her weapon away and grabs a branch of another tree near her. She lifts herself up and sits on the branch taking a breather as thoughts of how that could have been very bad ran through her head. Watching the forest for a moment, nothing else seemed to be moving toward them or near them. "So about that meal I mentioned earlier, what do you want me to cook you." She jumps down from the branch landing on the ground with a roll to catch her fall. "I think we both deserve something to eat," she says walking past Freyd heading back to the camp. 

ID# 181424 results: Battle: 7+5=12, Hit! vs Treant King, Dealing 21*14=294-75=219 Damage, Killing it! Craft: 1 (No Recovery Proc)

Players:
Freya | HP:540/540 | EN:31/54 | DMG:21 | MIT:5 | EVA:4 | ACC:5 | BLD:24 | REC:1
Freyd | HP:1750/1750 | EN:171/187 | DMG:20 | MIT:79 | EVA:2 | ACC:4 | VAMP OFF:175 | HLY:6 | FLN:6 | LD:5 | BH:87

Enemy:
Treant King | HP:-69/150 | DMG:25 | MIT:75

Edited January 18, 2021 by Freya

[Freyd 0]

"You're in the sweet spot where everything gets really easy, but your gear can't really deliver for the tougher content yet.  Best bet is just to churn through it and see how quickly we can bring you to the next tier.  At this rate, it shouldn't take too long." Freyd looked around at the decimated forest scene around them, rendered this way by mere moments of combat.  The fallen treants had already turned into pixie dust, but the rest of the landscape had also taken quite a beating.  Trunks of massive trees lay broken and splintered all around.  The overhead canopy now had great, cavernous gaps between the lonely branches, now seeking to grasp what was no longer there.

"Barbequed salmon would be amazing, right about now.  My grandfather and I used to catch them off the coast of Victoria.  He'd cook them on this little jury-rigged hibachi that he kept at the cottage.  Did it right on the beach."  A relaxed and contented look spread across Freyd's face.  For a rare moment, the harshness of his furrowed brow released and he actually seemed to be enjoying a pleasant memory.  There were few such treasures from his childhood.  Nearly all involved such moments with the old man.  If only he'd realized what they were at the time.

[Freya 0]

"I'm not sure my gear is really a negative right now seeing how it's based on if I hit my target and if they can hit me. The damage boost would be great though," she says in response to Freyd as they walk into the village they came from. Walking to the Elder that gave her the quest, he shows his gratitude toward her and carries on with his business. 

Turning to Freyd, back-peddling toward the main town, "I am not sure if I can recreate the scene but... I am sure that I can make a mean Salmon. The barbequing might be a bit hard, but I can manage it. The fire shouldn't be that hard to make. I don't have the fishing skill so I wouldn't be catching the fish but I am sure that Gaius has one in our shop somewhere that he can spare. I might have to cook one up for him though." She turns back around and starts thinking about what to put on the Salmon. Maybe some basil with some garlic...No Onion. She was getting excited to see what she could do. It was rounding just after noon now and she was getting hungry anyway. She stops and starts looking around. This area was nothing but trees...Perfect. "If you want to start gathering some small sticks and firewood, I can go grab what I need and meet you back here." She starts almost running to the warp gate now making haste toward her shop on floor 7.

[Freyd 0]

This felt suspiciously like a fetch quest, but the reward sounded better than anything else he could have imagined.  A real salmon dinner would be more precious to him than he'd ever realized.  Walking off the main path back to Delilah, Freyd scavenged what he could.  Always the consummate collector, each stick had to pass rigorous testing and inspection before being granted consideration as suitable kindling or firewood.  Honestly, there was an improvise tape measure and caliper involved. 

Meandering methodically, if one could do such a thing, Freyd wondered at how he'd even arrived at this strange state of affairs.  Here he was, spending time to help another player, just as he had with Elora.  Something flashed in the back of his mind, like it was important to his fledgling humanity and the relationship that he and his green-haired companion had only just begun to explore.  Should he check with her before helping out another woman?  Would she misinterpret what he was doing and blow up at him for it?   Would she think him some sort of cheat if he didn't?  Gaius would likely give him a ton of grief just for his own sake, because that's what he did.  Then everyone would start shouting at each other, because they were all too busy with their own preconceptions to actually listen to each other.  Friends and allies would pile on.  ChaseR would jump in and start beating him silly again, triggering a full-blown Firm Anima civil war, spawning orange icons and shattered avatars to flare across the grounds of the Cathedral of the Lost, all because of him.

