[PP-F05] Something Comforting (Mina, Wulfrin, and Freyd)

[tricolor_mina 0]

Violet felt stuck.

It was a strange feeling, being back on the lower floors again after the raid. It always was, really. It was like they were a group of soldiers that were just returning home after an arduous fight, painfully aware that they were so very different from who they were when they left. It was something that they well and truly had to get used to again. And yet, quite unlike those soldiers, they were only fighting for roughly thirty or so minutes at a time, braving the might of nightmarish creatures that could sap away their lives in a matter of mere seconds. Even then, it left wounds that seldom healed.

She could see it from time to time, in her fellow frontliners. the shaky hands as they white-knuckle gripped their blades, a silent plea for the cold steel to keep them grounded - to keep them from trembling in fear. The quiet anger that slipped out when watching some of the more carefree players, silently fuming at the peaceful lives that they were able to lead away from the fight. The lashing out, pain and fear overcoming some of those who had seen the worst come to pass.

A solemn acceptance as an old friend bids farewell

A gentle reminder that goodbye's shouldn't be forever.

Violet turned her gaze out to the dunes of the desert that stretched out across floor 5. She was in Fortaleza, sitting on top of one of the buildings at the very edge of the town - just outside of the safety of the green zone. it was strangely relaxing, actually. Just sitting on the precipice of the town and watching the sands slowly shifting as she waited. She checked her messages, humming to herself as she busied herself with checking in on each of her friends (And doing her best to ignore the greyed-out stricken names that dotted the list as well).

She'd changed her appearance, remembering the words of her dear friend. Just the very edges of her hair remained the dainty pink color that she'd become known for, offering a pop of color amongst the rest of her dark locks. She still wore her usual pink and white kimono, the light armor that had been gifted to her by Wulfrin resting just underneath it. The fluffy ruff of her cloak was still draped over her shoulders, the heat of the desert not even bothering her despite being seated in the blazing sun.

She leaned backwards, a gentle smile on her face.

it felt nice.

@Freyd @Wulfrin

Stats

Tricolor Mina | HP: 800/800 | EN: 114/114 | DMG: 21 | MIT:78 | ACC:5 | AA  | PHASE | REC: 8 | HLY: 16 | BLI: 32/-20  | BRN: 56 | FRB: 40 | LD:3                                                                                                                            

Spoiler

Name: Tricolor Mina, The Guiding Light True Tier: 6
Level: 34
Paragon Level: 23
HP: 896/896
EN: 114/114

Stats:
Damage: 27
Mitigation: 72
Accuracy: 7
Loot Die: 3
Stealth Rating: -2
AA PHASE REC: 8
HLY: 16 BLI: 32/-20 BRN: 56 FRB: 40 HELLFIRE: 80 PROB:36
Equipped Gear:
Weapon/Armor/Trinket: 
  - Everlasting Ember (T4 Demonic War Fan: Phase/Holy II/A.A.
Armor/Trinket: 
  - Archduke Battle Guard (T4 Demonic: REC II, MIT II)
Shield/Armor/Trinket: 
  - Mask of Rose (T1 Perfect Trinket: ACC III)

Combat Mastery:
  - Combat Mastery: Damage R3

Combat Shift:
  - ST Shift

Familiar Skill:
  - Hunting Familiar

Custom Skill:
  - 

Skills:
  - Charge
  - Energist
  - Light Armor R5
  - Lock Picking R3
  - Quick Change
  - Searching R3
  - Thrown Weaponry R5

Extra Skills:
  - Assault Mode
  - Frozen Hide
  - Photosynthesize

Inactive Extra Skills:

Addons:
  - Dismantling
  - Focus
  - Precision
  - Resolve
  - Stamina

Mods:
  - Meticulous
  - Night Vision
  - Tracking

Inactive Mods:

Battle Ready Inventory:
  - Briar's Lost Lament (Cursed/Blight/Burn/Frostbite) x
  - Crystal of Divine Light x
  - Imugi's Inspiration (Mass Healing Crystal) x
  - Imugi's Inspiration (Mass Healing Crystal) x
  - Popcorn (T4 VIT) x
  - Popcorn (T4 VIT) x
  - TP Crystal x

Housing Buffs:
  - Basic Kitchen: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps. Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30.
  - Storage Closet: +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot
  - Attic (Bedroom): +1 Expertise to declared utility skill. Cannot boost a skill without ranks, or increase a skill past its maximum rank. Cannot boost a skill the user has not learned yet. Ranks obtained using this buff will make the mods of that rank available for purchase. Mods obtained this way are unusable if this buff is removed until the skill is returned to the appropriate rank by way of SP purchase.
  - Fishing Pond: +2 Fishing EXP per fishing attempt
  - Extended Workshop: +2 Crafting EXP per crafting attempt and +1 crafting attempt per day
  - Mega Slime Farm: +10% EXP to a thread. Limit one use per month. Must be used on a player's first post in a thread. Cooldown begins counting down when used in a post.

