[PP-F09] Cooking with Friends! {Freyd, Mina, and Elora}

[tricolor_mina 0]

Violet was bouncing around her house, a smile on her face as she moved around setting up a wide variety of ingredients. She'd caught some fresh Ragout Rabbit, along with a few dire boars and some wild greens. There were a few baskets of fresh fish and crabs, most of the critters still wriggling and alive. Nothing like a basket of fresh seafood to make you feel better about life! Akame was chirping away, chasing a wild rabbit around outside the window. Violet had decided to invite Freyd over to her house, and she was absolutely excited to meet his girlfriend.

Quote

Message to: <<Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows>>
From: Tricolor Mina:

Yo~! I'm taking you up on your agreement to learn how to cook~ Bring Elora with you, and meet me at My house over on floor 9! I'm about a Mile away from Yōgan Village, and it's super hard to miss it! You'll probably see Akame fucking around in the garden, and feel free to walk right on inside!

She busied herself prepping a few food items of her own, and making sure that there was something pre-made already simmering away in the cooking station that was nearby. Giant Quail stew, one of the newer items she'd decided to learn how to cook. She'd prepped it by cracking the bones of the giant bird with the special tool that the system provided, stewing it with roasted wild garlic and onions. And so far, the scent of the meal was absolutely divine! Violet bounced around in anticipation for their visit.

Hopefully they all got along, she wanted this to be a nice day~ After all, it wasn't often that she had company here.

Mina's Attire:

Spoiler

Tricolor_Mina | HP: 720/720 | EN: 106/106 | DMG: 21 | MIT: 78 | ACC: 5 | BLGT: 32 | BRN: 56 | FRSTB: 40 | V.D.: 72

Spoiler

Tricolor_Mina, The Guiding Light
Level: 32
Paragon Level: 11
HP: 720/720
EN: 106/106

Stats:
Damage: 21
Mitigation: 78
Accuracy: 5
BLGT: 32
BRN: 56
FRSTB: 40
V.D.: 72

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Jack's Burned Lament
Armor: Mask of Rose
Misc: Queen's Gambit

Custom Skill:


Skills:
Saber R5 (Combat Shift -> AoE)
Light Armor R5
Charge
Energist

Active Mods:
Meticulous
Purify

Inactive Mods:

Addons:
Focus
Resolve
Precision
Field Medic

Active Extra Skills:
First Aid R5
Parry

Inactive Extra Skills:

Battle Ready Inventory:

5x Field Rations (Purchased from HERE)

5x Silver Keys (Purchesed from HERE)

5x Silver Keys (Purchased from HERE)

5x Silver Keys (Purchased from HERE)

Housing Buffs:
Hard Working: +2 EXP per crafting attempt and +1 crafting attempt per day
Filling: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot.
Item Stash: +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot
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]

Guild Hall Buffs:

Scents of the Wild:

Wedding Ring:

[Freyd 0]

He felt weird. 

First, because the notion of a social call for the sake of learning the basics of cooking was completely alien to his persona; public or otherwise.  Second, because he'd actually forgone the comfort and familiarity of his adventuring gear for this outing.  Well, not truly.  It was all still on beneath the illusion shrouding him like a shell.  A spymaster could be called upon at a moment's notice and often was.  This was as far as he'd managed to push himself, and it would have to do, even if he looked like some sort of disheveled college student who'd just woken up after falling asleep cramming for forty hours straight.  At least he'd ensured that he didn't smell the part.  His hair was also genetically predisposed to rebellion, so he'd just given up on that.  A black hoodie was also about as far his instincts would allow him to verge from the native comfort zone of his cowl.  Still... progress?  Maybe she'd think so.

To: Elora From: Freyd Hey.  Mina has offered to teach me how to cook and do 'thoughtful boyfriend things,' whatever that means. She's a friend, though also slightly touchy about past trauma.  Let's keep it lighthearted and fun, which sounds right up your alley. She needs some friends. Mina's offered that we join her at her place on floor nine, about a mile east of Yōgan Village.  I'll wait for you at the plaza.  Look for the awkward guy without his cowl.   It already itches not to be wearing it.  Please come quickly.

Waiting in the plaza, Freyd chugged the ounce of protection he couldn't help himself from bringing along.  Memories of a certain bar and Mina's adopted family were still too fresh not to allow himself some small dose of precaution.  That, and she might not be as great a cook as she made it sound.

***

Freyd consumes:

Lesser-Duper Anti Snake Sauce (Salve) | Antidote 1 | 159468

Freyd | HP: 1140/1140 | EN: 148/148 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 78 | EVA: 2 | ACC: 4 | BH: 62 | LD: 6 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | REC: 8 | DOTE 1/1

Spoiler

Freyd, of the Freyloras
Level: 32
Paragon Level: 119
HP: 1140/1140
EN: 148/148

Stats:
Damage: 23
Mitigation: 78
Evasion: 2
Accuracy: 4
Battle Healing: 62
Loot Dice: 6
FLN: 16
HLY: 16
REC: 8

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Samael's Pride | T4 MA | FLN 2 | HLY 2
Armor: Fallen Angel Garb | T4 LA | MIT 2 | REC 2
Misc: Fight O'Er Flight | T4 Trinket | ACC 2 | EVA 2

Combat Mastery: Damage R3
Combat Shift: AOE
Familiar Skill: Grappling Familiar
Custom Skill:


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

Active Mods:
Night Vision
Tracking
Meticulous
Emergency Recovery

Inactive Mods:

Addons:
Ferocity
Precision
Resolve
Reveal
Stamina
Focused Howl

Active Extra Skills:
Disguise
Survival
Forgotten King’s Authority
Hiding R2

Inactive Extra Skills:
Meditation
Frozen Hide
Brawler
Photosynthesize

Battle Ready Inventory:
Teleport Crystals x7
Mass HP Rec [Inst] (+10% HP) x7
Mass HP Rec [Inst] (+10% HP) x7
Crystal of Divine Light (Reusable) x1
Rhino's Horn (Reusable) x1
Hmr.Pk: The Thing Behind All Lies (T4 Demonic MA, AA, Blight, Static, Para.Ven (Off)) x1
EWL: Hope's Covenant - Resolve +4 (T4 Demonic Weapon (MA) - AA, Phase, Frostbite, VO) x1
EWL: Glow Stone 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)
Hard Working: +2 EXP per crafting attempt and +1 crafting attempt per day
Filling: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot.
Item Stash: +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot
Delicious: Turn 3 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Feast. A Feast contains 6 portions of the food items sacrificed.
Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
Skylight (Searching): +1 Rank to the Searching skill.
Practiced Angler: +2 Fishing EXP per attempt, addition +1 LD/CD to fishing attempts
Advanced Training: +10% Exp to a thread. Limit one use per month [1/1]
Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll
Decor [Potted Tanabata Bamboo Tree]: This buff affects the player and their choice of up to two party members.

