[PP-F06] {Xena's Quest for a familiar} (Feeding Your Enemy)

[Xena 0]

Xena just stayed there for about 5 minutes, her body trembling as she went through what was likely a sudden panic attack. Certainly the first one she's experienced in Aincrad, her eyes felt like they were going to shake right out of her skull. She was whispering to herself, it sounded like she was just saying. "Be calm" Repeatedly, trying to force herself out of this sudden situation, it was only occasionally interrupted by a short nervous giggle, she knew it was all in good fun but the sheer suddenness had just, ruptured something in her head.  Feeling the hand on her shoulder she suddenly recoiled from the hand falling on her back as she crawled back a bit, her eyes in view looked like she had just had a near death experience, she quickly pulled her hood back over them, perhaps not wanting to make Freyd feel guilty, though by the looks of it he already did. Xena slowly came back from it after a period of 15 or so minutes, once she did she pulled her hood down slowly looking around at her surroundings. She slowly muttered something a few times barely audible enough for Freyd to hear. "I'm sorry..." Before finally coming out and saying it at a normal level. "I-I'm so sorry I-I don't know what came over me..." She looked at Freyd now feeling extremely bad with how he looked, she figured he thought he did something really wrong, she should of been laughing about it but she wasn't. "I-I didn't mean to ruin this... I'm so sorry..." She stated again taking full blame for it, she genuinely was bashing on herself internally feeling stupid for having such a thing happen, this was supposed to be a fun reunion but all she's done is be mad at Freyd and then do this. She was so disappointed in herself and it could probably be seen as she held her cloak shut around the front side of her, only her head really visible right now, coming to a slow stand she just looked at the ground not knowing what else to say.


Searching for Familiar: 203602 Nat 20 LD (Familiar can be found.) (Planned to be encountered in a bit.)

Edited February 12, 2022 by Xena

[Freyd 0]

If there was anything Freyd truly understood, it was the toll of psychological trauma.  He'd struggled through his own bout of PTSD, though no one had ever bothered to diagnose it as such.  Xena clearly carried her own baggage.  No one who stayed that long in the Town of Beginnings did so without some underlying scars - of the mental or emotional variety.  She had stepped away, so he took the cue and gave her the space she seemed to need, and time.  

Seating himself on a nearby fallen log, Freyd pulled back his cowl and stared silently at the emptiness that was his hands, feeling about as useful as the void contained within.  He didn't really know how to comfort, and prodding would likely only complicate matters.  So he waited, sitting and watching his hands amidst the sounds of the forest around them, still as the log upon which he sat.  Eventually, she stirred, all of her emotions tumbling out like someone had turned on a tap.  He simply raised both hands, palms open, as if warding off the need for any explanation or excuses.

"I've been there," he offered.

"I know that it's hard and complicated, and won't insult you by pretending to know your personal challenges, but I can tell you that I've faced my own, and it wasn't easy.  So, that much I get."

He paused, trying to think his way through their situation.

"Only you know what you're feeling or need right now.  What would you prefer to have happen next?  More than anything, you likely just need to feel like you're in control of something, or to block out whatever overwhelmed you."  Careful to avoid peppering her with questions, Freyd spoke slowly and calmly, trying to offer her opportunities to regroup and vocalize her needs.  At least their surroundings were pleasant and peaceful, filled with the chirping of bird song and whisper of wind between the trees.  The woods carried a surprising sense of serenity, if you took a moment to appreciate it.

[Xena 0]