Guild Hall Buffs:

Scents of the Wild Totem:

Wedding Ring:

Crafting Profession:

Gathering Profession:
"                                                                                                                            

Edited December 28, 2024 by tricolor_mina

[Freyd 0]

Every time using a portal, the memories returned.  That same sensation of being unmade and remade again flooded through him like the last gasp of a drowning man.  Inky void filling his lungs and smothering him from within. Dying. Every. Time.

Players used the devices daily, readily and without even a second thought.  It was just part of the game.  Freyd, instead, felt his chest tightening, fingers twitching as if to reach for something that wasn't even there or simply could never be grasped.  He'd caught himself holding his breath, more than once, and again today.  Pausing to take a deep breath, regret replaced other distractions as the stinging desert dust instantly assaulted his nose and lungs.

"Like a bloody fish out of water," he muttered, expecting only Montjoy to hear, or whoever might be watching him from behind that particular looking glass.  There were so many these days.  Staring down at his shadow for a moment, Freyd couldn't tell whether it was looking at him or had turned its back.  Fitting.  Cloth flapping in the heated blast furnace bellows Fortaleza called a breeze, the Whisper wore only a simple, casual kimono as he traveled through the town.  Completely out of context and local uniform, he didn't care.  Not about them, at least.  Too many other thoughts took precedence.

A small black ceramic bowl sat empty on a stack of nearby crates, placed there with a deliberate care and lovingly filled with ether during every visit.  It was the only way to keep her from running amok among the local shops, triggering a riot or risking an orange cursor for the sake of her insatiable, fickle appetites.  Persi had been a pain.  A wonderful, joyful, mischievous pain.

"I miss you."

Sand scoured the empty bowl, scraping clean the last of its memories.  It was the first time he'd manage to admit it aloud.  Maybe because this was her home.  They'd found each other in the wilds of floor five, long ago.  A spoopy, snotty little lout and a mongoose.  Both trying to find their way in a harsh and unkind world that would eat them both alive.  Alive.  Shit.

Clenching his hand around the oddest walking staff any of the locals had ever seen, it had some weird green bird's head carved onto one end and was too wispy thin to be practical. The few who'd taken note of it also wondered at the stringy filament running down its length.  His grandfather's fishing rod, distinctly kitsch in every way, it carried an aura of the 1950s wherever it traveled.  Spotting his friend on a nearby patio, Freyd's head tilted as he approached.  

"You changed your look again, Violet. It suits you."

A head full of grey and scruff lining his mouth, chin and jaw.  Most of the people he knew wouldn't know him to look at him.  Who was he to talk?

***

Note: CS (Shades of the Gemini) and CSA (Beckon the Void) are in use.  If any other player objects to these, please state in first post and it will be considered inactive.

Freyd | HP: 1300/1300 | EN: 162/162 | DMG: 21 | MIT:152 | ACC:4 | AA  | TAUNT | F-SPIRIT | EVA:2 | BH:72 | VAMP-D: 72 | VAMP-O: 143 | PARA-V | LD: 5

Spoiler

Name: Freyd, Kuro bara no kishi
True Tier: 18
Level: 34
Paragon Level: 143
HP: 1300/1300
EN: 162/162

Stats:
Damage: 21
Mitigation: 152
Accuracy: 4
Evasion: 2
Battle Healing: 72
Loot Die: 4
Stealth Rating: -5
AA
TAUNT
VAMP-D: 72
VAMP-O: 143
PARA-V

Equipped Gear:
Weapon/Armor/Trinket: 
  - Veritas | T4 Katana) | AA, PVO I, VO I, Taunt
Armor/Trinket: 
  - Negare Omnia | T4 HA | MIT III | VD I
Shield/Armor/Trinket: 
  - Night Shades | T3 Trinket | ACC III | EVA I