None of these thoughts ever actually made it to Freyd's hyper-logical mind, of course, because sticks.  He had a task and was far too preoccupied fulfilling it to ever even conceive of letting stray thoughts and fears prey upon his actions.

"That should be enough."

By the time Freya returned, he'd sorted everything by species, size, density and moisture content, laid out benches, sanded them smooth to remove any chance of splinters and was busy assessing the proper weight and geological properties of stones that would be most suitable for ringing the fire pit.

"Oh.  Back already?"  Hours had passed, yet he was dead serious.

[Freya 0]

Approaching the scenery that Freyd presented she smiles. "Yea it took me a minute to get the fish. Gaius was there...Long story short I bitch slapped him with a fish." she chuckled a bit. "After I told him I was cooking it for another male for personal reasons he got a bit..." not sure how to word his reaction, "I don't know. I slapped him with the salmon and grabbed two more and told him I would make him food too." She bites her bottom lip as she remembers what happens after this. Not wanted to tell Freyd all the details though she takes a seat on the bench. "This is all very impressive though. You really went all out," saying as she starts taking out the fish and ingredients she was going to use.

Setting them on the bench next to her she kneels next to the fire pit. She recalls something about making fire building from her friends she had in the other world. Taking a few smaller stones she starts clashing them together, creating sparks against the kindle that Freyd proved. After a few minutes of this and blowing on it, a fire is formed. She smiles and backs up a bit. Setting the fish directly on the flames to let them cook she sprinkles some crushed basil and powdered onion against them, letting the flavor sink in while they cook. 

Sitting back on the bench she cleans up her mess a bit and takes out a pair of tongs and a few plates. "To be perfectly clear, this is not a date. It's a nice gesture for you for helping me out. I feel like I own you more but this is the one thing that I know how to do." Her cheeks become a bit flustered thinking about Gaius. "I want more than ever for me and Gaius to be a thing and I wouldn't do anything to hurt that chance." She sighs a bit as she watches the flames sizzle as it cooks the fish slowly.

[Freyd 0]

"How close are the two of you?"  His tone was practically clinical, as if interviewing her for some kind of drug trial.    Freyd realized how he'd sounded, rolled his eyes at himself and grimaced an apology towards Freya. 

"Sorry.  Small talk isn't my thing, but I'm working on it."  Hating to talk about himself, he quickly changed the topic.  The nature of Freya's relationship with Gaius was none of his business, so he curbed his own natural curiosity.  Something told him that he really didn't need to know more than he'd been told, and should be content that she stopped where she did.

"No worries about the non-date thing. I'm just happy to help.  Do you live together, in the shop?  Or do you have your own place?  I'm thinking of relocating, but haven't decided where"  Picking up a stick that was left aside, reserved for the express purpose, he poked at the fire to help air reach the fledgling flame.  "There's also... someone... that I've come to care about.  I don't want to hurt her either, so please don't feel like you have anything to worry about.  The meal is also appreciated, but please don't feel like you're obligated." Fire flickered and slowly spread throughout the kindling, like an infection in search of new flesh.  Sometimes, nature couldn't help itself.

"Does Gaius know, about your...?"  He tapped his right temple with the corresponding index finger.  Crammed headspace could make complicated relationships, as he was only too aware.

[Freya 0]

She can't help but chuckle at Freyds curiosity. She takes the tongs and flips the fish. Sprinkling the same herb contents on the other side of each fish as they are flipped she meets Freyd's eyes with hers. "There was a kiss but I am not sure what it meant. I really like him but I am not sure how he feels about me." With a twist of her lips to the side, she makes a face like she was bummed a little. "The moment was amazing and I want more but I am afraid of getting close to him because every relationship I have had has ended very badly. At the same time, I don't want to fuck it up, but if I don't move forward with what I feel I might lose him...  I just got soo annoyed with the words -Your too weird for me- or -You are way too much for me...- so I stopped dating altogether." She materializes a knife from her bag and takes one of the fish, placing it on a plate. 

