[F8|PP] Continue? <Monkey King>

[Assassin 0]

With things coming down as they were, Assassin knew that she needed to branch away from her sister and learn how to cultivate her own strength. As much as she could run crying to Hidden about all her problems, she didn't want to continuously bother her with all the needless stuff that she went through just cause they were family. This dagger that she was given was Hidden's way of helping her more permanently. If she could just continue to make herself more powerful then it won't just be the weapon that makes her strong.

That's why she decided that going on some quests alone was a good idea. Sticking to the single digit floor quests, she shouldn't have much problem at all with her level. The Monkey King was her target, and even though he was a tough opponent from the looks of it, she was stronger in more ways than one. She would make quick work of this boss and go back home, unless there was another boss that she could find to easily kill.

Spoiler

Name: Assassin
Level: 34
HP: 700/700
EN: 68/68

Stats:
Damage: 13
Mitigation: 30
Evasion: 2
Accuracy: 2
PARA VEN
PHASE
BLD: 24

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Shadow's Infection: Bld; Para V.; Phase
Armor: Dark Cloak(LA): MIT II; EVA I
Misc: Fastening Belts(Tri): ACC II; EVA I

Skills:
Dagger [Rank 5]
Light Armor [Rank 3]

Extra Skills:
Familiar Mastery: Fighter
Survival

Mods:
Athletics
Finesse <Rank 3>

Battle Ready Inventory:
Teleportation Crystal*1

Housing Buffs:
Rested: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat
Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.

Guild Hall Buffs:

Scents of the Wild:

Wedding Ring:

 

[Freyd 0]

Post #2

Skulking wasn't something best done at speed, yet here Freyd was running as silently as he could through the thick underbrush in the overgrown outskirts just beyond Florenthia.  Time was short, and intrigue had tipped its hand just as he was getting set to head up and join the front lines to face whatever waited for them in the depths beyond the labyrinth on floor 25.  He'd been in a mad flurry for weeks now, making final preparations, crossing off the last of his mandatory quests and just building up his stats as best he could.  There were rumors that a planning meeting was typically held ahead of these things, but he'd not heard any word of one.  Given how long it had been since the labyrinth guardian had been defeated, this wasn't overly surprising.  They could have held it months ago.

And then this 'glitch' thing started happening.  Why was it that weird shit always seemed to occur when he had the least amount of time to deal with it?  First there was the blowup with ChaseR, he was still hot on the trail of the Spire's leadership, and now this.  Finding Typhon had become most urgent since falling into a second glitch.  Becoming trapped between floors with monsters capable of inflicting real pain was one thing, but he still wasn't sure whether it was general quest failures that were causing it, or if it was one particular chain.  He needed Typhon, and tracking had revealed that the odd fellow, whom he'd affectionately dubbed 'Babykaiju' had survived their first encounter.  He was also somewhere nearby.

Lost in thought as he ran, Freyd wasn't paying as close attention to his surrounding as he should.  Spotting a small, dark shape shifting before him should have happened sooner.  Instead, he tumbled left and skittered to a stop, spraying dirt behind him in the process.  A dark, shimmering line limned in white instantly appeared in his hands, ready for battle.

"What the hell...who... Sin-Chan?!"

A pair of confused looking red eyes boggles beneath a dark cowl, trying to process what just happened.  What was she doing here?

***

Freyd activates Vengeful Riposte (-5 EN)

Freyd | HP:1790/1790 | EN:186/191 | DMG:20 | MIT:79 | EVA:2 | ACC:4 | VAMP OFF:179 | HLY:6 | FLN:6 | LD:5 | BH:89 | VENGEFUL 
  CD: [PARRY --/2], VENGEFUL RIPOSTE [--/3]

Mega-Slime Farm applied to this thread.

Spoiler

Freyd, The Whisper in Shadows
Level: 88
HP: 1790/1790
EN: 191/191

Stats:
Damage: 20
Mitigation: 79
Evasion: 2
Accuracy: 4
BH:89
VAMP OFF:179
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 5]
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
Vengeful Riposte
Untraceable
Tracking

Inactive Mods:
Vanish
Surprise Attack (Assassin)
Night Vision

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 [1/1]
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:

 

[Assassin 0]

Just approaching the boss area, Assassin quietly readied herself for the upcoming fight. Everything looked fine, until she was interrupted by an approaching figure. Without a second thought, the girl drew her dagger from it's scabbard and rushed to the person. That person had told her to look out cause the next time they met he would be trying to kill her. This was one of those guys!

