Freyd

Hesitating at her reaction, Freyd waited a breath to let Sewallus get farther ahead and out of earshot. "Look," he began, "I'm not sure what's going on, but if you don't want to talk in front of the NPC, I can understand. What I'm not clear on is why an old friend is talking to me like she's trying to glean information for the next potluck at Brokers'R'Us, while telling me nothing about where she's been the last few years." His smile inferred that he wasn't offended, just curious. "I know it's just your way, but it risks putting people on their back foot and ready to walk away. What y

Guiding them along an assortment of twisted,barely used trails that look like they might have been made by animals rather than people, Freyd kept mostly silent during the brief journey. He knew what was coming, the possibilities of what they might find. Reaching the broad, unguarded cave mouth within a half hour, the two players could easily see its appeal to overzealous curiosity, as one might find in a child. Pointing to particularly sizable droppings off to the side, he gestured for Ty stand ready while he approached the opening. "KOKO!" Roaring like the crash of a waterfall int

"Actually, I was being a tank there, just one able to deal damage. If I hadn't been, he'd have come after you and plastered your pretty face all over the walls. McDude doesn't care who he targets, as long as he gets to wallop someone." Smiling at how Ty had immediately taken his comment to the absolute, he clarified by mentioning how most players were a combination on the spectrum of roles. "I can probably count on one hand the number of players I know who were so dedicated to tanking or healing that they gave up all capacity to deal any damage in combat, even passively. Mostly, it just m

"An affectionate nickname, graciously granted by the elves for services rendered." Freyd offered Sewallus a small, courteous bow, as if out of some unspoken bond or respect. The NPC returned it, offering no alternative explanation, and seeming content to consent by his silence. "And I'll gladly join you for a drink, after the raid. Call it a raincheck. Too many people are waiting and counting on me to be late due to a social call. But, please, make sure you don't become a stranger. Aincrad isn't especially kind to solo players. I would know." Their elven escort, taking his cue fro

In the wake of three concussive waves rocking Ravana's grand moment, Freyd sought not to disappoint. Stepping from one shadow to another, he reappeared to the mob's left and sliced down hard. Screeching tore open the silence of Bizarro Ronburu as Samae'l Pride opened its maw and bit down, hard. Black void within the blade carved its way through the mob's digital flesh like a vacuum, consuming every congealed dust bunny compressed into the demon's ridiculous-looking overstuffed outfit. A stitch on its left side gave out, billowing like a dessicated fart could that the weapon conveniently de

Shaking his head to ward off her quick dismissal at the accomplishment fading to dust before them, Freyd wouldn't have it. "Let yourself enjoy the win, Xena. You earned this. Yeah. it was quick, because this boss needs to go down quick or he can cause some serious mayhem. And, while I believe you could have taken him down alone, you might have come back to town with some fairly serious wounds. My point is: things are always easier in a group, no matter who you are." Knowing that she'd long been a loner, he had no expectations of breaking her solitary habits overnight. Baby step

"Appreciated, but that's basically my chosen role. I'm a tank, Ty. I stand in front and take the hits while others work to take down our enemies." It felt really weird to actually say that out loud, especially given how long he'd spent as one of the ground pounders dealing out the damage, but it was true. This was the job he'd volunteered for. A frantic woman, the same that had set Ty on her way in the first place, met them by the town gate. It took a few minutes and calm steady voice to get her settled enough for any meaningful information to emerge. "Koko, my daughter, went

Stepping into the strange, ominous circle, Freyd found their surroundings suddenly swirling. Everything turned a deeper, nastier, creepier shade of red as if every element had been completely marinated in blood. "Someone needs to talk to their decorator... and the health department. This can't possibly pass muster. Hey! Ravana? Lilith wants her decor back!" Nodding to the others to follow, the demon's herald had unwittingly given them an edge. "Not sure if we're supposed to wander aimlessly around here for a bit, but we already got what we needed. Dude's this way, about five hundre

