[PP-01] Fish Tales and Coffee Breaks <<The Third Lesson>> - Xena

[Freyd 0]

Snips and Snails was a popular resto-bar not far off the main square of the Town of Beginnings.  Freyd frequently visited the place to refill his coffee reserves, especially while on his way to one of his irregular visits to Marv or to catch up on the latest round of additions to the Monument of Life.  One was far more macabre than the other.  Oda, the owner, was an older fellow, which typically meant someone in their thirties around this place.  Few older adults were drawn to the appeal of new games like SAO with quite the same zeal and urgency as the teenagers and young adults who filled out most of the player ranks.

"Two," Freyd said, raising a matching count of fingers in case the crowds in the plaza were a bit too loud.  The marketplace was buzzing today, but even that was nowhere near the level of noise and chaos from the earliest days.  Xena would remember.

Towel loosely thrown over his left shoulder, a classic white apron wrapped over his plain linen tan tunic and pants, Oda was a slightly frumpy, heavier set fellow with slight jowels for cheeks and ears that protruded too much for comfort.  A pair of fat, floppy hounds were passed out behind the bar, occasionally twitching in reaction to some vivid dream.  All the canine features, plus the animals themselves, gave the place its atmosphere and its name.  Plus, it also kinda smelled like roasted coffee beans and wet dog.

"So, have you thought any more about your future plans?"  His interest seemed both casual and genuine.  Just making chit chat and trying to stay clear of more sensitive subjects.  What else were two professional spooks supposed to talk about in public, after all?

@Xena

***

Freyd | HP: 1120/1120 | EN: 146/146 | DMG: 24 | MIT: 78 | EVA: 2 | ACC: 7 | BH: 61 | LD: 5 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | REC: 8

Freyd offers: Gugnir’s Shard (Untradeable/Unique/Reusable Consumable): Crème Brûlée Tray | ACC 2 | Feast (6/6) - Takes 1 portion (filled)

Full Stats:

Spoiler

Freyd, The Whisper in Shadow
Level: 32
Paragon Level: 112
HP: 1120/1120
EN: 146/146

Stats:
Damage: 24
Mitigation: 78
Evasion: 2
Accuracy: 4 (+3)
Battle Healing: 61
Loot Dice: 5
FLN: 16
HLY: 16
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: Fight O'er Flight (T3 Trinket | ACC 2 | EVA 2)

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
Vanish
Surprise Attack (Assassin)

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
Frozen Hide

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:

 

[Xena 0]

Xena simply followed behind Freyd not paying that much attention, floor 1 was a stomping grounds for her in terms of layout, she barely knew any of the buildings though besides her own. And a few of the general stores, she had only just begun exploring other floors, floor 7 being the main one. As she walked behind Freyd her tail swayed slightly side to side in sync with her hips as she walked, the entire area was actually somewhat busy for a evening. Freyd seemed to know every single shop that was here, what more should she expect. He's supposedly a lead player that's carrying the front lines or something like that, it's shocking how much she didn't know about him now. When back in the day she felt like she could safely say she knew everything about him. Lifes funny like that she supposed, the two had stopped in front of a restaurant, supposedly one Freyd went too often. As she walked in the smell of coffee certainly was strong, it actually made her recoil a bit coughing once or twice. "Holy crap that's strong-" She'd mutter tears forming in her eyes not from sadness but simply her senses being attacked by the smell. She eventually got used to it sighing following Freyd as he booked a table, the owner of the shop was as Freyd would describe, 'large'. Xena had no reason to shame anyone for that, neither should anyone else. Though the dogs in the back gave Xena a minor shift in her legs, past experiences often shape how one sees new ones, and dogs we're certainly on Xena's bad side at this point. Her ears shifted on her head slightly pointing away from them now, as she followed Freyd to the seats she sat across from him her legs crossed one of the other, she almost always sat like that, she found it more comfortable and thankfully the seat allowed it.

