[PP-F01] A Place to Call Home

[Elora 0]

"Freyd,", he promptly decided, "Though you say it with great tenderness, 'Takeshi' rings in my ear as if the name belongs to someone else."

"I understand", she calmly agreed. Part of her felt relieved to know the feeling was mutual. For as much as she'd heard Mina speak his given name, Elora still hadn't grown accustomed to addressing him with it. She had only ever know 'Freyd' as 'Freyd'. And I guess that makes sense.

"There is a place I know, on the Eastern edge of floor six...", he soon suggested,  "It's... serene. The woods teem with life and might be well-suited to that alchemy you keep threatening to practice."

She smiled candidly before shooting down his suggestion with a cold: "Yeah -- there's no way I could do Floor 6 --" She realized the harshness of that answer might require further explanation. "Too many giant snakes -- I've never seen one, but trust me, I've read all about them." It was an especially-convincing excuse given that Elora never seemed to research the environments of the places she traveled to. "Also, nowhere has a right to be that wet.", she added for good measure. Part of her also wondered whether or not it was worth mentioning that that was where she'd encountered her gemini. Not an issue.

"Another option might be Florenthia, on floor eight...", he offered as an alternative, "It's neutral ground between the elves and treant, where both groups manage to live in peace."

"That sounds nice", she said noncommittally.

"I never did ask you about these..", he gestured to her cosmetic ears. An ensuing blush crept to their edges. 

"Well, there's a really deep and personal reason for why I chose them...", she began dramatically before revealing, "I thought they looked cool." Raising the back of a hand to shield her forehead, she feigned turning away in dismay. "I hope you won't resent me for choosing to look so whimsic--", a crack of laughter broke the facade. "Honestly though, why don't more people have them? We're in a fantasy world! We can look however we want!", she complained before dismissing the subject with a wave. "Anyway, if we don't want our home to be swept away in another cataclysmic flood, I guess we should consider somewhere else."

"None of the other floors seem to fit the bill or strike the proper tone...", Freyd admitted as his mind seemed to consider additional possibilities. "...except floor twenty-two, I suppose?" 

I could be closer to Katoka., she tacked onto his mention of proximity to the guild. For some reason, her mind wasn't satisfied with that decision. It wasn't anything against the guild or Kat, just that the area almost felt too familiar. In a way, it had become like her second home away from home. Well, aside from Freyd's at least. So it was really more like a third home.

"Or do we go all the way down to Urbus on floor two?", she caught him mentioning.

"Urbus...", she repeated aloud as if to give the name more meaning. As Freyd continued on, Elora began to search for the mental images associated with that location. On Floor 2...is that...? Brain sifting through the files of a thousand forested mountains, it finally settled on a chain skirted around an isolated plateau. Gradually, she was transported back to a homely bar, the day she had joined Firm Anima. A dorky smile drew from her lips as she remembered their encounter with the Venomous Warg. Somehow, their little spat and the painfully-poisonous bite now served as vignettes to even brighter memories. We had no idea then that we'd be here now.

Shooting up from her seat, Elora declared, "Let's go to Urbus!", with a resolute attitude. In either an endearing or frustrating manner, it seemed she had completely missed his mentioning of the final option. 

Edited November 23, 2023 by Elora

[Freyd 0]

"Let's go to Urbus!"

Mouth still forming words and possibilities, but voice halted by Elora's declaration, Freyd's brows had risen by the sudden strength of her convictions.  

"Sure," he added, eagerly agreeing.  "Urbus will have a lot of potential.  Maybe someplace near the High Fields of Crossing?  I always liked the name.  There must be some safe zone or pocket nearby where we could plunk our place."  Rising from his lotus crouch by unfolding his legs, it was like someone had pressed a trigger on some scissor lift and compelled him to ascend.  Back on his feet, Freyd dusted himself off before extending a hand to help Elora to her feet so that they could make the journey.  