Xena seemed to shiver and twitch a tiny bit still coming out of that spasm, she felt the need to apologize despite him saying there was need, she didn't want to upset him anymore then she already had though, or that she thought she had, the entire quest point was honestly null to her at this point, she wanted to just do something fun with Freyd, and this kind of thing wasn't it, but she knew changing the entire day around would lead to issues later. "I-I..." She just stood there thinking, honestly this place was her element, she loved jungles in real life and she loved this floor in general, she had thoughts of maybe even opening a shop here when she got a profession, but that would be later on. "I don't fucking know!..." She just blurted out covering her face with her hands, she didn't mean to swear like that but she did, she could feel the metal against her face, it honestly felt like she just punched herself with how fast she did it. "I just wanted us to have a nice time and just went and blew it!... I've been mean, I've been bratty, and now this happened!..." She simply blurted out into her hands, as if just venting her frustrations, she felt like maybe that'd help and letting Freyd know what was bothering her could likely help him help her. "I just wanted us to have a nice time... and do a quest like we did 2 years ago..." She honestly wanted to just run off at this point, but doing so would of been even more rude, and likely a bigger mistake then the ones she's already made. After about a minute or two she dropped her hands just mumbling quietly. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to go and make you upset cause of my own problems..." She had a feeling he was upset so she assumed it with speech, if he wasn't well that was just another mistake she's made today. You can add that too the list, her right arm moved holding the left on as she turned her head away from him afraid to even face him, afraid of what he might say despite knowing it'd be something nice, and even then that nice thing probably wouldn't help.

[Freyd 0]

Pressing his fingertips together, elbows leaning against his knees as he sat and listened, Freyd arched his slender brows as she began to blame herself for everything from the sun down to the ground, including every conceivable flaw in between.

"You sound like you've been having a rough time," he began, speaking slowly and calmly.  "And if there's anyone in this blasted castle that's going to understand social awkwardness, you're looking at him.  I'm practically the poster child for people who were once afraid of their own shadow, not that I try to spread that around."  Lacking any other visible options, he gestured to an empty section of the same log up on which he was sitting.  "You're taking a very big step, coming out here.  It's not easy, but it will get easier.  Give yourself some time to take it in.  Talk.  Vent.  Cry, if you need to."

The words felt super-weird coming out of his mouth.  Since when was he the thoughtful, sensitive type!?  Most people who caught his gaze worried that he was going to murder them.  It had its uses, but this was totally unfamiliar ground.  Reaching in deep, he sought out his own memories of the first days beyond the Town of Beginnings and used them for guidance.

"We can take all the time you need."

[Xena 0]

Xena certainly began to tear up by this point, she just couldn't understand it, friend or not she had been acting like a terrible person for a good portion of this trip, she just could not understand why he was being so nice. This personality of hers in fact was why she was alone so often, she was a difficult person to be friends with due to her having a rather brash and easily angered personality, and Freyd was actually the only person to take it in strides that she's has met and she just couldn't understand it. "Why... just why are you... Why are you so nice!" She had muttered the first few words before blurting at the last bit. She honestly just couldn't understand why he'd be nice to her, trapped in a game or not she was still just as rude as she was in real life. "Even back then i was just a horrible person too you! I... I left you to fucking die in that fight and you didn't even bat an eye about it when you snuck up on me!" She certainly had begun to vent, and it didn't seem like it would stop, she brought up every point she had that could make him not like her in her eyes, she just wanted to be called a horrible person like she thought she was, she sold info on players that could get them hurt, she had managed to send multiple players out of the safety of the first floor and likely got some of them killed, trying to help them or not. "I didn't even ask what you've went through when we first met back up... I brushed right past it when I should of asked about everything... And now you're here, and your... your nice, your kind, you grew as a person while I haven't changed one bit!" Xena wanted to just run from this situation, like she had back in the boar fight, like she has in every situation that looked negative. But she just couldn't bring herself to do it again, not without getting the words she deserved to hear thrown at her, and she doubted he would. Why was he even being this patient with her, what the hell had he gone through to learn to put up with someone like her for this long. The jungles wind blew through out the small path they had been on blowing her cloak to the side a bit as she just pulled it up looking away, it was at this point tears began to stream down her face but she just stayed completely quiet. She knew tears were a sign of weakness and she didn't want that weakness to show through to him right now. 

[Freyd 0]

Blue eyes winced imperceptibly every time she called him 'nice.'  He was giving what he thought she needed, as he had done with others.  Was that what 'nice' was?  Others had used the same words to describe him, yet he felt harsh and cruel most of the time, forcing those trapped in this world to come to terms with its realities.  Survival depended upon it.