Now it was time for the hardest part of this entire situation, the awkward small talk, Xena wasn't ever good at it, and with what Freyd asked its likely he wasn't very good either. As she took the moment to think about it she shrugged somewhat. "Well there's two answers to that, one for this world and one for the world we're locked from." Her eyes seemed to shift away from direct eye contact as she continued speaking. "I'd love to eventually set up a performer shop, seeing how recording crystals are certainly helpful for group healing, I imagine it could save many lives, but that's only just getting started. As for, ya know, that... I think I'll probably go visit family... hopefully finally leaving this hellhole won't bring any trauma with me..." That last part she muttered quietly, not even wanting to say it you would think. She softly sighed again before looking back at Freyd, she pondered what she should as the man before finally just saying. "How about you? Or do you already have the future set in stone? I imagine you would, seeing how you know a lot more then me heh." Xena very clearly shifted constantly in her seat, moving her feet turn her head turning her waist, even her tail could be seen moving around somewhat in a tense manner, maybe she's just shy for small talk, that or she's never sat down and actually talked to people before about things that weren't just information. Her eyes shifted around the building, no one was gonna randomly jump out to stab her, why was she so tense, even she didn't know for sure and that honestly annoyed her quite a bit. She could see the man who owned the restaurant at the other side of the building, through the cook window. It's surprising that one man could work a entire shop, then again she knew a few people who did that anyway so, maybe it's not that surprising.

Xena | HP: 360/360 | EN: 54/54 | DMG: 13 | MIT: 32 | EVA: 2 | BH: 7 | LD: 4 | BLD: 24 | REC: 4 | LVL: 18 |
Xena ate the offered: Gugnir’s Shard (Untradeable/Unique/Reusable Consumable): Crème Brûlée Tray | ACC 2 | Feast (6/6) - Takes 1 portion (filled)

 

Spoiler

Xena,
Level: 18
Paragon Level: 0
HP: 360/360
EN: 54/54

Stats:
Damage: 13
Mitigation: 32
Evasion: 2
Battle Healing: 7
Loot Dice: 4
BLD: 24
REC: 4

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Beasts Claws
Armor: Beasts Cloak
Misc: The Fierceness of Grass

Custom Skill:


Skills:
Claws R5
Cloth Armor R5
Battle Healing R2

Active Mods:
Untraceable
Athletics

Inactive Mods:

Addons:
Nimble

Active Extra Skills:
Hiding R2

Inactive Extra Skills:

Battle Ready Inventory:
Starter Healing Potions (50 HP) x3

Housing Buffs:

Guild Hall Buffs:

Scents of the Wild:

Wedding Ring:

 

Edited March 10, 2022 by Xena

[Freyd 0]

"My future?  Heh.  Good question."  An honest, wistful smile as he pondered the possibilities, his thumb absent-mindedly rubbing the edge of his steaming cup as his eyes followed the vapours to a place of infinite possibilities.  "So much of what I do is focused around broad goals: keep my guild safe; keep myself current on happenings around the castle; help train up and coming new adventurers, preparing to aid the front lines; prepare for and join the assault on the next floor boss, when the time comes, etc."

'Keep internal threats at bay,' he added in his private thoughts.  Freyd's true duties were never the most apparent.  Those just provided convenient and easily explicable cover for everything else.  It was like being in a constant state of war while looking like you were just endlessly preparing for the harvest. 

Harbingers and Sovereigns.

A chuckle, redirected.  

"It must all sound incredibly dull.  Maybe someday there will be time for more."  

[Xena 0]

Listening to Freyd she had a simple cup of milk instead of coffee, she wasn't very good with coffee, it always hurt her stomach. And she didn't trust virtual coffee regardless of if it even tasted bad or good. Listening to his plans they we're incredibly drab, she honestly hardly believed it. "I, honestly I can't see you doing some of that stuff. It just doesn't seem like you, maybe that's just me." She said her right hands pointer finger tracing the lip of the cup she had, seeming out of a impulse to keep her hands moving. "You honestly seem like you'd have a much more... well, I don't mean to offend when I say stalker role." She said looking over Freyds apparel, his skills, his choice in weapon. It all screamed a assassin in all honesty, maybe she was simply over thinking it. "I mean I can see the protecting your guild and floor boss things... not the rest." She quickly stated realizing she might of sounded ruder then she meant too despite already trying not to sound rude at all. With 3 fingers and a thumb her pinky left out her right hand had picked up the cup of milk as she took a sip from it. The strong of coffee in this place was honestly unbelievably strong, it was hard to believe it could be this strong from just coffee and not some outside source. Setting down the cup which was now only a third full her eyes shifted looking out the window a bit. "It's, hard to believe this is happening in all honesty... times always messed with me but, 2 years, is a bit much. To go without talking to someone and then having them thrusted back into your life... I can only imagine your thinking the same thing... Trying to tell if I'm anything like the old me. I can't say I haven't been testing if you were anything like the old you..." She commented not able to make direct eye contact, she was simply far too embarrassed to do so.