"Most of the second floor is fairly rustic.  There's plenty of timber and stone to work with, which could easily be adapted.  My last place was cold.  I'd love our home to feel warm and welcoming." His expression became pensive.  "Our home," he repeated, really liking the sound of that and giving her hand a gentle squeeze for joy without even realizing that he'd done so.  "The place is also full of waterfalls, lakes and streams.  It's often cool, but not cold: like a late Summer or early Fall.  And it's full of pines, so no endlessly falling leaves.  The smell is also fantastic.  It reminds me of the redwood trees we used to play around when I was a kid."  A certain infectious zeal subtly spread into Freyd's speech as he recalled the rarest of pleasant childhood memories, without even realizing it.  "You'll love it.  And I know just the grove too!"   They were practically jogging by the time they reached the teleportation plaza in Angel's Point.

"Urbus," he declared, beaming with anticipation and watched the world melt away.  A fresh cool breeze instantly replaced the sluggish, moldy humidity of floor thirteen as a bustling city materialized before them.   Freyd was already pouring through his inventory, as if searching for something, by the time Elora materialized at his side.  Waving down a local merchant, she saw him make a few gestures and the merchant smile, acknowledging some secretive transaction that couldn't quite be deciphered, so quickly had it passed.

"We'll want to head north to reach the plateau.  The place I have in mind is in a sheltered valley fed from streams that cascade down the cliff faces.  It shouldn't take us long to get there."

[Elora 0]

There was barely enough time to rally their familiars as the duo set off on an expedition to Floor 2. With Freyd's hand in her own, Elora felt as if she was being towed, no, guided into the next chapter of their lives.

"Most of the second floor is fairly rustic." , he began to explain, "There's plenty of timber and stone to work with, which could easily be adapted..."

"Does that mean we'll be building it ourselves?", she asked. Perhaps the question sounded naive, but Elora was completely unacquainted with how the home-ownership process in Aincrad worked. "I just thought we'd be moving into a building that already existed -- this is a lot more exciting then!" A bound in her step seemed to reinforce that sentiment.

"The place is also full of waterfalls, lakes and streams..."

"Perfect for you to go fishing!"

"It's often cool, but not cold: like a late Summer or early Fall..."

"That'll be great!"

The pragmatic conversation quickly morphed into one of elated visualization as the two of them considered each appealing aspect of their move. Elora wondered if this was how newly-weds felt when they searched for a place to settle down. 

"And it's full of pines, so no endlessly falling leaves.  The smell is also fantastic.  It reminds me of the redwood trees we used to play around when I was a kid."

Maybe Freyd couldn't see it from his leading position, but a blissful smile beamed from Elora's face at hearing that remark. It's so wonderful to see him so happy., she reflected contentedly. It was a true rarity to see him express such jubilant emotions, especially when recounting experiences outside the game. She spent a few bittersweet seconds cherishing this day, this moment. So often they seemed to vanish too soon.

The kaleidoscopic teleportation sequence appeared more vibrant than before as a multitude of colors fizzled away to reveal the entrance to Urbus. Spawned mere footsteps away from a sizable chasm, the pair continued forward to span the settlement's singular bridge.

Freyd quickly B-lined his way to a merchant stall to do whatever dark wizardry it was that merchants did. Elora never could understand the song and dance they performed between each bartering session and shadowy transaction.

"We'll want to head north to reach the plateau.", he said, returning to her, "The place I have in mind is in a sheltered valley fed from streams that cascade down the cliff faces.  It shouldn't take us long to get there."

"Let's go, then!", she encouraged with a caring smile. 

The city's terrain was certainly unique. Although set atop a mountain, Urbus remained relatively even in elevation. Where surrounding chains tapered off into distinctive peaks, its foundation appeared more like a tableland. As they walked, Elora noted other features that had previously gone unnoticed. Strewn across the lower cliff faces were dozens of watermills. Instead of being strewn along the banks of a river, each wooden wheel turned from the steady stream of Urbus's gentler cascades. "This city irrigates its water in an interesting way." The seemingly lackluster topic appeared to spur some curiosity from her. "I didn't consider before how water would flow into this city. Since it's so high up, everything has to trickle downwards. There must be springs feeding the rivers from beneath the city." A brief pause quickly elicited, "I guess this isn't natural though -- so I really shouldn't overthink it."