Combat Mastery:
  - Combat Mastery: Damage R3

Combat Shift:
  - AOE Shift

Familiar Skill:
  - [inaccessible]

Custom Skill:
  - Shades of the Gemini (CS)
  - Beckon the Void (CSA)

Skills:
  - Battle Healing R5
  - Charge
  - Energist
  - Extended Mod Limit
  - Extended Weight Limit
  - Fighting Spirit
  - Heavy Armor R5
  - Howl
  - Katana R5
  - Lock Picking R1
  - Quick Change
  - Searching R4

Extra Skills:
  - Disguise
  - Survival
  - Leadership R5

Inactive Extra Skills:
  - Meditation
  - Lady Luck
  - Photosynthesize
  - Brawler
  - Assault Mode
  - Frozen Hide

Addons:
  - Focus
  - Focused Howl
  - Iron Skin
  - Precision
  - Reveal
  - Stamina

Mods:
  - Detect
  - Emergency Recovery
  - Impetus
  - Tracking
  - Inspiring Speech
  - Steadfast
  - Night Vision

Inactive Mods:
  - Elusive
  - Rally
  - Press the Attack

Battle Ready Inventory:
  - Bear Trap (Reusable 1/combat) x1
  - Crystal of Divine Light (Reusable 1/thread) x1
  - Mass HP Rec [Inst] (+10% HP) x7
  - Meathook (Reusable 1/combat) x1
  - Ordsea Crystal-B (Reusable 1/combat) x1
  - Ordsea Crystal-B (Reusable 1/combat) x1
  - Rhino's Horn (Reusable 1/combat) x1
  - Samael's Pride | T4 Katana | FLN II | HLY II  x1
  - Teleport Crystals x7

Housing Buffs:
  - Bedroom: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat
  - Bathroom: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down)
  - Basic Kitchen: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps. Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30.
  - Storage Closet: +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot
  - Living Room: Increases out of combatHP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
  - Attic (Bedroom): +1 Expertise to declared utility skill. Cannot boost a skill without ranks, or increase a skill past its maximum rank. Cannot boost a skill the user has not learned yet. Ranks obtained using this buff will make the mods of that rank available for purchase. Mods obtained this way are unusable if this buff is removed until the skill is returned to the appropriate rank by way of SP purchase.
  - Basement: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll
  - Guest Room: Players can have one «Amenity» in a «Guest Room» and the «Amenity» cannot be recovered. Players are allowed to change which «Amenity» is in the «Guest Room». Multiple instances of the same «Amenity» do not stack. This buff affects the player and their choice of up to two party members.
  - Extended Workshop: +2 Crafting EXP per crafting attempt and +1 crafting attempt per day
  - Ornate Fishing Pond: +2 Fishing EXP per Attempt and additional +1 LD & CD to fishing attempts.
  - Dining Hall: Turn 3 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Feast. A Feast contains 6 portions of the food items sacrificed. Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread.
  - Mega Slime Farm: +10% EXP to a thread. Limit one use per month. Must be used on a player's first post in a thread. Cooldown begins counting down when used in a post.

Guild Hall Buffs:
  - Trading Hall: Reduce LD needed for Salvage by 5 (10+ for Alchemist crystals, 6+ for everything else). +2 EXP per craft. Rank 9 crafters and Rank 4 merchants/performers receive +1 crafting/identification attempt per day. Rank 10 crafters and Rank 5 merchants/performers receive +2 crafting/identification attempts per day.
  - Treasury: +5% bonus col from last-hit monster kills and +10% bonus col from treasure chests.

Scents of the Wild Totem:
  - Tanos

Crafting Profession:
 - Appraising[3478exp] R5
Gathering Profession:
 - Fishing[576exp] R5

 

Edited December 25, 2024 by Freyd

[Wulfrin 0]

Wulfrin stepped into the streets of Fortaleza as a shadow of himself. He hadn't slept in a few days, there was no way he could. The images and sounds that had flashed through his mind during the raid lingered. He hadn't told Ciela about his near death experience, he couldn't even bring himself to mention it. His lie was always the same, "Callisto the Tainted was an Ill Omen, but the Frontline held strong and won without casualty." The other evidence tried to keep hidden from her was his lingering reminder of the raid events. Here in the desert city's streets, he wandered around in the blacks of his Fallen Angel Garb of which part of the left arm had burned away to reveal the now bandaged arm of his avatar underneath. These light grey bandages kept his still scared and blackened arm from peeking through. Typically wounds like that would disappear, but for some reason this one wouldn't go away.

