[PP-F13] Logos, Ethos, Pathos {Mina and Freyd}

[tricolor_mina 0]

Angel's Point, Floor 13.
Just outside of Freyd Edges.

Violet was at a loss as she stared at the group of what appeared to be some sort of makeshift tents that were set up on the edge of the settlement. She could see players bustling around the tables that were spread out around them. A piece of paper from Delilah was clasped in her hands, her fingers almost ripping the poor sheet in two. The older woman had reached out to her to see if she was ok after the shitshow at Rikers edge... the only one other than her own brother, who had been the first one to help her. He didn't talk for a very long time after all of that, something that she understood all too well. He couldn't talk normally back home, so when he got overemotional in the game, he found himself unable to speak, and only able to make simple sounds. The note that Delilah had left had suggested that she seek out Freyd for her answers, instead of hanging around Raidou.

Something that she could understand their worry for.

Violet adjusted her mask, her gaze focused on the figure that was toiling away in his shop, the familiar look of concentration on his face. If he were to look straight out of his 'Shop', Freyd would see her standing there, paper in hand. She looked the same as she always did... except for her eyes, which were dull and dreary. Dead-Fish Eyes, as they were called. The eyes of someone who looked like they were giving up. Otherwise, she was just dressed in her typical gear, including the intricate set of armor that Freyd had gifted her for some reason. She reckoned it had been Raidou who had told him to give it to her. Her hands gripped the paper much tighter, the bitter feeling in her chest giving way to anger. It always, Always seemed to lead back to the Wanderer.

Stats & Equipment

Spoiler

Stats + Equipment

Stats

• Level 32 (Paragon Lvl 11)
• 720 HP
• 106 EN
• 21 DMG
• 78 MIT
• Acc 4
• 32 Blight
• 40 Frostbite
• 56 Burn
• 68 Vamp. Def.

Equipment

 Armor - Queen's Gambit (T4 Demonic Light Armor(2 slots MIT, 2 slots Vampiric Def.))

 Accessory -  Mask of rose (Perfect T2 Jewelry (3 slots Acc))

 Weapon - Jack's Burned Lament (T4 Demonic weapon(Blight/Burn/Frostbite/Cursed)

[Freyd 0]

A rare day of toil in his shop.  Quip had threatened to burn the place down again, which made her seventh such delivery.  Based on past experience, eight was her threshold, so he'd told her and Dingo to take a couple of days off, transferred a small fortune in col to them both and bid them get the heck away from his stuff.  The store was a mess.  It had always been a mess and would likely always remain one.  Truth was that Freyd had deliberately chosen this floor with the intent and expectation that no one would ever bother to come so far out of the way to visit it.  And yet...

The shop itself was nestled in the ruins of some ancient monastery on the very edges of Angel's Point, abutting the outer walls.  He and Persi used to jump the battlements and hunt zombies in the outskirts in their early days.  It had been a while since they'd done anything so casually violent or adventurous.  Life had become complicated and laden with responsibilities.  So there he was, sorting through mountainous piles of unidentified items littering the entirety of his informal yard.  The game naturally dis-embellished such gear, requiring the appraiser's skill to reveal whether it actually merited any attention.  Freyd has spent countless hours in his small workshop, nestled by the pond and surrounding cherry blossom grove concealed in the grounds beyond this paltry gatehouse.

Never without his traveling clothes and armor at the ready, he toiled away, sorting, clearing and junking things into puffy blue fractal clouds, sending them back to whatever ether spawned them in the first place.  More grist for the mill, etc.  His cowl, the man's true shield, rested casually upon his shoulders while he worked.  An unruly mop of mousy brown hair splayed out all over, draping itself over those so-often cold and calculating orbs the colour of stormy winter seas. Reaching for a nearby cup of coffee, still steaming in a way that seemed to blend with the endless ambient fog that pervaded the floor, Freyd happened to look up and spot the figure at his doorstep. 

The two of them stared at each other in silence for a few seconds, as if he was appraising her in the same manner as he'd done with all the other bits and bobs strewn across the rickety wooden table laid out between them.  A small smile curled at the edge of his lips to break the stalemate as a second cup materialized beside his own.  With a gloved hand so dark that it might have been a portal to the void itself, he pushed it towards her and a mostly intact chair that she might use as a seat, if she dared.