For as much fantasy-world as Aincrad was, she continuously caught herself fascinated by its attention to real-world processes. From a cool drop of rain to the trajectory of the wind, everything seemed to fulfill a role.

The two eventually reached a gradual incline that zigzagged up the side of another cliff. "Oh boy, here comes the climb.", assessed Elora in a foreboding tone. "If you thought fighting through zombies on Floor 13 was a good workout, just wait until we have to do this every day!" She was mostly teasing despite her heaving. They really had to go ahead and make altitude effect my stamina? It's not like we can take transit here --

A protruding slab caused her to trip and stumble forward. "Oh geez --", she exclaimed, "I should probably walk a little slower."  

Edited November 29, 2023 by Elora

[Freyd 0]

"Does that mean we'll be building it ourselves?", she had asked.  "I just thought we'd be moving into a building that already existed -- this is a lot more exciting then!"

"I guess that's really up to us," he replied with a twinkle in the bluest depths of his eyes.  "Like a lot of similar games, you can buy a packaged product and just watch it manifest before your eyes.  Or, we could craft it ourselves bit by bit to suit.  We don't need the hew every plank or forge every nail, mind you, but the place will feel more special for each personal mark we leave upon it.  And, I want it to feel special that way... for both of us."

It felt so odd to be candid in this way.  Freyd's was the way of shadows, of concealment and falsehoods.  He lied to keep those he cared most about alive.  There was a reason they called him The Whisper, though most misjudged its intended meaning.  Actually, everyone did, and probably for the best.

Listening to Elora marvel at Urbus' unique water works was purely heartwarming.  She carried the same potential for wonder that people envied in children, which he greatly admired.  It had survived her journey to adulthood intact and was a trait he'd lost long ago, save for very specific instances.  Her wide blue eyes reflecting the azure sky, simmering coyly whenever she thought he wasn't looking, or even furtively darting about in self-doubt.  He had come to read and learn the meanings behind them, at least better than he once did.  It was a start, and her willingness to open up more about herself touched him to his core.  Few knew the value of secrets better.

"Oh boy, here comes the climb."  There were the doubts again, but she was teasing in her own personal way.  Everything was always bigger than it seemed, more daunting and unreachable, but she would try anyway despite her fears and doubts.  She always tried when she was with him.  He'd noticed it early on and drew strength from it to do the same when facing his own challenges.  Have we truly been supporting each other this whole time?  

"If you thought fighting through zombies on Floor 13 was a good workout, just wait until we have to do this every day!" 

"Nah.  You've got it backwards.  Remember those cascades we raced down while scouring the woods in search of Borris?  Now we'll get to chase each other every time we leave instead."  A playful wink refreshed one of their earliest shared memories.  How could he possibly have thought it would lead him here and now, doing this with her?  Sunlight diffused by water drops cast a halo about her pale green hair as she climbed, matting it against the armor she'd only recently switched to be her standard.  Another sign of change - of growth.  A rose in bloom.  Rivulets traced the lines and grooves of the garment during their ascent, dripping down to tap him on the head.  Freyd just laughed.  It would drive him nuts every time, and he'd be glad for every dribble.

As they finally crested the lip of their latest plateau, she tripped and nearly fell.  Guided by instinct, Freyd slipped through his own shadow and materialized through hers, catching her about the waist and pressing close to prevent a fall.  'Never let go,' a bond called from within.  Freyd wasn't sure from where, but couldn't argue against it and didn't want to.

"Oh geez --", she exclaimed, "I should probably walk a little slower."  

Smiling playfully, he pressed his forehead to hers, damp, dark strands tangling with her verdant locks without needing words.  