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

Scents of the Wild:
Yamata no Orochi Statue: +1 Loot Dice for a thread

Wedding Ring: n/a

Fishing: Level 4 | 460XP

 

Edited August 23, 2023 by Freyd

[Elora 0]

Her fingers were splayed, combing through rows of ornamental robes and special-occasion dresses when she got the got the alert. Scrambling to open her HUD, Elora resigned to return the merchandise she was already carrying back on display. That's to say, she nonchalantly sloshed them over the head of the nearest mannequin.  'Mina'? Who's that? -- A friend? , she went on to read through squinted eyes, Geez, sounds like she could use the company. I guess I can figure something out -- Tapping a finger against her chin, she tried to recall if there was anything else she ought to be prioritizing. Dress shopping can wait -- besides, there's nothing really good here. I'll have to see if I can find somewhere else to get what I need for the wedding. Weddings? I can't keep track of all this matrimony!

A series of blinks extinguished her train of thought. OH!, she suddenly remembered, returning to the message at hand. 

"Mina's offered that we join her at her place on floor nine, about a mile east of Yōgan Village.  I'll wait for you at the plaza.  Look for the awkward guy without his cowl."

"NO COWL?", she blurted aloud as a disgruntled employee huffed in annoyance. Does that mean -- did I actually destroy it that one time? What is he even wearing? A fleeting image of Freyd dawning a red bandana seared its way into her imagination and sent a shiver down her spine. OH GOD! No -- it can't be that! He said he's going cowl-less, cold turkey. That must mean -- he's dressing up? The prospect seemed unfathomable. 

Suddenly, she was panicking, sifting through racks at a speed she'd only seen shopaholics to be capable of. Finally, she found something remotely flattering. Brown -- a trusty color -- there's gotta be something to pair -- more brown! The endeavor proved fruitless as she turned one fringed skirt over another futuristic flannel. This isn't going to work! Alright -- plan B then!

Light green locks bobbed below the sea of fabrics as Elora ducked behind one of the rows to cobble together an outfit. Unequipping the outer layer of her usual garb, Elora resigned to wear the plain undershirt that wrapped below. Then, she slid each of her arms through the oversized robe she'd stolen off the shelf. Yeah -- that'll work!, she affirmed with a nod before her head turned to capture a glimpse of herself in nearby mirror. With heaps of disheveled hair, the scrawny elf looked more like a safari sighting than a sophisticated dinner guest. "Fuuuck...", she cursed beneath her breath. Fingers worked diligently to tame frizz and detangle the knots that twisted disparate strands together. After a series of unsuccessful attempts to groom her mane, she finally recalled that hair was considered an accessory onto itself. Shortly thereafter, she found herself perusing through a scrollable menu of various styles that were available to all players. A simple ponytail seemed enough to signal she was putting in some sort of effort. 

As Elora moved to exit the shop, she was met by the sound of an empathized, "AHEM!"

"Shit -- Sorry --!", she apologized to the clerk with a quick transfer of col.

---

To say she'd seriously misjudged the climate of Floor 9 would not be an understatement. Keeping no record of which levels she'd already visited was bound to land her in hot water, well -- hot lava, one of these days. Rarely a second went by where Elora wasn't fiddling with her hair or pinching her robe to billow air across her incubated boobs. At this point, she couldn't tell what sweat was due to nerves or to the hellish sauna that surrounded her. From Yōgan's central portal, she trudged around the plaza until her feet planted her beside a guy who looked vaguely Freyd-esque in appearance.

"I'm here --", she greeted with an exacerbated voice. Throwing back her head, Elora allowed the sleeves of her robe to roll off her shoulders and down to her elbows.

"Damn it's hot"

 

***

Elora | HP: 700/700 | EN: 104/104 | DMG: 26 | MIT: 98 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 8 | BH: 35 | LD: 3 | AA | BLGT: 32 | FLN: 8 | REC: 8 | STK: 40

Spoiler

Elora
Level: 32
Paragon Level: 6
HP: 700/700
EN: 104/104

Stats:
Damage: 26
Mitigation: 98
Evasion: 3
Accuracy: 8
Battle Healing: 35
Loot Dice: 3
AA
BLGT: 32
FLN: 8
REC: 8
STK: 40

Equipped Gear:

Weapon: Essential Verdigris (T4 Dem Polearm | AA | Blgt | FLN | STK)

Armor: Defense Mechanism | T4 Demonic Light Armor | MIT 2, REC 2

Misc: Emerald | T4 Demonic Trinket | ACC III, EVA I 

---

Custom Skill:


Skills:
Polearm R5
Light Armor R5
Battle Healing R5
Charge
Energist
Searching R3

Active Mods:
Meticulous

Inactive Mods:

Addons:
Stamina
Precision
Focus
Resolve

Active Extra Skills:
Concentration

Inactive Extra Skills:

Battle Ready Inventory:
ITEM x1

Housing Buffs:

Guild Hall Buffs:

Scents of the Wild:

Wedding Ring:

 

Edited August 24, 2023 by Elora

[tricolor_mina 0]

Violet carefully placed a small bundle of spices into the boiling liquid, a mixture of pepper, diced up celery, bay leaves, basil, wild carrot, and cinnamon bark. She uncorked a bottle of apple cider, her eyes on one of the recipes that players seemed to be passing around. A very simple bone broth for a simple meal, and something that only needed just a bit more time to cook. She set a pot of fresh wild rice on the stove, sighing.

