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[PP | F4] Crushed or Cubed? <<Avalanche>>


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<<Avalanche>>

 

Once again Katoka sat in a comfy chair at the Javalanche Brewery on floor 4. She had sent a message to Freyd, curious as to whether or not he wanted to join her while she finished a couple quest here. She had briefly forgotten how cold it had been the last they had been there, but with the warmth of the coffee she held between her hands helped her regain the feeling she had lost on the walk here. Taking another sip she thought about the info she had gathered about this particular quest, it would probably not take long for them to deal with, but she wanted to complete this one before she fought the following Avalanche, it just seemed more... Polite.

Looking over at the fireplace in front her Kat settled into her chair with a content, warm sigh. She thought about bringing Sam here one day just so they could sit together in front of a warm fire and enjoying each other's company. "Hmmm, snow date day?" she said aloud before taking another sip of her drink.

@Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

Vanity Tag: @Sam

Katoka | HP:600/600 | EN:60/60 | DMG:12 | MIT:48 | EVA:1 | ACC:3 | BLD:24

Spoiler

Name: Katoka
Level: 30
HP: 600/600
EN: 60/60

Stats:
Damage: 12
Mitigation: 48
Evasion: 1
Accuracy: 3
BLD:24

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Iridescent Edge (T2/Perfect/Katana) | BLD 1, DMG 2
Armor: Bushido Haori (T2/Perfect/Light Armor) | MIT 2, EVA 1
Misc: Banded Ring of Warrior's Focus (Tierless/Perfect/Trinket) | ACC 3

Skills:
Curved Sword [Rank 1]
Katana [Rank 5]
Light Armor [Rank 3]

Extra Skills:

Mods:
Katana Finesse R3

Battle Ready Inventory:
Starter Healing Potions*3
Teleportation Crystal*5

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)
Filling: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot.
Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
Col Stash: +5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests

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:

Wedding Ring:

 

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Entering silently, as he was won't to do, Freyd walked up slowly behind Katoka and tapped her gently on the shoulder, scaring the absolute cocoa out of her.  China clinked, clattered, then crashed as her cup tumbled and fell victim to the hardness of the flagstone floor.  The thick rugs and animal skins simply weren't enough to protect the fragile cup from its ignoble fate.  He cringed, pulling back his cowl and offering the shopkeep an apologetic glance.  Training yourself to be stealthy seemed to have some downsides.  

"Sorry!  Sorry.  That's my fault.  Occupational hazard.  I didn't mean to do that."  He offered her one of the instant-clean vanity crystals he'd started keeping on hand after all the slips he'd had involving animal excrement.  "This'll take care of that, real quick."  

Motioning for two replacement drinks, he sat himself across from his dear friend, still looking rather sheepish.

"Okay... let's reboot that.  So!  You need help on a quest?  Does it involve hot beverages, because I seem to be good at slaying those."

Freyd, The Whisper in Shadows | HP:1590/1590 | EN:171/171 | DMG:20 | MIT:79 | EVA:2 | ACC:4 | VAMP OFF:159 | HLY:6 | FLN:6 | LD:5 | BH:79

Spoiler

Name: Freyd, The Whisper in Shadows
Level: 78
HP: 1590/1590
EN: 171/171

Stats:
Damage: 20
Mitigation: 79
Evasion: 2
Accuracy: 4
BH:79
VAMP OFF:159
HLY:6
FLN:6
LD:5

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Samael's Pride (T3-2HSS, VO 1, HOLY 1, FLN 1)
Armor: Skirmisher's Garb (T3 LA, MIT 2, EVA 1)
Misc: Night Shades (T3-Trinket, ACC 3)

Skills:
2H Straight Sword [Rank 5]
Light Armor [Rank 5]
Searching [Rank 4]
Battle Healing [Rank 5]
Parry [Obtained]
Energist [Obtained]
Charge [Rank 5]
Extended Mod Limit R3 [Obtained]
Hiding [Rank 4]
Martial Arts [Rank 2]

Extra Skills:
Disguise
Familiar Mastery: Fighter 3
Survival
Meditation

Mods:
Precision
Finesse - Rank 3
LA Athletics
Ferocity
LA Sprint and Acrobatics
Night Vision
Vengeful Riposte

Battle Ready Inventory:
Teleport Crystals*5
Gungnir Shard: Haniel's Modesty (T3 Perfect HP Rec [Instant]*5
Flash of Rejuvenation (Mass HP Rec [Instant] (+30*Tier HP)*5
Fruit-Infused Tea (T3 HP Recovery)*5
Imugi's Inspiration (T3 Mass HP Recovery)*5
Mega-Duper... Sauce (Antidote 3)*5
Grave Injustice (T3-2HSS, ACC 1, Keen 1, Abs. ACC)*1

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.
Angler: +1 material gained when fishing
Advanced Training: +2 SP to a thread. Limit one use per month [0/1]
Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll
Decor [Potted Tanabata Bamboo Tree]: This buff affects the player and their choice of up to two party members.