"Sometimes... I questioned if fate liked to play tricks on me, during those long 2 years... and now with you, being all strong and... even alive... I just find myself in so much confusion, almost like the world was spinning for so long, only for it to stop and let me no longer feel dizzy, I'm honestly afraid that, in a bit, the world will continue that spinning... and it might guide me to a world I no longer want to be a part of." As she talked her finger once again traced the lip of her cup, she couldn't make eye contact as she was more so looking down towards her cup, her mind spinning somewhat as she tried to make heads or tails of the situation maybe with some time she'd find her foot hold, but for now, she just needed to tell if Freyd would like to continue being her friend, she honestly couldn't tell. With how he acted, he seemed distant, as if he didn't even want to talk to her, or at least that's what she made of the way he spoke. It didn't help with his harshness towards her when she said certain things or acted in certain ways. Even her fawning over a cat seemed to gain a angered face from him. In all honesty that hurt her the most out of everything he's said to her, but not all of it's been bad, at the very least, the rest of that adventure was actually rather nice, if not at the very least somewhat frightening, what with the mimic biting off her leg and all, it was surprising how it felt, one moment she had a leg, the next, it was just gone, it didn't even hurt, it was just, a numbing feeling. She didn't quite under stand it at all. But she knew at the very least she was safe with Freyd there with her.

[Freyd 0]

"Stalker?"  Freyd practically roared with laughter at that one.  "Yeah.  Right.  Sure.  No offence to take there at all!"  

Actually, she wasn't far off from the truth.  Freyd's life in SAO had become akin to the role of a spider at the centre of its web, tracking and hunting across a field of its own crafting.  Ironic that the role of an information broker could be so similar.  The biggest difference was his willingness to get his hands dirty.  Even there, it was about choosing when to do so visibly, or not.  

"Two years changes a lot, depending on how they are spent.  I've seen a lot of shit, Xena.  A LOT of shit."  His smile deepened when she admitted to testing him.  Hadn't they been doing that to each other since the moment they'd both chosen to reach out and rekindle that old friendship?  For people in their respective roles, that was never either simple or easy.  It was a complex dance, woven back and forth and all around each other, revealing just enough truth to lure and entice, but not enough to expose vulnerability.  The latter was a liability - something they simply could not afford.

"I'm less and less the old me every day, all in good ways, I hope.  That boy was dangerous and afraid, but also ruthlessly vicious in his goals and appetites."  Mirth faded a bit from his face as he made the admission, looking more serene and introspective.  "I was a monster inside, Xena, or at least fully capable of becoming one.  It's a part of me that's taken time to temper and control, for the better I hope."

"This Freyd," he gestured towards himself, "is someone who has learned the value of friends and allies beyond mere commodities to be traded and spent.  But trust also takes time to build.  I think we had that once.  I hope we can have it again." 

Those were probably the truest, most straightforward words he'd spoken to her since they been brought back together again.  Not everyone got that privilege.

"I've met Fate, actually."  He sounded both like he was joking, yet wasn't.  "She can be both trivially fickle and yet also insightfully wise.  It's a paradox that I've learned to appreciate.  Take the spinning of the world, as you put it.  We can choose to accept that it will do so, and set ourselves to follow in footsteps of our choosing, or we can let it take us for a ride.  Both are choices that can lead to the same outcome.  The real question is: what do you want and how do you choose to achieve it?"