The timers on all of the different food items and their cooking speed were vastly different from the actual times that most items would take to cook. Rice only needed 5 minutes, and the broth on the stove - which typically took upwards of 9 hours - only took around half an hour to fully cook. It was almost boringly easy, but it was a good way to just relax and prepare for a gathering with friends.

"Having fun, punk..?" Violet looked up, frowning. Akane was standing behind her, wearing his more casual gear. "Just prepping some food for friends, they're on their way soon." violet hummed, pulling apart some of the quail so that she could get ready to prep it. "I found a nice recipe for quail and wild rice, and I wanted to try that new bone broth recipe that Rosa sent me~! Wanna try some when its done?"

Akane shrugged, walking into the living room. "Don't care all that much, 'm tired." he mumbled, flopping onto one of the couches. "Just here 'cause I wanted to make sure there weren't any shenanigan's from Freyd or his associates." Violet pouted at her brother, before turning back to her cooking with a grumble. "Don't be a sour-puss! Freyd won't pull anything like that, he's not-"

"Not risking it, gaki." Violet let out a low growl, an irritated look on her face. "God you suck!" she snapped, pointing the knife in her hands at the older man. "You better not start anything, or so help me! I never have anyone over anymore, and I like hanging out with Freyd. We even reached an understanding, we're trying to help each other-" "I would still rather be around. Told you, not risking it."

Violet sighed, before going back to prepping the meat. She carefully braised the chicken, adding salt, pepper, black garlic, and sliding the meat into the pot of stew, saving the liquid it produced in order to prep a simple gravy to thicken the broth. "Lets see... cracked snow peas, purple carrot, chopped Daikon, potatoes... There!" She set the timer on the meal, and let it cook. "Alright, it should be ready by the time those two show up! Hopefully they haven't gotten lost on their way, this place really isn't all that easy to miss." "Or burn up, this shitty floor is hot as balls. Can't even wear my scarf." 

[Freyd 0]

Freyd was busy speaking with a group of shady-looking mobs when he heard the call.  Keeping tabs on local affairs and maintaining relations with the broker network was an endless and often thankless chore, but also necessary for his less obvious trade.  Cloak and dagger spooks didn't get days off.  Most of the NPCs in Yogen village just dismissed him as another in a string of endless adventurers just pass through.  He'd just concluded his latest conversation when a familiar sounding sigh turning sour with the slightest hint of whine came from near the portal.  

"I'm here -- Damn it's hot."

How does she never seem to manage to know what it's like where she's going?  He already knew the answer.  Elora was a whimsical creature, a free spirit driven by passion and blown about life by the winds of fate.  There was a certain seelie fae-ness about her, now that he actually thought about it, suddenly wondering whether the ears were a greater tell than he'd previously considered.  

"Have you never been to floor ni--"  Turning to see his beloved just in time to catch the tossed hair and slipping garment, the truest possible proof of Freyd's burgeoning humanity manifest as his eyes widened, jaw dropped, and brain conspicuously stalled.  "Yeah... hot," confirmed a suddenly parched throat.  How did she manage to incapacitate him so easily?  The functional, machine-based side of his brain was doubtlessly already working on countermeasures.  Meanwhile, he just stood there gawking with the stupidest goofy-looking grin on his face.  A spark finally fired behind his eyes, the tiny robots inside him doubtlessly having applied defibrillator paddles to restart his motor cortex.

"Here... uh... have some water."  Grabbing a canteen from one of the nearby merchants, he handed it and the sloshing contents to Elora, wondering how in the world he'd ever managed to find himself here with her.  Violet was going to have a field day with this.  He was certain of it.  But, he'd also made a promise to try. "It's a bit of an odd place for a house, but stranger things have certainly happened.  I think Mina's place is this way."  Closing the distance to stand before her, his skin crawled at being so exposed without his default gear, which was so odd given how often and casually he wore other disguises.  Maybe it was the company?  "You look lovely, by the way."  The absence of concealment for his blushing cheeks only made his face go all the redder.  Thankful for the floor's vermillion scheme, he could only hope she didn't notice.

As they walked together, heading away from the main market, the water merchant behind them was about to object when a small flood of col suddenly showered down upon him from thin air.  Freyd had included a very hefty, generous tip.

Edited August 25, 2023 by Freyd

[Elora 0]

"Thanks", she accepted the beverage with a lethargic reluctantly. After a couple of swings, she offered it in return, "You could use some too. You look pretty thirsty."  A poorly-concealed smirk was enough to reinforce the suggested double entendre. "You said a mile, right? Guess that's not so bad --"

Dragged soles soon morphed into an optimistic stride as Elora gradually regained her tolken enthusiasm. As they were walking, her mind couldn't help but conjure ideas of what this 'Mina' person was like. Who in their right mind would live in a VOLCANO? Did she grow up in a desert or something? Maybe she's got a hot-headed personality -- likes to barbecue a lot? , her mind was practically spinning like a Saturday-night slot machine in search of that winning prize. "I'm excited to meet her --", she finally revealed, "Thank you for inviting me -- I guess -- thank you for inviting me after she...invited you...?" The logistics were a bit confusing, but it didn't much matter. Elora was excited to be a part of this comforting call.

Soon, the duo found themselves swiftly approaching a lush cluster of deciduous trees, silhouetted starkly against a background of fire and brimstone. At least, Elora's pace had certainly quickened at the sight. "WOW!", she marveled at the swampy oasis as their pace spanned the transition between smoldering stones and spongy soil. Without hesitation, Elora had motioned to remove her ramshackled boots, allowing the cool moss to sink between the spaces of her toes. It felt so nice to hear the sounds of crickets, the croaks of toads -- she had started to miss them through the rundown walls of The Hummingbard Inn.

All around them, steam seemed to billow up and caress the stars above. Maybe 'Mina' wasn't such a strange person after all. Remembering her manners, the elven player returned her shoes as the two of them approached the doorway. What a mansion!, regarded Elora as her head tilted an exaggerated 80-degrees backwards to size up the building, Is this what people buy with that Frontliner money?  A series of blinks curtailed the curiosity. There was no reason to be nosey. Instead, she allowed herself in to the unlocked estate.