"Mina."  He stated with unexpected warmth.  "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

***

Freyd | HP: 1080/1080 | EN: 142/142 | DMG: 24 | MIT: 78 | ACC: 5 | BH: 59 | LD: 5 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | PARA IMMUNE | REC: 8

Full Stats:

Spoiler

Freyd, The Whisper in Shadow
Level: 32
Paragon Level: 102
HP: 1080/1080
EN: 142/142

Stats:
Damage: 24
Mitigation: 78
Accuracy: 5
Battle Healing: 59
Loot Dice: 5
FLN: 16
HLY: 16
PARA IMMUNE
REC: 8

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Samael's Pride (T4 MA | HLY 2 | FLN 2)
Armor: Fallen Angel Garb (T4 LA | Mit 2 | Rec 2)
Misc: The Shadowed Rose (T3 Trinket - ACC 3 | Para.Imm)

Custom Skill:


Skills:
Martial Arts R5
Battle Healing R5
Light Armor R5
Searching R4
Charge
Energist
Quick Change
Extended Mod Limit

Active Mods:
Night Vision
Tracking
Meticulous
Untraceable

Inactive Mods:

Addons:
Ferocity
Precision
Resolve
Reveal
Stamina

Active Extra Skills:
Disguise
Survival
Forgotten King’s Authority
Hiding R5

Inactive Extra Skills:
Meditation
Brawler
Photosynthesize

Battle Ready Inventory:
Teleport Crystals x7
Mass HP Rec [Inst] (+30*T HP) x7
Mass HP Rec [Inst] (+30*T HP) x7
Crystal of Divine Light (Reusable) x1
Rhino's Horn (Reusable) x1
Hmr.Pk: The Thing Behind All Lies (T4 Demonic WH, AA, Blight, Static, Para.Ven (Off)) x1

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)
Working: +2 EXP per crafting attempt
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: +10% Exp 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: n/a

 

[tricolor_mina 0]

Violet quietly stowed away the piece of paper in her hands, the sharp burning of her anger giving way to a more empty feeling. Freyd wasn't the reason she was angry, it wouldn't be right to take it out on him by accident. It certainly wouldn't be fair to him, when he had really been nothing but nice to her, despite the rough demeanor he put off. He did save her life on more than one occasion, after all. Violet Silently followed him to the table he had set up for the impromptu meetup. A steaming cup of coffee was offered to her, the smell invigorating to her. It made her feel slightly more alive than she had been before, a faint ember flickered in her eyes, before quickly dying as she thought about why she was here.

at his comment about what she was doing here, she looked at him with a tired look on his face. "This is... unfortunately not a visit, for pleasure.." she said quietly, her voice lacking the usual cheer she forced into it as she took a drink from the cup in her hands, the virtual warmth failing to melt away the cold that had seeped into her bones. "... I wish it wasn't necessary for me to do this, and I wish that each of you would take me seriously instead of treating me as a mere child. Maybe seeing me drop the cheery act will make you three take me seriously for once." The bitter anger was almost overpowering for a moment, forcing Violet to reel it in with a sharp sigh.

"I just... I have a few questions about Rai... Can you do me a favor and answer them for me..? It won't take long, I swear."

[Freyd 0]

Candor.  A good beginning.  Freyd put down the widget he'd been polishing and gave her the proper appearance of attention. Even at the worst of times, a disinterested appearance from him carried eagle-worthy levels of scrutiny.  It just paid better dividends not to show it.

"First of all, I wouldn't hand that gear to someone I deemed a child and then shove them at the nearest available floor boss, but I can appreciate that our past encounters might give you pause."  As if to accentuate the point, he lifted his cup and sipped at the vanilla-scented liquid goodness within.

"If it's truth you want, and full disclose, then so be it.  You've fought on the front lines.  That earns you some currency.  But, buyer beware."  The surrounding piles of refuse made the statement all the more poignant.  "You may not like what you hear."

Leaning back, it was completely obvious that Freyd didn't expect this to end quickly.  Mina was staring at the mouth of a rabbit hole so deep that you could listen closely and hear the hundredth floor on the other side.  But his curiosity was piqued, and the conversation might reveal more about the elusive woman whom he'd stumbled into so recently.  She had interesting friends, and enemies.  Whatever the backstory, he felt like he'd barely scratched the surface, and cleaning was just soooo boring by comparison.

Edited May 8 by Freyd

[tricolor_mina 0]

Violet let out a soft sigh, shaking her head. "It's by sheer dumb luck that you havent gifted something like this to one of the younger players, then." she said tiredly, taking another drink from her coffee. "Fear of death aside, there are still kids that try to play the game, no matter what we older players might try to do. Its painful to watch, but there's really nothing we can do." the bitterness that had only been barely present when she had originally spoken was much more pronounced now. No matter what they did, there really was no proper way you could use to actually stop the younger players from going off on their own, and getting themselves killed on accident because they weren't being as careful as they should have been.

At his comment about it being one hell of a Rabbit hole that she was about to dive headfirst into, Violet fixed him with a look. She let go of the cup to retrieve the paper that Delilah had left her, holding it up to Freyd. It read 'I've counted at least twenty names alongside his on the memorial... and I'm not sure who else is on there with his name there. Go and meet with Freyd from Firm Anima, but be careful. I'll be watching over you when you show up. <3 - Omori' 'God, the irony of being watched over by a blind woman.' Violet thought idly, shaking her head and placing the paper on the table, before speaking aloud. "I already know he's killed people, and that he's done horrible things on top of that." Violet said darkly, her fingers going white as she gripped the coffee tightly. "I want to know just how far he's been driven to go, and I want confirmation of those actions. It'd give me a bit of closure, even if it'd hurt horribly to see just how far this fucking game is driving people like him." She looked down at her hands, which were shaking slightly. The dread and anticipation in her heart was affecting her deeply.