"Loose lips sink ships. Isn't that the phrase? Not that I have any concerns about you spilling what few strategies we have to others, but it seems like information best left to those intending to use it, at least until the battle it done." The sad truth was, Freyd couldn't actually know what Xena would do with the information and past raids were replete with occasions where players had killed other players. It was all long before his time, but not worth the risk of repeating. Something about her subtle prods for information was sitting well with his professional duties in service to his g

"Yeah. That was an NPC. They do a good job of hawking that one and snaring player feels before you can figure out what's going on. Don't feel bad. It does you credit that you cared." Crossing his arms and leaning against a nearby lamp post, chomping on his own share of dessert, he waited casually as Ty organized herself. "Freyd, please, or 'hey you'" he clarified, politely. "We don't need to be so formal, and it reveals more about who we are than might be wise to otherwise let on." A single eyebrow raised as she donned the armor, as it adapted itself to fit her far curvier form th

Collecting groceries for dinner, Freyd was staring at a message notification when someone barreled into him from behind. "What the... who?!" A more forceful collision might have been prevented by the system itself, what with Urbus being a safe zone. Thank goodness for small miracles. Turning to check and see what hit him, Freyd was genuinely surprised to discover it was one of his own guild mates, and the very author of the post he'd just read. "Ty?!" Great guffawing laughter broke free from his lips as he helped her get back to her feet, easing the instinctual grip on his k

♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ Freyd faltered as he stood watching Elora's features drop, astute enough to glean that his long game had finally been undone. In fairness to the universe, a fluke seemed the most appropriate means - the romantic fancies of an offbeat elven festival unmaking what force and scheming could never overcome. He'd been too meticulous and controlling of his own illusions for carelessness to suffice on its own. Shoulders slumping, face, and even ears, following the downward spin at dawn's inevitable end, the sun was setting on his masquerade at last. She saw him now, the doubts and inn

"No, I'm not much of a dancer at all." His voice seemed distant when he replied, eyes briming with reflected starlight from the distant festival, where those abilities had just been thoroughly tested. Xena couldn't have known, and he took no offense at the question. Given his reputation for speed and grace as a fighter, it was common for people to assume the same, but it had never been the case. "I'd have embarrassed myself if I'd ever offered, or, worse, embarrassed you." "We're fortunate to have the moonlight," Sewallus offered, pointing toward the broad silver disk slowly making it

Returning from a recent training foray against the Forgotten Time King, Freyd left @Typhoonflame with a few parting words of advice and hearty praise for her courage and discerning insights before pointing her back towards the central plaza. Taking another route, he'd planned on visiting The Knight Shift to check on Ren and drop him off additional supplies when he spotted two familiar faces nearby. "What are you two miscreants doing out here," he began with a wry grin. "Do your moms know what you're up to? Do I need to call the brute squad in to keep you in line? GET OFF MY LAWN!" So

"Actually, I think I got off lucky by managing to avoid any nasty hits. Wushen was a giant elemental dragon who had a lot of effects to counter, but I was working with a good team. All I had to do was dance around like an idiot to keep it from smashing me - and we all know how good I am at being an idiot." It was tough to tell how much of that was self-deprecating humor, but Freyd bore the comment with a smile. Sewallus, meanwhile, who simply fell into line with a nod as Freyd started walking for the village gates, kept his thoughts to himself. Xena was more than good enough at reading peo

"It's a fine start and a noble goal" he offered, mostly concerned that the proper seed had been planted in their newest agent's imagination. Few people questioned what they wanted in this life. Even fewer actually knew. If members of O&I were to be effective, possibly placing their lives on the line for the sake of complete strangers, they had to know themselves first. "I need to make my way to the raid shortly, but can take you as far as Coral on floor 22. The Guild Hall, known as the Cathedral of the Lost, is located in the Forest of Memories nearby. Stick to the paths while tr

Freyd still had no idea what had just happened. He'd reached out and accepted his fate, even felt like he'd touched that light at the end of the tunnel and closed his eyes at finding it out it was a bear-shaped train about to his him at full speed. Whatever. It had felt right, and still did, even if the outcome wasn't expected in the slightest. "Why do you guys insist on poking the bear?" Came his salty reply, as if a joke might assuage their own confusion and misgivings. Weaving low, then sidestepping the same type of swipe that should have just killed him. Had it, actually? Thing