"Hey Mina," Wulfrin's voice echoed a soft and solemn tone as he seemed to cling to the shadows more so than before. His eyes glanced over at his mentor, correction brother and gave a simple nod. "Good to see you both. Fishing in the desert? I understand there are sharks about, but I didn't think we could find actual fish here."

Wulfrin revealed a small necklace around his neck that had a small shard of ancient metal affixed. When he tapped on the shard, a tray of assorted meats, cheeses, and greens with assorted dips appeared in his hand.

"Feel free to help yourself." He did his best to put up a facade. "It's a Ciela special. Just in case we run into trouble."

* * *

Note: CS Shades of the Gemini is active. If a player objects they should note it in their first post and the skill will be considered innactive.

Wulfrin consumes: Gungir Shard 239050 | Sharkcuterie Board | T1 Demonic Feast (6/6) | ACC II | EVA II | ID: 239171 | Takes 1 portion and shares the rest with the party. (Filling ACC) - (5/6) Remain
[desc.] A daring spread featuring a variety of cured and smoked shark meats, paired with exotic cheeses, crackers, and a hint of seaweed garnish. This adventurous platter offers a bold flavor journey, perfect for those with a taste for the wild and mysterious depths.

Wulfrin | HP: 780/780 | EN: 112/112 | DMG: 21 | MIT:78 | ACC:8 | AA  | EVA:2 | PARA-IM | BH:26 | FRB: 40 | FRZ: 64 | LD:4

Spoiler

"Name: Wulfrin
True Tier: 6
Level: 34
Paragon Level: 18
HP: 780/780
EN: 112/112

Stats:
Damage: 23
Mitigation: 78
Accuracy: 8
Evasion: 2
Battle Healing: 26
Loot Die: 4
Stealth Rating: -2
AA PARA-IM FRB: 40 FRZ: 64
Equipped Gear:
Weapon/Armor/Trinket: 
  - Icingdeath | T4 Demonic Straight Sword | Freeze 2 | Frostbite | AA
Armor/Trinket: 
  - Fallen Angel Garb | T4 Demonic LA | MIT 2 | REC 2
Shield/Armor/Trinket: 
  - Echos | T2 Demonic Trinket | ACC 3 | PARA-I

Combat Mastery:
  - Combat Mastery: Damage R3

Combat Shift:
  - TECH Shift

Familiar Skill:
  - Rending Familiar

Custom Skill:
  - Shades of the Gemini

Skills:
  - Battle Healing R3
  - Charge
  - Energist
  - Light Armor R5
  - Searching R4
  - Straight Sword R5

Extra Skills:
  - Disguise
  - Forgotten King's Authority
  - Survival
  - Meditation

Inactive Extra Skills:
  - Frozen Hide
  - Brawler
  - Assault Mode

Addons:
  - Focus
  - Precision
  - Resolve
  - Stamina

Mods:
  - Meticulous
  - Night Vision

Inactive Mods:

Battle Ready Inventory:
  - Bear Trap x2
  - Crystal of Divine Light x1
  - Imugi's Inspiration | Mass Healing x2
  - Popcorn | T4 Vitality 2 x5
  - Rhino's Horn x1
  - TP Crystals x5

Housing Buffs:
  - Basic Kitchen: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps. Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30.
  - Storage Closet: +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot
  - Living Room: Increases out of combatHP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
  - Attic (Storage): +5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests
  - Basement: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll
  - Master Bedroom: -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat
  - Master Bathroom: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down)
  - Extended Workshop: +2 Crafting EXP per crafting attempt and +1 crafting attempt per day
  - Ornate Fishing Pond: +2 Fishing EXP per Attempt and additional +1 LD & CD to fishing attempts.
  - Dining Hall: Turn 3 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Feast. A Feast contains 6 portions of the food items sacrificed. Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread.
  - Mega Slime Farm: +10% EXP to a thread. Limit one use per month. Must be used on a player's first post in a thread. Cooldown begins counting down when used in a post.

Guild Hall Buffs:
  - Treasury: +5% bonus col from last-hit monster kills and +10% bonus col from treasure chests.