[Xena 0]

The laugh actually caught the kitten off guard, her eyes darting to meet with Freyd who was now laughing rather hard at her inquiry of him being a stalker. Though, such a laugh would entail some truth to it, talk about a lucky guess, whether or not it was a good thing. Maybe Freyd had been stalking her for a while, biding the time to meet her again, unlikely, but it was a somewhat silly yet enticing thought. She continued listening on to Freyd, as he spoke about how he had seen quite a bit, she couldn't really fathom what he had seen, she didn't even think her place to try. The most she could likely do was ask, and she wasn't even sure if she could do that. She simply nodded, as he continued on mentioning the fact that he had changed, for the better he had hoped, though she didn't seem to agree with him calling himself dangerous.

"Heh, please, back then you wouldn't hurt a fly. You'd just misdirect it into a fly trap." She had joked, but in truth she couldn't see the old him hurting anyone, not even a PKer. In all likelihood he'd of ran away from them, not that she could blame him, each time she's been forced into PVP she had fled at the earliest opportunity, those times could be counted on one hand thankfully, but they we're all equally terrifying. The topic of his time tempering his soul was brought then brought up, it was something Xena couldn't fathom, for all she knew her own soul was simply becoming dulled after all these years, maybe that whole guild business really does help people, the effects on Freyd we're clear as day.

As the topic shifted to the trust they once had and lost due to time apart she idly commented. "Well if it counts, I have trusted you with my life twice so far heh." With that she was referring to the tree jump and mimic, then again the mimic was a spur of the moment thing rather then the her own decision with the tree jump. "Though I don't think you'll be trusting me with yours though regardless of if you even wanted to or not." She said with a sly smirk as the level gap sorta made it stacked in his favor, by just a 'slight' (Heavy Sarcasm) margin. 

As he had begun talking about fate, how it was cruel and yet just, how it could bounce in and out of play. And how he had met it himself, and found his own way of dealing with it, she could only nod, fate had never been kind to her, at least, not without extreme effort. And it had certainly toyed with her on multiple occasions, sometimes, it even removed reasons for her to go on, she couldn't ever forgive it for those reasons. But she could continue to move on by forgetting them, she chose often to forget instead of remember. It helped her psyche that way, keeping it from shattering under trauma or stress. But sometimes you just couldn't forget things, some things even if you thought you locked them away, and threw the key into the abyss. They sometimes will escape that cell anyway, just to wreck havoc, on your very soul. Though, she had always taken the ride she was given as it was, taking it one step at a time.

"Well... I'd say what I'd want, was what most others do, to go home, to finally leave this, nightmare... you could call it..." She commented finally tracing her finger around her glass again, her mind had been on idle for such a long time that her finger didn't register movement for a bit. "In terms of means... I'd like to say by any... but... I'm pretty sure we all have lines we can't cross... even if the goal was... right behind them..." She commented looking away from Freyd, it wasn't a admission of guilt, more so as if she admitted she had been tempted once, only to never decide, or perhaps simply too of denied it, though what that might of been could be anyone's guess, and it would likely keep Freyd from trusting her again until she knew, but, she wasn't exactly in the mind space to be more open about it. "I'll be honest... getting out of here seems like a fantasy now... like something impossible... it's been such a long time... I don't even remember what year it is..." She commented, having changed it from morals, her mind had been stressing out over it, not that this topic was any better, she was simply trying not to get emotional at this point, the topic of home being a sensitive topic to her, one she trusted to Freyd not to judge.

After all, no matter what luxuries this place had, it was still just a dungeon, with a key that wasn't even remotely in sight, and Xena for one, didn't seem to expect to survive through this, no matter what she did. Who could even blame her, she thought at least, what with her being not even remotely suited from combat on floors above say 10, she barely even ever went above floor 6, she was simply too afraid to most of the time.

"Do... you ever think about home...?" She simply left as a final question, she had figured she had been talking for too long, about 5 whole minutes, her finger had stopped tracing the cup going to take a sip again. The way she held the cup now was much different, it was a formal way, she held it in two hands, as if during a tea ceremony. Something one might not even recognize depending on ethnicity, she didn't even notice it at first, but this was in fact a ceremony, in its own way. A ceremony to a brighter future for herself, or so she would let herself think, it would ease her mind, that was for sure. And that's something she desperately needed these days. 