Ruthlessly the child dashed forward, speed nearly unseen by anyone without a trained eye. Her dagger cackled with a blacked electric poison, oozing it's thickened-black ichor. Her foot connected with his chest and at the same moment, her blade with his neck. He had a reposte ready for her paralyzing affect. Looks like his boss didn't tell him just how dangerous she was. Though, she couldn't help but notice his health hardly ticked.

"I'm not fucking around. If you think you want to kill me you're going to have to better than that scum-" As the blood-wrenched fury and adrenaline faded, Assassin got a better look of the face of the assailant. It turns out that it was someone she knew. He was an older friend. She hadn't seen him in such a long time. "F-F-Freyd?!" The deathly tone of her voice changed back to her normal voice. "I-I'm sorry... you caught me at a bad time..."

---

Assassin | HP: 640/700 -60 | EN: 60/68 | DMG: 13 | MIT: 30 | EVA: 2 | ACC: 2 | PARA VEN | PHASE | BLD: 24

Freyd | HP: 1636/1790 -(154) | EN: 186/191 | DMG: 20 | MIT: 79 | EVA: 2 | ACC: 4 | VAMP OFF:179 | HLY:6 | FLN:6 | LD:5 | BH:89 | VENGEFUL 
  CD: [PARRY --/2], VENGEFUL RIPOSTE [--/3] | BLEED: [1/2]

[Freyd 0]

Post #4

Steel flashed on his periphery, leaving barely enough reaction time to tuck and roll, deflecting the projectile mid-fall and back at the unknown assailant.  Regaining his footing, Freyd went into full-fury mode intending to mow down whoever thought it was a good idea to take pot shots at him.  Blood splattered from the injury, spraying across his face.  Already in a foul mood from dealing the last time he'd been ambushed, he was feeling far less charitable about a second occurrence. 

A lone, small figure approached, hurtling towards him but covered by the underbrush.  Only its glaring amber icon was truly visible, taunting him like a red cloak to a bull from over his target's head.  Screeching filled the air, like an incoming missile nearing its target, as his blade swung high, charging with momentum and a lethal sword art eager to be unleashed.  

Spoiler

Even the wind veered and was carried in the weapon's wake as it came crashing down.  Rushing air crashed with the force of a hurricane as the two came into contact, or nearly did.  Trees around them bent away from the point of focus, some losing limbs while the trunks of other splintered and cracked.  White light burst from the void sliver's seal and had halted the weapon's blow a mere fraction of an inch away from splitting Assassin's skull.  Reflected in the maddened gaze of its wielder, she could see how tense his muscles were, as if struggling simultaneously to drive the blade home and also stay the blow.  Strangely, his shadow didn't match his stance, and followed through to carve her slender silhouette in half.  In that moment, she understood, that he was truly fighting to spare her from the retribution that every other part of him demanded.

The tone of her response likely save her, as tension eased slightly and the imminent danger passed.

"I..."  He drew the blade away from her face, but maintained his guard.  "I could have killed you.  What were you thi-."  Pursing his lips, he cut himself short.  The last thing she needed was a scolding.  When he spoke again, his voice was cold and collected.

"What are you doing out here?"

Spoiler

Freyd regains 89 HP from BH.

Assassin | HP: 640/700 | EN: 60/68 | DMG: 13 | MIT: 30 | EVA: 2 | ACC: 2 | PARA VEN | PHASE | BLD: 24
Freyd | HP: 1725/1790 (1636+89) | EN: 186/191 | DMG: 20 | MIT: 79 | EVA: 2 | ACC: 4 | VAMP OFF:179 | HLY:6 | FLN:6 | LD:5 | BH:89
  CD: [PARRY 1/2], VENGEFUL RIPOSTE [1/3] | BLEED: [1/2]

 

[Assassin 0]

Assassin was surprised when her attack didn't pin the attacker to the ground, but seeing as ho wit was some she knew, the were wasn't much problem. His retaliation threw her off balance in that surprise and she ended up on her back. Without a second heart beat, Freyd's weapon was inches from her nose. Her whitened locks burst in all directions the moment the blade stopped in her face. The wind pressure forced her eyes shut.

Intense breathing and intense glares exchanged between the both of them. A moment of silence passed until Freyd spoke up. "I could have killed you..." Assassin's expression hardened as she tipped his weapon away from her face with her own. "I-I could have dodged it." She mumbled to herself as she picked herself up off the ground. 'I have to dodge it...'