"... And I know I won't like what you're probably about to say, but at this point I think I'm just resigned to hear whatever sins are about to be aired."

A few yards away...

Delilah was leaning against a cloth wall alongside Akane, who was wearing a disguise. Delilah was wearing her civvy clothes, not caring in the slightest if she was spotted by anyone. To literally anyone else, she was just another face in the crowd. Her claymore was strapped to her back, and she was wearing a generic set of armor to offset the elegant looking weapon. the only other thing that seemed to offset that was the fact that she had on a pair of tinted glasses, which concealed her eyes, but still let her see clearly.

What kind of watcher would she be if she just sat there blind?

Edited February 12, 2022 by tricolor_mina

[Freyd 0]

"There are no children in Aincrad anymore," Freyd replied coldly, "just weary veterans in tinier bodies."  A tinge of regret carried in his voice, but Freyd had never been the type to let it stop him from whatever needed to be done.  The goals were all that mattered, in the end.  

That said, he'd been forced to realize that most people couldn't operate the same way.  The recent schism during the raid had laid that bare.  Players were fracturing, as individuals and as a group.  Division threatened their chances of survival, and so he had done what needed to be done, no matter how impossible, and changed himself.  Watching her now, he wondered at what other traumas Mina had endured.  She was shaken, which made him wary in many ways.

He read the papers thrust forward with such shaken limbs that he had to steady the pages.  A tap to his leg, as if a fidget, signaled his own allies to action, without alarming anyone.  Freyd was fully aware that 'Mina' might not be 'Mina', and while he trusted actual Mina, they both had enemies and it paid to be cautious.  One of those might easily don the woman's face to get at his secrets.

"So, let me get this straight.  You just told me that people are watching us, and you want me to just casually start answering a bunch of sensitive questions about one of the game's most potent and dangerous figures out in the open."  If it sounded absurd, that was because it was.  "I'll give you answers, if you feel that you really need them.  But I don't know your 'friends' and they haven't earned my trust."

Returning his cup to its saucer, Freyd slowly stood and wandered over to a doorway that led into the ruins of the monastery proper.  A darkened well lay out of sight, just around the corner.  A ladder consisting of battered iron runs was embedded down the side of the shaft, leading into darkness.

"What you're asking for it a private conversation.  Please watch your step while entering and exiting the rabbit hole."  

Persi slunk out of his pant leg and took up a guard at the only entrance.

"Nothing gets by.  Nothing."

Her blue eyes vanished as her mongoose form spread like spilled ink to cover every inch of the surrounding surfaces.  She ate field bosses for breakfast.  Nothing would pass.

[tricolor_mina 0]

Violet watched as Freyd approached the cathedral, a soft smile gracing her face finally. Her eyes flashed over to her watchers, who were nodding in approval at the other man's behavior. "He's a smart man, ne?" she said dryly, shrugging. "When we're finished, make yourselves more obvious, maybe playing chess or doing something clowny?" Akane made a rude gesture at her, while Delilah burst out laughing, a wide grin on her face. "Have a sense of humor, brat. The others are with him right now." "Could you at least NOT encourage my damn sister's behavior right now???" "Gehehehe! I'm just sayin that she's not the one we oughta be worryin' over!" Violet rolled her eyes before walking down the small path towards the chapel, her smile dropping quite quickly. She didn't have time to keep semantics up, she needed to do this now.

The man's familiar, Persi seemed to cling to the walls, bathing them in wavery shadows that seemed to bend and flicker as they grew in strength. Her own familiar was with Akane at the moment, considering how hyper the lil' lady was, it wouldn't be a good idea for Violet to take her down here for this. At Freyd's comment about watching her step, violet let out a dry laugh as she positioned herself on the opposite side of the ladder, taking note of the shape of the well that laid in front of her. "See you on the other side, ne?" Violet suddenly hopped onto the well, before sticking a hand straight up into the air and jumping down it one fell swoop. the rather bland room she landed in piqued her curiousity, but it wasn't why she was here. she moved to the side, an interested look crossing her face for a brief moment before returning to the dull look she held before.

[Freyd 0]

Freyd climbed down, skipping every other rung on the way down and making a show of tapping invisible buttons and twisting virtual interfaces visible only to his private HUD before opening the hatch at the bottom of the well.  It was crowded and deliberately uncomfortable.  The place was never meant for visitors of any kind.  Mina would be the first to ever gain access to his sanctum, and he wasn't entirely keen on the prospect, but it beat having this sort of conversation outdoors.  The hatch, built into the side of the shaft, looked like the type on might use to seal a submarine compartment, yet was oiled and well maintained enough to swing open without making the slightest sound.  Beyond lay a sight that belonged in another world.