Edited August 30, 2023 by Elora

[tricolor_mina 0]

Violet was setting up the finishing touches on the stew, humming away. Akane was staring at the door, a frown on his face. "Shouldn't they be here by now...?" he grumbled, pulling out an issue of <<The Aincrad Times>> to pass the time. "They shouldn't be that slow, it's just a mile!" Violet sighed, pulling the stew off of the stove.

"Akane, not everyone is used to sprinting three miles in the span of an hour." she grumbled, shooting her brother a glare. "This 'Elora' character might not be able to, but Freyd can." "Not the point, dude. Have mercy on the poor non-fast people!"

Akane snorted, before going back to his newspaper. "Whatever, brat." Violet let out a huff, before turning back to the food on the stove and counter. "Fuck off!" she grumbled, pulling the rice away from the stove, a faint haze of steam flowing from above it. "If you're gonna be a jerk about it, then you aren't eating with-" "Don't care." Violet shot him a withering look after he'd cut her off. As much as she loved her brother, he could definitely get on her nerves. Violet scrolled through her menu, before retrieving Mask of Rose, sliding it over the scarred half of her face.

She didn't want to spook the new person

Speaking of, she could hear the door opening. A grin crossed her face as she saw the pair walking inside. Akane had perked up, turning to face the door with a bored look. "Welcome to the Leblanc Chateau~" she chirped, setting a few bowls on the counter. "Told you it's super hard to miss it. it is pretty green compared to the rest of the floor! It's one of the few locations that the Shadow didn't touch after the weird alterations the stupid thing did to everything else."

Akame had followed Elora inside, the tiny dragon chirping as she scampered up the greenette's leg, a content look on her face. "You must be Elora! Takeshi-kun told me about you~" she leaned forward on the counter with her elbows. "I can't wait to learn more about you over the time old tradition of cooking with friends~! Oh, and don't mind Akame, she doesn't bite. She's just a curious lil' lady~" Akane was watching the approaching pair from the living room, feigning disinterest. "Pretend like I don't exist." he grunted, turning back to his newspaper. "Not all that big on talking, just here to watch."

[Freyd 0]

A smirk and twinkled eye were Elora's reward as Freyd took back the canteen and downed it's remaining content.  "Guess we'll have to see if it worked," he offered, disintegrating the item as he dispatched it Elsewhere.  

"Thank you for inviting me -- I guess -- thank you for inviting me after she...invited you...?"

"Yeah.  I know.  It's kinda weird.  Mina's a good egg and means well.  She's had her own share of troubles, in this world and before it.  I should warn you: she's been scarred by them, physically and emotionally.  She may wear a mask, depending on her level of comfort, and can be understandably sensitive about it, so be warned. You two will probably get along quite well as long as you both pick on me, so feel free to run with that."  A wry grin perched itself on Freyd's face.  He fully expected to get teased relentlessly by both of them as part of whatever this was.  Let them have their fun.  Both would benefit from it, was his reasoning.  "Mina has it in her head to keep Rai and I from getting ourselves killed or dealing ourselves further psychological damage.  I have no idea where she got the notion, of course."  Tongue planted firmly in cheek, he plowed forward through the fiery inferno landscape with hands stuffed in his hoody's pockets and looking entirely too relaxed for the environment.  Thank goodness for the survival mod.  No wonder Elora's sweating buckets.  He added another quest to his mental to-do list for her benefit.

The house and surrounding grounds were a highly suitable contradiction.  "Figures," was Freyd's only comment as they entered the grounds.  Elora's sudden giddiness about the place made him laugh.  There she goes again.  It was no criticism.  Her joy of life brought meaning to his.  

A knock in the door and they entered, the decor not being quite what he'd expected and begging several dozen questions.  "Chateau LeBlanc?  Are you French, or do you just like the style?  It looks nice, by the way, especially the contrast with your neighborhood."  Persi snuck out from her nest and slunk along shadows to hide among the beams and rafters overhead, tiniest slivers of blackish blue only visible if you knew where to look.

"Oh, this is the return of Shadow's shenanigans?"  Freyd's eyes darted to their corners worried about the reference's impact on Elora.  She and others had suffered through those events much more directly.

"Erm... here," he offered, hoping to switch the topic away from darker memories by summoning a moderately sized wheel of pecorino and green glass bottle of something dark and purply.  "Wasn't sure what we were making, but these tend to pair well with almost anything."

***

Freyd swaps out Fight O'er Flight for the Shadowed Rose.  Updated stats:

Freyd | HP: 1140/1140 | EN: 148/148 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 78 | EVA: 0 | ACC: 5 | BH: 62 | LD: 6 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | REC: 8 | DOTE 1/1 | Para.Imm

Edited August 29, 2023 by Freyd

[Elora 0]

"Mina's a good egg and means well.  She's had her own share of troubles, in this world and before it.  I should warn you: she's been scarred by them, physically and emotionally.  She may wear a mask, depending on her level of comfort, and can be understandably sensitive about it, so be warned. You two will probably get along quite well as long as you both pick on me, so feel free to run with that." 

That seemed like a weird distinction to make, but she figured it made a bit of sense. She knew Freyd, Mina knew Freyd, -- he'd serve as a good buffer for both of them. Elora would consider herself to be somewhat of a socialite, at least, in situations where everyone was a stranger. Tonight felt different. Maybe it was being forewarned of Mina's especially dicey history, maybe it was because she was already a friend of Freyd's. Either way, she didn't want to sour her first impression. It was important that she got along with the people Freyd wanted her to meet. Nodding in agreement, Elora determined to make this work.

"Mina has it in her head to keep Rai and I from getting ourselves killed or dealing ourselves further psychological damage.  I have no idea where she got the notion, of course." 

"Probably from seeing you pass out before the start of every raid --", she offered in a half-serious tone.