"I'm doing a quest. I'm still getting stronger, I have to." The girl said as she put her weapon away. "You just scared me, coming out of the woods with your hood up towards me..." It was clear in her tone and words that there was more under the surface, but she was having a hard time hiding it after what just happened. She got back to walking towards the boss area. "You gonna stay and help or something, or are you too busy?"

[Freyd 0]

Post #6

Freyd felt the web strand tugging him in a similar direction.  Weapon still in hand, and mood still on edge as the bleeding in his shoulder gradually stopped as the wound closed, the darkness of his cowl mirrored his scowl.

"You're good, Sin-Chan, but there are bosses around here that could squish you with one or two good hits.  Why are you doing this alone?"  He could guess the answer even as he spoke the question.  Sighing and leaning the long pitch black blade against his shoulder as he he shuffled his feet, Freyd reached out and punched something invisible in the air between them with gloved fingertips.  A party invite appeared before Assassin, 'accept' button flashing tauntingly before her eyes.

"I'd rather see you stronger than dead.  No question there.  Come on, the Monkey King is this way."  He hadn't even seen the quest info yet.  There were no others of consequence on this floor.  It had to be why she was here.  "Is there no one willing to help you, or did you simply not ask?"

A red eye watched the orange icon over her head, unsure whether it had been there before her attack.  That, too, might cause some problems.

Spoiler

Freyd suffers 24 bleed damage.

Freyd regains 89 HP from BH.

Assassin | HP: 650/700 | EN: 61/68 | DMG: 13 | MIT: 30 | EVA: 2 | ACC: 2 | PARA VEN | PHASE | BLD: 24
Freyd | HP: 1790/1790 (1725-24+89) | EN: 188/191 | DMG: 20 | MIT: 79 | EVA: 2 | ACC: 4 | VAMP OFF:179 | HLY:6 | FLN:6 | LD:5 | BH:89
  CD: [PARRY 2/2], VENGEFUL RIPOSTE [2/3] | BLEED: [2/2]

 

[Assassin 0]

Assassin sneered a little as Freyd mentioned the difficulty of the floor they were on, when she was already getting closer to level 40 with every enemy she felled. She was strong enough to handle just about any challenge that pressured her in these woods. "They could squish me if they could hit me, but they won't." The girl said seriously. Though one could mistake her tone for cockiness, she knew her limits and it was clear that she knew how to avoid things that could be out of her league.

She accepted the party invite with a short click of the blue button on her screen. That wouldn't slow down her pace though, she would continue to make her way to the boss region, which wasn't much further away. After some silence, the girl looked back to Freyd. "Isn't floor 8 sort of like chump change for you now? My blade does way more damage than what you took. Your armor is insanely tough or you just have a lot of health, plus you're already back to full HP. Anything here'd be lucky if it could scratch you..." Assassin thought on that sentence. "I guess I was lucky then."

[Freyd 0]

Post #8

"You sounded like Hidden, for a moment."  Red eyes read her face, gauging her reaction, after a neutral tone in delivery.  He was testing.  Did they even know each other?  "That isn't necessarily a good thing, nor bad.  But you still have a choice.  Too many accidents and that," he paused to point at the orange icon over her head, "won't fade back to green after a few hours."

Changing subjects might lighten an otherwise dour mood, and she'd already opened the door.

"I'm looking for someone: a player I recently encountered.  He... fell, through some sort of portal, and apparently ended up here.  Weird dude.  Kinda looks like a miniature godzilla, by the way his armor was crafted.  It actually looked more like a costume, but still served him in combat.  Our conversation hadn't wrapped up when the portal opened, and our shared entry wasn't quite voluntary."  A quick slice severed a series of thick branches blocking their path, Freyd's pitch black blade returning silently to his side.

"You ARE fast, Sin-chan, but not invulnerable.  Most players don't just fall because they were outmatched.  Odds are that it was also a string of bad luck.  Talk to an EVA tank, like ChaseR or Raidou.  They can confirm it.  Plus, having someone at your side to back you up is never a bad thing."

[Assassin 0]

It was weird for her to be compared to Hidden now of all times. Up to now she had felt like she was already very much like her pseudo-guardian of an adoptive sister. Assassin made no outward reaction to his subtle tease for information but not because she was hiding any information or anything. "Nee-chan is someone I respect. She's had a rough time like me and she's just doing her best to get through it. I'm taking a page from that book." She says without making eye contact and instead looking up to her fancy new head-light. The child sneered.