[Freyd 0]

"Heh.  Back then I couldn't hurt a fly.  Wouldn't was another story.  Now I can.  What's changes is whether or not I would, or will, and under what circumstances."  He stopped to sip at his tea.  "My name appears twice on the monument across that plaza.  Two names writ side by side, who'd cornered Astreya while she and I were aiding a lost NPC maiden in a cavern.  They had us trapped but hadn't realized that I was also there.  I could have tried to stun them, I suppose, but both were already tagged as player killers and it wasn't as though they were going to announce their strength - this was some time back, mind you.  So I did what I believed I had to do."

No fanfare.  No boasting or pride.  Freyd was simply laying bare truth in a matter-of-fact manner.  He did it more often than most people realized, but when everyone is accustomed to you dodging their questions, they learn to forget how to listen when you finally do.  It wasn't clear to him why he'd recounted that particular story.  Maybe it was to let Xena know what he wasn't as dangerous as she might think he was.  Maybe it was to try to convince himself.  Maybe, he'd just needed to admit to the act out loud.  Another course of action might have placed a fledgling ally in considerable danger - the fatal kind.  

"We place trust with our lives in each others' hands every time we reveal anything about ourselves, like I'm doing now.  You know this." 

Or you should.

Freyd believed that she did, but could also see her trying to reach out through the stereotypes and perils of her status as a broker.  It made trusting harder, just as did being known or even though about as an assassin.  Common ground found.

"In terms of means... I'd like to say by any... but... I'm pretty sure we all have lines we can't cross... even if the goal was... right behind them..."

"Maybe that's where we differ, and where I've changed most of all.  Most people do as you say.  They will only go so far.  I make no secret of it, though people rarely realize to what extent I mean it when I say that there is literally no line I will not cross, if necessary.  It's not a statement made or to be taken lightly, and requires a level of resolve that can destroy a person, or leave them as a shell of one.  I've crossed lines that other's can't even fathom exist, Xena.  Which is why I also have to be careful.  I do it when I must, not out of cavalier attitude or self-destructive instinct.  But, if the stakes are high enough, there are no limits I will not breach."

Another honest admission.  He must be breaking some kind of quota.  Ironically, nothing he had not declared before, but she was getting the full package in one dose.  He couldn't help wonder what she would take from it.

I'll be honest... getting out of here seems like a fantasy now... like something impossible... it's been such a long time... I don't even remember what year it is..."

"That's one of those goals that pushes the limited of what is necessary most frequently.  Do we even know that time in here means the same as time outside?  I'd be very surprised if it did, and half expect to wake up thirty minutes after putting the Nerve Gear out, with the rest of the world wondering why we're all making such a fuss."  A sardonic chuckle followed, but apt given his views.

"Do... you ever think about home...?" 

Pausing to look inward, Freyd's brow furrowed a bit at that one.

"Yes, but not with any particular longing or fondness.  Me out there was a lot more lost than the me I've become in here.  If I fear anything, it's that leaving here will strip that away. Going back to who I was would be akin to a death sentence, banal and lost in a mind trap of my own making - very much as I was when we first met."  The last of his coffee vanished.

"Yeah.  That would really suck."

[Xena 0]

Xena had spaced out for a small bit, the world spinning still as she thought about anything she should bring up. Maybe she should tell him one of her adventures, not that she had very many at all, she came back to as he had began talking again. Frankly, her reaction was, perhaps a bit unexpected by Freyd, she seemed to just accept his admission to murder, even with him showing very little guilt. "I, personally don't believe in violence... at least when it comes to other players... I've gotten wrapped up in a few things but, I can't say it's made me feel, the need to kill... I always tried to find a way beyond that... Maybe that's why I'm still alive? I can't really say..." She idly commented, she wasn't a pacifist per say, but she didn't feel right, even having the idea of taking another's life. No matter how they acted or how many they killed, it wasn't her place, she wasn't a cop. She wasn't a person with the right to judge and execute on the dime. She wouldn't admit that she didn't exactly understand Freyd's reasoning, but understood he hadn't taken any pride in it, maybe it was cause she wasn't ever in any such situation. "Life and death... can we really say we have a right to decide it for anybody...?" She merely commented, her voice in a, hesitant tone, voicing her opinion in those few words, if you could decipher the meaning of them.