Scents of the Wild Totem:

Wedding Ring:

Crafting Profession:
 - Blacksmith[2250exp] R8
Gathering Profession:
 - Fishing[509exp] R5"                                                                                                                            

 

Edited December 27, 2024 by Wulfrin

[tricolor_mina 0]

Violet tilted her head in Freyd's direction, a gentle smile on her face. "A temporary change, I suppose." she ruffled her fingers through her hair, the thick curls swaying slightly as she did so. "I felt like the 'Me' that roams alongside the vanguard should be different than the 'Me' that lingers below. It feels nice, though, seeing my face the way I recall it from home. Even so, some of me hasn't changed." her eyes - still the same, dulled embers that Freyd would have been used to - settled on her friend, her gaze greedily drinking in his new appearance. "You changed your look as well, it seems. It took me a moment to realize that it was really you, I'm unused to your normal look being so drastically different."

She stiffened slightly at Wulfrin's voice, her eyes focusing in on the spot he'd come from. "Count yourself lucky that I happen to be used to dealing with those who lurk in the shadows, Wulfrin." her hand was resting on her arm holster, Lament shimmering slightly in the afternoon light. "But yes, we do plan to go fishing. Akane mentioned that some sort of rare fish dwelled within the desert sea that spawns the Terra Firma. As such, I would like to at least try to capture one of them." she got to her feet, before extending a hand out to Wulfrin - opting to ignore the proffered meal.

"Now then, shall we?"

Edited December 25, 2024 by tricolor_mina

[Freyd 0]

Approaching Mina, Freyd studied her face as if it was his own, the way only someone accustomed to shifting his own appearance on the fly might. What meaning did appearance have when it was utterly fluid, and yet... they all clung to it as a sense of their identity.  On instinct, Freyd reached up and pressed the back of his hand tenderly against the memento of her former face, his eyes a mixture of sorrow and admiration at her courage.  The gesture, a silent offering of thanks for her willingness to show and trust.  It had been a mutually difficult lesson, but also earned them a bond and friendship never easily dismissed.

"It wasn't a choice," he replied, in response to the comments about his own altered appearance, "but just kind of happened when things... when... I don't even know what to call what happened in the raid.  A respawn?  A glitch?"

When I died?

"I could switch it back, but that just seems... dishonest, to myself and others."

Shaking his head, as if rattling his marbles around might be enough to dislodge some missing answer, Freyd had wrung it raw since that moment trying to draw some semblance of sense from it.  Wulfrin's arrival saved him from any immediate further reflection, his kindred shadow's presence bringing warmth to the Whisper's smile.  He laughed aloud when noticing the name.

"Cute.  I'll have to get Ciela to make me something similar.  So, you found yourself a gungir?  I didn't realize they were still available anywhere.  Good on you."

Nom-noming away while his companions caught up on the fishing plans, his emotions just needed the absurdity of this moment.  Too much heady machination had thrown them into a tailspin, and thinking on it any more only brought about migraines.  It almost slipped that fishing expeditions invariably ended up backfiring on him, but he stopped himself for fear of spoiling the mood or dwelling too early on the elephant in the room, or desert.  Either way, it took up a lot of space.

"It's good to see you, Wulfrin." Clasping a hand on the other's shoulder, Freyd's eyes conveyed his gratitude that they had somehow both survived.  "I hope your homecoming was a good one."

Guiding them towards the outskirts of Fortaleza's crumbling walls, Freyd guided them in the direction of the dust bowl where Terra Firma spawned.  It was an all-too-familiar location for him and Wulfrin, especially.  "Hey, at least we don't need to talk to Abdullah on this one!"

***

Freyd takes a portion of Wulfrin's feast, because it was offered and he doesn't want to be rude.  Weirdly considerate of him.  ACC filled.

Freyd | HP: 1300/1300 | EN: 162/162 | DMG: 21 | MIT:152 | ACC: 8 (incl AA) | TAUNT | F-SPIRIT | EVA:4 | BH:72 | VAMP-D: 72 | VAMP-O: 143 | PARA-V | LD: 5

[Wulfrin 0]

1 hour ago, Freyd said:

I don't even know what to call what happened in the raid.  A respawn?  A glitch?

"A mistake," Wulfrin muttered under his breath. He knew full well what had caused Freyd's odd death and reformation. Just as he was about to head back down his mental rabbit hole, Freyd chimed in seemingly to change the subject. "Funny enough I found a merchant had popped up in the bazaar here in Fortaleza selling them for the Diwali event currency. Kind of good timing I'd say."