"Me?  Grow?  Eh... maybe."  Discomfort mixed with unfamiliar humility.  He simply wasn't used to receiving compliments, and never expected to become so.  "I've earned by taking my share of lumps, and dragging others along for the ride.  You just need a chance to do the same.  Change will come, whether you want it to, or not.  That's just how life goes."  A shrug of his shoulders dismissed any attempt to dwell on it.  Freyd had spent too much time clinging to the past and now focused on the future; all of their futures, including Xena's.

"If you hadn't run, I wouldn't have made the play that I did, pulling the boar closer to the gates.  It wouldn't have triggered Marv, who came to my rescue.  He saved my life that day, thought it scared the absolute shit out of me, and took another year for me to even peek at the fields beyond the walls, after that." 

"I thank Marv by bringing him coffee and chatting with him every chance I get, but the truth is that I kept picturing our silly talks together when I did it."  His gaze refused to leave the ground, firmly fixed upon a small lizard playfully searching for something in the dirt between his boots.  "You were my first friend in Aincrad, Xena.  I will never forget that."

[Xena 0]

Xena just stood there, her legs clearly still shaking. "You're... you're just too kind..." After commenting that she signed softly removing a gauntlet and rubbing her eyes with her cloth sleeve. She finally calmed down, but this just didn't feel right anymore. "Thank... thank you for putting up with that..." Xena had sighed pulling hood down, looking over at Freyd, slowly walking over she simply hugged him. "I'm glad you find me worth while..." She stated softly, she didn't want to make him accidentally fall off the tree stump so she let go after about 5 seconds. She pulled her hood back up looking too the side. "We should probably continue moving, I just wasted like a hour of your time because of this..." As she stated that she offered a hand, to help him get up, the hand that had sense had its gauntlet removed, you could take this as symbolism of her dropping her guard now. She certainly felt she could trust Freyd with her life after all this, though she was even more curious now what Freyd had been through, she never met a player named marv she didn't even really know many people in general, most clients never stayed to chat so it was always business business business. Xena simply wanted to try and have a good time with Freyd now, try to avoid all the heart ache and stress. Maybe once this quest was done they could go to a tavern or something and catch eachother up on their lives. Of course that was if Freyd had the time, she wasn't entirely sure of what his schedule looked like, but he made the time to come out here so, it was nice at least. Having a friend who would drop everything to come make sure she was ok, she hadn't even had a friend like that in the real world. 

[Freyd 0]

Taking her hand to stand felt really weird, given her short stature, but Freyd didn't want to insult her by refusing.  Instead, he rose and flipped his cowl back up into position.  Persi sat on a nearby branch, watching them with the same disturbing stare as some peeping Tom anthropologist.

"What is it we're looking for, anyway?"  Xena hadn't really shared much in the way of details regarding what type of familiar she preferred.   "I'm guessing that it's some sort of cat, yanno, because ears."  He pointed to the top of her head as evidence of her fetish, and the source of his assumptions.  "Is there like, a secrets cat out here, or something?  Because that would be both cool and disturbing, depending on its size and prowess." The goofy grin was back again.

"And don't worry about my time.  This sorts of outings are my breaks.  Without them, I'd very likely have gone mad by now."

[Xena 0]

Xena's cheeks did grow a bit rosy as he mentioned the ears, she had been doing her best not to even make them noticeable though with her hood coming off and on so often it didn't really matter. One of them twitched the second they were even mentioned which Xena shrugged. "I was, planning to see if there was any tiger cub familiars, I doubt it but." She simply shrugged it off, turning away. If it would be anywhere it would be in a jungle, that was her line of thought. "I don't think familiars can go past a certain size sadly, heh I'd kill to have a nice big tiger as my familiar, it'd be so fluffy." She had seemed to start day dreaming about just hugging a big tiger petting it constantly the whole usually thing you do when you first get a pet, in real life it'd likely get her killed unless it was at the Zoo which she didn't have any near her in the real word. "So I'll settle for a cub, they'd be just as fluffy just smaller." She giggled for once showing a extremely girlish side of herself, fawning over how cute a baby cat would be. She was looking away from Freyd at this point walking forward slightly her tiger like tail shifting back and forth behind her under her cloak. Finally snapping back to reality though she immediately turned back. "M-metaphorically of course, I wouldn't actually kill someone for a pet tiger." Her voice didn't seem genuine but it also didn't seem completely ingenuine, it'd likely depend on the situation. Her rosy cheeks rather quickly went back to normal as she just whistled awkwardly putting her arms behind her back.