"So, what do you think," he added, pivoting both of their heads as one and twisting to survey the most magnificent of landscapes.  Concealed in a narrow gorge sheltered by cliffs covered in brilliant green foliage, a burbling brook flowed past them to loose its contents over the verge they'd just conquered together.  Dry and cool, especially compared to their climb, it was protected - nearly nestled - yet also strangely open, like the entire valley was welcoming them with open arms.  "I stumbled onto this place by accident, long ago.  It... made me think of you.  I was too clueless to realize why, at the time.  Now..."

Reaching down, Freyd plucked an overgrown clover from the saturated undergrowth and slipped it into her hair to rest upon her elongated ear.  "What do you say?  Could this feel like home?"

[Elora 0]

She explored the products of her own imagination as it fabricated scenes of different parlors, kitchens, and bedrooms. How would I want a house to look?, she considered. "What if I wanted it to have something really weird?", proposed Elora, "Like an exclusively neon interior or a sanctuary for wild turtles?" Those hardly seem the same. A turtle sanctuary is way more practical. "Would you demolish the house the second we moved in?" The rhetorical jest caused a smirk to curl from her lips. "I feel like it's one thing to have a house be everything you wanted and another to share it with someone who might have opposing taste." Maybe airing out her concerns was unwarranted, but it served a chance for each of them to discuss their wants before the actual construction began. 

"Nah.  You've got it backwards.", he responded to her comment about the zombies, "Remember those cascades we raced down while scouring the woods in search of Borris?  Now we'll get to chase each other every time we leave instead."

"That's assuming the waterfalls flow downhill both ways.", she bantered with a grin, "What'd you think we're supposed to do when we're already at the bottom of a mountain?" With any luck, their current assent wouldn't be too excruciating.

The two began their endeavor by entering through a crescent-shaped tunnel that carved its way around a plummeting torrent. Flowing sheets of water seemed to caress its walls, nourishing the clumps of moss that seeped like gooey mortar from the crevices of every boulder. Despite the slippery stones underfoot, the path offered surprising shelter from the cascades above. Elora's thoughts were swiftly muffled by the chorus of rumbles that permeated the passageway. Just as they neared the top, a misplaced step sent her fumbling forward and into Freyd. How was it he always managed to break her falls?

"So, what do you think,", he started softly. Her sights lifted to catch a glimpse of sunbeams flitting through the mist around them.

"Wow --", she gasped in awe. 

"I stumbled onto this place by accident, long ago.  It... made me think of you.  I was too clueless to realize why, at the time..."

The statement made her cock her head to the side. For a second, she tried to draw connections between the vista and herself. Because it's green like my hair? A series of blinks suggested she wasn't meant to read into the comparison quite so literally. Speculation was cut short by the gentle touch of his hand tucking something behind her ear.

"What do you say?  Could this feel like home?"

A enthusiastic nod threatened to dislodge the clover. "Yes!", she answered whole-heartedly, "How do we start? By gathering materials? Do I need to go fetch us a hundred small stones from the river? FIVE hundred logs from the forest?"

Edited November 30, 2023 by Elora

[Freyd 0]

"Yes!", Elora answered whole-heartedly, "How do we start? By gathering materials? Do I need to go fetch us a hundred small stones from the river? FIVE hundred logs from the forest?"

Freyd laughed heartily at her sudden zeal and drive before summoning a UI interface that looked crammed beyond what should have been overflowing.  Reams of data scrolled rapidly across the screen, ignored in favour of the search function that was the only fathomable way for him to navigate the sheer amount of stuff he'd gathered over the years.  Quip's thick brogue cursed at him from memory, telling him to better organize his things.  He'd always kept his shop in a deliberate state of disarray just to give her something to rail about.  Had she ever seen his personal inventory, the game would instantly have been revealed.  The man's calculating nature was too pervasive for such things to be anything but a choice, meaning his own space was meticulously arrayed.