Freyd's hand on Wulfrin's shoulder brought a feeling of comfort back to their current conversation. It also helped reassure him that Freyd wasn't just some figment of their shared Custom Skill. Strangely Wulfrin's own shadow had fallen silent since the raid not offering its usual banter and commentary. Wulfrin let out a sigh of relief as his wounded hand rest on his mentor's. Wulfrin's hand fell towards the inside pockets of his coat and withdrew a Rhino's Horn and the very instrument of their near demise, the Crystal of Divine Light.

"Good to see you as well," Wulfrin extended the two items over to Freyd. "Here, I was only supposed to keep hold of these until the raid was done. I owe you a Troll's Blood though. I was going to give them back to you immediately after, but you left in short order. I hope your homecoming was good as well. Hopefully Elora didn't get too much of a spook. I know it's been hard for me to even talk about it with Ciela. I've not exactly found a way to say oh hey by the way I almost got myself killed, but my mentor saved me and died in the process, but he came back."

* * *

Wulfrin offers to return the Crystal of Divine Light and Rhino's Horn leant to him for the raid

[tricolor_mina 0]

Violet felt herself flinch slightly at the gentle touch of her friend, steeling herself not to squirm away. She could feel her virtual heartrate spike for a moment, before she finally managed to will herself not to react negatively. She trusted Freyd, he wasn't going to look at her any different for baring her scars. After all, she had a promise to keep, didn't she? She carefully watched Freyd and Wulfrin as they chatted, the smile she'd had earlier quietly returning. "The two of you are closer than I thought..." she said softly, tilting her head slightly, before nodding with a satisfied look on her face. "That's good... Freyd needs more friends, people he can really trust. All of us do, honestly." She was grateful for people that could do that, that were kind enough to do so.

it was getting quite rare, these days.

She checked her inventory, eyes scanning for a moment before she retrieved something from inside. A few moments later, a simple metal fishing rod appeared on her back, a tackle kit in her hand. "Wulfrin, did you bring yours with you?" she asked, tilting her head again. "I know that you carry one with you normally, you did catch the King after all." Akame had poked her sleepy little head out of the fluffy collar that decorated her cloak, a delighted chirp escaping her familiar's throat as she fluttered over to Freyd, before lazily draping herself across his shoulders. It seems she missed her friend as well.

wait...

"Freyd, where is Persi..?" she asked, a worried look on her face. "Normally she'd be following you around, and she'd have at least said hi by now..! Did something happen to her after the raid?"

[Freyd 0]

"Not after..." A flash of anguish flew across the Whisper's face, the grief too fresh to fully contain.  "I'm not exactly sure what, or how, or... well, anything that happened in that moment.  When I re-opened my eyes to resume the fight it was all I could do just to cling to my bearings.  It wasn't until we reached the new floor and rushed to go see Elora that I realized she was gone." Even attempting to speak her name was too hard.  Hearing it spill from the lips of others was only tangibly better.

"Wulfrin, you must have been distracted too, but... did you... happen to see anything?  I was... indisposed."  Though he kept walking, Freyd felt it necessary to go straight for the jugular - of the elephant in their open air room. Stalling the conversation would only make it more awkward and uncomfortable, or cause them all to bottle things up even more for the ridiculous culturally-mandated notion of saving face. Fuck that shit. Just rip off the Band Aid.

"What was it like?  All I remember is lunging, then pain and flashes of light, only to reappear nearby to continue the fight.  It felt like slipping through the void, except brighter?"  Kicking a stone along as he walked, as if the physical distraction might somehow make the topic less awkward, Freyd focused on the sandy trail it left in its wake.  It felt like he was kicking his own gut along a wild and undesirable ride, much like fate had seemingly done to them.

"Here, I was only supposed to keep hold of these until the raid was done. I owe you a Troll's Blood though. I was going to give them back to you immediately after, but you left in short order. I hope your homecoming was good as well. Hopefully Elora didn't get too much of a spook. I know it's been hard for me to even talk about it with Ciela. I've not exactly found a way to say oh hey by the way I almost got myself killed, but my mentor saved me and died in the process, but he came back."