She cuts the head and the tail of the fish. She then cuts vertically through the fish exposing the bone. Taking the bone out in one piece she sets it aside and throws the head down to Ko, her tiny saber cat familiar. The head was bigger than her but Ko pounces on it and starts gnawing on it with her tiny teeth.  Freya does this for each Salmon saying "I share a shop with him and in return, I cook for him every morning and during the day when I can. We both have houses of our own but they are both linked to the shop we share." On a plate, she sets the 2 halves of the Salmon's together without the bone and hands Freyd the plate with a fork and a knife on the plate. Doing the same with the other 2 she sits on the bench with a plate of her own on her lap.

Cutting and taking a small bite she smiles. "Gaius knows about the memories but not about HIM. I am sure that he would deem me crazy and I would never get that chance I wanted with him." Thinking back to what he said about him having someone..."This other person is lucky to have you in her shadow. I hope you guys are doing well. Tell me about her, what is she like?" Freya does some questioning of her own. A smile peers over her face as she eats her surprisingly good Salmon. Glancing down at Ko she was playing with her food now, Freya just chuckles. 

 

[Freyd 0]

Freya's words echoed his own muddled feelings about his recent experiences with Elora, but the circumstances were different.  Or, were they?  Freya was afraid of how Gaius would judge her, if he knew her secret.  Elora's own insecurities seemed like they had driven her to run off and face Avalanche on her own, though Freyd suspected that she had run away from him as some sort of twisted excuse to run away from herself.  She'd been that way since they first met, though, perhaps, things were finally changing.

"I just got soo annoyed with the words -Your too weird for me- or -You are way too much for me...- so I stopped dating altogether."

"That still puts you ahead of me."  Freyd looked distant, while staring at the flames.  "I've never been on a date.  Not a real one, at least."  A hint of mischief flashed across his face as he broke his trance and came back to what passed for their reality.  Resting his chin on a casually curled fist, he watched her work on the fish and admired her meticulous precision.  "Your living arrangements sound complicated."  Would theirs be also?  Elora had never really given him a straight answer.  After the raid.

There it was.  That niggling, unavoidable elephantine thing rattling around in the back of his head.  As much as he tried to deny it, the coming challenge silently preoccupied his thoughts.  Uncertainty lay beyond the boss fight, but in many more ways than facing whatever malevolent monstrosity awaited them.  Freyd had no idea how to be in a relationship, and as much as he portrayed a calm and confident demeanor for Elora's sake, in this, he had no answers.  That put him well beyond the semblance of any of his comfort zones.

"Gaius knows about the memories but not about HIM. I am sure that he would deem me crazy and I would never get that chance I wanted with him."

His wayward smile returned.

"Maybe it just takes crazy to understand crazy."  No explanation was forthcoming, but it had to be clear by now that Freyd wasn't exactly your average bear.  Mari had once asked him if he was autistic.  He'd shrugged, and said 'probably.'  Sociopath.  Montjoy's unsolicited reminder forced the smile to fade, as reminders of past testing and the unpleasantness of a wasted childhood returned to living memory.  Nothing was offered or shared.  This was too personal, and they were still too much the strangers to each other for him to voice the perils of his past, and their effects upon him, at least in any more detail than he already had.

"This other person is lucky to have you in her shadow. I hope you guys are doing well. Tell me about her, what is she like?"

"She's a delightful bundle of adorable chaos, full of life and vigor, as beautiful as a rose and just as thorny - prone to sticking herself on the sharpness of her own foils."  Freyd's red eyes drifted back to the flame, again, drawn away by all of their shared experiences.  "She is so many things that I am not: so whimsical, capricious and alive.  She is so very human."  Taking his serving with thanks, he closed his eyes and savored the rare scent of good times past. "She wears her heart on her sleeve, most of the time.  Mine is still next to my car keys, on my dresser outside of Aincrad." 