"Actually," he began, still grinning from ear to ear, cheeks tinged with a hint of blush, "I thought we might prefer to test the place out and make sure it suited our needs."  A few quick taps to thin air caused a brief flash and hefty brown wicker basket to appear in his hands, from which he pulled a checkered red and white blanket to promptly sprawl across the dewy grass.  "I picked up a few local delicacies while we passed through Urbus."  The vendor.  Suddenly it all made sense.  "Hope you like cheeses, bread, nuts and honey.  They had a few dried and cured meats as well, so I picked up an assortment for us to try.  Something told me you would want to sample, and that the climb might stimulate your appetite."  A playful chuckle rumbled through him as he laid out the basket's contents, along with bottles shaped like they should be wine but labeled otherwise.  A pair of long stemmed glasses followed.  No one need know the full range of glass and dishware in his inventory.  He'd never hear the end of it if they did, though Freyd's nature would always require him to be prepared.

Inviting Elora to sit and join him, a pair of simple, white porcelain plates provided each them a platter upon which to pilfer to their preference.  Taking a little of everything for himself, including serving something that looked and smelled like spruce beer into his glass, he offered his partner whatever else she might like.  The contents would not spoil if returned to inventory swiftly, which was rather handy.

"We can certainly grind and fetch whatever materials we want, but the game offers a fairly intuitive interface to help us out.  It might be easiest to start by picking palettes of colour, materials, preferred themes and styles, then to build out from there.  I dug a lot of my last place out by hand," he stopped to cough and cover the admission that it was clearly personal paranoia over Cardinal's ever-present gaze.  Like mining his own tunnels somehow meant that the system wouldn't actually know where to find him.  "We can literally do the same with the system guiding us through every step, if that's the preference.  Or, we could let it do the basic crafting and we just assemble the parts.  Really, it boils down to how dirty you're willing to get your hands."

Breaking a small bun in half, Freyd dipped the sheared end off in a bowl that looked to be filled with some sort of dark, runny sauce - maybe oil or vinegar?  The juice seemed to be slowly separating between light and dark, suggesting that it might be a mixture of both.  Either way, he'd already stuffed it in his mouth and busied himself chewing to prevent himself from commenting any further for a moment.

[Elora 0]

Her partner promptly sifted through his inventory in search of something specific. What she'd initially assumed would only take a matter of seconds quickly spiraled into a lengthly sequence of swipes, scrolls, and filtered inquiries. Geez, he must have...a lot of stuff. I guess when you've fought as many mobs, traversed as many dungeons as he has, you're sure to collect plenty of loot., rationalized Elora. The awkward stretch of silence warranted a cough, then a thorough inspection of their surroundings. Cradled like a nest between branches, the alpine grassland rested within a long stretch of slate-colored mountains. Its center was divided by a crystalline stream that seemed to course steadily through some areas and tumble powerfully in others. The spirit of the region spoke to something that Elora couldn't give voice to. Perhaps it was the contrast between rolling hills and defensible peaks, rumbling waters and the gentle breeze.

"Actually,", forestalled Freyd, "I thought we might prefer to test the place out and make sure it suited our needs."

Elora's brows furrowed as she began to question that remark. Before she could seek clarification there came a taut billowing, then fierce rippling of a large rectangular cloth tugged by the wind. A lot less gentler than before, she realized, snatching a wayward corner to guide it carefully toward the ground. 

"I picked up a few local delicacies while we passed through Urbus." One by one, the blanket became dotted with an assortment of delicious finger-foods. Elora's mouth began to salivate as Freyd introduced each element of their soon-to-be meal. "...Something told me you would want to sample, and that the climb might stimulate your appetite." 

"Might?", she repeated with extra emphasis, "And what do you mean 'sample' ? Haven't even eaten breakfast yet -- I'm ready to dig in!" Her first instinct was to grab one of the cheeses. After all, it's pre-sliced nature made it an accessible option to quickly satiate her newfound craving. Anything can be pre-sliced if you're hungry enough., her conscious reasoned like an old Chinese proverb.

Elora happily accepted one of the glasses, holding it up Freyd for a few spare moments to imply she'd like to taste whatever he was having. He really does carry the wares for every occasion., she noted as a stream of the pike-colored liquid trickled from the bottle. 