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

Scents of the Wild:
Kumatetsu Statue: +1 Base Damage for a thread

Wedding Ring:

 

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After a moment of letter her heart restart, Katoka took the crystal Freyd offered her and used it. The item bursting in her hand and making the spilled drink evaporate like it had never spilled. She turned back to the cowled man and sighed, "I'm getting you a bell, then I won't die early every time you walk up behind me." Standing up and laughing at his joke the blonde opened her game menu to check the notes she had made, "Sadly no drink murdering, however we will be fighting an ice monster." she closed the window and looked back at him, "It's not so much I need help on this one. The quest right after I need you more, this one I thought it would be nice to have some company along."

Kat patted him on the shoulder as she began walking out of the shop, "I'm pretty sure even I can one shot this guy, he's kind of a small fry in comparison to his next form."

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"Sounds good to me," replied the lanky spook, chuckling as he lead them out the door towards the roaming grounds of the mob.  "You've been doing a great job with your training and development.  I'd love to see what you can do.  As to the bell idea, I kinda like it.  I've been working on the sneaky-stealthy stuff lately.  If I can scare the next drink out of your hand despite wearing it, I'll consider my training to be successful."  A broad Cheshire-like grin flashed across his face, and Katoka knew that usually signaled some form of troublesome mischief.

Leading them out the main gates of Snowfrost, Freyd made casual small talk until they were well beyond earshot of the guards and other NPCs.  

"I also wanted to thank you, for being you, and such a good friend to both Elora and I.  I don't say it much, but it is really appreciated.  When you said you wanted to become stronger to protect others, I found myself asking why.  You already have a fire burning inside you that blazes far brighter than so many others.  That is the true source of your strength, Katoka.  Never let it go out."  He offered her a sincere smile from beneath his coverings.  "And certainly not out here.  You'd freeze to death in two minutes."

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"Yeah sure, if you can sneak up on me when you have the bell on you graduate and become a full fledged ninja." Kat mused as they exited the building out into the cold. "Also thank you, I've been working hard to try and get stronger. I don't feel afraid like I did in the past when fighting." As the two exited the town and chatted the blonde felt at ease, spending time with Freyd was always fun. She wasn't alone on her quest and she felt that she was helping him become a bit more social. As they left the safe zone behind Freyd cause her to blush.

"I also wanted to thank you, for being you, and such a good friend to both Elora and I." he said, accompanied by a few more compliments. Turning her face away to try and hide her face she nodded in affirmation.

"It doesn't take much to be a good friend to two good people. Elora is my best friend, though I don't know if she feels the same about me. You are a close second, but don't let that hurt your pride. You're both very important to me and I like hanging out and going on quests together despite some the emotional outbursts we tend to have." she laughed and rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. "You say I'm strong, and while there are times I feel fierce, I also know that this stupid number keeps me from being strong in this game."

She grasped the hilt of her katana with her off hand, "This sword. This way of fighting. It helps me feel like I'm still connected to home." she lets out a laugh that Freyd can tell has no humor behind it, "If I don't have a connection to that world anymore, what's to stop me from never going back? When the time comes, will I even have the strength to? I've had this drive to live a life as normal as I possibly can here, but when we beat this game and we all finally leave, how do we adjust to that? Will I be strong enough then?"

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"I nearly killed a boy, when I was twelve."  It had just slipped out, and so casually that Freyd surprised himself at having said it.  That he would trust Katoka with his greatest shame, and being able to speak freely to her about it spoke volumes about a rare and special level of trust.

"I was an awkward and nerdy kid, even by common standards, but never realized quite how much rage I had building up inside, until it came out." Memories seemed to flash before his eyes, as if his attention was far away and in the distant past.  "By the time I came out of it, I had blood all over my hands, he had a badly bruised trachea, some severe lacerations, and spinal damage.  He never walked again."  Freyd's tone was eerily calm as he related the details.  Combined with the absence of any emotion finding purchase on his face, it was more than a little disturbing.  