"You say, though trust... isn't a one way deal..." She stated, as if putting a knife to her own neck, calling herself out for hardly ever saying anything about her life besides snips and parts. "Would you like to know anything...?" She simply stated in a calm tone, fully ready to answer any question he may have. Was that perhaps committing a bit too far, most likely, but it was a spur of the moment thing, she had in fact felt guilty that he was now trusting her more, telling her more things yet she never said anything in return. Perhaps this would be a chance to get rid of some of that guilt, but it didn't really matter. 

The topic of the real world was what made Xena fully look at Freyd, it was a topic rarely discussed, he mentioned how the real world might not have even passed 30 minutes, though she couldn't believe such a thing. "I'm pretty sure that's not physically possible heh..." She simply stated thinking about it, it just seemed so impossibly illogical, that time could pass so longley in this world while it was so short in the real world. Then Freyd simply stated, the real world might be worse then this one for him to where Xena chipped in, simply saying. "Well, at the very least you'd have the friends who made it out of here...? All you'd have to do is find them..." She stated solemnly, though, that was far far easier said then done, she doubted it'd even be remotely possible, unless you somehow lived in the same city as them, and with it being released world wide, and with all the fancy technology that makes it possible, who knows where any one else was in the world.

The final line of dialogue was crossed now, as he admitted his lines, or lack there of, Xena looked to the side as he admitted to it. She, frankly didn't know if she could accept it, that Freyd well and truly would cross any line, a mild quiver could be heard in her voice as she simply mumbled. "Freyd... I'm not in any right to tell you how to live your life... but lines are needed... if you have none that's what can cause you to turn into a animal... It's why people are a part of guilds like laughing coffin... It's why so many people have died... If your willing to do anything... then what will you do once you've done something that will change you for the worst...? What happens... when you reach the bottom?..." She said, the entire time it was evident she wanted to clam up again, but she didn't and voiced her full opinion. Her eyes had a look of, fear, too tell the truth. After all, with what Freyd just said, he would kill even her if the situation required it, it was something that certainly devastated her subconscious, it was such a unlikely unbelievable thing, except it wasn't. After all, Freyd may want to trust her, but he clearly didn't, at least not entirely, what if she did something wrong, that he couldn't forgive. Such thoughts quickly weighed her brain down as her eyes looked down at her cup again. Her emotions we're locked away right now, though the keyway was slowly turning, she wasn't sure if she could keep this up, though, who was she to back down now after going so far. Simply staring down into her own cup, the milk swirling slowly, she didn't know what to think, or say anymore. The topic's taking their toll on her, Freyd seemed more then capable of continuing, he's likely heard all this before. She was just another copy of the same record most likely, maybe that's why this hurt so much.
 

[Freyd 0]

"Violence doesn't always cooperate with efforts to avoid it.  There are no deadlier opponents in this game than our fellow players who have chosen to prey upon or turn against their own.  I'm glad to hear that you've managed to dodge it so far, but don't bet on it continuing indefinitely.  If nothing else, at least be prepared."

"Life and death... can we really say we have a right to decide it for anybody...?"

“Absolutely: for ourselves.  If someone decides they want to kill me, and I decide that’s not okay, I will take whatever steps are necessary to oppose them, up to and including killing them.  I'd much rather avoid it, but some people give you no other options.”  Freyd knew where she was coming from, but her perspective seemed terrifyingly naive.  A PKer in your backyard isn't going to care what your world view is, or debate philosophy with you.  They're going to shiv you and take your stuff, or else do the same to others you care about.  Anything more than that was effectively overthinking it.

"Would you like to know anything...?"

A shrug.

“The most important question has already been asked, but I can be more specific: what are your ties to the Laughing Coffin or other player killers?  Why is or was their beef with you?  And did you have to make a deal to get them off your back?"  Willingness to talk would go a lot farther than just dodging the issue.  He'd shared on the hopes that she might do the same.  Details come with trust, and trust came over time - in both directions.

 "I'm pretty sure that's not physically possible heh..."