"You don't owe me anything, Wulfrin.  It was a choice, and I believe you might have done the same for me if our roles were reversed.  I'm just glad you're okay.  That both of us are okay, to be perfectly honest. Our fates aside, I'm especially grateful for what this turn of events spared the ones we love."  An awkward kick spun his play stone into a swirl of dust where it sunk into sandy oblivion, never to be seen again.  The Whisper gulped, trying to swallow the resulting lump in his throat.

"Keep the items, unless you'd rather just never see them again.  I'd also understand if that's what you want."  Difficult mementos for a vividly difficult moment.  Drifting back to some sort of business-like transaction offered a degree of comfort around which he could anchor emotions on the verge of spilling over.  Jaw clenched, Freyd marched on into the desert, doing everything he could to keep from offering it his water.

***

Persi's private funeral

Edited December 28, 2024 by Freyd

[Wulfrin 0]

"It lives in my inventory," Wulfrin replied to Mina's question. "Same with my tackle box. Sometimes I like to just kick back and fish when I'm out questing always better to keep it on me."

Wulfrin put the items back in his coat. He appreciated the gesture of thought of letting him keep them, though the crystal felt incredibly heavy. It may prove useful to Wulfrin in the future and hopefully that situation will be more favorable than the last time it was used. 

"As for what happened," Wulfrin sighed as he began to allow the memory to resurface. "The biggest thing was that you didn't shatter into particles. It was more like you melded with the shadows akin to the Shades of the Gemini, but that shouldn't be possible given it should have been disabled during the raid. After that it was kind of a blur. I remember vaguely imagining my own death, but I've basically just chalked that up to the bear's madness. I never saw my Sand Armor potion proc, but it was gone from my status bar before the fight was over and that was the only time I was hit. Maybe that has something to do with it?"

Solaris perched on the building above them. The familiars had gathered, all except one. Mina brought it up before he could. Persi was missing. That ever persistent shadowy mongoose was always present on floor 5, so that was a dead giveaway something else had happened. Wulfrin had essentially blacked out for the remainder of the raid only focused on the defeat of their enemy. His focus only shifting when outwardly addressed by his team members.

"I'll be honest though," Wulfrin sighed again. "Up until Mina addressed you, I thought you were just a manifestation of the custom skill. My own shadow has been strangely silent after the raid."

Edited December 28, 2024 by Wulfrin

[tricolor_mina 0]

Violet winced, looking away from her friend with a pained expression. "I think I was a bit lost in trying to force myself to calm down." she turned back, looking into Freyd's shadows with a sad look in her eyes. "I'm going to miss her, she was certainly a one of a kind familiar. As for what happened to you during the raid..? You just melded with the shadows, and then were drawn out... I think by persi, actually!"

At Wulfrin's comment about Freyd possibly being a mere Gemini, violet almost instinctively felt herself activating <<Tracking>>, her red eyes briefly shimmering a golden green, before a familiar blue halo came to life around Freyd. Confirming what she already knew, and instantly quelling any fears that may have arisen at the comment Wulfrin had made. "It was the first thing I checked, after the raid." Violet quietly looked to the side, the glow from both her eyes and the one that surrounded freyd having vanished after the skill ended. "The only thing that I can't really explain is why he looked so different after coming back. I've never, ever seen anything quite like what happened to him."

Miraak's claws dug into her, leaving her breathless as she hit the closest she'd ever been to being in true pain in this world

A shaky hand drew to her stomach, the memory of that raid still fresh even though it had happened so long ago. "There is a precedent for coming back after shattering, though. I'm not entirely sure how many people were around for it, but." It was like she'd been dipped in ice, her hand tightening against her Kimono. "There was a boss fight a while ago, some sort of Halloween event? There were 3 different fights, one for First and Second tier, one for Third, and a final one for Fourth. I don't really know what happened in the other two fights, but I was involved with the first Tier fight." Miraak the Priest, the guardian of the church on Angel's Peak, who had gone mad with power thanks to the event.

It hurt, it hurt it hurt-

i̷t̶ ̴h̷u̶r̴t̷s̵!̶

"There were two people who had a similar experience to Freyd in the first tier fight, which was against Miraak - someone you might know as the quest NPC for Cleansing the Corruption?" she quietly crouched down, arms wrapped around her knees as she thought back to the awful experience. "There was a girl named Sunova, she was one of the weakest people that we had in that fight, and one of the few healers that our team actually had. She was the first to go down, but two of us almost immediately followed." The fiery, flickering hell that had almost consumed three of them in a mere instant. And the sight of the boss deliberately dragging out their poor healer into the air, and ruthlessly crushing her neck as the poor kid shattered into a thousand polygons.