Elora allowed herself to slip behind Freyd as he entered the home. It would be easier for him to handle the introductions. In the meantime, her eyes followed Persi into the rafters as the shadowy familiar claimed her new roost. The house was huge, but also welcoming. Each towering corridor seemed tidy, though dotted with various decorations that Elora couldn't quite distinguish. Her attention was drawn to the kitchen, abuzz with sounds, and saturated with the enticing scents of various spices. She couldn't recall the last time she had --

"Welcome to the Leblanc Chateau~"

Her mind snapped back to the present -- Before she knew it, they were being greeted by the bubbliest, pinkest-haired woman she had ever seen. Was this supposed to be Mina? Ever so slightly, she inched her way out from behind Freyd's shoulder until, "You must be Elora! Takeshi-kun told me about you~"

"Yeah, hi--", she confirmed coyly.

"I can't wait to learn more about you over the time old tradition of cooking with friends~! Oh, and don't mind Akame, she doesn't bite. She's just a curious lil' lady~"

Akame?, her eyes darted to the boy in the corner of the room, then to the dragon, then back to--

"Pretend like I don't exist.", the quiet player soon addressed her, "Not all that big on talking, just here to watch."

Elora simply nodded in understanding. Honestly, she envied him a bit for his earnest cop-out. Why did he come then if he's such a wallflower...unless... She spared a glance at Mina, who was busy accepting Freyd's contributions to their meal. Are they...related somehow...? It seemed strange to consider. They looked and acted nothing alike. Figuring it rude to ask, Elora floundered in search of something else to break the ice. "The food smells really good --", she piped up with her best impression at inoffensive small talk, "What did you make, exactly?"

Edited September 2, 2023 by Elora

[tricolor_mina 0]

"Oh, this is the return of Shadow's shenanigans?" Violet looked amused, shaking her head. "This is basically the remnants of what the original floor looked like~" she looked amused. "You'd probably remember it, ya goof~ it was a swampy mess back then!" It was a testament to what the boss monster had been, and how powerful its work was when she'd seen her house almost get swallowed whole by the damn thing. It had been a terrifying time, but at least now her house was just an Oasis in a complete and utter hellscape.

right now, though, that wasn't important

Violet had almost immediately flitted over to the pair once she saw them walk in, humming to herself as she took in the appearance of the slightly-taller girl. "Aw, she's a cutie~!" she chirped, "I see you're fond of green, lil' miss~ It suits you quite a bit!" She looked up, at the rafters, a grin on her face. "And hello to you too persi~ Don't forget to come down here and eat when we do okay?" Violet glanced over at her brother, a faint frown on her face. Why even show up if he was going to just sit there and ignore everyone.

"The sour-pus on the couch over there is my older brother, Akane. Freyd, you actually met him briefly a lil while ago~!" Akane grunted, turning to look at them. "Nice to meet you, I guess." He quietly turned back to the newspaper, chosing to ignore them further. Violet's eyes widened when she saw freyd produce a cheese wheel and some alcohol. "Wasn't sure what we were making, but these tend to pair well with almost anything." "O-oh..! Thanks~ We should be able to use this!" 

"What did you make, exactly?" Violet smiled, guiding the pair forward into the kitchen. "Giant quail stew with a side of wild rice~" she chirped, gesturing at the rather large pot of food. "A friend of mine got me into the habit of making large portions, we used to run a community meal day back at her guild hall." a nostalgic smile crossed her face. "Her specialty always required me hunting down a bunch of Ragout rabbit, I've gotten pretty good at hunting them down if you couldn't tell~"

[Freyd 0]

"Rosa?  I've... heard about her specialties."  A phrase so laden with innuendo that the words themselves could paralyze and inflict their own brand of suffering.  He'd read about those parts of the encounter between she and Raidou at Riker's Edge in the black book, none of which was germaine to the dinner at hand, save as a cautionary tale.  Hence his own quiet apprehensions.  Freyd was more interested in Akane's reaction, if any.  His presence was clearly not born of any desire for social time, though he probably needed it even more than Freyd did.

"I only vaguely recall the look of this floor before the change.  Can't say that I ever spent much time here.  But I can see the appeal.  You didn't answer my question before: is your family French in some way?  All of us live our lives under so many layered veneers, it's refreshing to think that the style is something personal bleeding through to the surface."  

Elora, meanwhile, earned a smirk and sideways smoldering glance for her comment about his passing out before every raid.  He'd been involved in three, so far, and dashed about like an absolute mad man in advance of each, often for limited returns or else the sole benefit of others.  Mina was a direct recipient of such efforts, as was Elora in the weapon she now carried.  They were all quick to tell him to relax, but entire raids could hinge on such reckless efforts.  Freyd chose to shoulder the irony in silence.

"So, you wanted to teach me a bit about normalcy?  I admittedly have no idea what that means, but I'm curious.  Where do we start?"

Edited August 31, 2023 by Freyd

[Elora 0]

A blush found its way onto her face in response to Mina's compliments. "Thanks", she smiled in a shy withdrawal. This woman was certainly chatty, and significantly more upbeat than she had expected. At least that meant she'd be easy to converse with. Honestly, she was surprised that Freyd could get along with her so well. Shuffling closer to the dishes, Elora suddenly seemed to perk up, "Oh! I love quail stew! It's been so long since I've had it -- and never with wild rice." She listened attentively as their host recalled her process between careful stirs of the pot. "That sounds like a lot of work.", Elora admitted as she imagined scenes of a nimble Mina chasing down and strangling the little creatures before sending them into a giant cauldron. It was a little bit morbid, but also kind of cool. "At least the game probably makes things a bit easier.", she concluded more optomistically.

"Rosa?"

Elora's ears perked up as she turned to acknowledge Freyd.

"I've... heard about her specialties." 

Oh, another player. Maybe an NPC? , she'd be disappointed to find the conversation was dropped as soon as it'd been introduced. As Freyd carried on with a different subject, she spared a few moments to investigate the other ingredients. Each counter was speckled with various spices, vegetables, and...crabs? Sure enough, a slough of tiny, scuttling crustaceans were making a break for one of the opposing ledges. "You've -- got a crabs problem --!", Elora blurted out as she struggled to catch each falling shell as it plummeted over the meter-long drop. Thankfully, their holding cell wasn't far, and she was able to dump the determined dinner back into the basket before it started pinching her.