"That's the second time. Would you kill me then if it became permanent? Would I be an awful person because I'm trying to protect myself?" Her questions came off odd. If he read them as more direct, it may sound like she was lightly jabbing at him for scaring her, but the her quiet tone insisted there was more to that rippling under the surface that might have leaked out. She quickly cleared her throat when she realized that slip. "I'll put myself in a place where luck is available to me. It hasn't failed me yet and I don't expect it to soon."

[Freyd 0]

Post #10

"Would you kill me then if it became permanent? Would I be an awful person because I'm trying to protect myself?  I'll put myself in a place where luck is available to me. It hasn't failed me yet and I don't expect it to soon."

"I've met and fought side by side with Mari, Hidden and others.  I judge them by their deeds in the moment, not the color of their icons based on past circumstances."  He fell silent for a moment, dodging a few fallen logs along their trajectory.  They were far from any beaten paths and forging their way forward, into the unknown.  Endless jungle made a suitable metaphor for the subject of their conversation.

"We started out at the same time, Sin-Chan, or not far off from it.  I'm not here to scold you, nor would I try.  But you also don't need to take on the world by yourself."  The cowl turned away, knowing that she wouldn't meet his gaze, or couldn't bring herself to do so.  She just needed to know that the door remained open.  Any action to step through would have to be hers, alone, which was the point. 

Cresting a ridge, Freyd paused and laid in a low crouch, pointing his finger at the giant footprint in their path.  His eyes turned upward into the canopy, knowing their prey would be close.

Freyd activates Tracking [Monkey King]

[Assassin 0]

Assassin mulled over his word for a moment, taking it in. "My actions were fairly clear, I stabbed you." The child said in simple response, just wondering how he would react to her doubts. The boss was nearby, hopefully, so they didn't have to worry about it too much. Its not like she was very busy with much right now anyway, even though Hidden wouldn't wait for her to get stronger.

"I'm not taking it on by myself, I just don't need anyone treating me like a baby. I'm smart, I'm fast and I can take care of myself." The view of the boss came into play, finally. Assassin was ready to jump right into it. Not waiting for anything, she jumped right in as fast as she could go.

The monkey king was faster than she expected. It heard her approach and jumped away. Assassin sneered. "One day I'll destroy every enemy in my way!"

---

Spoiler

Assassin | HP: 700/700 | EN: 68/68 | DMG: 13 | MIT: 30 | EVA: 2 | ACC: 2 | PARA VEN | PHASE | BLD: 24
Freyd |

Monkey King | 250/250 | DMG: 240 | MIT: 50
On MD rolls of 9 or 10, the Monkey King will Pick up a tree or large rock and throw it at the party, hitting and stunning them all for 120 damage.

 

[Freyd 0]

Post #12

Following up behind the smaller figure, Freyd lined himself up for his own shot and nearly slipped and fell on another pile of loose monkey dung.

"Not this time, Donkey Kong!"

Leaping over the still-steaming pile of offal, the Whisper careened off a nearby branch, propelling himself hard against the beast's right flank, blade first.  Howly, more out of outrage than pain, the giant ape toppled over, flinging Freyd and blade loose to land on the dense jungle floor.  Were there truly any who still thought her weak or frail?  If not, then what was driving this uncertainty and need to prove herself at any cost.  Red eyes peered from beneath his dark cowl as words were let to bolster his companion's confidence.

"Come on, Assassin.  I've never doubted your worth, and you've never let me down.  You're no child, and nothing less than anyone else in his hell.  Now, show it just how smart and fast and strong you really are!"

Spoiler

Galaxy Destroyer (x13): 13 EN - (Rested (1/2); Finesse 3) = 9 EN

ID #183128 | BD: 1 (Autohit [tracking]).  DMG: 20*13=260-50=210

ID #183128 | MD: 3-2=1 (miss)

Assassin | HP: 700/700 | EN: 66/68 | DMG: 13 | MIT: 30 | EVA: 2 | ACC: 2 | PARA VEN | PHASE | BLD: 24
Freyd | HP:1790/1790 | EN:182/191 (191-9) | DMG:20 | MIT:79 | EVA:2 | ACC:4 | VAMP OFF:179 | HLY:6 | FLN:6 | LD:5 | BH:89 

[H:0,1] Monkey King | 40/250 | DMG: 240 | MIT: 50 (250-210)
On MD rolls of 9 or 10, the Monkey King will Pick up a tree or large rock and throw it at the party, hitting and stunning them all for 120 damage.