"There's no way to be sure, but I think it's why there is so much red in my eyes, here in the game."  Turning to face her, Katoka could see what he meant, though it was easily dismissed as an odd visual effect of the ssytem.  She hadn't realized that it carried any significance.  No one ever did.  "That day terrified me so much that I vowed to lock whatever had caused it inside of me and never let it reach the world again.  Thirteen years of walking around in a husk of your own flesh, just building more and more scar tissue.  I've spent more than half my life in a prison inside my own head, killing any part of me that felt anything.  It takes a toll."

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Katoka stopped in her tracks in shock. For someone so young to have gone through something so traumatic, it made her heart hurt. Stepping in front of the man she reached up and patted him on the head, "Freyd, you don't have to lock everything inside. It's ok to let some emotion out. As for your more aggressive side, what better place to let off steam than a game where you literally kill monsters." she let out a chuckle, "While I don't completely understand what happened because I'm not you, my heart does heart for you. Being that young, withdrawing into yourself to make sure you never hurt anyone again. While that is noble and considerate to others, it's not good for you. It's ok to express yourself, it's alright to be angry and sad and scared," she looks into his eyes hoping he understood this next part, "and to love."

"We currently live in a virtual world that is our current reality. It's ok to better yourself. I know the brooding tough guy is your thing, but for the love of Cardinal man you can express yourself a bit." she placed a hand on his shoulder. She may have been pushing the boundaries a bit but she wanted her friend to really hear her, "We're here for you. Me, Elora, I'm sure there are others too. You can open up to us."

She smiled at him, sad but hopeful that she got through, "And Freyd? What the hell is this ninja mask thing you are you wearing now? You look like a dork."

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He scoffed softly as Katoka's mixture of wisdom and jovial mocking.  Here was a woman with a true heart, and it gave him joy to see that she was gaining the confidence to wield it.  This was her weapon: incisive and precise, capable of both good and harm, depending on intent.  The realization forced him to reconsider the meaning of his own actions.

"At first, I was terrified, and withdrew within.  It took years, but I finally found the courage to step beyond that fear and try to do more.  What you and others see as a brooding, tough-guy routine isn't really anything of the sort.  It was a strict need for control of myself.  Later, it became a sort of dispassionate serenity.  Now?  I'm honestly not sure.  Those feelings are returning, but I might as well be twelve years old again.  I'm not sure what to do when they surface, and I don't want my friends to be hurt by my actions."

Freyd removed the mask, holding it in his left hand.

"As for this, I had it commissioned from Raidou some time ago, back when I thought I might give up the cowl.  But these things are so damned comfortable," he said pointing at the finely woven charcoal hood over his head, chuckling as he said it.

"I snapped at Elora, recently, while doing another quest."  The tonal change was abrupt and confessional.  "She was goofing around and stabbed blindly in a fight, and could have hit another player.  The strike itself wouldn't have been an issue, save that it might have earned her an orange icon, at least temporarily.  The system doesn't forget those kinds of transgressions, and doesn't forgive.  I should have handled it better, but I felt..."

Freyd's voice drifted off into silence.

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"Hey," the blonde placed her hand on Freyd's shoulder, "It'll be ok. Everyone makes mistakes, it's what makes you human. Which we all are. It's ok to fuck up sometimes." She motioned from him to follow her as she began walking again. "None of us are perfect, we all make mistakes, blah blah blah. You know what I'm saying, it's cliché as hell but things don't become cliché because they are wrong. Unless some are..." she held her chin in thought for a moment before shaking her head, "Anyways, just tell her that you didn't mean to get so worked up and that you were worried for her. It may take a few times but I'm sure she'll understand eventually. Elora really beats herself up when she messes up, so it can be hard for her to hear that it will be ok."

The two players rounded a mound of snow and came to a rounded area with large rocks surrounding it. Stopping just outside the ring she turned back to Freyd, "You may have to drill it into her pretty green head but she will listen eventually. I think hearing it from you might be a bit more effective than me though."

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"Thanks," he added quickly and off pace from the rest of the conversation, clumsily revealing some of his embarrassment.  "I'm no good at this sort of thing and never really happen.  It seems to be one of your strengths."  Freyd offered another rare smile with his praise.  Katoka seemed to have merited many of these.  In the bizarro-world of reasoning that seemed to be his measure of such sensations, it suggested to him that she was a good friend.

"So, will you also be showing me how to devastate shambling mounds of snow and ice on this little expedition?  You're getting pretty good with that blade.  I'd like to see how far along you've come."