"Tanking for the frontlines," he added, by way of explaining his new getup. "Tried it in my usual pajamas last time around and wasn't sure it was worth tempting fate a second time. This seemed like a better insurance policy." Black gauntlets of some strange metal tapped his breastplate, both surfaces seeming to shift with the light and making it harder for sight, tooth or claw alike to find significant purchase. Freyd had always been a bit of a slippery character. This just made it a bit more overt. "As to my visit, I was really just making the rounds. There's a festival in Ellesm

"A fair response, and completely viable build, but I'd like to challenge you to dig a little deeper. What role do you want to play?" Weaving their way through the settlement's narrow streets seemed to parallel the details on their conversation, winding its way towards a predictable but yet-to-be-determined conclusion. "We're all forced to be warriors in some way. Cardinal directs the tools available to us. But, your answer tells me how you want to deal damage within that system. It doesn't tell me what part you want to play in helping us get out of this death game. Are you aiming to joi

"A what?", Elora asked in confusion. Freyd's favoured wolfish grin bore a more playful mien than the actions that had earned him his local nickname. "Oh... uh... " The boy seemed flustered struggling to reconcile how to explain an elvish term to one of their own. She had the ears, after all. "It means... shadow wolf. Like the one that preys upon the wayward to keep our people safe. Right, Daedhrog?" Freyd mussed the boy's pale green hair playfully, struck by how much his blue eyes and liveliness reminded him of his partner's before sending him along ahead. "You've come t

"Sounds good to me, and I tend to view things here along the same vein." His fingers traced a rusty red line in the rock face as they neared the town's entrance, the oxidized strand of raw iron crumbling at his fingers' passing. "So, what role do you want to play? As O&I's captain, it's my responsibility to assign you tasks and missions, but also to ensure that you're made ready to handle as many different scenarios as Aincrad could possibly throw your way. We work as a team, but often face our challenges separately. To make that work, I need to understand who you are, Kyoto. And, mo

Chuckling lightly at the comment, Freyd's eyes belied admissions he'd long denied himself. "You know... I never really thought of myself that way. But between running the Shark Bait training program, helping walk newbies through so many first lessons, and then these sorts of outing, it may be getting difficult to deny." What had first been rationalized as an investment in the growth and development of Aincrad's most finite resource had become habit, and then its own reward. "Guess I was too too challenging a student - too fiercely independent - to ever see myself in that light. I'm jus

"Maybe it's just me, but I feel like we should be moderately concerned by the completely random appearance of twelve, masked, scantily clad ladies grinding it around a ritual circle in an abandoned amusement park after dark." Foyle smirked, preferring to keep his eyes to the horizon in search of other possible threats. Freyd was left to deal with this one. Jeeves, on the other hand, was more concerned by the elaborate mandala laid out between them on the ground and practically radiating unpleasant fortunes. The trio had made their way from the main festival grounds in the centre of Ron

Brows crossed and confused in partial recognition of a voice calling out his name. Familiar, but buried in the detritus of time, it took him a moment to connect the ancient dots, until he saw the ears. The face followed as confirmation. "Xena?" Genuine surprise paired well with the easing of his features in welcoming recognition. "You're... here?" He was going to say 'alive', but that might have been too crass. Part of him wondered where that consideration came from. Maybe he had changed after all? Old Freyd would have run with it, without hesitation. Xena would know that, and mi

Sensing a shift in the sand beneath their feet, Freyd knew the boss was getting ready to lose it on them both. "It's gonna..." he began, watching Kyoto make his move and stun the slithery fiend. "...or not." A light chuckle as he stepped forward and made a single, clean, cross-wise cut with his katana. The blade left only a tiny line, barely a pixel wide on the mob's skin, before its upper half toppled over lacking the grace and speed it had threatened them with mere moments before. "Nice plan." Beaming at his companion's cleverly timed use of his sword art, he'd effectively