“Actually, it is.  You and I are nothing but parcels of light in here: bits and bytes of data floating in swarms across fiber-optic cables and processing units.  Time could mean something very different in this world.”

Freyd saw and gauged her reaction to his declaration in silence.  Everyone revealed something of themselves when he told them this, by their comfort or discomfort, outrage or uneasiness, and their assumptions as to his meaning and intent.

“You misunderstand.  I won’t just go to any lengths for no reason.  That’s what defines the animals you referenced.  But if it means pulling victory from the jaws of defeat, or creating an opportunity for survival where none otherwise exist, I will do anything.  It has to be for something real.  It has to mean something. I won’t throw lives or resources away without cause or consideration.  Both are too finite.  But it’s a challenge that all leaders must face: when and where to be willing to risk the lives of others.  Please understand: I never take any such decisions lightly.  Nor should anyone.”

She might have expected him to look wistful, or sign, but he'd accepted that this level of resolve could easily lead to his own eventual demise.  He wasn't afraid of that, and so wasn't beholden to it.

"If the day comes when I become the threat and must be put down, then so be it. I'll accept it gladly, to get everyone else out this digital tomb."

[Xena 0]

Xena continued to avoid eye contact as Freyd continued on with the talks of violence, if anything she was at least showing she wasn't some horrible villain, or she thought she was at the very least. "Being prepared is really the only thing that's kept me around..." She would simply mumble, despite how she acts or may seem her guard was almost always up, besides on very certain circumstances, actually the only time she had fully dropped her guard recently even with Freyd was when she had begun to fall asleep on that tree stump all that time ago, the tiger incident was a bit different being she couldn't really do anything about them regardless. She wasn't high enough level, she could of used a warp shard, but that would of taken about 30 seconds at the least just to get it from her inventory. Maybe she just trusted Freyd enough to deal with them, he would likely have had no trouble with that.

As he responded to her second line of dialogue she just watched his body movements, he barely made any as he talked, this wasn't the kind of 'It's for my own safety, I do what's necassary.' response. It was different, in it's own way, as if he'd do it with zero regrets, even she'd regret killing a PKer, especially if they were just trying to survive themselves, but. She could understand, life and death were always in the balance, and she would place Freyd's life above others most likely, placing her own life slightly below him, after all, if she died no one would care, she didn't matter. If Freyd died, well, that could doom everyone, he was a front liner and the leader of a guild that's important. That's about as important as you can get in life here.

 

 

Too her response of any questions he'd like to know he had finally came out and said it, ties to laughing coffin, her face would of likely turned pale at this point, not out of fear that she had somehow offended him, but the guild happened to have made her life hell for quite a bit. "My...ties...?" She said meekly, her eyes looking down now. "I have no ties to the guild, I've wronged them before in some way, and they took one of the few things I cared about in this world away, it's that simple..." Maybe it wasn't as she thought about it she continued on. "It all started one day a year and a half ago... this was shortly after floor 7 had been cleared I believe... I had someone come in asking about some player, their name was..." She went silent for a moment thinking, trying to remember. "I think it started with a E I'm not sure, maybe it was a L, regardless... I didn't really have much col left so, I went about learning what I could, nothing much, gear, appearance, are they in a guild et cetera, the normal stuff... turns out that player, well they we're a rather, high rank in the guild in question... and they didn't like being snooped around, even worse being sold out." She said turning her cup a bit as she talked, her hands we're mildly shaky as she wasn't exactly comfortable. "The usual happened I'd imagine, they put a bounty on my head that never got claimed, they took the life on my only friend at the time. And I went into hiding for about a year, I only had started broking again for about a month before I ended up contacting you." Picking up her cup she took another sip, looking away from Freyd towards the rest of the restaurant. "I assume they think I'm dead, who knows how long they will, maybe they forgot about me, not that some people ever forget." She let out a sigh before sitting back against her chair. 