The sound of snapping branches in the distance accompanied the startled flight of a series of birds.  Thunder quaked from beneath their feet a moment later.  

"Seems like you'll soon have your chance."  Freyd's blade fell into his hands from nothing, just in case, while he nodded for her to take the lead.

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Felling her cheeks flush from embarrassment and not he cold wind Kat added, "Well I just speak my mind sometimes. I tend to get emotional really easily and just kind of," she gestures throwing up, "word vomit everything. It may seem like a strength but it also kind of gets me in trouble sometimes. Just, try and tell her how you feel. I know it's hard but praise to her from you is definitely what she needs."

The ground rumbled beneath their feet as the footsteps of a colossal ice creature approached them, "Well, I guess it's show time huh?" Katoka walked into the ring of stones as the massive creature came into view. The blonde bent her knees and pushed the blade of her sword from its saya ever so slightly with her thumb, taking a deep breath she focused her mind and collected her thoughts. Before her stood a creature large and imposing, much bigger than the small woman. However her blade was strong and sharp, it would easily cut through the hardened water.

With a mighty roar and the crystallin tinkling of ice rubbing together the behemoth charged at the samurai, but she remained still. The foot falls slamming into the ground causing the snow surrounding them move with each pound. But still the woman remained as un moving as a placid lake. Just as the creature was a few feet away it reared it's arm back to make swing at her, but this did not phase her. Freyd might have even made a move to intercept the attack if Katoka hadn't finally attacked. She lifted her head and placed her hand on the tsuka of her weapon and spoke one word aloud in a flat but dangerous tone, "Rend."

In a flash of colored light Katoka was behind the monster as it stood motionless, the only noise being the wind whipping through the area and the whisper of the samurai returned her blade to it's home. She turned to the hulking mass of ice and watched as it began to crack and separate as numerous cuts began erupting in red light from it's body. It separated into large chunks that collapsed to the ground and exploded into fractal polygons before her.

"How was that?" she called out to Freyd through the whipping wind.

 

Spoiler

Katoka attacks with San Ge

ID# 179197 BD: 8 + 3 = 11 HIT | 12 x 15 = 180 DMG | Avalanche 100 HP - 180 DMG = 0 HP

-----

Katoka | HP:600/600 | EN:60/60 | DMG:12 | MIT:48 | EVA:1 | ACC:3 | BLD:24

-----

Avalanche | HP: 0/100 | DMG: 40

 

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"Mostly acceptable."  Freyd replied nonchalantly, keeping a straight face for a solid ten seconds while he watched the steam rising in Katoka's.  A broad grin soon spread across his lips, betraying the tease and unleashing a suitably scathing punishment from her wounded pride. 

"Okay, okay!" He cried, fending off a fierce flurry of elbows and other assorted prods, laughter ringing out as he dodged backwards away from the blue samurai.  "It was brilliant!  I give!  Oww!"  He grabbed his ribs that we aching more from his constant convulsions that any true injury.  "Trim your tiny claws, Scissor Smurf!"  Falling backwards into the snow, Katoka's towering shadow soon loomed over him girded by a pair of genuinely mischievous anime crazy-eyes.  Sensing no other options, and still struggling not to laugh, Freyd simply raised his hands in surrender.  The darkness of his her silhouette took him away from the moment and towards the pending confrontation with a villain of the same make.  His friend's advice also echoed in his mind.

"I'm not sure what to say," he replied bluntly and honestly.  "The feelings are definitely there, but I'm not even sure what they mean.  I've been sheltering, mentoring, encouraging, and we've had all sorts of crazy adventures together.  There was a moment in Tealeaf's smithy, very early on, when I brought and gave her a small gift to commemorate her successful completion of the quest.  it was a copper rose, only just starting to show signs of verdigris."  Freyd's mood had turned pensive, but with a vein of sincerity and confusion, rather than fear or dour depression.  "I wasn't sure why I did it, which is saying something for me back then."

Katoka began to understand.  Freyd was lost in a sea of unfamiliar sensations.  If he couldn't make sense of them himself, how was he supposed to share them with others?

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With a big grin Kat offered her hand to pull Freyd up. She clasped his forearm and held him there for a moment, "You won't really know what to say or how to say it. Sometimes you won't know if it's the right thing at the time or not, you kind of just have to go with what you feel.  It's a leap of faith. That's all it is, Freyd. A leap of faith."