Spoiler

The corridor was a brilliant arctic white that gave the feeling of passing through some sort of wormhole into a space beyond time, or possibly also an airport.  The two options were not so distinct, if you thought about it.  Dirt from their descent tracked on the pristine floor, each footstep echoing on the hard surfaces of the tunnel that led to another opening beyond.  Freyd bid her go first, as a matter of good manners.

"Forgive the mess," he added.  "I haven't had a chance to clean in a while."  There wasn't a speck of dust anywhere, save whatever they were just tracking in now.  Reaching the end of the hall revealed a circular opening in the floor and winding stairs leading down to a larger chamber below.  The volumes were massive, sparse in furnishings and truly lacking clutter of any kind.  It was a total contrast to the disaster the man kept as a shop on the surface.

Spoiler

Taking one of several labyrinthine side tunnels, he and Mina entered a massive, vaulted space lit by some hidden source high above.  A simple white slab floated in the middle of the room, which she suddenly realized was meant to be a table.  It seemed to hover about six inches above the floor, surrounded by comfortable seating mats and cushions.  Tea, cups and saucers materialized in Freyd's hands as he slipped into a more formal role as host.  A bowl of something scented and familiar sat on the far corner, as if an offering for a missing guest.

"Please, have a seat.  If we're going to do this, it should at least happen in a civilized setting and with proper manners."

Pouring her cup first, and full, he tended to his own afterwards, circling around to sit on the opposite side of the table so that they might more easily see each other.  A flick of his eye caused the opening of the room through which they had entered to vanish.  The invisible message in his HUD confirming that the house was locked down.  Now, they could speak plainly.

"So, what did you want to know."  Not entirely certain as to why, there seemed to be a plurality behind his language.

Spoiler

***

Consumes: Lesser-Duper Anti Snake Sauce (Salve) | Antidote 1 [159467]

[tricolor_mina 0]

Violet followed Freyd, a stoic look on her face, her dull eyes focusing only occasionally on the various scenes that they seemed to walk through. Rabbit hole indeed. Freyd's attempts at creating small talk were grating on her ears, so she quietly bit down on any rude remarks. It wasn't right to snap at someone who was being nice to her. The rythimic clicking of their shoes along the strange flooring, on the other hand, was oddly grounding... it was just unfortunate that it only would last a short while longer as they approached a smooth table, where Freyd seemed to offer her a chair, before taking a seat, and pouring them both fresh drinks. Violet sat down, staring at Freyd with the same dead stare that she'd had earlier. She didn't have the energy to try and keep up her mask at all anymore.

At his question at what she wanted to know, Violet's eyes snapped up. "I want to know whatever information you can spare about what he's done." she said calmly, before leaning forward, the bitter anger rising up and causing her words to have a stronger bite as her eyes seemed to flicker to life with a blazing flame within them. "And I want to know why you're just sitting there and watching him kill all those people... and helping him, even. Ameneti, her death was so fucking rehearsed it felt like you three had a specific plan for people just like that. How many people died like that before her? I can't say I'm sad that the little bitch is dead, but I can say that the way you guys killed her left a bad taste in my mouth."

[Freyd 0]

The tea was nice.  Not too hot, perfectly steeped for flavour and enhanced with the tiniest drops of vanilla for added aroma.  Listening intently as Mina spoke, his eyes focused on the ripples that followed the rise and fall of her tone on the surface of his drink, fascinating him with the level of care and detail it represented.

"Spare?"  He looked up, his brow furrowed.  "That's a particularly odd choice of word.  What makes you think I can or should spare any information at all, especially given your own declared state of mind?"  A hand raised to parry the predictable ire.  "I'm not trying to be difficult.  But you strike me as a person who appreciates precision of language, and we've gone from 'favour' to 'want' to 'spare' in the span of the last five minutes.  First, let's settle the preliminaries: why are you even asking me this?  I thought I was the meanie who was treating you as a child.  Nice trick, by the way.  I bet it works on people who actually feel guilt, but it may surprise you to know that my conscience and I talk on a regular basis, and we're total besties.  That will no doubt lead you to leap to some assumption about me being some kind of sociopathic monster, but we both know that would really be a projection on your part.  So, skipping ahead a bit to make sure our tea stays warm, why don't we cut to the chase?"

Raising his hand with long, spindly fingers splayed, Freyd counted as he replied to each point in turn.

"1. What people am I thought to have watched him kill?" 
"2. Had we not had such a plan, you would have been kidnapped and possibly killed?" 
"3. How is your difficulty dealing with dead resting bitch face suddenly being made my problem?" 

Flexing his hand to refresh his digits, Freyd returned it to his cup.

"Heh.  Look at that.  Didn't even need all my fingers.  Now, what is this really about, and please don't waste my time.  Quip could be back any minute, and I still have more mess to create."