"So, you wanted to teach me a bit about normalcy?", Freyd asked in spite of the incident, "I admittedly have no idea what that means, but I'm curious.  Where do we start?"

"Probably here", the still-scattered elf answered with the pop of his party favor. "I guess we'll need some glasses --", she suggested once she realized they'd be sharing the beverage.

Edited September 2, 2023 by Elora

[tricolor_mina 0]

"Rosa?  I've... heard about her specialties." Violet tilted her head, bemused. "I would hope so, considering you're usually joined at the hip with Raidou-kun." she shrugged, busying herself with the pot as she began to portion out the food. "I would hope you wouldn't paint one example as a spoilt batch, Takeshi-kun. Buuut, that's neither here nor there. We're here to eat and chat about things, not talk about murder~" Her smile seemed a bit more forced than before, her eyes losing enough of their twinkle for both of them to immediately notice. She made a bed of rice in each bowl, before spooning some stew into each of the bowls. A few presses of a button in her menu spawned in a few glasses for the wine, the transparent blue crystal sparkling. "And some fancy glasses for the fancy wine... tadaa~"

"You've -- got a crabs problem --!" Violet sighed when she saw that the ingredients were trying to run away and free themselves from their impending doom. "Yeah, they tend to do that." She materialized a knife, before easily chucking it into the shell of one of the crabs Elora had missed, the critter instantly dying and turning into the non-living food variant. "And it looks like that one volunteered to be a snack for later, oh well."

Akane had gotten up while they were facing the kitchen, casually striding past Elora so he could enter. "'Scuse me." he muttered, before scooping up a bowl with one hand, and moving back towards the living room. "Just taking one of these back over here, just a ghost stealin' food." Violet rolled her eyes at his antics, a frown on her face. "You could also eat in the kitchen with us like a normal person, you dumbass!" "nope!" She let out a frustrated cry, swiping at him with her knife. He easily ducked underneath the swing, exiting the room with a laugh.

Her brother could be unbelievably annoying at times.

"So, you wanted to teach me a bit about normalcy?" Violet hummed, picking up one of the remaining bowls, and moving over to the dining table. "Well first on the list, we munch." she said dryly, "Then, while we do that, we can talk about whether or not you plan on taking me up on my offer, or some other idle form of chatter while we take the edge out of ourselves with a nice meal~" She sat down at the table, leaning forward on one hand. "That said, though... Mask or no mask, Takeshi-kun? And no, I'm not talking about the one hanging off the side of my face."

Violet turned to look at Elora, amused "The other order of business, would be chatting about this young lady right here~" she mused, a cheeky smile on her face. "And me trying to puzzle out just what about her caught your fancy, other than how pretty she is of course! And of course, working with her to figure out how to teach you the meaning of what normalcy is. After we do that, Elora and I can teach you how to cook something nice."

[Freyd 0]

"I would hope so, considering you're usually joined at the hip with Raidou-kun."

Freyd burst out laughing.  

“Despite what you may think, Violet, Raidou and I do not actually share a brain and are not conjoined in any way.  I’ve actually hardly seen him at all, of late and suspect that he is busy getting ready for his wedding.”  Mina having filled it, he raised the pseudo-wine in a toast to those absent and preparing for their nuptials.  “And murder, really?  A bit gauche for the dinner table, no?  I actually meant her Ragou Rabbit recipe.  It’s the talk of several circles that should otherwise remain nameless.  Whatever else she does on the side is not for tonight's table.”

Navigating round the crowded kitchen to nab himself one of the proffered bowls of steaming and delicious smelling stew, Freyd followed their hostess to the appointed dining area.  He dodged aside deftly to make way for a passing Akane, keeping a keen eye on the suspicious man and his excessively odd behavior.  Waiting for him to leave, Freyd finally spoke up about his presence.

“No masks,” he agreed, honestly wondering if that was truly possible in the Byzantine court dance that was conversation with this woman.  “What’s his deal anyway?  He’s about as moody as that Jon fellow was.  Are all of the Arbiters this grouchy?”

The corners of his mouth twitched reflexively every time she called him by his name, not that it actually bothered him.  He simply wasn’t use to its casual use after so many years of living beneath layers of cowl and pseudonyms.  

“Elora and I met by accident, as I recall, while she was undertaking the tutorial quests for the first time.  It turned into quite an adventure, and then more followed.  We’ve gone through quite a lot together.”  Affectionately placing his hand over hers, feeling the warmth of flesh touching flesh for a change, he realized how much of his identity armor he'd left behind for this trip.  Even now he felt his instincts itching away at his insides, demanding that he crawl back into those layered bastions of personality  defenses.  Scowling from within his mental hidey-holes was so much easier, but that was the whole point.

"Please, before we begin, allow be to thank you for the invitation and hospitality.  I'm also going to apologize in advance for the many feet that I will unintentionally force-feed into my mouth this evening.  I'm really not very good at this sort of thing."

Edited September 6, 2023 by Freyd

[Elora 0]

Elora seemed to brighten as the intricate wine glasses materialized in front of them. Eager to get to drinking, she poured herself a portion of the wine and brought it to her lips. It was such a pleasant taste to return to. Shame it doesn't get me drunk, nagged a passing thought. She could only hope that good company would elicit the same effect. 

"...We're here to eat and chat about things, not talk about murder~", percieved Elora as her focus returned to the conversation at hand.

Ironic that she just killed a crab, her mind seemed to refute. 

"...And murder, really?", Freyd soon teased, "A bit gauche for the dinner table, no?...Whatever else she does on the side is not for tonight's table..."

Oh -- that kind of work?, she found herself musing between sips of wine, I guess that makes sense. Plenty of people around here do that, especially at 'The Fur and Tackle'. Speculation was suddenly cut short at the sight of Mina slashing toward her brother with the better end of a knife. Doesn't she know that could make her go orange?! , worried Elora as sights shifted to Freyd in anticipation of a reaction. He seemed surprisingly nonchalant about it all -- had she just missed the joke? I guess, that was a long time ago, she reasoned with an unpleasant memory of the time they'd battled Nepents.

“What’s his deal anyway?  He’s about as moody as they Jon fellow was.  Are all of the Arbiters this grouchy?”, her partner instead chose to comment on.