Pulling him the rest of the way up she brushed some snow off of him a bit before beginning to walk back to town, "Now, I think for the moment you should try and rolodex your feelings and see what you can find deep down. To me, it sounds like you like the girl. Like like. Which is fine, but if you can't admit it to yourself you probably won't be able to express it to her very well."

Katoka was beginning to wonder if she was giving good advice or not. As someone that had barely been dating Sam for a month now, they had just kind of clicked. There wasn't much in the way of in-depth internal soul searching. Then again, Kat was about as deep as a kiddie pol when it came to holding her feelings in. "I hope this is helpful in some way. We're not exactly the same in terms of emotions so this probably won't be as easy with you."

 

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A grimace crept over Freyd's pale face as he listened to Katoka's advice, not because he didn't appreciate it, but because he didn't know how to express it.

"So, if I'm hearing you right, you're telling me to stop being all of this."  He gestured to himself, from head to toe.  His eyes opened wide as one eyebrow raised, somehow assisting the pondering process.  "I'm just not quite sure what left without it."   A gloved hand raised to scratch at the tussled crop of brown hair buried beneath his cowl.

"I do 'like like' her, I think.  Somehow, whenever she pulls one of her goofy stunts, half of which blow up in her face, it's endearing.  She's too hard on herself about it, and everything, really."  His words were flowing effortlessly, but Freyd seemed not to have noticed it whatsoever.

"You should have seen her darting down the waterfalls with glee, or trying to force-feed a disinterested dragon while a neglected Borris clattered at her feet, or when her skirt got blasted to smithereens and..."  His eyes went wide flickered sideways to catch Katoka's face.  "...and I gave her my old starter cloak from when I was just leaving the starting city, so she'd have something to cover up with."  His face seemed to withdraw farther into his hood as his skin flushed and his teeth gnawed on his lower lip.  Katoka could have sworn she heard an awkward moan of embarrassment mutter its way out of the darkness.

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Katoka nodded along with Freyd as he talked about Elora, he was right about everything of course. Him mentioning her clothing burning away peeked her interest as she heard the slight pause in her story before he effortlessly moved on. She smugly glanced at him when he looked at her wide eyed for split second. When he seemed to recede into his hood and made a soft embarrassed moan she covered her mouth in a quite giggle. "By the sounds of it I'd say your interests have been peeked."

The two walked in silence for a bit, the crunch of the snow under their feet and the wind blowing past the only sound between them. As the lights of Snowfrost bleed into view Katoka finally spoke, "It's not everyday that you find someone special you know? Especially here trapped in this game, the thought of love or relationships can seem a bit trivial. But when we put our lives on the line on a daily basis, why shouldn't you be able to fall in love? Why shouldn't you look forward to coming home after a long day and enjoying the company of another person?"

She looked over at Freyd, "I found someone recently. Someone that makes me happy. That is on my mind a lot and that I think 'What can we experience together next?'" Her face flushed, "If I hadn't worked up the nerve to go out on that date with Sam who knows what would have happened? But I'm glad I did. And I'm not telling you to walk up to her and just confess, but take your time. Be yourself. You are the person that she knows and if she does like you, which let's be honest here I'm pretty sure she does, then it's all of this," Kat motions to himself much as he did earlier, "that she likes. So don't be fake, don't be weird. Just be you. But like, let some of those feeling in too."

Katoka exhaled as if she had been running a marathon as they entered the safe area of town. "I hope that I was helpful in some way?"

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"Wait?  Sam?  Like, red-beanie-girl-I-thought-was-Simmone Sam?!"  Freyd leaned back and examined Katoka first with skepticism, then increasing respect.  "Damn, girl!  She quite the stout lass, if I recall.  You climbed that mountain all by yourself?"  Judging by another flurry of elbows and the deep, prideful blush on the samurai's face, his suspicious were immediately and rather emphatically confirmed. 

"Where the hell do you hide all that ferocious energy?" He laughed, offering another feigned, pathetic defense while beaming happiness back at his friend for having found someone special in her life

"I'm happy for you," he offered, still chuckling.  "No, I really am.  You deserve that kind of joy, and she's lucky to have found you as well.  And, I get your point about just being me.  It may overwhelm me a bit at first, but I think I can manage this."  He listened while his friend recounting her tale, watching her feverish passion seep out as she spoke of the one she loved.  Old tools were applied to new purposes as the Whisper learned to appreciate wonder in the triumph of others, beyond some abstract, strategic value.

"It sounds like you two are getting serious.  That sure happened fast, but maybe that's a good thing?  Wait.  How the heck to you figure out pacing in relationships?!  Are there signals, or something?"  His eyes had shifted back towards panic as the endless variables in play settled into his frazzled but growing awareness.