 

[Assassin 0]

The inaccuracy of her attack annoyed her to no end. Assassin hated missing more than a lot of things. Watching Freyd struggle landing his hit on his target made it even worse. She needed to continue to get stronger even if it killed her.

Freyd made a small, touching comment about how he knows what her worth is in this game. Something she wasn't entirely sure that she knew very well up to now. More things to annoy her.

The Monkey King loomed over her. The last thing that annoyed her.

"Get out of my way." The child growled angrily as her blade mocked the color of crimson blood. With a quick flash and a stream of scarlet, Assassin's blade dug directly into the ape's forehead. Her force sent the boss to the ground where she stepped off carefully. The boss exploded into pixels. "I am strong and I will survive." She said, staring over at Freyd.

---

Spoiler

Assassin | HP: 700/700 | EN: 59/68 -8| DMG: 13 | MIT: 30 | EVA: 2 | ACC: 2 | PARA VEN | PHASE | BLD: 24
Freyd | HP:1790/1790 | EN:182/191 | DMG:20 | MIT:79 | EVA:2 | ACC:4 | VAMP OFF:179 | HLY:6 | FLN:6 | LD:5 | BH:89 

[H:0,1] Monkey King | 40/250 | DMG: 240 | MIT: 50

 

[Freyd 0]

Post #14

Freyd reclined against a nearby log.  He watched her as she raged against the disintegrating mob, stabbing at a very unfortunate fern once there were no pixels left to harm.  As he began to speak, his voice was calm and soothing, carrying no hint of threat or criticism. 

"What makes you think that anyone doubts your smarts, speed and strength?  Why are you so angry?" 

The ping of his previous target returned his UI, but he chose to set it aside for a few moments longer.  They'd been through a few missions together now, and though he wasn't sure if she'd consider him a friend, they at least seemed to be capable allies.  Watching her small shoulders heave, Freyd wondered how she could have gotten this way.  What would have driven her to this extreme and solitude?  Personally, Freyd was still wondering at the connection between her and Hidden.  Her taller doubt was equally angsty.

Can we put the anti-stabbing shields up, please, before she thinks you're gawking at her, or something?

Freyd activates Vengeful Riposte (-5 EN) +1 turn recovery

Freyd | HP:1790/1790 | EN:178/191 (182+1-5) | DMG:20 | MIT:79 | EVA:2 | ACC:4 | VAMP OFF:179 | HLY:6 | FLN:6 | LD:5 | BH:89 

[Assassin 0]

With the situation under control, Assassin was finally able to calm down enough to think reasonably. The girl took a deep breath and adjusted her eyes to be less stab-happy. "I am young. People look at me and think that I need to be protected, that I should be coddled and treated like I can't do anything for myself. Before I started leveling up, so many people would treat me like a baby." She would quietly continue talking while beginning to walk back to the teleporter. "I'm not a baby. I've been training my speed for months in this stupid game. I've slowly been getting stronger thanks to Nee-chan's help." Her eyes would look down at her sister's dagger gripped between her fingers. They narrowed as she thought more about what she wanted to say. "Everyone on this game is on equal footing. A child is no more different than an adult here."

Her mind trailed off to the situation at hand: Laughing Coffin. "Though now maybe I'm a child with adult problems... If I don't get stronger, I won't be able to keep myself alive."

[Freyd 0]

Post #16

"You've never struck me as either naive or helpless, and something had you spooked enough to have you try to ram that blade in my gut."  It was true.  Despite his appearance and reputation as a spook, Freyd rarely lied.  His guise was a carefully manicured illusion that often did most such work in his opponents' imaginations, so he never bothered to have to keep track.  He'd never taken Assassin's age or stature for granted.  Freyd knew full well that the threats in this game were carried by vectors governed by ones and series and their proper sequencing.  It wasn't about size or strength.  It was a tactic he'd learned to put to good use himself.  

"What's going on, Sin-Chan.  You've mentioned getting stronger, like, five times.  And what's with you and this Nee-Chan?"  He stopped himself before setting her off.  "We've always worked well together.  I consider you a valued ally.  Please, if there is something I can do to help, say so."  He hadn't budged from his log, sitting stolidly like a lump waiting so see if she would choose the lonely path.  