Why not just ask him?, she wanted to challenge, but the conversation continued. The guy seemed fine enough, just like he didn't enjoy rubbing elbows with strangers. It struck her as rather petty to whisper about that behind his back. In spite of her objection, she continued through the motions. Another sip of drink followed the delegation of her meal. In following suit of the others' platings, Elora added rice, then stew to her personal dish. They really like their rice, she determined, What a strange thing to have with stew...I guess it's worth a try -- Before long, the chatty duo lead the way to a decently-sized dining table. Elora attempted the precarious act of pulling out a chair while maintaining the contents of her bowl. The awkward success left her cautiously descending, then scooting in to her place. 

"...The other order of business, would be chatting about this young lady right here~", Mina continued after rattling through the itinerary, "And me trying to puzzle out just what about her caught your fancy, other than how pretty she is of course!"

Why does she keep talking about me like I'm not here?, Elora found herself ruminating through spoonfulls of broth. The vegetables were, realistically, the approximate temperature of molten lava.

"...After we do that, Elora and I can teach you how to cook something nice."

"Oh --?", was all she managed to utter before Freyd took the floor again.

“Elora and I met by accident, as I recall, while she was undertaking the tutorial quests for the first time.  It turned into quite an adventure, and then more followed.  We’ve gone through quite a lot together.” 

Determined bites mellowed into wistful stirs as she recounted some of their earlier adventures together. When they had first met, she was sure that Freyd and Kiluia were trying to rope her into a cult. She had, ultimately, decided to join Firm Anima, so maybe the suspicion was true. There wasn't really a time or a place that she remembered developing feelings for him. It had all seemed to come so naturally. Well, aside from Katoka. Katoka had definitely schemed to put the two of them together like some sort of edo-period Cupid.

Elora's fingers curled around his in turn. Of course, she continued scooping away at her stew like the two of them weren't just holding hands beneath the table. If Mina didn't notice, then there was no reason to give it away.

"Please, before we begin, allow me to thank you for the invitation and hospitality.", Freyd began, "I'm also going to apologize in advance for the many feet that I will unintentionally force-feed into my mouth this evening.  I'm really not very good at this sort of thing."

"Yes, thank you ", she finally spoke up, "And, yeah, same --"

 

***

Vanity tags:

@Kiluia Seiko @Katoka

Edited September 19, 2023 by Elora

[tricolor_mina 0]

“And murder, really?  A bit gauche for the dinner table, no?  I actually meant her Ragou Rabbit recipe.  It’s the talk of several circles that should otherwise remain nameless." Violet nodded, shrugging a bit. "Considering you guys have a relatively low opinion of her to begin with for what she's dragged me partially into... It was a valid concern of mine." She twirled the knife in her hand gently, "If you want to learn it though, I'll happily help teach you guys. It's a lot of work, though."

Violet willed herself to drop the happy-go-lucky façade she tended to keep up, following Freyd's request. No smile forced smile, her face turning to a slight frown, the twinkle in her eyes dimming away as she dropped her emotional mask. "Figured you were going to say that." she said idly, making the knife vanish. "I promised I'd work with you where you're comfortable, and since you aren't wearing your cowl... well, I'll happily meet you in the middle, Takeshi-kun." She made a promise, and she was damn well going to keep it. For both Freyd, and Elora's sakes.

“What’s his deal anyway?  He’s about as moody as they Jon fellow was.  Are all of the Arbiters this grouchy?” "They're grouchy because they're getting attacked for doing what people pay them for, aka their intel gathering." she said idly, drumming her hand on the table. "Akane specifically though? He's not grumpy, just not a people person. Its a real-life issue that made the unfortunate translation to this world of blades, especially once he realized that knives were a whole lot more real than he wanted them to be. Its why he uses knuckle dusters and handwraps instead of bladed weapons."

Violet turned her head, looking over at her brother. He was watching them, eyes narrowed as he stared directly at Freyd, a hand gently brushing against his throat. "Everyone... copes in a different way." he said quietly, before turning back to his newspaper. "Violet tries to keep up a happy Façade to make sure nobody worries... I push people away because I don't want them to come closer. The last time I did that, it crippled me in a way I'll never recover from in the real world. That, and I don't trust you or the Wanderer, even though I trust her judgement."

His hand tightly gripped at the upper part of his sweater, a sad look briefly crossing his face...

This time, Akane seemed to have fully re-focused his attention on the newspaper, ignoring the trio so that they had some semblance of privacy.

Violet quietly turned to Elora, looking the younger girl dead in the eyes. "That said, I believe I haven't Properly introduced myself." she said smoothly, "I am Tricolor_Mina, otherwise known simply as Mina, or Violet depending on whom I happen to be speaking to. I'm effectively an investigator, for a lack of a better term, and my preferred specialty is investigating people. Right now, I've been taking a vested interest in you two, especially Freyd and his shadowy lil friend, I believe he called himself Montjoy?"

Her smile returned, though this time it was sad, her eyes drifting towards Freyd. "I love a good mystery... but I promised both of them I'd take cracks at it at their pace, not mine." she shrugged, before turning to her food. "You both are an interesting pair, though. Even though you two may have met by chance, you're already a good influence on him, Elora-chan. I can tell you want to talk, so feel free to do so. And I apologize in advance as well for hurting any of you, it will never  be intentional on my part." Violet tucked into her meal, humming to herself.

"Itadakimasu."

[Freyd 0]

Freyd’s thoughts momentarily drifted to decimating the Ragout Rabbit population of Aincrad as a potential if temporary source of income.  ‘They’d all respawn anyway,’ he reasoned internally.  But, even with the Tracking mod, the endeavor simply wouldn’t prove profitable.  There wasn’t likely enough demand and it wasn’t actually possible to corner the market - only to stockpile.  Shame.

"They're grouchy because they're getting attacked for doing what people pay them for, aka their intel gathering."

And what about those getting attacked just for living?  Stuffing his mouth full of stew prevented any externalisation of the comment.  It was quite good, actually, so he happily slurped and gulped away like some uncouth barbarian set loose on a fine dining establishment.