Edited May 8 by Freyd

[tricolor_mina 0]

Violet chuckled humorlessly, a wry smirk crossing her face as Freyd threw her own words back in her face. She had switched between the proper terms quite frequently after all, so it was rather valid to throw that fact back in her face. "How Astute of you, Freyd." she said dryly, taking a drink from the cup laid in front of her. at his comment regarding childishness, she shrugged "If I came here in my search for answers instead of asking my fiancé or asking Raidou personally, then that ought to speak volumes for who I trust to treat me with respect. If you had treated me that way, I wouldn't have even deigned to follow you down here. I figured that I'd clear that up right away, ne? And as for the quote en quote 'Guilt tripping'? The first is a result of me deciding to stop hiding how I feel, the other wasn't even guilt tripping. "

When he mentioned the sociopathy bit, she snorted, shaking her head. "Emotionally distant, perhaps, but not a sociopath." she remarked, leaning forward onto her hands. "Sociopaths have far, far more obvious signs than those that you've shown. You're empathetic, you don't seem to display arrogance, and you seem to be the patient type that dislikes risk-taking. Raidou seems to have a habit of not only attracting people like him, but those that balance with his reckless behavior." Violet's eyes scanned the room, a bored look on her face. "Meanwhile, you just honestly strike me as either a NEET, or just someone who prefers to be alone, and away from others. That in itself is a far cry from Sociopathy, and is a perfectly normal behavior."

As he ticked off his own questions, she listened carefully, her eyes narrowed. After he finished, she began to tick her own fingers, shrugging slightly. "I'm unaware of how many that you have watched him kill, for one. That would be impossible, as I do not know how long you have known him, and how long he has been doing these things, though I do suspect that he has been killing and having others be killed for quite some time now." She held up a the note from before, circling the part about the monument. "Del counted at least twenty names, but she is well aware that the number present isn't even the tip of the iceberg regarding the mess you two seem to have made." she ticked another finger. "two, whether I was killed or not shouldn't have had any consequence on your lives. I would have welcomed my death with open arms, to live with a mask firmly in place is true suffering." another finger. "Three, I thought you'd appreciate me dropping the act of being such a cheerful preppy bitch. I was getting sick of acting like that anyhow, I can't keep it up at the moment anyways."

[Freyd 0]

Chuckle countered by another chuckle.  

"I'm really not sure if it's a good or a bad thing that I end up being considered the rational one, though your fiancée is clearly in a state of severe distress... or stupidity."  The chuckling stopped.  "That stunt he pulled during the raid could have gotten a lot of people killed.  The front lines are hardly the place for personal grudges to be settled, though it keeps with what I've heard of the historical trend.  It might also explain why we still have over seventy floors left to climb."

An eyebrow raised critically, loosing a bit of his frustration at the general lack of discipline among player ranks, but they were kids not soldiers.  It was just annoying that so much hormonally driven drivel had followed them into this world.  You'd think Cardinal might have found a way to filter that out.  Glossing over her deductions on his sociopathic red herring, Freyd refocused the conversation along another path.

"I thank you for that respect, by the way, and I'm glad that we can set out masks aside."  His impulses called for the cowl, but were suppressed in keeping with the prior statement.  "I begin with a friendly word of caution regarding what messes you ascribe to whom.  We each have our share, but only some are intertwined.  I can also attest that I cannot recall having watched Raidou kill another player, though I will not deny having done so myself on rare occasions."  He glanced upward to the spot where the green crystal should still be spinning over his head.

"Also, whether you maintain a mask with me is entirely up to you.  Were you to ask, I would urge you to drop it, as such pretenses only hinder our ability to work together.  Candor is always more efficient." Scrutiny and self-awareness remained forever necessary, but there was no point in putting a sour note into the mix.  Freyd genuinely appreciated the statement, even if he couldn't simply accept it at face value.  He didn't know her well enough.

"All death has consequences, yours included.  Whether you welcome it or not, I would sooner keep you in this world than indulge the machinations of Ameneti and her ilk.  You deserve better than you've gotten.  I won't lie or pretend that you haven't suffered tragedy, and won't cast you out or count you down for it either.  My goal is to ensure that you and others are ready and able to fight for the collective good, and to remove obstacles to that end.  Whether you choose to actually step up is up to you.  From what I saw against Gabrandr and in the aftermath, the answer seems to be 'yes'."

Leaning forward, Freyd pushed his cup and saucer to make room for his elbows, setting them together to cradle his chin.

"Lastly, the note you showed me earlier indicated that Omori sent you here.  And while I appreciate your consideration as the least emotional of your referenced trio, I must ask: are we actually here answering your questions, or Omori's?  My answers will depend on who I am truly supposed to be speaking to."