[Assassin 0]

"There's nothing you can do." Assassin says rather quickly in response to Freyd's plea. She stopped for a moment and looked back at him. "We are on good terms, and I value you as an ally, but what's happening now is something that only I can deal with. I need to prove something to myself."

She wasn't lying entirely. The problems that she was having with Laughing Coffin were her own business, endangering other players and possibly getting one of them killed was something that she didn't want on her conscience. Hidden still didn't even know what was going on and she had zero plans of telling her what was happening, at least for the moment. The help her sister had given her saved her life. It was hard to ask for more than that.

"We're still allies Freyd, but this isn't something you need to concern yourself with." Assassin stood, waiting for his reply before she decided when she was going to walk away.

[Freyd 0]

Post #18

"Need.  Can.  May.  Only.  Will."  The heel of his boot twisted as he lazily swung his leg back and forth against the black blade, in time with every word spoken.  The fidget persisted, as he did.  "They all mean very different things.  When the difference is smaller, the distinctions matter more."  His voice was still calm, but also carried an unusually sympathetic serenity.  It was a tone that she had never heard from him, but much had happened in recent months. 

"Take 'need', for example.  You're likely quite right.  I don't need to help you, I suppose, but it seems the decent thing to offer."

tap tap tap

"How about 'can'?  We don't really know, do we?  Maybe I can help you, but it's hard to know since you aren't telling me anything." 

tap tap tap

"May'?  That's a tricky one.  I don't think you want to let anyone help you, but that don't mean you shouldn't or can't.  Few things in the world are made harder by asking for help."

tap tap tap

"'Only' is meant to shut others out.  If that's what you want, then so be it.  I'm not here to push, but in this case it's a choice, and not your... solitary option."

tap tap tap

"Will?  Oof.  That's probably the toughest of the bunch.  What will you choose?  To face the world entirely alone?  You can, but don't need to, and may benefit from some help, if only you will allow it."

His leg stilled, and the jungles itself seemed silent for a moment, waiting.

[Assassin 0]

Though the jungle was silent, the child's mind was not. Cluttered with thoughts and doubts beyond what her barely teenage mind could handle. An overload of things that she hardly understood herself pelted her skull like stones.

The girl dropped on her hind-end, staring at the dirt. Focusing every single thought away so she could think clearly was becoming more and more difficult. Freyd was pushing her against a wall that she couldn't escape from. She wanted help, but she couldn't take it. Her hands held her head, shifting her hair from her face as tears fell between her legs.

"I'm only a child, why should I be forced to worry about death in my daily life?! Why am I strained to be an adult by this stupid system of a game?! I DIDN'T WANT TO BE HERE!!" She started screaming uncontrollably loud. "This world is a piece of shit and I want nothing to do with it!!!"

[Freyd 0]

Post #20

Catharsis was never easy.  To inflict it on one so young, and yet not so young, was even worse.  Freyd stared down at the mud and loamy soil all over his boots, wondering why he couldn't be the asshole everyone assumed him to be and leave this shit alone.

"Sin-chan.  Assassin.  Child.  It isn't fair.  It's not even remotely close.   But you also don't need to face it entirely on your own.  I know plenty of adults who have cracked in here."  A pensive grimace fell upon his face.  "You're talking to one of them.  I completely cracked when Kayaba pulled his little stunt, and took years to get my head screwed on properly again.  You keep saying that you want to be stronger, faster, smarter."  A sigh slipped through his lips.  "I've seen how far you've come, and how much you have already grown.  I wish it could have been away from here and all of this... horror.  That can't be helped right now."

The Whisper slowly stood and walked to stand beside her.  He wouldn't treat her like the delicate doily she so hated and feared, as it if were others' only perception of her.  Instead, he'd offer to help her help herself - something she might accept, and would save face in the process.

"So, find people you trust and can rely on.  Keep them at your side and watching your back.  They will make you even stronger, even faster, even smarter.  More than you could ever achieve alone."

A black gloved hand extended, palm open and offering.  She need only accept.

***

Thread Summary:

Assassin receives:

5SP (1 page, +1 event, +3 quest)
400 col
<<Monkey Agility>> A strange potion which boosts the users evasion by 1. Lasts for one thread. Takes a post action to apply.

Freyd receives:

4 SP (1 page, +1 event, +2 mega-slime farm)
<<Monkey Agility>> A strange potion which boosts the users evasion by 1. Lasts for one thread. Takes a post action to apply.