Edited February 12, 2022 by Xena

[Freyd 0]

Her response didn't seem to phase him in the slightest.  The man had a self-animating puddle of shadow-stuff as his own familiar and had seen everything from parasitic puddings to rock golems, to ice spirits as familiars.  Heck, he'd even helped people acquire more than a few such beasties.  This was going to be a cinch by comparison.

"Right. Oversized, super-fluffy tabby cat in need of a manicure.  Gotcha.  Shouldn't be too hard to find."  

Her own catlike features were actually a greater source of intrigue.  Aincrad had all manner of vanity items to help players hide or modify their appearances.  The red eyes she might recall from their first meetings, years ago, were the result of such a trinket. Meant to craft an image of something sinister and dangerous - not to be trifled with - he had put them to good effect.  So much so that they had become part of his very identity.  It had taken surprising effort to reach a point where he no longer felt the need to wear them and return to his natural blue.

"Well, this is definitely the right place to look for something like that."

[Xena 0]

"Well duh that's kind of why I picked it." Xena seemed to be just trying to ignore everything that just happened as she looked off into the treeline. "Although, I don't appreciate the teasing about me liking tigers." She simply commented in a pouty tone, she crossed her arms facing him now. "So, your the person with the searching skills, you wanna help me look for one or not heh." As she stated that she looked up at the mongoose giving the two the creep eye. "By they way i think your pet may be hungry, they've got that kind of look in their eyes." Stating that she looked back towards you, her tail was now shifting back and forth behind her from leg to leg, she just was happy now, which she was happy to feel so. She hadn't felt this happy in a while, maybe she should vent like that more. Turning her head she began walking into the jungle whether or not Freyd followed was up to him, he could most likely find her with little to no effort if he wanted. It took her about 5 minutes to actually find any familiars, she wasn't aware she needed to actually hold out the treat for them to spawn around her, surprisingly it was exactly what she was looking for, a small adorable and fluffy Tiger cub. Trying not to gawk at it and die from cuteness she just slowly went to offer it a treat. They didn't seem to notice her beginning to walk off which Xena looked a tad defeated by such action, quietly following the cub she'd try again soon.

Taming attempt failed:
203627 CD 7+1 = 8

Edited February 13, 2022 by Xena

[Freyd 0]

"What's with the cat features, anyway?  I mean, they kinda suit you, but it's surprisingly not a common thing to see in Aincrad."  

Wandering blindly through the underbrush of a tiger-infested jungle hoping to steal one of their babies didn't seem like a terribly great plan, but he'd tried worse.  Spotting a bit of spoor and then some paw prints in the damp, loamy soil, he was about to mention them when he looked up to see Xena trying to force-feed a tiger cub something from the gypsy's bag of pseudo Scooby-snacks.  Freyd's gob snapped shut, eyes widening at the gathered streak of tigers whose midst they'd just entered.  Scowling yellow eyes wrapped in fierce fangs and claws were all around them, irked by their sheer audacity at entering their territory.  One wrong move, or word, could suddenly turn things very ugly.

"Uh, Xena.  Look up.  Like, right now would be good.  I think we're gonna want to wrap this up real quick.  And if one of those fuzzballs falls for you, grab it, run and don't look back."  

Meanwhile, Freyd was trying to calculate how many tigers he could wrestle to the ground, and whether that would be enough for her to get away.

[Xena 0]

Xena wasn't exactly paying attention rubbing and patting the smol ball of fluff, she had managed to tame it after actually getting closer to it, having picked it up she feels a tug on her cloaks hood pulling it off having her tiger ears pop out as the rather large amount of tigers is brought to her attention, she didn't even look scared she looked like she wanted to pet them, that wasn't until Freyd practically began to drag her out of there. "Wait but the kittiesssss!" Xena simply stated watching them shrink further away, she was holding a ball of floof in her arms though so she was happy being dragged rather quickly by the hood of her cloak her boots dug into the ground as Xena simply hugged the small creature, this could be a problem is a single kitten distracted her this much. "It's so cuuuuuuuuuuuute!" Xena simply stated giggling before being plopped on her butt as the tigers were incredibly far out of range. She still continued to cuddle the adorable tiger cub who seemed rather tame.