"That, and I don't trust you or the Wanderer, even though I trust her judgement."

Pausing from feasting, Freyd’s eyes furrowed.

“You trust her judgement, yet you keep guard anyway?”  A single brow rose at the contradiction. Freyd’s interest had drifted to the newspaper in Akane’s hands, wondering what would interest such a supposedly disinterested person.  Was it even right side up, or was he just feigning the blasé attitude?  Intel gathering, Mina had said.  Uh-huh.  And now a comment about the cowl being down.  If she’d wanted it to go back up, she’d played it perfectly.  There were many cowls inside the cowl, with a few side scowls to spare.

His spoon paused an inch away from his lips when Violet mentioned Montjoy, a part of him wondering how much 'Mina' was actually driving the bus.  The rest remained curious to see how Elora would react, or even Akane.  Where was her little black book?

“What is that you’re humming,” he asked, after Elora replied.
 

[Elora 0]

Elora was momentarily taken aback by Mina's drastic shift in demeanor, but soon appreciated the metaphorical olive-branch to opening up. Honestly, this version of her seemed a lot more palatable than the one previous. There were only so many superficial niceties Elora could handle before she'd become frustrated or bored. Another spoonful of soggy rice prefaced the following conversation.

"...Its why he uses knuckle dusters and handwraps instead of bladed weapons."

Huh, just like Salem, she recalled her interactions with the unusually introverted new player, Seems like knuckle users really are a type. The observation made her wonder about polearm users. She didn't encounter them often, but they seemed a lot more common.

"I push people away because I don't want them to come closer. ", she tuned back in to their talk, "The last time I did that, it crippled me in a way I'll never recover from in the real world." 

Now that's interesting. Elora eagerly wanted to pry into whatever incident the boy was harkening back to. Whether or not it was justification enough for his distrust was still left to be decided. Unfortunately, his attention had returned to his papers as readily as it had been pulled away. It seemed the point was probably moot.

That said, I believe I haven't Properly introduced myself.", her focus was demanded by an intense set of rosy irises, "I am Tricolor_Mina, otherwise known simply as Mina, or Violet depending on whom I happen to be speaking to. I'm effectively an investigator, for a lack of a better term, and my preferred specialty is investigating people. Right now, I've been taking a vested interest in you two, especially Freyd and his shadowy lil friend, I believe he called himself Montjoy?"

That's a lot of names, considered Elora as she tried to decide which would be the most appropriate to use, Well Freyd's been calling her 'Mina', so I'm gonna go with that one. "I don't think he was that little --", she interrupted matter-of-factly, "Not like a tiny demon on your shoulder kind of of shadow -- more like a whole-ass guy." If Mina hadn't encountered him before, it was important to set the record straight. "Actually...", she added with a pause, "Is that right?" Elora turned to ask Freyd. After all, if anyone was to explain the mostly-doppelganger but not-quite-identical phenomena, it was probably him.

"Oh -- yeah --", she scrambled to set down her silverware before clapping her hands together and saying, "Eat a donkey mass!" She was still getting used to that custom.

[tricolor_mina 0]

“You trust her judgement, yet you keep guard anyway?” Violet shrugged at Freyd's question, a frown on her face. "Even friends can stab you in the back." she sighed, setting her spoon and fork down, her bowl already cleared of the majority of the stew. "He learned that the hard way, so his only solace is watching over me. Its... not like there's a whole lot else that he can do, y'know? He trusts... but he's scared that other shoe is going to drop, that one of you is going to hurt me irreparably. It's comforting to have someone watching your six, y'know?" her gaze drifted back towards Akane, who had moved to a chair that was further away, a bright red blush coloring his face.

At Freyd's question regarding her constant humming, she gave a faint smile. "Its Scarborough Fair, it was one of the first songs I listened to when I was learning English." She closed her eyes, "Declan was pretty fond of it, he'd hum it to me while we worked late at night. It's a gentle, peaceful song, with a deep meaning to it. It always made me smile to hear it back then, so I sing it now when I need to make my heart hurt less."

She looked at Elora in amusement, her eyes twinkling a bit. "At first I thought he was just a Gemini clone that Freyd had following him around, he certainly wouldn't have been the first~" she replied, leaning forward. "But instead, its like an entire different person that takes the wheel — and its Fascinating! Well, more of a different 'Aspect' of Freyd, honestly. Though to be fair, Freyd would know his heart, mind, and body the best — After all, he lives in it~"

she blinked at Elora's butchering of itadakimasu. "... you butchered that so badly that the auto-translator couldn't pick it up."

[Freyd 0]

"Donkey... what?"  Freyd seemed genuinely confused, because he was.  Whatever Elora was going on about might have been understood by Mina, but had clearly gone right over his head.  Mina's accounting for Akane's behaviour came as no surprise.  He'd faced his own share of betrayals and knew all to well the need to be wary.  Even coming here had taken some convincing, and most of that from Montjoy himself.  Speaking of which, the silhouetted marionette danced giddly about the room, likely moving the silent tunes cast about by the flicker and motion of candle flame upon the walls.  Shadows were weird about such things.  It was like feeding them catnip.

"Is it odd to have your own shadow watching your six," he quipped, rejoining the conversation.  "I mean, it's already there anyway."  Montjoy moved to cuff him on the back of the head, but his tenebrous hand failed to make contact.  How could it not?  He grinned mischievously as Mina ignored him and pressed on as if she'd never heard him speak. 

"At first I thought he was just a Gemini clone that Freyd had following him around, he certainly wouldn't have been the first~"

"Wait.  What?  What is that supposed to mean?"  Cutlery clanked loudly as it nearly fell from his hands.  She had struck a chord and instantly garnered his attention.  "Who do you know that has a gemini clone following them around?"  Freyd's face remained friendly, but there was something else flitting behind his hawkish features.  Whatever it was had frozen Montjoy in his tracks.

"Though to be fair, Freyd would know his heart, mind, and body the best — After all, he lives in it~"

His eyes flinched at that, though only barely, even as he held his gaze and tongue awaiting a response to his previous question.  While the candle flames still flickered, every shadow cast by them had suddenly stalled on their cast surfaces, like a crowd holding its breath.