'And there it must remain, until the deed is done,'  Montjoy argued as it always had.  But, this time, it received a simple and unexpected response.

'No.'

 

Vanity Tag: @Elora

[Freya 0]

"That still puts you ahead of me."

"Not really, dating as in the boyfriend title. I have never been on an actual date either..." Thinking for a moment about Rin... "Well, sort of. I guess I went out with Rin a few times but that just seems like a distant memory. Like a dream almost... Right now none of what happened between me and Rin seems real..." she was not sure if that actually made sense but it was true. Everything involving Rin has come back into her memory but it doesn't feel real. Even when she saw Rin that last time at the orphanage, it seemed like a dream made to reality and nothing more. Her heart didn't beat the way she remembered with Rin any longer. A small smile forms on her face as she finished her meal, staring into the fire. "When I am with Gaius, it feels real. He pushes me to be better and he gives me a rush that I've never felt before." Freya blushes a bit glancing at Freyd. Making her plate disappear, she gives a sigh.

"Living around Gaius is a blast, even with the weird bickering we do back and forth, the random bitch slaps when he is being an ass, I would like to think that we enjoy each other company. He keeps me on my toes," she chuckles at this. "I really love cooking for him, it makes me feel worth it to be here even if it's just a small gesture of sorts." She was glad he had someone special in his life. Freyd deserved to be happy just as much as Freya did and it was clear that he felt something for this woman he spoke of.

Right now she felt relaxed, happy. "Freyd, I have really enjoyed our time together. With no feeling toward you attached, I feel like I can tell you anything without feeling like your going to judge me. I think that is what true friendship is like. So thank you Freyd for being my friend." Glancing back down to Ko, she was knawing on an eyeball from the fish... She was trying so hard to eat it but it was half her size.

Glancing to Freyd now, her eyes sincere saying, "I hope you know that you can talk to me about whatever. You are bearing a secret that I wouldn't dare tell anyone outside of Raidou and you. Giving you the same option here, anything you say will never leave my mouth to another. Sometimes it's just nice to talk to someone that won't judge your track record if you know what I mean..." She would let him take that as he would. If he wanted to talk she would be here. She knew what it felt like to hold something in for so long, it's nice that she was able to talk to someone about it... Knowing good and well that it wouldn't leave for another to hear without permission from her first.

Edited January 22, 2021 by Freya

[Freyd 0]

A friend?  This seems rather trivial a gesture to have merited such treatment, doesn’t it?

‘You underestimate the value of friendship, Montjoy.  I have come to know the strength of the bond in such companionship.  We cannot win this on our own.  More importantly: it would be utterly pointless to do so.’  Freyd’s inner monologue struggled with itself too much of late.  Things were coming to a head.  His head.  Too much.  He closed his eyes.

“Honestly... I’m… worried, about the coming floor boss raid.”  Truth mixed with obfuscation.  “It will be my first outing with the frontliners.  I don’t know most of them, and they don’t know me.  It’s not an ideal way to walk into one of the most grueling challenges that Aincrad has to offer.”

You don’t know if you’ll crack against the coming darkness.

‘You’re wrong,’ he countered, against his doubts.  ‘I’m worried that I’ll be tempted to embrace it, shutting myself off from the beauty and wonder I’ve discovered in this world.  I don’t want to lose myself again.'

Everything has a price.  If you want to feel, you will also know fear.

'Don't underestimate my resolve, Montjoy.  Never underestimate the lengths to which I am prepared to go.  More than a few have fallen prey to that misstep.

 “Thank you for the meal, Freya.  I really do appreciate it."  He offered her a heartfelt and sincere smile.  This moment would become a treasured memory.  "And, it’s my pleasure to be your friend.”

***

Thread Summary:

Freya receives:

4 SP  (1 page, +1 event, +2 quest)
1150 col
<<Nature's Blessing>>. This item has (3) charges and may not be refilled. This item does not stack and may not be sold for Col, it becomes bound to the player. When used, Nature's Blessing heals you for (15 x Player's Tier) HP.

Freyd receives:

2 SP (1 page, +1 event)