Vanity Tag: @Sam

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"I'll have you know I have climbed to the peak and back several times." Katoka sniffed and crossed her arms, her face flushed and she quickly added, "That was probably too much info..." She covered her face in embarrassment. After slapping and hitting Freyd to satisfy her outburst she led the hooded man back to her favorite coffee place. "It has been fast, it's been a month now I think. When you're stuck in this place though, sometimes things happen fast."

Giggling she added, "Yeah, once you hit a relationship milestone there is a ding and small fireworks go off. It's really helpful." Stepping back into the warmth of the coffee joint Kat let out a satisfied sigh as the warmth washed over her. "I really should get a coat. Or actually spend my SP on that damn Survival skill I got." she grumbled as she ordered a drink, "You want anything?"

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Freyd looked like he was about to bust a gut while swallowing his severed tongue to keep from commenting after Katoka's boast.  He chose the gracious approach instead and bent low next to her ear to whisper: "Well done, but Sam may not appreciate you spreading it around too liberally in quite those terms."  He playfully mussed her crop of golden hair offering her an encouraging wink for having taken her own destiny in hand.  The expression faded slightly as he wondered whether he had the wherewithal to do the same, on similar terms.

"Well played, little samurai.  You may have just given me the motivation I needed."  He wouldn't downgrade this to a simple competition - one that she would have already won anyway - but Freyd realized that if the same timid woman he had met just a short while ago could do this, maybe he could do it too.  Certain that he'd mess it up and accidentally insult her, he kept that particular thought to himself.  So lost in thought had he been that he'd somehow missed their arrival at the shop.

"Oh, ummm.... coffee, black save a splash of vanilla.  Thanks!"  Seating himself across from Katoka at a table, Freyd already looked more relaxed, though she could tell that the turbo-speed hamster wheel in his brain was already in overdrive.  All that was missing was the steady stream of steam flowing out of his ears.  "I picked up Survival early.  It's well-worth the cost."  In another context, he pondered the truth of the very words he'd just spoken.

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Kat blushed, "I-I'm not spreading it around you masked dork." She punched him but not very hard. She hadn't told many people about her relationship, not that she knew a lot of people that she was close with in the game anyways. Sitting at their table she sipped at her coffee a bit before responding, "I'm glad I could help at all. You deserve to be happy Freyd, both of you do." She blew on her drink a bit before taking another sip, it was nice to just relax after a fight, especially one in the cold. Katoka could feel her limbs warming up thanks to the drink and the fire warming the room.

"I've mostly been focusing on increasing my damage and such. I figured once I bought all the skills I needed to hit hard I could focus on other things." she said while opening her game menu to take a peak at her skills and skill points. "Having so many unspent points bugs me sometimes. It feels like money that's burning a hole in your pocket."

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"I'm glad I could help at all. You deserve to be happy Freyd, both of you do."

"I'm glad you could too.  Thank you for that."  Freyd raised his steaming cup in a sincere salute of respect.  His own development had been mapped out since the day he'd left the Town of Beginnings, which would likely surprise no one.  "Choose your priorities.  Stay focused.  Too many people dither and dabble, and dilute their effectiveness.   Make yourself a goal and work to claim it.  It will also give you a sense of purpose that can sometimes seem lacking in this place."

His fingers feathered his chin, as if trying to coax out an idea.

"There is an upgraded version of Avalanche on this floor, that would likely require both of us to take down.  You'll want some accuracy and armor buffs, just in case, but we should be able to take him down quickly by working together.  We have to make Sam proud, now, don't we?"  Freyd took shelter behind his cup, but meant the gently jibe with all sincerity.  Katoka was coming into her own, and he intended to do everything he could to see her power blossom.  It seemed, after all, a fair trade for everything she had already done for him.

***

Thread Summary:

Freyd receives:

2 SP (1 page, +1 event) - quest previously completed
<<Snowfrost>> This incredibly potent alchemical salve can be applied to a piece of armor, increasing resistance to Fire Damage for one battle. [The wearer will only take half damage from the burning damage over time effect].

Katoka receives:

4 SP (1 page, +1 event, +2 quest) 
400 col

<<Snowfrost>> This incredibly potent alchemical salve can be applied to a piece of armor, increasing resistance to Fire Damage for one battle. [The wearer will only take half damage from the burning damage over time effect].

 

Edited by Raidou
Approved via Raidou
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