"We can certainly grind and fetch whatever materials we want, but the game offers a fairly intuitive interface to help us out.", Freyd explained to her relief, "It might be easiest to start by picking palettes of colour, materials, preferred themes and styles, then to build out from there. I dug a lot of my last place out by hand..."

She admired his primitive construction methods, not much reading into the exhaustive drudgery one would have to undergo in order to see the process through.

"We can literally do the same with the system guiding us through every step, if that's the preference...", he offered as an alternative, "Really, it boils down to how dirty you're willing to get your hands."

"Well...", she finally proffered as a mouthful of peppered salami provided her extra time to consider her phrasing, "I don't want to discover parts of the house I didn't know existed, but I also don't wanna spend hours deliberating over which shade of greige we should use to paint the walls." Elora paused shortly before adding, "And who knows how many options are at our disposal -- what if we can narrow down to the very hex code?" A wince suggested she could already feel the decision fatigue.

"Nah -- I don't wanna get that invested in the details. I like natural colors like greens and browns, materials like stone and wood. Rainbows are a lot, but I also wouldn't enjoy living somewhere that felt like a hospital." Hopefully any of that is helpful, she silently worried. "Maybe --", she started again, her head turning to survey the stream, "We could use some of the river stones to tile a floor -- or some driftwood to accent a railing."

Edited December 2, 2023 by Elora

[Freyd 0]

"Let's let the scenery provide the rainbows," Freyd countered, turning his sight towards the kaleidoscope of colours floating in the mists over the nearby waterfalls.  It was as close as you could get to making such a view permanent, short of magicky system shenanigans.  A vague memory intruded from a long-ago field trip to Takakkaw Falls as a child, and witnessing a similar effect first hand.  "It seems to have the hang of it, I'd say."

Breathing deeply, Elora could see the tension bleeding from his shoulders just by being in the place.  Cares and worries piled up behind his eyes like baggage in the back lot of an airport terminal quietly faded from mind against the subtle, soothing drone of cascading water and the occasional lychirping birds.  Freyd actually and genuinely looked happy, which was such a remarkable occurrence that it warranted notice.  

"Wood and stone sound like good choices, and if we collect it locally then colour selection won't be an issue.  It's also guaranteed to match our surroundings," he add with a chuckle.  "I've had my fill of cages made of metal, concrete and glass.  What about stained glass for the windows?  Something with funky patterns and imagery?  Driftwood and river stone sound perfect, too."  She could see the wheels turning within, gleefully considering an endless field of possibilities.  "Woodwork cabinetry everywhere," he added, "and a tree trunk tabletop.  There must be some old growth around here that could be milled to suit.  Maybe even a black walnut, or something with similarly rich texture and grain."

Sipping from his goblet for added muse, Freyd swirled the vermillion content around like some sort of centrifuge for delight, adding flavour to imagination with every swish of his wrist.  "We could add an outdoor firepit over there," he added, pointing to a sheltered nook offering a great overlook on the valley.  "It looks like the perfect place to cozy up beneath a blanket in the cold, or string a hammock on warm summer days.  The valley floor has plenty of good soil for growing, if we ever wanted to setup a garden, too.  I'd even wager there are a few fish in the pool at the waterfalls' base."

Leaning back to stretch made him look like some sort of overgrown black cat that had finally settled on a suitably comfy spot to settle down for its nap.  One might half-expect him to start purring any moment.

"Yeah.  This place is perfect."

Raising his glass, he tapped its side against hers, chiming in the start to another new adventure.

***

Thread Closing:

Elora receives:

3,374EXP (Word Count [12055/10*4*0.7])
906 col (1 page [400] + 15% P5 Reward [506])

Freyd receives:

13,496 EXP (Word Count [12055/10*16*0.7])
2,024 col (0 page [0] + 15% P5 Reward [X])

(Quoted text has been excluded from word count)

Edited December 3, 2023 by Freyd