[tricolor_mina 0]

Violet closed her eyes, the dull ache of biting down on her heart making her wince internally. She just wanted to know what was going on, and now she had to play twenty questions just to even get there. She was the kind of person who wanted every scrap, every last morsel, of any kind of information that she could lay her hands on. She wisely chose not to comment on the frontline fiasco, something she wanted to forget desperately. It was just a rather pathetic display from both Jon and Raidou, and one that was very out of character for the red-cloaked player... though unfortunately it wasn't too out of character for her love. "... Let's not bring that up again... that day was a shitshow towards the very end, and I was just disappointed in some of the reasoning there." at his polite request to not intertwine his actions and Raidou's, she nodded, glancing at him. "My sincerest apologies, Freyd. I won't make that kind of assumption again."

She scratched at her hands, ignoring the imagined blood that was ever present on her fingers. Some things the game chose not to show other players, something she was glad that about. At his comment about death, she glanced at the table, the scratching on her hands becoming much more intense. "... There's quite a few days where I find it quite difficult to believe such a thing." she said quietly, ignoring the fact that she was probably going to damage herself if she didn't stop. "... To quote what I told Raidou, I'd rather spend my life trying to make a difference in another's, if only to try and make sure I'm making a positive impact somewhere. Even if I can't do it for myself, I'll work myself to the bone to try and better someone else. If I can't do that, then I'll never be able to face Him in the end"

Violet chose to ignore everything else save for the last part, which made her look up at Freyd with a pained expression on her face. "There's not a person in the Arbiters that doesn't know, but that hardly matters if they won't talk about it." she said quietly, her voice shaking a bit. "I asked Rosa, I asked my brother, I asked Fengor, I asked Ronan... and then I asked Del, or Omori as you called her. She still didn't tell me, but she pointed me in your direction with support from my brother... It seems that its caused a bit of a divide between all of us... All because I wanted to try and save him, and she does too.." Her voice broke on the last line, the anger giving way to painful sorrow, her head bowed as her fingers dug harshly into the backs of her hands. There were no tears, though her face appeared strained and her eyes were squeezed shut. Her next words were barely even a whisper.

"I just want to know why."

[Freyd 0]

"Face who?  Your father?  Your mentor?  Your lover?  Your God?  Yourself?  The courage required is the same, for them all.  So what is this really all about?"  The edge was gone from his voice, also easing from the hawkish features of his brow and eyes as they peered through her from across the table.  "You want to fix him, but that assumes that he is broken in the first place.  Maybe he's just doing what must be done: what no one else could do."

A sigh as he sought another way to deliver understanding.

"I appreciate that you want to help him.  I truly do.  But you should know that you've picked the toughest nut in the game to try and crack.  It will not happen quickly or easily, or without trauma, and I feel as though you've already endured more than your share."

Freyd reclined again, intertwining his fingers before him as his elbows came to rest on the arms of his seat.  

"You want to know why he would kill so many?  How anyone could?  For the same reasons I would: to give us all a fighting chance at survival.  Nothing threatens our ability to endure long enough to escape this place more than ourselves."

A pause seemed appropriate, to let that sink in.  Freyd also trusted that Mina was among the few who could truly appreciate the significance of those words.

"It is the very same reason why I changed my vote in the raid, Gabrandr and irrelevant tales be damned.  I don't give a fuck about him or his people, because they are no more real than words in a book, and would gladly have ended him in the moment.  But that would have shattered the front lines, possibly causing irreparable harm.  We would have won the battle at the risk of costing us the war.  And, make no mistake, that's what we're in.  Most of us are simply not willing or capable of accepting it.  If leaving some delusions intact preserves our ability to progress, and if culling those parts of ourselves that have become a cancer to the rest is the only way to save the body as a whole, then I will side with that agenda and accept the burden.  Regret is a separate matter to be dealt with privately and at a later date."

His voice never wavered as he spoke.  The words were candidly and calmly delivered, but with a meaning and intensity that burned right into her very soul.  This was the truth of Freyd's resolve, and the measure and depth of his devotion to their common cause.  It was why they were flip sides of the same coin and could synchronize with each other without uttering so much as a single spoken word.

"That is your why, Mina.  It's not pleasant or easy, but it's honest and true.  Saving him means accepting that we must commit to placing all that we are on the line for the sake of those who struggle at our sides, and for those who cannot.  Because that is what it means to be Firm Anima."

[tricolor_mina 0]

Violet let out a distracted sigh, glancing back up at Freyd. "Courage is the same, maybe. But the meaning of each of those differ from person to person." she said , ruffling her hair with one hand. "As to who it is I wouldn't be able to face..? My father is proud I've made it this far in life, I'm pretty sure God quit caring years ago, and I'm pretty sure I can look Jon in the eyes without flinching... my mentor, though? Declan would probably be disappointed." Violet leaned back in the chair, leaning her head all the way back so that she could look up into the brilliance radiating from above. "Not sure if he'd be pissed or horrified with my life choices right now... not even counting the shit Rosa and the others are currently pulling." A memory of her old friend, scolding Del and Akane for getting into fisticuffs, Pavan and Padmé carrying dozens of grocery bags after their shopping day. She was standing off to the side with Rosa, who was smiling at the pair in front of her.