After his opinion on how time could move was made she just waved it off. "Alright that's just hurting my brain thinking about it, I'm not a tech designer like you so I'll take your word for it." She stated moving her cup and just laying her arms and head on the table, her mouth covered and her eyes just watching Freyd, listening to the rest of whatever he might of said. Finally the worst part had came up, the lines, she didn't even want to actually talk about them anymore so she'd just take what Freyd said and accept it, it was a bit to much for her, she had a fighting spirit sure, when it came to monsters she may get a bit too into it, but fighting players, being willing to kill people for everyone else, or even herself, it just wasn't something she'd be able to do in good faith, or bad faith, she listened nodding occasionally as she did, her ears slowly leaning to either side of her head as if to signal tiredness. Though she wasn't actually that tired, she just didn't really know what else to say on the topic of lines and what to and to not cross. 

[Freyd 0]

Their conversation slowed and eventually stilled, both just looking at each other and their respective cups.  Both likely also empty.

"Come on.  Old Pete's quest isn't far from here.  It will help you wrap up the last of First Lessons chain and give you a bit more EXP under your belt.  Gaining levels is never a bad thing."

Leading them from Snips and Snails back through Marv's gate and out into the fields beyond, he veered off in the direction of Tolbana.  Boars milled around in the background, doing their thing.  The occasional bit of NPC traffic on the road made the place seem more animated, but the reality was that the first floor was largely abandoned these days.  Spread out over twenty six others, the player base just wasn't as crowded as it once was.  What would it feel like by the time they reached fifty, or even a hundred?

A small lake could be seen in the distance, not far from the town, but on the opposite side from where their earlier adventures had occurred.  It was easy to miss, nestled behind several small copses of trees and low in a dip behind a nearby hill.  A small dock and shack were nestled on its shore, Old Pete Larkin forever working on his gear in preparation for his next outing, just waiting for the next set of players to come along.

"Pete!  Long time no see,"  Freyd hollered out.

The NPC froze, his shoulders tensing.  Old Pete had a bad case of the crazy eyes.

"Whoever sent you, and whatever they said, I didn't do it!  Leave me alone!"

[Xena 0]

Xena didn't have much of a response to the sudden tone shift Freyd had brought, she just shrugged and followed him, not like she had anything better to do. She just felt exhausted after that, as if they had been having a debate for the past 4 hours when it was merely a 30 minute conversation, she wasn't used to talking that much in all honesty, who would of thought not talking to others for a long time would have that effect on you. Passing through the gate she stayed a bit closer to Freyd now, not wanted to get caught in a sneak attack by some wild monster, or perhaps player. Though this floor was mostly abandoned. "Wait old pete? Who's that? I haven't actually heard of them." Once again showing her lack of knowledge on most quests, she looked away realizing Freyd was likely about to snap at her again for asking another question when she really should of known by now.

[Freyd 0]

"Relax, Xena.  There's no real danger out here."  Freyd's demeanor was calm and casual.  He patted her on the shoulder to draw her attention to the NPC, even as Pete started scampering about in some frantic frenzy of denial.  

"This can only mean one thing: you took the mayor's money, didn't you, Pete?"  Rather than deny it, the old man was already running madly down the dock, crying out about some great legendary fish he'd just spotted, as if that was somehow going to get him out of paying back his debts.  It seemed like a sudden and strange turn of evens until a spectacular speckled swordfish leaped out of the water and pounced clear over the dock to submerge again on the opposite side of the pier.

"That's the one thing I don't like about this quest chain.  It feels too much like being part of some protection racket, going around pestering people for something that the mayor says he gave them but can't remember them."

"Come back here you slimy little bastard!  Help me catch him and I'll give you whatever it is you want!  Just... PLEASE!!!"

Freyd just rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Don't mind Pete.  He's, uh... a little eccentric, but we'll need to play along to finish the quest."

[Xena 0]

Xena had actually seemed rather calm until they got to their destination, the moment her eyes set foot on the large body of water she straight up stopped moving, thankfully by then they we're already close enough to pete to trigger the quest, he muttered his dialogue and Freyd responded in kind, Xena barely paid attention just slowly edging back bit by bit. This was a water quest, how did she not know that, her legs felt weak just looking over at it, they even shook a tiny bit. She didn't even hear what pete was saying and could barely hear what Freyd was, though seeing the fish jump out of the water made her jump back even further, having moved a good 10 feet back when she was originally only 5 feet away from Freyd and Pete. She just watched Pete scream something about catching that thing but she was not about to get near that water.