Xena successfully tamed a familiar:
203631 CD 12

Edited February 13, 2022 by Xena

[Freyd 0]

While his partner was busy going all goo-goo eyes for the cuddly kitty, Freyd was very keenly aware of the number size and potential stats of the increasingly agitated mobs rousing themselves to anger all around them.  Xena didn't have nearly enough treats for a group of this size, and while he could carve his way out, there was no way to do so without her taking a potentially fatal hit.

"Oh, for the love of..."

Wrapping his arm around her and the cub, Freyd's eyes fell into darkness and sought the gypsy through shadows.  Timing would be key.  He sprang just as the tigers pounced, the sound of shattering crystal ringing out through the glade amidst a cacophony of angry roars.  All three of them fell through the underbrush, but then further still, reappearing a dozen feet in the air and crashing to the ground on a giant, spongy mat of moss.  Sounds of a woman's surprised screeching met them as they landed mere feet in front of her.

"I'll be damned," Freyd croaked.  "A lucky break?  I didn't think I was allowed those anymore."  

Freyd's head dropped back as he relaxed and released both of his passengers.  The shards of the corridor crystal had been left behind at their point of origin.  The gypsy was still freaking out about five feet away from them, half her jewelry having fallen off during her flailing panic.

"Lady!" Freyd complained, his back still aching from the sudden strain of having to haul ass in a flash.  "Dial back the shrieking a bit!  It's just us!"

[Xena 0]

Xena's eye's had only finally gazed up when she felt the hug like grab behind her, holy shit that was a lot of big cats. With mild panic as she was forced to fall backwards the world just, turned to void somewhat, Xena had never had the pleasure of using a corridor crystal before, they were a tad out of her price range at this moment. Simply hugging the small tiger cub the world seemed to shift and change, almost sporadically as it suddenly came to a normal vision, that of the tree line and the sky behind it, the only issue was about 2 seconds in the started getting further away, and Xena realized they were falling. "Uh oh-" She merely had the time to muttered before impact came, and it wasn't a soft one, not for Freyd at least, despite the moss that mostly broke the fall Xena herself would likely be like a gut punch to him, she herself wasn't hurt, not until a sudden and constant shriek started hurting her ears, which for the first time she let go of the cub covering them quickly, it didn't seem to help seems she wasn't used to the sound of NPC's losing their shit, which would be immediately noticeable as she just straight up screamed, or more shrieked in her own way. "OI SHUT THE FUCK UP, YOUR HURTING MY FUCKING EARS YOU DAFT ASS HOLE." Loud enough to disturb the birds in the tree's causing them to fly away, if anyone else was near them they would fucking more then know of their presence now. Xena stopping her own screaming just looked at the gypsy who had now thankfully shut up with a burning anger, though it was more directed at the sound she was making rather then her herself. "Please... never do that again in my presence." Her request was simple enough, she held out the bag of treats returning it to the gypsy who took it somewhat hesitantly not wanting to get mauled by the tiger girl who was clearly extremely agitated due to the shrieking. After taking it the gypsy walked off vanishing off screen after picking up her jewelry, Xena just plopped to the ground rubbing her ears up and down as a insistent ringing was burning in them, her tiger cub came over resting on her lap giving her a small smile as she rubbed its head now with one hand.



Ghost treat returned to Freyd.
 

 

Edited February 13, 2022 by Xena

[Freyd 0]

Thread Summary:

11615 words / 30 = 387*5= 1935*Tier

Xena receives:

2235 EXP (Word Count [1935*1] + Quest [300])
400 col (400 [1 page])
A Familiar of your choice (within guidelines).
Unlocks the <<Training Your Friend>> Quest

Freyd receives:

27090 EXP (Word Count [1935*14])
4063 col ( [Laurel, +15% of EXP as col]) - given to Xena