... what she wouldn't give to see things be that simple for even just a single day.

Violet snorted, shaking her head. "He's definitely 'broken' in the head at the very least, what sane person would want to be that kind of Martyr." she said dryly, closing her eyes. "If the world could be fixed by one person losing their life for the cause, then we wouldn't have people dying for shitty reasons. We wouldn't be seeing places like this where ten thousand people are basically fighting for their lives in a death trap. Martyrs don't create change, they just force their followers to carry on with their work, forcing it onto their backs." Violet leaned her head back up slightly, a single red eye peering out of her hair. "... Just like he wants to do for you. Want to or not, I'd pity the one that's forced to wear the mask of the Red Wanderer. Though at this point, I'd wager that it is more of an ideology that those that wear it bear personally."

She leaned her head back at his comment regarding the murders. "... If I felt that I was strong enough, I'd take part in it myself." she said tiredly, absentmindedly scratching at her hands again. "I have no love for those who senselessly murder. But this world is dictated by numbers, and I lack the means still to go after the real problems... But the two of you don't. Two of the strongest players in the game, trying their damnedest to put down all of the players who get sick kicks out of killing each other. Violence begets Violence, Bloodshed begets Bloodshed, In the end it's just a vicious cycle... because at what point do you end up realizing that you aren't any better than the ones who kill others for fun. When you realize some of these people still think that Kayaba was joking, that some of these people are literal children doing this... it doesn't hurt even a little?"

Violet sat up, her eyes dead as she stared past Freyd, looking past him to see a ghostly image of Ameneti standing behind him, the lifeless body staring back at her, hate in its eyes. "God knows that even the ones I killed before I came here still haunt me... and sometimes, so do the actual players I've seen or heard dying." The specter faded away, and Violet returned her gaze to Freyd. "His death wish is what I want to fix, not his ideals. Not when I agree with how he holds them. I can appreciate how driven he is in his actions, but there is always another way besides dying just because you feel there has to be a Martyr for your plan to work. I refuse to let someone die like that, he's too young to die with such a bitter heart. Just like I know I am, and even most of Aincrad's residents."

"... So It's really not that difficult to comprehend... It's just painful to realize that we're forced to accept shit like that from such a young age."

[Freyd 0]

"Broken in the head?  Maybe.  But in one of the most admirable ways possible."  Freyd's tone smacked of honesty and respect.  "That sort of genuine selflessness is rarer than rare."

He let the martyr bit pass without comment.  If she was fishing, he simply preferred not to bite, especially as her statements felt far too much like bait.  Mina struck him as too capable of feigning intensity when it suited her purpose.  It was likely the way she'd snared Morgenstern in the first place.  Some men can't resist an excess of passion.  Then it dawned: no wonder she was so keenly attracted to Raidou.  The man was a profiler's wet dream, with drive on a scale to make Hannibal Lecter blush and salute.

"You're right.  He does carry too much.  Far too much, in fact.  We agree on that.  So far as what I choose to bear, or not, that’s up to me, isn't it?"

Another sip emptied his cup, Freyd savoring the final draught while her interest swung full round and turned into desire to partake.  It was like watching one of those great movie dramas where the plot takes a sudden, irresistible twist.  She was mad a him for doing what she wanted to do, but for doing it without her?

"We’ve already armed you with ‘the numbers’.  You’re wearing them right now.  If you wish to take part, then I will call when the moment beckons.  If you can face a floor boss, then you can face this.  You’ve also missed the point.  We fully realize what we are and might be called upon to do.  Whether it hurts or not is irrelevant.  It is necessary.  You can’t set a goal of this magnitude and then get squeamish at the cost.  You face forward, eyes open, and you deal with it.  This is what it truly means to wear the big boi pants."

Genuine regret revealed in the form of a sigh at her mention of children.  Hard never meant easy.  

"Sometimes you have to crack a few Blueberries to make an omelet."  The reference was likely lost on her, but it mattered not.  He knew what he meant, and this was a discussion, not a confession.  Mina's mention of deaths before entry caught his interest.

"I, too, knew what it was like to feel a life ebb from between his hands, before ever entering SAO.  It's a terrible price that no child should ever even consider or be expected to pay.  But once you have, wouldn’t It be the right thing to do to prevent others from having to face the same choice?"

Folding his hands in his lap, Freyd let her speech reach its natural and intended crescendo.  There was no need to be rude and interrupt, after all.  So much of what she was verbalizing had already played itself out in his head.  It was strangely entertaining to watch it happen from an external perspective, especially for a man who spent so much of his life trapped in his own mind.

"Well," he added suddenly, clapping his hands together with such a clatter that it echoed harshly off the solid walls and echoed around the giant chamber for dramatic effect.  "Then it should appease you to learn that the matter is already settled.  The Red Wanderer’s burdened has been curtailed.  We took care of it yesterday, in the middle of nowhere.  Intervention complete."  Her expression was predictable.