"Afterwards, only one other person got taken down during that fight." She could still remember how raw her throat had been after that, ignoring the fear and faint pain rushing over her body as she'd stabbed into the boss one final time. At the sensation of relief at the idea that she might have finally been freed from the painful reality her life had become. Only to be cruelly thrown back inside of their gilded little cage. This prison of theirs. "It felt like I was falling, I could feel the pain from that final hit I took. And that darkness... it was all consuming, and enveloping - it smothered the senses. That checks out though. It was supposed to be a finality after all."

"It would seem Kayaba enjoys laughing at us, I think."

[Freyd 0]

"Up until Mina addressed you, I thought you were just a manifestation of the custom skill. My own shadow has been strangely silent after the raid."

Unphased by the comment, any response of speculation remained locked tight behind an inscrutable facade.  Not because it wasn't a fair point.  Freyd was just too uncertain about his own fate to offer any real insights, and that was gnawing at him.  Whispers like secrets.  They also dislike when secrets about themselves are kept from them.  Wincing at Mina's kind words for Persi, he still hadn't come to terms with the loss.  Pursing his lips, all he could offer wan an appreciative nod.  The words... just weren't there yet.

"Montjoy went quiet for awhile after Wushen, too.  It's like whatever is involved in a raid drains shadows of their essence, or drains us and our ability to connect to them." Shrugging off a mystery that offered no path to epiphany, Freyd preferred to walk and talk, or mostly listen in his case, especially to Mina's detective mind at work, deconstructing the scene of his own perfunctory demise.

"It was the first thing I checked, after the raid."

Freyd recognized the telltale glow of Violet's discerning gaze.  "I took precautions against being so easily traced and identified long, long ago.  Precautions that no longer work. Seems I can't hide at all anymore, not even from myself."  Conscious effort was required to keep his hand from twitching in nervous reflex.  "A lot of changes, and more things I can't explain.  And no, I wouldn't trust me either if I'd seen that happen.  You don't need to say it or explain it.  I understand how odd it all seems.  Imagine living it."

Mention of Miraak drew instant interest, without the usual stoic feint of apathy.  Living for so long in Angel's Point, Freyd was well acquainted with the priest and town's inexplicably locked cathedral.  

"I've poked around quite a bit, trying to figure out what happened on that floor.  It predates me by more hot minutes than I care to admit.  You were present?"  The tale of her near-fall, and the loss of others had clearly affected her.

"I'm not sure I follow.  Sunova fell, but you mentioned precedents for shattering.  Did you and another... break?"  A crude term he hesitated to use, but apt.  He'd felt it twice himself, though explaining the former would send his investigative friend into an apoplectic tizzy if he even tried to explain it.  Its outcome was more heartwarming, by far, though he could hardly complain about surviving.  Freyd's hawkish eyes locked onto Wulfrin as he spoke his final word.  What had this done to the other man's spirit, even if his avatar has been spared its harrowing?

[Wulfrin 0]

"Predates me too," Wulfrin sighed as his fellow frontliner spoke of events he was unfamiliar with. "I never would have known that NPC was connected to an event battle like that. Sorry you guys had to go through that. I don't wish these events on anyone."

Wulfrin's hands vanished into the deep pockets of his armor after instinctively pulling the cowl over his head. He had found comfort in the darkness they provided. His mind began to drift back to the event that replayed over and over in his mind. Desperately he scoured the event for any semblance of an explanation. Each replay simply returned the same pain and sorrow with no real answers.

"Doesn't matter how many times I replay it," Wulfrin whispered again as the scab was ripped away again by his wandering mind. "I can't find any rational explanation. It should have been me. Not Persi. Not Freyd. Me. I made a call and it almost the life of my mentor and brother. It's like some cruel joke."

The whispers coming from beneath the shadowy cowl faded as quickly as they had appeared. Wulfrin simply listened now as his fellow frontliners continued their conversation. The fact that others had experienced the same situation did not sit well with him, and yet he should be glad. In a game where death was an inevitability, players coming back from what should have been their death should be a good thing.

"What if." Wulfrin added. "We've been lied to this whole time. I mean yeah there have been names put onto the monument. But what if the deaths only stick if someone makes them stick. This game gets more and more twisted every time I roll out of bed."