"Don’t believe me?  No.  I wouldn't either."

Fishing his hand into a hidden jacket pocket, Freyd summoned a familiar black book, unremarkable in nearly every way, save to those who knew to whom it belonged and what it contained.  Twirling it once in his hand, he returned it to its nook for safe keeping.

"Now, can I offer you any more tea?  You need to tell me more about these people you’ve killed."

Edited May 8 by Freyd

[tricolor_mina 0]

"Choosing to bear it or not, I really don't mind." Violet responded, her voice changing back to the more even tone that she usually used. All the anger from before had finally dissipated, leaving her with a soft blanket of warmth within her body. "As I said before, my problem lies with bearing such things alone. Others exist to help as well, you know. Don't be stupid and shove away your support systems before they can form." Violet framed him with her fingers, a wry grin on her face. "And don't pretend I'm capable of keeping up with you bastards, I'm not where I need to be just yet... and there's also other shit I want sorted out before I even think about coming to aid you both personally. I'm pretty sure you're able to tell I want nothing more than to see all of the variables lined up neatly before I even think about it."

The entire situation remained in a locked stalemate, and it was leaving an Acrid, bitter taste in her mouth. She wanted to reach that crescendo of power that so many others seemed to have reached much faster than she had, and today was the test trial of that. A small guild of four orange players, hand-picked by Del and Akane to pose the lowest level of challenge for the three of them. This had just been a pit stop on the way, as her curiosity had been unable to be sated without actually seeking out those answers on her own. Del had rolled with it, though Akane had seemed to want to stay far away, something that had baffled her at first... until she remembered that her brother had a dislike for Freyd and Raidou that Rivalled that of her fiancee's.

Oh well, he didn't have to get along well with him in order to work with him.

Violet listened through the rest of what he said, though at the last thing he said, specifically regarding her crimes in the real world, her gaze darkened considerably. There was the sound of shattering glass, and she was greeted by the sight of her teacup shattering violently, deep red marks briefly appearing on her skin before disappearing alongside the blue polygons. She'd only really seen that happen once or twice, and she was fairly certain both times she'd seen a player shatter a glass like that had been Rosa's doing. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes. "I can Appreciate the curiosity, Freyd. We certainly seem alike in that regard, at the very least." she said calmly, her opening her eyes to meet his own. "But my sins in the real world hold no weight for you, unless you want to offer something of equal value that would be worth me telling that to you directly. I don't enjoy talking about it, and besides that..." A ding came from her menu, and a Message from Del telling her to hurry it up already. "I'm in a bit of a hurry. My escort is waiting, and they were hoping to go deal with a small orange guild that's been problematic lately... so unfortunately, I'll have to cut this short... unless you'd like to come with me, and see those so-called "Numbers" in play?" Violet had stood up. her arms folded over her chest.

[Freyd 0]

"That was my seventeenth most favorite cup," he replied, deadpan, staring as the shattered bits of glass decomposed from solid to shards of light that then vanished into nothingness.  Freyd studies Mina's face reading from the claw-like grip of his fingers still trying to strangle the air where the vessel had once been.  Discomfort is an excellent teacher.

"I nearly killed a boy, when I was twelve."  His index traced the rim of his thirteenth more favorite cup.  It was as if he needed to assuage the thing's fears of a possible pending glassware Apocalypse.  "His name was Kyle, and he was an absolute ass - also the classroom bully.  Given your pressing engagement, let's just cut it down to say that he pushed too far and I lost it.  He never walked again.  Things were done and we moved to Japan.  It was a mess that still ripples through my life, even today.  Suffice it to say that I've known some manner of sin since well before Kayaba declared his own and trapped us in here."

Her story could wait.  She'd gotten her snippet and he'd have to act soon to avoid her associates flipping out.  A small vial of something gunky appeared and slid silent across the table towards her.

"You might want to take that.  One can't be too careful, but your companions likely wouldn't appreciate it much when I carried you paralyzed back to the street.  All of us have enough enemies without needing to add each other to our respective lists."

An eyebrow arched lifting the left edge of his lips in the process.  He could have just let it happen, but a goodwill gesture seemed more appropriate, especially after having poisoned the woman.  Perhaps she'd already come prepared?  it didn't matter.  Offering the curative revealed his ruse, but the revelation itself held significance.

"Sure.  Why not?  Let's see what you and these Arbiters of yours can do, with numbers and whatnot.  Do I need a 'Hello my name is' sticker or something?  I'm sure I could scrounge up a suitable substitute."

***

Thread Closing:

Tricolor_Mina receives:

2,786 EXP (Word Count [7966/10*5*0.7])
817 col (1 page [400] + 15% P5 Reward [417])

Freyd receives:

7800 EXP (Word Count [7966/10*14*0.7])
1,170 col (1 page [0] + 15% P5 Reward [1170])

Edited August 15 by Freyd